Recent news has come to light regarding the details of the Stillwater Summit, a joint-faction gathering that took place before the Mulmaster crisis. It featured high ranking representatives from every major faction, gathered at a secret location, and discussed terms in response to the Shadowtop Cathedral Doctrine.
Up until this point, most of what has been known to the public is this: negotiations were still under way when Mulmaster was annexed by Thay. After that, the summit was broken and never met again; a consensus never being reached.
However, over the past few days, several members of the summit have come forward with new details surrounding the collapse of the summit along with a never-before seen signed agreement. In a shocking turn of events, it seems that an agreement was reached and signed at the summit, but never made it to the public or even back to the Harpers.
Multiple accounts all point to one critical cause of this: the disappearance of Harper signatory and delegate Orianna Vrago and her summit messenger. They disappeared around a critical time while carrying a signed version of the final agreement back to the Harpers. Before their disappearance was discovered, Mulmaster had been attacked by Thay, and the summit fell apart.
High Harper Malkyn Fenris reached out to us with a letter on the situation, including his personal account of the event and an accusation of Thayan meddling:
As a Harper representative at the Stillwater Summit, I find this news to be of dire import. The fact that the Thayans allegedly intercepted this document before it be reaching us is most concerning. The fact that our delegate Orianna Vrago went missing at the same time is even more so.
Ye see, after the initial deliberations were resulting in an impasse, several of our delegation felt obligated to pursue other avenues of expelling Thay from Mulmaster. At the summit, I be realizing that the Elemental Rifts provide Thay raw untapped magical energies, and when combined with the Writhing Batteries and shards of the Soulmonger – it be giving the Thayans more than enough magick. Putting two and two together, I be drawing the conclusion that Szass Tam may be attempting to subvert the weave in order to divert its flow exclusively to himself, and his Thayan followers.
I felt it be most important for me to research as much as I could about the Writhing Batteries, which be leading me deep into a recently discovered Mythal beneath the Glacier of the White Wyrm alongside several other High Harpers, and a few of the other Faction leaders. As a result, I only be keeping the loosest of tabs on the ongoing negotiations, but to the best of me knowledge, they were still at an impasse.
And then Orianna disappeared, and none at the Twilight Hall have heard from her since, so we incorrectly assumed that the negotiations had broken down, believing it be the obstinance of the Zhentarim, or Lords Alliance. We were not concerned at her absence however, as we simply assumed she had other pressing matters to attend to, and her absence at the Twilight Hall could be attributed to her returning to those activities.
The rest as they say, is common history. The Red War happened, and the factions were each bitter at the other for the negotiations failing. Only now to learn that the summit had reached an agreement, and that an accord had been signed, but that it had been intercepted by our foe in order to spread discord between the five factions, and to learn that the Lords Alliance be holding the Harpers in poor faith, for failing to uphold our own agreements.
Most puzzling to me personally being that while the High Harpers had voted to reject the first attempted resolution, none of us outside her esteemed Lady Vrago had seen the final accord which bears her signature. Harper protocol would have dictated that she show us the proposed accord prior to her signing, and with this accord being signed during the time she went missing, is most concerning indeed.
There is much and more to consider. We Harpers have been bitter at the Lords Alliance and Zhentarim for the negotiations failing for many long months. And now to learn that the Lords Alliance have been bitter with us for failing to keep our commitments. Thay be dividing us even before we had a chance to muster a resistance. It only proves the danger that Szass Tam represents.
It be me intention that this misunderstanding and discord that has risen between the factions be put to rest as the meddling of Red Wizards who meant to divide us. Our alliance is strongest when we work together. Our victories over Vorgansharax in Phlan, and Graz’zt in Maerimydra are a testament to what we can achieve when we act in unity.
That be me goal. To reunify the factions in common purpose against the foe which would divide us.
Sincerely,
Malkyn Fenris, High Harper and Archmage of Phlan
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Orianna Vrago, please contact the nearest government or Harper official.
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