(04) - Court Marshal

"Griffonclaw FitzSilver, of the Defenders of the Light, you are accused of murder and sedition. How do plead?" intoned Archbishop Benedictus, opening the proceedings. He sat int he center position of the long table, as was his right as leader of those empanelled in the court marshal procedings.

Around the table sat Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker, the head of Griffonclaw's order, as well as officers Katherine the Pure and Arthur the Faithful. The Archbishop and Bishop Farthing represented the Church of the Light.

"Not guilty" answered Griffonclaw from where he stood in the docket, ready to answer the charges leveled against him, charges brought by Bishop DeLavey, and who stood as Prosecutor in this matter.

"Very well" said the Archbishop, turning to where Bishop DeLavey stood, ready to begin. "Bishop Delavey, you may begin."

"Thank you, Your Grace" answered DeLavey, bowing to his superior. "I shall briefly recount the facts as presented by Corporal Detwillinger; to wit, that during an Alliance raid on the troll village known as Sen'Jin, that Griffonclaw did attack and murder Private Pincairne, a member of the squad to which Griffonclaw was attached and which Corporal Detwillinger commanded. That Griffonclaw disobeyed the subsequent order of Corporal Detwillinger to disarm and surrender himself for arrest. And finally, that the speech which Griffonclaw used, in full hearing of the rest of the squad, was filled with seditious - if not treasonous - ideas."

Reaching into his pouch, the Bishop pulled forth a scroll, and handed it to the Archbishop. "This is a transcript of the aforementioned speech, in which Griffonsbane casts doubt on the mission, the judgement of the leaders of the Alliance, and the nature of the Horde."

The court was silent as the court-marshal panel reviewed the speech.

"I have a question for the accused, Your Grace" began Katherine the Pure, who had been one of Griffonclaw's instructors in his noviate. The Archbishop signaled that she might continue. "Griffonclaw FitzSilver, you have denied the charges; what do you offer in your own defense?" There was no question as to whether or not Griffonclaw would tell the truth - not only was his veracity in the past testimony to his integrity, but both members of the Church and Order used cantrips during trials to detect falsehood.

"Simply, that the charges brought against me are murder, which is untrue, and that I was seditious, which is also untrue."

"How so?" asked Katherine.

"Mistress Katherine, respected members of the panel, I need not dwell too much on definition of murder; if I kill someone trying to rob me at sword's point, I am not a murderer. If I step between a Defias bandit and kill him when he attempts to rob someone else, I am not a murderer" Griffonclaw began. "I do not deny that I confronted and killed Private Pincairne, but I did so in the name of the Light, and justice - not through any personal malice, or as His Grace would have you believe, through treasonous motivation."

"Bah!" exploded his accuser. "You challenged and killed an Alliance soldier during a raid into enemy territory!"

Griffonclaw waited for the Bishop to continue. When it was obvious that he would not, Griffonclaw added "I challenged and killed a criminal after witnessing his committing a crime." Griffonclaw turned to face the panel. "The commander of the expedition, Lady Hoteshim, has declined to press charges against me in this matter..."

"Because, unlike you, she would spare the Church and your Order the embarrassment of a public trial!" interjected his accuser. "She expects that in closed court, we would see judgement done!"

"...because..." Griffonclaw continued, raising his voice to shout over the Bishop. "...Private Pincairne was engaged in raping a civilian during the raid."

"There is no such thing as a troll civilian" the Bishop raged. "They're all barely better than animals!"

"Well, first of all," corrected Griffonclaw, "it was an orc woman, and not a troll." He turned back to the panel. "But that wouldn't have changed my actions, nor my feelings."

"We are engaged in a war, and General Johnathan has strict guidelines about the harming of civilians; clearly, rape is harm."

"Corporal Detwillinger claims that she was an enemy combatant who had cast aside her weapon" countered the Bishop.

"Corporal Detwillinger was complicit, by allowing it to take place" sneered Griffonclaw. "He allowed it to happen, and stood by. I came upon them, and they all drew steel on me, telling me to mind my own business."

"And you took it upon yourself to kill Private Pincairne, on your own authority?" asked Lord
Grayson, frowning.

"My Lord, I'd have killed the whole unit if I had witnessed their guilt. Caught in the act, Pitcairne stood a priori convicted by his own actions - I merely rendered judgement, as is required of our Order."

"I see" he said, sitting back in his chair.

Bishop Lavey saw that he was losing the sympathy of the court. "And the seditious little speech?" he asked, a mocking tone in his voice. "Claiming that the Horde are as good as we are?"

"With respect, Your Grace, you take me out of context" replied Griffonclaw. "I said that some members of the Horde are no worse than some of the members of the Alliance, and I still believe that. There are honorable warriors of the Orc race who are more virtuous in chivalry than the unlamented Private Pitcairne could ever hope to be. The Tauren oppose us because they would have their own territories undespoiled, not because they worship demons - they were our allies against the Burning Legion in times past, and helped save the land. There are trolls who are less offensive to my eyes than many Warlocks, who consort openly with the infernal, and practice the foulest brand of necromancy! Expediency and politics grant them immunity from the Light, but surely trolls who merely try defend their homes are less pernicious than those who unashamedly consort with the Burning Ones?"

He pulled himself erect. "I stand by my words, and the shame they cast on those who participated in the attrocity. I stand by my rendering justice upon a rapist, caught in the act. I hold that rather than somehow being traitorous, the higher virtue was served in purging ourselves of criminals, and condemning everyone on the basis of their actions, rather than the accident of their condition."

Bishop Delavey turned to the panel. "The accused stands convicted, by his own words. The filth of the Horde is deserving of nothing but eradication, and while perhaps they should have slain the orc out of hand, their lives should have been the Alliance's to spend in the conflict, not to satisfy the sense of outrage of one man, even a member of the Defenders of the Light"

"Both sides have been heard. We shall now retire and deliberate, and render our verdict upon the morrow" informed the Archbishop.

Griffonclaw returned to the Stockade, where he had been since his return to the city. He had not been arrested, or place under guard, but rather had voluntarily went during the period of his court-marshal.

The next morning he was released.

The panel had acquitted him - two to two, with one abstension. The next day he was summoned to Lord Grayson, who assigned him to patrol Loch Modan for a month - punishment duty, or compromise? Griffonclaw didn't know, and the members of the board were forbidden to discuss the proceedings of the deliberation.