Higini did not want to join any committees. But if someone says "hey, we need a sortition" and looks right at you and says "you, you're a sortition, come this way!", then refusing too vociferously is not, itself, a good way of avoiding attention. And he didn't quite have the humility to pretend to be feebleminded, which - he saw - didn't even work.

So now he is on this committee and just hopes he can get through it on a budget of about ten words so all anyone remembers about him is 'quiet'.

(Carlota's not here but that servant over in the corner is in her livery and taking notes. This is one of the ones that matters.)

Eulàlia was not planning to come but Joan-Pau is gorgeous and reportedly single and if you want to land a gorgeous man you have to show up when he plans his conquests of the continent.

If there's one thing Alfons-Valentí hates more than taxes it's... Hell. It's Hell if he's only allowed to pick one. But he's not only allowed to pick one! He's got room for lots of things to hate more than taxes! Most topically, rebels and pirates. And republics. Alfons-Valení is willing to vote the queen as many taxes as she wants (within reason) to put an end to the rebellious pirate republic of Andoran, though he's sincerely hoping that there's no need to and they will rejoin the fold peacefully.

Let's see if she can limit the damage.

And he's here to vote against declaring war on Iomedae's own allies, which Joan-Pau and all his rebel friends are oh-so-eager to do.

"Welcome to the Committee On Relations With Those People Kin To The Chelish People, everyone," he says. There's a slight friendly teasing tone in his voice, with that title. "Also known as the Committee on the Empire. Thank you all for coming."

There's a map, on the table, already spread out. Two maps, really. The first is an absolutely lovely one of the former state of Cheliax that used to be called the Western Empire, the entire nation a flowing patch of good old Arodenite gold and green. The second is a modern map of southern Avistan and the inner sea in the modern age, and was designed to be legible far more than pretty.

"It's been a hundred years since Cheliax fell. Since that time, province after province has been clawed out of the grasp of Asmodeus - Molthune, Rahadoum, Korvosa, Galt, Andoran. Now the homeland is liberated, but there's still a great deal of work to be done; every former Archduchy is glowering at every other, the northern reaches are engaged in a bitter civil war and we're a hairs-breadth from the Great Avistani War resuming.

"United, we put up the Arch of Aroden. Divided, as can be seen both by reading history and looking out the window, we spend our time bickering and killing each other. The bonds of kinship and companionship - religion, language, blood; marriage ties across the border and a single code of laws from Galt to Rahadoum - forged a single nation and the longest era of peace and prosperity since Earthfall.

"Now these bonds are fraying, and we have two choices. We can try to rebuild these bonds, and create a new Chelish world, not the one we lost but every bit as peaceful and prosperous - or we can let them go, and condemn ourselves to Taldor-Qadira relations on every border, a war every twenty years time without end amen until what men used to call the Western Empire is indistinguishable from the River Kingdoms.

"I don't mean to preach violence. To conquer a land against the wishes of its people is to make enemies; an unprovoked invasion of Andoran would shatter the bonds between us forever and leave behind a legacy of mistrust, even if all went perfectly in the war itself. Where there are godly governments representative of the will of their people, we must pursue better options. War must only be considered where there is no other alternative, and we must all pray that will be rarely.

"You have all been provided with dossiers, to refresh your knowledge on the recent history and politics of every one of the Taldane-speaking states." And include the Galtophiles' best knowledge of their land area, fortifications, diplomatic relations and military forces. "The purpose of this committee is to attempt to answer the following questions: Do we seek unity, or do we seek division? How do we approach our neighbors? What attitude should we take to the governments now in place? Where active warfare between contending factions claiming legitimacy exists, as it does in the northern reaches and as it has recently in Galt and Rahadoum, what should our policies be? How should we maintain relations with Taldor and Absalom, neither of them former parts of Cheliax but both undeniably our own blood kin?

"Some of these questions, I think I have answers to." Others - his smile flashes "- I'm still hoping to work it out. But whatever path we take, I'm glad to have you all here. Historians will read about us for a thousand years, and we should all pray for the sake of our own reputations we get it right."

Xavier, who is ducking in between other meetings but mostly just hanging out in the background, will clap.

Feliu thinks that this is a mildly dishonest way of starting a war with the forces of evil but doesn't think it's Lawless and is really pretty sure that the forces of evil should have wars started with them.

And the horse you rode in on, Joan-Pau.

"The question we have to ask is simple," he agrees, turning to survey the room. "The question is, are we going to start making war on the people who were our own allies against the Asmodeans? Because it really is that simple. Molthune, Andoran, Rahadoum, and Galt - that's the people who helped us win the war. There's Galtan and Rahadoumi armies maintaining order now, and we've got no armies of our own but the Asmodean ones. Are we going to carry out Norgorber's own backstab, an act of Evil and Chaos that leaves everyone in the world but a couple demon lords staring in horror and also screws us over? Are we going to just be Asmodeus, Mark Two, This Time We're Only Sending People To Hell Accidentally? Or are we going to do the decent thing, and say - we're not going to fight wars with our allies. Because once you answer that one, all the other questions are really simple."

Higini thought the new Queen married the guy in charge of Galt and figured this made Galt and Cheliax part of the same country again but apparently he doesn't know anything, further justifying his decision to Shut Completely Up.

If he can read, his dossier says that! Just in more words.

He can read. He will bury his face in the provided reading material.

The provided reading material explains the legal status of each of the countries!

Rahadoum has been independent since the Great Chelish Civil War. It is an atheist (they kill all clerics who enter the country) 'republic' (public ballot, you can only vote for candidates the secret police, the Pure Legion, approves of) under the shield of powerful asuras, Lawful Evil outsiders who hate all gods and murder every cleric in the country, and is dominated by the northern coastal cities; various southern tribes with a habit of worshipping Sarenrae try to rebel against them regularly. They were on our side in the Four Day War and took our southernmost province and sacked Corentyn. Discussions of the personality of the Keeper of the First Law, discussion of the Pure Legion, discussion of their healing (druids and wands and desperately trying to attract song-sorcerers), discussion of their army, discussion of their various rebellions. Mention the failed embassy to Razmiran on the grounds that Razmir wasn't a god and if he'd knock off claiming to be one maybe he could rent them some healers.

Isger is in personal union with the Queen (that is, she is Queen of both Isger and Cheliax, separately) and we want to try to resolve their legal status. They used to be diabolist like Cheliax, though they were slightly less diabolist than Cheliax. They were on the Chelish side on every war. Discussion of various things about them.

Andoran got independence a bit after Galt and is a republic, though they have only ever elected one guy to the top position and he's held it consistently ever since they got independence. He's a paladin of Iomedae, so that's pretty good; discussion of him (positive), discussion of his possible successors (less positive). They also helped us out in both of the last go-rounds of the war with the Asmodeans, though they did make peace when Molthune did until the Four Day War. Abolition of slavery! Bicameral legislature! Piracy! Orphans! So, so many orphans! Having no slaves has worked out pretty well for them but the orphan thing is just dreadful. They've got Felandriel Morgethai, an archmage. Our archmages like her. Discussion of their army, discussion of their internal angry political divisions...

Molthune province was settled by exiles from the Great Chelish Civil War, and is ruled by a military dictatorship that claims to be the legitimate army of Cheliax and has also conquered some bits of Varisia. They dropped out of the war when Cheliax bribed them enough, and most of their best people ran off and joined Galt once the Four Days War started or came home to their lands in Cheliax after the country was freed, with only the diehard holdouts in the leadership remaining. Their leader is an evil seventh-circle wizard suspected to be plotting lichdom. They're fighting a constant war against a lot of their people, who hate their government and want to be free of it. Discussion of their army and how it mostly is now working for men loyal to the true Queen of Cheliax.

Galt used to be a province of Cheliax until they rebelled, then was a constitutional monarchy, then a republic and is now a constitutional empire (upper house does mostly symbolic and aristocratic stuff, lower stuff needs to pass laws, there are two lower houses one of which debates laws and the other of which passes laws) after several bloody changes of government, ruled by the brilliant and ambitious Emperor Cyprian, our Queen's consort. Though the Emperor of Galt and the Queen of Cheliax are married and allied the two countries are still under separate governments their kid will probably inherit both thrones. Galt has the world's best army, which is currently restoring order to Cheliax and some of which is campaigning in the River Kingdoms, and is finally stable and prosperous after the tumult of Asmodean rule.

Korvosa is a city state in southern Varisia. It has its own wizards' academy. The archmages saved it from the Asmodeans. Some more discussion!

Druma is a godawful mess currently divided between a greed-fueled immortality cult that was working for the Asmodeans, and a Galtan puppet state. Discussion of the immortality cult! Discussion of the army, or lack thereof!

She knew most of that but not that Molthune was ruled by an evil seventh-circle wizard suspected to be plotting lichdom. It really sounds like the most promising candidate for them to be welcomed as liberators and also it's probably the one that the hot guy cares about the most. "Right, so, some of these are complicated diplomatic situations, but Molthune's just a Chelish province that currently has an evil ruler, yes? We should depose him and appoint a regular archduke."

"Some of the current Archduchies are, unfortunately, also glowering. Principally at the crown, on suspicion of tyranny. I advise against wars of conquest, unless you're prepared to fight a regional civil war in Ravounel against a genuine popular uprising with some raised veterans of the Civil War at its head."

He appreciates Eulalia feeding him useful support and will spare her a smile.

"I appreciate this advice, Archduchess. I don't understand Ravounel very well, and I'd live to speak with you later about how else we can prevent large-scale treasonous rebellion from breaking out across your archduchy; this is indeed an important concern."

"They have a pretext under which it would be legal. The details aren't important, though; we should indeed talk privately."

"With all due respect, Archduchess, the people of Ravounel will need to accept the same truth as the Andorens: The Thrunes are gone. Absolutely no good will come of further rebellion. Treason against the forces of Hell is good and just; treason against our new heaven-sent queen is just that: treason."

Oh good, an attack dog. He really appreciates Alfons-Valenti and should get him something nice.

"Now, Count, that may perhaps be a little too strong. While everything you say may be true, Ravounel's rebellious nature was a great asset for the people of Cheliax and for all the world until recently; we can, alas, hardly expect them to drop an attitude that has aided us so much the moment it is now inconvenient without even any attempts at persuasion."

Or, in other words, we ought to bribe them instead of threatening them to get them to stop doing this because they were our friends yesterday.

"Of course persuasion must come first, so long as we are unambiguous about what must happen if diplomacy fails."

"Did I understand you correctly, Conde, in saying you believe Andoran ought to be under Her Majesty? That would be a rather extreme proposal."

"The dominion of Aspex stretched all the way to the Sellen, yes. They were right to rebel against Hell but the time has come for them to return."

"Count! I wholly agree with you. The Empire of Aspex must be reconciled to itself, and it is my dearest hope to return Andoran to the empire. Archduchess! I agree with you. A war of aggression against Andoran would risk disaster, especially among those who have been the most fervent enemies of Asmodeus." Because they have an archmage, and we don't. Some archmages have us. There's a difference. "Threats of war will only serve to inflame the Andorani people against us, who should be our closest kin." Or, in other words, you're not going to get a proposal to conquer them through this committee but you will get a declaration that we ought to rule them. Subtext clear to everyone?

"Indeed," says Archduke Xavier, who is letting Joan take the lead on this one because he's more diplomatic.

"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."

"Then the fools can be removed as well! I agree that making peace takes longer than winning a war, but in the case of Molthune province I cannot imagine it will take much longer. If it is as Count Ardiaca says, we will be greeted as liberators by the greater part of the populace."

"Of course," he says to Jilia. "'A swift peace in accordance with the desires of the good and godly people of Molthune Province', perhaps? 'The heroic people of Molthuni Province?' He's tasting words."

To Alfons-Valenti, "the Lord Protector's armies will swiftly surrender once he's defeated, as you say. Their loyalty is to the chain of command or to his person or to their pay, not to any cause; offer them lenient terms and continued employment and they'll back down." And the Lord Protector, once beaten, will negotiate a surrender and then run off with his embezzled money, assuming he doesn't spend the rest of his life as a rabbit.

"I'm sorry to say this," says Berenguer-Aspex, who doesn't want to be challenged to a duel and so needs to tread a line, "but I think Count Ardiaca's mistaken. There's people with us, no doubt. Every Molthuni you talk to, in Westcrown - I bet there's dozens or hundreds of people who came down here with the Count of Gandisa* and the Duke of Sirmium**" - he nods to them "- who'll tell you that they're here because of how the Lord Protector sold them out. Because all the others are up in Molthune. And as we just saw, Molthune talks a good game about being part of Cheliax, but its its own country just as much as Andoran is. Two, if you ask the Nirmathi, which most people don't because they're a bunch of druids and woodsmen having a logging protest."

(*: Joan-Pau)

(**: Xavier)

"Just?" Joan-Pau says in the voice of someone who thinks he actually does have an opportunity to challenge Berenguer-Aspex to a duel. "Do you mean to claim that thousands of Nirmathi, including many of my own friends, did not rise to the Chelish colors when war was declared, and stream south to join us all in a war to liberate their homeland from Hell, or that more did not try and only failed because of the Lord Protector's soldiers standing between them and this very spot and wielding arms to prevent them from fighting the Asmodean soldiers?"

"Yes they did, Count Ardiaca. They quit the Nirmathi and came here. The Nirmathi who are left, I should've said." 

"Such as Genis Clavell i Fabregas?"

"Working with the Nirmathi, not one of them."

"Surely people don't cease to deserve a say in the fate of their homeland because they left its borders temporarily to march out on campaign against Hell."

"When a man abandons his post against orders in time of war or rebellion to go off and fight someone else, we call that treason and mutiny and desertion, in Molthune. I don't know what Asmodean Cheliax called it."

"Oh, the same things. Because it is the same thing - fighting Hell."

He raised an eyebrow at Alfons-Valenti and Higini Cua. "- If you haven't been following events closely enough, the war started when the Lord Protector made a deal with the Thrunes to abandon his alliances and not join the Four Day War, the High Priest of the Archangel Ragathiel denounced the Lord Protector as an ally of Hell and the Lord Protector had guards try to drag him off to prison in the middle of his sermon. That's when Canorate rose."

Can he look attentive in a way that does NOT make people study him in any further detail somehow. Maybe if he just furrows his brow thoughtfully and then ducks back into his handout.

"I think if you had land on the Varisian border and the people you'd sent off to keep the hobgoblins off your back ran off on crusade against orders with all the weapons you gave them, you'd be annoyed, too."

"Oh yes, I certainly would. But are you saying that General Clavell is not a patriotic citizen of Cheliax loyal to Her Majesty the Queen fighting the Lord Protector among - or, if you prefer, alongside - the Nirmathi? Because if so, you've yielded my point."

"You've found one man your point's true of." But everyone who knows anything about Molthune knows the Nirmathi aren't patriots, they're tax rebels, druids and secessionists.

"And I can find a thousand more." I can continue saying true but misrepresentative things longer than you can call bullshit on me, you need to be more polite than I do because I can beat you in a duel, and I think the audience is on my side.

“Surely we should give people who rebelled against an Evil government the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to demonstrate that they were motivated not by disloyalty but by loyalty to the higher cause. If they rebel again once Her Majesty appoints a Good and respected archduke then I’ll be ready to condemn them, but not until we’ve given reconciliation a real attempt.”

Jilia isn't exactly neglecting the back and forth, but it's predictable; Count Ardiaca is better-prepared and a better speaker, and Jilia's the only one listening who will get anything from his motion failing, so the outcome is fairly set. She can think about other things.

So: What does de Seguer want out of this committee? She's not proving her ex-Asmodean credentials terribly well, and it doesn't seem like the typical mistakes Asmodeans make when trying not to be.

...Oh, right. She's a young woman. Flattering the undeniably handsome slightly-less-young man.

Well, wanting him carnally probably isn't exploitable by anyone but him. Makes predicting the votes simpler, at least.

(She doesn't just want to sleep with him! She wants to marry him and have his Molthune-conquering handsome adventurer children! She's not a teenager who has silly crushes, now, she's a countess who forges alliances! With hot guys!)