A Plea from your Fellow Adventurer (Passwall)

[Lorelei Beinae]

My Fellow Adventurers,

I stand here before you today to call upon you to aid Count Moko Tanno in our push to the former capital of Passwall, Noxfell.

I would like to first start this by informing you that I am not fully in support of how this duchy is handled. As much as I can understand the movation it can bring, doubling the war on the undead as a elaborate political campaign can and will hold issue with many at the end of it. However, in order to defeat this threat, a side must be choosen and through my research and observations, I believe Count Moko Tanno is the best candidate for the position.

Many of you have not met the man. This a fact that I am terribly sadden by. His desire to lead his men into battle often causes him to be unreachable, only being able to send his loveable and trustworthy runner, Jo Jo, to call on adventurers for aid. However, those that have met him can attest how great of a man he is. Fiercely loyal to his people and duchy, he has fought along side adventurers during our first days here as we learned of Gavaria's troubles. I have personally been working side by side with him, helping gaining support and resources for his campaign. He has my personal mark as a man of standard and quality. Many will call him stubborn or blunt, but as someone that comes from a land that was once filled with betrayal and deceit from the nobility, it's refreshing to work with a man as straight forward as he is.

Now to speak on his opponent, Count Tillbaine. I will admit that Count Tillbaine is a brilliant man. He works hard in his research and has done a wonderful job in doing so. As a seeker of knowledge myself, I applaud his work. However, there is something that strikes me as little odd. Count Tillbaine has been researching these undead since Passwall fell almost twenty years ago. So I ask you, what has he shown for it? Before a claim is made of no one interest on hearing his research, I present you with this thought. Count Moko Tanno did refuse Count Tillbaine's aid. Tanno is a High Orge after all and it's would be an insult to his heritage to have him engage with undead or allow engagement of the undead among his people as Count Tillbaine has done. However, despite not having Count Tillbaine's aid or resources, Count Tanno has been able to keep a close race. So I ask you this, what is the point of the risk factors that Count Tillbaine brings by taking undead back behind our line, allowing the undead to remain there and possibly risk an outbreak or allowing nefarious forces possible access to our back line, if Count Tanno can get the nearly the same results without those risks? What has Count Tillbaine been doing all these years if Count Tanno has been to keep up by just looking outside and fighting on the front line? A question for the ages indeed.

So in conclusion, I ask you to please, join Count Moko Tanno's campaign in his final pushes towards the capital. We might be able to free Passwall just yet. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to send me a letter or speak with me privately. If ypu are able to aid, please come to Gardenhall and inform us that you are able to join. We welcome you with open arms.

Hope to see you on the front line,

Lorelei Beinae-Stormwolf of the Golden Leaf Crown

((This is a call to assist in the Help Count Moko Tanno IBGA action. If you wish to help to help, just join into the group action))

 

[Mobius]

Scholar Beinae-Stormwolf,


If I understand the stakes in Passwall, the Count who is able to "deal with" the undead threat is raised to Duke afterwards. While I agree with you that this is an odd way to bestow titles, it is apparently what Queen Gavar feels is appropriate.

At any rate, this war will conclude soon--within the year or five at the most--but the Duke will reign over the people and will shape the lands of Passwall and Gavaria for generations. What traits do these individuals possess that would make them a better candidate for leadership? Tactical prowess on the field is important for Knights and Marquis, but should only be a subset of the skills a Duke possesses.

It sounds as though Count Tanno is bold, loyal, and dedicated, but also disconnected from the day-to-day activities of his people, impulsive, and rude (or at least unable to express empathy and emotional support). He shows knowledge and trust by imbuing his lieutenants with agency and deference. However, he denies obvious tactical applied knowledge advantages by deferring to the cultural fanaticism of his heritage. I wonder what these tendencies would lead to once he is tasked with necessary political and bureaucratic tasks of running a duchy. Or, for that matter, whether he will live to see that happen. Does he have an heir apparent?

From your description, Count Tillsbane is educated and patient, but also rash, feckless, and perhaps untrustworthy? Your description of the man is slight, so I am unsure if I assess you correctly. Do you have other thoughts on his abilities as a leader or on his personality?


Dramthin Hartsboon
Prademar University
Keeper of the Tainted Grove

 

[Lorelei Beinae]

Brother Dramthin,

I truly do believe Count Tanno is better suited. He is not unskilled in politics. If he is not on the front line, he is attending court. Not all of us enjoy the whims of bureaucracies but Count Tanno has shown a willingness to engage with politics when is necessary. I am not sure where you are getting the idea that he is unable to provide emotional and empathetical support because he has been nothing but kind to adventurers who have aided him. Perhaps you might have said something to him that might have caused him to be angry with you or maybe you have spoken out of turn as you tend to do. Considering one of the things you have rallied against him is the fact that he is a younger race and doesn't have children tells me that you might want to look into your own bigotries and consider that maybe his response to you was that of a response of your own. Also not aware of the day to day of his people? He is on the front lines with them. He spends all of his time with his people.

And yes I will not deny it. I find Count Tillbaine to be extremely untrustworthy. His reputation as anti social and off putting doesn't necessarily make him a qualified leader. He is intelligent yes but he does not have the list of abilities that you say that Moko Tanno is lacking therefore I do not see why he would be better.

 

[Mobius]

Sister Beinae-Stormwolf,


I have not had the pleasure meeting Count Tanno. My evaluation of his bid for my support comes from your description.

Count Tanno's "desire to lead his men into battle often causes him to be unreachable" underlines his commitment to leading the charge, but suggests a lack of commitment to communication or details outside of combat. These are admirable traits in a warlord or Knight, but less so in a Duke. Dukes (and Generals) should not be on the front lines as they need to see the entire field, assess from a distance, act as impartial advocate for the overall effort, not the individual skirmish.

"Many will call him stubborn or blunt, but ... it's refreshing to work with a man as straight forward as he is." speaks a great deal to his abilities as a platoon leader, but the delicacies of diplomacy require cooperation, compromise, and often strategic capitulation. Stubbornness can be useful on the line, but is often the hallmark of a mind unwilling or unable to seek out other points of view; "blunt talk" is often a drapery thrown over contemptuous dismissal.

You broached the subject of his heritage, I did not: "Tanno is a High Orge after all and it's would be an insult to his heritage to have him engage with undead or allow engagement of the undead among his people as Count Tillbaine has done." Family pride is, of course, important, but he will be leading all the people of Gavaria, not just his own clan. He will need to embrace ideas, heritages, and customs which he might find bizarre or personally distasteful. If he refuses to accept intelligence in pursuit of an order from the Queen to end a War, what will he do in peace time when all his duties are bent toward creating a unified representation of a wide variety of peoples? Just as important, he will need to create a stable structure for the passing of the ducal mantle, heirs or chosen successors is that stability.

It sounds as though he thinks and acts as a soldier. This is very useful in a fight. Soldiers need not be concerned with nuance, opinion, or subtlety as the lines in a battle are clear: kill or be killed. However, outside of battle, the lines are always blurry, the "right" answer is usually never clear, and sacrifice, compromise, and uplifting others to one's own disadvantage is often the best course.

Your summation of the man is perhaps most telling, "He is on the front lines with [his [people]. He spends all of his time with his people." It sounds as though he feels his soldiers as "his people". This is admirable as many commanders fail to recognize soldiers as individuals. However, as a Duke his people are all the subjects of Gavaria. You say he has been "nothing but kind to adventurers who have aided him" - the majority of his people will never aid him and most will be an outstanding burden, yet he must still act in their best interest. That is the weight of leadership he would bear.

In truth scholar, you are asking for the community to support this man as one of the five most powerful people outside the Royal line. Did you not expect difficult and probing questions? Requests to prove his worth? Testing of his principles? Your response is admirable for its loyalty and dedication to the Count, but he will be tested and undergo far worse if he wishes to bear the Ducal yoke - as will you if you choose to represent him.


Dramthin Hartsboon
Prademar University
Keeper of the Tainted Grove

 

[Lorelei Beinae]

Brother Dramthin,

Then I suggest that you take the chance to meet him than to take my word for it. You seem determined to paint the man as some brutish fighter with no social skill instead of listening to what I am saying. Every inch of your response is an interpretation of his entire character based on me picking a few qualities that I've seen in the man and twisting it into a negative. I won't even dignify going through your response point by point. You seem bound to determine just to tear down the man without ever having to ever met him. Which infuriates me because part of my communications with him has been in an attempt to aid you on your causes that you wish to see in Gavaria. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot with an arrow because you're bound and determined to have some moral superiority because he is a fighter.

Was I expecting there to be probing questions? No, not really. Because I have spoken to many people at length about this whole thing for multiple months now. You would know this if you had been attending markets or reading the other communications I have left for the other adventurers. But no, once again you feel like you need to be high-and-mighty at me despite having no idea what you are talking about. I simply posted this to remind people of what I have been working on and if people could help me. Not to have you tear me down publicly because you feel the need to ruin my work again. We are family, Dramthin, but you really starting wear on my patience.

 

[Mobius]

As you wish, Sister. I will offer no more thoughts on the matter. I am, however, saddened that you have felt the need to attack my person in this exchange. Perhaps when we meet in person we can come to a better understanding on the matter.


Dramthin Hartsboon
Prademar University
Keeper of the Tainted Grive