Armin contemplated what he should reveal for a while. It was a difficult decision to make. Could he really trust them? How would they react to the truth? Were his memories of earth even real or just an illusion by the void?
After a brief silence, Armin met their gazes, he had decided to weave truth and lies into a tapestry strong enough to hold their interest, yet vague enough to protect his secrets, "I have received great knowledge, but I can't guarantee its accuracy."
"What have you learned?", Vorsmelk dug deeper with visible curiosity.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Not only because of its contents but also because it's rooted in a language unknown to you." He let the mystery linger for a bit, "Let me put it like this: It's the key to unlocking the forces of nature."
"What would that look like, do you have any more concrete examples?", Veyrith questioned, clearly very interested.
"Like I said, it'll be difficult to explain to you. It'll require translation, experimentation, and time before I can demonstrate it, but I'm seeing visions of magic—or something akin to it—being wielded by everyone, regardless of magical talent."
"That...…"
The reaction was not the awe he had anticipated. No gasps of wonder, no fervent pledges of support. Instead, a heavy silence, broken only by the faint creak of the living wood. He could clearly see mixed reactions playing out on their faces.
"You don't seem to be excited about this?", Armin inquired in genuine confusion.
"It's just difficult. Don't get us wrong, this is great news, but using it to your advantage is tricky and requires careful consideration."
Vorsmelk exchanged a glance with Elyx before responding. "It's just... difficult. Don't get us wrong—this is great news, a way to shift the balance of power. But using it to your advantage is tricky. It will require careful consideration."
Armin's confusion deepened, how was this not a great boon? Should he have said something else?
"Can you explain, I can't seem to follow."
"This is where your lesson on politics will begin, so pay close attention", Elyx chimed in.
"Syn became King because he was the strongest, a pinnacle existence forged in the fires of the purges. Back then, amid the Holy Empire's relentless hunts, the surviving clans were small, scattered remnants clinging to life in the shadows of Vudras. He could have wiped them all out—that's how strong he was. Thus he united them through sheer dominance, eradicating any who didn't oblige. The council was established, each member granted a domain to rule. With time, those survivors grew into large populations. While Syn could still crush many, he couldn't erase the entire federation nowadays. So how do you think, did he stay in power?"
From a modern perspective the answer seemed obvious to Armin, yet his tone remained probing, "People realized the benefits of being united?"
"Well yes and no. At first that was enough, the threat from the humans was still ever present and etched into everybody's memory. The purges' horrors were so fresh, a constant shadow driving unity, each scar, every lost kin a reminder. But after the Empire's expeditions subsided, we entered some decades of relative peace, although we stayed ever vigilant.
The benefits of unity are great: shared resources, mutual defense and the pooling of magical knowledge, but lose some value in times of peace, and no matter how great it is, it is always sweeter at the top. Magical prowess also evolved in leaps and bounds, but Syn managed to stay in power not just through strength, but because he mastered politics. He always rewarded the most loyal council members and never hesitated to cut loose any who weren't.
There are differences in strength and influence among the 12 dominions, but the King's favor could tip the scales, letting a faction rise while another fell. However the competition doesn't end there. You see, a council member represents a dominion, but a dominion is made up of many clans and tribes. Only the strongest one is able to send their Clan Lord to the capital to become council member and thus Overlord over their respective dominion. When resources flow, they enrich their own first, securing their reign. If Syn judged someone disloyal or too problematic, he could piviot—supporting the second ranked clan in that dominion instead, leading to an eventual overthrow and replacement of the council member."
Armin nodded slowly, taking everything in with heightened attention, "I see, I understand now. Through Syn's death, the system is out of balance. He was a one-man-army, his coalition with loyal allies undisputed and unassailable. But I have none of his strength, and therefore no solid foundation for my own coalition." The realization stung, a reminder of his fragile position, yet it fueled his resolve, a stubborn unwillingness to give up.
"You are correct," Elyx affirmed, her tone approving. "What you do have on your side though, is us, as well as the council members who benefit the most from the current system and your trump card, the knowledge from the void. But now you might understand why making the talentless able to wield magic would be destabilizing for the system unless you can strictly control who to empower."
"That should be possible, however it's going to take some time, realistically at least half a year to just get started."
"Then it's not something that'll solidify your position today. You'll have to rely on your and Veyrith's ability to persuade enough members."
"Who is on my side, apart from Veyrith?" Armin asked, leaning forward, his small frame belying the intensity in his eyes. "And how likely is rebellion if the opposition doesn't get their way?"
"With the humans on our doorstep, rebellion is unlikely. But in case of an invasion, those with weaker standings are sure to suffer the greatest losses so they'll try their hardest to institute regime change. Expect nothing to be off limits. As far as potential allies go, the Verdantborn are plant and nature aligned tribes, tied with Veyr's Shadow Weavers for first place among the most influential domains. They construct and maintain the formations that are the basis for all of our cities. They benefit greatly from this and hold the Ministry of Magic, a bastion of influence—the only other ministry beside the Ministry of Defense."
"What do I have to do to win them over?"
"They dislike change and would like to see the current system's continuation," Elyx explained. "Assure them of that—vow to protect their privileges. Control over the treasury is essential here; since the Ministry of Defense guards it and collects taxes, there shouldn't be issues.
Last on the list are the Void Singers. Religious zealots—all of them. As soon as they hear that you've been blessed by the void, you'll have their backing."
"Also, no one wants to see them crowned," Vorsmelk added with a dry chuckle.
"Three in my favor, three more to go…."
Veyr interjected, "Not necessarily, The Scaled are made up of dragonoid and reptilian races. As a dragonoid myself, I have a good relationship with them; I'll negotiate privately before the meeting, offering security contracts from the ministry for their warriors in exchange for their vote. City patrols, perhaps, or elite guards for the capital."
"Moving along", Elyx continued her lesson, "the ones most strongly opposed to you will be The Elementals—you already glimpsed their disdain in the first council—and the Aerials, races capable of flight or with strong wind affinities.
The Elementals were once the strongest faction from a combat perspective, before Syn cut their support, fearing their growth, and funneled it to the Void Singers instead, who in turn overtook them as the strongest faction. In the process, the Singers were granted land from both, eroding the Aerials' territories as well. The Aerials have mostly been used as scouts. With the versatility of the void singer's abilities though even that position is in danger of being lost.
The rest is neutral," she went on, "but as lesser-favored factions, they lean slightly against preserving the status quo—their grievances simmer like embers, ready to ignite with the right spark."
"Anything else I should know?", Armin inquired.
"The Dwellers of the Deep—underground races—fear they're next to lose land to the Void Singers. Other than that, you'll need to present your blessings as boons great enough to sway them. Since you cannot reign through strength, you must reign through benefits."
"So what are the other factions like?", he asked, seeking the nuances that could tip the scales.
"The Venomfolk are pretty self-explanatory, The Beastkin embody feral might. Insectoids form large hives, their magic manipulates their eggs to spawn different types of workers, which are basically controllable beasts. Death Stewards delve into necromancy. And the Independents? A ragtag assembly of those who fit nowhere else, their numbers are quite large though."
"Alright," Armin said, rising to his feet with determination, "give me some time to strategize. I assume I can talk to any faction prior to the council meeting? "
"Yes," Vorsmelk confirmed, "but we'd advise only meeting those you consider persuadable with high likelihood. Otherwise, your blessings might leak to the opposition, giving them time to prepare for it."
"If that's all," Elyx concluded, "we'll leave you to it for now. Call us if you have any questions." They departed, the doors of wood sealing with a soft groan, leaving Armin alone with his thoughts. He paced the room, his small steps echoing faintly, his mind racing in high gear to find a path to traverse the upcoming political battle.