MZA The King Pro-tempore and the Pauper
The King Pro-tempore and the Pauper
Over the course of the last few months, a criminal known only as 'Pauper' has carried out a plot to cripple Britannia, and seize control of Britain. His activities have largely been kept quiet, and I have only mentioned this Pauper a few times in my articles as his true identity has largely been a mystery. This has changed....
Before I reveal that, however, I believe a recounting of the villain's fell deeds is in order - as the citizenry should know the full depth of this man's evil.
Pauper's first known act was to turn a Royal Intelligence operative stationed in Trinsic, Felucca to his will. This traitor played a small part in Andrew and Melissa's assassination of the Royal Mage Clainin. In a cowardly attempt cover his tracks, Pauper lured his new follower into a lethal trap.
The next time his influence could be felt was during a state dinner held in Castle British where Danth, a Meer dignitary, was poisoned. Pauper's pawn in this act was one Elizabella Prospero, an ambitious mage from Moonglow, who used a new form of blackrock poison. Elizabella's life came to an abrupt end in the Malas pyramid; this would become a running theme for those who aided the Pauper.
Further activity from Pauper involved the smuggling of a strange blackrock ore. The ore made it into the hands of the orcs who live in the mine southeast of Yew, along with a book detailing the construction of an advanced war machine: a blackrock golem. The threat was swiftly destroyed, as the orcs had only managed to construct one prototype.
Michael of Moonglow, a mage researching the unusual properties of blackrock, was the Pauper's next target. Pauper thought the mage's research could be valuable and had him abducted and taken to the Pass of Karnaugh in Ilshenar. Michael was rescued and went into hiding after his ordeal.
An undercover source learned that Pauper's plans were part of the Shadowlord's greater machinations to despoil Sosaria. Pauper worked with Andrew, the unpleasant man who dwelt in the void accessible briefly in Moonglow. Pauper instantly turned from powerful criminal to instrument of evil.
A part of Pauper's larger plan was revealed in the Central Dungeon in Ilshenar. There, a massive force laid in wait for a siege on Britain. More blackrock golems had been created by his minions, along with a substantial gathering of powerful evil entities. After many great battles, these forces were defeated - or so was thought...
Three armies had already been dispatched to Despise, the Hedgemaze, and Buccaneer's Den in preparation for the siege on Britain. Each army had been given explicit instructions to not destroy the city, but to cut it off from the rest of Britannia and make the life of its citizens miserable. Pauper's instructions showed a disturbing degree of familiarity with the functioning of the Royal Guard and the capitol's defenses. Once more, these armies were valiantly defeated before they could launch the attack. Britain was spared. Upon the corpses of the army's leaders, Royal Signal Lanterns were discovered - identical to the one which rests on Casca's balcony.
The next time Pauper's hand could be detected was during an ill-advised diplomatic endeavor conceived of by Casca. The King Pro-tempore ordered that the Diplomatic Corps help to relocate a cyclops tribe from the Lost Lands to a location in Ilshenar. The gate provided to the cyclops for their journey actually opened into the desert north of Zento. Since the cyclops had been foolishly provided with supplies by the Royal Guard, the people of Tokuno saw this as an invasion - an act of Britannian aggression. War was averted when the cyclops' leader was slain.
Since the Shadow War had ended so abruptly after the crystal allowing the Crimson Dragons to enter Trammel was destroyed, many questions have remained. Why did daemons and ophidians join in the attacks against Yew and Vesper? Fortunately both questions would be answered... The daemons joined in the attacks because Pauper and Andrew promised that a book significant to their history could be found in Yew. They believed this lie and helped attack the forest town. The ophidians who attacked Vesper were a rogue group who believed Britannia had betrayed the peace treaty after the Scion War. As it turned out, Britannia had indeed betrayed them - or rather its King Pro-tempore had. Evidence has been discovered that Casca sent weapons, armor, and trainers to the terathans to help them in their endless war with the ophidians.
Rumors of dark goings-on spread from Zento to Britain. Through investigation, it was learned that people had been abducted from Zento and taken to a small island north of Homare-Jima. That island was controlled by many powerful beings loyal to Pauper. A costly battle was waged to wrest it from them; and once secured, it was discovered that experiments with blackrock had been conducted there. Explosive crystals veined with blackrock had already been tested in Mt. Sho, projecting blackrock into the nearby environs. A larger cache of the crystals had been scheduled to enter the volcano in one week's time.
Forces were sent to the volcano to ensure that Pauper's plan would be thwarted, and ensure the safety of the peoples of Tokuno. Waves of creatures duped into serving Pauper's interests marched on the caldera, eager to throw the crystals veined with blackrock into the lava. Fortunately, very few crystals made it to their destination, and nothing dire occurred. However, this is where our story gets truly interesting...
Each of the creature groups had been promised something in return for their assistance to Pauper. The kappa were given a feast of gourds, a paltry reward for their aid. The Yama-uba was promised human flesh to quell its undead hunger, a truly beastly payment. When it came to the yomotsu... Well, their words speak for themselves...
|
The Deal Tenaga-Ashinaga, our ally and father of death, comes with a man dressed as a king. We do not kill him, despite his form being almost human. He talks to us of our mines and our ways. He offers us new weapons and new methods of war. All he asks is one favor, a small ritual related to the volcano. We will gather crystals from Tenaga-Ashinaga's home south of the moutain and bring them to the lava flow. Tossing them in, a debt will be owed to us. To seal the deal, I have traded weapons with this man. I have his staff; he has my blade. |
The staff spoken of in the text is a Royal Staff... Curious, no? And what of the blade given to the 'man dressed as a king'? Ah, well, this is the piece I have been waiting for... As I have been questioned about my articles critical of Casca...of not showing the proper deference to our King Pro-tempore. My loyalty to Britannia has been called into question, and even a warrant issued for my arrest by that tonaik srow... I shall no longer hold back all that I know, for the blade of Yometsu decorates the bedchamber of Lord Casca in Blackthorn's Keep. Pauper the puppet of the Shadowlords, and Bane of Britain, is none other than Casca himself!
For those who cling to the false notion that Casca has Britannia's best intentions in mind, I call you fool. Of Casca, I call him TRAITOR!
Again I call on all Britannians loyal to the memory of Lord British to rise up and depose this tyrant, this e'trit who works for the Shadowlords to defile our kingdom. We must end Casca's reign, truly make him the pauper he fancies calling himself.
DEATH TO PAUPER!
Lady Martyna Z'muir, Library of Sosaria
(To see all the evidence and every book from the EM plotlines, please head to the Library of Sosaria, directly south of the Yew moongate, and look in the three colored boxes stacked on the western wall. You may also find them in the in Pauper's Plan in the Royal Spies section of the Modern EM Events category.)
Back to 2009 Martyna Z'muir Archives
