Dialogue Hesvar #148 - Heed My Call

Hesvar #148 - Heed My Call
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Somewhere in Vespi.



Lord of the Mines: "Ancient gods of Hesvar, through my royal blood and divine right as Lord of the Mines I summon thee. Heed my call."



Alter: "Our time is precious. Why do you summon us?"



Lord of the Mines: "I summon you in accordance with our ancient pacts. Vepsi grows ever weaker with your recent neglect. Our supplies of metals grow small, our slaves fall ever faster to the sickness of the mines, and the city-state to the north grows in power with a new source of metal. Now our immortal guardian has been slain by this same city-state. I seek guidance and assistance to restore Vespi to its rightful place as the dominant city-state of Hesvar and keeper of your sacred mines so that we may continue to supply you with that which you desire."



Alter: "So you have summoned us to confess your incompetence and insult us with baseless accusations of neglect. Pathetic.

There is no metal on Hesvar other than that which we provide to you. There are no instruments that can damage the guardian outside the divine instruments inside our mines. Therefore you must have allowed an escape from our mines, and in so doing lost track of your metal and allowed our divine instruments to leave our control.

This cannot be allowed to stand. We command you to reclaim these instruments at once!"



Lord of the Mines: "No ancient ones! I'm certain there has been no escape! I would never allow such a thing to happen!"

*Takes a deep breath.* "Please, forgive me. I should not have accused you of neglect. Our long and fruitful relationship is ample evidence that you would never do such a thing. But we have recently failed to receive our expected metals from you, and our request for a new breed of slaves has not been fulfilled.

Now since you would never neglect us in this manner, perhaps somehow our shipments have gone somewhere else and that explains the new source of metal and the divine instruments outside your mines?

Truly though, it doesn't matter how this happened now does it? It must be corrected either way. If you could just replenish our metal supplies and provide us a new breed of slaves and maybe send a new guardian with knowledge of your missing instruments I will dutifully reclaim them as you ask.

But honestly, as it stands now I don't think I have the resources to recover them and continue to meet our quota."



Alter: "UNACCEPTABLE! The quota is inviolable! It is your responsibility to see that it is met under all circumstances. There will be no new guardian nor any other assistance until you have reclaimed our instruments; and you will NOT miss your quota!

However, in our benevolence we will forgive you for accusing us of neglect. In fact, it seems you are right and we have neglected you for too long. We have allowed your bloodline to grow weak and diluted without our intervention. We have allowed your city-state to grow decadent and soft.

Now consider this an opportunity to prove to us you are still worthy of your station. Turn your frivolous jewelry, artwork, and other trappings of luxury into proper weapons. Mobilize your spoiled citizens into an army. Conquer the north. Turn their people into slaves for our mines. Recover our instruments and MEET YOUR QUOTA.

Do not fail us unless you want the first new breed of slaves to be foxes."



Lord of the Mines: "But I don't even know what these instruments look like."

 

New information leads to more questions? When has that ever happened?

I suppose Sam could be the new breed, or maybe Star. Or maybe it's all unrelated. Just like these "gods" could be the voices from Ayr's memory or maybe not. As to the mines maybe the Vespin mines aren't actually for metal. Or maybe the metal is refined by the gods.

I hope you enjoy your time with your parents.

I'm somewhat surprised I'm making more stories as well. And yes I don't think this bodes well for our main characters nor for the city of Singard in general. Thanks on the lighting.

 

Heh. Have to throw in the occasional reminder that Hesvar's got its secrets.

The Lord of the Mines is probably long removed from his ancestors that founded Vespi. It's definitely questionable that he's up to the task he's been handed.