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Log: Holy Writ

Page history last edited by Richard Hughes 14 years, 6 months ago

(3 xp to Cathak Tarvek.)

 

Across the table from the chair that awaits you, Sesus Yorick smiles. It's the smile of a banker, lean and patient, who is awaiting a visit from an impoverished debtor. His finery is subdued and in good taste--very expensive, but not gaudy. His clothes are modest felt and velvet, in purples, blacks, and reds. He wears a floppy, crown-like hat tilted on one side of his head, and the Sesus Signet rests on his left ring finger, while his own personal seal rests on the right. This is no mean mercenary commander or contract broker the Sesus have sent; he is a true scion of his house--much like Aliki herself. Two adjuncts stand off to the side against a wall, and an Immaculate Master in silken robes of the Fifth Coil stands behind and to the right of Yorick, her scarred face horribly burned on one side by the magical fires of the Anathema.

 

The Immaculate Master is Sesus Scia, an aged woman of 244 years. Her exploits against the Anathema are legend, and perhaps only Peleps Deled is currently more famous (barring obvious masters like Myrrun, the Mouth of Peace, and Zuriel, who isn't a monk). The old but fit looking woman appears to be in her late forties, and a hood is pulled up over her bare head. She stares ahead impassively as they await the representative from House Mnemon, and a glittering golden jewel sits upon her forehead in a Dragon Tear Tiara, green with a red fire within.

 

Yorick bears an identical hearthstone in a golden amulet on a chain around his neck, and a bluish stone rests on a brooch at his left breast. Both Yorick and Scia are unarmed, though their two adjuncts bear daiklaves across their backs. The room is lit by two candles on the table, and a hanging four-piece lamp, shaded by green glass. The room is in a small inn of good reputation in a small Blessed Isle port town's middle class section, and the music outside is muffled by the solid oak walls.

 

The crossing was too dangerous to make in person; Aliki's had occasion to employ a cunning little trick she's been looking to try out for some time now. Having summoned a neomah, she's bound it to not resist Sorcerer's Irresistable Puppetry, and sent it to cross the sea immaterially. Since the creature can shapeshift, the form she wears is identitcal to her own, while she remains safe, if effectively unconscious, several hundred miles away.

 

Narrowing her borrowed eyes, she frowns. "Yorick. I thought we'd agreed to meet alone?"

 

Yorick just smiles. He motions to the chair, "Please, sit. These are just members of my retinue..." He glances aside one way and the other, "They are as loyal as one could hope for." He nods, motioning to the chair once more, "Please, sit. Let us talk about the nature of things. I understand you wish our assistance."

 

Aliki shakes her head. "No. I wanted to end this foolish, destructive war. And you do too, or I wouldn't be here."

 

Yorick nods, and his blue hearthstone glimmers as he adjusts in his seat, "Quite right. We all want the war to end." There is a pause as the Sesus trails his eyes shamelessly down your neomah's stolen form. He grins a bit as though about to say something, but he pauses. After the half-second hesitation, he grins a little further, bringing his eyes back to yours, "But the real question is...how badly do you wish to end this war you started?" He furrows his brow a bit, tilting his head with a disarming grin, "Eh? Is your mother willing to accept anything less than the throne?"

 

Aliki isn't naturally a person of great integrity or self control; ironically, Neomah are pretty good at it. Fortunately, the magics Aliki has used to facilitate her presence here today also allows her to draw upon the talents of her host, to protect from just such an intrusion.

 

Yorick lifts his eyebrows slowly when he receives no reply. He glances up at Scia, who looks back down briefly at Yorick. Leaning back against his cushioned chair, Yorick rests one arm on the arm rest flat, while holding the other bent at the elbow. He flourishes with his hand, "You have no reply, my lady?"

 

Aliki smirks. "I didn't start the war. You did -- your secession. On top of Vir Sidus, and the rumblings in the west... the Realm was falling to peices. The Empire needs an Empress. Or so most of my family would maintain, at least."

 

Taking a seat at last, she adds: "But it's not really up to them, is it? And *that* is what I wanted to talk to you about."

 

Yorick looks a little baffled by that, and he looks again to Scia, but only briefly, "We stared this war?" He laughs, half in disbelief, "We started it?" He laughs a little harder, "My...my goodness. Is that truly what you believe?" The gilded banker leans forward and smiles condescendingly, "My dear young lady... Did you not know that Cainan and Mnemon struck first? They stormed the Imperial City and unleashed waves of assassins. Only the swift action of my house saved the Palace Sublime from taking heavy damage when the Mouth of Peace--Mnemon's /other/ most favored daughter--refused to back her mother's claim to the throne." Yorick grins slowly, "No my dear--we did not start this war. We certainly have nothing to answer for."

 

Aliki leans back on her overstuffed chair. "Irrelevant. I have no interest in trading accusations."

 

Yorick tosses it away with a gesture, leaning back himself, "So be it. Here are our terms." He clears his throat and lifts his head, "Initiate diplomatic talks with the 'Pearl' faction to abolish the Scarlet Empire and institute a Third Deliberative." He tilts his head with a smirk as though to say 'That's it!' before continuing on, "An equal membership Deliberative with representatives elected from within the Great Houses of the Dragonblooded Host." He motions aside, "Do this and House Sesus--and all its holdings--" Sesus Scia is silent, "...shall back the Lady Mnemon and her new cohort, Cathak Cainan."

 

Mnemon Aliki smirks.

 

Yorick exchanges a brief glance with Scia at Aliki's weird, unusually long silences...

 

Aliki blinks. "I'm sorry, I was waiting for the punchline."

 

Yorick's eyebrows go up slightly, "No punchline, I'm afraid. This is our offer, milady. Equal representation of all the Dragonblooded under a cooperative, multi-party Deliberative." He shrugs, spreading his hands as he falls back against his chair, "Barring that, we will also accept the immediate surrender of Lady Mnemon the Usurper to Tepet Fokuf, lawfully appointed Regent of the Scarlet Empire, and of her temporary cohort, Cathak Cainan, to the Pearl Faction to answer for the crimes of his house."

 

Mnemon Aliki shrugs "And here I thought you wanted to end the war."

 

Yorick smiles, "We do want to end the war, milady. But we do not believe that the Usurper will allow the war to end. If Mnemon were to take the throne, she would purge our House--indeed, all the Houses--regardless of cooperation or opposition. House Sesus will not allow her to take the Five Dragon Throne. But we are willing to forgive and forget her heinous crimes against the Host of Ten Thousand if she will but lay down arms and surrender to terms." Yorick's face becomes serious, "And we are willing to be very gentle in our terms, depending on how quickly she takes us up on our offer."

 

"We both know that you're not being realistic. Even if I could persuade her, even if a deliberative without an executive was ever a viable form of governance, the Scarlet Empress has spent seven hundred years ensuring that the empire cannot function in the absence of a strong central authority. Literally every facet of our society is deliberately engineered to break in the absence of someone in the center to hold it together."

 

Aliki sighs.

 

Yorick tilts his head. Sesus Scia, the Immaculate Master, raises an eyebrow and looks down to Yorick, moving for the first time since Aliki arrived. Yorick looks back up, and looks to Aliki, "...You mean Mnemon as the Hierophant, or something equivalent." No one is laughing now.

 

Mnemon Aliki nods. "Your desire to protect yourself is understandable, even justified. Certainly, this conflict will necessitate certain strucutural changes to the constitution of our governance. The question is, what sort of structures can be created to guarantee your safety."

 

Yorick glances aside once more to Scia before nodding to Aliki, "Very well. Tell your mother we will support her if she intends to institute a new Deliberative. We will be willing to work with her on the structure of the new constitution." His brow furrows a touch, "But she will not be Empress. Make sure she understands that before wasting our time further."

 

Aliki frowns. "I'm afraid the title will be important."

 

Yorick smiles, "Then wish your mother the best of luck. We'll keep a padded, silken cell ready for her when she is willing to surrender to the lawful Regent."

 

Aliki smirks. "You weren't."

 

Yorick lifts his eyebrows, "We did not assault the Imperium. We simply did not let your mother roll over us. And be assured, if she thinks she can bully the Mouth of Peace or House Sesus into taking a side, she may be surprised by the outcome." He smiles with little mirth, "Deliberative. Surrender. Withdrawal. Those are our terms. Mnemon will never ascend the throne. Even Cainan must know his days will be numbered once his wife is the Empress."

 

Aliki shifts forward in her seat. "And how do you imagine such a scenario playing out?"

 

Yorick laughs, "Please, Lady Mnemon, I had hoped your brains were in your head, not your chest." He coughs, "Or considerable backside..." He waves it off, "But anyway, please, do not tell me you do not know your own mother well enough to know that Cainan's throat will be cut the moment 'Empress' Mnemon feels he has lowered his guard." He grins, "As the old proverb goes, 'His blood will stain the bridal sheeds, not hers.' Cainan is well aware of Mnemon's deranged state of mind."

 

Aliki waves dismissively. "I meant-- what do you imagine happens to you, in the case that you continue your studied 'neutrality'."

 

Yorick shrugs, "If Lady Mnemon wishes to assault the Palace Sublime, she is free to do so. We shall see how her champion Zuriel fares against Myrrun the Indomitable." He shrugs, "If Lady Mnemon somehow manages to overcome the Pearl Alliance and take the throne, she will still lack the support of the Immaculate Faith, access to the Realm Defense Grid, and Incas Prefecture. Without the hearts of the people, she will face rebellion without end."

 

Mnemon Aliki shakes her head. "The Pearl Alliance is an irrelevance, and you know it; they don't hold so much as a single provence. You haven't joined them, or the Imperial faction. Neither one of them is willing to offer you the terms you seek. And neither one of them has a prayer of winning. But let's say you're right. Let's say her reign is doomed to fail."

 

Yorick grins, "Well actually they haven't asked. Not as directly as you did, anyway. But please, go on."

 

"They haven't asked because they know what you'd answer." Aliki looks around for some small objects to fiddle with. "But let's say her reign is doomed. What of it?"

 

Yorick shrugs, "Then the Ten Thousand fall with her. Imagine what the world would be like if the original Empress had been a petulant and paranoid black widow. The Empress allowed her children to flourish..." He smiles faintly, looking at Aliki, "Does your mother allow you to flourish?"

 

Aliki ignores the pointed remarks at her 'flourishing' --"Precisely. So, your *best case* scenario, in which my mother's reign is foredoomed, The Ten Thousand Dragons fall, and the world sinks into chaos." She shakes her head. "Do you imagine, perhaps, that I wish to see her rule us with an iron fist, taking the mantle of her mother?"

 

Yorick gestures to the woman, "What you want and what you can arrange are very different things. We are willing to allow Mnemon a token position as 'executive' of a new Deliberative. But no more than that. What do you offer?"

 

Mnemon Aliki says, "Institutional reforms, and control of the one institution that can guarantee House Sesus' continued wellbeing."

 

Yorick looks confused, "The title of Empress is absolute. A Deliberative would be largely for show under one."

 

Mnemon Aliki nods. "This depends on how such a body is structured; reform of the veto power for instance. But you misunderstand me. I wasn't talking about the Deliberative."

 

Yorick sighs, "Then please get to the point, we cannot stay here all day."

 

Mnemon Aliki considers this for a moment, before nodding. "The Immaculate Order."

 

Yorick tilts his head aside, and Sesus Scia's eyebrows go up. The banker gestures vaguely, "And...the Immaculate Order would gain veto power over the Empress?"

 

Mnemon Aliki shrugs. "I honestly could care less about how the power is allocated. But some checks on the imperial authority could be negotiated-- though I'd rather situate them in the deliberative than in the Palace. But certainly one would wish to see a much strengthened role for the Order in the fabric of society. Given the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves, I believe my sister may be prevailed upon to step aside in favor of a successor from house Sesus."

 

Yorick rises, "We have no interest in replacing the Mouth of Peace. But these are certainly unexpected and daring terms. We will have to discuss them, naturally. We will contact you when we have reached a decision."

 

"My mother becomes titular 'empress'. The deliberative is strengthened. The Mouth of Peace ushers in a new age of faith and power for the Order. House Sesus is protected. It would be naive to suggest that everyone wins-- but you win, and she wins. And that should be enough."

 

Mnemon Aliki says, "... considering the alternative.""

 

Yorick, Scia, and the two adjuncts all bow, "Further negotiation is irrelevant at this point." Yorick nods his head, "I must say, I am surprised. You walked into a no-win situation...and dealt quite an unexpected card." He smirks, "Now we shall see if your mother will honor it or not." He salutes casually, "May the Five Dragons walk with you, Aliki, of Mnemon's House."

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