Conspiracy Theory Op-Ed 7: The New Regime

The trials of the humans from the time of the Collision have been great.  Like all great powers upon any world, suffering bring about strength, strength brings arrogance, and arrogance brings apathy, until the cycle is reset.  So it has gone for the humans.  Many kings have come and gone, but the dynasty of Amenson lives on in the palace.  True, that with the responsibility of an entire people group laid upon your shoulders, there are sacrifices you have to make and situations you must sail through during troubled waters and you may find yourself making decisions that put some you cherish in harm’s way. And this also has been the case for the dynasty of Men.

Amensol, the first king of men, steered the first of their kind on Terminus, through the mire of starvation of the first winter, the Cursed Frost.  Afterwards, he would be charged with negotiating the construction fo the Silent Sanctum to save the races of what would be known as Kingsreach. His son, Avendyr, was left to break the back of the Ravaging Lord’s armies on Kingsreach and abroad, then to pick up the pieces from a long and terrible war.

There is no doubt that the first kings of men on Terminus had hard choices to make.  The question is to what end should we overlook their failures.  As we all know, forgotten history is bound to repeat itself.

This brings us to Queen Amenthiel, the current ruler of Men and as some may infer, all of Kingsreach itself.  There are very suspicious circumstances surrounding her rise to the throne and the decisions made around the time of her rule.  We will explore these and come to some educated guesses.

The first topic must be her ascension.  As a direct heir as the progeny of Amensol and Avendyr, her claim is by all measures valid.  But, she was not the one ruling in a time not so long ago.  Her predecessor was mixed up with very shady and sinister dealings in Azeris.  Leading a contingent of the army of Thronefast into the dangers of Azeris’ Veil, her predecessor as well as her husband were lost to causes that have been hidden from the public. The only ones who know are the soldiers who accompanied them.  These have been sworn to secrecy to the point that there has not been one leak from the goings on with all the money able to exchange hands in Thronefast, for information to humans is worth more than gold.

So, why were the previous king and the princess’ husband out in harm’s way?  It could be that there was a campaign that was waged against a sinister force.  If that were the case, why then would it be described by the Keeper’s as the “horrifying Catastrophe?”  There would be mention of valiant battle.  No, this had nothing to do with battlefield valiantry.  And the mysterious nature of their demise lends itself to a more devious story.  Could it be that the King and the princess’ husband were going to a secret meeting or on a secret dangerous mission?  The eastern lands of the continent had long been the rite of the Orc.  Could they have been searching for an ancient power in their ruins?  Or could it be that the dark, magical forces that dwell in Azeris today beckoned some seeking out power to hoard to themselves.  In any account, the only reason that makes sense of all the known facts is that there was magic and a journey to lay hands to it that backfired, killing those desperate to lay claim.  It isn’t the first time the children of Amensol have sought out power from dark places, after all.

The second strange connection is the removal of the young and decorated soldier E’mani Karos from the kingdom.  After serving his country valiantly for several years, bringing himself from nothing, he had his entire world fall apart in one night when he was accused of treason from the crown and had to flee for his life.  Since that time, he has been as willed and steadfast with his opposition to the crown as he was for them.  He gathered himself an army of capable mercenaries and directs covert missions against the throne from his newly acquired fort, Black Rose Keep.  He would be close enough to the age of the Queen to possibly have rumors of infidelity be the cause of the crown needing to silence him.  Perhaps there was an invitation by the Queen that was dismissed on grounds of decency and honor, and this is revenge.  Of course, there could be many dark secrets that a man in his position would have been privy to; in the words of the Keepers, “vice amongst much of the aristocracy.”  But a charge of treason for the favored son of Thronefast would ultimately need to be laid from the crown itself.  A man of his character and valor should at least be held to the same level as the now “Lady King”, Amenthiel.

Finally, there is the bloodlust that has been the hallmark of the reign of Amenthiel. The whitewashing of the Thronefastian empire is alive and well with the Keepers still, as they classify it as “Amenthiel's nerve and shrewdness thwarted enemies of a suddenly weakened Thronefast.”  The bleached-white words describing Amenthiel’s push for war follows the trait of a sociopathic dictator.  If someone threatens your sense of control, lashing out in violence is the normal reaction. That is if we can trust that there was a reaction to those who were breaking Thronefastian laws. 

Deep in the tunnels of the Halnir Pass through the Roans are the sadistic followers of Ulthiros, the human god of the dead and condemned.  The worship of Ulthiros was given popularity by one of the kings of Thronefast, of Amensol’s line.  His subsequent dive into insanity brought about the laws against Ulthiros’ worship. The fact that this cult has not be exterminated by the crown is still bewildering, but the fact remains they continued to thrive in the shadows and in the caves of the Roans.  Is it a coincidence that the soldiers of E’mani Karos’ cause are found in those same tunnels, armed for warfare.  Could it be that the dark secret of the crown is that Amenthiel worships Ulthiros and he is protecting his people by fighting against the scourge under the mountain while the crown attempts to exterminate him?

Ultimately, Amenthiel is broadly considered to hearken back to the strong leadership of Avendyr, a corrupt leader we have covered extensively in the past.  Will her reign finally slip and bring the evils of the House of Amensol to the surface so that Men can finally rid themselves of their heavy-handed rule?  One can only hope.

Benonai

Leader of the Resistance Against the Corrupt House of Amensol

Viva RACHA