The High Marshal walks down in icy calm clearly furious.
"I have spoken with the interim high hierophant. Sadly he was unwilling to reason. He was absolutely unwilling to accept slightest fault, or any need to negotiate rather than demand. He refused to discuss the terms offered by the Patriarch or others in detail, instead being adamant that I simply accept his statement that the terms were utterly unreasonable and swear to stand by him. From the comments he did make, the requested terms made by the Patriarch did not seem unreasonable - surrender of a law holdings in exchange for the absorption of the ArA and forgiveness of all wrongs, sharing in the cost of rebuilding Elinie, such terms should have been expected by any entering negotiations - and should any terms have proved onerous in time they could have been corrected once the crisis had passed."
"I spoke, at length, to try to persuade him to reason. To accept the hardships that the LPA had brought through its demands and refusal to negotiate fairly. To understand the Patriarch's position and need for clarity that there would be future peace. He refused to do so."
"I offered to aid him in agreeing fair terms if any that had been requested were overly harsh, my aid in supporting the LPA in its recovery while it was weak and unable to properly contribute, my aid in ensuring that Elinie was returned to prosperity and that the LPA stood proud beside the nobles in leading it there."
"He refused my aid. He was utterly unwilling to discuss terms that accepted the nobility as a partners of the temples - only in accepting terms where the nobles must obey the orders given to them by the LPA and where the nobles must meet all the costs of the rebuilding with the LPA profiting from every transaction."
"So be it. Haelyn demands that the temples advise and support, the nobles lead, such is the law and the way to prosperity. The interim high hierophant has forfeited my aid."
Robhan pauses for a moment calming himself.
"The LPA has made many grievous errors of late."
"When Gerad sought to claim the Patriarch's crown and made claim against the Patriarch indicating he was tainted by Shadow, the LPA refused to settle matters with the simple step of testing the Patriarch's disputed purity. I had the Patriarch tested, the rumours were false, he was pure, a simple task that any temple should have carried out with alacrity - why leave doubt?"
"When Osoerde sent troops to ravage and conquer the land that he might put Gerad as puppet on the throne and dominate you as Osoerde did before, the LPA refused to aid Elinie. Its troops instead defended the former Marquis of Morcosoer, vassal to the invading Osoerde, and now revealed also as a puppet of Shadow in service to the Grey Duke. Further the LPA denied Avani's blessing to the land in this time of trial, leaving her faithful to fight alone."
"Of the truth of these statements there is no doubt, all here felt the absence of the LPA in the war, all saw the savagery of Osoerde, Elinie bears the scars today. All have seen how little the LPA has done to aid the land since, have seen how instead it has continued to assault the Patriarch. These matters alone show that the LPA's claim to be wronged party in this dispute are false - no ruler could ignore such aid to their enemies and most would have reacted with far more than harsh words."
"I do not pretend to know all that has transpired or to deny that wrongs will have been committed on both sides, such is never the case. But I do know that of the two only one has been proven false. Last season I arranged truce between the Patriarch and LPA. A truce in which they might discuss their differences and prepare for reconciliation this season as this meeting. The LPA broke the truce, the Patriarch held by his word."
Robhan pauses again, clearly unhappy, then resolute he speaks clearly.
* I hereby declare the alliance between Haelyn's Aegis and the LPA over. We do not hold alliance with those who betray us and Haelyn's law, then demand from us that we accept their rightness and submit to their demands.
* I hereby declare the LPA heretic faith. Banned from holding control of temples in the lands beholden to Haelyn through Haelyn's Aegis until they accept the right of nobility to rule in accordance with Haelyn's laws.
* I hereby declare the ArA the one true faith of Avani in these lands. Let all those of Avani not enamoured of treason, treachery and deceit turn to them and away from the godless arrogance of the LPA. May they turn swiftly that the damage is minimalised and the healing of Elinie can begin swiftly before its enemies gather against her.
"This was not the ending I had hoped for from this meeting, but it is the ending that the LPA has forced. Should they relent from their refusal to negotiate an acceptable truce, and agree to work towards rebuilding not merely Avani's faith in the land, but also rebuilding the prosperity of her people, then I will speak to them warmly, not before."
