EVENTS

(Log from the announcement event "Decalion's quest")


(ooc: It is an automated Mission that will be available until next Friday. You can follow the traces every time during the next days to learn more about the events of the past. Please don't post any informations you get during the quest in a public forum before Friday so others can have the fun to find out the story themselves.)

[hrp]Voici un peu de feed-back (en spoiler - mais qui ne contient rien par rapport aux informations obtenues)[/hrp]

Decalion avait invité les fyros à le rejoindre au Square Impérial pour leur faire part des avancées de ses recherches. Il était reparti aux origines de l’affaire : la naissance de Dexton et se trouvait maintenant en possession d’une liste de noms, des personnes qui auraient pu être impliquées à cette époque.
Il demandait aux présents de se rendre à l’Académie Impériale auprès d’Euphanyx Apotheps, archiviste impériale, afin d’en apprendre plus sur les événements passés.
A ce moment-là, trois pistes s’ouvraient mais, après quelques recherches, il s’avérait que la piste de la sage-femme était la plus intéressante.
Corwin et Mermaidia avait fini par retrouver sa trace à Zora où ils avaient rencontré sa fille. Elle leur parlait d’un journal et de cubes d’ambre que sa mère conservait soigneusement. Elle ajoutait qu’il lui faudrait quelques jours avant de revenir faire un rapport à Decalion et aux akenak.

Mais le soir venu, ça n’était pas elle qui se présentait devant l’assemblée mais sa mère en personne. Ibix Zatos était là, maintenant âgée et quelque peu tremblante. Peut-être s’agissait-il de son dernier voyage mais il était si bon de retrouver le Désert, disait-elle. Elle était là pour racheter sa faute, elle était très jeune à cette époque, naïve aussi…
Elle raconta son histoire : toute jeune, à peine arrivée à Fyre, elle avait été recueillie par Menacus Zelion qui, bien qu’issu d’une grande famille et élevé au rang de celiakos, s’avérait être un homin cupide.
Lorsque Lydia donna naissance à Dexton, elle attendait bien des jumeaux. Elle pouvait en témoigner car elle était à ses côtés pour l’assister, elle avait été mandée au Palais comme sage-femme.
Le premier jumeau, Dexton, est né. Le second prenait son temps lorsqu’une alerte au feu mit le Palais en émoi, provoquant panique et confusion. Cerakos dû quitter le chevet de Lydia. Quand le second jumeau arriva, il fut déclaré décédé et emmené loin de sa mère par Menacus. A son retour, Cerakos ne pouvait y croire. Il demanda à voir son fils et peu de temps après on lui présentait un petit corps sans vie, encore tiède.
Non, elle ne savait pas d’où provenait le bébé et n’a jamais osé ni le demander, ni même questionner Menacus au sujet de ce qu’il était advenu de la mère, cela ajoutait à ses remords mais elle était apeurée…
Pourquoi le Peuple n’avait pas été informé de cette double naissance et de la tragédie qui s’ensuivit ? Le grand Cerakos aurait-il perdu de son prestige en étant le géniteur d’un enfant de faible constitution ?

De retour au hall, Mermaidia se remémorait l’histoire de la vieille homine. Menacus Zelion… Ce nom n’était pas étranger à Mermaidia, Eeri l’avait également évoqué.
Mais c’était autre chose qui la tracassait à ce moment-là, une autre personne plus précisément, et la chef des Légions semblait partager ses soupçons. Il était resté silencieux tout au long de l’assemblée, la manière dont il l’avait quittée était des plus étranges, les deux homines n’avaient pu que relever ses paroles énigmatiques…

Elle faisait les cent pas devant la cheminée, s’arrêta un instant pour raviver le feu et repensa au Maître Ardent. Il lui sembla tout à coup urgent de lui en faire part. Alors elle gagna son bureau et attrapa rapidement de quoi écrire :

Lerya kills the ocyx and waits watching the death throes. Sitting in the sawdust she takes a little wineskin from her belt and cleans the axe with wather from the Oasis. Once that is over Lerya takes a cloth and spreds some resin on the sharp edge. Meanwhile she thinks in the letter she wrote to sharükos Lykos.

Daomei finished reading the Akenaks' comments to the Atreus trial and decides to summarize her impressions in a letter to Wuaoi and commander Orphie
Dear Wuaoi, dear Orphie,

Lately, I participated in the subsequent interrogations in the Atreus affair. Epus Xalaus was interrogated again, yet without new or astonishing results, same with celiakos Euracus. Decalion once again admitted responsibility for wrongdoings against the four pillars, and added, that even if sharükos Lykos would forgive him, he could not become leader of the Burning Faces, again. Imperial Justice Aeryx Xan revealed that Atreus was about to die, and for an interrogation the court ought to visit him in his room as he was not in the state to appear in the Imperial Hall. This interrogation was then postponed to a later date. Sharükos Lykos had asked for the opinion of the Akenak and Patriots about the sentence of the trial, as Aeryx mentioned, though the decision of course was with the sharükos.

Akenak Eerie announced to step down as an Akenak, a decision regretted but respected by judge Aeryx and the Senate.

The subsequent comments of Akenak and patriots resembled the positions already expressed in the assemblies by Akenak Eerie and patriot Mermaidia. Both pleaded for clemency towards Atreus, Epus, and Decalion. Mermaidia expressed her disapproval and mistrust into celiakos Euracus.

Akenak Lerya, back from a longer absence in outer realms, uttered a different opinion. She violently disapproved the activities of Atreus and his followers which she considered high treason agains the sharük. She pleaded for a public execution of Atreus, possibly similar treatment for his closest followers.

So far the points of the patriots and Akenak which can be seen in their public statements .

I might now add my own reflections about the whole Atreus affair, and the role and responsibility of the main proponents, the wrongdoings, transgressions, and crimes committed, and the responsibilies of the actors.

Starting with the criminal record, there has been a conspiracy, comprising of abduction of a member of the Imperial family, arson, and murder in at least one case, probably more (as to be explained below). Subsequent steps of that conspiracy most probably fell victim of the unexpected event of the First Great Swarming, less than a year after the birth of Dexton and Atreus.
The crime continued, though, by withholding Atreus from his family, and deceiving about an alleged expulsion of him by the Imperial family, and even threat for his life.

Much later, after the Second Great Swarming, an attempt was made to present Atreus as the resurrected sharükos Dexton, with the goal of overthrowing the rule of sharükos Lykos. This constitutes a further case of high treason and conspiracy against the sharük. This attempt, not clear who was the mastermind behind if there was any, failed in an embryonic stage already, when it became clear to Decalion that Atreus was not Dexton.

Obviously, none of the participants has undertaken any active steps to destabilize the constitutional order of the sharük. Insofar, grave as high treasonous activities clearly are, most if not all participants deserve clemency because of having stepped back from such attempt in a very early stage, with no damage caused to the stability of the sharük. Insofar, this blame of high treasonous conspiracy has to be considered a lesser one.

Now to the persons inflicted and the amount of guilt or responsibility which can be attributed to them

1. Menacus Zelion (celiakos, deceased)

This one, according to the testimonies, was the mastermind behind the series of crimes he prepared and carried out in the time of sharükos Lydia's pregnancy. He had placed at least one nurse and midwife under his control in the imperial palace (most probably more than one). He had enough helpers to even let an arson happen in the palace, and had bribed at least one of the guards, and almost necessarily also the healer assisting the birth.

Part of the attempt was producing a dead baby in place of the abducted twin, fresh enough to be taken as the real one by the sharükos couple. While there is hardly a possibility to prove that now, after more than a century, I assume that the conspirators held one or more enslaved pregnant women for this purpose, to be murdered at the right time with the dead baby being cut out of the womb of the slain mother. Slavery, while outlawed in the sharük all times, was widely practised at the Matis, tolerated by the Zorai, and even practised by a couple of tribespeople in all nations, so it was not hard to get hold of appropriate enslaved Fyros women for a determined criminal.

The purpose of the conspiracy, in my opinion, was to get hold of a sharümal, in order to perform a coup d'etat at some future point, killing the Imperial family and having a minor as the throne successor under control of the conspirators. Such may have been the plan, but the First Great Swarming interfered, and made it impossible for the times of the exile and return. In the subsequent time, the Zelion family obviously had lost much of their influence and connections, and finally, Menacus died without having achieved his goals. Anyway, the narrative of Atreus having been expulsed and rejected by his family, even of a threat for his life from the side of the court, was upheld towards Atreus and Epus, a sign for lasting influence of the conspirators. Even the placement of Epus as an imperial advisor cannot be considered merely incidential without further scrutiny.

2. Adix Xalaus (the mother of counselor Epus Xalaus, former midwife, deceased)

The inquiries of Decalion revealed that the mother of Epus Xalaus was one of the two midwives assisting the birth of the imperial offspring. She died in 2552, yet the abducted baby has been raised in her household, with the lie of having been expulsed and abandoned by his parents. Different to the other midwife, Varaon Ibix, who gave a full confession of her role during the birth of Atreus, she cannot simply have been a passive helper, bribed or pressed into her service. Adix' contribution to the conspiracy lasted over decades, so obviously did her connection to the Zelion conspirators. While her exact role cannot be revealed, most probably, the circumstances cast a large shade onto the role of Epus and the whole Xalaus family.

3. Varaon, married Zaton Ibix (former midwife, available to the court)

This second midwife could be found during the inquiries called for by Decalion, and she gave a full confession of her role and the crimes happening during the birth of Dexton and Atreus. She was a tool - possibly a mistress for some time - of Menacus Zelion, who used her as a spy in the Imperial palace. She witnessed the abduction of Atreus and the exchange with the murdered baby boy. Unfortunately, she has not been interrogated about her possible knowledge of the role of the second midwife, which was most probably more important than hers. After the crime, she seemingly had no further role in the conspiracy and broke any contact with the Zelion people after some time. But she remained regretful and depressed about her role in the affair.

4. Boean Lylion (guard, deceased)

The role of this guard has been revealed by Decaion's inquiries. He has been bribed into looking aside when the crime took place. Beyond that, he seemingly played no further role. And though this Fyros, too, played a relatively insignificant role, felt guilty and depressed about his deeds.

5. Decalion Krilus (former commander of the Burning Faces)

Decalion played no role in the Atreus affair before he met Epus and Atreus, whom he believed to be the resurrected or surviving sharükos Dexton. His wrongdoings were minor and in fact did not cause any harm. Once he got aware that Atreus was not Dexton he dropped any support. And he played an invaluable role in the revelation of the circumstances of Atreus' birth. Once more it seems that the least guilty are feeling strongest about their own responsibility.

6. Euracus Cethus

The celiakos played a ways more dubious role after the appearance of Atreus. He may have believed that he indeed met sharükos Dexton as he states. Yet he most probably rushed to support "Dexton" and Epus for selfish reasons, as patriot Mermaidia among others believes. It will, though, be hard to constitute guilt therefrom, at least to any significant extent.

Personally, I consider Euracus - if you will pardon my expression - a slimy politician and would not be surprised by any bad motive from his side. But I doubt that to be sufficient for a verdict. The pillar of justice stands not only in favor of the sympathetic and completely innocent homins.

7. Epus Xalaus

Epus is the homin who grew up together with Atreus, the foster child of his mother. As pointed out, the "knowledge" that Atreus was the expulsed, rejected, abandoned, even threatened child of the imperial family, was nourished not only by celiakos Menacus Zelion, but by Epus' mother in the first place. And she was necessarily aware about the circumstances around the birth of the twins.

To throw this in, I am aware of growing up as an orphan, like so many homins of our peoples. But I never had any reason to doubt in the love of my parents who died in combat in defence of my life, and though I was a child of four I hold and heed some sweet memories of my parents. Growing up in the belief of being rejected, even menaced by the own family must be a horrible burden and trauma for a child, making it believe so is a crime and a cruelty on top of all the other misdeeds. And Epus' mother, here, was more a perpetrator than just an accomplice.

My impression is that Epus is well aware thereof and has pointedly evaded any mentioning of this fact. The stories of the evil tyrannic court cannot only stem from some casual visitor Menacus Zelion (why should, btw., a powerful celiakos visit the household of a simple nurse?). Every caring mother would have shielded her foster child as well as her son from such disturbing and disruptive narrative. Being grown up in an orphanage I recall that our educators always depicted the deceased parents of the orphans in the most positive way possible - even if that has not in every case been exactly the full truth, cautiously said - shielding their fosterlings from grief and disturbance.

And then, in the conviction of the evilness and rottenness of the imperial court, Epus let himself be appointed as a counselor for the young sharükos Dexton, that alone is strange. It is not unlikely that the forces behind the crimes against Atreus and the imperial family were behind that appointment. Yet the loyalty and affection for Dexton Epus expresses seems to be honest. Anyway, he has lived with a blatant lie for all his life. Most probably, he did so not only in fear to lose the trust of sharükos Dexton but also because he became aware about the not so innocent role of his mother who did not die prior to 2552.

All that said, there is lot of twilight around Epus' role.

8. Atreus

As I never saw Atreus so far, I have to rely on assumptions even more than with the other proponents. Atreus was a victim of these conspiracies from birth on, robbed from his family which was slandered before him. So he had not only to live without loving parents but with the horrible belief that his parents hated him and did want him everything evil.

Anyway, it would be interesting what a Fyros of the same strength and talents like his brother has made out of his fairly long life. Even if he fully bought the narrative about his evil family it must have been clear to him that his brother was as innocent for his mishap as he himself. As a Fyros, why did he never search for the truth, did he never doubt in the contradictory story slandering Cerakos and Leanon, heroes of his people, as evil tyrants? It is in the nature of Fyros homins to be fairly addicted to search of truth irrespective of risk and pain. So why did he never attempt to contact his brother?

Concerning the feeble attempts to grab power after the second great swarming, I agree to those pleading for clemency. Atreus has suffered enough during his life, and is moribund, right now. I only hope that his account before the court will shed some more light upon the things that happened in the past.

There seems to have been a fairly large conspiracy back then lasting even after the First Great Swarming. The sharük should take care that these poisonous pest plants have completely been exterminated.

(There was some mentioning of strange teleportation devices of Karavan or Trytonist origin in possession of Atreus. Though interesting, this seems to be a side issue)

So far my reflections about the events around Atreus. I hope not to have bored with my lengthy report.

Daomei Lin Carthan

Ranger Aspirant
Ranger Companion in diplomatic service in the Burning Desert

Daomei thinks a moment after signing the report, then decides to send a copy to Akenak Lerya