MZA An Act of Peace or Peril?
Last Tuesday, the Queen's Advisory Council enacted a piece of legislation with the potential to tie the hands of our military when swift action is required. Spearheaded by Lord Kendal, the 'Britannian Peace Act' may be a contradiction in terms.
Full text of the Act:
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I. The bounties on demons are removed from the public lists. Signed, Lord Kendal, Chair of the Queen's Advisers |
On its face, the Act appears innocuous enough, though perhaps a bit vague and over-broad in its terminology. Since Britannia has only recently emerged from a time of kingdom-wide peril and governmental treachery, it is understandable that those currently in power may wish to be a bit overcautious. On the other hand, we emerged from that period with our long-time alliances intact, have gained the friendship of the people of Ter Mur, and have rebuilt our nation. Should we not fight to keep what we have and ensure that those who wish to take it from us are resoundingly discouraged?
We wouldn't want to offend or enrage any of the neighboring kingdoms, let alone incite them to war. Hence, our military routinely requests the permission of, or coordinates a joint action with, sovereign nations for actions on their soil through diplomatic channels.
I contacted Lord Kendal through the palace Press Office for an interview regarding the act. As per protocol, I submitted the questions to be asked, which unfortunately prompted his response in the form of an official press release.
However, for ease of public consumption, I have broken the release down to his responses to my questions:
Do you believe that this Act will actually promote peace, or potentially cause the Kingdom's ministries to react less swiftly to emerging threats due to fear of censure?
"The Britannian people are tired of unnecessary war. It has become vital for the kingdom's stewards to protect peace."
Why did you single out daemons as entities unworthy of bounty? Are they not traditionally antagonistic to our Kingdom and its peoples?
"The Queen's Advisers believe that by singling out demons for bounty, we encouraged their organization and mobilization against the Kingdom. It seemed foolish to pay a great deal of gold to organize future enemies to the Crown. We believe there is a better way."
"From the reports I have read, I believe that the individual demonic creatures responsible for the attack on Britain and Yew have been dealt with by our forces. If anything, the enemy has received greater losses than we have. I will not allow the kingdom's warmongers to use those incidents as an excuse for any future escalations."
"As for the Bane Chosen, we are keeping a close eye on that situation."
I must admit, I was somewhat taken aback by his lukewarm response to the hostile actions taken by entities known to be antagonistic to the Britannian way of life. The daemons he dismisses as having been dealt with are members of a vast Conclave whose goals include the death of Queen Dawn and the return of a powerful elemental titan of fire.
The Advisor's close eye on the Bane Chosen must have been looking the other way when Magincia fell without protest to their forces. The fact that this hostile army is in fact led by the same daemon who controls the Conclave must have escaped the Advisor's hawk-like gaze as well. I would be remiss if I failed to point out that Ors, the Queen's husband, had also been abducted by the Bane several weeks ago. One could begin to question when the observation of an enemy's actions crosses into apathy and negligent inaction.
History clearly shows that conflicts with the Daemon Conclave and the Bane Chosen were not due to warmongering on the part of the Royal Guard or the Ministry of Security. In fact, neither Britannian organization paid them any heed until they engaged in blatantly belligerent and aggressive actions on our soil or against our allies.
However, under condition of anonymity, several individuals in both organizations expressed significantly less-publishable sentiments towards both the Act and its author.
The true worth of the Britannian Peace Act will be proven in the days to come. With both the Conclave and the Bane Chosen acting with near-impunity on our soil and against our interests, Britannia cannot help but be drawn into another war.
Would not a dragon protect both its hoard and its eggs with every means at its disposal, or rather bind its jaws shut and slip into a torpor hoping the world only consists of the light of Virtue?
The Conclave and the Bane Chosen seek to remake our world in VirtueBane's image. They will smash our eggs, steal our hoard and end our lives to do it - unless we stand up to them. Britannia's enemies must learn how sharp the dragon's fangs truly are!
Martyna Z'muir, Library of Sosaria
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