-Parchment with the seal of the Order of the Brilliant Hammer-

Let this notice serve as an official notice of inquiry to all those who were present at the murder of Celestine Tellinghast in July, 1210.

Those followers of Chronicler who have not spoken to an agent of the Inquisition at this time of writing this missive are requested to do so at their earliest possible opportunity without delay.  Please contact the agent posting this missive as noted below.

Any persons of interest refusing to submit to the inquest will be in violation of the terms for a voluntary investigation.  They will forfeit all rights and privileges pertaining to a meeting of their choice.

Any persons who elude the purpose of the inquest will be apprehended and questioned as a matter of the Holy Inquisition.  All methods of  the investigative agent will be subject to his judgment and any information that results for his investigation may be used as proof of evidence.



This inquest is an official inquiry of the Church of Travance, by order of Lord Templar Aradiel Tellinghast, Lord of the Brilliant Hammer.



In faith and fist,

Knight Templar Sabatheous Tellinghast

It's wonderful to see you too have returned to The Proper.  We have sorely missed your commanding presense on the battlefields of Travance, and I look forward to see you once again defending the lands of our Baron William Montgomery.

I must ask you excuse my ignorance but I'm afraid I'm not aware of the purpose of your Holy Inquisition.  As I am certain it is in the interest of the Barony and in observance of the Laws of the Land, I would relish the opportunity to collaborate with you to make certain we of the Proper are assisting in anyway possible.  Forgive my intrusion, but I take my position as Seneschal very seriously when it come to the apprehension and questioning of any tax paying citizens.  You ofcouse can contact me at my study in the Proper, or here on the wall of The Dragon's Claw.

Seneschal Draconis,

Normally I would keep exchanges such as we have just made strictly between us, however since you have chosen to air your views in such a public forum, I am forced to do so as well.

I remind you, good sir, as a matter of common knowledge (OOG- again taken from the KR rulebook on Religion)

"...the Church has special privileges, afforded it by the Kingdom, that allow it to administer its own measure of justice to the heretical and malignant."

Again, I believe that Knight Templar Sabatheous, acting under the orders of Lord Templar Aradiel, is certainly acting within his authority and station in conducting this investigation.  Should you desire, you may request Knight Templar Sabatheous to share his discovery with you, he may even permit you to assign an investigator of your own to his investigation, to act as an adjunct between the two of you, but I do not believe you can command him in this matter.

As a personal favor, I ask, if you would continue this avenue of conversation, that you do so privately, in letters or direct meetings, as public correspondence such as this can only serve to distract the eye from it's rightful target, the investigation itself, potentially muddying the waters, so to speak.

Walk in the Light,

Brother Tiriel Tellinghast
Cleric of Valos

I am a follower of Chronicler and I have been known to express my belief in front of members of this town.

However I am aware of the situation you have expressed and was not present for it. If you need of anything of me I am willing to submit myself to any and all questions you have regarding this matter.

I am not one for standing in the way of a your inquisition.

I am also a follower of Chroniclerite, but was also not present for the situation which occurred.  I will not be in the proper for some time, but when I return, if you wish for me to be questioned, I shall speak with you at that time without argument or complaint.

Belegchand Dìnephilin

    I feel that it is important that I point out that the Church has no authority over anyone but it's own.  I think that pushing the leniency of the Kingdom in how the Church of Valos deals with dark forces, and those that seek to destroy the Church of Valos to include those who took no action against the church, nor took any action to support those who are against the church, is not the wisest action, especially suspect in light of recent events. Forcibly detaining Chroniclerites is overstepping your bounds.  I hope that you reflect on your own tennets before you make any rash moves to detain anyone of my flock. 

    I have sent a missive to Lord Templar Aradiel out of my personal faith and desire to see that the truth of all things is known.  I do encourage all my fellow Chroniclerites to help Lord Templar Aradiel understand all occured that evening, and any other questions he might have pertaining to this event.  He is a man who deserves much respect.

For the Great Story,

Father Osred Hygebryt the Younger

Father Osred,

I look forward to our talk most of all.

I can only hope that you are not willing to accept my offer of voluntary investigation. 

We have so much to catch up on good Shepard.

Sabatheous Tellinghast,

I can only hope you don't mean what I think you are implying.

Blessings,
Quin K.

Mother Quin,

  Do not fear.  I have put my faith in Lord Templar Aradiel in these matters.  I was originally not going to be present this month, but similar to last feast, I will make a considerable effort to attend a portion of the time.   Brother Knight Templar Sabatheous knows that I am, if nothing else, a fanatical devotee of knowledge, and would not deprive anyone of any information that they desire, provided it will not be used to an evil ends, and it does not interfere with my mission to further collection and preservation of knowledge.  I am certain that he has read my full post where, though I objected to Chroniclerites being treated as necromancers or followers of darkness, I mentioned that I was already cooperating with Lord Templar Aradiel, and implored that other chroniclerites also turn to him.  After all, we are dealing with the Church of Light, not corruption.  Valosians must always seek just outcomes and fair treatment for all people, thus any mistreatment of me would be against their faith.  But if it would please you, and any other, since I am subjecting myself to this voluntarily I get a 'meeting of my choice', I will set the meeting time to noon saturday of the September feast in the Dragon Claw Inn, and I invite all those interested to attend.  However, I do request that if you are there to observe, you come as my guest to watch, but not interfere.  If they find me guilty of any crime (however unlikely), whether justly, or (even more unlikely) unjustly, you must not interfere, only observe and report.  If you cannot adhere to that request, then I ask that you not attend.


Osred

There is no need to meet me this month good Father.  I am meeting with agents of the Inquisition and will be unavailable in the proper.  My thanks to those who have answered my request to meet without posturing. 

For your continued quest to educate yourself with information, the Order to which I belong that may assume to question the Lord Templar if they saw fit.  In this matter however, I act on his authority.

Cooperate and there will be no problems.  You are not permitted to admit guests to sit on on the business of my Church.  Refrain from quoting the steps of my path. 

Your "knowledge" of my faith is weak.

I do not agree to a private meeting with a man who makes statements that all the Chroniclerites should be gathered up and burned.  However since there is no meeting to be had this month, I will spend my time working on my writing.

If I am willing to speak with a townsperson content to sit by and watch a woman he claims is a friend be dissected for the glory of an ArchDevil, while Angels are crushed beneath the Amber path as it is torn from its foundations, you opinion should remain silent.

Do as you will.  

I will find you when your presence is required.

I understand the suffering the two Arch devils have caused.  I have given my account of that night to your family.  You know that we were not told what we were about to see, and were invited to bear witness provided we did not interfere.  You also must know that interference would have been fruitless in assisting, even if you do not believe there would have been dire consequences if we had attempted to interfere.

  I have already stated officially, and will state again here.  If given the choice to watch a friend be tortured and killed with the knowledge that I can do nothing to help, or to have that friend be tortured and killed without me knowing about it and not being able to help, I will always choose to watch and be able to preserve my friend's story.  It is the only moral choice to make if you have any respect for the person.  Any other choice is selfishly protecting yourself from witnessing the horrors your friend is forced to endure.

  Comparing my holy duty to preserve the great story to suggesting a witch hunt based on misdirected rage seems to me to be faulty reasoning to justify unjust actions.