The Introduction of the Five Nations

[omaha_back]

Who: Prince Consort Ahamo, ‘Lord’ Wyatt Cain
When: February Eight, 11:00 am
What: Diplomatic Duties and Political Dancing
Where: The Prince Consort's Official Meeting Room

Comments

[omaha_back]

Ahamo had done his own greeting when they had convened in the room moments before he had stepped out. Sirua had pressed her forehead to his, in the way of her people. Chosovi had nodded slowly, once, before smiling. Ithel had clasped the Prince Consort's arm each gripping the forearm of the other, patting the other on the back. Grainne held out one hand, palm side up, which Ahamo placed his right hand beneath, also palm side up. Oaxaca required that her forearm, which she held up crossed in front of her chest, be met by his own.

The descriptions of greetings had been at the top of the stack given to Cain. As a mistake there could actually rile some feathers that would require much smoothing down. It would have been reckless to set up the Captain of the Royal Guard to misrepresent the crown in that circumstance. Once that hurdle was over, it would be more amusing than offensive if he messed up. When, he messed up.

Cain entered, and the bow he gave was returned with a short nod.

The three women and two men, of three ancestrally war-like people and two who had always been the bringers of peace, turned to look at the newcomer. And accepted his greetings, if not with some reservation and missing the lack of ease they had shown the other man. The representatives had not seen the Prince Consort in just shy of fifteen annuals, but they had known him for fifteen prior. And through hard work and determination, he had gained their approval to be the one to meet with them when they visited the O.Z.

As different as the five tribes appeared, and were in many ways, they did hold a great deal in base beliefs. The Hopi, the Menapii, the Masai, all were matriarchal tribes, while the Silures and the Nepets were patriarchal. Gender roles were often sharply divided, and very few crossed those boundaries. The Silures, the Menapii and the Masai were all warrior people, the former two being known for their swordsmanship and their archery. The latter for spears and smaller blades. The Hopi were known for their farming, and the Nepets for their animals, specifically the dogs they bred for the bitter cold.

"Those of the Five Nations," he intoned somberly, knowing that introductions were indeed vital here. "This is Lord Wyatt Cain, Captain of the Royal Guard. Lord Cain, these are the five representatives of the Land of the Five Nations."

He indicated the nearby table in the center of the room, for them all to take their seats. Visually and physically, they would all be on equal footing. It was, however, still a test of knowledge. As each member had a specific requirement for where they would sit. Cain should choose the correct chair to take.

[w_cain]

He almost winced at the 'Lord' bit. That was gonna chafe for a while.

Seating, right. He could do this. His Tin Man training came to aid him slightly in this case. He tended to take in everything about a room when he entered. Including noting the seating. Figuring out where people sat felt like one of those tests he'd taken in the Academy as well.

If B is near C and C is near F, than where is A?

Then there was the trick the Mystic Man taught him about eating when there were 20 utensils. Watch what everyone else did and follow suit.

Hang back and wait for the others to sit if you weren't sure.

He was fairly sure where he'd be sitting, anyway. But fairly sure wasn't certain.

He knew everyone had to sit at the same time so no one was considered 'above' anyone else. So he'd have to take position when everyone else did. So he'd watch who went in what direction.

[omaha_back]

Everyone settled into their seats with practiced ease, in their accustomed places. It had been fifteen annuals since they had sat down at the same table, the same day in fact that had silently changed all of their lives. Their last meet had taken him away from his family, long enough for evil to slip out of its prison and infect his eldest daughter.

As they sat, Oaxana tilted her head for a second as her eyes flitted over to the blonde newcomer. Why was he hesitating? She spoke not a word however, simply took her seat.

"Prince Consort Ahamo," Ithel began, shifting the heavy fur-edged cloak he wore off of his leg as he sat, his hand going to where his scabbard was usually tied. He felt naked without his weapon, and although he was usually good-natured, it did nothing for his temperament. Still, his manner was careful and diplomatic, it was obvious that what he was about to say had been discussed before the meeting among the five. "We wish to know the fate of the Sorceress."

Ahamo had known the topic would be one of the first that would arise, given how recently facts had changed. "The Sorceress is banished. She will not harm anyone else."

The dark eyes of Sirua, edged with suspicion, despite her usually open gaze, pierced the Prince Consort. "And your daughter, she lives as well?" The Masai had very strict beliefs on those touched by evil, believed that none could return after being drenched in it as Azkadellia had for so many annuals. Members of their tribe were communalistic, and therefore saw one who had been altered by the dark as damaging the whole. For they all shared the life of the tribe, of its resources and troubles.

Chosovi spoke next, "The prophesy was ignored until nearly too late Ahamo." The prophesy, the one he spoke of, had come from the Hopi. With their great tradition of storytelling, of their nine prophesies of the past and future, they listened carefully to the instructions of their ancestors. Of the stories they had passed on, and the lessons they contained. To ignore a prophesy was folly, according to their tradition, and was a slight against their earth god.

[fenella_goodman]

"My apologies for my lateness, the meeting with the princess went on longer than expected," Ellie stepped forward and approached the Masai, placing a stone of moritanium, granite and lime before Sirua.

"It is tainted," she remarked.

"No more than any of us," Ellie returned. "There is light at the centre of it, the child beneath. We have all been touched with evil, our lands have shown it, but even now, the Fields of the Papay have begun to florish, a reflection on us and the Crown."

Ellie addressed the others. "Some of you know me better than others, but allow me to reassure you that the princess is as she claims.

"She suffers greatly from Trauma Syndrome, one minute she is happy and laughing, the next, guilt strikes her and she is inconsolable. I have only seen her strike out in anger once and that was in order to protect a child.

"Animals, including my own wolf," she met Oaxana's eye, "are comfortable around her."

She pulled out some files. "Here is a list of friends and foes who can testify to this. Naturally, you will have to take what our enemies have to say with a pinch of salt."

The Nations were silent for a while before nodding to each other, silently agreeing to table it for now, even if they had more questions. Ithel and Gráinne reached for files of their own.

"And how is the Crown?" Gráinne asked.

[w_cain]

Sirua's suspicious look did cause some concern. There had been a warning there on the Masai's beliefs on possession. It wasn't one Cain could ever find himself agreeing with. In his mind it was like wanting to kill the child who was sexually abused because of the troubles they'd have from being victimized.

Prophesy? Now there was something definitely NOT in the reading material. Considering how much trouble prophecy had been in DG's... and all the royals lives, he'd have noticed that.

"Excuse me, what prophesy is this, ambassador Chosovi?"

[omaha_back]

The old man, even for their world, directed his attention to the Lord at the table. For nearly a full minute he merely watched him, as if deciding what category to put him into, in his mind. And then he spoke, "Our people, the Hopi, we have nine great prophesies. Four have passed already, long before our lifetimes. One was to cross this life, and four more linger in our futures."

The majestic queen of the O.Z,
Had two lovely daughters she,
One to darkness, she be drawn,
And one to light, she be shown,
Double eclipse, it is foreseen,
Light meets dark in the stillness between,
But only one and one alone,
Shall hold the emerald and take the throne.

"The Prophesy was made over six hundred annuals ago, Lord Cain. This is the last translation," He shook his head. "The shamans warned nearly thirty annuals ago that the prophesy would be both twisted and fulfilled soon. And it was."

The message had been passed to the O.Z. at the behest of the shamans. But nothing ever came of it.

[w_cain]

Ah, that one. The one that had gotten DG killed as a child.

He was going to have to look in to prophesy in the royal family. Like most of the common folk without a clue about magic, he had thought prophecy was something that came from within the royal house.

Cain had seen too many hucksters to put much faith in someone else's ideas of the future. He refused to think any future was set in stone.

Ellie's sudden intervention with Sirua took his attention.

He hadn't known that Ellie was going to be present.

(Ooc: not fully coherent today. Just recovering from big sick. Ick.)

[omaha_back]

Despite the chance to screw with Cain's head in bringing him to the meeting, Ahamo's reasoning actually had been deeper and more meaningful. Captain/Lord/Tin Man Cain, he would be part of the group around the next Queen, and would have to understand what lay ahead. Eventually, Ahamo would be able to set aside the responsibilities of the Prince Consort and let someone else handle it.

One specific courtier he would love to hand off to someone else. Although, something told him that he would still have to listen to his laundry list of complaints.

The Maasai were known for their belief of separating out those considered touched by evil. And, while Ahamo knew that they banished those 'offenders,' nothing worse (although in their community it was considered a death sentence as the banished were deemed 'dead' by their families and friends), he remembered two weeks that his platoon trained in Africa. Where they had seen how one of the tribes there had dealt with their 'accursed.'

First and foremost, before he was a diplomat, he was a husband and father. There would be no discussion of exiling his eldest daughter because of what had happened to her. Still, the Lady Goodman had seemed to ease the worries of the Masai chiefwoman, for the moment. So, he loosened his white knuckled grip on his pen and kept his expression a more blank kind of friendly.

"The Crown," he answered Grainne in a level voice. "Is solidifying in strength, as is my Queen."

[fenella_goodman]

Sounds more in the area of curses, Ellie thought. Likely something that the Witch herself came up with and found its way into one of the shaman's visions. Unfortunately, Lavender hadn't been the first queen blessed with two daughters and previous convergances had caused riots.

Like the boy who cried wolf, when wolves were actually at the door, the warning was unheeded.

She'd likely be joining Cain in the archives. To find out more about The Witch.

[w_cain]

Cain nodded at the Consort's words. "Her Majesty is a strong woman in body and in spirit. Not many could endure what she has. It shows courage and strength that's pretty rare. That's something the entire Gale family has shown in the past years."

It was phrased politely, but it made it's overt point and let it be known he'd be more than happy to defend the Gales.