How to solve a problem like Escuma
Posted by Preston on 10/13/22
Word will have reached many now of the battle at Escuma and the regretable and blasphemous choices of House Navegant, and I am sure details will continue to come out as the days go on. The Faith was clear: to offer aid to Waldo was to encourage his schismatic apostacy, it was to lend it the false air of legitimacy, and thus to cause greater harm to our Compact and its shared faith. Accordingly, it was made clear to the Houses that the Faith could not see its children make this mistake and, for the good of the many, any House that did this would face interdiction of the Faith and excommunication for its leaders.
The fleets of the Faith, Valardin and Velenosa sailed to Escuma to deliver to Marquis Turo news of his excommunication for supporting Waldo in using Escuma as a base. We were met with anger and violence. And we gave in kind. We know many who opposed us thought they were right, and obeyed their oaths. We regret their deaths, but must always move forward under the values of the Gods, and in defense of their church. With great cost, Escuma is surrendered to the Faith and her Allies.
House Navegant is disobedient to its liege, and the Faith takes no view on the wider quarrel in the Isles. We will not aid nor hinder either side. And to hand over Escuma's domains to Kennex would do so. We are conscious of Navegant's stated affection for tradition, so therefore we will appoint a Seraph of the Oathlands Orthodoxy as Castellan of Escuma, so they might - under the peace guaranteed by the presence of the Templars - guide what remains of House Navegant in their rule until the Assembly can ascertain what to do or the civil conflict ends. Escuma will operate as a neutral port of sanctuary.
Those Templars who fought for Waldo are banished from the Order. Those former Templars who are Godsworn are to be hanged from the walls of Escuma and shall never be placed to rest by their former Brothers and Sisters. Our oaths are not ones we may retreat from. We serve the Faith and in turn are granted access and power that comes with being a holy order, and if we separate ourselves from that service and the Gods, if we break that covenant, then there is no longer a service we can give, no longer a trust that can be rebuilt, no longer a lesson we may teach, and so their souls shall be returned to the wheel for the Gods to make of as they will. Those of Solace I remand to the Grandmaster of Solace as is her right, and the other Godsworn who fell in with Waldo will be sentenced by the Star Court. Those guilty of treason through malice will face Silent Reflection in the hope of finding some service. Those innocent of evil thought may be rehabilitated at the Court's discretion.
Those knighted of Velenosa and Valardin who died in battle may be interred, if their families wish, with the honoured dead of the Faith Militant at the Grand Mausoleum at Sanctum.
Marquis Turo Navegant, an excommunicate, shall be presented to the Most Holy for him to establish if there is anything the marquis can do to earn the forgiveness of the Faith and avoid the fate of an apostate. After this, he will be given to the Assembly to do with as they feel is just.
By my hand, and with the greatest of sorrow,
Sir Preston Godsworn
Carnifex of the Faith, Grandmaster of the Holy Knights of the Temple
--- Blackshore Stance via Aedric ---
Thousands of dead Navegant bannermen lie beneath the flag of this proclaimed neutrality. The fate of Escuma, and the Marquis' family, should be determined by House Kennex and no other.
--- Faith of the Pantheon Stance via Aureth ---
The Faith appreciates the zeal of the Carnifex as our servant. We will turn our prisoner over to his rightful liege-lord according to the Laws of Limerance, with bells on, once we have finished determining whether penance is possible.
The fleets of the Faith, Valardin and Velenosa sailed to Escuma to deliver to Marquis Turo news of his excommunication for supporting Waldo in using Escuma as a base. We were met with anger and violence. And we gave in kind. We know many who opposed us thought they were right, and obeyed their oaths. We regret their deaths, but must always move forward under the values of the Gods, and in defense of their church. With great cost, Escuma is surrendered to the Faith and her Allies.
House Navegant is disobedient to its liege, and the Faith takes no view on the wider quarrel in the Isles. We will not aid nor hinder either side. And to hand over Escuma's domains to Kennex would do so. We are conscious of Navegant's stated affection for tradition, so therefore we will appoint a Seraph of the Oathlands Orthodoxy as Castellan of Escuma, so they might - under the peace guaranteed by the presence of the Templars - guide what remains of House Navegant in their rule until the Assembly can ascertain what to do or the civil conflict ends. Escuma will operate as a neutral port of sanctuary.
Those Templars who fought for Waldo are banished from the Order. Those former Templars who are Godsworn are to be hanged from the walls of Escuma and shall never be placed to rest by their former Brothers and Sisters. Our oaths are not ones we may retreat from. We serve the Faith and in turn are granted access and power that comes with being a holy order, and if we separate ourselves from that service and the Gods, if we break that covenant, then there is no longer a service we can give, no longer a trust that can be rebuilt, no longer a lesson we may teach, and so their souls shall be returned to the wheel for the Gods to make of as they will. Those of Solace I remand to the Grandmaster of Solace as is her right, and the other Godsworn who fell in with Waldo will be sentenced by the Star Court. Those guilty of treason through malice will face Silent Reflection in the hope of finding some service. Those innocent of evil thought may be rehabilitated at the Court's discretion.
Those knighted of Velenosa and Valardin who died in battle may be interred, if their families wish, with the honoured dead of the Faith Militant at the Grand Mausoleum at Sanctum.
Marquis Turo Navegant, an excommunicate, shall be presented to the Most Holy for him to establish if there is anything the marquis can do to earn the forgiveness of the Faith and avoid the fate of an apostate. After this, he will be given to the Assembly to do with as they feel is just.
By my hand, and with the greatest of sorrow,
Sir Preston Godsworn
Carnifex of the Faith, Grandmaster of the Holy Knights of the Temple
--- Blackshore Stance via Aedric ---
Thousands of dead Navegant bannermen lie beneath the flag of this proclaimed neutrality. The fate of Escuma, and the Marquis' family, should be determined by House Kennex and no other.
--- Faith of the Pantheon Stance via Aureth ---
The Faith appreciates the zeal of the Carnifex as our servant. We will turn our prisoner over to his rightful liege-lord according to the Laws of Limerance, with bells on, once we have finished determining whether penance is possible.