A Foreword on Character Regarding the Event of 4.12.309, by Florence Amaya On the 9th of this April, I made a publication titled "Inflammatory Rhetoric". In this paper, I explained that House Playero had been subject to libelous statements designed to subject its members to public contempt. Due to my marriage with Simone Amaya, née Playero, this public contempt extends towards me. I was falsely accused by the Crookback Militia's Commander of being responsible for the lives lost in the Daenshore raids, something I personally had no involvement in whatsoever. However, to disgrace my family in such a way is to disgrace me by extension, so I challenged the Bloodcast Knight to duel as any good husbandman would. The effect of the inflammatory rhetoric which I had identified had never been clearer. The duel was organized by the Imperial Master of Prowess, and it was biased from the beginning. My duel was reduced to lowly political theater from the fight for honor that it was meant to be. The public was invited to watch, and I was verbally harassed and heckled by both the audience and the Imperial Master of Prowess. This duel was no such thing. It was a mob's trial by combat of Jacobin design. In fact, the mob was so hostile that the Violet Order was called to the scene as riot control. Throughout this political spectacle, the neglect of honor was made apparent by my opponent. I should have expected nothing more from a codeless knight and a champion of Crookback aberrancy. From the very beginning of the charade, I was bamboozled by the fact that my opponent employed two weapons against me: a magical sword and raw magic itself. I was not informed of the nature of this duel by the Imperial Master of Prowess, but I understand that he very well may have been aiming to guarantee the Crookback Militia Commander's victory due to their friendship. Not only did I have to contest against a rigged matchmaker, a hostile audience, and the surprise of magical attacks, but I also had to maintain my own Monzon Code throughout the match while my opponent has no such responsibility. It is this which I intend to write on. The environment created by the Imperial Master of Prowess was inadequate. In fact, it was barely any different than having held me in a stock so that I could be spat on by the Regalian public for my association with House Playero at a time when prejudice against the family is at an all-time high. My code establishes that "Fortune and Glory is the highest pursuit of all worthy Knights, and to be valued above all else. Never decline an opportunity to better one’s lot in life, unless it would tarnish the Golden Chalice.", but there was nothing glorious about the political theater directed by the Imperial Master of Prowess. In fact, the opposite is true as I was subjected to constant degradation throughout the spectacle. As a representative of the Monzon Order during the duel, my entire community was being disgraced and other present Monzon Knights were idle as this happened. My code compels me to pursue Glory whenever it would not tarnish the Golden Chalice. My code also establishes that the Golden Chalice is tarnished when the defenseless are attacked ("To raise a weapon against those who cannot defend themselves is to tarnish the Golden Chalice."). However, the Crookback Militia Commander was not defenseless. They were armed and had just won a duel. There were members of the Chancellor's Contingency and the Violet Order at the ready should any hostilities break out. So in the name of revenge for diminishing the Monzon Order in a rigged political theater, I raised my rapier. Ironically, and in a display of true hypocrisy, Bloodcast Knights were quick to accuse me of violating my code. How they would know anything about following a code when they have none is beyond me. Perhaps it seemed, to the untrained eye, that I was violating my code. Perhaps it seemed that I was violating my code because the hostile audience sees what it wants to see. Perhaps, as indicated by this charade of a duel, the public wishes to see me disgraced at all costs. My code reads "Never resort to the coward’s tactic of backstabbing, for to do so is to dirty one’s Fortune.". The meaning of this code is two-fold: a Monzon Knight should never betray, and that a Monzon Knight should never be a coward when they strike from behind. I did not betray the Crookback Militia Commander, and I did not strike him from behind as a cowardly tactic. I did attack him from behind, indeed, but this was a strategic decision to take the opportunity of a situation so that a message could be communicated: Degrading the Monzon community through heckling, cheating, and reducing a duel to a public spectacle of political theater has consequences. If not for my actions, the message would have been sent to the Regalian public that anyone could spit at the Monzon Order and get away with injustice after injustice. This is not true. A Monzon Knight is a force to be reckoned with, and we demand your respect. My actions were necessary not only to preserve my Glory, the highest calling of a Monzon Knight, but also the Glory of the entire Monzon Order. Finally, I shall too make the argument that this was an affront against all of Daendroque-kind. The public has been quick to assign blame to House Playero for the bloodspilled in Daenshore. However, the public also seems to forget that the people of Daenshore were already under the imminent threat of attack by the Second Allorn Empire. The public seems to forget that the people of Daenshore have not forgotten their abandonment by the Regalian military, which opened them up to constant raids. If true, all Mister Eloi Playero is responsible for is motivating the people of Daenshore to take it upon themselves to defend their homeland. Not the military nor the Assembly have shown themselves to be reliable protectors of our people against our historical oppressors. The people of Daenshore did not only fight because nobody else would fight for them, but also because they wanted to. To assign blame to House Playero for the spilling of blood, when all Mister Eloi Playero did was call for war and not the raids into Second Allorn Empire territory is wrong. To chant "justice for Daenshore" upon the defeat of one of its only defenders in the Crown Isle following a rigged and poor excuse for a duel is wrong. The people of Daenshore were not led into battle by Mister Eloi Playero. The people of Daenshore fought back against the new Allorn oppressors because they were eager to do so, even before the war could be declared according to Mister Eloi Playero's wishes. True justice for Daenshore is to allow them to handle the Second Allorn Empire as they see fit, and what is fit is the elimination of a nation that does not even recognize our Emperor as legitimate. Thus I declare: Justice for Daenshore.
Bernadetta copies the notice down over some time. scanning it over then sending it off to some fellows. With a simple note Read paragraphs 5-7 it will be of interest. I hope to be around later so if any of you or any of the gossipers who’ll likely find this desire to speak simply summon me. I shall doubt my refusal of a duel has gone unnoticed or the words within this. Bernadetta De Lampeport Spoiler: Specific Recipients @notjayp @Eronoc @Optimalfriskies (ooc: if any other knight should desire to make use of the rule regarding common knowledge (or any players of Amayas or Playeros) to come find me later. Just dm me and I’d be happy to come rp Later)
"The Regalian 'public' spits at the Monzon Order because you are an inbred, disgusting excuse for a knight. What good is a Monzon that not even the Undercity wishes to employ? He laments having to entertain the duel, but he is the one that challenged you, is he not, Alban?" Valarosta inquired whilst reading over the notice in the Council Tower. It was passed over to the others that sat at the table. "Such a rat that even he is undesirable to the denizens of the Undercity." The Suvial's nails tapped across the table, expression settled into a cold indifference. "The Playero family are nothing more than mongrels causing unrest and strife wherever they go. Keep them out of Crookback - if you see any of them, either beat them senseless and eject them, or place them under arrest and throw them to the Violets. They are not welcome here. Not when they invited death upon the Daen people with their complete and utter ineptitude. Not when they cannot even adhere to their own Code and attempt to alter the narrative with there were countless people there to witness his treachery." @fantuinn @notjayp @BiBiBirdie @Birdsfoot_Violet @Lizmun @sonofthestars
The following note in response to the above would appear at some point around midday, penned by someone much more literate than the Fae Knight himself. It was a sure sign that someone else had written it. To Mister Florence Amaya, You broke your Oath. You attempted to stab an unarmed Knight in the back after the honor duel between you two had concluded by your own words of yielding. The Codes we Knights hold ourselves to are always active. A Fae Knight cannot steal for any reason, just as a Monzon cannot attack someone with their back to them, as well as being unarmed, for any reason. And no Knight may break the rules of an honor duel so fragrantly. Why else would the Lord Chancellor need to be having a chat with you? And as for adhering to Codes, I do not know the nature of Alban's personal Code. But I know enough of the Monzon Code to see that you broke it into pieces. This attempt at twisting the truth only dishonors yourself, thankfully, and not your entire Order. Sincerely, Cadwyn Knight of the Wards of Fae
A letter finds its way to the residence of Florence Amaya, and is added to noticeboards for the viewing of all. Dear filth knight, Throw away your thesaurus, you've fooled no one. You can't play victim in a duel that you challenged. You got beat because you are a bad fighter, keep crying. Since you seem to have a hard time understanding why everyone associates you with Playero, let me break it down for you. Your wife is a Playero, and a direct relative of the dead traitor and the living traitor. Their actions will and already have brought massacre of innocent Daens. Is this your justice? The Daen don't want you and the Daen don't want Playero. Kindly disappear in a hole somewhere. But if you intend on staying, I'm sure the people would welcome your placement in the stocks for spitting on. If I pay fifty regals, you have to accept as per your code, right? I'll have the money on hand. Kind regards, Valentino Solisti Duke of Vila Sines Grand Marshal of the Imperial Armies and Navies Son of Duchess Maria Solisti, father of Second Maiden Altea of the Oranjen Order, brother of Mistress of Prowess Marisa Solisti P.S. Your codes will advise you to always remember that silence is golden. Heed that advice and shut up.
Duchess Haeddi van Hal stood before the noticeboard, eyeing over the grand number of documents that had found their way to it again. In catching that awfully familiar handwriting and author though, she offered a moment of pause in her idling to read it through. The Duchess, equally a spectator of the gloriously lost duel by Amaya just the day before, allowed a small, yet amused grin to slowly creep to her face as she scanned over the writing. Then, as she finally reached the end of it, the woman shook her head and turned in place to face her beloved friend, Milena Cadieux, stating aloud to her fellow noblewoman: "Do you see what he says about your palest, Grand Duchess? And the Imperial Master of Prowess, calling it a riot trial. Goodness gracious, anyone who was there would know that the Violet Guard only arrested a single person and it was Florence Amaya after he tried to stab the good Commander Koning in the back. The back! A Monzon! -And not only that but he practically called his code a burden." The Anglian then scoffed, throwing her hand dismissively towards the pamphlet as she turned her attention elsewhere. "Laughable." @canaaa
Milena eyes the pages as Haeddi stands beside her, before letting out a long sigh. "He may not be a Playero by blood, but he's picked up their penchant for lying all the same, hasn't he? Sometimes I wonder when the falsehoods will catch up with them. Here I was hoping for a grand redemption, but .. they all seem quite determined to continue digging their hole deeper and deeper." She rocks back on her heels, hands curled around her liquor flask, and thinks over it all a moment - that tangled history that had been woven between her family and theirs, the act of kindness that quickly turned into an act of treachery. "What a shame." Milena hums finally. The Grand Duchess stills, before her eyes glance skyward; she lifts the flask in a quiet 'cheers', a silent 'thank you', before taking a long swig and departing with her companion.
Eloi Playero read over the notice, and the long list of incendiary replies. "Florence Amaya, hermano, this unbridled hate that you are facing is only a sign that you must be doing something right. These attacks against you are rooted in old and tired tropes against Daen-kind. They only hide their distaste for our people by claiming to stand up for Daenshore, and when they mean Daenshore, they speak only about the rich, wealthy Altalar plantation owners. Those Nelfin are just as Daendroque as Velheimers. It is the Daendroque plantation workers subsisting off poor wages and terribly conditions that threw off their chains, but they are nothing but scum to them. Defiendan a Daenshore."
The Villiers cracks a small smile for the first time in spirit knows how long. A chuckle escapes the man, before he shoulders his shield and continues on his trek to find a blacksmith.
