Speaking order. (hosts)

• Genius Loci.
• Baleful Gaze. (mention selective anti-active-magic field)
• Numinous Spirit (represented by Emerald Hues).

(In order of senority)

• Risen Bones (represented by Elite Librarian)
• Scion the Fleshgrafter
• Geldbit, Baron Saltpillars
• Malign Gaze
• Sootstreak
• Scarflanks (the Callow)
• Saltwithers

---

Malign Gaze will announce that an army is massing in Old Turnip, concealed from conventional scrying but detected by her special methods.

"Wizards, you've heard here so far a lot of horseapples about new orders and improvements and change. A lot of talk, and you probably wonder exactly what it means. And maybe you wonder who exactly is going to bring about these changes. I don't know what those of you who are supporting it were told, but I know what I was told, and one thing it didn't include was any mention of THIS." "This huge thing, some kind of precatastrophic machine, has been ploughing a highway through the crystal forest near the Watchmount. It has made incredible progress, and broke through the forest yesterday. It is heavily shielded against conventional scrying, but not against advanced methods I came up with myself. So now there is a road between my territory and the Northwest, specifically, the territory of New Equestria, whose form of government some here are ballyhooing, but, I add, a government which could not protect it from a devastating attack by changelings and rogue dragons that killed its queen and the heir apparent, and now governs a state that is deeply divided." "As if this were not threatening enough, I have also scryed AN ARMY ON THE MARCH from the north, who at this very moment are assembled at two days march from Witch Point. In less than a week they could be at any of our gates. And if you have any doubt as to their allegiance, take a look at their banner." (Shows alicorn banner.) RBO party member (interjecting): That's a religious symbol of the Royal Pantheon, it's a common religion in the Northwes--" "It's an alicorn, just like the one on these coins that Risen Bones delegation is giving out... and just like THIS ONE speaking for him today! Go ahead, prove me wrong. Take off that cape."

"So those of you who are thinking of throwing your lot in with Risen Bones - how much of this were you told? Was I alone in having agents and spies sent to my territory to bribe bandits and criminals and destabilize my government? There's cause here for unity alright. Unity against the damned lich whose ambitions have grown too large for the Isle of Tears. He's raised an army of outsiders against us, riddled our lands with mercenary agents and silver-tongued propagandists playing on the naive religious faith of the people in Elements and Princesses, and now he is breeding a race of alicorns. I call for a truce between all wizard-lords, to defeat this invading army of Westerners and destroy the lich Risen Bones once and for all. His meddling in the affairs of other magic users, attempting to control retrodivination and other things he judges misuse of magic, have long been worrisome, but this is leaps and bounds beyond that. He is no peer of ours, but our common enemy, and he will destroy us if we do not renounce him and his plans immediately."