PENANCE DAY IN MODERAN
An odd chapter where all the Stronghold Moderan men walk together to an event held at central headquarters. Usually the Stronghold Moderan men are at war with one another so this gives them a chance to speak with their enemies. In a backhanded way, the wars in Moderan appear as individual games in a violent, deadly sport. Each Moderan man is to deposit his bag of tears at the podium - tears of mechanical penance!
"Being Stronghold 10 I walked by Stronghold 9, when I was properly in procession. Stronghold 9 is situated my nearest most-adjacent enemy, and it was strange to be there so friendly-walking him, steel elbow to steel elbow, each with our tears dangling and jiggling in little plastic bags swung down from our new-metal hands."
And then we are given the key: Moderan man is doing penance for the hate he didn't feel, all the destruction he didn't accomplish, all the wars he failed to start, as per:
"It was an awesome and proud moment when I stood alone on the platform in all my past accomplished glory and dumped in my plastic bag of tears, as a symbol that even I, as man can never be, had not been perfect. The ceremonial tears, manufactured to exacting specifications in our Strongholds as an act of deepest humility, were a kind of penance for things we hadn't done, blasters we hadn't come up with, invasions we hadn't made.""
Hail to hate and destruction! Hail to Moderan!
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