Truce and Peace Talks
(86 Lirisa 376, Outpost on Zoluren’s Southern Border)
For several days there has been an uneasy truce, cease-fire, between the enemy and allied forces. All in prepration to meet at the tables and talk together; each side seeing what the other wants, and would give to have it.
The first of these meetings started this evening, and went on long through the night.In addition to the Prince and Baron (and a few retainers), Raenilar’s entourage was there; I was surprised that for some reason, Jomay and Wyren were also seated at the table, as his allies. Queen Morganae of the Mountain Elves was present; the first time in many years that she has been seen outside of the Mountains. The Chieftain Ruinyk of Horse Clan was there, as well as two representatives of Ilithi.
The herald doing the announcing called them the ‘former government of Ilithi’ winning him no admiration.
The opening salvo of the negotiations went to the Prince when he noticed that Raenilar would not be seated at the table. After that followed many pointed barbs, posturing, and very little I recognized as negotiation, from either side.
Being in the audience, we were able to quietly keep our own counsel about the proceedings. We quickly decided to keep score. I admit it was irreverant, but … it WAS amusing.
Queen Morganae earned the crowd’s praises even though she spoke seldom — but when she did, it was eloquent and precisely to the point; most of her points being very sharp.
The Votary seemed more of an outcast than the Outcasts, sitting there at that table with only Jomay. He seemed to despair of much of the proceedings — and I feel he just ended up playing to the crowd. Whom else was there for him to interact with? His participation will likely be remembered mostly for telling Jomay to “shut up” at one point.
This Raenilar who came out of the desert was a complete disappointment. The Queen said it best, I think, when she said, “You are tedious. Strength without wisdom is always so, and you begin to wear on my patience.”
Prince Vorclaf summed it up with smaller words for him later in the meeting, “I begin to wonder if your ability is only in the body and not in the mind.”
That Raenilar leads must only be because of this prophecy of theirs. He exhibited no signs of a strong charismatic leader that people would actually follow because they trust, admire, or believe in.
Each of our Allied leaders made points, some quite barbed, and showed a great deal of restraint, if not tact.
In the end of this first meet, there was nothing decided on. The only thing I saw accomplished was that Jomay made a bigger fool of herself than even I would have believed, and both Raenilar and the Votary Wyren are now aware of the necromantic rituals which Jomay and Velmix are using. If not the details, neither of them could possibly be ignorant of the general nature of this foul work of the necromancer in this war.
The talks will continue tonight.
A complete account of the proceedings (complete with the unabridged name-calling and a recap every once in a while of the score as we saw it) can be read at the nex scroll here at the Tavern. But do watch for it those who were not able to attend, or those who want to reference something.