New World Campaign

[Agrabaeus]

Galeg stood still and watched as the group from the Empire stood in a circle and vanished from sight. He tried his best to determine how it was done but failed. He only noticed that it was the Archmage that cast the transport spell. Whatever he did or said was incomprehensible. He turned to his companions, his lips tight. “I left several openings for any of you to interject with your thoughts or opinions and yet you remained silent.”

Dissingar made a loud laughing sound that to a human might sound like an impossibly low guttural barking from a dog. He sobered quickly though. “I thought you handled it well. I wanted badly to kill that dwarf at first. None of us have your patience or gift for words Galeg. And the double speak, the inconsistency between their own words, you used that against them. The inconsistency between their own beliefs and their actions…you did better than any of us could have done. I could barely keep up with you and I am a Magi. But will it hold? When they see our true nature, what then?”

“I believe you are incorrect in your assessment Dissingar. I did not use their words against them by any means. They certainly helped my argument but we are still poised at the knife’s edge. But you speak of our true nature. I see that our nature is not so different from their own. They are fighters and so are we. They are tempered with some sort of belief in a higher power that guides their morals and actions in some way. We have no such guidance and perhaps combined with education, training, and a larger view of the world we would be as they are now. For fifteen years I have been trying to find a way to rid our people of the institution of Slavery without completely destroying the fabric of our society. They have been the catalyst for that change. Now if they could leave us for fifteen more years so that we may merge and grow as a people, united in our diversity, strong and of a single mind. We would be so much better off and able to merge our society with theirs more smoothly.”

“But enough of my own musings, this meeting did not proceed as I had planned. At least we can eat before we return.”

Bags that had been brought were emptied on the broad stone table, the food and drink passed around. They ate in silence. After the meal they gathered their belongings, pulled up the ropes, and flew back to Ooshthal Tirig to convene yet another council meeting.

[Agrabaeus]

After their meal the small troupe fly back to the city. It was fully dark by then and they noted the many camp fires of the Dwarf/Human army in front of the city. The number of fires were large, probably indicating an intended exaggeration of the number of soldiers.

Once they had landed near the council chamber Dissingar told them to retire for the evening and he would send runners to the members of the council to inform them of a sunrise meeting the following morning.

As was usual lately, Galeg got little sleep that night as his mind went over the details of the meeting, the security of the city, and the social reforms he and outside forces were inflicting on the people.

The next morning found him at the table with all of the others. Dissingar held up the sword of his office announced that the meeting was in session, and launched into a description of the meeting. He ended with the intended terms of the Dwarven Emperor, or Thaine, as he has been called.

First he asked for the impressions of those at the meeting, beginning with Advisor Galbraith. He would move on to Frutar, then Tharkin, Galeg, then his own views.

Torin Galbraith spoke with an aged, low timber to his voice that spoke of fatigue. “What is asked is unfortunate, but it could have been much worse. Sharing power on this council might be nothing but a way to keep an eye on our power structure within the city and an ear as to our plans, a way to avoid deception. We have the votes to over-ride any decision they might make, even when one of them becomes the Speaker. Of greater concern is the possibility of their soldiers posted within this city. I think Ambassador Galeg’s counter offer in that regard as an acceptable alternative, but still unfortunate.

I foresee us working on a way to allow their craftsmen, merchants and miners and such within the city and somehow take advantage of their knowledge and skills, but beyond that we must find a way to prevent ourselves from becoming subjugated by these invaders. But listening to the negotiations as I was I got the impression that all was indeed negotiable and nothing set in stone despite their previous messages and the initial words of their dwarf king.”

He nodded to Frutar.

Frutar stood from his seat and then spoke. The Ogre seemed uncomfortable speaking to the group. “I did not understand much of what was said at that meeting, and it was far…well, it ended much sooner than I expected. I am sorry that I cannot add much more than…um, Advisor Galbraith, but I share his thoughts on this. We need to avoid an armed conflict. And I would like to learn more about this Laris person before we admit him within the city to set up shop.

Galeg kept the expression on his face guarded from laughter as he turned to regard Tharkin.

OOC: I was hoping you could join in with Tharkin and Dissingar before I had Galeg make his comments.

[DM Nik]

Tharkin stands. He clears his throats. "If they pull their armies back, I see no reason for some to not be able to make shops, business's and even homes here, but it would be wrong to let them have any control over the government." He looks to Dissingar.

Dissingar pushes his seat back and stands. "This will be difficult. No matter what decision is made, someone will not be completely happy. There is no use arguing over this. We will hear what Galeg has to say, but after that, we will put it to a vote. Galeg, the floor is yours."

[Agrabaeus]

OOC: I apoligize for taking so long but I have been trying to find just the right way to wrap all of this up. Let me know if this works for you:

IC:

Galeg stood on the Western Parapet looking out over the field in front of the city of Ooshthal Tirig. The council had convened shortly after he had spoken and the vote was taken. The outcome was as inevitable as it was unavoidable. They had agreed upon peace and unity. Uncharacteristically, the leaders of Ogres and Orcs had agreed not to go to war. It was easier to convince the Orcs who had lived most of their lives as slaves than the Ogres who had spent their lives as the masters of their own domain.

But there would be peace, at least for now. The long challenge ahead would not be merely tough, but probably impossible. Altering the very nature of two people would take decades. He hoped that the Dwarves and Humans who would become their closest allies and partners in a united future had the patience needed for this venture, but this he doubted very much. The prospect of a truly great and prosperous future based on the increased knowledge and skills these strangers could bring was glorious.

Heavy clouds had come in after the meeting at the Sacred Place and had turned the land from being illuminated by starry night into one shrouded in inky darkness. He stood waiting the coming of the dawn, and to view the enemy encampment. The city was quiet, though he suspected few were actually sleeping. Rumors had spread that an attack would come with the first of the morning light. Many demanded that watchers be posted to keep a lookout as to the enemies disposition and possible movements. His own argument was that if they chose to be their enemy no amount of forewarning could prepare them for the encounter. But of course watches were set, look outs would provide some warning of movement. But none of them had seen movement, the camp was still there it seemed, evident in the many fires set evenly along the field and kept fed throughout the night.

He was not concerned with defense. There could be no defense against such a foe, not from this sort. If the Empire attacked there would be little that could be done except to hope some would escape with their lives. With the lightening of the morning he would see if they were still encamped before the city and preparing to leave. If they stayed then there was still a chance to avoid this massacre, their minds still not set either way. If they depart with the morning light then his arguments for peace would have pierced their own logic for war and a new exciting future awaited his people. He hoped to stand here and watch them leave.

Galeg imagined a future where humans, Orcs, Dwarves, Ogres and other races mingled freely throughout the city. He saw them in his mind’s eye selling their wares, crafting armor, weapons, tools and other items of commerce. He imagined the mines being worked and drawing a vast wealth of materials from the mountain. He saw Dwarf and Orc, Human and Ogre all side by side. Each race learning from the other’s craft, skill, profession, culture, religion, different faiths and beliefs as well as languages and ideas.

He saw a future where Human and Ogre walked the streets maintaining the peace together. He saw an army crafted and trained by the best of all segments of their society ready to defend their multi-cultural society to their last breath. He imagined Ogres suited in mail armor wielding giant axes and hammers entering battle in a line. He saw Ogres drawn up with their spears or huge bows ready to rain death upon invaders, and Orcs alongside other races drawn up in their own lines of battle in mixed companies.

And he imagined the forest cleared beyond the fields, as far as the eye could see, for orchards, fields of wheat and corn and other produce with farms and houses. Perhaps some great structures brought or designed by the Empire, schools or temples.

So he waited, hope filling his breast. Then the dawn began to arrive. Despite the low hanging clouds the world around him began to lighten and he could see the tents still erected, the guards standing along a line of earthworks. A series of flags waving in the center. So they remained! But they were not assembled for battle and hope remained as well. He believed they would continue the negotiations then, perhaps send a group during the day to make demands perhaps….

As the rain fell from the sky the scene changed before his eyes. The camp seemed to melt away into nothingness with every drop, to dissolve. What was left behind was an empty stretch of land. Not even the earthworks remained. So the army had departed during the night and left some visual illusion in its place to remind them of their power. A reminder that, to his mind at least, was less than necessary.

He then turned and looked over the city from the parapet. The city was not much better than it was fifteen years ago. Some structures had been repaired. Interior fields had been cleared and planted. Housing was abundant and water easily obtained from the mountain and the earth. But other than staying in one place, the farming and light herding, not much had changed from his great-grandfather’s time. They used stone and wooden weapons as well as tools. They scraped a living from the earth often with their bare hands. Instead of death, instead of cleansing the city with fire the Empire had chosen the harder path, the longer path. A path fraught with frustration, pain, and possibly more misunderstandings and anger. A harder path but one that gave his people a prospect for a better future.

He had a little time. They had seen the logic of his words and now it was up to him to make his people see the way as well. All too soon the exploratory delegation would arrive from the empire to see what they would see and he hoped his city would be ready to greet them with open arms and not closed fists.

Galeg did not feel the fatigue of a sleepless night. He felt invigorated with new possibilities. He would sway his people. He may have the role of an Ambassador, but he would use that role to usher in a new age for the Ooglishthal. In this new role he would work both sides, these people and the Empire. He was determined to forge a link between them based on respect, friendship, and trust. Two of those concepts would be difficult to bring about. But as he launched himself into the air to meet the challenges of this new future he clung to the gift the Empire had brought with them and not taken upon their departure: Hope for the future.