Transcript of the Trial of Rankin Pelamon
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The tribunal of peers meets behind closed doors. Rankin's testimony will be heard later...

Thurn, the gruff dwarven leader of the clan at New Jhyrrad speaks out first. "Although I believe Rankin should be executed outright -- he took a life; his should be forfeit -- I will defer to my companions for a final decision in this matter. If execution is not to proceed, perhaps ten days and nights in a crows' cage atop the snowy peaks of the Menguls might begin to punish him justly.

"Also, as I have previously stated, if in the future the 'Rank One' should accompany us on a journey, I will in no manner act to intervene should his life be placed in danger. Furthermore, I decree that Rankin will be barred from passage through all dwarven lands from this day forward. Should he choose to defy this order, he will face the fullest extent of Dwarven justice. Lastly, I urge Queen Genevive to pass laws barring Rankin from holding any future lands or titles. The man, in my mind, must remain a commoner for the rest of his life."

Tapping thoughtfully at his chin, Donovan, Baron of Fort Gothold stands to offer his opinion. "While I share with you all grief over the way that Licinda met her end (going so far as to take action on my own to end Rankin's life), I believe we must tread carefully. Although it appears that Rankin's co-conspirators

in fact did double-cross the backstabber, we do not yet know the extent of his dealings in Glantri. After the terrible war we have been through, and battles that are still to come, Wendar will need help to rebuild. We live in an age of magic and a man of Rankin's abilities may prove useful. The Lady Rowena may be able to assist us in this regard, but if she is unable to do so, we may find maintaining a relationship with Rankin to be of use..."

"You have both made good points,” Darkstar, Master of the Erendyll clan and Baron of Sindia, says, nodding thoughtfully. “I believe my proposed solution may lie somewhere in the middle. After his abduction of my cousin, you know that I have little to offer him in the way of sympathy, even if she was returned unharmed.

"I believe we need to start by analyzing the wizard's character. What has come to pass so far has been for one reason and one reason alone: Rankin's ambition. He has made no secret of his lifelong ambition to be a member of the Glantrian nobility. The assassination of Licinda and the subsequent secession of his provinces into Glantri's fold were his best chance at the realization of this dream. While this in no way excuses his actions, it does help us to understand his motiviations.

"In his defense, Rankin did inform us Prince Jaggar's plan and the events taking place in Tyvlevosk once he realized that he had been duped by the arch-mage... and ultimately by the dracolich itself. Rankin could have simply joined forces with the Prince as one of his lackeys and events may have taken a very different term. From this we might infer that while amoral when it comes to his ambitions, Rankin still maintains some modicum of decency.

"We must also remember that Rankin considers himself above the laws of Wendar or any sentence we may impose upon him. I am certain that he surrendered himself to our custody with the understanding that he would receive a 'fair' punishment. By fair, I mean to say, a punishment that *he* feels befits the crime. If we were to order his execution, we could most definitely expect resistance. Likewise, he would certainly fight back against any other torture or mutiliation which we might feel befits the crime. While I am certain that we would be able to end Rankin's life should we determine that it is the just and fair way to go, I must caution you not to underestimate his abilities... The damage and loss of life from such a battle might well outweigh the benefits.

"But as Donovan stated, Rankin's talents may yet prove useful. And though I'm trying my best not to be insulted by his oversight of my own magical training -- I'm certain my power at least rivals that of the Lady Rowena -- our sometimes-companion, Pep Kristinop, and that of Wendar's court mage, Bensarian, the Elfblood, I still agree with his statement. The nature of Rankin's combat experience, his acute magical mind, talent, and, quite frankly, his willingness to cross boundaries that, perhaps, the rest of us are not, could make him a very valuable ally in our efforts going forward. We not only have the single most powerful state of magical power on Mystara crouched at Wendar's southern border, but potentially have the foul Shadow Elves, the Noeyaz, and unknown magical threats from the depths of Denagoth with which we must still contend.

"If we were to strip Rankin of his magic, he would rebel. If we were to attempt to execute him or sentence him to a punishment which he did not accept, the suffering would likely be great. We could banish him from Wendar, but as a wise man once said, 'You should keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' I think that Thurn's proposal, with some temperence, may prove to be the best solution...

"To ensure that Rankin remains loyal to the cause of Wendar, we offer him the opportunity to continue to assist us in the pursuit of this goal. To give him control of a province would be an open invitation to disaster, but to stifle his ambitious soul would cause a pressure to build that would eventually cause the dam to burst. To this end, we ban Rankin from controlling any provinces within the confines of the land which originally consisted of the Kingdom of Wendar, however, we permit him to control various holdings. Likely he would be most interested in the magical Sources, so we allow him to hold these Sources under three conditions...

"First, he may not deny a request for magical assistance to the ruler of that province in which his Source lies and must provide the service at his earliest convenience. In exchange for these services, he will be compensated, financially or otherwise, as the regent deems fit.

"Second, he may not have complete control of the Sources in any province. Another mage must maintain control of at least a portion of the Source. While largely symbolic, this will allow us to keep an eye on his power and areas of growth.

"Third, a regent may deny him entry into their province. In this way, Thurn or any others, you do not have to participate in the treaty if you choose not to. However, it is understood that you may also not call on Rankin for aid.

"I view this entire proposal as a 'stop-gap' measure. Rankin has been humbled by his experience, but I think we all agree that he has not been fundamentally changed by it. Sooner or later he will likely regain his confidence and may decide to break this treaty. Until such a time, however, I hardly feel we can let his assistance go to waste. We must simply remain vigilant and be prepared if that day should come again..."

Darkstar turns, awaiting the next speaker.

Halfdan Ivarson rises from his place at the table, and gazes at the rest of the people in the room, "Friends, I am saddened at the state of affairs in the lands in Wendar and the betrayal of one I had thought my friend seems more than I can bear. In judging someone I once counted as a brother of sorts I am torn from the inside for I can not lose sight of all the times in the past when Rankin has been the first to enter batle for our cause and our lives. He is usually the first to charge headlong into danger, sometimes to his -- and our -- great jeopardy, but he has fought tenaciously to win through danger.

“I think friend Darkstar has summed it up when he speaks of Rankin's tragic flaw, and his greatest asset, his ambition. What he did to Licinda was dispicable and unforgiveable on many levels. It was a crime against friendship and a crime against Wendar. For this I think his punishment should fit both crimes, and it should be tempered by his past rights and the good he has done in those times. It is my hope that mercy of some small amount my yet bring him back to his senses. Also I agree that his abilities in the magical arts -- of which I have little understanding --- may yet prove useful. But he is also far from our sole resource in this area and I believe he should be made aware of that.

“I believe he has been humbled by this experience and the dreams he once held may have been destroyed beyond any ability on his part to rebuild them. I doubt he will be welcome in the lands of Glantri anytime soon. In my land of Ostland criminals are marked in such a way for all to see the crimes they have done have not gone unnoticed and unpunished. Though I do not believe he will submit to any form of disfigurement I still believe there must be some physical reminder of the wrongs he has committed.

“I believe that friend Darkstar has also pointed out a good way to humble his overly ambitious soul, by serving at our behest he may find some understanding of what it means to work for others instead of one's self. However in these matters I will let the Queen have the last say as she is the ultimate judiciary in this as these actions have lost her 2 territories that have been apart of Wendar for so long."

As Halfdan sinks back to his seat again, Jet Lee, Abbot of Kaltir takes the floor. "Of all present, I have spent the least amount of time in the company of the former Baron of Talonbluff. However, I would hope that my opinion would still be valuable as that of a relative outsider. All statements made so far have been valid. Rankin is proud and determined and, yes, powerful. The teachings of The Temple say that a man is only as strong as his weakest trait. To achieve True Power, a man must control his thoughts, emotions, and steady his impetuous heart. And in this sense, Rankin has proven quite powerless.

"It is my belief that any man can be rehabilitated. I do not think he should be summarily executed, but to let him rot in a prison cell achieves nothing. However, I do not believe he should be set free. The best -- indeed the only -- resolution, in my mind, would be to cloister Rankin at The Temple of Kaltir or another place of spiritual study; to allow him time for introspection and self-enlightenment. And while the thought of 'captive' cloistering may seem contrary to the goal, Our Brotherhood has performed similar actions very successfully in the past. Each man will find his own Path to Power in time, though it will take his whole life to complete the journey. I believe Rankin simply needs to be shown his footing.

"However, I also understand that there are external issues which may make my suggestions seem ludicrous to you. Issues of power and politics and warfare. I am a man very well acquainted with war. I am a man well versed in politics. I caution you only that what you may perceive as power is not True Power. Rankin may be a powerful ally, but may also prove to be the keystone in the collapse of a carefully built strategy without the proper discipline. I will, however, support any agreement achieved by this council.

"In the game of chess, many players may dote on the Queen, for all of its apparent power, and rush it into play. But the Master knows that the Queen is simply a piece, easily taken by any other, and that even the Pawn, given time, can become a Queen."

As Jet takes his seat again, Genivive, the final speaker, arises. “Thank you all for your honesty. I am glad to see we are all taking this matter seriously and have given it the careful consideration it deserves.

"I feel I am at a disadvantage for not knowing Rankin the way the rest of you do. This tribunal was brought together to decide his fate based on two crimes in particular: the assassination of Baroness Licinda Tyvlevosk and Treason against the Crown of Wendar for his secret alliance with Glantri and the secession of Tyvlevosk and Talonbluff into the Principalities.

"For the first crime, I certainly considered Licinda among my friends, and her death affected me deeply, but still I knew her very little when compared with you. I blame myself partly for her death, as it was my coronation where the whole scheme came together, but my feelings of anger toward Rankin have overpowered the sorrow I feel over Licinda's demise. Even in Wendar, my proud and just Kingdom, Rankin should face execution for her murder.

"The crime of Treason carries the same penalty. I have been apalled by the lack of loyalty on the part of my cousins, Lamnun and Peligraine, and the state of chaos into which they caused Wendar to fall. To have this additional insult at this time is unbearable. Glantri and Wendar have existed peacefully for centuries. And while I understand that many players with many motivations indirectly influenced Rankin's actions, IT WAS STILL HIS CHOICE! Peligraine has already paid for his Treachery against Wendar, and Lamnun will soon face the same penalty. But will Rankin...?

"I have been moved by all of your words, and many of your thoughts echoed my own. Wendar is the weakest she has been since my ancestors received the Elvenstar, but I swear by all the Gods and Goddesses that she will not fall while under my rule! And to ensure this happens, we will need every tool at our disposal. For now, I believe this includes the talents of Rankin Pelamon.

"Though Jet and I joined your company only a year or two ago, during the campaign of Wendar, I had the chance to acquaint myself a little more intimately with Rankin during our quest into Denagoth. His magical abilities, resourcefulness and... simple slyness not only saved the lives of Thurn and I, but also gave me insight into his inner workings. The assassination of Licinda -- carried out before our very eyes! -- showed a strange sort of courage that he would puruse his goals no matter what the cost. While I am carefully considering Jet's input, it is my hope that his drive, despite the odds, might be a power we can harness for the reunification of Wendar.

"While I don't believe Rankin to be particularly vengeful, he is generally too aloof for revenge, I believe his pride may goad him into striking back Glantri, if nothing else, simply to prove that he can defeat them. To prove that he is the most powerful. I fear that this same eye may eventually turn on us, but Glantri is a powerful enemy, and I do not expect he will have them rolling over too quickly.

"I believe that the best way to monitor and contain him is to keep him close. The ideas put forth by Donovan and Darkstar that we limit his power and the lands he is allowed to control seem to be the best plan. However, I am also intrigued by Halfdan's suggestion that we mark him somehow -- brand him as the traitor he is. This would hopefully help to stonewall any attempts he might make to dupe loyalists into helping him with some new scheme... This would be obviously difficult to do given his abilities, including that to change his appearance, but I have an idea of how it might be accomplished...”

“I feel I must speak again,” Thurn slowly rises to his feet once again. . “I have heard all your discussions and believed you all made excellent points. However, I am now deeply troubled. As you know, by my nature I am a simple man, frequently making decisions with the head of my axe rather than the one on my neck. I may not have the words to express myself the way I'd like, but I shall try. Almost all of you spoke about the past deeds that the 'Rank one' has done to aid our causes, as if this balanced the taking of Licinda's life. Are we to use a scale then? Three 'fireballs for good' balances out one murder? Do we have the right or the morality to make such equations?

"As well I must add, by what right shall we ever raise weapons again? If past good deeds balance evil ones, then do good deeds balance past evil ones? Let us take Landryn Teriak, the Shadowlord, for example. Perhaps if had he lived, at one point he may have reformed.

"I say these words not to be hurtful, but to explain my own thoughts. Were this a council of Dwarves, Rankin would sentenced to death without a thought. Perhaps you think that simple, however you all have raised questions that I would have answered before this assembly convened."

Genivive pauses, giving weight to the Dwarf lord's words before continuing. "Before we pass final judgment and sentencing, I believe it is only fair that we hear from the accused. If you would please show Rankin into the room...?"

Rankin glides into the room, his head held high and his deep blue robes flowing around him like a darkly shimmering fog. He stops abruptly before the gathering of his once-peers and self appointed judges, surveying them with a raised eyebrow and a firmly set jaw.

"I stand before you of my own free will to hear the charges against me," he begins, "and offer my defence in order to clear up whatever confusion may still linger among you over what I have done in the past few months. To offer an adequate rebuttal, I would like to hear a formal list of charges, if such a thing exists..."

Genivive, sitting back somewhat in her high-backed chair, pauses momentarily as she eyes the wizard. Then, with a nod, as if she has made some decision in that moment, she sits forward, placing both hands on the table. "Rankin Pelamon of Glantri, you have been charged by this tribunal on the authority of the Crown of Wendar with the following:

"Premeditated Murder, pertaining to the assassination of Her Grace, Baronness Licinda of Tyvlevosk and High Priestess of the Church of Haelyn on the night of the 6th of Thaumont in the Barony of Tyvlevosk.

"Endangerment of the Royal Person, pertaining to the events which you set into place on the 6th of Thaumont in the Barony of Tyvlevosk at the Coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Genivive of Wendar.

"Treason against the Barony of Tyvlevosk, pertaining to the military assault, in conjunction with the forces of the Principalities of Glantri, and subsequent annexation of that territory.

"High Treason against the Crown of Wendar, pertaining to the clandestine consortion with Prince Jaggar von Drachenfels of the Principalities of Glantri, your alliance with the aforementioned without the knowledge of the Queen of Wendar or her advisors, and the subsequent conquering and secession of the Baronies of Tyvlevosk and Talonbluff into the realm of Glantri.

"Rankin Pelamon, this tribunal has already found you guilty of these crimes and has henceforth stripped you of your titles of 'Hero of Wendar' and 'Baron of Talonbluff.' Your purpose here is to offer your best defence which will affect the rest of the sentencing process.

"The floor is yours."

Rankin straightens himself even further, setting his shoulders firmly defiant, and after a moment he speaks:

"In my mind the most grievous of these charges is the death of Licinda. The fact that she held the title of Baronness is purely incidental in my mind, for I knew her, and most of you, long before we gained noble titles to go with our nature. To be clerically blunt, to categorize this crime as 'killing a member of the Wendarian nobility' merely trivializes this unfortunate incident.

"That being said, I am somewhat sorry about her final end as it did not work as I had originally conceived. My plan was to undertake the assassination of Licinda, after which I would present the body to von Drachenfels and have her resurrected at my earliest opportunity. To my great surprise, and frustration, the prince disintegrated her body right before my eyes. I had little hope or opporunity to stop him from completing this task, for though I know I am quite

powerful I am not foolish enough to believe that that I could stop him from doing what he wishes. Even the combined might of all present would be hard pressed to complete such a task... Though I plan to remedy that situation as soon as possible.

"During this entire ordeal, my life was as much in jeopardy as Licinda's. You see, this entire affair was not initiated by myself. There are many in Glantri who would like to see our entire party pay for various crimes we committed, according to their own legal system... Ironically, we were all found guilty in-absentia..."

Rankin pauses to survey those before him, arching his brow. "It seems that Wendar and Glantri share more things in common than we may have suspected..."

"But, I digress," he continues. "The plot involving Licinda's death was put to me as a chance to redeem the entire party. And while I was loath to undertake such a task, it became a matter of self-preservation -- even though I was told that to accept was to place myself into harm's way, for there would be other assassins dispatched to execute Licinda, myself, and any others who should happen to interfere. But to leave it to the assassin alone, would be to leave far too much to chance...

"In Licinda's death, I secured our safety, and allowed for the rest of you to live without the constant threat of assassination hanging over your heads. I think you all have enough on your proverbial plates to keep you busy, and this

threat had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"As I have said, I had originally planned to bring Licinda back to life, which would have made it a painful ordeal for her, but certainly not a final one. And with any luck, it won't be... It is my intention to investigate the problem of reintegrating her body in some manner, though I fear I may be pusing even my intellect to the limit. Why would I even bother, you ask? The reason is twofold: I never truly hated or disliked her, and the problem itself intrigues me...

"In the meantime, I suggest the great sacrifice she was forced to make for all of us be held quite prominently in your minds. I see this entire fiasco as a defeat... and I always seek to balance the scales when I have been victimized. That is a promise.

"As for the charge of endangering the royal person, it's so ludicrous as to make me laugh. At no time were my actions in any way directed at Lady Genivive, and if she was in any danger it was from her own brash and foolhardy attempts to end the chaos that surrounded her coronation. In her egocentric manner, she assumed the threat was to her own person when that was the farthest from the actuality of the situation. If her life was jeopardized it was by the actions of others who were seeking the deaths of Licinda and myself. But, alas! I do not see any of those parties present today... Or are they not being charged? I'm not even sure you know who they are...

"The only harm Genivive received was not at my hands -- and if you can prove otherwise, I invite you to please do so. Though, if you have already found me guilty, it seems that proof may not bhave a place in these hearings...

"With little respect to the last two charges, I will address them as one as they are so in my mind. With the current situation being what it is, I saw my own Barony poised in a position of great peril and uncertainty. As you are all aware, it becomes that much more difficult to attend to the affairs of state when your people are uncertain of their own well-being, let alone worrying about such petty things as taxes and laws.

"I had been keeping abreast of military developments in central and southern Wendar, and I came to the realization that if something unfortunate should come to pass -- such as Lamnun deciding that his position was jeopardized -- Talonbluff would soon be engulfed in the struggle currently tearing the rest of Wendar asunder. As I was aware that Tyvlevosk would soon be 'leaderless' and that this situation would present the perfect opportunity for Lamnun to gain an even stronger grip on the area, I decided to ensure that I could secure both areas under the might of Glantri rather than allow my lands -- Wendar's lands -- to fall into the hands of that malefic adversary. I was operating under the assumption that once I had succeeded in my task and granted my noble title and position among the council of Glantri, I would be able to run my provinces in relative security until such time as the Wendarian situation was resolved.

"I was under no delusions that Genivive would be able to assist me in any tangible manner as her forces were already spread a little thin, in my opinion. Thus it was that I acted in the manner and fashion I deemed would be best for both Tyvlevosk and Talonbluff. In time it would be possible for me to gain enough influence to remedy the situation I had created, restoring Licinda and returning the lands back to Wendar. It is unfortunate that many clerics had to flee for their lives after the Glantrian forces arrived, but the size and number with which Prince Jaggar arrived was quite disconcerting. I knew that if those people didn't leave soon there would be many attrocities that would have come to pass with little warning."

Rankin swings his gaze over the tribunal once more and says, "I have come to stand before you by my own choice to show that despite the justifications for my actions I feel some small amount of regret that things have worked out the way they have. Know this, however: though I submit to this ceremony I will not do so to a punishment I feel is too harsh or extreme. I have no illusions that I would be able to win in a struggle against your combined might, but if you think that I would choose to stand and fight you would be sorely mistaken. I have sacrificed my own dreams and ambitions to safegaurd the lands and world in which we all live and I would think that would count for much."

As he turns to leave he casually mentions, "I will leave you to your deliberations, summon me when you are ready to pass judgement."

As Rankin leaves the room, a silence settles over the group as each member takes a moment alone with their thoughts.

"Before we open the floor again,” Genivive begins, “I would like to preface our final discussions on this matter with a few points regarding Rankin's testimony.

"As much as Rankin has tried to deflect the guilt away from his person based on his attempts to save us all, he has still wronged everyone in this room and the state of Wendar. Rankin crossed a definite line by making a very serious decision on his own -- a decision on which he rightly should have consulted with all of us, as it affected all of us. He made this decision alone because it was the only way he could shape things to his own purposes so easily. There was no bravery in that action, no 'bearing the load' for the rest of us. It was cowardly and selfish.

"We are all aware that there is no doubt about his guilt. The extent of the history of this plot may never be known, but we have enough facts to convict any reasonably intelligent group of men and women that he has indeed committed a crime.

"The proposed punishment was that he be allowed to live, and to continue as an ally to us in hopes that he might assist in the coming days, but that his power be severely restricted and monitored closely. We have also entertained the idea of marking him with a visible brand to identify him as a traitor and murderer. I believe this to also be a just punishment, so as to make it known what he has done, and hopefully protect others against any future treachery he may feel compelled to commit.

"I would now like to hear your final thoughts on this matter before we impose our sentence upon the accused."

Thurn rises and speaks to the assmbled lords. “My friends I believe we have already spent far too much time debating this issue. You know my mind on this matter. Rankin deserves a swift death according to the justice of my people, If you will not do this then keep him away from my lands and brethren. I will discuss this matter no more.”

Donovan responds: “While I understand our companions anger, I do not share it. Ranlin is a resource that can still be used. We must keep our enemies close. Darkstar and others have talked of reigning in his magical abbilities, in my not so opinated opinin this should be done. Let us also find a suitable position for Rakin, as a advisor with little true power.”

Halfdan speaks from his seat, saying, "I fear that is the closest Rankin

will ever come to a sincere apology. It grieves me to see someone I thought friend filled with so much venomous hatred and misguided motives. He is as much a threat to us as any of our other enemies, though maybe not at this time. I stand by the statements I made earlier in regard to this situation. He should be marked in a way that will be difficult for him to hide. As for any other punishments you have in mind I stand behind you in following through with them. I respect his abilities, but I do not fear them. It is troubling to think that someone so in need of support from friends has done everything in his power to distance himself from those who were closest to him."

Darkstar's face is noticeably more troubled than when he first spoke. Drawing a calming breath, he says, "I am afraid that Rankin's arguments have done nothing to help his position as far as I am concerned. In fact, I am no longer sympathetic in the least. While I was suspecting some molding of the evidence to fit his twisted version of the truth... he went well beyond what I was expecting of him.

"His arrogance may make him more of a liability than I suspected. Given what I heard today, I fear that we may find it impossible to control him. It was my belief that he may have had some... not necessarily 'remorse'... but some recognition that he entered a world which he was not prepared for in his dealings with von Drachenfels. I had hoped that this recognition and his subsequent voluntary submission to the justice of his peers indicated that he was willing to take a step back from his ambitions. With any luck, I had hoped we might make use of his talents during this time of acquiesence.

"I no longer believe this to be an option.

"His testimony was saturated in the haughtiness which originally brought us to this point. While this is obviously a major flaw of his character, and I never presumed to try and change the nature of his being, it was my hope that he might at least have toned down this particular aspect.

"Quite frankly, based on his testimony, I'm unsure of why he even allowed himself to be judged by us. Perhaps this is some twisted game or judgement of his own that he is choosing to subject us to. Perhaps he is simply insane. In either case, I withdraw my recommendation for allowing him to continue to live in freedom as one of our peers. As a representative of teh Elves of Wendar, I have no desire to have such a potential disaster lurking near our lands. Whether this means his penalty will be imprisonment or execution, I leave to the wisdom of Her Majesty."

Jet nods as he takes Darkstar's lead to speak. "I hear and understand your arguments, Baron Sindia. My opinion, however, remains unchanged. You say that you could not understand why Rankin allowed his fate to be determined to this council. I feel that this is perhaps the most important point raised in these discussions so far. If he had no intention of changing his ways, he would not have taken this step. He has nothing to gain through this process. Perhaps he is still confused and requires guidance... guidance that he will only receive on a regulated path to self-enlightenment. I believe he knows his shortcomings and is seeking out our help for a reason.

"I favor sentencing Rankin to be cloistered at the Abbey at Kaltir where he will remain until such a time as he has atoned for his crimes, and that he is judged to no longer be a danger to himself or others.

"Your Majesty, the final decision is yours..."

"After carefully considering all that has been said, I see only one logical solution... Guards, would you please escort Pep Kristinop into the room?"

A few moments later, the guards return with Pep in tow.

"Rankin will not be executed at this time. It is under duress that I am letting him live, but I cannot rationalize placing ourselves or the people of Wendar in danger by inciting a battle which could result in the deaths of many.

"I will allow him to hold magical Sources in the provinces of Wendar. However, he may not own all of the Sources in any one province -- at least one Source must be owned by another mage with loyalties to Wendar. Bensarian, Pep, or Darkstar should be notified of Sources held to ensure that he upholds this restriction.

"In addition, Rankin may hold no Law, Guild, or Temple holdings in any province, nor may he take rulership of any province.

"To support himself, his studies, and a small keep, he may earn money by performing magical services for other regents loyal to Wendar. He may not deny a request for magical assistance to the ruler of a province in which he controls a magical Source, and must provide the service at his earliest convenience. In return, the requestor must pay him an equitable amount for such services.

"Any regent may also deny him entry to their province. Those who have voted in favor of his execution or have other reasons for denying him entry into their provinces may choose this option. If Rankin breaks this rule, the ruler in question may take any action they deem appropriate against him.

"And in regards to the magical marking proposed by Halfdan..." Genivive turns to Pep. "... this is why I have called you in, Pep. Would you be willing to undertake this task for us?"

Pep nods a quick approval. "Your Majesty, I will serve Wendar if that is what you ask."

"Very well, then. Show the prisoner into the room..."

Rankin is escorted into the room. Genivive begins to speak, not bothering with an introduction. "Rankin Pelamon, it is the decision of this panel that you shall be punished for your crimes in the following manner...

"You will be permitted to hold magical Sources in the provinces of Wendar. However, you may not own all of the Sources in any one province -- at least one Source must be owned by another mage with loyalties to Wendar. Bensarian, Pep, or Darkstar must be notified of any Sources you hold or create.

"You may hold no Law, Guild, or Temple holdings in any province, nor may you take rulership of any province.

"To support yourself, your studies, and a small keep, you may earn money by performing magical services for other regents loyal to Wendar. You may not deny a request for magical assistance to the ruler of a province in which you control a magical Source, and you must provide such service at your earliest convenience. In return, the requestor must pay you an equitable amount for such services.

"Any regent may also deny you entry to their province. Should you travel into such forbidden territories, you may be subjected to the justice of that land as dictated by its ruler.

"And with the intention of protecting all others against the same traitorous behavior of which you have already proven yourself capable it seems only fair that we protect others against the same possible deception. If you are truly interested in your reformation, this, of course, should not be an issue.

"Though we are somewhat limited by your magical abilities in what we can do, there is one power which is certainly more powerful than you, and it is Pep's duty here to try and enlist the help of that power."

Pep steps forward and takes a necklace of prayer beads from around her neck, looking fierce despite her diminutive size. "You have wronged more than just Wendar and your allies with your actions of betrayal, Rankin Pelamon -- in killing High Priestess Licinda, your actions became affront to the Glory of Haelyn Herself. And so, I call upon Her power to ensure that you cannot commit such actions of deception and betrayal against others!"

The room begins to shake and an immense light consumes the room causing everyone to avert their eyes... As it fades, Rankin is left crumpled on the floor, a faint glow still flickers over his form.

As he rises to his feet, he opens his eyes to reveal two glowing blue orbs beneath the lids. His movements seems stiff and he shakes his head slowly as if to clear it.

But it is to Pep that everyone's attention is drawn again. Her eyes are rolled back in her head, and her posture is rigid. "Thusly you shall remain, Deceiver," she booms in a voice from Beyond, "until you have achieved restitution in the eyes of those who were once your Allies and your soul has been balanced on the scales of the Divine." A wave passes over her face, almost visibly as Pep regains her sense. Drooping, she is helped from the room by two guards.

All is silent for a moment until Rankin finally speaks again. "Well," he says, struggling to regain his voice, "thanks for not taking this too personally friends. I look forward to finding a way to redeem myself in your eyes and those of the Heavens..."

"I hope that is the truth, Rankin," Genivive replies. "But be warned..." Her voice takes on an edge of pure steel. "If you take any action which goes against the rules we have laid out for you or should you break any other other law of Wendar, I will personally hunt you down and execute you. I will take this as my personal responsibility, and I will make it my life mission. No one crosses me twice."

With that, the tribunal is dismissed.

As everyone files out of the room, only Rankin remains... his darkly glowing eyes unreadable.