Achaean News
On Truth
Written by: Taelle Starling, Scarlatti's Joy
Date: Thursday, February 19th, 2026
Addressed to: Sir Voc Desmijr, Hand of the God-King
To the Hand of the God-King:
So. You have chosen to invoke truth.
You lay claim to truth like only those who already have it deserve it. You raise it on high as a beacon of your unquestionable authority: YOU have established the truth, and if you have done so, so must it be for all. You covet the authority to pass judgment, and declare all opinions, inquiries, and doubts contrary to your declamation to be baseless and deceitful, worthy of the enmity of the Sea itself.
And yet, there are those who do not know the truth. They seek truth, and you would deny them said truth because...why? It inconveniences someone whom the truth would, presumably, exonerate? What is it you wish to shield, Hand? Skye B. Anchors, from questions she herself volunteered to answer? Or perhaps you wish to preserve the image of the Empire as unassailable? For this purpose, you would hoard truth like a miser hoards gold, deny those who seek it the justice of seeing it confirmed? You would stoop to protecting a potential criminal from inquiry? Why, when all she could possibly have to fear is the truth?
Even your God-King was willing to see justice delivered in Ka'doloki, albeit reluctant and furious to do so, and to say nothing of His tempestuous mass murder of innocent bystanders when interlopers from another nation offended Him. If He is willing to submit His followers to justice, to truth, why not you, Hand? I've never heard of a Hand making decisions for the head before.
No, Hand, it is not the innocent who hide from truth. And you do Skye B. Anchors a disservice in trying to shield her from it when, once again, she has already volunteered to answer any and all questions. You do King Tu'eras and Queen Alianna a disservice by trying to prevent them from seeking the truth of the theft of their ring. And you do yourself a disservice with your cowardly grandstanding.
Let the truth set you free, Hand. And in doing so, let the thief be uncovered, the ring be found, and justice be meted out. I, for one, do not believe Skye guilty of this act, but let the truth come out.
After all, surely the mighty Thalassan Empire has nothing to fear from truth and justice.
In Song,
Taelle Starling
Penned by my hand on the 20th of Mayan, in the year 997 AF.
On Truth
Written by: Taelle Starling, Scarlatti's Joy
Date: Thursday, February 19th, 2026
Addressed to: Sir Voc Desmijr, Hand of the God-King
To the Hand of the God-King:
So. You have chosen to invoke truth.
You lay claim to truth like only those who already have it deserve it. You raise it on high as a beacon of your unquestionable authority: YOU have established the truth, and if you have done so, so must it be for all. You covet the authority to pass judgment, and declare all opinions, inquiries, and doubts contrary to your declamation to be baseless and deceitful, worthy of the enmity of the Sea itself.
And yet, there are those who do not know the truth. They seek truth, and you would deny them said truth because...why? It inconveniences someone whom the truth would, presumably, exonerate? What is it you wish to shield, Hand? Skye B. Anchors, from questions she herself volunteered to answer? Or perhaps you wish to preserve the image of the Empire as unassailable? For this purpose, you would hoard truth like a miser hoards gold, deny those who seek it the justice of seeing it confirmed? You would stoop to protecting a potential criminal from inquiry? Why, when all she could possibly have to fear is the truth?
Even your God-King was willing to see justice delivered in Ka'doloki, albeit reluctant and furious to do so, and to say nothing of His tempestuous mass murder of innocent bystanders when interlopers from another nation offended Him. If He is willing to submit His followers to justice, to truth, why not you, Hand? I've never heard of a Hand making decisions for the head before.
No, Hand, it is not the innocent who hide from truth. And you do Skye B. Anchors a disservice in trying to shield her from it when, once again, she has already volunteered to answer any and all questions. You do King Tu'eras and Queen Alianna a disservice by trying to prevent them from seeking the truth of the theft of their ring. And you do yourself a disservice with your cowardly grandstanding.
Let the truth set you free, Hand. And in doing so, let the thief be uncovered, the ring be found, and justice be meted out. I, for one, do not believe Skye guilty of this act, but let the truth come out.
After all, surely the mighty Thalassan Empire has nothing to fear from truth and justice.
In Song,
Taelle Starling
Penned by my hand on the 20th of Mayan, in the year 997 AF.