Parliament

Vistas

He stood on the lip of the volcanic crater he could see the entirety of the island, it was a large circular cone sprouting from the ocean, the cone rose high into the sky with black fertile soil. The mountain was green covered in thick vegetation brought to the island by the Creche Houses when they first came to the island. The plants took to the soil greedy and hungry for the nutrients the volcano laced the soil with when it erupted centuries before making itself ready for its lovers, a medley of plants and small animals from around the world, living together in a way that they could not elsewhere. The Creche Houses eventually laced the island with birds and insects and everything the island needed to be a sustainable home to the plants but there were no predator animals, that was forbidden. For long stretches, the island lay silent but for the stewards of the place. Those who watched and guarded its sacred grounds. Jasper was one of those stewards, this was his second year on the island and the first time he witnessed Arbitration.

Scanning down the lush mountainside the vegetation finally broke at the black sand beaches, days before they stood empty but for shellfish and creatures caught in tidal pools when the tide was low. The occasional migratory bird would stop on the shores but none had taken up habitation. It was the duty of the stewards, the Unyielding, to make sure that nothing took root on the island but that which the Creche Houses brought to the island. That's why Jasper was up at the lip of the crater with his broom sweeping the lip clean and checking the inside of the crater's walls making sure each of the alcoves of Parliament were clear of detritus that may have gathered over the last seven years since the last Arbitration.

Two weeks ago those beaches had been empty, now looking in each direction he could see the three Creche Houses and their tortoise shaped tents. First the workers, functionaries and diplomats arrived. They waited in the open ocean on the horizon a full day making sure all three houses delegations had arrived before simultaneously bringing themselves into the lagoons surrounding Parliament and dropping anchor. The Unyielding took this time to awake the Long Sleepers and start making preparations for Arbitration. The first step was bringing the Long Sleepers up to speed on the goings on of the world. While they did so young neophytes like Jasper rushed to clean and setup the tents on the beach where the Unyielding would accommodate the requests of the Creche Houses. Save for the alcoves in the crater and the path to the crater the Creche Houses were restricted to their stretch of the beach and the carefully demarcated parks near their traditional landing places. The parks were how the neophytes spent much of their days trimming and tending and making sure they were maintained. Every Arbitration the Creche Houses found some new way to embellish their park. There was a particular statue that was Jasper's nemesis, he could never get it to shine to Master Jade's satisfaction.

Jasper was trying to tamp down his excitement, to speak with members of the houses was an exciting prospect. He knew all about them but never saw them before and watching the workers scuttling about the beaches was so interesting to Jasper. Spinward the Creche House Trestmere had set up their sky blue tents up first. Their workers moved quickly like the wind, their ships were the fastest sail powered vessels going back centuries. Each Creche House brought their traditional sail powered vessels to Arbitration as was custom and Trestmere's were sleek and elegant multi-hulled affairs, their lead vessel's huge triangular sail of white and blue silk was like a gossamer. Their diplomats barely spoke to their functionaries who but nodded at the workers.

The Grand Imperial Creche House Karabal set up poleward, their tents were bright yellow like the sun. Their diplomats strode around the beaches with intricate robes and draped in jewlery. Their functionaries were loud and constantly haranguing their workers who, as Jasper was told, were indentured servants to the Imperial house given as tithe to the Emperor by the Family Houses that made up the Creche House. Their ships were ornate and flamboyant, huge triple masted beasts with dripping with etchings and embellishments. While the Trestmere moved quickly in their white and blue sailed ships skipping across the surface of the water the Karabal seemed to surge like a rampaging bull through the waves lurching to a stop barely clearing the reefs that marked the edge of the lagoon.