Good day. To those whom I have not yet met, I apologize for that lapse. I am Arthur Grey, named Baron of Darkmoor.
I come to you today not merely to introduce myself but to discuss the current state of our Barony, as I perceive it.
I have seen, in the scant time that has elapsed since the King proffered this title upon my shoulders, a darkness over this realm. There has been a void of leadership and sense of community in Darkmoor that has allowed this darkness to take root.
The lawlessness and lack of governmental presence has resulted in a community where fear is a commonplace. A scant few days ago, criminals attacked the town, murdered two citizens and attempted to pilfer the Baron’s purse. In the middle of the day, in the middle of town.
At the Royal Court, Elder Pool and Darkmoor broadly are referred to as "that hideous place." The ancient origin of the word "hideous" comes from our modern word "hide" which originally meant "fear." Our community is one where fear prevails.
Fear not just of the criminality that I just mentioned and that we have all seen, but also fear of one another. Today, Darkmoor is not a single community; it is a collection of factions; small collections of peoples who rarely interact with one another, and when they must, they do so at arms-length. Or at the length of a blade.
That is not the type of society in which I wish to live.
When the king called upon Darkmoor to send its representatives to the ceremony at which I was installed as Baron, you sent your finest. I have seen firsthand the heart and greatness of these people. I would not be here today, were it not for the service, heroism and prowess of representatives of these factions of which I have spoken.
There is a darkness, today, in our barony. It has been allowed to fester and to grow and to split us up into our little communities, separate and afraid. But it need not remain that way.
Our once-great buildings have crumbled. Our walls have collapsed. Our roads no longer connect us. This darkness has surrounded us, forced us into tiny islands of faltering light.
What can be done about this? We can rebuild. We can reconstruct the core of our community, make it safe and whole. This work has already begun, as you can see with the improvements at the Ragged Moon and that task is not yet complete. We will rebuild the roads so that all points in Darkmoor connect once again to Elder Pool. Safe and stable roads will encourage the flow of traffic and of commerce.
We will not merely focus on Elder Pool, however. There are valuable — critical functions in all corners of our Barony that will be restored for the benefit of us all. In the old days, the mystic powers of the wizards and sorcerers of Anthracite generated magics hailed far and wide for their effectiveness. If we create the proper conditions and lend them the support they need, they will do so again.
The people of the Wood provided the lumber required for any community to thrive. Today, that lumber leaves Darkmoor and merely serves to furnish the castles and limousines of foreign nobles. The most excellent hunters of the People of Aldmaar once provided the realm with the finest of furs and game meats. There is a bounty in that wood that today, must be reserved only for the followers of Aldmaar, because they have no other recourse for feeding their families.
And yet, our nobles own vast farm lands that could, as they once did, provide food — milk, cheeses, beef, bread and beer, potatoes, yams and carrots — enough for every table in the Barony. But those farms produce so little, due to a lack of available workers, poor and broken tools and the ravages of wild beasts who damage or steal crops. Too often, the wild beasts are of the two-legged species.
The mines and stone-working expertise of the peoples of the south have been lost, or at minimum lie fallow under a cloak of darkness. We need those metals and that expertise if we are to build a healthy Darkmoor. We must invest in these resources.
The Guilds today produce a meager offering, compared to what they once could. Waxes and honeys and meads and fine finished goods, gowns and boots and –hear me my agrarian friends — tools and weapons, all were produced in great number in Darkmoor and the quality was renowned. What few items the Guild produce have no viable, no safe markets here and are thus exported.
These problems arise not from a lack of will or of character in our Darkmoor. They arise because we separate ourselves into our shadowed enclaves where we fear the other and have come to believe that isolation and alienation is the only way.
I have come here today, my subjects and friends, to tell you that there is another way. The way of community. Of brotherhood. Of joint purpose and collective effort for the common good. I do not preach a fantasy where we must subjugate that which makes us special and unique in order for Darkmoor to flourish. That way can not succeed. We must celebrate the unique qualities, the odd quirkiness of our individuality; embrace our differences. But recognize that we all — all of us — have value and we can all contribute to making our collective lot better. The soldier, the farmer, the craftsman, the artisan, the mixer of potions, the cook, the brewer, the wayfinder, the laborer, the mender of garments, the artist, the musician, the teacher and … yes, even the noble — we all have a role, a value that we can bring to the community. But we can only experience the full blooming of that self-worth when we can bring it to bear to help our fellow and to lighten one another’s load. Two men together can do what a scattered dozen can not, as we say.
Why do I believe that this is possible? Why do I think that despite the darkness that like a heavy smoke lies over our barony, that we can come together and achieve these things?
Because I have seen what happens when we work together. These four, who you, separately but acting in unknowing concert, sent to the King and thence, to me, have fought tooth and nail through an army of darkness to restore the royal seat of Darkmoor. They fought side-by-side. Had all not worked so loyally together, all would have fallen, myself included.
Likewise, when those criminals came into the center of our community, they were defeated by the joint effort of the citizens of Darkmoor. Two of our citizens died in rebuffing that attack. We must give honor and dignity to their sacrifice.
I invite Kog, representative of the Peoples of the South to say what he might about those who gave their all on that day.
[Kog speaks]
Kog was the direct target of that invasion, as he oversaw the reconstruction operations in my absence. By all accounts, Kog led the defense and made the criminals pay dearly for their heinous acts. And yet, when all was done and peace had been restored, he stayed his hand at the last and showed a mercy that these criminals would never in like situation, would have shown. Today, I present to you (ceremonial knighting) Sir Kog of the South, the first restored Knight of Darkmoor. Sir Kog, I offer you my sincerest thanks and this — the Noble Order of Darkmoor (affixes pin).
There is one group that I have not mentioned today. You might think that I fear to do so. I do not. I want us all to recognize that, as in the days of old, our community will only flourish if we strive for a higher purpose. A belief in deeds greater than ourselves. Beyond the simple black-and-white of hardscrabble existence there must be a heart that guides us, a wisdom that directs our actions. And when we are in our greatest times of need, a beacon to remind us that there are things greater than the deeds of man and beast. My family, the long lineage of the Greys have always clung to the teachings of San Nicholas. Not because he promised some great reward in the afterworld, that was never his emphasis, nor ours. But because his wisdom teaches humility, sacrifice, beneficence and goodwill to all. That following this guidance our hearts are filled, not just our bellies or our purses. That without love — love of our families and our neighbors and those who do us ill and even, even ourselves — what good is life, in this world or the next?
Our efforts, my brothers and sisters and friends, must be collective. They must be sincere and taken up with a heartfelt commitment and guided by wisdom. They must be brave and clever and well-considered. And swift. And before all of that, they must be undertaken in a spirit not of rebuilding what once was, but of building what must be. What should prevail.
I have spoken long, my friends. I beg forgiveness for my rambling. But all of that I have said, I will tell you with great earnestness, I believe it. All of it. I hope you will, too, even if you do not yet.
I leave you with this final, final promise: I see that Master Rouvel is in attendance. He will mark my words carefully, I am certain. The next drink, my friends and subjects, shall be served on my account! To the bar!