"What do you mean?" Twilight asked calmly, though not calmly enough to convince anyone that she didn't already know exactly what had been meant.
"Your majesty, though such a case has not happened since the unification of the Empire, traditionally a conquered clan would have its captured soldiers paraded through the streets of their home in chains, to demoralize the defeated and show the superiority of the conquerors. They would often also be used as bargaining tools against the whole, or most often, as individual implements of barter."
"Implements of... Slavery!" Twilight shouted, "But you just said-!"
"Not slavery insomuch," the former empress quickly interjected, "as it was the families of the captured who would barter for their release. Though the original practice included the barter of whatever could be produced, or failing payment, even commitment to periods of servitude. Eventually it became common practice for spouses to hold their loved one's bounty in reserve, as a sign of devotion and faith. To do less would signify that they would not seek to buy back their loved ones. Though those that couldn't preserve such sums would still offer their services or anything else they could, it became a symbolic tradition for those that could to build and keep a sum equivalent to their loved ones ransom. Though the need has faded, many still hold to these traditions and have come in the hopes to perform such transactions."
"There's no need for that! I just have to send a letter off and they'll be released immediately! I didn't- don't expect them to pay a ransom!"
"A fine sentiment, but I have no doubt that they will still seek you out. Though there may be no need, the act in itself carries weight. Even those calmed by your words will be honor bound to pay the due ransom, and to deny them would be to imply their lives have not even the worth of the gold paid."
"So, what you're saying is, if I don't accept these ransoms, their pride will be hurt?" Twilight asked leadingly as she began pacing a short track before the imperials.
"Yes, your majesty."
"And from how you reacted to a threat to your pride, I'm assuming that would be a bad thing to do."
"Yes, your majesty."
Twilight stopped to drag a hoof across her face, groaning faintly, "So, the best option, or at least the one that runs the least risk of driving anyone to- well, runs the least risk of insulting anyone's pride, is to just accept a bunch of gold from a city's worth of mares and foals who may currently think I might have killed their loved ones in cold blood?"
"Yes, your majesty." Twilight's pacing resumed.
"Great. ...and I suppose I'm just supposed to do this at court tomorrow?"
"Court?" The griffoness asked blankly.
Twilight froze mid-step, "Yes, court, you know, when you let the public in to have their issues addressed by the crown?" The unconvincingly hopeful smile Twilight leveled at the royals was returned with confused stares.
This time it was the former emperor who responded, "Why would the crown address the problems of individual citizens personally? Isn't that the whole reason for having a government?"
"Well, uh... yeah..." Twilight blustered "but- what about when ponies- or griffons fall between the cracks? No system is totally perfect!"
"That is what the local governments are for, to address concerns and advance the ones they can't deal with. Citizens bring their concerns to local lieutenants, who report to their captains, captains report to regional colonels, colonels report to the league of generals, and they bring concerns of note to the Emperor or Empress."
"You make it sound as if the entire nation is an army..."
"Well, all griffon citizens attend flight camp as part of becoming adults."
"Well it's not like flight camp is-" Twilight started before vigorously shaking her head and resuming her pacing "Wait, we're off track again! Back to the matter at hoof! If there is no court, when are these offerings or whatever going to take place?" She asked, no longer bothering to glance at the griffon pair.
"They would be performed whenever individuals can gain your audience, unless you specify a particular venue."
"Could we just do them all at once? Like, could they just submit their offerings in writing?"
"No, there is a little bit of ceremony involved that I doubt any-griffon would willingly ignore. Either way you would have audiences in person, even if you made a blanket acceptance of all offerings. It is for the best though, as I believe you'll want the ability to interrupt and deny certain offerings."
The frustrated alicorn's pacing quickened as her mane began to splay, "I thought you said, well implied, that I couldn't deny them!"
"You can deny whatever you want, it is the consequence of those refusals that you must manage."
"Well that's just fantastically cryptic!" The flustered alicorn shouted more to herself than to them.
The former Empress rolled her eyes "What he's attempting and failing to say, your majesty, is that some take their honor so seriously that to deny their ransom is to deny the value of their life. Which means, in general you should accept their ransoms, but he's also warning you to be cautious; sometimes the value of the offering is... well, just be careful what you accept. You can negotiate the ransoms to a point, but keep all of this in mind as you do so. I'm sure you'll manage it just fine."
"Great so now I have to... Well, uh..." Twilight slowed to a stop, turning to the griffoness, "Wait, so I actually can just open up the doors and have the citizenry come in tomorrow to get this all over with?"
The emperor responded first, "Yes, while time may be an issue, there is no specific reason it wouldn't work, and it would be possible to get through a significant number of them tomorrow, as we have another day before the city's population is set return..."
"Whoa! Wait! What? The city's population? Then who were all those griffons outside?"
"As mentioned previously, they are the families of the captured. Forward military service is restricted to those who have heirs to carry on their line. Their families gathered to know the fate of their loved ones. The city was otherwise evacuated until two days after you were to arrive."
"There are ALL-! There are that many? There had to be thousands... oh... right... Well, why keep the citizens out then? And why for two days?"
"It was assumed by then that either you would have taken the throne, or the capital would have been wiped from the map."
The former emperor's straight face dispelled any illusions of humor Twilight may have had "WHAT? What would have possibly made you think-! I mean-!"
"Though little information has crossed our borders for centuries, the blackout did not predate the fall of the Crystal Empire. We know the stories of alicorns and their wrath, a point you yourself were quick to point out. From all but history the Crystal Empire was wiped in a single night. I would not condemn thousands of innocent souls to that fate."
"It wasn't Celestia and Luna who banished the crystal Empire! It was Sombra! Celestia and Luna banished him, and he sealed the city away with him as his last act! They didn't banish the whole city themselves, it was Sombra's curse! And how did you have records of the Crystal Empire when even we didn't?" Twilight's mane, which had just started to unfrazzle, finally gave up its last vestiges of order as she threw her head back with a grunt, "No! No! No! Again we're so off topic!"
Closing her eyes, Twilight brought her hoof to her chest in her old foal sitter's calming technique. After a second her mane re-flattened, and she opened her eyes again, directing her gaze towards the former imperials, "Ok, I understand that there are many issues that will need addressed, but for now, what is most important?"
The emperor was first to speak, "The transition of power has already been mostly completed and only needs to be announced, so resolving the prisoner dilemma takes top priority. To address both, I would recommend a royal proclamation."
"Ok, good. Easy enough. You can just introduce me, tell them about us resolving things, reassure every-griffon that their loved ones are ok, and inform them of tomorrow's court. I'll smile and wave and when we're done we can get to working out the logistics of bringing the prisoners back to their families. Easy."
Twilight's smile faltered as she saw her griffon counterpart's lack of enthusiasm.
"What?"
"While what you described is effectively what needs done," the Emperor began, "as a ghost, I cannot be the one to do it. Additionally, as you have proven yourself aware," he said as he gestured to one of the remnants of the doors, "as a leader, you must be firm, you cannot 'reassure' only command. Just as you did before with me, you must impose yourself and your will upon others. Not that it is in question, but you must introduce yourself through your domination of the Empire to show your value as the most fit leader. You must introduce this 'court' of yours, not as an opportunity, but as a demand. The very fact that you are accepting the ransoms from all will reassure them to the state of their loved ones."
Twilight stared at the Emperor as if he had grown a second beak, "I want to calm everypon- everygriffon down, not make them think I'm a tyrant!"
"They will not see you as a tyrant, your actions speak louder than words. Even if they did though, the reign of a tyrant is preferred to anarchy and chaos. Order is key. To lead is to command respect, a firm, iron-taloned ruler will bring peace to the populace through order. For a leader to show weakness will only invite fear and put the empire at risk, if not from without, then from within. Peace is a matter of order and stability, and both are maintained through the firmness of faith in the ruler."
"But all ponies love Celestia, and she's nice, caring, and most certainly not iron-hoofed."
The emperor shook his head, "That is possible only because the public peace is not at risk: her reign is unchallenged. While that works for ponies, who can have faith simply by their ruler's power, size, and immortality, for griffons, who have not the benefit of immortal deities to lead, that faith is gained through the system of the most fit ruler."
The former Empress was quick to add, "Even though now we do have an immortal for a ruler, it will still undoubtedly take time for the population to become firm in their faith, and transition from a trust in our current system of sequential rulers into a faith in your singular and eternal rule."
"Et-Eternal!" Twilight sputtered, "I don't think- I mean, I can- How about we wait on calling it that? I didn't intend to have it end up like this at all, let alone be like this forever!"
Ignoring the alicorn's unease, the fallen emperor continued on, "Even still, you are immortal, and that will certainly solidify the faith of many, even beyond your status as most fit. I have seen your promise, and have faith that you will live up to your titles."
After recovering the crown from where it had fallen in the prior scuffle, the former emperor approached the new one.
"Lead us well," he said as he placed the large ornate imperial crown over-top her tiara before bowing.
As the griffons rose and looked to her, Twilight felt something strange. Rather than the confusion and fear of only moments ago, she again felt the clarity and confidence that had lead her friends against so many enemies, directed winter-wrap-up in Ponyville, and lead Equestria in the short absence of the other princesses.
She was ready. Turning, she began strutting out the same now-blasted doors she had come in, her confident exiting stride matching her entrance.
She stopped for a moment, looking back "Come on then, we have a speech to give."
Rather than follow though, the griffons remained in place.
"Uh, with all due respect your majesty?" the griffoness asked, pointing to where she had entered "The way to the balcony is through here."
"Oh, right..."
With a sheepish grin Twilight adjusted course, but the confidence of her strides remained undeterred.
Holy crap it got an update!
I still cant tell if the Griffons have set up all these behaviours just to troll any outside invaders to the point where they give up on the crazy and go off and vote in the Monster Raving Looney Party instead.
5979065 IKR? Now it can get taken off of all those "Dead" bookshelves.
So forced figure-head from having to follow griffon customs and politics relying on survival of the fittest, or instating your own customs over them to become the tyrant you don't wan to be by completely wiping out their system entirely on the principle of the matter that your system works better for you.
I'd feel a little cheesed off at this point, I wouldn't want to be handed all this power because of something they obviously did to themselves. At least they are hitting her where it hurts politically by telling her what to do all the time, it's weakening her stance severely. The military victory already happened, now to do cultural and technological.
Twilight promptly reads the manual to the entire Civilization series of games and uses it as a guide book for her own nation... in fact why hasn't anyone done that with Celestia as the immortal ruler yet?
It's pretty comedic in itself to watch Twilight try not to lose her composure.
Amazing once again. And no problem with the wait, a good chapter that takes time is better than a quickly written but poorly done chapter.
My god, it's not dead!
Good to see more of this. Interesting developments, and there is sense in the system given the nature of griffon society. The turnabout at the end seemed a bit rushed, but can go with it.
Here's to hoping the next chapter is written in good time.
Totally forgot about this story. I remember now. Glad for the update. Will read it soon.
Anyone
Also, It's nice to see this updated again!
Holy shit, this updated? Time to refresh myself on the plot!
Anyone.
Ponies have immortal rulers with vast power maintaining a safe prosperous kingdom full of rainbows and sunshine, for them. They can safely ignore the rest of the world.
Griffons would have to deal with harsher realities. That includes having to acknowledge all the other sapient creatures on the planet as being important too, either as potential allies or rivals.
That last paragraph was the best in the whole thing.
LETS DO THIS!
...
It's the other direction Twilight.
Right. I knew that.
Is it me, or is the griffon emperor trying to troll Twilight to the point she just gives up and leaves with her army?
well, i had hoped this would update. now, onto the story itself. as well as ur question. i think Bucking Nonsense had the right idea of having Changlings say 'everybuggy' and Gryphons say 'everybirdie', kind of works. as to Twis little conundrum, after she gets through the hoops of the Gyphon government system, and what a headache thats looking to be, it might be wisest to appoint a regent for her throne who can manage the day to day and report directly to her to reassure the Gryphons that their new Empress is still firmly in command, while she does exactly what she does best, research! once she understand and has researched everything about the country she now apparently rules, the regent can be delegated to the position of Steward or something, acting as a filter for the big stuff to get to Twilight rather than the petty. a kind of 'face of the throne' if u will. somebirdie that the Gryphons can recognize as being Twis right wing, while also being somebirdie Twi can trust not to take advantage of the situation for personal gain...
So rules say that you have to until you are dead or defeated?
Twilight is now stuck forever.
Oh, this is going to be confusing for everyone involved. I look forwards to the uber awkwardness.
I'm hoping that the ransom offers don't include slavery (or variants thereof), sexual favors, and so forth, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Still, I expect most of them to be offerings of money, raw materials, and finished goods; those I expect Twilight to accept and then use to benefit the Griffons somehow (some sort of public works comes to mind).
huzza it lives
The griffon system actually does raise a pretty good point. I imagine the world as a whole would be much more peaceful if we had someone in charge who lived forever and could wreck any problems that came up.
5979172
Really? Because I was under the impression that the griffons had closed their borders and had generations old information blackouts in place...
*looks down*
Yep, there it is. Coupled with the letter he had sent and the way he didn't believe Twilight's reply it certainly doesn't sound like the sort of empire that would acknowledge the importance of other sapients.
Damnit, accidentally posted instead of edited. Disregard deleted comment below at 'at 11:38pm on the 14th of May, 2015'.
5979271
I direct you to the highlighted(in blue) sections of the following quote:
Edit: added a bold underlined part in response to "sexual favors, and so forth".
5979116
5979190
At any time, Twilight can just say "Forget it. I'm doing things my way." It would cause her different problems, but any attempt to troll could be undone that easily.
I'd say "anyone" when referring to an audience of moxed or ambiguous race, and "anygriffon" or "anygriff" for a group that's definitely griffons.
Glad to have you back. I'm eagerly awaiting whatever comes next for God-Empress Bookhorse, even if I'm not exactly holding my breath. I'll be happy with whenever this updates.
Don't make it any-griffon, make it anygriffon. Also, interesting cultural events, and I can see that being a real thing in some places on Earth. Poor Twilight though; she really, really doesn't want to do this.
5979326 They may not have had a healthy amount of respect for pony culture, but they apparently considered ponies important enough to be worth going to war against.
5979404 They also clearly knew almost nothing about them. And you don't have to be considered important to get conquered... you just have to have something somebody in power wants. The current Emperor wanting a neighboring nation's land does not in anyway imply that the invading empire's culture acknowledges the validity of another race's existence.
5979489 Then the griffons see the ponies as rivals competing for the same land and resources, not as something they can ignore.
5979190
It's more like: "If you do things pony way, griffons won't understand this because they are not ponies. Do things griffon way, or deal with consequences.".
Imagine your, say, advisor made a poor job. In America he'll be fired at most, in old Chineze tradition he could've been made to commit seppuku and kill himself to clear his honor. Imagine something like that being consequence of Twiliight's action, and you'll realize why, at least for now, she must do what expects of her, instead of what she wants.
Glad to see this updated, but I'm calling shenanigans on Twilight's behalf. She is the conquering party, and she can damn well conquer this country how she sees fit to. Scare the hell out of them with a damn magic show if need be, but assert authority and stop bowing down to these ass backwards terms of defeat they're trying to foist upon her. If they object, Royal Canterlot Voice the naysayers at point blank range.
5979326 I read those sections initially as "There's historical precedence for this, and it's a very real possibility, but not guaranteed," but on a second read-through, I'm getting something more along the lines of "It's going to happen at least sporadically, you need to accept this and be able to deflect the more extreme offers." Now the question "Can Twilight actually renegotiate all of the offers of indenture and/or inappropriate favors without causing offense?" arises, and knowing how this story's been going, I kinda doubt it.
Edit: I'm voting for "Anygriff" for uses predominantly referring to Griffons, and "Anyone" for broader use.
5979364 Then she will have to deal with the consequences, which may include quite a bit of death and I highly doubt she wants that on her hooves.
5979563
Amusingly people don't get this now that even in our world that culture's can be vastly different. It's not all the same as in America.
5979587
Well, the palace might need more/new maids. And if she is going to implement open court sessions she will need some bodies to fill the support slots for that. Indentured servitude doesn't have to be a bad thing, that is what apprenticeships were after all. You served your master in payment for your training, they serve their mistress in payment for their loved ones' freedom from incarceration.
"Griffons of Griffonia, I now return to you your soldiers with but one thing in mind:
I am insulted.
No Equestrian would hold for ransom something as precious as a life, or that life is something that can have a price tag labelled to it. No pony would keep imprisoned a being guilty of nothing more than loyalty to their country. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, and is not something we would ever take away for such a dishonorable reason.
These griffons never belonged to us--your family has always been yours, simply held in our safekeeping until such time as we could return them. We would never violate the values we hold dear to demand payment for something that should never need be paid for.
If you wish to give us offerings in thanks, we will accept them within reason--but I must ask that you abstain from spitting upon our pride as ponies of Equestria by trying to force ransom upon us."
Turn their pride around on them, Twilight. Make it a weapon, to the point that not hurting your honor and pride is a higher priority than assuaging their own.
And you should... I don't know, have a really long talk with Princess Celestia and Cadance or something. Will Gilda be showing up in this story?
5979172
I think "anybirdy" works best for griffons.
I've also heard of "anypony" being the nationally used term of address when speaking in Equestrian, because sapient non-ponies were still considered to be ponies in law.
That aside, "anyone" can actually only describe humans. Anyone = "any person or people", person = "a human being".
Anybirdy if you want to be punderful; anyone/anybody otherwise.
5979563
I think you mixed up few things up. Seppuku is another name for harakiri, a Japanese tradition for ritual suicide.
5979681
Could be, I was just trying to make a point.
5979615
And then we have dozens of griffons killing themselves, because Twilight doesn't read on griffin social rules. Some princess she would be to act so rashly and forsing pony social norms on non-ponies with their own sctict set of morals.
5979597
I know right! They think there's some 'universal' morals that happen to be American or what country they currently are, or what morals THEY have right now. When in reality even something as simple as 'give tip to waitress or not' is so different across the world.
5979614 Agreed, although I know Twilight would much rather fill any/all slots with traditionally (By Pony standards) hired workers (which said indentured servants will probably at least have the option of becoming once their term is up), and is going to be damn scrupulous in treating anyone working for her well, no matter the circumstances; still, if she does wind up with indentured servants, it is going to cause a good deal of awkwardness/drama for her in the short term.
5979564
And as I said , with many others, she can do that and wake up with dozens of griffons killing themselves, because she unknowingly broke some social norm. You can't change morals overnight, not happening, nu-uh.
5979116
OMG! Gryphonia is Ankh-Morpork!
And I bet Celestia is in the game too. She is giving Twilight a lesson of why conquering a country is easier than ruling it ( and getting a few laugh in the process).
Anyone is a broad term for a group, like saying any person. Any Griffon is a more selective and shows more respect, like any American, or we Americans. When speaking as ruler it is generally more respectful to address the nation rather than random people in that nation.
rs1ci.memecdn.com/878/5264878_t.jpg
5979745
That's like an emotionally abusive boyfriend threatening to kill himself if his girlfriend leaves him. It's his prerogative if he really intends to do it, and the girl is not in any way, shape, or form responsible for his stupidity and blackmail. Twilight would undoubtedly feel bad if a bunch of Griffons Seppuku'd over their honor being slighted, but that's still their own responsibility for being uncompromising morons.
Again, Twilight is the conquering party here, and while it was a gentle conquest, she is still the one calling the shots. If the Griffons didn't wanna submit themselves to a pony's way of societal norms, they shouldn't have started a piss poorly planned incursion into pony lands, and then surrender when things went pear-shaped. I truly fail to see why she should have to bend over backwards to this failed empire, especially when it's emperor tried to gore himself on Twilight's horn to save his sense of pride. She owes him and his like-minded allies no special treatment beyond the mercy she has been trying to provide.
5979825
No, that's really not. It is their social norm and expectations they place upon rulers. Whole story revolves around cultural differences, hello? There's even in-story talk about how she didn't NEED to oblide by their norms but there will be consequences. Twilight wants to avoid it, at least untill she can understand what can be done. If you real carefully you see some actions she taken already break their norms, but sometimes have not the effect Twilight desired. Because she comes with one set of morals and expectations, to country with whole another set of morals and social expectations.
Its amusing to see how many people don't understand what cultural differences mean, and think it's so easy to change them via power, conquest or by force of will.
5979129
Twilight wants a bloodless victory, the Griffons were ready to be wiped out. If Twilight wants a perfect score in this conflict (as she is known to be obsessive over) then there are a lot of cultural requirements she has to meet. if twilight is seen by the populace as an unfit ruler she may face insurrection and all the trouble she went through to make it a bloodless victory will be thrown out the window.
5979837
Yes, and I'm saying those "consequences" are irrelevant. The former emperor tried repeatedly to be killed to save face, she refused, and now he is a ghost or whatever. Oh no, can't have that! Spooky griffons will prowl the streets and skies, depressed that their unneeded/unwanted ransoms were rejected. Some might even try to hurt themselves in their spiraling depression! You know how to counter that? Put them in a psyche ward, or even jail if they're violent to others. Not have Twilight become God Emperor of their country for the rest of her immortal life. Somehow requiring Twilight to sit on their throne, when she clearly doesn't want it, because those are the rules of the game, just doesn't add up to my mind.
5979876
Oh, I like it. Let's have thought police and dictatorship! Against griffons that just live as they lived for generations, for wrongs their Emperor commited and they had no say in it! That's what Twilight want and need to do, right?
Also, read Kamunari:
I'm surprised they are being so helpful instead of giving her false information to set her up as a tyrant to be overthrown by the griffon subjects... Or maybe that's what they are doing.
Dun dun dun!
*x-files song here*
5979876
okay so Twilight decides to disregard the local customs in regard to honour and right to rule. it doesn't matter what one person declares the new rules to be is a nation decides that it doesn't like the way the new ruler is doing things they will mount an insurrection. it is one thing to defeat an invading army it is another to put down an insurrection I guarantee any hope of a bloodless victory will be thrown out the window when Griffons start murdering the garrison ponies in their sleep.