Malvarro's Vanguard Rally Speech

This article was written for Summer Camp 2024 and may be missing some information. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section at the end of the article.

On 21st Bela 1330 A.E. thousands of people flocked to the Southend to hear General Augustas Malvarro give his first and only personal address in the city of Revaelor before the Vanguard Revolution.
Smuggled into the city disguised as a merchant in a trading caravan from Greyspire, the General was able to deliver the full speech before the Revaelorian City Watch were deployed to break up the assembly, and ensuing political violence.
Filled with conspiracy, anti-magi and anti-establishment themes, the speech was a major call to arms for citizens of Revaelor and support for the Vanguard Cause grew immeasurably as a result.
The chronicler Otto Von Spenkol, from the Bridgeport Guild of Scholars, has transcribed and catalogued the General's speech from the original record currently held at the Presidium's Office of Historical Records.

"My brothers and my sisters, I must be blunt with you today.
The threat we face is a grave one indeed. One that is not so easily vanquished with courageous hearts and good steel.
The darkness within this city has taken hold. It has festered, like in the ancient days of Mathidon.
It stalks our streets preying on the innocent; it shrouds our institutions, nurturing corruption and selfishness; but more importantly, it has infiltrated our very homes, spreading plague and pestilence—leaving nothing but grief in its wake.
Now Duke Tarryn wants to ignore the reasons for this wickedness. Whilst we, the people, suffer endlessly and without respite, the Duke and his circle of privileged mugs are perfectly content lounging in their lavish palaces, getting fat and turning a blind eye to the harsh reality of our plight.
But I ask you this: how many more of our brethren must perish from this horrible curse before they acknowledge the cause of our misery?
How many more of our children must die starving like beggars before they open their eyes to what's really going on?
I say enough! Enough pain, enough despair, and enough death.
We must fight to protect what is ours. Fight to protect it from the magi filth that would steal it from us.
They have sought to enslave us with this disease—this curse. They wish to desecrate our way of life in the name of their false gods, whilst our supposed leader sits back on his haunches, too scared to defy them.
But I will not stand idly by, I promise you that.
Today, I bring you a vision, my brothers. Today, I bring you hope.
Imagine a future where we no longer bow to their tyranny. Where the working man gets the revels he deserves for his service to his kingdom. Where mothers can watch their children grow up, well-fed, educated and happy. A future where bards tell stories of our strength and unity in adversity, and musicians sing songs of our great kingdom and the courageous hearts of its people.
Now it's not just a fallacy—a fanciful notion; we can have that future. We need only take it. Take it from those who seek to torment us—hurt us.
For the last five years, my allies and I have been building something special. A movement of resistance ready to take back power from those who do not deserve it and defeat this Magi threat once and for all. We are called the Vanguard and our aim is simple—to deliver justice to this city and its people!
Now I will not lie to you. It's a tall order and it will be far from easy. And believe me, I know what is at risk here, because I know the damage conflict can do to our lands, to our homes and to our hearts.
I've fought against the orcish invasion on our borders. I've defended us from the barbarian hordes who plague the barren north.
I have seen my comrades, my brothers, fall in a whirlpool of blood and viscera for a Duke too cowardly to pick up a weapon himself.
But if we want the life we deserve, I'm afraid we are going to have to risk it all and fight for it, for our children.
If we truly want to be free, we must stop the magi plot and seize power for ourselves.
So I ask you to hear my plea. Those who can, join me and the Vanguard army at Stronghold. We have plenty of supplies. You will be well-fed and well-trained, and when the time comes, your collective heroism will echo through the ages.
To everyone else, change is coming and every one of us has the power to make a difference, no matter how small.
After all, if we sow the seeds of revolution now, then honest people like you can reap the coming harvest of prosperity.
From this day forward, let us fight as one. For freedom, for justice, for all!"

General Augustas Malvarro, 1330 A.E.

Type

Record, Historical