Rennik Colmes

[Sunburst]

Warmaster of Ephia's Well,

All glory to Princess Shaimela!
Bronze Spear in the Heart of Darkness!
Brightest Ruby in the Sands!
Builder of a Thousand Minarets!

May her star rise high and glorious above all the Ash!

It needn't be said that the untimely execution of Emilia Laurentis has had a negative impact on the war effort. Though I would much like it to be different, casualties for the Sultan's Janissaries and the Wild Brothers are spiraling out of control in the absence of the Banda Rossa, and the situation will only get worse. If nothing changes, the Scalding will become a disastrous failure that cripples the regiments involved and spells the doom of our city.

Needless to say, the Gold League has an invested interest in preventing our wholesale massacre by orcs!

I have heard rumors that you are, perhaps, not confronting the situation as aggressively as you should. I hope that these rumors are wholly, slanderously untrue! I hope that you have a brilliant plan to convince the Banda Rossa to resume fighting for you, and that these voices were wrong to claim that you are going to "wait it out" while fronts collapse and soldiers die. Surely, I think to myself, our brave Lieutenant would never subscribe to such patent insanity; surely, the Sisterhood has been exaggerating the amounts of Scorch our brave Lieutenant has been injecting.

I certainly agree that the Legates should be taking the lead in this matter! Forcing all parties to sit down and hash out a stable peace! Any government with a spine would have compelled arbitration soon after the first standoff. But for whatever reason, the public body has elected feckless snakes as our leaders! And thus does our government lack the nerve for daring action.

It falls to you, then, as Warmaster, to put this house in order.

The withdrawal of the Cinquefoil Rose from the war was, given the provocatively stupid way that Balesterie died, not the worst thing that could've happened. The Banda Rossa had every intention to retaliate directly, lynching Janissaries and rounding up refugees to overcrowd the streets and other actions that amount to direct harm of our ability to prosecute the war. They held back only because the Balladeers talked them down to peaceful protest! A mercy upon us all! But that won't hold them forever. If, for whatever reason, the protests fail to make progress or effect concessions, we should expect the Banda Rossa to begin escalating acts of civil strife. It is only a matter of time. And given how we cannot afford their absence, we definitely cannot afford their opposition!

We need their willing, genuine support in the upcoming campaign. We need their troops. We need their logistics. We need their baggage trains, ammunition, intelligence, and manufacturing. Every day that we do not have these structures is another day of fighting with one arm tied behind our back and bleeding for it.

Whatever your personal feelings about the Banda Rossa, excoriating the mercenaries isn't going to make them back our war effort. You have surely realized that by now. From what we've observed, it has only made them dig their heels in. You must cut some kind of deal with the Condottieri. Bribe them. Sweet talk them. Plead, if you have to. Deafen yourself to the heart and do something.

You must convince the Banda Rossa to fight for you, or Iakmes is going to kill us all.

DANTE
MORETTI

League of Gold Official

[Blue41]

[What returns to the League of Gold office appears to be the very same letter, with a rather curious alteration. Words have been poked out neatly with a letter-cutter, resulting in a parchment bearing holes here and there...]

Warmaster of Ephia's Well,

All glory to Princess Shaimela!
Bronze Spear in the Heart of Darkness!
Brightest Ruby in the Sands!
Builder of a Thousand Minarets!

May her star rise high and glorious above all the Ash!

It needn't be said that the untimely execution of    has had a negative impact on the war effort. Though I would much like it to be different, casualties for the Sultan's Janissaries and the Wild Brothers are spiraling out of control in the absence of the     and the situation will only get worse. If nothing changes, the Scalding will become a disastrous     that cripples the regiments involved and spells the      of our city.

Needless to say, the     has an invested interest in preventing our wholesale massacre by orcs!

I have heard rumors that you are, perhaps, not confronting the situation as aggressively as you should. I hope that these rumors are wholly, slanderously untrue! I hope that you have a brilliant plan to convince the      to resume fighting for you, and that these voices were wrong to claim that you are going to "wait it out" while fronts collapse and    . Surely, I think to myself, our brave Lieutenant would never subscribe to such patent insanity; surely, the    has been exaggerating the amounts of Scorch our brave Lieutenant has been injecting.

I certainly agree that the Legates should be taking the lead in this matter! Forcing all parties to sit down and hash out a stable peace!      would have compelled arbitration soon after the first standoff. But for whatever reason, the public body has elected feckless      as our leaders! And thus does our government lack the nerve for     action.

It falls to you, then, as Warmaster, to put this house in order.

The withdrawal of the      from the war was, given the provocatively stupid way that     died, not the worst thing that could've happened. The      had every intention to retaliate directly, lynching Janissaries and rounding up refugees to overcrowd the streets and other actions that amount to direct harm of our ability to prosecute the war. They held back only because the     talked them down to  ! A mercy upon us all! But that won't hold them forever. If, for whatever reason, the protests fail to make progress or effect concessions, we should expect the     to begin escalating acts of civil strife. It is only a matter of time. And given how we cannot afford their absence, we definitely cannot    !

We    their willing, genuine support in the upcoming campaign. We     their troops. We     their logistics. We need their baggage trains, ammunition, intelligence, and manufacturing. Every day that we do not have these structures is another day of fighting with one arm tied behind our back and     for it.

Whatever your personal    about the    , excoriating the mercenaries isn't going to make them back our war effort. You have surely realized that by now. From what we've observed, it has only made them dig their heels in. You must    some kind of deal with the     .     them.     them. Plead, if you have to. Deafen yourself to the     and do something.

You must convince the     to fight for you, or Iakmes is going to     us all.


League of Gold Official

[Sunburst]

Warmaster of Ephia's Well,

I am glad to hear that you achieved a settlement with the Banda Rossa, pending payment from the government. Before I begin upon anything else, I must praise your success in reunifying Ephia's Well for the battle to come.

But there is something about the agreement that I do not understand.

Why is Carrot Grimes being sacrificed?

The third round of negotiations, involving La Capitana di Banda Rossa, opened with the captain-general conceding vengeance in favor of material gains. She was dismissive of retaliation, challenged Aubrey's contract, demanded that the Banda Rossa instead receive the title of Warmaster, then accepted the counteroffer of a generous buyout.

That's all we needed to do.

To pay the mercenaries to fight!

So why kill Carrot Grimes? It seems to me an unnecessary cruelty. Is this happening so that the treasury can get away with paying them fewer dinars? The numbers, I have noticed, are perhaps half of what I earmarked to formally contract them for the remainder of the war. However, we do not lack for funds; the treasury is overflowing with record highs. There is no cause for fiscal austerity. I am not a kind man, but I see no need for blood when gold will suffice.

There are still some days left to you before the Scalding is to begin.

Perhaps you can renegotiate for a better deal.

DANTE
MORETTI

League of Gold Official

[Blue41]

Moretti,

This isn't about dinari. This is about discipline. This is about faith. I have no interest in discussing either topic with you at length, and I can assure you that giving Grimes false hope will win you no favors with me.

Not being in the room when it matters can be galling. You'll get over it.

Lt. R. Colmes
Warmaster