Henry Toddington was a young noble who was rescued from Wilmastar Cake. Lord Adael led the various factions of the Light to his aid, guided by a man named Den.
Though Henry’s parents were noble, they were never truly present in his life, choosing instead to leave him to the care of servants and his own devices. Den, an old woodsman who worked for Henry’s father, became the one who raised him. He saw Henry as a son, and Henry saw Den as his father.
During the rescue, Den pushed ahead to reach his boy and was killed by bandits, leaving Henry orphaned and filled with rage toward Adael. The Lord Adael. Henry could not understand how the man he trusted to save him could have allowed such a loss to happen.
I found this post by Mhaliah on Queen's Guard forums that is a good summary of the events leading up to tonight's mission. Since it's so helpful, I'll award Mhaliah a few qps for it, too.
Queen Morgase has scheduled the joint coalition strike to handle the bandits for Friday the 19th at 7:00 PM (server time which is US Eastern iirc)
> Here is a summary...
Chloro Sedai's Post
An anonymous figure claiming to be an Andoran noble arrives in Tar Valon seeking aid from the White Tower regarding a severe bandit problem in Andor. He asserts that Queen Morgase and her Guard have ignored multiple petitions from noble families to address the rising threat of bandit lords. While the figure refuses to reveal his identity, citing safety and reputation, Chloro decides to investigate further and sends a letter to Queen Morgase requesting an audience. In subsequent private discussions with other Sisters.
Kathala Sedai's Post
Kathala Sedai's arrives alone for the private audience with Queen Morgase in the Caemlyn throne room. While the rest of the Aes Sedai delegation is delayed due to a CoL attack, Kathala shares an informal and cordial meeting with the Queen. They discuss personal matters. Once the Sedai delegation arrives, Morgase invites them into her private conference room once for the discussion.
Chloro Sedai's second post.
Details the Sedai delegation’s journey to Caemlyn and the interruption by the CoL's assault. During the skirmish, the Child of Light Captain strangely claims his body is moving on its own, which Chloro notes as a potential sign of outside influence. After arriving late to the palace, the sisters meet with Morgase, Gareth Bryne, and Adael to discuss the bandit issue. Morgase admits she has been petitioned by nobles but viewed the bandits as a recurring, manageable nuisance. Despite some tension regarding the Aes Sedai meeting with an anonymous "noble," the parties agree to a joint coalition between Andor and the White Tower to strike bandit strongholds in one week's time.
Amitriel's Post
Following the meeting with the Aes Sedai, Queen Morgase meets with her elite Guard to address the failure of intelligence regarding the extent of the bandit threat. Frustrated by appearing ignorant and weak before the Tower, Morgase demotes and punishes Adael and Gareth Bryne, with Adael being reduced to the rank of Sergeant. When Morgase outlines the plan for the joint strike on Friday the 19th, Adael openly objects to sending all high-ranking officers out of the city, arguing it leaves the Queen and Caemlyn vulnerable. Viewing his continued dissent as insubordination, Morgase orders Adael to be seized and confined until the bandit mission is completed.
A few people reached out to me and said they missed some of the story in the spam and wanted clarification.
Henry was responsible for all of it. He was the hooded man. He hatched the plan to get the White Tower to put pressure on Andor due to their collective issues with bandits. It was a known issue amongst the nobility that some nobles had petitioned Queen Morgase on several occasions, though it was for mostly selfish reasons. He united the bandits under one flag. Henry was the one who informed the Bandit Lords of the plan and then came up with the plan to sack Caemlyn. He got them inside. At the end he didn't really care what they did to him. Because as far as he was concerned, he was able to hurt the ones who took everything from him.
So, what's to be done? You will decide.
Will he be hung? Set free? Imprisoned for life? You get to choose his fate.
This post will be up for one week. After which there will be a hidden vote that players will be able to use. We will then have a sentencing in game where you get to see the fate of Henry. Will your arguments here be enough sway those to see it your way? Let's see.
Keep it in character. I'm willing to go pretty heavy on the rp rewards for this. So do your best and have fun with it.
The Trial of Henry Toddington
The Trial of Henry Toddington
Last edited by Soul on Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:18 pm, edited 5 times in total.
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
My friends, companions, and superiors. You all know me, and my profession as a guardswoman of Tar Valon.
While the young man's fate is Andor's to decide, I would like to speak on his sentencing if I may.
Henry has committed treason by his own admission. In his rage and grief over the death of his guardian, he conspired to weaken Andor by having Adael stripped of his rank and the Queen of Andor humiliated in the eyes of her allies.
All of this is true. But I would like to also point out that Henry is still a child, for all intents and purposes. A child who's grief was exploited by those very same bandits who assaulted the city.
I know some of you will call for his death. Some may call for complete lenience.
I believe that he can be steered back to a path in life, alongside law and order.
It is my recommendation that Henry be sentenced to the following:
- Kanae Ishtoka, Guardswoman of Tar Valon
While the young man's fate is Andor's to decide, I would like to speak on his sentencing if I may.
Henry has committed treason by his own admission. In his rage and grief over the death of his guardian, he conspired to weaken Andor by having Adael stripped of his rank and the Queen of Andor humiliated in the eyes of her allies.
All of this is true. But I would like to also point out that Henry is still a child, for all intents and purposes. A child who's grief was exploited by those very same bandits who assaulted the city.
I know some of you will call for his death. Some may call for complete lenience.
I believe that he can be steered back to a path in life, alongside law and order.
It is my recommendation that Henry be sentenced to the following:
- 10 years of servitude to the Crown of Andor in a role supervised by Captain Le'Ada.
- 5 winters serving on the White Tower's farm as penance for bringing the White Tower into the political business of Andor.
- Stripped of all titles of nobility.
- All family assets seized by the Crown to be used as reparations for any damage to Caemlyn or the deaths of soldiers involved in the invasion of the Capital.
- Kanae Ishtoka, Guardswoman of Tar Valon
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
Stepping out quietly from the busy meeting, Draz looks upon the assembled quorum of the Tower.
'Well, needs must and may the creator have mercy on Chloro Sedai to need to wrangle that mess, now where was that keg?"
Heading to his rooms, Draz hauls the keg of ale from Caemlyn's defence to a pride of place, overlooking the lands of Tar Valon.
A short missive, sealed by his ring and signed Draz, wings away, homing to Caemlyn.
Queen Morgase, Lord Gareth, Lord Gawyn, Lord Adael and the assorted members of the Queen's Guard
I speak only for myself in this matter, and not for the Gaidin, Chloro Sedai, or as an authority within the White Tower.
The child appears to be misled, and in sore need of guidance. He may never forgive Lord Adael, but he should be afforded the chance to make good the harm he has done to Andor. I recommend service in the Queens Guard, as he who he looked up to as a father would have wished.
That said, should he be unrepentant, and should healers or the Queen find he maintains traitorous attitudes, I can provide an pair of axes to prevent future threat.
One final suggestion - removal from Andor, and Andoran politics. This would mean being for from Caemlyn, Tar Valon, Cairhien.. anywhere where politics could influence his actions and reactions. In this case I would send him to Maradon, Fal Dara, or even Bandar Eban or Illian, to serve out any sentence,.. I am sure Chloro Sedai can assist in negotiating with those who hold sway in such far places.
- Draz Gaidin
'Well, needs must and may the creator have mercy on Chloro Sedai to need to wrangle that mess, now where was that keg?"
Heading to his rooms, Draz hauls the keg of ale from Caemlyn's defence to a pride of place, overlooking the lands of Tar Valon.
A short missive, sealed by his ring and signed Draz, wings away, homing to Caemlyn.
Queen Morgase, Lord Gareth, Lord Gawyn, Lord Adael and the assorted members of the Queen's Guard
I speak only for myself in this matter, and not for the Gaidin, Chloro Sedai, or as an authority within the White Tower.
The child appears to be misled, and in sore need of guidance. He may never forgive Lord Adael, but he should be afforded the chance to make good the harm he has done to Andor. I recommend service in the Queens Guard, as he who he looked up to as a father would have wished.
That said, should he be unrepentant, and should healers or the Queen find he maintains traitorous attitudes, I can provide an pair of axes to prevent future threat.
One final suggestion - removal from Andor, and Andoran politics. This would mean being for from Caemlyn, Tar Valon, Cairhien.. anywhere where politics could influence his actions and reactions. In this case I would send him to Maradon, Fal Dara, or even Bandar Eban or Illian, to serve out any sentence,.. I am sure Chloro Sedai can assist in negotiating with those who hold sway in such far places.
- Draz Gaidin
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
The event's surrounding the last few weeks have been worrying, and there definitely need to be consequences for Henry for his actions, and for the lives that have been lost during his manipulations.
However, it is important to remember that he is not a servant of the Dark, or a man driven mad by the taint on Saidin. He is a hurt child, who lost the only person who mattered to him and in response lashed out at those he mistakingly deemed responsible.
I think some leniency is called for in this situation, and that it would be better to make an effort to rehabilitate the child and help him deal with the trauma of what he has been through, whether through service to Andor or Tar Valon, or in another way the wronged parties see fit. If anything, his actions have shown that he is highly intelligent with incredible potential to be a great asset in the future to those he is loyal to.
- Lenara Keiyn, Blue Ajah
However, it is important to remember that he is not a servant of the Dark, or a man driven mad by the taint on Saidin. He is a hurt child, who lost the only person who mattered to him and in response lashed out at those he mistakingly deemed responsible.
I think some leniency is called for in this situation, and that it would be better to make an effort to rehabilitate the child and help him deal with the trauma of what he has been through, whether through service to Andor or Tar Valon, or in another way the wronged parties see fit. If anything, his actions have shown that he is highly intelligent with incredible potential to be a great asset in the future to those he is loyal to.
- Lenara Keiyn, Blue Ajah
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
While I agree with Kanae in theory, and with Lenara, I also can not support killing Henry. I don't feel its the Towers place to punish him for crimes he committed in Andor.
I feel he can be rehabilitated and guided to be a useful citizen. For one so young he shows much intelligence and potential.
I request that the Queen send him to the White Tower to be contained, healed, studied and taught.
Once (and if) the Tower feels he has learned all he can and they have learned from him, he needs to go back to Andor, with the White Tower strongly voicing their support to spare his life.
If the Tower, after some time, feels they are unable to save or stabilize him, he must go to Andor for the Crown to decide appropriate justice.
Maddy Mantear
I feel he can be rehabilitated and guided to be a useful citizen. For one so young he shows much intelligence and potential.
I request that the Queen send him to the White Tower to be contained, healed, studied and taught.
Once (and if) the Tower feels he has learned all he can and they have learned from him, he needs to go back to Andor, with the White Tower strongly voicing their support to spare his life.
If the Tower, after some time, feels they are unable to save or stabilize him, he must go to Andor for the Crown to decide appropriate justice.
Maddy Mantear
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
Greetings, compatriots. I am often a man of few words but exceptional circumstances call for exceptions.
It is not for a man of the Foresters to dictate the course of punishment for Henry Toddington, as his crimes were against Andor and Queen Morgase, but I will be so bold as to offer my humble perspective on what is to be done with the prisoner.
Henry suffered a grave and tragic loss, and grief is a blinding bludgeon that strips good sense and better judgment from even the best of us. We all mourned the loss of Den, a fellow woodsman, and strove to save his life in the assault on Wilmaster Cake. We all took pity on the stricken, bereaved boy that was left without a true parent or caregiver, and, in many senses, without another soul in the world.
There were many courses of action Henry might have taken. He might have applied himself to join the noble ranks of the Queen’s Guard, to root out bandits like the ones that had taken Den’s life and to place himself in service to something greater than himself, a trajectory that many have pursued after suffering great losses. What solace it can bring, to serve.
He might have joined the Foresters, where we would have welcomed him and trained him in the ways of the woods, which were well known to Den, and he might have found wisdom and comfort in those teachings that brought him closer to his beloved guardian.
Or, worse, he might have pursued individual vengeance against the man who he believed had let him down, Captain Adael Le’Ada — and ultimately, he did do this, but he went much further, too. Unforgivably further.
By allying himself with the bandit lords, by potentially leaking our plans to root them out (this has not been confirmed, but looks likely), he put himself in direct opposition with not just Captain Adael, but with all of Andor.
He brought brigands, bandits, and murderers to the doors of Caemlyn itself, led them inside the palace walls, where they raised weapons against the Queen herself. Had our company of allies not prevailed, I do shudder to think what might have happened to Queen Morgase. It is possible and even likely we would be preparing for a royal funeral.
Were he to go free, what message would that send to other disgruntled citizens of Andor, and of the realm at large? That treachery of the highest order is no longer a punishable offense? That if your story is sad enough, you will be given a pass on villainy of the worst variety?
Forced service will, I fear, only breed more resentment in his heart, as well as give him access to sensitive information, locations, and movements of some of the Light’s most esteemed forces.
Are we to believe that he would not hatch another plot, with this improved knowledge, resources, and training? Can the forces of the Light bear to harbor a traitor in their midst, who might cut their throats, stab them in the back, collude against them, or lead more nefarious perpetrators to their doorstep? Soldiers trust one another as brothers, and an indentured traitor is a poor thing to foist upon them.
Henry is a young man, and it’s true — it is possible, if somewhat unlikely, that with the right influences in his life that he might see reason and reform his ways. But who is to bear the risk of failure? Will it be Andor? Tar Valon? Queen Morgase, again?
Such direct and brazen treachery calls for the most severe of punishments. I am not a bloodthirsty man, and it weighs heavy in my heart to call for death, but I see no alternative.
It is with all of this on my mind and in my heart that I solemnly cast my lot for death by hanging for for the traitor Henry Toddington.
Signed,
Jainen al’Dys, Forester Second of the Foresters and friend to Andor
It is not for a man of the Foresters to dictate the course of punishment for Henry Toddington, as his crimes were against Andor and Queen Morgase, but I will be so bold as to offer my humble perspective on what is to be done with the prisoner.
Henry suffered a grave and tragic loss, and grief is a blinding bludgeon that strips good sense and better judgment from even the best of us. We all mourned the loss of Den, a fellow woodsman, and strove to save his life in the assault on Wilmaster Cake. We all took pity on the stricken, bereaved boy that was left without a true parent or caregiver, and, in many senses, without another soul in the world.
There were many courses of action Henry might have taken. He might have applied himself to join the noble ranks of the Queen’s Guard, to root out bandits like the ones that had taken Den’s life and to place himself in service to something greater than himself, a trajectory that many have pursued after suffering great losses. What solace it can bring, to serve.
He might have joined the Foresters, where we would have welcomed him and trained him in the ways of the woods, which were well known to Den, and he might have found wisdom and comfort in those teachings that brought him closer to his beloved guardian.
Or, worse, he might have pursued individual vengeance against the man who he believed had let him down, Captain Adael Le’Ada — and ultimately, he did do this, but he went much further, too. Unforgivably further.
By allying himself with the bandit lords, by potentially leaking our plans to root them out (this has not been confirmed, but looks likely), he put himself in direct opposition with not just Captain Adael, but with all of Andor.
He brought brigands, bandits, and murderers to the doors of Caemlyn itself, led them inside the palace walls, where they raised weapons against the Queen herself. Had our company of allies not prevailed, I do shudder to think what might have happened to Queen Morgase. It is possible and even likely we would be preparing for a royal funeral.
Were he to go free, what message would that send to other disgruntled citizens of Andor, and of the realm at large? That treachery of the highest order is no longer a punishable offense? That if your story is sad enough, you will be given a pass on villainy of the worst variety?
Forced service will, I fear, only breed more resentment in his heart, as well as give him access to sensitive information, locations, and movements of some of the Light’s most esteemed forces.
Are we to believe that he would not hatch another plot, with this improved knowledge, resources, and training? Can the forces of the Light bear to harbor a traitor in their midst, who might cut their throats, stab them in the back, collude against them, or lead more nefarious perpetrators to their doorstep? Soldiers trust one another as brothers, and an indentured traitor is a poor thing to foist upon them.
Henry is a young man, and it’s true — it is possible, if somewhat unlikely, that with the right influences in his life that he might see reason and reform his ways. But who is to bear the risk of failure? Will it be Andor? Tar Valon? Queen Morgase, again?
Such direct and brazen treachery calls for the most severe of punishments. I am not a bloodthirsty man, and it weighs heavy in my heart to call for death, but I see no alternative.
It is with all of this on my mind and in my heart that I solemnly cast my lot for death by hanging for for the traitor Henry Toddington.
Signed,
Jainen al’Dys, Forester Second of the Foresters and friend to Andor
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
To the Queen of Andor, and to those gathered in judgment,
I have listened to the words spoken here, and I have witnessed the tale of Henry Toddington. I do not stand before you to excuse what he has done. Treason is treason, and grief does not erase the harm that follows when a man chooses anger over duty.
Yet neither should we ignore the roots from which that anger grew.
Henry was born to privilege, but not to love. His parents gave him titles, wealth, and servants, but they did not give him themselves. The man called Den became the father he never had, the hand that guided him, the voice that praised him when he did well and corrected him when he strayed.
Then Den was taken from him.
A child deprived of love learns to live without it. A child who is given love and then sees it torn away learns pain of a different sort. Henry lost the only father he ever truly knew, and in his grief he sought somewhere to place his blame. He turned his rage toward the land of his birth and toward those who had come to save him. In doing so, he allowed others to use him for their own ends.
For that, he must answer.
I find Guardswoman Kanae Ishtoka's recommendation to be fitting and just. Let Henry serve the Crown of Andor. Let him labour and repay the debt he owes. Let him be stripped of rank and privilege. Let restitution be made for the suffering his actions helped bring about.
But punishment alone will not mend what is broken within him.
If all we teach him is suffering, then we should not be surprised if suffering is all he carries into the future.
When his sentence is complete, I ask that he be sent among the Wisdoms. Let him learn service not as a punishment, but as a way of life. Let him tend to the sick and aid the poor. Let him carry food to hungry mouths and blankets to those who sleep in the cold.
Let him spend time among the orphanages of the land. Let him hear the laughter of children who have lost their parents. Let him comfort those who know the same loneliness he once knew. Let him become the steady hand for another child that Den was for him.
Only then will he learn the lesson that matters most.
Law can teach obedience. Duty can teach responsibility. Hardship can teach humility.
But only love can teach a man why those things matter.
Henry Toddington was led astray by grief. Let justice correct him. Let service humble him. And when that work is done, let compassion teach him how to love again, so that the boy who lost a father may one day become the kind of man Den believed he could be.
Lady Tahla ni Rahein t'al'Arad
Red Eagle of Manetheren
I have listened to the words spoken here, and I have witnessed the tale of Henry Toddington. I do not stand before you to excuse what he has done. Treason is treason, and grief does not erase the harm that follows when a man chooses anger over duty.
Yet neither should we ignore the roots from which that anger grew.
Henry was born to privilege, but not to love. His parents gave him titles, wealth, and servants, but they did not give him themselves. The man called Den became the father he never had, the hand that guided him, the voice that praised him when he did well and corrected him when he strayed.
Then Den was taken from him.
A child deprived of love learns to live without it. A child who is given love and then sees it torn away learns pain of a different sort. Henry lost the only father he ever truly knew, and in his grief he sought somewhere to place his blame. He turned his rage toward the land of his birth and toward those who had come to save him. In doing so, he allowed others to use him for their own ends.
For that, he must answer.
I find Guardswoman Kanae Ishtoka's recommendation to be fitting and just. Let Henry serve the Crown of Andor. Let him labour and repay the debt he owes. Let him be stripped of rank and privilege. Let restitution be made for the suffering his actions helped bring about.
But punishment alone will not mend what is broken within him.
If all we teach him is suffering, then we should not be surprised if suffering is all he carries into the future.
When his sentence is complete, I ask that he be sent among the Wisdoms. Let him learn service not as a punishment, but as a way of life. Let him tend to the sick and aid the poor. Let him carry food to hungry mouths and blankets to those who sleep in the cold.
Let him spend time among the orphanages of the land. Let him hear the laughter of children who have lost their parents. Let him comfort those who know the same loneliness he once knew. Let him become the steady hand for another child that Den was for him.
Only then will he learn the lesson that matters most.
Law can teach obedience. Duty can teach responsibility. Hardship can teach humility.
But only love can teach a man why those things matter.
Henry Toddington was led astray by grief. Let justice correct him. Let service humble him. And when that work is done, let compassion teach him how to love again, so that the boy who lost a father may one day become the kind of man Den believed he could be.
Lady Tahla ni Rahein t'al'Arad
Red Eagle of Manetheren
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
Stepping out of the bunkhouse, a ragged man looks toward all of the commotion. Something about dessert. A lot of talk about “Cake this” and “Cake that.”
Aloud he wonders ‘does this have anything to do with socks,’ as a pile of crusty stockings and stained socks block the door from closing.
Overhearing some Tower Guard recommending seizure of all family assets and the Queen of Andor in the same sentence, an idea forms in his head.
A letter. A strongly worded letter. Directly to the Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor.
———————————————
To the Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor,
I humbly request any seizure of your socks be sent directly to me. I will hold these family heirlooms in safety and confidence. You can trust me, for I am Lord Ryzom of the Gaidin. Master of Socks. Perhaps I will also try some of this cake if you would allow.
Blessed in the Light,
Ryzom Barone Master of Socks
Aloud he wonders ‘does this have anything to do with socks,’ as a pile of crusty stockings and stained socks block the door from closing.
Overhearing some Tower Guard recommending seizure of all family assets and the Queen of Andor in the same sentence, an idea forms in his head.
A letter. A strongly worded letter. Directly to the Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor.
———————————————
To the Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor,
I humbly request any seizure of your socks be sent directly to me. I will hold these family heirlooms in safety and confidence. You can trust me, for I am Lord Ryzom of the Gaidin. Master of Socks. Perhaps I will also try some of this cake if you would allow.
Blessed in the Light,
Ryzom Barone Master of Socks
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
Your Grace, I am Ashen al’Tair of the Two Rivers.
I do not possess titles, nor do I wear the silks of a Caemlyn noble. But do not mistake our simple wool for a lack of history. The blood that runs through my veins is the Old Blood—the blood of Manetheren. We are a people who remember what it means to stand unbroken when the night is darkest, and we do not bow easily to fear, nor do we abandon those who are broken by it.
It is that very blood that compels me to speak today. In the old days, our Kings and Queens did not merely strike down the misguided; they sought to turn a man’s strength toward the shadow that threatens us all. I ask you to let that ancient wisdom guide Andor’s justice today.
I stand before you not to deny Henry Toddington’s actions, but to ask for the high justice that only the Crown of Andor can dispense.
The voices outside these walls clamor for a beheading. They see a traitor—rightfully so. But if we look closer, we see the true, insidious nature of the threat facing Andor. Henry is a boy whose real father-figure was violently ripped from him. In the darkness of his grief, he was broken, twisted, and manipulated by bandit lords who used his pain as a weapon against the Crown. If we march him to the gallows, we grant those bandits a final victory. We prove that their malice can successfully destroy one of Andor's own noble houses, leaving us to clean up the wreckage of their design.
Furthermore, executing him does nothing to heal the fractures in Caemlyn. It merely creates a martyr for the disgruntled, and feeds the very unrest the Shadow seeks to cultivate.
Let Andor’s justice be sharper than an executioner's axe. I propose a sentence of Exile.
Strip Henry Toddington of his noble name, his inheritance, and his privileges. Seize the Toddington estates to pay for the damages and the upkeep of the Queen's Guards who now must clean up this bandit mess. Then, banish him. Cast him out of Andor under pain of death, and send him to the northern fortresses of the Borderlands—to Shienar or Saldaea.
The Borderlanders know how to forge raw fury into a shield for the light. Let him pour out his rage against the Trollocs and Myrdraal on the high walls of the Blight. Let him face the true monsters of this world. If he survives, he serves the Light. If he falls, he dies in defense of the world, rather than as a shameful stain on the Caemlyn square. Let the boy’s blood be spilled for the world, not on the stones of your city.
Ashen al'Tair
OOC: Turn Henry into a mob/smob in the Borderlands or inside FD so we can remember the event.
Character description: Once a noble son of Andor, now a hollowed shell forged by tragedy and the harsh winds of the Borderlands. He wears the heavy, practical wool and boiled leather of a northern conscript, a stark contrast to the fine, torn remnants of a Caemlyn silk sash tied tightly around his left forearm—a bitter reminder of a past life stripped away.
I do not possess titles, nor do I wear the silks of a Caemlyn noble. But do not mistake our simple wool for a lack of history. The blood that runs through my veins is the Old Blood—the blood of Manetheren. We are a people who remember what it means to stand unbroken when the night is darkest, and we do not bow easily to fear, nor do we abandon those who are broken by it.
It is that very blood that compels me to speak today. In the old days, our Kings and Queens did not merely strike down the misguided; they sought to turn a man’s strength toward the shadow that threatens us all. I ask you to let that ancient wisdom guide Andor’s justice today.
I stand before you not to deny Henry Toddington’s actions, but to ask for the high justice that only the Crown of Andor can dispense.
The voices outside these walls clamor for a beheading. They see a traitor—rightfully so. But if we look closer, we see the true, insidious nature of the threat facing Andor. Henry is a boy whose real father-figure was violently ripped from him. In the darkness of his grief, he was broken, twisted, and manipulated by bandit lords who used his pain as a weapon against the Crown. If we march him to the gallows, we grant those bandits a final victory. We prove that their malice can successfully destroy one of Andor's own noble houses, leaving us to clean up the wreckage of their design.
Furthermore, executing him does nothing to heal the fractures in Caemlyn. It merely creates a martyr for the disgruntled, and feeds the very unrest the Shadow seeks to cultivate.
Let Andor’s justice be sharper than an executioner's axe. I propose a sentence of Exile.
Strip Henry Toddington of his noble name, his inheritance, and his privileges. Seize the Toddington estates to pay for the damages and the upkeep of the Queen's Guards who now must clean up this bandit mess. Then, banish him. Cast him out of Andor under pain of death, and send him to the northern fortresses of the Borderlands—to Shienar or Saldaea.
The Borderlanders know how to forge raw fury into a shield for the light. Let him pour out his rage against the Trollocs and Myrdraal on the high walls of the Blight. Let him face the true monsters of this world. If he survives, he serves the Light. If he falls, he dies in defense of the world, rather than as a shameful stain on the Caemlyn square. Let the boy’s blood be spilled for the world, not on the stones of your city.
Ashen al'Tair
OOC: Turn Henry into a mob/smob in the Borderlands or inside FD so we can remember the event.
Character description: Once a noble son of Andor, now a hollowed shell forged by tragedy and the harsh winds of the Borderlands. He wears the heavy, practical wool and boiled leather of a northern conscript, a stark contrast to the fine, torn remnants of a Caemlyn silk sash tied tightly around his left forearm—a bitter reminder of a past life stripped away.
Re: The Trial of Henry Toddington
Amitriel DiTenebrae, Corporal of the Queen's Guard, paces her quarters in the barracks, vitriol and venom dripping from every curse and vilgarity she can think of, her expression a thunderhead of barely suppressed rage, and her eyes hard as cuendillar. Finally, after quite some time, she sits at her desk and pens her own recommendation, making two copies in the same precise and flowing hand. She addresses one to her Majesty, Queen Morgase, and one to her newly reinstated Captain, Lord Adael.
Your Majesty,
I know it is not my place, but I feel I would be remiss in my duties if I did not send this letter.
Henry Toddington has committed, with malice of forethought, an act of treason both against the kingdom, and directly against you. Such an act, which is as heinous as it was cowardly, cannot be overlooked. That said, in spite of my earlier pronouncements and rage, I would still advise against an immediate death sentence. Instead, I would commute his sentence and exile him from Andor for no less than 30 years. He would be stripped of all lands and titles and given a small amount of money so as not to starve, but he would by no means be comfortable. He would then be escorted from your lands by the Queen's Guard and informed that should any guard see him within the borders of your realm, he would be executed on the spot.
Your faithful servant in this as in all things,
Amitriel DiTenebrae
Corporal of the Queen's Guard