But with a tie still hanging in the balance, our debate finale came back to the Ashen Advocates and Sophists of the Seat, each given the final topic in advance, "In the wake of the War of Humanity, The punishment of Khalas was just."

Ashen Advocates, warmed up from the previous months, were ready to start their opening statement off strong.

Sothantos pointed out, "The War of Humanity was an act of treason, the highest form of treason imaginable: the betrayal of the Creator and thus Creation itself. For this crime, Khalas the Wanderer, the first of the Triumvirate, was imprisoned inside a statue, sentenced to serve as a warning to any who would contemplate following His lead. There are those among us who would see the Wanderer freed, claiming that His crimes were not deserving of such a fate. The Cult of the Fallen God has long lobbied for His restoration. They paint Khalas as a martyr, unjustly sentenced for wanting to free Creation from the yoke of a tyrannical dictator. These viewpoints are fundamentally flawed."

Truax returned with the opposing statement, "First, let us be clear that the imposition of the original penalties meted out to the other Triumverate members were intended for rehabilitation. We see this evidenced through the pardons issued to both Lady Lorielan and Lord Agatheis, who in the time since have both realised the wrongness of Their actions and been redeemed...

...However, the retribution issued against Khalas was not intended to teach him the same lessons learned by his compatriots or rehabilitate him toward such a state, but to serve as an example to others. Simply stated, a punishment as a penalty for an action taken, is only just if it results in a change in behaviour. Otherwise, it fails to meet the conditions that qualify it as an act taken in retribution for an offense."

Farrah pressed on, stating, "The major basis of the opposition's argument is the alleged inability for Khalas to be rehabilitated, which allegedly also differs from the punishments meted out to the other Triumvirs. This argument is rooted in an erroneous assumption - first, that Khalas's punishment differs from Lord Agatheis's at all in this regard. Lord Agatheis was confined to the form of a unicorn with most of His power and intelligence stripped, and yet the Logos was able to divine His intentions and thoughts and know when He was reformed...

...Agatheis has since that time acted as an opponent of Chaos and thus protector of Creation - up until the moment He sacrificed Himself to save us all from the monstrosity that was Balmet. Khalas is imprisoned inside a statue, but He was not slain: He yet lives inside it, no doubt precisely so that his thoughts of repentance, if any, could be heard. If the Logos could hear the thoughts of a mute unicorn, it is clear that the Logos could divine His thoughts as well and release Him if He felt it was warranted. That He has not indicates that Khalas is not reformed."

Mathonwy, speaking as a secondary and as rebuttal, said, "In all the Cities of mortality, and as we've seen time and again in the Garden with the trials of Slith and others, justice is considered the crowning glory of virtues, and those who are able to find justice even in situations most might find odious are considered wise without compare. This is because justice -does not- descend from the pinnacle of achievement, no matter the crime, no matter the perpetrator or the victim. It does not yield its crown to any, or else it is not justice...

...Miramar gave full leeway to Ayar to determine how Khalas would serve Proteus -- within the constraints that Ayar did not wish the destruction of any of the leaders. And so Proteus chose this... extreme... form of 'justice,' if we can call it that. Our opponents certainly do."

And later, he added, "Everyone else involved in the War was given the opportunity to make amends, to understand and appreciate what They had done. Even those who were steadfastly unrepentant -- namely Slith and Pazuzu -- were only banished, and found their way in short order back to the Prime Material Plane. Either Ayar knew this would happen, in which case their escape to the Prime Material Plane happened with His sanction and blessing for it certainly would have been within His power to prevent it, and He allowed Khalas to be treated differently, unfairly, and unjustly, or Ayar did not know this would happen, in which case He, Proteus, Miramar, all involved would have had no reasonable way to know Khalas would not repent. In which case, that is also unfair and unjust treatment."


And lastly, Jiraishin closed out the finale with, "Firstly, the statement that Khalas is dead. Khalas is encased in His statue. There is no reason to believe He is not aware within it. Immortal that He is, why should one assume Him dead of old age? If He is alive and ware, then He is able to repent. And Sarapis, during his long presence here, would have been able to sense this, and release Him. He did not, though Agatheis did...

...Therefore, Khalas has not repented. Secondly, the knowledge that Khalas -would- repent was not necessary for the possibility of repentance to exist. Any more than it was with Agatheis. Thirdly, Khalas -was- uniquely deserving of this punishment. He was the ringleader, and He engaged in uniquely terrible deeds. Take, for example, his treatment of Enheduanna. He cruelly sold Her to Pazuzu, bringing about Her ruin."

With so many amazing statements, judging the final round was no easy feat! After crunching numbers and checking my scores over a third time, I was set on announcing that the Sophists of the Seat had won the round and tournament!

That was, until Lord Twilight and Lady Lorielan appeared, looking to complete a debate of their own with me as a judge! Perhaps their match is a story for another day, once my body stops trembling at the thought...

Alas, congratulations are in order for the Sophists of the Seat! I can only hope more teams spring up in future debates...with maybe less divine intervention.

- Nissa, Head Archivist of the Lucretian Athenaeum

Summary: In the finale of the debate tournament, the Ashen Advocates and Sophists of the Seat faced off one last time to break their standing tie. After a strong match, the Sophists were declared the winners, before the ceremony was interrupted by the entrance of Lord Twilight, the Dark Father, and Lady Lorielan, The Jade Empress.

Penned by My hand on the 2nd of Valnuary, in the year 805 AF.