A PERSPECTIVE
Penned by Benedictus "The Silver Bear" d'Vaud,
House Patriarch of that Baronial Name,
Minister of Logistics & Baron of Opper-Calem,
27th March 306AC.
Given the recent publication of the 'Statements of Opinion' by the Count of Hurst & Fersaxton, War Minister Dietrich Drache, I find it incumbent upon my person to likewise write a perspective of the recent events, as a matter of duty within my current post as Minister of Logistics and as a Household Patriarch.
I am a young man, only in my twenty-seventh year, but I can proudly state that I was present in the final days of the Noble Assembly. I was not titled or had the right to speak within that body, but with the permission of His Imperial Holiness - Our Emperor, Cedromar I - I stood on that day and spoke for the advantages and disadvantages of the legislative body whilst the complacent sat.
Some still continue to sit. Some have failed to learn the lessons of the Noble Assembly, and as a result we are collectively dooming ourselves to repeating them, unless those who stand idle begin to make their voices heard and act upon their words. As I do now.
On the Subject of the Elven War
It has scarce been a single week since His Imperial Holiness has graced me with the position of Minister of Logistics. For that, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve the Regalian Empire faithfully, hoping to continue to do so in the future.
Many of the sentiments that are penned by the War Minister I concur with, so this section will likely be brief, nonetheless I issue you a statement to appeal to the sense of reason we nobles are endowed with: Rally your men and dedicate them to the war, lest you wish to prolong yours and your people's suffering.
Upon my entry as Minister, only 33% of all available troops were dedicated. This has only increased by 3% since my current tenure, namely due to the increased levies by House Howlester, House Ravenstad and House Reinard. I congratulate these Houses and all those who dedicate their levies to the war effort, as well as all those who were listed by the War Minister.
Due to these levies, we've seen success in the Elven war recently, with our forces locking down cities and creating a formidable front against the Elven and Avanthar threat. We should soon expect an end to this war, but only if those who are currently complacent dedicate their levies and meet the financial requirements of the state to fund this effort. Failure to do so is one that will only mean that the war is prolonged, and as a result, your people will only suffer all the more and your household finances with them.
On the Subject of Local Stability
Stability - A word that holds a great deal of weight upon my mind and heart, and likely any Lord of the Archipelago. I have long been an advocate of stability. First in promoting an Open Forum for the Nobility of the Archipelago to discuss politics, to create and foster relationships between all our houses, whilst conversing in serious discourse. Second in dissolving the Noble Assembly and advocating a stronger, centralised, orderly government by our Illustrious Emperor. As stated previously, I am honoured to be among those counted within His Imperial Holiness' Government.
The current situation that befalls the Drachenwald lands comes as a severe blow to the stability of the wider Archipelago, and whilst there are many factors that have led up to the crisis which now unfolds before us, we cannot tolerate armed insurrection from those who should rightly be evacuated to the Northern Lands. Those who went south into the Drachenwald and asking for asylum should not be surprised when they are turned away. Nor do they possess the right to claim any individual freedoms or autonomy in a land that is not their own. Were these actions to take place in Opper-Calem, I find that I would be less hospitable than the current Lords Drache and Black, who are currently acting out of a perfectly reasonable rationale.
However, the same cannot be said for these absurd rumours of banditry by the Ravenstad Levies, of which I believe firmly to be a mask of deceit to us all. A mask I believe the Interior Peace Minister And Von Treppewitz will likely rip away within the recent peace-keeping effort within the Drackenwald lands. As such, I will not breathe any further life into this malicious lie, which is solely designed to bring down a prominent and respected House of the Brissaud.
In reference to the denouement being played out in Brixoid, between the Houses of du Pont and Piergarten, I truly feel profound ache. Coming from Leutz-Vixe Heritage, I find it abhorrent that fighting has broken out between my cultural kin, a situation I hope is resolved swiftly. As such, I offer out a hand of humanitarian aid to the House Piergarten, to temporarily house any Leutz-Vixe displaced by the current occupation of Lorhauser at the Port Province of Nörrenvich-heim ober Eifenforst. May they be able to return home when this disagreement is concluded.
On the Subject of the Economy
It was on this subject that I felt most compelled to write this perspective, as many questions were asked by the Count of Hurst on this particularly issue, ones which I believe I will be able to shed some light upon.
How did I not foresee that the high taxation would lead to financial rioting in my realm? The answer is quite simple: The Men of Opper-Calem consists of those who know well hardship, living in the mountains as we construct factories that create the cannonade and cutlass that equip our State Armies; Men who have been toughened through conflict with the Skagger and Drixagh, who know how to cope with difficult times. This is why it came as a surprise to me when these men then rioted, for not a murmur of dissuading me of their patriotic duty to fight or pay taxes to the Empire reached me, either at home or abroad.
Upon the outbreak of financial riots within Erbtaubleierwald, I was in the process of discussing with my kin what should be done, before moving on to write letters to the Financial Minister to request a reasonable decrease in Tax-Paid. That was until on the 17th of this month, I received a letter from the Lord Giovanni dei Termini, at the time a nobleman of the Holy City. The letter stated that the aforementioned nobleman had taken it upon himself to start a correspondence with the Finance Minister, requesting a deduction in tax paid, until such time as the financial riots within Erbtaubleierwald, Opper-Calem, had subsided.
Why the Lord dei Termini felt compelled to act on the behalf of myself and several other Lords of the Archipelago, I cannot say, but I can reasonably deduce that this was an attempt to garner some favour with us Lords. An attempt I'm pleased to say has so far succeeded, for which I am grateful to the Lord dei Termini, for being able to hold the Ministry of Finance to account.
With that all being done, I conclude this perspective on recent events.
Improvidus, Apto Quod Victum
May the Spirit bind us in Unity as we face the future.
Glory to Regalia!
