Court of Honour: Ser Venture vs. Izrith

To Whom It May Concern,

Her Majesty's Court of Honour recently conveened on the matter of Venture vs. Izrith. It consisted of myself, Prince Bertram, as the overseeing Honour Lord, with the aid of Sir Varick and Dame Vessa as Knights of the Court of Honour, and Master Nexian, as an Eleve of the Court of Honour, serving as witness and jury panel.

Be advised, that following its investigation into the honourable challenge of ser Venture vs sera Izrith, the Court of Honour has determined the following facts based off testimony and submitted evidence:

i. That on the 15th Day of the 12th moon of last year, a Cartel was issued to ser Izrith, challenging him to a duel of Honour. The Cartel will be posted for public review.

ii. By ser Izrith's accounting, the first Cartel did not make it to his hands, but ser Venture asked that a reminder Cartel be sent by his second, Huskarl Adayne on the 21st of the 12th moon.

iii. The reminder was sent by the 22nd day, and responded to by ser Izrith on the 23rd day, requesting clarification upon the challenge issued.

iv. A response was sent to ser Izrith the 26th day of the 12th moon, clarifying intent to challenge from ser Venture.

v. A response from ser Izrith on the 26th day was sent, informing ser Venture he had no intention of answering the challenge, due to his subjective feelings on Honour.

vi. On the 7th day of the 1st moon, ser Venture did escalate this matter to the Court of Honour formally.

vii. Due to scheduling conflicts and matters outside any parties control, the Court of Honour was unable to meet with ser Izrith until the 20th day of the 3rd moon. This meeting was where ser Izrith presented his side to the Court of Honour panel, and it was cross-referenced with ser Venture and sera Mizuki at parts where it was relevant. The members of the panel, Dame Vessa, Sir Varick and Master Nexian, were given a bit over a weeks time to deliberate on the information provided by all parties.

viii. On the 29th day of the 3rd moon, the Court of Honour panel met to discuss its decision.

ix. On the 2nd day of the 4th moon, a formal notice of the Court of Honour's decision was sent to ser Izrith, and will be provided for the public to see. This notice did give ser Izrith one full week to respond to the decision by the Court of Honour.

x. On the 10th day of the 4th moon, it was clear that ser Izrith had no intention of heeding the Court of Honour's directive and a warrant was officially filed by the Court of Honour for ser Izrith to be placed on distraint, his possessions revoked, and he was to present himself to the Prince Bertram for conscription into the Royal Pages until such a time as he proved himself an individual of Honour.

xi. On the 11th day of the 4th moon, ser Izrith was encountered by the Winter Watch, and opted to flee, rather than be detained.

With the evidence at hand, and by the authority invested upon it by the Crown, the Court of Honour hereby declares ser Izrith to be without honour.

While subjected to this status:

- The offender is considered socially to be beneath contempt, below the 11th link on the chain of being, and is barred from all privileges associated with any rank or status that they may have formerly held, including the title of ser or sera which is reserved for honourable commonfolk
- The offender is permitted only to dress in garb afforded to an 11th link unestablished commoner, and has been provided with one such outfit by the Court of Honour in the event he did not previously possess such
- The offender cannot issue challenge or be challenged to duel, as duels are reserved for men and women of honour, the exception being ser Venture vs. Izrith.
- The offender is barred from any formal membership in guilds, households or offices, as to associate with an honourless individual is to bring dishonour upon the group in question; however the offender is permitted to attend public functions hosted by houses and guilds, except for:
- The offender is barred from receiving or attending lessons of any kind

This status of dishonourable will remain in effect until such time that Izrith has proven himself once again to be an individual of Honour by addressing and concluding with the pending challenge. Whether that takes hours or moons rests entirely in the hands of the offender, and only by taking responsibility for his actions - both through the Code Duello and the Queen's Capitulary - can the offender once again find the good graces of society and return to his previous status.

In Service to Crown and Castle,
Prince Bertram
Honour Lord of the Court of Honour

[Copied in what is clearly the Prince's handwriting]

Written on this, the 15th day of the 12th moon, in the 24th YRA

To the attention of one ser Izrith,

This is a formal cartel challenging ser Izrith to a duel by ser Venture, in regards to the following situation:

Over the course of the past several weeks you have acted in a way ser Venture has deemed dishonourable, by interfering with the ongoing duel between ser Daiomonion and sera Mizuki, of which ser Venture is acting Second. The tone of your missives, sent anonymously to sera Aleysia the Champion of ser Daiomonion, reek of slander and malign the good name of ser Venture's Primary, sera Mizuki, by suggesting that she herself was getting illicit 'secret' training from individuals from the Outer, Inner and Under Bailey. Furthermore, you attempted to influence the outcome of that duel by covertly sharing information with sera Aleysia regarding sera Mizuki's combat ability and preferred fighting style such that the party opposed to ser Venture and his primary would have an advantage in that duel.

In addition to this, you continued your stealthy reconnaissance by sending yet another missive. Not only did this missive further underscore your own duplicitous nature, but it slandered the very heart and essence of Yule which is hosted by Her Majesty and the Princess Maeveen. A festival intended to bring all Baileys and denizens together in the spirit of giving and friendship, free from ill-will and grudges. This second missive was filled of vitriolic vernacular denouncing the very same festival you yourself have benefitted from and participated in, which ser Venture interprets as a slander to the Court, the Crown, and the goodwill shown by Her Majesty to her beloved denizens, yourself included, in this time of cheer.

The end of your second missive states, ''Destroy this letter.'' suggesting that you actively knew of the repulsive nature of your deeds. When first confronted on this, you furthermore lied to ser Venture about your deeds, infringing upon his honorable right to Honesty from a man he calls 'friend'. A man who seeks to be Just has no need to hide his name or the evidence of his activities if they are indeed Just and Right, and yet not only did you resort to 'spying', you sent this information anonymously and with the intention it be destroyed to remove evidence of your clearly dishonourable activities, and then sought to deny your involvement when caught.

This challenge is to seek Justice for and defend the Honour of Her Majesty and the Princess Maeveen against your venomous slander of a benign and beloved festival meant for the enjoyment of all, as well as the personal honor of ser Venture whom you betrayed and acted against.

Ser Venture demands redress for this offense in the form of public posted apology to all aforementioned parties,
Or else ser Venture challenges ser Izrith to a duel of honor.

Ser Venture's terms are as follows:

- If RECONCILIATION:
A public, formal apology to Her Majesty and Princess Maeveen; for the implication that Yule is a shallow, vainglorious event for the Court to flaunt before the Commoners, reducing the genuine, joyful spirit of the festival to petty parades in your ongoing crusade to decry the Court.

- If DUEL:
Ser Izrith is allowed a Champion due to his status as a novice Sorcerer.
- To first blood
- OB Practice Hall
- Bladed weapons
- Sanction; Sanction is automatically granted if a Duelist is a Primary.

Ser Izrith is hereby required to respond to this cartel in full and with expedience, so that this grievance may be laid to rest. The response may be sent to ser Venture's second, Karl Adayne. Should the terms not be acceptable, ser Venture proposes that they be settled with ser Izrith and ser Izrith's second at an agreed upon time and location.

Signed,
Adayne
Second to ser Venture

2nd day, 4th moon, 25th YRA

To Whom it May Concern,

Below is the Court of Honour's findings on the matter of ser Venture vs. ser Izrith.

-----
Presiding Honour Lord: Prince Bertram
Knights of the Court of Honour: Sir Varick, Dame Vessa
Eleves: Master Nexian
Parties Involved: Sers Venture and Izrith

-----
Case: Refusal of duel of honour issued by ser Venture to ser Izrith.
Duel (from Cartel): This challenge is to seek Justice for and defend the Honour of Her Majesty and the Princess Maeveen against your venomous slander of a benign and beloved festival meant for the enjoyment of all, as well as the personal honor of ser Venture whom you betrayed and acted against.

-----
CoH Decision: An acceptance of Challenge by ser Izrith to see Honour satisfied.

After reviewing the evidence submitted by ser Venture, an interview with ser Izrith, and queries sent to sera Mizuki and ser Venture to gain clarity on their side of events as told by ser Izrith, the aforementioned panel of Court of Honour attendees did deliberate and discuss all information presented. On Frey's the 29th, the panel of the Court of Honour did reach the conclusion that as per the Code Duello, coupled with the presented facts, that he has acted outside of the bounds of honourable conduct.

While ser Izrith issued his own reasons for declining the duel with ser Venture, it was brought to the attention of the Court of Honour that ser Izrith was aware of the protocols and social expectations of an issued Challenge. By his own admittance, his actions were done in a manner which was found to be unsavoury to the code of Honour.

The Court of Honour could go into ser Izrith's character as displayed in both his testimony and those of the individuals involved in the duel, but it is not our intention, nor desire, to impose subjective observations on what is meant to be an objective application of the Code Duello. However, it should be said that the Court of Honour hopes ser Izrith can overcome his paranoia that causes him to act in ways that ultimately reflect poorly on him and turn into self-fulfilling prophesies.

As mentioned by him, he stated he hid his name due to concern that he would be seen as interfering with the duel and people would take such poorly. Unfortunately, the manner in which he attempted to inform on sera Mizuki's abilities, and 'dissuade' sera Aleysia from seeking the author of the letters is precisely why anyone has looked poorly upon his actions, and why he was challenged to not one, but two duels over the issue. No one had done anything wrong, but turning it into a sordid affair of anonymous, disparaging letters soured an honourable exchange in progress. The Court of Honour would have looked more favourably on the situation if he'd simply shouted his opinions from the rooftops and owned up to them as an honest individual, rather than resort to subterfuge.

As it stands, the Code Duello is explicit on the very few scenarios in which a properly issued challenge can be honourably declined; feeling that one's own offending actions were justified does not meet the criteria for this. As the given evidence and testimonies provides that the challenge was in fact properly issued according the the ceremonies of the Code Duello, and challengee acknowledges his actions were a slight to the injured party, there is no precedent to honourably decline the duel based on the evidence and testimonies given.

-----
Court of Honour Decision: Engagement in the originally issued Duel

The Court of Honour hereby directs ser Izrith to accept and participate in the Duel of Honour with ser Venture, under the following terms and conditions:
Cartel Challenge:

''This Challenge is to seek Justice for and defend the Honour of Her Majesty and Princess Maeveen against your (Izrith's) venomous slander of a benign and beloved festival meant for the enjoyment of all, as well as the personal honour of ser Venture whom you betrayed and acted against.''

--:--:--

Ser Venture's original terms are as follows:
- If RECONCILIATION:
A public, formal apology to Her Majesty and Princess Maeveen; for the implication that Yule is a shallow, vainglorious event for the Court to flaunt before the Commoners, reducing the genuine, joyful spirit of the festival to petty parades in your ongoing crusade to decry the Court.

- If DUEL:
Ser Izrith is allowed a Champion due to his status as a novice Sorcerer.
- To first blood
- OB Practice Hall
- Bladed weapons
- Sanction; Sanction is automatically granted if a Duelist is a Primary.

--:--:--
This is to be accepted formally within ONE WEEK of this missive's date.
The Court of Honour highly suggests that ser Izrith acquire a Second who understands the Code Duello properly to aid him to completion of this Duel.

By My Hand,
Prince Bertram
Honour Lord of Her Majesty's Court of Honour

[ Posted below the Court of Honour's notice are two scrolls. The first one is a lengthy letter. The second is attached to its right. ]


16D 04M 25YRA


Izrith,

I am pleased to see that despite your departure into the caves you have managed to send word expressing your wish to address the pending challenge. You may resolve the matter as follows:

1. Present yourself to the Winter Watch so that they may place you in distraint according to the directive of the Court of Honour.

2. Present yourself to the Office of Chambers for conscription into the Royal Pages as ordered by His Highness.

3. Acknowledge and honour the challenge as outlined in the cartel and by the Code Duello. This involves acquiring a Second; as this is not a sub rosa a Second is required to proceed, and if you are unable to secure a Second in the Castle you may seek a willing individual of good standing in the Conclave to fill in the role. Below is a summary of the initial terms for reference:

- If RECONCILIATION:
A public, formal apology to Her Majesty and Princess Maeveen for the implication that Yule is a shallow, vainglorious event for the Court to flaunt before the Commoners, reducing the genuine, joyful spirit of the festival to petty parades in your ongoing crusade to decry the Court.

- If DUEL:
Ser Izrith is allowed a Champion due to his status as a novice Sorcerer.
- To first blood
- OB Practice Hall
- Bladed weapons
- Sanction is automatically granted if a Duelist is a Primary.

As someone who once thought of you as a friend, I had seen, and still see great potential in you. I have once heard your name spoken well of from others, both in and outside the Court, and you once held the Family's esteem from your actions that led to saving seras Larysa and Mizuki's lives when Darcient attacked. But it is also your way to prioritise your beliefs and overweening pride above everything including the laws and customs of the Realm, your friendships, your promises and vows, and even your own Honour - your very worth in society - and in so doing burn down all that you have painstakingly gained. It is why you were issued two challenges over the letters, it is why this matter has taken four moons to come to this point instead of being resolved at the start of the new year, it is why instead of addressing my challenge you refused and fled to the caves below to crawl with the rats, and it is why after witnessing all that has transpired I no longer consider you a person deserving of my trust, let alone a friend. The tone of the letter that you sent me on the 14th day of this moon indicates that little has changed of your attitude since, which I find disappointing as someone who wishes for you to reach your potential and be the best version of yourself that you can be, not a slave to ego and old memories.

If you wish a resolution to this 'madness', come up as befits a person of Honour and not a criminal. Face the consequences of your actions with integrity and let us move on. The choice is yours to make.


Regards,
- ser Venture
Senior Duelist of the Duelist Society