A Kingdom Christened In Frost
Somewhere far away...
To the distant east...
Within the glacier-carved navel of an ancient continent...
A jagged cleft of adjoining cliff-faces knifed its way deep into a tall, lofty mountain. The stone walls here were old, petrified with sheets of ice. They loomed tall over stone walkways that led up steep inclines, worming deeper into the granite bosom of the mountain. The silken-robed equines and griffons who walked these steps found themselves threading through enormous gates built out of cedar and oak. The weather-worn carvings of six tribes had been etched into the surfaces of the doors, and as the path opened up into a wide stone courtyard—a diagonal rectangle carved out of pure rock—the murmuring delegates found themselves flanked by immaculately planted trees—their trunks bent and twisted through the poetry of age. Lotus blossoms fell over the courtyard, merging with errant flakes of snow being blown in from the high mountain winds. Both the frost and petals settled on the shoulders of stallions, griffons, and other creatures gathered tightly on the round marble steps facing a polished ivory podium. Behind this podium, an even steeper set of stairs led up, up, up towards the highest mountain summit. This was flanked by enormous stone carvings of unicorns, pegasi, wyverns, griffons, sea ponies, and earth ponies—guardian effigies of the past, forever vigilant for the proceedings of the present.
This was the Council of Verlaxion, the very beating heart of Rohbredden, and every one in attendance was anxious beyond compare.
“Order!” A unicorn mare stood at the ivory podium, banging a shard of ice against a crystalline bowl. Thud! Thud! “Can I please have order in the Goddess' Court?!” She adjusted her thick velvet robes and glared across the equine and avian souls bickering with one another. “Just because there has been turmoil in the west does not mean that we should allow it fuel here while the Council is in session!”
“Grand Magistrate Hymnos,” a griffon stood tall in her stone seat along the ampitheatrical steps. Her hawk eyes narrowed. “With all due respect. The turmoil has spread to Rohbredden Proper through its own volition.” She swung a talon in the air. “Already, the Orchid Prefecture has suffered a sudden drop in precious rice imports from the northwest trade routes!” Others grumbled as she squawked: “Between the Blight dropping and rumors of attacks on Verlaxion's most holy monasteries, there's been a sizable decrease in the efficiency of trade routes!”
“And we will address that, dear Magistrate,” Hymnos said, sighing from where she stood at the front podium. “All in good time. For now, the imminent threat to Rohbredden security is the forefront of our conversation.”
“I agree with the Magistrate of Orchid Prefecture!” exclaimed a unicorn from several seats away. His breath produced vapors in the high mountain air of the Council Arena. “Without delivery of rice from the western terraces, our ore refineries in Orange Prefecture will have no choice but to cut the number of employed workhooves in half! Something must be done to ensure that the economy does not falter from this substantial blow!”
“Our economy has endured worse than this, magistrate,” Hymnos said. “But it will not profit anyone if there are no ponies or griffons living a secure life who are capable of sustaining it. Which is why this threat must be annulled at all costs.” A flash of spectral light forced the Grand Magistrate to squint, and she glanced up to her left.
Within a block of ice looming over the Court, several bulbous spheres loomed, full of warm, bubbling water. Half-a-dozen sea ponies floated inside these frozen tanks. The containers were attached via translucent swimming tubes that led deep into the mountain springs below the surface of the Council. Presently, a stately sea pony male was flickering several color patterns in sequence.
A griffon interpreter hovered alongside the ice block, and once the message was conveyed, he flew closer to the front podium, speaking boldly: “The esteemed Magistrate Shoalfins of Coral Prefecture would like to present this concern.” The griffon gestured. “If rumors of violent attacks on Rohbredden continue to run rampant, then trade is even more likely to spread in the Colonialists' favor. Already, with the fall of the Blight, Kihutaja has been established as the brand new hub of commerce and exploration. With a new ocean just ripe for charting to the west, Rohbredden stands to be left in the dark, while the Colonialists enjoy an unsavory renaissance of seamastery.”
Several Council members murmured and applauded in agreement.
Hymnos exhaled long and hard. “As Grand Magistrate, it is my job to allow the Council to decide the most important matter to pursue. But it is also within my position to represent the interests of our Gracious Goddess herself.” She turned and pointed at the steep frosted steps leading up past the six statues behind her. “In twenty long years, she has not come down to directly speak with us. That is nothing less than a sign of her utmost confidence in this Council and its ability to remain focused on the issues at hoof. I shudder to think of what our fears and anxieties might do, now that another anniversary of Rohbredden's founding lurks around the corner. This a month that calls for the glorification of our merciful Goddess. She deserves her rest and contentment during the Month of Thawing, and this is the sort of audience we bring to her doorstep?”
While the crowd murmured in mixed approval, an old stallion stood up, adjusting his thick brown coat. “Grand Magistrate Hymnos. If I may.”
Hymnos sighed. “Finally... a speaker with respect.” She placed down the ice shard along the edge of her podium. “The Council recognizes Magistrate Timplan of Sunset Prefecture.”
The stallion paced along the stone floor before his seat, his hooves shuffling over fallen blossoms and melting puddles of frost. “The Month of Thawing is a time of worship and reverie, for certain. That much cannot be denied.” Magistrate Timplan held a hoof up. “However, I do believe it falls within the Great Goddess' interests that we not neglect the welfare of her own subjects.” Several other Council Members murmured in agreement. “Now... we are gathered here today—and in such wholesome numbers—because we have all heard of the terrible, tragic news that happened in the Quade.”
The courtyard grew solemn, quiet.
Timplan continued: “And while the suffering of those penitent Foals of Verlaxion is quite tragic indeed, let us not forget that the path they chose towards communing with our Goddess is a very ancient one... a very arcane one...” His eyes narrowed. “And—to some extent—a deviant one.”
Half of the delegates responded with angry commotion.
Hymnos clenched her jaw and banged the ice shard, summoning silence.
“If I may continue...” Timplan gestured. “The Quade has been and shall continue to be a refuge for extremists. While the monks' reverance for Verlaxion is laudable, they do very little to contribute to the Six Tribes. They live quiet, ascetic lives—acting as if there is no Continent where our very Queen has chosen to dwell. Yes, dear brothers and sisters. Queen Verlaxion has chosen Rohbredden. She has always chosen Rohbredden! Not Luminar!” He swung a hoof gently in the air. “And, for that reason, I suggest we steer the conversation away from an investigation into the Quade, and instead focus on something far more pressing.”
“Which is...?” Another delegate squinted.
Timplan said, “The power shift in Shoggoth.” More murmurs arose as he spoke: “As we speak, over fifty-five different trade organizations have spontaneously collapsed, leaving thousands of ponies and griffons unemployed. The same has happened to the north, in the port city of Rust, upon the cusp of Continentalist Waters. It's easy to forget what's happened just a few weeks ago, thanks to this sensational tragedy in the Quade. But need I remind my brothers and sisters that—with the Blight fallen—Rohbredden depends on intermediary trade routes now more than ever, especially if we wish to stave off the nautical dominance of the Colonies. With these organizations having fallen in Shoggoth and Rust, our only remaining ally in commerce is Princess Camellia of the esteemed Siren Tribe.” He took time to bow in the direction of the lofty water balconies. “No doubt, she will be a most valued confidant. But the problem remains...” He turned to face the group at large. “How does Rohbredden hope to hold sway over an area of the ocean that previously eluded us with its nebulous policies and questionable ethics? Right now, the seas are at risk of a financial and moral vacuum, and it is our duty—as foals entrusted with the wisdom of Verlaxion—to seize control and make the seas Rohbredden's again.”
The frosty court echoed with approving applause.
Another delegate stood up—a mare in a flowy, wintry coat. “Well spoken, Magistrate Timplan. But you are forgetting some key factors.”
“By all means, dear.” The elder stallion sat down.
The mare turned towards the podium. “With your permission, Grand Magistrate.”
Hymnos nodded. “The Council recognizes Magistrate Vilcheez of Lotus Prefecture.”
“Dear Grand Magistrate... and beloved Council...” Vilcheez adjusted the sleeves of her oppulent cloak and turned to face the seats looming above and behind her. “The trade routes established in Rust and Shoggoth have always been ambiguous to Rohbredden nationalist control. But there is a reason for this. We have rested on our laurels for far too long, dear brothers and sisters. Foals of Verlaxion we may be, but foolish children are still foolish children.” The wrinkles in her muzzle straightened as she squinted at the other delegates. “Our distant cousins in the Quade are suffering now... not because of the actions of some... 'Rainbow Rogue,' as the word of waves spread. But because we have been neglectful of them. Deviant and obtuse—though they may be—they nevertheless harbor a deep love for our Goddess... an adoration that cannot be denied.” She held a hoof over her chest. “The same can also be said for Princess Camellia... and even the impoverished denizens of Rust. These are ponies—above and below the waters—that need our guidance. We've neglected them for far too long, and that's why heinous things like this have happened. Rampant unemployment... violence and descecration...” Vilcheez shook her head. “We cannot afford to tolerate such criminal atrocities any longer.”
“Then what would you suggest, magistrate?” squawked a griffon from five steps above. “Those waters exist far outside our most extreme prefectures!”
“I suggest we reenact the Tidal Accords,” Vilcheez said, immediately summoning several disagreeable breaths from the crowd. “It's been three long centuries, but Rohbredden cannot be isolationist any longer. We have the power and the resources to control the seas like we once did. Our navy is strong... versatile... and it can tame the insufferable vacuum that seeks to consume our waters in a whirlpool!”
“You expect us to police the oceans again?!” A pegasus two steps down gawked at her. “In an age when privateers and piracy is on the decline?”
“With the Blight fallen, it's the only recourse we can take to maintain control.”
“It would be seen as an incursion upon Colonialist interests!” another stallion barked. “That would incite war and completely shatter trade altogether!”
“Then what should we be expected to do?” grumbled a griffon sitting close to Hymnos' podium. “Just allow Kihutaja to become the new power on the high seas? This close to the Edge of all Things, Rohbredden is just asking to fade away in the mists! Especially if they find salvageable materials west beyond the Blight!”
“But what Vilcheez suggests is extreme! We have the Right Talon of Verlaxion for that!”
“The Right Talon of Verlaxion is spread too thin! Those winged rooks can't be expected to become our new oceanic task force!”
“I don't see how any of this is solving the problem in the Quade! We have a dangerous new threat on our hooves! This 'Rainbow Rogue' could represent a rebirth of piracy and terrorism!”
“And just when were you concerned with either of those? Up until now, your rice trade has allowed your Prefecture to prosper, unhindered!”
“Do not accuse me of selfish politics! I'm as concerned for the welfare of the Continent as you are!”
“Then where were you when our refineries were undersupplied?!”
By now, the entire Council had broken into a commotion of grumbling voices and angry arguments.
Hymnos banged the ice shard harder and harder. “Order! Order! I will have Order in Her Majesty's Court!” The Grand Magistrate gnashed her teeth. “For the love of the Goddess—will you please lower your tempers!”
“But they have every reason to be angry, Grand Magistrate.”
Hymnos glanced over.
A stallion dressed in green silk trotted up, smiling beneath a mane of peppery black hair. Fine jades were bejeweled to his cloak, giving his wooly fineries a great deal more glitter and shine than the rest of the delegates. “As I am angry... as you are angry.” He grinned casually, speaking with a honey'd voice. Slowly, the Council quieted down, drawn to the ease and nonchalance with which he boldly approached the central podium. “The whole ocean is angry... and anger leads to frustration... and frustration is hardly... hardly conducive to order. The only way you can hope to tame it is through gold. At least... that's what's possible to mortals like you and me... but... uhhhh... eheheheh...” He dusted flakes of frost off his collar and examined his hoof. “Since our great Goddess hasn't seen it fit to show her face... or even a phantom of her face here in her own Council for over two decades, then... well... I suppose that leaves it to us to come up with a viable solution. A mortal solution.”
Magistrate Timplan craned his neck from where he sat. “Are you suggesting that we... buy out the central trade routes entirely?”
“Oh, it's doable, believe me!” The stallion in green finery twirled about to face the audience. “Rust only speaks two languages: that of coral and coin. And while some of these... ahem... esteemed, golden-hearted delegates may secretly enjoy the finer products of the sea, I suspect that coin is the only thing that this Council will be willing to familiarize itself with.”
The delegates grumbled and exhaled with exasperated breaths.
Grand Magistrate Hymnos was practically rolling her eyes. “Ahem... the Council does not recognize Mr. Brye Chandler of the Shoreline Territories.”
Chandler spun about, green eyes blinking up at the podium. “That's Magistrate Brye Chandler of Sand Prefecture, thank you very much.”
“Such is not official, my dear sir.”
“It was declared just two sessions ago.”
Hymnos' muzzle scrunched. “In a hung vote, postponing the final decision for another three sessions.”
“Which—of course—you're inevitably delaying even more because the Month of Thawing is coming up on the heels of Unification Day!” Chandler chuckled, leaning casually against the podium. “Isn't it funny, Grand Magistrate, how the Council just decides when to throw things off and for how long? It's actually quite childish.” He snorted, lips curved. “'Foals of Verlaxion' indeed.”
Hymnos turned to gaze dully at the crowd. “The... esteemed Mr. Chandler...” She droned in a passive voice. “...is only here due in large part to his prevalent involvement in the financial trade agreements of the Shoreline Territories.”
“And yet—” Chandler paced about. “—that large part that I play makes me wealthier, richer, and more important than five of any random Magistrates combined! Not that they can be blamed. The Council decided to wait until they were all living fossiles before electing them to the Court. Now, tell me...” He faced the crowd. “...where would your Prefectures be if it weren't for my steamships delivering rice and goods to your river townships? Hmmm?” He swung a hoof in the air. “How would your frosted mountain hovels survive even a day without the warmth-giving... life-preserving Dredge Coal that my partners in the Shoreline harvest for this entire continent on a daily basis?”
Despite their angry expressions, the delegates suddenly sat on their hooves. They had no answer to give.
“Hmmm... funny how a droplet of brazen truth has more power to silence a room full of bureaucrats than the Grand Magistrate's gavel!”
Hymnos slapped the ice shard. “That's quite enough, Mr. Chandler.”
“Ah!” He chuckled, waving a hoof in the air. “There it is! I swear, you can set your watch to that! Fine, Grand Magistrate. Let me get to the point so you can continue sniffing each other's vapors.” He pivoted towards the crowd, frowning. “My position as Executive of the Shoreline Trade Consortium...” His eyes swung like daggers. “...and soon-to-be Magistrate of Sand Prefecture... ahem...” He paced about, gesturing. “...it allows me a certain... mmmm... intense perspective on the so called 'Tides of Rohbredden.' These trade posts you speak of... 'Rust, Eccho, Kihutaja.' They all are mere names to you. But I've been there personally. I've seen the sun-bleached platforms myself. I've smelled the filth of equinity... the dead detritus of scaled fish and starved seagulls. I'm telling you, it's all very real, sprinkled with a suffocating spirit of quiet desperation. And now there's a very real hole with very real vagabonds wanting to take very real advantage. If we don't act quick and stifle the new threats that are likely to rear their heads—and rest assured they will rear their heads—then we risk being robbed of our entire oceans by a brand new menace. I can't afford to lose such trade-routes. And if the Shoreline Trade Consortium can't afford to lose them...” He swiveled and pointed at the bulk of delegates. “...YOU can't afford to lose them, and you know it.”
“And just what is this 'brand new menace' that you speak of, Mister Chandler?” Magistrate Vilcheez asked.
“Well, 'new' in a sense,” Chandler said. “For those paying attention, they'll realize that this... Rainbow Rogue is responsible for a lot more than just dismantling a religious commune. Yes, she ruined many lives in the Quade...” Chandler scuffled to a stop. “...but that wasn't where this curious, wandering sociopath started. No, not by a long shot.”
“What are you trying to say, Chandler?”
“This creature... this demonic figure...” Brye Chandler swung a hoof. “Oh, she's very... very real. Most certainly, her 'demonic abilities' are doubtful at best. But whatever her capabilities are, she's responsible for more than just the Quade. You would know this if you had as many connections as I do, but this 'Rainbow Rogue' is none other than the very force at hoof in both Shoggoth and Rust.” The crowd broke into a nervous commotion. Chandler only smiled. “That's right. She's struck twice before. She simply hasn't been able to cover her tracks like she has in the Quade.”
“Chandler...” Hymnos leaned forward in her podium, speaking over the murmurs of the Council. “Are you implying that the 'Rainbow Rogue' had a part to play in creating the recent power vacuum within the localized trade consortiums?”
“I'm saying that she physically broke into wealthy, guarded vaults located in both the platform city and the Muddredger maretropolis. Once there, she robbed, sabotaged, and dismantled her way to glory... all at the behest of thousands of ponies who are now penniless, homeless, and hopeless.” Chandler swung a hoof. “And after Rust and Shoggoth, she made her way to the Quade, where she took from the Luminards what was most valuble to them! Now tell me, dear Council. What transpires in a week and a half?”
Hymnos blinked. “Unification Day... of c-course.”
“But of course!” Chandler paced about. “Followed by the Holy Month of Thawing! Where we celebrate the blessed anniversary of the Unification of our Six Tribes! And tell me...” He scuffled to a stop, squinting up at the group. “...when would be the most opportune time to strike at the heart of Rohbredden? Why... during festivities, of course! When the Continent's guard is down! And if this Rainbow Rogue—for whatever vile purpose or greed—manages to bring to Rohbredden the same destructive capabilities that have wielded in the seven seas, then how will we manage to maintain our structural integrity? Our proud image of a strong and capable democracy under the Goddess' glorious rule?”
“Queen Verlaxion would never allow such a horrible monster to defile her lands—”
“Grand Magistrate, our beloved Queen Verlaxion isn't here right now!” Chandler snapped. “This is not about a blessing from the same Goddess who thawed these continental shelves millennia ago! We are her children and we have been entrusted with the authority to protect ourselves and our land! And I'm telling you...” He pointed down the steep stone steps leading up from the lower mountain's edge. “...this Rainbow Rogue is a new, alarming threat! If we don't find a way to hunt down and pacify this beast, then what's happened in the seven seas will happen here, but far worse. Before we even hope to assist the victims of the Quade or secure the trade routes between here and Shoggoth, we must first contend with this threat! For—I assure you—it is coming upon our very doorstep!”
For once, the delegates were all murmuring in one accord.
Timplan and Vilcheez exchanged thoughtful glances.
Hymnos leaned back, rubbing her muzzle as she exhaled. “Well, if it is in the collective interests of the Council, we can discuss the matter more intently. But there are still many missing elements that... lead me to question the palpability of the threat.”
“Oh believe me, it's very real, Grand Magistrate,” Chandler said. “Many of my very own tradeponies have seen the blood of this Rainbow Rogue's swath of destruction first-hoof. I've seen the horror in the eyes of those who have spoken to the Luminards. It's very similar to the hollowed expressions carried on the faces of poor, malnourished citizens slumming east from Rust and Shoggoth. I swear—by all that was once holy in this Continent—the Rainbow Rogue needs to be stopped. And, if necessary, I'll be the one to reel her in for you.”
“You speak of her as if she is a fish, Mr. Chandler.”
A brand new commotion rose.
Chandler blinked. He and every other delegate turned to look for the source of that utterance.
Flanked by griffon guards in silver armor, a stallion shuffled up, wearing a burgundy scarf and brown cloak. Raising a hoof, the stallion pushed a frost-flaked set of goggles up to his brown mane. He smiled, calmly reflecting the Court's faces with his blue eyes. “Fish, or pony? Demon or vagabond? Either you're not quite keen to make up your mind... or else I'm starting to feel you've never met this 'Rainbow Rogue' whatsoever.”
“Her blatant actions are enough to speak for her,” Chandler retorted.
“Mmmm... yes. And the funny thing about speech.” The stallion smiled. “They travel faster than evidence, and only when the two come together does truth blossom.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Hymnos asked. She eyed the guards, then glanced at the goggles on the stallion's head. “Who are you who shows up to the Council of Verlaxion with such brazen authority?”
“Grand Magistrate...” He bowed, then stared firmly at the crowd. “I am Professor Theanim Mane of the Ninety-Seventh Rohbredden Scientific Order. And I am a purveyor of truth.”
Chandler blinked as the stallion calmly shuffled his way up towards the podium, taking his spot.
“But... to be a purveyor of truth... one must first be a surveyor of it.” Theanim swiveled about to face the seated delegates. “And in my travels as of late... I have seen many things. Most of them startling. Even more of them downright horrifying. Yes, there has been a power struggle recently in the townships of Rust and Shoggoth. But it is not—as the esteemed Mr. Chandler would like to convince you—because of a demonic rogue-like entity befitting the outrageous gossip of the high seas. But, rather, it is due to the inevitable implosion of two absurdly large houses of a very amoral group of criminals known to the local traders as the Northern and Southern Hooves. I speak, of course, of the Syndicate.” His nostrils flared. “Which is now defunct.”
The Magistrates murmured in surprise, exchanging glances.
Chandler squinted in the scientist's direction while Theanim continued: “Many ponies don't like to think about the Syndicate. Here, in the Continent—quite sadly—their existence was greatly denied. Distance and lethargy afforded this, but ironically no longer. For ponies living out among the seven seas, it was pure terror and financial desperation that necessitated their clinging to such an oceanic mafia. However, with the disentegration of their treacherous organization, there has not—as Chandler would like you to believe—an irrecoverable employment slump. Yes, ponies lost their jobs, but this so-called vacuum is being filled... gradually... through communal respect and patient comraderie.” Theanim Mane smiled. “Simply put, the ponies of the seven seas want to live peacefully with one another... and without the threat of constant arson and murder and other forms of exploitation. This change for the good is already evident in Lower Shoggoth—thanks in large part due to Princess Camellia's direct involvement. It will take time to reach Rust—an understandably difficult prospect, considering the platform city's close proximity to the likes of Mudtop. But now is not the time to chase shadows by putting the blame on ghostly 'Rogues.' If this Council truly respects the welfare of citizens—on land or abroad—then it will find the means to supply the citizens of Rust and Shoggoth with security. Princess Camellia can't accomplish it all on her own. And—yes, with the Blight gone—it opens the seas up to new and unprecedented forms of avarice. This is a time for caution... not for panic.”
During his entire speech, Hymnos was in close communication with a clerk or two. When Theanim was done, she turned towards him. “Professor Mane... your reputation proceeds you.”
“Pleased to know,” Theanim bowed with a smile.
“But according to the records of the Ninety-Seventh Order, you have been missing for months... in fact, the better part of a year.” Hymnos' eyes narrowed. “Is there a reason for why you would neglect your duties for that long?”
“Dear Grand Magistrate, my biggest crime is not neglecting my duties... but neglecting to write the Order about them. And the reason for this—quite frankly—is due to being a castaway on the Nealend Atoll for an extended period of time.” Theanim waved a hoof. “But that's a story for another occasion, and hardly relevant to the topic at hoof.”
“Oh, I'd say it must be extremely relevant, Professor,” Chandler said with a snide breath. “Seeing as you saw it fit to interrupt my very poignant proposal to investigate and eliminate the new threat that's assaulting our waters... and soon our land.” Chandler narrowed his eyes on the stallion. “As a scientist, I'd expect you to have proof of your declarations.”
Theanim smiled back. “Just—as a politician—I'd expect you not to.” He turned back towards the Council before Chandler could retort. “I've arrived here from Shoggoth just now with a bulk of such evidence, dear Council. You'll find many photographs and documentation in my posession, sanctioned to be transported along with me by Princess Camellia herself. The Syndicate has been stealing and pilfering from the Royal House of Sirens for decades. Camellia, ever respectful of the tenuous balance of trade and commerce, stuck to an ancient family code that required minimal to no involvement with the matter—despite her detailed knowledge of the ongoing criminal acts of the Southern Hoof. It was only when a key, strategic individual arrived in Lower Shoggoth that Camellia decided to play her fin, for she suddenly had an ace up her sleeve... a method by which the Royal Siren could pull the Syndicate up by the roots and expose them for their shame.” Theanim took a deep breath. “This method involved an agent... and that agent... goes by the name of Rainbow Dash, an outsider from these parts.” His brow furrowed. “A mare from beyond the Blight.”
The Council erupted in noise and bedlam.
Chandler's shouting voice echoed above it all: “So it was the Rainbow Rogue!” He pointed at Theanim. “You admit—then—that you have evidence of her involvement in Shoggoth?”
“I have evidence of her pivotal performance in the dismantling of the Syndicate,” Theanim said.
“And what evidence do you have of her destruction of the Quade?”
Theanim exhaled. His ears drooped in a melancholic slump as he gazed off towards the lofty frosted walls surrounding the carved courtyard. “I have none.”
Chandler trotted around him. “But... you know of it, yes?” His eyes narrowed. “Word of a mare... from the west... with a sky-blue coat and a spectral-colored mane... ravaging innocent monks and utterly destroying their holy Reed? An ancient artifact belonging to Goddess Verlaxion?!”
“I have heard the rumors, yes. I have seen photographs freshly taken of the Quade itself.” Theanim turned to face Hymnos. “But I am here to tell you that the 'Rainbow Rogue' of the Quade simply cannot be the same mare who liberated the townships of Rust and Shoggoth from the Syndicate.”
“Hmmmff...” Chandler smirked. “Is that a fact?”
“It simply does not fall in line with her character. Her motivations. Her very purpose for exploring these lands.”
“Professor Mane,” Vilcheez spoke. “You speak as if you knew this... 'Rainbow Dash' personally.”
“Indeed I did,” Theanim said with a nod. “The mare was essential in freeing me and several others from a leviathan that was stalking the waters of the Nealend Atoll. She is the very paragon of heroic virtues.”
“Sounds like a case of melodramatic biases to me,” Chandler huffed.
“Then if you don't trust my perspective, trust that of Royalty,” Theanim said. “Princess Camellia herself has telepathically communed with the mare on more than one occasion.”
“To what end, Professor?” Magistrate Timplan asked.
“To better ascertain her character... as well as to orchestrate what took place in Shoggoth,” Theanim explained. “I am quite certain that—if the Siren Princess had detected something in Rainbow Dash's mind that was capable of the heinous actions committed in the Quade—then she would have intervened and forced the mare to stay.”
“Hrmmmfff...” Chandler leaned against Hymnos' podium. “That proves nothing, Professor. For all we know, the Siren Princess could have put this 'agent' you speak of in a fugue state. Sea witches are powerful with mental magics.” Chandler winced, then saluted towards the icy spheres up above. “No offense intended...”
The seaponies within flickered multiple colors.
“I'm starting to think that you have an invested interest in disproving—if not flat out denying—the crimes committed by this... 'Rainbow Dash Rogue,'” Chandler said, pacing around Theanim again. “In fact, I'm wondering if your evidence supports any of your claims about Rust or Shoggoth altogether!”
“You can review them yourself,” Theanim said. “They'll show that the Syndicate was nothing but conniving and untrustworthy from the start... and that Rainbow Dash's actions in removing them—although brazen—was committed with utmost respect for the innocent citizens of both townships.” The stallion took a deep breath. “Furthermore, you have an eyewitness account of her noble heroics.”
“What?” Chandler smirked. “Did you bring Camellia with you?”
“No, dear sir, I brought myself.”
“I... I'm afraid I don't follow you.”
Theanim boldly spoke: “I was complicit with Rainbow Dash in both Rust and Shoggoth. There—with full knowledge of the ramifications—I assisted her in robbing the vault from the Northern Hoof... and then infiltrating the security of the Southern Hoof.”
The crowd murmured in shock and awe.
Chandler stepped back, blinking.
“Professor Mane...” Hymnos leaned over the podium. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Indeed I do,” Theanim said calmly. “I was a direct accomplish in breaking several nautical laws, including the direct defiance of international trade accords. And...” He stood tall. “I would gladly do it again, even at a risk to my position in the Order, if I fully knew—as I knew then, and know now—that it means the protection and prosprity of countless citizens' lives.” He turned towards Chandler with a glaring expression. “The Rainbow Dash that I know is a destroyer of despots... not of monasteries. And until I witness otherwise... until all of us witness otherwise...” He turned towards the Council again. “...I suggest we throw out this inevitable propositioin for a bloodthirsty paper chase and focus on healing the holes left in our oceans... instead of savagely and blindly avenging them. The only threats to Rohbredden are paranoia and ignorance. Not some dastardly 'Rainbow Rogue.'”
“An impassioned plea, for certain...” Chandler strolled before the Council. “But can any of the Prefectures of Rohbredden afford to sit by and wait while whoever—or whatever—wrecked the Luminards arrives here? And in full swing?”
“A concern without direction will only carve its way inward,” Theanim growled.
“Which is precisely why I'm here before the Council!” Chandler shouted, shaking his hoof. “To instill some focus! Some order! My forces that ensure the stability of the Shoreline Trade Consortium have enough trouble as it is just protecting the Dredge Coal! The very bloodline of Rohbredden and its frozen heights! If I could send powers to investigate the Quade and the seas surrounding, I would. But—unfortunately—that is outside of even my capabilities! So I ask the Council—all Prefectures and souls thereof, brothers and sisters in the communion of Verlaxion—can we not send someone out to pursue this matter? Someone who is qualified...” He turned to glare over his shoulder at Theanim. “...and impartial to the suspect at hoof?”
Theanim stared back, his eyes calm and cool.
Meanwhile, the seated delegates spoke and murmured amongst one another. Finally, a four-word phrase started echoing over everyone's heads, spoken even by the griffons and the interpreters for the sea ponies.
Hymnos heard it, and she nodded. “Alright...” She stood up tall. “...dear fellow Magistrates... all in favor for requesting that the Right Talon of Verlaxion go and investigate this Rainbow Rogue of the Quade... a show of hooves, fins, and claws... now.”
More than two-thirds of the Council raised their limbs.
Hymnos blinked at the collective gesture. “All those opposed?”
Almost all of the hooves and talons dropped.
Theanim hung his head, sighing.
Chandler folded his forelimbs, gazing intently at the proceedings.
“It is settled, then.” Hymnos nodded. “We shall move to request an investigation on behalf of the Right Talon of Verlaxion.” She glanced aside. “Clerk, the records, please. We must determine where the forces are currently located...”
Vilcheez stood up. “Grand Magistrate.”
“Magistrate Vilcheez.”
“I happen to know first-hoof that every rook of the Right Talon of Verlaxion are currently in her employ.”
Hymnos blinked. “Is that a fact? And where might she and her fellow wings be?”
Vilcheez gulped. “Deep within the frosted hills of our neighbor... Pine Prefecture. They are... dealing with a somewhat delicate matter at the moment...”
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Hmmm... enter the council. Still nothing from Rainbow?
Finally caught up all the way in time to start Utaan, really glad to be joining the rest of the Jury for this adventure (wrong a-word, I know).
Ooh, Theanim. Close, but politicians never listen to facts or evidence. Rather, you must appeal to fear.
This whole situation is getting rather complicated. It's going to be some time before we have any idea what's going on, I'm afraid.
6521615
Congrats, and welcome! Though we're going by the Lunar Ninth at the moment.
Welcome to the frozen heart of Rohbredden.
img02.deviantart.net/34dc/i/2015/089/6/5/mountain_pass_by_sceathlet-d8nq8do.jpg
I say it again, Rainbow Dash's trip is going to be hell.
Holy crud, didn't expect that fiasco at the Quade to affect trade routes.
Now matter where she goes, Rainbow still seems to leave a mark on the land. Great power-shifting marks, too, in these most recent cases.
Eeeeyup.
Hopefully his physical evidence leaves more of an impression.
I don't like these politicans. And most of all, I do not like this neo-Magistrate Chandler fellow. I'm glad Theanim showed up, but...it's too bad his testimony wasn't enough to sway the council's vote.
Also, it appears that this "Right Talon of Verlaxion" may be some sort of special guard or taskforce, rather than a single person.
More evidence for a future civil war on the horizon, interesting.
A delicate situation... right where Rainbow has to go to get AJ back, I'll bet.
Guessing this means the Talon(s?) of Verlaxion are either Griffons or Dragons - both don't mean good things for Rainbow. Now that I think of it, could be Pegasi too - but a predator species is more fitting with the name I think.
6521615
I too am surprised by the lack of Rainbow, but IC wants to keep us in suspense it looks like.
Also, welcome to the Lunar Ninth!
Yay, politics!
Theanim is one of the most elegant speakers in this saga. And to thibk I thought he was evil at first.
6521486
You know, I hadn't thought about it that way. But given this latest chapter, I'd say that's definitely a valid question. Bottom line, though, I'd just attribute the Nealanders' reactions to them being Nealanders.
i.e. collectively being a few shellfish short of a clam bake.
A E I O U Y Y U O I E A
We need to know what this means. Vowels plus the letter Y. Current pattern appears to indicate that the next 4 books will have O I E and A titles respectively. This must hold some kind of significance.
6521689
Agreed, but I think it'd be an interesting direction to go. Certainly a lot of explaining to do on RD's end, but she needs some of her own soul searching, first. Like I've said, it's going to be difficult to balance this story.
Heck, maybe Rainbow doesn't get redeemed. Maybe to go on the dark side she needs to get a little dark side of the force. A little... chaotic. Maybe Verlax is right?
Or maybe RD just bathes in the
bloodjuices of the Alicorns and it magics everything into being ok and/or makes her immune to stuff.6521706
It's significantly cute.
Theanim is going to be so disappointed at what Rainbow did when he finds out it really was her
(that aside nice to know he and Echo are not gone from the story yet). Now what do these individuals have in mind for our Pegasus?
Soooo which one is it? Do these folks know about her royal scaleyness or not?
Which is it, Right Hand or Right Talon?
Edit: the answer is Talon. Makes sense. No minotaurs after all--or humans.
Four chapters? You spoil us!
Verlax has certainly done a good job of arranging for Rainbow to stir up trouble.
Camelia vs The council will be interesting.
Inconvenient Theanim. Damn RD took forever. And Ol' Theanim is going to be kinda shocked once he realizes RD did crash and burn the Quade.
This "Eccho" place is new.
6521734
Indeed it has.
Oh look. Another edition of Imploding Colon’s Rainbow Dash and the Consonant Shortage of 2012–2047.
All of this is... surprisingly interesting, and it's especially nice seeing Theanim again (as well as opening the door to confronting Rainbow's past acquaintances with her actions in the Quade), but I have to say:
*clears throat; assumes Jeff Goldblum voice*
Now eventually you do plan to have Rainbow Dash in your Rainbow Dash story, right?
So RD's not completely ally-less, but I wonder if Theams will stay true to her when he finds out that she did in fact destroy the entire Quade, regardless of any lack of malicious intent or not. In the meanwhile, looks like RD's going to have the elite of the elite hounding after her for the majority of this book now. At least it's an improvement from what they were discussing earlier, when I figured she was going to have to contend with the entirety of Rohbredden's military.
But will the Right Talon/Hand of Verlax have anyone as badass as Roarke most Rare who can even contend with RD? Or will they wear her down through doggedness and persistence until they finally corner her? And then what will happen?
Only time and 196 more chapters will tell.
EDIT: I see people suggesting the Civil War path in the comments, and I think they're on to something... Verlax is definitely the kind of insane ruler who would burn down a nation she's ruled for millennia to prove a point.
So Verlax hasn't communed with them in over 20 years? Isn't that roughly RD's age? Connection or coincidence?
Also, the return of Thunker Meat. Whoop! he's gonna be heartbroken when he finds out.
6521706 Don't forget the chapter titles 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 5... words in length.
aaaaaannd... cue Desperadoes!
6521823 Hey now it's most likely only going to continue for 32-33 months, not 32-33 years
Also, I can't help thinking this was all Verlaxion's plan from the start. To play Joker to Rainbow's Harvey Dent. To light a stick of dynamite and throw it under Rohbreddon's skirt to dole out a dose of chaos. And Rainbow's playing right into it.
I shrieked like a filly! He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
6521629 Well, the good news is that ExplodingColon is now busy writing your journey chasing after Whitemane chasing after Rainbow chasing after....
You wanna know what rumors are going to fly in your wake?
"You can always tell the quality of a man by the enemies he makes."
--The Doctor
6521925
And I know you too, random citizen
The Rainbow Demon that follows the Mother of Nightmares will eventually make her way to the Thestral/Sarosian Colonies on the Edge... I wonder if we'll see a glimse of that this week...
6521823 I prefer Rainbow Dash's Bizarre Adventure. It flows better.
Did the other "books" start with the bunch of chapters in one day thing too?
A while back, some people predicted that the title of this would begin with a U and have five letters.
I can see why the U thing came about - The previous titles went through the vowels as well, and the ending/beginning of the two arcs began with Ys, which also kinda count as vowels - but where did the 'five letters' come from? How did you figure that out?
6522073
Don't think there was ever a prediction of five letter titles. Just "U"
6522065
Well, usually we ended with a bunch of chapters.
6521968
6522081 I AM CONFUSE D:
423,534
+ 364,762
+ 438,033
+ 357,354
+ 313,419
+ 223,505
+ 212,744
= 2,333.351
Christ, and I haven't even finished reading a quarter of the first installment yet. What is this story even about anymore at this point? If she hasn't gotten where she's going yet after two and a half million words, I don't think she's ever going to.
Well this was nice, showing the effects of Dash's actions on the rest of Rohbredden.
Poor Theanim...how long until the Desperadoes show up and break the bad news to him.
Speaking of them,
You were wrong Bard, Dash is the only one getting villainized. The Desperadoes good names live on.
The Nealanders are all worked up, like usual, though it does seem as though a civil war is on the horizon.
It's like... the same yet different to her journey through the western continent.
Except instead of ending a war it looks like this time she'll be starting it.
I actually hope we get more of this sort of stuff, like Eljunbyro, Dash is mostly absent, on account of having gone into hiding, and we only get to see her near the end when she arrives at the foot of her next destination.
Austraeoh: Phase 3-2:
-In the end isolation, hunted by a nation. Utaan.
6522115 Same shit, different day, different reasons.
Travelling east, with a new reason, in a new place.
That's about as good as you're gonna get without major spoilers.
I'm a villain aren't' I?
Also, very creative IC... It isn't easy to fit "evilcheez" in a story like this
6522131
Huh. You know, I did wonder why all of them have pretty much the same description, but didn't expect it to be because they literally haven't actually gone anywhere yet. Well, thanks for the heads-up, then. Saved me a lot of reading there.
6522164 It's not that she's not going anywhere, just that she has a lot of ground to cover, and it's gonna take time, her goal is the middle of the literal backside of the world, it's gonna take some time to get there.
Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the adventures she partakes in on the way.
Seriously though, with this book we're like 3/4 done with the ride.
6522089
In the past, the last, say, 4 chapters were release at once. Guess IC is compensating the one by one updates of Ynan with 4 here, though considering her wrote 90K in a bit over week, he really doesn't need to.
6522164
Well, technically she has gone through like, nearly 20 different countries/cities, 3 continents, a desert that nearly killed her, got almost killed by multiple parties, got friends, lost friends, made enemies, killed enemies, be unharmonious, etc. This world is ridiculously big.
Its as if the path to Mount Doom was a million miles away. She has a long way east to go, and a lot of the fun is from the journey, anyways.
This story needs a soundtrack.
Don't worry. I found one.
6522179
Only three quarters!? Holy Christ; this series is already well past 2 million words. I've been looking at this series for a while, but frankly, it's sheer volume is intimidating. That's really saying something (if I do say so myself), given that I'm majoring in English!
6522164
Whole story is about RD'S journey towards a somewhat mysterious goal. She actually done a lot. Involved in a few wars - civil and otherwise - prevented or initiated the overthrow of regimes, saved whole towns (or doomed them in a few cases). It is a story that is entirely focused on the trials involved with a massive journey. Think Lord of the Rings. There's an overarching plot, but along the way tons of hurdles must be overcome.
6522238 It has been stated that IC has 12 books in total planned, and this is book 8.
It looks more daunting than it actually is, if you commit yourself, the first 2 books can be knocked out in just under a day each.
Do not mistake me though, that's a full 24 hour day, not 12 hours of daylight.
I timed myself reading through Austraeoh and Eljunbyro, it took me just under 42 hours to read both of them iirc. I can't be arsed to dig up my comment from the end of Eljunbyro with the times again.
But yeah, if you can get into it, then, like most things, it'll pass by incredibly quickly.
Utaan? Is it weird that when I see that word my brain automatically puts in the missing L, R, and M to spell Ultraman?
...Just me? Okay.
So yeah, rumor spreads like crazy about Dash, and to be expected the witch hunt is already getting into gear on that front.
The Luminard's current state is pretty horrifying, but it beats them committing collective seppuku. I wonder of Antsan and Nicro were among the flogging orgy or if they're gearing up for traveling in search of Dash?
New character in the shape of the adorable little one-eared scamp named Swab. Reminds me of Murky from Murky Number Seven. I shall prepare the hug cannons for immediate deployment.
And YES we actually get political development for Rohbreddan's council! This was sorely missing from the Ledomare arc and I'm glad IC is actually treating the bigwigs in this country as actual characters who might actually have plot relevance! We can actually see the ponies, griffins, and other whatsits in charge of things and how they react to Dash on a national scale. It's good to see, and we've already got our Xanatos character for the arc in the shape of Chandler. I wonder how much he actually knows about Dash at this point and if his call to hunt her down is mostly based on guesswork or if he's gotten reports from guys like Revan that give some details about her?
Oh, and I think I cheered a little inside when Theamin showed up! Seriously, that guy needs a theme song to play whenever he busts into a room like that to lay down some truth.
And now we've got the Right Talon of Verlaxion coming after Rainbow, eh? An army? A special forces unit? Some combination of both? I'm somehow envisioning some kind of cross between the Inquisition and the Ginyu Force.
6522179
Was talking about progress through the plot, not actual distance covered, but yeah, still pretty much this: 6522238 Two and a half million words about nothing in particular really doesn't like my cup of tea.
Is it just me or does anyone else feel like this chapter kind of drives home that Bards plan would have worked out for the better in the long run. Especially since the console hasn't heard from Verlax in 20ish years? To me it just drives home the fact that while it gained her Fluttershy in the short term, in the long run it screwed her over.
6522297 The main plot always kind of took a back seat though, it's there, dangling over her head, but for the most part it's just a driving force, the real meat is in the central plot of each book and the sub plots that spring up therein.
Once you get past book 6 though, it does come back into focus, with a vengance, and she starts making serious headway.
6521706
For sure, though I'd guess it's just another way to represent the Cyclic nature of the whole shebang. Don't forget that Y can be a vowel, too. It's a weird letter.
6522325
Which I'm sure is great, but I'm not really willing to read through the equivalent of War and Peace times four just to get to the point where it actually starts going somewhere.
6522297
If this series was about nothing, then it completely fooled me starting a quarter of the way through Book 1.
Just take it from some of us when we say you won't be disappointed if you decide to give this story a go. I'm a picky reader myself, and this series has turned out to be one of my favorites on this site. If you don't, then well...your loss I suppose.
Besides, it's more about the journey than the destination.