A call for honesty, self examination, and compromise
Now, concerning the Angels:
Think of Hansel and Gretel, for starters.
Angels make all their judgements from a perspective that is unique to Angels. There is no equivalent in the world of mortals.
This perspective emphasizes love, compassion, mercy, understanding, pity, mercy, over all other things.
Indeed, it could be said that Angels are love, compassion, and mercy incarnate.
Angels see hypocrisy for what it is. No exceptions.
It is impossible to hide the truth of one's actions from an Angel - doubletalk, speeches, excuses, rationalizations, and justifications do not impress or fool Angels.
The fears, hatreds, hopes, joys - all the emotions of mortals, are opening reading for Angels.
Angels VERY GREATLY enjoy seeing people experiencing happiness, joy, ecstasy, love, pleasure in any form, delight, achievement, fulfillment, accomplishment, peace with themselves, peace with others.
Angels experience severe pain, when they feel hatred, anger, fear, pain, or they are confronted with death, murder, war, or plans to cause any of these things.
Angels, cannot block out these feelings - their empathy for mortals cannot be shut off.
They can endure the feelings, but they cannot refuse to feel them.
The Angels are here because they were summoned by the pleas of the people of Hope Isle, to rescue them from the madness that was destroying Toril in the 2nd IR.
The Angels were drawn by that plea for help, and choose not to refuse it.
The Angels have attempted to protect Hope Isle ever since then.
That is why they helped the Border Guard of Realmspace.
Here are things you should not ever do, with the Angels:
Have them speak very often.
Have them speak when a matter is not crucially important.
Have them EVER attempt - by force, diplomacy, talk, or any means - to cause someone to have a certain opinion, or to change someone's opinion, or to change someone's plans, or to otherwise interfere in what someone thinks, wants, or does.
Have them EVER behave in a belligerent, aggressive way.
Have them EVER threaten anyone, for ANY reason.
Have them ever be discourteous or anyone.
Have them ever behave badly, in the general sense of the word.
Make them into warmongers.
Take them into battle without a VERY good reason.
Take them into battle often at all.
Base their actions upon fear, hate, or anger (although they do become angry, they do not act based on anger.)
Angels are beyond the comprehension of mortals.
They are above mortals.
This is not an ordinary, mundane force you have, Kalanyr.
These are beings of Supreme Good, and they should be played accordingly.
They can, and will, launch 11th level attacks, Duel with 11th Level Powers.
They will attempt to prevent Greyspace from sliding into Ravenloft.
They will attempt to stop Phibrizzo from what he is doing.
I had to take time to consider my reply, and keep to the standards that Hazen upholds. I needed to bring in some history of Oerth and Krynn.
Hazen inhales deeply, seeking the center of his being and the Divine Powers he honors, Rao and the Eternal. He strove to find words that would be true and fair, to all. He prayed for strength, wisdom, and the words to convey his thoughts. He prays that the Angels will stand with him, and that his words will ring out to the peoples of the Taraakian Empire, Oerth, Toril, Athas, Mystara, Krynn and beyond. He prayed for Rao and the Eternal to help him reach wounded hearts. He feared for what he saw the Taraakians becoming. He looks fully into the eyes of the Taraakians, hoping that he is looking into the eyes of all their people.
“I have heard many words that are true here. You will receive my answer shortly.”
“Long ago, when the Empire of Aerdi expanded West, it meet the Archclercy of Voll. We chose to enter vassalage with the Viceroyalty of Ferrond. We believed that by joining the Empire of Aerdi, we could help bring them to a greater state of goodness. When Aerdi fell into evil, we opposed them and left.”
“On Krynn, Istar was once a great power. However, its leaders eventually saw itself as the sole source of goodness. They eliminated Towers of Sorcery, fearing the power of wizards. They feared all unlike them, and the King Priest of Istar contemplated the genocide of the dwarven and elven peoples. They were not under his rule, so surely they could not have been good. Never mind that they shared the same faith.”
“ A knight, Lord Soth, had the power to stop the Priest King, but chose to fall into his own hate and lusts. The Gods of Krynn destroyed Istar in a cataclysm. Why? To stop a man who had slipped from righteousness to self righteouness from inflicting his will on a world. To stop a man, who knew better, from becoming a murdering tyrant.”
“On Earth, a sect called the Puritans fled their land for fear of religious persecution. They arrived in a new land, chased off or slew the inhabitants, and persecuted those of other similar faiths. Indeed, they held witch trials where people were accused of sins – on false evidence – and murdered. Yet they considered themselves good, and were indeed good to members of their community – who complied utterly with their wishes. Yet in their tyranny, they opposed the core beliefs of their god. Were he among them, I believe that they would have killed Him.”
“Similarly, there have been those of all faiths who have thought themselves intrinsically holier than their brothers. Some have even called those who worshipped the same God in a slightly different way clowns --- and worse.”
“The greatest danger that we face is not some hideous monster, or even the Death Machines. The Dark Powers reside in us all, the embodiment of the evil impulses that we all must resist and reject. They can call out in many ways. Anger, Hate. Pride.”
“In pride, there is a great danger. The righteous must especially watch for a danger. Self-righteousness. The belief that we are good not because of what we do but because of who we are. That we are intrinsically better than others, and our opinions must be more valuable. That perhaps we alone should have opinions.”
“The Angels, servants of the Most High, came to Toril and Oerth because good people called on them. In their wisdom and goodness, they gave the Kevellond League and the Emerald Order 11th level magics. The Emerald Order still possesses them. Do your wisdom and goodness exceed that of the Angels in that you believe the Emerald Order and its leader must be stripped of such power because they are dangerous children. I believe their leader Angelika is accepting your offer to save the lives of her people. She is truly a mature adult, a woman of remarkable wisdom, courage, and dignity. Yet you refer to her as child.”
Hazen shakes his head sadly and inhales.
“Were the Angels wrong in the trust they placed in my people and in myself? I have been honored by them in more ways than I can express. If my ambassador arrived, you know the history of the worlds involved here. You know it from my own words. Is your wisdom and holiness greater than theirs? I am not being sarcastic; it is possible that you have had a direct revelation from the Eternal. However, I am not aware of any such insight being granted unto you. If you truly possess such wisdom, you must share it with others. Not force it upon others – so much evil has been caused by those who would force a faith on others – but by making it none. I am willing to concede the possibility that you may have had a revelation of great import. However, I am not aware of it.”
“It is far more likely that what the Angels feared has happened: in your anger and grief, you have abandoned the principles of righteousness for self righteousness. In doing so, you harm the Taraakian Empire far more than the death machines or the Green Gem. For you risk the descent into evil, justifying the domination of worlds. The other worlds of your empire entered into them willingly. Now you may take the first steps down a path of tyranny. Perhaps the next set of worlds you acquire will be for their own protection. The next set of that may merely be because they have resources which you need and you can help their people. The set after that may merely be claimed because they are useful and you deserve them, being a just and good people”
“Before I truly answer you, I must say this is a test. Of yourselves and the values I have heard that you espouse. Who are you? What do you want? What do you believe? Where are you going? Why are you here? Who do you serve and whom do you trust?”
“A tyrant who justifies his actions behinds fair words is as much a tyrant as one who does not use fair words. I asked for assistance, true. However, I thought I was calling on allies, whom the Angels have praised. I thought that you were likely a people who were enlightened, servants of the Most High of your free will. Yet, one must ask do you serve the Most High or your own pride.”
“I do not stand with the Alliance of Dread. In their hate, they claim their chaos is freedom. Yet freedom involves choices. Their will would make the multiverse an orderly place of constant entropy. There would be the order they create: a simple order, the order of entropy and oblivion. They truly must fear the diversity of creation to wish to make everything the same. In doing so, you reject the gods of good and the Most Holy. If diversity of form and opinion was not good, why would the most High permit it to exist.”
“A wise man offered Kalanyr this advice when the Angels decided to stand by his people.:
Angels make all their judgements from a perspective that is unique to Angels. There is no equivalent in the world of mortals.
This perspective emphasizes love, compassion, mercy, understanding, pity, mercy, over all other things.
Indeed, it could be said that Angels are love, compassion, and mercy incarnate.
Angels see hypocrisy for what it is. No exceptions.
It is impossible to hide the truth of one's actions from an Angel - doubletalk, speeches, excuses, rationalizations, and justifications do not impress or fool Angels.
The fears, hatreds, hopes, joys - all the emotions of mortals, are opening reading for Angels.
Angels VERY GREATLY enjoy seeing people experiencing happiness, joy, ecstasy, love, pleasure in any form, delight, achievement, fulfillment, accomplishment, peace with themselves, peace with others.
Angels experience severe pain, when they feel hatred, anger, fear, pain, or they are confronted with death, murder, war, or plans to cause any of these things.
Angels, cannot block out these feelings - their empathy for mortals cannot be shut off.
They can endure the feelings, but they cannot refuse to feel them.
The Angels are here because they were summoned by the pleas of the people of Hope Isle, to rescue them from the madness that was destroying Toril in the 2nd IR.
The Angels were drawn by that plea for help, and choose not to refuse it.
The Angels have attempted to protect Hope Isle ever since then.
That is why they helped the Border Guard of Realmspace.
Here are things you should not ever do, with the Angels:
Have them speak very often.
Have them speak when a matter is not crucially important.
Have them EVER attempt - by force, diplomacy, talk, or any means - to cause someone to have a certain opinion, or to change someone's opinion, or to change someone's plans, or to otherwise interfere in what someone thinks, wants, or does.
Have them EVER behave in a belligerent, aggressive way.
Have them EVER threaten anyone, for ANY reason.
Have them ever be discourteous or anyone.
Have them ever behave badly, in the general sense of the word.
Make them into warmongers.
Take them into battle without a VERY good reason.
Take them into battle often at all.
Base their actions upon fear, hate, or anger (although they do become angry, they do not act based on anger.)
Angels are beyond the comprehension of mortals.
They are above mortals.
This is not an ordinary, mundane force you have, Kalanyr.
These are beings of Supreme Good.”
“Do you yourselves live up to this high standard? The Angels, servants of the Most High, do. They have learned that even they must guard against self-righteousness, the belief that their will is supreme. Even Angels have fallen to pride and self righteousness.” Hazen says the last sentence with a profound sense of sorrow and loss, tears streaming down his face.
“Your pain and grief is great. Many have been murdered on many worlds by the Alliance of Dread. The Oerth Alliance and its allies have sacrificed greatly to stop them. Yet you call us children. Perhaps our lives are, in your view, worth less than yours. So the brave men and women, who died to stop the Red Waste, died for nothing in your view. They were perhaps brave children, but children still. If this is what you think, then I truly pity you. You are falling to darkness.”
“The Eternal knows you and loves you despite your sins. Repentance is always ready to an open heart. You are loved more than you know. All of us, including those you deem children, have the potential for infinite goodness, infinite love, and self-sacrifice. Reject your anger and your pride. Open yourself to understanding, love, wisdom and forgiveness. You have the potential to rise above your anger and hate.”
“The Angels allow mortals and all beings the freedom of choice, to make their own destiny. You call on us to surrender our peoples and worlds. When I heard of the attack on other worlds, I swore to stop them. I swore if it took millennia to heal these worlds we would do so. Yet you do not offer us a choice to remain free and sovereign. Instead, you seek to deny our freedom, even those who have fought the Alliance of Dread. Our efforts, by your actions, are rendered meaningless. Therefore, you seem to have become enemies of freedom. How is this good?”
“If your demands are not met, you say that you will change culture and even race to comply with your vision? How is this different in action from those who were merged against their will with Red Goo. Good is about freedom of choice, compassion, love, forgiveness, and understanding. Good is not merely about intent, but actions. Your actions seem to contradict the values you espouse.”
“In giving all of Oerth, Toril, Athas, Mystara, and Krynn the same sentence, for it is not a choice but a sentence, you cast all into the same manner. You are saying there is no difference between the Black Brotherhood and the Emerald Order. Do you also intend to judge the Angels of the Seventh Heavens as well? Will you alter their form and being if they do not do as you wish? If so, you have left the path of goodness and wisdom. We are all akin in the great family of being, mortal or immortal, touched by the Eternal with the potential for infinite love, infinite forgiveness and infinite goodness. Embrace the Eternal. ”
“I now ask that my brethren, the Angels of the Seventh Heaven to state why they journeyed to Toril to save it at the prayers of Ian Payne. I ask the servants of the Most High to tell why they came to Oerth. I ask you to listen to them, and their words of love, forgiveness, and understanding.”
“I may have misjudged you. If so, I ask you to offer me words and deeds to prove me wrong. I am capable of error, all save One can make errors.”
“Yet I fear you have left the path of goodness and wisdom by seeking conquest where a call for aid was sought. I fear that the Taraakians face the same danger that the Priest King of Istar faced: the trap of self righteousness.”
“I will not attack you, and I will oppose the Alliance of Dread and their allies. Yet, I do not feel that you have offered a sufficient explanation of yourselves. I thought your words might be a test for those you summoned. It is a test of yourselves, and the values that the Taraakians are said to hold. I forgive you for your harsh words. I love you despite your ultimatum. Yet, you must ask yourselves if your actions comply with the values of goodness and righteousness.”
“I have treated others with compassion and dignity. Some would say I restored the daughter of the God Emperor of the Union to secure his loyalty. I did not. I did it to help a wounded soul who mourned someone he loved. I did it to help a lost soul who wanted to be reunited with the father she loves and has always loved. I expect no reward from this action. It was a selfless act, an act of compassion. It was an act that I thought that an enlightened people would understand although it was not done with any thought of you. Is this an act that the Taraakians would take?”
“If you conquer us by force or force our surrender with threats, then this child will grow up in a world ruled by tyrants. I believe the phrase is benevolent dictator.”
“The choice is yours. Kalanyr and I have asked for your help, as allies. Yet you seem to wish to be conquerors. If this is the Taraakians chose the path of conquest, they become no different than those they oppose. I am willing to forgive you, for I love you despite yourselves and the Eternal loves you. All of us are the children of the Eternal, the Most High, or none of us are. We must chose if we honor the values of freedom, love, compassion, mercy, understanding, and goodness – the values of the Eternal, the values of my own faith. In rejecting them, you imperil your immortal souls. For your sake, I ask that you reconsider your words and forgiveness. I forgive you and love you. I would forgive you and love you if you killed me where I stand.”
“Remember that you can always repent. Forrester can be forgiven by the Eternal. I am prepared to forgive one who bombarded my world with fusing hydrogen. Are you capable of less love, less forgiveness, less understanding than myself? The goodness of the Eternal lies within each of us. Seek it, embrace it, and ask if your actions comply with the stands of the Most Holy, the Most High.”
“Indeed all of us, on all worlds, regardless of our past can reach out for forgiveness, love, and the Eternal. You are loved. Forgiveness and compassion beyond words is available if you seek it. There are many paths to truth, and many guides who will walk with you on your journey. I ask the Angels to help minister to the wounded souls of the Taraakian Empire and all worlds and peoples. Remember, my brethren, you are loved, now and always.”
Hazen pauses.
“That was what I was going to say before you spoke. I now believe your motives are truly noble, but that the application of them is wrong. There is still the danger of the slippery slope of which I spoke. I would not want your decision to save us to lead to a situation where the Taraakian Empire is in danger of losing the values it espouses. I was not insulting you or underestimating your danger. Nor was I lying
“I would request permission to attend the wedding of my friends Lord Kalanyr and Lady Siobhan. Their love is a thing of beauty that I thought the Taraakian people would honor. I believe they should be married. Indeed, I thought Love was the foundation of Taraakian belief.”
“The Oerth Alliance would welcome your aid. You seem to have the noblest of motivations, but there is a danger to yourself in your ultimatum. Lady Siobhan’s points are valid. In dealing with our worlds, you have assumed that we are all the same. We are not. Melkor for one believes I am a deluded fool. However, he does not concede the possibility of a benevolent supreme Power that allows people to make their own decisions. Indeed, without free will the choice between good and evil is rendered meaningless. Perhaps such a Supreme Power would prefer meaningful choices are to be made. I believe Melkor would prefer himself as a Supreme Being. Considering that he believes in no will or choice but his own, this is not surprising. It is perhaps not surprising that his own people rejected him and that without the aid of ‘o Skoteinos people he will be annihilated. Also, the latest research indicates evidence for a cyclical multiverse theory. If true, your heat death of the multiverse will never occur. Perhaps I can refer you to the latest journals on Toril. They are fascinating reading.”
Hazen produces copies of journals with such titles as Multiversal Physics Review and holds them out for Melkor or anyone else to accept.
(OOC: As there is increasing evidence is being found by Earth physicists for a cyclical universe, so I thought I would mention this. Also, Hazen is not being insulting, merely make an opinion.)
“So, I offer a proposal. I propose a full alliance between the Oerth Alliance, the UC of Toril and its allies against the Alliance of Dread. I ask your government to consider this proposal. The ultimatum you made has dangers for yourselves, your very souls. Surely we can try to reach a compromise. I would seek to do so, before I give my final answer. Yet I do not see how it would be good to conquer Lord Kalanyr and Siobhan’s people and subject them to the same terms as you would for Melkor or Phibrizzo. I stand ready to fight the Alliance of Dread. You have my respect and my good will. If you had made the offer without the ultimatium, I would have been flattered. Yet the ultimatium is a sore point for two whom I love dearly. I cannot fight them or support any attack on them. We have mourned too many of our dead together.”
“We may well be able to reach some compromise solution. For example, joining the Taraakian Empire and having an opportunity to again earn our magic, psionics, and technology. We can perhaps offer you our full assistance in trying to help the damaged worlds. My friend Arthur MacKeppoch of Earth has a saying he is fond of quoting. ‘There are always possibilities for new tomorrows, if we but chose to see them.’ I believe the Taraakians are acting out of love and concern. I believe that you truly wish to save billions of lives and the remarkable cultures of many worlds. For this loving gesture, you are to be commended. May the Eternal make your people even wiser, nobler, and greater than they are now.”
“My allies, we can perhaps reach some compromise with them as well. Perhaps we need to prove ourselves to them. As we ask them to prove themselves to us. Let us try to make a better future for us all. Too many have died. There must be some way that we can work together. Much will be required from us all. However, I fear that if we do not work together there will be no question of Oerth, of Toril, of Athas, of Mystara or of Krynn. Our differences will have been settled by the peace of the grave. Our peoples deserve better. They deserve to live. The God Emperor’s daughter and all our children deserve the chance to make a glorious destiny.”
“We are at risk of mutual annihilation. I think we can find some way to step back from the brink. Together we can find some way to survive. My allies, I ask you to help find a reasonable compromise. I ask all those represented here to do so. Your people are precious; think of their needs in this time. With survival, there are always possibilities.”
“I know that you are not Angels, but perhaps you can take counsel with them. Sometimes even the wise need advice from the wise. I would like to hear from your government on what has been said here before accepting or rejecting your offer."
"Already, Anabstercorian has accepted a limitation on his power. Some form of compromise is possible for us with the Taraakians. I have no doubt that one day he will again hold the Staff of Ancient Penumbra. He loves his people and his culture dearly and has depths of goodness which he does not realize. We all do. We just need to see it in others and ourselves."
"Anabstercorian, accept this. I meant to give it to you earlier." Hazen takes out from his robes the illithid equivalent of a book. (OOC: I forget the name of the object in the Illithiad.) "This is an ancient text whose name in Common translates to "The best loved stories, songs, poems and jokes of the Illithid." I believe you shall enjoy it, especially page 42."
"I eagerly anticipate your response, knowing that both our peoples can find a working solution. Some form of compromise where each of us must give to the other. Our worlds are fine places and well worth saving. I thank you for putting up with a rather long speech.”
OOC: I have tried to make this speech equal to my speech at the press confefence that made such a great impression of Toril. I have tried to give points to which the Taraakians can respond. Based on their actions and the code of the Angels, I must believe they have fallen into the sin of self-righteousness or are at least in danger of it. I have tried not to make Hazen seem self-righteous. I believe the Taraakians face the greatest danger we all face, false pride that states that because of who we are, we are intrinsically better than others. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The Oerth Alliance and its members ARE different from the Dread Alliance in a significant way. Also, Hazen does have legitimate worries on the future of the Taraakians. Empires are sometimes destroyed from within. He is legitimately worried where there actions might lead them.
Hazen is also worried that the worlds will be destroyed utterly.
William thinks that the IR will be over if the attacks announced take place. I think it will be over for everyone.
I added the Anabstercorian bit just now. I consider it a personal tribute to his excellent role playing. All of you are superb role players and have helped to make this IR a blast.
