Esbilon
Seven Thousand Club
"It was you and Tuon who claimed your warriors' prowess were responsible for bringing down the the invading army. If the Realm had been an army of mortal men entire facing up against the tribes of the North without any divine backing, I would believe the Realm would win, but that is not the battle we saw, so who can say for certain?" Zoya answers Sigrdrifa. "If you wish to speak of people, simply look at how very many people Whitewall has and how many different things they do with their lives! It is the nature of our society that allows it to grow so much larger than the tribes could ever hope to be, and thus allow so very many people to live lives they themselves find joy in. You may say one of your warriors could defeat any citizen of Whitewall in combat on the open tundra, and you may be right, but I say: What does that matter? The worth of a life is not in its ability to rob that same gift from others!"
She nods in understanding as Sigrdrifa continues, sadness on her face. "You speak of Underton. It is no tomb, in fact it is where I myself grew up. For all the good a society like Whitewall does, and for all the boons it offers its citizens, it is not perfect. Indeed, there are many injustices I would fix. Will fix. And those you speak of are among them." She looks up and her eyes catch the Night Caste's, "it may be that in the tribes everyone cares for their fellows, watches over them when they are sick, and mourns them when they die. In the city, that is not the case. When we come back, I can show you the nice parts of Underton, the communities that blossom in the darkness, the children at play - freshly bathed and protected from the cold even in the depth of winter. And when we come into our power, no one there will die alone and unmourned, no one will die from such casual violence, and no one will stay there except by choice."
She nods in understanding as Sigrdrifa continues, sadness on her face. "You speak of Underton. It is no tomb, in fact it is where I myself grew up. For all the good a society like Whitewall does, and for all the boons it offers its citizens, it is not perfect. Indeed, there are many injustices I would fix. Will fix. And those you speak of are among them." She looks up and her eyes catch the Night Caste's, "it may be that in the tribes everyone cares for their fellows, watches over them when they are sick, and mourns them when they die. In the city, that is not the case. When we come back, I can show you the nice parts of Underton, the communities that blossom in the darkness, the children at play - freshly bathed and protected from the cold even in the depth of winter. And when we come into our power, no one there will die alone and unmourned, no one will die from such casual violence, and no one will stay there except by choice."