Spheres of Influence: Alliance

"All things considered, that went about as well as we could have hoped." Geród would be overheard saying while gnawing on what passed for food in the underdark with the Army of Reclamation.

Dwarves were geniuses when it came to getting the most out of mushrooms but by the gods was he already sick of eating the damn things.

A baleful light grows on the horizon, around the seas of Tharassa. A powerful magical ritual is taking place there, which will take some time to complete, but which echoes through the weave of magic like a distant thunderclap for every mage in the Alliance to hear.

A mail from Captain Ovis arrives to everyone!

"Friends!

We are doing a project for the good of all, with my friends, Orobona, and Unity of Friends! We will remove the tainted corruption of Tharassa, and we can access the cultural knowledge for everyone! This will be very dangerous, and I ask you to not interfere, as my chief container, Canis said, that everyone might die if you do!

We will move the corruption to somewhere safe in our lands, and dispose it properly!
"

Des-Accor has erupted into open revolution. After a period of chaos and oppression, the peasants and townsfolk have taken up arms against the new Duke Jacob and his nobles.

A hurried letter with uncharacteristic brusqueness will reach the leaders of the alliance.

Friends.

I arrived in Des Accour with some troops because I had discovered something alarming. The investigators I had previously sent to Des Accour suspected more was afoot then what was uncovered with the murder of Duchess Tara and petitioned me for funding to further their investigations.

What they had uncovered was alarming.

Not only was the Duchess Murdered by someone who killed her to clearly deliver a shocked reaction. But the uprising happening right now was also provoked by likely the same party that murdered the Duchess.

Doubtless people now know of the woeful treatment of the Des Accour populace in the wake of the death, while I will make no apologies for the nobles responsible, we have uncovered evidence this fear and paranoia of a possible revolt was stoked by a third party, intending to paint the Freed Bay Post as a possible culprit for stoking the unrest. This prompted the nobles to sell off their assets and flee while also ordering repressive policies afflicting their populace, and the lawlessness caused by their absence stoked the fires further.

Indeed, while all this was going on, my investigators discovered surprising evidence of great organization in preparation for a revolt, greater organization than a loose coalition of rebel leaders in the countryside could easily string together, espeically not so under such chaotic and repressive conditions, implying this had been long in the planning.

It was this that prompted my decision to visit Des Accour personally with my promised troops to restore order in the wake of the Des Accour army's destruction in the war of reclamation,a s I was alarmed at the fear and paranoia of their nobility during this chaotic time, and given my own plans to marry the Duke's sister, I endeavoured to diplomatically calm the situation and find a resolution, while also preventing a violent uprising that is clearly being stoked by a third party.

When I had arrived one of my leading investigators, a personal friend, had been murdered in the dark, and the uprising had begun. I am writing to you now from the walled off Duchal palace where I have elected to stay to ensure a calm resolution to this affair without undue bloodshed and wait for Alliance reinforcements. We have all suffered a great deal from the Anti-alliance conspiracy that has already afflicted us so much, I am determined to not allow this to be yet another potential victory for these villains, neither by allowing the Cazou family to be murdered, nor by murdering the common folk of Des Accour. I hope you will respond swiftly.

Yours,
Geród

An official statement from the Council of Elders expresses shock at the chaos and disgust at the oppression and horror. They pray that the people of Des-Accor win their freedom without undue bloodshed, especially against their fellows, and the Unity is open to all refugees who are fleeing in good faith. We will not harbor anyone who has slaughtered innocents.

Kor Vurneus will open it's borders to any fleeing the violence of Des-Accor. That is all we can do at this moment in time until our forces return.

The response from the Post is swift. It announces its support for the revolutionary party, in light of treacherous investigation reports which only reached Alliance eyes after this event occurred. No intent on meddling in Des-Accor's affairs in their own country, but if someone else were to do so, the Post would not tolerate the foreign suppression of rightfully enraged brothers. The investigation is clearly not over, and if the Rioch's discoveries hold water they should be looked into, but they would ask the reports of the investigations that led Geród to act to to be released to the Alliance for review.

Geród would be happy to release them, since the only reason he had his investigators look further into the matter is because they suspected there was more to it.

Geród cannot currently receive letters due to being in a bricked up building getting shot at.

These are the Words of the Khan:

There is a troubling tendency in the Lands of Humanity - a tendency towards rule by blood. The idea that the blood of some is more worthy than that of their compatriots is sickening and not rooted in the law of the Gods or of the World. It is a practice that should be put to an end.

Some nations abhor violence. This is understandable - violence is not meant to be pleasant. But violence is not to be turned away from. It is a tool that has been given to us by the gods, a tool to be used when the pains of the world are unbearable. We are violent to sate the gnawing of our hunger. We are violent to end violence turned towards us. We are violent to end injustices committed upon our brothers.

We have nothing to do with the revolution in Des-Accor, nor will we partake in it. But any movement to destroy rule by blood is a moral one, and we commend the revolutionaries for seizing justice with their own hands. We hope that peace can be restored once justice reigns over their lands.

The revolutionaries have taken St. Genevieve and declared victory, in spite of a large army of mercenaries under the banners of the High Kingdom being stationed just outside the city. They have taken control of the entire city and defeated all loyalist forces, and have apparently killed the Duke and his entire family by collapsing the ducal palace on top of them. Tragically, Ríoch Geród was apparently caught in the ducal palace collapse. Despite digging through the rubble, the revolutionaries found no survivors.

The only remaining member of the ducal family is Justine de Cazou, who is currently in Tiranóg. However, with the revolutionaries in control of Des-Accor, there's not much she can do to reclaim the throne.

Meanwhile, in Tiranóg, the state is entering an unprecedented succession crisis.

Thedrin expresses his absolute sorrow at the death of Gerod, for the King was a close friend and former war comrade of his. He had been attempting to negotiate Gerod's exit from the city, but letter clearly hadn't arrived in time.

He expresses his support for the Tiranogi regency in this troubled year, as well as for the people of Tiranog in general. He hopes that this is the last tragedy they must endure.

Regent Séan MkFieldan announces that Tiranóg is creating a regency council to administer the state and calling the various noble houses together to decide upon a successor, in order to ensure stability. Furthermore Díuc MkFieldan issues letters to every alliance member that their treaties and deals with Tiranóg made under Ríoch Geród's reign will be respected and upheld.

The provisional government of Des-Accor has petitioned for annexation, and been accepted by the Freed Bay Post. The Post has issued a missive declaring their intent to follow through with the King of Kalduhr's demands, as well as they could be carried out in the current situation. This is to say that the trial for remaining area nobility would be postponed for the time being, as the rest of it was no longer viable. They were immediately expanding their investigation, considering the gravity of the event and increasingly dire lack of answers, and none would be stopped from doing the same as the area was no longer, well, mid-battle. Kor Vurneus has been asked for a short period of patience as the Post came to understand their presence in the area, and they would settle the matter then.

In light of recent events and deaths, The High Kingdom would like to propose 1,000,000 gold from the 5,000,000 given by the Elves be devoted to an investigation into the events at Des-Accor. The events there were either an attack on an Alliance power by an outside power, or an attack by an Alliance power on an Alliance power. Both cases are unacceptable, and must be looked into with proper diligence and oversight so as to shed light on the truth.

The results of the investigation will be reported to the heads of the Alliance states (Council and non-Council alike) upon its conclusion, though full openness and cooperation on the part of all Alliance states would be asked during the investigation.

Would the other Alliance powers find this use of funds acceptable?

Regent MkFieldan announces his support of the High Kingdom's proposition for funding an impartial investigation into the situation in Des-Accour using the money given by the Elves. He adds, however, that given Tiranóg's current situation at home, and our closeness to the affairs that occurred in Des-Accour, we will recuse ourselves from the investigation for the time being.

Somewhere in the heart of the Post, the Postmaster sets down a collection of letters, and leans over them, sighing. “Delightful. Finally, some good fucking news.”

———

The Post replies with their complete support and cooperation.

Given the current chaos in the Alliance, Tiranóg announces the regency is over. Queen Justine I of House Cazou has been recognized as the Banríoch of Tiranóg and has been formally coronated.

The Queen as her first act, reaffirms Regent Díuc Séan MkFieldan's proclamations regarding the keeping of pronmises, agreements and treaties arranged under Ríoch Geród's reign and backs King Thedrin's proposition of funding an impartial investigation into the events surrounding Des Accour.

Kor Vurneus will also support this investigation team, which isn't surprising since they'd suggested this kind of thing in the first place and they're only slightly smug that people are now deciding it's necessary.

Capra writes that Ovis is unavailable right now as he is busy smashing target dummies in the Fight Room in anger, but asks Thedrin to commit a second investigation, this time for the distruption of the ritual to cleanse Tharassa of the evil corruption. People planted bombs via divers, sinking a ship, and then sent an exploding boat disguised as a Unity vessel. Thankfully nobody died, mainly thanks to the half elves's resilience, and the druid's healing skills.

The corruption was only weakened, and will be stronger in time, and Capra has no idea how fast it will regrow, but maybe it is safe enough to dive to check the sunken wrecks. The ones who killed the dream of the wastes to throw off the last yoke of their crual master must be brought to justice.

Thedrin would back such an initiative! Two investigations could happen, then. One into the events in Des-Accor and another into the events at the Ritual.

The way the investigation will happen is that an international alliance organization will be set up dedicated to such crises. The nations directly involved in the crisis will not be allowed to join or participate in the international investigation.

Meaning that the Freed Bay Post, Tiranog, and Kor Vurneus will not be allowed to participate in the investigation into the Des-Accor Crisis (though that doesn't stop them from doing their own independent investigations). Similarly the Unity, the Crescent Wastes, Antipode, and Orbona will not be allowed to participate in the investigation into the Ritual Crisis (though, once again, they can launch their own investigations). The investigations will keep their findings private as they perform it. This will be done to prevent possible interference and tampering. Once the investigation is believed to be finished, a full report will be released to all the heads of Alliance nations.

Provided the Alliance at large is okay with this, 1,000,000 gold will be dedicated to each investigation (100k gold a year on each investigation for ten years).

Capra also announced that Admiral Aptenodytes will be tried for threatening allies, and Captain Canis will be tried for withholding information from allies who have came to help in good faith.

The Alliance gets another freaking missive from those letter-happy shmucks.

This one says something stupid like, oh, there's not nearly enough bodies at the excavated site of the ducal residence as there should be considering an entire army was inside, oh, Ríoch Geród and the family of Queen Justine weren't in there at all, ugh, what a horrible happenstance, they were having their wizards sniff around for magic because that sounded so unbelievable, and it wasn't like they just walked out of the darned rubble. The excavation had been pretty thorough, but they weren't quitting with this going on, or whatever.

Never stopped writing, yadda yadda.

A notice from the High Kingdom

It has come to the attention of the High Chancellor that the Durganthull Hammer is up for auction in Tiranog. Thedrin will state that the Durganthull Hammer is the ancestral heirloom of Clan Durganthull (of whom Thedrin is the most direct descendant) and a national symbol of the High Kingdom.

Thedrin asks that nobody bid on this hammer. To do so would be an enormous insult to Clan Durganthull, its descendants, and the entirety of the High Kingdom.

In response to the missing bodies of King Gerod, the Ducal family, and the nobles? Where could they have even gone? Was there any hint?