Etelan has always been close to the throne. When the Quartrez family had come into power, the god Selib sent one of the hermits from the mountainous region to capital to serve as an oracle for the royal family. Ever since, they have been close; close enough that Etelan always knew the rhythm of the royals' heartbeat. However, it was not a completely mutualistic relationship. During the reign of __ (I'll let you fill in with whichever seems appropriate), the order was made to annex the sites where sacred jewels had been found and used by the sages/oracles for divination and strip them bare. The operation is still going on today, and, needless to say, the capital has been devoid of heavenly diviners since.
Today it mainly serves as a natural barrier for the elements as well as advancing militaries. Its mines are still as plentiful as ever, yet the indigenous population has been all but eradicated.
Economy:
Normally when one thinks of Etelan one envisions obscenely bright gems and mercilessly dark obsidians in the hands of silken merchants. This the case most of the time, but the economy of the region is more diverse than that. Beside the gems, which make up half of its total GDP, Etelonians enjoy a steady meat industry, taking full advantage of the open land for ranches and hunting ops. On the eastern edge there is fishing to be had, and in the south farms of rich wheat and some less temperamental vegetables run all year. These comprise the other half of Etelan's income, making it very self-sufficient.
AVG Annual GDP/Cap.: 1,500 EC
Weather:
The weather in Etelan is as temperamental as the volcanoes themselves, ranging from weeks of drought to intense deluges, which may trigger mudslides. In the mountains, there are frequent thunder and snow storms; however, in the rainy season, the clouds are trapped coming in from the eastern edge, producing long, sweeping rains that wash over the plains and restore the crops.
The people:
The people there are normally tough, but warm up quickly to those willing to join in a song or two. Those from this region typically have rough, tan skin with strong features and jet-black hair.
Maps:
Map of Ethe
North Etelan
East Etelan
West Etelan
South Etelan
Ecology
Mountainous, rocky, and fertile, the iron-rich land of Dixon's ancestors (partly) has been a steady ranching sight for some time. Mountain-dwelling goats and sheep are frequent, as well as wild horse populations. Bears and several fish species have been sighted in the south, and bison have also been known to sweep through. Hunters have been discouraged from overhunting, but since the recent devastation that has been less of an issue.
Rich in hearty ferns, the sky is nearly always visible. Etelan has a variety of greens that help its indigenous population survive despite any lack of communication with the capital.
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 1:16 pm
✺ Forgotten Son
Outfit
EC: 100
(I don't know who's in charge of this, but I'm quoting you to be safe.)
YES!! YESYESYESYESYESYES YES YES--YESS!!
The night had carried him here--no, not that. The pride in his nation, the legacy that came with that, the aspect that people forget--their god, his god--was what brought the count here to rest. A quick check into a safehouse, something that was just thrown up, barely more than a frame, was where the count found his count singing serenades to the growing grass by way of its voice, the cool mountain breeze. He was in bed before long, but not before taking a moment to take in the country. He was like watching an infant sleep...
And once he was sure his bundle of responsibility was out for the remainder of the small hours, the count committed to an idea he'd been occupied with for the longest time. He knelt down, eyes inward, heart quiet, and prayed. This time, however, he was searching for something without a face--after all, all the images of the old god were hidden away--not like what he was used to. Agni was pure, starkly staring him in the face with a nakedness that was beyond embarrassment. This, by opposite, was a faceless, timeless god that Dixon did not know. All he could do was hope, and speak the name over and over silently: Pelib... Pelib... Pelib...
That night was filled with a feeling Dixon couldn't replace. True, he might have been able to replicate it--though it was awfully hard to substitute looking one's national deity in the face in a latticed fire and steam chrysalis--but somehow the count knew an unmistakable feeling...
Yes, he was definitely in the presence of a being that was greater than himself. He allowed it all to overcome him, if only to save himself a moment's responsibility. What he felt, as he nodded off there on that nightstand, was a cooling effervescence ripping through his body with the most aggressive healing. When he woke up, he took off his shoes and had himself a nice stretch. He needed it; his neck was in shambles!
Finally, the day had arrived. The day when he would assemble the leaders--what was left of the peerage--of Ethe, set them down, tell them some things they might not like to hear, turn his sarcasm inward, so his ears could swallow what was given them like a muddy toad, and hopefully, if it was all safe afterward, mention that there was hope; speaking of the future, he was obliged to reconcile himself against the madman in the streets and the growing, aggressive parties in neighboring countries with the plutocratic--no... He tightened the reigns on that thought. Today was by the books, he told himself as he started straightening out his clothes for the show, the gallop and hop, the spin of swishing tonic in his suddenly dry mouth--blaming the great Pelib for that--any resentment from nobility was to be replaced by an earnest, if naive, adherence to the core of the concept of Noblesse Oblige.
The morning was crisp; Dixon had already stuck his head out of the small window on the side of the cabin. It had been thrown up in a day, just so those tending the field or traveling would have a place to get some decent sleep. This was the height of madness: every three seconds or so a shadow which was essentially human but monstrous, corvid even, in form passed by the small square of illuminated, dusty wood paneling on the far side of the room which held belongings of an uncertain amount of people--not all complete sets; there were scarves here, empty whiskey there...--a soft murmur went along with it in scaling elegance, as though the walkways, always silent, always growing weary of listening, finally began to mimic and followed like a rocket, thanks to the sheer bulk of their theory, the path of development for the human race, a recitation, a chant, which brought Dixon closer and closer all the time to that objectively sighted goal of class which captured his secret imagination since...
Youkimi... She isn't coming. Oh, I'll bet she's reading about it now. Always reads her letters early. Probably knew before the others.
And so, before he could slip into the nameless fever associated with idleness, Count Titanus settled himself on a walk. For an hour before he was busy going over things, listing and listing, that would be discussed at today's meet. He traced a loopy path along the perimeter of the hut nearby, appointed to be a place where one could take breaks and watch the animals, and set his eyes to nowhere; with his ears he would wait for the sign--clopping of hooves, fluttering coo of wing, etc.--that would tip him off.
A golden phoenix glided effortlessly though the skies of Ethe, its flaming wings arching as it finally crested Etelan. It found a place to land and transformed from its golden feathers into a slightly taller then average black haired woman in a pale hanfu that contrasted against her darker skin. Her dark hair was braided back in order to show her face and her golden eyes looked out around Etelan as if surveying it.
A screech would sound from above and Chusi would look up to see her escort turning back around to head back to Solidon to inform her brothers of her successful journey to Etelan.
The knight wasted little time arriving at the location that he was asked to show himself at. He adjusted the coat on his shoulders and the blade at his side. He waited for a few moments before he identified the presence of Lord Dixon. Hisoka folded his arms in front of himself and approached the house. The last vestige of his black feathers faded into the contours of his coat. At the sight of the lord who summoned him, he respectfully bowed.
He was not an official, and he found himself surprised and honored to have been summoned here. Was it for his advice? His instinct? Opinion or expertise? But even then, what could he say that the others could not? Would he speak on behalf of those he had trained? For those he had worked with? Would he be critiqued? Requested to stand down? Asked to give report on what he had seen in the outerlands? In the other nations?
Nay... it was probably not his place to comment on these things. He was here to be of assistance to his people and to the baroness. She requested that he was to assist Lord Titanus. At his behest, he was now here.
"Good day, Lord Titanus." He slowly rose from the bow before turning to the golden phoenix. He couldn't admit to having met her before, but he was aware that she was nobility for how she carried herself. "Good day, mi'lady."
Cotton Shorts Kid
Demon Countess
Coming at the request of his lady whose land he looked after, Susumu Uro arrived. His lavender and royal purple feathers betrayed him even before he landed and donned his coat properly again. He did not come with guards, for he was within Ethe's lands. And even then, he was a seasoned warrior who was proud to remain with Ethe. He had not left. He begrudged those who left and returned.... but they were here. He came to understand the baroness's decision and he was honored to stand in her place to plead for Kashin. This, she requested of him.
At the entryway, he inclined his head to Hisoka before bowing to those who had gathered.
"Lady Chhatrapati and Lord Titanus." He greeted with a voice that vibrated in deep baritone resonations. "Lady Kai sends her apologies and requests that I stand to represent Kaishin and its people in this meeting."
Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:55 am
Basina Marigold ════
════ Female // 15 // Orphan
Heiress to Antigone Noble ward of Dixon
Basina was in North Etelan not acting like a lady in the slightest should as she stood on a large flat rock in the center of a stream "A wolf hunts alone deep within the mountains" she hummed out as she jumped to another rock "and comes across a wounded deer" she stumbled slightly as she jumped onto another rock "The wolf pounces but is shot midair, down the hill it rolls" she hopped on another rock "The hunter eats for two night straight and lives to hunt another night" she looks up as she heard a screech and her eyes followed a phoenix that seemed to be turning back around, her eyes going wide, was it really that time already? Basina made a few more quick hops before landing on the bank of the stream and transformed into a tiny four foot white and gold phoenix and took off into the air.
She would fly toward the others and about ten feet off the ground she would take human form once again and drop onto the ground, looking around at everyone. She wasn't that familiar with the nobility, she didn't know who the two men where but she knew who Chusi was, their lands where right next to each other. She curtsied to Lady Chusi and looked around wondering where Dixon was.
════ Take up a pen and write down your life Take up a chisel and make your mark Take up a voice and say your piece No matter what the language you speak Someone will hear you.
From around the corner a man who needed no introduction swept into sight. He was dressed to the nines today, and wore a proud, beaming smile as he waved to the assembly. "You made it!" He gestured to a roofed sitting area--looked ideal for picnics--through the group and continued on past them. "This way."
"I've been looking forward to this for quite some time--"Dixon, who was positively radiant in his with a yellow and green aura, determined with a few inquisitive glances to his uniform who the temporary head of House Kaishin was--hair, sword, cufflinks, etc.--and had been thrilled to bits that Chusi and Hisoka had agreed to come; though he was less than impressed with Basina's appearance at the time (what had she been up to?), he was still glad she could be here to learn how it is that the adults did business (no doubt, he'd wanted to mold her sensibilities in this area, so he of course want to win big here.)--"this little meeting of ours."
He remembered just for a moment how long it had been since he'd seen either of them, and how they all met.
Chusi was a straightforward meeting of two nobles. When Dixon rose to his rank from nothing, needless to say, it created quite the shift in the dynamic of the country's political structure; Chusi and other nobles were obliged to meet him just as he them; he could taste how nervous he was then. All of this made him wonder, why not, if they had felt the same unease... Ah, it's no use! Can't put one's mind back together once it had been rearranged by the deft hands of Time. She held her posture straight the entire time, though there was a certain relaxed quality to her that, despite himself, he ended up gravitating towards, imitating it for the first year or so thereafter on the job, though he mightn't have realised it: it was called confidence. Confidence in one's strength, he determined, smiling against the hard eyes' reflection, was something that made her less a noble and more a warrior--what an idea! Governing by strength... Was there any other way?
Speaking of which, there was the cool drink of water by the name Susmu--oh he hoped he pronounced that right in his head--whom he'd only heard about in descriptions by Hisoka and Youkimi (there had been a time when he was regaled with some urgency the warriors' tales of Mother Ethe and those names that had survived and those whose names seemed to be waiting to be born into the cosmic eternal ball called legend. Youkimi insisted; it was, after all, his job at the time to simply learn what made up the unreachable strata of yesterday (for him)) some month or two ago. It was around this time when he'd finally gotten a sense of patriotism in him, and sitting across from the two swordsmen he'd understood why; perhaps more importantly, he understood the other half of the equation which Chusi seemed to fit into: there was strength in nobility and nobility in the warrior's heart. This, he knew, was Ethe's strength.
"I'm glad you all could come today. So good to see all of you in one place," began the count, dispensing with the pleasantries. "These days it is much easier to shutter up inside, not be involved at all. Again, it is good we are not so frightened." Then there was Basina. Dixon gave her a warm smile, pausing his unpacking of various maps and notes provided him by his help back in Titania. He remembered the first time they met face-to-face. He was touring around, spotting the land that needed the most attention, and saw her outside (sorry about this), playing in the rubble as though she'd nothing better to do--certainly was odd-looking in her freshly ruined dress. What had started as a stop to scold the poor girl changed quickly into a bizarre alliance of old and new (her father's politics being the old, the count's being new; she young, he not as much), and before the conversation had ended Dixon understood in writing the charge he'd been given.
"We have much to discuss, I'm sure," he said as his setup became complete. "Ethe will survive, but not without Her leaders in agreement. Please, do not leave anything unaccounted." And with that he motioned for the gathered peerage to begin bringing their problems to the table.
"Its not like we all had a choice in the matter." Chusi began "Just as things began to go right in this Ethe of ours, something yet again pulls us back down. Almost like the cosmos are working against any progress we might make" she said as she walked over to roofed sitting area and took a seat, folding her hands on her lap.
She looked over at Dixon for a moment "Unlike the tales we have heard from the south, of seedlings growing into full grown trees thanks to the goddesses blessing, Solidon has not been so lucky as to be bestowed with her touch." she said to him and looked over at Susumu and the other one, she did not know them. She then brought her eyes back to Lord Dixon "Luckily however Solidon has never been known to wait on such matters, we may not the best farmers but we have enough skill to get the lands of Solidon to produce without the help of third parties"
Chusi cleared her throat, bringing one of her hands up to cover her mouth politely "Solidon is on the boarder of both Lionis and Phobos so when it comes to meat we have no problem with supply. What I wanted to bring up are related to the goddess" she said "My brother Argos wants to expand Solidon into Phobos, our mother is of a mind to agree. I on the other hand think we should reason with the goddess and request that she take down the barrier, or at the very least lessen its strength so our animals do not die" she said, her golden eyes flickering slightly at the mention of the goddess, it was no doubt that she wanted to stab the being of fire a few times, but like any noble lady she kept her inner most desires on that fact secret, they weren't lady like "If a majority of the nobility are in agreement she should have the power to remove the barrier just as easily as she put it up, otherwise she will not be working in alignment with Ethe's interest."
Susumu followed the lead of Lord Titanus and once they were all settled and the discussion began, he first made it a point to listen. That not all of the provinces benefitted wasn't a terrible shock... but it was a little bit of a surprise to Susumu concerning her reaction.
"In no wise would I recommend tempting the goddess, Lady Chhatrapati. That the wall is in place is able to protect our country in its currently weak state. Our economy is barely beginning to recover and our militial strength is nothing to boast of. Who is to say that an enemy would not simply swoop in and conquer this goddess-blessed land at first opportunity?"
The steward-noble shook his head. "Our people are making good progress, by way of rebuilding its capacity to trade, by re-learning how to deeply work the fields, and by strengthening themselves with their worth. Shall we always depend on our neighbors or shall we learn to become eaters of plants for a season?"
He would not speak for their wishes to expand into Phobos.
Hisoka took a seat and found no reason to speak. His ration and logic saw the benefit in having the wall fall, but he also found himself on the side of caution as a warrior. If he knew of a nation that had been devastated, who benefited in secret and gained a lot of raw agricultural blessings, he knew it was easy to capture it if they were without military.
He dared to think that the wall was the only thing keeping the greedy lords and kingdoms of other countries away from their lands, not to mention the common thieves and pillagers who would ransack their barely-constructed towns and cities.
Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 10:45 pm
Basina Marigold ════
════ Female // 15 // Orphan
Heiress to Antigone Noble ward of Dixon
Basina walked over to the sitting area and looked out over Etelan and people spoke, she wasn't the versed in politics so the reasons why Chusi's older brother would want to expand Solidon into Phobos confused her. She would listen to Dixon speak, followed my Chusi and Susumu and Basina tilted her head, not really knowing what to say "m...maybe we should ask the goddess to lessen the strength of the barrier" she said out loud before quickly looking down "What the goddess has done so far has been a miracle. The soul shredders that use to plague Antigone are all gone, but so are the sounds of birds and crickets" she managed to get out as she felt her throat start to close up, she didn't think speaking out like this was her place, sure she representing Antigone but she didn't have any power in her region yet...at least not officially "We in Antigone have a diet of bread and pickled vegetables because we don't have a lot of our own farmable land, but most of the silk that make robes and dyes that color your clothing come from their... but the people of Antigone miss the sound of the birds in the morning, they say its sad to wake up and work and the sounds of the animals are all gone... and with the silkworms all dieing off in the last few days half of our industry is gone" she said to them.
════ Take up a pen and write down your life Take up a chisel and make your mark Take up a voice and say your piece No matter what the language you speak Someone will hear you.
Immediately and roughly Dixon was transported to a burnt battlefield with a black, ever-tightening horizon at the mention of aggressive action toward their militant neighbor. Their army was nothing to be trifled with, which is exactly what the count saw in the melting, streaming faces of those who fell to bravely uphold that imperialism which no doubt was the sensible evolution of the aforementioned patriotism... He saw two colors in the palette of Solidon's future: black and red; the burnt and the flame; the blood and the charred steel.
His pen, which had stopped during this horrific internal interlude, picked up again and began to tick out the future of Ethe in sharp, quick line that came to dot the page Dixon had secured with his elbows as a sort of chicken-scratch; he had been working for some time on writing, and out of necessity had stumbled on a faster, incomprehensible to most, short-hand to bang out ideas for later. He nodded along to the beat of this scratching, which was in turn right in time with the conversation of their future. Right now, as he predicted and admittedly fretted, they were sharing goals for their states; his face reflected an uneasy patience at the combination of such knowing and discomfort in the face of the reality--shaking out one final letter, combing a hand through his hair and straightening himself, setting a firm stroke to beginning a new line--overtook him. His aura was of the indigo variety.
"Right," he nodded, pressing on, "I'll wait until all have had their say to share the goals for Etelan and Titania. For now, though," he said, spotting Hisoka and Susumu, the warriors, "I'd like to hear what we have from our other military minds--I needn't remind you of their status: what are your goals?" In setting these two up, the count was sure he would be able to assert that the one-time general in fact knew more, said more in his silence regarding the acquisition of Phobosian land, than those present were giving him credit for. He would inform them of Hisoka's strides as well, but in time. He gave a welcoming gesture to Basina. "Followed by the Baroness Marigold."
Lady Chusi raised an eyebrow at Susumu's statement "Oh? and can you say we are not making our enemies by hiding behind a wall. We did not have the problems we currently faced until the goddess erected the barrier." she said crossly "House Chhatrapati never supported the Empire but at least we where on solid footing with them even after the volcano erupted, now that the barrier is up the support we had had to pull out thanks to soldiers dying" she said "Bellris no longer trades with us and instead crucifies our nobility and blasphemies against us by burning down former Ethen refugee homes. She said crossly "The wall may protect us now but if the people get to use to the goddess we will rot in a different way, becoming dependent on Holy Agni is just as bad as succumbing to a foreign power!" Chusi pressed her lips together "I am not saying that house Chhatrapati is ungrateful for her blessings, but soldiers can not survive on plants alone..." she trailed off and kept silent for a moment "Solidon knows better then Kaishin, Titania, Etelan, or Antigone what is required to strengthen any military." Chusi adjusted her body so she was leaning more toward Susumu "Tell me, after a season of eating rice, radish, and preserved meat and all the salted meat we have stored is eaten, when winter is over and we have spent this season depleting our reserves what will we eat the next season?" she asked him "I don't pretend to have any sort of wondrous knowledge of growing or harvesting plants, but the basic knowledge that I do have leads me to believe that it takes a good season at least to get a good crop growing again, and by then if we do not have meat and we still have a low reserve how are we to feed our people? are we to let them starve to death while we wait for more plants to grow?" she said crossly as she sat back with her hands once again folded on her lap "We can rebuild stronger and more secure if we do not ostracize the people the surround us, because even though I don't know agriculture I do know war, and you don't need Ethen blood to do damage to Ethe, all anyone needs is a catapult to lay waste to the boarder towns or just a few minutes with the sickness to burn the land we plot deeper in our Ethe."
Lady Chusi then looked at Basina "that's why I wanted to speak with you about possible trade between Antigone and Solidon." she said to her "Our two regions have never particularly been on good terms, with the previous Baronet's view on the monarchy, however I think we could come to an arrangement benefitting both of us" she said "The crops that we do have aren't blessed by the goddess but we're close enough in proximity to Antigone that we can get food to your people relatively fresh" she said to her.
She then looked back over at Dixon for a moment when he spoke and she simply nodded her head to him before she sat back, passively shifting attention over to Susumu and Hisoka so they could speak their parts for the territories they represented.
Susumu's attention returned to the one orchestrating this meeting, the count. Having been asked what his goals were, he found himself well in a position to answer. "Kaishin plans to continue to grow. We have recently finished the harvest cycles and now look to planting and preparing for the new year. Lacking much to trade yet, we look to bolster what we can store via trade, making basic goods and beginning to craft wooden furniture that if we cannot trade, we can make use of."
It was a plan for the upcoming years, but it would do. "Our harvest gave us many seeds that our people look forward to planting. Those who are willing are being trained as guards while we prepare our homes for the coming winter."
Yes, the season would change soon enough, and all too soon.
"Beyond these domestic necessities, we also prepare for the eventual fall of the wall. It will come in its good time and I suspect it will fall all too soon." He rested his closed hands on his knees. "One does not expose a sapling to the elements unless they are certain of its trunk."
Hisoka did not have much to say. As he was not a leader in this meeting, but attending it. So, he sat aside and listened to the discussion. He acknowledged the arrival of the young lady by bowing as she came, but it was not his place to speak, so he held his tongue.
However, when he saw the inquiring glance of Susumu, he began to question his inclusion in this discussion. Goals?
He respectfully cleared his throat. "I wish only the strength of our men and seek to bolster their arms, spirits, and minds against whatever threats might come our way. For now, my men and I continue to clear out the carrion that has fallen on our lands."
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2017 10:37 pm
Basina Marigold ════
════ Female // 15 // Orphan
Heiress to Antigone Noble ward of Dixon
Basina looked around and felt like she had spoken out of place, or that maybe she was to young to be here as it seemed she was ignored by everyone so instead she looked down and started playing wit her fingers. She had already said her piece.
════ Take up a pen and write down your life Take up a chisel and make your mark Take up a voice and say your piece No matter what the language you speak Someone will hear you.
What he had hoped would blow over was simply gaining momentum, he feared; Lady Chusi had not would not cease in her assertions about war and militarism. Really, the count was all for strengthening the nation in the traditional sense... if the times allowed for it.
When on tour after the initial influx of refugees, Dixon had noticed that an alarming amount of the sites at which his people worshipped, whether it be the Goddess Agni or some other local deity, had been valdalised. He could not stand for this. Immediately he hopped over the side of his coach and started at the group there who were unfortunate enough to be the ones he caught in the act: 'YOU! You ingrates!,' he railed; the counter: 'Oy 'oos this come to steal our sunshine? My bottom's already sore from a foreign hand, m'lady!' To which of course the count responded by treating the whole bunch to a round of knuckle sandwiches.
In hindsight, yes, he remembered how they looked when falling to a knee, he might have overreacted, and there was certain some blowback that came from the incident, but the count simply couldn't let this injustice go. He remembered how, a week or so after, he was met with both apologies from the hooligans and chidings from critics who failed to see how internal violence was justified if it was to defend a being they clearly had not seen, heard, touched...
"Very well," the count spoke up, lifting himself from the deep pool of inky thoughts where his hand and eyes became one. "It's easy to see that we all have our own agendas. I wouldn't insult anyone's intelligence by suggesting that any of us here act only to further their own state, not knowing the importance of uniting the country under one effort--nor would I leave unstressed the need to agree, here, now, to an agenda to rebuild Ethe." His words, much moreso than before, carried with them a gravity that pulled from the conversation, he hoped, its pettiness and whirled them together at impossible speeds with the aim of centrifuging out a pure love of Mother Ethe. He had become a true statesman.
"I have been working, like I'm sure the rest of you have, to restore our land since the eruption. Many tours have brought me an understanding of how the event has affected various parts of Ethe. What I am after today, is a resolution I can bring to our queen. Even if Lady Kai has to pass down the order, it would be wrong to simply split and at as nine different nations. We are one Ethe." He felt he didn't need to reiterate it, but he would take no chances here today. He paused at saying this, scanning an equally severe gaze on all the members of the conference. He turned his paper over, revealing a hand-drawn map of Ethe with each province labeled. His finger slid over each of them.
"Solidon, Palude--though some are quick to give up on it--Antigone, Etelan..." And so on, presenting them all. There was also demarcations for mountains and waterways that could still be of use. "We have a population that is significantly less than before the eruption, but the same amount of Ethe to clean up," he admitted, looking somewhat pained to remember the event. "However, it is my opinion that if we all work together we may be on the way to salvaging Ethe's riches." His finger came to rest on the space marked 'Palude.'
"This is where it happened. Here we have two borders: Lionis and Bellris; both of which have been very aggressive toward us in the past; both coming under suspect in my investigation of the murder of High Duke Watercress..." There was a noticeable chill in the air as Dixon's aura plummeted into the deepest blues imaginable. After all, what was there but an intense, black hole sadness after all the anger had been out of a hurt so crushing?
"... We need a new leader here. The house has died--in the strict sense--but that doesn't mean the people cannot should not return there, to their homes!" His first tightened on the table. "It should be someone who is truly patriotic, someone who fights selfishly for Tomorrow's Ethe." And finally, he gestured: "That's why I am moving to nominate Master Hisoka to the position, at least for the time being. If no one objects, I will formerly petition the crown to install him as head of Palude. His efforts to restore Kaishin, as well as Etelan, have not gone unnoticed; thanks to his training, Etelonians and those in Titania--and soon Antigone--have learned vital self-defense. Say what you will, but we are not helpless."
"Which brings me," he continued, shifting a calm but firm focus to Chusi, "to this matter of war. Whether it be for the benefit of our nation in the short or long run, in the view of our esteemed guest, it should be remembered that I have recently established a partnership of sorts with Lord Xerseis. I will have no part in aggression toward a nation--and will ask no support from the crown--that has shown me kindness--setting aside our gross difference in strength." His voice was very measured, as though he had practiced scenarios like this all day. "If it is meat you need so badly, I will be able to acquire all Solidon needs for the time being--time enough to get our ranches producing livestock again."
"We should remember how the Goddess has helped us. Under the barrier, though we have lost, we have been free to work the land. In Kaishin and in the north, we have grown substantially. No doubt every crop has flourished, even without her help." He pointed to a section of mountains in Etelan. "We have food to sustain our work, and in my lands this has meant the recovery of several mines. Already we have gone to work in developing refinement processes." He nodded, somewhat proud of this. "It is the opinion of my staff that a diverse economy will save Ethe; I am inclined to agree." He gestured toward the baroness Marigold.
"Lady Marigold," he began, "you worry that your textiles will suffer. This is understandable, but for the moment I suggest a simple change--from silk to cotton--for the time being. I will ask the Goddess to continue providing for us." His eyes lit up a bit here. "It is important to remember how beautiful our works are. I will send gems from Etelan to Antigone. In return, I ask that the most creative minds of the nation be sent to Titania. It is the opinion of my staff that our land is not as profitable; in the new, diverse economy of Tomorrow's Ethe, the services should be given attention just as the products. With artists in Titania, the vacation capital of Epsilon, riches will be spent in our country; the nations of this world will boost our pockets simply because they want our culture to continue." And finally...
"Lady Chus, Master Surumu," he nodded reverently, "the country needs military minds such as you to work together. Internally, we will strengthen Ethe, anticipating the fall of the wall. Those who show exceptional strength should leave Kaishin and come to Etelan and Solidon to form a militia to protect us at the border states. Meanwhile, all will join in repairing the land. We have only ourselves to blame if Ethe falls."
