After a long silence, Mandrean spoke. “Today our Empire has
lost a great general, patriot, teacher and friend. A brilliant military
mind is gone forever. He will be missed. Let us hold our memories
of him dear and take to heart his lessons, even from his deathbed.”
Necromancer heard the final statement and knew the time had
come to reframe the issue. He floated out of his seat, bowing to
Mandrean and then the crowd. “My Master and good people of the
empire, the loss of General Gramlick was a blow like no other. Let
no assassinations of his character ever be spoken, for he served this
empire to the last.
“And let us not forget that it was only the late general who
would stand up and say that the same empire is broken! It has not
been the same since the incident in Trader’s Ally. Every general
here speaks of revolts, taxes unpaid, mines shut down and near
mutiny.” He addressed the generals. “Were these problems so
blatant before the entrance of that despicable Sartanian into our
midst?”
Seeing an opportunity to exonerate their positions, the generals
other than Tathbar joined his sermon. “It was entirely his fault,”
cried one. “He made us look weak,” added another.
“And so he did,” Necromancer railed as he worked the room
into a frenzy. “If I may be so bold as to say his name, Linvin
Grithinshield is the cause of all our ills. He incited the people and
decimated the legions in a most unfair and cowardly battle. The
finest horsemen in the world were killed without even being given
a chance to defend themselves. The capital nearly burned to the
ground, and this palace was likewise defaced and mutilated. Lord
Mandrean was even held as a hostage for a brief time.
“Only the wise rule of our great emperor has seen us through
these dark days that have followed. I have heard countless excuses
and accusations in this chamber, but the true cause of all our
problems is not the empire or the emperor. It is the one who
insulted both and ran away like a fox in the night. Linvin
Grithinshield is the problem. His memory sparks revolution. His
insolence insults every citizen. He emboldened Sartan to force us
out of the Unclaimed Territory and inspire desertions into its
borders. It is not beyond reason that he played a hand in the demise
of the great Gramlick. The onset of his illness nearly coincided
with Grithinshield’s arrival. Make no mistake about it. Linvin
Grithinshield came here to single handedly begin the fall of our
empire. Even our all-powerful emperor still strains from wounds
dealt by the fox during his escape from justice.
“Too long have we tried to make our problems complex when
their solution is so simple. Grithinshield must return to answer for
his crimes!” The crowd cheered. “Only once Emperor Mandrean
has vanquished him for all to see will the minions fall in line and
restore the glory of the greatest land Lavacia has ever seen. With
our pride and honor reestablished, no nation would dare stand in
our way.”
lost a great general, patriot, teacher and friend. A brilliant military
mind is gone forever. He will be missed. Let us hold our memories
of him dear and take to heart his lessons, even from his deathbed.”
Necromancer heard the final statement and knew the time had
come to reframe the issue. He floated out of his seat, bowing to
Mandrean and then the crowd. “My Master and good people of the
empire, the loss of General Gramlick was a blow like no other. Let
no assassinations of his character ever be spoken, for he served this
empire to the last.
“And let us not forget that it was only the late general who
would stand up and say that the same empire is broken! It has not
been the same since the incident in Trader’s Ally. Every general
here speaks of revolts, taxes unpaid, mines shut down and near
mutiny.” He addressed the generals. “Were these problems so
blatant before the entrance of that despicable Sartanian into our
midst?”
Seeing an opportunity to exonerate their positions, the generals
other than Tathbar joined his sermon. “It was entirely his fault,”
cried one. “He made us look weak,” added another.
“And so he did,” Necromancer railed as he worked the room
into a frenzy. “If I may be so bold as to say his name, Linvin
Grithinshield is the cause of all our ills. He incited the people and
decimated the legions in a most unfair and cowardly battle. The
finest horsemen in the world were killed without even being given
a chance to defend themselves. The capital nearly burned to the
ground, and this palace was likewise defaced and mutilated. Lord
Mandrean was even held as a hostage for a brief time.
“Only the wise rule of our great emperor has seen us through
these dark days that have followed. I have heard countless excuses
and accusations in this chamber, but the true cause of all our
problems is not the empire or the emperor. It is the one who
insulted both and ran away like a fox in the night. Linvin
Grithinshield is the problem. His memory sparks revolution. His
insolence insults every citizen. He emboldened Sartan to force us
out of the Unclaimed Territory and inspire desertions into its
borders. It is not beyond reason that he played a hand in the demise
of the great Gramlick. The onset of his illness nearly coincided
with Grithinshield’s arrival. Make no mistake about it. Linvin
Grithinshield came here to single handedly begin the fall of our
empire. Even our all-powerful emperor still strains from wounds
dealt by the fox during his escape from justice.
“Too long have we tried to make our problems complex when
their solution is so simple. Grithinshield must return to answer for
his crimes!” The crowd cheered. “Only once Emperor Mandrean
has vanquished him for all to see will the minions fall in line and
restore the glory of the greatest land Lavacia has ever seen. With
our pride and honor reestablished, no nation would dare stand in
our way.”
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