Around Aiers in Plenty of chapters-chapter 3

I feel bad that I've been so late with this, the collaborators awaiting my proofreading and everything!

Truly, this is the sort of chapter and world building that makes me happy to contribute to the community.  This was a fine chapter, and had quite a bit of characterization to it.  The poor Hieyoksmainer orcs have gone from being these ugly, exceptionally long nosed servitors to being really quite extraordinary as orcs.  Just by being the basis for the icy pyramid society that they support.  The town and stronghold atop a mountain was a good metaphor for that, as well as just being such a picturesque scene, helped in no small measure by Arnillo's pic.

Western Hieyoks is becoming less mysterious but no less wondrous, with a bit of "Frozen" on the side!

It's hard to see if the Trelkas are geniuses or idiots.  A bit of both, I suppose.  Like the demon lords and dragons, they are beings who are all but worshipped, and maybe are indeed set up as gods for the Hieyoksmainers, who seem to have long been a servant class for their giant-elf overlords.  There is a certain seduction towards a powerful, but rare and aloof people ruling their masterwork societies.  But almost always are these setups dead-ends.  Rare and isolated is a quick route to becoming extinct, regardless of how powerful the race might be.  And great power, and size as in this case, can lead to blindness when the rulers are worshipped, but might as well be prisoners if they rarely leave their inner sanctums.

Tialka and Kelka, I couldn't make up my mind if they were truly divided against each other, or playing 'good cop-bad cop'.  But for all their projecting of superiority, they didn't really seem well informed.  Likewise, I wondered if both of them were really scared little girls inside like Tenja, or more sinister.  By extension, are the personas of the Trelkas all that there is to them?  Maybe, if they are largely alone surrounded by sheepish servants they may never have developed much determination?  Tialka the fierce militant and Kelka the wily diplomat?  Compared to other characterizations of those types, these girls were oversized woman-children playing a role.

Although, the chapter also planted the opposite seed of thought--that Tenja might not be so helpless or innocent after all?  Be that as it may, her expectations and reality with the Draconian guard didn't work well with reality, but she was good at fabricating lies it would seem.  Intended or not, the unit and their 'at super formal attention' pose made quite an impression!  It helped underscore Tenja's words of an alliance with Draco, giving an authority that the two princesses could not so easily ignore.  Although, it was probably a good thing for the little group that the old man was indisposed.

The Draconians have their excellent military training and pride on display here.  Questions were diverted and pride was maintained in this odd situation.  But, I fear that this might not be just an interesting stop on the road, and that this encounter might come back later on?

For now, though, it is on to Narivaku!  This alone is an interesting development, as it establishes that the Nutks have a city, and perhaps a large territory in Hieyoks.  That would explain a lot of how Anutkahook was able to overcome the siege of the Dark Legion, and occupation of most of his mainland in Aels when he declared independence.  Plus, it just makes sense for an expansive nation with seafarers to colonize or conquer lands across the sea.

After the work you've done with the little seen Trelkas, I'm curious as to what you'll do with the Nutks!

Not much for errors:
The chambers were clean, dry and warm and the Hieyoksmainer servants were bringing in furs and straw matrasses [mattresses] to make beds.  (A ‘matrass’ is a chemistry vessel).