Three Sisters Islands, Longsister Island, Sisterton
The sound of a Dragon tearing through the air and its roar came from the north. This terrifying sound and aura caused the warhorses in the stables of Sisterton to whinny helplessly, almost collapsing to the ground.
Unlike the warhorses of the Marko System soldiers and the non-system warhorses of the Valyrian Empire, these warhorses in Sisterton were encountering such a terrifying creature as a Dragon for the first time, which was why they became so unbearable.
And those ordinary soldiers on the walls of Sisterton were also looking at these legendary beasts with some fear. In their impression, Dragons had always been legendary creatures.
Immediately after, there was another series of eagle cries in the sky. After the Dragons landed, one Griffin after another also appeared behind them, and these big guys once again caused the soldiers to be frightened and exclaimed.
After Marko, Brynden, and Aegon dismounted the Dragons, the three Dragons spread their wings and flew towards the eastern coastline. Leading the way was Marko's Crystal Dragon, followed by Aegon's Ice Dragon.
They were going to catch fish for Brynden's Dragon, Green Dream. Green Dream ate a variety of things, and it also liked fish. Unlike Seal Bay, where there were so many seals and walruses, there were many dolphins and spotted whales here, enough for them to frolic for a while.
After the Dragons flew away, the Griffin Swan carried Nymph down, and the other two slightly smaller Griffins carried Moonshadow and Danny. With them were Mu and Mayfair in their angel forms, and Marko's five queens were basically all present.
After they landed, more people and Children of the Forest dismounted from the Griffin. They were sent by Marco to reconstruct the Three Sisters. The Children of the Forest were responsible for restoring the forests, while the Druids were tasked with transforming the farmlands.
The Three Sisters were once a very fertile island chain. However, due to the "Rape of the Three Sisters" incident, the Vale and the North fought for thousands of years, directly exhausting the islands' war potential. This gradually turned the area into a haven for pirates and smugglers.
Marco also wanted to use this place as a pilot project. If he could change the people here from a life of plunder, then he could also change the Ironborn's way of life in the future.
The situation in the Three Sisters was similar to the Iron Islands, but it was even worse. The Ironborn still had iron ore to arm themselves or sell for money.
However, after the islanders of the Three Sisters lost the land and forests they depended on for survival, they could only demand more from the sea, but this didn't solve anything.
The sea wasn't a wheat field; the harvest depended entirely on the heavens. So, over time, the people of the Three Sisters turned to a business with no capital: smuggling and plundering. As long as they could get Golden Dragons and food, they would risk their lives to do it.
It wasn't because they weren't hardworking, but the environment here was the same as the Iron Islands. Hard work was completely meaningless; only robbery could ensure survival.
Unfortunately, the people of the Three Sisters lacked the necessary weapons and ships, so they came up with the idea of lighting torches in the fog to impersonate lighthouses, thereby luring those unlucky ships to run aground.
These islanders would take the opportunity to plunder wrecked ships, stealing everything they could. Their behavior was reminiscent of the legendary Sirens, and many sailors on the Narrow Sea believed the people of the Three Sisters possessed the blood of mermaids.
The Guardians of the Vale throughout history had been unable to control the Three Sisters, ultimately forced to turn a blind eye. Marco, however, intended to do the opposite. He wanted to transform the Three Sisters into his logistical hub and resource production base.
This would allow him to rule them more effectively, rather than simply exploiting them like a source of wool. Marco wasn't short on manpower; he sought better governance.
After consolidating, Marco and his party set off towards the city gates. Two groups of people were present, all respectfully watching Marco.
From the Three Sisters, there were over twenty people. Leading them was Triston Sunderland, the Marquess of the Three Sisters, the actual ruler of the islands.
Behind Triston Sunderland were the Bonnel Family of Sweet Sister Island, headed by Godric Bonnel, Earl; the Rondop Family of Long Sister Island, led by Roland Rondop, Earl; and the Torrent Family of Little Sister Island, under the command of Alessandro Torrent, Earl.
There were also their subordinate vassals and sworn knights. The Three Sisters had been heavily influenced by the Faith of the Seven over the years, so Septs and knights were practically everywhere.
Triston Sunderland watched Marco approaching from afar, his heart unconsciously pounding. He had heard of the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire, and his mind couldn't help but conjure images of Marco's legend.
In the Church's propaganda, Marco was a bringer of the apocalypse, a demonic Dragon that crawled out of the seven layers of hell. He would destroy everything in the world, feasting on all living beings. Therefore, many followers of the Faith of the Seven were somewhat afraid of him.
However, after seeing Marco, Triston felt that he wasn't as terrifying as the legends made him out to be. He even seemed somewhat kind, nothing like that king who casually fed people to Dragons.
Yet, the people of the Three Sisters were always driven by self-interest. With Marco's military power at its peak, they naturally wouldn't dare to harbor any ill intentions, and could only obediently submit.
In truth, this was their consistent code of conduct. They submitted to the North when it was strong, and to the Vale when it was strong. Aside from their propensity for betrayal and pillage, everything else about them was subject to change.
Standing on the other side was Davos, Marco's commander of the Narrow Sea Fleet. With him were several family members from the Waterman and Lightfoot families. These families were among the Northern nobles who made their living at sea.
These people had always possessed their own fleets and small navies, and they had their own methods for naval warfare, so Marco incorporated them into the Narrow Sea Fleet.
In addition, there were those vassals of Dragonstone left behind by Stannis. These nobles, who often made their living at sea, were experienced ship commanders and formed the middle strength of the Narrow Sea Fleet.
Seeing Marco approach, everyone who was there to welcome him at the city gate knelt down, and the soldiers on the city walls did the same.
After signaling for everyone to stand, Marco followed Davos and the others to the Sept. Since the Faith of the Seven was the dominant religion in the Three Sisters, they chose to swear their allegiance to Marco there.
Amidst the shocked gazes of the Sept's monks, Marco calmly accepted the allegiance of the Three Sisters' lords in front of the Seven Gods' clay statues.
Because the faith on the Three Sisters was somewhat superficial, the statues of the Seven Gods in Sisterton were all made of clay. Marco didn't sense the aura of the Light God, Ed's deity, here either.
Marco felt that it had likely retreated to the Vale, influenced by the Pantheon. After all, this was Westeros, a land filled with weirwoods, and their power was still too limited here.
After the allegiance ceremony, Marco was led into the hall. Sisterton wasn't a large castle, and the group felt somewhat cramped inside.
After Marco and his wives were seated in the main seats, he turned his gaze to Davos. Davos respectfully stepped forward and began to introduce the people present, especially the nobles of the Three Sisters.
"In the name of the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire, I approve the integration of your four families into the Valyrian Empire. Furthermore, I allow your four families to have two seats in the newly established Three Sisters Council.
In addition, I have brought you a gift this time. Our Druids and Children of the Forest from the Pantheon will help you learn to cultivate new crops, and I will also restore the lush forests of the Three Sisters."
Triston Sunderland and the others stood frozen, dumbfounded by Marco's words. Initially, they'd assumed Marco was there for ships and men. They hadn't expected him to offer assistance in rebuilding the Three Sisters.
Seeing the lords of the Three Sisters still in a daze, Marco outlined his subsequent plans. He would plant grapes and spices here, and teach them how to farm the sea.
Nymph, upon entering the hall, had been using her abilities to observe the lords of the Three Sisters, seemingly sensing something unusual.
After confirming her assessment, Nymph informed Marco that most of the families on the Three Sisters possessed the blood of Deep Ones. This was the reason for their volatile nature and penchant for violence.
If they drank from the Vitality Magic Spring, they might awaken their ancient bloodlines and provide assistance to Marco. In the game Heroes of Might and Magic, the only faction related to the Deep Ones was "Yingzhou."
The graphics in the 6th installment of the game were quite beautiful, but it was a shame that those "Japanophile" game developers had forcibly turned the Naga into a "Japanese" race.
However, if he could truly transform the inhabitants of the Three Sisters into "Japanese," Marco wouldn't mind, as the units in the 6th installment were still quite powerful in terms of abilities.
Watching the lords of the Three Sisters, still reeling from Marco's announcement, Marco dropped another bombshell. He summoned a Druid before them and had him sprout a seed in front of everyone.
Afterward, Marco asked all the lords of the Three Sisters:
"Do you wish to possess such abilities? Or to be like me?"
After Marco finished speaking, he summoned a Water Elemental. The Water Elemental's sky-blue body and the strange cold aura it emitted made many of the lords of the Three Sisters feel a surge of novelty.
However, before the people of the Three Sisters could answer, a middle-aged man behind Davos suddenly ran forward and bowed to Marco, saying:
"Forgive my impertinence, Your Majesty! May I ask if I am eligible for this?"
Seeing this man's action, everyone felt regret. They all thought their chance had been snatched away, especially the captains from the North. They were somewhat annoyed, regretting not rushing forward directly.
Marco recalled Brynden, who was about to scold the man. Marco remembered this man; his name was Warner Waterman, and he was from a family near the White Knife River. They had pledged allegiance to Marco along with the Seven Family.
Marco didn't mind Warner Waterman's rudeness. He smiled and replied:
"Although I'd love to grant you some abilities, unfortunately, you don't have the bloodline of the Three Sisters. You're destined not to awaken new powers. Only the islanders here can possess this strength.
A thousand years ago, the Three Sisters worshipped the 'Lady of the Waves' and the 'Lord of the Skies,' two of the Old Gods. It was then that their bloodline gained a portion of divine power, just like the Marsh People. They have a natural magical bloodline, unlike you.
You should know that most Northerners can only awaken the 'Wolf Spirit,' which allows them to become wargs, and only wargs have the chance to become Druids. But these islanders will awaken a brand new divine bloodline. It just depends on whether you accept it or not."
After Mark finished speaking, he turned his gaze to the marquess of the Three Sisters, whose jaw was practically dislocated. At the same time, he summoned several portions of diluted Vitality Magic Spring water in front of them.
Triston Sunderland and the other three lords stared at the floating potions in front of them, swallowing hard. They were both afraid and expectant, unsure of what to do.
While everyone hesitated, Godric Bonnel, Earl of Sweet Sister Island, grabbed the glass bottle in front of him and drank the mysterious liquid inside.
Then, Godric Bonnel, Earl, said to the other three:
"I knew we were different from the others. Many people say the Bonnel family are the descendants of the Bajiao, and we could never hold our heads high. But now I know this is a sign of our bloodline awakening."
After speaking, Godric Bonnel, Earl, raised his palm, showing everyone the strange hand he had never dared to display before. At that moment, Godric was incredibly proud; he felt his bloodline must be stronger than the other three, or this wouldn't have happened.
Upon hearing this, Triston Sunderland immediately suppressed his hesitation, opened the glass bottle in front of him, and drank the liquid inside in one gulp. The other two lords also reacted quickly, immediately drinking the liquid in front of them.
"Ah... Roar..."
A sound suddenly erupted from Godric's mouth, and a powerful energy burst from his body. Following this, his body was enveloped in a glacial blue energy.
Three minutes later, a blue, half-fish, half-snake monster appeared before everyone. His ornate silk clothes had been torn, and the fragments hung from his body.
He was about 2 meters tall, with a thick serpentine tail for his lower body and a fish-shaped upper body with spiny fins, resembling the Naga Myrmidon from World of Warcraft.
Subsequently, the other three lords also completed their evolutions, though they didn't appear as tall or as robust as Godric.
Marco said lightly, "The magic spring will dissipate into the air. The longer the time, the worse the effect. Godric, how do you feel?"
After hearing Marco's question, Godric bowed respectfully and spoke to Marco in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty! This feeling is truly amazing. I feel like I could crush a person's head with one hand, and I can also stay in the sea for a long time. I haven't discovered anything else yet. Is it because my awakening isn't complete?"
Marco shook his head, signaling him to wait. Then, Marco opened the prompt page that had just appeared in the system and carefully browsed it.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, your subject has awakened the Naga bloodline, importing into the 'Yingzhou' faction template..."
"Import successful, merging with the local bloodline template, a new type of Level 4 unit appears, the Abyss Naga."
Abyss Naga
Description: This is a new race that emerged from the fusion of the system's unit bloodline and the Deep Dweller bloodline. They are distant relatives of mermaids, descendants of the Deep Dwellers, and natural sea herders.
Traits: Bloodline Awakening (Abyss Nagas can freely transform between humanoid and beast forms, and live on both land and in the ocean), Critical Strike (30% chance to unleash powerful strength, instantly doubling attack power), Sea Herder (randomly awakened, naturally able to summon local marine creatures and use magic to modify them, specific conditions unknown), Spellcaster (randomly awakened) (Frost Bolt·Primitive, Winter Ice Ring·Primitive, Special·Water Elemental Summon)
Recruitment Requirements: Random awakening after consuming the Vitality Magic Spring. Excluding the four Lord-level Nagas, the actual recruitment cost is 1,000 gold. Evolution status is currently unknown.
Looking at the four behemoths before him, Marco felt like he'd stumbled upon a treasure. Just the "bloodline awakening" characteristic of these creatures was enough for Marco to establish a special marine corps.
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