Karp
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Diplomacy 101: Chapter 27
🕑 Added 2024-08-04 21:44:09 +0000 UTCWhile Varrus made his way toward Lor'Themar's office, he thought about what exactly the Convocation of Silvermoon was all about as a governmental entity.
Having briefly read up on it, and comparing the knowledge he inherited, he thought he had a decent idea on how the government in Quel'Thalas worked.
Essentially, the Covenant was in charge of most things civil, including the introduction of laws, taxes, etc. These things were then signed off on, or vetoed by the executive power, in this case, Prince Kael’Thas.
There was a whole system involving vetoes, and if neither side could come to an agreement, an assembly of the wise would convene, and help mediate/determine the outcome.
It was that same group of elders known as ‘the wise’ that gathered yesterday to discuss the Troll incursion.
The Convocation also oversaw all funding for special works, groups, and the Royal Institutions.
They were dubbed the Royal Institutions because they were under the direct purview of the reigning monarch.
The three most famous of these organizations were the Rangers, Magisters, and Church of Holy Light.
While the Convocation could not order any of these institutions directly, they could exert soft power over them. Among these powers, the Convocation completely controlled the King’s purse, and had to approve of any formal declaration of war, or be involved in any diplomatic mission in some capacity. They also approved or disapproved of every single officer’s promotion.
A core example of this promotional power coming into play would be Halduron Brightwing. The Ranger Captain said he had owed Varrus’ father, because without his father pulling for him, Halduron would likely get passed over on someone else’ special interest pick. The politics were messy, but this was how the Convocation shared power with the monarchy.
Additionally, the Convocation also oversaw the judicial system. Crime was rather rare, and given the Highborn's small population, the Convocation acted as both the legislative and judicial branches in Quel’Thalas. They had a small military force directly loyal to them charged with safeguarding the Sunwell, and keeping the peace in Silvermoon. From what Varrus could remember, they were called the Sunguard, and were heated rivals with the Royal Guard as these two institutions were the only ones allowed to train in the secret arts of spellbreaking.
Within the judiciary, most common crimes were judged by the Convocation. However, if the accused was a noble, officer, or popular individual, then it wasn’t uncommon for the King to sit on the bench as a judge.
The Convocation's seat of government was located within the Sunwell Plateau on the island of Quel’Danas just north of Silvermoon. There, they participated in baptisms within the Sunwell-to attune babies to the Sunwell's energies-and besides the monarch, were the only Elves with unrestricted access to the font of limitless magical power.
In game, the Sunwell was a relatively simple, giant pool of water. However, in reality, it sat upon an island roughly half the size of Ireland.
A crown jewel amongst Highborn culture, colleges of crafts, music and the arts dotted the island, making it a hub for smug Elf high society.
Being a member of the Convocation wasn't all about showing off, petty politics, and baptisms, however. There were some serious responsibilities tied to the position.
They were responsible for harnessing the Sunwell's power in times of war, act as liasons with allied nations during crises, and were expected to take command of battlefronts.
In fact, the previous incarnation of the Convocation were guarding over the Sunwell when the Scourge attacked. As a councilor, it would be Varrus’ duty to be the first line of defense against the countless creatures seeking the unfathomable power of the Sunwell.
During a campaign, councilors advised the King, could vote for peace, ratify treaties, or act as high level ambassadors to show Quel'Thalas’ seriousness on the matter.
Lastly, was Varrus’ title of ‘First Seat.’ As the self professed and begrudgingly acknowledged singular member of the Convocation, he held the leadership position, same as his father before him.
The First Seat position essentially made him the face of the organization, and allowed him a few small extra privileges. It was somewhat similar to how the leader of a political party had some sway over their own members
Varrus didn't have much time to communicate with Kael about it, but given the unconventional circumstances governing their country at the moment, Varrus had been given free reign to fill the remaining six seats, within reason that is.
He was to pick those Heroes who he thought contributed the most to Silvermoon, and would create the least amount of controversy as possible to keep the transition between administrations as smooth and peaceable as possible. The last thing either of them wanted was the wise leading a revolt against these two ‘young and arrogant youths.’
Had Sanguinar remained alive, Varrus had no doubt this ploy would be hotly contested, and Varrus would have to bitterly fight for every candidate.
Immoral as it was, Varrus supposed he should be thanking his wife for wacking his political rival.
It was a thought that left him sick to think about, as Sanguinar had never actually threatened his life, and possibly would’ve made for a great fellow policy maker on the Convocation. But what was done was done, and Varrus was free to choose any six councilors to create a new Convocation.
The six he had in mind were:
Koren
Lady Liadran
Thaladred
Telonicus
Tae'thelon
Lor'Themar.
Ultimately, they were six safe picks, that is, with the exception of Koren due to his young age.
He chose these six for their connections, and personal power.
Each and every one of them was already in control of a faction, meaning that should the Convocation make a decision, the members of those factions should theoretically respect the councilors of the Convocation, and follow orders.
Koren was a simple pick for Varrus. The guy was bonkers, killing his own dad like that, but given the line up of councilors he had in mind, none of them were personally loyal to him. Each had goals and factions within the heart of Silvermoon. Koren on the other hand was a political outsider. His power base was located on Sunstrider Island, a small location roughly the size of Rhode Island, it was tucked away in the north western section of Silvermoon, and survived the Scourge invasion 100% intact. Furthermore, due to the sour rumors of his father and the murky origins of dragonhawks, Koren had no friends in high places. Perhaps King Anastarian had appreciated Koren’s family, but that connection had recently been severed.
Koren was a devoted sycophant with the power of a Hero. Leading a paramilitary organization outside any official jurisdiction, much like House Vandercross, he controlled the only reliable means of flight within all of Silvermoon.
Frankly speaking, Varrus wanted one ally on the Convocation, and Koren was the obvious pick. The guy was young, like him, and had the balls to charge right up to Kith'ix's face, and lance him in the eye. The dude wasn't as strong as his wife, but he had courage, and was a badass. In fact, he’d have to give his condolences to Koren for his lost mount when he saw him later in the evening.
Of course, Varrus could’ve gone with another pick if he wanted two teammates on the Convocation, but he opted to avoid her. His other ‘viable’ ally, if you could call her that, was his mother-in-law. Faedra checked all the same boxes as Koren-minus the sycophantic part-but Varrus was afraid she would cause more harm than good.
As amusing as Faedra roasting thousand year old Elves on the daily would be to see, Varrus had enough of that as it was simply living his day to day life. So Faedra was off his short list, and would only act as a backup if someone backed out.
The next councilor Varrus had in mind was Lady Liadran. She was a priestess turned paladin, and was widely respected amongst the faith.
Powerful and sexy, she was surprisingly the only lady to make the cut. It wasn’t that Varrus didn’t want more women on the Convocation, it’s that there were hardly any High Elves of any note that were female. Of course, he could always try and wrangle up one of the Windrunner sisters, but the thought of one of them leading the government alongside him made him want to vomit. They were all strong, impactful characters, but if Varrus were being entirely honest with himself, he did not want such volatile characters around him.
For one he didn’t want to be seen next to such beautiful women, lest his wife get some crazy idea. Secondly, the Windrunners were absolutely bonkers. Sylvannas was revenge obsessed, and lost her mind after the events of WOTLK. Alleria was afk in some time portal fighting demons for 1,000 years and somehow became a Void Elf in that time. The last sister, Vereesa took part in murdering every Blood Elf loyal to the Horde in Dalaran in a future expansion, and openly rebelled against the legitimate government. Yeah, Varrus wasn’t exactly in a hurry to recruit any of these headstrong ladies.
So Lady Liadran became one of his top picks as a member of the Convocation, and would serve as the representative for the religious amongst the High Elves.
Moving on, Thaladred was surprisingly, actually one of his picks. A male addonas, he was the perfect High Elf warrior, and a bit of a meat head. Varrus wanted to show the rest of Highborn society that he could work with political adversaries, and stave off any whispers of Sanguinar's suspicious death.
From what he could gather, Thaladred was well respected for his martial prowess, and before he had been defeated by his wife, had been an undefeated duelist for a century.
He was quite popular for bold statements, and being a rampant monarchist. Thaladred would be the perfect loudmouth that could say things a young Elf tied to the name Vandercross could never get away with.
However, Varrus was reconsidering the recruitment, given Thaladred’s apparent mental instability, but for now, he would trust in his wife’s capabilities. If she could act as his handler, much as Sanguinar had, Varrus would have three confirmed votes in his pocket.
Besides, for appearances sake, having a warrior on the Convocation was a must, and there weren't many choices given most Heroes were mages.
Next on his list was somewhat of a two parter, and he always got their names swapped in his head, they were Telonicus and Tae'thelon.
Now, Telonicus was the Elf who encased himself in all black plate armor-similar to Thaladred-and was the Master Engineer to Kael’Thas in Outland.
The dude was an absolute Einstein who invented all sorts of insane mageotech. One of his most impressive inventions was a giant mecha known as the Void Reaver. He also modified/created every single boss in the Mechanar, a segment of the Tempest Keep raid.
Staunchly loyal to Kael’Thas, he would be a safe pick that the royalists could not complain against. Furthermore, his introduction of cannons at the beach battle had shown his capabilities to the rest of the Heroes. There should be no qualms with his approval.
Tae'thelon meanwhile, was Telonicus’ intellectual rival, and for years headed up the most premier magic school in all of Quel'Thalas before founding the Reliquary.
A researcher who enjoyed schmoozing with high society, Varrus had many memories of this man attending his father's social functions. Always politely asking for funding, and astounding guests with ancient trivia, he was seen as a harmless educator.
Little did most casual Elves know that Tae'thelon held more knowledge about Azeroth than anyone else. Varrus knew he would need his big brain to combat the Old Gods, and the Legion.
While he had some reservations about the well connected school teacher-and wouldn't have minded keeping Tae'thelon out of the Convocation-Varrus needed a counter balance to Telonicus.
By pitting the two against one another, Varrus could act as mediator, and benefit from either side.
Tae'thelon was an interesting character. One Varrus would hesitate to call an ally, or even friend. Perhaps political animal best defined him.
From what Varrus could tell, Tae'thelon was more in tune with the great game than the rest of his picks, so he would have to keep a close eye on him.
Saving the most influential for last, Lor'Themar at this point, was the most famous High Elf alive. Compared to Kael’Thas-who by Elf standards was practically a teen who spent half his life outside of Quel'Thalas and mired in political controversy-Lor'Themar had been an exemplary Ranger his whole life.
In canon, Kael returned to Silvermoon from his journey to Outland as a traitor. A traitor who attempted to seize the Sunwell for the demons, and summon the third most terrifying leader of the Burning Legion, Kil’Jaiden. Yet Lor'Themar-and by proxy, the majority of the Blood Elves-stood against the rogue Prince, proving that they valued Lor’Themar over Kael’Thas at that point in time. The people trusted in Lor’Themar to protect them, and the old Elf would act as the glue that would bind the Convocation together. .
For all of Varrus’ gripes against Lor'Themar's failed trust in Dar'Khan Drathir, Varrus thought he would make for a decent leader.
As a calm and collected figure, Lor'Themar exuded dignity.
It also didn't hurt that he was the Elf responsible for saving this entire half of Silvermoon-saving tens of thousands of lives in the process-Lor'Themar was that guy in the eyes of many.
Convincing Lor'Themar to join was more important than any other member so far.
With the veteran Ranger onboard, the newest generation of the Convocation would be branded as a legitimate successor to their predecessors.
Simple as that.
Varrus was excited at the thought of this new organization! He hoped that the conflict of ideas from people of different backgrounds would be beneficial for the Convocation.
So far, the people on his short list brought the expertise that come with youth, age, war, science, religion, and old nobility.
It was an eclectic sort that didn't all answer directly to him. Varrus was excited to head such a body. As First Seat, he would have to corral these conflicting personalities, and help shape the nation.
Taking a deep breath, Varrus squared his shoulders, and began to walk with confidence.
Varrus had long finished his candied apple by this point, and tossed it into a nearby waste bin as he made his way into the depths of Farstrider Square.
Rangers were coming and going all around him, and a sense of urgent professionalism suffused the air.
Following several sign posts, Varrus took a few turns before he came across a pair of giant oak double doors.
The doors were so cartoonishly wide, you would only find doors like these in WoW. They were big enough, Varrus could stack himself twice to fit to the top, and fair times across.
“Highlord Varrus Vandercross, the Ranger General thought you might be here. He has yet to transfer into Sylvannas’ office due to a lack of time. If you’ll follow me?” Halduron Brightwing said, emerging from a hallway behind Varrus, then gestured in a direction to walk towards.
Varrus was a little nervous due to the upcoming meeting, and he almost jumped at the sudden voice from behind.
Turning around, he beheld a blue haired Elf carrying himself with confidence, and poise. When Varrus peered at his half-smiling, he was reminded of a predator ready to strike its prey.
Silently nodding in ascent, Varrus followed next to Halduron.
They moved quietly for a while, before stopping outside a training hall. Looking through some glass windows, Varrus saw Lor'Themar sweating up a storm as he pushed himself to the limit inside.
He felt some nervousness well up inside of him as he pondered how exactly he was to convince this ancient Elf to join his side. This was it. Recruiting Lor'Themar would determine if the Convocation would sink, or swim.
Rolling his shoulders to get rid of any discomfort, Varrus couldn't help but laugh at himself. He was more like his wife than he cared to admit. Facing down zombies, Trolls and Old God minions terrified him, but he fought through the fear. Yet a high level meeting had him feeling jittery?
“Ha!” Varrus shook his head from the silly thought.
“Something amuses you, Highlord?” Halduron raised an eyebrow in question.
Varrus paused for a beat, then cast Muffle around then, silencing any prying ears. Rho'dan, meanwhile, took a step away, and guarded against any would be eavesdroppers.
“Nothing much, Captain Brightwing. I simply find your timing fortuitous is all. My father pushed for your promotions throughout the years, and it seems I am to follow in his footsteps.” Varrus smiled, and placed his hands behind his back like some stereotypical pompous officer that was inspecting the troops.
Halduron paused, then looked over his shoulder with a critical look.
“You speak truth, Highlord? I know you have contacts with Murder Row given your father’s connections. My means of promotion last time was under heavy scrutiny due to how…messy it was. While I appreciate the offer, removing Lor'Themar at this point would be, how do I say, ill advised. Give it a decade, and I will let you know my answer then.” Halduron covered his mouth while he spoke.
Varrus awkwardly smiled in response to Halduron’s bold reply.
The corner of his lips twitched from this dumpster truck load of information. He knew Halduron owed his father, but this, this was more than he had bargained for!
He almost wanted to slap Halduron upside the head for suggesting they murder Lor'Themar. Varrus had his reservations about the Ranger General, but that didn't mean he wanted him killed!
“There are more than one way to move up the ladder, my friend. You’re so focused on pulling down, have you ever considered pushing up?” Varrus composed himself, then patted Halduron on the shoulder in a friendly gesture.
It took only a second for realization to spread across Halduron’s face.
“The Convocation, of course! It’s genius, why didn’t I think of that!” Halduron said to himself, looking at the ceiling, then turned an intense gaze upon Varrus.
“But Lor'Themar hates politics. How ever will you convince him?” Halduron questioned, the zeal leaving his voice.
“Do not worry, Ranger General. Await the Convocations announcement at the end of the funerary ceremony for the good news.” Varrus smiled conspiratorially, then stepped past Halduron, breaking the Muffle.
“I look forward to the good news, Highlord.” Halduron saluted.
The smile on Varrus’ face dropped as soon as he turned around.
How the hell was he going to convince Lor'Themar to join him?!
Comments
Darkanlan
After hearing how he got promoted and how quickly he jumped to offing Lor'Themar, that's definitely one guy you don't want to keep around. Who knows when he'll set his sights on your own position and seek to kill you.
