State of Esshar

[Moloch]

- 1840. Winter. -

Since the day of the failed siege, the body count that had taken place shortly thereafter, as well as Stellus Valleria ven Pelleaux's passing in a desperate attempt to bring a sibling back from departure, The Shimmering City of Magic falls into a brisk period of unrest.

The skies remain silent, unanswering to plea and desperate prayers from aneath, as if angels and stars alike had chosen to hold the children of Astya blind from their automated guidance.

"A man alone can't bear the weight of the world on his shoulders.
It was our late Archmagi's undoing to think otherwise, act unimpeded and by his lonesome in our name.

No king should dare call himself such without a roundtable to lay on.
Rhesus was a man, as human and flawed as you and I. As such, our city was only as strong as his flaws allowed."

Yet, in the onset of despair, before it had settled in? Where god lacks an answer to compensate, men move. They quell and find their own.

"I'll see to such being mended; for there's always the ideal, but more importantly there's reality to test against.
Make it so that our decisions find refinement in the brushing of differing views, the right way. The way it must be done."

"As for the advance from west?
They must've forgotten who they're dealing with."

---

☉ The Vault of Heroes, hidden within the city proper, is finally breached by a handful of their ilk's most devoted. Within, the bodies and belongings of Lord DeLaurentis, Sir Haarper Aertas have been laid to rest, and symbolic memorials for Howl Grace and Roland Hartz find their place there as well. The entrance sealed once more shortly thereafter, putting closure to grieving.

☉ An intimate force is deployed to the overtaken city of Hessalia, now gone ripe with criminal activity and debauchery, where slave trading had become the norm. Their unhallowed harbinger is aptly terminated, and a relic of the Petrakis Dynasty retrieved and cleansed in the aftermath.

☉ A series of promotions across the board, both prior and posterior to the failed siege are formalized, namely that of Alexander ven Astor to the charge of Radiant, Zhrani akh Gardios to the post of new Stellus, and Lando lux Metras as the newly appointed Lightbearer.

☉ The Neo-Essharist Movement, a revolutionary party with the goal of abolishing the Archmagedom, headed by banker Asura Nomont, conformed of a private army, and with the mantra of putting non-magi on top is dutifully repressed, is prohibited in whole, whilst the individuals behind it are permanently exiled from the shimmering city under the unanimous decision of the new roundtable.

☉ The alliance with the tribes of Moxtli, after a strict meeting and several discussions, is renegotiated and strengthened in lieu of en excess of threats. Under the premise of complete dissociation from the Mire, and in symbolic exchange for free passage to Silverwall mines to the tribal citizenry as a whole, the alliance between these two nations stands strong.

☉ The new roundtable is conformed, now stronger than it had been for several decades. It is composed of a choir of diverse and even voices, with the intent of discussion to be sparked and stimulated by differences. As of now, it exists through the following: 

Two voices of the Second Dawn, Lightbearer Lando and Radiant Alexander.
Two voices of the Faith, Geztelle ven Pelleaux and Stellus Zhrani.
Two mediators native to Starfall Academy, Warden Seifer and - as per tradition - the Champion of Eos, Theomars Falwalker.
And lastly, Osrona's Lady of Coins, Esther ven Grimmore.

A total of seven members, though one decisive seat remains tentatively empty until voted or chosen, that of the table's head. The city prepares to dictate their new ruler.

☉ The Order's forces are deployed to contest the Hand's advance on Silverwall.