De Haguns Family/Furiae/Letters on the Rebellion of Itaufield

Context: Following the rebellion in Itaufield, orders were initially issued to proceed with a hostile take over against the peasants, followed by orders to proceed with a neutral take over.

Letter from Haide Osoro

M'lady,

I know you are not my marshal (thankfully..........) but I want to confide in you as a friend because I know that you are more experienced in matters of diplomacy and state than I.

Currently, I am in Itaufield attempting to help restore the peace. At first I was ordered to assist in a hostile takeover, which I will not do. My Osos will not murder peasants no matter the cause, for any cause that demands the murder of innocents is wrong.

Our orders were changed to a neutral takeover, and I have followed those orders to see justice delivered here. However, my Osos have reported that more than a fifth of the Itaufield populace have already been terrorized by the Golden Host. Because of this, I find myself questioning the righteousness of our cause. How can I claim to install "justice" when our own behave so unjustly?

I do not know yet what I will do, but if I must conscientiously object, I will accept the consequences.

-H

Haide Osoro

Dame of Golden Farrow

Letter from Furiae de Haguns

(this letter is penned in Furiae's own elaborate handwriting)

Dame Haide Osoro,

No one tell you the hardest part of battle and the hardest choices in war or statecraft are figuring out when sacrifices are necessary, and how to mitigate everlasting damages, death and mistakes.

I found that by myself, the hardest way.

As a Marshal and as a friend, I will give you advice.

Do as your Marshal tells you concerning military matters, for you are in no position to refuse, nor should you refuse. Tol Goldora has one, if not, the most professional military in Dwilight, and it thrives due to the fact that orders are issued and obeyed. The day we lose our respect for hierarchy and decide to disobey orders is the day we will lose our edge over other countries. Tol Goldora is striving to become the military mighty of this continent, and we shall succeed, so we can defend our homeland against aggressions.

To achieve this, we need unity. Sedition, rebels, and those that act against the unity of Tol Goldora are traitors, and deserve to be treated as such.

Peasants have been living in peace, with justice delivered by the nobility and by the Autarch's grace and will. Under my rule, Faithill thrives, because I am a fair and just ruler. And so are the other lords in the realm. Unfortunately, the rabble cannot see beyond their immediate interests and entertain thoughts of independence. Still, my friend, I must ask you: what happens if they decide to take these matters back into their own hands?

Not long ago, Itau was a haven for pirates. In the south, in Laraibina and Madina Island, slavers traded souls until not long ago, where now the undead roam. And the rest of the roguelands? Oppresed by local warlords or under constant attack by monsters and undead, for they are easy prey without nobles to protect them and stabilize the social order.

To be within Tol Goldora's domain means to be civilized, and shielded from the perils of the world. How many nobles have bled and sacrificed their lives to protect the peasants that now dare to take up in arms against their protectors? How many soldiers have died to protect those that now turn their back to Tol Goldora? So that the peasants can live their lives, have their children, eat and sleep safely.

The peasants in Itaufield revolted because they do not know right from wrong, and believe they do not need our protection. Can you imagine what would happen if we let this go unpunished? What message we would send to the other provinces, and even to D'Hara or Astrum, should they discover it? It would be a message of weakness.

This is the righteous of our cause. In a land plagued by undead hordes and monsters, Tol Goldora is a beacon of hope and a shield for civilization. And nothing will shake my belief in the justness of our cause.

Initially, the orders were to brutalize the peasants, but they were eventually changed to more neutral manners of dealing justice and disciplining them . The revolting peasants are not as innocent as you believe, given what I have explained to you.

As much as I am a Marshal, I am a soldier. I obey orders, even if I may disagree with them on a personal level. If not, how could I expect the nobles under my command to follow me and trust me? How can your men trust and follow you, if you do not obey your commanding officer, the Marshal of the Golden Host?

Once the Stratarch told me that "loyalty is only a ladder if it goes two ways. For you and for the nobles you lead".

I hope this may help ease your doubts.

Yours, and carried by the winds,

Furiae de Haguns

Baroness of Faithill

Marshal of the Gylden Expeditionary Legion

Letter from Haide Osoro

Lady Furiae de Haguns,

Not long ago, I was that "rabble." Living under a pirate lord who reigned through terror and "disciplined," as you say, any who would not follow his every whim. And then "disciplined" some more just for fun.

Terrible actions come from a place of fear. To crush fear with more fear is putting out fire with fire. A power who terrorizes indiscriminately only serves to ostracize those who remained strong and loyal, and will drive them into the arms of the nearest leader who promises relief.

But perhaps you are right and I should have been disciplined as well upon arriving on the shores of Golden Farrow.

Haide Osoro

Dame of Golden Farrow

Letter from Furiae de Haguns

Haide,

You were never rabble, you are of noble birth. Never let anyone else say the opposite, nor should you ever try to equal yourself to commoners. It is unbecoming of your noble heritage.

There is a clear difference to living under a pirate lord that terrorizes the people and enforcing discipline.

Sometimes discipline requires victims, and most times violence is the only way to keep order in a world of chaos.

Do I like it? No, I do not. Still I am not one to take on fights that cannot be won, and I will not fight against the very human nature or the order of the world as it exists. I choose my battles carefully, when I know I can win. This is how I reached the place I am now.

Uprisings must be put down, one way or another. I prefer to avoid bloody means, but I follow orders as they are issued.

What you need to understand is that for peace to prevail, everyone must accept our authority and obey it. Or be broken by it.

The peasants of Itaufield rebelled, and they must pay the price. Their offense is reprehensible, and our hold in the West of Tol Goldora dwindles, peasants starting to entertain thoughts of rebelling. Not long ago, I repeat, the city of Itau was a haven of pirates, and now the Duke, His Grace Aidan MacArbin makes sure that the population is supplied with food. I have even offered to help him in this matter with Faithill's own granaries. There is no reason for rebellion other than to disrupt the peace we are trying to build.

My friend, can you imagine if what happened in Itaufield started to happen throughout Tol Goldora? Peasants banding up together, plunging our nation into confusion. The Times of Trouble would seem as nothing if compared to this. Lawlessness and savagery would reign! It is by striking fear into enemies, both internal and foreign, that we can stay safe.

Yet we are merciful, so we will only discipline them and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. We could bring down judgement and vengeance, but we do not.

I know you may not understand what I write yet, but one day you will. I know you may see me as cruel, even if I am not, for I try to mitigate sacrifices, even when they are necessary.

We are arriving at the dawn of a new era for Tol Goldora, so we may face the future together.

I just hope that when you finally realize I was right all along, you do not regret your choices.

Yours, and carried by the winds,

Furiae de Haguns

Baroness of Faithill

Marshal of the Gylden Expeditionary Legion

Letter from Haide Osoro

(this letter is written shakily)

Lady Furiae de Haguns,

My noble heritage is the pirate lord and I would frankly rather be a commoner.

And worry not. As my father taught me, I never regret.

Haide Osoro

Dame of Golden Farrow

Letter from Furiae de Haguns

(this letter is written in Furiae's handwriting)

Haide,

You can call me just by Furiae, when we write letters in private, or when we are alone.

It does matter who you were born, but more than that, the choices you make and who you want to become. I have learned this well. You will always be a noble by birth, and you must understand the responsibilities this bring, both to the realm and to the peasants that depend on our protection.

I would never have reached the place I am now if I had not be bold to defy expectations that were placed for me. To defy my family's plans for how my life should be and decide to carve my own path, through iron and fire.

You seem to be too attached to your past. I let mine go, so I could become someone my family never thought possible. And I have thrived.

The future belongs to the bold, my dear friend.

Act in such a way you do not regret the person you become in the future.

Yours, and carried by the winds,

Furiae de Haguns

Baroness of Faithill

Marshal of the Gylden Expeditionary Legion

Letter from Haide Osoro

Lady Furiae de Haguns,

Were I attached to my past, I'd have no issue slaughtering peasants. I, too, have strived every day to defy the path laid out for me and have the scars to prove it.

It seems we have reached an impasse, my lady, for the only thing I could ever regret is going against my conscience.

Haide Osoro

Dame of Golden Farrow

Roleplay from Furiae de Haguns

Roleplay from Furiae de Haguns

(Personal message to Haide Osoro) Furiae had received Haide's first letter in Faithill, shortly after her swift victory, with no casualties against the undead horde, and was in a very good mood, going so far as to commend the nobles who had taken part in the battle with her to the Stratarch for their bravery in combat. However, as Haide's letters came, first in Faithill, then in Demyansk, the Marshal of the Gylden Expeditionary Legion's mood started to fastly deteriorate, annoyed as she was with the dame's petulance and disobedience. Why could she not listen to reason was the very question Furiae asked. This fondness for commoners and peasants reminded her of her cousin Orpheu, that idiot who had taken a commoner girl, far too old to be anything than a tavern wench or a servant, as his squire. And Furiae knew all too well the reasons that lecherous cousin of hers had done so, though she could not understand... he had been promised in marriage to Cerise Aumerle, the only girl in the Perdan Mines that could dream of rivalling Furiae's beauty - but of course Furiae was the clear winner, perhaps in the entirety of Perdan, or even the East Continent, she thought. And now this new dame of Golden Farrow seemed to gloat about how "chivalrous" she was, thinking of the good of the peasants. "Stop the horses, we shall rest for the night efore advancing further into Melch Alb. You have earned your rest with that impressive display against the horde", she commanded, and captain Magnus Heidric went on his way to make sure the former mercenary company, now loyal to Furiae, started setting up camp not far away from the causeway. A stable boy approached with the mounting block, so Furiae could dismount easily from Swifstar, and so she did. The boy noticed her serious face and looked at his feet, half ashamed, half afraid. Her eyes darted to him and she sighed. This boy had been serving in her entourage for a while, and yet she had never addressed him. Her hand gently rubbed his unruly hair in a playful way, just as she had seen Haide do to Taylor, but was quite alien to her. However, Furiae but she said nothing, while the boy looked confused at the lady that went to supervise the installation of her pavilion. Haide is inexperienced, childish, too headstrong to hear sound advice. Where does she think she is? Perdan, under Alyssa's rule? Hasn't she realized we are at war against beasts, monsters and undead, and we cannot have rebellions, our own people, the very people we swore to protect, trying sedition against us? This cannot go unpunished... I tried to at least contain unnecessary bloodshed, I could have done more, but I would be seen as weak! Tol Goldora would be seen as weak, and I have no final say on this, the Duke gave us leave to deal with them as we saw fit, she thought, not feeling guilty at all. She could understand Haide's vision, but Furiae was certain that the dame was wrong. There was no other way, there could be no other way, for the rabble had to know their place. Even if Furiae was not fond of violent means when a peaceful solution could be achieved, she knew all too well the implications this could have in the political landscape of Tol Goldora. Rebellion cells were rampant in Itau, so far away from the capital, where thoughts of independence thrived. To allow those that rebelled against the Countess of Itaufield to go unpunished... it could spark a wave of movements for independence in the western side of Tol Goldora, all the while they were pursuing an expansionist policy. Furiae could be dispassionate, but not cruel. She was concerned with the very idea of a Goldoran nation, even it meant that Tol Goldora would be mighty and great if the goldoran peasants were to be wretched and despoiled. And Haide needs to understand this, for the time of childish games such as we played in my... her Stronghold Precint are to end.

Furiae de Haguns

Roleplay from Haide Osoro

Roleplay from Haide Osoro

(Personal message to Furiae de Haguns) Haide sits alone in the fields of an abandoned farm, using a stick to scratch into the dirt. Her Osos wait for her about a half-mile away, still "resting" at camp. But even they know that "resting" is only a filler command as Haide decides what to do next about the takeover. Ever since that damn wedding, Haide had been dissociating. It happens almost every day it seems. She will be walking around fine, and then hear some random noise, or a specific word, or see a flicker of something strange, and suddenly, wham. It's like she's detached from her body, floating. But not floating in the pleasant way, like with alcohol. Floating in a rising water way, like when you know it will soon pull you under. And the worst part is that it's always accompanied by more memories. If she could bless the witch who took her memories from her, she certainly would. And then pay her to do it again. The past few times this "dissociation" had happened, Haide hadn't known what specifically caused it. But this time she did. "Discipline." The same ugly word her fath—her captain had used to to justify his cruelty. Every time it was said, it was followed by pain, and she fears the word with every fiber of her being. She had trusted Furiae. And then she had said it. Part of Haide knows that she's being unfair. That Furiae didn't mean it the same way her captain had said it so many times. But also... Furiae kind of did mean it that way, didn't she? Arguing to "punish" the "rabble"? Declaring "lessers" undeserving of life and freedom? Unafraid to catch the innocent in the crossfire? Uncaring about who she— SNAP! Haide had been subconsciously grinding the stick so hard into the dirt that it snapped, nicking the palm of her hand. It should've hurt, but it didn't really. Haide presses the thumb of her other hand into the cut to staunch the bleeding. She can't help but feel betrayed. When Edelyn had said that no harm would come of her, she had taken that to mean that Tol Goldora would be different. When Calypso hadn't whipped them all, she had taken that to mean that Tol Goldora would be different. When Furiae had found her outside the wedding and spoken to her so gently and kindly, she had taken that to mean that Tol Goldora would be different. And perhaps to another noble, it would still be so. But for Haide, dread and fear had settled into the pit of her stomach like a molten rock. It is different, maybe. But it isn't different enough. And how can she ever trust anybody who accepts violence as a means of control? Haide pushes herself to her feet, not bothering to knock the dirt off her pants. She knows now what she will tell her men. As for Furiae, she just hopes that's able to not seem afraid the next time they meet.

Haide Osoro