Wondrous Item

Uncommon

The Senate Ledger Rod (1) is a slender staff crafted from polished white wood, its surface smooth and unmarred save for faint etchings of root-like patterns that spiral delicately from the base to the tip. Measuring approximately 18 inches in length and an inch in diameter, the rod tapers slightly at one end, where a small, inset orb of translucent alabaster serves as a counterweight.   At its midpoint, the rod features a recessed band of gelwed, engraved with the insignia of the Ḧelflynz. This metal accent provides both grip and a subtle visual distinction, marking the rod as a tool of high status.   The opposite end of the rod features a hollow, capped compartment designed to store small scrolls or notes. The cap, also fashioned from gilded metal, is threaded to secure tightly and engraved with some numeral that has been scratched out.

"Brethren, I have heard the words of the Radiant. I have heard his plea for balance, his call for compromise. I have heard his vision of harmony—a vision that would bid us dull the edge of the blade in favor of what? Diplomacy? Concord with the unworthy? Shall we lay down our swords so that the weak may take up the pen? I think not. Let none mistake me—I do not question Ellaher’s courage in the field, nor the blood he hath spilled in service to the Tree. I know well the battles he hath fought, the victories he hath claimed. Yet battle alone doth not make a leader, and blood alone is not the measure of worth. His deeds, though shining in the eyes of the common folk, are tempered by a softness that doth not belong in this chamber. Ellaher would have us bow to weakness. He would have us yield to the demands of the outer provinces, as though their toil is equal to the heartlands that sustain the very roots of Raskirith. He doth forget that the Sun doth not shine equally upon all lands; its rays are strongest where the Tree stands, and it is there that our strength lies. To grant the fringes equal voice is to admit them into a sanctity they have not earned. And I say this to thee, not as a senator, but as a man of war: Ellaher’s path doth lead to fracture. He doth speak of unity, but his unity is an illusion—a frail thing cobbled together by words and sentiment, not forged in the fires of purpose. Shall we now pretend that balance can be struck between the faithful and the faltering? Between those who dwell in the Light and those who skirt its edges? Ellaher, if thou art listening, know this: I do not trust thee to lead. Thy wisdom is soft. Thy Light is pallid, too gentle to endure the storm. Thou wouldst seek to placate the provinces, to coddle those bereft of true understanding. I say unto thee, thy vision is weakness wrapped in gold. Brethren, I stand before thee not as one who doth merely speak of strength, but as one who hath wielded it. I am the first Horonir, a sword forged in the crucible of battle. My scars are my argument, my victories my creed. I have seen what it taketh to preserve the Light, and it is not debate nor compromise. It is resolve. It is violence when necessary, for the Tree must be pruned to thrive. To Ellaher, I say this plainly: if thou dost persist in thy folly, if thou dost attempt to lead Raskirith down this path of unstrength, thou shalt find not just my voice raised against thee, but my sword. To this Senate, I declare: reject his vision. Let us not falter in our duty to the Light. Beauty alone cannot defend a nation. Strength, discipline, and the shine of conviction—these are what preserve the Tree. These are what make Raskirith eternal. Follow me, brethren, and I shall show thee the path of true unity: the unity of the strong, forged by the Sun itself."

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