Exile, Execution, The Legion, The Wardens, and Imprisonment......................The Usual.........................

Duran, Faren, Vartag, Dulin, Anwer, and Denek Listened and Argued Over The Constant Solutions Until Their Ears Were Ringing From It All. Finally Vartag Called A Halt To it, and The Six Men Spoke In Private About It. "I Say We Just Kill Them All and Be Done With It." Says Vartag. "You Would Say That Cousin." Says Dulin Forender. "At Least I Never Backed An Usurper!" Vartag Shot Back. "Enough, We Can't Just Execute Them All. It's Not Right, Never Mind That It's In Bad Taste." Says Duran. "Then What Do We Do?" Asks Denek. "I Recommend We Exile Lords Meino and Vollney to The Surface, Sentence Their First Born Sons To Wander The Deep Roads, and Offer The Other Sons The Choice of The Legion Or The Wardens." Says Duran. "But What of Their Daughters, Nephews and Nieces?" Asks Lord Anwer. "Hmm Lord Dace Speaks True." Says Vartag.

"What If We Marry The Daughters Into Other Houses, Different Castes Even. We Offer The Nephews The Choice of The Legion or Banishment, The Nieces We Offer, Banishment into The Deep Roads, The Wardens Or Marriage?" Suggests Duran "Not A Bad Plan Paragon." Agrees Denek. "Yes, But Who Do We Match To Whom?" Faren Stresses. "We'll Wed The Younger Unmarried Girls Into Our Own Houses, and Our Allies. Lord Dulin and Lord Denek You Both Will Need To Marry, As Will You Faren." Says Duran."I Agree It's The Best Solution." Adds Vartag. "Lords Bemot, Ivo, Saelec, Hirol, and Dural Will Marry along with Their Younger Sons and So On." Says Duran. "What About This Civil War Amongst Orlaisen's? Orzanmmar Has Immense Trade With Orlais, and Who Will We Back in This Civil War of The Lions?" Asks Denek. "I Have Some Experience With Orlaisen's, But While This Usurper Emperor Legally Has and Had A Stronger and Frankly More Immediate Claim To The Throne, Bhelen Would Back Celene. She and Him Are Both Progressive Rulers, and She Has Made A More Effective Leader." Says Duran.

"But Gaspard Is An Effective Military Commander Is He Not? Should We Not Back Him?" Asks Anwer Dace. "He Is That Is True, But If He Wins, He Could Very Well Invade Ferelden, and Frankly I Will Not Let That Happen, We Are Bound By A Sworn Oath To Aid Ferelden in Military Matters. If We Were To Break This Oath, We'd Might As Well Have Opened Orzanmmar To The Damned Blighters." Says Duran. "I'll Go and Get The Idea of The Situation." Says Faren. "No, We Need You Here." Says Vartag. "No, Faren is Right of Mind. As A Grey Warden, He Can Leave The City and Not Lose His Caste. Furthermore, He Is A Dwarven Paragon and Brother-In-Law To The King of Orzanmmar, I'd Go Myself But If I Don't Stay and Support This Regency, We May Lose Everything." Says Duran.

Suddenly Gorim Enters. "My Lords, We've A Problem. Scouts Report The Sky Tore Open and Is Shooting Demons Onto The World. "Ancestors! As If We Don't Have Enough To Deal With As It Is! Have Our Men Shut The Gates of Orzanmmar Completely. I Don't Want Anyone Outside Our Gates Until The Ground Stops Screeching In My Head." Says Duran, Whose Stone-Sense Was In Fact Screeching.

Duran Had Brought Bhelen and Endrin Up To Date On The Surface Situation. "So What Do We Do Now?" Asks Endrin. "Faren Will Leave For The Surface, and Head To Orlais To Decide Who We Should Back In The Orlaisen Civil War, I'll Be Remaining In Orzanmmar To Keep The Nobles In Line and United Under House Aeducan." Says Duran. "Very Well Brother. Rica, Take Endrin and Get Yourselves Some Early Rest, I Need To Speak To My Brother In Private.'' Says Bhelen. "Of Course Bhelen, Come Little Endrin." Says Rica As She Leads Endrin Away. "How Bad Do You Think it Could Get?" Bhelen Asks Duran After Rica and Endrin Had Left. "Not Sure, I'll Be Sending Word To The Wardens Topside To Get Their Take, But I Suggest We Shore Up Our Lyrium Mining and Storage and Begin Weapon and Armor Making Immediately. The Reports Have Suggested That Only Ancient Magic Of Exceptional Difficulty Could Wreak Such Havoc on The World. I'll Be Increasing Golem Production In Any Case, Duncan Has Already Sent Ahead Two Hundred Steel Golems From Bownammar." Says Duran. "And Trian and Cailan?" Bhelen Asks. "Trian Is In Kal'Sharok Negotiating Trade and The Like. Cailan Is Still In The City, He's Guarding The Council." Says Duran.

"Good, Listen Brother, I'm Naming You King Of Gundaar." Says Bhelen. "Gundaar's Destroyed Brother, Has Been For Nearly A Thousand Years. "Yes, Yes, But You Were Always Meant To Rule. Tell Kal'Sharok, That They May Settle Hormak if They Allow Us To Settle Gundaar." Says Bhelen. "A Buffer Kingdom?" Asks Duran as Bhelen Nods. "It Has Potential Bhelen, I'll Send A Golem to Kal'Sharok Immediately." Says Duran After Thinking It Over. "Good, Any Clue Which Houses You'll Take?" Asks Bhelen. "Ortan, Heimi, Forender, Kolmech, and Saelec. Ancestor's Know My Wives Will Have Me Gelded If I Don't Bring Those Houses With Me." Says Duran To Bhelen's Amusement. "What of Those Concubine's?" Asks Bhelen. "They'll Come Too. I'll Take Forty Five Golems With Me, and Several Members Of The Shaperate, and A Dozen Smith and Mining Caste Houses." Says Duran. "Good, Go See Duncan, I Had Him Forge A Special Crown For You." Says Bhelen. "Brother, Are You Sure? I Would Need To Leave A Voice On The Regency Council, One Whose Authority and Actions Would Live Up To My Own? Faren Has Left For The Surface, and Now Your Sending The Sole Remaining Paragon Of Orzanmmar To A Ruined Kingdom To Rebuild?" Asks Duran. "Appoint Lady Jayla Heimi As Your Voice." Says Bhelen. "No, Kardol Will Be My Voice, He Is A Legionare Commander, and Thus Is Likely Going To Be Perceived As A Neutral Figure on The Council. It Also Gives Orzanmmar an Acting Supreme Commander In My Absence." Says Duran.

"So Be It Brother, Now Please Leave Me To My Rest." Says Bhelen. "Brother, I Swear To You, On The Honor of Our House, On Our Father's Grave, and On The Lives Of My Sons, Gundaar Will Always Support Orzanmmar and House Aeducan." Says Duran. Bhelen Nods, and Leaves His Brother's Side.