"The difference between a power used rarely and one that doesn't exist is larger than the difference between one used rarely and one used uncommonly. If you find you never have cause to use it, that is your right."

"I think I want an opinion from Ser Tirabade and possibly also Inquisitor Hawkblade about whether there's anything I'm missing about the risks of assigning myself this discretion but I do not necessarily object. Demotion instead of any other punishment enhancement for misbehaving officers, possibly a power of pardon, anything else you want to amend here?"

"How are you planning to handle the transitional period?"

"I suppose I was envisioning meeting with the top layer or two of command and going over the handbook with its amendments and fielding their questions, perhaps this evening or early tomorrow, and seeing what challenges they collectively anticipate."

Nod. "I think these changes will go over better if you pair them with something most people are happy about. There are ways these rules are more lenient than what Mendev normally enforces, but 'on the other hand, you're less likely to get in trouble for blasphemy' doesn't really seem like the right message."

"What realistic adjustments would be widely popular, then?"

"Higher pay? Improved rations? Increased alcohol rations? —Caydenites can do that last one for free."

"...I do not currently have any more budget than her majesty has already allocated and it does not leave a lot of loose change lying around. Improved rations also cost money, or a third-circle slot if there's anything that will still be exciting if spread across that many people from one third-circle casting, which there might be but I don't know about it and would need to see an example. I have not tended to like the disciplinary effects of distributing alcohol in the past but I admit I am not familiar with how the Mendevian army handles it."

"It depends on the soldier. If you make the increased alcohol contingent on good behavior, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, and there are worse messages to send about the change than 'follow all the rules and you'll be better off.'"

"Is accountability good enough that that can be per man or would it have to be collective for a zero-incident period of time for a squad or above?"

"Depends on the offense." He can give a few examples — you don't want to cut off an entire squad's privileges just because one of them has a temper when he's drunk. "And of course if someone is sharing their ration with someone who didn't manage to earn it, you'll have to cut him off too."

"I'll need to check with available Caydenites before making any progress but celebrating incident-free time with an alcohol bonus is - probably fine - what is the baseline ration?"

Harmattan can provide that information! It is not wildly unreasonable, but certainly seems to have been set by someone who did not expect they would ever need to pay for the alcohol.

"...there must be quite a few or just a handful of extremely busy Caydenites, I will see what they have to say."

"Understood. That's all I had for you for now, unless you have more questions for me."

"May I ask you to arrange that meeting with the command to go over the operative rules?"

"Of course. Do you have anything planned that I should schedule it around?"

"Nothing specific besides the" VERY SOON "announcement."

"Understood. I'll get started on that, then."

Sosiel comes to find him shortly after Captain Harmattan leaves. "Good news! I asked around, and Baroness Gaunther had heard of Moment of Greatness — she thinks that if she casts a Heroism on you before the speech, you could... use my spell to make it stronger? I'm afraid I'm not a sorcery expert..."

"I have no reason to doubt her."

"I also had a more personal request, but it's not urgent if you have other meetings you need to get to."

"I don't think anyone is waiting on me right at this moment, what's on your mind?"

"There's going to be a funeral this evening for everyone who was killed at the temple of Shelyn when Kenabres fell. ...Which is everyone who was there, except for me. I would be honored if you attended, and I promise not to make you give a speech."

"I appreciate that you will not make me give a speech. If nothing else preempts it I expect I can go; where is the temple?"