avalononline | video; un: stargazer

[Once things have calmed down with the doppelgangers and the ~~vorest~~ forest, there's something else left to be addressed. So, Claude addresses the network.]

Hi friends! Claude here. I haven't met most of you yet, so I suppose this would be a good time to say "nice to meet you", too. Hope your mirror images were nice to you and not... you know.

[Claude's sitting indoors by a sunny window in his treehouse apartment, his small white wyvern familiar snoozing beside him.]

As eager as I am to get to know everyone, what I actually wanted to talk about was the situation with Elphame. Since Arthur dumped the decision on what to do on our shoulders, we'd better figure out how to cast our votes.

For my part, based on past relations between Elphame and Camelot, invading Celliwig is out of the question. Humans and fae have waged wars here in the past, and it's taken a lot of effort to earn the peace they have now. Camelot has even been making strides to learn about fae and coexist peacefully with them. Given Celliwig is our best chance for communication, attacking would be completely counterproductive. Even if we did, there's no guarantee we'd succeed, so why risk it?

That said, direct negotiation hasn't worked either, so our two remaining options are to focus on slowly building up trust via trade links, or deal with matters on Celliwig's terms and accept their trials. Honestly, I'm not clear on the details on that, so if someone who knows more could get the rest of us up to speed, by all means...?

[He trails off with a shrug, then gives a sheepish smile.]

Anyway, I've waffled on for a while now! Long story short, I think our peaceful options are really the best shot we have at this, it's just a matter of deciding which is best. I'm really not interested in letting a violent old history repeat itself. Feel free to pitch in with your own thoughts... Maybe we can even come up with something better than what's already being proposed.

[He gives a lazy wave, before ending the feed.]

[ooc: threadjacking is welcome and encouraged! go wild]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tsk. So they have wizards. So what?

We have an asset that they don't. One that would swing the tide of battle into our favor.

And that asset is...?

Me.

A veteran of a thousand battles. I am battle!

If King Arthur puts me at the head of his army I will win the war for him.

Ah. You're one of those.

Well, your enthusiasm is... um, noted, but you may be disappointed depending on which way the voting goes.

The vote is pointless.

Camelot has tried numerous times in the past to woo Elphame and been found wanting. Now is no different. The spell holding the cosmos in stasis will waver and fall long before they accept us as their equal.

Arthur seems to think otherwise. He's either incredibly stubborn, or there's good reason for him to believe we still have a chance. It can't hurt to humour him, can it?

Hmph.

He doesn't seem to think our odds of wooing them are very good though, does he? If he did then invasion would not be on the table.

Or he's just indecisive. I wonder if he always ruled like this, or if it's because we're here...? I didn't see anything in the history books about public votes being common back in his day.

Political posturing and nothing more.

If he invaded without making some grand show of having considered a peaceful option first then everyone would write him off as a bloodthirsty ruler.

You humans do this all the time.

Touche! You seem to know us humans very well, considering you talk as though you're not one yourself.

I know war and how humans tend to wage it.

It's all tiresome formalities and wringing hands over what is or isn't the right thing before you finally get to the fun part.

I can't say I share your sentiment, but I do know humans who love battle as much as you seem to. To them, who you're fighting or why doesn't matter so much as the thrill and glory of it all.

Because humans are by nature cruel and violent creatures whose histories are written by their will for eternal conflict.

If there is one thing I find compelling about your kind it's that.

Humans are capable of doing horrific things to one another, and more often than not, we get fixated on what divides us instead of what unites us. But I think it's possible to move beyond that, and break down the barriers that stop us understanding one another. Even now, when everyone is arguing over the best way to move forwards, I think we can come to a peaceful resolution, because we all have a common goal we want to work for.

If we can do it, humans and fae can do it too. That's what I truly believe.

[Yuber snarls low in his throat.]

Count on a human to have such a predictable response! Bah, whatever...

I have no desire to enter a philosophical debate over the nature of humankind.

[A rustling as he blows out a breath into the phone.]

Suffice it to say I disagree on your last point.

War is the only true path forward, unless you are keen to play games with the fae that could last centuries or more.

I have no intention of playing games, and no intention of waging war, if I can help it.

Let's just agree to disagree, and we'll see how things pan out, shall we?

Certainly but you know your intent means nothing, yes?

At the end of the day it's the young king who decides whether we bend a knee to countless more eons of judgment or go to war.

"Nothing" is a strong word. I'd like to work with Arthur as much as he seems to want to work with us.

Hmm...

You think you can convince him to listen? How? Yours is one voice among many.

I'm charming, dashing, and irresistably persuasive! Just as soon as we meet, that man will adore me.

[Is he joking? Is he serious? Who knows, honestly.]

I see... Then you intend to seek an audience?

Yup. And you can spare me the unhinged lecture about how it's pointless for humans to talk to one another because we'll inevitably try to kill each other, really. I get the idea.

Hm? Give me a break... I am not one to give lectures.

Do as you will.

[Although Yuber is now thinking this man has to die before he gains his audience.

He needs his war.

Mercifully, the old demon isn't particularly hard to avoid without his powers.]

I think I'll do just that, thanks.

[He's welcome to try. It's not the first time Claude's wound up on someone's hitlist, and it probably won't be the last.]

video; un: stargazer

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