Alexia
The meeting continues for a while before the groups end up separating into the first three levels of the hall at about the three or so hour point. And of the three levels, the first level has a bunch of groups in them, whereas the second level has two groups. Lastly the third level has only a single group on it. But these groups don’t match the authority of the level. They mostly match the power and influence of the people in the group.
Meaning that the important people are on the second level and everyone who isn’t important is on the first level, just left there to their own. And the third level is made up of the leaders of groups and alliances and only the leaders.
Ignoring the groups on the first two levels, I watch alongside Astrid and Ethan as the group discusses stuff on the third level. A level that actually includes Alara, who was invited there at one point.
Before now, all of the discussions down below have been private meetings between two parties all over the place. But this meeting seems to be an actual meeting meant to represent the opinions of everyone.
“This meeting has several different reasons,” Varsac declares while standing in front of his booth, his arms crossed. “A border around the Dimensional Wall needs to be set up to monitor and deal with new entries into the Block, a decision must be made about how we will treat people from other Blocks, a decision must be made about how we will treat other Blocks in general, and we need to distribute territory.”
“Hold on a second, Dimensional Leader,” the former leader of the Assassins Guild back in the Silvercrest Kingdom before the Reset, a man whose name was unknown before now and only went by the title Shadow. Although now his name is clear through identify as Arach Vmal. “The territory has already been distributed. If you wish to renegotiate the territory around your own domain then please do so with your neighbors and leave us out of it.”
“I agree with Arach,” the former queen of a nearby nation to Silvercrest back before the Reset, some lady whose level is too low right now for me to care about, says, her silky voice echoing through the hall as the other levels beneath them go silent.
“And the lowest level groups here? Do you really think they deserve an island of their own?” Varsac says, his contempt for them pretty obvious in his voice. “Will they be able to defend it? How will we treat wars between groups? And what if another Block infiltrates them without our knowing?”
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“Silvercrest votes a military hold of the island’s peak to prove who owns the island at any time,” Harold declares, looking apathetically at everyone on the third level, which consists of a dozen people.
“The vote is seconded,” Varsac declares, raising a hand. Then a third hand comes from an efreet with flaming hair and eyes, who is a Class A species leader who hasn’t said a word that I’ve heard this entire meeting. Although I have seen his mouth move while inside of his booth, so he can talk. Just doesn’t seem to want to.
A fourth hand goes up from another military focused power, followed by a fifth and a sixth.
Alara seems to be neutral in the vote, probably because there isn’t anyone here who will bother with attacking the Retreat with me defending them. Unless someone wants to challenge the Champion of the Block, that is.
Ethan doesn’t seem to care, and neither do I if I’m being honest. As long as no one goes picking a fight with me.
And even then it might be interesting.
Which only leaves five people down below who are left on the third level, and Archal is voting neutral on this, leaving the other four voting no.
“The vote passes,” Varsac declares before raising his voice to speak to everyone in the hall. “All territory will be determined by military might through whoever holds control of the island peak of each island! Speak now or forever hold your peace!”
No one says anything. Probably because none of the people below them want to anger any of the people on the third level.
The whole thing about holding the island peak is an interesting concept though. The area controlled by the level capped monster of the island.
I lean my cheek against my hand again, feeling just as bored now as I was before.
“The next decision at hand,” Varsac continues, “how should we deal with outsiders to the Block?”
A woman on the third level who is wearing a long coat and pants who I recognize as the former leader of a heavily mercantile Republic from before the Reset says, “I suggest we mark and tax them. The mark will be magical and should be recognizable by anyone with the corresponding partner mark to the mass mark, and it will fade away after they leave the Block. They will also be trackable by anyone with the partner mark, making it easy to keep track of the outsiders through the Block.”
“What if they remove the mark themselves?” another leader named Shella who I actually don’t recognize asks. The woman is a vampire though, which isn’t a common sight.
The merchant lady, named Artoria Glenda, turns towards her and answers, “Then every holder of a corresponding mark will feel it and receive an alarm telling them that the holder of the mark removed it.”
“And you already have a magical spell like this? And you can cast it after you’re levels have been Reset?” Varsac asks with a frown on his face. And when Artoria nods, he says, “Then we will need to speak more on how to treat the outsiders when they’re inside of the Block.”
The discussion then continues on with me feeling bored all the way along with the two people next to me.
I just want to go back to the dungeon please.