Behind the Musings – Part 3

I got back all the comments and stuff from my beta readers, compiled it into a nice, handy-dandy notebook and am on my final “go-through-everything-and-fix-common-complaints/comments/vicious rhetoric-before-I-give-this-back-to-my-editor” stage.

One comment that came up frequently is “why they’s fighting?” which gave me a great idea; a historical record!

So, while I go about adding this in subtle nuances to the book, you get the entire backstory of the war below. Hooray!

*Note that this backstory has more of a historical, matter-of-fact feeling, rather than a piece of fiction. Don’t freak out.

BACKGROUND

The Nations

The Inzi nation is a nomadic tribe with close connections to the land, specifically the forests. The villages they keep are within the forests, providing shelter and food, and their hunters follow the deer migrations, relocating as necessary.

The kingdom of Nyora began as a small manor in the fields with only a handful of serfs to run it, founded by a young, exiled prince of a faraway kingdom. The land was extremely cultivable, and there was an abundance of natural resources. The manor flourished, and after decades, grew to a fairly good-sized entity that the prince (now self-declared king) named Nyora.

Introduction

Nyora soon outgrew the confines of the fields and the king had a decision to make. It was always rumored that a dark-skinned people group lived within the surrounding forests, but the people of Nyora never ventured in, and no one ever ventured out. He had played ignorant long enough–if he was to expand his kingdom, he knew he would have to enter the woods. And since he didn’t know what he would be up against, he wisely thought to first seek permission. In a good-will gesture, the king sent emissaries and gifts into the forest, tasked to find these “tree-people”

The idea of gifts was wise. No sooner had the king’s emissaries were fully within the forests did the Inzi scouts capture them. After a long exchange that included more gestures than words, the gift was received. The Inzi chief was also curious enough about the pale-faces that he returned with the emissaries himself (and a small entourage)

The Inzi chief was surprised by the gifts and honored by the king’s willingness to be allies. At that time, there was also another nearby village (Dwale) that cultivated the fields, but its people never made any effort at all to leave its confines and meet the Inzi. The Inzi nation strongly values friendship, and making one outside of the nation was something no other chief had ever accomplished.  The king had no idea the impression he made upon the nation, as his gesture was simply political. However, even through the language barrier, the king and the chief managed to become legitimate friends. 

Treaties
Nyora was invited to expand into the forests, with the understanding of being respectful to any Inzi villages already in the area. Inzi were invited to come and trade with the people of Nyora as well.  This was mutually beneficial – Nyora’s farmland was rich and the Inzi had never grown crops since the forest had always provided. In the same way, Nyorians had never had game of any kind, as they were too afraid to venture into the forests.  Nyora soon expanded to a few outlying villages – these places were guarded by Inzi warriors and provided bread and crops to neighboring Inzi villages.

Of course, its not to say there were never problems. Not everyone in either nation was ready to accept the other.  However, any talks of disunity were demoralized within their own communities and any violent acts of hostility were crushed by their own sovereigns. It could be said peace was forced upon the two nations, but it remained for generations, even as Nyora – with all its neighboring villages and cities – grew.

THE AMBASSADOR WAR

The Beginnings
King Timothy of Nyora followed in his family’s footsteps of keeping peace with the Inzi nation. It should be noted that he is also the first king to be completely bilingual of the two languages. He was not raised to see color or nationality, and only as he became learned in his kingly duties did he even realize the two nations were separate. He maintained strong relations with the Inzi, and also developed treaties with other kingdoms in the world around him.

The Ambassador
Ambassador Vincent is King Timothy’s main emissary, although, he is not native Nyorian. Vincent came from another allied kingdom as a youth and with his shrewdness, quickly clawed his way through the ranks. Since he is well-traveled as he goes through the lands, making alliances and speaking on behalf of the king, he is fully aware of his adopted nation’s powers. No kingdom comes close to the size and strength of the Nyorian empire–and he doesn’t understand why King Timothy keeps the two nations separate, instead of under his reign.

The Search
On one of his travels. Ambassador Vincent learns about a gem hidden under the kingdom. Sharing details with only his closest friends, no one knows what it is or its purpose. But Ambassador Vincent is determined to find it. It becomes an obsession; any time he travels, he seeks out more knowledge about this gem and he becomes so consumed that his wife leaves him, taking their daughter with them. The search bankrupts him, forcing him to live alone in the court of the king.

The King’s Campaign
At the age of 27, Timothy’s family’s past returns. A distant kingdom has gotten into some trouble,  and requests that the great-great-grandson of their exiled prince return to help them. With the promise of glory and riches, the young king goes off to help this war, taking his army with him. He leaves his kingdom of Nyora in the hands of Ambassador Vincent along with just a portion of his army. 

A new window of hope has opened for Ambassador Vincent. As appointed, he has access to resources he never had before. He empties the prisons and wards, and puts the occupants to work building mines. With the king due to return in just a year, Ambassador Vincent pushes the workers quickly.

The year passes and the king does not return. Messengers tell the Ambassador that was war still rages, but the king is alive. Ambassador Vincent still had not found the gem. He now had more time with the king’s delay, but he still did not have the workforce. He imposed stricter laws, with each misdeed punishable by mining. It wasn’t enough. Slaves were bought in other kingdoms, but it wasn’t enough. 

Prisoners as Miners
An idea came to Ambassador Vincent during a scheduled trade-off. Customarily, when crimes are committed in one nation, that nation expedites the criminals to their own. When asked to give approval, Ambassador Vincent refused, instead taking the Inzi prisoners and putting them in his mine.

This was unprecedented. And for several months went unnoticed. However a soldier with an Inzi friend reported seeing the prisoners in one of the mines, and this message was relayed the Chief Indohy, who immediately demanded the return of the Inzi to their nation. Ambassador Vincent refused, instead claiming that the men had committed serious crimes against Nyora and therefore were to be punished within Nyora. 

Beginnings of Conflict
In retaliation Chief Indoyh followed suit, and kept Nyorian prisoners within Inzi territory.  Ambassador Vincent did not care. However, other officials and the townspeople did, plunging Ambassador Vincent into a spiral of unpopularity. With the threat of a revolt on the rise he wisely pushed the blame on the Inzi and publicly placed tariffs on Nyorian goods, while prohibiting Inzi from selling goods within the walls of Nyora.

Chief Indohy saw reason would not work, and returned the prisoners. However, Ambassador Vincent did not return his, nor did he release the tariffs or allow Inzi to trade. This opened a “black market” of game meat, as those with the means to travel to Inzi villages did so and charged Nyorian’s exorbitant prices for the meat.

Inner Turmoil
The traffickers helped give Ambassador Vincent a way of gathering more prisoners for his mines while not losing the favor of the people. He sentenced  over three dozen traffickers to the mines. This did not go exactly as planned, and after losing the possibility of getting game meat, the people riot. Soldiers are called in and quickly arrest everyone involved. This gives the Ambassador a new idea – rule with terror. He builds up the small military he’s left with and any dissent is punishable by being sent to the mines. 

The War Begins
Another year passes and Ambassador Vincent still cannot find the gem. And with no idea when the king will return, he is in a rush. He conducts a secret mission to an outlying Inzi village, and steals everyone within it. This goes unnoticed for several months, until a friendly soldier sees Inzi children in a mine, and reports it to Chief Indoyh. Expecting the Ambassador to once again deny his command to free the Inzi people, Chief Indohy declares war against Nyora.

This war has raged for four by the start of our story, “The Ambassador”