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Gunther von Saxon looks into the eyes of the Archmage.

I will not argue morals in a house of legislature. I will only argue reality! This is not the time to end slavery. Take the damned compromise if you know what is good for you. Do you want this land to run red with the blood of young men!?
 
"No my Lord! Your proposal will only allow slavery to continue! A meager fine of 5 chests, insignificant compared to the profits of the slave trade, will allow slavers to pat themselves on their back while they promise that it will all soon end. There is only one thing that will make it end; the edge of a sword!"
"The rich Slavers are not the ones who often harm the majority of the slaves. They have no reason to damage the, um, merchandise, they are selling." Krestarii takes a deep breath before continuing, "It is those who purchase the slaves who harm them. They often can not afford to lose 5 chests of gold. Furthermore, 5 chests of gold is often more than some people are charged for murdering their wife..."
 
A messenger from Berandriel arrived to delver a message to the Archmage, the messenger seemed to be in a hurry and was anxious to deliver the message as it contained important information from Lord Zephfer. He stood before the guards of the Golden City and was sweating due to his long run to the city.

Messenger:"Guards of the Golden City, I must speak with the Archmage the fate of Galadriel is in stake please let me through I beg of you!!!"
 
A messenger from Berandriel arrived to delver a message to the Archmage, the messenger seemed to be in a hurry and was anxious to deliver the message as it contained important information from Lord Zephfer. He stood before the guards of the Golden City and was sweating due to his long run to the city.

Messenger:"Guards of the Golden City, I must speak with the Archmage the fate of Galadriel is in stake please let me through I beg of you!!!"

"Let him pass. Speak quickly, Messenger."
 
"The rich Slavers are not the ones who often harm the majority of the slaves. They have no reason to damage the, um, merchandise, they are selling." Krestarii takes a deep breath before continuing, "It is those who purchase the slaves who harm them. They often can not afford to lose 5 chests of gold. Furthermore, 5 chests of gold is often more than some people are charged for murdering their wife..."

You're argument is flawed! It is the act of holding men and mir in bonds that allows harm to befall them. Only the act of abolishing slavery will stop this. It is us, THE LORDS OF LIGHT, that must lead by example. Do you not follow the Light, my Lord?! The Dark One took men, elves and dwarves and twisted them to their own purposes. What was the result? The Orcs! Saved and turned back from the Dark, we have welcomed Orcs back to the Light. You just saw the result of your Dark, in the form of a mutilated Elven girl. Will you not break her chains and welcome her to the Light? Turn from the Dark, I say, My Lord, or doom will befall you!"
 
"I do not claim to be Emperor, but my office obligates me to act for the benefit of the entire realm. And I will not trade an iron slave collar for soft satin! Slavery is wrong, and I will fight to abolish it!"


Well that's what these compact is gonna achieve with time. and i sincerely believe not that much really. hear me my lords slaves suddenly released to the street will in many cases not be in condition to maintain themselves even if there were work available for them, and that is not gonna happen with the recession that is gonna hit.

The compact will make these slave to be treated and feed correctly like the living being they are , by the time they get release they will be in conditions to allow them to work hard for their new future, furthermore with no economic collapse they should easily find a way to maintain themselves and their future families. Thats what lord krestarii have presented to you..away to build a prosperous future for EVERYONE in the realm!.

The Arch-Mage here even though well respected for his knowledge and bravely is very mistakes on what he is creating....in his over eagerness and passion if we may say....have blind him to reality, his desire to do this have make him unable to reason correctly....He is NOT building a better future for everyone even though he blindly believe so, he is bringing doom to all of us be slave or freeman.

He is not bringing a new future for the slaves...he is only bringing them starvation and death in the streets and fields,, and lets not forget he is bringing war to the realm but not against an evil enemy follower of the dark lord ...no he is bringing war between the lords in the realm. Imagine with me the future he is bringing: burning cities, devastated fields, thousand deaths in battlefields all around the continent, that's the world the slave MAY be released if the arch-mage gets his way...and i say may because nothing guarantees his side will win. IS that what you want my lords? death, devastation? economic collapse? Hundreds of thousand starving in the streets because there is no food? bandits everywhere you turn around? the collapse of the whole realm? if you desire so then listen to the Arch-mage BUT! if you want a bright future in which everyone can live in honesty, and full of the ligh of the creator then I ask hear lord Krestarii, sign the Compact!

Kvothe Kalare sit down again..meanwhile many lords were looking at him awe struck by his response.
 
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-Stop this idiocy Arch-mage, you are trying to bring a war to the realm that no one wants. You are trying to manipulate them by showing an abused slave, even though the compact prohibit such actions and make them Ilegal.

If no one wants the war, then it will not happen, there is nothing the ArchMage can do to make us fight. Do not blame him for a war if one comes, we are free men. As far as showing that woman, he is not trying to manipulate you, merely show you what you are defending.

-Arch mage YOU are not emperor to end something you don't like nor you have formal power over us to threaten ANY lord here.

He has not tried to act as emperor, he simply proposed a law, something that is entirely within his rights as ArchMage.

-Furthermore as Lord Krestarii has say the compact will stop this abuses, it will give the slaves a decent treatment by their owners. It will stop new people becoming slaves and more importantly it will with time end slave trade and therefore slavery. Time is needed You want to just free hundred of thousand of slaves to the streets suddenly?

The ArchMage is not wrong, five chests of gold will not be any great expense when the slave trade still exists. Anyway, the protection from abuse will only be enforced by the whim's of the local lord, so it might deter the common man from abusing his slaves, but there is no guarantee. It doesn't truly do anything to stop the abuse of slaves for those who wish to maintain it. It will stop new people from becoming slaves in a very specific set of circumstances, and I do believe that we will see forgeries of official papers for slaves captured in raids. Even if we do not, there are ways to get more.

--first of all every economic action that use salves will collapse, be it agriculture building crafting, you mention it. and that alone mean the collapse of many lords and areas and if not collapse a severe recession that will end many jobs, secondly with the recession hitting where will these slaves find jobs? or food? if not even free citizens can do it what could a slave just released hope for? only to starve by the thousand in the streets. If that's the freedom you want for the slaves you are simple mad.

The businesses that use slaves might undergo transition pains, but I do not think they will collapse. These newly freed slaves could easily become employees making a salary, the business would profit less, but with the slaves entering the economy with their new buying power I do not believe it will fit to your doomsday predictions of total economic collapse. And even if it did when do we draw the line? We gladly kill bandits and and raiders, even though they are part of the economy, in the cases of some criminals, a very big part. Slavery is no different, it is an immoral act just like those committed by criminals.

The compact make it be phased therefore not breaking apart economies and allowing the slow but steady freedom of the slaves yo an environment that can maintain them and allow them to have a decent living once they are freed, NOW this is what i would believe much better than to starve in the streets.

I don't think that people will be starving in the streets as I previously explained, but even though the compact mentions it, there is no clear outline for how slavery should be phased out. And if your hostility now is any indication I believe you will fight the banning of slavery in the future as well.

And i repeat for the last time: YOU are NOT the emperor or a successor of him, YOU cannot threaten to end these by the sword, and furthermore your desire, because yes my lords it is desire, to end this in a war will just destroy and kill many people, making the environment for the new freely slaves well worse and not helping them at all.

You overstep your bounds Kalare, the ArchMage only seeks war if the people of Agorath do not receive the freedom they deserve. If you all agreed to release your slaves there would be no war, so do not put it all on him.

As I have said, I am willing to accept the compromise, but I must continue to voice my concerns and opinions. There are moral and political issues that must be addressed.

Armas sits in his seat tired from his speech.
 
"You are wrong, Arl Kvothe of Kalare! It is your refusal to turn from the misery you foster that is dividing this land. I say again, my office compels me to act for the greater good. I am done arguing. My Lords, I implore you. Join me in this struggle and return the bonded back to their homes."
 
"Let him pass. Speak quickly, Messenger."

The messenger handed the Archmage a letter which contained Zephfer signature.

Dear Archmage,


When you read this do not announce what you've learned for the sake of our races....Something bad has occurred, something from the ancient past that our ancestors had fought and thought that they were destroyed. The Dark Elf's are going to return to Galadreil, and the Ghost of the Dark King Melekith is going to turn my home, my people and myself into the Dark Elf's. We only have a weeks time to stop them, or a major war of Darkness and Light will begin again but this time Darkness may win in Galadriel. So please do not speak of this at the assembly and if you can send anything you deem necessary to help us, I myself will try to stop this threat at the Belan Don Caverns.
 
My Theories on the Origins of the Krestarii Family
by Actoranionii Valush, Court Mage of Azeratii​
The most common theory of the origins of the Krestarii family is that they were some Lords that held some land somewhere in Eccelestus, and were driven from their land, until they found Azeratii. They look very Southern Imperial, and fallow many of the traditions of the Southern Imperials. It seems to make since that they are in fact Southern Imperial. This theory makes much since.
One thing makes this theory illogical. The Krestarii do not believe in the 4 Divines. A matter a fact, they don't even seem to believe in the Creator, or the Dark One. Well, not in the same way as we do. The Krestarii religion is complex, and very different from ours. They believe in a Goddess, one who created everything, and balanced it. Light and Dark, neither can overwhelm the other, if they do the world is thrown into chaos, but it will eventually balance. The Krestarii have a reverence for their ancestors that is not often shown in Agorath. When an ancestor that accomplished a great feat dies, they are almost given a god status, and a shrine is built to them by the current Krestarii. They often pray to their Ancestors, more then they pray to the Goddess.
Now, the fact the Krestarii have a different religion from the rest of Agorath doesn't mean to much on their own. The religions of Agorath are all different. Another interesting thing about the Krestarii is that, in the few historical records they have from pre-Azeratii is that their is no mention at all of the Age of Heroes, the Dark One, or the Creator. They do mention a land of plenty, and a war for power, one I believe the Krestarii seemed to have lost. They also mention a long sea journey to a large landmass, which I assume is Agorath.
While the Krestarii have adopted many customs of Imperial culture, some traditions they have are different. For one, it seems to be in their religion that the ones who negotiate are always to rule over those who fight. This has been adopted by the Krestarii that the older brother is trained in diplomacy and intrigue, while the younger one is trained in war. Another odd tradition of the Krestarii is that it seems when they first took over Azeratii, there women were equal to the men in almost everyway. This has somewhat faded, as Imperial society does not look favorably on women who act as equals. Regardless, Krestarii women still have a large autonomy compared to women of other Imperial noble families.
Looking at all this evidence, I have come up with a simple, yet scary new theory. The Krestarii are not from Agorath.
 
Eylinn rose to speak, still shaken by the girl's markings and beatings.

" This compromise proposed is nothing but ink. The suffering would remain, and the burden left on the accuser. Up to any lord to enforce by his own whims. I could never put my signature on such a paper that would let slaves remain unfree, nor could I've trust anyone to uphold it. Men have given me few reasons to trust them in the past." She gave a spiteful smile. "And speaking of men, what man hides behind the poor to carry their argument?"
She sat once more.
 
"Archmage, you speak of Light and Dark, but slavery is of neither. It simply is, not dedicated to any side."

Justinus gestures to the elven woman.

"This woman is no worse off than the veterans of war who returns without limbs or are gripped by madness. It happens, it is the sad truth, but we should not take away the rights of a lord. IF a lord is truly so horrible, his peers will bring him down, no Assembly needed for that."

Justinus turns to the Archmage with a frown.

"All I see here right now is Madness, when I gaze upon the Archmage. So obsessed with causing a war to erupt, that he has become blind to the consequences. Hundreds of thousands will die in a civil war and in the days after, if his demands have gone through, it would create a huge void, as former slave masters would become poor, their businesses destroyed, while newly freed slaves will be unemployed and poor."

"House Celestian will support the Slave Compact. It will be the right of each lord to sign the compact or not, unlike the Archmage who wishes to destroy Agorath. Did the Prophecy ever state in which form the Dark One would return?"

As he says the last, his eyes narrows, gazing upon the Archmage, to see his reaction.
 
Gunther stands up and turns to the rest of the Assembly.

I tire of you fools. Good day to you Mistress Eylinn, Count Justinus, Lord Asharian, Jarl Kvothe, the Archmage Gunther spits in the Archmage's general direction, and to anyone that I have missed.

Gunther then exits the building.
 
Gunther stands up and turns to the rest of the Assembly.

I tire of you fools. Good day to you Mistress Eylinn, Count Justinus, Lord Asharian, Jarl Kvothe, the Archmage Gunther spits in the Archmage's general direction, and to anyone that I have missed.

Gunther then exits the building.

The ArchMage scoffs, "Behaviour befitting of a Lord of Light, indeed."
 
The Crownless Arl sat down in his chair as usual, but ended his silence and spoke up with his old dark voice with authority worthy of a king:
- "I will not ride out to war for something that does not affect The Pale" he looks over to Eylinn "But I know several housecarls and shieldmaidens who grew new friends in their visit, I am sure they would like to visit the forest again to protect them"

The Pale is willing to lend out 2000 Troops to defend Galadriel's borders
 
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Captain Jacob stood near the doors of the Great Hall, his arms crossed in front of him as he watched the argument take over the assembly. After Count Gunther stormed past him, Jacob turned to one of his left-tenants and said a few words. With a smile and lust for gold in his eyes, the Mercenary Captain disappeared from the Assembly.
 
Arnulf the Young, Erl of Stronghelm, stands up:

I vote NO to the proposal of the Archmage. He seems to have forgotten about such things as decency and reason, trying to force his strange ideas upon us. The Empire has always respected private property - and it inludes the right of its subjects to own slaves. Even the Emperor could not abolish slavery - and now a man, who is only an interim regent, wants to rob thousands of people, and infringe on their rights! It will lead to civil war, and thousands of men will die. We cannot allow that to happen.

I vote NO to Arl Alföðr Frostsverð proposal. It is only reasonable for people, that own property, to have the right to sell this property to other people. We do not neet such drastic limitations to become a precedent. Next time we will be forbidden to own and sell lands, crops, something else!

I support Compact for Slave Trade Control. We should not treat our slaves in a cruel way, and we should stop other actions, that are an abuse of the right to own slaves. We should make the institution of slavery more modern and civilized, develop it - not try to abolish it.

- Arnulf the Young, Erl of Stronghelm, descendant of the Last King
 
The High Steward, who had sat stewing since the beginning of the Assembly finally rose from his seat.

"My Lords, this is getting us nowhere! Let us end this madness! We have seen, for the first time in centuries, the greatest moment of cooperation in the eastern lands. We cannot, we must not, throw this opportunity away."

The ArchMage rose to his feet. "Greatest moment of cooperation? There may have been brief agreement while we were threatened by an outside threat - but I ask you, what about the threats from within?

"I will not call this a time of cooperation when so much is brokered on the backs of the chained. I will speak no more of this, and I shall depart from this assembly while the callous disregard for the sanctity of free will is so rampant, that my eyes and nose burn from the horrid stench."

The ArchMage has left the Assembly.
The Proposal to abolish slavery has receded.
 
Eylinn didn't lift her eyes to watch the Archmage leave. As he left the room, he left a roaring silence behind him. She turned her eyes towards Frostverd, with a gaze that rank with hurt, noticeably scorn despite the troops he had assured would come. It was events like this that made her hate politics so much.

If there was any consolation, it would be that the realm was no longer under the threat of immediate war. But it would only be for some time, and she knew this as well, and she had already made up her mind where she would stand when it would come.

She held her peace, but her mind was everything but peaceful.

Eylinn Mindrilla of Green Chasm will return to her lands and not partake in any quest or send her champion in her stead, needing time to settle down and make sense of the events that have unfolded.
 
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((With the stout resistance met by the proponents of slavery, war has been averted, for now. With peace maintained in Agorath, not only can we breath, but this turn is a perfect opportunity for Schemers and Diplomats to get caught up in prestige. So set up your diplomatic missions, and plots, folks!

And don't forget, we have a quest pending in Galadriel if any hero would like to send their champion to aid Master Zephfer (Zex) as well as a quest from Emir Asad (Galren) to uncover the Great Library of Hroniden.))