You do it to yourself

Belisar walked purposefully towards the chamber, each stride precisely measured out across the smooth stone floor of the citadel. He'd had a full report form the scout, but he was determined to see it for himself. That was the first rule of leadership Sophia had always said. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn't do yourself. It was pointless of course. There was nothing that could be done now. But he'd sent Philamon into this tower, so now he was going too. It had to be done. He just had to get this over with.

Despite his determination, he could feel himself slowing down as he approached the solid wooden door. He reached out to grasp the black iron handle but his hand had stopped mere inches from the cold metal, unable to proceed.

Philamon was battle-hardened, he'd fought in Morrow as well as Zenith. He'd witnessed the destruction of the Halls of Knowledge, seen the terror the Druj had unleased on their homeland first hand. And he'd emerged from this room looking like he'd come face to face with a basilisk.

Rather than try and force himself onwards he stopped for a moment to centre himself. He focussed on his breathing for a few moments, feeling the damp air slide languidly in and out of his lungs. Once he was sure of his poise, he lowered the handle and pushed the door open. Let it swing back to reveal the scene that waited for him, just as Philamon had described it.

It took him a while to find the scout afterwards. He searched the camp, but there was no sign of Philamon by the fire or at his tent. Fortunately Sabine said she'd seen him heading up towards the escarpment. It was a punishing climb, easier for a scout than a sentinel, and he was cursing his steel armour by the time he reached the summit. Damn, he was out of shape, there was a time when he could have run up this hill in this armour. Command was taking it's toll on him, too much time behind a desk.

Philamon was sat on the very edge of the cliff edge, his feet resting over the side. For a split second he thought the scout was going to jump, but then he remembered that the man had trained at Snows Edge Citadel. They'd taught him to scale a mountainside with little more than his bare hands. If he'd ever had a fear of heights, he'd left it behind at the Citadel.

"You've seen it then?" he asked without turning round. The scouts like to train by trying to identify a person by the sound of their footsteps. They reckoned it taught awareness, recognition and recall. Crucial skills for a good scout. Philamon was one of the best, he must have known who it was before Belisar had even set eyes on him.

He didn't answer, just forced himself to walk slowly up to the cliff edge. It was probably only fifty or sixty feet before the cliff face started to even out a bit, but it looked like double that to Belisar. His stomach lurched and heaved at the sight, but it was far too late for that. Nothing left to lose now. Gingerly he copied Philamon sitting down barely an arm's length away. The scout at glanced at him, his eye repeating the question, demanding an answer. He responded with a slow heavy nod - and then another.

The two of them sat in silence for the best part of an hour before Philamon spoke. "Why do they do it?" he asked. "Do they hate us that much?"

Belisar let out a long heavy breath. There was no answer to a question like that but Philamon already knew that. He just needed to hear a voice.

"I don't know Phil. I'm not sure even they know why they do it."

After that they fell silent once more. Eventually the scout was ready to return to the camp and the two of them walked back together. Philamon stared at him for a brief moment, long enough to whisper a single word of thanks before he turned in. His duty over, Belisar left him and went in search of his own tent. It would be a long night, and sleep would not be easy to find.

How far is the Empire prepared to go to deal with the Druj, and what might victory over them even look like?

Overview

At the Winter Solstice, the Imperial Synod chose to grapple with a fundamental question - what is to be done with the Druj? "Death to the Druj" has become commonplace in the Empire in recent years, a toast at every table, a line to end every speech in the Senate. Having considered the words of Fintan Nighthaven, the Synod chose to issue a clear rebuke to those who have embraced such language. The judgement passed with a resounding majority despite the fact that they also came close to passing a mandate urging the Empire to embrace any tool necessary to defeat the Druj.

The Druj

The Wintermarkers have led a campaign against the Jotun marked by honour and respect for their ancient enemies. Each side is given leave to reclaim the bodies of those who have fallen. Retreats are permitted, surrenders accepted. Jarl Keirheim has said the Jotun will not make peace until every soul who was shamed by their failure in the Mournwold has passed into or over the Abyss. But they honour the Marchers, the Wintermarkers and the Freeborn in their own way. Only when the Navarr take the field is this noble purpose swapped for savagery - neither side seems able to tolerate the other's existence.

Few would call the Grendel or the Thule "honourable" - but both of them honour their word. They keep faith with the agreements they have made. The Thule Dragons and the Grendel Salt Lords seem to have an insatiable hunger for land and wealth, but they are as likely to negotiate as to fight. The Empire has forged a peace with both nations and though the cost was bitter, against all odds that peace has preserved.

None of these things are even remotely true of the Druj. As a people, they appear to be committed to cruelty and treachery. They enslave people, not to steal the fruits of their labour, but to immiserate them. They don't seek to conquer the Empire they want to destroy it. Their rule is defined by misery, poverty and fear.

Now for the first time in its history, the Empire seems to have the Druj on the run. Ossium was liberated first and is now a thriving territory of Varushka. The Barrens look set to fall soon. The Spires of Dusk are now in Imperial hands thanks to the sacrifice of the Hounds of Glory. Imperial spies have scouted the Sarangrave, seeking its secrets and its weaknesses. Raising a rebellion there would be difficult, but not impossible. The Empire have fought the Druj for the past four hundred years but rarely has anyone ever thought to question what might follow a victory?

Defend What You Hold Dear

The General Assembly has thrown its support behind the words of Fintan Nighthaven and made clear that the Empire should question the Virtue of those who shout "Death to the Druj". False virtues follow in the footsteps of such a battle cry - and the Synod overwhelmingly rejected them. The vote was conflicted though. When Lenarius Ankarien urged the Empire to embrace their Hatred of the Druj it very nearly passed despite the fact that it directly contradicted Fintan's judgement.

When Virtue falls silent it allows Blasphemy to speak. When Virtue falls silent, we hear "Death to the Druj". Complacency has allowed malign forces to take root in the spirit of our citizens. In Deepest Consequence we bring the Bell, the Unconquered, and the Arbiter - they know the truth, We send Fintan Nighthaven with 150 doses of liao to inspire every Imperial soldier in Virtue, to question what motivates them - and root out any corruption within. The Empire will defeat our enemies, but we must not sacrifice the Way to achieve this. Let Virtue speak - Victory to the Empire!

Fintan Nighthaven, General Assembly, Winter Solstice 385YE, Vote: 1594 to 367

The Druj enslave any peoples they can subjugate and despoil any land they cannot hold. While they exist the Empire's dreams of a world without slavery cannot be achieved, and Ambition teaches us that obstacles to our goals must be removed, one way or another. Consequences are the price of Ambition. We send Lenarius Ankarien with 200 doses of liao to encourage all citizens to focus their efforts on supporting the extermination of the Druj, wherever they may be found and by any means necessary, until no trace of them is left upon the world.

Lenarius Ankarien, General Assembly, Winter Solstice 385YE, Not Upheld (739 to 793)

Lenarius Ankarien's judgement didn't get a greater majority, it didn't even get a simple majority, but it did get 739 votes in support of a judgement openly calling on the Empire to accept the influence of false virtues as a price worth paying to eliminate the Druj. And what of the Military Council? Not a single general called for Death to the Druj. Were they swayed by the wise words of Fintan Nighthaven - or simply forced to bite their tongue for fear of the repercussions if they let their orders give voice to their true feelings?

The Druj have fled Zenith, but we must not sit idle whilst their legacy remains. Whilst the Architects set to rebuilding, we must not sit idle. As our Senators call to our neighbours for aid, we must not sit idle. As Magicians work the realms and Sentinels pursue the enemy, we must not sit idle. I encourage all Sword Scholars to test what they have learned and apply themselves to cleanse what remains of the Druj and their legacy of fear and hatred. With sharpened blades and the light of truth and Virtue we will scour what remains of the Druj from Zenith.

Herminius, House of the Wanderer, Urizen Assembly, Winter Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 276 - 0

We all know the cruelty and treachery the Druj are famed for and the scars it had left on the people and lands of Zenith as well as the lingering threat of their return. To give the good people of Urizen a chance to rebuild without the shadow of fear at their border and the worry of what treachery the Druj have left behind we call on the vigilant citizens of the territory to be alert to all dangers, within and without. To root out Druj malice and keep watch for their movements. No plot shall escape the lantern-light and no vile machination will outwit the prepared.

Bryce Tanner, Vigilance Assembly, Winter Solstice 385YE, Vote: Greater Majority 185- 0

The mandates in the General Assembly were not the only judgements on the Druj debated by the Synod. Both the Urizen Assembly and the Vigilance Assembly passed clear statements of principle with greater majorities urging the Empire to eradicate the menace posed by the Druj in Zenith. The Druj have been driven from Zenith with their tail between their legs but have left behind a bitter legacy of deep scars. They have poured poison into the veins and arteries of the people and the land. But there is no military threat against Zenith at this time. Not unless you acknowledge that the Druj can never be truly beaten while even one of their armies can still take the field, not unless you accept that there can never be peace while the rule of the Buruk Tepel endures anywhere on the Empire's borders.

In theory none of this matters - Fintan Nighthaven's mandate is decisive and has settled the issue - at least for now. The Empire will not exterminate the Druj if the price is embrace of Hatred. But what is the Empire to do with the Druj? There is scant evidence to suggest that the Empire can make a lasting peace with them. There's precious little to suggest that many in the Empire even want to. Fintan said "The Empire will defeat our enemies, but we must not sacrifice the Way to achieve this." How is this victory to be achieved and what would it look like?

Victory To The Empire

The Druj are cornered, their armies mauled and defeated in the Barrens. The Synod has agreed that the Empire must not embrace Hatred or otherwise abandon the Way. But there is Pride in every defeat inflicted on the Druj. Vigilance demands this danger be uprooted and destroyed. Ambition hungers for the opportunity to permanently change the world for the better. The Empire could acknowledge the fact that the Druj are a threat like no other.

People are wary of telling the Military Council how to do its job. More than once the Synod has involved itself in the affairs of the generals and there is a growing realisation of the price that has exacted given recent events. But if the Synod wish it, they could help people gain a better understanding of what is at stake in the war against the Druj. They could argue that the potential exists for victory, but only if they commit everything to the fight. That will involve sacrifices - in the war with the Jotun, in the negotiations with the Grendel and in talks with the Thule. Perhaps even the Vallorn should be left quiescent, if it meant the Druj could finally be defeated. Lady Laudine of House duLac offered alternate wording to the mandate originally created by the civil service which was deemed to be much more appropriate.

The Druj are a grave spiritual threat to the Empire. No price is too high to stop their campaign of spreading Hate and Fear. We send {named priest} with 100 doses of liao to tell all who are Virtuous that the final victory against the Druj is within our grasp if we commit ourselves to it utterly.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If this mandate is enacted then people will be prioritise the war against the Druj over all other threats. For the next year, no statement of principle calling on the Empire to throw their support behind an enemy other than the Druj will lead to a mandate, nor will statements of principle calling on people to oppose political settlements with any of the Empire's enemies bar the Druj, no matter what sacrifice is made. The Synod and the Empire will be sending a clear signal to the Military Council and the Senate - freeing their hands to seek victory over the Druj no matter what sacrifices must be made.

Of course that still leaves the question of what to do with the Druj once they are beaten. But perhaps that question can wait a little while longer.. at least until victory is certain.

Through Hardship And Misfortune

There is another perspective on the Druj, albeit not one that has a lot of support in the Empire at present. The claim is that the Druj are ultimately no different to the Jotun or to any of the threats that the Empire faces. The Empire has responded to the evil of the Druj, chasing one victory after another. They have won victories, but at what price? Feroz and Spiral languish under Grendel rule. Sermersuaq was nearly lost for a generation. It might never have been returned to Imperial rule were it not for the alliance with the Thule. And even that came at a price, a swathe of territory across the north that struggles under the rule of the Dragons of Otkodov.

Every season has brought more sacrifices until now the Hounds of Glory have been lost... all to win one more battle. How much more hardship and misfortune must the people of the Empire suffer purely because the Druj are black-hearted villains? The argument is that the Druj are not the greatest threat the Empire faces. The Jotun field more armies than the Mallum. The Grendel have many allies and a powerful navy that grows more threatening by the day.

If the Synod wish it, they could tell people that the Druj are remarkable only for the pettiness of their spirit and the smallness of their ambitions. The Military Council and the Senate should not put the destruction of the Druj before the salvation of the Empire. They should take wise choices that demonstrate their loyalty to every nation that is threatened. Mael Donjeon offered alternate wording to the mandate originally created by the civil service which was deemed to be much more appropriate.

Never accept defeat; adapt your strategy and try anew. We send {named priest} with 100 doses of liao to remind everyone that the Empire faces many great threats and it is the Ambition of our Military Council to protect us from them. The Imperial Synod exists to safeguard the soul of the Empire, and guide its citizens in Virtue - not to insult the Pride and Courage of its generals by dictating military strategy.

Synod Mandate, General Assembly

If this mandate is enacted then people will refuse to prioritise the war against the Druj. Everyone wants to see the Druj defeated, but they are only one of the enemies the Empire faces. If the Druj are on the backfoot, then that means the Empire can turn its gaze elsewhere. For the next year, no statement of principle calling on the Empire to fight the Druj will lead to a mandate, nor will statements of principle calling on people to oppose political settlements with the Druj. The Synod and the Empire will be sending a clear signal to the Military Council and the Senate - freeing them to agree terms with the Druj if that is what the situation demands.

This mandate will not settle the issue of what is to be done with the Druj once they are finally defeated for good. But it could well mean that that question doesn't need answering for another decade or more.

Competing Mandates

These General Assembly mandates are competing. Either the Imperial Synod urges people to accept any sacrifice needed to defeat the Druj or they ask people to accept that the Druj are no bigger threat than any other the Empire faces, they cannot do both. As always, if multiple competing mandates are raised successfully, the one that achieved the highest margin of success will be the one that is considered to have been enacted.

Alternative Mandates

Fintan Nighthaven's mandate has decisively settled one issue - the Empire will not embrace Hatred and strive to eradicate the Druj no matter the cost to their souls. While that closes one door, it still leaves a great many questions unanswered. The civil service have assessed two competing mandates the Synod could consider - to pursue all out war against the Druj, but stop just short of embracing Hate and seeking to eradicate them. Or to accept that the Druj are not truly different to any of the threats the Empire faces and to treat them accordingly.

Neither mandate answers the question of what the Empire might do if the Druj are finally defeated. Would they ever accept Imperial rule? Could they even be trusted? Lenarius Ankarien's judgement was defeated - but was that because his vision of a world without the Druj was the wrong one or did the Synod support the goal but baulk at the cost to the Empire's soul? Can the Empire seek the utter destruction of the Druj without giving into Hatred? Should that be the Empire's Ambition?

When people have questions they look first to the Synod for answers, but there is too much uncertainty and too many unknowns for the civil service prognosticators to evaluate how the Empire might respond to a mandate that attempted to provide a definitive answer beyond the two starting points laid out here. The civil service could take alternative wording for either of these two outcomes, if a priest of the Synod felt that that would provide more certainty.

However they cannot accept an alternative mandate as they cannot determine how people might respond. Any priest who wishes to provide answers and guidance that go beyond the ones presented here must begin by passing a statement of principle laying out their position to demonstrate they have the Synod's support.