[DM] Letter to Sorazin Bey

[Ziya]

29 Tammuz IY 7788

SORAZIN BEY

Dear Sir,

RE: RENNIK COLMES

1.    On 28 Hziran IY 7788, Lieutenant Rennik Colmes ("Rennik") was appointed to the esteemed position of Warmaster through "a joint decision by the two Purple Seats". Subsequently, the Tammuz Election concluded with the loss of one of these Purple Seats, and the election of a Legate from the League of Gold on 16 Tammuz IY 7788.

2.    Since then:

        (a)    On 19 Tammuz IY 7788, Rennik interrogated and intimidated a Sister of the Sibylline Sisterhood in the Office of the First Seat during a meeting between the Legate of the First Seat and the Accorded Signatories. This was witnessed by representatives of the Accorded Signatories, and Rennik was only halted after being reminded that his behavior in the Palatial Pyramid was disgraceful;

        (b)    Between 19 Tammuz and 20 Tammuz IY 7788, Rennik usurped the authority of the Legates to engage in foreign affairs with Kha'esh by devolving that power to his Divan of War and discounting the votes of the Legates in determining Ephia's Well's foreign policies with Kha'esh. This was witnessed and noted on two occasions, first by the Astronomers of Q'tolip at the Council of War, and then again by the Ambassador of Kha'esh during an Assembly held on or around 21 Tammuz IY 7788; and

        (c)    On 27 Tammuz IY 7788, after Arjuna Blackbranded had murdered two Students of the College of Balladeers and the learned Alejandro Benjazar, and upon being informed of the same, Rennik ordered the arrest of the Legate of the First Seat (the "27 Tammuz Incident"). Rennik's reasoning for doing so, witnessed by Deputy Chief Scribe Aaisha al-Samar, was to investigate "the plan to murder Arjuna".

3.    It is germane to highlight a few points about the 27 Tammuz Incident:

        (a)    First, Rennik neglected his duty as a Lieutenant. Arjuna Blackbranded had just murdered three Ephians. Instead of acting to address the murders, Rennik's first act upon learning of the murders was to arrest an elected Legate for a completely separate alleged offence. To-date, his efforts to apprehend Arjuna remains feeble and desultory at best.

        (b)    Second, Rennik failed in his duty as a Warmaster. Ephia's Well is at war. Rennik should be fully aware that any careless actions could undermine the morale of its populace and destabilize the proper functioning of Ephia's Well. Instead, he chose the most damaging method of enacting his arrest of an elected Legate - by doing so in front of all and sundry in the middle of the Chamber of Rule, right in the midst of a crisis, and thereby paralyzing both the government and the Janissaries when leadership was most needed.

        (c)    Third, Rennik's ground for arresting an elected Legate was both spurious and absurd. He appears to have been advancing the case that Marigold Boffin was placed as a "knife" to the throat of Arjuna, and as Marigold Boffin answers to the Prelate Argent Argyris, who subsequently answers to the Legate of the First Seat, the Legate is therefore culpable in a crime of "planning to murder Arjuna". However, this case is plainly absurd. First, Marigold Boffin did not do anything to murder Arjuna as of the material time. Second, Marigold Boffin had instead just assisted Arjuna to murder three Ephians. Third, and in any case, Arjuna had just murdered three Ephians. The absurdity of the arrest was made plain when after a mere three questions, Rennik was forced to release the arrested Legate and provide an apology over the Bellows.

        (d)    Fourth, Rennik provided an admission of guilt and wrongdoing over the Bellows. However, it is insincere, and betrays a man more contrite at being caught blameworthy than being genuinely remorseful about his actions. It was interrupted, and Rennik was quick to rely on the interruption to truncate his apology. I reproduce Rennik's truncated apology for your convenient reference:

Warmaster Colmes speaking. The words I spoke within the Council of Rule were regrettable, and the Legate has my apologies for their nature in the wake of this bloodshed. Tensions were high. Tempers hot. That excuses none of it-

4.    Any one of these incidents may be forgiven as a mistake. Any one of these incidents may be absolved as a lapse in judgment. Any one of these incidents may be overlooked.

5.    However, taken altogether, the incidents demonstrate a concerning pattern of conduct from a man who has been vested with an incredible degree of trust and power. In holding the offices of both a Lieutenant of the Janissaries and a Warmaster, Rennik can be said to wield power almost unequalled by any in Ephia's Well. It is crucial that he be trusted to wield these powers sensibly and tactfully, and do so while respecting the fragile and delicate tapestry of power that holds Ephia's Well and its Accorded Signatories together.

6.    Furthermore, it is disconcerting that Rennik's behavior appears to be escalating. Troubling tidings have reached the Office of the First Seat that even now, Rennik and his conspiracy of Janissary loyalists seek to cajole false witnesses and invent farcical evidence towards advancing his plot to undermine the government of Ephia's Well.

7.    It is evident that the only conceivable explanations for Rennik's actions are:

        (a)    First, Rennik's actions were politically motivated to support the League of Purple in undermining the Legate of the League of Gold. This is evidenced by the fact that Rennik and most of his loyalists within the Janissaries have voted for the League of Purple during the Tammuz Elections, and his appointment as Warmaster was owed to the League of Purple;

        (b)    Second, Rennik believes that as Warmaster, he is either above or may neglect the Legates of Ephia's Well. This is evidenced by his decision to usurp the Legates' authorities over foreign affairs;

        (c)    Third, Rennik has developed the belief that power must be concentrated unchecked within him, and that him being answerable to the Legates is an inconvenience that must be overcome - in establishing a military junta, he would win the war, without the need to account to the elected leaders of Ephia's Well; and/or

        (d)    Fourth, Rennik has merely erred repeatedly, and is unable to bear the stress of holding both the offices of a Lieutenant and that of a Warmaster.

8.    In light of the foregoing, I regret to inform you that Rennik no longer commands the trust and confidence of the Legate of the First Seat. Specifically, it is this Office's position that Rennik can no longer wield the power of both a Lieutenant and a Warmaster. Henceforth, he must choose. As Rennik appears to be more interested in the powers of a Lieutenant over the responsibilities of a Lieutenant, it is this Office's recommendation that Rennik be suspended as a Lieutenant of the Janissaries until the end of the war or he has conceded the duties and responsibilities of a Warmaster. Alternatively, he may resign as Warmaster.

9.    TAKE NOTICE that in the meantime, any further actions taken by Rennik or his cadre of loyalists to arrest or harm any elected Legate and/or any member of Ephia's Well's government will hereby be taken as yet another act in a pattern of behavior by rogue Janissaries intended to energetically undermine or attempt to energetically undermine the government for any reason, thereby inviting anarchy and disorder; to wit, Rennik and his cadre of loyalists would be taking actions that are evidence of treason against Ephia's Well.

10.    Actions have consequences, and I bade that you do not permit Rennik's actions during the 27 Tammuz Incident to be without consequence. In any case, in the event of continued treasonous activities, the Legate of the First Seat trusts that both loyal Janissaries and the Accorded Signatories will act to defend the government of Ephia's Well against any attempted coup d'etats, and/or that you will intervene personally to hold him to account.

Live and drink,
Balstan Gloamingdaith
The Legate of the First Seat

[Ziya]

8 Maribeh IY 7788

SORAZIN BEY

Dear Sir,

RE: RENNIK COLMES

1.    We refer to our letter dated 29 Tammuz IY 7788 (our "29 Tammuz Letter") relating to Lieutenant Rennik Colmes ("Rennik"). Purely for the sake of convenience, we adopt the abbreviations in our 29 Tammuz Letter.

2.    Since our 29 Tammuz Letter, we are of the view that Rennik had committed, abetted the commission of, or conspired to commit, the following contraventions of the Penal Code of Ephia's Well: (i) one count under Article 5, Treason; and (ii) one count under Article 10, Interference with Jurisprudence.

3.    For the first charge under Article 10, Interference with Jurisprudence, we state as follow:

        (a)    On 3 Maribeh IY 7788, Sergeant Samton Ashworth ("Samton"), a well-known Sergeant under Rennik's command, ordered the Janissary Mihaly Feher to make preparations for the trial of one Nathaniel Blackvale ("Blackvale").

        (b)    It is germane at this juncture to reproduce the Bellow made at Samton's request verbatim, with the words of the Bellow a matter of Scribal records:

"Magistrate Atticus Naros, you are requested by Sergeant Ashworth at the Hall of Jurisprudence to oversee trial, as was previously discussed. Additionally, citizens of the Well are called to witness and observe the oncoming judicial proceedings." [Emphasis added]

        (c)    Four points must be highlighted. First, Magistrate Atticus Naros ("Atticus"), appointed by the League of Purple, was expressly requested for. Second, the request was made by Samton. Third, there was an allusion to a discussion prior to the call. Fourth, Rennik, Samton, and Atticus, all are members of the League of Purple and all voted for the candidate of the League of Purple during the election in Tammuz IY 7788.

        (d)    At the trial, Blackvale was charged with theft and murder. It is our understanding that the evidence against him for murder amounted to a confession beaten out of him over the course of four days for his multiple failed attempts in casting a spell of "Foretell Doom" on a person who ultimately did not even die. Nevertheless, he was convicted and found guilty, and sentenced to exile for murder. We further understand that the allegedly deceased victim presently remains alive in the Krak des Roses.

      (the "First Charge")

4.    For the second charge under Article 5, Treason, we state as follow:

        (a)    On 4 Maribeh IY 7788, Mother Baz'eel, Ephia's Well, Kha'esh, and other powers of our Great Ring met in Kardesler ("Kardesler");

        (b)    At Kardesler, Kha'esh demanded overall command over Ephian forces in the Union of Kardesler against Iakmes and his Thousand Clans, Legate Marcellus Saenus ("Marcellus") looked to Rennik for approval before conceding command. Despite Princess Shaimela's and the Legate of the First Seat's presence, Marcellus only sought Rennik's assent. Rennik granted it. Accordingly, Marcellus ceded command to Kha'esh.

        (c)    This may be contrasted with the Legate of the First Seat's reactions to Il Modo's demands. These demands, amongst others, included demands for the ceding of territory held by Mother Baz'eel and Mother Baz'eel's recognition of Il Modo's sovereignty over the Sea of Pearls. In this regard, the Legate of the First Seat rightly deferred to Princess Shaimela, who informed Il Modo that the Sultan's Court will decide on whether to accede to Il Modo's demands.

        (d)    Just as the Legate of the First Seat did not have the authority to cede territories held by Mother Baz'eel to Il Modo, neither did Marcellus nor Rennik have the authority to cede command over the Janissaries of the Fourth Legion to Kha'esh without the assent of either the Princess Shaimela or the First Seat of the Legate. Nevertheless, Marcellus and Rennik did so.

      (the "Second Charge")

5.    In light of the foregoing, and buttressed by the views we have arrived at in our 27 Tammuz Letter, we must recommend that the following actions be taken:

        (a)    The suspension of Rennik as a Lieutenant of the Janissaries of the Fourth Legion; and

        (b)    The appointment of Deputy Chief Scribe Aaisha al-Samar or any other suitable persons to conduct an investigation into Rennik and/or any other co-conspirators for contraventions of the Penal Code of Ephia's Well, including but not limited to the above allegations under the First Charge and the Second Charge.

6.    You would appreciate that Rennik's position as a Lieutenant grants him de facto immunity from the consequences of his actions. Many of the Janissaries are loyal servants of the Sultan and the Princesses, and would be justly enraged that Rennik had instigated Marcellus to concede command to Kha'esh without consulting Princess Shaimela. However, these Janissaries are similarly unable to hold him to account or investigate his many misdeeds. It cannot be a desirable state of affair that there be a man above the consequences of his actions, especially when those actions were so direly against the honor of a Princess of Baz'eel.

7.    Furthermore, it is our understanding that with the calling of the Maribeh elections by the Scribes of the Sublime Garden on 8 Maribeh IY 7788, Rennik now actively seeks to directly interfere with the elections to pursue malicious prosecutions against his political opponents in the League of Gold. In this regard, we repeat paragraph 3 above. We note that we have additionally procured written testimonies that the Janissaries under Rennik's command have taken to the torture and imprisonment of prisoners to extract testimonies that are favorable to Rennik's political purposes.

8.    In light of the foregoing, we trust that our recommendations at paragraph 5 above would be viewed favorable, and understood as reasonable and necessary for both Ephia's Well and the Janissaries of the Fourth Legion.

9.    Please find enclosed draft copies of the First Charge and the Second Charge for your convenience.

10.   We are grateful to the esteemed Bey for his kind attention to this letter.

Live and drink,
Balstan Gloamingdaith
The Legate of the First Seat

First Charge

The Penal Code of Ephia's Well

You,

RENNIK COLMES

are charged that on or around 3 Maribeh IY 7788, in Ephia's Well, you intentionally and directly disrupted the process of Jurisprudence with actions that directly hindered the process of a fair trial or punishment for the accused; to wit, you procured as Judge that of Magistrate Atticus Naros after your Sergeant Samton Ashworth had fixed the outcome of the trial with the Magistrate, and deliberately selected a Magistrate that would be amenable to your prosecution, resulting in the conviction and sentencing of the accused, and thereby directly hindering the process of a fair trial or punishment for the accused, which is an offence under Article 10 of the Penal Code of Ephia's Well (the "Penal Code") punishable by either exile or death as a Capital Offense under the Penal Code.

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Second Charge

The Penal Code of Ephia's Well

You,

RENNIK COLMES

are charged that on or around 4 Maribeh IY 7788, in the Canyon of Kardesler, you energetically undermined or energetically attempted to undermine the government for any reason, thereby inviting anarchy and disorder; to wit, you abetted by instigation or conspiracy the Legate Marcellus Saenus to cede command of military forces under Ephia's Well and Baz'eel to Kha'esh without the assent of either Legate Balstan Gloamingdaith or Princess Shaimela, who were present, thereby undermining the government and inviting anarchy and disorder, which is an offence under Article 5 of the Penal Code of Ephia's Well (the "Penal Code") punishable by either exile or death as a Capital Offense under the Penal Code.

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[Abala]

Honored Legate,

It is with great delight that I read your letter, well-argued in all its respects.

Firstly, we are in agreement that arranging for a specific Magistrate to oversee a specific case is far from ideal. By every right and custom, the first Magistrate to arrive is the one who shall oversee a given case. I will have words with my soldiers, and with Lieutenant Colmes, on this, and ensure that it does not occur again.

Secondly, I would like to highlight a number of points of interest in this matter.

1. We are in agreement that the Janissaries of the Sultan should not serve any master but he, and his duly chosen representatives.

2. FURTHER, it is so far from the desire of the Janissaries to serve under the command of this foreign mercenary that it strikes any fair and well-reasoned man as laughable the implication that this Lieutenant of mine has somehow engineered this state of affairs that vastly denigrates and diminishes his own authority.

3. If there was an error here, it surely must rest equally upon all present, for you were empowered to speak, and indeed to give voice to objection if it was yours to give. I cannot, in my reason, understand the reason that Marcellus agreed to this request from Kha'esh, yet it is here and now the situation we must deal with.

4. This entire affair seems to me a great conflagration - a crisis of powers - that must now be navigated carefully. Treason charges shall only heap yet more fuel upon the fire.

Thirdly, you may be gladdened to know that there exists presently no intention among we Janissaries, in spite of your point the seventh, to bring charges against you. Given the drastic nature of the action, I wish to assure you once, twice, and thrice over that we would only do so for the most severe and certain of crimes - the attempted coup of the disgraced Legate Ricario Cassella, for example. The Fourth Legion considers itself at the service of the Legates in our posting here in Ephia's Well, which is indeed your satrapy, to rule in the name of His Sublime Majesty.

You need not fear us as looming sentinels that shall turn upon you at a moment's notice for the most minute of errors. We are, in every way, subordinate to the government of the Palatial Pyramid, and it is only with the authorization of the Sultan that such charges against his own satraps would be brought. Let us consider this, and rededicate ourselves once more to the war that yet waits ahead of us.

Ever in service,
Sorazin Bey