The Sons of Urguan

[Kardel 1054]

 

~

 

Kardel stepped onto the center of the King's Balcony, overlooking the Bridge spanning the Abyss of Ishtul. In his hands, he held tightly the Crown of Urguan, revered as the single most valuable object in existence. The crown had always intimidated him, its intricate features and engraved sagas displaying dwarves much greater than he would ever be. Indeed, he saw it as insulting to the crown to be placed upon his head, the respect it commanded so disproportional to his own power. 

 

Not wearing a crown makes a king forget that he has that power which a crown so ascribes to him: the power of being a King, and autocrat with an authority over a people, gifted by that people. Kardel knew that he was supposed to inspire hope, to inspire resilience, to inspire loyalty and security: recently he had done none of that.

 

On the behest of dwarves only half-loyal to the Obsidian Throne, on the behest of Yrrokmar, and on the behest of an image preceding him much like the crown he so clutched, he had put pen-to-paper and continued that chain of revanchism started by Thorin Grandaxe, one of the kings so detailed on the crown's surface. Thorin had been many things. Depending on the person asked, he was either a hero or a fool. Yet Thorin was young, and independent of his people. He was brash at times, hasty, but confident in himself. Kardel was the opposite, tempered and wise. He was no dwarf to charge blindly into any war, especially one of foreign conflict.

 

How could one realistically ask a grandfather ruling over a nation to sacrifice the lives of the young for glory, when that old man had seen the horrors of war so many times? How could one hope to sway a man who knew better? The true majority of dwarves long-loyal to the crown had opposed Urguan's involvement in the war, but had followed Kardel's unprecedented entry into the conflict with no doubts and utmost faith. Yet Kardel himself had entered the war with much less certainty than he commanded in the eyes of his people. And so, the Alabaster Dwarf would not betray his own people. This war was simply not for a folk still recovering from a debacle which had shaken their nation over the course of two seasons.

 

Kardel placed Urguan's Crown atop his head for the first time in his reign. And he spoke:

 

"People o' Urguan, ah've betrayed yer will an' due ta me indecisive nature, 'ave made ye all rally against yer wills fer war. Ah looked tae me advisors, tae me friends, allies, an' even supposed enemies fer consul, an' 'ave come tae da decision w'ich we 'ad taken en th' first place: Urguan s'all remain neutral, an' dat shall be th' official, final verdict o' this war."

 

"Ah've 'eard encouragin' words from me people. Ah've gotten pledges o' perpetual allegiance, dwed w'o 'ave told me that dey would follow me throug' w'ichever path ah'd take. Urguan is NAE a petty kingdom tae be entrapped in foreign quarrels. Urguan is NAE a vessel o' revenge dat is chucked w'enever it 'as da chance ta be jettisoned: Urguan is a nation dat 'as never been conquered, dat 'as never bent its knee. Ah willnae be th' forst Keng tae fall ta da pressure o' foreigners an' join a foreign conflict dat is nae oors."

 

"Aye, th' Courlanders an' deir allies 'ave dae advantage en dis war. Aye, Urguan could benefit if it joined alongside dem. Dey 'ave promised us Avar an' Rhewengrad, an' all th' land we lost. Such offers are enticin', an' weaker dwed would've taken dem up wifout second thought, as, ah admit, did ah meself!"

 

"So wot would be th' reason fer eur neutrality en this conflict? Wot would stop us from carryin' out vegeance an' claimin' dat w'ich we so desire? Da simple will tae 'ave peace, tae end dis quarrelin' wit' Umri kingdoms, tae distance eurselves from this perpetual back-an'-forth wit' Oren an' its Replacements an' Descendants. Th' sons o' Urguan are NAE vultures dat pray on th' weak an' powerless. We 'ave no true reason tae go to dis war."

 

"Me advisors 'ave advised me both tae join in an' tae abstain. Me people 'ave done th' same. Other leaders 'ave done th' same, with a special propensity fer our joinin'. Ultimately, AH am dae Grand Keng o' Urguan. AH 'ave been endowed wif da right o' actin' as Tribune o' th' Dwedmar. An' AH, as Grand Keng, choose nae tae crucify me people upon foreign crosses. We are th' sons o' Urguan, unconquered an' resilient. We are nae servile vagabonds w'o ride th' coattails o' foreign parties in 'opes o' spoils. No longer s'all our will bend on th' behest o' th' gohim."

 

"Such is me stance. Many o' ye 'ave told me dat ye will follow me despite o' circumstance. Yet a' s'all nae lead me own people entah da abyss o' war. Ah s'all lead dem down Armakak's pat'. Yemekar protect our souls, an' Ograhad give us wisdom."

 

With that, the King returned to his chambers, in quiet contemplation of his decision. The neutrality of Urguan will go undisputed.

[Josh3738 3137]

Zahrer remains completely silent as Kardel makes his speech. He nods firmly in approval as he explains. Only at the end of the king's speech does he cry out. "Narvak oz da Thrummaz! Narvak oz Urguan!"

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Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.