Arabel Observer for Gnomes here with coverage of the Fifth Council meeting. With a particular emphasis on the sink hole that is Tilverton, the Council was formed by three, very powerful men; Lord Foril Bhaliir, Evander Dauntinghorn, and Mr. Christoph Ampharen. Our correspondent Framtalious Mayus Karador with the story -
My initial impressions of this Council were mixed. It was, for a time, very much for the people; an open discussion as to the problematic settlement of Tilverton and it's surrounds. However, t'was not long before the main players arrived and it became clear, at least to this Gnome, that things were going to take a turn for the worse. The first to arrive was Lord Foril Bhaliir...
Dressed to impress, the Lord Bhaliir appears something of a contradiction. Eager to please with a curt nod and smile, the Lord mingles with the expertise as befit a man trained in the manner of the silver spoon. Yet, there is connection there with the common folk, a certain likeness to your average Sanders or Joe Farmer. I can't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps his eagerness to speak with the commoner using his well-mannered and articulate banter. Nonetheless, Lord Bhaliir appears to be someone whom would adjust his chair to be slightly higher than yours before engaging you in conversation.
Next to him sat a short, quiet man who covertly opted to sit on the right side of Lord Bhaliir for reasons that should be obvious to our readers. This priest, this Christoph Ampharen of Gond seems to have as much wit and charisma as his automatons. In the realm of politics, in this game of leaders and followers, there is a certain tact which is required when dealing with people - especially in matters of hearth and home. But, as we'll get to later, this man has the unique ability to have none of that.
Sitting on Lord Bhaliir's left was quite possibly the most boring individual known to Arabel, 'Minister of Defense' Evander Dauntinghorn. As straight as his haircut and just as inspiring, Mr. Dauntinghorn was, for the majority of this Council meeting, making an concerted effort to be as cursory as possible, speaking only to counter the rantings of Mr. Ampharen. You can't fault him for it though, dear readers, the man was clearly raised in a gilded cage of stilted emotion and expensive tastes, only able to take flight when told.
The meeting itself was quite formulaic to be quite honest; the problem of Tilverton was acknowledged, solutions were presented, and in the end the entire Council seemed to all agree that discussing Tilverton's fate was ultimately pointless as it rested in the hands of the Crown. 'Pending approval from the King' became the signature catchphrase of every proposal - save for Mr. Ampharen's, whom felt it eager to continue mentioning the possibility of a Divine March.
Readers are encouraged to think back on the chaos that was the Banite 'Divine March', the undead and bloodstones which had littered the streets. It seemed that this had also occurred to Mr. Dauntinghorn, the most boring man of Arabel, whom defended the Akadian sovereignty over the land against Ampharen's attempt to raise his seat a little higher. Dauntinghorn flaunted his bureaucratic weight about like a pregnant mule, unwilling to compromise with the priest as to the rule of law.
It should be noted that a Mr. Damion Latok spoke up in opposition to this Divine March. A gruff, unshaven man of the forests, Mr. Latok strode forth like a lamb to slaughter, willingly stepping into this abattoir of silver spoons and raised seats to speak for the freedom of Tilverton's people. It was flowery, it was verbose, it was disastrous. But it is the thought that counts.
Truth be told, the fate of Tilverton remains as vague as when the Council had started. Mr. Ampharen has two nights before he must present his decision on whether or not he will order a Divine March. It will be interesting then to see how the people of Tilverton react to their fate. And if mindless automatons were to some how slaughter the people? Would the Crown then intervene? Lord Bhaliir was quick to say yes, but the ramifications of such is just as vague and as difficult as searching for Ampharen's skill with matters of state.
