The halls of the Common Name Loyalists trembled as the war over nomenclature reached its boiling point. They had fought fiercely against the Reformists of IUPAC, clinging to the ancient ways, believing that the Aromatic Aristocracy would remain steadfast in their support. After all, the noble names of history had long been the foundation upon which chemistry was built. To abandon them would be to abandon tradition itself.

  Yet the winds of change blew cold that night, and with it came the greatest betrayal of all.

  Within the grand chamber of the Aromatic Aristocracy, an urgent council was called. The Common Name Loyalists, battered but unbroken, pleaded their case before the noble houses of chemistry. Their leader, the venerable Lord Formyl, stood at the center of the chamber, his voice echoing against the marble walls.

  “For centuries, our names have carried the weight of knowledge! Shall we discard history in favor of these so-called ‘logical reforms’? Shall we erase the legacy of our forefathers, who bestowed upon us titles with meaning and dignity?”

  Murmurs rippled through the court, many nodding in agreement. But then, a single voice rose above the rest—a voice they never expected to oppose them.

  It was Benzaldehyde.

  Benzaldehyde, leader of the Aromatic Aristocracy, stepped forward, his expression unreadable. A hush fell upon the chamber as he raised his hand, signaling for silence. When he finally spoke, his words were measured but resolute.

  “The Reformists bring not destruction, but order,” he declared. “We can no longer ignore the inconsistencies of our past. If we are to move forward, we must accept the laws of IUPAC.”

  The chamber erupted into chaos. Shouts of disbelief and anger rang through the air.

  “You would betray us?” Lord Formyl spat, his voice trembling with rage. “You would cast aside the very identity of our people?”

  Benzaldehyde remained unmoved. “We are not cast aside, my friend. We are refined. No longer shall our names be bound by mere tradition—instead, they shall be precise, unwavering in their clarity.”

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  Then came the final blow.

  With a wave of his hand, Benzaldehyde accepted the new designation, becoming the first of the noble Aromatic Houses to bear the IUPAC name: Benzenecarbaldehyde.

  The chamber fell silent. Even the most hardened warriors of the Loyalists stood frozen in horror.

  News of the betrayal spread like wildfire. The split within the Aromatic Houses shook the chemical world to its core. Some followed Benzaldehyde’s lead, embracing the new system and aligning themselves with the Reformists. Others refused to yield, vowing to uphold tradition at any cost.

  With their newfound momentum, the Reformists wasted no time in striking the next decisive blow. Their decree was declared across all territories:

  

  
1. Aldehydes shall bear the –al suffix, aligning them with a structured system of naming.


  
2. The numbering of carbon chains shall begin from the carbonyl carbon, ensuring uniformity.


  
3. Greek letters ( α, β, γ) shall now be the universal standard for naming substituents.


  

  The foundations of the Common Name Council began to tremble. Their members, once the unshakable rulers of nomenclature, found themselves outnumbered and disorganized. Their armies of tradition faltered as more and more of their brethren abandoned them in favor of order and structure.

  But not all was lost.

  Though their numbers dwindled, the most devoted warriors of the Common Name Loyalists refused to surrender. Led by the indomitable Acetic Aldehyde, they gathered their forces for one final stand.

  “If we fall here, we fall forgotten!” Acetic Aldehyde roared. “If we yield, our names shall be wiped from history! We fight not just for ourselves, but for every molecule that has ever carried the pride of its lineage!”

  The battle that followed was unlike any before. The Loyalists struck back with everything they had, using ancient texts and revered traditions to uphold their naming rights. Scholars and alchemists debated fiercely, fighting not with swords but with words. Chemists clashed in laboratories, testing the strength of their names in academic papers and scientific councils.

  But despite their passion, the tides of war had shifted. The Reformists, now bolstered by the support of half the Aromatic Aristocracy, advanced relentlessly. With each passing day, more and more institutions adopted the IUPAC system. The old ways were crumbling.

  As the dust settled and the war neared its conclusion, the once-mighty Carbonyl Lords found themselves in exile. Their palaces of common names lay in ruins, their rule a mere shadow of what it once was. The Reformists had rewritten the laws of chemistry, and the world had accepted their rule.

  Yet, even in defeat, some of the Loyalists held onto hope. Deep in the underground libraries of forgotten knowledge, whispers stirred among those who refused to let go of the past. Perhaps one day, they would rise again.

  But for now, the era of common names was over.

  The age of IUPAC had begun.