A Royal Message

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Timestamp:2nd of Cylus, 718
Location: Kura's office, Scalvoris Council Hall

Kura looked down at the letter in her hand, pondering what Celeste Andaris had said. She had heard that Rynmere was cracking down on mages, but to close down the eclipse portals, that was a surprise.. Odds are, those weren't of magical power. Supernatural, yes, but she had a strong suspicion those had been around for a very long time. Domain magic was a relatively young power, younger than the Immortals even, and everything about those portals shrieked of age. More than that, the Eclipse Portals were a great boon to the three nations it connected, allowing them a level of diplomatic ability she had only dreamed of.

Kura thought for a long moment, then let out a sigh and reached her for quill and ink, along with more paper. She would need to write to King Cassander directly, it seemed, if she were to get this ban on the Eclipse Portals lifted. She paused in thought for a moment, pondering the foreign ruler. He was young, and from what she gathered, not all that popular. Celeste's letter had indicated no small dislike for the young king, and she suspected Cassander's youth and lack of popularity had made him hotheaded, quick to act in order to either prove himself or maintain his grip on power.

However, pointing out he was being a fool would not go over well. She needed to handle this diplomatically. His fears were based around Domain Magic, so if she could convince him the Eclipse Portals were not the same thing, or that they presented no threat, he might be willing to open the portals, at least for diplomatic relations. In truth, due to how limited they were in scope, they weren't good for much more than diplomatic relations or saboteurs. She'd looked to them as a possibility for invasion, either receiving or sending, when she had first heard of them, but when their limitations had been discovered, she had mostly set them aside. It would take highly skilled agents to pull it off, and she wasn't that worried about someone using them to open Scalvoris for invasion at the moment. After a moment, she nodded to herself and started writing.

Your Majesty, King Cassander Renault of Rynmere,

I am Councilor Kura Mareth of Scalvoris. I am writing you to discuss the Eclipse Portals our two nations share. I understand that you have forbidden all use of the Eclipse Portals, as part of a campaign against Domain Magic in your nation. Your Majesty, I urge you to reconsider this action, in order to facilitate speedier diplomatic relations between our nations. While I understand that Domain Mages have caused significant problems in Rynmere, the Eclipse Portals are not Domain Magic.

I have looked into Rupturing in regards to the Eclipse Portals, and all known data indicates that these portals have remained open far longer than is possible for a Rupturer to maintain. In addition, the expedition that discovered the existence of the Eclipse Portals was performed here on Scalvoris and there is no indication that any of the people involved in the expedition were in any way mages.

More than that, the Eclipse Portals were discovered at the end of a series of frozen caverns that no one had survived the traversal of until the expedition that discovered the Eclipse Portals, and they were opened by means of an ancient power within the caverns itself. This indicates that the Eclipse Portals are a power far older than Domain Magic, for Domain Magic was a power discovered relatively recently. More likely, they Eclipse Portals are a relic from a time that historians have not yet discovered, predating the rise of the nations that now cover Idalos.

With these details in mind, I urge you not to consider the Eclipse Portals under the same banner of Domain Magic, but rather consider the opportunity the present to our nations. The Eclipse Portals only allow a single person through at a time, but that still allows for a level of diplomatic relations that other nations can only dream of. With the use of the Eclipse Portals, messages that would normally take nearly 30 Trials to reach each other can be delivered in the span of a single day. Meetings between officials can be convened in breaks, not trials or even seasons. Concerns, misunderstandings, and disputes can be settled instantly, as opposed to waiting for word to arrive by ship or mount.

Your Majesty, I trust you see the potential the Eclipse Portals present for diplomatic relations between both of our nations. I know you want what is best for your people, to protect them from otherworldly threats, but speedier diplomatic communication between us can only lead to better lives for the people of both nations. With that in mind, Your Majesty, I urge you open access to the Eclipse Portals, if only for diplomatic relations.

Yours truly,
Kura Mareth, councilor of foreign relations, Scalvoris.

When the letter was finished, Kura pulled a stack of paper over and looked it over, checking to make sure that what she said about Rupturing and the Eclipse Portals matched what she had researched. It all did, fortunately, and she stamped the letter with the official Scalvoris seal and put it an envelope to be sent to King Cassander. As a gesture of the diplomatic strength of the Eclipse Portals, she was hoping to have the letter sent through them to Cassander. For now though, all she could do was hand off the letter to an official and wait and see what happened.

[Djinn]

26 Cylus 718

Councilor Mareth,

His Royal Majesty, King Cassander Renault, wishes to extend to you his gratitude at your passionate and thorough request to reopen the Rynmere portion of the Eclipse Portals. He understands that you went to great lengths to research the nature of Rupturing, and appreciates the time and effort that it took in order to piece together such a well-written and well-researched treatise to reopen the Eclipse Portals.

However, His Royal Grace will not be reconsidering his position at this time. The powering of the Eclipse Portals is an event that His Royal Majesty remembers well, and he does see the diplomatic merit they possess. Unfortunately, he does not share your zeal regarding their esoteric origins, nor is he interested in trying to find the root of the magic that powers them. There is absolutely no contemporary evidence to suggest that these portals share the same type of magic that the Domain Mages possess, but there is also no evidence to refute that either. The trouble with something of this age is that it is impossible to understand the workings of their nature, especially without context in which to observe them. If they were indeed the relic of a long lost civilization, we have no evidence to assume that these portals were not made from some pact with a malevolent spirit, or worse, a Revealed mage.

Moreover, the Eclipse Portals are a relatively new discovery, and are young enough that His Royal Majesty remembers a time before them in which Rynmere's diplomatic position was much the same then as it is now. The Portals, while they do offer unique opportunities for correspondence and convening for disputes and issues rather quickly, are not the only way to conduct business. Convenience, Councilor Mareth, is not a reason to jeopardize the King's health, or the safety of his nation. I am sure that you, in the position you are in, can understand that His Royal Majesty's primary objective is ensuring the safety of his populace, and until such a time as the Eclipse Portals are proven, without a doubt, to contain no connection to Domain Magic or the malefactions that have arisen because of it, His Majesty would err on the side of caution in their use. Or in this case, the discontinuing of their use.

The Lord Inquisitor, Kayled Wine, leads a faction of valourous men and women dedicated to understanding and eradicating the evils of Domain Magic here in Rynmere. His Royal Majesty is sparing no expense in the training and education of these hard-working individuals, and once the Lord Inquisitor is satisfied with his own research as to the nature of the Portals' power and history, Rynmere will reconsider opening its portion of these wondrous objects. However, should the Lord Inquisitor find unsatisfactory results in his findings, the Portals will be irrevocably and unceremoniously destroyed. His Royal Majesty understands the tenuous situation that this may put both Scalvoris and Viden in, but again, a King's onus is to protect, first and foremost.

His Royal Majesty hopes this letter finds you in good spirits, and anticipates a response as equally passionate and thoroughly researched as your first letter. Rest assured, Councilor Mareth, that His Royal Majesty is simply doing what is best for Rynmere.

With regards,

Thelonius Cadwallader Hobart

Prime Scribe to His Royal Majesty, King Cassander Renault

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

The time it took for the letter to respond told Kura that she had not been successful in using the Eclipse Portals to deliver the letter, though she had been prepared for that. So it was, with nearly the whole season having passed, that Kura finally received the response from King Cassander with little hope that he had changed his stance. And indeed, his response made clear that he would not be re-opening the Eclipse Portals. Kura sighed, then paused on one bit from the letter. Then she read that bit several more times before swearing and leaving her office. "Leshli, send a letter to rest of the Scalvoris council, along with Professor Padraig Augustine, requesting that as many as possible meet here for an emergency council meeting on the 30th of Cylus." ehs aid, her tone sharp and authoritative. Leshli paled at that,then immediately got to the task she had been assigned. "And do not disturb me for the remainder of the day unless it is a representative of a foreign nation." she said over her shoulder before she went back into her office and shut the door. She wished the council could convene faster, but with the weather, the 30th was the fastest that could be managed.

Sitting back down at her desk, Kura pondered the letters for a moment, then sighed and pulled out some more parchment and paper. Then she paused for a moment. She was going to need to write to Yvithia as well. Viden needed to be informed of this. She leaned back in her chair, pondering that. It would be the first time she had reached out to Viden, something she had always avoided due to the bad blood between Karem and Yvithia. Then she shook her head, cursing at herself for her cowardice. She had a job to do, and she couldn't let being nervous of Yvithia keep her from doing it. Taking her pen and ink well, she started writing, patiently but urgently. The letter to Yvithia could be held until the council meeting, but as soon as the one to Cassander was finished, she sent it out.

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Your Majesty, Cassander Renault of Rynmere,

I understand your position regarding further use of the Eclipse Portals, and your reasoning in being uncertain of their origins and nature, and I thank you for your appreciation of the research done. I also understand that a ruler, or member of a ruling government in my case, must do what is best for the people and nation they lead. It is, in truth, with this very understanding in mind that I, with both concern and resolution, am sending this letter, for your own response raised two very important points.

The first is that I must, with regret, request the return of the Portal Stone that my government loaned to the Rynmere Academy. The Eclipse Portals were unearthed by Scalvoris and her people, and the stones that power them are the property of our government. The Portal Stone on Rynmere was loaned to your government and academy under the condition that the Eclipse Portal it powers remain open. Since this is no longer the case, and you have chosen keep them close, Rynmere's agreement with Scalvoris has been violated and thus the Portal Stone must be returned to Scalvoris. This will also remove any threat the Portal Stone may pose from your shores, so it is my hope this will be a perfectly agreeable solution.

There is, however, another matter of greater concern in your letter. You acknowledge the potential effect that destroying the Portal Stone could have on both Scalvoris and Viden, and yet you seem to be saying that not only will you make this decision without consulting with or informing either government, but also that you would then act on said decision, again without consulting with or informing either government. Your Majesty, you must realize that such an action would be a declaration that you feel you can make decisions for Viden and Scalvoris without the permission of their governments. While I do not presume to speak for Viden, Scalvoris could not let such an act stand unchallenged.

Your Majesty, I write this letter with the hope this affront to our sovereignty is naught but a misunderstanding, made in the need to make your position clear. I hope for your response as soon as possible, that this matter may be cleared up forthwith and that cordial, hopefully even friendly, relations may continue between our governments.

Sincerely yours,
Councilor Kura Mareth
Head of Foreign Affairs, Scalvoris Ruling Council

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[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Your Majesty, Yvithia of Viden,

Your Majesty, I could but wish I was sending this letter with happier news, however it is with dire tidings that I send this message. As you well know, Scalvoris has given Portal Stones, powering the Eclipse Portals, to both Viden and Rynmere. The relationship between our two nations since has been beneficial for us both, in the exchange of knowledge if nothing else, and if I could, I would allow my pen to dwell upon this happy relationship.

However, a matter of concern for both our nations has arisen. Rynmere has closed their Eclipse Portal and I sent a letter to King Cassander Renault requesting that he re-open the Eclipse Portals. I have enclosed a copy of both my original letter and Cassander's reply. As you can probably tell, towards the end of Cassander's reply, he acknowledges the dangers destroying the Portal Stones may expose both Scalvoris and Viden too, but then goes on to say that he will make and act on this decision if he so chooses, with no indication that he will consult with or even inform either of our governments, an act that can only be an affront to the sovereignty of both our nations.

In the hopes that this was an error made in the desire to make his nations point clear, I have written another letter to Cassander requesting clarification, as well as the return of the Portal Stone as per the nature of the agreement that put a Portal Stone in Rynmere to begin with. You will find a copy of that letter enclosed as well. I am sending you this small mountain of correspondence in order that Viden will not be caught flat footed by any action taken by either Rynmere or Scalvoris, that you and your people may be forewarned and prepared.

In another matter entirely, it is my hope to be able to speak directly to you, or your own minister of foreign affairs, sometime next season so that we may reach an agreement between our nations that extends far beyond just academic lines. If the relationship between our nations were to improve, it would be, I believe, beneficial to both Viden and Scalvoris.

Sincerely yours,
Councilor Kura Mareth
Head of Foreign Affairs, Scalvoris Ruling Council

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