[A sealed letter for Domhnall Guivarch]

[cmenden]

Dear Domhnall,

Our conversation was cut short by how eager you were to rush off and scheme anew with Mari Blacke.

To answer your question as to how I know you intend to give her the Prelate post, my curiosity began with Ibn Ghalish's surprisingly vehement distaste for you. What would cause such a reasonable man to be so angry? Should I also be angry?

I did some investigation with members of all three Accord signatories, people who must know things before others in order to protect Ephia's Well and they corroborated the information provided to me by Ibn Ghalish.

Domhnall Guivarch has promised the Prelate position to Mari Blacke in exchange for her support during his campaign.

There is still time to fix this egregious error. Fire her from your campaign in a public manner and see her removed from the White League so she is ineligible for the position.

What path we arrive on next is up to you.

Regards,
Estellise Azimi

[Erudiche]

Estellise,

Allow me to be very clear. Mari Blacke will not be appointed Prelate. I spoke to her to ensure that she was familiar with and comfortable accepting this fact. I have informed you, Mae, and other representatives of the Tower of this fact on numerous occassions. Anyone who has contradicted this is either an idiot or a liar, perhaps both. I am so vehement in this that I shall put to writing this oath: If I appoint Mari Blacke, under any circumstances, to the post of Prelate, I will kill myself on the spot. If that is not sufficient, I offer you a preemptive and non-retractible pardon for my murder in the case that I appoint Mari Blacke as my Prelate.

Mari Blacke has, however, procured three Voices for this campaign. You are a rational thinker, Estellise, eminently so, and will not need me to explain why it is essential for this election that I keep Blacke on-board, unless you would like to see a dying old man in the seat (then replaced with some rabidly anti-Q'tolipean aristocrat) or Veshuib (who has openly smeared your own organization at every juncture and wishes to do away with the Accord). Consequently, I have offered her minor concessions on certain elements of policy, nothing which would threaten civil society in the Well. I maintain a position of power in these dealings. I will not fire Mari Blacke, Estellise, in the same way I have not publicly denounced the Astronomers for the present catastrophe, nor abandon Mae to the wrath of the public.

I am the single most ardent, open, and public friend of the Tower in the city. I have time and time again advocated for your interests, despite considerable open distaste for the Tower among the populace. I have defended Mae from public assaults, cleaned her robes of rotten fruit thrown at her, and faced down Aubrey as she attempted to incite a crowd to assault and exile Mae from the city. I even share the services of my own bodyguard, Georgi Shukov, with her, at some risk to my own safety!

I am in a position to offer the Astronomers a great friend in policy, and, to be very open with you, had intended to effectively eliminate the Anti-Estellise law by simply pardoning you during Assemblies for its violation.

If this strong, material, track record of friendship as support is insufficient for the Apothar of Eagle's Mount, I don't know what to tell you. Ibn Ghalish wants you dead, he has made that very clear to me during our visit to the Tablet, motivated by a hatred of Q'tolip and a contempt for your society as having inflicted the Meteor Sickness. Why you would trust an outspoken enemy of the Astronomers above my own words baffles me. Ibn Ghalish hates me because I intend to win an election, whereas he would see riots incited and your heads, the heads of all you love, and of anyone who has ever held a dinar in their life, mounted on pikes and paraded through the Plaza. He is an anarchist and a wrecker, Estellise, and he HATES you.

Please tell me who has "corroborated" this information, as I need to know who the individuals are who are actively seeking to undermine our campaign and the productive working relationship of the League of White and Eagle's Mount.

If you chose to withdraw support for this campaign, demolish any good-will between the League and the Tower, based on the insidious fantasies of a chai-swilling simpleton and a pack of liars, it will be YOU who are, in truth, serving Gellema in this matter.

Please let me help you, Estellise. I would really like to help you.
Domhnall Judicael Guivarch

[cmenden]

Dear Domhnall,

You underestimate how far I will go to prevent Mari Blacke from acquiring power in Ephia's Well.

If you cannot see the danger she presents, then you were a poor choice for Legate to begin with.

Best,
Estellise Azimi

[Erudiche]

Estellise,

I have given you everything you wanted, and offer you everything you want. I am your only choice.

Do not threaten me again.

Domhnall Guivarch

[cmenden]

Dear Domhnall,

Do you understand how serious taking the LEAGUE away from me is?

You have silenced my voice in the political process nearest to my heart and I was only allowed in that place as your "guest".

I thought we'd settled matters, but you apparently decided to slice my barely healed wounds with a dagger and claim insanity as your reason.

What did you expect was going to happen?

Regards,
Estellise Azimi

[Erudiche]

Azimi,

You have gone completely mad. Kreutz awashed the Plaza in spellflame to kill my friends.

This is unacceptable. All because I told you the truth -- you would have to demonstrate good faith in the eyes of Rosie Gunmper to return to the League. Your response was complete and utter insanity, aimed as destroying everything.

You are a petulant child in control of abilities far beyond her faculties. You are a danger to yourself and everyone around you.

I have no words left for you. I will not be taking any more of your letters.
Domhnall

[cmenden]

Dear Domhnall,

The overzealous Nadiri acted on his own and the Janissaries have since fined him.

I can't speak to his actions with perfect confidence because he didn't alert me to his plans in advance, but he has since explained that he didn't wish to kill anyone and he was upset that the dwarf punched me.

With regards to your assertions about Rosie, they ring false when you're the one who demanded my expulsion. You weren't reasonable at all and rather dangled what you knew I wanted in front of me and made demands of my cooperation.

I've tried to be your friend from the start, but your repeated betrayals of me have stung and so I've responded accordingly.

Your pattern of behavior, if anything, shows that the Legate seat will consume you. Its pressures are far greater than anything you've encountered during campaigning.

Despite how quick you are to claim your life is in danger from those who disagree with you, it is not the case.

Even the Nadiri was only responding to violence your dwarf brought with his own.

I'd rather talk in person on these matters as you seem to be quick to destroy lines of communication and surround yourself with mindless sycophants.

You've claimed to be opposed to such before to me. Was that another lie?

Regards,
Estellise Azimi

[Erudiche]

Estellise,

I was more right than I knew. Already a great pall is lifted from my senses.

Have you yet voted? There may be time to rectify our mistake. I'll get you your badge back if you agree to vote for me.

If you have voted, I might still get it back. Do not lie to me, the League will know.

[cmenden]

Dear Domhnall,

Regrettably, I already cast my vote while I was angry and feeling betrayed, and it was for Marcellus.

I'm glad that it was just an affliction caused by the meteor sickness. I can at least clear up the matter as needed, publicly if desired.

I should have known something was abnormal given the circumstances.

Regards,
Estellise Azimi