Saturday, 26 July, 307 A.C ~ Special Issue
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The Regalian Empire is the pinnacle of civilization, an Empire founded on Piety, Strength, and Justice, yet these qualities were strangely absent on the night of 26 July, 307.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before the play begins, metaphorically, the scene must be set: On the fifth of July there occurred a brazen attack on the noble House Howlester's Estate, holding many nobility as they gathered for a celebration. The perpetrators were deemed the newly arisen Manathar, with extensive use of demonic void magic.
That very evening, a declaration was published by the Lord Commander of the Violet Order, William Howlester. It stated, quote, "In response to this brazen terror attack, these so called 'Manathar' will be rounded up summarily, declared 'Persona Non Grata' and subjected to the Emperor's Justice" Despite this grand declaration of Persona Non Grata, there occurred an apparent volte face later this month: the Violet Order allowed and indeed employed Manathar guards. These Manathar were granted a charter equal in rights to the Greywitches with exception to Sewer access and were seen with plate armor on the scene of the Affair.
There was no declaration of rescinding the status of Persona Non Grata, indeed legally it may be argued Manathar remain such. Thus the first question must be asked why Manathar guards were allowed into the ranks. Finally we come to last night: a hostage crisis in the Nestled Nook establishment.
The aggressors were five Ailor males and one Ailor female who stated that they were attempting to feed their families. Taking approximately twenty hostages within the establishment, they demanded money and were reported taking care not to harm their captives unless provoked. One witness who declined to be named stated, "They said they weren't going to hurt anyone if we did what they said." This claim- specifically, that the robbers were not going to harm anyone inside- was backed up by Maria Valnet, owner of the Nestled Nook.
Unfortunately, provocation did transpire, and one of the captives is responsible. Known to be Gwelurin Venphyra, manager of the Nestled Nook and a Manathar, he began to chant and cry out for the patrons to fight back. Venphyra then attempted to fight one of the robbers, and was shot with a bow by another in response. It was then that the Gilded Templars- the Manathar composed Violet Chapter- and their Commander entered the Nook and were uncompromising in their unwillingness to negotiate with the captors. The aggressors here attempted to escape, dropping their hostages, and were cut down by the guard in order to face justice. However, this justice was served instantly, with the Violets becoming judge and jury: there was no trial held for these men.
It is here that the second question must be asked: who gave these Manathar guards the right to execute Ailor citizens; citizens that are entitled to a trial and a public hearing of their crimes? Where they ought to be presided over by an incorrupt judge learned in the law of this Empire.
It is what is next that outrages the conscious of all decent men: the savaging of Ailor citizens, who did not commit any Capital Offence, by guards of a supposedly outlawed class. Beatings are reported to have ensued and the majority of these petty thieves were confirmed to have died before their bodies ascended to the chopping block as determined by the Apothecary General Jocelyn von Duerr. The sword was swung by one Vaeri, a Manathar known to be the former head of the Revenant gang of Old Town, a being that imposed terror and fear upon the same. One must pause to read again the former sentence: the petty thieves who stole to feed their families- beaten and savaged to death- were already deceased before their bodies were desecrated by a known thug as members of the Violet Order looked on in approval while the majority of the crowd appeared disgusted and looked away from the scene.
After their deaths and desecration by beheading, a Gilded Templar then strung up their bodies without proper respect, granted they were petty criminals. It is chilling that these Gilded Templars are given their own guard charter and allowed to administer justice with no trial. The crimes committed, when tallied, are as follows:
- Possession of illegal weaponry.
- Harm against the patronage of the Nestled Nook, in the case of Gwelurin Venphyra.
- Mugging/Robbery
Commander Rodrigo Peirgarten stated amidst the executions that, "If there is any among you who believe this punishment to be an injustice, I implore you to think again. These men were responsible for the attempted murder of over five innocent citizens. Merciful as the Spirit may be, a precedent must be set in order to raise god fearing men."
Thusly the third question: How can one state that murder was attempted if the victims themselves testify that there was no attempt? What precedent is it to allow Ailor citizens with rights to be savaged and executed by lesser races at will?
One member of the crowd was heard exclaiming that no murder was attempted save for the carelessness of the guards charging in. If this be true, then the guards may be argued to have been negligent of their duty to protect the citizens of this Empire. The Imperial Times staunchly denies any charge of treason or intent to destabilize the Empire. It is simply pointing out questions that must be asked about the nature of the arrests, brutality, executions, and ultimate desecration of petty thieves.
Of the six thieves, three were cut down at the scene, two died en route to execution due to the savagery of the guard beatings, and one was executed alive along with two already deceased corpses. The confirmed deaths are:
- Harry Hamish, the lone decapitar who was alive at the moment of execution;
- Lucy Hamish, wife of Harry and decapitated postmortem;
- Korg, a Velheimer also decapitated postmortem.
- The three others are unknown at this time.
In review of these known facts, The Imperial Times is hereby officially protesting the treatment of the Six Nooks and calls for the perpetrators to resign from the guard on account of abuse of position, gross negligence for the safety of citizens, and the violation Ailor rights. Legal action may follow if such resignations are not forthcoming. It is hard to believe that any would think that a 'former' Kathar could change. Once a Kathar, Always a Kathar.
