Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

Part 2 of ???, another omake for ya @Questor

---

Chapter 6-1: Beginnings of a ruler, The Unification war and Kingslayer Hardbeak

Section A: Before the beginning (Aw, I wanted to hear about hardbeak...)

In the previous section, it was noted that The Emperor, before taking the throne, was, in fact, a merchant.

This, surprisingly, is all we really know about that period in history.

Unlike his reign as Emperor, which was documented by a variety of sources including the Yak clans of the age and the Neighponese (please tell me I don't have to track them down...), the era before his ascent to the throne is shrouded in mystery.

Mostly, this can be attributed the the reign of Discord (See: Chapter 3). With tales of words rearranging themselves, pages turning to yogurt, books becoming strange, worm-like creatures, and libraries transforming into large, city destroying berry based abominations, it is no wonder most would consider burning what they could rather than keep them in hopes the Draconequus would eventually be defeated.

However, Emperor Garrick I did indeed keep a journal, even during Discord's reign. And, as mentioned in the prologue to this chapter, it did survive, even in its current divided state.

So, why is it that his early life is mostly unknown if his journal still exists?

The answer to that question lies in the contents of the pages themselves.

In comparison to what he began writing when he took the position of ruler of Griffonia, his writing before then were... impersonal, to say the least. Rather than write about his day, as he would soon do, he instead used his journal as a transaction log, written in messy, shorthand script organized in a peculiar, yet streamlined and efficient, manner. Peculiar to the point that, upon rediscovery of some of the first few pages of his journal, a small group of code breakers were brought in to decipher it (paranoid much?). Rather than use words, Emperor Garrick instead replaced common terms he would come across, such as city names or travel routes, with symbols, and any time he would use words, they were written in shorthand, with most of the letters missing. Numbers themselves were also replaced with substitutes, such as '0' being replaced by an hourglass shape with an open top.

There are many theories among scholars as to the purpose of this. The simplest and easiest conclusion that many have come to is, again, due to the era of discord. Words, the written word especially, was a dangerous thing, and not in the way the modern philosopher would describe it. Writing the word 'dog' on a piece of paper, for example, could cause any number of effects, such as the paper folding itself into a dog, sudden barking, the word 'dog' leaping off the page and acting as a dog would, a portal to the dog dimension opening and spilling dogs everywhere, and so on and so forth (Yeah discord bad, harmony good, yadda yadda...). Thus, by keeping to his unique form of shorthand, he attempted to mitigate this effect. Also for this reason, it is theorized why he refrained from any mentions of himself and his day to day life.

The second theory in regards to his journal is simply a method to keep the information from reaching the wrong claws. In the era of discord, keeping one's route to transport goods secret was all too common, with those able to find the quickest way between cities in a chaotic land making the most profit. By writing his routes down in code, he could keep the competition from making off with his journal and taking his future earnings for themselves.

And the final theory worth noting in terms of why he wrote this way is simply that this was his preferred way of writing things down. While later entries in his journal are perfectly legible as he seemed to convert to using griffonian script seamlessly after becoming king, on certain pages that scholars have access to, he'd occasionally write little notes to himself in the corner in such a script, or wholesale fall back to using his detached, clinical way of coded writing in times of great stress, such as during the first winter war (See figure 5A and 5B). Whether this was due to habit or if he preferred to do so is a question we cannot answer.

So, in spite of having firsthand accounts from the Emperor himself, scholars have found themselves at a metaphorical brick wall in terms of his early life.

But, in spite of it all, the brick wall is not as impenetrable as it seems.

One particular event, the death and revenge of the first Emperor's parents, has been spoken about and romanticized at length.

Historically, there is not much to note about the event. Two line from the Emperor's journal, a transaction between him and another party and a change in route, is all there is to confirm that such a thing had occurred in terms of first party sources. Yet, in all three mentioned tales, "Garrick & Gabriella," "In Darkness and Discord," and "Griffonia," the act of Garrick slaying his parent's killers is at the very least mentioned, and in "Garrick & Gabriella," a pivotal plot point. (Assigned reading for these. Reminder: get maxy and Sparky notes for help)

Thus, the question must be asked. Did it actually occur?

To the modern historian, the answer to that question is, "probably, yes."

In the ancient era, especially in the chaotic squalor of Discord's reign, codifying and keeping to one's code was immensely important to most societies, to bring structure and order to one's self where there was none. Neighpon took this to it's natural extreme in the form of Bushido. Gryphons, meanwhile, simply took to a personal code of honor adapted from the warriors and laws of the past. For example, a rather common law, adapted from the ancient gryphon law of 'an eye for an eye,' was 'Exchange in equivalency,' to give and take in equal measure in accordance to one's needs. Thus, in the case of the death of one's parents, it would have been natural, and even accepted at the time, to seek retribution as equivalence. Doubly so as Gryphon society, as fractured as it was, held in great disdain those who revelled in the chaos Discord sowed, such as brigands.

As for if the event happened at all, it is a subject of much debate. Some speculate that it was added in "Griffonia" as a metaphorical example of King Garrick defeating the chaos the kingdom was under at the time in a way that readers could empathize with. Many lost loved ones in those times, and hearing of their Emperor standing against it and taking action upon his own wings would have resonated with the populace. As both "In Darkness and Discord" and "Garrick & Gabriella" came after, it could have happened that they both looked toward the epic as source material for their interpretation.

While this theory cannot be proven, if taken as fact, then one can point to the factual nature of "Griffonia" for more evidence. "Griffonia," While a fairly long tale with certain parts embellished here and there, maintains a fairly factual basis. For example, in Act 3, the act detailing the Winter War, it describes the Emperor ordering his Diamond Dog troops to write a memorial on one of the rock walls of Redstone pass. Archaeologists cleared out where they assume the battle had taken place according to the geographic markers spoken of in "Griffonia" and found that, while incredibly faded, said memorial did indeed exist.

Thus, many scholars assume Milo to have personally known the Emperor, had taken part in the battle, or interviewed the Emperor himself for his epic; or perhaps some combination of the three.

Whether it be true that Beakspear and Talon-Sea had learned of it from Milo or not, the fact remains that, historically, it seems that such a situation did occur.

The final question remains then, what did happen?

As there is no historical documentation to be had on the subject, it is here we turn toward mythology for a hint at what may have occurred.

Talon-Sea, in his grand design, had written of an assassination plot devised by the then king of Griffonia, adamant on retaining his power and reveling in his greed. He had disguised his best soldiers as brigands and ordered them to behave as actual raiders would, with the explicit instructions on killing anyone related to the Emperors of old in order to retain power. The leader of this unit would do so dutifully, but soon came to be disgusted by both his king and the actions he was forced to perform, until finally, he came across the last remaining remnants of the old blood, two adults and a child traveling the roads as merchants. He did as he was told, Slaughtering both, but out of guilt left their young son alive, without telling the rest of his group. Later on, this survivor would continue business as a merchant, for the sole purpose of gathering enough funds to hire a mercenary group strong enough to take on his tormentors. (Oh thank god a summary! Wooo!)

Once old enough, he would hire a mercenary group lead by a female gryphon on full armor, who he would ask to train him in the act of swordsmanship for the purpose of personally slaying the one who had left him alive. This gryphon would, after much prodding, teach him the basics, and gradually come to admire his tenacity, despite his physical weakness. At this point in time, the king's men had continued their outlaw ways, running amok in the countryside with the leader gradually spiraling into depression. When Garrick and his hired men face off, the leader is at the point of joining the afterlife, but does as his duty commands him and fights Garrick, albeit with minimal strength.

Garrick, in a hard fought battle, defeats him, but spares the life of the leader, seeing that he is a broken griffon, and living as he was was a better punishment than dying to his blade. The leader asks how can he live with what he has done, and Garrick responds by saying there is nothing he can do to make amends, but if he continues to live, he can at least find a way to make the life of someone else better. The leader, taking his words to heart, returns to the king and enacts a plan with some of the other nobles to dispose of him.

In this particular rendition, while the names are never revealed, it is heavily implied in later dialogue and asides that the female gryphon is his future wife, Gabriella, while the Brigand leader is more of an unknown. Some passages hint at the leader to be Hardbeak, the legendary war hero. Others have speculated the leader to be Gustav Kingfeather, the king's royal aid at the time.

Beakspear's rendition is not quite so coincidental, although much more important to the overall story, as it is a tale of the Emperor and Empress. Similar to Talon-Sea's, he marks the mercenaries Garrick hires as the one his future wife belonged to, although, unlike Talon-Sea, she is merely a member of the troupe that grew somewhat curious at the gryphon that paid for their service, rather than the leader. On their journey to find who he desires to kill, they converse, talk, exchange dreams, trade stories, all while Garrick never learns her name nor her face. By the time the bandits are found, they have established a proper rapport with each other, leading to Gabriella gaining a new respect for Garrick upon taking a blade himself a running it through one of the bandits in order to protect Gabriella. While it is mentioned that the future queen had known of the hidden member and was hoping to catch him off guard with a suprise manuever, it is here where she begins to understand Garrick in the context of the story, one who will protect those he cares about while unafraid to get his claws dirty.

Milo's version of events is comparably shorter than Beakspear's or Talon-Sea's. In his version, there is no coincidental plot to murder the last of the old line, nor did he hire his wife's group. It simply tells of Garrick's skill in numbers and a tell at his future battlefield prowess, tracking the brigands based on merchant reports he'd obtained through information dealers in the cities and creating a map of their movements through the major roads, before finding their area of operations. There, he tightened the net smaller and smaller until he found their hideout and came up with a shrewd plan to quickly and efficiently remove the Gryphons inside; By studying the terrain and locating the 'back door' to the cave they were using, he piled lumber on one end of the cave and lit it on fire, filling the inside with smoke. Then, when the brigands attempted to run through the back, they would find themselves on the receiving end of his hired blades. A ruthless revenge.

As for where the truth lies in these renditions, again, it cannot be said which of these holds the truest interpretation. The common denominators between the three, the hiring of a mercenary band to avenge his parents, is plain to see, but whether any of the extra information is true can be argued.

In terms of probabilities, it is unlikely he hired his wife's mercenary group for his scheme (aww, I kinda like that bit...). While historically, the timing may match up, documents indicate his wife was among a band of monster slayers hired by city-states, rather than a mercenary band who would take such a job for coin. It could be done, yes, but the likeliness is very small, and it was only after his reign that the idea of his wife being among the group he hired was brought to light. So, while not impossible, it is improbable.

On the even more unlikely side is the identity of the brigands in Talon-Sea's tale. While the previous kings reign is not well documented, sources suggest he was an 'adequate' king, playing the roll of one who desired stability over advancement or personal gain (why are all the cool bits the fake parts?!). Such was his desire for stability that it is noted he allowed the nobles to do as they wished, up to a point, resulting in nobles keeping some of their collected taxes rather than sending it to the king. Thus, attempting to use tactics such as sending his own army out and having them pose as brigands is not only highly unlikely, but against his style of rule, unwilling to rock the boat in any way.

As for the plan used by Garrick in "Griffonia," it is much more likely than the other two, especially in the act of tracking down the bandits corroborating in merchant records kept by the city states at the time, but the plan he implemented to take them out is more questionable as to whether it did occur or not. But, if he did so or not we will never know, unless future evidence comes to light.

And thus there ends the current speculation on the early life of the king. Perhaps one day scholars will manage to obtain more concrete information, such as more pages of his journal, but as of now, that is all that can be discerned.

Thankfully, his days as a king, and eventually Emperor, are much easier to get a proper grasp on.

Section B: Watch the Throne

---

And to be continued for another time. Hopefully everything here is alright...

[X] What aid exactly can your nation provide in the fight against the dark mage?
[X] What magic might you possess?

The Eastern Emperor smiles broadly.

"The Qilin possess magic that allows them to produce and control flames, the Kitsune and Tanuki are adept at the weaving of illusions, and the Oni are wielders of great strength, similar to the trolls your diplomats have told us about, though the Oni are...somewhat more intelligent than them."

His smile fades.

"Sadly, while we possess powerful magic, we are few in number. The Qilin are the most numerous of the races of Neighpon, and even they are outnumbered more than six to one by your own population. Their nature as hybrid beings severely impacts their fertility. That was part of the reason we sought to integrate the other races."

He stands straighter.

"Our Army may be small compared to your own, but it is still a great force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubt that with your assistance we can destroy this Slave King together."


[X] When we first met, your ships didn't try to make contact again, why?

"When we first sent vessels beyond our shores, we had expected to find a chaotic world still piecing itself together from Discord's madness. We expected any people we would find would be refugees at best or conquering warlords at worst. We did not expect another great Empire, nor that said Empire would desire peaceful relations with us. When our vessels first spotted your own, we decided caution was appropriate, and that we would wait and see if you were friends or foes."


[X] Can you tell us anything about ethereal horses of eternal winter and how we can stop them?

The robed monarch grimaces.

"Windigos. The Qilin have faced them before, during the reign of Discord. We had thought them extinct, or at least banished to the furthest reaches of the Earth. The revelation of their survival, so close to our homeland is...troubling news."

He rubs his forehead.

"Heat and fire weakens them, but it is not enough to destroy them, and the strongest among them can extinguish even the hottest flame. The only way to truly defeat them is to starve them. They feed upon misery, rage and despair. These emotions attract them like moths to flame, strengthening their power and causing them to produce even lower temperatures."

His face curls in disgust.

"I imagine they see the lands of this Shadow King as an endless feast. Killing him will be but the first step to removing them as a threat."


[X] Is there some way we might repay you in kind for your assistance against the dark one?
[X]Of everything my ambassadors told you of my kingdom, is there anything you're particularly interested in? Technologies and goods suitable to trading between our people? Specific aspects of our culture that fascinate you and yours?
He waves a hand dismissively.

"Even if we had not found your Empire under siege, we would still have carried on with this course of action. For starters, the Shadow King poses a grave threat, one that is far too close to our borders for our liking. If you and your people were to fall, my own people would be in much greater danger. And even if there was no Shadow King, we would still seek you out as friends.

Your draconic counterpart nervously wrings his clawed hands.

"My people...they are strong, but they are few in number, and our placement upon an Island, while ensuring our safety from outside threats, also poses numerous issues. Lack of resources, perhaps even a lack of living space at some point in the future. And while the Slave King is a great threat, I have no doubt that he is not the only enemy our peoples shall face in the future. My people could face such enemies alone...but we would prefer having an ally by our side."

His posture straightens.

"As for the possibility of trade, my people have many luxury goods that I am certain your people will seek to purchase, and there is always a market in Neighpon for the raw materials your Empire produces in such great quantities. As for technology..."

He smirks.

"While the flamethrowers I've heard so much about are interesting, I think their fuel will be of greater interest to us. The cannons and black powder weapons have also sparked great interest among my generals. But such discussions are better left for a later date."


[X] As ignorant of your culture I have to ask: Is there anything specifically that i or my people should avoid doing in your's or your people's presence? Any specific behaviour that might be considered offensive or taboo that i might not expect?

The Dragon-Emperor shakes his head.

"If half the things I've heard about you and your people are true, you have nothing to worry about. Simply be polite and hold yourselves to a code of integrity and honor. There are no obscure taboos or complex social protocols you need concern yourselves with. Simply treat us as friends, and we shall do the same."


[X] Can you talk a bit about the various races that inhabit your kingdom, and how they came to live together in peace?

"Certainly. The Qilin are descendants of my ancestors, the Heavenly Dragons. Unlike the Earth-Dragons you are familiar with, the Heavenly Dragons possessed magic, able to manipulate the very elements to their will. With their arcane mastery, they coaxed forth the land of Neighpon from the depths of the sea to serve as a sanctuary for themselves and those they chose to take under their aegis."

He pauses.

"At least, that is the story that the Qilin tell. I...cannot attest to its accuracy. I was not yet hatched when Neighpon was created, nor when Discord cursed the Heavenly Dragons to suffer a plague of lethargy and sent them into an inescapable slumber at the same time he cursed the Earth Dragons with a plague of all-consuming greed. My egg was found by the Qilin, miraculously still viable, several years into Discord's reign of terror. I was raised by a people who saw me as the last of their waking gods. I was told that I alone could lead the Qilin to a brighter future, that it was my destiny to slay the Laughing God and reawaken my slumbering brethren."

He smirks wryly.

"It came as a bit of a shock to us all when Discord simply disappeared. A bit anticlimactic really."

His smirk fades, his eyes downcast.

"It came as an even greater shock when the Dragons did not reawaken. No matter what we tried, we could not rouse them for more than a few minutes at a time....and so the duty of leadership fell to me."

He chuckles mirthlessly.

"I apologize. I have gotten off topic. You asked how our peoples came to live together in peace? Well, for many years we did not live in peace. The Kitsune and Tanuki were decried as tricksters and thieves, the Oni as brutish simpletons who often raided villages for food and stores of alcohol. The story of how this changed was not too dissimilar from how you made peace with the Diamond Dogs. All parties eventually agreed that we stood more to gain working together than fighting against each other...especially as we began to realize that a world beyond our Island existed."

He sighs, shaking his head.

"But I am afraid that is where the similarities with the story of Griffins and Diamond Dogs ends. The disparate races still hold a certain amount of distrust for each other. Our peoples are still divided, by geography and psychology if not by nationality. The peace we have built is still a fragile one and...not all of the races of Neighpon agreed to unify."

He traces the beads around his neck, eyes fixed on a faraway place.

"The Kappas were another race that inhabited Neighpon. Were."

He shakes his head, his eyes focusing back on you.

"That is another reason why I wished for my people to meet yours. When I learned of another Empire where multiple races lived alongside each other in harmony, I hoped that it could serve as an example for my own people, that they too could learn to live in peace."


[X]Do you have any information for a growing dragon? Don't want to hurt my adopted daughter through ignorance.

"Ah yes, your explorers told me of how you had adopted an Earth-Dragon hatchling. Truth be told, that is one of the reasons I took such interest in you and your people."

Kōryū looks almost...uncomfortable.

"I have lived over a century now...I will live for many centuries more...my fellow Heavenly Dragons are all trapped in a slumber that they are unlikely to awaken from for more than a few days out of each century. The Qilin are longer lived than your own people, but even they are but as mayflies in comparison to my lifespan. Half the people I have ever known have died of old age, and that number will only grow. I know it may sound selfish, but...I greatly wish to meet others who I know I will not outlive."

With a shake of his head he returns to the image of a composed and dignified head of state, giving you a reassuring smile.

"Her failure to turn into a greed-obsessed monster proves you are doing just fine in the task of raising her. Ensure she gets the proper nutrients and you shouldn't have anything to worry about."


[X] Would you like to meet my wife and kids?

Your fellow Emperor stares blankly...then laughs. You fear you've made a faux-pas, but the Dragon waves a clawed hand.

"Forgive me but...I don't think anyone has ever asked me that question before. So many of my people view me as beyond them, as a perfect being, that they forget I am also a person."

He actually looks a little sad at this admission.

"It is...good...to be seen as an approachable equal by another. I would be honored to see your land and culture with my own eyes, and to meet your family."

And so, after a great kerfuffle amongst the Neighponese, who insist on sending an honor guard along with their ruler (who manages to talk them down from a battalion to only a squadron of Qilin Samurai), the two most powerful beings in the known world depart the Palace Ship for shore. A number of sky-carriages are hastily gathered for transport to the capital, and after a short ride, you lead the Draconic ruler to your not-so-humble home.

At which point he is almost tackled by Gwyndlyn.

"OhmygoshanotherdragonhimynameisGwyndlynwhatsyourswoukdyoulikesomegemswhereareyoufromarethereotherdragonstherewillyoubemyfriend!?"

To the great surprise of his entourage, the elder dragon bends a knee to look your awestruck daughter in the eye.

"I am Kōryū Ryūō, Emperor of Neighpon. And I would like nothing more than to be your friend."