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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reprisal" data-source="post: 155787" data-attributes="member: 1161">A Line in the SandThe Prime Minister and Acting President of the United Commonwealth of Toril stands before the crowded Press Gallery in her home, Commonwealth Mansion.  She quietly surveys the crowd, spotting representatives from foreign networks and publications in addition to the usual suspects.  She frowns, uncharacteristically, before beginning her address."People of the Commonwealth, I come to you in a time of great danger for the unity, safety and security of the entire world.  After reviewing the information provided by the various nations of the world of Oerth, in addition to our own sources, we have come to the conclusion that the United Commonwealth is, at the very least indirectly, responsible for much of the destruction of the Realm of Greyhawk.  Like it or not, this is truth.  Had not the Commonwealth undertaken its Lortmil Project, Oerth would not be as it is now: a smoldering, wreck of what it once was... and why?"Oerth needs our assistance, they demand our assistance, and whether we, as a collective entity, desire it or not, the United Commonwealth is obligated to right the wrongs it inadvertantly helped initiate."Perhaps most importantly, a dark hand of overwhelming power has swept over our realm.  No, this is not the touch of Melkor's Dark Pantheon, this is something much more dangerous.  Where Melkor has failed, the sinister mists of an ever-dangerous plane are threatening to encroach upon Greyspace and Realmspace.  We have weathered the first pair of dark embraces, and it is my belief that with every incident, the Commonwealth will grow weaker."This cannot be allowed to happen, and will not be allowed to happen.  Even now, our most elite researchers are working on ways to stave off, and perhaps even beat back, the dark invasion.  Though I warn you to seek no invading army, these forces do not march upon the capital city for it is an invasion of ideals.  Only through faith in the power of Light and accumulation of knowledge can we be safe-guarded from such a devious foe.  'Stand together!' I say, 'and through the power of our unity we will defeat our enemies.'"It is the question of unity, however, that concerns me the greatest.  I have been a good friend of Lord Forrester since the beginning of the United Commonwealth and he has been mine.  I think, however, that something changed within him during my... absence.  He was always impatient, forthcoming and stubborn, but he was never without a conscious and an active rational mind.  His actions in relation to the Realm of Greyhawk, however, can be seen to change from one of altruism, to one of an nigh-paranoid protectionism."A wise man once wrote that for an action to be considered truly part of the one morality, one must be able to will that action as a universal law of all rational beings.  Now, I must ask, knowing this, believing this... I must ask if our places were switched, and a great hero of Oerth was 'forced' to annihilate the surface of our world, without our consent, would the people of Toril be so understanding?"No.  I think not.  Now know this:"Forrester was central to this act upon the people of Oerth, not a single soul was left untouched and unaffected by that action."Our General, our Leader, our Hero ordered the complete destruction of a world.  A world.  An entire world! No matter its name, no matter its plight, no world deserves to be destroyed in the name of a 'greater' good.  In order to save Oerth from the Red Army, he ordered that it be fusion-bombarded from orbit.  Though he did, in the end, destroy most, if not all, of the Red Army, the fact remains that what he did was against the edicts of the very founders of the United Commonwealth."Lord Forrester still remains the Saviour of Toril, he is still a Hero of the People, but those titles do not grant him immunity from morality, from the Eyes of Virtue.  The Forrester of old would not have been so impetuous, so impatient in such a grave situation... No.  It is my belief that Forrester had been affected by the oncoming darkness approaching our lands, and had been battling with it long before we were aware of the problem..."Erika Lesage, Leader of the United Commonwealth of Toril stops in mid-sentence, and wipes her eyes.  After a moment, in which the media took a torrent of flash-enhanced pictures, she continues..."I cannot fathom the difficulty he underwent...  A single man against the sum-total of all the evil of an entire realm... I find that I am amazed at how long he held out before the darkness started to overtake him."Why did Forrester leave?  I believe he embarked upon a self-imposed exile to battle his inner demons, whereupon he will return and once again become our most cherished of protectors, of leaders... of friends.  An infinite moment of silence..."Until that time, however, I am responsible for not only the maintainence of our freedoms, but also the protection of its people.  As President, I am responsible for the Commonwealth's relationships with the outside universe; I am responsible for the deployment of our defences domestically and abroad.  I am charged with protecting the United Commonwealth, it ideals and, more importantly, its people from all threats."All threats."There have been outcries from the honourable lands of the Humanoid Alliance for the protection of Forrester from exterior forces.  As long as Forrester is gone, I cannot work for or against those demands.  While I believe that Forrester is responsible for his actions, I trust his conscience, and I trust his sense of honour and duty.  He will return, and he will explain his actions before the people of the Commonwealth.  Only then, after hearing his side of things, will I allow anything resembling a trial take place... It is my hope that what he has to say will make it all clear for I do not wish to do what some of my own, and many of those abroad, are demanding."I will be attending this Conference in the Forest of Ishtarland and will explain to the people of Oerth that Forrester is a unique man, and an unorthodox leader.  What he did was, in his mind, for the best.  He meant well, but it did not turn out well.  Though his actions were, at the very least, paternalistic in nature, I will endeavour to explain to the honourable delegates of Oerth that Forrester had the best of intentions, though his culture has socialized him in such a way that he believed that a strong leadership could overcome the shock of such a grand change in society, polity, ecnomony and technology.  Though they cry for his arrest, I will tell them that he is gone, and we cannot find him.  Of course, they will not believe me at first, but once they look, they will understand..."I will also explain that the United Commonwealth will work together with those who would call us ally to help rebuild Oerth.  We will show them that the United Commonwealth is not an empire of old, but a union of free peoples, together of our own volition.  We will lead not by decree, not by force of arms, but by example.  Only then, will we finally earn the trust of the peoples of Oerth and the possibility, the privilege, of friendship."This will not be an easy task, for there are forces threatening not only the Realm of Greyhawk, but that of our own.  These forces, these dark forces, must be battled back and defeated in such a decisive matter that those believing they can topple the pillar of Light will have to know that they will meet the most stalwart defence, and the most vigorous of attack.  This is a battle of Good and Evil.  Evil will not be allowed to triumph.  This, I promise you and the Realm of Greyhawk."Melkor, Anabstercorian, and Iuz be warned.  You have awakened a force you know not the power of and we will not tolerate the subjugation of an entire world in darkness, in evil.  We will aid the powers of good throughout reality in defeating you."To the forces of darkness!  The line has been drawn.  Will you dare cross it?"And at that, she leaves amid a maelstrom of questions from the media.</blockquote>

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