The Trial of Serris Caivan

Serris Caivan - The Accused

**The Trial of Serris Caivan** was a pivotal event in the lives of the Wanderers.

The charges, alleged by the Wanderers, were that Serris Caivan had associated closely with the Iron Hearts, making him party to bribery, extortion, smuggling, assault, and murder.

The trial was presided over by Arbiter Osril Norexious. Serris Caivan, the Accused, defended himself without additional counsel, while Aggarash Ivtice, Eldrin Talendsyr, and Jothomir Joros served as representatives of the Accusers.

## Background

After spending some time in Selse and receiving contact from Noctus Caivan about the corrupt actions of his older brother, the Wanderers decided to assist in deposing Serris.

Kidnapping him in the middle of the night, the Wanderers proceeded to carry him, bound in gagged, in the back of a cart, initially intending to bring him to the town of Wander. However, upon their return, they found the town destroyed due to an attack from the red dragon Kyvrin.

The group proceeded to head for the Shattered City, reuniting with the refugees of Wander and escorting them to the capital. Upon arriving in the Shattered City, the Wanderers travelled to the Temple of Tyr to reunite with Garyn Hillbridge. As they arrived, Osril Norexious took notice of their prisoner, at which point they turned him over to Osril's authority and explained their reasoning in full. Osril proceeded to schedule a trial to take place within the next few weeks.

The Wanderers agreed that Aggarash Ivtice, Eldrin Talendsyr, and Jothomir Joros would act as the best optimal members to represent the rest of the group, with Aggarash providing the opening statements, Eldrin providing primary testimony, and Jothomir providing the closing statement. They then planned out the witnesses they would call forth to testify for them. Lady Evanna Trysh, Kaedra Wilshorn, Amber Stendel, Aeies Syanes, and Elanor Lothran agreed to testify, with Lady Trysh and Kaedra planned to serve as character witnesses. Amber and Aeies also pledged to bring Liam Ironarm along with them, giving him the chance to testify against Serris in exchange for a shorter prison sentence. Roswell was also contacted, but was unable to come testify due to their responsibilities as sheriff.

Kelta Namastacia, Warrior McFighter, and Aggarash Ivtice also procured new garments and outfits for the group to wear in court. Additionally, having submitted counterfeit evidence upon first arriving at the Temple of Tyr, the Wanderers proceeded to get rid of this evidence by having Garyn sneak into Osril's office while Jothomir and Toven served as distractions. Jothomir concurrently provided Osril with genuine evidence in the form of a ledger containing the economic dealings of the Caivan estate, provided by Amber.

The morning before the trial, the Wanderers received word from Lady Trysh that she could not attend the trial due to unrest among her refugees, but promised to provide something even better.

## Players

### Presiders:

Arbiter Osril Norexious

Arcanist Vraeis Rayne

Headmaster Leela Jovenka

Justice Elsa Villamet

Justice Gladulir Nightminer

Justice Laral Insalor

Scribe Celedor Kott

### Accusers

The Wanderers, as represented by:

* Aggarash Ivtice
* Eldrin Talendsyr
* Jothomir Joros

### Witnesses

Kaedra Wilshorn *(character witness)*

Amber Stendel

Aeies Syanes

Liam Ironarm

Elanor Lothran

## Trial

Osril opened the trial at the top of the hour, acknowledging his fellow presiders. Leela Jovenka cast truth spells on the Accusers, the Accused, and the Witnesses, which was met without resistance, and maintained this spell throughout the trial. Osril asked the Accusers and Accused to identify themselves and their witnesses, and proceeded to give Aggarash the floor for their opening statement.

Aggarash opened by discussing the destruction of the Lothran's family farm, and proceeded to frame the removal of Serris Caivan as an opportunity for hope and peace to arise in Selse. They then briefly introduced the Accusers' witnesses and provided an overview of the Wanderers' decision to kidnap Serris and bring him to the Shattered City to face judgment. They also discussed the death of their father, describing how this event impacted their view of the situation in Selse. They concluded by describing how keeping Noctus Caivan in power and preventing Serris from reclaiming his reign would lead to the Iron Hearts' defeat, allowing the citizens of Selse to finally begin leading happy lives.

Serris Caivan then began his opening statement by attempting to ask a question of Amber Stendel. After a brief deliberation, Osril allowed the Accusers to decide whether or not to permit this. Jothomir requested that the standard protocol be followed, claiming that Serris would have the opportunity to explain what he wanted to say on his own time. Serris proceeded to abstain from giving any further statement until later in the trial.

Osril then called Kaedra Wilshorn to speak as a character witness. Referring to a written statement, Kaedra recounted the Wanderers' exploits in the town of Illeyre, including how they saved her life twice. She also recounted how the Wanderers escorted the refugees of Wander to the Shattered City. Invoking her devotion to Sarenrae, Kaedra reiterated her trust of the Wanderers' judgment in bringing Caivan to the Shattered City to stand trial.

Eldrin Talendsyr then began to testify, recounting the formation and the first several quests of the Wanderers, as well as the group's experience and deliberations in Selse. Elsa Villamet opened with questions, prompting Eldrin to provide information about Garyn's escape from the Iron Hearts and the attempt on her life in Illeyre. Through further questioning, Eldrin proceeded to discuss their initial meeting with Serris, their secret meeting with Noctus enlisting help in removing Serris from power, and their decision to follow through with Noctus's plan. After a question from Gladulir Nightminer, Eldrin described the kidnapping itself in more detail, and Laral Insalor prompted Eldrin to elaborate upon the conversation with Noctus. Jovenka questioned why the Wanderers did not simply put Serris on trial in Selse, and asked for more information about the city itself. The questioning continued as such for some time.

Amber Stendel proceeded to provide testimony, introducing herself and describing the history and criminal deeds of the Iron Hearts, the corruption of Serris's administration, Liam Ironarm's association with the Iron Hearts, and the suspicious economic details of the Caivan estate. She also described the beginnings of Noctus's reign and the relative progress that has been made in reducing the Iron Hearts' power in the city.

Aeies Syanes then took the stand, describing his own background and corroborating much of Amber's testimony. He also described Sending messages to Jester Lavorre on Serris's orders, suspecting these communications of being coded messages to the Iron Hearts. He described Serris's paranoia about being spied on, specifically through scrying, and recounted how he had asked Aeies to cast protective spells against such a thing on numerous occasions.

Elanor Lothran then testified, describing how they became indebted to the Iron Hearts due to paying them for protection, eventually leading to the destruction of their family farm and Liam Ironarm's discussion of protection money. She then discussed how Lark and the Wanderers helped her family avoid starvation. The Justices asked her further questions about the Liam, the crops, and Serris's likely involvement in these events.

Liam Ironarm took the stand while still in manacles. Upon direct questioning by Osril, Liam explicitly confirmed Serris's collaboration with the Iron Hearts, including details regarding smuggled weapons, fighting pits, and dropped investigations. He proceeded to describe Caivan using the Iron Hearts for favors such as utilizing their spy network, having them smuggle in weapons for him, and ordering them to kill the entire Dayson family. Vraeis Rayne proceeded to ask about Noctus Caivan, wording her questions in a manner that portrayed him in a positive light. This questioning proceeded for some time. Towards the end of this testimony, Kelta noticed Jayson Dayson in the crowd of spectators, and moved over to reconnect with him.

Serris Caivan then took the witness stand, claiming that as a nobleman, his one duty was to keep his city and citizens safe. He described the horrors of the succession war he grew up in, including the mental toll the war had on his mother. Serris proceeded to describe how his reign as Lord of Selse was far more peaceful than during the succession war, and then also admitted that if Noctus were to make a better lord, "then so be it." He aired a grievance regarding how the Wanderers had handled his removal from power unfairly and extralegally, then prompted the Justices to commence with questioning. Upon direct questioning from Osril, Serris proceeded to confirm his affiliation with the Iron Hearts. Without denying anything, he displayed resistance to providing any more details regarding any specific crimes or wrongdoings, simply deferring back to the testimonies of witnesses like Liam. This included his order to kill the Dayson family. After this questioning continued for some time, Caivan requested that the trial move to its closing stages, offering no further testimony in his own defense.

Jothomir Joros requested a five minute recess before closing statements, editing his prepared statement during this period. After reconvening, Aggarash wished Jothomir good luck, inspiring Jothomir as he began the closing statement. Jothomir briefly recounted the testimony of all of the previous witnesses, summarizing the corruption of Serris's rule and the events of the Wanderers' time in Selse in the process. Jothomir rebuffed Serris's point about protecting his people by discussing the destruction of the Lothran farm and the murder of the Dayson family. He described his belief that Serris was unfit to rule, and that Noctus served as a much better leader. He also detailed how the Wanderers had plenty of opportunities to deal with Serris conveniently and without incident, but proceeded to bring him to the Shattered City where he would be given a chance to defend himself. He concluded by describing how, with Noctus in power, the city of Selse might finally be able to grow past its reputation as a city of corruption and develop into a space of peace and prosperity.

Serris Caivan then delivered his closing statement. He defended his reign by claiming that he did what he believed was right, but admitted that his actions were not legal and that he expected to be found guilty. However, he then turned the discussion to his accusers, discussing their decision to kidnap him and recounting several notable unflattering details about the kidnapping itself. This included several details that Serris did not personally observe, such as Clover's attempt to burn a tapestry as a distraction during their escape. He also showed off the scars on his wrists from his bindings during his time with the Wanderers.

He then proceeded to reveal several secretive details about his accusers and their witnesses, including Amber's disloyalty, Eldrin's usage of a fake name after running from Esselvar, Jothomir's affiliation with the Blood Zealots, and Kaedra's former imprisonment for murdering the son of a noble. He concluded by once more admitting that he would likely be found guilty and would accept his punishment, but asked the presiding officials to subject his accusers to the law as well.

Serris's accusation caused a stir in the courtroom, but Osril established order and announced that the presiding officials would convene and deliberate. Before leaving the room, Kelta and Warrior noticed Vraeis Rayne whisper something to Osril and pass him an envelope embellished with the colors of the Monarchy.

## Verdict

After an evening of deliberation, the court reconvened the following morning and pronounced Serris Caivan **guilty of all charges.** Osril proceeded to conclude the trial without leveling any charges against the Wanderers.

## Aftermath

The lack of charges leveled against the Wanderers left the majority of the spectators in the courtroom stunned. Caivan left the courtroom infuriated, shouting further insults at the Wanderers as he was led out of the room in manacles by Raithain.

In the midst of the commotion, Vraeis Rayne sent a Message to Jothomir, inviting him and his group to meet her in the next courtroom over. They proceeded to meet with Rayne, who explained that her efforts to aid the Wanderers during the trial was due to a request from Lady Evanna Trysh, whom Rayne owed a favor. She also explained how she convinced the Monarch that leveling further trials against the Wanderers would lead to a legal quagmire, and that it would be simpler to convict Serris and leave it at that. The Monarch's agreement with this assessment swayed Osril to decide not to level any charges against the Wanderers. Rayne proceeded to offer the Wanderers a job: investigating the communication cutoff of the Arcanist Conclave in the Ironspine Mountains.