Speech: A Lesson from History
From FiranMUX
Summary
This speech was given by Sentry Udana on Fri Jul 16, in the year 48 A.U. in the City Center of Scirlut.
This speech is notable because of the historical details present within it, and its portrayal of Gold Dragon Clan actions as seen by the Griffon Clan.
Speech Text
Soldiers of the Griffon clan,
We all have been raised with the history of our clan. But it seems that the Gold Dragons have forgotten their own history. Before we became Griffons we were part of the Gold Dragon clan, and their leader had died. Lord Firalon was favored to be the next Clan Leader and was engaged to Lady Juni, but the Dragons feared a woman with as much influence as Lady Juni had to be married to the Clan Leader so they insisted on Lord Firalon marrying the Lady Nestra, which would guarantee him the throne and bring peace to the realm.
Of course, in true typical Gold Dragon fashion, the nobles and priests double-crossed him once he had married Lady Nestra as they demanded. Moreover, the Lady Nestra herself was untrue, taking illicit lovers. Some say she even bedded with a common bastard in the royal palace itself.
It was only after Lord Firalon caught Lady Nestra trying to poison him that he demanded a divorce, even though he knew it was certain to cause civil war. He did not like the oppression, the greed and the petty warfare of the traditional lords, and he reconciled with his betrothed, Lady Juni.
Together, they founded the Griffon Clan, taking a sizable portion of the population with them, and seizing prime lands, such as Anarinuell, Ellish and Scirlut.
The Gold Dragon Clan never accepted that Lord Firalon and Lady Juni's secession and they viewed the formation of the new clan as a breach of unity and treason. As such, they considered all lands conquered by the Griffon Clan to be their own, and they were particularly bitter about the acquisition of Anarinuell, which had always been a Gold Dragon City before it gave its loyalty to Lord Firalon.
Then came the wars the Gold Dragons did under the name of their god "Zutiv" and retook Anarinuell and then the genocide by Elianos, son of "the butcher of Scirlut" Firgalus, founder of the house that gave us the kinslayer.
Now we get to the part of the formation of the Republic, let us look at their actions then.
Firgalus having defeated the High Priest tried to bring about an Empire which he would rule as religious and secular leader. The other clans refused, and even his own son voted against him.
Then the Great War came about. The Shamibelians came down on us like a swarm of locust on a wheat field. The cities of Unotran, Firalut, and Scirlut were burnt to the ground in a ring of fire. The Griffon clan stayed and fought a holding action against the Shammies while everyone retreated to Caldera City. Where was the mighty Gold Dragon army during this time? Retreating with the rest leaving it to the Griffon clan to hold off the might of the Shamibelian armies.
Then came the Alliance wars, where the Gold Dragons tried to incite a riot during the tense times due to a dissolution of promised peace marriages between Lord Sabinus Rissik and Lady Petrina Ista Aldrik. They formed an Alliance that banished the Ravinor Vahlgellan and formed a dictatorship to rule over all the clans that weren't aligned with the Gold Dragons.
Now we get to the Blood Dragon Civil War - In 34 A.U. Clan Leader Jalil Firgalik gifted the city of Skirlut to his son Judanus as a wedding gift when he was married to Luna Corinala of the Griffon Clan. The population of Skirlut rebelled, and refused to give up the city, declaring themselves the clan of the Blood Dragons. The Gold Dragons did nothing to fix this situation even though they were given months to do it. So the Griffon army marched to reclaim what is rightfully ours. We all know that my mother Dame High General Latta Nesharen, died that day saving a soldier from the field. Everyone remembers when the wind blew the gates of the city open showing Uf's wrath against the Dragons.
But what happened ... The Dragons screamed for aid from the Republic and caused the wall to be built down the center of OUR city splitting it in two, half ours, half governed by the republic. An agreement between the Gold Dragon leadership and Lord Viceroy Taleo Teranzik.
We did NOT get a say in the destiny of our own city.
Now they make speeches about our clan laying rightful claim to OUR entire city, but as their speeches read, it is "Their" city, they own no territory in this city, not a single acre. Clan Leader Ojitar himself agreed that nothing in Scirlut would belong to them.
They scream about all the men that died from their clan helping to retake Ellish. Acting like they are the only clan that was there fighting against the goats. They act as if they were the most victorious in that battle when no one can forget that the first flag to fly over Ellish gates was the Griffon flag, while the Gold Dragons floundered trying to take their gate. And they now scream for a Coalition force to be formed to defend Ellish against the Shammies, but pull all their forces from the city.
They scream for the formation of a Coalition to come to Scirlut and help the Dragons defend against the Griffon clan invading them.
We are not invading. We are simply taking control of territory that belongs to us, but was safeguarded by the republic. With the republic gone, we have no choice but take what is ours.
And now one of the Dragons declares a game for us to play. A GAME! As though they had any claim to this city. Scirlut belongs to us, and every Gold Dragon who does not depart this city willingly is an invader of Griffon territory.
Today, we stand here to take what belongs to us.
Today, we stand here to avenge our dead.
Today, we fight.
Not for glory,
Not for honor,
But for justice.
For our dead.
For our city.
For Scirlut.
