Rising Tensions

[*Midnight]

The recent pursuit of a Doomguard fugitive and the sinker's utter lack of cooperation with The Harmonium investigation has led to a souring of relationships between these two already antagonistic factions. Old grudges and slights are remembered and at The Hall of Speakers Factols Sarin and Pentar are at each other's throats opposing each other on issues they would barely take notice of before. The animosity between the two factions has filtered down the ranks. The Doomguard refusing to equip Harmonium troops from The Armoury, in return Harmonium patrols seize the materials the sinkers import into Sigil to make weapons. The lack of production makes some sinkers idle, and idle sinkers are destructive sinkers. Acts of violence in The Lower Ward grow more frequent as do arrests. Tensions boil and it could take only the slightest thing to ignite the powder keg.

[*Midnight]

Work begins again at The Armoury, some how and some way the sinkers have circumvented the Harmonium blockade. None of the weapons made find their way to the barracks however and dark rumors persist they are being sent to the Grey Waste, the middle ground of the blood war where they are sold to the highest bidder.

Mean while in a double blow for the hardheads as well as the return of Doomguard productivity there are rumors of an entire Harmonium squad including the measure leading them going missing without a trace.

[*Darkrob]

Garen followed the public show between the Harmonium and the Sinkers with interest. As a High ranking member of the Department of Interfactional Affairs he had a keen interest in what happened between factions. After reading the latest news on the blockades and such, he writes the following note and sends it to the Aides in the Hall of records.

“Please send me a copy of the legal contract between the Harmonium and the Armory in regards to supply of armaments and armor. Please ensue all materials are the most recent including all addendums and amendments.

A3 Seph”

[*Midnight]

It would take three days for Garen's request to be granted. The agreement and its many amendments arrive in three large boxes and are written in a dialect of celestial so obscure Garen requires the service of an aide to translate them. With the aid of a translator, a tall tanned Aasimar named Keach whom Garen procures from The Bureau of Planar affairs Garen discovers the original agreement was signed as an armistice between the two factions shortly after the conflict that saw The Harmonium take its current position as a Faction in the cage. It can be paraphrased thusly:

The Harmonium will cease all hostilities against The Doomguard and will acknowledge The Doomguards place as an autonomous Faction.  The Doomguard will stand down in their role as enforcers of Sigil's laws and will move to The Armoury where upon they will take up a role as the weaponsmiths.  The Doomguard shall be responsible for outfitting The Harmonium in Sigil and in return The Harmonium shall take up their old obligations as The City's law enforcment.

[*Darkrob]

Garen would forward parts of this material to the appropriate departments for further defining. He would ensure to mark all files as a high priority in an effort to defuse the current situation in the city.

Items forwarded (to where ever they need to go for clarification);

The Harmonium will cease all hostilities against The Doomguard and will acknowledge The Doomguards place as an autonomous Faction.

Would this become void if it is proven that the Harmonium were attacked by a standing member of the Doomguard? Would the Harmonium be well within their legal right to enact hostilities (blockades) should this become a proven fact?

The Doomguard shall be responsible for outfitting The Harmonium in Sigil and in return The Harmonium shall take up their old obligations as The City's law enforcment.

Would the Doomguard be in violation of this agreement if they ceased outfitting the Harmonium so long as the Harmonium are the legalally recognized Law enforcers of the city?

[*Midnight]

Garen would find the details of the situation rather easily, in fact this quite public spat has been played out in The Hall of Speakers and the pages if SIGIS. Recently a Doomguard agent, or a man who just happened to be a Doomguard depending upon whom Garen chooses to believe murdered a high ranking officer in The Harmonium.

The Doomguard claim that this is the act of a single man acting alone and after conducting their own internal investigation they have discover Mauric Ashterot, the alleged killer has absconded from The Armoury and they do not know where he is. He learns from members within his own Faction that The Harmonium did not take this well and demanded a warrant to search The Armoury from the Guvners. The Fraternity weary of setting a legal precedent that allowed one faction to run rough shod through The Headquaters of another accepted The Doomguards investigation and refused to issue the Warrant leading to the current predicament.

The Harmonium seek to apply pressure to the sinkers and force them to give up the guilty man by stopping them from importing the components they need into the cage. Whilst normally The Fraternity would interfere here the fact that the actual blockades occur outside of Sigil and its laws limits their effectivness.

The Doomguard claim that the agreement between the two factions is founded upon the cesation of hostilties qnd that the blockade represents hostilties being recomenced and releases The Doomguard of their legal obligation.

After having consulted with members of his faction Garen would find that opinion is split and the guvners contain sympathizers with both arguments.

//Will tidy this later to correct the predictive text.

[*Midnight]

After a few days news breaks that The Harmonium have found a source of materials outside of Sigil and its factional politics. A trade route with a prime world called Scopthio was secured by a group of planewalkers Harmonium agents and sympathizers said to be amongst them. Although it will take some time to return everything to a fully functional level the edge in this factional cold war swings back the way of The Harmonium.

[*Midnight]

In another recent development large numbers of Harmonium troops have been seen moving from the barracks through the market ward and to the clerks ward. They have sealed off an area behind the portal to Baator, where another portal has appeared. The Harmonium are entering this portal.

By contrast The Doomguard seem to have retreated from most of the city entirely and instead flock to The Armoury in droves.

[*Darkrob]

A letter is sent to the Bureau Chief of InterFactional affairs

Bureau Chief Danaia

It is apparent that tensions between the Harmonium and Doomguard are reaching a critical level. With the Harmonium blockading Doomguard supply routes, seizing portals in the city and maintaining a highly aggressive stance against the Doomguard, while the Doomguard withhold arms and armors from the Harmonium, the very security of the city is threatened.

The Doomguard, for reasons still unknown, have begun to withdraw from the city and amass in the Armory. Knowing their history, this is most likely not a promising sign.

It is my recommendation that an emergency sitting of the council of Sigil be called to address this crisis. I would suggest leveling sanctions against both Factions, limiting their legal rights within the city, until they both agree to stand down and return to normalcy. The people of Sigil require a clear signal from the council on the word of Law within the city to avoid Anarchists and other malcontents, from taking advantage of the situation. Without a clear declaration of law from the council, the people will act without directionÂ… a dangerous proposition.

While not a perfect reaction to an otherwise volatile crisis, we cannot sit back and watch the security of this city, the very law itself, suffer from this situation. Inaction at this point will only enable those who wish to see the word of law fail. The Fraternity must show leadership at this time to ensure Law is adhered to, so that no actions taken by either Faction threatens the law, for without Law, this city is lost.

A3 Seph

[*Midnight]

Garen receives a response back shortly.

  Administrator Seph.

It has not escaped the bureau's attention that the situation is begining to spiral out of control.  It may have gotten to a stage where direct intervention from The Hall of Speakers may be the only way to resolve this.  That being said if we are to petition Factol Hashkar to call such a  meeting we will need a prepared list of sanctions and suggested measures to be put to The Hall of Speakers.  To that end I would like you to take what resources you require and draw up a suggested  list of measures and sanctions to be submitted for consideration by The Factol.

Bureau Chief Danaia
Bureau of Interfactional Affairs.