War is a sensitive time when nations deal decisive blows to their enemies in hopes of weakening their opponents defenses. Sometimes, however, the hardest blows can come from enemies who whisper their friendship in your ear as they press their blades in your back. Sadly it seems this is the case for the great Southern Realm. This past morning Aethelhun Ryder, King of Camorr and overseer of this great Southern nation, brought forth a decree dealing with one such nation. The following was what was presented from his court to the public:

“Friends, Countrymen, Subjects of Camorr and this realm! I beseech thee listen! A great calamity has been brought to us when my nephew was struck down by an assassination attempt heralded by our forlorn friends of the North. A deep, personal insult was sent to me in doing this and a resounding slap was made to my peoples’ respect. What is worse, our Emperor who is supposed to rule in these matters is wrapped up within his own hedonism in Orathos, too busy to respond to our heeds of peace. So it would seem war is our only means to resolve this issue but it would appear our enemy is not just on our open battlefields. They are outside our gates, they hide within our temples, they reside within our allied cities taking refuge from so called kings far too incompetent to deal with the encroaching threat or perhaps hiding in shelter of this king’s graces.”

“Punish them, I hear some of you shout. Bring him to justice, others scream. Some even call for his head rested upon a spit. What savage do you find me? That is not my way nor should it be the way of the people. Ours is that of diplomacy. So instead I lend a hand of friendship. I put forth a parlay, I ask that this king, Haunn Abbasi of Kyaht meet me in Camorr and we go over his treasonous crimes. No harm will come of him should he turn over those fugitives, those defectors to the north that are known to hide within his realm, moving freely within his streets with no ramifications. So far my hand has been slapped away and for such I must become more stern and raise tariffs on trade with the island nation in retaliation for their disrespect.”

“I do not do this out of hate, but rather out of love for if I did not love him, I would not offer him this chance to clean his slate and return to our fold within the Southern Realm. Until he accepts this offer, we must show our power by cutting off his trade routes forcing him to only do business with us until he understands who it is he stands against.”

Ryder continued on with his plans further from here lining out what may come of this should Abbasi not turn over the refugees. Readers, we are already at war with a great enemy. A dark future is painted for our nation should the growing schism deepen further between the nations within our own realm. For the sake of all that make their home within these lands may the problem become resolved. I for one will not sleep easy with such sounding clouds beginning to thunder on the horizon.