To the Hammer Lord of the Temple of the Faithful

[bentusi16]

This letter is sealed with the official seal of Tyr as given to paladins of Tyr, and is also marked with Edthins unique signature as written down in the books of Tyr to prevent imposters.

Edthin pays a mage in Suzail 800 coins to teleport with the letter directly to Zazesspur in Tethyr, to the south of which lies the Temple of the Faithful, with instructions to deliver it as quickly as possible to the swarms of Clergy there.

To the Honorable Lord of the Temple of the Faithful,

Greetings and well met to you old friend,

I cannot say in simple words how much I miss the halls of the Temple. But, I have grave news and a request I wish I did not have to make, but I am compelled to by duty and honor to write this.

Within Cormyr, I have heard first hand accounts of the actions of the Paladin Velisario Chrysosnomes, that fly directly in the face of both the paladin code, and the penances as laid down by the church of Torm, the sword of the triad.

For the first matter, it is simply a matter of atonement and reeducation

For the latter, it is a matter of heresy.

As I am neither a member of the local temple, nor a member of the local order, I feel I am detached enough by legal means to submit the following request for an inquisition to be held against

1. The Temple of Defenders in Suzail
2. the Order of the Holy Ressurection,
3. The paladin Velisaro Chrysosnomos.

regarding the following issues, oath violations, and possible heresy.

That the accused paladin did (1) act in a manner unbefitting a paladin (2) did endanger through his actions the life of an innocent, (3) did break an oath or promise to another sentient being of goodly nature and (4) did all of these actions within full control of his senses, both willfully and knowingly.

That the accused order did (1) aid in the actions of the paladin, despite their manner being unfitting for a paladin (2) did attempt to press the debt of persecution upon a church who did not request it, (3), did attempt to manipulate said church under the debt of persecution without request.

All accusations of the order sans (1) stand against both the local Temple of the Defenders and the accused paladin Velisario Chrysosnomos.

By my honor and word, I hereby officially request a formal audit of the actions of the above groups regarding said accusations, as a Paladin of Tyr in good standing with the church and member of the order of merciful blades.

I await your reply and the arrival, if you concur, to the inquisitor and tribunal; I do pray to the Gods of all the triad that the accusations I have heard leveled are untrue, and that this is simply slander, but to many voices have come forward for me to ignore them and I would be remiss in my duty not to bring this matter to the Church of Tyrs attention.

We cannot have another Tenwealth arise under our watch, my lord.

Ever vigilant,
Ser Edthin Vidry
Hammer of Tyr
Order of the Merciful Sword

// If a DM could get at me in game to remove the coins 'officially' that'd be great. Until then I'm just not spending the money on anything else. DutyAndHonour is the account name

[StabbingNirvana]

::the letter is wax sealed by the stamp of the Triadic Order of the Divine Resurrection and sent to the Fortress Faithful in Tethyr, where Edthin claimed the report would be delivered to::

Greetings Hammers and Holy Justices of the Fortress Faithful,

I write pertaining to accusations filed upon my person, the Triadic Order of the Divine Resurrection, and the Temple of the Defenders located in Suzail, Cormyr. The Triadic Order of the Divine Resurrection is an autocephalous entity standing within the larger body that is the Triadic Churches and as such, any jurisdiction on these matters should be dealt with internally by the membership of our organization. Though any such wisdom imparted will be accepted with open arms and any investigations on the accusations will be cooperated on.

As has been spoken by two individuals during what may be considered a hearing by Sir Edthin, the accuser is a man who goes by the name "Card". The best way to describe him is as a living and breathing deception. In an attempt to cause further discord among the Order and the Sunite Temple centered in Suzail, he spurred out implied accusations, that a priestess within the Temple is in liege with Mask. He is known for taking matters out of proportion and likely, his failure to gain an informer within the Order has led him to try to invalidate us as a whole with these accusations. Examples of his company consists of natural enemies of our three faiths such as a High Priestess of Loviatar and a priestess of Talos, who in kind, according to words I was told by the Sunite priestess, claimed I'd have struck at the Sunite's life if laws didn't forbid me. No such threat was ever made on my part.

Our Brotherhood was indeed given the opportunity to take on the Debt of Persecution after having asked Priestess Miranda. I maintain documentation stating such. When other priestesses of the temple grew concerned and diplomacy failed, the Debt was recalled and the Order stepped away from the table to let matters settle along its own course. Along with the Sunite temple's acceptance of our request to conduct the Debt of Persecution, I also maintain documentation sent to various parties within the Sunite temple regarding the other claims of accusations set before me and the Order. There was no inquisition. There was no attempt to undermine their church structure. There was only protecting their temple as though it was our own and if conditions called for it, making known corrupt elements that may reside within, which is what all Tormish are tasked to do.

As for the filing paladin, Sir Edthin of the Order of the Merciful Sword has shown clear bias and should be refused further participation in the matter. Investigating the accounts on behalf of the accuser and not allowing the accused to give their testimony shows impartiality and is a blatant failure in the revelation of truth. When filing a complaint as this, the paladin should first thoroughly investigate the matter himself and ensuring whether it is truly a viable complaint worthy of higher attention. Furthermore, he has made public spectacle matters pertaining to the Church, the Temple of the Defenders, and the Order of the Divine Resurrection. He has made notions of clear corruption on all three entities with no base and insinuating a birth of a new Tenwealth, sullying our names and possibly compromising the mission of the Divine Resurrection and that of the Triadic Churches themselves within Cormyr. He failed to show any form of decency for his fellow faithful instead opting for the one-sided view in favor of the accuser and refusal to take report of the view counter the accusations. Even the others at this hearing, Melinda Heartfire and an elf by the alias "Butcher" questioned his work. I hereby request this Knight of the Merciful Sword be recalled by his Order and given further training on how to fulfill Tyr's dogma.

The actions taken by myself and the Divine Resurrection have been explained in writing months ago to the other party privately and do not need to be revisited because a man without knowledge of the situation has surfaced and been given an apple by a snake.

In mercy, justice, and duty.
::signed:: Velisario Chrysosnomos, Paladin of Torm
Grandmaster of the Triadic Order of the Dovine Resurrection

[DM Hawk]

Far to the southwest lies the kingdom of Tethyr. Known as a land of anarchy across most of the Realms, it has in only recent years achieved stability beneath the rule of a restored monarchy. Southwest of Zazesspur, the largest of Tethyr's cities, stands the Fortress Faithful, a cliff side castle and abbey, dedicated to Tyr, the god of Justice...


She blinked her eyes in the flickering light of the candle. The letters on the parchment blurred together too often as she completed her proof of the rulings made during the day's proceedings. The chamber had been full when the session began shortly after dawn, the rows filled with accusers and advocates alike, along with witnesses and other stakeholders of the outcome of each hearing on the docket. She had presided over the full listing, giving each matter her full attention and the wisdom her years afforded. She observed the faces, some bright with triumph, others long with defeat, and many leaving after arbitration better off than they were before the proceedings but still not quite satisfied. She had long learned that the nature of true settlement was that no one left the hearing fully happy with the outcome. She glanced up and spent a moment looking over the chamber's empty benches and the podiums behind which people great and small postured or made plea before her. As the light from the flickering candle faded so too did the memory of the names and faces of those she judged that day. The years had caught up to Desdemona Rand, thirty-seven years a Holy Justice and Hammer of Tyr.

She tested the ink and confirmed that it had finally become dry enough. Stacking the pages, Desdemona called for the faithful bailiff who stood waiting beside the bench upon which she sat. Once the rulings were on their way to the archive, she stood and stretched within her long, black robe. Her back and bottom were stiff after perching atop the unforgiving stone bench during all the hours of daylight and more. Her stomach rumbled and she sighed. She had not halted the proceedings for a respite at highsun. Justice should not wait for bread or wine.

Lifting the candle, the Hammer of Tyr proceeded to the doorway accessing the passages behind the audience chamber. By this hour, most of the justices had retired for the day and Desdemona expected to find an empty corridor. Instead she found one of her peers awaiting, leaning against the stone wall of the passage clad in black robes similar to her own.

"Sword of Tyr" she acknowledged the younger Justice as she turned and began her stride down the corridor towards her modest apartments within the abbey. She heard the younger man fall in step behind her as he offered greetings.

"Good evening, Hammer of Tyr."

"How many hearings did you rule upon today?"

"Five" he said, "and one midway to carry over to the morrow. And you?"

Desdemona suppressed the temptation to shake her head at the ill omen. Five was the number of ill-luck, Beshaba's Number, in Tethyr. The old judge placed her faith in Tyr however, not in luck blind or divine. Still, old habits die hard.

"Four and ten."

The younger justice was silent for a time. Desdemona turned her head to regard his face in the flickering light of her candle as they continued down the hall. The son of a Tethyrian Baron who proved unjust during the dark years, Holance Tellyshal committed himself completely to justice in the hope of restoring his family's honor, if not the titles and lands lost during the Reclamation.

"Our work does not make for competition, my friend."

"Aye, tis not that. Would that I had the insight to muster the judgement as some have been gifted."

"Shallow thinkers may seek to measure judgement by count of record but we know it to be folly. Justice is the gift of Tyr, both the opportunity to balance the scales and the wisdom to rule radiate from He who is Just, down upon us as the light of the sun. We are but his instruments to shed the light of truth in turn, to balance what scales we find before us. Rulings cannot be compared, even the wisest among us cannot see all ends that come about from them."

Justice Tellyshal smiled quietly to himself. Twelve years her junior, his face bore the lines of worry and the cheerless smile did little to warm it. A skeptical smile, Desdemona knew. Better to move on.

"Were you awaiting me specifically this eve, Holance? I do not often find you standing in the passage behind my hall of audience."

"I was. Have you seen the Cormyrian letter to the Hammer Lord?"

"I haven't."

"Perhaps you might make time to read it."

"Does it require the Hammer Lord's attention?"

"I don't think so, but I'd like a second opinion. It seems a Cormyrian matter."

"Far beyond our jurisdiction. Cormyrian...what matter have they for the Hammer Lord? Which temple seeks his council?"

"A temple did not raise the concern."

"No? Who then?"

"Sir Edthin."

"Who?"

"Sir Edthin, of the Merciful Sword. Vidry."

"I do not recall, Holance. Should I?"

"An orphan raised from our doorstep. Studied here, was bestowed knighthood...an orc blood."

"I remember him."

Desdemona sighed inwardly. Despite all the years of service to Tyr, the old feelings waited beneath the surface, and broke the still waters with their ugliness from time to time. These moments of emotion were few and short lived as the priestess was ruled by her faith and her will. All the same, she wished to see these feelings banished completely. Remember Shield of Innocence. In any event...

"He presumes much by writing the Hammer Lord directly, Holance. You deem that the matter does not warrant his attention?"

The Sword of Tyr nodded. "I deem thus, but would ask a second judgement."

"Very well. I suppose my candle will provide me an hour's time for reading before it burns down. Have you Sir Edthin's letter?"

"I do." Tellyshal offered an envelope with a broken seal.

Desdemona accepted the envelope, "very well. I shall let you know on the morrow if I agree with your judgement."

"Good evening, Hammer of Tyr."

"And to you."

[bentusi16]

Edthin dispatches a second package, this one sealed again with the official seal of Tyr. Along with the package of affidavits is a note, written in the blocky hand of the late-educated paladin (everything in that message thread, Hawk)

"To the masters of the Temple whom this letter regards,

Herein lays half a dozen signed affidavits of damning nature. While I am still conducting my investigation, I send them too you because I am concerned that if I do not someone will attempt to steal or otherwise edit them.

If you feel this is enough to judge the case, then by all means. Otherwise expect another report within a week.

In service,
Edthin Vidry"

[bentusi16]

Another letter is swiftly dispatched

To the masters of the temple whom this letter regards,

"My investigation is concluded at this time as there are no further witnesses necessary and more then ample evidence of the crime. I would like to press formal charges against Velisario for conduct unbecoming a paladin and a member of the Triadic churches, and against the Order that supported him for not doing their duty when faced with what happened.

In service,
Edthin Vidry"