10th of Ashan, Arc 718
Welles, the Eastern Settlements
His attire was... regular. His face, normal. He didn't take on a false appearance, nor a fake identity. Nothing that would link him back to Kian, or Cappola, or to that ranch. His invitations were discreet as could be, quite literally rupturing letters onto the desks of the recipients. He only invited three, the ones he knew for certain would still retain some loyalty to him: Zaran Ki'zola, Lena Chicasaw, and Kamden Bradford. His three most beloved advisors, who - between them - kept Oxentide and Novilane strong.
The city was among the jewels of the Kingdom. There was Andaris, Sabaissant, Westcliff... and then there was Oxentide. It was urban, dense, filled with trade and industry. The manufacturers built and provided goods to much of the world around them, and exported many items to foreign city-states. Alistair was given responsibility over it, and during the time in which he lead, he'd done well. The only issue was... he was banished from the Kingdom for magic. It wasn't exactly a very quiet banishment, either. He was outed before everyone by his own grandmother, who somehow believed that the most sure-fire way to dispel scandal from the house would be to facilitate the execution of their heir.
Not everyone agreed with her decision. Not everyone fancied Willow and Kaleb ruling Venora... and in particular, the people that despised the current state of affairs the most were the advisors of Novilane, who all unanimously knew what failures Kaleb and Willow had brought in their leadership. Alistair, despite his magic, was a good and robust leader. He had the potential to herald Oxentide as one of the greatest cities in the Northern Realms... but his potential was cut short, by bigotry alone.
The burnings, the hunting, all of it had been gruesome. The King and Empress' authority had been exacerbated massively by their efforts to 'quell magic within the Kingdom', and as proud leaders of a city bordering on the Duchy of Andaris, the councilors of Novilane had experienced this breach of the ducal contract the most. Now, they were not leaders at all, merely facilitators for Cassander's ambitions.
Alistair knew this. For every policy, there was a selection of the public and many private individuals who would detest such changes. Whether it was ideological or administrative, each of the three invited her had a strong gripe against the mage-hunt, and a compelling allegiance to the Venora who stood before them. The only question was whether or not they would assist him in reclaiming the Barony, and the Duchy.
Welles, the Eastern Settlements
His attire was... regular. His face, normal. He didn't take on a false appearance, nor a fake identity. Nothing that would link him back to Kian, or Cappola, or to that ranch. His invitations were discreet as could be, quite literally rupturing letters onto the desks of the recipients. He only invited three, the ones he knew for certain would still retain some loyalty to him: Zaran Ki'zola, Lena Chicasaw, and Kamden Bradford. His three most beloved advisors, who - between them - kept Oxentide and Novilane strong.
The city was among the jewels of the Kingdom. There was Andaris, Sabaissant, Westcliff... and then there was Oxentide. It was urban, dense, filled with trade and industry. The manufacturers built and provided goods to much of the world around them, and exported many items to foreign city-states. Alistair was given responsibility over it, and during the time in which he lead, he'd done well. The only issue was... he was banished from the Kingdom for magic. It wasn't exactly a very quiet banishment, either. He was outed before everyone by his own grandmother, who somehow believed that the most sure-fire way to dispel scandal from the house would be to facilitate the execution of their heir.
Not everyone agreed with her decision. Not everyone fancied Willow and Kaleb ruling Venora... and in particular, the people that despised the current state of affairs the most were the advisors of Novilane, who all unanimously knew what failures Kaleb and Willow had brought in their leadership. Alistair, despite his magic, was a good and robust leader. He had the potential to herald Oxentide as one of the greatest cities in the Northern Realms... but his potential was cut short, by bigotry alone.
The burnings, the hunting, all of it had been gruesome. The King and Empress' authority had been exacerbated massively by their efforts to 'quell magic within the Kingdom', and as proud leaders of a city bordering on the Duchy of Andaris, the councilors of Novilane had experienced this breach of the ducal contract the most. Now, they were not leaders at all, merely facilitators for Cassander's ambitions.
Alistair knew this. For every policy, there was a selection of the public and many private individuals who would detest such changes. Whether it was ideological or administrative, each of the three invited her had a strong gripe against the mage-hunt, and a compelling allegiance to the Venora who stood before them. The only question was whether or not they would assist him in reclaiming the Barony, and the Duchy.
