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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 180886" data-attributes="member: 2020">The Speech of the Alliance of DreadThe Leader the Alliance of Dread (it should have been Sollir, but I guess I must speak instead) speaks up:  Is this what you want?  One nation, under the taraakians ... effectively, a super-sized version of the United Commonwealth of Toril?  Do you know what the result of that will be?  The result will be stagnation.  The result will be weakness and decay.  You say that war is evil, that war is destructive, that war must be stopped.  Just how do you think these taraakians became what they are?  If they are, indeed, such a mighty, noble, and enlightened race who bring peace and prosperity to hundreds of worlds, just how do you think they got there?  War brings out the worst in sentient beings, but it also brings out the best.  The Mana Fortress, was the direct result of the war being fought here, in these Spheres.  The Penumbral Hub, was a result of the strength of Anabstercorian, and he gained that strength in war.  The United Commonwealth of Toril was forged out of war.  It did not simply invent itself.  Very real hardship and suffering, blood, sweat, and tears made the United Commonwealth what it was.  If there had not been war upon Toril, the United Commonwealth would never have come into being.  The humanoids would never have gained their extraordinary intelligence, their psionic powers.  The Church of Toril would never have arisen, would never have thrown the great spell that turned Toril into the paradise that it is now.  Elves and humanoids would not live in peace and harmony now on Toril - they do so because of the lessons learned in war.  The NeoIllithid would never have come into being if war had not forced it.  The illithid themselves, would never have come to the surface, become a productive part of the greater world, would never have shared their mighty lore with the human, demihuman, and humanoid races, if war had not forced their hand.  Tell me this would have happened, if the peace the Chosen of Mystra were maintaining - under Elminster - had continued.  Tell me that the elves and drow would have found peace together, on their own.    Tell me the aboleth would have chosen to release their slaves, mingle with the surface races.  Tell me Larloch would have become good, would have shared his incredible lore with the mages of the surface world.  For that matter, tell us that Acererak would have become good, if war had not forced it.  For it was war that forced it, and now you see him as a benefactor, and a bringer of knowledge and enlightenment for your peoples.  The Cydians were the result of the Union of Oerth's efforts.  However, if war had not forced their hand, perhaps the Union of Oerth might never have achieved the magical insights necessary to produce the Cydians, would never have gained the strength.  You cannot have it both ways.  If you choose peace, if you choose the peace of the taraakians, and let them dictate to you, then you throw away any and all future opportunities to grow.  That's the end of the Penumbral Hub, for it took 10th level magic and greater to build it and maintain it.  That's the end of the Mana Fortress.  That's the end of the Cydians.  That's the end of the starships of the Scro Star League.  That's the end of the magnificent cities of the United Commonwealth - they could not exist without 10th and 11th level technomancy.  That's the end of the creativity of the gnomes and dwarves - that creativity will be quashed.  That's the end of the efforts of your scientists, your mages, your great men and women.  What will you get in return?  You will be spoon fed knowledge, bit by bit.  Little pieces of knowledge will be fed to you, as the taraakians see fit to feed you - did they themselves not refer to us as children?  Innovation and creativity will have no place, for it will be crushed, and we will subsist on the handouts of this race that deems itself fit to rule our fate.  We do not pretend to be lofty, and we do not pretend to be good, but we do believe that we have a right to forge our own destiny.  We believe that everyone in the Spheres has that right.  We do not believe that a race of beings, no matter how noble or well-intentioned, have the right to walk in and take away self-determination from us.  We will commit, in deed, to what we are saying now.  We will stand down.  We will abort all planned attacks against the Alliance of Oerth.  We will abort all planned attacks against the Union of the Worlds.  We will abort all planned attacks against the United Commonwealth of Toril.    We will abort all planned attacks, period.  We will refocus our war machine on these taraakians, who choose to pronounce themselves our parents, our judges, and our lords.  We accept the offer of alliance from the Union of the Worlds, if they are still offering it.  We offer a cease-fire, a truce, to the Alliance of Oerth and the Powers of Realmspace.  We realize you will not ally with us, but we will not engage in further hostilities with you.  Not as long as these birdpeople insist that they will have nothing less than our complete subjugation.  We request that Melkor cease and desist from harming any of the people sent to his realm.  The Shade still on Toril are requesting this.  In any case, he needs their help in combatting Zouron the Dark, and without that help he will be crushed.  The Red Army is standing down.  It will not again attack the people of Oerth, Toril, Krynn, or anyone in these Spheres.  The Red Army will attack those who would usurp our lives and our self-determination.  The Eternal Union, will stand against those who would tell us all what we can, and cannot, do - for all time, apparently.  For these taraakians did not state a time limit on their occupation.  Are we to spend thousands, or tens of thousands, of years in their velvet prison, until all creativity, all will, all strength to determine our own course, rots and withers?  For that is what happens to slaves.  Their will and their minds rot.  We will not willingly submit to this fate, and we do not believe any of you should either.</blockquote>

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