Agent Lathain,
I wish to provide you a history of the conflict between Lt. Fawkes and myself, so that you will know what you are dealing with if you wish to intercede in these matters.
I will say that Fawkes' current actions are obviously to offend and drive away the Stoutheart Clan from our legal home, and I have heard privately from two sources that Fawkes wishes to occupy Barak-Tor himself. This would be consistent with the constant interference with us that I will provide a history of in the accompanying letter.
*the letter*
Fawkes has twice turned my Stouthearts against their own Clan. In dwarven history, it is rare that this has happened once in a century, much less twice in just a few months. The remarks that Fawkes trot out as damning that he stole from our private ledgers, offended merely his own ego, and I would point out that none were made by myself.He seems to delight in twisting words and placing others in the mouths of his targets of persecution.
It saddens me that the front of respect he have shown me has been exposed as a cheap facade with his recent actions. When he promised a professed murderer of slaves and kinslayer a position in the Watch to turn traitor against his own Clan and reneged on this promise I was sure that he lacked honor and integrity. Fawkes also attempted to use lies to poison my Stouthearts against me by telling them that I should be removed as Thane and that I was hurting the Clan. How was that part of his duties as a Watchman? To interfere in the politics of a people you of which you have no understanding?
When this traitor's information was used to have me arrested for minor crimes, I turned myself in willingly. When Fawkes was in fact chastised by "his friend" the Sheriff for his excessive zeal in this investigation and heavy-handed punishment, I thought he would relent of this vendetta against me. Unfortunately it seemed that the redressing only deepened his antipathy for myself.
When I attempted to pay the first month's rent as per our contract, I made sending after sending to meet in the Watch House in the days prior it was due. Not he, nor any officer level Watchman deigned to answer my multipe sendings in the days before and on the day it was due. Yet curiously, the day after it was due, Fawkes was able to find me and inform me that the rent is late and that our contract would be suspended and up for review. This was an illegal statement at this time as he did not have that privilege, but I was not aware of it and did not challenge him on that at the time.
When I attempted to pay a month in advance, he would not accept it. Yet other officers have accepted our payment in advance, further showing that he actively seeks to create needless obstacles in carrying out our contract.
After I thoroughly and completely submitted all reports to the Watch, Fawkes seemed to have a change of heart and apologized for misjudging me. I thought maybe he was a man of sense and the courage to admit that he was wrong at that time. I had hoped to be able to put our previous negative experiences in the past, and work together for the good of others.
When a Spellguard agent arrived one dark, and removed the boulders blocking the likely way to the Chosen nest below, we investigated. After meeting stiff resistance, we decided that it would be wise to carefully plan a campaign, and to inform The Watch and the Spellguard of this development. But alas, even while I wrote the report, later that dark the Chosen struck. Undetected by both the Watch and the Spellguard, The Chosen committed the massacre Fawkes refers to in your reason for re-opening the contract.
I discovered this atrocity first, as I am wont to awaken frequently from my slumber thinking about the many duties of my position and look out upon the Platform. When I saw this foul sight, I immediately alerted the Watch, and Private Rollek came at my summons and filed a report. I had requested for Fawkes in the sending, but some other duty was deemed more important to him than investigating the murder of so many Sanctuarians.
I am sure that good Private Rollek reported the deep grief that I and the other Stouthearts at the scene were experiencing, but he conveniantly dismissed that fact so that he could label us as uncaring. I am sure that Rollek also reported that we spent time giving a blessing to each and every severely mutilated and frequently beheaded corpse, but that would also dispel your depiction of us as hard-hearted and selfish bastards.
Fawkes has now seen fit to "re-open" the bidding for the contract for guarding this area and in effect handling a very dangerous assignment that logically should be patrolled by the Watch themselves, all the while maintaining that we had not had our contract revoked. Why then did he send me a letter listing reasons that we had caused you to "not automatically renew" our contract, and then say it was not voided? Indeed, if some other group makes any offer, even at a lower rent than what we are currently paying, he can "void our contract" and remove us from our Clan home. He is quibbling with law and trying to make it appear that he is not voiding our contract while indeed he is.
For whatever reason he has decided to target myself and the Stoutheart Clan, he has now needlessly created an enemy. It is now he who will come under the high level of scrutiny he so enjoys turning upon those who frequently do not deserve it.
I am sending you this because I feel you have the right to be informed of his actions. If I have misjudged you, and you are in fact not looking out for our interests, then I hope that you would consider that Sanctuary will be the weaker if such treachery forces us to leave this place in disgust at its duplicitous nature.
May the good of Sanctuary guide your conscience,
Thane Rollo Stoneshield