The Drevelli Coup
27 Oct 2023Argon Shadowstar
Thanks to my efforts, the Drevelli Family has launched its coup against Congressus Tenebris. With a strong enough position and the wealth from their now extensive Lazarus industry, all it took was the elimination of several key figures and the revocation by force of several CT territorial claims to give them the opening they needed to mobilize their offensive and reclaim the system their ancestors founded. They may be mobsters, but their roots are old and strong, and I respect the de jure claim they have on this system. It is rightfully theirs by way of absolute primogeniture, the most commonly used form of succession law throughout the bubble, a system respected and upheld for millennia. As I was raised in the feudal tradition of my people, how could I not respect their blood right and vow to return control of their home to them? Of course, that objective will be where I draw the line. I cannot allow myself to become too attached to local politics, for my charge is all of humanity, not any single faction. I must expect that the Drevellis should be capable of maintaining their claim once my contract is complete here. If not, then my only concern will have to be that a righteous ruler will replace them, decided by the will of the honorable among the people whom are to be ruled.I have long put my faith in the ability of the masses to effect the change that best suits them, to become the masters of their own destiny, provided they are empowered to do so. There are always many factors and forces at work to suppress the will of the people, and it is the job of heroes to rise up from the common folk, challenge these forces, and, through glorious and honorable deeds, champion the cause of justice and freedom. Often, people seem to think that my feudal background polarizes me against liberty and egalitarianism. This misconception is, I believe, born of the perception of modern feudalism, which is often just a means by which the corrupt can literally lord over their peers. My ancestors believed that lords and ladies earned their titles, and inheritance only conferred titles in name. For a young master to fully succeed his or her parent, they must prove their worthiness with acts of greatness. This did not always mean battle, though battle was the common way, even if it was the relatively safe battle of the arena games, or military service. There were many ways to show honor and virtue and demonstrate the worthiness of full succession. But there were some who failed to do this, and in these cases it was the right of the house to offer the relegated titles and properties to a renowned hero, through the Trials of Endowment, in which the hero would be tasked to perform great deeds in order to claim the succession and be adopted by the house, assuming they weren't already a member of the house. In this way, the houses competed to adopt and maintain the greatest heroes they could acquire. And heroes were always driven to conduct themselves with honor and commit great and valorous deeds such that their legends would continue to grow. The common people had great freedom and the government, as well as the Great Houses, maintained policies designed to enable the people to realize their heroic ability. It was a society that understood the reality of power, that it starts low and rises high, and like life and all things, must come to an end. Instead of resisting this natural order, they embraced it, and those with power knew that the most important thing at the end of one's life was to leave a glorious legend behind, not money or entitled children, but a record of great deeds and accomplishments, and the sponsorship of other great heroes.
But those ways are gone now, and the feudalism we have today cares little for heroes and seemingly less for freedom and liberty. I find myself a relic in a universe that does not truly understand me. At best, I am considered a whimsical adventurer, at worst, an insane monster. Most people I meet, once they "figure me out", expect me to ride out to battle windmills, like the galavanting fool of an ancient legend. But I never pretended to be a knight. A hero, perhaps, one day, but the path ahead of me is a dark and bloody one, made so by necessity, not providence. These deeds I commit will not be considered heroic or honorable to most of those who will be on the receiving end of them, but they are to me, for I conduct myself in the tradition of my ancestors, even though there is no-one left to understand it. But that is why it is important. I do things this way, not because my clients or my enemies are watching, but because the ghosts of my people are. And when I die, I will leave a legacy of great deeds that will be carried on in the memory, the stories, and the songs sung by those who survived me, and those who survived them, long after this conflict in Drevelli is forgotten.