Post:Estate Holder History Lecture, Part 1 - 01/04/2017 - 23:19
| Estate Holder History Lecture, Part 1 · on 01/04/2017 11:19 PM EST | 630 |
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| The following log was taken from the point of view of Padhg on 1/4/2017. It has been modified for readability and perspective. Enjoy!
History Professor Undilthorpe just arrived. Padhg bows to History Professor Undilthorpe. Professor Undilthorpe smiles briefly. Malakye tips his hat to History Professor Undilthorpe with a courteous nod. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Good evening." >time Alesea places her hands on her thighs and bows deeply at the waist, holding the position for a moment before returning upright. Padhg says, "Good evening to you." Aeduin smiles. Alesea says, "Greetings." Professor Undilthorpe says, "I hope nobody had trouble finding their way here." Malakye says, "Not at all, but it's been awhile since I took a class around here." Malakye smiles. Aeduin meekly says, "Close enough to the library..." Padhg says, "For those of us who train near the Crossing, the Academy is a frequent spot for training and learning about magical feats." Professor Undilthorpe nods his approval while making his way to the speaker's platform. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Well then excellent. Very glad to hear it." Dianelle smiles. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Much as I value punctuality, we'll allow others just a minute or two to drag themselves in. I've learned that's usually necessary." Aeduin sits down on the wooden bench. Malakye says, "Looks like a few people running late, it happens." Malakye shrugs. Alesea nods. Professor Undilthorpe nods. Malakye says, "Some underestimate the distance and time, travel can be rough." Professor Undilthorpe produces a few small sheets of parchment from some pocket hidden beneath his robe, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose while studying them. Dianelle says, "I came from Ratha and still made it on time." Dianelle grins impishly. >look Undilthorpe >look
[Asemath Academy, Auditorium] Malakye smirks. Professor Undilthorpe says, "I applaud that degree of dedication to learning." Malakye says, "Just Riverhaven for me, not really that far. I've made the trip often enough." Dianelle says, "I love this sort of thing." Professor Undilthorpe tucks his notes away and pauses momentarily to clear his throat for dramatic effect. Padhg says, "Lectures are indeed a favorite of mine." Alesea nods to Dianelle. Professor Undilthorpe says, "I wish I could find more students around here who felt the same." Alesea says, "I'm really interested to hear the history of our Council myself." Alesea nods. Professor Undilthorpe smiles and nods. Dianelle asks, "Better to have a small group of dedicated students than a whole mass of unruly ones?" Dianelle ducks her head. Malakye chuckles at Dianelle. Professor Undilthorpe says, "It is fascinating indeed. I've tried to condense it as best I can, so as not to lose too many to sleep." Alesea grins at Dianelle. Starrprancer says, "I'm old... I can't promise not to fall asleep." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Alright, I think we've waited long enough. If others come later, they can simply ask the rest of you for notes or some such." Malakye gives a slight nod. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Yes well I'm boring, so I won't take offense." Malakye grins. Professor Undilthorpe says, "First, an earnest Thank You to everybody here, for attending. I'll try not to bore you overly much, though I make no promises." Professor Undilthorpe smiles again. Dianelle grins. Aeduin leans forward. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Secondly, if there are any among us who would be willing to take notes on the lecture and make them available beyond the confines of this Auditorium I would be grateful. If not then I shall do my best to employ one of my assistants in that endeavor." Padhg nods politely. Malakye taps the tip of his nose. Malakye casually observes the area. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Now then..." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Since you're all here, I assume you're aware that the title of this lecture is 'Origin of the Estate Holder Council,' but just in case you weren't aware, now you are." Professor Undilthorpe says, "This lecture will cover the time period stretching between the victory of Lanival, and the year 120 A.V." Professor Undilthorpe says, "In order to fully understand the events surrounding the founding of the Council, it's necessary to delve at least briefly into the state of Kermoria at the time." Professor Undilthorpe says, "For the purposes of this lecture I'm making the assumption that we're all at least familiar in a broad sense, with the victory of Lanival over Teiro, and with the later rise and fall of the Dragon Priest Empire, and the results thereof." Professor Undilthorpe glances around suspiciously. Malakye nods. Dianelle nods. Professor Undilthorpe says, "If you aren't, then I highly advise you to avail yourself of some of the books[1][2] to be found in the libraries here at the Academy and elsewhere." Professor Undilthorpe says, "That said, most books on the topic of those times don't touch upon a rather important fact, because most such books are focused either upon the heroism of Lanival or the villainy of Dzree." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The fact being that, shockingly I'm sure, the provinces did not all get along in perfect peace and everlasting harmony simply because Lanival had miracled them into existence, nor due to their eventual rallying, some two-hundred and thirty or so years later, to free themselves of the Dragon Priest Empire." Professor Undilthorpe begins to walk from one side of the platform to the other as he speaks. Professor Undilthorpe says, "To be perfectly blunt about it, it was all rather a big mess after the death of Dzree. The Dragon Priests had hardly been what anybody would call good stewards of the land nor its peoples." Nebby grins. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Yes Lanival had delineated the provinces, but Lanival was hundreds of years gone, and times were difficult." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Therengia made war with Kwarlog, the Crossing was besieged by Ratha, Princes were deposed, Barons hung themselves.[3][4] Again -- these were difficult times." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Even a hundred years after the fall of the Dragon Priest Empire, the provinces were still undergoing reconstruction and redefinition: Borders, for example, were not so cut and dry as we consider them now." Professor Undilthorpe pauses to stand at the center of the platform briefly. Professor Undilthorpe says, "I'll be focusing on one such border dispute in a moment, but first I need to touch upon a point of geography, since not all may be aware of it." Aeduin ponders. Professor Undilthorpe says, "In retrospect I ought have brought a map. But nevermind. You're all well traveled, I hope." Malakye gives a slight nod. Professor Undilthorpe says, "The stretch of land in question lies between the Caravansary on the Northern Trade Route, and the southern bank of the Faldesu River." Professor Undilthorpe says, "It may seem to those of us lacking Elven or Dwarven lifespans, to be an odd place to fight over. I mean, it's been a volcanic wasteland, by in large, for the duration of most living Humans' lives." Professor Undilthorpe says, "It wasn't always that way, though. Far from it." Starrprancer says, "Used to be some wonderful mountains there. I played in them as a child." Starrprancer nods. Professor Undilthorpe nods his agreement, then smiles to himself and begins pacing again. Professor Undilthorpe says, "For a great deal of recorded history it contained some of the finest agricultural land to be found on the mainland. Northeastern Kermoria's bread basket, if you will." Professor Undilthorpe says, "This left the region in a rather awkward position after the partitioning of the provinces by Lanival. Though with the intervention of the Dragon Priests, it didn't have much of a chance to rear its head until the time we're now discussing, several hundred years later." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The major issue is easy to surmise, I'm sure. The natural geographic border between Therengia and Zoluren would seem to be the Faldesu. Yet Therengia was given claim to a large swath of this prime land to the south of the river." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Furthermore, in an era of reconstruction, such farmlands are always exceptionally valuable, as each of the provincial monarchs sought any opportunity to expedite their nation's recovery and thus cement their own dominance." Professor Undilthorpe pushes his spectacles up the bridge of his nose before going on. Professor Undilthorpe says, "One such opportunistic monarch was Prince Loraemor Chelochi the First, of Zoluren." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Seeking to claim lands that he perceived as naturally belonging to Zoluren, Prince Loraemor raised his levies and began the occupation of what had been Therengian land, seeming not to expect that the Therengians would be able to mount much in the way of a defense." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Needless to say, Prince Loraemor was mistaken, as he had not accounted for either the strategic skill or the sheer tenacity of his chosen opponent, Baron Falstad the Second, of Therengia." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The precise specifics of the military engagements are beyond the scope of this lecture, fascinating though they are, but they can be relatively easily summed up enough for our purposes." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Several months of skirmishes fueled by repeated crossings of the Faldesu by Therengian forces, gradually pushing back the Zolurenian northern front, eventually resulted in increasingly pitched battles." Professor Undilthorpe stops pacing the platform for clearly dramatic effect, and to emphasize a point. Professor Undilthorpe says, "More important for this lecture than the battles themselves, is the fact that neither nation had, at that time, anything approximating a standing army as the provinces in the present day can boast, to some extent." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Beyond the nobility leading them, the vast bulk of the fighting forces at that time were drawn from the peasantry. A peasantry that was already stretched too thin, by most accounts, by the simple demands of survival in those times." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The peasants, it should be noted, were not then, as they generally are not now, the direct responsibility of the great noble Houses of the provinces, and even less so of the monarchs." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The responsibility for them fell, and falls, squarely upon the shoulders of the lesser landed nobility, and those who, while not recognized as noble, exist as the landed rural gentry." Professor Undilthorpe begins to pace again, seemingly lost in the brilliance of his own lecture. Professor Undilthorpe says, "As summer gave way to fall and then winter, with battles waged all the while upon barren or despoiled fields where crops ought to have been sown and reaped, the hardships of a reduced food supply, and the destruction of trade, to say nothing of the loss of lives among able-bodied workers levied into fighting in said battles, it simply became too much for these lesser noble houses to endure." Nebby suddenly pauses, a look of consternation crossing his features as he listens intently. Professor Undilthorpe just as abruptly stops himself again, turning his gaze toward the seating area. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Before I go further into that however, I'd like to also make the quick side note that it was also common then, as now, for noble and/or wealthy families of the time to intermarry for political purposes, and this was no less common among minor nobles than the Great Houses or royalty." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Particularly among the border nobility it was almost impossible to distinguish where Therengian bloodlines ended and where Zolurenian bloodlines began, and vice-versa." Professor Undilthorpe shifts his weight once, then resumes his back and forth along the platform. Professor Undilthorpe says, "While history is rife with conflicts of kin against kin, most such struggles require some greater cause to motivate the sides. It is hard to perpetuate such conflict when the conflicting itself threatens to starve the common folk and thereby deprive the upper classes of their livelihoods." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Thus, late in the year 107 A.V., a number of bold and outspoken members of the lesser nobility of the two provinces began recruiting others from among their own ranks, with the aim of putting an end to the conflict and their own suffering." Professor Undilthorpe says, "The provincial monarchs were of course not happy about this association of what they considered rather mutinous nobles, and yet there wasn't much they could do to counter the movement, either. It was, ultimately, these same nobles from whom they drew their armies, after all." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Finding the Prince and the Baron equally unwilling to simply comply with their humble requests, the group of nobles, by then grown quite large, eventually hardened their resolve and simply threatened to leave the field entirely." Professor Undilthorpe says, "This finally caught the full attention of Prince Loraemor and Baron Falstad." Professor Undilthorpe chuckles to himself as though he'd just told some sort of joke. Professor Undilthorpe says, "As they were a mixed lot without a Great House among them, and as most of them held landed title to large estates, their written demands were put forth to the monarchs under the moniker of 'The Council of Estate Holders.' It was the first time such a term had been coined." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Having little choice in the matter, the monarchs agreed to meet together with this Council, at a summit at Darkstone (modern day Dirge), at which they signed a treaty of peace ending the Faldesu Conflict." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Of course, not wishing to give up their newfound power and unity of purpose, over the next few years following the peace, the Estate Holders held more meetings and further petitioned the monarchs to accept and sanction a permanent Estate Holder Council, with the directive of fostering and preserving a lasting peace between the provinces." Professor Undilthorpe says, "So it was that in the year 112 A.V., by the sanction of Prince Loraemor the First and Baron Falstad the Second, the Estate Holder Council truly came into being." Professor Undilthorpe says, "And that is where this particular lecture essentially leaves off, with the establishment of the permanent Estate Holder Council which, in its initial form, consisted of a number of lords and ladies drawn entirely from among those first rather rebellious lesser noble families." Professor Undilthorpe says, "It would be decades before the Council would expand its mission beyond Zoluren and Therengia, and even longer before the Council itself would take its modern form and expand into a full organization as we know it today." Professor Undilthorpe says, "Those topics will be covered in the second part of this lecture series, which will be titled 'Early Expansion and Growing Pains.'" Professor Undilthorpe says, "Thank you all for attending, and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at that forthcoming lecture." Dianelle applauds History Professor Undilthorpe, cheering it on! Olinslag applauds. Dianelle gets an impish expression on her face, and lets out a hearty cheer. Professor Undilthorpe smiles once again, with a slight bow. Aeduin smiles. Padhg applauds. Miskton smiles. Dianelle exclaims, "That was wonderful!" Nebby applauds. Miskton applauds. Padhg exclaims, "Thank you for the lesson!" Suruli applauds. Pythea snaps her fingers pompously around the area. Professor Undilthorpe says, "I do hope it wasn't too long or dry." Padhg says, "Not at all. I may need some time to digest it all." Professor Undilthorpe nods. Dianelle says, "I thought it was brilliant. My mind didn't even wander." Padhg grins at Dianelle. Dianelle blushes, the tips of her ears turning a delicate scarlet hue. Professor Undilthorpe says, "You're too kind, really." Pythea says, "Very informative, thank you." Pythea smiles. Starrprancer nods. Padhg says, "I hope to be able to read the scrolls of or attend our future lectures." Professor Undilthorpe says, "And you're all very welcome. It was tricky to condense it all down." Starrprancer smiles. Aeduin meekly asks, "Is there an unabridged history one can reference for our own studies?" Professor Undilthorpe says, "I hope you're able to attend as well. And if not, then I'll see to it that a transcript is made public." Padhg says, "I'll try to post notes I took of this lecture if no one else does." Malakye asks, "How many parts will there be exactly?" Professor Undilthorpe says, "As to an unabridged version, no, not yet at least. I have intentions on writing such a comprehensive volume, but it may be a while before I've found the right publisher." Suruli says to Padhg, "That would be appreciated, I arrived late." Suruli smiles at Padhg. Starrprancer nods. Aeduin nods. Professor Undilthorpe says, "There will be three parts in total. Two more after this." Professor Undilthorpe says, "To keep things from becoming too long and boring it was decided to present the subject in these short lectures." Professor Undilthorpe smiles once again, clearly rather contented with himself. Pythea says, "Single serving lectures. I like it." Malakye says, "Well, I appreciate your time today sir." Nebby nods at Pythea, obviously agreeing with her views. Padhg bows. Professor Undilthorpe says, "Well. I know you are all very busy people, so I won't keep you any longer. And you are quite welcome." Aeduin stretches his arms. Aeduin stands up. Suruli smiles. Malakye stands up. Suruli says, "Thank you again." Dianelle says, "Thank you, Professor." Dianelle stands up. Aeduin dusts himself off. Malakye bows to History Professor Undilthorpe. Thires bows to History Professor Undilthorpe. Professor Undilthorpe bows once more. Pythea smiles. Aeduin meekly stares down at his feet before giving a stiff bow. Dianelle waves to History Professor Undilthorpe. History Professor Undilthorpe just went out. | |
| This message was originally posted in Estate Holders of Elanthia / Estate Holder Events, by RY4NPW on the play.net forums. | |