-sips tea paiently for Axrendale to come back-

-sip, sip-

There seems to be some confusion. The Dai Lee were not at the South Pole; they were at Kyoshi Island, routing out and executing spies. After they recieved word of the shambles at the blockade, they immediatly rushed there and were in time to meet up with the new Yu Yan archers and Princess Azula and the Imperial Firebenders. The group pretended to surrender to Iroh, but the surrender was in fact little more than a distraction to keep his back turned. Princess Azula burned her uncle clean through with a fireball to the back. As punishment for his heinous treachery, Phoenix King Axrendale gave his wife permission to do whatever she wanted with her uncle. What was left of his body was later delivered to the Fire Nation.

Iroh managed to destroy a large number of ships, but fortunatly, most of the crews and soldiers were able to survive in life boats. The War balloons were able to stay out of range, and were able to dispatch messangers to summin four newly contructed fleets from the Fire Nation, that had been intended to replace the old boats. The new ships are equipped with the latest in war technology, and will be much harder to break through. The western Blockade remains, now joined by furious Air and Water Nation soldiers, all determined to keep the Earth Kingdom bottled up.

Phoenix King Axrendale lamented that a great man like Iroh would make such a terrible choice, and declared a day of mourning for him, despite his treachery. Busy with the war, Princess Azula did not attend the funeral, but she did send some nice flowers.

Although the blockade remains unbroken, Phoenix King Axrendale has declared a state of emergancy, and has exercised special powers to call the Fire Sages out to battle. These religous warriors are the deadliest in the world, and soon proved it, utterly obliiterating the Earth Kingdom occupation force at the North Pole, returning it to the control of the Water Tribes. Afterwards, they were ordered back to the Fire Nation. Even if an invasion force gets past the new blockade (impossible) they form an invulnerable second line of defence.

Phoenix King Axrendale notes with interest that the Earth and Swamp nations are fast approaching their limits. The Fire Nation has not taken the offensive for some time now - few people actuallydied when Iroh destroyed the ships of the Western Blockade, and the Fire Nation still has massive reserves. The Earth and Swamp tribes have been killing large armies of men throwing them against the Blockade and the Poles. Their centers of production have been decimated, and one of their best mechanists killed.

The Phoenix King suggests a meeting between the leaders of the various natiions; this war is fast approaching a stalemate: something needs to be done. He suggests Kyoshi Island as an excellent "middle ground" - there is almost nobdy there now with the occupation force gone and the locals deported.