Building the Committee: The Latest Do-Gooder Foolish Enough To Die For Myrken

[Glenn]

A few days ago:

The last time they had met it had been out upon the field. He had presented a very direct message then. Glenn Burnie may not be a master tactician. He may not know how to drill soldiers. He may not have studied ancient battles and gleamed what lessons he could from the winners and losers, but he could handle a sword, and a good sight better than most of the Myrken Militia at that. It was the soon-to-be Governor's intention to let her know exactly what she was getting into, both with the militia and with himself. What had followed was a rather controlled offer, a testing of sorts to see whether or not she could submerge both her ego and ambition for the greater good.

That had been the first test. The second was through the questions of Genny Tolleson. Her interviewing style was very different than Glenn's, but he saw her as a good enough judge of certain sorts of character. If something rang false in Renea (or blatantly insane), Genny would have likely been able to spot it. She did not. Simply put, there was no time for a third test. The need was immediately, as was usually the case in Myrken and only so much could be done in the name of caution.

Today the mercenary woman had been invited into his increasingly crowded office. Just when WAS he going to move into the meetinghouse or somewhere else? Still, as Renea walked the path towards his office, she was greeted by the staff of the "Inquisitory," and generally with nods and smiles. They knew what her role was to be in the Myrken to come, even if she had was only now here to find out.

[Caile]

She knew there was change afoot, had heard the rumours. It would have taken someone impressively dense to have missed them to be honest, and Renea, much as she was a soldier, was far from dense. Change always happened though, whether it was welcome or not and so other than to note the change and investigate for possible complications to whatever duty she was currently performing she generally didn't pay much attention. This instance wasn't any different, especially with the murders to occupy her time. She wasn't even sure if it fell within the militia perview and further, as a consultant rather than an active participant, she didn't have a lot of say in the matter but it was still worrying. It felt like something she should do something about and so she was doing the best she could in the limited capacity she was occupying. Which was to say, she was asking people questions much like any other citizen.

She wanted to be hunting the bastard down but given the gruesome nature of the crimes, not to mention the number of victims, she was well aware that hunting this creature down on her own was a suicide mission and so for once in her life let reason overpower desire. Besides, if Glenn was as smart as he appeared to be he would be taking the situation seriously and would be looking for a way to solve the problem. She would let him know she was available and he could use her or not.

She assumed this was what the most recent summons was to address. She entered his office with a quick knock to let him know she was there and seated herself across from his desk. She didn't stand on ceremony, and if he was expecting something different from her he'd be well disappointed. The woman didn't grovel or bow or scrape to...well anyone, but she did get her job done.

"So, what can I do for you today Mr. Burnie."

[Glenn]

It was good she wasn't dense. That's why they had Agnieszka after all. The murders were certainly not within the purview of the militia except for that the extra manpower might be needed. On the other hand, that didn't necessarily mean that they weren't under the purview of Renea. The Constabulary had independence but was also under Burnie's ultimate command. Currently so was she in her role as consultant. Of course, that WAS about to change.

She sat down and he nodded at her. "Apparently governors offer little sandwiches and tea at this point, or brandy, depending. I'd rather get down to business, if you don't mind." It seemed that, at least with her, there was just no point for small talk. "You've arrived at an opportune time, Renea. You're a woman of martial experience. You know how to drill soldiers and at least a thing or two about tactics from what I've seen. I'm sure there are skeletons in your closet, but then we all have those here. People come to Myrken because they've run out of room in their old closets."

He was well aware of her recent activity. "Ultimately, you're not going to immediately get leadership of the militia. You will be in charge of the drill, of implementing decisions that you will be a part of making, and you'll also be the liaison with the Constabulary." It was not much less than what he promised before, given that he didn't promise much of anything. "How much do you know about Myrken government, Renea?" But of course, there was more.

[Caile]

"I never really stayed anywhere long enough to have a closet, it'll be nice to have somewhere to put my skeletons other than a shallow ditch on the side of the road." She smirked. Of course, staying in one place meant she could be found, but she doubted they were looking anymore anyway. If she was lucky they'd have assumed she was dead...if they were lucky.

She was just as happy to be getting down to business, if he'd tried to offer her little sandwhiches she'd think he was mad, or that he had no respect for her, or both because really one didn't necessarily negate the other.

She was well versed enough in the habits of people to recognize that one wasn't summoned to be told what one wasn't going to be doing and so she merely raised an eyebrow upon hearing that she wasn't to be in a leadership role to the militia, it meant he had something else in mind and she was curious to know what that would be.

"To be honest I don't know a whole lot about the government. I know that there is a council which the members take responsibility for different aspects. I've never been much of a political, I tend to say what I mean and that seems to be frowned upon." Or considered openly hostile in some governments. Even as a mercenary captain she'd gotten herself into a few sticky situations with her bluntness.

[Glenn]

Renea was lunging into Myrken's affairs at full speed. As best as Burnie could tell, she had gotten herself involved in three or four incidents in the last two weeks. It was part of why he had taken her into the government. She was going to do what she was going to do one way or the other. At least now they had some oversight over her actions and she had someone to answer to. More than that, she would now be tied to Myrken on some official level. Vows and responsibilities. It meant that she'd MAYBE, just MAYBE think about how her actions would affect everyone in the province.

"There is a Judiciary Council. Landowners. Men. Citizens of some history and repute. It's not a very stable job. Men have gone mad in the roles. Kidnapped by Drow. Killed haphazardly on the road. Captured by cultists. It's harder than you might think to fill the roles with qualified candidates." She wasn't a man. She was yet to really be a land owner. And she had just got there. How desperate was he then? "And no one stands out in the role of Defense. The last man in that role, the head of an order of knights, left the province without a word. The knights remain but in shambles. Before that, a man stepped down in protest to how things were going. Before that, a man burnt down the meeting house in madness," best to brush over that bit. "And so on."

"Suffice to say, there's simply no one suitable. So instead, we're going to go with a three person committee who will vote amongst themselves about matters of Defense and bring that vote to the Council. One is a former Councilor," and one on that just mentioned list as well. Here's a hint. Not the one who died on the side of the road. "Another will be Agnieszka Kaczmarek, who cannot serve as Councilor due to the fact she still has too close ties to the throne, and to be honest, she speaks her mind as well, just she does it out of her ass and with her foot in her mouth. It's actually an agile thing, but no one's ever said she wasn't agile." Did she see what was coming? "She also has experience, but perhaps not the sort you have, and perhaps in different ways. So... I would like you to be the third person on that committee."

[Caile]

"Done." Was it really that simple? Was she really going to accept that easily? Of course she was, and Glenn Burnie knew it just as well as Renea did. He knew she was involving herself and he likely knew the irritating snags she'd encountered without having any official authority during those situations. Not to mention she was already seeing things his way on a lot of things, including Catch and she well knew it. Having the official leash about her neck wouldn't impede her as much as it would help her.

"So lay it out for me, what are my duties, what's in my portfolio, and what are the perks." Because everything had to have perks. She wasn't all that concerned with the people who came before their group of three, she'd been dead and crazy before already so she was two steps up as far as she was concerned. "And how will this committee work? How many votes will be needed, how often will we sit etc. etc." Yup, lay it all on her, every last detail. She had a good mind and she'd come prepared, already pulling out a notepad to jot things down like any good soldier.

[Glenn]

"You don't waste time." Neither did he, not with her. No, the governor, through necessity and through.. other things, was something of a chameleon now. With some people, it would be tea, though perhaps not little sandwiches. With others, it was business, cold and hard, though rarely without at least some vestige of a smile. Burnie was nothing if not reasonable. A year ago he had been a madman with tragically good intentions. Now, after what Catch did, after the return of Rhaena, after other accidents and moments of clarity, he was still rather soulless, but far more focused. He still wanted a perfect Myrken but he wasn't going to burn down the old one to build from the ashes.

"I'm glad, though, and I'm glad you asked. Agnie just gave a little cheer, called me a genius, scowled, spun around three times, did a little dance, and left to get drunk." It was only slightly an exaggeration and he said it without much real thought or effort. deadpan. "She's the chairwoman. She keeps things on focus, drives the agenda, takes the vote to the Council when you make it. Voting will be by majority. There's three of you. Two votes is what it takes. That was a tough decision. On the one hand, I'd like things to be conservative and no decision to be made lightly, but on the other hand, a deadlock could be fatal for us. Two votes carry then. You're still going to keep your role with the militia. You three will work it out amongst yourself somewhat, but I think you'll start out as a Drill Sargent of sorts, focused on their training in the day to day, and.. since you've been SO eager to get involved, also the militia liaison with the Constabulary in dealing with everyday threats. Any questions so far?" He had given this thought, obviously. Note that not once did he mention the name of the third member of their troika or any details save for the fact he was a former councilor.

[Caile]

She didn't seem interested in asking about the third member of the committee and so if he was relucant to to so then the name would remain a mystery to her for the time being. It was entirely possible she wouldn't know who it was even if she had a name, there were still so many people she didn't know here after all. As far as she was concerned though, the matters would be settled between her and Agnie, if it required a two person majority then they had it and while he hadn't come right out and said she was the boss, Renea's soldier mind placed her as such and so she would respond as if she was. The swordswoman had always been more comfortable when she was second in command, someone to give the wider orders and leave it to her to identify how those orders would be carried out. She enjoyed small details and worked best with people who couldn't be bothered with them. She had a feeling that Agnieszka and herself would work quite well together, offiicially.

"Any particular titles I need to address myself by when dealing with people? Committee member seems rather burdonsome, especially in light of this being a new position so most would need it explained and that could get old rather fast when orders just need to be passed on and obeyed." Councillor was easy and even chairwoman held enough of an official odor for most, but committee member may as well be organizing the weekend barn dance.

[Glenn]

Kerrak was an experienced leader, one who could possibly cow Agnie in the right situation given their background as mentor and student and her deference to his training and time in the field. Maybe he'd inspire Renea in ways she did not yet realize and it would be more even than she thought. Or maybe not. Burnie didn't know as of yet, but ultimately, the three of them would be just one voice out of five. Truly if it became too much of a problem, things could be shifted to force consensus. As of yet, she seemed happy with the way things were turning out and that pleased Glenn well enough. It made things easier certainly.

"Agnie's been running about calling herself chairwoman." He had more or less told her she could too. It was a wonderful appeasement for a woman who had thought she'd be trying to run for Governor not long ago. "You can see if she'll let you be Marshall. I have no objection to the title if she doesn't."

[Caile]

"I think Marshall would probably do the job." It carried enough of a miltary overtone that it would cow the majority of people that would just need someone with a fancy title to tell them what to do without meaning much of anything at all when examined closely. A pretty empty title to hang a hat on, which was precisely what Renea had asked for after all, and she was rather impressed with Glenn's ability to provide it. If he thought it would dazzle her with its shininess he'd been mistaken, she may be a soldier who didn't know much about politics but she had been a general and had needed to maneuver tricky people in tricky situations, she was clever enough to see the manipulation for what it was, but also quick enough to see that there wasn't yet a downside for her in all of this.

"My last question then, who is in charge of the constabularly, since I'll be liasing with them, and what is their chain of command through to you?" Especially considering the more recent incidents that would be a useful bit of information to have. Stepping on the toes of the law was the last thing she needed to do and she needed to know who was in charge and where they stood in relation to her if she was to attempt any sort of leadership role with the constabulary. She wasn't quite knowledgeable enough yet on how they worked to just walk in and start issueing orders but with Myrken in the dire straits it was a more militant law would be needed, which meant closer pairings of militia and constables.

[Glenn]

Marshall was the traditional name for the position, at least for the last few, but Burnie didn't mention that to her. He was giving her close to the bare minimum. What she needed to know. If she wanted more, she'd ask, or Agnie would tell her. As it was, there didn't seem much need. Renea was straightforward. The job was straightforward. Don't let Myrken burn. Though she was right: Glenn was excellent at semantics and pulling empty things out of strange places when he needed them for this or that.

"Ah, the Constabulary." and here, since she asked, more detail than she needed. "Our last Governor, Cinnabar Calomel was the Head Constable before taking higher responsibilities. He never gave up the position no matter how much we encouraged him to. Oh, he appointed a Chief Constable of the Street branch and a Chief Constable of the Detective branch but they never quite took over. With his absence, they nominally have power. As it is, both men are competent but somewhat slow to act. They keep things together but any real prodding comes from my office. Still, if there's a specific matter you need more information on, I likely know the Constable assigned to it, so you can come to me if absolutely necessary."

[Caile]

Which basically meant there was a power vacuum and a need of someone with a strong hand to guide things along in a situation where swift action was required. It was good information to have and would likely be needed before long in the current climate. What it meant to Renea was that she had free reign to bully and cajole to get things done and ask for forgiveness later if it was required.

"I believe that's all I need for now, and if I have further questions I'll let you know." She finished taking her notes and closed the notepad on her lap before looking back up to Burnie. "Is there anything further you feel the need to discuss?" Straightforward was a good word for her, she usually just cut through any bullshit that blocked her. Oh sure she could play the political game if required but she usually felt it was too much bother, it meant she sometimes stepped on the wrong toes and ruffled the wrong feathers but that was something she could do when she wasn't the one in charge. 'Sorry ma'am, take it up with my superior' was one of those lines that made things slide along so much more smoothly.

[Glenn]

"Actually, just ONE thing." Everything had been too neat and simple so far, but there was a loose end and it really needed to be tied off. One thing had come out of the interview with Genny and while it naturally hadn't worried HER, Burnie had to at least bring it up. "I'm sure you've looked around a bit before settling, before taking any sort of position here. Our current geopolitical position is tenuous. Our provincial neighbor to the east, Derry, was occupied by Thessilane in a treasonous act years ago and we are very much in the midst of that situation still. While I will do my best to avoid that embroiling Myrken Wood in any major military conflict, it's still possible.

"Lamai Carver, who you have some connection to, is now Lamai al`Nerun, Baroness of Almark, a high lady of Thessilane, through marriage. I assume this is not going to be an issue? And even if it isn't, I'd ask for you to downplay your connection to her for a little bit, as in, just don't bring it up too often." The simple truth of the matter was that his ENTIRE Committee, Kerrak, Agnie, and Renea were all going to have connections to Thessilane, which was hardly preferable and not his intention, nor known to him, until Genny got that bit of information out of Renea. "It could cause complications with the Crown, you see. I'm not asking you to do anything unsavory, just to show a reasonable amount of discretion. Is that acceptable?"

[Caile]

"Of course. As long as you don't ask me to participate in anything violent regarding Lamai, actively or passively, then I don't see any issues. If I realize that something will be putting her in danger I'm honor bound to protect her. But, you're a smart man Glenn, you don't seem like the type to seek an empire, especially with home being on such shaky ground as it is."

Sticky as that particular situation may be politically, Renea doubted that it would be much of an issue unless Thesilane were to actively attack and with more family than just her here, she doubted Lamai would allow that sort of action either. It might even be possible to spin this in a positive light, but that's why the swordswoman wasn't in politics, what seemed straight forward to her was usually anything but.

"Will that satisfy you then?"

[Glenn]

Burnie shuffled the papers upon his desk. Renea was, by far, the most reasonable swordswoman he had ever met. Or at least, when just TALKING to her, she was the most reasonable swordswoman he had ever met. He had seen her jump to action before in a way that was anything BUT reasonable. Therefore it was only a small miracle and not a large one and her life expectancy here in Myrken would likely not be very long but that's why they had THREE people on the Committee and not just one.

"I think that's all for now. If you want a uniform, talk to Agnie. I gave her the last one I had four years ago. Welcome aboard. Mind how you go and all that." He looked up shooting her the slightest of smiles before looking back down to the papers.