[Guards of Primus] Introduction of Power

Keldon Elsdragon · November 18, 2006, 03:36 AM

Keldon made a brief smirk behind the sergeant's back, he was aware of the mans rank by his uniform. Keldon was sure to study the cities military structure while in the Empires Capital. He had most of the uniform's and ranks remembered by now. As he opened the door for Keldon and introduced his presance he noticed the man mispronounce his name. Another smirk coming to his face, and he corrected the sergeant as he walked past him. "The name is Elsdragon sergeant, I will only correct you once." He said while sending the man a small glare, with no real emotion behind it other then a basic look. Keldon was not going to be the joke, or entertainment of anyone while he was here. Atleast not while in the presance of those he commanded, unless otherwise informed however.

"Lovely brightening is it not Lady Careddyn?" Keldon said with a smile as he entered the room, moving past the Sergeant. Tiliting his head towards the Commander he moved towards her desk, "Please take a seat General, this is your office and I am here to visit you to discuss my new office, and how your guards, and you yourself will assist me in making the city, and perhaps the province and beyond better for everyone living within." He said with another smile, reaching one of the chairs infront of the Commanders desk.

After she ways done first introducing herself and the like Keldon would ask her with a smile. "So tell me about yourself Commander," leaving the question rather openended to see how she would answer it.

Adder · November 23, 2006, 06:45 PM

The sergeant kept his face impassive as he was corrected for he'd made his point and from now he'd reserve his judgement. His commander took note of the exchange and doubtless she would deal with it in her own time, but for now she'd not take the sergeant to task, not until her visitor was gone at the least and she was pleased that Keldon didn't take it further else she would have had to step in.

"That will be all Sergeant." Her expression said everything that needed to be said and that worthy nodded shortly to her before leaving them alone.

"Thank you your Excellency," she replied as she took her seat once more and listened attentively. Pleasantries done with she considered his question for a moment before avoiding it. "I'm sure that my record speaks for itself." She smiled to take any sting out of her words, but for now she had similar reservations to her Sergeant for not only was she from one of the most powerful families in the city, she also headed it's Guard. Keldon for all his rank was technically higher than hers had yet to impress her, though she was fair minded enough to allow him the chance and that he'd written before did much to raise him in her estimation.

Keldon Elsdragon · November 24, 2006, 12:19 AM

A graceful smile touched Keldon's face. "Yes General, your record speaks for yourself and rather well at that." He said with a smile, and in a welcoming tone as not to cause a problem or any stress between the two he continued. "But yet what appears on the papers that I am presented with can hardly give me the information into one's character, who they are, the type of person they represent. Your record shows me your service, who you are, your accomplishments. It gives me the ability to judge how much faith I can entrust into you, and from what I have seen you have my respect and that is why I envision a larger involvement from you, and your guards within the city. Along with what I hope will evolve into a close working relationship between us." He said his smile leaving his face and the look of a commander appearing, one which was now being very observant of his surroundings and was willing to expand his own knowledge.

"General, I will be frank and direct as in the future I would request you do the same with me. From your record and from the impression I get from you in person you are someone who will represent me throughout the city. Weather directly or in-directly is regardless, you are my strength, you are the arm that enforces the law of not only myself. But the rest of the province and empire within the confines of this city." Leaning forward within his seat looking the lady in the eye. "Before I move forward I wish to offer you a secondary position added to your own, your status gives you a high level of authority within the city. However it can restrict you, I wish to rely on you as my second hand within the city, and thus I would like to offer you the position of Equite (Assistant Thane). You would still remain the Commander of the Guard primarily however with the role it would give you a little more responsibility and should I be absent you would represent me." He said calmly, he was about to entrust a large and important service to the Captain, but her record did speak for herself and he was someone who judged someone quickly and the Commander was someone he could rely on. Or so he hoped.

Adder · November 25, 2006, 06:29 PM

The Commander sat back and listened carefully her eyes narrowing a little and once he was done she merely sat for a while, considering the implications of what he had said.

She sat upright and leant her elbows on the desk. "An interesting offer for all of the flattery that accompanied it. But let us be clear about one thing, this city stretches the Guard to breaking point and beyond, such that sometimes we have to ask the help of the Legion to assist us."

She was interested in his offer, for the truth was that she had climbed the ranks in the Guard and now there was nowhere to go. Either she settled here or she made the move to somewhere else, somewhere that there was something to acheive beyond merely doing her job well. The offer wasn't one that she had considered before, but it was interesting, though perhaps not on the terms that it was offered.

"A Guard Commander who failed to give her full attention to the job would be failing those beneath her. If you truly beleive what you said about the importance of the Guard then you would realise that it needs more resources not less." If she took his offer then she intended to ensure that she left a parting gift for her successor, for it would be a successor since she meant what she said.

Keldon Elsdragon · November 25, 2006, 06:48 PM

Keldon nodded his head to the Commander with a smile, "I agree General, and the first order of business I plan to do within the city is hiring new guards, to reinforce your numbers, increase the funding for your equipment, training and other needs. As a Capital we are far to relyent on the Provincial Military, if they were to leave it would leave this city virtually defenseless if a full scale war were to break out." Leaning into the chair he looked around the room briefly and then back to the Commanders eye.

"Once the Governor arrives I intend to discuss several proposals with her, along with a adamant friend of mine. Among those I intend to request a transfer of a portion of the Phoenix Legion to the city guard to bolster there ranks, I will also be discussing the idea with the Provincial General once the time is right." His face changed slightly, "However I do agree with you that as a Commander your responsibility are to those under you and to the protection of the city. However, as my right hand it will give you more of a ability to effect change and the status your guards hold, and many other smaller details. I could present the position for something more then it is, but there is not point. I would expect you to carry on your duties as Commander of the Guard to the fullest, the second role is only in my absence and should the need arise someone I would feel comfortable fulfilling my position upon my absence."

Adder · December 3, 2006, 10:20 AM

The commanders expression creased into a frown at the words of the Lord Thane and she suppressed a small sigh to herself. She realised that he really did need someone familiar with the city at his side else he was likely to make some horrendous mistakes. Advice from those already within the Concordia would likely be not a great deal of use since the place was by its very nature somewhere that attracted those whose only interest was personal power.

"I can understand your concerns regarding the military, especially after Zerdargia, but we have no history of having a militia here in the city and it would be quite contrary to the ethics of the city and indeed the province." She shrugged since it would be his decision and at least she could talk to him as a social equal albeit his rank was a new one and temporary.

"Thank you for the offer but I think that we need to be clear what you are seeking. Someone who is to be your advisor needs to be with you most of the time, not some of the time. With all due respect, you are new to the Province, never mind the City and while clearly you are very able to have climbed so fast to the position that you hold, still there is much here that you aren't aware of.

As Commander, my attention is fully on the Guard and that would be even more true if the Guard were being expanded up to the level that it should be. I would suggest that among the changes would be an integration of the Constabulary or more precise distinction between them and the Guard. In any case it would be one or the other and not both."

Keldon Elsdragon · December 7, 2006, 03:59 AM

Keldon nodded his head. "Well Commander you are correct, there is much I am not aware of, and much I have yet to learn. Although I am always open to learning new things," Keldon said with a smile.

"Now, before I go into anything that I would like to see come of the guard. I would like to hear how you would like to see improvements, I plan to provide more money and begin to advertise recruitment for the Guard. However you mentioned disguishing the Guard from the Constabulary. Are they not that same thing here?" He asked curiously. "If they are not I must appoligise, it seems every city has it's own way of running the guard and some are a far different version then others, yet carrie the same names."

Adder · December 10, 2006, 02:52 PM

The Commander shrugged a little at the question, "well, Primus is likely different to anything that you may have experienced before and that is as might be expected considering that what works in smaller cities may not work so well elsewhere." She smiled at this, "however, in this case I think that things have deleloped over the eras as suited circumstance at the time and that now is perhaps the time to look anew and decide if it is appropriate.

At the moment we have as you would expect the justicars office and the constabulary but we also have the guard. I suspect that since the Guard takes much of the role that the constabulary would normally occupy, such as the patrolling and gate duties. As a result the Constabulary have shifted sideways into a role that the Justicars office normally might be expected to occupy, leaving them with the court side of things. The Constabulary thus sit half way between the two offices, looking after the law and investigating cases. I think that this isn't a bad split, but perhaps there are some areas that could be better defined, especially since we don't currently have a Constable at the moment. I think, it the choice were mine that the Constabulary should be incorporated into the Guard and perhaps the Guard Commander becoming the Constable." She looked at him quizzickly, "but of course that depends on how you had viewed the situation?" She waited for his response, curious as to what his plans were and how he might have in mind to make changes.

Keldon Elsdragon · December 12, 2006, 06:24 AM

Keldon was surprised when he heard the Constabulary and Guard were separated. In some ways it made sense to him, but then again alot of things in Primus were not exactly perfectly laid out. It seemed like a large amount of plans had been throw together and not one single master plan was ever created. Keldon smirked, "Ah the question that is worth all of my paycheck I suppose." He said with a small laugh. "Well Commander, from the reports in Alleria Prime which are likely out dated some what, and the impression I get from you the city guard is greatly under staffed for a city of our size. Which surprises me, as from the numbers I have seen there were more Guards in Paxia then there are here." He shifted his eyes around the room briefly and brought them to meet hers. "My first task, or goal I suppose in the overall scheam of the city is to expand the guard and make us less dependent on the military for patrol. While in Alleria Prime I had the time to look over several military maps of the city and thought it would perhaps be best to decide the city into Quarters. From what I understand your Lieutenants are the main commanders that carry out your orders throughout the city. Which I can agree with to the fullest, but I since I want to expand the guard we will also be needing to make the command structure much larger so things run smoother. Which brings me to your first order of business, I want you to select several Lieutenants to be promoted to the rank of Captain. Each Captain will be in charge of entire quarters of the city. Southern, Eastern, excetra. With Lieutenants under them and then the rest of the guard." A brief smile came over his face.

"Commander, if I am talking of foolish aspirations and goals then feel free to point them out. I can understand you are used to taking orders from Provincial Officials, but my focus is this city and I do not like having troops on the streets acting as police. They are a military force not guards. As I was saying, placing Captains incharge of each section of the city and perhaps key locations will give yourself and me a far easier task if we need to get information about specific locations in the city and get them quickly. It would also present us with the ability to form a military council if the need should arise..." He cut short looking to the Commander with another smirk. "I am sorry, I do have the habit to talk far to much at times, please let me know what you think of my idea so far. Even if it is to tell me I am a total fool." He made a brief laugh

Adder · December 15, 2006, 09:19 AM

She smiled at him. Paxia? Yes, well those extra guards didn't really help a lot did they? We are the Guard not an army and you should bear in mind that our history is very different to the rest of the Empire. This city was founded without any defences at all. It was intended to be a peaceful city and many of the things that you find now reflect that, rightly or wrongly. It is why now is perhaps a time to look afresh and decide if what we have is right for now."

She smiled icily him then and cocked her head at him. "Am I given to understand that you intend to change the way that we patrol?" She made no mention of whether she agreed or not with what he had suggested, but the idea that a stranger to the city with no experience might try and tell her how to do the job that she had trained for since long before he was a thought in his parents head made her bristle. But still, that woudn't show in her expression or voice, not too much anyway and that it could be heard at all showed that it was a deliberate thing.

"Let me be clear too my Lord Thane that the provincial military does not give me orders, not when it comes to the Guard. They may assist us and we may work together, but no one tells me how to do my job." She resisted the temptation to agree that he was a fool, but her eyes spoke volumes.

Keldon Elsdragon · December 15, 2006, 09:37 AM

Keldon looked at the Commander with a blank stair when she said her remarks about Paxia. He was thinking for a moment but let her go forward until she finished speaking. "You are correct the Guard is not a army, however if there is a riot in the streets, or a armed faction, or other organizations begins to raise a problem I would expect the guard to be able to deal with them. Perhaps not in the same style as a trained army. But with enough ability that the death count from the guards does not become a concern for the safety of those present... and unfortunately a city with no defenses and being a hundred percent peaceful is a dream at the present." He said looking her over, "Perhaps the extra guards did help Commander, as I made it out of the city alive now didn't I. I served in Paxia and I stood on the walls as the Orcs marched through the city and laid siege to the Citadel, I listened to the screams of the citizens I was sworn to protect, and I stood beside the guard, militia and imperial troops as we were attacked by a army bred for war and death. Perhaps without the extra guard only a handful would of been standing on that wall and thousands ontop of thousands would of died. A small guard would not posses the ability to protect the entire city from a attacker, siege from without or within." He said quickly, with a tone that was dead serious. "Do I plan to change the way you patrol? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. I do plan to review the way the guard is operated, the way the provincial military operates within the city walls, and ways to improve the operations. I do intend to divide the city's command into sections, each section will be commanded by Captains and it will branch downwards all under the command of yourself. However before anything is laid in stone I will need to review the procedures and then go over things with yourself to work out the best fesiable plan." He said looking at her, Keldon was ready to also remind the Commander that he was someone who did tell her how to do her job, however he let the comment go for now.

Adder · December 15, 2006, 12:21 PM

Her lips thinned very slightly as she listened, but it failed to impress her overly about the state of affairs in Paxia.

"Your Grace may be correct about the extra troops in Paxia, but then Paxia wasn't a dwarfen city was it? Riots are possible and with the extra manpower that you described we would be able to control any such without drawing on the Phoenix Legion as we have been at need. Beyond that, orcs would get short shrift here as they did at Zerdargia."

She paused for a moment, then made a decision and continued. "Let me be blunt here Your Grace. You can make recommendations as to how the Guard operates in this city. You can give us more or less resources, give us objectives that we need to acheive, but you don't tell me how to run the Guard. I will not promote people who aren't ready and I will not re-organise our patrols just to satisfy a whim, no matter how high powered it might be."

Keldon Elsdragon · December 15, 2006, 11:11 PM

Keldon was taken a back by the direct comment by the Commander, although he could respect it. After all he rather his senior staff were direct and not play political games with him. It told him about who the person was, and a damn good status in there character. To go along with this the Commnader was likely not used to having someone so directly above them as a Thane in the city has not been around for sometime. Keldon looked at the commander for a brief second.

In a minute and soft tone Keldon began to say his response softly. "I shall take your recommendation to heart Commander, but let me be clear about something. In the past you had to answer to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor who likely did not focus so much into the affairs of this city, I however am charged with the specific task of managing this city. If in the course of my duties I am presented with the opportunity were in I would need to make changed to the structure of the guard, its officers, or those within it then I could indeed take advantage of that situation." Keldon said in a warm, soft tone. But his face went serious and his voice rather direct and attention grabbing.

"But let's make something clear here and now Commander if we are to be blunt. Your guard, is my guard. The way it is run, and those in it reflect upon me, how it is operated is ultimately my decision and my course of action to determine. I will only be interfering with the operations of the major sections of this city if I feel the need to and if I choose to do so in the best of my judgment then I shall, and it has nothing to do with satisfying a whim. It has to do with following the orders of a superior officer." He said looking the commander directly in the eye, he would be political to some degree with the Commander and any of his officials. However Keldon had no intention to let them think they had control over him, he wanted to make it quite clear were the authority in the city's management now rested.

Adder · December 16, 2006, 05:13 AM

She listened carefully because this was a critical time and it marked a watershed in both their relationship and the way that the Guard would operate in the future.

"I understand," she replied, "that you wish the Guard to perform to a standard and that the way the Guard operates reflects on you. If you are unhappy with the standards of the Guard then you should act accordingly." Her voice was soft in its own right, but there was steel underlying it.

"But the Guard is not operating below standard, nor is there anything wrong with the way it operates. I work for you, that is a fact, but you employ me because of my expertise. If you want to run the Guard in detail then I suggest that you take over my role and do so. When you can show that I'm not doing my job then you can step in and make changes. If you want us to undertake a new duty or to focus on certain things, then as I said before, those are orders that you can give and expect to be obeyed."

She met his gaze and awaited his response. Perhaps it was time after all to step away and try something new, certainly she wasn't going to stay and work for a man who wanted to make changes just because he could. Had he reviewed the Guard and decided that it wasn't working, that she could understand, but she felt only contempt for the attempt to change something just to demonstrate his power and without any understanding of the implications.

Keldon Elsdragon · December 20, 2006, 11:00 PM

Nodding his head Keldon leaned forward, his eyes matching her own. They showed a sign of warmth, something that Keldon could not hide even at the times when he wanted to have a serious glare in them. "I understand that Commander, but you need to understand this, you do not need to agree with it. But you do need to understand it. I may not know everything there is to know about serving in this position. However I do know that I must surround myself with a sense of security for not only myself but those I serve. If I am not comfortable with the way the field I am charged to operate is, then I need to review it and make changes accordingly." Keldon was ready to simply state that the Guard is his to control, wield, and shape as he sees fit. Although he thought it would likely not be a good idea, atleast not at this time.

"The changes I have decided to make in the guards of this city is because I feel they will be best suited for those within the city, and would like to discuss the finer details of those said changes, to make they work the best way possible for the city. My job is to serve the people of this city, it is also my job to do that with the best judgment I have."