"Iomedae resurrects him?"

HMPH.

Sigh. "Yeah. ...I mean, do we think it's true, that Iomedae can and will more-or-less dictate whatever terms she wants, and the terms she wants will be favorable to the rebels?" He rubs the back of his neck. "I don't really like the - framing on it, it does feel like it'll - look like weakness, risk other provinces getting ideas - but I think it might just not be realistic to hold out for Oris as a client state. And, er, I - think I'd be willing to accept the actual conditions he wants, just, if there were some way to make it - less the kind of treaty that would incentivize more rebellions in general...?" 

"We don't know what Iomedae can do, except that she's sure trying to look omnipotent, and I don't know if the rebels know any more than we do."

"The loss of Tozoa Province is a severe setback for the Empire and a blow - to the military might of the Empire in the eyes of the nations of the world, to Your majesty in the Empire, and to the dream of the First Emperor against the gods."

It is also the loss of patronage, tax revenue, et cetera, et cetera.

"I'll bet he wants the words 'free and independent' so he can start rebellions," says Macalay, "just like we want it gone so there won't be. Keep us busy from coming after him." He shakes his head. "If they see us lose, we will have rebellions, and we'd just better make sure we have the troops to crush them."

"I don't doubt that the warlord Orestan would be willing to accept a lower price or no price in gold, but I doubt that he would be willing to yield on freedom, land, or the gods. He expects a war, just as we do, and he must persuade every other one of the squabbling tribal leaders and petty barons and naked warlords to accept his agreement, and so he must promise them a 'full victory' if he wishes to keep his throne."

The traditional thing to do would be to bribe him with being an Imperial puppet ruler, but they tried that with the last mission and it didn't work, so.

"I don't suppose there's anything we could do to break the Oris-Iomedae alliance?" he suggests. "We beat him before she came back, after all, and they can't have the same designs - he's no more heard of Tar-Baphon before she came here than we did. Without secure resurrections and miracle-healing, his position would be weaker... and if we try to turn her against Norean while the war is lingering, he might have her demand full acceptance of Orestan's demands to make peace." And reparations and return of battle trophies (such as the sword of the first king of Oris and the throne they have sat on since the third, all now on display in Jacona) would not exactly strengthen Bastran's government in the eyes of the Empire.

He taps his fingers restlessly on the tabletop. “Maybe? ...So one point of leverage we might have with Iomedae - if we can trust any of the Thoughtsensing reports on her diplomat - is that she doesn't trust her ally, Alfirin, and can't afford to break with her, because the Knights of Ozem need her for their war back home, but she badly doesn't want her to end up with the Empire. Which...she might be more constrained than we've been modeling, and more - inclined for this to be over one way or another." 

Shrug. "I think we don't know enough about how she'll respond, right now, but - that's the point of the diplomacy, right, getting a better sense of her? How, er, optimistic do we feel about the progress there?" 

"It's going better than I expected," Elnore admits. "The diplomat they sent is good at his job. I can't tell how well he speaks for Iomedae, under the circumstances; he has a lot to excuse and he's going at it as fast as he can. I'm inclined to believe him that she's very busy and doesn't want to start a war here; I think the Alfirin-story makes some sense, as an explanation of what's going on here - two allies with different priorities, working together against an outside threat, with tension between them; Alfirin grabbed Altarrin, Iomedae's trying to pretend that didn't happen so she doesn't need to give him back. I think the explanation that they needed his magic urgently and didn't have time to ask makes sense of why Alfirin might try this, even if Iomedae still wanted diplomacy."

"But I'm still not optimistic, because if Alfirin is prepared to kidnap anyone she wants any time she thinks that's a good idea and Iomedae will excuse it, we aren't talking to anyone with the ability to negotiate. Their diplomat thinks that isn't happening, but I don't think Iomedae would send someone who would."

"The described relationship between Iomedae and her chief Adept sounds like one of the finest and clearest reasons that the Imperial system is superior to all others. With no unified head for decisionmaking, the two acting at cross-purposes is inevitable."

("Alfirin grabbed Altarrin and Iomedae doesn't want to give him back" is also, in context, kind of hilarious.) 

Nod. Sigh. "It means something that she sent a professional diplomat who's good at his job, I guess. - Reckon it'd be worth feeling him out on what kinds of conditions Iomedae might accept? In terms of exiting Oris, or owing both sides reparations...?" 

"As you say, Bastran."

Right. The Emperor wants Elnore and the Ministry of Barbarians to come up with some hypothetical draft proposals by tomorrow, complete with potential messages to send to Iomedae: one on "suggesting" that the Knights of Ozem do something about Atet's horrifying religion (and tie up Ithik in the process), and on requesting she prove her intentions toward the Empire by ending one of the civil wars, and on demanding reparations and a formal apology to both Oris and the Empire for the Knights of Ozem's involvement in the war and its death toll. And he wants them to keep talking to Iomedae's diplomat, and (delicately, of course) try to get his predictions of how she would react to any of those proposals. 

Right. This meeting is NOT done yet even though he's radiating (subtly) with every line of body language that he wishes it were done. 

Next items: the reappearance of the Mirrorgrave and the discovery of his secret base? The Emperor's impression is that this is...mostly under control? Is there any kind of followup response that needs to be approved by him personally? Have they made headway on investigating the origins and properties of the sword-artifact with Foresight, or figured out how Duchess Velane came to possess it and whether it has implications about her loyalties? Also they should probably make a decision on what, if anything, to tell Iomedae about it? 

The Ministry of Barbarians will do this!

The Ministry of Progress has not yet tracked it down, no. They have no idea what this means and would like more time to research it or a chance to analyze it in great detail, which would unfortunately tick off the Duchess so they aren't pushing.

Baron Pierson believes this entire matter is under control, yes; the commander of the Imperial Guard has subdued the otherworldly threats, the remaining artifacts are contained, and all their difficulties have been reduced to the difficulty of how to handle the artifact.

In his opinion, the most likely explanation is that it's a god-plot and they should immediately seize the sword before it can escape so the Ministry of Progress can analyze it, and if the Duchess disagrees that strongly suggests she's been dangerously influenced by the gods.

The Ministry of Justice would like to carry out an investigation into the cults present in this situation, yes, and, as it traditionally does, objects to nobles abusing their power to protect cultists.

"She did exactly what she was supposed to do and that's what matters," says Macalay, glaring the universal glare. "Wish I had more officers like her - someone should see if she wants a job."

On the topic of what they tell Iomedae, Duke Klemath Elnore sees no reason to do anything other than "the Mirrorgrave's base was located and taken care of, everything has been destroyed or brought into containment." They may want to ask about some of the magical items, such as the bag of screaming faces, just to demonstrate that they really do have them.

The Emperor will look indecisive, but second Macalay's point that Duchess Velane did very likely save Vushan Province, and maybe the Empire, from a dangerous threat. They should definitely investigate the sword further, and learn as much as they can about the cultist that handed it over, but - it would hardly be fitting to punish a young noblewoman for courageously defending the Empire, right? 

(Bastran is known to be - often easily moved - by reckless acts of heroism.) 

(And Altarrin will discreetly make sure that a couple of historical texts with mentions of the intelligent blade Need in them, and one obscure magical treatise written by an obscure court scholar who was incidentally one of his own past lives, make their way to the attention of a diligent Ministry of Progress junior investigator.) 

He's fine with Duke Elnore's proposal. He agrees that it's worth mentioning the bag of screaming faces, to see how Iomedae responds. They can maybe keep some of their other observations in reserve, as a check on whether she's trying to slip them false information? So far he thinks they have no indication that Iomedae knows about the Mirrorgrave's base; she wouldn't have had any reason to be looking that way, and if she had a way to locate the bag directly - and is truthful in her claim to want to help the Empire fight Tar-Baphon - you would think she would have warned them. 

You would! He'll do this.

(No doubt the Ministry of Progress will find them shortly! It just hasn't overnight.)

And that's...probably just about everything? 

- Kastil. They need to decide what to do about Kastil. Uh. He will fidget and look incredibly torn and - say he wants to recommend that the Healers go ahead and use the foreign healing potion. They won't have him back right away anyway, they'll want to keep him under observation for a while, probably? Both to make sure he's actually recovered - they haven't seen the healing in action, just heard about it secondhand from Oris - and to monitor for signs of mind control, godly or mortal. 

The most paranoid person in the room -

- Isn't in the room.

This order will be obeyed.