After the first in person diplomatic sessions, it became clear that the winning side of the civil war no longer wished to be associated with the Trigold Clusters. That could only be a good thing for the rest of the lower realms, but it didn’t suddenly make everyone friends. After all, they had still been fighting against these very same people before the destruction of Zunrose. Separating from the rest of the Trigold Cluster didn’t suddenly make everything about them line up with the Shining Cooperative or Lower Realms Alliance.
With the official deration of separation came a name for the Fearsome Menagerie and their allied sects, the Adamant Federation. They held most of the northwestern systems in the region. Likewise, the other group which had rallied together the southeasterns came to call themselves the Free Guardians.
Even if they had simr overarching ideas, the two factions were not in perfect alignment with each other. Beyond the division between the two groups there were smaller factions among therger of the two, the Adamant Federation which carried more of the poption andrger sects.
Though it might seem like the tworger factions were otherwise quite simr, there were important differences especially from a diplomatic standpoint. One had been almost entirely umunicative during the war, while the other had taken the risk to open negotiations earlier from a position of weakness. Tor and the future Free Guardians had taken the initiative toe to In’istra along with a small group when it could have very easily cost all of them their lives.
Even so, the war was over and peace would reign for at least a while. Any diplomatic progress was better than none, even if there were serious reservations about the Adamant Federation’s operations.
-----
The war had forced the Shining Cooperative and Lower Realms Alliance into acting as a greater whole temporarily, but as the echoes of war began to fade they drew back slightly. The war had drawn them closer together, as they fought alongside each other offensively and defensively. They had shared information and resources as well. Even so, they didn’t operate under the same power structures, and they recoiled somewhat from the sh of cultures.
They ultimately kept their borders open, within reason. The local systems around Poriza and In’istra were the only parts of the Lower Realms Alliance actually close to the Shining Cooperative, but while the war had driven people away, it also brought others into the area. Now, many people were settling down in the region. The established systems along the long arm that Anton had inadvertently created when seeking out Azun had grown more robust, and shipments flowed more freely.
While the war wasn’t overall <em>good</em> for them, it <em>had</em> bolstered the economy of the trade routes. Now that the war was over, it was seen as a good investment opportunity. Furthermore, the Lower Realms Alliance decided to promote expansion into the region- both around In’istra and Poriza, and the other systems along the way.
They were still integrating Vrelt and Nidec on the western end of the alliance, though over the decades of war they had made great strides. Vrelt obviously had strong feelings about the Trigold Cluster considering their former upation, and the people of Nidec weren’t much different- including those that had been integrated from the Exalted Quadrant’s sects.
However, this was one of the points of contention with the Shining Cooperative. They were still unused to <em>any</em> positive interactions with anyone even vaguely associated with the upper realms. The vast majority of them were still hesitant about the Scarlet Alliance, though perhaps the few ascenders from within them would be able to put their minds at ease. They were given methods to remain in directmunication with those members who ascended, with a few restrictions.
Then there was the matter of the void ants. Needless to say, the Shining Cooperative had understood their utility in the war, and also their danger. The void ants had been too valuable to keep out of the war, so they had been revealed without as much groundwork in ce as the Lower Realms Alliance would have wished.
Their hesitation was understandable, and a clever publicity campaign drove people towards uncertainty rather than towards their natural fear. The upper realms had tried to exterminate void ants, after all. Sure, they were dangerous… but nobody wanted to be like the <em>upper realms</em>, did they? The Shining Cooperative certainly didn’t. That was enough for them to not freak out too much, though they forbid void ants from entering any of their systems.
It was hoped by the Alliance that they might grow used to them over time, seeing them within the Alliance’s boundaries. Every they had colonies, they were visibly present in major cities. They had their own walkways so they could move around safely. Some were underground, but as many as possible were kept visible for the sake of reminding the human citizens who they lived alongside of their existence.
Humans from the alliance frequently saw their utility not just as soldiers in war, but as workers for anything that had to happen on a small scale, especially around dangerous energy. It was hoped that the local attitudes would spread to the Shining Cooperative, given time.
Obviously their few upieds in the former Trigold territory would have locals with a <em>very</em> different view of the void ants, though ultimately very few people experienced being on the wrong side of the battlefield from the void ants… because most of them had ended up dead at the hands of the Alliance members, bothrge and small.
-----
Things were just beginning to settle down when another major piece of news popped up. Fortunately, it was good news rather than ill. For those who were not paying much attention, it seemed like another petition to join the Lower Realms Alliance. Certainly a newsworthy event, as that didn’t happen every year or even every decade. But the of Akrys wasn’t just <em>any</em>. It was one that warranted the personal attention of Anton, for various reasons.
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“Are you certain you wish to join the Alliance?” Anton said. “It will be a significant change to your, and it doesn’te with <em>only</em> benefits.”
“We can’t be more certain,” Three Squeaks said. “We voted on it. Even the tortoises. Do you know how long it takes to get those guys to do anything? Decades!” Three Squeaks paused. “Some of them voted against joining, but overall most people voted to join. Even the weird fellows from the deeps.”
“Really?” Anton raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised about that.”
“They <em>really</em> liked those pressure based and geothermal cultivation techniques you supplied to the Akrys Alliance,” Three Squeaks said. “And you have more things like that, right?”
“We do,” Anton agreed. “But this isn’t something that should be rushed into. Thisary unification is a big deal, but Akrys probably needs time to continue developing its own culture…”
“How long do you think it’s been since you first showed up and saved my life?” Three Squeaks said. “And the entire den, of course.”
“Well, let’s see,” Anton furrowed his brow. “I suppose it <em>has</em> been a while. You were barely in the beginnings of cultivation, and now you’re close to the hundredth star…” Anton looked down at his tiniest disciple. At least tiniest in terms of <em>direct</em> disciples, because he was pretty sure he’d sensed an entire division of woodlice practicing the One Hundred Stars when he was approaching. “So I suppose it <em>has</em> been quite a while.”
“You said something about ‘normal’ human lifespans being a century,” Three Squeaks said. “And it’s been that long. I finished my trip around the world decades ago, introducing everyone to intentional cultivation. Everyone is growing so quickly, using the principles you taught us. But… we’re nearing the limits of our understanding. We might be able to figure more things out with another few hundred years. But if we can instead work together with humans, it would be much better for us. And yes, I remember you said not all humans are as kind as you.”
“It’s true,” Anton admitted. “We’ve just seen some of the worst of humans.”
Three Squeaks shuddered. “I’m not in Assimtion yet… but I felt it. It’s strange to think that even several centuries from now we’ll be able to look at a star we know is no longer there. I understand- no, <em>we</em> understand there are dangers. But we’re not asking to be dumped into the middle of human civilization all at once. We just don’t want to keep the closed to visitors anymore, and if that’s the case we might as well be part of the alliance. We’ve read through the tranted versions of your foundational codes and the like, and Fearsome Mandibles has exined quite a bit more to us. We have <em>some</em> idea of what we’re getting into.”
Anton nodded. “I don’t disagree that joining the Alliance <em>could</em> be beneficial. I just didn’t want to throw off your development… any more than I already have.”
“It’s probably way toote for that,” Three Squeaks said. “And you have the <em>experience</em> to help us avoid mistakes. You might notice we have quite a diversity of cultivation styles. Well, that’s also true of our tools and buildings. That’s not a problem at all, as you taught me to celebrate such things… but some of them aren’t very good. Our ability to spread information over our is limited. It took several years to even vote on this thing.”
“We <em>can</em> provide information on bettermunications formations,” Anton said. “Perhaps we should have already.”
“But that’s not the only thing,” Three Squeaks replied. “It’s just one part of many. We can focus on ourary development or retaining our identities as different species. If we do both, we’re splitting ourselves. But some of the select few humans that havee here to live among us and study us have great insights into the development of cultures. You’re saying we shouldn’t be like humans, and you’re probably right. But remaining as we are simply for the sake of being <em>untainted</em> is already a moot point.”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t havended at all…” Anton pondered.
“No way. Like I said, I’d be dead. And our whole colony. Echoing Cry would probably eat meerkats. So many sapient people would be consuming each other for rtively minor boosts in power. Also, there’s a pretty good chance our existence to begin with was already due to human interference. There’s no saying if and when they mighte back to check on us- perhaps they’re from the upper realms and it would be with the next cycle, but they could be from the lower realms and ready to show up any day. If they’re not our friends, we need to be able to defend ourselves.” Three Squeaks paused. “Also I want to meet the other branch heads. If I’m a member of the Order of One Hundred Stars, I personally already feel like I should be part of the Lower Realms Alliance.”
“Well, technically the Order of One Hundred Stars isn’t restricted just to the Lower Realms Alliance,” Anton said.
“The one in the upper realms doesn’t count,” Three Squeaks said.
“... There’s a single branch of the sect in the Shining Cooperative. But,” Anton shrugged. “I don’t actually want to stop you. I just wanted to make sure you were properly informed. And if others had the information avable to them and made the same choice, then I trust your people to manage this. And I can’t imagine the Alliance will reject your request to join. Akrys is… quite popr.”
“Because of the pictures?” Three Squeaks asked. “People like pictures of humans too. Especially ones with funny hair, or weird clothes. And hats.”
“I’ve noticed hats, actually.” There was also some amount of other clothing, though it was usually minimal for those with fur, as it was mostly unnecessary. It seemed to be mainly for modesty or style, or in the rarest cases as a form of protection- they <em>were</em> cultivators after all, even if the was mainly peaceful. If nothing else, there were powerful beasts thatcked the intelligence to negotiate.
Akrys joining the Lower Realms Alliance would most likely be good. A ray of positivity among all of the negativity that had been going on for so long. Anton imagined that traffic would have restricted, though. Nobody wanted millions of tourists showing up and ruining the. Though it sounded like the locals were also interested in seeing humans in person, which should be interesting for those responsible for such things to coordinate. It wasn’t actually Anton’s job to deal with borders or treaties, with the specific exception of the Order- and even then the branch heads handled most of that.