"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
-- Epistle of Paul to Titus 1:16, Bible, Vulgate Translation, 405 A.D.
__________________
Once, more than a century ago, the Press Room of the Grand Praetorian Palace was nothing more than a storeroom in the basement. Built in the 12th Century the Palace had seen much change. However, for most of its life, the Press Room had seen very little. That is, until the invention of the radio. The story went that when the room had been converted to serve as studio in the 1920s, so that the Queen could address the Imperium, several massive ceramic storage jars, dating back several millennia, had been found. Since then the radio room had become, with the advent of television, a television studio and finally it had been converted to a full Press Room.
The Press Room was, itself, somewhat less lavishly decorated than the rest of the Palace. It did not feature the decorative ornamentation of the rooms above it, but was rather simply plastered a clean white with a line of gold molding running the perimeter along the walls at waist height. At the far end of the room stood the stage, slightly raised, flanked by curtains woven from fine silken thread, colored a deep rich purple. The stage was framed by a pair of marble Corinthian Columns, inside along the back wall, perfectly centered was the Great Dragon Seal of the Imperium, flanked on either side by flags, on the left was the black and red flag of the Drakonian Imperium, on the right the black and red flag of Gholgoth. At front the stage stood a simple, unadorned, podium. There was seating for some several dozen reporters or officials, along with cameras and teleprompter at the back, where a window showed the recording booth.
It was full of both officials and reporters as Praetor Augustus Valens Drake entered. The Praetor was a tall man, dressed sharply in a finely-tailored, jet black, three-piece suit. An imperial purple sash, trimmed in gold hung across his chests and medals were pinned upon the left breast of the jacket. Normally, he walked with a cane--an item he acquired after an assassination attempt had nearly succeeded--but, on this day he was without it and stood pillar straight; tall, proud, and unhindered by pain or infirmity. He still possessed some of his old youthful vigor and virile appearance that was only beginning to fade with age as streaks of light brown and grey broke on a head of dark brown hair. Blue-violet eyes betrayed an age and the cares of forty-seven years. He bore the skin of a Drakonian, almost fair, but still possessing the olive or bronze hue born from millennia under a tropical sun.
The Praetor took the podium with skill borne from decades of oration. As heir to the monarchy, Augustus Drake had learned to speak and address and audience before he could drive an automobile. He fixed those assembled with a stern assessing gaze. The room was quiet when he began to speak with the authority of his station:
"Nearly six years ago, we, a coalition of Gholgothic States, acting under the authority of the Gholgoth Regional Alliance did censure one of our members for acts of wanton aggression, and heinous crimes against its own and the citizens of other nations. A blockade was formed, intended to limit the traffic of slaves and of war materiel.
"However, we did falter in our purpose. Through a malicious and merciless campaign of propaganda and lies and through the actions of pacifistic and opportunistic representatives in Drakonia, we allowed that blockade to end.
"And now, once again, we are challenged by that very same problem we did, then, set out to solve. We see, again, a Gholgothic State that acts selfishly only toward its own interest and not toward the interests of the region as a whole. A nation that sows discord and strife in Gholgoth and the world wherever it acts. A nation that intimidates and warmongers, conquers and enslaves. The Empire of the Scandinvans has so threatened its neighbors that we must act aggressively and militarily to end the threat it poses to regional peace and stability.
"Our crisis does, however, not end with the Scandinvans. The Reich of Kraven continues to occupy the territory of its fellow Lords of Gholgoth. It has only been nine years since the armies of the Reich mercilessly attacked the Imperial Republic of Tersanctus as it settled Nova Castra. And in that nine years it has repeatedly marched to war; against Dephire, against Milograd, against any regional power that would oppose its backstabbing expansion.
"I say to you now, that we will not accept the occupation of Shen Almaru. We will not accept the attack on Citadel City. We will not accept the continued occupation of Vetalia and Milograd. These nations shall have the right to self-determination guaranteed them as part of the Regional Alliance.
"Once more, we faced before us the unthinkable conflict: Gholgothic Lord against Gholgoth Lord. War after war have we fought amongst ourselves. The unspoken oath of Pax Gholgothica, the Gholgothic Peace, has been broken by greed. Our disagreements have not been settled. The arguments started in the Council of Lords have not been resolved. We have seen and we now are threatened by conflict which could tear apart the very fabric of our Alliance. A conflict which threatens fire and suffering for all of Gholgoth and Varathron. A conflict in which we face not foreign invaders, but domestic aggressors.
"Under this reality, many of the nations of Gholgoth have abandoned, or do believe that, the Regional Alliance has failed, fractured, or ended.
"I say this to you now: We must not give up on the Regional Alliance. We must not give up on the ideals that have brought us together and brought us so very far. The Alliance has not failed us. The Alliance is not dead. If anything, then, it is we who have failed the Alliance.
"If our solemn oaths are to mean anything, then we cannot compromise our values, we cannot be silent in the very face of injustice, we cannot for one moment surrender to what is clearly and plainly wrong or invalid. We must as Drakonians, as Gholgoths, as Varathrians, as Humans, as Sentient Beings stand for what is right, what is true, what is righteous.
"We must remember the principles which have made this Alliance extraordinary. Gholgoth was meant to be a region where exceptional nations, paragons of empires with unrivaled power and unquestionable reputation, gathered as equals with equal voice and equal authority. NationStates who defended one another unquestioningly and who honored their diversity of government and culture. Giants who stood astride the whole world and strove together to improve upon it.
"And yet, we have wavered; we have faltered in those ideals. And now, we make war against ourselves, our oaths and honor forgotten. Some seek to tear apart our union, to sully our reputation and darken the honor of the greatest nations of our grand alliance, our glorious region, our massive world, and our mighty multiverse.
"We must not be held hostage by these individuals! We must not allow Gholgoth be held hostage to lies and manipulations! We must not submit to factionalism! We must instead unite.
"We must not forsake our like ideals; the reputation for excellence, our honor bound duties and obligations to one another. Gholgoth must once again unite under common goal: To bring together in union our wayward brothers, to justly punish their arrogance, and then to restore their honor and equal place among us. And to, doing so, restore the honor and reputation of the Gholgoth and the Regional Alliance.
"Brother Nations, Brother Empires--diverse in thought and culture--and yet united in common cause: To strive toward excellence, to stand as giants among mere mortals, immortal in ideal, in reason, and in justice. To exemplify all that is great, grand, and powerful in the world and to use that power evenly and justly.
"We are Brothers. We are Gholgoth. We are united. Our wrath is mighty, our power immense, our example peerless.
"We must remember and do our utmost to strive toward those ideals which made this region, this Alliance, great. Do not abandon it.
"Semper Certans*, Gholgoth."
"However, we did falter in our purpose. Through a malicious and merciless campaign of propaganda and lies and through the actions of pacifistic and opportunistic representatives in Drakonia, we allowed that blockade to end.
"And now, once again, we are challenged by that very same problem we did, then, set out to solve. We see, again, a Gholgothic State that acts selfishly only toward its own interest and not toward the interests of the region as a whole. A nation that sows discord and strife in Gholgoth and the world wherever it acts. A nation that intimidates and warmongers, conquers and enslaves. The Empire of the Scandinvans has so threatened its neighbors that we must act aggressively and militarily to end the threat it poses to regional peace and stability.
"Our crisis does, however, not end with the Scandinvans. The Reich of Kraven continues to occupy the territory of its fellow Lords of Gholgoth. It has only been nine years since the armies of the Reich mercilessly attacked the Imperial Republic of Tersanctus as it settled Nova Castra. And in that nine years it has repeatedly marched to war; against Dephire, against Milograd, against any regional power that would oppose its backstabbing expansion.
"I say to you now, that we will not accept the occupation of Shen Almaru. We will not accept the attack on Citadel City. We will not accept the continued occupation of Vetalia and Milograd. These nations shall have the right to self-determination guaranteed them as part of the Regional Alliance.
"Once more, we faced before us the unthinkable conflict: Gholgothic Lord against Gholgoth Lord. War after war have we fought amongst ourselves. The unspoken oath of Pax Gholgothica, the Gholgothic Peace, has been broken by greed. Our disagreements have not been settled. The arguments started in the Council of Lords have not been resolved. We have seen and we now are threatened by conflict which could tear apart the very fabric of our Alliance. A conflict which threatens fire and suffering for all of Gholgoth and Varathron. A conflict in which we face not foreign invaders, but domestic aggressors.
"Under this reality, many of the nations of Gholgoth have abandoned, or do believe that, the Regional Alliance has failed, fractured, or ended.
"I say this to you now: We must not give up on the Regional Alliance. We must not give up on the ideals that have brought us together and brought us so very far. The Alliance has not failed us. The Alliance is not dead. If anything, then, it is we who have failed the Alliance.
"If our solemn oaths are to mean anything, then we cannot compromise our values, we cannot be silent in the very face of injustice, we cannot for one moment surrender to what is clearly and plainly wrong or invalid. We must as Drakonians, as Gholgoths, as Varathrians, as Humans, as Sentient Beings stand for what is right, what is true, what is righteous.
"We must remember the principles which have made this Alliance extraordinary. Gholgoth was meant to be a region where exceptional nations, paragons of empires with unrivaled power and unquestionable reputation, gathered as equals with equal voice and equal authority. NationStates who defended one another unquestioningly and who honored their diversity of government and culture. Giants who stood astride the whole world and strove together to improve upon it.
"And yet, we have wavered; we have faltered in those ideals. And now, we make war against ourselves, our oaths and honor forgotten. Some seek to tear apart our union, to sully our reputation and darken the honor of the greatest nations of our grand alliance, our glorious region, our massive world, and our mighty multiverse.
"We must not be held hostage by these individuals! We must not allow Gholgoth be held hostage to lies and manipulations! We must not submit to factionalism! We must instead unite.
"We must not forsake our like ideals; the reputation for excellence, our honor bound duties and obligations to one another. Gholgoth must once again unite under common goal: To bring together in union our wayward brothers, to justly punish their arrogance, and then to restore their honor and equal place among us. And to, doing so, restore the honor and reputation of the Gholgoth and the Regional Alliance.
"Brother Nations, Brother Empires--diverse in thought and culture--and yet united in common cause: To strive toward excellence, to stand as giants among mere mortals, immortal in ideal, in reason, and in justice. To exemplify all that is great, grand, and powerful in the world and to use that power evenly and justly.
"We are Brothers. We are Gholgoth. We are united. Our wrath is mighty, our power immense, our example peerless.
"We must remember and do our utmost to strive toward those ideals which made this region, this Alliance, great. Do not abandon it.
"Semper Certans*, Gholgoth."
The Praetor gave one last nod, a slight bow of the head, a Drakonian show of respect, and then left the podium.
__________________
* Drakonian Latin, meaning "Ever" or "Always Striving".
Author’s Note: This speech was originally written for Great Gholgothic War in 2012, but not posted and has since been greatly revised to fit current circumstances.
OOC: Despite being addressed to Gholgoth, this thread is OPEN, all are encouraged and welcome to participate. Please, also feel free to contact the author via telegram or through IRC at Gholgoth's Public Channel on Esper.net: #Gothic_Santum. This thread is related to the events of Never the Twain shall meet [Closed; Gholgoth] and due to request is being duplicated there.
Please, direct all Out-Of-Character (OOC) content, questions, and comments to telegram or IRC to keep this thread as uncluttered as possible. Thank you and enjoy!