🎀 Wisteria 🎀

Blood Tax At the end of March this year, shocking news from Lisliar became known to the entire world — the introduction of the so-called "blood tax," obligating the regional rulers of this empire to allocate 10% of the population from among servants or slaves for mass executions. This law, unprecedented in its cruelty and absurdity, was enforced immediately, resulting days later in Lisliar drowning in the blood of innocents and the fires of a civil war sparked by the large number of those who disagreed with such demands from the central government. Historians confirm that nothing like this has happened in the territory of modern Lisliar even during the reign of the ancient Heckelian dynasties and cannot explain what is happening from a cultural or historical perspective. Flames of War The introduction of the "blood tax" in the territory of Lisliar was not limited to civil war, and soon after, a response came from Reginleif: with an overwhelming majority of votes, the Council of Valkyries supported military measures against the pariah state. Already at the end of the first week of April, the combined forces of Moenia and Saffron, supported by mobile detachments of the Church, struck the western borders of Lisliar. Misunderstanding Unlike other allies of the Church, the Airisufir Empire refused to support Reginleif in its war against Lisliar, which significantly weakened the potential of Arteria's followers in the east and prevented the coalition from striking from both sides. The deterioration of relations between the empire and the Church did not end there, and two weeks later, the empire's government appointed Primula Heissens as the High Priestess of Airisufir, expelling from the Church of Clematis all those who disagreed with this decision. Reginleif, of course, reacted hostilely to such actions by the empire, but left the resolution of this matter for another time because his hands were currently tied by the war that had broken out. _____ The team of "Horizon of Dawn" sincerely hopes that the current situation will be resolved as quickly as possible. We condemn the actions of the Lisliar government, but we are confident that the peoples of our countries will be able to find common ground and want to share with you the impressions of one of the guests of Clematis: Waldemar Karafa, a nobleman originally from Lisliar. I am new to this country and cannot fully judge it. The capital is the ceremonial facade of the state building, but the building stands on a foundation and is held together by a frame. How do the lords of the fiefs live? Are the fields fertile, are the peasants valiant in their labor? Does man conquer the land, or is he conquered by it? No, it is too early for me to judge the country. Clematis, however... is impressive. It seems that nothing that reason can imagine cannot be found here. The Arterian paradigm, of course, has also sunk its clawed paw in here, to my great displeasure and to the country's misfortune. And — bureaucracy, the scourge of all humanism, is clearly beyond the bounds of reason. For the rest — it is a land of plenty for everyone, except for talentless serfs, but their place is at the bottom of existence. Expansion — I approve. Opportunity is a right — is it not? I think I have said everything. Of course, in some of his statements, Mr. Karafa was a bit hasty, but dear readers, be lenient towards a representative of a foreign culture.

Clematis
The imprisonment of Rogdan Kraffmeyer in the dungeon of the Amethyst Palace continued without any significant changes. He was fed three times a day, allowed to read the newspaper and various books (without being given the choice of which ones), but besides that — nothing, and even Matthew Ariston, for some reason, stopped visiting him. Today, however, a new event occurred in his life: the arrival of a new neighbor.
— This way, please, — a knight, perplexed and overcome with fear, pointed the prisoner to the cell opposite the one where Lian Fay was located, — Your R-Royal Highness.
— Relax, Sir Knight, I am now as much a prisoner of this dungeon as all its other inhabitants, so such a form of address will be unnecessary.
— Uh-uh, as you wish.
After making sure the prisoner's cell was securely locked, the knight left. Rogdan recognized his new neighbor as Brachea Air el Sufir.

_____

What happened to Waldemar, Garmid perceived with great anxiety, and on the day of his departure, he tried until the very last moment to get the chance to go along with the young master, but alas, no one granted him such an opportunity. In the days that followed, he actively offered his services to Raphael, since he was his only thread connecting him to Waldemar, and working for the (currently) sole leader of the "Golden Griffin" was also a means for him to distract himself from the heavy thoughts that had shackled his old spirit. For Kai, the current situation meant little; she did not want to think about political maneuvers and other difficult-to-understand things, but was glad that the number of inhabitants at the headquarters had decreased. [Louise's condition, in turn, depended on the orders that Waldemar could have left (or could have not left) for her.]
Meanwhile, the creations of Raphael Ambrosius Kosto were very popular, and over the past few days, he managed to sell 27 items and earn 24543 air from them. He also parted with golden bracelets decorated with large emeralds and elegant patterns in exchange for 11430 air. Apart from the impossibility of leaving the borders of Clematis, the imperial government did not interfere in his life and allowed him to do business without any problems.
During this time, the inhabitants of the "Golden Griffin" headquarters consumed 135 units of provisions [-115 currently, need to restock in the past tense].

Sselai

The Sselai Swamps are a hard-to-reach region located southwest of Airisufir, where numerous tribes of snake-men live. It was here that the first detachment of the "Golden Griffin" was sent, which included Ilensia, Sylphide, Cleona, Lindernia, Rish, Shen, Yuicis, and Julius. For one reason or another, there was no need to explain to the command about the presence of two unregistered members of the organization. At the same time, inspired by Julius's talents, Yuicis suggested that the other members of the detachment join their educational sessions [describe this moment to receive the mentoring bonus]. The commander of the first detachment was Field Marshal Hibiscus Yuyutsu. Hibiscus Yuyutsu 683.12.01. Field Marshal of the Airisufir armed forces since 720, Duke of Argallia by right of inheritance since 713, ruler of the empire's outer western territories since 726. One of the main architects of Airisufir's successful expansion in the west, Hibiscus is known as a man of word and deed, who does not attach great importance to the social status of his subordinates, for which he is very popular among soldiers. Political affiliation is unknown, as he does not participate in the political life of the country and rarely appears in high society, spending most of his life either at the front or at home in Argallia. So far, the "Griffin" detachment has not had the opportunity to prove itself, so they have had to idle in the empire's main camp in Sselai, awaiting the fateful day. Cleona did not stop complaining about the unsuitable living conditions and continued to curse Rogdan, Scipio, and everyone else for having to end up here. Fortunately, the officers under Hibiscus's command were distinguished by their professionalism, so they did not interfere in the detachment's affairs more than necessary, which helped avoid conflicts. It was noticeable that Rish was worried about his master, from whom he had to part against his will, but this did not prevent him from focusing on the task assigned to him. Sylphide, as one could easily predict, was not happy with this turn of events, but surprisingly, unlike Cleona, neither the Sselai swamps nor the camp life had a strong effect on her; she only occasionally sighed heavily, looking at the sky or out the window. Yuicis was familiar with military life, so the current situation was not something new for him, and perhaps, if not for his concern for his beloved's condition, he would have been in his element.

Euclasia

The second detachment of the "Golden Griffin" (Zerek, Claudius, Mirastir, Scipio, Eim) was sent to Euclasia, a region beyond the empire's southern borders, rich in natural resources but populated by various monsters, undead, and other sources of great danger. The imperial government planned to make this region its industrial center, but before that becomes possible, they will have to make it safe for future inhabitants. The commander of the second detachment was Colonel Chrysanthemum el Fermata. Chrysanthemum el Fermata 705.08.06. Colonel of the Airisufir armed forces and commander of operations in Euclasia since 729, landless baroness and third cousin of the reigning Empress Astraea Air el Sufir. Chrysanthemum is most easily described as an arrogant aristocrat in an impatient pursuit of glory, whose joining the armed forces is explained by a simple desire to obtain her own lands. Overall, Chrysanthemum el Fermata is a first-class warrior and a competent commander, but due to her character traits, her effectiveness in real combat operations is greatly reduced. The misfortunes of the second "Griffin" detachment began long before arriving at the camp. During the journey through the highland region of Euclasia, Yves der Misel lost his balance and fell down, dying on impact. A couple of days later, Viola el Fiannon died of a heart attack. An imperial soldier traveling with them shared his opinion that the Lisliar slaves he had seen in the past died in a similar manner, but then dismissed the idea, deciding that a slave simply could not have ended up here. Be that as it may, the detachment reached its destination with only five members, having lost two comrades along the way. Chrysanthemum el Fermata allowed the newcomers exactly one day of rest after arriving at the camp and put them to work the very next day — helping the wounded, surveying the surroundings for potential threats, and even heavy physical labor, such as working in the mines.

???
The third detachment of the "Golden Griffin" consisted of only two people, Waldemar and Alm. It was difficult to determine where they were being taken, but it was clear it was somewhere to the east. What awaited them there? Only Arteria knows...

Having reached their destination, Waldemar and Alm appeared before Antanea el Brachium, a general in the armed forces of Airisufir. People living in the empire or interested in its internal affairs knew that Antanea was known as the right hand of the previous emperor in military matters, to whom she was a full sister. What could the Countess of Greengrove be doing in this wilderness remained a mystery.
Having received the order from the soldier accompanying the Griffin pair, the general threw the letter into the fire on the spot, without even opening it.
— General! Ma'am! Are you sure that...
— That I didn't read it... — The woman waved the soldier away and sent him off, turning her attention to the newcomers. — Well, tell me, how did you manage to get on the wrong side of Her Highness Lucretia?