Jackal Among Snakes

After Elenore’s declaration that the summit could begin, there was a prevailing indecision in the parties arrayed before Argrave. Despite not having been declared the leader of this summit, his bombastic displays made all defer to him despite the undeniable fact the group of Magisters held the most personal power in the room.

And so the king seated on his living throne spoke first. “To begin, I will clearly establish something for all parties. It’s the reason that the Veidimen turned away from their invasion of this kingdom, the reason the Order of the Gray Owl is here today, and the reason I endeavored to mend this shattered kingdom after King Felipe III’s prolonged misrule.” Argrave’s gaze scanned the crowd. “Gerechtigkeit, a living calamity, is going to manifest on this continent. Our mortal realm is to become the playground for gods, spirits, and all their servants. This malignant entity endeavors to cause the end of all.”

It was a common enough prophecy to draw ire under normal circumstances, but not days ago people had thought the ancient serpent Vasquer was but rumor and myth. Most thought perhaps she had existed once, but those days of legend were long gone. Dragons, too, had not been seen in many centuries. Now both loomed above, and the forever-neutral Order of the Gray Owl all but promised to break its neutrality. None mocked what Argrave said in the face of this unprecedented event.

“You make these claims on what basis, Your Majesty?” Leopold Dandalan, ever the cynic, asked.

“On our history,” Rowe the Righteous interrupted. “Your kind are young, your records stretching back only centuries. I’ve read what few books of history you have. What accounts persist from your oldest records are grossly inaccurate, either taken from biased sources or written as myth. It’s little wonder important events like this dodge your eye. Veidimen scriptures, and unbiased Veidimen records, tell of what comes once again.”

Some of the prouder nobles in the margrave’s retinue bristled at the snow elf’s disrespect, but Argrave raised his hand. “Rowe is right, but he forgets a simple principle: the young can’t be blamed for a lack of wisdom. Our civilization has advanced fast enough we’ve never before endured something like this,” the king said, putting a positive spin on what was obviously not meant so.

“Fortunately, Rowe is an S-rank mage, and so has access to these important documents,” Argrave gestured to the wizened snow elf atop the dragon. “He brought these records he mentions at my request. They aren’t brief, but they also aren’t the only source at our disposal… nor the only witness to these sources.”

People noticed that Argrave deliberately mentioned Rowe was an S-rank mage, but purposeful or accidental, the knowledge was conveyed: not merely this Patriarch Dras, but also an S-rank Veidimen mage heeded his request.

“We have those records with us,” Dras confirmed on Rowe’s behalf. “I hoped to copy and distribute them here.”

Some people looked to Patriarch Dras atop the dragon’s head, then to Anneliese behind the king, muttering something as the two were compared. Theories formed by the second, and Galamon furrowed his brows as he listened.

“I can take care of copying and distributing those documents after this first meeting,” Elenore confirmed, looking up to Argrave for approval.

“So it is,” Argrave nodded back contentedly. “But I imagine many of you will feel discontent looking at Veidimen history alone.” Argrave gestured towards Castro. “Some months ago, I delivered Castro a booklet compiled by Anneliese and myself. You should illuminate everyone present as to what you discovered.”

After being so abruptly called upon, the tower master was not quick to respond. He looked around, shifting on his feet before stepping ahead of the rest so as to speak better.

Castro took a deep breath and said, “The first thing discovered, initially, was an ancient stone disc. When dragon blood was placed upon it, it showed someone nearby a vision. I was the first… user… of this disc.” The old man’s eyes scanned the room, vital and alert. “As the Tower Master, this was concerning… but not enough proof.” He looked back to the Magisters behind. “I assigned several people with the duty of confirming the rest of the leads Argrave supplied. Gesche, you begin,” he directed a woman.

Gesche, a woman who looked middle-aged, was quickly singled out as the crowd of Magisters distanced themselves from her. She described quickly, “I was given a group of laborers and mages and directed to an area in midwestern Vasquer—a mountain just before the wetlands, so wild as to be inhospitable for all but the most monstrous creatures. It was a mausoleum of sorts, partially flooded and overrun with these gargantuan aquatic reptiles. They spewed acid powerful enough to break through B-rank wards and cut through or dissolve a man entirely.”

Gesche looked at Argrave. “Fortunately, the directions given prepared us for that. At a certain point, we found a great record room—dozens of sculptures, records etched into stone, each and all describing the calamity Argrave mentioned. Specifically, it spoke of the Divine’s Feudalism. Of how gods descend upon this land, balancing opportunism with fierce resistance to the greater evil, Gerechtigkeit. The people, human and elf both, king and queen all, become serfs or slaves to the divine and their servants. Mortals are viewed as proxies in this great war on the rebalancing scales of calamity.”

words eagerly as the king watched on as though he knew all of what she would

mountains that divide this land from the Burnt Desert. There, I walked in the imperial palace of the southron elves

forth and inquired, “Have either of you two any genuine proof

the sculptures back to the Tower,” Gesche rebutted proudly. “I brought the stone etchings containing myriad writings. I brought genealogies, histories, each and all discussing how their society was shaped by the calamity of the past. I even brought record of how the great serpent Vasquer led people against Gerechtigkeit,” the magister finished, pointing to Vasquer. “All these incontrovertible proofs can be here tomorrow, if it is

haul of treasures, too,” King Argrave cut in, causing Gesche to grow

came forth, describing the next far-flung ruin—an exposed dwarven settlement lying

people had a trophy of one of their victories in the great war,” the Magister explained grimly. “It… was human-like, but… near the size of a mountain. Its bones were propped upright by an elaborate mechanical structure. Opposing it was a marble sculpture of a chariot ridden by dwarves, each of them with a laurel wreath on their heads and thunder as their weapon. It… few things can describe the sheer scope

said Artur in dissatisfaction.

different race,” Argrave cut in.

next spoke. The tyranny of the divine, the great battles raging across the land, the undeniable paleontological evidence, all with a common thread of the arbiter known as Gerechtigkeit. The tales and testimonies piled up, convincing the secular nobles of the validity of this calamity by the second. Some even brought minute proof with them, having anticipated their

culture,” the man insisted—thin yet shrewd-looking, most thought him a scholar. “Near all religions describe the creation of the world, what happens after death, and how the world will end. These unanswerable questions have been answered in every faith and every culture time and time again.

posited needs to be reviewed, Your Majesty,” he continued. “But… I am comfortable proceeding with the notion all of this is

Margrave Reinhardt looked across his

it was not for lack of trying. The sources were reputable, varied, and unilaterally consistent. No hole could

gods’ realm and ours, allowing this monstrosity to come forth. It took a little over a dozen A-rank mages, and hundreds of B-rank mages to take this

but none tried to defend the accused; Traugott had no

“This kingdom needs cohesion now more than it ever has. We cannot afford to waste time with some internecine conflict. King Felipe III is dead. His heir, Orion, and his daughter, Elenore,

remained calm when she was called upon but Orion smiled somewhat, remaining vigilant in

wrongs my father caused, and to form a parliament for the good of the people.” Argrave grew stern as he said in a low voice, “I intend to make good on both vows. As such, it’s long overdue to bind all of Vasquer together under one centralized force

organization will have legitimate power. You will have the ear of the monarch, true legislative and governmental authority, and the key point… the right to confirm coronations, now

swept up hearing that promise despite vaguely knowing that Argrave had declared as much back at Relize. This reform would change the kingdom forevermore, and whether

Majesty, Archduchess Diana of the North long ago declared her unconditional support.

seats are already filled by people

one side as he leaned on his cave heavily. “Relize and Atrus offer their humble support,

Relize be rewarded,”

eyes and sighed but stepped forth and knelt. “Your Majesty, the south would ask something

down upon him from his spot atop Vasquer.

has wrecked the closest regions of the south due to prolonged battle against Felipe’s loyalists,” Reinhardt began. “We seek