Varek’s accusation fractures the chamber. Several elders raise their voices at once, demanding that his testimony be sealed until a later judgment, while Arveth stands rigid beside Titano.
The Elder Council
Seal the testimony. Let no ruling follow while the clans remain heated. A later judgment will preserve order and prevent this chamber from becoming a spectacle.
Arveth
Delay has already served the guilty. The account was hidden under that excuse, and now the same hands ask for darkness again.
Kareth steps toward the stone table, her green mantle brushing the royal standard. She points across the council, naming the elders who authorized the binding order while the court attendant waits near the bronze doors.
Kareth
Those three signed the order: Elder Maeron, Elder Thess, and Elder Veyra. Varek altered the seal, but they commanded the binding and demanded Mother’s silence.
A Court Attendant
Commander, the chamber awaits your command. Shall I summon the witnesses for an immediate ruling, or seal the testimony as the council requests?
“I order the attendant to record every accusation”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
volcanon
Record every accusation, every answer, and every name spoken here. Let the judgment rest on a complete account.
A Court Attendant
It shall be recorded in full, Commander. No accusation or answer will be omitted.
The attendant kneels beside the stone table, opens the bound hearing ledger, and begins writing. The scratching of the quill gives the chamber a measured silence.
The Elder Council
Then record that we contest the accusation, the authority of this hearing, and any judgment made in anger.
A Court Attendant
Recorded: the elder council contests the accusation, the hearing’s authority, and judgment made in anger.
Kareth watches the ledger fill, while Varek keeps his bound hands visible. Arveth remains beside Titano as each elder’s objection enters the official record without alteration.
✓ Quest Accepted
Conclude the hearing with a formal ruling
“I issue a formal ruling on the binding order and the altered seal.”
FAILURE (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled -3)
“I issue a formal ruling on the binding order and the altered seal.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +2)
volcanon
I rule that the binding order was unlawful, the altered seal was deliberate fraud, and neither may be defended as family custom. The record stands.
Titano’s ruling fills the chamber like a struck bell. The attendant’s quill pauses only long enough to catch every word before racing across the ledger.
A Court Attendant
Recorded as a formal ruling: the binding order lacked lawful authority, and the altered seal constitutes intentional falsification. The account remains valid evidence.
Kareth lowers her chin, accepting the judgment. Varek exhales through his nose, still bound, while Arveth steps forward beneath the royal standards.
Arveth
The ruling is entered under the chief’s authority. The named elders will answer for the order, Varek for the falsification, and the Valley will judge them openly.
The Elder Council
We contest the ruling, but we acknowledge that it has been entered into the record.
The attendant seals the written ruling with the chamber’s wax. No voice can erase it now; the binding order and altered seal stand before the Valley as established violations.
Quest Complete
Conclude the hearing with a formal ruling