A question regarding the events of this past feast

I will be seeking you out next feast to continue this discussion in person Gras.

I will state the following for those following this conversation, feel free to chime in if you feel the need to do so.

I do not disagree that a new path has been opened with the Count back. That is a fact that no one can dispute. However, my points stem from a diplomatic sense.

Travance ended the world. End statement. That is a fact.

Yes, Travance brought it back. Yes it *should* be exactly the same. But Travance still ended the world to save one man.

Most nations would view that as a cautionary tale, not a good one and may be hesitant to have any dealings, good or bad, with people who are willing to end the world for one man.

THAT is my concern. Travance has worked hard to foster a reputation that even though Travance is a place of very powerful individuals, they would do what they needed to to insure the safety of the world and that threats to end it would be dealt with. We just showed them we are one of the threats to end it. And I am sure a question going through the mind of at least one ruler is: "How do we stop them from doing it again?"

-Caelvan

Caelvan,

First and foremost, I can say with zero doubt that a slaughter was prevented. The Mors Seperata would have been enacted, Kormyre would have been brutally invaded, and the Kingdom would have been put in serious risk of collapse. We were not ready for another full scale war. What happened with the KIng was hidden for years, we had less than a moon to make all preparations here with final ones made just this past feast; surely you can see the reach to directly compare the two situations. I will also note the cause of the Civil War falls squarely with those who killed the King and overtly and covertly took direct hostile action against the kingdom. That twisted and vile cabal worked for years to accomplish their evil acts, they are the cause of the War, they are the primary catalyst.

Clarification. We used what little remained of a Dead World. A mere shard is all that remained. Devoid of all life for some time. There was no future for it, no potential. I will state right here to say we destroyed our world is misleading and inaccurate and casts the worst light on what the star did. Our world was reset, I will clarify my words above as well, but it is the most accurate term in this situation. It reformed in seven heartbeats exactly the same. Exactly the same....bar the one change that could be manifested, "Count Sebastian Everest is alive and well". We could not change anything else if we tried, because believe me, we asked. We researched this item to an exhaustive degree. We confirmed with Algrave, a scholar beyond their years. Only one change could be manifested, nothing else. The world would reset and reform exactly the same barring the Count.

Caelvan, you may disagree. But, to say we prevented a war is not speculation, it is a fact. The Invasion was canceled because the Count came back. We saved the lives of all the people who would have died as a result of war in their streets and towns. We have a fair picture of what would have happened without the Count, we know what what would have immediately happened without the Count. It would not have been pretty. Yes, we have a new path with the Count back, but all signs pointed to it being the right one.

And of course, I understand you mean the Count no ill will. Quite frankly, i might have had the same questions, but please understand the nature of the Star. We can try to confirm if anything has changed, but know that when reset, only one manifestation could be made.

I apologize if I'm not able to respond further my friend, but I must make headway to the Black Keep, there is much work to be done. I also apologize if my tone seems flustered, but like you I recognize the gravity of the entire situation and wish to keep the record straight and transparent. If you have further questions, seek me out at the coming feast, I would be happy to talk.

In service,

Ser Grashügel

Trust to run your nation in a way that also benefits your allies and what we did are vastly different.

I also feel the line of "By ensuring the survival of the Kingdom, we have ensured security for our Allies and prevented the coming slaughter" may seem a little off putting to some as that was a similar reason the Count didn't reveal the King died those many years ago to the world and that led to the Civil War.

You might not equate it, but it is a valid comparison that many can make, and some probably will. We destroyed a world, or potentially even two from what I can understand, for personal(even if it benefits the Kingdom, still personal) gain.

We can speculate on the loss and saving of life all we want, but we won't know the true cost of what we did, or the true cost of what would have happened if we didn't.

As for bringing the Count back, don't get me wrong, I am glad he is better, so don't take my questions or statements as a I wanted him still suffering from his affliction before someone accuses me as such.

Caelvan,

The situation unfortunately necessitated this, the Mors Seperata was poised to sack the Kingdom upon confirmation of their suspicions regarding the Count. This was compounded by the fair assumption that they are widespread and embedded all over the continent. The risks of them discovering our plan were incredibly high. Without the Count, the Kingdom would have faced a savage siege resulting in the deaths of an untold amount of innocents not only in Kormyre but likely its neighbors and beyond, the intentional collapse of the rift tunnels, and the isolation of Travance from the rest of the Kingdom. We wouldn’t have been able to offer the material support needed to protect the Kingdom. While it may not seem we had the best interests of our Allies and the many beings of this world, we absolutely did. Relationships and alliances are built on trust, the hope that we or any other ally will do what is best not only for ourselves, but our friends as well. This also accounts for actions they might not even be aware of especially in dire situations such as this one. After all, the Kingdom is not privy to everything our allies do, but we can at least trust they are doing what is right and just. By ensuring the survival of the Kingdom, we have ensured security for our Allies and prevented the coming slaughter. I am also certain that if there is any lingering hesitation, the Count himself will see to assuage their concerns personally.

As for bringing the Count back specifically, I do not even remotely equate it nor do others that it is on par with some of the actions taken in the past. Because of the unique nature of the Star, the world is exactly the same minus the Count who was a fixture of our world to begin with before what happened with the Djinn mind you. It was not just our needs and desperate ones that have been met, but the needs of the Kingdom and beyond. The needs of innocents whose lives were spared from an imminent invasion. The needs of forces and powers well beyond mortal comprehension. The Count needed to come back, the cost would have been terrible had he not. Others may not see it this way, but the reality of the situation dictates otherwise. Travance is known world over for enacting miraculous and titanic reality changing events, we have saved Arawyn several times over, we have done so much….I see this no differently. Others may view this as they wish, but we saved lives, we protected the kingdom, we protected our allies, we restored the Ivory tower, we pushed back the vilest of enemies, and we ensured the possibility of a miracle not seen for a long time.

In service,

Ser Grashügel

I'm just a little confused as to how we left even sovereign leaders in the dark. I can understand not telling everyone for fear of malicious intent.

But I recall that we have killed people for trying to do basically what we did. Rewriting reality to suit our needs.

That is my worry. As that is a point that can be viewed by those outside, and in my opinion, they wouldn't be wrong in a sense.

Travance usually are the ones that stop people from doing the thing we did. I understand that from a Kormyrian sense of things it was potentially necessary. I just worry other countries will not see it that way.

Caelvan,

I would be happy to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

1: Yes, we do not know the exact extent to which the message was heard, but it was far reaching.

2: Yes and no, Kormyrian leadership was aware of what would transpire, but that would have been the extent of who would have known besides those in the proper. I will elaborate below.

3: I would be happy to explain the circumstances surrounding what happened and why secrecy was required on part of the Kingdom and Travance. In this matter there are two central objects of immense power, they are a Viviskarin Phokus and the Telegaris Star. I will start with the Star, through the collective work of the Town, we discovered that this item was the only means in which the Count could be brought back. It resided in the Ivory Tower. The Telegaris Star is the last remaining shard of a dead world utterly exhausted of all potential and life save for one power. When the Telegaris was destroyed a small window of seven heartbeats was opened, in this window the dead world merged with the living world (our world). In this window both worlds were unmade the dead world was ended and our world was reset , the dead world finally spent would disappear forever, however, our world would reform exactly as it was save for one thing. It was during this window that a single manifestation could be willed into existence. That manifestation was the Count. The reason why we needed secrecy was due to the window. If someone or something with malice and ill intent were to be made aware of the window they could have used it to change the world in their image. This could not happen and it didn’t. We were completely successful in this regard thanks to the hard work of our fellow Travancians. It is before and during the window created that the Viviskarin Phokus came into play. You may recall the use of another Phokus such as this before the onset of the Civil War in which a message was relayed by the Count to announce the death of the King, it was our hope to send a different message here. In order for the manifestation during the window created by the star to be made reality, it required an immense and collective thought and will. While Travance, our Archons, and our Psions were the focal point of this collective manifestation that Count Sebastian Everest is alive and well, it would not be enough. That is where the message heard across Arawyn came into play. Like the message years before, it was like a person speaking aloud in a room, the room in this case is just the continent and the Phokus is just voice albeit amplified. But it was the message that made what we did possible, “Count Sebastian Everest is alive and well” percolated in the collective thought of the Arawyn and thus tipped the scales in favor of manifesting him back into our reality. We can say with absolute certainty that no being lost control of their own bodies and thoughts and that no harm came to them mentally or physically. The words likely meant nothing to those that didn’t know who the Count even was, but ultimately invoked thoughts of him to those that did. Yes, this message would point to the Count and Kormyre, but those that wish to cry foul would have no legitimate claim whatsoever as there is no measurable harm and there is precedent with the use of such an item.

I hope this has answered your questions. Should you have more, you need only ask.

In service,

Ser Grashügel

I have amended an above statement for sake of clarification. what is written now is a more accurate description of what transpired regarding the Telegaris Star.

~Gras