[X] Speech
- [X] "Citizens of the Empire. Distinguished guests. Naval-men, Legionnaires, warriors. Today, we stand before an ocean larger than Essos. Cities more populous than Volantis and Braavos together. Lands filled by demons, castles in the clouds, and enough dark wizards to feed a God to bursting."
- [X] "You've heard the tales of monsters, fool's gold, and tricksters hunting for mortal souls with twisted bargains. You've seen the specter of ruin come to our lands, perhaps brought by armies clad in molten flame or simple gold plentiful enough to make the livelihoods of all worthless. And of course, there are the plays about the dangers of portals leading beyond this world and the difficulty of closing them - some of which still have more truth than flattery in them! All here know how hard I myself have fought against such things in the past."
- [X] "And yet this was built by our own hands. It was built in the belief that no matter how mighty their armies, even lands of Giants and mighty spellweavers can be turned into profit."
- [X] "Yes, their merchants bargain with sorcery. Their bandits fear neither blade nor bow. Their kings have ruled since before the Free Cities were built, and even their lesser tribes thrive in lands where mortal men would die in moments. But today mankind stands together, without divides to prey upon and with mages to shield our traders. Here stand a Dothraki Khal and a Braavosi Keyholder, sharing concerns and not blades, standing stronger in the face of the inhuman than they could alone!"
- [X] "Both see the danger - but both see the opportunity, coming hand in hand. All Captains here know that the further the port lies, the richer the voyage will be. Beyond the edge of our world, our homes are not just another prize among others: we are called dwellers of a Garden, a place of safety and delights unknown to even immortal spirits. For every myth of cities paved with gold, they have tales of lands where wines worthy of kings are grown. Shellfish for those who dwell in all-consuming fire and have never seen the sea. Cotton and silks for dwellers in a land of eternal stone. And in return, with a little caution and shrewd bargaining as we've all done before, wonders undreamt of by mortals who cannot journey to these crystal palaces. The sorceries they would turn on us, brought to bear against shared enemies. Secrets of stone-shaping to build roads across the world, gems beyond mortal ken, and even art to warm a Dragon's heart - all that and more can be found in the halls of the Shaitan and the Djinn, our allies and trading partners both."
- [X] "So let us raise our cups tonight, not to drink away the worry and the fear of the horrors that can be found beyond this world, but in hope and appreciation of the marvels. And the wealth, of course."
So I really wanted a firebrand moment, but then I realized that this is basically just a project presentation given to a bunch of executives. Shit!
Hopefully we'll be having more great speeches when we go administer our cities directly.
