Vincent was angry. It was in the slight twitch of his brow and the smallest downturn of his lips. In his hands was the latest proclamation from Syndicate, a new 'political party' that had formed in secret. It wasn't the message that got to him. It was their methods. They hid themselves behind cloak and dagger, removing the opposition with blackmail and throat cutting.
"Cowards," he hissed under his breath and he crushed the paper in his hands. It was quickly rescued by another, the Aliud, as the city called her.
She flattened out the flyer and began to read it out loud. "'Monsters shouldn't be allowed to rule this city'. Hm, sounds like they're talking about you."
He gritted his teeth, not the mood to deal with her childish banter. "Idiots, the lot of them."
"They're afraid of you," she said as she fixed the collar of his shirt. He swatted her hand away after a moment, striding towards the window. She followed him, continuing on unperturbed. "The Magistrate, capable of rendering any mage inert. The only way they can fight you is through subterfuge. I am sure their more prominent members are some of the bitter elders on the council, angry such a young upstart took the position they've been vying for ages."
"Are you suggesting we turn against the council? He turned around," eyebrow raised.
The Aliud smiled a wide and fakely innocent smile. "I am merely suggesting we use that bitterness against our enemies. Surely the promise of heading the council will tempt the others into joining your cause."
He only took a moment to think about it. "Yes, yes you're right. I hate to use their methods, but it's the only way I can stifle this 'revolution' before it gets out of hand, hopefully without resorting to violence."
She clapped her hands together, her smile brightening. "Good good. And will that mean I get to clean up the stragglers?"
"Do what you will," he said dismissively, waving a hand at her. "I have to summon the others and start cleaning up this mess."
Vincent walked out of the room, leaving the Aliud behind. "You've forgotten your place, my dear friend," she said to no one. "It would be a shame if others did the same."
The City of Ammos is under threat of civil war. The Syndicate, an underground revolution disguised as a political party, hopes to stage a coup against the current Magistrate and his ally, the Aliud. They feed into the fears that Vincent is playing god, not only with his powerful magic but by also earning the loyalty of an eldritch being. Posters and fliers proclaim that it's only a matter of time before Vincent shows his true intentions and takes over the city as dictator.
Most of the council waves the Magistrate's flag either out of respect, fear or both. He has done nothing so far to incite these fears, other than revealing his closest ally. While his choice of companionship shook their resolves, it is not enough to push them into the arms of the Syndicate. And even if they don't agree on Vincent's rule, the possible destruction caused by fighting convinces the ones sitting on the fence to take his side.
Even worse are those who see the revolution as a way to enact their own plans. They hope the chaos will allow them to go unnoticed until it's too late.
Either way, the strongest mages gather their magics and ready their spells. There may not have been any magical wars in over a century but it never hurts to be prepared, especially when your greatest enemy is sitting next to you.
