52=2

A history of the Commonwealth Part I.

The idea for the Commonwealth originated during the Moon Campaign, where a coalition of the various good aligned kingdoms, under the command of the forces of Slayer Keep established control and colonized the visible side of the moon, with the dark side remaining in the hands of the demon king.

The long years of fighting against a common enemy, laid the foundation for what would become the largest super power the order aligned factions would ever see.

But it's foundation would only be set only over 30 years latter, during what history would call the Clay War.

It had it's name from the two main commanders. Goblin Slayer was also called King Ceramicus and Golden Haired Queen and her son Golden Haired Prince had become infamous before the war for the large number of ceramic pots with images of them being produced in the High Kingdom.

It was the summer of 7983 G.E. And High King had just passed away from wounds he sustained in the Battle of Muddy Waters.

With no son or daughter, the crowd went to his distant cousin Golden Haired Lady, who became Golden Haired Queen and her son Golden Haired Prince became the heir to the thrown.

Immediately after their ascension a crown landed on the crown and squawked at the pair right before the crowning ceremony could begin, this was interpreted by many to be an ill omen.

The following month would prove to be no better.

Golden Haired Queen demanded that all of the nobles and kings of the continent come to pay homage to their new overlord and heir. This was at a time when the Armies of the coalition where at the gates of the Demon King's fortress and their moon navies on the verge of starving out the defenders of the Moon Tomb Stronghold.

The withdrawal spelled the end of the campaigns, the continues survival of the Demon King for another 200 years and the event became know as the 'Unholy miracle of darkness'.

Once the king and nobles had gathered, there came the second event that would help set of the Clay War.

By that point in time Goblin Slayer had retired and throne of Slayer Keep had passed first to High Priestess, then to Warrior, then to Sky Queen, and was currently occupied by Noble Fighter.

Golden Queen immediately demanded that she leave the throne room and not return until she had other robes on, outraged at the simple, yet still elegant, garment of the Slayer Order.

Some say that it was a maneuver to curtail the power of the Slayers, since they now rivalled the royal house in strength, but all it did was provide outrage from the gathered kinds and queens.

For after her wedding to Goblin Slayer, Sky Queen embarked on a massive campaign of political maneuvering, one that saw many of the second and third born children of the Kings become middle to high ranking members of the Slayer Order. This turned the kings of the now deceased High King, from rivals to allies and many of those joined had been mentored by both Warrior and Noble Fighter and saw it as a gross attack on their leader and teacher.

The situation deteriorated further when Goblin Slayer was called to the capitol to pay homage. Despite no longer being the master of Slayer Keep, he had retained the title of Marshall of the High Kingdom and had even risen to the position of Grand Marshall, making him the de facto and de jure strategicall leader of the armed forces.

Under the guise of 'rewarding' him for his almost 2 decades of service, Goblin Slayer was given a castle within Golden Queen's lands to retire.

This caused outrage amongst the nobles and generals. Many seen it as forced removal of power and betrayal from the throne.

To the surprise of all Goblin Slayer gave up his Grand Marshall's cape, baton and his oak leaf crown, yet he refused the keep and proclaimed that it was time for him to start training the new recruits of Slayer Keep.

Despite assuring them he would have retired soon anyway, many saw it as a blatant attack on the rights and privileges of the nobility.

The fact that Golden Haired Queen's brother, Knight Champion was named as the new Grand Marshall, only furthered the divide between the kings and the royal family.

The next moment that continued the division within High Kingdom was when a proclamation was made by Golden Haired Prince, endorsed by Golden Haired Queen, that demanded 10.000 troops from the Slayer Order for the royal family.

This created outrage amongst the rank and file of the order. For Slayer Keep was, despite being one of the most effective armies on the continent, not a true military order, but rather a militia like force, where it's members banded together and would come and go.

As such Noble Fighter replied that she could not order them to join the royal army.

In addition to that Golden Haired Queen demanded a yearly tribute from the Confederation lead by Kobra Khan, along with the back pay for the years in which they did not pay tribute.

This outraged the Demi-human tribes of the East, who all send representatives to Goblin Slayer, whom they considered to be their Khan of Khan's.

It was said that Golden Haired Queen ragged for days on end upon hearing this, considering the response from both Slayer Keep and the eastern tribes to be signs of treason for both their refusal, and for appealing to Goblin Slayer, instead of petitioning the royal family directly.

Another act which furthered the divide between the new monarch and the nobility was the lack of visitations.

High King had previously not only governed trough bartering his kings to support his moves, but also often visited them in their lands, both to show favor, and to remind them of the power of the royal family.

Golden Queen did not continue these visits, but demanded that the kings come to live permanently in the Capitol, away from their domains.

Seen as the blatant attempt to take them hostage, many kings refused and sent deputies in their stead.

But the most defining moment was the Incident of Bronze Beach.

The 25th anniversary of the founding of the Slayer Order was coming, as such a huge celebration was planned in Slayer Keep, with it guests from the Slater Keep of Eight Peaks by the Sea, the Slayers of the Sea tribes, High Dwarf King and Elven High Lord- formerly Dwarf Thain and Elven Chieftain, along with Kobra Khan, Sword Maiden, Chosen Heroine, Spearman, Heavy Swordsman and the majority of the kings, queens and lords of the land where invited at the celebration, along with the royal family.

It was at that feast that the moment where relations between the royal family and the nobility would break down completely.

During the main celebration, the Golden Haired Queen was outraged upon been presented with the famous round table, where the feast would take place.

She insisted that the table be realigned to a traditional table, with the royal family at the head, and as penitence Goblin Slayer to serve as cup bearer for her son.

The sight of their most celebrated hero and Grand Master in all but name, outraged the officers of the 3 Slayer Orders.

In addition to that it was noted that Golden Queen scowled when Goblin Slayer complied with her demands, this gave birth to a rumor that it was all a ruse to have Goblin Slayer arrested under false pretense.

After the feast, the kings and generals present all started preparing for war. The only thing missing was the spark that would ignite the inferno.

It came 7985 G.E. when Goblin Slayer was appointed as ambassador to the fabled Kingdoms beyond the Western Sea, that Master Slayer, Goblin Slayer's former apprentice spoke off.

And exile in all but name, the action was intended to have the leader of what was quickly becoming the anti-royal faction absent while the royalists faction prepared for war.

6 months after his departure, the continent was shocked when Goblin Slayer returned not just with the 10 ships he had been given to sail, but also with a massive fleet of over a thousand ships, all laden with, corn, potatoes, chocolate and tobacco, who had been exchanged for rice, spice, coffee and eastern silk.

This massively successful trade deal would bolster the coffers of the anti-royalist faction. The reply from the royal family was that since this was an official mission from them, then the profit from the trade belong to the crown entirely.

Much to the shock of his gathered generals, Goblin Slayer immediately called for a massed mobilization of all available forces and all allies.

When asked why, he replied with :'The money if for goblin slaying, I will pay the owed taxes, but every 20 coins more is one less adventurer to kill goblins, than I will not allow!"

But even so historians all agree that his intend was never to march to war, but rather a form of 'aggressive negotiations'.

Goblin Slayer said it so when he invoked the right of 'parley', where two sides would meet with their armies in order to discuss how to settle a dispute.

Golden Haired Queen replied with an arrest warrant for Goblin Slayer, the demand for Slayer Keep to fulfill it's obligations for providing troops for the royal army and another order of tribute and back-tax from the eastern tribes.

With that the Clay War began.

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