16.7 THE YEAR 200 CELEBRATIONS

What follows is an announcement, penned by Sarapis, of Achaea's year 200
celebrations, and the reason for it.

In a matter of a handful of months, a major milestone in modern Achaean history
will take place: The 200th anniversary of the fall of the Selucarian Empire.
This Empire, founded by the man of almost mythical importance, Nicator, ruled
the Sapience continent for nigh on 800 years. By the end though, it had become
corrupt, and when the representatives of Ashtan, Shallam, Hashan, Bagwar's
Copse, Thera, Jaru, Moghedu and all the other cities and provinces east of the
North-South Vashnar range came to the capital city of Seleucar, located south
of the Vashnar range and demanded that the corrupt and tyrannical Imperial
regime reform, they were rebuffed by the arrogant Emperor and his princelings,
who could not imagine that the 'backwater' provinces could ever pose a threat
to Imperial Seleucar.

On the 21st of Ero that year, the forces of the Sapient League tore down a
section of the wall surrounding the Imperial compound, marched in, and executed
the Emperor and his relatives, sparing not even the children.

This day is remembered for a number of reasons. First, and foremost, it was the
formal end of a once welcomed Imperium which had then been corrupted. Second,
it represented the first time in known history that the two foremost cities
north of the Vashnars (Ashtan and Shallam) had fully cooperated, outside of
Imperium rule, ever. Finally, it is remembered, especially by the Shallamese,
who are a gentler people than the Ashtanites, for the executions of the Emperor
and his family. Many a moral debate has raged over whether it was proper to
kill the children in the Emperor's family, but in truth, there was no choice.
To leave them alive would only lead, as the leaders of the Sapient League
understood, to claims to the Imperial throne and a third War of Succession.

Although I am Deity and Creator, I honour this day, for on it I witnessed the
climax of a story 800 years old, and the beginning of the next. It was an
emotion-laden day, and most of you owe your present freedom to the men and
women who became heroes that fateful day.

In honour of the 200th anniversary of that day, I hereby declare that we will
have a festival the likes of which have not been yet seen on this world. There
shall be contests of skill and wit, feasting, and drinking. And at the end of
the day, I will present the winner of the contests with a special prize,
befitting this occasion. I have taken the Staff of Nicator from its lost
resting place in the southern jungles, and I will present it to the winner.
What its power is, I will not say, for it will fall to the bearer of it to
reveal its grandeur to mortality.

Penned by the power of Sarapis on the 17th of Miraman, in the year 199 AF.

On the day of the celebration, there was much competition, including a Grand
Quiz, a hunt for eggs, and a Tournament of Achaea's greatest combatants. A
close battle, it was, but in the end, Isildur, the Iceman, was triumphant,
pulling out a close victory over Morpheus, despite being defeated by him in the
final round of the Tournament.