Lakeside Accords

A set of agreements and regulations set down at Golden Lake by the Emperor Peter II to govern the relationship and obligations between the Church of Celer, the Sapphire Wizards' Guild and the Protectorans of the Aurian Empire. Importantly it clearly set all three as responsible to the Senate and the Crown.

### Origins and Background

505-507PE: The first recorded major Wargak Invasion of Auria occurred. In various raids and engagements the combined forces of the Imperial Army, now organised by trading areas, and the Sarrifs, from the Sapphire Guild, threw back the invading hordes. The Wizards' contribution was such that the Emperor recognised them as the key influence in saving the Empire. The Blue Crystal Palace was planned and started the same year the war ended, though it did not open, fully finished, for another 93 years.

520PE: Due to the increased effectiveness of the reorganised area-legions, the Organiser's son Peter I created the Five Protectorans of the Empire. Tor Kalash, the third largest city in the Empire, was chosen as their base of power. Black - Mounted Legions, Blue - Naval Legions, Yellow - Border Legions, Red - Capital and Elite Foot Legions, Green - Ranger and Woodsmen Legions.

During 523-529PE, under Peter I's reorganised structure, the Empire embarked on several controlled campaigns to take the city state Zeric, the Duchy of Tholis Mesa and Cthol Tatrak, which had been a vassal to the defeated kingdom of Tatrak. Kolaran joined the empire during this time, realising all the advantages of so doing and the likely consequence of refusing.

600PE: The Blue Crystal Palace completed in Tor Armakan as the base for the Sapphire Wizards' Guild.

650PE: The Knight Stalkers become unofficially official at the Highest Ranks of Imperial Command. They are used to decapitate (in many ways literally) the First Protectoran Mutiny. Tor Kalash, military centre of the Empire, is their headquarters.

662-676PE: The reign of Peter II.

### Main Events

663PE: Peter II realised the importance of balancing the interaction between Senate, Sarrifs, Church of Celer and the Protectorans. The power struggles for political influence and financial influence within these organisations were varied and intense.

He recognised that if he could put in place some fixed legislation/regulation to determine their relationship clearly and openly he could leave a lasting legacy for all who followed him.

It was a struggle as the leaders of the groups all realised the same thing that if their powers were put into boxes, recorded and defined it would limit their potential for political manipulations and the freedom of their independent forces. Yet Peter was determined.

664-667PE: Eventually, he used the precedent of the Wargak invasion to regulate the responsibilities of the Sapphire Wizards' Guild to provide sarrifs to support the Protectorans in time of war, but he also official stipulated that all sarrifs had to do a term of national service in the Protectorans even in peace time. This was quite popular with the Marshal of the Empire Nervach Sult, who believed that the wizards would be the deadliest blade of the Empire, but it was heavily resisted by the First Lance of the Black, who feared the wizards would use this to usurp military authority in the field. Both of them were proved right by events in the future. Peter also insisted however that clerics served in the military specifically as healers.

As he seemed to be making the military too strong and so he decided to make the Senate the controlling force giving them the power to declare certain 'states' that brought powers to different factions. For example they could declare an Arcane State of Emergency, a State of War or a more general State of Imperial Emergency among others. In these states specific obligations powers and lines of authority would be spelled out and enforced. Importantly each faction forced consessions for their own agreement. Not a single faction was weak enough to be bullied and some historians and political commentators argue that Peter II weakened the position of Emperor itself because he could not completely control the groups without offering some real benefits. Some of the most important was allowing the Guild, Church and Military the right to openly request and control a proportion of the Empire's financial surplus each year and to remove the power of veto over financing bills from the Senate, retaining it only in the position of the Emperor. This was crucial as the Senate had previously been the primary force for blocking spending on the part of these organisations.

668PE: These changes were negociated and finally spelled out and signed in the Lakeside Accords in this year. These laws have been amended but are still in force today.