Chapter Twenty One: The Love Machines and Arms Embargo

The South Kingdom, also fondly called as the Land of Love by the constituent dominions of the Commission on Appointments, sits in the southern frontier of the Commission's territory, a Kingdom that is also replete with sights, wonders and multiple layers of a storied past. It shared a colorful relationship with the Tenth Kingdom for quite so long, and this realm was founded by the chivalrous descendant of the Tenth Knight, known simply to many as King Alcott the Just.

This special relationship of the South with the Tenth Kingdom resulted into many successes, from a fruitful and close alliance that resulted into many victories shared together, to the many conquests of the different wars fought in unity with the gallant warriors of beauty, affection, and friendship, that was waged towards a common, and the most noble of causes. It was during those times that the apex of the diplomatic relations between the two Kingdoms reached its illustrious milestone.

How this land was conquered has attracted many controversies involving dark magic, sinister forces, and witchcraft. Long ago, this land was heavily inhabited by creatures known to all men as the Vampires (or bloodsuckers as the familiar slur calls them). The succeeding conquest of the land where the South Kingdom claimed its throne has never been easy, and a lot of Astrologers have offered their lives to defeat these Vampires, where they triumphantly took possession of the Spindle of Hate that the Vampires have hidden at the center of the realm for so many years.

This Spindle was responsible for the formal founding of The Astrological Seminary, both generously supported by the South Kingdom and hosted by the Tenth Kingdom, an act which institutionalized Astrological pursuit to combat primarily the Vampires and prevent them from returning and reclaiming the Spindle, as well as defeating other evil forces that eventually drove everything away from this precious land.

As a memorial for this victory, the South Kingdom has pursued many inquiries into how to destroy the Spindle of Hate, which abundantly produces the Silk of Lies that plagues most of the realms and territories that are now federated into the common, democratic rule of the Commission on Appointments.

These insistent efforts then gave birth to the invention of the Love Machine and its mechanism, an important discovery that became so vital in the production of effective weaponry that can exclusively defeat the dark forces, and those other evil creatures that might find its way back into the Spindle of Hate once more.

Although the Spindle of Hate has long been destroyed, its effects are still heavily felt until today.

While the production of weaponry needed to utilize the end product of the Love Machine known as the Love Dust, the weapons are not actually produced by it; instead, the dust is exported elsewhere to power up the different weapons foundry scattered across the Commission. But the manufacture is not without a cost. The Love Machine requires the Potion of Beauty from the Tenth Kingdom to activate its artistic qualities, a very important element which forms the strong bonds of the Love Molecules found in the active ingredient in the several varieties of the love dust.

This method of trade distribution, the principle called check and balances, was formally instituted by the Treaty of Gawkins when it entered into effect, which is a landmark amendment to the major mandates of the Appointment Clause. It basically stipulated that the separation of the "sources of power" shall be distributed among the territories, with no regard to its internal borders or economic size. The initiative for the Treaty gained traction as a result of the Arms Embargo passed by the Southern Commons against the Commonwealth Royal in the Battle of Viscountshire long ago, that allowed them to control the foundries, which virtually left the Commonwealth Royal defenseless and vulnerable to the attacks of outlying mercenaries.

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This Chapter is sponsored by Valentino.