"As you say. I have no ill will toward our Andorani kin. I do have a great deal of ill will towards pirates, and hope fervently that we can act to put an end to the ongoing epidemic of inner-sea brigandage without any conflict with the greater part of Andoran."

"My assessment of the composition of the convention and of the committee on slavery is that this will shortly cease to be an issue for Chelish shipping, regardless of our personal opinions."

Hers is in favor but that's not important right now.

"That guess seems to rest on an overly credulous disposition towards the pirates' professed intentions, Archduchess, though I would thank Iomedae if you prove correct."

"Never met a pirate who decided to retire and become an honest man when someone on land passed a law about it. Even presuming we do negotiate a peaceful reunion with Andoran we'll probably have to track most of them down. But it'd be easier without the Andorens cheering them on."

"Andoran's government's sincerity in their convictions is generally dangerously high, not so low as to be hypocritical. With normalized diplomatic relations, they would control their people if they could, and for as long as there are other slavers in the Sea, I believe they quite readily can. Perhaps a problem for our great-great-grandchildren, but they will have a richer, more stable, and more unified country to solve it with."

"If they could! There is the problem, Archduchess. Pirates accept no authority but their own. They say they are crusaders against slavery, but it is not only slaver ships that they rob and burn."

"Indeed. Andorani piracy against Chelish ships must end, but there remain diplomatic ways to achieve this goal, considering the result that a slavery committee dominated by three halflings and a Nirmathi must inevitably produce." Also, Andorani piracy against people not flying the Chelish flag is, while of course bad for the world, pretty great for Cheliax, since it advantages Chelish merchants against their rivals. "Should they refrain, of course, action must be taken."

He pulls out a pocketwatch, looks at it. "I believe our remaining priority today should be to work out a statement of policy. I have a possible first draft -"

"First, that we, the Committee on Relations to Kin, believes that a unique bond exists between the people of the domains of Aspex and Haliad, and that we should pursue the cause of reunification between these peoples through means acceptable to the gods of Good and in accordance with the finest traditions of the Chelish state, with the goal of building a lasting and virtuous peace." i.e., we're not giving up on the empire but we also aren't Asmodean.

"Second, that godly realms beloved of their people need fear no aggression from us, only those who by pursuing tyranny walk the path of Asmodeus and so invite the return of Hell." I.e., we aren't going to start fights with countries lead by paladins of Iomedae provided they clear up their little piracy problem.

"Third, that we should not begin violence against those who do not bring harm to the Chelish people, but stand ready to defend our people and the honor of our kingdom, our gods, and our great founder." This means we need a casus belli to start a war. Good thing we have ones against Molthune, Andoran and Rahadoum!

And then he can add the 'Fourth' once they've gotten this approximately unanimously past the assembly.

"That essentially promises we war against the non-Galtan half of Druma," she notes, "But there I certainly approve. No objections."

"This is all eminently reasonable and commits us only to wars that are necessary and wise. In favor."

"In favor."

"In favor."

It's a deliberate poison pill intended to make everyone who doesn't vote for it look like fools, but just because he can see that doesn't mean he can see how to not do that. "In favor," he grinds out.

...okay, that's what everyone is doing. "In favor."

"Passes unanimously."

Well, then. In that case, he wants Berenguer-Aspex to say something, so it's time for the fourth proposal, that will make it very clear where he lies. (He loves win-win moves.)

"Well, since we have some time, I'd like to get a fourth statement agreed on before we separating, acknowledging one thing that I and my cousins -" he'll nod to Xavier, who just voted, and Feliu, who is still standing by the wall very visibly being a paladin of Iomedae "- from can all report from firsthand experience: That the sad situation in northern Cheliax, in which a state of civil war exists in Molthune Province between, on the one hand, the Lord Protector Ferran Nefol y Artegas, oathbreaker, tyrant and fellow* of Hell, and those military forces loyal to him, and, on the other, the brave Nirmathi patriots and their allies - the loyal people of the cities of Tamran and Canorate**, the counts of Linyola, Torregrossa and Sarral, generals Genis Clavell i Febregas and Peredo Lacort i Marigot of the Royal and Imperial Army of Holy Cheliax, the churches of the Good gods Ragathiel, Milani and Cayden Cailean and the Neutral gods Sivanah and Gozreh, the druids of Backar, the Shrikewood, Duskshroud, Witherbark and the Fangwood, Weslen Gavirk, Ollis Tamain and the bold rangers they lead, and the elves of Fanalasse and Simpaduine, is real, and also that we entreat Her Majesty to appoint a qualified person of unimpeachable virtue*** acceptable to the Nirmathi to bring a swift peace to the region." Preferably Alexaera Cansellarion, who lives there and knows all of them.

(*: As in 'companion'. A closer translation might be "Fellow-traveler," meaning "person who does not overtly belong to this ideology and is not overly a part of the organization associated with it but has many agreements with it and keeps working towards goals that suspiciously resemble its goals.")

(**: "But Canorate isn't in rebellion against Molthune!" "Please explain the difference between a city that recently had angry riots in which local leaders denounced the Lord-Protector as a tyrant and organized mobs to try to hang him from the lampposts before martial law was declared and Molthuni soldiers cut the rioters down, and an occupied rebel city.")

(***: "For the love of all the gods not me.")

Now, will this pass six to one or four to two?

She was pretty sure an hour ago that Molthune was an entirely different country and not a Chelish province at all but the most important fact about the world is that 'countries' are just a question of who believes in them. "Peace in Northern Cheliax! Out with the last of the friends of the Thrunes!"

"I would prefer if we added slightly more qualifiers. 'A swift peace that respects the desires of the people of Molthune Province', perhaps. That would make it easier to convince radicals they aren't next, and that the archmage approves of any armies we send."

"Once peace is achieved, we ought also to invite the loyal lords of Molthune Province to join us here, along with elected representatives from their counties. They are no less Chelish than you or I."

"I suspect the best of them have already accepted the Queen's invitation like the three sitting at this table. But yes, of course, if there is anything like this convention in the future all the reunified territories ought to be fully represented. It would improve the church delegates too, if they haven't recovered by the next time."

"I was not talking about future conventions." Hopefully there will be none? "Judging by recent history, the queen can depose the lord-protector, if she so chooses, in much less time than it will take for this convention to finish its business. They should be invited here."

"I cannot imagine that can be achieved so quickly. The Four-Day War threw down the Thrunes and had a quick victory, but it did not secure peace in four days. It might be done in a few weeks, with luck, if the Lord Protector has no loyalists who would resist, in which case that seems reasonable to ask, but I doubt it will be so simple."

"If the Lord-protector's loyalists continue to fight after their leader has been defeated, they are fools."

"There are always fools. I would think anyone who'd seen the pamphlets in the city around us would have noticed that."