Empire! Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to the Qzare [Private]

[Aedilred]

[For QuintonBeck, and others by invitation only.]

With the main obligations of the Empress's hospitality apparently discharged, Athelmark dismisses his remaining delegates, including Marrik, and makes his way over to the hostess.

"Milady Empress, would this be an opportune moment to continue our earlier discussion?"

[QuintonBeck]

"Indeed it could be," Syana said, rising from her seat with intent to move for the first time since the Ball had begun. She came around the table and down off the dais onto the floor.

"This way," she said, leading the Jarr king towards the set of doors that would have fallen on the King's left when he first arrived.

She nodded at the guards who opened the great oak doors just enough to let the two rulers pass inside. Once they were in the hall Syana began to speak as she guided the Jarr king down the slightly angled hallway that went down under the ground of Aloren, preserving a more comfortable temperature and serving to leave the outside structure seeming as if the building were only one large rotunda.

"I've been given permission to release the Qzare to your custody for return back Salterri lands under the stipulation he agrees to certain conditions. I have yet to speak with him of these as I wanted another, less...engaged party such as yourself to be present. We will also be joined by a Sycian scribe I hired just for this need for an impartial record. The scribe should already be present in the room so that he might transcribe our conversation for review by the other representatives of the north to see that no foul dealings were afoot. Further, his generals are being held in a separate room but will be returned as well as part of the deal."

As her speaking concluded she stopped in front of another set of doors at the far end of the hall and opened them, revealing the Salterri Qzare sitting within alongside a rather bored looking Sycian holding a quill and parchment. The room was nicely furnished and the Qzare did not appear to be restrained or malnourished, dressed in northern garb of a simple noble.

"Qzare Wandao, a pleasure to see you again. I have brought a familiar face with me this time, one who shall secure your release should you cooperate." Syana said as she led the Jarr King in and took a seat at the head of the table opposite the Salterri Qzare, allowing the Jarr King to choose which end of the table he might choose to sit at.

[Aedilred]

Athelmark bowed to the Qzare. "Milord, I am pleased to see you in apparent good health."

After a moment's consideration, he moved around the table and sat to the right of the Qzare, as close to halfway between the two parties as he can manage.

"Of course, I have no authority to negotiate on behalf of the Imperium, but I have been charged by your lord brother to do my utmost to return you to Salterri lands. Whether any proposed terms of your release are acceptable is your decision alone."

[QuintonBeck]

Syana noted the Jarr King's position, she would have thought he would have chosen a closer seat to the Qzare, he had been sent by the Salterri to attempt and recover their leader after all. Apparently that trust did not run as deep as they believed, or their sending of a petty king of one of their protectorates was never truly intended to resolve things. Syana did not think long on this and reached out to the Sycian scribe who handed her a parchment which she began to read,

"Qzare Xiu Wandao, I have been authorized by those belonging to the nations involved with the conflict with your nation two springs past to make to you an offer that, pending your acceptance, shall result in your release and safe return home within the care of one of your own protectorates. The offer is as follows; First and foremost, the Qzare pledges that neither he nor any heir who may follow him shall seek to do harm upon those of the northern nations and no military action shall be brought against these nations, to include the region of 'Cassia' currently being blockaded by Salterri ships. Further, the Qzare shall, as a sign of good faith, send as gifts to the nations of the north the schematics of all technologies possessed by the Salterri Imperium. If these terms are accepted the Qzare shall be released to the custody of King Athelmark of the Jarrs who shall escort the Qzare back to Salterri lands."

Syana sat back and waited for the Qzare's response.

[Aedilred]

Athelmark listened carefully to the terms, and raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of "any heir who will follow him". For a moment he looked as if he was about to speak, but instead he merely glanced at the Qzare and sat back, waiting for the response.

While Qzare Wandao thought the proposal over, the king reconsidered, and leaned forward. "Forgive me for speaking on your behalf, milord, but there is information of which you may not be aware." He addresses the Empress directly. "Even as you propose these terms for the Imperium to accept in good faith, northern states are moving to establish colonies in Salterri territory. Explorers from Guilder have moved into the land my people call Vennland [that is, region 64] with a clear goal to turn it to their own ends. This is a protectorate of the Salterri Imperium! Meanwhile Lyradis has claimed Discordia and the land to the east of my kingdom for itself with a stated intention to occupy it one way or another.

"I know that you do not exercise control over your allies, milady Empress, but I do not see how, if milord Qzare were to accept your terms, he could possibly be expected to hold to them in the face of such blatant provocation. A more cynical man than I might be minded to view this as a mere excuse to force the Qzare to break his word and hold up any ensuing conflict as a consequence of Salterri faithlessness."

[QuintonBeck]

((OOC I had not been informed of either of those things so I'm just as shocked OOC as I am IC :smallyuk:))

Syana's hands curled into fists and her teeth clenched together. Guilder and Lyradis were drunk with whipping out their colonizing sticks and putting them where they weren't wanted. That was fine, but she wasn't going to be held diplomatically accountable for them poking the bear and certainly wasn't going to read some inane offer if her allies were not going to hold themselves accountable for their own actions.

"Qzare, let us make an arrangement, you agree to leave the member nations and their holdings belonging to the Triumvirate and the Hurosha Empire, a nation already far removed from your base, as well as any other nation you may hold accountable but who does not threaten your lands or infringe upon your sovereignty out of any plans of attack for the foreseeable or far flung future and I will release you right now with no more asked than that."

[Morph Bark]

Wandao sat still, only nodding a few times when Athelmark spoke. He rubbed his wrists, perhaps a little compulsively, but with red marks still on them from chafing. When Syana rephrased her offer, the room fell silent for a while. He appeared to move to speak at first, but only drew in breath as slowly his mouth was turned into a smile. "Heh." The smile wavered a bit, then broadened, and more sound began to erupt from Wandao as he began to laugh and then louder and louder, almost uncontrollably so it seemed. He hiccuped, coughed, sneezed and belched as the air passed through his lungs erratically from it. Wandao grasped at the table to get himself some support and moved the chair backwards in order to have some space. He laughed and laughed and felt almost like he might puke from it. This was crazy! It was in his mind and no doubt Syana had such a thought about him, even Athelmark as well, no doubt, at least a little. He wheezed as he tried to gather his wits and slowed down a moment, "oh my Lady, sorry," but then the laughter returned, chuckling, giggling, snickering, even a snorting sound. His breaths were rapid and sharp and he stood up, bowed over the table as he gasped for air in-between bouts that seemed to not want to end.

[Aedilred]

Athelmark, slightly alarmed, glanced at the Empress to see her reaction, though, in truth, the laughter was infectious and the more he tried not to allow himself to smile, the harder it became. Nevertheless, fighting to keep a straight face, he allowed his concern to override his urge to laugh. "Milord?" he asked, hoping somehow to allow the conversation to continue.

[QuintonBeck]

Syana glanced at Athelmark, concern apparent. The man hadn't been tortured or kept improperly, what in the world might be going on?

"Qzare?" she asked and glanced again at Athelmark who seemed incapable of repressing a smile.

Syana became aware that she too was unintentionally smiling as well, but tried hard to repress it and regain her composure.

[Morph Bark]

Wandao's laughter died down, luckily so since tears had begun to roll from his eyes that he wiped away. "I'm terribly sorry, Empress, I know not what came over me! Aheh, truly!" He shook his head and walked around his chair to loosen his legs and gather himself, straightening his shirt. "It's just that from all previous questioning I've always believed that it was in the Salterri Imperium's best interest that I withhold key points of information, for once something has been made known, it will soon be nigh impossible to make it unknown again. I can, for one, say, that if your offer had remained with the first you made before Athelmark brought your allies' expansion to your attention that I would've had to decline for several reasons. With your second offer, I can be more permissive and agree to peace with all those of the north whom have not tread against the people of the Imperium and those under our protection, which means that if Guilder and Lyradis indeed have acted against the Imperium then it will react in kind. They will be driven from the lands and if after the fact they continue to seek aggression, there can only be war with them, but if they retreat with dignity then I would have them leave with dignity. However..." He nods at the two rulers present and gestures at the scribe as he turned around and drew a breath. "It's been so long since I've walked in Her care." He sighed.

He turned around again. "However, I am not the Qzare."

[QuintonBeck]

"Wait, what? Well, who are you then? And where is the true Qzare?" Syana asked, shocked.

[Aedilred]

His pre-existing good humour, the theatrical revelation and the expression on Syana's face were too much for Athelmark, and he bellowed with laughter, all the moreso as he pictured the variously frivolous lords and ladies he had been introduced to this evening earnestly and solemnly discussing the fate of an impostor. He managed to get himself under control rather more quickly than had Wandao, however, and concluded his laugh with a slight cough. "What the bloody hell is going on?" he asked, mostly to himself.

[Morph Bark]

Wandao shrugged, a broad, toothless smile on his face, and ran a hand over his chin. He figured he could still use more of a shave. The Empress had gotten him a barber before letting someone play dress-up with him, but he still bore more facial hair than before his clean-shaven look pre-capture. He probably was less hairy than most common Woodwind men, still. "I am Xiu Wandao of the family of Xiu, who have occupied the Silver Throne since my granduncle's father. The current Qzare is no doubt my brother, Hanyeo. By Salterri law, as soon as a Qzare is taken captive, he is no longer Qzare until he returns a free man, at which point the one who took over the position in his absence either hands it back or they contest it. The latter has only happened twice before in the history of the Imperium, but Qzares do not generally have a reputation for being easily caught either." Because it had happened so few times, it was little known outside the Salterri Imperium, and even within it to the more common folk, so he did not blame Athelmark for not knowing. He sat back down and looked at the Empress with a smile. "I'm sorry to have deceived you, but as you were my enemy at the time, it was not in my best interests to be truthful about that fact."


I really had you there, didn't I? :P

[Aedilred]

"Oh, of course," Athelmark mutters. He drums his fingers on the table. "Well, milord, I can state with confidence that the current Qzare is keen to return you to the Imperium, there can be no doubt about that. However it seems that legally you now have no more authority to agree to terms on behalf of the Imperium than I do!"

He frowns and turns to the Empress. "Of course, it would be possible to conduct another round of negotiations with Qzare Hanyeo, but that could take months if not years, Xiu Wandao languishing in captivity all the while." Returning his gaze to Wandao, he continues, "Of course you will not have spoken with Qzare Hanyeo for some time, but you know his character and inclinations better than anyone else here this evening, unless Simmony has been entrusted with some information Qzare Hanyeo has not seen fit to share with me." His tone of voice suggests he would be less than pleased if that turned out to be the case.

"I am new to the ways of international politics, but it seems to me that expediency is an important consideration. Too much time has already been spent in reaching this point and more pointless delays will only serve the interests of those rapacious, greedy and callous enough to prosper from a continuation of the conflict. Are any of us prepared to countenance more atrocities such as those committed by the Grmanhil orcs?

"Milady Empress, and meaning no respect to milord Wandao, if he has no present authority as Qzare, his value as a hostage is negligible and serves only to inflame tensions between the Imperium and all those who recently took up arms against it. Releasing him would be an act of magnanimity which the Imperium could not help but recognise."

[QuintonBeck]

"Well then Xiu Wandao, Salterri citizen," Syana said, leaning back in relief and/or exasperation,

"Would you, as a sign of good faith, agree to bring forward the terms I have previously laid out to your brother and encourage him to agree to them, or should you reclaim your position agree to them yourself, and send word of such agreement or lack thereof back to me? Whether you reclaim the position or not you're the current Qzare's brother and former ruler, I am sure you hold some level of influence. Further, Athelmark had informed me of Salterri plans to launch a campaign for your recovery, in releasing you that might be avoided. As such, should you agree to bring forward the terms with endorsement or agree to them yourself as circumstance allows and you sign a document stating as such you will be free to go and shall enter King Athelmark's custody."

Syana waited for the Salterri man's answer, pondering how such a strange law might come into being if the capture of a Qzare was such a rare thing. Apparently at one of two points in Salterri history a Qzare had been captured, his throne taken up by another, and this second Qzare cemented power by enacting a rather specific and irritating law. Syana hoped Athelmark's information on a rescue operation was in true desire to restore Wandao and not simply a pretense for another attack, for if that was all it were returning the former Qzare would do nothing. She hoped his brother truly would return the power, or if not, that he would listen to Wandao.

[Morph Bark]

Wandao nods. "If the lands of the Salterri Imperium are left alone, there is no problem by my account. If any are attacked in any way, we shall retaliate and get them off our lands. I accept."

[QuintonBeck]

"Then by the power vested in me the allied nations of the north, I release you to King Athelmark of the Land of Jarrs to be returned to your Imperium. May peace prosper in your lands."

And with that, and the signing of the document agreeing to what Wandao had agreed to, the former Qzare and Salterri citizen is released to King Athelmark for his return journey home.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Athelmark listened carefully to the terms, and raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of "any heir who will follow him". For a moment he looked as if he was about to speak, but instead he merely glanced at the Qzare and sat back, waiting for the response.

While Qzare Wandao thought the proposal over, the king reconsidered, and leaned forward. "Forgive me for speaking on your behalf, milord, but there is information of which you may not be aware." He addresses the Empress directly. "Even as you propose these terms for the Imperium to accept in good faith, northern states are moving to establish colonies in Salterri territory. Explorers from Guilder have moved into the land my people call Vennland [that is, region 64] with a clear goal to turn it to their own ends. This is a protectorate of the Salterri Imperium! Meanwhile Lyradis has claimed Discordia and the land to the east of my kingdom for itself with a stated intention to occupy it one way or another.

"I know that you do not exercise control over your allies, milady Empress, but I do not see how, if milord Qzare were to accept your terms, he could possibly be expected to hold to them in the face of such blatant provocation. A more cynical man than I might be minded to view this as a mere excuse to force the Qzare to break his word and hold up any ensuing conflict as a consequence of Salterri faithlessness."

((OOC: :smallsigh: This was OOC information that I spoke with him about, and also incorrect, so he shouldn't have known any of this, especially since Lyra and him have not actually even met IC yet. I claimed 61, not 63, but it was more the government in 61 - Requiem, recognized my people and went over to my rule as soon as came to their lands. As this is a major point of this argument, and Guilder is no longer conquoring these lands from what I understand...it seems like this whole conversation is...out of date. ))

[Aedilred]

((OOC: :smallsigh: This was OOC information that I spoke with him about, and also incorrect, so he shouldn't have known any of this, especially since Lyra and him have not actually even met IC yet. I claimed 61, not 63, but it was more the government in 61 - Requiem, recognized my people and went over to my rule as soon as came to their lands. As this is a major point of this argument, and Guilder is no longer conquoring these lands from what I understand...it seems like this whole conversation is...out of date. ))

OOC: This was partly down to confusion on my part over what was common IC knowledge and not. Having been widely told that Lyradis had a claim to the whole area, specifically 61, before I even formally joined the game, I took it as read that it was generally known and that the king of the neighbouring region would at least be aware. If that was as now seems apparent an IC secret then I apologise for blurting that out. Likewise I assumed everything in the IC thread was fair game, and since Guilder hasn't made a secret of its intention to colonise everything it claps eyes on, I thought that was fair game. I will be more prudent in future.

However there was also a degree of IC pot-stirring and double-dealing going on in my whole approach to this situation and in this conversation. Mention of 63/Discordia was a deliberate fabrication.

(From an IC perspective, time bubbles complicate things, although given this was intended to take place effectively at the end of the event when things are winding down, it would in theory be after any conversation between Athelmark and Lyra, even if that conversation has not actually happened IRL.)

Sorry again for the ****-up. It was a genuine misunderstanding rather than a deliberate attempt to abuse OOC information.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

OOC: This was partly down to confusion on my part over what was common IC knowledge and not. Having been widely told that Lyradis had a claim to the whole area, specifically 61, before I even formally joined the game, I took it as read that it was generally known and that the king of the neighbouring region would at least be aware. If that was as now seems apparent an IC secret then I apologise for blurting that out. Likewise I assumed everything in the IC thread was fair game, and since Guilder hasn't made a secret of its intention to colonise everything it claps eyes on, I thought that was fair game. I will be more prudent in future.

However there was also a degree of IC pot-stirring and double-dealing going on in my whole approach to this situation and in this conversation. Mention of 63/Discordia was a deliberate fabrication.

(From an IC perspective, time bubbles complicate things, although given this was intended to take place effectively at the end of the event when things are winding down, it would in theory be after any conversation between Athelmark and Lyra, even if that conversation has not actually happened IRL.)

Sorry again for the ****-up. It was a genuine misunderstanding rather than a deliberate attempt to abuse OOC information.

((OOC - Ah, so you're planning on causing a conflict. I see. Nevermind then, I suppose. The claim on the old Kingdom was one meant only for new players, as noted in the spoiler Morph had given you, but it was more of a detail about the region for you to know in planning your kingdom, not necessarily what you as a ruler would know. IC stuff is mostly fair game, but your character being in the south lands likely wouldn't know about Ashenia unless you met them, or the Salterri told you about them. For example, I know out of character that Woodwind sent a force to conquor regions to the south of him, but in character I've only heard some of the story, being that Lyra was young at that time, and preoccupied bv a wedding to boot. It's really an at your discretion sort of thing, but I was just concerned that my speaking about possible plans with you, you contrived to be this is what my ruler heard from Lyradis, and so on. So long as that isn't the case, then carry on. Sorry about this, I was just like...sorry wut? ))

[SamBurke]

[OOC: Guilder is no longer colonizing Region 64. Be this known.]

[QuintonBeck]

((OOC - Ah, so you're planning on causing a conflict. I see. Nevermind then, I suppose. The claim on the old Kingdom was one meant only for new players, as noted in the spoiler Morph had given you, but it was more of a detail about the region for you to know in planning your kingdom, not necessarily what you as a ruler would know. IC stuff is mostly fair game, but your character being in the south lands likely wouldn't know about Ashenia unless you met them, or the Salterri told you about them. For example, I know out of character that Woodwind sent a force to conquor regions to the south of him, but in character I've only heard some of the story, being that Lyra was young at that time, and preoccupied bv a wedding to boot. It's really an at your discretion sort of thing, but I was just concerned that my speaking about possible plans with you, you contrived to be this is what my ruler heard from Lyradis, and so on. So long as that isn't the case, then carry on. Sorry about this, I was just like...sorry wut? ))

OOC: Honestly and truly OOC the expedition to the south was honestly exploration, not conquest. Otherwise I would have sent more than 1,000 men. It seems half everyone believes in and out of character I intended to conquer things down there, which yes, but not at that point and not with those guys. Again, OOC knowledge separate from the intriguing hearsay of what happened according to who, but just a note for OOC.