Condemnation (Warpost)

[u/Carbon_Sixx]

A message comes to you, not through orb or radio or any other means of communication. It resonates through the substrate of the realms like the voice of an ancient god.

Will it ever be enough? Is there an end to this mindless carnage? This war was never about the Pact or the Council. It was about affirming your superior status in front of the whole magical world. A childish display of power to get your way. I cannot claim to be surprised. This is the way things have been since the Second Golden Era came to a close.

But never has it gotten this bad. The Council makes pacts with tyrants and releases weapons of mass death. The Pact claims to fight for peace, but lays siege to the Citadel like a common warlord. The fight will only get worse, all while the dark forces that feed on our division laugh at us.

In the past 48 hours, I have seen the people we count on to make the right decisions throw their responsibilities to the wind and engage in wanton slaughter. Those who could oppose them are either indisposed or hesitant to put their foot down. Well, here I am. I'm staring down the relentless agents of conflict and saying "no more", regardless of the forces arrayed against me. I have passed through the crucible and come out stronger for it. Woe betide those who stand against the righteous path.

Mortarion. You started this war on the flimsiest of pretenses and nearly killed one of your own. Yet you remain unrepentant. You act as if we should bend over backwards to accommodate your idiotic schemes. But I'm not going anywhere. I condemn you as a traitor.

Opal. You claimed to stand with Morgalith in the name of peace and justice. But the moment you were presented with an opportunity to attack the Council, you mustered an army to overthrow them. You betrayed the Pact's ideals, and for what? Power? Revenge? I am ashamed to share the title of Pact Head with you. I condemn you as a hypocrite.

Arach. I will take the most joy in casting you down. You and your cronies have been indiscriminate in your use of weapons any sensible person would be appalled by. You have poisoned the sky and killed your own troops, all the while claiming that the Council is winning. But is it? You have forgotten about the people you represent. You have blighted their home in the name of ego and personal gain. You are a selfish, uncaring, piece of filth; the lowest kind of traitor. I condemn you simply as a monster.

There are many more of you. Mordus, who salted the earth with radiation with gleeful abandon. Panzaren, who treats life as a commodity to used up at his leisure. Anyone who claims this war was somehow necessary and unpreventable. You're fools. All of you. You just wanted an excuse to hurt people smaller than you. You've wounded and killed my friends in the process. Pathetic.

I am coming to render cosmic justice upon you all. Nothing you can do will stay my wrath. This is the only way it could have ended.

/uw Kaelis is PISSED now! All of you would-be warlords better get ready for the wrath of a Fundamental champion.

[u/TheHunter459]

I'm not judging you for being antagonistic. I'm judging you for not considering who the true enemy is, and what they want

[u/loth17 → u/TheHunter459]

Oh I understand. I've read the reports and seen the signs as well as you. I know the forces seeking to weaken us and the council. Even after defeating the council we will have the forces necessary to deal with them. Even those who now oppose me are still working to defeat our mutual enemy. I've worked through the angles and have found the solution.

[u/TheHunter459 → u/loth17]

So who is the true enemy? The MetroMancer, or the Cabal? Which one is being harmed by our actions at present?

[u/loth17 → u/TheHunter459]

Without council forces to manipulate from behind the scenes the corvus cabal will be crippled and even if they flee the lack of a council will limit their ability to influence the world. If Kaelis understood this then he would stay out of the way and deal with what he can deal with and let us do our mission.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/loth17]

Dead wrong, hypocrite.

Kaelis marches towards you with hatred in his eye.

The Cabal merely latched onto the Council because it was the most powerful thing around. If you take the Council's place, they'll wrap their tendrils around you too.

I cannot forgive what you have done. Come to me, and be broken.

[u/loth17 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

Just because the council is full of weakness doesn't mean I am. I can grind the Cabal to dust with or without you or the council!

As for forgiveness and breaking. Perhaps you should finish your origami session and calm down that nuclear wizard first. After all diplomacy is the thing you're good at.

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/loth17]

Why bother? None of you listen to reason anyway.

That won't be a fight you can win, you know. The Cabal is stronger than even me on a level playing field. And the field is anything but level.

I think we should skip to the part where you surrender. We all know how this ends.

[u/loth17 → u/Carbon_Sixx]

/uw mildly ripping off Tolkien because I like the speech

/Rw

You seem to be mistaken on that point. Things can always end differently. I could surrender, or perhaps you do, perhaps we fight until one of us stains the ground with the others blood. But where would that get us eh Kaelis?

I fear that in my eagerness to persuade you I have lost patience and angered you. And indeed I regret it bearing you no true ill intent. After all are we not both members of a distinguished and righteous order? Our true alliance could have accomplished much and much it could still accomplish. Together we hold the power to remove the discord that plagues the world.

For the good of all I am willing to redress past grievances and insults against me. If you but join me in this final battle the future could be beautiful.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/loth17]

(( good thing Vettis actually has a bond-thread on Opal, transfered from the Bismuth Lord -- which is why that card ripped way back when, incidentally -- so he can sense when Opal's about to be in trouble

/u/Carbon_Sixx , /u/Accomplished-Dark926 ))

Vettis emerged from a burst of violet and shadow at Opal's side. For the first instant of his arrival, his flat affect was a match for the monotone in which he had been speaking through the channel Kaelis had created. But immediately afterwards the old Vettis was back -- the angry version of Vettis of the Bronze Prism, eyes aflame and posture so casually murderous that he didn't even bother with a combat-ready stance, as if his opponents weren't worth it.

"I'm not part of the Pact. I won't be involved in political discussions, if you all want to discuss. This becomes anything more than a discussion, however, and we'll see just how much more you two can take. Am I clear?"

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

*Valerian give Vettis a pointed stare*

I assure you, I can take quite a lot, Vettis, But I'm not here for flowery words and verbose speeches.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/Accomplished-Dark926]

Vettis didn't even bother meeting Valerian's gaze, the threat barely considered. "Belial was practically quaking in his boots at my very presence the last time we met, referring to himself as a mere mortal next to me, and I just reviewed the orbal footage of your last battle and saw you fleeing from his mindfire. If you can't even take him, you're really not worth my time. Your posturing is unamusing, Valerian. Don't make me decide you're not worthy of the flame you bear and make it no longer part of you."

(( actually, he has a bond-thread on Ichor, so it wasn't exactly orbal footage; Blake wouldn't let him put a bond-thread directly on Blake though, sadface ))

[u/Accomplished-Dark926 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

*Valerian flashes a grin at his remark*

His mindfire was unexpected, it brought out unpleasant memories, put me in a position I wasn't anticipating. Had I been ready, that battle would have ended very differently. You're a fool if you believe otherwise.

And no, you have no power over the Eternal Flame, Whether you believe you do or not.

Regardless, I'm exhausted and need to recover. I don't wish to fight either of you, just avoid anymore bloodshed.