Crowns Of Man

[StaolDerg]

His Majesty's Office
Official Communique
1945

To The Most Noble Laurence VI, Savior Of Man, High Arbiter of Eleria 

---

Your Imperial Majesty,

I solemnly wish that it was possible for our troubled times that I could express my full gratitude to the privilege of merely speaking to you, but the dictations of circumstance force me otherwise. I will get to the point- the Elenria is dying. Viewing the modern map of Touli, your empire alone stands out as the lone nation to have thrown the shackles of oppression by the hands of the non-human and wrest policies of a new age from the ashes. Yours is a beacon of what can be achieved- what should be achieved of Touli's humans. For centuries my people and my ancestors have waged great wars in resistance to the Lizard menace, and now the Kumo as well. It is my personal duty to see to that the work they have bled and fought for survives, and so I have continued to resist the occupation of both factions.

But I do not write this to brag of my army's strength, nor it's virtues at all. I cannot shake the fact that I cannot hold our homeland. And so I ask of you: help me free my people from the yoke of our oppressors. Let us learn from the virtues of your empire so that we may emulate Eleria's glories of equality and freedom. In this spirit, I wish to arrange a meeting between us- at your Imperial Majesty's wish, I will accept any terms. 

With great sincerity,

Lord Kaln Peikli-Greatfern, Mourner of The Glass Beaches

[DrMedic]

The courier sprinted through the halls of the palace, his boots making a distinct echo as he ran towards the throne room with an urgent letter from outside the nation. At the front door of the throne room, he was stopped by a pair of guards who stood in front of the door, their rifles crossed over their chests as they stood proudly in their red and gold uniforms, perfectly cared for to match the high honor of their position.

"Halt, state the nature of your business!" The senior guard shouted at the man, his gaze still locked straight ahead as was proper.

The courier stood still for a moment, his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "I... I have an urgent... letter... addressed to His Imperial Majesty. It's from... Elenria."

The guards parted in unison before him, the courier opening the door as he burst into the room, the young Imperator and his consort both startled by the sudden appearance of this guest to their court.

"Is everything alright? Please, take a moment to catch your breath." Imperatrix Marina said as she rushed to the courier's side, helping him stand straight.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you Your Majesty." He replied, exhausted, but still standing. "Imperator, I have a message, a letter from Elenria, it's urgent." 

He held the letter out to Laurence, the Greatfern Seal embossed within the wax on the front, denoting the importance of the communiqué. Once Laurence had taken the letter from him, he gave a quick bow and started towards the door.

"Hold on a moment, let's take a look at what this says first before you take off, yeah?"

Laurence opened the letter, carefully reading its contents, his eyes growing wide at the mention of the constant warring the Greatferns had done against the Inselni and Kumo. He sympathized with the Lord a fair bit, having fought in the war against the demi-humans not terribly long ago, but he also knew that jumping into such a delicate matter without more information was national suicide. With a sigh, he addressed the courier.

"What is your name, good sir?"

"Dietrich, Your Majesty."

"Thank you for your swift service, but I must ask that you send a response for me, but don't worry, I'm not going to make you run all the way there, rest assured."

"I appreciate your leniency Imperator. Please, take as much time as you need."

"I won't be too long, just give me a minute to get a letter written up and we'll get you on your way."

Dietrich gave a humble bow, as the Imperator stepped into another room. Not long after, he re-emerged with a letter bearing the Imperial Seal of Eleria. He handed it off to Dietrich, giving him instructions to send it back to Lord Kaln Peikli-Greatfern with the utmost urgency.

---

His Imperial Majesty, Imperator Laurence VI
Savior of Man, High Arbiter of Eleria
1945

To The Esteemed Lord Kaln Peikli-Greatfern, Mourner of The Glass Beaches

Dear Lord Apaika,

I understand your dire situation. You may rest assured that my heart and the hearts of all Eleria are with you in your hour of need. You are welcome to make an appearance at any time within the Ivory Palace, I shall see to it that a warm bed and safe travel are arranged for you, that you may enjoy a moment of peace as we work to resolve the ills that plague Elenria. Nevertheless, I do not wish for you to arrive with an incorrect view on that which is to occur. Whilst your people have struggled and fought bravely in the name of their freedom, I have a duty first to the brave citizens of Eleria, though I will do all I can to aid you and your kin. I wish to apologize for the brevity of our correspondence, I only desire things to progress as swiftly as possible, that we may bring an end to this bloodshed and liberty to all mankind.

Best regards,
Imperator Laurence Albion VI, Savior of Man, High Arbiter of Eleria

[StaolDerg]

Kaln was more than grateful for the comparatively luxurious ride through Eleria, mentally preparing himself to meet Laurence VI. He was very much a self-confident man, but the prospect of meeting a person many Greatfern in his faction considered a hero of mankind made him uneasy- not to mention the details of the Imperator's reply. He drew the letter out to read it again, thinking over what it meant to his likely prospects.

Undoubtedly the Imperator had a duty first to his own people- that he could well respect. But it also risked that he would provide less support to the Free Army and as a consequence, risk his people's destruction by the abominable lizards and their Crown lackeys. Nevertheless, he understood that he would at least receive some kind of help, perhaps in a quiet operation to smuggle weapons or modern weapon blueprints to the Free Army and that by itself would make the trip worth it. Neither the Royalists nor Takpoe had mechanized vehicles, making so much as an armored car worth its weight in a thousand bodies alone. He straightened and composed himself, preparing to present himself before the Imperator.

[DrMedic]

Upon Lord Kaln's arrival at the ivory palace, he was greeted by a host of maroon-clad soldiers, all of them standing straight with rifles shouldered. One of particular note, dressed in white with additional soldiers carrying the imperial standard beside him, approached Lord Kaln, greeting him with a salute.

"Imperator Laurence welcomes you, Lord Kaln. I am General Tavish Aberdeen, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord." The man said with a smile as he offered a handshake.

[StaolDerg]

"And equally my own to make yours, General," the Greatfern replied with a warm smile, accepting the handshake. "I am honored to step foot within the hallowed land of Eleria. Please, lead the way."

[DrMedic]

With a nod, General Aberdeen led Lord Kaln up the grand steps for to the palace, the other guards holding steady as the pair walked past and into the imperator's residence. When they came to the grand doors of the throne room, General Aberdeen held open the door for the Lord, giving him a salute as Kaln entered before closing the door quietly behind him. Laurence and Marina rose from their seats as Lord Kaln entered, greeting him with a bow and curtsy respectively.

"I trust your journey was both safe and comfortable, Lord Apaika?" Laurence asked, motioning to a set of cushioned chairs around a small table, inviting the lord to a seat.

[StaolDerg]

The Greatfern similarly bowed before the Imperator, and Imperatrix gratefully accepting the seat.

"Indeed it was, your Imperial Majesty," he replied with a smile. "I could not have asked for better."

[DrMedic]

Laurence and Marina sat down at the table across from Lord Kaln, each of them sitting forward, eager to listen to their guest's words.

"Excellent, I'm glad to see our efforts didn't go to waste then. Now, let's jump to the point, what exactly is it you're looking to get from Eleria? Arms, manpower, an invading army, intelligence, funding, or perhaps just a friend to watch over you? I'll do all I can to help you of course, but I have to know where to begin and what you need." Laurence said, his fingers interlaced as his hands rested on his lap. After he spoke, the Imperatrix took the opportunity to speak her mind on the matter as well.

"How many men do you have within your ranks? Do you believe you can actually win the fight, even with our support? We struggled to defeat the demi-humans in the days of strife, and they were already battle-weary. I would imagine your ranks are not nearly as full as ours were, yet you fight on regardless. Your bravery is commendable, but the question remains. Have you considered alternative solutions?" She asked, crossing her legs as she sat back a bit.

[StaolDerg]

"We have plenty money and manpower. Pain has only taught us the value of being more industrious and we have persevered making note of anything of remote importance. No, what we need most is weapons. I know for a fact my Free Army is largest in the region- neither the territorials nor the Royalists have any number of personnel. That by itself is already massive support."

"By ourselves, we number almost four million. In comparison, the Takpoe have barely even a half million soldiers and the Royalists a quarter of a million. Whatever alternatives are long exhausted- diplomacy broke down for the last time when the ignorant of my faction assassinated the last Queen out of spite and sparked the rage of the Lizards since. They will not submit to talks for compromise, and neither will we. As for victory? We are by far the most capable of resisting the non-human occupation. The earlier we are equipped and fight, the sooner we can establish ourselves. For a fact, all sides are equipped with minimal modern weaponry- my forces use primarily primitive trapdoor rifles, the Territorials ancient bolt-action percussion rifles, and the Royalists powder muzzle-loaders. We have long let the two beat away at one another while we carefully consolidate strength, waiting for the right time to strike."

He clasped his hands, as if to summarize. "We are fighting with our back against the wall, your Majesties. We have raised generations upon this soil, so whole generations will willingly walk into the meat grinder to protect it. The sparse thing that unifies Greatferns is our unified stand against the non-humans."

[DrMedic]

"I understand, yet at the same time, I wonder. Is your fight fueled by your hatred for demi-humans, or your desire for freedom? Only one of those will see you through to the end, and if you fight for the wrong reason, you will find that as you suffer heavy losses, your stalwart men begin to falter, instead desiring an end to the war rather than the domination of your enemy."

"You are confident, and your numbers are great, in fact, greater than my own active armies, but instead of swiftly crushing your enemy underfoot when you have a distinct advantage, you would seek aid. Furthermore, you don't just seek aid, you say you are fighting with your backs against the wall. Would it not be wiser to hold the sword at your enemy's throat and bring them to kneel before you instead of simply putting them to death? Your men will fight and die for this cause, but personally, I never did favor having my men die when it could be avoided."

The imperator sat back in his seat, quietly thinking to himself about the options before him. He had seen men like this before, men who would use solely the blood of soldiers to re-draw the map, rather than his own ways of removing the foe's ability and will to fight. It was always difficult and had a much greater cost than the alternative, not to mention how his support of the Greatferns could cause a fair bit of international contention. Perhaps he could convince Lord Kaln to let him speak to Empress Reito and Queen Akel on his behalf, certainly he could achieve some better results through diplomacy, and at the very least it would make the Lord's cause look a bit more legitimate.

"Still, I wonder what would happen if you began to openly resist against the might of a nation such as Kumosenkan. They are quite some distance from Elenria, but I don't think open resistance to such a massive naval power would bode well for you. I would question Eleria's ability to hold against their navy for any extended period, and we are a recognized nation with a navy of our own to hold against them. I'd ask you, let me speak with your enemies on this before you force their hand to action. While I can't force out the demi-humans like we did here, I might be able to open some doors for a better future for your people. At the very least, it'll help your cause appear a bit more legitimate in the eyes of the world at large. Perhaps you'd have an easier time finding support then?"

[StaolDerg]

The Greatfern held up his hands, shaking his head. "With great respect, you asked for numbers. These are the numbers I have, and with them come their own issues. I am their leader, yes, but my direct control is limited to those I control directly by proxy of lower officers. My forces' units have little understanding of what a modern army is- their own organization and strength lies on the hands of the local commanders, most of which only form up copious numbers of militia. Worse yet, their internal bickering may be nonexistent in my presence, but very much apparent when it comes to their dealings with one another and very often at the worst of times. I have great numbers, yes, but it is like trying to control a river- difficult and forceful. I beg you not to see me as a butcher- war is not constant, for Takpoe can be sated by fulfilling their astronomical quotas, and for that cause of preserving my peoples' lives I would rather jab the blade for all Greatferns and allow us to be taxed in order to prevent being massacred by an attritious full-scale civil war.

"I do not exaggerate when I say we fight with our backs against the wall. This is no war for the hatred of the lizards or freedom alone. Were it hatred, we would have dissolved centuries prior. Were it just freedom, we would've departed from these lands altogether the moment they drew blade against us. No, the Inselni and Crown would rather us submit to their ridiculous Pact, consigning ourselves underfoot to the nonhuman and their twisted traditions and ideals of pointless honor and warfare- so we fight to preserve our people's legacy and their right to live lives as they wish, free of servitude to an uncaring master."

He slowly nodded at the idea of a mediated diplomacy. "Peace has not been an option for years over our conflict- a mediation with your honorable presence is more than welcome- though I warn you, our enemies will surely poison the minds of their Kumo leaders with their twisted promises of loyalty and honor. You would be hard-pressed to find it easy for them to give up any sort of conflict. But, should all good things come- I will do everything in my power to fulfill what is asked of me. If not for peace, then at least for my people."

[DrMedic]

Laurence turned to Marina, looking for some sign of agreement. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, weighing the risks and benefits of their intervention before giving Laurence a nod of affirmation. Turning back to Lord Kaln, Laurence thought to himself a moment. Was he really about to go speak with the Empress of Kumosenkan regarding some conflict he had no stake in? It would definitely rub off on his empire, but that could be either a boon or a bane, and he wasn't exactly eager to find out which it would be. With a heavy sigh, he addressed Kaln.

 "So be it, we'll send to meet with Empress Reito as soon as possible, given she's the supreme power over Elenria, hopefully we can help bring things along a more peaceful route. How would you feel if we were able to secure you some proper representation?"

[StaolDerg]

Kaln dipped his head in respect, nodding in gratitude. "I would be most thankful, your Imperial Majesty," the Greatfern replied. "You would have the undying thanks of my people if a lasting peace could be secured- given that the non-humans could be persuaded to permanently sate their bloodlust elsewhere. But I have faith in diplomacy, for the lizards ultimately listen to their Kumo rulers. You have my word that no Greatfern will cause trouble as these talks progress. Any person of my lands who dares to shatter this projected truce is no more than a marauder, and should be treated as such."

[DrMedic]

Laurence nodded his head.

"With any luck she'll receive my word and we can handle all of this mess swiftly. Gods willing there won't be a need for any further bloodshed and this'll be the end of it. You're welcome to stay here in Eleria until these talks come to a close, or if you like you can return home, the choice is yours."

[StaolDerg]

He rose, bowing in respect. "I appreciate the offer, but I will return home to Elenria- my people must hear the news so no horrible incident damages these already fragile relations. I shall personally oversee the suspension of armed activity by my forces. Besides, I expect that I will be requested for the meeting as the lizard Queen will be."