Mr Bresley,
Well, you have requested that I write extensively about the failures of the previous government and present ideas for how to address those failures in the construction of a new state as well as about our immediate needs. While the former topic is one that might ideally take far more time and energy to address and I confess my own partial ignorance toward some of the details of this city's history, I will do the best I can with the accounts I have been given. I will follow that by addressing our immediate situation, as you have requested. I apologize for the length, but such was your request.
The first thing that occurs to me, as I mentioned in our meeting, is that the previous official government - by which I mean the elected council - was critically weak. Irreflective and unrepresentative of the reality of power in Sanctuary and constructed as to be a weak and divided body, it inevitably became a corrupt body beholden to the real sources of power in the settlement - namely the Spellguard, the Watch, and to a lesser extent the merchant houses. The Spellguard, in particular, was desirous of additional power and entirely willing to seek it violently and deceitfully, using all measure of means from the traitorous to the grotesque. Given the city's utter dependence on the Spellguard for protection, it was trapped into accepting this constant threat to the stability of the state while trying to keep it at bay with the power of the Watch. The fall of Sheriff Azzram set into motion the utter destruction of the fragile balance upon which the previous regime depended.
Looking ahead, I believe it would be a mistake to hope that a man like Simms will not be reproduced in the future. There will always be men and women of fantastic ambition and talent who will seek such power. It would also be a mistake to hope that such men and women will not seek to use the most traitorous, deceitful, and grotesque methods to achieve their ends. What needs to be addressed is the dependence of the people upon anyone of such a nature. It is that dependence which insulated Simms and prevented the state from either replacing him or bringing him to account for his crimes. Absolved from any level of accountability, he was free to continue his attempts at destroying the state until he eventually succeeded in his quest.
As such, while there is a need to restore an arcane defense for the city, there is an equal need to ensure that any such body is never able to attain the level of centralized power which the Spellguard achieved. My own suggestion is for a mage's guild that possesses no single master, but rather a council of equal masters of the craft. The prestige afforded to each who achieves that rank and joins its council should flatter the ambition of the greatest of magi who achieve that level of respect and authority and it would be approrpiate to afford them such a level of prestige. More importantly, however, competition between the ambitious members of such an arcane council would be vastly preferable to the ambitious work of a single powerful magus if all other magi obediently fall into his or her wake. It should therefore be the mission of the patriots amongst such an Order to insure that such never happens again and furthermore the mission of others in society to insure that such attempts are thwarted long before they come to fruition.
To further divide the nature of such coercive power upon which the community will depend, it should be ensured that the Watch and the Seekers possess their own magi who will be afforded with the same protections from magic eaters and other necessary wards if this is possible. Arcane power and its use should never again be the sole preserve of a single body in the community, for it grants them vastly too much power. Magi should join such an order, if they so choose, because it affords them opportunities to learn their craft and the prestige to teach it to others.
As for the governance of the state, it occurs to me that its construction needs to address two primary issues: the distribution of power and the recognition of the reality of who holds power in the community. A republic is clearly the preference of the public and one should be formed, but it needs to be one that addresses the failings of the weak and corrupt republic which it will replace. As such, it should be the purpose of those constructing the new state to tie each of the major power interests of the community into the regime, to co-opt them while putting each of their ambitions into impotent competition, subject to the judgements of the public as an arbiter of their disputes.
We should not be deluding ourselves. The elites of our society will rule us - one elite or multiple. For a republic to work, it is therefore necessary to co-opt the various elites into a competitive arrangement where the public acts as arbiter. A council of magi, multiple rival merchant houses, the Watch, the Seekers, and any other organizations which arise should be preserved for their seperate perspectives and interest, while each co-opted into the regime and given an important voice in setting policy for the community. The ultimate choice of policy should be a matter of two factors: the capacity for these organizations to negotiate with one another and the ability to sell their case before the public.
What I have not yet riddled out is the optimal means of structuring that. I am tempted to suggest a council which has permanent seats for each of the most powerful and important parts of the community so as to co-opt them into the governing system, but I am unclear as yet how precisely that might be structured or what size of council is ideal. There is also the natural evolution of the community to consider. How would one handle the rise and fall of House Montezzi, to give but one example? The obvious answer is that elected representatives, as with the former republic, can address that, but there are liabilities to relying on that too heavily. The answer may even be so simple as to change the voting system and enlarge the council to say, 7.
But moving from such future considerations, for which we have the luxury of time to consider, you asked me to comment on our immediate needs as a community. The answers here are far more stark and far more clear. The simple answer is that we need to disappear and we need to disappear as quickly as possible. We have days, not weeks. We should be preparing the population for the exodus. We should be conscripting, arming, and training the able-bodied to help protect those who cannot protect themselves. We should be picking up everything that isn't nailed down and preparing it for transport. We should be keeping an eye on Traensyr so as to receive immediate warning of an incoming drow army and the Watch should be preparing to meet it. We should at the very least consider collapsing the tunnels to the west of the gates as we prepare our exodus, so as to close off the means of reaching us before we escape. We should also at least discuss and explore the possibility of killing key leaders in Traensyr, in particular, if it could re-ignite the internal struggle which has so long delayed their interest in our community.
Regarding the preparation of the public, what is needed right now is clear, decisive, and honest leadership from their government. They need to know the threat and what is at stake, but that with hard work and sacrifice this community can be saved by coming together at the most critical of times. They need to hear that the same Watch which has proven their ability and willingness to fight by miraculously liberating them from the Spellguard stands ready to fight and die for them again and needs their support. They need to be reminded that they are not a callow people who cower in fear, but a hardened people who have survived the hardships of the Underdark and are ready to face what lies ahead with courage. They need to hear that survival and success are possible for this community, but it will require -their- support and -their- work. They need to hear of what -they- can do to prepare and protect themselves and their neighbors in the hours and days ahead. Wax poetic however you can, as I hope is more your skill than mine, but such a message delivered by a man of your stature is necessary and will no doubt need to be repeated.
We need the leaders of the Watch and the Seekers to sit down and figure out what the plan is and then we need you, as mayor, to do the yeoman's work of inspiring the people to perform it and support it. Those of us who stand ready to assist you can manage the logistical burdens that will come with that, but none of it will be possible unless and until the population is mobilized.
Regarding what people such as myself can be doing, we can be organizing efforts to provide labor on behalf of those who will need it. We can be supervising the construction and loading of transport for property and supplies. We can help secure expedited transport for those who would be unable to transport themselves. This will recruire recruiting citizens who are willing to aid in these pursuits and organizing them into teams with a communication structure able to respond to needs as they arise in what has the high chance to otherwise be a highly chaotic process. Throughout that process, there will be a need for the steady presence of the Watch and of yourself, Mr Mayor, reminding the people that these are efforts and sacrifices of which they are capable and that the whole of the community stands together. This will continue to be as much of a challenge for propaganda as it will be for logistics and I pray we are up to such a challenge.
Of critical import in all of this, however, we need to know where we are taking the people, how we are protecting them in transit, and plans for settlement, protection, and sustenance upon arrival. I am not privvy to these details, but it is something you and the other leaders of the new state will need to discuss in order to make your case before the public and prepare them for what lies ahead. Our most pressing need, in fact, is the clarification of these details and the development of contingency plans by the Watch (in particular) for how to protect the process once it is under way.
And with that in mind, I would encourage the meeting of the leaders of the state at the earliest possible moment to address these issues. Something practical and mostly for delegating tasks that need to be immediately accomplished such as securing our route of exodus and assessing conditions at the destination. You should probably meet with such individuals daily to address the ever evolving situation and delegate necessary tasks. For the time being, the state likely needs to consist of a small council of managers such as Watch officers and leaders such as yourself, with you performing a moderating and decision-making role. We'll have the time and luxury of building our new republic upon arrival at our destination. The immediate need is mere survival.
And with that stated, I believe I've fulfilled the request you made of me last evening. It is my hope that others are providing you with their own exhaustive advice, as you said, and that we are each able to offer the services of our arms and legs as much as our quills and mouths in the days ahead. This community will no doubt need all of it.
Best regards,
Beregon Hrafn