THE UNFOLDING TRAGEDY

[seannie 7443]

 

THE UNFOLDING TRAGEDY

 

It appears that in my bid to salvage what shred of sovereignty my nation may have, I have brought upon ourselves a great foreign coalition. Even now, a Haeseni vassal, the von Dracos, make up the bulk of Acre’s troops - a farce, surely. Despite this, apart from the Acrean traitors, the United Kingdom of Aaun remains steadfast for we hold a conviction stronger than any imperialism committed by our neighbors. We have proven that it will take more than just threats and deceit to make us bend - Acre shall be confiscated, in recompense for their crimes, with terms made on our own dictates. 

 

To continue publicizing the Acrean faults; was it not King Karl and John who insisted if any of my Harvest Lords should secede there and then following my election to lead the Heartlands? I heard no plight of Acre then, even when the Haeseni protected them and had peace in my heart during such. Instead, they fled like the dogs they are, and chose to strike at another time as opportunistic cowards do.

 

Ultimately, I understand King Karl’s ambition to weaken the heartland even further in this endeavor of his, for it would provide him great comfort of mind knowing the further establishment of buffer states within the Heartland, but would we not be better off as friends, as our kind have long been since centuries before? Did Alstion and Barbanov not take on the world together in Axios? ‘Twas my ancestor, John the Lion, who bestowed upon the Haeseni their royal privilege and it was Haense that restored the Empire once more following Courland’s destruction. Surely, such able relations can be sustained in this day and age. Why trade such stalwart peace for cheap gains on the grand chessboard of nations? Aaun is no nation of evildoers, thus making this a tragedy.

 

And to King John, was it not your late nephew who came to us Alstions in their darkest need? We fought side by side at the Battle for Vienne, and fled together to southern Almaris. My own father served as your Seneschal. For a devout man of God, you are losing your decency in favor of petty political aspirations.

 

Yet, in your choosings, you have sided with the very same Barony that took down the Harvest Confederation with their attack on Balian, with their attempted murder of Lucius Galbraith. All I have done in these days since is to execute the terms of the treaty to their letter, and to restore some semblance of law and order to the Heartlands so that such anarchy may never reign again. Petra was granted independence, in accordance with the treaty, the other Lords too were offered it, and unanimously refused, just as they unanimously elected me. I paid the debt the Confederation owed to Balian, despite having personally done nothing to cause it. And yet, now, when Acre commits the same crimes against me as they did you, you take their side, and make a mockery of my nation’s sovereignty? In due time, such hypocrisies will be made apparent through our valiant efforts.

 

I urge you all, men and women of Horen, our progenitor, to perceive these complications critically. We would-be Kings are no divine rulers, but rather upholders of our people's mandate. Must thy mandate be slaughter between each other? We've had enough of war in the Heartlands, so I must petition for compassion. I was not born of the purple, no crown fitted mine head in my youth, my family long held power 257 years ago, thus, the favoring of geopolitical ambitions over that of able friendship is a foreign notion to myself. I have observed this iteration of Oren sunder humanity apart, my family prosecuted, discriminated, yet still claims have arisen detailing my supposed imperial ambitions - to which I wholeheartedly deny forever more.

 

What we did was fully in our own right as a sovereign nation, as detailed by the Church of the Canon - Acre acted not in accordance with the Pact Sealed, as the narrative seems to twist such, but rather, scorned King Karl’s persistence in seeing the secession of further Harvest Lords whence I formed this Kingdom of ours. Was it not I who saw to the implementation of this very same Pact that Acre so wrongfully warped? I do recall overseeing such with my fellow companion, Prince Alexandros of Balian. There is no doubt in my mind that this new Barony is a force of chaos, propped up by foreign agitators following the diaspora of their true and honest kind - it must be dealt with firmly for the good of all. The glory of Hannes and Gustaf, my once liege, now long gone, a shell of itself. 

 

Regardless of the actions taken by those who I had expected to be staunch allies, my hand has been played, this destiny set in stone cannot alter Acre's course - for many a time over were they granted safe asylum, yet now, despite all I've done for this Barony, they rebel? This great play may be a tragedy, but the Baron de Vilain is a comical piece. 

 

Nevertheless, I am still willing to negotiate with those of Acre, on our own turf and terms - free of foreign intervention. Regarding if they still wish to leave they shall be given proper monetary recompense to relocate wherever they may wish. But they shall not wrest away from Aaun a piece of its Heartlands - these are no ancestral lands of them, as they so claim.

 

The United Kingdom of Aaun will uphold its sovereignty - the Black Dragon Banner of Aaun remains raised. Our internal affairs will be dealt with by our own means;

 

Not forcefully imposed upon us by foreign interventions.

 

God Save Us All.

 

---

Signed,

Charles Alstion

 

The Right Honorable, Sir Leon Barclay, Graf of Minitz

Marshal Siegfried Barclay of Minitz

The Plenipotentiary to the Elves, Stanimar Barclay

Royal Envoy of Atheran Salvus, Fr. Leopold Barclay

Squire Bilhelm Barclay

 

His Highness, Heinrich Franz, Marshal of the Arentanian, Prince of Merryweather

The Right Honorable, Ottomar von Alstreim, Margrave of Vanderfell and Lord Vandalore

 

The Right Honorable, Louis Joseph de Rosius, Marshal of the Rosen, Lord of Rosenfort

Lucrece Ysabeau de Rosius, Lady of Rosenfort

 

The Right Honorable, Leopold von Reuss, Marshal of the Velenic, Margrave of Velen

Ravenna von Reuss, Margravine of Velen

His Lorship, Ser Sveneld Ivanovich, Baron of Cherskavy

His Lordship, Helwig von Bardenwig-Alstreim, Baron of Arentenia

 

Lord Cliément-Tielo de Royaun

Ser Gawain Wick, Marshal of the Candlebearers, Baron of Kerzenwick

 

Spoiler

 

 

me when

 

[TheNunnery 1853]

 

"Gott; how shall you respond to this? The horns of war is blown and you speak nothing. I shall do something though. I shall tempt to bring some sense of peace for the innocence of these two lands within the Heartlands which I call home." 

 

Lady Wexler commented alone while she rides her steed to the Noble Realms, seeking a place for a moment to pray. Being stuck between Aaun, Acre, and Haense. The Waldenian maiden goes at high speeds as her mount crosses mountains and rivers. Having a determined but stoic expression. 

 

[kazoo 587]

Spoiler

My face when the signature has more people than the tile 

 

[sergisala 3451]

"I pray for my king to understand that Acre is a force of chaos that must not be given oxygen at any cost. What those Acreans did to me and my wife, I will not forget." said Lucius Galbraith, in a reference to the King of Balian, as he read the war missive issued by the Prince of Alstion.

[pkdon 1978]

“AND WHAT OF MY POOR DOG, CHARLES! WHAT OF POOR VEREMY!” Hadrian cried, stricken with grief at the loss of his faithful furred friend.

[Franczhiz 4437]

"May the Acreans be buried under the ruins of their keep and their peasant and heretic souls returned to their master Iblees where they belong." Louis Joseph signed the Lorraine, sharpening his steel for the battles to come. 

[argonian 14254]

"How could the Fidei Defensor allow this?" asks Stanimar!

 

[GoodGuyMatt 7113]

Graf Leon Barclay let out a huff upon reading the new morning's missives. With a stoic expression, he went to oversee Brandthof from the height of his castle. His eyes then averted to Acre, after a moment's pause, the Graf huffed again, and proceeded to pick up and raise yet another banner of green and blue himself, this time a banner of war. "Let's just be done with it and call it a day" he said in slight frustration, having witnessed one too many wars in these heartlands, his eagerness for it having died down as the Barclay aged more and more.

[Ramon 5186]

Ottomar von Alstreim readied his weaponry reluctantly, having hoped for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. He prayed to what military saints he knew of for their intercession, as well as for Blessed Jude II to strike whoever had killed the poor Acrean doggo down.

 

[Frymark 3100]

The Reinmaren Knight offered a prayer to his namesake, Blessed Johann, to guide his kinsmen through yet another conflict. A small smile formed on Johann's face as the cloudy sky began to depart from the sun's way as he finished his prayers, thereafter going to fetch his newly polished armour and his sharpened sword from his squires.

 

@Capt_Chief26@Sarven @TotallyNotSaint

[Petsch2k 1851]

Petsch would prepare for battle once more

"No Fear. No pity. No Remorse."

[LithiumSedai 5750]

Calliope Renata unfurled the ancient Alstreim war banner atop Corwinsburg, prepared to give her life, released from servitude, in employ of the Black Dragon. She donned her Salvian uniform and prepared to join the Aaunic levies alongside her kin.

 

 

[Crymson 535]

Hali prepared for his first war, not having any idea what to truly expect. He trusted in his friends beside him though and had the confidence of youth on his side.

[Capt_Chief26 1207]

Squire Bilhelm Barclay prepares to put any rebel lords to the sword and put their castles to the torch for their act of treason “Looks like ich get to use mein new warhammer after all…”