53.4 New Colours in the Palette

General Summary

Day 1084

Ausha spends a day with the dwarves and when she returns, she has definitively learned what “keeping the old ways” means to them. The Ventarri of the Waverider Clan are still oath sworn, unlike any of the Ventarri Lyssa has told us about. The clans beneath them are transitively sworn; their loyalty and obedience to their Ventarri imbues them with oath sworn properties, including the boons given by Kaide to the dwarves.   The Ventarri have an enhancement of their personal magic which makes them simply more formidable than they otherwise would be. The Waveriders’ personal magic manages the wind, rain, and ocean that carries them, at a scale that would generally burn out an average magic-wielding race. A single Ventarri captain can do it themself using Kaide’s gift.   The castes beneath the Waveriders simply seem more adept at whatever they’re choose to do. She says it is like Kaide enhanced the craftsmanship or physical might of the dwarves depending on their caste. She and Rallic have been discussing whether these ‘lower’ clans should become directly sworn to the Empire rather than it being transitive. Rallic, particularly, seems to have always know that his power comes from the Empire rather than being his own Ventarri power.   This entire matter is hers to manage, I’m proud to say. And it can’t just be luck that it was the seafaring dwarves who kept their oaths and are still waiting for the Empress’ return.   The seat of the Waverider Clan is on one of the inland seas to the East, and if we are to alter their oaths, one of us should go there in person. A fleeting image of Ausha and Lyssa adventuring together flashes through my mind and I smile. They should be able to get it done before Liliales’ wedding…Lyssa does fly very fast.   Although it may be even faster for me to set up a destination circle in Dreamfall for Ausha to slip back to. The lessons Magdalena gave us on spacial shifting haven’t gotten much use, but she thinks that moving back to me directly would be easier than any other location.   She’ll leave in a few days once the Osyr are more settled and I’ve had a chance to deal with the human council.  

I’m going to miss you.

 

Day 1085

The next day, I go alone to meet with Shelor, her two allies (Risi the Gold, Norrick the Lapis), and the three moderate faction members from the council (Wyn the Azure, Garret the Crimson, Esden the Emerald).   Wyn, unsurprisingly, is utterly convinced of the benefits but seems insistent on getting as many upsides as possible without risking anything. His pushy arrogance is familiar, and it’s like he has remembered how powerful Ausha and I are but completely forgotten how thoroughly we humbled him.   Garret is fairly young for a councilman, and he is a skilled armourer and descendent of the Candlemaker. His personal aptitude is strong and well-developed and I imagine he could create truly magical armaments without any magical training. His priority is the safety of his people, and sees that joining the Empire could be a way to do it, though he has heard about the Collective and is worried about them threatening Deldrin as well.   Esden is a novelist and historian who sees themself as a shaper of young minds and embeds morals and messages for youth to grow into. He has been a longterm member of the council with much support. Like Garret, he is concerned about the safety of the people. For Esden, the concern comes out of a knowledge of historical mergers between human empires which have involved double-crosses and leaders who die and whose promises are voided upon their death. He seems to have not truly integrated what it means to have an Undying leader.   We meet over tea in a well-manicured garden in the artists’ district. The atmosphere is friendly and private, and not necessarily formal. Shelor presides over the meeting and offers me a clear prompt to begin persuading the moderates:  

How has it affected the other cities in the Outlands to have joined the Empire.

  I laugh — it is a question that makes me feel like I’m back in school, and Risi flips open a notebook as though she feels it too. But I go on at length about the exchange of knowledge, tradespeople, and opportunities afforded by the connections in the Outlands. I smoothly mention demon-dragons and the Inferno trolls, which launches us off-topic into the details of the magic, fire, the historic War of Fire between trolls and elves.   Esden asks after our multiculturalism, particularly at the Keep where an elvish military instalment has taken in human refugees who were displaced after the Storm and are now dwelling with demon-dragons. I describe the demons living in the Barrier and their affinity towards Zephyr.   And here, I describe the gods as members of the Zephyr race. I know it will complicate things nearly as much as I did with Qing Chen, but I’m tired of pretending that the human gods are anything but distant and powerful mortals. Kaide is their peer as a spiritual leader, and I am well on my way. The only differences between me and the Six is that I am here, speaking to their people and helping them with their problems.   All three moderates are full of questions about other world powers, opportunities to meet demons (who Wyn seems to think would be religious fellows), and threats that might come for them if they join the Empire.   Wyn asks if the demons would be more compatible allies and whether joining the Empire would make it harder for humans to ally with demons. It’s a reasonable question but such a strange direction to take me in. It is really just a piece of information I share out of curiosity more than as a political offer of any kind. Truthfully, I can’t imagine how any humans would make their way through the Barrier and treat with demons without the aid of the Outlands.   Esden asks after the Collective and whether joining the Empire will mean an obligation to send troops to a war that would otherwise not involve them. He points out that it is often the old men who spend the lives of the young in tragic ways. I am not interested in transporting people thousands of miles to fight in a war that doesn’t threaten their home. If the people of Deldrin are called to fight the Collective, it will be because the Collective is threatening them.   Garret is concerned about how many other might forces will they develop differing relationships with through our alliance? The Golden Micro Empire, the Dwarven Domain, etc. Their relationship with these entities has been perfectly friendly and cordial, and I have no interest in changing that.   Wyn, the little shit, suggests that the Ingan are so powerful that they would be better off not joining the Empire for fear that the Ingans will destroy them too. He thinks they ought to “co-operate” with the Empire rather than join it, in the hopes of being neutral in the eyes of the Ingan.   I tell him quite frankly that there is no neutrality to them. The Ingan are a melting pot - they will not distinguish between “co-operators” and “members”. He tries to argue with this, imagining that perhaps I am not telling them the whole truth about this enemy.   Esden, the historian, points out many historical examples of conquering Empires which have accepted nothing but subservience from those they flow over. And I point out that the Ingan would raze this place to the ground regardless of who lives here, being as it is a place of power for their own ancient enemy.   Garret voices that their alliance with the Osyr is inevitable, given that they now share space with ten thousand powerful Osyr who are coming home. He has processed all of this debate and decided that the Empire is the mightiest possible shield against the threat of the Ingans, should they arrive. But to any other faction in the area, it will likely be immaterial whether Deldrin is allied with one great power or another. Garret’s son is twelve, and an apprentice guardsman. He weaves a picture of his children standing shoulder to shoulder with Osyr and elves in defending their city and Empire. His voice brims with pride.   Norrick speaks for the first time to correct our clumsy analogy of mixing paints to signify the cultural influence of Deldrin and other partnerships which are entering into the Empire. Instead of drops of ink being mixed, he describes a palette being built of many different paints which can mix and blend in many different ways.   He speaks about Deldrin’s isolation as a supposed bastion of learning and culture, despite being so closed to the rest of the world. He describes the city as an ivory tower, and points out that in this meeting alone, they have learned of several things they would never have learned in any other way. He knows that joining the Empire will open doors more than anything else. And, somewhat sheepishly, he admits that he may not be on the council much longer as he wishes to travel and learn more about the world when this is all said and done. Wyn, too, feels ready to move on from council duties.   When Risi proclaims herself ready to call for a vote of the full council, all three moderates have come over to our side. Esden asks me to send him people who will help him be able to write stories about Solace, Drognarr, and other places in the Empire.