Keeping the Fire: Call and Response

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Your Highness,

We are in an unfamiliar valley. Since the Luminary and the Djaught left the Fortress five people of consequence are dead. Two of these were known enemies of state and we are no worse without them, but the other three are suspicious. One was a knight who came with the contingent attached to Baron Mordis during his spring visit and never left. The other two died together in a fire along with a few whores in a merchant’s inn. Both where supposedly slaves owned by the Junior Djaught Curator. That they could afford such favors is about as unlikely as the idea that they would be given the freedom to pursue them. They, like the others, were almost certainly spies. It suggests a conflict between Flin and Fiedjan but I see a greater threat. That Luminary had every watcher and owned ear in the Fortress doing an idiot’s jig. With all the chaos no one could be certain what was or was not happening. No one could plan to stop her. What if all the deaths and tumult we have witnessed are more of the same thing? What if a third party has Flin and the Proper at each other’s throats and us guessing at their identity?

I know what you will say about this, that I am too concerned with chasing shadows. But what if it is the Weatherclock? What if he took the Luminary out of the game so he, or she for that matter, could take her place? I can find him if he makes a mistake, but if we are lost in false power struggles and red herrings that isn’t going to happen. This is all I ask, and I assure you that the Queen supports my belief. We must take drastic and unprecedented action. We must cancel all council, close all court, and ban all festival until after the first week of spring. It will give me the men I need to keep an eye on everyone, it will limit the number of ways spies and foreign agents can exert influence, and most importantly it will deflate the frantic mood in the Fortress.

I eagerly await your wise and most high decree,

-Delhay



Delhay,

You are, as always, a noble servant. But you are a wise one as well. You know full well that I cannot do as you ask before or after the spring festival. Ending council may not harm the royal family but it leaves our allies blind. Every day the court is closed is another arrow in the quiver of our enemies. As a man of the Watch you should be able to tell me full well the havoc that would be unleashed if I canceled a single festival day. It would be riot among the common folk. In times of chaos normalcy must be our shield, harmony our stance, and unity our sword. Solve the deaths of spies if you can, but more over be certain that you stop the next ones before they happen. Forget the Weatherclock, or if you must follow him, instead turn your mind to finding the killer of Knight Luminary Coralm, Lady Rohema of Havkarra, Deputy Harlan of Brig or any of the other unsolved murders that have haunted us these past few years. Perhaps you can add Luminary Polena and Djaught Mehethe to that list, for all signs point to their loss.

If, as I expect, you find yourself unable to investigate these matters, I will direct you to a more pressing matter. Keep my kingdom whole. Flin and the Proper at each other’s throats, the Free Westin Parliament speaking loudly about the rights of the Downtrodden Westins, the People’s Alliance amassing soldiers in Ledire and on our very door step. All of these things tell me that people have their eyes on our land. Dehali Whale, Dehali Valley is where I need you. Why do you think Fiedjan wants soldiers from us? It is not to take back Free Westa, that is only a pretense. It is to make us seem weak to the Valley. It is to encourage insurrection, to foster rebellion, to strengthen those that would starve us out. The Fortress has never been taken by force. But it has changed hands many times by the specter of famine or ruin.

Stop this threat to my reign, and I swear to you will pull up the Fortress brick by brick to find your Weatherclock.

We were the Flowstone of Nations, Delhay, but now I feel that my Fortress is barely a cobble. Do not let us become something even less.

-Jakalm

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