Godhood XIV - Usurper [Jam Edition Turn 4]

Alakim sighs, leaning heavily on his walking stick. "You are not the only one who has led wars, Pacian. I have crushed kingdoms in an afternoon. I have burnt great cities to the ground and stricken their names from history. I have eradicated entire families because their patriarch looked at me in a way I disapproved of, I have destabilized tremendous economies from the sheer volume of my pillaging, and I have seen what war - especially war for petty, ridiculous reasons like this - does to the innocents."

He refuses to even face Pacian, continues to absent-mindedly make small modifications to the design of the temple. "Years I spent without thinking twice about it. Even after I was enlightened, it took me years more to fully realize the depths of what I had done; and even now, I find myself worrying that the slightest misstep, the tiniest war, will spiral out of control. Perhaps I'm overcompensating; inevitably, yes, war will happen, and inevitably I will see no option but to aid one side or another. To sow destruction once more. But until such day as that war is inevitable, I will not do so."

The Ever-Lost takes a deep breath, shaking his head. "Perhaps you should re-evaluate who is made stronger by war, and what strengths they gain. Somehow, you don't strike me as a man who sweats the details as much as he possibly should..." He glances over at Macian briefly. "And yes, I recognize the irony that I should be the one to say so."