[RPG] [FEI] Part 1: Trial of Fredrick Stormreaver and Sarig TithOnanka

[Samuel Knowlton]

Roleplay from Galiard
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Private Study, Ossaet Keep, Ossaet. Just after midnight.

Ser Ulwitt Dodd, personal guard of the House of Scarlett and Doer of 
Galiard's Bidding, sat at the end of a long table that had been brought in 
by the Grand Justiciar's orders. A mountain of documents separated him from 
Baron Galiard, who was engrossed in the contents of the pile, while the 
mountainous figure of Ser Dodd appeared anxious, uncomfortable, and 
possessing of something verging on seasickness.

"M'lud," Dodd ventured, drumming his fingers on the table with anticipatory 
nervousness, "Is there someone perhaps you'd like beaten?"

"Mmm?" Galiard grunted a barely audible response, not even looking up from 
the scroll he was studying.

"Beaten, m'lud," Dodd offered hopefully. "Roughed up, interrogated, shown a 
thing or two, taken for a long walk off a short pier, manhandled, abused, 
made an example of--"

"I am familiar with the term, Ser Knight," Galiard glowered, sparing a 
one-eye glance up at Dodd. "And I will not require your services. The 
headsman can do his job. You do not have to do it for him. Now get back to 
reading."

Obviously anxious to do anything other than that, Dodd carried on: "Actually 
he can't," he corrected the Justiciar. "The headsman went with your brother 
Lucius to Perdan, what on account of him being so handy with an axe an all, 
and them in Perdan needing a man with an axe on average eleventy-nine times 
as often as we here in Lasanar do."

"Forgetting for a moment my prohibition on your ever doing anything 
involving the use of numbers--" or whatever eleventy-nine was supposed to 
represent -- "If you truly want a demotion to headsman, we can discuss it in 
the morning. For now, we need to get to the bottom of this business about 
Fredrick," replied Galiard.

"Could we at least do it back in Semon?" Dodd begged, touching the scroll on 
the table in front of him with a pnky as though it were a disease-ridden 
peasant. "Won't the Duke of Ossaet be a little put out with you having set 
up shop in his study?"

"Nations have risen and crumbled in the time it has taken the Grand Council 
to select a Duke of Ossaet," Galiard answered wryly."

Dodd snorted. "Wiv respect, m'lud, that'd be on account of the fairly short 
list o' nobles wanting to be your neighbor, I'd expect."

"Granted," agreed Galiard, "But besides that, all the records are here, and 
parchment has a way of disintegrating when we lug it through the bogs of 
Semon. So here we stay."

"Awwright," sighed Dodd, shuffling the stack of papers in front of him. 
"Catch me up. Where are we?"

"The honorable Grand Justiciar Viracocha of Soliferum writes to us on behalf 
of Ser Fredrick Stormreaver, Knight of Soliferum, formerly Knight of 
Lasanar, regarding Ser Fredrick's legal status here. Ser Fredrick humbly 
requests our consideration in the matter of lifting the ban placed on him 
many years ago by then-Grand Justiciar Ryft, now a noble of Ethiala, for his 
participation in the Rebellion of Sarig."

"To which I replied," explained Galiard, "seeking a detailed account of 
events from Ser Fredrick. Here is his answer."

Galiard handed a fresh-looking scroll to Dodd, who unfurled it and read:

(Letter from Fredrick Stormreaver to Grand Justiciar Galiard, made available 
to the nobles of Lasanar as an Exhibit in the Trial of Ser Fredrick 
Stormreaver of Soliferum, former Knight of Lasanar, and Ser Sarig 
TithOnanka, High Marshal of Nighthelm, former Prime Minister of Lasanar)

Lord Galiard,

I will attempt to explain my actions of years past that lead to my removal 
from your realm. I'm sure you will have others to question on this mater to 
tell their side so I understand if it takes some time. No matter the 
judgement, I thank you for your time in this matter.

Many yeras ago, I begame my military career in Lasanar. At the time Lasanar 
was at war with someone to their east, but for the life of me I cannot 
recall whom. In all the excitment, and possibly my young zeal for battle, I 
didn't even get to join the fighting. My cousin (now the King of Nighthelm) 
was second in command of an expedition to help defend Lasanar. This was when 
Lasanar and Nighthelm were allies, he encouraged me to join your ranks and 
thus, that's where I began. That is about where the direction and sense of 
it all twisted.

Within a few days of my arrival and recuiting my men, I noticed a great deal 
of discontent with how the government was being run. I wasn't sure who was 
behind it at that point or really why, but I paid attention. It was the 
general feeling that the current leadership in general was the probelm and 
the reason for the war we were in. There case seemed justified and they 
legitimately wanted to end the war and strengthen Lasanar, what more would 
any noble, especially a young one, want to be part of?

WIthin another couple of days, the rebellion began. The leader was Lord 
Sarig (he's also in Nighthelm as well, he's now their High Marshal. I'll 
have something more to add on that at the end), apparenly he'd been in Prime 
Minister of Lasanar in the past. He was very charismatic and I beleived in 
his cause. With the rebellion open and sides being taken, I sided with those 
who had voiced their concerns and opinons in a manner I thought was best for 
Lasanar. Once a "rebel" against our leadership, I moved to Colasan, which 
was the capital at the time, to assist in the takeover of the palace. I 
arrived just in time to see the last guards stand down and th palace be 
taken. My part in all this was small, but I felt proud that I'd help free 
Lasanar and give it a better chance for the future.

Once again that dream and excitement was gone fairly quickly. Once Lord 
Sarig took over, the "loyalists" from before "encouraged" him to step down 
and let their be an election. He did not win and those who were in power 
removed the rebels from Lasanar immediately. That is where my link to 
Lasanar has ended.

I still feel that what I did was right and in the best spirit of Lasanar, 
but that does not mean it was. All we can do is what we feel is right and do 
what we can for our people, and that is exactly what I did. Perhaps it was 
inconvenient or not the feeling of hte entire group, but that doesn't mean 
we were wrong either.

Once Lord Sarig joined Nighthelm, that was the end of the alliance between 
Lasanar and Nighthelm and the continuation of the bad relations that stemmed 
from it over the past years. I know that this is but a small thing, but 
perhaps allowing me to return to Lasanar would be a small step in allowed 
Lasanar and Nighthelm to be on friendly terms again. I cannot speak for my 
cousin, and the Gods know we rarely agree on anything, but there is always a 
chance, no? Again, thank you fory our time, My Lord.

With Respect,

Sir Fredrick Stormreaver