Meeting on Malvieth

(1840; 13 days after the great attack on Vullan's temples, and priests across the Vollante Continent)

            On the island of Malveith, the capital island-city of the Tante Republic many leaders gathered. There the leaders of many nations and factions met inside the vast parliamentary embassy hall known as the Golem.  There was a division between the nations and factions.  One group of leaders represented the Religiously Traditional party of the Vullanese Empire, whose religion was the Teachings of Vullan. Its allies included Nymres, Vodwania, Galaia, Gontrella and Vidothra. These allies shared the same religion and most its practices. This circle of alliance had a handful of supporters, two of which were great alien empires. The Imperial Gantronese Empire and the Nazdar Empire were aliens from other worlds.  The others were just minor nations with extreme religious ties. Some were merchant nations others both religious and trading nations. Only a few of these Vullanese supporters had a powerful military. Both the Gantronese and Nazdar empires had very powerful militaries. As individual empires each one had unstoppable armies.

            The other group led by the great Forsythan Warlord Antalace Greymir was the Vestrisian Union of the Vestrisian Republics. The VUVR was a union of multiple nations united under a single cause. This Union of Republics stretched out east, north and south of the Vullanese Empire. The main religion of the eastern union of nations was the Zhenrai Order. This Zhenrai religion was more traditional in terms of justice, honor and chivalry. Its followers, Knights, Soldiers, Pilgrims and warriors were not required to die as slaves, like the Teachings of Vullan say for its followers. There are many nations in support of this Union of Republics including Chiefdoms, Confederacies, Kingdoms and states Some of these nation are Ivodra, Gandor, Ruhonthra, and Rovantios. These nations consist the populations of elves, humans, dwarves and some Forsythans.  The remainder of the hall chose to be neutral and stay out of this division for peace.

            They do have one great ally known as the Amethorians who are an alien race in a trade alliance with several factions on Calorn. Although the Vestrisians have a powerful military that could crush Vullan and its allies they insisted on having allies to keep their movement growing.

            In the parliamentary embassy before the members of the Malveith Republic the Grand Maester of Vullan was giving a speech on how great the Teachings of Vullan were. "It with great honor that I tell all of you that we mean no harm against..." Sitting in the center against the wall before the entire hall was Senator Argrithe and his replacement. Both Senators blocked him out while appearing to listen to the Maester speak. Arctice did not have much time left before he had to leave for his new roles as Maxim Senator and Premviste. He simply paid little heed to the Maester while hearing bits and pieces of the speech. "…and I must tell you this. Whatever reason the armies of the Vestrisian Union say they attacked those temples and killed the priests, is not true. Whatever they claim to have found underneath those temples is a lie..." Before the Maester could make another sentence, Argrithe cut him off. He had grown tired of this job and it was exhausting listening to two sides while trying to keep them from waging all-out war.

            "Thank you Maester Silos. That was a thrilling speech you gave us!" He said bringing the rest of the hall back to the meeting.

            A majority of the court had fallen asleep and finally woke up at the sound of Argrithe's voice. "Now, let us hear what General Arden Omas of the Vestriisian Union Army has to say about what his soldiers found underneath the temples that night." He gestured towards a group of high-ranking officers to the right of Antalace. His own platform rose up and moved to the middle of the embassy hall.

            "Thank you Senator Argrithe. What my troops found underneath the Vullanese temples on the night of the attack in Vallantion, Shaontil were hidden passages. These passages led them down to dungeons underneath the city." The entire assemblies of leaders were awestruck at this news, their eyes widened.

            "I am most certain that these dungeons are not the only ones. There is a possibility that there are more dungeons to be found underneath other towns, cities and villages. We the Vestrisian Union anticipate that there are countless dungeons within the Vullanese Empire. Even her allies must have a chain of dungeons within their boundaries!" General Omas stopped to calm himself from the rage. "In these dungeons we found numerous female elves, zedirians, and various other groups. Not just men but women and children being tortured for no damned reason!"

            The entire court-assembly gasped in shock. A praetor chuckled saying, "Oh, please you and your silly little imaginations. The Vullanese Empire would never do such a thing!" Antalace the huge, fierce leader roared his voice like a bear.

            "THEN TELL US THIS! YOU BASTARD! Why does the Teachings of Vullan state that all Zedarians, Zunias, Arna, and followers of the Moon Ten-khaiet are evil. That all of them must be brutally punished! You mean to say that even a wee baby is a threat to an empire. Well perhaps in the future yes but not when they're infants. This is all because they are raised to think for themselves. Instead of having books tell them how to live their lives and do their thinking for them through interpretations of priests!" He pulled out a book of the Vullanese Teachings from a pocket in his long heavy coat. Antalace also takes out a cigar.

            "You know what the Vestrisian Union thinks?" he lights his cigar with aid from a General standing next to him, to when it becomes a torch. He opens the book, another General brings out a small bottle of flammable liquor and splashes it all over the book. "Well!" he yelled raising the flaming cigar.

             "We think it's a load of bullshit!" Antalace jabbed the torch into the middle of the open book closing it shut. It caught fire, the liquid fueling the flames in his hand. With all his anger the Furd chunked the flaming book at Maester Silos. It hit him nearly knocking him off his platform.

            “You also broke several treaties by creating temples in restricted areas!” Antalace shouted at the Maester who was picking himself up.

            Many gasped once more and whispered amongst themselves. "There is no doubt there will be war."

            "The man's gone insane!" some said to each other.

            Many of the Vullanese supporters were angered and jumped up to argue with the others trying to calm them down. Others cried out, "I want war, I want war!" Those who were on the Union’s side laughed and chuckled especially the high ranking officers. One laughed so hard that he fell from his platform but landed in the one bellow him.  There came much commotion amongst the hall. It went on for some time until Senator Owith, an old Aedile representative of the Zhenrai Order, rose up and yelled, “SILENCE!!" his voice quieted the entire hall.

            "Thank you Senator Owith." said Argrithe now returning order back in his hands. The old Aedile bowed and seated himself.

            "Please excuse my brother Maester Silos. He is very rough when it comes to discussions such as this especially when one interrupts him." He winced at his brother whom smiled in return. Maester Silos glared at Antalace,

            "Very well then!" he said gritting his teeth.

            A young woman came forth from the Vullanese side of the court, towards the middle. She looked young in her early twenties. She was rather curious about something concerning the current subject. Argrithe noticed her approach.

             "Yes Queen Lizan. What would you like to say before the embassy?" Lizan projected her voice.

             "I demand to know why the Teachings would invoke such treatment towards the Arnai and numerous elves, especially that of hatred and prejudice? The belief, that they are evil even though these people appear different and live differently? Why would this be invoked upon my own people?"

            "Such nonsense you speak of my queen." Silos chided smiling at her as though she were just a child, trying to tell everyone the unseen truth.

“She may be pretty young, but she is the Queen of the Boathrin Kingdom! So show some respect and shut your trap!" Antalace snapped at the old Maester for chastising the queen.

            "What do you mean Antalace?" Silos asked the Forsythan.

            "She is no longer a little girl, but a grown woman governing an entire kingdom. At a young age yes, but she shows responsibility as an adult. The Boathrin Kingdom including Al Dadoria is her domain, which is on the brink of civil war. No thanks to you 'n' your vile, sick teachings. The Vestrisian Union and I are both to blame for this division of kingdoms. It's more your fault than it is mine." He said before sitting back down.

            "Now let's get back to what Queen Lizan was asking." Argrithe replied trying to get the hall's attention from his brother. For over three decades he has served as a Senator of Tante’s political circle. He had to deal with various factions and nations vying for war until the invaders came down. Argrithe just hoped the new replacement could handle this and get used to this job.

            "Queen Lizan!" He addressed the young queen.

            "Yes?" She responded to the Senator.

            "You are asking why the Arna are evil according to these teachings. How your people are invoked into hatred and violence against another group of people. That violence is spread across your own kingdom. Is that correct?"

            “Yes, but I am demanding not asking, to know the reasons behind the attacks on the Arna. Why are my people influenced into hating certain elves and the Arna?” She told the hall.

            Senator Legeas stood, "Well my queen it's not that the Arna have done something evil. The teachings don't want the people to listen to them. Ever since the Arna are trying to tell people they don't need a book to tell them how to live their lives priests have attacked them. They can discover knowledge without the teachings according to the Arna. However the temple priests of Vullan did not want any followers to follow these paths. The temples placed these Arna under arrest and shoved them within underground dungeons, which were discovered. Many Arna and other peoples have been sent to Nazdar concentration camps or sold into slavery after their homes were destroyed."

            "That is a Lie! Do not listen to this rubbish my Queen." exclaimed the Praetor sitting next to her on the platform.

            "You're talking to a senator, Mehage! Have you forgotten his place of power within the Golem?" asked a dwarf with a brownish red beard.

            “Know your position here in the Golem you Demon Spawn!” Antalace growled at the Mehage. The entire room went up in an uproar over this. Plenty of leaders and representatives started to argue until Owith stoop up again. When the entire hall calmed down Argrithe spoke to the Mehage.

            "Well Praetor Zardoth. We have our witness right here who know everything you have done." He pointed to a group of Arna and Elven leaders who were all on the Union's side. A few were still muttering over the arguments. Senator Owith  urged the hall to them to cease the noise and brought silence to the Golem hall. Silence consumed the hall for a while when Argrithe spied Zardoth staring obsessively at Queen Lizan.

            "Yes Praetor Zardoth. I know the Queen has a lovely and you'd like to ravage her!" A great gasp came from scores of people. Glares and awestruck looks were directed at the Queen and Praetor. Lizan covered her cleavage, rising from her seat in disgust. The Praetor rose along with her trying to explain.

             "My Queen ple-" he placed a hand upon her right breast, groping her by mistake. So violated by this she let out a shriek and raised her arm to slap him. A gun was fired in the Golem and the Praetor fell dead from several gunshots. Many screamed and the entire hall turned to see Antalace had drawn his revolver.

            "Please someone get me away from this dead heathen!" Queen Lizan cried as though Zardoth would rise from the dead and ravage her.

            General Omas came forth to rescue her from the platform, and placed his blue cloak around her shoulders. "It's alright, you're safe my Queen." She accepted his courteous actions.

            "Thank you my Captain of the Guard." She kissed Omas's cheek making him blush. They smiled at each other for a moment before returning to the important matters in the Golem hall.

            Maester Silos stood on his platform in silence, dismayed by the loss of  his greatest of Praetors. Zardoth was chosen to advise the Queen to let the Maesters take control and they would then boot her off the thrown. Now his secret weapon was dead with a bullet in his forehead. Their chance to rule all of the Boathrin Kingdom was also gone. This left him no choice but to declare war. He turned to look at Antalace with pain and anger inside him.

            “I hope you're pleased with yourself Furd Antalace. You've insulted us, made a mockery of me, brought out the truth behind the Teachings to the ears of the entire world, and killed, no, MURDERED our best Praetor and advisor. For these actions we have no choice but to declare war!"   

            Antalace lights another cigar, put it in his mouth. Gritting his teeth he replied, "Very well Maester it is war." This is what he wanted. He wanted the Maesters not him, to declare war.