Eternity RPC Board
Kalstad, Adwest (1 Quartyr 1584)
The Count of Laxenhive paced back and forth with slow, heavy steps across the hall. With each moment the heel of his polished black shoes met the floor, a significant thud bounced from the dark wooden floorboards. Every so often he would glance at his wristwatch, imported from Eskkya and seemingly crafted from a diamond or three. The shimmer of the luxurious accessory - collecting such being a habit of the count - tested the patience of his attendees. Two members of the Royal Adwestene Constabulary standing guard in particular often had to look away as their superior passed in front of them; the afternoon sunlight from the open windows at the opposite side of the hall refracted from the count's watch right into their eyes.
Nonetheless, the Count of Laxenhive paid them no attention. Time mattered to him, and he was irritated with tardiness and other means of disrespecting time.
One of the doors leading to the expansive room gave way, although the Count of Laxenhive refrained from drawing to it; he had not heard the sound of a vehicle stopping outside his summer residence and so inferred it was not his guest that had just walked in.
He was right, as he heard a maiden's voice. "Tea, your most honorable eminence?"
For a second, the Count of Laxenhive stopped his repetitive walk and faced his female servant. His brows puckered as he told her "You may use your previous way of addressing me, Belinda. And no. Inform me when the Lord Halnish arrives."
The servant smiled and gave a curt bow of the head, before scurrying out with a steel tray of cups and a kettle skillfully balanced in one hand. Before doing so however, the maiden shot a flirtatious flick of her eyes at one of the guardsmen.
The affair of his household assistants escaping his notice, the Count of Laxenhive went over and opened a sliding glass door which led to one of the larger patios in the residence. Although he enjoyed the ambiance of the high-roofed guest room which was supposed to be the venue of a meeting today, the thought of fresh air to recollect his thoughts enticed him to exit for a while.
The 1st of Quartyr would be a hectic day for Neil Gore-Culross, the Adwestene Lord Protector. Already he found himself displeased that he would not be able to attend the first sermon of the Argent Church this month - he was a pious Adwestene. More than that though, he was set to discuss with the head of the Round Table Council the long-term agenda of reclaiming lost territories. This would be a normal day of affairs for the Lord Protector had it not been for several factors, however.
First, he was disliked immensely by that man he was set to plan the course of the empire today. Gore-Culross likewise reciprocated his bereftness of good graces. Robert Halnish was that man who headed the Ducal Council and who was a primary advocate of the use of force in the Round Table, and who seemed disinclined to serve under the new Lord Protector merely for the fact that Gore-Culross was a mere Count, and he a Duke. Antagonism between the High Nobility - who under the patronage of the late Lord Ashford and supposedly Queen Sophia I - and the Lower Nobility regularly flared when it came to political appointments.
Second, the fact that his consultations were now wholly with the Round Table and its members and did not include representatives say from the Foreign Ministry made it clear that the "second generation" of National Rejuvenation leaders would go on the war path. The Count of Laxenhive was, of course, at the head of this generation. An array of policymakers which included the new Chairs of the Round Table and the Ducal Council, the ministers of War and Foreign Affairs, and the generals of the Grand Army of Adwest. Gore-Culross professed earnestly as a militarist himself, but not to the extent of deviating from the Lord Ashford's "Diplomacy before War" approach.
The effective occupation and slow but sure assimilation of Westenne in the beginning of this year marked the second Adwestene triumph in her efforts at imperial restoration. The few battles that were fought in the Northern Territories and the exile of the homosexual Jonathan Rhys allegedly to Oslanburg now gave Adwestene leaders freedom to look west, the notoriously termed "Final Frontier" that would be the third and final step towards the quest for glory.
This Final Frontier encompassed the territory of three sovereign states; the People's Republic of Falsea, the Republic of Cynas, and the Grand Duchy of Sindar-Astrasia. The Lord Protector wanted their reconquest to be in one fell swoop, but he knew this would be a difficult if not outright impossible task altogether. In addition, foreign reaction was an ever-present danger that threatened not only to stop the reclamation of the Final Frontier but destabilize the region and Adwest as well. The silence of the world regarding the takeover of the Northern Territories was a boon that would not last long, the Lord Protector knew.
Through this thinking, a plan to achieve their final aims and at the same time shore up Adwest's safety and security in the international community was hatched by him. And this was none other than to build a coalition of nations that would support Adwestene imperial ambitions and take a slice of the pie for themselves. It was a win-win situation, as Gore-Culross had already acknowledged the security umbrella Taeunas had over Cynas and the difficulty of pushing historical territorial claims onto Falsea - which did not entirely become part of the First Kingdom of Adwest in reality.
The strategy the Count of Laxenhive wanted to pursue, in his mind, did not differ from that pursued by his predecessor. The late Lord Ashford courted a number of fellow reactionary regimes from Nerysia to as far as Tieguo as a safeguard in case the international community with their "international laws" and "democracy & freedom" came knocking around. The proxy conflicts in Brigidna and elsewhere helped to stave off attention from Kvaenna save for the exception of Kolhar, yet even Kolhar's issues were settled without the participation of outside powers.
Today's balance of power was different from that of the time of Lord Ashford, and pickings for reliable failsafes were now slim. Concessions had to be given, and eventually the grumblings of several of the Lords were silenced when the new Lord Protector presented his plan to cut up the Final Frontier between Adwest and a number of other powers; what he named the Great Partition.
Five minutes after lounging around in the patio, the Count of Laxenhive reentered the house only to catch sight of Lord Robert III Halnish entering as well. The Duke was in full military dress, in the shade of a midnight blue. He stared at the Count, stiff more because of his formality than out of anxiety.
"Good afternoon Neil" greeted the Lord Halnish.
The Count of Laxenhive returned the greeting, offering him a seat and a lukewarm smile. He held back a sigh of amusement at the fellow's get-up; both he and Halnish knew the latter wore that military uniform only because he was part of the Round Table and not because he was a soldier in any sense, unlike the former.
He took a seat as well, glancing one last time upon his watch. The Lord Halnish arrived five minutes after the set time of one in the afternoon. They now need only wait for the representatives of the other stakeholders.
The beginning of the end had come.
The Count of Laxenhive paced back and forth with slow, heavy steps across the hall. With each moment the heel of his polished black shoes met the floor, a significant thud bounced from the dark wooden floorboards. Every so often he would glance at his wristwatch, imported from Eskkya and seemingly crafted from a diamond or three. The shimmer of the luxurious accessory - collecting such being a habit of the count - tested the patience of his attendees. Two members of the Royal Adwestene Constabulary standing guard in particular often had to look away as their superior passed in front of them; the afternoon sunlight from the open windows at the opposite side of the hall refracted from the count's watch right into their eyes.
Nonetheless, the Count of Laxenhive paid them no attention. Time mattered to him, and he was irritated with tardiness and other means of disrespecting time.
One of the doors leading to the expansive room gave way, although the Count of Laxenhive refrained from drawing to it; he had not heard the sound of a vehicle stopping outside his summer residence and so inferred it was not his guest that had just walked in.
He was right, as he heard a maiden's voice. "Tea, your most honorable eminence?"
For a second, the Count of Laxenhive stopped his repetitive walk and faced his female servant. His brows puckered as he told her "You may use your previous way of addressing me, Belinda. And no. Inform me when the Lord Halnish arrives."
The servant smiled and gave a curt bow of the head, before scurrying out with a steel tray of cups and a kettle skillfully balanced in one hand. Before doing so however, the maiden shot a flirtatious flick of her eyes at one of the guardsmen.
The affair of his household assistants escaping his notice, the Count of Laxenhive went over and opened a sliding glass door which led to one of the larger patios in the residence. Although he enjoyed the ambiance of the high-roofed guest room which was supposed to be the venue of a meeting today, the thought of fresh air to recollect his thoughts enticed him to exit for a while.
The 1st of Quartyr would be a hectic day for Neil Gore-Culross, the Adwestene Lord Protector. Already he found himself displeased that he would not be able to attend the first sermon of the Argent Church this month - he was a pious Adwestene. More than that though, he was set to discuss with the head of the Round Table Council the long-term agenda of reclaiming lost territories. This would be a normal day of affairs for the Lord Protector had it not been for several factors, however.
First, he was disliked immensely by that man he was set to plan the course of the empire today. Gore-Culross likewise reciprocated his bereftness of good graces. Robert Halnish was that man who headed the Ducal Council and who was a primary advocate of the use of force in the Round Table, and who seemed disinclined to serve under the new Lord Protector merely for the fact that Gore-Culross was a mere Count, and he a Duke. Antagonism between the High Nobility - who under the patronage of the late Lord Ashford and supposedly Queen Sophia I - and the Lower Nobility regularly flared when it came to political appointments.
Second, the fact that his consultations were now wholly with the Round Table and its members and did not include representatives say from the Foreign Ministry made it clear that the "second generation" of National Rejuvenation leaders would go on the war path. The Count of Laxenhive was, of course, at the head of this generation. An array of policymakers which included the new Chairs of the Round Table and the Ducal Council, the ministers of War and Foreign Affairs, and the generals of the Grand Army of Adwest. Gore-Culross professed earnestly as a militarist himself, but not to the extent of deviating from the Lord Ashford's "Diplomacy before War" approach.
The effective occupation and slow but sure assimilation of Westenne in the beginning of this year marked the second Adwestene triumph in her efforts at imperial restoration. The few battles that were fought in the Northern Territories and the exile of the homosexual Jonathan Rhys allegedly to Oslanburg now gave Adwestene leaders freedom to look west, the notoriously termed "Final Frontier" that would be the third and final step towards the quest for glory.
This Final Frontier encompassed the territory of three sovereign states; the People's Republic of Falsea, the Republic of Cynas, and the Grand Duchy of Sindar-Astrasia. The Lord Protector wanted their reconquest to be in one fell swoop, but he knew this would be a difficult if not outright impossible task altogether. In addition, foreign reaction was an ever-present danger that threatened not only to stop the reclamation of the Final Frontier but destabilize the region and Adwest as well. The silence of the world regarding the takeover of the Northern Territories was a boon that would not last long, the Lord Protector knew.
Through this thinking, a plan to achieve their final aims and at the same time shore up Adwest's safety and security in the international community was hatched by him. And this was none other than to build a coalition of nations that would support Adwestene imperial ambitions and take a slice of the pie for themselves. It was a win-win situation, as Gore-Culross had already acknowledged the security umbrella Taeunas had over Cynas and the difficulty of pushing historical territorial claims onto Falsea - which did not entirely become part of the First Kingdom of Adwest in reality.
The strategy the Count of Laxenhive wanted to pursue, in his mind, did not differ from that pursued by his predecessor. The late Lord Ashford courted a number of fellow reactionary regimes from Nerysia to as far as Tieguo as a safeguard in case the international community with their "international laws" and "democracy & freedom" came knocking around. The proxy conflicts in Brigidna and elsewhere helped to stave off attention from Kvaenna save for the exception of Kolhar, yet even Kolhar's issues were settled without the participation of outside powers.
Today's balance of power was different from that of the time of Lord Ashford, and pickings for reliable failsafes were now slim. Concessions had to be given, and eventually the grumblings of several of the Lords were silenced when the new Lord Protector presented his plan to cut up the Final Frontier between Adwest and a number of other powers; what he named the Great Partition.
Five minutes after lounging around in the patio, the Count of Laxenhive reentered the house only to catch sight of Lord Robert III Halnish entering as well. The Duke was in full military dress, in the shade of a midnight blue. He stared at the Count, stiff more because of his formality than out of anxiety.
"Good afternoon Neil" greeted the Lord Halnish.
The Count of Laxenhive returned the greeting, offering him a seat and a lukewarm smile. He held back a sigh of amusement at the fellow's get-up; both he and Halnish knew the latter wore that military uniform only because he was part of the Round Table and not because he was a soldier in any sense, unlike the former.
He took a seat as well, glancing one last time upon his watch. The Lord Halnish arrived five minutes after the set time of one in the afternoon. They now need only wait for the representatives of the other stakeholders.
The beginning of the end had come.