"We're going to war!" Prince Davin was excited, the men he was bringing with him markedly less so (I'd say including me, but this was my plan after all, so I really can't be mad at my own plan). It was surpringly easy to organize an expedition north of the divide to "survey the war". All I really did was ask and immediately it was approved. In a way I think they were hoping to kill me off, and by I think, I mean I definately know that was the idea. The Prince for his part had dressed extravagantly and idiotically, including wearing full chain mail armor glossed in gold and riding the biggest horse. I mean it worked to my plans advantage, but he couldn't have been a louder guy if he had someone with trumpets announcing his presence.
The guards we had brought with us were a small group (I had called for less is more, this is an expedition not a war party and we should not be seen as agressors). They were not glad in gold armor or any armor, mostly they were pretty disposable morons I'd hired with promise of paying them should we succeed (we were not going to succeed just for your information, well we were, but not in the way that we had set out for intention). Prince Davin for his part was clueless to how underequipped and stupid his expedition was. He was just happy we were setting out from his kingdom to go potentially fight "The evils of this world."
For my part I was walking, it would take longer from where we were leaving (no train route to the divide normally and the Davin wanted to strut all the way to the wall), but at the same point none of our hired goons had horses, and for what I intended I didn't really want another dead horse on my concience (as I have several hundred already). On top of that falling from a horse hurts like nothing else. And so our doomed expedition (woops spoilers) set up North with the Prince waving like an idiot at anyone we passed and me walking alongside him trying to come up with a good story for exactly what happened to the expedition when the inevitable happend. What? You don't think I plan my lies that far in advance do you?
Friday, June 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Politics The Deadliest Game
"I want to go to war." Prince Davin (the youngest and most obnoxious of the sitting prince's sons) was throwing a tantrum in the palace, despite being twenty years old he still acted like he was ten. For some reason despite all my attempts to the contrary I had become the keeper to the young prince, it wasn't in my normal job description (that being offer my sarcastic commentary to the state of the kingdom and do the bare mininum to avoid being hung), but we all have our crosses to bear.
"You ever been to war Prince? Its not some grand and jaunty affair of happy pursuits, especially the one they are fighting up north." The conflict had been going on two years by this point, the sides were at a stalemate with neither one winning a definitive victory, but both sides killing quite a lot of people/creatures. I'd heard the Red Hand was struggling with corruption destroying their ranks of magic users since they were over extending themselves and not taking a rest during the conflict.
"You never let me do anything fun."
"I could shoot you in the arm, you could see how fun that is." I was actually suggesting doing that, the idea would be more cathartic for me than him, but he stomped off to his room and alas I didn't get what I wanted. It had been a long day, plenty of piddling civil service issues had popped up, the local police didn't feel they had enough authority and felt subserviant to the military (they were and are always in Ronerawth). Businesses were complaining we weren't updating roads to make it easier for carts to get through which was damaging the wheels on carts (we were actually delaying because the Prince was heavily invested in wheel repair shops and it was a money making scheme, we placated them with platitudes but continued to not care too much about it). The palace was always busy now, a nice change of pace from the previous Prince who only wanted people there to adore him or pleasure him, an for nothing else. This one at least wanted to pretend he was in charge, though it made more work for me, and not just dealing with Davin's tanturms.
"Skillfully negotiated Trezlan, I can see why you are my best servant." Toneron again had appeared out of nowhere. I mean the hallway was filled with men dressed kind of like him, but he stands out in my mind and yet he always snuck up on me in any social setting, I'd worry one day he'd show up when I was on the bathroom, so far that has not happened.
"I live to serve Toneron."
"Yourself Trezlan, you live to serve yourself, and don't forget that, being selfish is not thought of as a virtue, but I can assure you that no one in this world is entirely altruistic, some of us are just more honest than others." Toneron seemed different, like he was more alive. I never dared to try and sense his magical presence for fear of retaliation, but he was almost glowing to an extent it was scarier than normal.
"I thought it went unsaid which is why I didn't."
"But of course, but I didn't bother you here to discuss the trivial nature of selflessness, I need you to escalate the war."
"Not really my place to escalate the conflict seeing as I'm not currently in it." It wasn't really, I mean outside of visiting the Red Hand Lands myself its not like I could do anything about it.
"Trezlan I need Ronerawth to openly support the rebels, for me and you, if The Red Hand wins here were both in it deep." He was right, The Red Hand were destroying Hanlon product wholesale so they didn't have a chance to see where the weapons they were being killed with were coming from, but if they won they'd have more of a chance to see who supplied the guns and that would not be a good thing for us.
"And how can I do that?"
"I dunno kill some of them with magic and show them the danger of the Red Hand, its up to you, just get it done before the rebellion loses." And with that he wandered off, I tried to follow him but he disappeared into a group of traders in suits and was gone. Of course he'd stick me with politicing a situation here, he wouldn't do it because as he claimed the other corporate heads didn't trust him (I can't imagine why since he was probably not a real person). Though he was on to something with the killing people with magic... Not me of course, this would have to be outsourced, but nothing gets people going more than threat of them being personally hurt. And for that you'll have to read tomorrows entry!
"You ever been to war Prince? Its not some grand and jaunty affair of happy pursuits, especially the one they are fighting up north." The conflict had been going on two years by this point, the sides were at a stalemate with neither one winning a definitive victory, but both sides killing quite a lot of people/creatures. I'd heard the Red Hand was struggling with corruption destroying their ranks of magic users since they were over extending themselves and not taking a rest during the conflict.
"You never let me do anything fun."
"I could shoot you in the arm, you could see how fun that is." I was actually suggesting doing that, the idea would be more cathartic for me than him, but he stomped off to his room and alas I didn't get what I wanted. It had been a long day, plenty of piddling civil service issues had popped up, the local police didn't feel they had enough authority and felt subserviant to the military (they were and are always in Ronerawth). Businesses were complaining we weren't updating roads to make it easier for carts to get through which was damaging the wheels on carts (we were actually delaying because the Prince was heavily invested in wheel repair shops and it was a money making scheme, we placated them with platitudes but continued to not care too much about it). The palace was always busy now, a nice change of pace from the previous Prince who only wanted people there to adore him or pleasure him, an for nothing else. This one at least wanted to pretend he was in charge, though it made more work for me, and not just dealing with Davin's tanturms.
"Skillfully negotiated Trezlan, I can see why you are my best servant." Toneron again had appeared out of nowhere. I mean the hallway was filled with men dressed kind of like him, but he stands out in my mind and yet he always snuck up on me in any social setting, I'd worry one day he'd show up when I was on the bathroom, so far that has not happened.
"I live to serve Toneron."
"Yourself Trezlan, you live to serve yourself, and don't forget that, being selfish is not thought of as a virtue, but I can assure you that no one in this world is entirely altruistic, some of us are just more honest than others." Toneron seemed different, like he was more alive. I never dared to try and sense his magical presence for fear of retaliation, but he was almost glowing to an extent it was scarier than normal.
"I thought it went unsaid which is why I didn't."
"But of course, but I didn't bother you here to discuss the trivial nature of selflessness, I need you to escalate the war."
"Not really my place to escalate the conflict seeing as I'm not currently in it." It wasn't really, I mean outside of visiting the Red Hand Lands myself its not like I could do anything about it.
"Trezlan I need Ronerawth to openly support the rebels, for me and you, if The Red Hand wins here were both in it deep." He was right, The Red Hand were destroying Hanlon product wholesale so they didn't have a chance to see where the weapons they were being killed with were coming from, but if they won they'd have more of a chance to see who supplied the guns and that would not be a good thing for us.
"And how can I do that?"
"I dunno kill some of them with magic and show them the danger of the Red Hand, its up to you, just get it done before the rebellion loses." And with that he wandered off, I tried to follow him but he disappeared into a group of traders in suits and was gone. Of course he'd stick me with politicing a situation here, he wouldn't do it because as he claimed the other corporate heads didn't trust him (I can't imagine why since he was probably not a real person). Though he was on to something with the killing people with magic... Not me of course, this would have to be outsourced, but nothing gets people going more than threat of them being personally hurt. And for that you'll have to read tomorrows entry!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
A Simmering Rebellion
The Red Hand was not exactly a government of really smart people. What I mean by that is that they had been in charge for so long, an actual rebellion seemed insane (where as Ronerawth seemed to squash a rebellion every other week, neither government was all that welcoming, but Ronerawth was actually in practice with killing rebels with efficiency) which meant they thought very little of the rebels and figured enough fire and death and they'd go away. What they did not expect was newly machined lever action rifles and artillery suddenly blowing up their base of operations and murdering judges with impunity.
Toneron was excited. His weapons were not only proving to be useful (which he seemed to enjoy a little too much when I met him, like he had updated numbers on how many people were dead, which seemed weird since I don't think the Red Hand even had those, more proof Toneron was not of this world), but sales were up in Ronerawth as the war raged on. Apparently Ronerawth was afraid the rebellion wouldn't be happy with just taking out the Red Hand and would strike down south (ridiculous considering we had been helping them under the radar, for some reason I was under the impression even though its pretty much impossible should the rebels attempt to turn on us Toneron would destroy their weapons in one fell swoop).
The news started to talk about how the Rebellion would now totally win the war soon and the Red Hand were a shattered people, just in time for the Red Hand to unleash ungodly amounts of magical power that tore through their lands like wildfire. They had turned the battle from one of man against man, to man against creatures from gods forsaken places. This once again turned the tide in their favor (to an extent, the lands now became a mess of monsters and creatures that didn't even have names yet, not since the days of my aunt had so many ugly creatures been present in our world, sadly the effects of this policy persist today such is the problem with reckless power), and the war raged on. Toneron kept on being "robbed" without much of an impact on his bottom line, and Ronerawth's government and corporate powers started getting worried about the war spilling over, as they had already had to start dealing with the unleashed creatures attacking the Divide and they feared the loser from the conflict might just want to flee that way as well (new artillery was stationed in anticipation of that kind of attack, specifically to annhilate up to a mile from the wall itself, all courtesy of the Hanlon corporation).
So everyone was getting worried, the war was in a deadlock, and of course Toneron wanted to talk to me again. I hadn't spoken with him for about a year (a little after we had done our first robery delivery), and I had kind of hoped I could slink back to being a forgotten diplomatic aid to an aging prince and his petulant prince son (one of them, he had TEN! The most annoying was his youngest). Alas part of being a conspiritor toward a war you helped keep going is that your co conspirtor evil god person, tends to think you will continue to help him. I KNOW! What a dick!
Toneron was excited. His weapons were not only proving to be useful (which he seemed to enjoy a little too much when I met him, like he had updated numbers on how many people were dead, which seemed weird since I don't think the Red Hand even had those, more proof Toneron was not of this world), but sales were up in Ronerawth as the war raged on. Apparently Ronerawth was afraid the rebellion wouldn't be happy with just taking out the Red Hand and would strike down south (ridiculous considering we had been helping them under the radar, for some reason I was under the impression even though its pretty much impossible should the rebels attempt to turn on us Toneron would destroy their weapons in one fell swoop).
The news started to talk about how the Rebellion would now totally win the war soon and the Red Hand were a shattered people, just in time for the Red Hand to unleash ungodly amounts of magical power that tore through their lands like wildfire. They had turned the battle from one of man against man, to man against creatures from gods forsaken places. This once again turned the tide in their favor (to an extent, the lands now became a mess of monsters and creatures that didn't even have names yet, not since the days of my aunt had so many ugly creatures been present in our world, sadly the effects of this policy persist today such is the problem with reckless power), and the war raged on. Toneron kept on being "robbed" without much of an impact on his bottom line, and Ronerawth's government and corporate powers started getting worried about the war spilling over, as they had already had to start dealing with the unleashed creatures attacking the Divide and they feared the loser from the conflict might just want to flee that way as well (new artillery was stationed in anticipation of that kind of attack, specifically to annhilate up to a mile from the wall itself, all courtesy of the Hanlon corporation).
So everyone was getting worried, the war was in a deadlock, and of course Toneron wanted to talk to me again. I hadn't spoken with him for about a year (a little after we had done our first robery delivery), and I had kind of hoped I could slink back to being a forgotten diplomatic aid to an aging prince and his petulant prince son (one of them, he had TEN! The most annoying was his youngest). Alas part of being a conspiritor toward a war you helped keep going is that your co conspirtor evil god person, tends to think you will continue to help him. I KNOW! What a dick!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Robbery on the High Seas
"This is quite brilliant." I told Toneron I could handle the fake robbery, but he insisted on being there. It was kind of weird having him there I'll admit.
"You mean you haven't staged robberies before?" We'd been waiting with a couple cart loads of various armaments for about a day, the seas had been kind of rough, but not that rough I was hoping we weren't wasting our time. I mean its not like the rebels really seemed to understand what I was telling them (most people can't keep up with me, its the sad part of being a brilliant person who's really handsome).
"No, I've just given people weapons and stood to just take on whatever political pressures arose from it, never occurred to me to arrange a robbery." Despite having been riding in a caravan for about five days Toneron's suit looked as clean as if he just stepped away from a cleaner. I don't even know when he slept to be honest.
"Make sure to note it down, It'll probably come up again in the future." I was joking but I swear he actually noted it down. The seas were still rolling in front of us when the ships from the rebels finally showed up. They were a ratty pair of sail boats that looked like they had fallen out of time. Wooden and rickety, the crew serving them looked less sailor and more pirate to my eyes. Toneron closed the deal I stayed back with his "guards" (They were the first Hanlon employees I'd seen in a long time and they were all very creepy looking compared to the people I'd seen before, all pale skin and not talking, I almost mistook them for the walking dead, I wouldn't have been surprised if they were).
The negotiations settled Hanlon waved at his people and the ships were loaded in an economical matter. I didn't see either of the rebels I'd dealt with, so I wasn't entirely sure we weren't being robbed for real (we hadn't exactly made it a secret we were carrying weapons). Toneron walked back with a smile on his face.
"Splendid guys those ones, full of vigor, I'm sure they'll do well with those guns."
"The ships look like they'll sink shortly after leaving here."
"Nonesense Trezlan, you are really such a downer for someone who's lived as long as you have."
"With ages comes experience."
"With age comes petulance and an inflated sense of wisdom." It sounded like a correction, because it was. I didn't dare speak against him, again I knew that Toneron wasn't human, or he wasn't anymore. I didn't want to find out exactly what he was, so I tried to stay on his good side. For their part the pirates didn't steal the weapons and they made it to their destination. How that changed things... well that will have to wait till tomorrow, the damn shop is busy today and I don't have a lot of time for writing things. I know I know such a bad person.
"You mean you haven't staged robberies before?" We'd been waiting with a couple cart loads of various armaments for about a day, the seas had been kind of rough, but not that rough I was hoping we weren't wasting our time. I mean its not like the rebels really seemed to understand what I was telling them (most people can't keep up with me, its the sad part of being a brilliant person who's really handsome).
"No, I've just given people weapons and stood to just take on whatever political pressures arose from it, never occurred to me to arrange a robbery." Despite having been riding in a caravan for about five days Toneron's suit looked as clean as if he just stepped away from a cleaner. I don't even know when he slept to be honest.
"Make sure to note it down, It'll probably come up again in the future." I was joking but I swear he actually noted it down. The seas were still rolling in front of us when the ships from the rebels finally showed up. They were a ratty pair of sail boats that looked like they had fallen out of time. Wooden and rickety, the crew serving them looked less sailor and more pirate to my eyes. Toneron closed the deal I stayed back with his "guards" (They were the first Hanlon employees I'd seen in a long time and they were all very creepy looking compared to the people I'd seen before, all pale skin and not talking, I almost mistook them for the walking dead, I wouldn't have been surprised if they were).
The negotiations settled Hanlon waved at his people and the ships were loaded in an economical matter. I didn't see either of the rebels I'd dealt with, so I wasn't entirely sure we weren't being robbed for real (we hadn't exactly made it a secret we were carrying weapons). Toneron walked back with a smile on his face.
"Splendid guys those ones, full of vigor, I'm sure they'll do well with those guns."
"The ships look like they'll sink shortly after leaving here."
"Nonesense Trezlan, you are really such a downer for someone who's lived as long as you have."
"With ages comes experience."
"With age comes petulance and an inflated sense of wisdom." It sounded like a correction, because it was. I didn't dare speak against him, again I knew that Toneron wasn't human, or he wasn't anymore. I didn't want to find out exactly what he was, so I tried to stay on his good side. For their part the pirates didn't steal the weapons and they made it to their destination. How that changed things... well that will have to wait till tomorrow, the damn shop is busy today and I don't have a lot of time for writing things. I know I know such a bad person.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I don't Need your Help, I need your Help
Toneron was true to his word, well sort of. A days after the papers announced the shooting of the Red Hand Councilman (favorite headline? "Gods No more") a couple uncomfortable looking gentleman arrived at my house. I say uncomfortable because they looked like at any moment someone was about to arrive to arrest them. Which was silly, while Ronerawth was kind of jerks about people leaving the Red Hand territories, they didn't actively seek out people who had illegally crossed the border. I mean who has the time for a purge of its citizenry?
"Mr. Lorentino?" Of the two men the shorter one who appeared to have stolen his crumpled suit from someone a lot bigger than himself talked. The other was a big dude with an ugly scar, I assumed he was a bodyguard of sorts.
"Naturally. So you two are here to help me?" I invited them in, despite not having Ronerawth guards around every neighborhood, if these guys got wanted later on I didn't want to have been seen openly talking with me.
"Uhh you're supposed to help me." I was glad I had my back to him when the short man (whose name was Kruz though he never introduced himself, he would become a leader in the rebellion before, well I'll get to that).
"Of course of course, I mean by helping me I mean me helping you, my mistake." My mind raced, I had to help these idiots? How? With what? Toneron had provided me with nothing other than "They will help you."
"We need Ronerawth to come in our side Trezlan."
"Yeah thats not going to happen, not right away, The Red Hand is still a formidable group and they've got people in this government to push their agenda."
Kruz looked crestfallen, like I just told him his favorite pet had died, "So its hopeless."
"No, nothing is hopeless I should know I'm the lord of lost causes, no what is hopeless is a straight out fight with the Red Hand, they can not be beaten by just lining up your guys versus their guys and hoping to come out on top. What you need is weapons, though we can't officially give them to you, you'll have to steal them." I had a plan, or at least the start of one, it was crazy, and shouldn't work, but that was my usual so of course I went ahead with it.
"We have to steal them? How can we do that? We can barely gear the people we have right now."
"Not actually steal them you idiot." I was busy looking for maps, I hadn't looked over my study in years and apparently when the twins were messing around in my house decades ago they misplaced all of my maps. Naturally can't misplace something useless, has to be something I'd use decades later, clearly important!
"But you said?" Kruz was having difficulty keeping up. I found the map I was looking for, it was one of the coasts to the north. I located a cove that had a perfect spot for an "Ambush".
"See this spot? I need you to bring enough ships for a large weapon shipment, and the men to move them, I'll need them here two weeks from now, so you better hurry and get out of country and get those ships."
"I don't understand how are we going to steal something if you give it to us." I sighed, I swear it shouldn't be this hard to arrange things in secret, but when the people you are dealing with are idiots it truely is.
"Just be here with the ships, let me worry about the theft of the weapons, now go you don't have much time." Kruz and his associate left a little bewildered. I don't know why it was so hard to understand! I was doing all the hard work arranging for the theft to begin with! They just had to show up! I did dread talking to Toneron because I don't know if he liked the idea of giving his weapons away, especially doing so without a guarentee those idiots wouldn't go off immediately and get them stolen or exploded or whatever. But those were later concerns after I found and talked to Toneron. Kind of like wondering what freedom will taste like while being strung up with a noose, a bit getting a head of yourself.
"Mr. Lorentino?" Of the two men the shorter one who appeared to have stolen his crumpled suit from someone a lot bigger than himself talked. The other was a big dude with an ugly scar, I assumed he was a bodyguard of sorts.
"Naturally. So you two are here to help me?" I invited them in, despite not having Ronerawth guards around every neighborhood, if these guys got wanted later on I didn't want to have been seen openly talking with me.
"Uhh you're supposed to help me." I was glad I had my back to him when the short man (whose name was Kruz though he never introduced himself, he would become a leader in the rebellion before, well I'll get to that).
"Of course of course, I mean by helping me I mean me helping you, my mistake." My mind raced, I had to help these idiots? How? With what? Toneron had provided me with nothing other than "They will help you."
"We need Ronerawth to come in our side Trezlan."
"Yeah thats not going to happen, not right away, The Red Hand is still a formidable group and they've got people in this government to push their agenda."
Kruz looked crestfallen, like I just told him his favorite pet had died, "So its hopeless."
"No, nothing is hopeless I should know I'm the lord of lost causes, no what is hopeless is a straight out fight with the Red Hand, they can not be beaten by just lining up your guys versus their guys and hoping to come out on top. What you need is weapons, though we can't officially give them to you, you'll have to steal them." I had a plan, or at least the start of one, it was crazy, and shouldn't work, but that was my usual so of course I went ahead with it.
"We have to steal them? How can we do that? We can barely gear the people we have right now."
"Not actually steal them you idiot." I was busy looking for maps, I hadn't looked over my study in years and apparently when the twins were messing around in my house decades ago they misplaced all of my maps. Naturally can't misplace something useless, has to be something I'd use decades later, clearly important!
"But you said?" Kruz was having difficulty keeping up. I found the map I was looking for, it was one of the coasts to the north. I located a cove that had a perfect spot for an "Ambush".
"See this spot? I need you to bring enough ships for a large weapon shipment, and the men to move them, I'll need them here two weeks from now, so you better hurry and get out of country and get those ships."
"I don't understand how are we going to steal something if you give it to us." I sighed, I swear it shouldn't be this hard to arrange things in secret, but when the people you are dealing with are idiots it truely is.
"Just be here with the ships, let me worry about the theft of the weapons, now go you don't have much time." Kruz and his associate left a little bewildered. I don't know why it was so hard to understand! I was doing all the hard work arranging for the theft to begin with! They just had to show up! I did dread talking to Toneron because I don't know if he liked the idea of giving his weapons away, especially doing so without a guarentee those idiots wouldn't go off immediately and get them stolen or exploded or whatever. But those were later concerns after I found and talked to Toneron. Kind of like wondering what freedom will taste like while being strung up with a noose, a bit getting a head of yourself.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Wars Are Meant To Be Broken
So it wouldn't be fair to just say "War Happened." And not explain how killing one councilman caused a country wide conflict (because I'd previously killed one and went on a murder spree and all that happened was Morley got a council seat). Well I could do that as I have frequently skipped over a lot of interesting to you but boring to me (no I won't go over what you missed because there is a lot of it, just know you missed it and leave it at that). I'm getting off track here.
Ok so I haven't explained that while I was in Ronerawth and other places what was going on north in the lands of the Red Hand. To put it simply nothing good. I don't mean to say that in a country jingoistic everything North of Ronerawth sucks kind of way. I mean that as a country they had done nothing of note. The Red Hand sqaushed any invention or advancement in technology (especially weaponry) instead delving deeper into bad magics and using the non magical as their own test subjects. Which lead to an undercurrent of hatred toward their magical overlords.
For their part in it the Council were the worst offenders, tales had passed down to Ronerawth about horrific necromancy experiments involving reanimating the dead (I knew it was Morley, no one else could be so callous and indifferent to others). Others talked simply of masses of slaves being forced to endure inhame experimentation of magical augmentation, being "inscribed" with runes and having them implanted to try and grant them powers, none of these were a success to the best of my knowledge, though there were stories of imbued creatures running wild and murdering people horrifically (as if there is not a horrific way of being murdered).
So with all of that in mind a Councilman recently was set to give a speech addressing the populace's concerns about the Empire and promising a more open government with some advancement. So of course he was shot dead during the speech and a resistance movement that had been waiting for some kind of crack in the Red Hand's resolve attacked, killing hundreds of other magical users in the capitol city. This "purging" of magical peoples was not taken lightly and a city alledged to have been involved in the incident was annihilated in a magical firestorm brought about by the council itself.
The war was on, most people in Ronerawth figured at most it would be a couple months, the Red Hand would put down the traitors opposing them and the conflict wouldn't have any lasting impact. Oh how wrong they were, thanks to mainly to Hanlon, but I had a hand in there. Not a huge one, but I was in there!
Ok so I haven't explained that while I was in Ronerawth and other places what was going on north in the lands of the Red Hand. To put it simply nothing good. I don't mean to say that in a country jingoistic everything North of Ronerawth sucks kind of way. I mean that as a country they had done nothing of note. The Red Hand sqaushed any invention or advancement in technology (especially weaponry) instead delving deeper into bad magics and using the non magical as their own test subjects. Which lead to an undercurrent of hatred toward their magical overlords.
For their part in it the Council were the worst offenders, tales had passed down to Ronerawth about horrific necromancy experiments involving reanimating the dead (I knew it was Morley, no one else could be so callous and indifferent to others). Others talked simply of masses of slaves being forced to endure inhame experimentation of magical augmentation, being "inscribed" with runes and having them implanted to try and grant them powers, none of these were a success to the best of my knowledge, though there were stories of imbued creatures running wild and murdering people horrifically (as if there is not a horrific way of being murdered).
So with all of that in mind a Councilman recently was set to give a speech addressing the populace's concerns about the Empire and promising a more open government with some advancement. So of course he was shot dead during the speech and a resistance movement that had been waiting for some kind of crack in the Red Hand's resolve attacked, killing hundreds of other magical users in the capitol city. This "purging" of magical peoples was not taken lightly and a city alledged to have been involved in the incident was annihilated in a magical firestorm brought about by the council itself.
The war was on, most people in Ronerawth figured at most it would be a couple months, the Red Hand would put down the traitors opposing them and the conflict wouldn't have any lasting impact. Oh how wrong they were, thanks to mainly to Hanlon, but I had a hand in there. Not a huge one, but I was in there!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
A Lovely Time for A War
There was a knock at my door. I figured it was one of the prince's royal guards, I had a moment a couple days prior and blew up at the court accusing them of wasting my talents on "Low minded things" and claimed I was done for a couple centuries (which I'm sure sounded funny to them, but at the time I totally meant it). I told them to go away, I wasn't dealing with Royal stuff and they'd have to come back when I felt like being bothered again. The knock persisted and wasn't followed up with the usual threat of being tossed into the dungeon. It was just a polite loud knock, the kind someone knows will be answered if they keep doing it.
Intrigued I opened the door and Toneron Hanlon was waiting on the other side of it. Now it had been about fifty years since I had seen him last, but he looked just like he did then (which is terrifying, I don't age to people, its not supposed to happen the other way around). He was dressed like he had been before, a charcoal suit neatly pressed, no folds or dust from having ridden or walked somewhere (I didn't see a carriage or horse either, it was like he had blinked into existence). No weapon or guards either, for someone who ran a rather profitable weapon manufacturer Toneron never carried one himself. He smiled at me when I opened the door, it was unnerving for a multitude of reasons.
"Trezlan! You are looking, well old." He waited at the door, most people just come inside without being asked, but he specifically never did, never has, in my multitude of meetings with him over these years, he never comes in uninvited. I almost suspect Toneron is not a person at all, some kind of weird supernatural creature I've never heard of, why he sells weapons is beyond me.
"Thanks, its been a rought fifty years."
"May I come in?"
"Sure please do, knock the dust off your shoes." There was not any dust on his shoes, despite it being the summer and the roads all being dusty, again he appeared apparently from nowhere.
"How very nice of you, and no I don't need a drink or a bite to eat, what I need is a favor." And here was where I got afraid, I owed him previously for the explosives and the no questions asked about it, and here it came the "And now I own you" speech.
"What could I a humble public servant offer you the owner of a weapon manufacturer?"
"Don't sell yourself short, you have centuries of experience, I'm sure you could offer more than you'd ever truely disclose, but in this case I do need you as a public servant. I want a war."
"A what? How can I start a war for you?"
"Oh no not start, don't worry thats already happened, or it will happen, things are in motion for a war as we speak." I was held speechless for a moment, I had started to worry I'd hear shelling shortly thereafter and Ronerawth would once again be a battlefield. "No not here Trezlan, in the Red Hand's territory, they are about to go to war once again, magic and man combatting for all the chips. What I need from you is to get Ronerawth to supply the rebellion."
"Can't you just supply them with your guns already?" He had the supply lines or whatever he did to get guns into peoples hands.
"Not without offending the royalty and the last thing I need are those useless bags of flesh sniffing around my factories. No I need you to work a deal, its not an immediate thing and doesn't have to happen right away, but I need you to influence the court to allow our weapon manufacturers to supply the resistance, that way when they win we'll have a new market for our weapons and a new frontier to conquer with them! Its Win/Win."
"I feel like I'm lost here."
"Don't be, this is a lot to take in and I knwo you're on a break with the prince, but watch the papers and I'll be back in a couple days to set you up with a couple of people I know, we are going to do this Trezlan, you and I, because I am and always will be, your biggest fan." Toneron left, I was sitting there in stunned silence wondering what just happened to me. But he was right, a few days later the papers were full of front page articles about how a sitting Red Hand Council member was murdered while giving a speech, and a rebellion was rumored to be underway. I still worry that Toneron was more involved than he claimed to be, but its not like I can do something about it. HE APPEARS OUT OF A NOWHERE AND MAKES GUNS FOR A LIVING!
Intrigued I opened the door and Toneron Hanlon was waiting on the other side of it. Now it had been about fifty years since I had seen him last, but he looked just like he did then (which is terrifying, I don't age to people, its not supposed to happen the other way around). He was dressed like he had been before, a charcoal suit neatly pressed, no folds or dust from having ridden or walked somewhere (I didn't see a carriage or horse either, it was like he had blinked into existence). No weapon or guards either, for someone who ran a rather profitable weapon manufacturer Toneron never carried one himself. He smiled at me when I opened the door, it was unnerving for a multitude of reasons.
"Trezlan! You are looking, well old." He waited at the door, most people just come inside without being asked, but he specifically never did, never has, in my multitude of meetings with him over these years, he never comes in uninvited. I almost suspect Toneron is not a person at all, some kind of weird supernatural creature I've never heard of, why he sells weapons is beyond me.
"Thanks, its been a rought fifty years."
"May I come in?"
"Sure please do, knock the dust off your shoes." There was not any dust on his shoes, despite it being the summer and the roads all being dusty, again he appeared apparently from nowhere.
"How very nice of you, and no I don't need a drink or a bite to eat, what I need is a favor." And here was where I got afraid, I owed him previously for the explosives and the no questions asked about it, and here it came the "And now I own you" speech.
"What could I a humble public servant offer you the owner of a weapon manufacturer?"
"Don't sell yourself short, you have centuries of experience, I'm sure you could offer more than you'd ever truely disclose, but in this case I do need you as a public servant. I want a war."
"A what? How can I start a war for you?"
"Oh no not start, don't worry thats already happened, or it will happen, things are in motion for a war as we speak." I was held speechless for a moment, I had started to worry I'd hear shelling shortly thereafter and Ronerawth would once again be a battlefield. "No not here Trezlan, in the Red Hand's territory, they are about to go to war once again, magic and man combatting for all the chips. What I need from you is to get Ronerawth to supply the rebellion."
"Can't you just supply them with your guns already?" He had the supply lines or whatever he did to get guns into peoples hands.
"Not without offending the royalty and the last thing I need are those useless bags of flesh sniffing around my factories. No I need you to work a deal, its not an immediate thing and doesn't have to happen right away, but I need you to influence the court to allow our weapon manufacturers to supply the resistance, that way when they win we'll have a new market for our weapons and a new frontier to conquer with them! Its Win/Win."
"I feel like I'm lost here."
"Don't be, this is a lot to take in and I knwo you're on a break with the prince, but watch the papers and I'll be back in a couple days to set you up with a couple of people I know, we are going to do this Trezlan, you and I, because I am and always will be, your biggest fan." Toneron left, I was sitting there in stunned silence wondering what just happened to me. But he was right, a few days later the papers were full of front page articles about how a sitting Red Hand Council member was murdered while giving a speech, and a rebellion was rumored to be underway. I still worry that Toneron was more involved than he claimed to be, but its not like I can do something about it. HE APPEARS OUT OF A NOWHERE AND MAKES GUNS FOR A LIVING!
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