Failed Peacemaking

Political event

Attempts were made by King Murtay of Miliim to smooth things over with the Emperor of Zukei; these attempts were a joint effort with Zukei's longtime ally Aerdis, then led by King Aiden Ahren II. Unfortunately, the Emperor of Zukei would accept only the head of Murtay Mhiina's son Hodari--who had not left his chambers since the assassination--as a means of ending the feud between the two nations. King Murtay refused this, but maintained that he would continue funding investigations into the true force behind the assassinations. The emperor, however, stated that he would be leading his soldiers to war if King Murtay would not appease him.

Investigations were ongoing in Miliim since the slaughtering at the wedding, but no information regarding the nature of the assassins could be acquired. Each of them had consumed a potion that would kill them without an antidote, which they couldn't receive if they were captured, so no live subjects were taken. Discussions of using necromancy to communicate with the dead, but that particular school of magic had been forbidden across Elzveir for centuries and the idea was quickly thrown out. Justice would not be pursued through such vile means. Unfortunately, this meant that months after the assassination of Ejiiri Nakomori, no leads had been uncovered.

This made peace talks with Emperor Otagi Nakomori of Zukei impossible. Even with the help of Aiden Ahren II, King of Aerdis, progress could not be made with the emperor. Otagi demanded that in exchange for the death of his daughter in Miliir territory, the head of Murtay's son Hodari Mhiina be presented to him. This, Otagi stated, would be the only way that he would stay his hand as the drums of war resounded across Elzveir.

King Murtay understandably refused to execute his son to appease the emperor, and so war seemed inevitable.