Divide et Impera

[Pharaoh]

"Divide et Impera"
1 Frost 122

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It was the first session of the Solunarian Senate since before the Solar Sovereign's bittersweet jubilee. With the closing ceremonies having taken place the prior evening, it was straight back to work for the senators, some of whom were bleary-eyed with in the aftermath of indulgence. Perhaps not so many as might have been, had the festivities gone according to plan. Some felt the need to be sharp-minded and vigilant, whilst others were inclined to calm their nerves with intoxicants. Others still raised their glasses in excitement for a new era in which dragons, once again, held sway in Solunarium. And there were, of course, those who hoped against hope for the status quo to be sustained somehow. Whatever the case, both houses of the Senate gathered along with a greater number of guests and onlookers than attended the typically-mundane sessions held in the Luxian Curia.

The large main hall of the Solunarian Curia was a semi-circular amphitheatre with a central dais upon which stood a podium for each consul, as well as seating for esteemed guests of the senate. At the moment, it was occupied by the two sitting consuls. Representing the Senatus Minor was Consul Argenti Mattia, who assumed the position after a special election was called due to the unseating of his rival, Consul Nykara Khyos. Senator Val'Faradin had been elected Consul of the Senatus Major two terms prior. He was a competent leader, though it was widely understood that the bulk of his popularity came in deference to his Starborn attributes.

Consul Avius Val'Faradin Fenryl

Consul Val'Faradin gestured to the prætor who, in turn, nodded to a servus to bang the gong denoting the opening of the session's proceedings.

"Hear ye, hear ye! I hereby call to order this joint session of the Solunarian Senatus Major and the Senatus Minor. His esteemed Grace, Consul Val'Faradin and His esteemed Lordship Consul Argenti presiding." The prætor bowed to the dais, and took his seat as the elven consul rose to stand at his podium.

"Given the gravity of the past few weeks, I will not dally. We must get straight to business." He began, pursing his lips.

"Due to recent events too infamous to require description, this joint session has been called to begin preparations for the transition of power demanded by the claim of House Zalkyrion. The Crowns of both Luxium and Umbrium have sent delegates to represent their interests in this matter. On behalf of House Sol'Aværys and the Unbroken Line, I would like to welcome His Serene Highness, Hyperion Vlahos-Sol'Aværys Arkænyn Princeps."

On his cue, another platinum elf stalked across the floor of the senate. The tall, willowy figure still donned the black armour of an Aurisian knight, despite his novel Solunarian title. He took his place at the side of the elven Consul, who bowed in acknowledgment of the young man's station. He looked to the greater senate with a sneer that might have been read as stoic, or perhaps it was disinterest painting his pretty face.

"Representing the Zalkyian Dynasty and the House of Phædryn, I welcome His Exalted Highness, Phædryn Sol'Zalkyrion Arvælyn Princeps." With folded, golden wings each topped by a single, pointed claw looming behind him, the newly minted 'Princeps Draconum' marched to take his place opposite the Platinum Prince. He turned to face the senate, regarding the assemblage with eyes that looked more imposing for their fiery glow than his rather anxious expression would have otherwise warranted.

"Now then, Your Highnesses, what news from the Crowns?"

[Cetus Argenti]

Immediately after the Centennial Jubilee, both Mattia and Bellona had made sure to have been seen enjoying the celebrations. They drank and made merry, they laughed and were jolly, because - of course - they hadn’t a reason to not partake. Despite what some whispered, House Argenti hadn’t any reason to worry.

In private - behind stone walls and wards and whatever else they could afford - Mattia and Bellona (to put it politely) were a nervous wreck. Years of efforts and resources spent on curating a careful relationship with the Unbroken Line dashed, in a manner of a few seconds. True enough, their sovereign still held the Luxium, but neither were especially encouraged. Dragons, after all, were hardly a rival they imagined to be sated with the Umbrium alone.

And so, while being careful to attend which parties and celebrations where they would be noticed, Mattia and Bellona took turns making preparations. Solidifying alliances they could, and reaching out across the bridges they hadn’t yet burned.

House Argenti would - without hesitation - declare themselves for the Varværyn crown. And, in private, they’d already assured the Sovereign of their loyalties. The young Starborn princeling knew he might rely on Argenti support.

But, this early, an impression of unity was vital. Which meant, of course, Cetus was to accompany his father to the Senate.

It was well known the young Lordling was an active member of the Sentinels - and while the Sentinels, when on duty, were stripped of rank and reputation, Cetus’ presence alongside his father might communicate at least measure of…positive feeling, between House Argenti and House Phædryn. Or, failing that, there was some hope that Cetus’ status as a Sentinel would protect both his father and mother from facing the full wrath of the Zalkyrian Crown.

---

Cetus stood behind his father, looking especially serious, and dressed well. The half-elf had been outfitted in silver and black, reflecting both the colors of his family, and those of the Sentinels. It was serendipitous, that coincidence of colors, and it was one his family fully intended to capitalize on - his mother had been sure that the more clever of those in attendance would catch the significance.

Gala - her form, today, that of an impressive doberman - sat aside Cetus, her fur as black as night, eyes and ears pointed carefully at the speakers.

[Aeros]

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For his senatorial debut, Æros certainly did not expect to have been given the seat on the day something so monumental was to be discussed. His uncle, however, simply laughed and said, '...don’t bring us ruin!' winked, and walked away after giving the order. The older elf was an enigmatic, mercurial sort of creature, but who was Æros to question the authority of his elder? In truth, he embraced the gift that the role was and had been doing his level best to prepare himself for it during the few weeks worth of ramp up.

He imagined his presence would be less balked at over time, too, given his half-blooded, baseborn status and the recent, crippling blow dealt to the Sanguinists. While some minds would take time to change, to knock the half-Fæ’s qualifications insofar as his blood publicly would no longer be acceptable. This would be especially so given the fact that his father’s true identity was an unknown variable; the only thing anyone would know is that the man was a being twisted by the Everwilds and nought else. As such, one couldn’t say for certain what other eccentricities the man may or may not possess.

Donning similar garb to his senatorial counterparts, though still accented with much of his favored white gold, Æros stood amongst his elven kin. For his own protection, the empyreal Fæ obfuscated his Aura and Symphony with both Semblance and Mesmer; he mixed the two magics to the best of his abilities to make himself markedly difficult to read with the added shield from his bracelet, manifesting as a skin-tight magical veil, on top. In addition, the quirks of his Mesmer made him naturally more charismatic, regardless of one’s opinion of him; the only way around this was magical, and even a master would struggle to dismiss this subtle influence altogether.

Consul Val’Faradin spoke his opening lines, thus prompting the Starborn prince, Arkænyn, to make his entrance. Æros noted his choice of armor, interesting as it was. Up next was the arrival of Arvælyn, now Princeps Draconum. Despite the heir of intimidation carried by his newfound draconic embellishments, he looked almost…timid. He probably was. The short time spent with the other boy led Æros to believe that was very likely the case, indeed.

Fascinated, the starlit elf waited with bated breath for whatever it was the two princes would announce, though he kept his composure cool and collected, his expression relaxed, unreadable.

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Arvælyn]

Arkænyn the Platinum nodded languidly to the elven Consul, before regarding the senate with eyes that drooped with ostensible weariness. He looked as though he may have been amongst those indulging most heartily in the closing ceremony's revels. In fact, it was likely that some of the politicians or their attaches in attendance at this very session had seen him partaking profusely in the prior evening's offerings. Judging from the knowing smiled exhibited on a few of the younger faces in the crowd, some may have even shared a drink or a dance with the Platinum Prince.

"An accord has been reached between the dual Crowns." He began in Vastian that was thickly accented by his Aurisian upbringing. The rasp in his voice further evidence of his hedonism. "The Solunarian Senate will be severed based on the allegiances of its members." He withdrew a slip of papyrus for this next bit, because it dealt with particulars of Solunarian politics he didn't fully grasp.

"As this august body," That seemed to make him smirk, "...is comprised of seats established by the storied ancestors of their current occupants, both regimes are prepared to acknowledge and accept the rights of those families to retain their presence and say in the legislation of the realm." Arkænyn glanced up from his notes, and looked across to nod to the draconic representative. Arvælyn, contrary to the black, martial dress of his full-elven counterpart, was dressed in a silken, silver and white tunic rounded by a platinum chain belt, which had been tailored to leave space for his folded wings to protrude. The wings themselves were adorned with accenting jewelry that seemed designed to match the belt. He shifted his fiery eyes to scan the room as he began to speak.

"This curia will henceforth house the Luxian Senate. Every Gens that currently holds a seat and retains fealty to the Unbroken Line of Sol'Aværys will be able to sustain their current position here, if they so choose. The Umbrian subcuria will be occupied by an Umbrian Senate. Those Gentes who pay homage to the Draconic Dynasty will be afforded comparable seats there." Arvælyn's Solunarian pronunciation of Vastian was very nearly flawless. He'd always been good with dialects, but the grammar, too, was markedly different from when Æros had first met him. Either he'd been working very hard at his local linguistics, or what he was saying was a very carefully practised speech. One which he delivered, unlike his counterpart, without the aid of notes.

"Each royal house will, as always, have the right to promote or demote any family they choose into or out of the senatorial class." Arkænyn noted, seeming to relish the opportunity to be stern.

"A right," Arvælyn added, "Which both Crowns are committed to exercise to the detriment of any Gens that fails to pay fealty to either royal dynasty. To wholly abstain from paying fealty promises a reduction in status."

"Gratias, Your Highnesses. Before you continue, we will take questions on the matters you've broached from the floor of the senate. Raise your hands and the prætor will select orators in an orderly manner."

[Aeros]

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Æros, ultimately, was hoping for a bit more time prior to having to voice his house’s, and his by proxy, decision regarding to which court they would swear fealty to. This was because, in large part, many in his house were divided on the subject. All within were staunch followers of Varværyn faith, and, ultimately, held their fealty to the Founders themselves above both Thalya IV's claim to the unbroken line and the ancient accord made with the dragons. Yes, such an accord was sanctioned by the Founders in the past, but such a thing did not speak for how they would feel in this modern era. Times change and so, too, do minds. On this front, at least, all were united; arguments arose because there was no clear cut choice in terms of which the Founders would favor.

Those who favored Thalya IV found themselves dwindling in number as days went on. While many had no qualms with her reign, the majority of those within house Sælyan were Immaculist; the Solar Sovereign and her kin were staunch Sanguinists, putting their beliefs at odds by default. However, the dragons had not ruled during the lifetime of any living member of the house and, as such, were ultimately unknown entities, spoken of and learned about only in historic texts and storybooks. Truly, what would it mean to serve the new draconian accord? To side with them made more sense with many of the individuals within house Saelyan in terms of their beliefs, yes, but to turn away from the Solar Sovereign was to shirk the status quo in favor of tumultuous change; many were quite reluctant to embrace this leap of faith.

The thing about that, indeed, was that as speaker for his house, Æros could write down whatever he wanted. It was, ultimately, his choice. How much he would choose to care about the input of his kin was also his choice. Given who he was and what he stood for, his choice, internally, was pretty clear– though it was not one lacking in uncertainties. The starlit half-elf wished, dearly, for some specific answers that could make the choice incredibly painless, yet the only figures who could give true voice to such answers were not his to call upon directly; all he could do was listen.

Naturally, in the two or so weeks prior to today, he'd spent ample time in either temple, offering both prayer and blood to the divines. And though he was met with silence and ambiguity, he took that to mean he ought to make this decision himself…that, or, it would serve as more of a stepping stone in events to come than ought else.

Nevertheless, Æros could not, in good faith, simply make a decision like this without more information direct from each of the present princeps. As Arkænyn and then Arvælyn spoke, the difference between the two of them was almost comical. Of course, the Færie did not allow any of his amusement to bleed through anywhere, but the contrast between Arry's rehearsed poise and flawless delivery versus the clumsy nature of the platinum prince was a bit embarrassing. Both men were adorable in this situation, though Arry in a far more admirable a fashion.

Upon being called to speak, he directed his queries at each of the young speakers. "To you both, your Highnesses: have either Crown any official statements regarding the validity of Sanguinist beliefs concerning blood purity? Have either any word to say on the concept of more dilute nobility rising in power? Of the weight individual merit now carries versus proximity to the unbroken line? And, going forward, have either any insight to offer regarding how such beliefs are projected to change as time goes on?" Æros' voice was even and clear, yet not devoid of emotion; it held an effortlessly commanding sort of charisma, but at the same time, lacked any notes of condescension or arrogance. Additionally, he made a distinct effort to weigh his tone such that he did not come across as biased towards any particular answer. At least, not on the surface.

His questions served three purposes: one, self serving, two, to gauge how strongly the Solar Sovereign intended to cling to past beliefs, three, to see how immediate the dragons intended to be in terms of enacting their influence. A slow burn, or a flashfire?

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Cetus Argenti]

“And, the order of Law?”

Cetus’ father’s voice was, as ever, cleverly made to fit this place - and its people.

At home, with Cetus, he rarely spoke louder than a whisper. He rested his voice, for here, and didn’t care to risk the unfortunate mistake of a broken voice on the Senate floor. The servants and slaves learned to read his mood and memorized his schedule, so that his needs were met well before he ever had to ask. He laughed and his voice touched music, a strange lilt to his every word, when he was with his long-established friends or allies or Bellona.

Here, his voice rang as clear and loud as any bell, his articulation as sharp as any knife.

“With the Senate separated between the two Crowns, is Law to be divided between the Luxium and Umbrium as well?”

The larger question was, of course, process - and hierarchy. The how of politicking. Mattia had worried, desperately, that the dragons would position themselves above Luxium’s power, if only because they certainly could. Bellona had wondered their position, if Luxium ended up the least of the two courts. Worse, they both opined, would be for the Law to break along the same lines as the rest of the Solarium.

Cetus, too, had wondered.

The Sentinels - however anonymous - were of House Phædryn. Or, at least supervised. It wouldn’t be especially shocking to see his responsibilities largely relegated to the Umbrium, then. He’d hoped it might be brought up throughout today’s session, although his father had already promised to not voice the concern. He was already playing his own hand too loudly, bringing Cetus along to the Senate, and to so directly say what he hoped to only imply, well.

It could be vulgar.

[Arvælyn]

Arkænyn glanced to Æros, his visage remaining tilted upward as only his eyes deigned to descent toward those seated below him. He nodded, once.

"No official statement has been made, but I shall answer based on what I know. The House of Sol'Aværys remains committed to upholding the ancient traditions that have been observed for millennia. As direct descendants of the Founders whose pedigree has not been influenced by mortal bloodlines since the deification of the Varværyn Twins, we will continue to observe the primacy of the Unbroken Line as pertaining to our laws of succession. While it is unlikely that House Phædryn will continue to serve their current role in our succession conclave, the tenor of the endeavour will be much as it has always been. Magical potential will be assessed in the pool of potential candidates, and the mightiest mage will be crowned. However, the old argument between Sanguinists and Immaculists is simply a matter of succession. It has little to do with the day-to-day workings of the realm, and we believe there are more pressing matters that must be resolved in the interim. Her Divine Radiance is a hale, healthy monarch who is like to rule for another glorious century, if not longer." He paused glanced sidelong to his draconic counterpart.

"As for the House of Sol'Zalkyrion," Arvælyn began, "We do not intend to make any public proclamations about policy decisions until we've progressed beyond this transition period and the Umbrian Senate is established. As I understand it, the Umbrian Senate will be involved in the drafting of a Constitutiones Umbriæ wherein the details of His Exalted Majesty's government will be codified. At this point, I can offer no more than that."

But, between the two princes, it seemed they'd delivered enough to get the chamber buzzing with a groundswell of whispers between many of the assembled senators. The Prætor nodded to Consul Argenti, and the princely pair shifted their stances to look back at him as he addressed them.

"It is, Consul, yes." Arvælyn replied, shifting a bit to address the broader body of the senate with the detailed answer. "The Luxium and Umbrium will be ruled as separate states in a single realm, each subject to the laws of their respective Crowns. Open borders will exist between the upper and lower city for subjects of both Crowns and Tertium and the other settlements abroad of the capital will be ruled jointly."

"And, if your question pertains particularly to the maintaining of law and order, then you should know that it appears that the Golden Guard will enforce the law in the Luxium and the Silver Sentinels will do so in the Umbrium. The Præventores of the Golden Guard will be expanded to take on more of the role currently occupied by the Silver Sentinels."

"The Silver Sentinels, meanwhile, will be expanding to oversee the military and constabulary of the Umbrium. Agents from both governments will man crossover points between the Upper and Undercity, but otherwise their jurisdiction will be specific to their sovereign region."

"Does anyone have other questions or follow-ups?" Consul Val"Faradin inquired.

[Aeros]

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The responses provided by the pair of princes solidified the choice Æros wanted to make, at least. All things considered, he and his uncle oft found themselves in agreement on matters of this nature, so he was, in large part, unconcerned about pushback from others regarding what decision would end up being jointly theirs. Some, of course, would raise objections– but the Færie was beyond caring.

Though Æros was, ultimately, displeased by the vague nature of the answer provided by Arvælyn, Arkænyn's response was one that lacked nuance in its entirety and therefore lost his interest immediately. The world possessed far more mystery than something so simple as a singular bloodline reigning supreme above all else. That was not to say his adoration of Solunarium's twin Founders was lacking in ardor, no, only that, perhaps, mixing their blood with other sources of magic, other powerful lines, would yield results more fortified than purity alone. Hence, Arvælyn's mere existence; a beautiful blend of draconic and elven. After all, what does not bend, breaks; what does not evolve falls into obsolescence. The last thing Æros would want was for his beloved nation to falter and crumble because of stubborn adherence to tradition. There was a balance to be struck.

That's even before one considers that Aværys, at least, was free again. Why cling to the unbroken line of old when the deity himself can reproduce once more? Presumably Varvara would follow– though Æros had yet to see or hear from her in any proper fashion. He had no doubts, however, that one would never be content without the other and that, were she not free, she would be soon. The future had so many possibilities far more interesting than the current status quo.

When all were done speaking and it came time to ask any follow-up to what had been said, Æros had some things that incited curiosity, but he was not entirely sure what would be appropriate to ask or what would actually receive answers. Many of his more pressing questions would require time to answer, too. As such, he would appear contemplative, almost musing, but he did not speak further.

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'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"