The Trial of Nowhere

==The Battlefield==

Queen Granny Longtooth, hag of hags and thorn in the side of Daring Heights since its inception, lay dead on the ground. Dozens of giants, hags, demons and trolls also lay scattered across the vast battlefield in this remote canyon. The Feywild’s tendency towards the extreme made the smell of blood and death in the air particularly intense.
One other body lay on the ground, though they still lived - Nowhere, the tiefling warlock who had precipitated this whole calamitous confrontation. Around him stood adventurers - his friends, colleagues, perhaps enemies - and all knew that this was a difficult moment.
After the battle, there were many conflicting opinions of what should be done about Nowhere, but the effects of Taffeta’s poison keeping him unconscious meant they had a little time to decide.
Val, long-time companion of the warlock, protected Nowhere from any who would do him harm as they argued over what to do next, and even gave him several potions to heal him. That did not, however, wake him up.
Ultimately, the group decided that they at least needed to get him back to Daring and to keep him secure. A phenomenally powerful arcanist like Nowhere would have many resources to escape or cause mischief should he want to on his awakening. As the guards, even the larger dungeon at the fort in town, did not have the means to hold someone as powerful as this warlock, keeping him in his room at The Hung Rabbit seemed reasonable, as at least it was out of the way.
The Hung Rabbit patrons had seldom seen so many of the most powerful figures in Daring within their walls, so the atmosphere was a little tense while people discussed possibilities. A contingent of guards also took up station outside the Hung Rabbit, under strict instructions from Sergeant-at-Arms Grimes that they are not, repeat not, under Sergeant Val's command.
Val remained in the room by Nowhere's side. Taffeta went to the guardhouse and gave a full statement to Captain Thundercog about the day’s tumultuous events, and once Grimes had established a watch presence on the building he also went to make his reports on the situation. After a few hours of pacing, the doors to the Hung Rabbit swung open, and Aurelia Archselon arrived with several people in tow: Captain Thundercog, Captain Cordelia Jadefist of the military and Coll from the Ettin. With Rholor present, these 5 people represented a majority on the Town Council.
"This is a dangerous and critical situation," Aurelia informed those waiting in the tavern. "If he is to be guarded, he can remain here, though I will also stay to add to the protections on him. Jenna can work the portal for a time. However, the Council will hold a hearing tomorrow to decide what his fate shall be with relation to Daring Heights."
With that, the other three council members, Thundercog, Jadefist and Coll, all leave to make their preparations for the following day.
That evening, many visitors met with Nowhere, though only Val, Aurelia and Nowhere himself may have known what was said in those dark hours before the trial.

===The Trial Begins===

The Council met the following day, in a rare judicial case. There was a room in the Town Hall for these official purposes, a fairly stark, unadorned room with a long table for the Council in front, a few seats before the table for those on trial, and then some benches behind for witnesses and spectators.
The nine council members were already seated when everyone else arrived: Kensington, Tabetha and Jean of the Noble seats; Aurelia, Samed and Rholor of the Citizen seats; and Cordelia, Thundercog and Coll from the Warden seats.
Nowhere was escorted in, flanked by two guards and sat at a small wooden chair in the centre before the judges. He was not shackled, however among the guards in the room several mages were clearly visible to the crowd.
Many people came to watch, though priority was given to those prepared to give statements in this council. Once everyone was seated, Aurelia stood up to address the room.
"Today is a singular event in the history of Daring Heights, though it is one I have feared would come for a long time. This town was founded on the idea that adventurers were people who could help make this town safer and open up new opportunities for us all with their exploits. Now, one of those adventurers has shown themselves to be of both questionable character and judgement, and sadly this is someone of incredible power - making this a more complicated situation.
Nowhere, you sit before this Council today so that we may decide your fate in relation to Daring Heights, and we appreciate that you have cooperated with the authorities thus far since your return to town. There are numerous crimes laid at your feet, which I have yet to hear any evidence to contradict. Any one of these would be a serious matter. Most prominently, these acts include the kidnapping of Taffeta Thistletop’s family, and the sacrificing of an unknown number of humanoids.
Separate to all of this, you have personally raised an army of monstrous creatures and levelled them at a foreign power, namely Queen Granny Longtooth of Witchhold. Though you did not do this in connection to Daring Heights, the ties you have here and the delicate relationship we have always had with Queen Longtooth made this at least in part, a threat to the city. You did this without consultation with the authorities of Daring Heights, and in fact with the consultation, if I understand the situation correctly, of a fiend who is well known to have committed one of the greatest atrocities this town has ever seen and which the The Temple of Waukeen is still recovering from to this day.
The results of this endeavour of yours was, according to all reports I have seen, very nearly unsuccessful and in fact it appears that your fellow adventurers' timely intervention is the only reason that you did not perish yesterday. I invite you, and everyone here, to consider what would have happened if you had failed, and Granny survived.
All of this is to say that the Council will determine your fate today, Nowhere. Capital punishment is something we have avoided as much as possible, as exile to Faerûn is simple and effective. However there is the important moral question with that - would we just be passing you off to create further threats to international, even interplanar peace and security elsewhere? I remain... undecided. We could even decide that no punishment is necessary and let you continue with your life as you wish. I find that unlikely however given the grievous extent of your reported actions."
Aurelia pauses for a moment here, and looks past Nowhere to the rest of the room.
"The Council will now hear statements. Any of you with credible witness to these events and to Nowhere may give a statement, whether in his favour or against him, or even a neutral witness account. We will be hearing from the City Watch their reports on the matter as well. Nowhere will have the opportunity to speak at the end. Let this Council session commence."

===Sergeant Val===

Before any could step forward formally, Val, the legendary fighter, called out from the back of the hall, himself fully dressed in armour with his hand deep inside his satchel. His body was poised as he shouted out:
"You call Nowhere out, when without him this damn town and all in it would be corrupted or dead. Are your memories so short? Without Nowhere, the Twilight would have run through Daring and corrupted all.
It is he who rallied allies from across the land, who fought together - the Erina, the Grungs and the Boli's. These allies you on the council now turn a blind eye to, while the people of Daring now steal the land and the resources from those who were here long before you.
It was Nowhere who stopped civil war, as the likes of Porky Pie, Corporal Niall, Farmer Merrick and corrupted Priests encouraged a racist movement across the city. It was Nowhere who stopped this.”
The Council listened uncomfortably at this, but Val pressed on. “I have seen Nowhere save the lives of men, women and children. While these other heroes across the city have stolen ancient artefacts, killed innocents and take power at every opportunity.
It is Nowhere who built a library to educate the people while others built halls of crime, or temples for their own pride, and you fools sit there and point fingers about issues in a foreign land. Then point fingers at me for those I have killed on the cliffs of the Sword Coast, outside the walls of Candlekeep, and the alleys of Waterdeep."
With this Val pulled his hand from his satchel. In his hand was the grey head of a hag, its hair clumped and clotted with blood, the nose flattened.
"And you call Nowhere forward for ridding the world of these fiends." He threw the head forward, landing on the floor with a thud.
"What town wouldn't pay a man to kill witches. And this man does it freely. You should praise him not question him."
Val let his words hand. A smile crosses his face as silence fills the air. His hand then went to his sword as he breathed in, readying himself - alert, mindful. He waited like a crouching tiger.
The Council had sat through Val’s ‘statement’ patiently, though clearly stirred by his strong words. When he put his hand on his sword though, every guard also put a hand on a weapon and the mages freed up their hands.
Captain Thundercog, the gnomish commander of the City Watch, jumped to his feet on his chair and bellowed, "Sergeant stand down! We have heard your statement and now we will hear others. Make another hostile move and you WILL be arrested."
Val, motives still unclear, settled back down and faded into the back of the crowd.

===Tugark===

It was Tugark, the half-orc barbarian, still wearing the Circlet of Intellect, who approached the front for the first orderly statement. His points were simple and direct, but pertinent.
Firstly, he pointed out that Granny had never threatened anyone from Daring in response to Nowhere's prior actions, and Nowhere never threatened anyone from Daring either.
He looked back to Taffeta, dropped his head a little before returning his attention to the Council. “I say this as a witness to the whole series of events. Taffeta's family were never held against their will.”
From the public gallery, Taffeta shouted out, “Is that what he told you?”
Tugark continued. “They willing participants of a magic trick. None were harmed or threatened, her daughters were with their father the entire time. Taffeta could have returned to Daring with her family and sought the guard or council out herself --”
At this Taffeta stood up and shouted, “I fucking did!” She was looking not at Tugark but straight at Aurelia.
The Councils' eyes flick up to Taffeta during her outbursts. "Taffeta, you will have your opportunity to speak as well, please sit down," Aurelia calls over to the halfling woman, softly but firmly.
Nerry, sitting next to her, put his arms firmly around her and eased her back into her seat, whispering urgently to her. She sat, quietly.
After a moment, Tugark picked up where he left off. “However, she returned to help us, to help Nowhere achieve the task he laid before us - opening a portal to the Feywild.”
He went on, “Achieving that task is the reason that Daring was never directly threatened: Nowhere's army went straight from the mountains to the Feywild bypassing Daring all together.
Nowhere did only what he thought was right, on his own, at least in part in the interest of Daring Heights and Kantas at large. The bureaucracy of the council would have slowed things down, and got in the way before being able to do anything of significance against Granny (presuming that if Nowhere had gone through official channels he would not be seen as a threat).
Unsavoury at best, and machiavellian manipulation at worst, Nowhere's actions means we stand here today dealing with the,” he turned to Nowhere. "Forgive me, the lesser of two evils.
I say all this in Nowhere's defense that the council might let Nowhere leave Daring of his own volition rather than being cast out.”
With this speech, significantly longer than most had heard from the half-orc before, he returned to the back of the room where he stood against the wall, small benches crammed with townsfolk not being comfortable seating for him. The crowd bubbled with murmured discussions.

===Nerry Shortcrust===

A halfling man stepped forward next, dressed more smartly and more soberly than his acquaintances or customers had seen before, clean-shaven and tidy-haired. As the chamber went quiet he looked down at his hands, which tightly gripped a russet-coloured cap. His mouth opened but nothing very audible came out. He cleared his throat and tried again.
“Nerry Shortcrust, your excellencies. I, er, thank you kindly for letting me talk here. Most, uh…,” he glanced up and around the room, then down again. “M-most of you know me, I think. I’m not much for talking in public. I just though I should, that is, I ought to say a bit about what happened.”
He paused and seemed to be waiting, as if he expected someone to interrupt. No one did.
“Well, we went to the circus. It was Idari’s birthday just before, that’s my youngest. So we thought it’d be nice, you know. Well we went, like I said, and there was the big tent, and we went in – beg your pardon, I should have said, this was me and my wife, and our girls, and Miss Daisy was there, and…,” he looked back at Tugark and a moment of sadness interrupted the worry on his face. “... and Mister Tugark and Miss Carrot, and Miss, uh, Lady Sunday, and Mister Grimes.” Nerry did not look at Grimes. “And in the show, the magician – I mean to say, there was a sort of conjurer, I think his name was Illison, he was performing. He asked my girls to come up, for a trick I thought it was, and, well, I didn’t know, you see, none of us knew there was anything… and Idari wanted to go…” He fell quiet a moment and collected himself. “So up they went, and took them to a sort of big painted cupboard, and then he asked me to go up and go to another cupboard, and then he put me in there and closed it.”
“Inside there was a huge tall woman holding a torch – I mean, not in the cupboard, it wasn’t a cupboard inside, you see, it was a cave, or a tunnel, and the girls were there too, with this tall woman. She was dressed very strangely and, to be honest, I don’t mind saying I was rather frightened. She had a loud voice, I think she was trying to be quiet but she wasn’t. She told us the magic trick would take a long time and we were to wait there with her. She didn’t seem to mean us any harm, I don’t think, so I felt a little better. She said she was sorry we’d have to miss the show but we should come with her.”
“She took us to another room, another cave I suppose it was, and there was a fire there, like a campfire on the ground. There was a big huge chair that she sat in. We sat by the fire. There were some wooden toys there, she told the girls they could play with them. To be honest they don’t really play with toys like that anymore but Idari did pick them up and look at them a bit. She said to the girls they were in a big magic trick and all their friends would be impressed later.”
“Well we were there for quite some time, and it was cold, and the girls were bored, so I asked as nice as I could ‘can we leave now, please?’ but the giant woman said it would spoil the trick. I let it go for a while but I wasn’t happy, but I didn’t want to worry the children so I didn’t say too much then. It seemed like we waited a long time. I asked again and she said it was very important for us to stay there. It seemed like she was getting a bit impatient.”
“I was sure the magic show must have been over. It felt like more than an hour, even two. I kept saying, ‘please let us go, their mother is out there, she’ll be worried.’ I told her people would come looking for us and she said, ‘Yes, I expect your wife is on her way here.’ That really got me worried because I’d never seen nor heard of this giant woman before, so I said ‘what d’you know about my wife?’ but she wouldn’t answer that.”
“The girls were getting upset now. Idari was hungry. I didn’t have any food. Aila went quiet, which means she’s scared or unhappy. I tried everything I could think of – begging, threatening, offering money. She just said no, we couldn’t go. Said it was part of a big plan, we wouldn’t be harmed but she wouldn’t allow us to leave. I… I want to be fair, she didn’t threaten us exactly, she didn’t shout. But her voice was loud on its own, like I said, and she was very big, and we were mighty scared. Idari was crying a bit, but I gave her a cuddle and told her it would be okay, and she calmed down again. I decided we’d just have to wait. If I’d tried to take the girls away, that woman could have stopped us easily. One step and she’d have been on top of us for sure. And anyway it was very dark away from the fire, I wouldn’t have known where to go.”
“It must’ve been two or three hours we were there. Then all of a sudden the woman got up. I was afraid she was going to… I don’t know what. Something bad. So I gathered the girls behind me, but she leant down and gave me the torch – a great big thing it was – and told me to go back down the tunnel and meet my wife. I didn’t believe her and said I wouldn’t leave the girls. She leant very close to my face and said ‘They stay with me to make sure you bring your wife back here. They’ll be safe. Go.’ Then she put out a great big finger and gave me a push. I nearly fell over.”
“I didn’t know what to do. She’d got herself sort of in between me and my daughters now, not right between, sort of off to the side, but she could easily stop me getting to them. I could see them just holding on to each other. I didn’t want them to be scared so I said ‘It’s okay, I’ll just see if your mam’s here, I won’t go anywhere.’ I didn’t want to let them out of my sight either, so I sort of backed up away from the fire until I was near the tunnel. Then I could hear Taffeta’s voice down the tunnel and quickly fetched her back.”
“When they all came in – the others were with her, the ones I said earlier – anyway the giant woman started talking to them. I didn’t really follow what she was saying, I was too confused and distracted. She talked about destiny and war and things. But then that’s when… when Mister Nowhere came out from behind the big chair.”
“I don’t know how long he’d been there. But I know he didn’t seem anything like as surprised to see me and the girls as I was to see him. He seemed calm, sort of thing. Comfortable. Maybe a bit excited, even. And then the woman changed. She turned into… some sort of demon. That really frightened me. I hadn’t seen the creature before but I did hear Mister Grimes say the name ‘Pascal’ to himself. This Pascal and Mister Nowhere seemed to know each other. Nowhere said something about being sorry that Pascal’s methods were extreme, or something like that. He didn’t seem too upset, mind.”
“Well my wife quickly gathered up me and the girls and started taking us out of the cave. I remember being scared of what the demon might do, but he seemed to be just looking at Mister Nowhere, like he was waiting for instructions. I heard Mister Nowhere telling my wife not to go, but she kept moving us forward and we weren’t shy about going. Took young Carrot with us too. My wife took us back down the tunnel and sent us home, then she went back in.”
“There, um, there isn’t much more to tell, really. The girls were in quite a state when we got home, they were asking what it was all about and I didn’t know what to tell them. Aila asked if the monster was going to hurt her ma. She asked if it would have hurt us if we hadn’t done what it said.”
“I’ve wondered that myself, I must say. I don’t know the answer. Mister Tugark, I heard you say earlier that we volunteered, and how we weren’t threatened or held against our will. No disrespect to you, sir, I know you’ve done a lot for this town, and seeing as my girls are friends with your Carrot and all, but… We didn’t volunteer to be kept in a cave for hours, not knowing when we’d ever be allowed to leave. I don’t know if I can say we were threatened… She, I mean, he – didn’t say what would happen if we tried to leave. But for sure she told us she wouldn’t let us go, and… well, you’ve seen the size of me, Mister Tugark, and you saw the size of that woman. I surely felt threatened, I’m not too proud to say it. I felt scared. And you can imagine what my two girls felt.”
“Anyway, I suppose… I don’t know. No harm done, you could say. I suppose so. But somehow I can’t see my daughters enjoying a trip to the circus again, or volunteering for any magic tricks. Maybe that’s no harm to you brave folks…”
He fell silent, looking down again at the cap twisted in his hands.
“Well, I’ve taken enough of your time. Thank you for listening so patiently.”
Nerry gave a last nervous look at the assembly – everyone except Nowhere – and sat back down.

===Lady Sunday===

A relatively short figure standing in shadow at the edge of the hall stepped forward next.
In contrast to her normal, almost gaudy, appearance, Lady Sunday wore a long robe of pale green. The bone-dreads were gone; as were the nine horns in a concentric spiral pattern on the top of her bald skull. She was wearing none of her usual jewellery – just a large tooth on a cord around her neck, and a garland of daisies around her wrist. She carried no weapons of any kind.
As the lilac-coloured female Tiefling stepped forward, a large Goliath sitting a few rows from the back stopped taking notes, inhaled sharply and leaned forward to stare intently at her for a moment before resuming scribbling on a scroll - now much more urgently.
Lady Sunday seemed far less wired or energetic than normal – maybe this is why some of those present hadn’t noticed her until now. She moved forward to look up at Aurelia and the rest of the council.
“Council, may I have a say…?”
Thundercog gestured to the chair Nerry vacated. "Lady Sunday, I trust we can expect fewer antics than with Val... by all means speak your piece."
Lady Sunday nodded towards Val, “The angry, mad one is right. Historically, Nowhere has done a lot for this town and its inhabitants. He has educated them and protected them. His history speaks for itself. And no-one can argue that the outcome of this long-running conflict with Granny isn't preferable: that Daring may be safer in the future with her gone.
But good deeds and bad deeds don’t balance each other out. They stand separately and should be judged separately.”
Anyone with an ounce of Insight could tell there was a deeply introspective quality to these last words.
“Yes, during his time here, Nowhere has contributed to the protection of the town – but what of more recent times? How often has he actually been seen here in Daring during the last 12 months? How often has he spoken with the council or spent time with the people of Daring? Does he know what the best interests of this place are any more?
Aurelia, you said that this town was founded on the idea that adventurers were people who could help make this town safer. Safer for whom?”
She looked around the chamber.
“Many here can take care of themselves; maybe even rival the powers that Nowhere and Granny wield. But most beyond this chamber cannot. Do they feel safe around Nowhere? Around Val? Around Dorian? Around me? Even you, Aurelia and Rholor: you have citizen’s seats, but you are not truly part of the people – not anymore, not with the power you hold. And the nobles…?”
She scoffed.
“Coll and Cordelia probably have an idea of what the people need. Captain Thundercog seems honourable enough. Samed…. sorry, but I have literally no idea who or what you are.”
Lady Sunday paused before continuing, looking at Nowhere now. “He has managed to bring more danger to Daring's gates than any other I can think of. Including myself. Marshalling an army of giants, ogres, and trolls on the borders of the town; making alliances with Pascal; trading with and learning from Granny over the years; more recently, using the worst fears of Daring’s inhabitants to ‘set them free.’ And so much of this and more he did independently of any will or knowledge of the council or the wider populace. What happens if he does something that goes directly against Daring or he starts something he can’t control or finish?
Personally, I suspect Nowhere, given the choice, would choose to leave Daring either for a time or for good. I doubt any of us has the balls or the will to execute him, anyway.
Regardless, I'm not entirely sure it is just Nowhere who is on trial here. Many have and will say that anything he did that was dangerous to Daring was done in the name of its safety. I won’t argue with that – not because I necessarily agree but because I feel it is irrelevant: there are better ways to protect and grow a town and its people. It is their interests you should be thinking of and whether anyone's single-minded approach is suitable for a community; or whether any of you still even want to build a community. Or,” and she pointed back out the doors of the chamber. “Whether they want any of us here anymore.”

===Sergeant-at-Arms Grimes===

Following Lady Sunday’s testimony, Sergeant Vimes stared at Nowhere, Val and Tugark each for several seconds before stepping forward to address the Council and folk in the hall. Many present noticed that Grimes looked tired but also - for once - world-weary and older than his years – as though his usual energy, conviction and drive had drained from him.
“Members of the Council, citizens of Daring Heights…
I realise that I do not have the trust of some – perhaps many – of the citizens of Daring – particularly among the newer arrivals who have not seen and experienced some past events – and I fully understand why that is the case.
I stand here merely to vouch for Nowhere as a friend both in terms of his past efforts to protect Daring from several significant threats and from the number of times when we have stood together against evil.
I do not and cannot agree with or condone many of Nowhere’s methods or how Mistress Thistletop’s family was ill-used during our bizarre ‘test of free will’ at the Circus.
Whilst Nowhere’s actions and activities leading up to the battle with Granny and her army are rightly a cause for concern and sanction, I would remind everyone – especially our newer citizens – of the danger Granny has always posed and that her activities and manipulation of people ever since Daring came into being were not unknown and many of my reports – first to the Mayor and then to the Council have highlighted this.
A cleverer man than me once said ‘All that evil requires to triumph is for good men to do nothing’. That is not an empty quote – I’ve seen it happen and I vowed to never let that be the case again – anywhere I was present.
I am concerned that the danger Granny posed might be minimised at these proceedings and, indeed, find it concerning that such an evil being is given any suggestion of formal recognition by referring to her as a ‘foreign power’, namely Queen Granny Longtooth of Witchhold.
I am first and foremost a simple copper. I took an oath to protect and serve the citizens of Daring Heights and combat any threats – domestic and foreign. I admit that I have looked at Authority for orders and then filtered those orders through a fine mesh of common sense, adding a generous scoop of creative misunderstanding and maybe even incipient deafness if circumstances demanded, because Authority rarely descends to street level. I can see now from the viewpoint of some that I am not trusted to serve officially as a member of the Watch so I will be tendering my resignation immediately after these proceedings.”
Grimes looked Nowhere straight in the face.
“As a friend and force against evil and past protector of Daring long before many who now judge came to this land, I trust Nowhere and stand by him as a character reference but, whilst I believe his motives were good, I cannot in all conscious agree with all of his methods.”
Grimes returned slowly to his seat and sat down with his head up.
(With respect to Sir Terry Pratchett)

===Taffeta Thistletop===

“I’ve something to say,” announced Taffeta Thistletop, rising from her seat.
“I didn’t think I would. When I came here I didn’t plan to say anything. But I’ve been hearing a lot about the past, and how Nowhere's done such and such that us newcomers don't appreciate. What about the future? What kind of town is this if we let someone like him stay here?
Up in that mountain camp, Nowhere’s army were keeping human prisoners. Chained together and locked up, freezing, starving. Some were children. Daisy and I saw five of them get their throats cut in front of our eyes. Some of you are very concerned about whether anybody from this town got hurt or not. Maybe they weren't from our town, but d’you think that makes the one who did that to them any less of a danger to us? You expect people to live in a town with someone who’ll imprison, starve, and murder defenceless people?
How about those wretched people in the circus who got tied up and put in a line so that we’d have to kill one of them to get my husband and daughters back? One of them was just a frightened child. When we found a way to avoid killing any of them, one of them actually asked us to kill him because that was the only way his family would get the money they’d been promised. And the kind of twisted, dangerous man who’d set up those people to be murdered is someone we should keep around for old times’ sake?
Somebody went to the trouble of making a magic mirror specially to force Lady Sunday to relive a childhood so horrible that most of us couldn’t even imagine it – and then trapped her in her own six-year-old body so she couldn’t stop reliving those memories however hard she tried. Tugark, you saw what it did to her. How long did we wait for her to finish smashing everything in that tent? But none of you have ever given a fuck about her, have you?” Taffeta turned to Lady Sunday. ‘Lady, I'm sorry to bring all this up. I know you've made some kind of peace with what happened, but I haven't. And I want to know if the Council expect us to live with someone who would do that to you.”
“Nerry’s told you all what happened to him and our children. They aren’t fighters or adventurers. They just wanted a fun night at the circus. But that whole circus, the whole thing, was just a big set-up to play mind-games with a few adventurers and force us to listen to a tedious speech. You think someone who would do that, who would use innocent people – children – like that, is someone you can trust to know right from wrong? Someone my daughters should have to pass in the street? I don't care if he thought he was saving the town. I don't care if he did save the town. If this is a town that my family can't feel safe in, that ordinary decent families can't feel safe in, tell me why the hell it deserves saving.
Now there’s just one more thing I want to say. I know some of you have been getting little notes from Nowhere, having cosy little chats with him. And I’ve heard he’s been telling some of you that everything I’ve just talked about was Pascal’s doing and he knew nothing about it. Well I say: you’re a liar, Nowhere.”
Her flushed face turned towards the warlock now, her jaw tense, Taffeta continued:
“I was there when you took us all on your jolly jaunt to kill Raxivort. Do you remember what you said to him before that fight, when he was complaining about the xvarts? I remember. ‘You’re a bad manager,’ you were telling him. ‘Good managers don’t blame their subordinates for their failures. You couldn’t get the xvarts to help you, but I’ve inspired them to build walls and cities,’ you said. ‘Good management is getting people to support you and willingly help you achieve your goals,’ you told him, while Tugark was merrily smacking him on the head for you with the warhammer you gave him. ‘Good managers don’t rely on their tools but on the people they gather around them,’ you said, and there was good old Pascal trying to get Raxivort’s magic amulet off him. ‘Good management inspires teams to work together,’ you said, and lo and behold, Tugark nearly hacked his arm off while Varis cut his knees out from under him. You were proud of your good management, weren’t you? You gathered your team, you knew what we could all do, you knew we’d fight to help you get what you wanted. Including Pascal. You may not have given us detailed instructions, but a good manager doesn’t need to do that, does he? You ‘inspired’ us and put us to work on Raxivort. You knew we’d get the job done and you didn’t mind how we did it.”
“You knew Pascal better than any of us. You knew what he was capable of and how he’d behave if he was left to his own devices. You knew, and you set him loose against your own friends and neighbours. And then when we were there under the mountain, you had a good laugh about it, didn’t you? ‘Look,’ you told us, ‘I’ve reformed Pascal: he hasn’t tried to kill any of you… yet!’ What a good joke you thought that was.
How long were you there in the cave before you came out of the shadows? When you saw Nerry and my girls being kept there, did you rush out and tell Pascal ‘What’s all this, these people weren’t meant to be involved, let them go at once’? When Pascal told them they couldn’t leave, did you step in? When you saw what he’d done to Lady Sunday and she told you she was going to kill him for it, what did you say? ‘He’s the only one who can lead my army against Granny.’ Because you didn’t care what he’d done to her, or to anyone else: you needed him to get what you wanted.
I don’t know how much of his plans he told you. You knew enough to know that there were eight keys and we only needed one – I remember you smirking when you told us. Did you know what we had to do to get those keys? Did you suggest ideas for the best ways he could torment each of us? Or did you just tell him your goal and turn a blind eye to how he did it? I don’t know, but I know getting the job done was more important to you than anyone he might hurt doing it. So you can tell your old pals you didn't know, you didn't mean it to be like that, it wasn't your fault. But I know you're lying. Maybe you're even lying to yourself. It's time to stop.
Your hands didn’t lay the stones for your library but you took credit for it. When the xvarts rebuilt the town at your command, you didn’t draw the plans or approve the schedules but you took credit for it. Some people here want us to give you credit for a lot of other things too. Fine. I’ll give you credit for all that. That’s right and proper. But it’s time for you to take responsibility for the hurt and the danger that you’ve caused. ‘Good managers’,” Taffeta practically spat at Nowhere as she took her seat again, “‘don’t blame their subordinates’.”

===Nowhere===

Throughout the statements, the Council had been obviously moved, though they did their best to calm their expressions. When Taffeta sat down again, and all others had said their piece, Captain Jadefist stood up.
"We have heard a lot of details and passionate words today. Now we will give Nowhere an opportunity to respond." She motions to Nowhere. "You do not have to make a statement on your behalf, but this is your opportunity to do so before we retire for our deliberations."
Nowhere rose to his feet, and stayed silent for a few moments, surveying those around him. Finally he broke the silence.
"I had no intention to make a statement. I have stood up to correct something so that Ms Thistlestop has a proper understanding of the situation, as I believe I owe her that explanation."
Nowhere turned to face Taffeta. "Regardless of what you may have heard about the notes and the meetings I have had since my return to Daring, the truth is that those meetings were for me to make peace with those I have spent time with in this town - the people I have fought with and fought against. I have no interest in scheming now.
As for Pascal......I asked Pascal to set up the Circus. I told him that I wanted each of you to understand that you should no longer be led by others, but to make your own decisions. I never told him the specifics of how. Do I then blame him for what happened to you, and your colleagues. No. I absolutely take responsibility for that..... If I had known what he had planned beforehand would I have stopped him from doing it.....No. It achieved what I wanted it to achieve.
The only decision I made that I regret in this whole situation is the treatment of the beheaded slaves. That was something I lost control of, that should not have happened, and those deaths are on my head......
However, I have many, many, many others deaths on my head Ms Thistlestop, and they should not be discounted just because they are the heads of goblins, xvarts, dark elves, orcs or demigods. Most of those will have had families, and beliefs that what they were doing was just. I am afraid that that is life in Daring Ms Thistlestop, death, sacrifice, and murder is the way of the world here.
You ask what type of town this is to have me here. Ms Thistlestop, this is a town of liars, thieves and murderers.... and those that choose to live in Daring know they are surrounded by liars, thieves and murderers... but the innocents of Daring call them adventurers. I murdered, coerced, lied, dealt and stole from the few to try and keep the many of Daring alive. Ms Thistlestop, if you brought you family to Daring to keep them safe, then I think you have made a grave mistake."
Nowhere then turned back to the Council. "If you think banishment, or death is the correct course of action to demonstrate justice, then so be it... but if you think by removing me, you have removed the most dangerous thing in Daring, I think you are making a dangerous assumption."
Nowhere fell silent, but remained standing, staring at the Council members one by one.

===The Verdict===

After Nowhere's testimony, the Council withdrew, and the doors were opened to allow people outside while they deliberated. Nowhere was quietly escorted to a side chamber.
The Council's discussion lasted some time, and the winter sun had already dipped behind the mountains to the west and the lanterns had been lit in the street by the time people were called back in for their decision.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Nowhere was walked to the centre of the room before the Council. Aurelia stood, and for a moment it was strange and striking to see two scholars who had studied Kantas and defended the town for years together standing mere feet apart, a table between them, one about to pass judgement on the other.
"Thank you all for being here, and thank you to all those who have been willing to speak before us today. We recognise this is not an easy thing to do. Equally, this is not an easy situation to preside over. The Council has heard the testimonies from both character and event witnesses, and has come to a decision regarding Nowhere, adventurer and former librarian.
When discussing this we had some key determinations to make. Many of Nowhere's most egregious actions were done far beyond Daring's walls, can this Council hold him to account for them? Nowhere consorts freely with fiends and giants to an exceptional degree and his motives and intentions are even now unclear, does he pose a threat to this town?
Ultimately Nowhere, we came to several decisions.
You will be held to account for everything you have done that we are aware of. What happened to the Thistletop family was imprisonment on the part of your associate Pascal, and regardless of your intentions you were fully aware of the dangers involved and so are responsible. The murder of the unnamed captives in the mountains is similarly your responsibility. These crimes all hang on your shoulders. The war against Granny could be deemed a danger to Daring, but it is your decision-making and actions leading up to the battle that are of the greatest concern to us. They show a crucial disregard for humanoid lives.
You have therefore been deemed criminally dangerous to Daring Heights and its people. Our decision then was a choice between exile - our traditional form of punishment in this town - or execution."
Aurelia paused, walked around the table and came to stand in front of it, so there were no barriers between her and Nowhere, eyes cast down. When she finally raised her eyes to his again, there was a look of disappointment there along with an expression of celestial finality in her Aasimar features.
"Nowhere, I want you to know that that decision came down to a single vote. You are hereby exiled from Daring Heights and its lands for eternity."
As voices murmured in the crowd, Aurelia's wings unfolded from behind her, and her full angelic demeanour was displayed. "You will be escorted to the border or a portal of your choice and you will be gone from our lands within the hour. Know that should you ever return to Daring or its environs ever again, the full force of our might will be brought down upon you.”
She paused, and then continued solemnly. “I will kill you, Nowhere. Now make your preparations and learn to be better. You have so much else in you than this garbled philosophy."
Nowhere looked at her expressionless, and replied almost immediately. “I think I have learnt enough for several lifetimes Aurelia.
I came into Daring with just the clothes on my back. I will leave the same way."
Nowhere looked around the chambers and went to speak. He stopped himself, folded his arms, and smiled.
"I am ready now."
Aurelia gestured to the guards, opened a golden rift in the air with a wave of her hand, and she, Nowhere and a few guards stepped through it.
In moments, they were gone.
"Shit." Val scratched at the stubble on his face. He barged through a small group talking and out of the doors into the cold air.
By the next morning his home had been emptied and sold for a small sum. He took little with him as he left town to begin his search for Nowhere.