To League of Gold Official, Fabio de Avalore (DM)

[Walrus Warwagon]

Fabio,

It has been some time since we last spoke, yet recent events compel me to reach out.

A mistake was made with Arslan. That mistake was allowing Kha'esh to be the first through its gates during our initial campaign. A mistake that, by necessity, required correction - with this I agree... But the way it was handled - sloppy, costly, shortsighted - was reminiscent of how the League of White operates: without subtlety, brute force in place of strategy, knife in the back in place of hard work, populist rhetoric masking the lack of foresight.

I was there when we retook Arslan, I saw firsthand the chaos of urban warfare. I saw the empty treasury. The rumors blame Oswick's treachery, but we may never truly know. What we do know is this: our economy is in shambles. We produce nothing of exportable value beyond water. We rely entirely on imports, and our laughably caravaneer-adventurer-dependent trade structure is a glaring weakness. Kha'eshi trade is gone, that much is certain. Worse, with no leverage and a serious breach of trust, we should expect further economic isolation, price hikes, and dwindling investment.

And now, on top of this, we must subsidize a state. Of course, aid must be loaned to Arslan, not gifted. But can we afford even that? The League of White's policies have already gutted small businesses, stunted treasury growth, and on top we have no passive income sources - no international trade tariffs, no dividends. And now, any attempt at restructuring is further out of reach.

This, of course, is the backdrop. These are accomplished facts, and we cannot alter them. What we can challenge is leadership.

Legate Vellyn Lhyrian carries herself with great confidence. And yet, her policies resemble little more than indirect support of the League of White. This mess began with her insistence on appointing a Purple Prelate. She then rescinded her opposition to the Absolvers, endorsed dubious Augurs, and has yet to make good of her promise of turning the arena into a lucrative endeavor. Perhaps her judgment was shaken by the assassination of our promising Vizier, but the position of Legate is not a tool for personal vendetta, nor does it allow a luxury of faltering forward. And yet, aside from that vendetta, I see no other reason for her baffling decision to install Oswick - a White Leaguer and much rumored co-conspirator of Alexandria and Edmund - as magistrate. A decision that is seen as folly by all but herself. I expect a similar disaster with the ongoing stone quarry situation...

I am a businessman. Despite these difficult times, my company has grown - people need metalwork, need engineering. I have little competition, and none who can match me in quality. But Cogs Industries is young, and I am deeply concerned for the future.

Call this a note of protest, if you must. Perhaps you share my concerns. Perhaps others in the League do as well.

Legate Lhyrian must be brought to a collective hearing. She must not be allowed to deceive herself into believing she knows our League's path better than we all and any of us do. Our stance must be made clear, and her leadership must be formally challenged. My proposal is simple: she either commits, in writing, to upholding the League's interests - the true interests of Ephia's Well - or she is deemed unfit for the position. In which case, perhaps her own chosen Prelate would prove a more suitable replacement.

Cogsworth Clockhand, the Clockmaker