Operation story: BB-1

Characters
Previous BB-ST-1	Next BB-TR-1
Kal'tsit Theresis Theresa Timid Slave (Goodluck) Scareye Mon3tr Banshee (Laqeramaline) Nezzsalem Duq'arael Wounded Mercenary Impatient Civilian Snappy Civilian Newly-Arrived Medic Slave Trader Wary Civilian Woman's Voice
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6

Before operation

“

The year is 1030. Theresa and Theresis visit the Scar Market to prepare for the founding of the "Military Commission". Theresa mentions her dream of building Babel again.

”

<Background 1>

Sixty-four years ago... Autumn, 1030 Scar Market, Kazdel
[The market is bustling with the sound of metal clanking.]
Wounded Mercenary	You protect this tag around your neck with your LIFE! You're MY precious property, slave! You understand?! Sarkaz swearing You'd better be worth something.
Timid Slave	...
Wounded Mercenary	Stay here and don't move. You, you inspect the goods?
The slave trader casts a glance at the silent slave behind the mercenary's back, then slightly shakes his head.
Slave Trader	Where'd you get it?
Wounded Mercenary	Found him on my way here, dying of thirst and about to become mangler chow. Thought he could fetch a good price.
Timid Slave	I... came from Kazdel... I can find someone who...
Slave Trader	Doesn't matter to us where you're from, slave. Say you're Higashinese for all we care, as long as someone buys you out. I'm just checking if you've got a tail. You never know where these mercs get their "goods".
Wounded Mercenary	I promise you he's clean.
Slave Trader	You better not be messing with me. Cash or barter?
Wounded Mercenary	Ain't gonna live long enough for money to mean something. Give me some good weapons.
Slave Trader	You're the boss. He's second-rate, at best... that'll net you two blades, freshly cast.
[The mercenary angrily pulls out his machete.]
Wounded Mercenary	How about you take another look, with your eyes open this time!
Slave Trader	You can dress him up as a first-rate, but it won't change anything. If you don't like our offer, feel free to get lost. And put that machete of yours away... This is the Scar Market you're in.
[The mercenary sheathes his machete.]
Wounded Mercenary	...Can you throw in more? I was out on the Leithanien border before I got back, I've got first-hand intel about the whole war in the Core—
Slave Trader	Well, here's something for nothing: careful what you spew out of that mouth if you want to stay alive here. Mouthing around you have valuable "first-hand intel"... You want to guess where that'll get you? Leave the goods and scram. You're holding up the line.
Wounded Mercenary	grunt.
Slave Trader	Not happy? Drown your sorrows in the bar. Our boss, Scareye, brews one heck of a drink. Doesn't matter if you can't pay your tab... they'll take your weapons as collateral, merc.
Wounded Mercenary	One more thing... where do you run your bounty board? I'm here to strike it rich.
Slave Trader	The barfolk'll be happy to inform you.
Wounded Mercenary	Sarkaz swearing.
<Background fades out and in>
The merc stares around this floating hub, hidden away in the giant subterranean hollow beneath Kazdel. Amidst the moans of the slaves, the faint yet constant rumble of lava and bursts of Originium dust can be heard rising from beneath the market. Eyeing the rugged path behind him, the mercenary recalls the perils he faced to reach here from the surface and shudders.
<Background fades out and in>
[A crowd has gathered in the market.]
Wounded Mercenary	Just how many people are there in that goddamn... chasm?
Slave Trader	Enough to break your fall, if you jumped. Welcome to the Scar Market, greenhorn. You'll love it here.
Wounded Mercenary	What's the deal over there? Why the crowd?
Slave Trader	Probably another big name just rolled back into town. Aren't you here to "strike it rich"? Go on, then. I'd rather keep my horns out of all that mess.
The merc vaguely makes out a pale white figure flitting through the chaotic gloom of the street. White clothes? You don't see that everyday in Kazdel.
Wounded Mercenary	...
[A white-haired Sarkaz man in armor approaches the merc.]
???	You're injured.
Wounded Mercenary	Tell me something I don't know.
Slave Trader	Gkh! cough cough! You're—
Wounded Mercenary	...?
???	The last time I was here, it was someone else handling transactions.
Slave Trader	Guh. Yes... You're referring to my grandfather. He never stopped bragging about how he'd fought you and lived. I'm surprised you'd remember him. In the good sense, though, that means he wasn't lying all this time. It must've been sixty years ago by now... ...General Theresis.
Theresis	Already? How sad that nothing here has changed at all.
Slave Trader	I imagine with Her Highness here, too, there'll be no more violence this time, eh? Even if things get bloody, eventually you'll leave, but we'll always be here, General. We'll always have business, so long as Kazdel's unrest never rests. Even now, I remember one thing my grandpa mentioned in his boasts. He said to you, it's the land of Kazdel that needs us.
Theresis looks at the slaves, their heads down in their cages. He draws his sword.
Theresis	War and turmoil have necessitated this trade for over a century... this Scar Market.
[Theresis' sword cuts through the slave's chains.]
Timid Slave	G... General—I...
Theresis	Provided you can reach the surface alive... Take a fresh look at Kazdel. Much of what you know will soon change. All Sarkaz will be part of this change.
Slave Trader	All? Us too?
Theresis	Yes. I'm not inclined to explain our vision to the likes of you. But I will stay here a while longer and wait for her return. Until then, I welcome you mercenaries to challenge me, just as sixty years ago. I will take you to Kazdel, willingly or otherwise.
His voice isn't loud, but every Sarkaz present hangs onto his every word. The mixed-blood Sarkaz stands alone—no retinue, no army—armed only with an ordinary-looking longsword, casually held in the hand that wields it. His steely gaze pierces through the dim of the street, settling calmly in the direction of the only person he cares for.
<Background 2>
Theresa	You can dismiss the mercenaries in ambush. No doubt they're your most trusted men.
Scareye	This is out of my respect for the King of Sarkaz. None aside from the General can claim to know your true motives, after all. Your Highness, do you truly believe this can change the fate of the Sarkaz? That you're not just another ill-fated hero caught in this cycle of hope and failure?
Theresa	Once the dust has all settled, your answer will come naturally. Following that pyrrhic victory, we built from zero a moving city, the great nomad of Sarkaz soil for over a century now. We can evade Catastrophes and foreign armies. Our development has finally reached a point of basic self-sufficiency. But it's so far from enough. The storm has long been brewing on the horizon, but we were too oblivious, like a burdenbeast too slow to react, too old to move.
Scareye	Your Highness must be referring to that war between Leithanien and Gaul.
Theresa	Surely you, too, are aware of the magnitude of that war. Corsica I even secretly hired our Royal Court Casters as his consultants, but despite a period of seclusion, Leithanien's Witch King thwarted Gaul's offenses with his opening move. And now, Ursus and Victoria have also declared war on Gaul. These present empires display a might so far removed from the enemy one hundred and thirty years ago, against which we staked all Kazdel just to barely prevail. That was already a victory in name only. If Kazdel must now be thrust into the same situation, how could it possibly end?
Scareye	... It is for this end that you wish to establish the "Military Commission of Kazdel". Yet, the old aristocrats of the Royal Court grow resentful, refusing to relinquish their sumptuous city lives and viewing this as an attempt to challenge their privileges.
Theresa	A century of peace is enough for certain memories to slip their minds.
Scareye	So, what made you deign to come here in person? Do you see the "Scar Market" as the "Royal Court" for the bottom-feeders, where the likes of us scape by and make merry?
Theresa	My only hope is for more Sarkaz to join us and resist the voices that refuse to embrace change.
Scareye	Resist? Perhaps your Highness meant "terrorize" and "purge".
Theresa	What I want is a reform, not a slaughter.
Scareye	So, what's the reward? The Scar Market's not a real Royal Court. What we have with the mercenaries is partnership, not fealty. Without compensation, no one will work for us.
Theresa	...Reward? Are the spoils of war not enough? Are the riches, power, or food that should have gone to the hungry people not enough to sate your appetite?
Scareye	...
Theresa	You claim to provide shelter and a livelihood for countless Sarkaz warriors with your rhetoric of justice... Yet, I could almost hear their bones crunch as you squeeze them dry for profit.
Scareye	Sorry, but in this business, we eat people whole and chew on their bones.
Theresa	Scareye. You too are Sarkaz. You too are a part of Kazdel.
Scareye	...
While Theresa cannot see what expression lies behind Scareye's mask, his emotions are clear as day before her pitch-black crown. No commoner in Kazdel would ever dare defy the Royal Court. But in his emotions, all Theresa sees is fervor and bloodthirst.
Theresa	You won't refuse.
Scareye	...Hah. Why would I? Do you think I'm scared they'll take revenge on me? The Royal Court's no mystery to me, Your Highness knows that plenty well. And let me say... You've promised me, no doubt... the best "reward" I could ask for. We thrive on chaos, and I can 'see' the level of chaos you will bring upon Kazdel.
Theresa	The fact that you've kept the name "Scar" tells me that your ideas haven't changed.
Scareye	Like you said, the nations of Terra have grown tremendously in power over the last century. We could throw more revenants into the Soul Furnace and stoke its flames, but it'll not close that gap. So why force the people, who aren't really of the same race, to band together, call themselves the Sarkaz, and build a giant target called "Kazdel"? The war between the four superpowers has proven that other Terra nations can accept our existence as mercenaries, and that's where Scar Market comes in. And Your Highness surely knows that we've become a community, a town, because many of us could never fit into the elitist, bloodline-obsessed Royal Court. In all these years, I may have helped just as many Sarkaz find a new way of life as the Six Heroes, if not even more. And I'm not the least bit ashamed to say it, Your Highness, King of Sarkaz.
Theresa doesn't reply. All she offers is a faint smile at the Cyclops. Ah. It suddenly occurs to Scareye that this King of Sarkaz belongs to no Royal Court and represents no bloodline. Her sole aim is to persuade the Sarkaz who are unwilling to believe that Kazdel can be built, some of whom have even committed crimes for this cause, to believe once more. But is she enough to break free from this cycle of tragic failures, from the ending he foresaw?
Scareye	Come to think of it, there's one thing I don't get, Your Highness. I might have agreed to help you... But why didn't you and General Theresis simply burn this place to the ground before the day's end? I would have little chance of winning if you decided to do so. Just like you did sixty years ago.
Theresa	A minute ago, you described "Kazdel" as nothing but a target and that you want another way for the Sarkaz to live, one that would have them depend on other nations.
Scareye	Yes.
Theresa	So tell me, in your prophetic visions, have you seen Kazdel's destruction? Have you seen my death, Theresis's death, and the destruction of all that you stand against?
Scareye	...
Theresa	And what about yourself? How do you behold your death? A slow and agonizing death by Oripathy? Slain in battle on foreign soil? Or drowned in a sea of plots and conspiracies? Have you ever left this place, and seen Kazdel as it is now? Have you ever truly seen "the future"?
Scareye	Is this your way of asking for a prophecy? I don't give handouts, but for your Highness, I'll consider a discount.
Theresa	Such nerve. No wonder you were able to claw your way out of this bleakness and rebuild this mercenary's paradise. But I'll pass on the prophecy. Prophecies and fate have no value. It's getting late. I look forward to your return to Kazdel.
[Theresa leaves.]
Scareye	...
He watches her go and heaves a long sigh only when even her footsteps fall from earshot. Son of a bitch. Foresight? Prophecies? His own death? He bought his coffin this very morning.
<Background 1>
Scareye	Tally up the losses.
Slave Trader	Boss, the slaves...
Scareye	Set them free. They're bound to get tangled up in the Scar Market after the war begins anyway. At most, we lose out on pocket change. Did anyone take on General Theresis and survive?
Slave Trader	Yes. I've noted them all down.
Scareye	Take them to supplies for a little reward. They've got real balls. When you're done, take them to the bar entrance and kill 'em all in front of everyone. Send their heads to General Theresis as an apology.
Slave Trader	...Got it.
Scareye	Send their rewards to whatever family and friends they have as bereavement. Tell every merc looking to make a living in the Scar Market, I don't want to see 'anyone' trying funny shit on my turf.
<Background fades out and in>
He heads alone to the bar, the tags on his cloak jangling in his steps. He stands prominently in the crowd, watching as the blades take the light from the mercenaries' eyes. Still, no one fights back. Utter disappointment.
Scareye	Drinks are on the house tonight, both to celebrate the two Highnesses sparing your lives... And to celebrate the huge gig you've all just landed. Your objective... is in Kazdel. Get your shit ready. Soon, you're all gonna be in the city.

Secret Entrance of Scar Market, Kazdel
<Background 3>
Theresis	You've been quiet for some while now, Theresa. Are you hesitating?
Theresa	No, I have confidence in you. A reshuffle of the War Council is inevitable, it's just... I've been thinking about the city's future. War won't stop itself at Gaul. Our pace has fallen too far behind. Corsica I commands an indomitable fleet of dreadnoughts and guard battalions. The mad king of Leithanien has more than his Arts in his arsenal to effect Gaul's failure. The industrial might of both Ursus and Victoria in the throes of a large-scale war has far surpassed our imaginations...
Theresis	Many assume to know war like the back of their hands simply by living long enough through it. If our concept of war still lingers on the great battle from a century ago, then we have drastically underestimated how quickly wars can nourish empires and fuel dictatorships. This is exactly why we need a Military Commission.
Theresa	It's more than that, Theresis.
Theresis	...I know.
Theresa	When the day comes, when the Sarkaz wish to live on, if a brittle, creaking city is all they have to call their own— It will be far from enough.
Theresis	...
Theresa	Do you remember the idea I proposed, back when Kal'tsit was designing the city's blueprints with us?
Theresis	Babel.
Theresa	To transcend the borders of race and nation. To echo far and wide in our ideals, in our epics.
Theresis	...Founded by a Sarkaz.
Theresa	We will prepare Kazdel for the coming crisis, strive to eradicate the poverty and disease that have plagued them for millennia, and send a message to all of Terra. There will come a future when we all stand as one. The Sarkaz, too, are part of Terra's destiny.
This is not the first Theresis has heard of her idea. Apart from the Dame who left after helping build the nomadic city of Kazdel many years ago, he alone knows the true belief of the current King of Sarkaz.
Theresis	Kazdel won't accept this "Babel", you and I both know that well. It's but a dream of attempting to subvert reality.
Theresa	Yes... for now, at least, we can't be talking of such grand ideals while even our own affairs are slipping away from us. It's my hope this "Babel" can become a part of Kazdel, Theresis.
Theresis	Are you prepared, then? As I said before, it's not just the other nations that will oppose you. Kazdel and the Sarkaz clinging to their hatred will also stand against you. It is cruel to force them to forgive and forget. The persecution of the Sarkaz is not history. The ancient hatred is what drives many to survive until this day.
Theresa	I am the King of Sarkaz. The responsibility is all mine to bear. I must show them a way out of this.
Theresis	...I see. Then go. Do what you will. Theresa, I still do not approve of your vision, but I do support your decision, and the future Military Commission will, too. If your gaze is set too far to see what lies before you, then I shall sweep away all that obstructs you at the moment, just as always.
Theresa	I know.
Theresis	Come, let's go home. Kazdel still needs us for what's about to happen.
<Background fades out>
Theresa	Oh, yes. Scareye mentioned the prophecy again as I was leaving... The signs of a pessimistic fate.
Theresis	And your reaction?
Theresa	I don't care.
Theresis	Agreed.
Kazdel—a strange yet familiar name. Many from this great land see it as the pit from which devils crawl—a terrible place to be avoided at all costs. While to the Sarkaz, the name only evokes equally conflicted emotions.

Despite generations of Sarkaz passing on that Kazdel is the Sarkaz's homeland, an outsider might wonder if they mean the city or the entirety of those lands? Perhaps only they themselves know.
Timid Slave	It never struck me on the way out just how high this wall is... Oh well, at least I can go home alive now. That means I'm pretty lucky. That man in the Scar Market... that was General Theresis. The first of this city's founders, the hero of that legendary campaign. sigh If I had the courage to ask him to take me in, maybe I could've just... sigh... I'm dreaming again.
He sits atop the high wall, experiencing for the first time a new lease on life. Few of Kazdel's civilian Sarkaz, save for those children who haven't yet cottoned onto the fear of death, ever climb onto the city wall. If the tremendous pipes and tubes piled high can even be called a wall. The intricately tangled "forest" of Originium spikes can take the lives of anyone who loses their footing, but it also serves as a haven for pilferers and mercenaries to stash their goods. Smugglers and vagrants cross through the dark underground, peeking out from the tunnels and drains at mines and factories, scuttling from one corner of the city to another. The life the slave once knew.
Timid Slave	The General gave me a fresh start. So what should I do from now on...?
He gazes at the furnace, burning and smoldering far away, teeming with indiscernible workers as they carry Originium, steel, dirt and stones into its hearth. To Kazdel the nomad, its flames bring motion, while the molten metal that flows out adds new appendage to the city. For a whole century, it's belched its incessant black smoke. None know whether it's ash or Originium dust. Some say it's the bitter anger and anguish as the revenants exhale their last breaths. Witchcraft altars hang high in the sky, intermittently flashing their blinding rays. The slave has heard many different versions of their urban legend. The most frightening version claims that the Royal Court's casters work day and night on the altars, watching everything and listening to every conversation in the city.
Timid Slave	Maybe I can try my luck at the factories, too. It doesn't matter what else... I've made it back alive. It's been months since I left. I don't know how many of my friends are still alive...

The nomadic city of Kazdel, Kazdel
<Background 4>
[The slave walks through the streets of Kazdel.]
Timid Slave	Sarkaz swearing What happened here? Why are all the doors open and the furniture all smashed...
Wary Civilian	Pull-Top! You're back!
<Background fades out and in>
Timid Slave	It's you! What are you doing here? Where'd you get that ornament?
Wary Civilian	Something big is happening. Royal Court nobles are being dragged out of their houses and killed by mercenaries appearing from nowhere, while the city guards do nothing! A lot of us have been sneaking into the empty houses, and boy, have we dredged up some good stuff! How are you still alive, though? Word got out you wanted to leave the city and find your own way, and after so long, we all assumed you died out there.
Timid Slave	Heh. You won't believe my luck! First, I was left to die without food or water, then I was taken to the Scar Market... but guess what? General Theresis saved my life, the General himself! Then, on the way home, I ran into this guy with a halo over his head, calling himself a Messenger, and he brought me all the way back to the city wall. So, I've decided to change my name to Goodluck starting today. You guys can forget that lousy old name of mine.
Wary Civilian	Pft, a guy with a halo? A Sankta? And then the General? You sure learned how to lie, Goodluck.
Goodluck	Believe me or don't, but either way, today is a fresh new start for me! I'm gonna go be a miner—
Wary Civilian	I looted a Nachzehrer's house earlier and found some hot air balloons. Wanna launch me on one and put that luck of yours to good use?
Goodluck	I'm in!
Wary Civilian	Well, that was fast.
Goodluck	Man, it feels good to be home.
Goodluck glances around at the people swarming the street. This is the life he knows. If he wants to survive, the city will always offer him a way.
Goodluck	Thank you, fate, and thank you, General.

After operation

“

Theresa and Theresis convene the Royal Court sovereigns to formally establish the Military Commission. Meanwhile, with Kal'tsit's aid, Babel also begins its operations.

”

<Background 4>

Autumn, 1031 The nomadic city of Kazdel, Kazdel
[Goodluck is squeezing through a crowded marketplace...]
Goodluck	Hey, l-let me through already!
[...and bumps into someone.]
Impatient Civilian	Hey, no shoving! You want a good spot, I'll trade you mine for some high-purity Originium out of the mines.
[Goodluck takes the civilian's leaflet.]
Impatient Civilian	Don't just grab the leaflet out of my hands! Eurgh, that blood all over you stinks...
Goodluck	Can't help it when you're breaking into dead people's houses. Lin...go...nes... That's how you read that word, right? Where's Lingones?
Impatient Civilian	Gaul.
Goodluck	Oh. Where's Gaul?
Impatient Civilian	How the Sarkaz swearing should I know where Gaul is?!
Goodluck	Hey, what's with the attitude?
Impatient Civilian	Shh! The Highnesses and the Royal Court bigshots are discussing something in the chamber. I heard it's about reorganizing the city. Haven't you noticed all the extra guards on the streets recently? So quiet down a bit!
Goodluck	sigh Weather's been real stuffy today.
<Background 5>
Theresis	It is decided. The Military Commission will replace the War Council in assisting the King of Sarkaz Theresa in decision-making related to Kazdel's military and political affairs. The Military Commission will be the sole administration of Kazdel, and none will have the authority to issue commands to the Sarkaz in the Royal Court's name. All present have already received the details of this resolution. To the Royal Court leaders who still wish to cling onto the War Council... Know that the Military Commission of Kazdel will become the final bastion of the Sarkaz, our eternal fortress, and the usher of a new order.
Theresa	Are there any further questions?
Banshee	Your Highness appears more haggard than you did yesterday. Please, look after your health. No Military Commission is worth it... If it comes at the cost of Your Highness's health.
Theresis	...
Theresa	Laqeramaline... thank you.
Laqeramaline	I know how hard you have worked for this day... and I also know how Kazdel today views the Banshees of the Convallis.
Theresis	...
Laqeramaline	But before I state our position, I encountered a lost envoy of the Liches on my journey here. He entrusted me with a letter for your Highnesses. That he couldn't even find the road here... let this be proof of the immense changes Kazdel has undergone.
Theresa	Hmm... A letter from Leithanien.
Laqeramaline	If things are going as expected, Your Highness's Messenger would still not have received any news from the Cyclopes. Rather than waiting for the response from deep in the blizzard, should we not hear how the Liches of Leithanien answer?
Theresa	You're right. It has been... a very long time since the Sarkaz were able to truly unite.
[Theresa unfolds the letter.]
Theresa	Oh?
The ornate calligraphy upon the letter turns into silken threads that float above the paper and weave into the shape of a familiar figure.
<Background black>
[A moving image of Fremont appears in the air.]
Laqeramaline	Fremont, a Lich who has long resided in Leithanien. It appears that he is now the "First Scribe" for the Liches.
Theresa	It seems that the Arts practiced by the Liches of Leithanien have seen some stylistic changes. Oh, he appears rather excited. ... Why is there only image, but no sound?
Laqeramaline	Well... The Lich envoy did suggest to me that he was rather vexed with refining his master's words, but never did I imagine that he would simply erase all the sound. In short, Fremont apologizes on behalf of the Liches. They are enthralled as ever by their quest for knowledge, and are therefore unable to afford the distraction of making the long journey here. But if Kazdel were ever in need of their knowledge, they would happily throw wide the gates to their temple for the people that they have chosen. I am sure that with your abilities, your Highness can understand Fremont's attitude on the matter from his image alone. To me, it appears as though he is sensitive to drastic change, as has always been his wont.
<Background 5>
Laqeramaline	Ah, yes. There is another letter from Fremont, one addressed directly to the General.
Theresis	Might I remind you, Laqeramaline, that you are nobody's Messenger. You have not yet expressed where the Banshee Court stands.
Laqeramaline	I assumed that we had reached an understanding in the course of our reminiscing yesterday. The Banshees will not participate. We are still recovering from the wounds inflicted by the past war. Perhaps other Sarkaz will castigate us for this, but all present should know that since that war, the elegies have yet to cease in our valley. We had suffered grievous losses. If Kazdel calls on the aid of the Banshees once more, then I will give the same promise as Fremont. The Banshees will be there. But until that day, you will find us willing but unable. Naturally, I myself will render what little assistance I am able to give, from this day onwards.
Theresa	That's more than we could ask for... Thank you, Laqeramaline.
Laqeramaline	You are welcome, Your Highness. You know where I stand. For the past hundred years, I have always stood by the decisions you have made. I can only hope that your brother does not blame us for watching from the sidelines.
Theresis	...
Theresa	Next, lord Nezzsalem, the Nachzehrer King. You were once the leader of the War Council, and the mentor of Theresis and I. What is your opinion on these many proposals? Where do the other council members that you represent stand on the matter?
Nezzsalem	Have you discussed them with the Damazti Cluster?
Theresa	They have long since taken root in Kazdel, under many different names and faces. We have had many conversations over the years, and they have no objections.
Nezzsalem	Then I have no objections of my own. Your Highness need not worry about the bureaucratic hurdles, policy imperfections, or enforcement mechanisms. Where I stand is also where the other members of the Council stand. We all know what we truly long for. A turnabout. A change. A banner. Go. Do as you will.
Theresis	We will, Nachzehrer King. I promise you that.
Nezzsalem	I trust that this stagnant and dulled "war" can take on a new form in your hands.
Theresa	I notice you have not said a word this entire meeting... Sanguinarch of Vampires.
Duq'arael	To take the War Council and the century of history behind it... ...And sweep it into the gutter alongside the exalted Heroic Age and what little triumphs within. Is that the General's decision?
Theresis	It is our decision. Speak your mind, Duq'arael.
Duq'arael lowers his gaze. Theresa's white skirt is mottled with many a blackened bloodstain. The Sanguinarch is highly attuned to such matters. He senses the blood of the lowly, the foul stench of fallen descendants, and the murky taint of Royal Court members who willingly debased themselves.
Duq'arael	I thank Your Highness, for purifying the filthy blood that I so abhor in my stead. But never have I needed to hide my requests behind honeyed words. Such as it has been for every King of the past, and so it will be for you. The Military Commission is merely an attempt to hide Sarkaz witchcraft and blood behind a "more modern, more efficient" name. Truth be told, I feel like this is insignificant. More than insignificant, it is simply not necessary.
Theresa	You reject the proposal...? On behalf of the Vampire Court?
Duq'arael glances at Theresis, but Theresis remains indifferent to him. Time has left almost no trace on the mixed-blood Sarkaz. He stands steadfast by Theresa's side, the same nameless warrior who stood by the seamstress a century ago. His eyes never fall on the Vampire.
Duq'arael	Not a rejection, no. I am merely expressing some minor frustrations about this meeting. You are great and powerful, all of you are. How long has it been since so many members of the Royal Court have gathered here in Kazdel? Not to mention that it was you who defeated that foolish coalition in the prior age and wrestled the future into your own hands, before personally establishing the War Council. And now you wish to personally "change" this Council? Why? Look about you at the other dignitaries in this chamber. You have long reached a consensus. The only obstacle to your Military Commission is myself—and the Vampires. You would foist some ridiculous title upon me before forcing all Vampires to bow down to your Commission． When did you learn this political trickery that those Victorians and Leithanians so love? Why not just take my head here and now, and slaughter the Vampires within this city's walls?
Theresis	This meeting was not convened to persecute anyone.
Duq'arael	Was it not?
Theresa	It was convened to discuss how to bring Kazdel into a new age—
Duq'arael	"A new age"? In that so-called "Age of the Six Heroes" the songs love to praise, what I saw was bloodthirst and violence. I had thought that when I arrived in Kazdel, I would be greeted with the sound of Yliš's wailing, but what did I see instead? I saw the coalition routed. Witchcraft, enough to cover the land and fill the skies, crushed the enemy front. The power of the Sarkaz shook the earth. I felt amazement. I felt... excitement. Spurred by my passion, I took the head of the Leithanian envoy who had orchestrated the coalition and offered it to the War Council. Nezzsalem!
Nezzsalem	...
Duq'arael	That war was the true beginning of a new age. I thought you would agree with me. Have you too succumbed to schemes and politics... and shut your ears to the echoes of the abyss?
Nezzsalem	The abyss has no place for you, Duq'arael. Do not drag me into your tantrum.
Duq'arael	Ah, my apologies. But I am curious—what position did they offer the esteemed Sarkaz master of war in the Military Commission that has rendered even you so shortsighted?
Nezzsalem	All I await is the next war.
Duq'arael	And what war would that be?
Nezzsalem	If it pleases you, Your Highness. Come, Duq'arael. I will show you.
Theresa nods her head in silent approval. The King of Sarkaz's emotions envelop the entire chamber and all the members of the Royal Court. Through the King's eyes, they see ruination and grief.
<Background fades out>



They see the century-old order that the Gaulish Empire so painstakingly maintained within the Core region obliterated by the combined forces of Ursus, Victoria, and Leithanien.

They see Lingones, the "Capital of the World", doomed to never again appear on a map of Terra.

Those present recall the campaign that reduced Kazdel to dust. But it is not yet over. An even further future. An even further fantasy. An even further possibility.
<Background fades out>
It is no longer a story to reflect upon. Rather, it is a speculation, a deduction, a prediction, and a verdict. But none question it, for all possibilities must be treated equally, even for the one they see. And its ending is equally significant and indisputable as any other. It is a change, a turning point in history, a divergence of fate. A crucial war looms on the horizon. It will span from now into the distant future, impacting every Sarkaz and all of Terra. All present has seen their positions in that war. The roles that they wish to play.
<Background 5>
Duq'arael	...
Nezzsalem	You should understand now, Vampire. You should understand what these visions mean. Or perhaps you have begun to grow weak and feeble as Yliš in the short span of a hundred years? You were once a warrior.
Duq'arael	...I cannot deny that. But are you saying that a new and reborn Kazdel requires the Royal Court to relinquish its former authority?
Theresis	Close, but not quite. The new Kazdel will no longer require the Royal Court's former authority. It will be"'more modern, more efficient", Duq'arael. How can the Sarkaz speak of unity while you continue to indulge in your noble bloodlines? Will it come from the 'rule' of the Royal Court? You may still rule over your own court, and maintain the power and prestige you hold among the Sarkaz, but the Vampire Court must yield to the Military Commission.
Duq'arael	...
Theresis	I promise you this, in Theresa's name. When the age that you witnessed comes, Kazdel will no longer be a single dot upon the map. It was once more than just a city. And so it shall be more again.
Duq'arael	... It seems I have spoken out of turn. Please, continue, Your Highness Theresa.
Theresa	The aftermath of the ongoing conflict, enough to reshape current power dynamics, will engulf us all. It may come in fifty years, in ten, or perhaps even tomorrow... Kazdel cannot escape it. The Damazti and I both saw the visions of the campaign that will destroy Lingones. High-efficiency command systems made possible by Originium Arts, high-speed battleships that can break through front lines, maneuver tactics that can mobilize entire legions... new advancements are applied to the battlefield as we speak. Their capacity for destruction is surpassing our innate instinct rooted in our bloodlines.
Theresis	What worries me more is the fact that we will still find fellow Sarkaz among the countless casualties of war. Gaul employed Royal Court casters and the Liches in Leithanien are killing each other in battle, while a certain Wendigo is spilling the blood of his fellow Sarkaz to prove his loyalty to the Ursine Tsar. As for the Sarkaz mercenaries sent to the frontlines as Arts fodder, they won't even be counted in any nation's casualty statistics. The Sarkaz massacre one another in wars we have no stake in, regarded as disposable goods to be abandoned without care by the leaders of those wars. For the sake of keeping pace with these changes, the Sarkaz must once again gather around the furnace. And if necessary... The power to dominate the war must lie in our hands.
Theresis looks to Theresa, waiting for her opinion. But Theresa does not speak, her eyes placid, as before.
Theresis	We will plunder the other nations, and wrest their most profound secrets from them. We were once the proud Teekaz, forced to become the Sarkaz and derided as devils... Because the outlanders feared us. It is an ancient fear, rooted deep in their hearts. Let us remind them. Let us show all of Terra our history and legend that have been either forgotten or falsified. The Sarkaz are not weak. We do not need others to save us from our fate. On the contrary, we will dictate the fate of Terra. Dictate how this land should move forward. The details of our plan have been delivered to all present, through the runic Arts of the Banshees. Duq'arael.
Duq'arael	...
Theresis	Do you still hold doubt?
Duq'arael	No. Exceptional work, Theresis. Set aside a seat on the Military Commission for the Crimson Court. It appears that our Nachzehrer King has not yet grown addled with age. But as to whether or not he could usher in such a grand feast...
Nezzsalem	Warriors need not die in a blaze of glory. That is a vulgarity only chased by those who seek fame.
Laqeramaline	...
Duq'arael	Oh, I nearly forgot you were still here, Laqeramaline.
Laqeramaline	I have made myself abundantly clear from the start, Prince Duq'arael. I need only silently observe your... enthusiastic attempt at self-expression.
Duq'arael	How pitiful it is to look upon such a shabby little Court. I will cherish your elegies.
Laqeramaline	Then this I promise you. When death comes for you, the Lord of the Banshees will sing you an elegy, delivered to you by the night wind.
Nezzsalem	Set aside your chatter for another time. It seems Their Highnesses still have matters to discuss. The other members of the War Council will wish to know their decisions. Duq'arael, Laqeramaline, and you Damazti disguised outside the door, with me.
The Nachzehrer King nods his head towards Theresa. The other two members of the Royal Court do not bid the King farewell. They simply follow the Nachzehrer King out of the chamber.
<Background fades out and in>
After the meeting's end, Theresis stays by Theresa's side, standing silently. He knows that she will be expecting an answer from him.
Theresa	You never mentioned that you would announce the plans for war to the Royal Court.
Theresis	You did not refute me either.
Theresa	Would I have been able to refute anything?
Theresis	You are well aware of what I think. If you wanted to argue against any of it, you would have done so a few years ago. For now, I have them by the reins. But it's not just them, this entire city hungers for war.
Theresa	I will prevent matters from heading down the worst possible path... lest the prospects of Terra's continued existence become infinitesimally small.
Theresis	You must be quick about it.
Theresa	I will. What does Fremont's letter say?
As Theresis opens the envelope, the writing vanishes before his eyes. Yet, the message has already etched itself indelibly into his mind.
Theresis	He... has surmised what would transpire during that meeting rather accurately. He has given his opinion on some matters, alongside a reminder. Do not place all your coming hopes in one basket.

The nomadic city of Kazdel, Kazdel
<Background 4>
Snappy Civilian	You with that Babel? Pah, don't count on the Military Commission to look after you all.
Newly-Arrived Medic	We're here to help you.
Snappy Civilian	Help us? My parents died at the hands of you Leithanians. You got some nerve. What, not scared of me?
Newly-Arrived Medic	We knew what to expect when we came here. Just needs some getting used to. Besides, our captain warned us not to agitate the locals.
Snappy Civilian	You looking down on me?! Sarkaz swearing!
Newly-Arrived Medic	Eh?
Snappy Civilian	The hell is this?! Let me go!
Mon3tr	(Welcoming wave)
???	Do not harm him, but do make him leave.
Newly-Arrived Medic	Dr. Kal'tsit?
Kal'tsit	I said not to deviate from our planned route, even if it is to treat the wounded along the way.
Newly-Arrived Medic	Sorry, Dr. Kal'tsit.
Kal'tsit	No matter. You handled it well. We've reached our destination. Welcome to Babel.

Babel Office, Kazdel
<Background 6>
Theresa	Did you manage to retrieve all our stray colleagues?
Kal'tsit	Yes. All's well with them. The construction of Babel's facilities is proceeding smoothly. The school that you were so looking forward to is already complete.
Theresa	Yet I heard that the unbeatable Dr. Kal'tsit had not too long ago been turned down. Perhaps even kicked out?
Kal'tsit	I did not foresee such a... direct refusal.
Theresa	I'm not surprised at all, to be honest. To many Sarkaz, the invitation of the King is barely worth the paper it's printed on.
Kal'tsit	On the other hand, our "connections" with Sargon and Rim Billiton have delivered good news. As for Columbia... Some scientists have proposed a technology exchange program. They have their eyes on the ancient Sarkaz witchcraft, while we have need of their latest mobile farms.
Theresa	It took us a century's effort to share an equal dialogue with these powers.
Kal'tsit	The results speak for themselves. You are creating new history, Theresa.
Theresa	Thank you, Kal'tsit. But I can tell you've had a lot on your mind recently.
Kal'tsit	The Military Commission has been formally established. Babel's existence will spark yet another near-irreconcilable conflict in Kazdel. Our staff comes from different races and nations. How should they live alongside the Sarkaz? If your efforts to soothe enmity and prejudice instead become a fuse to spark conflict anew, what does Your Highness plan to do?
Theresa	If we cannot even eliminate prejudice and hatred within the walls of Kazdel, how can Babel hope to achieve equality for the Sarkaz throughout all of Terra? There will be members of the Military Commission posted to Babel soon. They will ensure the safety of our people. This will also serve as a warning to some. Babel is backed by both Theresis and me.
Kal'tsit	...
Theresa	Oh, right! Did I ever tell you how I met a Sankta Messenger, Kal'tsit?
Kal'tsit	Strange. The Sankta do not generally dare to approach the borders of Kazdel. Was this why Your Highness disappeared this afternoon?
Theresa	Was it that obvious? I thought Laqeramaline had me covered.
Kal'tsit	The Lord of the Banshees clearly tried, but judging from the results, she isn't the best pick for clerical work. Well, what of that Sankta Messenger?
Theresa	He was getting water from the river, and we struck up a conversation. We chatted about many things. History, peace, hatred. Our viewpoints did not align on most things, but I could sense in him wisdom and intelligence beyond his years. He had thoughts concealed within his heart, ones even he did not know of. And so...
Kal'tsit	You used the power of the King of Sarkaz on a Sankta?
Theresa	I simply wished to know what this fated encounter meant.
Kal'tsit	And... what did it mean?
Theresa	It's still hard to say. But while I was looking at his soul, I felt that, perhaps... we are not so alone, Kal'tsit. Many on this land are doing all they can to pursue hope. Hopes big and small, hopes bright and beautiful.
<Background 4>
[A fight has broken out in the markets of Kazdel.]
Goodluck	Ugh... That hurt... Are those people nuts or something? I just wanted to get a few nice things for myself, never even heard of any Babel...
He steadies himself against the wall, gasping for air as his vision begins to blur. Fatigue floods his limbs, weighing him down. Through his blurred vision, he sees another in front of him fall to the crazed attackers' blades. He knows he will be next.
Goodluck	I refuse to die here... It's you or me, you bastards! Out of the way!
[Odda punches the other Sarkaz.]
He uses the last of his strength to barrel his way out, but the only resistance he meets is solid ground.
<Background fades out>
All he sees is black.
Woman's Voice	Are you alright? Were you trying to save me just now? There's so much blood. Why does it feel like I'm the one saving you? Hold on, I'll bring you to Babel! Our doctors there can help you!
Goodluck	Hah... I'm still alive...
Woman's Voice	Hmph, who would have thought that those lunatics would decide to attack innocent bystanders in broad daylight to get at Babel. I don't know how the others are faring... Hey, hey! Stay with me! I still don't know your name!
Goodluck	I'm... Good...luck...
Woman's Voice	Huh?
For the first time, he regrets giving himself this name.