Prologue
Forty years ago, five nations began fighting each other over a scrap of mountainous land that touched all of their borders.
Kelline, the seafaring nation to the south, technically owned these lands. However, the king and his people were busy with their fishing and their trade, and had little to do with the mountains. Why should they, when they had the beautiful plains and lowlands to inhabit?
Kelline was easily the wealthiest of the five nations. It had begun as a small fishing village, which had become prosperous when it attracted the attention of Ivon the Conqueror. Ivon had built up the strategic port into a city, which he called Kellineton. His people moved in and spread out, and soon small towns and farms dotted the plains. The discovery of technology like the plow accelerated their growth, and soon the entire land, outside of the port cities, was farmland. Kelline traded its agricultural goods and its fish, and soon it had built up an impressive merchant fleet. Ivon the Conqueror died, but his family continued to rule for nearly two hundred years. His ruling descendant at the time was named Yurick, and he was one of the strongest rulers the nation had had.
Pynterre also bordered the sea, but it had a small coastline and lacked Kelline's agricultural advantage. Its location to the west put it out of range of the temperate rains to the south, and it was thus desert country. Pynterre was the least organized of the five nations, for its government consisted of a council of opposing thanes who ruled various nomad groups.
Still, Pynterre found its own means of trade. Legend had it that years before, a prince of Tribe Erril found himself wandering in the desert during a rare lightning storm. Of a sudden, lightning struck the ground at his feet, knocking him unconscious. When he came to, he was lying on a pool of glass. Inspired, he rushed home and slowly developed the art of glassblowing, which he proceeded to teach to the other tribes. Pynterre became renowned for its fine stained glass, and soon orders poured in from around the world for new windows. Pynterre's small coastline was converted into a single large port, where bustling trade bolstered the nation's economy until it was nearly as rich as Kelline.
Idaarolaa was nestled in the mountains north of Pynterre, part of the chain that contained the range in question. It was the smallest and poorest of the five nations, but it was rich in education. Idaarolaa had the best schools in the world, and nobility from around the world sent their children to be educated there. Still, despite its weak military, Idaarolaa was left in peace, largely because of rumors that its royal family had a strain of magic. The rumors had yet to be proven, but they hadn't been disproven either.
Besides their schools, Idaarolaans were also well known for their skill with wood. They carved portraits, stories, and beautifully shaped words into woods like mahogany, oak, and maple. Like Pynterre's glassware, Idaarolaan wood was found only in the richest of homes, and it signified wealth.
Unfortunately for the Idaarolaans, the rocky terrain on which they lived gave rise only to tough, scraggly trees whose wood was nearly impossible to carve. The Idaarolaans, therefore, imported most of their wood from Speroa, the wooded nation in the east. Because the wood had to travel over mountains, it was expensive, and the Idaarolaans found themselves paying more for the wood than they were being paid for what they carved it into. Perhaps out of pity for the poor country and its economy, the other nations began paying higher prices for the education their children received there, and that was enough for Idaarolaa to break even.
Speroa was far to the east, barely sharing a border with Kelline, but share it did. As mentioned, Speroa was densely wooded, and it was made up of small towns separated by large stretches of thick forest. Legend had it that this forest was home to all manner of odd creatures: phoenixes, unicorns, gryphons, fauns, witches, even dragons. Its people were thought still stranger, for rather than destroy the thick forest they lived in, they lived in it. They built their towns in treetops, nestled snugly amid the branches. Any path that cut through their forest was made only for traders, who were highly uncomfortable taking rope bridges across large distances. A huge network of rope bridges connected every small town to its neighbors and the capital city, which was a marvel to see. Thousands of people, hundreds of buildings, even a palace, all suspended among tree branches. And still it was sturdy as a rock and withstood the powerful storms that often blew up from the mountains.
The people of Speroa were said to have prehensile toes, like apes, but as they always wore shoes in the presence of foreigners no one really knew. They were born climbing trees, and if they fell from the branches they were given the responsibility of climbing up on their own. Few ever fell, and only a handful of Speroans knew the feel of earth beneath their feet.
Speroa's export was lumber, and even that was odd about them. Superstitiously they cut wood only in a certain part of the forest, and once they had felled a tree they planted a sapling and tended it. Some argued this was a religious practice; others, that it was a practical matter: without the trees, Speroa had no export, and without export, it had no economy. All they were doing by replanting was insuring their own future.
The final nation was Ilia, a country of miners and shepherds. It was located between Speroa and Idaarolaa, and where it wasn't mountainous it consisted of rocky plateaus. The terrain was good for their hardy mountain goats and sheep, which produced wool and dairy that were the envy of the other nations. Unfortunately, the terrain was not particularly conducive to agriculture, and all grains had to be imported from other countries. This chafed at the Ilian people, for they were proud and did not like to be beholden to anyone.
However, the Ilian morale boosted when large quantities of gold, silver, and gemstones were discovered beneath its rocky soil. The economy shifted from mainly exporting dairy products to mining and exporting precious jewels. Their largest importers were Pynterre and Kelline- Kelline because it was rich, and Pynterre because it loved beauty. Pynterre also entered a military alliance with Ilia, although that is not yet important.
The war began with Ilian miners. One day as they delved through the mountains along the Kellinean border, a miner struck gold, literally. The mine expanded in that direction, and before long it was discovered that what this miner had uncovered was merely the tip of a rich vein of gold that stretched through Kelline's mountains. Immediately a debate began among the king's councilors.
"This gold will make us rich!" cried one.
"We cannot take it! It belongs to Kelline, and robbing that country will alienate a great trading partner," argued another.
"They are not even using those mountains, and they never will! Kelline is rich enough on its own! It does not need this gold like we do!"
"It does not matter! We cannot betray Kelline in this way!"
However, the first councilor's words swayed the king, and before long Ilia opened extensive mines in the Kellinean mountains. This continued for years until the Ilians accidentally collided with a small Kellinean mine of which they were unaware. The owner of the mine, a local baron, reported immediately to the king in the hopes of gaining greater land and status. He received neither, and instead sent his three sons away to the war he had begun.
Unfortunately, the second Ilian councilor was the correct one. King Yurick became extremely angry and immediately ordered an embargo against Ilia. Ilia, unfortunately, could not get enough food from other countries, and knew that this embargo meant the death of its people. So Ilia did what any right-thinking nation would do- it declared war on Kelline. Kelline retaliated by declaring war on Ilia, and Pynterre was forced to declare war on Kelline. For nearly two years only these three countries were involved- Ilia fighting in the mountains, Pynterre along its river border with Kelline, and Kelline on two fronts. Then Ilia made a costly mistake. It invaded Idaarolaa.
Idaarolaa was a peaceful country. Its king never would have declared war, even in the event of invasion. It was the center of knowledge of the world, and all of a sudden it was occupied by Ilia.
Speroa got involved at this point. Idaarolaa was their close trading partner, and many of Speroa's citizens had attended Idaarolaan schools. And so Speroa invaded Ilia from the east, and soon full-fledged war was underway.
Five years, four dead princes, and two dead kings would pass before the war ended finally. It was, of course, an Idaarolaan who first proposed the idea of a peace council. He was a prince named Gregor, and he traveled to each country to deal with its king alone. During his travels, his own father was brutally murdered, and he became king, although he did not quit his travels for a proper coronation.
His proposal was simple: We gather at the University in Idaarolaa, and we talk this out.
Every king, even the warlike Yurick of Kelline, agreed to meet there. And so, in the spring of the year 3045 since the creation of the world, five monarchs, their families, and their councilors gathered in Idaarolaa. A ceasefire was ordered until such time as the council adjourn, and each side hoped the war would not begin again after this meeting.
The personages involved in this meeting were as varied as the countries they represented. Yurick of Kelline was a tall, redheaded man fond of drink and song. Like his father before him, he had a thick red beard, a fat red face, and a huge belly that presumably was also red, although no one had confirmed this. He was jovial above all things, although he angered quickly and forgave slowly. Before this war he had never had any experience in actually waging war, and he had found he enjoyed it immensely. He brought with him his wife, Elisbet, and his youngest son Frederich. His other two sons had been lost in the war, and though of course Yurick mourned them, he was secretly glad. His oldest had been extremely crafty and unlikable, and his middle son incompetent and foolhardy. Frederich, as the youngest, was unprepared to rule, but he showed promise as a leader, both in the military and in court.
Pynterre's entire council of thanes came together, but were forcefully informed that only one of them could enter.
"We cannot deal with the opposing interests of so many from one country," King Gregor said. "This meeting is difficult enough with one representative from each country. Pick one of your own to represent you, and he may tell you whatever happens after each meeting."
The thanes withdrew to decide on a representative and at last picked a man named Arefi, a member of Tribe Tryggin, to represent them. Arefi was known to listen well and remember everything, so the thanes chose him so as to get the most thorough account of each day. But besides this obvious reason, Arefi was a good choice. His father had been a powerful, outspoken thane years ago, and Arefi had the same charisma and intelligence when he spoke. He was, however, softspoken and mainly quiet, and therefore the other thanes regarded him as weak and vacillating. In this respect they were wrong, and after this meeting ended Arefi would go on to lead the thanes for many years.
Gregor of Idaarolaa was also quiet, but his was not the quiet of humility, but the quiet of pensiveness. In a nation of scholars, he had been raised a scholar, and now as a scholar he ruled. He was knowledgeable in many affairs and could speak quite convincingly to others, but he was painfully shy and had trouble working with people. His earlier boldness in calling this council had been prompted by desperation and desperation alone; before the war, or after it, he would never have had the courage. It was also rumored that his line carried magic, but despite close scrutiny no one ever saw him show any signs of preternatural power.
From Speroa came King Ethelaine, and she was a force to be reckoned with. Her father and brother had also been lost in the war, and she had taken the throne as his only possible heir. A clerical error had announced her as King Ethelaine, rather than Queen, but she had never corrected it. She liked the title King, as it gave an aura of power to her that no Queen would have had.
Ethelaine was headstrong, outspoken, and forceful. As a girl she had trained with her father's soldiers and therefore knew all the tactics of the military and the uses of many weapons, not the least of which was her slingshot. Some said this early exposure to a male force had driven her queer, for she took to women rather than men and had indeed changed the laws of her country once she took the throne so she could marry her lover, a duke's daughter named Priscilla. Priscilla had accompanied Ethelaine on this trip, and it was she who bore the title Queen.
Lastly there was King Reynold of Ilia. He was regarded by many as the villain, as he had started the war and invaded innocent Idaarolaa. Reynold, however, was a brave, caring king who wanted peace as much as anyone else there. He felt Kelline had forced his hand, causing him to declare war. He knew he had caused many atrocities, including the death of his own son, which had in turn driven his wife to take her own life. These two events, so close together, combined with Gregor's proposal and made the king eager to end the war he had begun.
The five rulers gathered in a circular, windowless room in Gregor's palace. He had chosen this room because its location gave no room for secret passageways and its lack of windows made it impossible for anyone to listen in. The room was big enough to hold a round table with five chairs- exquisitely carved in Idaarolaan fashion, of course- and a small chair in the corner for a scribe. The kings nodded their approval of the room, and each took a seat.
"Fellow monarchs," Gregor pronounced, "I have summoned you here to negotiate a peace out of this war. For several years we have fought over the gold in Kelline's mountains, gold that would make Ilia rich. But we all know how this war began. We also know of the deaths of King Gutred of Speroa"- Ethelaine lowered her head- "King Pieter, my own father, Prince Tyr and Prince Colben of Kelline"- Yurick bowed his head mournfully- "Prince Bernon, also of Speroa,"- again, Ethelaine inclined her head- "and Prince Julius of Ilia." Reynold kept his head upright. He did not want to dishonor his son's memory with weakness.
Gregor indicated that each nation was to state its wants at this meeting, and that every desire was to be discussed and agreed upon first. Yurick started.
"I would like the Ilians to cease mining our gold, and a restoration of all property rights of the mountains," he said.
"That seems fair to me," Gregor said. "Are there any objections?"
Reynold rose. "We need the gold, Yurick. We have little to support our economy besides sheep and precious metals. Our own supply is nearly gone, and your people do not mine the rich strain of gold under their mountains. Your land is rich on its own. We ask only for what is extra."
"Rest assured, Reynold, we will begin mining this gold, now that we are aware of it," Yurick argued. Gregor could feel the heightened tension in the room.
"You would not be aware of it but for us! We deserve some of your profits!" Reynold declared.
"Silence!" Gregor roared. Most were amazed at his powerful voice, as before they had only heard him speak gently. "We shall debate this matter as adults, if you don't mind."
Yurick and Reynold sat. After a moment, Gregor did too.
"Perhaps," Arefi suggested in a low voice, "Kelline would agree to trade gold to the Ilians at a reduced price?"
"And what would that accomplish?" asked Reynold irritably.
"Kelline would mine the gold, as it pleases. But some of the gold would go to Ilia, and Ilia would not pay a tax on it. This way, Ilia has its gold to sell and profit from, and Kelline too earns a profit. Is this not fair to both?"
Grudgingly, the two kings agreed, and the council moved forward to the next matter.
So it continued for days. The kings locked themselves in that small room and debated, leaving only to relieve themselves. Twice a day food was brought to the room and they stopped discussing to eat, and a constant supply of water was available to ease their dry throats. Finally, after nearly two weeks of deliberation, a formal document was drawn up.
The five kings swore peace everlasting. None would ever attack its neighbor, and any conflict would be resolved first through diplomatic negotiations. No killing would occur along the borders. International law was to be always respected. And above all, there would never be war again.
Each monarch withdrew content. Among the thanes of Pynterre there was still some grumbling, but most were surprised that young Arefi had done so well to represent them. Everything returned to the way it had been before, with a few minor changes. Kelline opened up a large mining operation in the mountains along the Ilian border. Trade between Ilia and other nations increased. More and more often were marriages arranged between countries. And the kings grew old, and their families grew up, until finally a new generation poised itself on the edge of ruling. And then it was that problems reared up again between the nations, and the prospect of war rose on the horizon.
So. This is really boring, I know. Luckily, I thought of that, so I posted chapter one as well. So you can read that.
You can still review the prologue, though.
!--Mazzie--!
