NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This will be a short thread - a very short thread - but it's just independent enough of a related thread to require it's own.

Temple of the Dragon God, Drakheimr System

The final location of the Buttatavsraad changed at the last minute to the palace moon around Jörmungard. It was more of a monastery than administrative center, the seat of government having left Drakheimr midway through the first Empire.

Warrior monks of an alien race – in fact, the same race that made up the Palace Guards back in Rekjyavich-Andropov Military City on Earth – maintained and defended the sacred moon, and currently acted as palace attendants for all of the arriving guests. Each House had their own private apartments akin to separate “mini-palaces.” the private quarters of the Imperial House, though, remained vacant.

Lord Renityr Saryudin arrived first, as was his duty. Since he was the one to call the Council, he would preside over it, due to the vacancy of the Imperial Throne. It gave him an excellent position to maneuver himself right into said throne, really. It wasn't a particularly secret or subtle plan – it didn't have to be. As long as the Holy Dragon Sword remained missing, the throne involved nothing more than politics. Of course, he wouldn't hold the same power as a true Emperor, but the crown is the crown.

Over the next week, the Lords of the Houses Enilanuki, Rekjyavich, Atorinnyi, and Yutakyr made their way into Drakheimr, docking on Jörmungard and taking the shuttle to the moon. At the day of the meeting, though, House Andropov had yet to arrive, which complicated matters, but ultimately made things easier for Lord Saryudin. It was in the Code – barring total catastrophe, if a House is not present for the meeting, they forfeit their right to sit on the Council and must abide by any and all decision. Of course, this could be amended by a majority vote amongst the Houses, passing a motion to push off the meeting. But above all, Saryudin had patience.

It was as he suspected. The Andropov's did not show at the last minute, and the other four houses voted to extend the deadline. Saryudin, of course, reluctantly voted with them. After all, causing a divide this early would not be politically sound.

So he waited a day. Two days. Three, four...and finally, on the seventh day, the day before, word from Jörmungard came. A ship had just arrived from Earth. However, the rest of the day, no shuttle came from the planet to the moon. Saryudin was completely perplexed – and infuriated. What the hell is going on here?!

Finally, the day of the meeting, a single shuttle arrived from the main planet, ungreeted by Saryudin or the Council. When the party arrived at the chamber to an uproar. Saryudin motioned the guards to kill them.

“What is the meaning of this?! Kill these blasphemers!”

“You defile this sacred ground!”

Saryudin was more direct. “House Andropov makes a mockery of this council!” The two Praetorian Guards were very jumpy, protecting Sean Brian De Vito, Prince of Cherry Ridge, and Cristiel St. Richards, Queen of Pschycotic Pschycos. Finally, a third figure emerged.

“By the laws of the Council, any House may send a three-person committee to fill the place of the head of the House during deliberations, so no extreme or extenuating circumstances can prevent a House from losing its representation.” All turned to look at the younger Andropov prince, Kynaz Sanin. Saryudin glared back.

“And where is Tarakh?” Sanin cocked his head.

“He has other matters to attend to.”

“The Lord of House Andropov has better things to do than att-”

“Lord?” Sanin cut Saryudin off. “Tarakh isn't Lord of House Andropov.” The council went silent.

“But you and Tarakh are the only surviving Andropov family.” Sanin smiled.

“No. There's a third.”

The request for her to be present at the meeting had come as a surprise to Cristiel, but that it was from the Andropovs was reason enough for her to listen to its instructions. Of the Loyalists in the high command that survived The Sundering, all advised that she listen to anything the Dersconis, especially the Andropovs, had to say. They also advised her that the Dersconis greeted near everything unexpected with suspicion and hostility.

That advice served her well in the face of the Dersconis' aggression. Thus she stood silent, her rune-blade securely in its sheath on her back and under her broad cloak, and her arms crossed in front of her red breastplate. She didn't pretend to fully understand the Dersconi powerstructure, or any of the other occurrences going on around her. She would stand there and allow these people to do as they would, and would observe, and act as she had been instructed.

The first day of the congress went on without a hitch. Of course, suspicion and animosity hampered a good bit of the discussion, but a lot of business managed to find its way to the floor. Saryudin, as long as he didn't make a huge blunder, was basically guarenteed to be elected as President of the Buttatavsraad (limited powers of the emperor, and without the title). Strangely enough, Sanin did little to combat this maneuvering, even though Renityr's goals were obvious to everyone.

But the presence of the Pschycotian and the Ridgian continued to trouble all present. Nothing added up, and Renityr led the Buttatavsraad in a perpetual state of cold sweat. Hopefully, he thought, Emperor Andreus will be able to help me counter anything the Andropovs decide to pull.

It was the last day of the conference, and basically everything had been settled. Renityr Saryudin would be elected President of the Buttatavsraad, with Myslok Atorinnyi as Chancellor. The seven cabinet ministries would be divided as equally as possible between the Houses. All of the territorial divides, the vertical divisons of power, the taxes, and the bureaucracy had been debated furiously the previous days. All that was left to do was decide the powers of the President, and formally elect him.

About a quarter through the proceedings, though, Sanin began to convulse, and ran out of the chamber, De Vito and St. Richards following. Renityr was livid. This is reprehensible, he thought. Clearly a delaying tactic in order to undermine my position. He turned to address the chamber. "My fellow Lords, we cannot let this disturbance interfere with important business. The Andropovs have delayed these proceedings long enough." All agreed.

Several hours later, they ajourned for lunch, with the Andropov delegation nowhere to be found. A curious piece of information was brought to Saryudin, though - another ship docked with Jörmungard. The Lord's face went pale at the name mentioned - Call of the Sephirot. It was Rachek's flagship in the wars that led to the establishment of the Amaranthine Imperium. Which only meant one thing.

****

The meeting had been reconviened, with Saryudin once again taking the chair, and the Andropov seats missing. "With this final session of the Buttatavsraad, we shall now take the vote on the President of the Buttatavsraad."

"That won't be necessary." All heads turned to the entrance to find Cristel St. Richard and Sean Brian De Vito standing next to - not Sanin - but Vanir Thorevi Mökkvaesir, who carried two Birds of Paradise flowers, Saryudin staring, eyes wide with shock. Mökkvaesir smiled. "These two flowers for waning glory were never the end of Rachek's story, my dear Renityr." The bipedal dragon-like Kæsþiöndhrí's cape fluttered as he walked down the stairs with the two foreigners.

"I present to you, representative and Lord of House Andropov, the most Divine Rachek Kæsþiöndhríssar, Alexei Andropov the First, Fourteenth and Last." On cue, Alexei walked into the chamber, dressed in layered and flowing gold, red, and black robes, with a blank mask covering his face, and the hood of the outer robe covering that, just as he had worn when master of the temple in the Holy Tundra. In his left hand, the Holy Dragon Sword - The Rachavasr.

Saryudin began to sink in his chair. All of his hopes and dreams of power died with the ressurection of Alexei. He quietly resigned to his normal position in the Chamber, and let Alexei take the chair. Resistance was futile.

Alexei was a curious case, the Buttatavsraad found out, as he addressed them. His spirit was Rachek, the "archtype" hero, of sorts, and the unifying spirit of the psionic, dragon-like creatures that made up the leaders of the Amaranthine Imperium before it was known as "Derscon" - the Kæsþiöndhrí. It came into the physical world first as Rachek himself, and then in the shattered fragments of Chancellor of the First Empire and founder of House Andropov, then founder of the Second Empire, then the last emperor of the third Empire - Tsar Alexei Alexandrovich Andropov XIV. And now, his reassembled spirit and consciousness returned as Rachek, but with a human body identical to the one as Alexei XIV. Merely entering the chamber caused everyone to feel hazy, and the more psionically intuned, convulse. His power overwhelmed their minds.

Evidentally, Alexei/Rachek managed to preserve his consciousness after death in order to seek the knowledge to come back in the form he is now.

"You may wonder," Alexei continued. "Why Sean Brian De Vito of Cherry Ridge, and Cristel St. Richard of Pschycotic Pschycos are here with the Andropovs. This is because I, spiritually guiding them, have helped secure their positions and their stability. In return, they have given me their allegiance, and will become part of our Empire. If you speak with them, they will confirm this.

"I shall not amend the decisions made by the Buttatavsraad, except the ones made here, today. There shall be no president. I, rightful possessor of the Rachavasr and heir to the throne, shall be Emperor of this new Imperium, with all the proper powers vested in me." For the sake of procedure, this was confirmed unanimously by all Houses. Thus, out of the ashes of RAMC and the proceedings of the Buttatavsraad was born the Fourth Empire of the Dersconi Amaranthine Imperium under Tsar Alexei, the God-Emperor of Derscon.