Revered Chaos Broker Luchapetal (the Hedgewitch),
Thank you for your inquiry to the effect of (and forgive my paraphrasing): “Why are Xandrians not being given the right to become fully-licensed, Academy-trained Chaos Brokers?”
I was hoping that at least one of you will show empathy and concern for the Xandrians, and am proud that you have done so. Empathy and service to all are values that we try to instill in Academy-trained Chaos Brokers, along with the drive to think for themselves, regardless of order, directives, and politics. As a matter of course, I had to also ensure that my fellow High Council members were in agreement with what I am about to tell you.
I can tell you, in no uncertain terms, that the technology that Xandrian Handlers are employing for connecting with their Agents is untested, unapproved, and likely to prove dangerous — not just for Xandrians and their Agents, but for all on the battlefield. This is not the authorized, highly tested and regulated technology that official Chaos Brokers such as yourself use to connect with and direct your Agents in battle — it is instead a highly secretive and controlled new technology that Xandrians have created with the specific goal of being able to overcome the natural barriers that exist for entities of all species from becoming Chaos Brokers through artificial means. Having spent much of my lifetime in developing Shard science and technology, often at the side of brilliant Xandrian engineers, including the Element deployment and injection technology that you use to connect with your Agents, I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous this Xandrian technology can prove to be, besides having immeasurable impact on the economics and politics of the Firmament. At a time when the Council is focusing its attention on organizing the Altareth Convocation and preparing for the inevitable upcoming Shard wars, such instability could lead to potentially devastating consequences.
I can also tell you, while being bound to a bevy of secrecy agreements, that there are several very compelling physical, biological, and economic reasons for Chaos Brokers being selected through a secret, obfuscated process known only to the Academy and the High Council. As you discover more of the Firmament’s history, you will without doubt learn of the many attempts to create stable, non-lethal connections between Chaos Brokers and Chaos Agents, including mechanical and digital devices and processes built and experimented with over the decades. You will also learn that every such attempt, many of which I was personally involved with, has ended in failure, and worse, the loss of precious life.
Note that no species, organization, or planet in the Firmament has the ability or right to select and train their own Chaos Brokers—due to the reasons above. On balance, every species has equal rights to select and train Chaos Agents. Every species has agreed to these rules, and they have led to unprecedented economic and political stability across the Firmament, turning Chaos Shards from the domain of ruthless, the criminal, and the military to the foundation of the Firmament’s economics. So what Xandrians are asking for here is unprecedented — and for rights that no other species than theirs would have. This also follows the Xandrian pattern of forcing policy and trade exceptions using their deep knowledge and leverage that comes from being involved in building most of the advanced technologies across the Firmament in partnership with various other species — a prime example being the partnership between the Xandrians and my people the Clausius for the development of Chaos Broker technologies and processes.
You should know that other than the Academy leadership such as Marblemaw and the High Council, the Xandrians are the only species that are completely aware and knowledgeable of the process used to locate, select, and train Chaos Brokers. Xandrians worked closely with my people to develop these technologies and processes, and are also well aware of the challenges and risks that exist with Chaos Brokers trying to create connections and direct Chaos Agents via artificial, non-biological devices and processes. The Council’s current conjecture is that the deep insight that Xandrians possess into this process should deter them from attempting to deploy or commercialize the technology that they have developed to direct Rhodian and mech Agents in battle, but instead the Xandrians — and Padoccia — are using this insight to pressure the Council (and other species) to grant them disproportionate economic and political rights.
It is also possible that the Xandrians have broken their secrecy agreement and divulged these details to the Padoccia Trade Union, which in turn can have devastating consequences of its own, compounded.
The matter is further complicated by the fact that the Xandrian Challenge has been framed, by the Xandrians and Padoccia, as a friendly contest in celebration of the Xandrians’ rights to direct Agents in Training Matches. This seemingly innocuous celebration will, regardless of its result, provide further political ammunition to the Xandrians and Padoccia to force their claims with the Convocation Council. It’s a political move disguised as a marketing and public relations event — which puts the Academy, the Council, and the 4 of you in a delicate position, leading to my communique.
However, the above context should also ease the pressure and stress on you and your 3 fellow Brokers — while the outcome of the Challenge will have consequences behind the scene for the Firmanent’s politics, on the surface this is simply a fun, friendly Tournament among colleagues. So rest assured that your performance or the results of this Tournament will not, in any way, determine the ability for Xandrians to become fully-licensed Chaos Brokers. Despite the misgivings I express above, such a decision will ultimately involve the will of all Factions and species across the Council, and this Challenge is simply going to create added political leverage for the side that wins. What’s important is that you enjoy this hard-earned opportunity to showcase your and your Agents’ skills in a Firmament-wide showcase, where every eye will be you (no pressure, of course.)
Finally, if you or any of the other 3 selected Chaos Brokers still have reservations about the competition, we fully understand. Being a part of this Challenge is a high honor, and you will have the opportunity to write a part of the Firmament’s history with its results, but the Academy values its Brokers’ will above all else. So if you would like to decline participating in the Challenge, we understand. Our request in this case is that you nominate a replacement, so we can inform the Xandrians of the changes and which Brokers they can expect to face during the Challenge.
May the Alusian Path guide you, and Let Chaos Reign,
High Regent Dusana Altura