Messages

[Tammuz the Second]

To the esteemed Officiates of the Ephia's Well Accord,

On Tammuz the Second I intend to rally together what supply and shards we bear to wit and organize a last push upon the Abulmahu. In respect to the Warmaster's directive, I do this not lightly, but with a crisp and crestfallen duty.

We shall need commanders to take the fore, and lead detachments of our soldiery into battle, whereas I shall keep a scanned eye over the battlefield and ensure we have able bodied volunteers to man the cannons. I must admit, I am unsure what to expect.

Write to me, at the post office of the Second Seat, with your intent to be present and lead, and I shall note it down. We must not march unprepared, and I am open to any and all suggestions and word of advice before hand. Let us march to victory, for Ephia's Well. For the fallen.

With regards,

Prelate Edmund Lothere

The Second Seat of the White League

Alexandria,

You are informed of one meeting amongst trusted friends of my suspicions regarding your possible involvement in the assassination of Inanna.

Information I have no doubt that Oswick fed to you in droves, with added details as fits the little Viper. Information I again, am doubtless, that Denain le Jonquille either belayed to you in earnest, or further twisted himself. Knowing the man is honest, I shall say the latter.

Unless the Fourth Legion has come to you directly to speak of an interrogation and what transpired in that dark garrison, you know next to nothing of the truth. You are arrogant, and more often than naught these days, it has begun to bleed into your very being.

That you cannot possibly concept the very notion of your own guilt (even if you are innocent of what I suspect, murder has lived in your mind before) is tangible to this very fact. What I thought to be mistakes I say are now lessons, lessons I shall learn from, but not to your benefit. Not any longer.

We will see how far your ill sought notions of Paradise bring you, and the sole weapon you have relied on since I've known you; countless mountains of beautifully prosed slander. There is not a single idea worthy of our League in that head of yours.

Regardless, soon you shall no longer be Legate, and doubtless you will lose this election. If not defeated by myself in the Primary, then by Lujayn in the General, for it has unraveled quickly that you are little more than a radical that shall do whatever she must to achieve her goals.

The Absolution was a fine prospect, but I do not think they shall ever hear your confession.

A shame.

- Edmund

Dear Alexandria,

Where once we were rather close, it does pain me how distant we have become of late over the whispers of a ruffian, whose sole contribution to your works an eye in the dark.

The same ruffian that cut the cloth of enemies I did not have, concepting conspiracies that did not exist, through the plain manipulation of his words, and the truth.

Drunken stupors are regrettable, but such aside, I have bid no one to consider you a murderer so long as I serve the Living Brother, and I have never dallied from the fact that I have no proof of my suspicions, and so in the place of suspicion, there can only be trust.

You laid before me two paths. Correct my words in public, or not, and see how I might fair in the Primary. Whether that was a threat against my life or not, it matters little. I do not serve you any longer, and so your ultimatum holds no meaning. But on the matter of remaining cordial, and stepping out of your way that shall be a short lived tenure in the grand scheme of our League's future, I offer another path.

I have long since my arrival to the Citadel considered employment with La Banda Rossa, owing to some sense of brotherhood, and the friendship I have built with Luther Donisthrope. They ask for only one last thing, to expedite my recruitment. Your blessings, and referral of my good deed.

You shall not have a public apology for a thing that has not been spoken in public, let alone over the bellows, for to say such would only spread this lie further. But you shall have my assurances, as I have done already, to be silent on the matter and let it die in Gellema's banquet of secrecy and lies.

You remain the sole candidate for our League, and I take a different path, the Lily still close to my heart and my pen not far. To write of my works in peace, in the midst of campaigns, battle and negotiating tables.

With regards,

Your hopeful and regretful friend

Edmund

A now richer vagrant is sent as courier with a simple note, left for the 'Makhyoons' in the Creep.

Keep thy Old Curse from my ear. The Living Brother is who judges.

You and your dogs are but hounds itching for blood, with the pretense of justice.

'Wroth'.

Regards,

Edmund Lothere

Democracy, not Dinarcracy

Here have we demonstrations of a dream that began with Magus Asterabadi, instead of fostering it, instead of expanding it, we have seen its desecration and the advantage taken upon the poorly implemented system of democracy.

Instead of a charter of rights and obligations alike the Noblesse Oblige of auld, a citizen's cloth cuts only as deep, deep as their coin purse or the coin purse of the corrupt lobby that has made of them a debt-slave. A debt that cannot ever be paid, for this debt will grow larger than the shape of a man's footprint, and grow endlessly, like quicksand. It will bury us deep, and we will not escape.

Furthermore in the place of a constitution that speaks aloud the institutions and their duties in our Citadel, we have an agreement on paper but in actuality, a coalition of interests more aligned with their own than the people they deign to protect. We have the Accord. But as some would ever seek to deny this, to oppose the Accord is to oppose the standing harmony of Ephia's Well.

Co-prosperity in Ephia's Well means co-operation between the Leagues and the Accord signatories, each branch of this olive tree representing some core and fundamental part of the city, that without, that in its absence, would lead to its eventual and rapid collapse.

I would quite enjoy the notion of mutual respect between myself and a Purple, or myself and a Gold, but the fact of the matter is, they are cults of personalities and self-interested, hegemony seeking mad men that deal, steal and bring men to heel. One purports a dinarcracy ruled by oligarchs and corruption, the other seeks to make of Ephia's Well their blood-ruled Satrapy, with intervention at every cornerstone so we are reminded daily that we are not free. We are not free.

I myself, I support harmony and democracy. Harmony and democracy, not hegemony and dinarcracy.

I support every Ephian's dream, the dream that anyone from anywhere can call our city home, and thrive. My words can and shall, however, be twisted by those I accuse. For I accuse the would be leaders and officials of these Leagues, not the people within them whom have been misled into believing that the League of White supports and has ever supported tyranny, or that we lack the know-how and integrity to bring this city into the hopeful horizon. The truth is, we are the only League capable of doing so, and yet those who place status quo upon their tongue like it is a pretty word, are pulling the strings. They despise progress, and the League of White is PROGRESS incarnate.

E.L

Following the arrest of former Prelate Edmund Lothere, an unsent letter or two begins to circulate from a public trust. The first is addressed to Apothar Margarethe Eisenberg, the second to himself, entitled 'Democracy, not Dinarcracy'.

Dear Apothar Eisenberg,

I pen this letter with a heavy hand and a heavier mind, for your actions during the election of Iyar 7789 I find deplorable and difficult to justify the sense of in the face of your long standing commitment on paper to our League of White, which therefore brings me to suspect you do not truly hold our tenets to heart.

Often I see, as spoken by Apothar Mae Stern upon my arrival to the Citadel, accusations accosted upon the Balladeers and the Priorty for supposedly exerting no room for independents to breathe in our party, and for manipulating its meetings and tempering in our Primaries, however I must ask you;

Why is it that your fellow Apothars, specifically Estillise Azim, are found to be bragging upon our bellows her very own confession in guilt of tampering in the League of Purple's Primary, and of seating and unseating Achaeus Komemnos, Saenus?

It then seems to me, coupled with what I have now witnessed in this very election, that you, Apothar Eisenberg, alongside your accomplices Mae Stern and Estillise Azimi, of whom claim to be so called members of the League of White, have betrayed us and conspired willingly and openly against your own fellows, and to make matters more vile to write of and ponder, it dawns upon my concerned mind that these turncloak antics are perhaps not the first time, so blatant with thou disregard for the welfare and common interests let alone the common good, and shall not be the last!

So you have placed most nefariously you and yours interest above them, the common interest, and therefore, the common good that we in the League of White stand for so vehemently, because we are proud, and pride in a thing, as passion in a thing, dictates the spirits of man, and his very essence, his emotion, of which if we must make a moral high ground in these bitter politicks, this battlefield, must ever stand by in earnest.

This then leaves me no choice but to now righteously oppose these so called interests of yours as self-interest, and not the interests of the Accord or of Ephia's Well, and to label thee a traitor of the Lily Standard, and to strongly denounce your actions as unpatriotic and a pronounced breaking of the Accord Agreement that your organisation has adhered to in good faith, for in its manyfolded agreement is a shared duty above all to protect and safeguard the Citadel from harm in whatever shape this harm doth take.

Your actions are not for the good of this city, not for the good of its people; they are not for the good of the Accord, nor the good of Q'tolip, therefore you are most assuredly a villain that shall as the Living Brother be my witness, see to it that in this life if not the next, see the scales right, and justice sweetly served onto thee with a silver platter.

May your hopes, dreams and destructive plotting turn to ash upon thy tongue, forked like a serpent's would be.

We will see your removal in one way or another.

Yours truly,

Esquire Edmund Lothere

Kiran,

My apologies for the confusion, but I had meant in my words a love for Alexandria.

With all due respect, I barely know you.

We will speak soon.

Regards,

Edmund

Dear Alexandria,

I fear we are conspired against by a coterie of Legate Vellyn's puppet strings, so I shall be honest with you and say this; I do not approve of the Absolvers, and in fact I think it rather a waste of time on the League of White's part.

The past week I have gone to great lengths to justify them as the creation of jobs, as the natural progress of this city, and as something good. But what good has the Absolution done, but stir up scandal after scandal? Are the Absolvers the behest of all that we strive for, are they worth it?

Do not mistake these words for fear, for I do not afear the craven dogs that nip and bark at our heels. I fear the unknown, and they are far too predictable in their vendetta, in their frustration that a month's invitation of an Enlightened Age was passed up in this city for a month, instead, of Vellyn Lhyrian and her silly, silly games.

They say, Alexandria, that as an elf grows so old, they become madder by the day. For living so long, as only Gods are ought to do, only those immortals, sons and daughters of holy creation should know eons, and that yes, as an elf ages, they replace their wisdom with tragedy. The years begin to peel at them like aged wood, cracking at the break of an era, at the dawn of one indeed. And Vellyn Lhyrian is one I've not known to be so petty and without proper discourse. Perhaps now, in this hindsight, I ponder if this city should rather burn itself to the ground than be some thing, any thing, than this heap of excuses and squabbling.

But, and this shall be the sternest and least doubtful buts you will ever garner from me, my friend; I will not betray you, not now, not yesterday and not tomorrow. I would be a Martyr for this cause, but I am confident that no matter what the outcome is, I shall make of them to appear as fools and sycophants, the lot of them, as it is the Gods given truth that I am a pious man of the only law in this land, the law of the Living Brother.

They do not understand. Even that idiot, Cogsworth, thinks I accepted this position as a reward, and see it as power. It is only a duty, and without you, the duty of it holds no meaning. I am here to take the seat should it find itself vacant, but for just reasons and not a web of lies and skullduggery, at the hands of those who claim to be the hand of justice, but it is not the hand of justice, it is the hand of vengeance, the hand of WROTH.

They have cursed us, and I shall curse them back in turn and rue the day I did not have her blood spilled, to spare my soul.

Take heart, and we will speak soon. The blood is worth it, if it spells out the future of the thousand masses without hope of a better tomorrow. The people shall always come first.

Edmund

To the esteemed Scribe, Kiran al-Arith!

I yet owe you a favor, but perhaps we shall make it two?

You may be approached in the coming days to ascertain some information and present yourself as a witness to the signing of a document regarding the approval of the Absolvers by Legates Achaeus Saenus and Alexandria Sayburgh.

If you would do the honor of confirming the truth, that this meeting and signage took place on Iyar the 17th, and that you witnessed its signing, I will ensure you are well rewarded. But if a reward has still not come to mind and you seek not monetary compensation, then I shall repeat; make it two favors.

Thank you, and may the Scales of Justice be set.

Regards,

Prelate Edmund Lothere

P.S We shall discuss this wealth distribution survey in the coming days, alas, I have been quite busy. The task is simple, however. I wish to know the estimate of wealth across the city's most affluent Boardworkers. Ask what questions you may and gather some useful information.

If you choose to admit this letter instead of what I've asked you, I understand completely. Tonight, though I am not a betting man, is a night of gambles. For I would prefer not to entertain their proposition that I conspire against a woman I have grown to love, even as it has turned my stomach at times. And I shall let love, in these days gone, be my charge, rather than what I think is right, for I do not think those in turn who conspire are right, only that they wish to be right, and ignore the good it does for our society, and that they in turn, are no more than snakes, pretending to perform their duties.

After some time, a response finds its way.

Lieutenant,

There are dubious claims against my person and I beseech you to dismiss them. Strong words are not to be used nor taken lightly, and though some may hate or love me and I decry them none of the mislike or geniality at times asked of these stances, I take great offense to claims of treason.

It is well known that the Absolvers were approved by Legate Achaeus during his tenure. The document scribed onto the Absolution board is no less and no more an exact replica of the document that he signed, restored through the excess of bureaucracy in his departure, whence many such documents were then lost. Scribe Kiran can attest to this.

This took place shortly after Legate Achaeus announced a meeting with Legate Sayburgh, on Iyar 17. A bellows report that supports this;



Legate Lhyrian, and you, Lieutenant, have nothing to support your claims but a bloodthirsty vendetta against what is, and has always been, a lawful and just decree by the Legates of Ephia's Well. Continue to aid in the fabrication of these so called crimes against me or Alexandria and I will be bringing this to the Bey himself, and inform him that once again Lieutenant Rennik Colmes is attempting another dubious stride to incite needless chaos in the government of the city in the midst of war.

Perhaps this is why you're no longer the Warmaster.

Good day,

Prelate Edmund Lothere

I have reflected today, and after doing a little bit of...theory, I have garnered this.


It was never my intent, nor I would say the intent of the League of White in so far as her tenets go, to strip any Ephian of their property. In fact I believe we have a right to property, once it is in our name, within the confines of civilization. Civilization our forebears fought to preserve. I shall ponder back to the case of Zina Zizzo, repeating the fact that as Legate Sayburgh's council, as a man of the law I cherish, urged her to consider other avenues for her extraordinary wealth.


But this explosion and disproportion of wealth in Ephia's Well is not unique to the merchants. It is seen in the adventuring class as well, those who ply the board. While I make no comment as to the dutiful nature of Squire Dandrik, Legate Lhyrian commented upon it in a way that confused me. She told me that those who work the board often are paid well, and their expenses low, and so their dinari grows endlessly. This is after taxes of property, after purchasing a Voice, after paying rent, after buying finite vials in the course of this war...and after all this, some make plaint.


That they do not know where to spend their dinari, and that they have more dinari than they know what to do with. Zina Zizzo was not at fault, and I dare say she contributed greatly to this city. Whether in its coffers, or in its people, or in art and culture, when she preserved the museum. It is the systems in place, and the gross lack of reform within, that are at fault. A laxity upon all that is fair in a Satrapy. That when wealth grows into excess, there is no lawful constraint that exists in our laws, our society, or our government for it.


The 15,000 dinari Voice contributed greatly to the city's treasury, but citizenship should not cost an arm and a leg. This price was affordable to lobbies, to rich adventurers and to the rich themselves-- and of the city's richest, they sit in the League of Gold. There is nothing inherently wrong with wealth itself. But it is wrong when the system treats a wealthy man no different than a poor man. And so the system allows the rich to keep growing rich, while the poor become poorer, falling into debts that the rich set upon them. A Voice here, a loan there.


So the greatest compromise we can come to is to not stop at one tax-- but to keep it affordable to a man. The Voice should remain between 1,000 and 5,000, as it did in the days of John Syter, at the very least, but no more than that. Then we must tax the Voiced a small percentage each month. This city could be making a reasonable sum for Allotment each month, to ensure we can always pay the Accord, if we entertained a tax that even the poor could afford. For a man with less than a hundred, he would pay no less than an hour's wage! For one who sits upon a dragon's hoard, in the thousands.


This is the way forward. This is how we begin to function and keep things as they are, without need to change it once it has been changed. Leave the Voice tax alone, for His Sublimity has made his will known. But we still have a duty to every Ephian. With this, we could alleviate other taxes. The sales tax, the property tax-- the taxes that seem to draw the largest plaints from among our communities. And in its place, a consistent source of income for the city not reliant on preying upon refugees seeking their Voice, for a vote. Equality in truth, not just word.

[remove that of implied prosecution and instead seek to imply that the Absolvers are to mete out justice alike bounty hunters, delivering criminals to the Fourth Legion for prosecution]

Contrary to some letters and notes, this one carried with it a more pronounced air, and some decorum demanded of a Legate's station.

Legate Alexandria Sayburgh,

I have met with your Co-Legate, Vellyn Lhyrian, and have calmed the protestations against the Absolution, however she requests that we reword the last line of their duties to remove that of implied prosecution and instead seek to imply that the Absolvers are to mete out justice alike bounty hunters, delivering criminals to the Fourth Legion for prosecution.

She also has asked that a position of her own be formed, and she expects your approval. I did not assure this, though, and if the position and its duties facetious then the prerogative is yours to decline her kindly and softly. I know naught what it entails yet.

Furthermore, she has three revisions to the law prepared in the form of Assault, Blasphemy and Brooking. The Assault adds a Serious charge where it is Minor now, and Minor only includes Unarmed. Blasphemy is unknown to me yet, but I surmise perhaps they suggest its removal or major altercation. They claim the Brooking law shall only see clerical changes to ensure accuracy and relevancy. I have the Assault law in paper with her signature, requiring only yours to be implemented.

Lastly, an ultimatum from the First Seat; approve these things, or make reasonable counter-offer (at the very least, give or take some and be open to negotiation), else she has threatened to do what she has already deigned to do. Stonewall all that our League hopes to accomplish, into the foreseeable future.

Should you have proposals of your own that you cannot sensibly see delivered to them, I welcome you to leave them in a cache at the Stockade under lock and key, and I shall see them to the First Seat for discussion. I shall not allow this last month of your tenure before election to find itself stuck in a status quo reminiscent of the Moretti-Komemnos days.

How we proceed from here may very well decide the future of our League.

Your Prelate,

Edmund Lothere

A brief reply is sent to the Amun Enclave in the Krak des Roses.

Thank you for your service, Magus.

We shall be in touch.

Regards,

Edmund

[Iyar 10, 7789, Inanna Eilissere bellowed;]

Iyar 10, 7789, Inanna Eilissere bellowed;

"Fellow members of the gold league. You are asked to choose between three candidates. I need not sully any words on Cogsworth, our resident clown. Kind and amusing though may he be. That leaves you with two choices; Dante and Vellyn.

Now we have seen Dante's style of ruling. He just dictates from above, Decides things for us as he would for children. If you like being a sheep, and dutifully obeying this unimpressive man, then you know where to vote.

But a good gold candidate recognizes the value of her voiced, and involves them in the process. She holds assemblies and discusses what is best for the city. She knows the voiced are the brightest and best minds of the city. The lifeblood of the Well.

Dante made heaps of backroom deals, made concessions. But what he won was only ever for himself, and never for the people. Dante is not a team player. He has a role to play, as advisor. But he is not suited as legate.

Instead I would urge you to choose our only real choice; The woman who has already garnered widespread Accord Support. A moderate, someone who will curb the worst of Sayburgh's excesses and return us to the familiar status quo before the laws changed weekly and sergeants battled balestieres.

I want you, my fellow gold leaguers, to support Vellyn Lhyrian. She is someone you can trust with power. She will involve you in every step of the way, and allow herself to be advised by the assembly. She will make even-handed decisions and deals. Give her your trust and your vote! There is prosperity for all."


Nisah 9, 7789, Inanna Eilissere bellowed;

"Achaeus, You can't just be stark idols sitting still as the water rises around you. Legates need to make deals and keep the city functional."


Adar 7, 7788, Vellyn Lhyrian bellowed;

"And now, for something a little less ominous! I am Vellyn Lhyrian, here at my client's (Inanna Eilissere) behest. They wish to investigate some strange happenings in the Dunes of Rust. We'll be gathering in the Rose's tavern and setting off imminently."


Iyar 16, 7789, Vellyn Lhyrian bellowed;

"Hundreds of thousands of dinar already spent. For noble and just causes, aye, but spent nonetheless. Is there a plan to offset this deficit? What are we to do when the coffers run dry? Do we erect monuments for our slain with the lint of your bellies? Pay the Accord with songs of sweeter tomorrows?"




As requested. Most of Vellyn's own record are beckons for boardwork, where Inanna is mentioned often as her client, or so the connection can be made with ease once correlated with witness account of them rarely parting ways.

Contrary to her words during the campaign, Vellyn Lhyrian made off her career with being the city's finest broker of information. Now instead of being the skulking eye in the corner, listening to conversations and then peddling it onto others in return for more information to create a cycle of it all, she is now at the head of where information goes to die.

She did not rise to the First Seat to serve the people. She rose to the First Seat so she could further satisfy her own morbid obsession with knowing all secrets. If she wished to serve the people, truly, she would have already aspired to make a deal with you.

Helerath and the daughter of Ghalib shall likely be the candidates for Gold and Purple this time around. Lujayn had mentioned to me the chances of not splitting the vote, but in truth, I don't think the League of Purple ever vote for their candidate in unison. I would not worry much of the opposition.

Your friend,
Edmund

[Estellise]

Estellise Azimi,

All I have deigned to do is listen to whom has asked my ear and lent their support, and I know the Sisters not on a personal level, but on a political level, and have enjoyed my conversations and discussions with them.

But I am not so foolish as to presume everything they say is truth, merely the fact of the matter is that I have heard only one side and now another from your own writ hand, 'The Priory's goals to destroy this world and replace it with one of their choosing,' is a very certain impasse of yours that you have worded to me.

I would like to know more, as is the intent of my correspondence with you, and I should like this chance to be tutored not by a mystery cult but an Apothar of Q'tolip's Astronomers, especially one so invested in the pursuit of our tenets in the League of White.

Furthermore, you must accept my apologies (or do not, and I shall ask it all the same), as I had made at least one presumption indeed that you were in alignment with your colleague, Margarethe Eisenberg, who is also a member of the League of White and profusely campaigned for now Legate Vellyn Lhyrian during the election, and mirrored her at every corner I saw the then candidate.

Quotes from her such as, 'Do not give in now, Vellyn, we are so close to victory,' and unto that I must say if I am claimed to be a puppet of the Sibylline Sisterhood, Vellyn Lhyrian is certainly a puppet of perhaps not the Astronomers as a whole, but certainly the overly ambitious Nadiri, Inanna Eilissere and the cunning Margarethe Eisenberg, Apothar in service to Q'tolip.

Or perhaps the truth is that neither of us are puppets, and that as per your letter, puppets are not sought, but even playing fields where those uplifting the state as politicians should respect the Accord but not give in to the Accord's self-interested demands. You wish of that, then, and I have already deigned it in all my works. Shall I see you at the meeting on the Third of Hziran?

I look forward to meeting you in person and discussing this at length.

Regards,

Edmund Lothere