"Life in the southern banks was rough. Long hours in the crystal factories, sky darkened by clouds of heavy smoke, street gangs running the streets and orphans running in them. It was... Rough. I only realized that once I went to Trell. Magnificent buildings showing the wealth of the magic families who ran the academy, the country and basically the world. Oh things were slightly different in the rest Union, and even more in the Eastern Federation, but everywhere powerful mages used their powers to concentrate wealth and knowledge. Access to that knowledge is coveted by many, so it was a high honor for a family of the southern banks to have one of their own join its illustrious ranks. A few were chosen each year yes, but their families were rich enough to buy small familiars to protect their prospects. Crazy what a simple helehi can do with a little training.. But I digress. My parents weren't rich enough to even afford that, so instead, I got a rock.
My arrival at the academy was noticed as the teachers debated whether or not my rock counted as a familiar, I told them I got it from a local obscure mage. They assumed it was somehow magical and ended up letting me study at the academy. And so, for the price of a rock, I obtained knowledge. Not only magical knowledge, but also mathematics, history, politics, economics... Everything to educate a ruling class. But I never forgot about my rock. Never forgot about the southern banks. Never forgot the misery.
So I worked hard, graduated top of my class, played the game, made myself a name, friends and quite a few ennemies. Some of my achievements of the time might appear great enough on their own, but I tell you know, they are small compared to what we achieved together, what we can achieve now!
Brothers! Think about what we've been through : the strikes, the mass executions, the battles we waged in the name of freedom and equality! Do not faulter, do not doubt! I succeeded. I beat them at their games, with only a rock as a familiar, with barely a penny to my name! They are not invincible! But you... You who fight with desperation, with righteousness! You are!"
Quentin Baran - 16th or 17th day of the second moon season.
The exact words of Quentin Baran aren't known, there are even reports that his second in command gave the speech and not him. In any case, hours after that speech the revolutionnaries took Trell. While their victory was short lived, the ideals of the revolutionnaries spread like wildfire, which lead to the unrest we can currently observe in the Federation.