I was letting Sabre Fox and Lenhar have their moment since I sort of interrupted those replies before! :)

Sun Snake looked across to Rain Feather as she was interrogating the Prince. "That we should not do anything alone, I think we can both agree on," he said, nodding.

He looked across to the Lenhar. "Apart from the Prince. He seems to have made up his mind to go after Valador on his own, for whatever this Wildlands project is. So be it. The Kai are not going to start aggression with the country currently housing and funding them. Half the order, myself included, are directly loyal by blood of the Sommlending, and we all swear the oath at the feast of Fehmarn. No one would raise a hand against him. If he wants to leave..."

Sun Snake very quickly drew his sword, but to offer it pommel first to the Prince. "At sword point, you said? Rather than dirty your own, I think this one is also suitable. A fine blade, it slew a Helghast when I was but an initiate, on a mission for the order elsewhere. I wanted to give the sword back to the royalty that gave it to me, but was persuaded for diplomacy to keep it, as it was a gift. It never sat well with me to keep it in all the years I was here, though. Please, if you go to threaten Valador...?"

OOC: I do believe that Sun Snake recounted to all of you PC the story of how he got the sword, yes?

Dawn Sword went wide-eyed at Sun Snake's offer, taking a step forward as she did.

"Master, no! That's a relic of the good you've done, the war you stopped! You can't give it away!"

She seemed ready to say more, but Sun Fox placed a hand on her shoulder while shaking her head, and that was enough to silence Sun Snake's student; Lehar, meanwhile, spared a perplexed glance at Alyne before returning to watch Sun Snake himself, and the sword he was offering, marveling at the beauty of the golden hilt, crossguard and handle studded with gems of different colors.

He ran his hands over it, clearly stunned by the beauty; for a moment, a hint of greed seemed to show in his eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly, and the Prince looked almost afraid for a moment, before he very gently pushed the hilt back toward Sun Snake, and said, sounding more respectful now than he had since the group arrived:

"I shall not take this from the man it belongs to. Still, I appreciate the gesture, and if you honestly want me to do as I wish with Valador, and would lend your sword to that effort, I shall only have it when wielded by the one who can best use it. Think on it."

Swift looked a little surprised at Sun Snake's offer of the sword to the Prince.

Although as she watched him reach for it, her eyes widened slightly as if she had noticed something even stranger.
Whatever it was seemed to highly amuse her as she looked back at the Prince, apparently doing her best to suppress a chuckle.

"Snake, if you give him that blade, I'm going to take it right back and glue it to your hands, or something.  I mean, it is rather ironic, though, that Dawn mentions war..."

The implication was pretty clear, even as she moistened her lips again, eyes still staring.

"After all, it's only the reason why you're here, trying to browbeat Sparrow, the Order, me, Sabre, Snake, and threatening to go to Valador if we say 'no'.  He wants to go march off to war.  'Lenhar the Conqueror', indeed.

How is it that some people can look at everything going on, and say 'there's not enough pain, bloodshed, and war in the world today.  Let's go start another unneeded, unnecessary war purely because I think we can take advantage of our current position, and who cares how many innocent people we hurt'?  His highness there certainly doesn't- at least, as long as it's someone else doing the bleeding, the suffering, and the dying.  Because, after all, that's what he wants- isn't that right?"

Her fingers tighten around the spear- it's about the only thing holding her rush of emotion in check.

"Our beloved prince wishes the Kai to join him in a bit of a conquering spree.  He sees Sommerlund as a swooping, diving hawk and the cities and states of the Stornlands as fat, delicious prey- a dire wish to see the sun flag of Sommerlund forcibly flying over them, with himself being hailed and praised as a conquering hero, with nations falling before us like wheat at the harvest.  Places like Varetta, Lyris, Salony- all those cities and countries that haven't fully recovered from the Gnaag Wars.

That's the whole reason.  Oh, never mind the fact it wouldn't be him at risk, never mind the Stornlands would rise up against him and would fight to the bloody end for every bit of land- never mind the fact as to what it would do to things like alliances, treaties, all those wonderful things.  But none of that matters as long as he gets whatever he wants, is that not true?  Because, after all, he's the prince of the realm, Kai and Ishir help us all, and he thinks if he screams and yells and blockades the Monastery, Sparrow will buckle and give him the Kai so he can go toss the political situation of northern Magnamund into the dungheap all for personal fame, glory, and the shattering of everything we've stood for.

I also imagine the King has no idea of what he's planning- nor does anybody else."

Taking a few steps forward, she steps closer to the Prince.  She makes no threatening move- just watching him, expressionless.

"...what would your father say, the way you treat the Kai after what he did to help Lone Wolf?  The things you do with Crane, the way you came in here to blackmail Sparrow, and the sheer fact you'd go to a known enemy of Sommerlund and the Kai simply because we won't submit to you and give you what you want, to beg and plead at his feet and give him the men and women of the Royal Army to augment and warp.  Is that what Pelathar died for?  So you can act like this?

Anything for power.  My grandmother would have been in love at first sight, maybe even my mother.

And if Wasp was right about that, well... are you going to tell us everything, or will Sparrow or Crane fill in the holes?

I can get the answers.  I'm just offering you the chance to come clean and to show you're actually not just here to try and bully your way into an invasion force."

The calmness in her voice was still there.  But the light in her eyes was blazing.

"Out with it.  Kai and Ishir are watching."

"He can't use that sword" remarked Swift quietly, still with a hint of a smirk on her face.  "It won't let him."

Sun Snake nodded as the blade was returned to him, keeping his silence for a moment. Once Rain Feather had finished, as if to provide a counterpoint of support in the face of her aggression, Sun Snake's voice remained calm and deferring.

"I presented you with my blade hoping you would be able to know the truth of my words with it. However, something felt...off. No matter, you understand my gesture. I am not here to withhold my support from the crown nor Sommerlund - not your father, nor you when the time comes. I am not going to stand here with any power making demands, nor make any conditions on my support. I only ask that you hear my words, and think on them."

Sun Snake moved out of the way of the Prince, to ensure he would not be blocking the man. In doing so, he let go of the sword where it had been offered. However, rather than drop, or even hover, it stayed exactly where he had left it in the air. It was immoveable, as if frozen in time.

He looked to it. He gave the blade a speculative flick with his fingers, as if testing if the sword were real, or as if testing how stable it was in the air.

The blade did not give the slightest quiver at his touch, and there was not even the tiniest sound from it as he struck it with a theatrical flourish.

He looked back up to the Prince. "This is the power of Nexus. An advanced Magnakai Discipline. I can hold this blade inert, or manipulate it, or even - not that I would destroy this blade - but I could shatter it or others far less well cvrafted. And I believe I could do all that without making a sound. Indeed I may be able to manipulate the air to take the sounds away from anyone, or maybe just remove the air all together."

Sun Snake paused for a moment. "I am about to say something that may surprise or shock or be disbelieved by some here, but Sabre Fox can confirm it. Valador possesses Nexus."

Sun Snake looked around to see if there were any reaction before he continued. "Not some corrupt aping of a Kai Discipline. Not Mind Over Matter, able to move small things with concentration. Nexus." Sun Snake shook his head. "Valador could well be in as many chains as you like, your highness. If you cannot say your plans out in the open here, there I doubt you will be going to speak with Valador in an open arena. You will have a limited amount of trusted men. You may well wish to be somewhere private, but Valador could steal the breath from everyone so no noise would be heard. And steal the breath a little more terminally, I fear, from everyone save yourself. And shatter any sword pointed at him, and any chain binding him. He only needs the amount of mental faculty available that you would require of him for him to converse with you. This is the danger of the man. And then I daresay he could summon his Guildstaff and in a moment transport the two of you wherever he desires. And he would come to you with strength, not humility, and mastery, with you weakened and at his mercy. And he would hold Nexus in his grasp and who knows what other power, and offer you Kai Disiclines, and actually give you whatever shame scraps that pass for the Kai Disciplines we have seen in some of his experiemnts. The real Kai Disicplines, he may well give to Varetta, Lyris, Salony. And he would let you weaken yourself trying to bring the order to heel, and then have Sommerlund weakened in fights against an empowered enemy, while Toran secedes and watches it all happen on the outskirts. And whoever wins, whoever rules over the ashes of that, faces Valador backed by the Brotherhood and whatever Kai powers he can fully bring to bear."

Sun Snake took the blade from the air with ease, and sheathed it. "I have said my piece. I will not stop you. In your plans for Valador, or the order. I just ask that you consider the consequences. I do not think you will convince Rain Feather nor Summe Wasp nor many of anything, and so you will already be facing a reduced order that will potentially have to fight a new order in the fields of battle. That alone will reduce Sommerlund's strength, so that a war against the south will be a bloody and long affair, and one that will not stop when armies are defeated. No riches, and no flag is worth that. A flag flying in councels is harder fought, but last longer and brings more power to Sommerlund through her influence. Riches that flow through from trade of Sommerlund's ports are more numerous over the long term. And a people and allies that love you for your rule and fairness are better than being alone surrounded by death and fear."


Sun Snake lapsed in to a medadative silence.

Golden Sparrow looked at the sword paralyzed in midair with clear shock, and even Shining Peacock raised an eyebrow as if impressed by it, although it was such a quick moment that it was unlikely any of the non-Magnakai in the courtyard even noticed.

Lenhar, for his own, looked completely astounded by the sight, and then he glanced to Rain Feather; there was doubt now in his eyes, a sense of uncertainty, and he finally said, hesitating:

"Perhaps... perhaps your argument is more well thought out than I gave it credit for... perhaps... I shall think about it."

Then he quickly headed for his horse, the soldiers - many of which were looking at the assembled Kai with a lot of fear, doubt, awe and worry - following along while all collectively switching to relief; Lenhar didn't even try to force anybody out of his way, instead moving around the obstruction of the group, as if acknowledging he wouldn't be able to make them bulge if they didn't wanted to and, more importantly, no longer having it in himself to want to try and impose his will on them.

OOC: if you want to stop Lenhar from leaving, you'll need to take active action about it; otherwise, he'll just leave, scared and with a lot of doubt, confusions and trouble in his mind. He's not interested in trying to make any of you acknowledge him anymore, and he's no longer sure that his plans are worth pushing for, but neither is he fully persuaded in letting you do whatever you want - he's just decided that he needs to sort out his thoughts away from all you psychics and that, whatever the case, it's better to let you solve your own issue among yourselves and then deal with whomever the victor is as it comes, rather than trying to impose his own will to force you to choose a leader beholden to himself.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:29, Sat 18 Jan 2020.

"...your highness.  Maybe if you reached out to the Stornlands diplomatically, and offered to help them rebuild instead of going through all of this mess... maybe that would be the way to go.  Take some of the army you can spare down there and help them repair all the damage still present, and help them get back on their feet.

There's enough in the way of death and hatred and anger in the world right now.  A little bit of hope and happiness given freely would surely return to you many times over when you need it- wouldn't you rather be known as a kind, generous, and wise ruler when it comes time to ascend the throne, instead of... this?  If Sommerlund is indeed in better shape than our neighbors, then use it as a reason to help them get back to some semblance of normalcy with offers of aid and help in rebuilding.  Even if they refuse- and some of them will- it's the offer they'll remember.

And if they agree to it?  Take some of the army down, get all the permissions and everything you need to cross territory, and go help- and when the job's done, bring them back home.  Show you can be trusted, show that you respect agreements, and that will go a long way, as well.  The world has a shortage of that kind of thing, lately.

Fighting a war is not the only way to make a name for yourself.  History is full of those who sought to make their name on the battlefield, but it's the rulers who guided countries through decades of peace who end up appreciated all the more.  It's very easy to go to war, but peace... is hard.

...the world has been at war for far too long.  There's no reason to keep adding to the pile of suffering and hate."

There was none of her fire behind those words- she was trying to give him genuine advice.

Swift watched the prince carefully as he moved to pass her.  She remained in her deceptively relaxed stance, making no obvious move to stop him, although as he drew level with her, she spoke up again.

"Just to inform you, Guildmaster Banedon has no control over Valador or knowledge of his movements.  So attempting to force Valador's whereabouts out of him would be a wasted effort."

The faintest ghost of a smirk returned as she continued.
"I also owe the Guildmaster a favour, a life debt perhaps."

She trailed off there as though she had simply made a comment on something as mundane as the weather, possibly leaving the deeper implications unspoken...


OOC: Totally not hinting that there would be no point in him going after Banedon, and if he did Swift might be somewhat 'annoyed' by that.  Just a perfectly innocent remark... ;)

Lenhar let out a long, tired breath when Swift spoke, stopping for a moment - which immediately caused the tension among his soldiers to skyrocket - before he eventually said, in a low tone:

"Yeah, that's not surprising, vassals will back each other if prevaricated upon, and chasing glory for one self will see coordinated opposition raise. I was taught that, but I didn't see why it would apply here. I realize now I'll need to go over some old lessons once more. As I said, I shall think on this all."

Then he resumed his walk, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation further, and looking utterly defeated.

OOC: will leave Sabre Fox a couple days to chime in in case he wants to, and of course everybody else is free to say more if they want to, but otherwise, the Lenhar portion of this encounter is pretty much over. Of course, Lenhar isn't the only person here you'll need to deal with...

This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Sat 18 Jan 2020.

Staying silent from Foxy. As you can guess it was sort of a situation he needed help with!

With nobody stopping him, Lenhar left with his entourage; once they'd all gone out, Golden Sparrow let out a long, pained breath, then turned to Sun Snake.

"Thank you for that - he really was becoming intractable; hopefully that scare you gave him will make it easier to make him see reason later on."

Then a note of interested entered his voice as he asked:

"And by the way, that was a nice bluff, but we both know that most Nexus users wouldn't be able to pull what you did - I couldn't, for one. How did you manage that?"

"Like it matters!"

Sparrow turned toward Wasp at her annoyed shout, and she went on, in a dark tone:

"You think that solved anything? That's not how it works with royalty; he'll find another angle soon enough. There's no treating with people like that, and anyone who would is not fit to lead the Kai."

A tense silence followed the woman's declaration, as if everybody was waiting for somebody else to break it first.

OOC: and it'll have to be a PC who does it.

This message was last updated by the player at 17:19, Tue 21 Jan 2020.

"If you want a black and white world, Summer Wasp, then it's as simple as this. You either find a way to treat with someone like that, and a great many more, or you lose them to Naar. That is the world we are slowly heading to. I personally would prefer to find ways to pull people back to the light, no matter how far they may have seemed to go, than cast them to the dfarkness and make the fight against Naar harder."

Sun Snake gave a small nod to Golden Sparrow. "The answer to your question probably does matter, in terms of our predicament. I wasn't really lying when I said it was Nexus I was using. The trick was that I was maintaining perfect awareness of the surroundings to allow my mind to account for the smallest changes. I am connected to my sword, moreso through Divination and Weaponmastery, Swift Fox and Silver Raven are sharing their awarenesses, and they have a perfect understanding of such items through Weaponmastery and Craftsmanship, I can read the air through Pathsmanship and Rabdomancy, and even the smallest potential vibration through tremorsense, and using Pathsmanship and Divination to even feel the edges of the future. Easy to do, of course, when in a peaceful setting. I would not be able to attempt such a thing in a more...tense...situation. Still, a simple skill was made far, far greater by the support of a myriad more working in the background. An apt metaphor for the Kai working together, rather than divided."

Sun Snake continued. "As for the silencing, in a way that was still, in a way, Nexus. I have had the ability to mask and silence my steps for a while. My sub-conscious just manifest the effect, through Invisibility, I believe. It was only recently, as a was dwelling on how Nexus had managed to come to me, when I had not sought to study it seriously before, that I realised the ability to understand it had been with me for so long, I just had not realised. How had I silenced my steps? For me at least, I realised I had been manipulating the air around me to stop sound from escaping. How had I masked my steps? By making myself so light - through Nexus, in a way - to not press in to the earth. The understanding was there, I just needed to think another way, it seemed. Is this not the same for dealing with those that we disagree with? There may well be, in plain sight, a way to deal with them - something we are not saying to unlock something in them, or something in ourselves so obvious if we just twisted our own minds to see it."

Sun Snake shrugged, and looked around to see if anyone else agreed.

"Were you not paying attention?" Fox said looking to Wasp "Some words to the Prince may have just deterred him from going to war of conquest, as well as pretty much causing a major rift in the Crystal Star by him not going directly after Valador. Is that fact lost on you? Or the point of working together to reach a common goal?"

Fox would sigh

"I don't wish to provoke an argument with you on the subject, but at very least we have bought time to try and resolve our own differences without the monarchy involved. Is that not a victory regardless of how small?"
This message was last edited by the player at 09:04, Wed 22 Jan 2020.

"I wish I could believe he won't try to go after Valador anyway" remarked Swift quietly, "after this, I can't say I share your faith in him."

She looked over to Sun Snake.
"Could you sense how the sword reacted to him?  Have to admit I'm curious about what might have happened if he'd tried to take it."
A hint of a smirk crossed her face at that, but disappeared almost immediately as she continued.
"Can you contact Guildmaster Banedon?  I think we should let him know what happened here...  Just in case!"

Sorry, forgot Swift Fox asked me a direct questions, I was trying to stay out of the way after the first wall of text! :) Not as busy now with work, so that shouldn't happen again!

Sun Snake nodded to Swift Fox. "I had not anticipated the sword would do...anything. However, it showed him a vision of what would happen if he tried continued to act in such a manner of greed, taking the sword from me and continuing to act with avarice. The idea that he might get the riches he desired, but he would rule over a land of death and disease, in chains of gold. Rather prosaic, I'm not sure the sword could actually give him an impression of the future, or was just resisting leaving me and playing on his own fears. Either way, it had an affect on the man. Somewhere, he knows what he was trying to do was wrong. Him belieinv he had 'forgotten' the lessons of his father, rather than just being wrong, seems to be simply a way for him to save face even with himself. Still, it is hopefully a glimpse in to his mental state, and perhaps gives a small glimmer of hope."

Sun Snake gestured around. "I believe we have the ability to contact Guildmaster Banedon. I personally would have preferred to contact him immediately too, but obviously I think the group may wish to finish our discussion, and hopefully contact the Guildmaster together. Knowing where the order stands on cetain things would obviously be a help to the man to know how to deal with Valador."

Summer Wasp frowned, then said:

"And where does the Order stands, exactly? You've all been very quick to speak of unity and cooperation and working together, but all that means to me is that you'll use the fact you have the numbers on your side to follow whatever course of action you feel is right, regardless of how opposed to it I, and the people who trust me to speak for them, might be. It seems clear you've joined forces, so the matter of whether it'd be Sparrow, Moon Shadow, Sun Snake, or Rain Feather as the representative of Peacock's faction to be named leader is mostly just a matter between the four of you deciding who should be more prominent and who'd instead take the advisory positions Sun Snake seems so found of touting at the solution to all our problems. It'd be a leadership of mere form, which you all seem pretty happy with."

She then crossed her arms and went on:

"Whereas if you were honest about your wanting to cooperate, then you should let me lead. You want me to believe that these councilors of yours would be allowed equal voice, Sun Snake, isn't that so? Then let me lead, and you four can have the councilors roles, with powers we all agree upon right now, but not such ones that I can't overrule them as leaders. You want cooperation, but I say that no cooperation is possible for those of us whose voice would remain unheard due to being outnumbered."

Sun Snake raised an eyebrow. "I daresay Shining Peacock can speak for himself, but I do not believe what is happening here was his first choice by any stretch. Swift Fox can speak for Moon Shadow, but I cannot imagine this was hers. My master is no longer here, but you would only need to go seek White Mantis to see if she is acting as if this was according to any plan that has succeeded. You speak as if this is some conspiracy, yourself against everyone else. However, the truth is that this is what it looks like when we can put aside or differences. It is not according to anyone plans, it is not anyone's first choice, yet there is still an opening for things to turn out how they may have wished them, ultimately."

Sun Snake gestured to Golden Sparrow. "You came out best I believe, andx yet I cannot believ that this confrontation wit hthe crown, and Summer Wasp's revelations, were anything you would have wanted. And yet, by your demeanour, I hope I am not incorrect in saying that something occurred you are glad occurred?"

Sun Snake looked back to Summer Wasp. "You spoke out, and said things no one else knew or dared to say out loud. And because you were here, and the rest of us were here, and we acted...in a way ... together, then the matter with the Prince has not blown up in our faces. The order is not suddenly consumed by the crown, we are not at war with the crown, and the Prince may well still speak to many of us - even kindly. It may not have even been on your thoughts as a possibility, Summer Wasp, but it has happened. The immediate threat of what the Prince wished to do has been dealt with, and in a way that still leaves any plans of yours still possible, rather than the order at war one way or another, without you needing to leave this very second."

Sun Snake then looked more seriously still at Summer Wasp. "And in what regard does it make sense that the minority should always dictate the majority. I do believe we must act on a balance - that the weight of numbers must not always be the deciding factor on what is right or not. But that does not mean that a single minority get to lead us always, must always be put first. Especially when the 'majority' you speak of are just a set of minorities themselves, that are hoping to work together and showing they can. Are each one of those minorities to be punished and put second, just for the crime of finding ways to work together? And what do you actually want? And do all your followers want every single thing that you want? What of their voices, when they disagree with you?"

"I want us to be free and independent from any crown or mortal ruler. We are supposed to fight for the betterment of all, but too many time are our actions constrained by politics and the limitations that borders and crowns put on us in their game with each other. We should be able to go where we want and to as we need without requiring subterfuge or politics. You've said it yourself, that our role is to fight the darkness; I say that we should have the freedom to do it without care for the machinations and games of nobles and kings."

There was a hardness in Summer Wasp tone that made it clear she wasn't at all willing to compromise on this, and after a moment she added, no change in her demeanor:

"And I only speak for those that asked me to speak for them; the moment they'd want to say their own or disagree with me, they would do it, and it'd be no betrayal. Those who follow me knows what I think and believe in, and they follow because they share in those beliefs and thoughts. That's all there is to it; they support me because I speak what they are thinking. I don't make decisions for them, I just give them a way to make their decisions into reality."

"Yet you do not offer the same to us, the majority of the Kai, if you become leader? Suddenly what...we are free to disagree with you, no hard feelings or any
amosity, but free to leave is the only option? You won't compromise for the rest of the order in any way, just folow your belief?"

Sun Snake pointed in the direction of ther departed Prince. "The man that left thought he had a right do do what he pleased, without needing to care what others thing, also without the need of politicking and gameplaying. Yes, his goal of conquest is wrong, your desires are just. However, can we really feel confident in oruselves if we use the same mindset? Is it not his isolation, his righteousness in his own cause, that saw him move to darker purposes. Was it not only because he was forced to politic, and discuss, and deal with our 'games', that he was shown he was wrong."

Sun Snake sighed. "You want to remove all checks, and have the luxury of acting as we desire, where we desire. Well, I want Valador's head. Right now. Without having to worry about the King's reaction, the Guilds of Toran, nor even Guildmaster Banedon's permission. Of course, Valador is surrounded in politics. His righteous removal does not stop that from becoming a mess, if we do what we like with no checks and balances."

Sun Snake considered something else. "During the war, we had another edict. We were very sure we were right, and that terrible things could happen if we allowed 'rogue' Kai to exist, that for example could be born during the occupaion of Raunon. It seems quaint now given the offer of 'Kai for all' that Valador now touts. Still, it was something the order decised, in its righteousness."

Sun Snake turned to Dawn Sword. "Perhaps now is time to tell your story," he said queitly. "Of the two people who I would have advised you to speak with first, had I the luxury, it would have been White Mantis or Summer Wasp." Sun Snake turned back to Summer Wasp. "This is my student. I stand by her."

Dawn Sword was surprised at being called upon by Sun Snake, but then steeled herself, nodding as she went to speak; before she could, however, Summer Wasp raised her hand as she said, a note of kindness in her voice:

"There is no need for this. I can guess it well enough on my own."

She turned to Sun Snake and went on, back to a hard, serious tone:

"Something bad happened in her childhood, and she had to grow up hiding and living in fear. At some point, her powers revealed themselves, whether she realized it or not, and then she either had to misuse them to take care of herself, or somebody found out and took advantage of them for evil ends, or she was attacked and persecuted whenever discovered and had to keep hiding and repressing her abilities."

Summer Wasp made a gesture with her hand to encompass all of the Monastery, then said:

"It's no surprising story, very many of us here in the Monastery have similar ones; those who don't, like you, or Sun Fox, or Sabre Fox and Golden Sparrow, are the privileged ones. But all of the rest of us have a past of being unwanted or persecuted, alone or in the hands of those who'd see us as nothing but tool. There are degrees to it, as it is for everything, but in this, many Kai are equal. And that's why here, among the Kai, there is always a place for everyone, so long as they are willing to leave that past behind and use the powers they've been given to help others. That's what make us brethren, fighting for the light is what unites us all."

She closed her eyes, letting out a long breath, then went on, sounding sad:

"These aren't my words, even if they are my creed. It was Banedon to speak them to me on the Skyrider, when I was on my way to the Monastery from Tahou, which is my birthplace and where Lone Wolf found me. He had a challenge from Gnaag to take care of, so he sent me to the Monastery before being able to explain to me much of what it entailed, leaving me lost and confused, and I couldn't see how a person like me would fit among the Kai, but Banedon reassured me I would, with those words."

Her tone hardened as she continued:

"I do not doubt our missions, Sun Snake, and I understand that we all are fighting the darkness together, but we can't be fettered by political consideration when we do it. Don't you see? Whomever it was who gave the order to hunt down Dawn Sword's family, they did it for reasons of the politics you all despise; if I'd been in power then, I'd have refused such an order, because it was wrong, and if the result would be Kai under the thumb of our enemies, ready to attack them, I'd have saved those who could be and fought those who would not, because that is our way. All we need to do is act with righteousness, and we shall not go amiss - fight to save and not to destroy, and ignore the politics that would chain us. I am sad for what happened to your student, whatever it might be, but it wasn't because of people acting with righteousness - it was because of politics giving orders out of fear or convenience, instead of fighting for the light. That's what I'm against."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Sun 26 Jan 2020.

"Believe it or not in some respects I agree with you Wasp" Fox said speaking up "Being able to act and do good wherever and however we choose? In a simple thought its very desirable, but realistically, where would we go Wasp? If you had to decide that right now, tell us where?"

Fox then sighed

"Its not that I don't want to at least understand your opinion, but realistically its not going to happen. After all we will always be in someone else's lands, or in their kingdom that will expect us to answer to them in some respect. Short of taking over the Darklands there's not many places for us to go and truly be independent"

Fox would then smile

"I don't mean to belittle you with this incase your wondering, I just want to hear your thoughts on my point"

Summer Wasp shook her head.

"See, the fact that we should be forced to move if we wanted to be truly independent is just another sign pointing to the injustice of the whole system. As far as I'm concerned, any group of Kai can live on the road without difficulty, that's what we were given Hunting for, but I am willing to wager that some people out there would understand the rightfulness of our cause to give us land without the same string attached that we have here. That's the thing about justice - those who have it in their own hearts will do the right thing, even if it costs them."

Fox would give a weak sympathetic sigh as he replied to Wasp

"Was Sun Eagle himself not a Baron of Sommerlund? So right from the very first Kai, we have always been entwined into Sommerlund, right up until this very day. And while I agree that people who believe in doing good may give us land, sadly a lot of those people do not exist"

Fox would give her a smile

"The fact is that anywhere we go, would incite issues from that lands neighbours. We are essentially a military force, and having one essentially over your garden fence will put a strong worry in the minds of other kingdoms in the surrounding area as they try to gauge our intentions regardless of how the world knows us already"

Summer Wasp's eyes hardened at Fox's comment.

"Of course you would think that. Well, I disagree. In my view, the Order is no military force, it is a community which rescues those in need and offers shelter to lost souls; fighting is the least of our duties, and by far the less impressive of our powers. But that perception will never become accepted in the mind of people until we show them the truth of it with our actions."