Meeting the Provincial Commander

[Anvael Andares]

The Month of Cryxatum, Summer, Era XIV Post Fractum

It was just before noon that the Esh’lahier made his way to the office of the Provincial Commander. With the orcs still comfortably sitting in Narim and Ire in one piece, the threat of another war, a war with an unknown result, was ever present, and he’d needed to make a few precautionary measures. Anvael was a pacifist at heart, a man that had grown up with the ideals of equality and tolerance, who believed in diplomacy before letting the weapons speak, but he was no fool. The orcs were different from them, they were a barbaric, violent race. He’d talk to them, alright, he wouldn’t rush into a war right away, but at the same time that he gave diplomacy a chance, he would see that Sherian could defend itself in case it became necessary. He hated war, he loathed it, but he would not let this province go to Aeternia because of his sometimes ridiculous personal convictions.

Orcs weren’t the same as vysstichi or dracons. He’d had pleasant experiences with both of those, but while he didn’t condemn the greenskins as a whole as most of the people of Sherian happily did, he didn’t trust them in the least.

A provincial army was a necessity, it was vital for the survival of the province, and the first step would be to meet with the one that would be in charge. Of course he’d still have to find soldiers, instructors, he’d have to get weapons and armor and money to fund that army which seemed to be the biggest problem so far, but hopefully this meeting would make things a little clearer and show him what exactly he’d have to do in the near future.

With that in mind he stepped into the office and announced himself. The Governor of Sherian was here, and he wanted to have a word with the Provincial Commander.

[Steve]

Now on his way to see the Provincial Commander, the Governor was getting to see what was outside of Taralon.

The city of Taralon is surrounded by farms and plantations, producing all sorts of diverse products. The combination of rolling plains, and the natural irrigation provided by the Black River that meandered through the landscape made the land ideal for both growing crops and keeping livestock. Farm workers were in the fields, toiling away tending crops and animals alike.

A little distance from the city, though still within sight of the massive fortified walls, stood a farm much like every other. The main farmhouse was accessed from a track, at the head of which was a small gatehouse. Two men were on duty at the gatehouse. When Anvael's escort announced who the visitor was, an escort was called for to take the Governor to the Provincial Commander. The Governor took note that although some of the people were armed, none of those he had seen thus far wore a uniform of any sort. Once inside, the Governor was taken to an office in which sat an Elf who was dressed like a Farmhand as well. He promptly rose, saluted and said, "Serale your excellency. Fabin Blackstream at your service. I am the Provincial Commander. More accurately, I am in charge of the Wilderness Watch. Please join me in refreshments and then we can talk. Your men will be seen to elsewhere."

Those who escorted Anvael were taken elsewhere while attendants brought tea and wine along with cakes and biscuits. After the Governor was served, Fabin continued, "Let me tell you about what serves as your Provincial Army. This is a working farm, but it is also the home of the Taralonian Wilderness Watch. Until recent times, the Watch had been part of the city garrison, though recently they were removed from the roster of Taralonian troops and were given this property to use as a base. Only a select few know the reasoning behind this action and, for now at least, those that do know are keeping the information to themselves. With the change in status came a change in structure for the Watch itself. Whilst Taralon still offers some financial support to the unit, it's Commanders knew it had to adapt to survive, and adapt they did.

"Whilst Taralon could justly be described as a racist city, that did not extend to the Watch. We recruit anybody, regardless of race, and regardless of background. We only ask that a recruit serve two full era's with the unit, and that the recruit swear loyalty to Taralon. Many an adventurer took up the offer to join the watch. Some for the excitement. It was well know that the Watch was Taralon's shock troop unit, the first to be called upon and the best trained. Many more though, join for one specific benefit. For any soldier who serves the two patterns required could, when he leaves the unit, may request a new Taralonian visa in whatever name he wishes. No questions asked, no eyebrows raised. Obviously, an offer such as this has a tendency to attract the less selubrious members of society, but that is something the Watch craves. A man with nothing to lose can be a formidible weapon indeed.

"And so it was that every day another soul would turn up at the gatehouse with nothing left to loose in life but everything to gain. And every day, the Watch took them in. Whether they would emerge again in two era's time with a new identity and a new sense of purpose would remain to be seen.

"Perhaps you wish to comment on what I have told you? Do you have any questions?"

[Anvael Andares]

It was the first time that Anvael visited the Wilderness Watch. He had rarely travelled outside the city so far. The recent cycles had been filled with discussions and negotiations, with trying to get to know the people inside Taralon. Sherian was a pleasant province, beautiful or it would have been if it weren’t for the orcs. It was no Ethgan’tor, no Lauryll or Prime, but it didn’t seem to be such a bad place – although the fact that the Provincial Commander seemed to reside in some kind of farmhouse rather than a fortress was the source of some surprise.

He furrowed his brow as he followed the escort that was supposed to take him inside and studied his surroundings. Nobody was wearing any uniforms which was strange to say the least. The military people he had gotten to know in Lauryll had all worn uniforms. Even the Provincial Commander looked like a mere farmhand rather than somebody of importance. In fact he took him for somebody that simply worked here rather than the man himself until he opened his mouth.

“Mister Blackstream.” He inclined his head in a greeting. He’d heard the name somewhere before he had come to Taralon, but he didn’t exactly remember where or in which context – although he had not known that he would be facing a lightborn elf until a short while ago. He’d always assumed “Fabin Blackstream” was the name of a human. The Esh’lahier tensed a little, remembering the “warm” welcome he’d received at the gates, suddenly aware of the racism of the people of Sherian again. Would his Provincial Commander even listen to what he had to say?

He gave his men a sign to wait – although it was with some hesitation – sat down and asked for a cup of tea from which he took a sip every now and then. “And why is the Watch not part of the City Garrison anymore? Why is it stationed on this farm?” He decided that the purpose of his visit could wait a little. The Wilderness Watch held his interest for the moment. He found it fascinating that an organization like that could exist in Sherian, so close to a city that would gladly kill vysstichi or dispose an Esh’lahieran governor the moment he made a mistake.

“Do the people in Taralon know of this?” he asked. He couldn’t help it. He needed to know. “Do they know that you have dark elves and dracons and all those other races here? And what do they say about it?” He allowed himself to relax a little now. A man that was in charge of an organization that accepted all races would have less of a problem with an Esh’lahier than most.

He could imagine that the Wilderness Watch attracted the questionable elements of society – and that was the reason for some concern – but on the other hand Blackstream had a point when he said that a man that had nothing to lose could become a formidable weapon. Normal people always worried about their families or their homes, but those that had none could give themselves to the fight completely. Anvael was no military man, but to him this didn’t seem that bad.

“How many men are currently part of the Wilderness Watch?” he asked. This would be his last question for a while. He wanted to give Blackstream an opportunity to answer now.

[Steve]

After the refreshments were served and the Governor asked his questions, Fabin replied, "Well, when it was decided that the Wilderness Watch would be a Provincial entity, it was best to shed any control that the city of Taralon had. Much more reasonable for a Provincial Force to answer to the Governor rather than to the Thane. Also, the funding providied by Taralon was not enough to sustain us. Out here on the Farm, we pretty well blend in and can move around without much notice, We'd be more conspicuous in Taralon, especially the races who are not popular with our citizens. These days the people of Taralon don't pay much mind to the Wilderness Watch. To begin with, few of them see us, so they don't much care.

"Our number stays pretty steady at about 300. We pretty well support ourselves and we can't afford any more. Then too, if we had a lot more, neighbors might get to wondering why there are so many people on a farm. Usually, most of the Wilderness Watch is off on some assignment, so those left behind, work the farm and train the newcomers. I don't think there are any on the farm now so you wouldn't have noticed them, but we have some Orcs in the Wilderness Watch too.

"Mostly we gather information about what's going on in the Province. We try to infiltrate places like Ire and Narim as much as we can, but that's easier said than done. A lot of people have been lost doing that. Those Orcs don't take kindly to our scouts. They look at them as spies.

"You got any more Questions"

[Anvael Andares]

„I understand.“ It was indeed more reasonable for a provincial force to answer to the Governor himself and not the Thane, and he actually felt that his question had been somewhat redundant now. “And it makes sense that the Wilderness Watch is out here considering the racism of the people of Taralon of which I have experienced my share.” He made a face. “But tell me, Mister Blackstream, why do you not share your fellow citizens’ attitude? It seems strange to me to find that a man that is so heavily involved in Sherian is willing to work with vysstichi or even dracons.”

“300 is not a lot”, he commented. It was more than enough for the Wilderness Watch to fullfill its purpose, but not enough for a provincial army, and the Wilderness Watch seemed to be the closest thing to a provincial army they had at the moment. He needed more than just the Wilderness Watch, a proper military unit, if he wanted to ensure the province’s safety long-term. He could ask the Legions for help, but eventually Sherian needed a defense of its own.

He almost mentioned it to Blackstream, when one of the elf’s statements caught his attention. “You infiltrate Ire and Narim? What kind of information did you gather? Did you find anything useful out?” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his cup of tea, looking at Blackstream all the while. So he’d sent spies to the orcs. If a lot of them had been lost, some of them had made it back to safety. The things they had found out while in the enemy’s territory would be invaluable.

[Steve]

This was the part where Fabin Blackstream had to be careful. He much preferred to give information as he saw fit rather than answering questions. He enjoyed a large degree of independence but he realized that the Governor needed to be kept informed. So he answered as he felt was his duty to.

"To accomplish what we must, the attitude of the citizens toward other races is not the deciding factor. If we are"to send agents into Ire we cannot use the races that have the approval of our fellow citizens. We need to send those who might gain the approval of those in Ire. Thus we recruit not only Dracons and Vysstichi but we use Orcs as well.

“We do infiltrate Ire and Narim when we have the resources. Some of our agents return, some do not. Of those who return, some are really agents of the Orcs and give false information. Others give inaccurate information. Fortunately, some give us good useful information. I take it upon myself to decide what is accurate.

""Äs things stand now, it appears that the Orcs are not of one mind. Some want to take over the entire Province. Some want to peacefully coexist with us. The two factions are at odds with each other but both factions are adament about Narim belonging to the Orc. At the present the prevailing Orcs seem ready for peace that ensures their control of Narim, with that city being open to all races. Of course Ire would remain a city where only Orcs and their supporters would be tolerated.

[Anvael Andares]

„Orcs. In the Wilderness Watch.“ Anvael prided himself on being more tolerant than most – there had been vysstichi among his childhood friends - but this here was a little unexpected, and he did not know what to make of it. “Is the risk worth it?” He wanted a peaceful solution to the orc problem, but he did not trust those greenskins entirely and would never rely on orcs if he could help it. What kept them from just running back to Ire and inform their chieftains of what was going on in Taralon?

“How much contact do you have with Ire?” he asked. “If the orcish leaders decide that they want peace with us, will the rest of them obey? What do you personally think, Mister Blackstream? Would you prefer a peaceful coexistence with the orcs or the destruction of Ire?” Fabin Blackstream was one of the more important people in Sherian as far as he know and had been there much longer. He wanted to know what he thought of the current situation and how the problem could be solved.

[Steve]

The reaction of the Governor was to be expected. Any relationship with Orcs that was not adverserial was suspect to most individuals.

The Human replied, "Whether you call it gathering intelligence or spying, the greater the risk, the greater the chance for important information. I have no doubt that the Orcs in Ire are spying on us as well. We well may be using the same agents. I suspect that some are loyal to Orckon, but I am confident that some are loyal to us.

"Most of our contact with Ire is by what they choose to pass on through those they know to be our spies. We tolerate each other's spies in order to communicate with each other. Of course we we both hope that some of our spies are unknown to the other side.

"If we have a peace pact with the Orcs, not all of our people will abide by it. Neither will all of the Orcs abide by it. Minor hostilities are to be expected regardless what agreements are reached. I would much prefer an agreement with the Orcs. We have had enough destruction in the Province. I think that the Orcs who are now in control feel the same way. The Imperial Military is ready for war. It is their purpose. After the war, the Imperial Forces will go home and leave the Province in ruins.

"Regardless of who wins the War, the Orcs will hate us more than ever and our hatred toward them will increase as well. If we opt for peace, there will still be killings and hatred, but much less. There is one certainty, the Imperial Forces will never eliminate the Orcs, nor will the Orcs destroy the Empire.

"Just as the Orc warriors yearn for war, our Imperial Forces welcome combat as well. A soldier will not find glory in time of peace."

[Anvael Andares]

„How can you be sure of that?“ the Esh’lahier asked as Blackstream said he was confident that some orcs were loyal to them. “How can you assure an orc’s loyalty? On the few occasions I had contact with the orcs, I found them vastly different from us. They burn a city to the ground and call it justice.” He had come to the Wilderness Watch to inform himself about the province’s military units, but this was just as important. It intrigued him, the Provincial Commander’s point of view.

“I would prefer peace as well”, he admitted. “Despite everything he believed that a peaceful solution would be better, that there’d be less bloodshed, but he trusted neither the Empire nor the orcs. “Violence only breeds more violence, and in the end there’ll only be losers. But I don’t know how peace can be achieved. The Imperial Legions are already preparing for an attack. The people of Sherian demand blood. I don’t trust the orcs to keep their part of the bargain either. They are savages.”

“How much is the word of an orc worth, Mister Blackstream? As somebody who has worked with the Wilderness Watch, you can probably answer that question better than most. Help me if you want the province to be safe.”

[Steve]

Blackstream smiled faintly as he replied, "I am not sure of the information I get from Orcs. Their culture is not like ours. Their concept of right and wrong is not like ours. What loyaty may mean to an Orc is questionable as well. However, Orcs are not stupid, they simply have values that are not like ours.

"I am confident that the current Orc leadership seeks to improve their economy, regain land that they feel is rightfully theirs and strengthen their position within Aelyria. Those who are currently in control of the Orcs believe that they can best achieve their aims if the Orcs are at peace with the Empire. As I said, the Orcs are not stupid. They do not expect to subjugate the Aelyrian Empire. However, they are very confident that the Aelyrian Empire cannot subjugate them.

"If there is war with the Orcs, do you think the citizens will fight if defeat seems likely? I do not think they would. However, an Orc is more concerned about defeating the enemy in front of him than he is of later consequences. Once hostilities begin the Orcs will continue fighting until they win or they are dead. Remember, we live in cities, the Orcs live in a fortress.

"Thus far, the Orckon leaders are refraining from hostilities. You just might have a chance to make this into a period of peace. If you decide on peace, I suspect you will have more trouble with the Imperial Army than with the Orcs. Remember too, even if we have peace, some of our citizens will be killing Orcs and some Orcs will be killing our citizens.

"If you opt for peace, some will see you as a great statesman, others will see you as a cowardly traitor"

[Anvael Andares]

„Do you think they speak the truth when they say that Narim is rightfully theirs?“ he asked. He couldn’t help but wonder. He had seen that old map, had heard Vrassun’s words, but he hadn’t been there to witness the signing of the original treaty that promised them all that land. What if they were lying? What if those politicians up in Prime were lying, denying that a treaty had ever been made because they didn’t want to give a part of their precious Empire away? And how could you ever forget all those people that had already been killed?

“Unfortunately very few people besides the two of us are even willing to consider peace.” The orcs almost seemed more reasonable here. “If I make peace, I need convincing arguments, and how can you convince people that believe that they have every right to kill orcs, that want to avenge their dead? Their hatred is understandable.”

“It’s a dilemma, isn’t it?” he asked. “Tell me, Mister Blackstream, if the leadership of the orcs changes, will the new leaders adhere to the treaty? If not all of them are of the same opinion …” If he made peace, against everything that the Empire said, it would mean the end of his career, and he’d probably live the rest of his life as a beggar. There would be no gratitude from them. Even if he made peace with the orcs, if he made promises to them, if the Empire didn’t support it, it would mean nothing … less than nothing. If they thought he was a fool and a traitor, they would send their Legions, regardless of whatever treaties had been signed …

How could you convince people that had suffered at the hands of the orcs to forget their hatred? How could you make them realize that preventing a war would be better for everybody? Maybe he should just give in to them. Better if the orcs hated him than all of the Empire …

“If it turns out that war is inevitable, that neither the Minister of War nor the Regent are willing to consider peace, will you still support me? Would you still do your best if it turned out that there will be nothing but a long and bloody war waiting for us?”

[Steve]

"Truth can be an elusive entity, particularly when dealing with a race that has values so different from ours. What is a truth to them may well be lies by our standards.

"Keep in mind as well, our own leaders might be lying. Those who are in power, often believe in their own infinite wisdom to the degree that attaining their own goals might be considered more important for the good of the Empire than would be the truth.

"Add to that, the fact that the senior military are more likely to find advancement and glory in time of war and not when there is peace. It is a rare situation that the military will opt for peace unless they have been soundly defeated.

"You ask what would happen if you made peace and the leadership of the Orcs then changed. That is an unknown, however if you do make peace, I believe the present leadership in Ire will be strengthened. Something quite likely to happen is that if we attack the Orcs, the present leadership who talk peace will be discredited and lose what power they have.

"There will be peace of some sort eventually. The only question is when and how. First of all, I doubt that the Empire will ever occupy Ire. If we kill most of the Orcs the peace will be confinement of Orcs to Ire so long as a siege is maintained by the Imperial Army. If the Orcs kill off most of the Imperial Army in Sheria, there will be the peace that they now propose. If the losses are relatively equal on both sides, we will come back to the peace that exists now.

"Since the inception of the Widerness Watch, I have supported the Governor whoever may be in power and I will continue to do so. We have been a Provinicial Army of sorts during that time. Now a large Provincial Army is being raised. Questions are being raised by the populace and my own people as to who is in control of the Provincial Army. Some recognize that it is the Governor's Army. Others feel that the Thane has taken over control. Yet others feel that the Imperial Army is in control of them and will use the Provincial Army as expendable troops.

"When it comes to war or peace the citizens are divided. One extreme wants to wipe out the Orcs, the opposite extreme enjoys the prosperity now that there is no conflict and trade in Taralon has been increased because the port of Narim is idle. Most citizens are undecided but may well decide once they know how the Orcs will be handled. There are not many citizens anxious to leave their families and jobs to fight the Orcs. Most expect that the Imperial Army should do that. The tough talk in the Taverns is not voiced on the farms or in the mines."

[Anvael Andares]

So the Imperial Government could be lying, the orcs could be lying and actually think they were saying the truth, ans the Legions desperately wanted that bloody war because there was nothing for them to gain while there was peace in Sherian. That was rather depressing – and frustrating on top of it. He actually considered locking the Regent, the Minister of War and the City Master of Ire up somewhere and not let them out before they had come to some kind of agreement, but after some thought he decided that it would be far more likely that there were three corpses at the end of the brightening rather than a peace agreement.

“And if we win the war and the orcs are confined to Ire, won’t that make them hate us even more? What would keep them from making a plan to kill as many of us as possible? If the orcs win, those that mourn the loss of their loved ones now will be dead as well. If nobody wins, we’ll have exactly the same situation as we have now. I have to admit none of those three possibilities make me particularly enthusiastic …”

“I want you to answer to me first and foremost, Mister Blackstream. I want you to come to me first, not to my brother, not to the Regent or the Minister of War.”

“As I said before, I need something to convince the Imperial Government not to try and attack the orcs, but whatever I have done so far has fallen upon deaf ears. They say the orcs are lying, that Narim was never rightfully theirs, that the orcs break their promises, that we must not forget all those that have died at their hands. Sometimes I think they are right, and I’m a hopeless idealist …”

“If I, if we do not find something that would convince them not to attack there will be war. The Senate has to ratify any treaty I make with Ire. If you know something that hasn’t already been tried, please tell me now. Otherwise I’ll need the Wilderness Watch more than ever. I’ll need your spies in the coming war, and I’ll need you to work together with the new provincial army that is going to be raised …”

[Steve]

"The post war possibilities I mentioned are bleak indeed. The only way to bring peace through war is to exterminate the Orcs. Some may choose that path but the slaughter of sentient beings does not come easy to most individuals. As I mentioned before, even if you try to eliminate the Orc race as a viable force, they will regroup in the fortress city of Ire, breed and rebuild an Army, all the time stoking their hatred of us. There are members of the Orckon leadership who are even more anxious for war than is the leadership of the Legion. If we have war, there will most likely be a shift of influence in the Orckon leaders ship.

"You need not doubt that I will answer to you first and foremost. I do not work for the Thane, the Regent or the Minister of War. However, it appears the me this Provincial Army that is being raised, answers to individuals other than you.

"The Wilderness Watch will assist you with the intelligence that we gather.

[Anvael Andares]

"As I said before", Anvael said and sighed. "I have no idea how to convince them. I've told them everything that you've told me now, but the Legions insist on attacking Ire. If you can't help me here - and it seems that you are the only one in the provincial government who is against this war - I will go to the Minister of War and tell him that he has my full support."

Bloody Legions, bloody Imperial Government and bloody orcs, he hoped that they would all burn together in Aeternia one brightening and leave him alone!

"As to the Provincial Army", he continued once he had calmed down a little. "I've been told it will be mine. What gave you the impression that it answers to somebody else?"