(From Lord Rock’s speech to the Free Realms Assembly concerning the future of the Free Realms in wake of the dismissal of Alicia. Lord Rock publicly acknowledges a debt to Ironthorn for the inspiration for this speech.)
"We live in a world that is no more secure than the one in which the Zombie War was fought last year. The Demon-Dragon posed an open threat that forced us all to come together. Now we face the garden variety evil that comes as a plague to every hard-won peace - the selfishness and hatred of lesser people who seek to make themselves and their nations big through the oppression of the weak. Their weapons of war are disorder, strife, and confusion. But we should not be discouraged by uncertain times. Bardic masterpieces of heroism and valour have been told about equally troubled times of terror, war and uncertainty. The great poets and saga-writers of last great age themselves lived under dictatorship and in times of extreme hardship. It would seem from even a cursory reading of world history that there is no new horror under the sun, that we will perhaps always have to content with destructive impulses in ourselves and others. That does not prevent us from making an effort to change, from working to find a better way.
"At our best we realize individually and collectively that peaceful coexistence can be achieved only through vigilance and conscious compassion. Compassion for oneself and others, especially for those determined to do us harm. An effort made to identify with others and understand them in order to understand ourselves. To understand that there is no absolute difference between us. That is not to say that we ought to allow ourselves to be trampled, eliminated as individuals, races or nations. Regardless of the odds faced, it is important to defend oneself and others against oppression. ... The most enlightened beings of the worlds, Above and Below, are conscious of the ubiquity of good and evil in neighbors, strangers, adversaries, and most important, themselves. There can be little future in adopting a permanent policy of "an eye for an eye." If we were all regularly to put into effect such an inflexible approach, we would all soon be blind.
"As the ever-growing history of this Assembly gains momentum and complexity the situation for the now-fragmented Free Realms and for all well-intentioned peoples of Mystery becomes increasingly perilous. ... What is unknown, as always, is whether the sacrifices of a brave few can inspire faith in others and, in the end, prove sufficient means to turn the tide and disable the forces that would make slaves of us all. What is unknown is what stand you and your nations will take - to fight or to let peace and security fall into darkness.
“There probably is no such thing as lasting peace, any more than a garden will ever cease to need weeding and watering. The players on the stage of Life change, but the opportunity to do well or ill by others and ourselves will always be present. The right to choose how we co-exist is ours unless we willingly surrender it. There can be no quick fix, no easy or permanent answer to the troubles of today or tomorrow. A sword is a sword, nothing more. Hope, compassion and wisdom born of experience are the mightiest weapons at hand."