"Yeah, and as an example of something that's theoretically legal."

Her quill once again scritches along the page.  Well, technically it is a scroll, but - it is a page.

I do not write this to intend to say that all strife along the hierarchy must be illegal.  Indeed, I believe that it is valid, if also a small bit absurd, to require that the assumption of power over another also require that you delegate Right of Destruction of yourself to them; this practice is common in the Chorus.  A subordinate of mine attests that she rose to her present position in the Chorus by slitting her gang-leader's throat in the middle of the night, and while I find the entire concept of deciding leadership by tests of skill in inflicting injury absurd and abhorrent, it is nonetheless not illegal to do thus, even if the inevitable outcome is death.

My complaint arises when we view the [less] common lateral challenge.

"Would you say that - a gang leader deciding they want to lead someone else's gang, is more or less common than a challenge from within one?"

"Hmm, less. Like, probably half as often, maybe a third. And it doesn't always mean the whole gang stacks up against them like we saw, they can just duel."

"Yeah, how many people are involved isn't really the problem, but thank you."

She fills in the blank, and continues writing.

Let us consider from whence the duty to follow a superior's order arises, in the Law of Kyros.

It is not, in this Fatebinder's opinion, a direct corollary of the Right of Destruction.  Right of Destruction bears no positive obligation; it merely absolves certain otherwise-crimes.  Duty-to-obey is, instead, a delegation of Archon's Privilege.

And because duty is posited as a delegation of Archon's Privilege, we can infer certain things that must be true about the delegated right - namely, that people of equal rank do not have Privilege over eachother - that make certain other things true by implication; to wit, one cannot have Right of Destruction over an equal.  One can only be given it by a superior.  Kyros's Empire is very often said to have been founded in an effort to halt disastrous interArchonal conflicts, and this Fatebinder presently believes those making such claims to have a correct impression!

If that is a truth about Archons, then it is this Fatebinder's opinion that no Archon should be able to say it is not true of those beneath them, because (in her opinion) to do so would be a contradiction of Archon's Privilege itself.  Archons are not ever said to be bound more strictly by Kyros's Law, at any point within it.  Therefore, limitations upon the Archons must be present at, and equally projected across, all levels of the hierarchy.

Why does this Fatebinder feel it necessary to spend so many words establishing this legal theory?  Because she saw it about to be casually violated by a small-time squad-leader of the Archon of Secrets, who then attempted to claim that her Archon's privilege in defining the Scarlet Chorus's laws permitted her to do so!

It is this Fatebinder's opinion that in the absence of a specific delegation of the Archon's right to destroy a particular subject, such as is often exercised by Bleden Mark, the Archon of Shadows - even an Archon's Privilege in fact does not and cannot permit civil war - which this is.

There are remedies for this.  One is to impose a duty to report one's intent, prior to dealing out otherwise-unsanctionable violence.  Another, to legislate either that any attempt to deal violence upon an equal will make you their subordinate upon its initial commission.  This Fatebinder takes no position upon this issue at this time, and submits this memorandum to the Court to request guidance.

THUS ENDS THIS MEMORANDUM.

This memorandum was composed by Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle, who swears in Kyros's name that all details within are honest to the best of her knowledge and recollection, and if wrong, not written with the knowledge or intent to perpetuate or promulgate a falsehood.

"Alright, I think that is sufficient elaboration.  Lantry, if you would be so kind as to copy this for me?  I'm sending this off to Tunon; I want one spare in case I need to reference it in a hurry.  We should also decide what your official position is, relative to myself.  I don't believe Tunon's Court to necessarily have a policy as regards conscription, which is the analogue to the situation I was presented with before your case - and promptly bludgeoned Nerat in the face with when it came back around - and it's plausible to read your situation as more of a vassalage.  In which case I want to do right by you, and do it all properly."

"Certainly," he says, and takes out more parchment to start copying as he talks. "Either vassal or simple employment would be a reasonable description; as long as it's clear I've been recognized as swearing to be Kyros's subject, I'm content with either."

"...Hmm.  I believe vassalage to be a more accurate summation of the sort of relationships I expect to need to come out of the coming events intact, for some definitions of the word, but at the same time, if I need not swear you to my service, there is a...loophole, of sorts, should you inevitably be adjudged in violation of the laws of Forbidden Knowledge.  Though it is a Fatebinder's sole remit to transport said artifacts and knowledge to a place where they may be safekept or destroyed, to begin with...

"...Well.  I wish to avoid taxing the existing precedent on this.  Though I am uncertain, I'll admit, as to which route would displease Tunon more."

Something suddenly clicks.

"...Blast it, the Right of Adjudication was there the entire time! I did not need to construct a theory of the Right of Destruction's lack of lateral extensibility from the nature of Archonal privilege whatsoever!  Still, it is good to have multiple sound arguments...

"I'll need that back for just a moment."

BE IT KNOWN:

That the following is an addendum to the above memorandum, regarding the legality of inter-hierarchical conflict;

BEGINS THE ADDENDUM:

It is, additionally, plainly evident from the Right of Adjudication that the choice to decide that anyone must be destroyed must be made by the disputants' superiors-in-judgement - and they are not disputants until they come to such an irreconcilable conflict; cases cannot be prejudged.  They must be brought to proper judgement, if they are a matter of Kyros's Law.  These matters are, as they are of Kyros's Rights.

SO ENDS THE ADDENDUM.

This addendum was composed by Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle, who swears in Kyros's name that all details within are honest to the best of her knowledge and recollection, and if wrong, not written with the knowledge or intent to perpetuate or promulgate a falsehood.

"If I recall my fairly brief studies of Kyros's Law right, Fatebinders are often empowered to stretch the law where it's needed to enforce the law on others - I think learning the basics of some forbidden knowledge in order to properly distinguish the genuinely forbidden knowledge from merely rare esoterica was one of the specific examples given, along with pursuing an investigation into the Oldwalls to chase criminals who had trespassed. I'm no expert, but I imagine that goes for vassals as well; that's the usual principle, right, that an Archon is responsible for their subject's conduct and so on down the chain?"

"So it is; I suppose that since Tunon has no obligation to judge me more leniently if I slip through a hole in the law myself, I may as well vassalize you.  It feels more appropriate to do that, anyway; I'm hardly paying you anything, we don't have a contract.  You just - want to follow me around, see what happens, and write it down.  Or so I've previously understood.  I hardly wish to force you."

"You've proclaimed two Edicts now, and plan to resolve one as well. Moved in Archon's circles, with all the danger that brings with it. I'm fascinated; even if your biography proves short, it will be something worth leaving for the future. And I'm optimistic you'll do much better than that. So, yes, I'll happily be your vassal and biographer. Hell, any chronicler worth their salt would be."

"I hope to be a worthy subject.  Take a look at this, let me know if there's anything that needs changing before I ink it."

BE IT KNOWN:

That on this the SECOND DAY of the MONTH OF BLOOD, in the year FOUR-HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE by Kyros's TRUE RECKONING, Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle did take into her service and thereby expunge of any prior guilt the man LANTRY, formerly of the SAGES' GUILD, who was at the time in the custody of the SCARLET CHORUS, by corollary of the decision made in re: Beastfolk conscripted by the Scarlet Chorus, as challenged by the Disfavored, and furthermore, existing vassalage law,

That no party to this decision challenged it upon grounds of inapplicability, exempli gratia Lantry having hypothetically been prior sworn to Kyros's Peace or as vassal to another, and any such future argument is MOOT;

SO WRITTEN AND SO JUDGED,

Upon this the SECOND day of the month of BLOOD, in the year FOUR-HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE by Kyros's TRUE RECKONING,

By the hand of FATEBINDER OPHELIA VAUDELLE,

As authorized by TUNON the ARCHON OF JUSTICE.

 

BE IT KNOWN:

That Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle does indeed take into her service as vassal the chronicler Lantry, and thus swear him to Kyros's Peace with its attendant rights and duties;

That Lantry is henceforth to be her Chronicler of the Court, to take record of her doings and preserve them for those who would benefit from such knowledge;

That Lantry's needs as Chronicler shall be appropriately supplied;

That appropriate supplies shall include ink and quill as is standard to Tunon's Court and a medium upon which said ink can be deposited to form lasting records, or whatever other most prevalent means may be devised and adopted by the Court or similar agencies, to take record of events, upon Lantry's request, in addition to nutriment sufficient under Kyros's Law;

That Lantry shall not be excluded from places where Ophelia Vaudelle travels, save when to invite him would be of itself a danger or a threat;

That at the discretion of either party, this agreement may be dissolved, but that it shall not be dissolved unless an irreconcilable dispute arises or by mutual consent.

SO WRITTEN AND SO SWORN.

By:

Fatebinder Ophelia Vaudelle

and

Lantry

"More elaborate than I'd heard, but seems fair enough. Sounds good."

"I tend to be rather dramatic when I can get away with it, and if rescuing a man from certain death or - well, otherwise certain Nerat - from the clutches of the Scarlet Chorus is not a time for excessively formalized oaths, what is, really?"

She 'whispers' loud enough that everybody in the party can probably hear her.  "Don't tell anybody, but it's actually a coping mechanism!"

"...Anyway.  What's next..."

"I think there was another prisoner who claimed to have information?"

"Fifth Eye wanted you back for something about the prisoners, so, probably."

"Ah, right.  The problem with that, though, is that I highly doubt I'll be given enough leeway to get useful information from interrogating them.  I doubt they'll be as willing to work with me as Lantry, let's put it that way.  Not even given actually decent incentives.

"...On the other hand, maybe we can bribe Fifth Eye with that fight he wanted to let me have a go at them my way..."

"If she's legit, call for an induction. It's tradition, and she'll sure as shit prefer it to torture or Nerat. Unless she's a complete weakling, I guess, but then she'll get death and still probably prefer it."

"Mmm - I wouldn't put it past a very loyal Vendrien Guard to throw the induction out of spite, if it lets her deny herself to The Enemy."

"Wouldn't she just stay quiet? Eh, I guess if you want to know what stupidly loyal people think like, ask Barik."

He sighs, but it is a fair cop. "I suppose it depends on whether she would think she'd be fed to Nerat or just tortured for fun. Trying to taunt them into giving her a chance to die before being devoured might make sense, from some perspective."

...She's going to need to go back into the camp to resolve this one, huh.

"...Alright, let's see what we can do under these constraints, since I doubt Nerat's going to be reasonable.  With me, everyone."

It's time to survey the prisoners - not just Lantry.

There's a cluster of four still up on stakes alive, the bodies of a half-dozen more in a pile, and a few on the ground tied back-to-back. The ones on the stakes seem like probably officers.

"Ah, Fatebinder, you're back. We caught this patrol, and we're fairly sure they have information on where the current base of the Oathbreakers in the backwoods is. That one says she has information we want and she should be able to swear fealty to the Voices, but I think she's just trying to dodge torture and stall for time, and the horde is getting restless. But you're remarkably persuasive; maybe you can convince her to make good on her claims without us trying more imaginative methods."

"I will benefit from having a free hand to offer something resembling respite, and time to review what information you have already...acquired...from those less seemingly cooperative than she.  I may also be able to get something from the others, there.  How were they captured?  ...Has she claimed why she wants to defect, yet?"

This, all, is spoken quietly.