The Desperate’s Confession – Leafiara

There’s a Confession on a large piece of white parchment found on the Oak Tree in the Landing. And you’re going to be shocked who it is from!

http://bit.ly/2Et651P

Category: Towns
Topic: Wehnimer’s Landing

Date: 01/31/2018 02:08 AM CST

From: LEAFIARA

Subj: The Desperate's Confession (character development)

A very large white parchment is pinned to the oak tree in Town Square Central, bordered with red edges. Although clearly penned in Leafiara’s handwriting, and bearing her seal of a pair of musical notes with leaf-shaped heads, every letter also seems more meticulous than usual, as if she were writing very slowly.

Dearest Wehnimer’s Landing,

With a heavy and guilty heart, I must confess something to all of you. I did you a great injustice while Dennet Kestrel still plagued our town. All along I suspected he was behind the kidnappings of our citizens, so I was frustrated with our inability to act against him without evidence.

I would have gladly become the “bad girl” and ended him myself if I’d found an opportunity. Let the town and the militia and the mayor go without blame, only I had to do the deed. And I wanted to… but Dennet was always on guard around me and I never saw an opening.

I grew desperate.

And in my desperation, I betrayed all of you.

The anonymous pamphlets calling for Dennet’s removal… or Dennet’s death… I wrote them. I wrote all of them. I wrote from the perspective of different “characters”–but in one of them I pushed too far, when I condemned the mayor, the militia, and every adventurer in our town for not acting against Dennet. I didn’t even exempt myself, and while writing in “character” I condemned myself by name… Who would suspect me of defaming myself, never mind also defaming Mayor Cruxophim, who was–and I hope still will be–one of my best friends, and Captain Shinann, who I admire and look up to?

I thought I was so clever…

…but I was foolish and I was wrong. I should never have attacked anyone. Many of you have defended the town far longer than me, and more bravely than me, and I’m certain many of you found Dennet as infuriating as I did. I shouldn’t have made that time in our history even worse.

I am sorry. I have no excuse.

I do have an explanation. I vividly remember archers among our citizenry during Chaston’s reign of terror, hiding in the shadows and firing on half-elves. I could hardly forget–because I patrolled to find them and one shot my own leg off. I hoped maybe more snipers were still lurking a year later, someone who would take out Dennet Kestrel if only given the idea. I hoped to incite someone to take action and do what I couldn’t. I hoped I could inspire a vigilante.

Ironically, now a vigilante does roam our streets, claiming he’ll clean up the Landing. My letter isn’t about him, so I won’t say much, but I’ll say that I know he’ll fail–because he’s claimed he’s the only one the Landing needs. I know sure as I’ve ever known any truth: none of us can amount to anything without allies. That’s why it breaks my heart that I hurt my allies–hurt all of you, who have given me such a wonderful home–with my words. I was desperate and not clear-minded, and I will never do it again.

I hope for forgiveness, but I won’t request it. Offer it or not, I’ll hold nothing against you. I used to not believe much in forgiveness–that’s why I didn’t meet with Stephos DeArchon the other night, as many of you did. But as I spent that night alone thinking about what might be going on in that discussion, I realized I’m no longer so free of sins myself. I’ve done a terrible thing too, and after that night I knew it shouldn’t be hidden any longer.

Over time I hope I can work to gain–or regain–your trust.

Yours,
Leafiara Autumnwind

[OOC:

There you have it, a mystery of player-driven RP solved, tying a neat bow on Leafi’s participation in the past two stories and relating them to the current one! No, she didn’t inspire the vigilante (…probably), but in her own mind she might have–even though she doesn’t bring it up here.

Originally I was going to write around this in my “In Tilamaire’s Sanctuary” vignette last month here… http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Towns/Wehnimer's%20Landing/view/12341

She was going to look over the pamphlets and muse about how they made her uneasy but gave her hope. Then at the end, while getting rid of everything else from her conspiracy board, she’d set one of each pamphlet aside in case she ever needed to imitate the writing–and the closing line about Cholen’s mischief and disguises would imply that she wrote them in the first place.

I’m glad I waited, though, because I’d rather have this given out as IC information for our characters to be able to keep in mind, not OOC information just for players.]

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https://gswiki.play.net/Leafiara