The world continues to change around the Empire, and with the Misery still an ongoing situation, the next month's food supplied continue declining. Efforts to solve the Misery in Anglia have deadlocked after the Regalian Assembly voted to fund an organization that had been disbanded a month before said funding was supposed to be released to the organization, causing the piles of Regals to gather dust in the Bureaucracy Vaults. With little movement on the Misery front, as such, the Bureaucracy printed the next Empire wide listings of the on-setting starvation. Christopher Black was about to have to deal with a lot of uncomfortable numbers, some of which would become thorns in his side as a result of earlier decisions: Starvation changes: Stockpiling of food and corruption among local gangs in Dragenthal has resulted in Starvation now hitting this area, appealing to the state for food supplies. Calemberg, one of the largest urban regions in the Archipelago was always very dependent on Anglia for food, and now also requires the aid of the State for food supplies as famine strikes them. The Hadarian Digmaans, previously required to pass off part of their cattle to alleviate the famine of other Ailor realms in the Empire, now suffers famine themselves as the demand for them to give cattle to other realms caused a collapse of their pasture food production. Realm changes San Velen, Montania and Vultaro had returned to the Empire after the Assembly voted to rescind their rescinding of the Vultarin agreement. The Yervonth, Talath and Carmoor Kingdoms cower back to the rule of the Regalian Empire in the face of the Vultarin armies rejoining the Regalian fold. Kilarallis and Arvost continue to be independent, regardless of Regalia now having a formidable army. These realms were always very independently minded and were never directly ruled by the Empire, though Kilarallis did make a personal agreement with the Emperor to allow for the Imperial Family to act as a constitutional ruler of their realm to complete their inheritance duties. Silsaerimas continues to be seceded from the Empire after the State Council chose to starve them. The Ssil Viscounty and Hallonq Viscounty remain seceded from the Empire because of the Noble Assembly's lack of giving any power to the Nelfin and Varran minorities in the Empire, and that they feel the Crown Alliance has become a failure. Regarding the major nations Drixagh and Nordskag remain seceded, but can largely be grouped together into one general mess. Both have received the offer of the State Council to trial Hengest Harhold for his crimes, but both have also rejected this gesture as pointless. They say "Hengest Harhold is a demon, but merely a symptom of a much greater problem of aggressive de-velenization. This process of eradicating velheimer culture and beliefs in the Empire has driven the velheimers to the extreme, and until the Empire can make bigger concessions to the safety and stability of the velheimer lands, they will remain where they are. The Ithanian Monarch has also responded to the negotiation attempt of the Noble Assembly. Originally, the Ithanian King was in an excellent position because he was also coronated by the Synod, thus legitimized, and had a large army that could defend against State troops. Now however, with the Vultarin Hegemony back in the fold, the Ithanian position was weakened. The original proposal was rejected by the Ithanian Monarch, and he replied with a counter proposal. The Ithanian Crown wished to see the tax proposal lowered to 10% (instead of the 20% proposed by the State), while maintaining the legally required payments to the Crown (which amounted to about 10% and raising those by another 5%), thus paying 25% taxes (instead of the previous 40% by the Sovereign) but paying more than half of that to the crown, not the state. Furthermore, he wished for de Letoirneau family to be tried for treason against Ithania in absentia, and for Regalia to enforce the judgement passed by the Ithanian judges. Under these conditions would the Ithanian King accept recommunion with the Empire's civilian government. Court Rumors Recently, the troubles of the Synod had reached the Imperial Court, and the inner circles around the Emperor started whispering about the High Reverend supposedly proclaiming that he was able to speak directly to the Spirit. This proclamation, almost paramount heresy, had seemingly circulated from the Imperial Guard into the Imperial Court from the outside, and then spread to the realms beyond. The Confessional Union of the Holy Father and the Confessional Union of the Holy Knight declined to acknowledge the Conclave's appointment as a result, and demanded an Inquisitorial inquest in the High Reverend's suspected heresy. These regions still obey the Unionist Divine structure, but have proclaimed that they do not recognize the appointment of the last High Reverend, while in the same breath also condemning the previous High Reverend as no better, and calling for a truly pious High Reverend to be appointed instead. The Congressional Council of the Veer made a similar statement, but outsiders speculated that the Veer Council was mostly swayed by the input of the local Old Gods believers who wanted to sow disruption and discord among the Unionist of the Divine. Further events around the World: The Altalar front remains stable. The unification of the Regalian Generals and the Altalar armies with the blessings of the Regalian Assembly who ratified their decision in the field gave a halt to the advance of the Dread Empire. The Kathar are unable to press their advantage for now. The Avanthar struggle seems to be coming to an end, with the various tribes ceasing hostilities and agreeing to a truce. Many Avanthar had seemingly united behind one of the warlords in the north who positioned himself in an old Altalar city that had long been lost to the Wildering, supposedly finding great artifacts of power within to enforce his rule. The Drowdar are experiencing a sudden increase of Demonic incursions on Drowda, fueled by openings of Drowda rifts. The Holds have not yet asked for help from foreign nations, but will expectedly do so soon. The probings of the Sendrassian Empire seem to have calmed for now, but the Digmaans do report that the Sendrassians are likely just waiting to sap the strength of the locals in light of the famine that has befallen them. They know very well that if the famine is allowed to take hold of Hadaria, that it will decimate the defenses of the Allar, and allow for an easy invasion by the Sendrassians
The golden eyed Bakrran received the information and shook his head at the mention of his distant kin. His snout scrunched up as he blew an annoyed breath out through his nose, "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I expected it..." He tapped the claws of his right hand along the arm of the couch he sat on as he mulled over his thoughts. "Looks like I'll be attending the next assembly, won't that be a sight?" The supposed Varran leader grinned at the thought, standing up at that and motioning the nearby Ovirran along with him. @Nesstro -=- A loud grunt escaped the paladin as he heard of this apparent high reverend's proclamation. A fist slammed down on the desk before him before he turned to storm out of the room. "It is time for change, brothers. Our faith has fallen for too long now." His voice rumbled out as he made his way through the order's keep off to who knows where.
Cael took special note of the news from Drowdar, lost momentarily in thought. He remembered the voice from his dream, and the plants, brow furrowed. Then he turned his right wrist, to examine the faintly glowing blue lotus flower mark. Too many demons at work, and not enough connections to figure out what it really meant. He leaned back, giving up his ponderings for a moment to just rest, the papers falling to the floor at his side.
A faint sigh would escape the Ovirran before the common grin that appeared on her face was back once again, glancing towards the Bakarran as she gave a small dip of her head. "It will be a sight indeed." She'd respond with a slightly mused tone as she began to follow after him. @Timisc
Marvin Bethell would smile as he'd hear the news of his people making peace, now beginning to pray for a better life for all Avanthars.
"Seems I'll be having... words with the Duke Black..." the Digmaan curled his hands around the balcony railing, seething.
A certain proud Unionist man with a moustache drafted an address for the next morning. It appears there will be some heresy to make public
Sitting in his personal abode was Louis, an amused smirk finding itself across his otherwise morbid expression. He wasn't ecstatic about the tragedy of famine that the empire was suffering from, no. He was however entertained by a particular matter which he had found to be most ironic. "How funny must it be that the very dispute which sparked the feud between my family and House de Letoirneau was their accusations of treason to Ithania, with us Delmottes supposedly at fault. Oh how the tables have turned, for now, it is they who are to incur the wrath of the good King Florent de Gosselin."
The young Agnes would be sat against the soft flowerbeds, as she continued to happily eat the tray of fried scorpions, personally cooked and spiced by her own hands as it was satisfying enough to fill her hunger, deciding to eat insects rather than the provisions given. "Who's laughing now?" She muttered from her lips.
Fingers of an outstretched hand slowly beat against a desk top, as a long sigh escaped lips. Christopher Black was seated, looking down at the list of numbers that reflected the current stores of food that existed within the Empire. He and Dianne's two elderly dogs, Hagen and Heidi, lay at his feet. They were hungry too, the cuts of beef and pork on the bone, typically tossed to them for their suppers, having ceased materialising. The rabbits that the dogs caught on outings along the Narlas cliffs, however, were getting them by. Christopher lowered a hand to idly scratch at their heads. After some moments, he lifted his hand again, reaching forward to take up a quill, and dipping it into the jet black ink contained within a pot on his desk. He proceeded to create a draft of the next food redistributions orders. Time was increasingly not on the side of the Regalians, however. Time: before stores would run out and there would be no more food to redistribute, the riots would begin, the Empire would plunge into turmoil, and the damned Arken, or whatever it was, that had caused the Mist, would get precisely what it wanted. Chaos. @darkarely
The Allar pirate smiled Smiled when he heard the news. “Where theres famine there is chaos, and when there is chaos it is a perfect time to strike the riches of Hadar. At the ready men! We sail for Hadar!” Asta shouted, as they sailed towards Hadar.
