The woman that had entered the room was a sight to behold. She wore soft silk clothing that complimented her delicate frame. There was no fault to her body, nor was there even a single one to be found in the sly smile that lit up her face or her sapphire blue eyes that glowed brightly.
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"He-" Limos began, waving at her at the same time.
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She raised her right hand, and he fell silent.
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"There is a ring on your finger, Technocrat, white gold from the look of it. Yet there has never been a wedding." Stalwor asked him quizzically.
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"Eloped..." Was the muttered reply.
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"My name is Airo Mædret-Chestepst, you must be the Adeptus of Sociology, I read your papers on the mixing of pan-regional cultures in the Great Age of Steam and your Adepti Dissertation on how societal analysis began to use an increasingly interpretive, hermeneutic, and philosophical approach during tthe Age of Æther. Oh, and I am a moh!" She said calmly before changing.
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The spot that Airo Mædret-Chestepst had stood was now occupied by a humongous glistening moth with a wingspan only slightly smaller than Technocrat Limos' desk. It flew around the room, dislodging objects on the selves near the desk and scattering papers everywhere.
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And then the moth was gone, and the woman was back.
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"How?" Mouthed the Adeptus, who was too shocked to speak, and then it hit him too late.
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"It is no longer necessary for me to hide behind a false name, however. I am really-"
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"Using a name which is an anagram of Æcordia the Temptress." Finished the Adeptus.
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"So clever, yet no one would dispute anyone with the honour of being an Adeptus. Νot that there have not been a select few examples of unintelligent or corrupt Adepti. The Adepti Mechanical, Biomechanical, and Gentic all created weapons for profit and took political sides against the Oath of the Adept. Meanwhile the Adeptus Floricultural was often cited as a lackwit child that was only barely able to function on his own who was born to a promiscuous Apprentice and was jokingly made an adeptus in growing pretty flowers due to gardening talent."
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"True, though Floriculture is a legitimate academic field in my view that simply lacks a purpose."
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"I know that you are here to kill Limos. That can not be prevented, but perhaps you should at least understand why I did what I did in two separate instances."
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She paused before continuing. "In 5 YBP, 2 years before the discovery of Æther Harnessing by the Adeptus Æther, I masqueraded as the secretary to the Magister of the Caeli Rector Company, Baron Ludvoic von Geldmäcker, who was the Fourth Ætharch of the Council and went by the epithet of The Monopolist. However, the plan devised by the 76th Council of Ætharchs was a failure due to a single Dragoon Knight; Ser Drakonsarius the Daring of the Order of the Dragoon, who was later a Senior Dragoon Captain and then made honorary Dragonlord-Commander of Knights upon his disappeared and presumed death in 17 YAP after he went off looking for cultists in the Northwest and instead found Khatun Enyo with forty Tumen Elite Guards. He killed the Adeptus Echoist, Seer Fictus Falan, Technocrat Alistair Ashton, Baron Ludvoic von Geldmäcker, Grand Vizier Olga Alexandrov, Ester Noctè, and Mortimer E. Mendax. This led to the formation of the 77th Council, which managed to cause the beginning of the Era of the Æbyss."
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"Wait. No one knows about the Council of Ætharch before the current one, the 78th who is to blame for sixty-six - it became 66 AE three days ago - years of Covenant control?"
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"No one that you will recognise, anyway. Before Empyrea, there was only the Æbyss, and us: myself, my sister Æraxis the Maelstrom, and my brother Æonex the Tormentor. We fought a lot, as siblings generally do, except this constant failed deicide result in a rip in the fabric of the Æbyss forming, and a world fell into the Æbyss along with a star. I could see it, could interact with it to an extent, but never enter it. And it stayed that way for eleven-thousand and forty-two years in which I saw people spread across the world. We watched the almighty and all conquering Colestis Imperii rise and crumble into chaos save for Dominium Estrin. We saw regions born. And we saw some that could see us, and the power went to already evil, by your standards, deities heads, and then the Covenant was founded." Æcordia told them all sadly.
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A moth - this time a normal, completely unremarkable one - was fluttering about the light.
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The Æbyssal Goddess swatted it, and it fell to the ground, unmoving. The moth was dead.
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"CATAE wants rid of us. As do I as it would happen. The Faith of the Star and Techno-Spiritualism are not wrong either, the world was partly formed by the idea of creation, and the 32 deities of the Star are existent but less invisible to me and less powerful, so perhaps I can go to the Celestial Realm that the Ceruleans like to talk of so much."
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"What?" Limos was very confused.
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"No one likes you bar me Limos, hence why we got Eloped. That is why I actually brought you back. But it is time to leave Empyrea, like you did before, only in a much more gentle way.
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Limos looked particularly troubled when he realised what that meant.
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"I am not going anywhere! Dying was extremely painful as those brutes beat me to death." He shouted desperately.
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"I will die with you, Limos, and then we can be together for the rest of time."
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A knife made of a strange material appeared. It was similar to silver but transparent with a slight glow to it.
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Limos blinked, and then the knife was in his heart and then in Æcordia's. The Technocrat and former controller of three separate Technates closed his eyes and stopped breathing calmly. The goddess shatters into thousands of glass-like shards of an unknown crystal that causes the light to bounce around the room spectacularly.
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"Stalwor, inform the Technocratic Directorate of Vorantis that Technocrat Rodney Limos has committed suicide with an odd glass blade, and I was unable to save him or the sculpture he was making."
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"It will be done."
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"I have an airship to catch."
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The Adeptus of Sociology had arrived in the North and had been immediately welcomed by Eirlys Ravyn-Valtor, the Sheild of Empyrea in addition to the Bane of Æcordia, and his friend, Protor Alma.
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A letter congratulating him in successfully taking out Technocrat Limos, the Anchor of Æcordia and his unanimous appointment to the role of Guardian of the South await him. Unfortunately, he would not be able to read it for a while, as Proctor Alma had nominated him as a candidate in the election of the 50th Chancellor of the Academies.
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He was ushered into the chamber that Proctor Alma had told him was normally used for the meetings of the Assembly of the Sixteen Gaurdians.
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The large room was brimming as members of the Academies of the Adept. Four and a half rows of ten seats- completed by a ballot paper and pen placed neat on top of them - had been erected to house the electorate of the election, which Proctor Alma had informed him was to be forty five Adepti as the Humanities were unable to attend, and the Logicians had refused to travel to North on grounds of it being illogical.
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Also present were the Trainee Adepti of the voters, and also some that were present for their studies. The Master Adepts, Apprentices, and Novice Scholars of Proctor Alma's Austerium Academy had been allowed to watch so long as they said nothing.
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Alma pushed him up onto the platform built of planks hastily. There were two chairs present. One of those was already filled by a bored looking woman in her mid to late twenties.
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A short, elderly man - easily in his seventies - shuffled up the steps to the platform and took his place at the microphone. The Adeptus, along with most people in the room, recognised the older man as the Adeptus of Archiving.
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He cleared his throat and spoke in a shockingly gruff voice. "As all of you will know, it is necessary for us to elect a new Chancellor due to the unfortunate as well as untimely death of Chancellor Eustace Argent de Rutherford, the Adeptus Astrognostic. It is traditional for a chosen Vice Chancellor to fill the vacant role until a new Chancellor is elected." He spoke clearly and loudly so that the people at the back could hear without difficulties.
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"As the Adeptus of Archiving, I have been given the pleasure to announce the electorate, introduce the candidates, and ask the prepared questions to them." He droned.
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A lot of the Adepti groaned quietly at this. Most of them knew the Adepti in similar fields, at a minimum, nearly all of the people in the room at a maximum.
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"Unfortunately, the Adept of the Humanities are unable to attend, nor are the Adepti Logical due to concerns about the location." The Vice Chancellor of the Academies took a deep breath.
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"The Adept of Social Sciences have the most fields represented. The Adept Anthropological have sent the Adepti of Anthrozoology, Paleoanthropology, and Sociolinguistics to represent their discipline. The Adept Economical have sent the Adepti of Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Mesoeconomical to vote for them all. The Adept Geographical are represented by the Adepti of Palaeogeography, Cartography, and Geomorphology. The Adept Historical has given us the Adepti of Chronology, Futurology, and Genealogy as their voters. The Adept Political send us the Adepti of Geopolitics, Diplomatics, and Psephology. The Adepti Psychological are honoured to be judged by the Adepti of Psychopharmacology, Psychopathology, and Intelligence. Lastly, for the Adept of Social Sciences, the Adept Sociological are represented by the Adepti of Demography, Geodemography, and Sociomusicology." The Vice Chancellor paused to catch his breath before continuing.
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"The Adept of Natural Sciences are delighted to be present with the Adept Biological having the Adepti of Anatomy, Botany, and Histology as its chosen voters. The Adept Chemical have selected the Adepti of Thermochemistry, Neurochemistry, and Toxicology to represent their interests. The Adept Empyrean Scientific has sent us the Adepti of Oceanography, Climatology, and Topography while the Adept Physical has the Adepti of Celestial Mechanics, Cosmology, and Magnetism." He said as the Adept of Natural Sciences nodded and whispered to each other.
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"The Adept of Formal Sciences are sadly low in numbers, as of the fields under the Formal Sciences, only the Mathematicians could come North. So we will have to do without the presence of the Adept Logical, Systematic, and Statistical. The Adept Mathematical have graciously sent us the Adepti of Number Theory, Geometry, and Algebra to take a break from their numbers and interact with the rest of us." He said.
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The joke at the expense of the Mathematicians got a chuckle from some of the voters.
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"And lastly, I have to introduce the Adept of Applied Sciences who have dragged the Adepti of Argonomy, Mariculture, and Olericulture out of the farms, the sea, and the caves to vote on behalf of the Adept Agricultural. The Adept Horticultural came a lot more willingly and brought the Adepti of Horticulture, Hydroculture, and Permaculture to the North. Lastly, the Adept (Civil) Engineering has sent the Adepti of Municipal Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Hyro Engineering to represent the engineers."
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Finally, all the Adepti that would be voting were introduced.
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"Now, on your ballots, you will all see that we have the Adeptus Sociological and the Trainee Adepti Oratorial as our candidates."
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A storm of muttered conversations rose from out of the seats and into the ears of candidates. The Adepti evidently did not like a Trainee Adeptus running for Chancellor, but someone had nominated her.
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"And now we should ask them questions!" Exclaimed the Vice Chancellor, loving every moment of it.
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"The first question is: Considering that the last Chancellor seems to have been forcibly removed from office by a government aligned with the Covenant of the Void, should the Academies of the Adept take the side of CATAE despite our longstanding pledge to be neutral? The Trainee Adeptus Oratorial may stand."
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Said person obeyed and stood up to take the microphone from the Vice Chancellor.
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"I believe that stronger ties with the Coalition Against the Æbyss or Covenant of the Void is not a question of neutrality, but rather of principles. The Cerulean Faith of the Celestial Star openly believes that we are a harmful force and has refused to allow institutions to be established in important Settlements located in the southwest of Empyrea such as Ecclesia, Celestia, and Teocrazia for the entire history of our organisation. They created the Circle of Veilstones to violently shoehorn religion into education and academics while also banning the export of Veilstones to any other region. CATAE is a political alliance fighting a cloak and dagger war with the cultists, we can trust them about as much as we can trust the Covenant of the Void, which is precisely not at all." She answered before handing the microphone back and sitting down again.
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"The Adeptus Sociological may stand."
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He got up and took the microphone from his wrinkled hand.
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"For those that do not know, I was in the unwilling service of Technocrat Rodney Limos up until yesterday. I was forced to use my knowledge of societies to manipulate the people of Vorantis, something that is against my own conscience in addition to the Oath of the Adepti. CATAE approached me with an offer for transport to the North of Empyrea, not to mention the position of Guardian of the South. Yesterday, I played my role in the death of Limos, and CATAE did as they said they would. Berote and Limos are two puppets that have been toppled thanks to them, and the Bane of Æcordia is now out of a job because the Temptress is dead!"
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The Adepti were leaning in to listen to their fellow scholar eagerly.
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"So, yes, we should side with CATAE despite our pledge. The alternative is that we continue to get pushed around by religious extremists that are worse than the Celestialists and also actively harmful to Empyrea."
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He sat back down in his chair while a round of applause shook the room.
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"Our second question: If elected Chancellor of the Academies, what changes do you promise to bring to the institution?"
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The Adeptus of Sociology recognised the cleverness of this question. It was to gauge how honest and ambitious the candidates were.
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"The Trainee Adeptus Oratorial may stand."
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She got up and took the microphone from him again.
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"If I was elected into the Chancellorship, I would work to expand our reach and influence considerably. We have major academies in the regional capitals of all regions with the exception of the Southwest, and have academies in several cities in those regions... there is an outlier. UMBRACREST!" She yelled, making all the scholars flinch.
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"We only have one in the West. I would have an academy set in up the factions as if elected. Brimstun in the Anocratic Union of Fire, Météore in the Ad Coelum Federation of Syndicates, Zweit in the Verber-Eclipse controlled areas, Mestae or Rissau in the Archduchy of Umbracrest, and Cellula in the sector controlled by the Biotechnological Commission of Umbracrest. We can grow bigger if you cast your votes for me!" She finished.
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"The Adeptus Sociological may stand."
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He took the microphone once again and launched straight into his answer.
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"Respectfully, my opponent has ambitious goals that are perhaps too optimistic to achieve. If elected, I would change a number of rules and have the curriculum expanded. For example, the position of Vice Chancellor would be changed to exist alongside the Chancellor to provide assistance in my and successors tenures. Teaching and solidifying the understanding of how students are taught has been neglected for far too long, so new courses will be created for my new program to introduce the Adept Educational, with benefits such as guaranteed teaching role within our organisation."
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"However, my next promise may annoy some of the older Adepti in the room, but I would introduce theology as a serious academic discipline. Students would be able to choose to specialise in Celestialist or Techno-Spiritualist subjects in order to improve our relationship with the Southwest and get some academies built there. Lastly, I would want to work with regional governments to ensure that the regions themselves get some form of input in our activities so that they can steer the education of their best and brightest in a direction that aligns with regional culture."
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A smattering of applause here, but it was better than his opponent, who had received silence.
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"Lastly: What do you plan to balance the needs and interests of the various groups within the Academies, and what legacy would you hope to leave as Chancellor?"
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"The Trainee Adeptus Oratorial may stand."
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This time, the Adeptus-to-be of Oratorial Studies was confused.
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"Mr. Vice Chancellor, I do not believe I have understood the question. Could you elaborate on the groups you are referring to?"
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"Certainly. The Adeti are grouped into umbrella subjects. These are the Adept of Social, Natural, Formal, and Applied Sciences. Also, various types of student groups exist, such as Regional Student Societies and Social Clubs."
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"Um....Winner takes all? Anyway, I hope to leave a brilliant legacy as Chancellor."
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The Adeptus of Archiving looked disappointed but nevertheless continued. "The Adeptus Sociological may stand."
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"My fellow Adepti, I was a member of some of these groups myself - The Vorantine Savants and the Badminton Society for instance - and so understand that trying to juggle their needs is like wading through those northern Marshlands I hear so much about. However, I would delegate this responsibility to the Proctors of our esteemed Academies as the matter would be a waste of the Chancellor's valuable time. I hope to be remembered as the Chancellor of the Academies that left his mark on the institution for the sake of learning and academics rather than personal gain."
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A round of applause accompanied him back to his seat.
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"You all may now cast your votes on the ballot paper we have provided. One of Proctor Alma's very bright and respectful Novice Scholars will collect them to be counted. A majority of at least one vote is required to win. Our counter is the Trainee Adeptus Legal, and the Invigilator is Master Adept Libra, who is studying Regional Governance under the Adeptus Geopolitical."
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The votes were cast. An electorate of forty-five and first past the post system meant that he would need at least twenty-three votes in his favour; he was expecting a lot more.
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Fifteen minutes later, the results were in. The Adeptus Sociological had received thirty-three votes. 73.33% of the votes were for him.
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"For the record, we need your birth name if I you can remember it, Your Excellency."
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The title did not sit well with him, but it was something that the new Chancellor of the Academies would have to get used to.
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"Jacab Outen."
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"Very well. Proctor Alma informed me that you have been given temporary quarters here in CATAE's stronghold."
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"Chancellor." Said the Proctor with a faint smirk.
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"I took the liberty of bringing you that letter."
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It was contained in a sealed envelope - as white as the snow that covered everything outside - decorated with the seal of CATAE (a broken compass)
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It read:
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To the Adeptus of Sociology,
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On behalf of the members of CATAE(Coalition Against the Æbyss), I am honoured to extend our warmest congratulations to you on your appointment as Guardian of the South. Your unwavering dedication to the cause was proved in your completion of our request to a high standard.
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As you take on this new responsibility, we are confident that you will continue to be useful to us. Your appointment comes at a crucial moment, as the forces of the Covenant are slowly being revealed to the rest of Empyrea to not be as infallible and invincible as they want us to believe. We know that you will bring your vast knowledge and experience to bear in guiding the people of the South, and we have every confidence that your efforts will not be in vain.
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As Guardian of the South, you are tasked with representing the Technocracy of Vorantis on the Assembly of the Sixteen Guardians, something i am sure you will do just fine with.
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Yours Sincerely,
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Eirlys Ravyn-Valtor (Shield of Empyrea and Spokesperson for CATAE)
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Not that CATAE had won quite yet, of course; the newly appointed Chancellor of the Academies and Guardian of the South had heard talk of other people given similar missions to his own that involved Earl Malum and Great Khagan Xantè. He was a bit concerned to hear about an unidentified anchor for Æraxis however. The storm Goddess had wreaked havoc on Vorantis with the Great Æther Storm well before he was born.
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But for now, his work was done.
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And someone wanted a handshake?
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"Who in all of Empyrea might you be? I am tired."
He told the young man wearing ink stained clothing.
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"You will fit right in with us then." He said jokingly.
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"Us? You are a guardian?"
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"Artsian of Literary Arts Williams at your service."
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"An Aquilorian, you are the Southeast representative then?"
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"No, that is Meritocrat Altruis of Wyrai. I am the Guardian of South-Southeast."
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"I see. Let me rest, please."
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"Oh, I will! The Chancellorship on top of a Gaurdianship? Ravyn-Valtor will have you exhausted in a week, sir."
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Williams left in the same manner as he had appeared in the first place: very quickly.
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"Who is West-Southwest then?" He thought out loud.
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"That would be me, Your Excellency."
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"Stalwor?"
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"The one and only. That bed looks comfortable, you aught to get in it before the other fifteen Gaurdians visit you."
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"Get out then."
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The newly minted Chancellor could have sworn that Stalwor had a small smile on his face as he left the room.
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