Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Faulcon the Fallen
"Aenil be damned!"
Tammo was looking over the evening reports when a certain message caught his eye:
Faulcon deLacy R.I.P.
His first instinct was to scream. Which he did. Loudly. And then he shook with grief.
Tammo remembered Faulcon from when he first came to Arcaea. Faulcon had reluctantly taken up the mantle of banker after the exodus of King Riar. While his position was only temporary, he handled it with ease; after that, he had settled into the background has one of the most honourable, sensible knights that Tammo knew. Faulcon had always been an ardent supporter for the liberation of Lasop, an issue with which Tammo greatly sympathized.
Truly, Faulcon had been one of Arcaea's finest. Tammo couldn't even imagine what Lady Dentara must be going through.
The timing of the news was bitterly ironic. Tammo had just sent a letter to King Jenred expressing some concern over the impressions he got from Marshal Aerywyn of divisions and disunity regarding military planning. Apparently the Marshal thought General Thalathafn was taking a rather foolish gamble that was likely to be a suicide mission. Sadly, Aerywyn had been right. Any doubts Tammo had about the new Marshal's appointment were suddenly erased.
While Aerywyn was certainly not inexperienced, it was the General's job - no, duty - to avoid such a catastrophe. Thalathafn certainly ought to know better! What kind of fool would send attacking forces against an enemy twice their size? Didn't he know that Lantzas was hardly in danger of being taken over? Wasting solider's lives was bad enough, but a dedicated noble dead for nothing...?
This was almost too much to bear. Tammo and his men were faithfully following Aerywyn's orders to abandon their looting in Ornaz and attack Larmebsi. He could only pray that come sunrise tomorrow, all of his comrades in the TCA would still be alive and well.
Tammo Hlessi Count of Saex
I wish to extend a public commiseration to Lady Dentara in the loss of Sir Faulcon. As a knight of Orbeh I was blessed to have known and cared for him. As a servant of this realm I know that he was respected and admired by all. His death leaves a significant hole behind and I would ask the King to see if the realms with whom we are at war would agree to a temporary ceasefire while we mourn his loss.
Lady Madelena Rossini Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
This is a grim day indeed. The overwhelming defeat of our forces pales beside the loss of Lord Faulcon. The only member of the old Council of Arcaea to remain true to our realm when then-King Riar abandoned us, Lord Faulcon has served Arcaea long, and as true as any could ask. I will leave it to those who knew him best to give a full eulogy, but I hope we can have a proper ceremony in Remton upon the return of our forces.
But let us not forget what Faulcon died for. We must remember that we are fighting for a just cause. Ethiala has proven treacherous and overbearing, and their allies flock to save a dying realm. We must not give in, for to do so would mean letting a Martyr die in vain. We must remember the people of Talex, starved and brutalized until they revolted rather than live under the peacetime rule of Ethiala. And we must remember what will happen to them should they fall to Ethiala again.
We have lost the day, but the war continues, and the light is always darkest before the dawn. Arcaeans, fight on.
Sir Jenred Bedwyr King of Arcaea
