Gaius Politanus' Speech

A speech written for the drylanders by Gaius Politanus as they tour the cities of the Cerulean Empire during Embers of 5575 NG. It is a blatantly political ruse to try to force the emperor to give the Garum political party, the Emperor's own party, more power in the regional senate. Their rivals, the Worcesters, seek a religious government supplicating the people to Umberlee.

It is recorded organically on a deep-water kelp leaf that is shredded and reformed into a flexible sheet of fabric-like "paper" that can be folded, written upon, and generally used for correspondance and art.

Purpose

Meant to whip up even more support for the Garum,

Historical Details

Background

Written for a party of drylanders that found themselves in the The Cerulean Empire.

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Gaius Politanus' Speech

Friends! Ceruleans! Trenchmen! Lend me your otoliths!; I come to proclaim, not to implore. The evil that drylanders do can last eternal; But, the good is interred with their sunken bones; So let us break this cycle. The noble Politanus Hath told you drylanders are ambitious: An it is so, it is no grievous fault, Nor grievously hath the drylanders answer’d it. Here, under leave of Politanus and the rest– For Politanus is an honourable man; And so are they all, all honourable men– Come I here to speak in Politanus' stead. He is my friend, faithful and just to me: And Politanus says he is ambitious; And Politanus is an honourable man. He hath brought drylanders here to the Empire Whose ransoms could the general coffers fill: Would this in Politanus seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Politanus hath wept: Should we not be made of sterner stuff? Yet Politanus says he is ambitious; And Politanus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the yestereve He thrice presented his own loaf to the poor, Which he was thrice refused: was this ambition? Yet Politanus says he was ambitious; And, to be sure sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Politanus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all do love thy neighbor, and not without cause: What cause withholds you then, feeding them? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the gutter, there, with the tears of the destitute, And I must pause till my voice come back to me. <pause> Tis the Emperor, may he live thrice-long, who decides; Who it is that lives, and who dies. Perhaps his mercy will be stirred by these lowly, yet loving, drylander's words. Heed us, oh Azure the Interminable! Feed the hungry, and allow the sick to be healed! We ask this in your name, for the public weal.
In the name of the Empire, I give you my thanks. <bow, right hand over heart>

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Type

Manuscript, Historical

Medium

Organic

Authoring Date

Embers 12, 5575 NG

Location

The Cerulean Trench