Vaster Ashald Banished!
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At first the rumours tricked out slowly from sources within the Seafarers Guild, believed by none but providing ample conversation for drunkards and sailors. Soon though, sources from City Hall and the Office of the Magistrate added to the talk, until eventually town gossips and criers were hounding leading members of the Seafarers Guild for more information on the status of Peltarch's most influential citizen. Finally Senator Rath Ashald made a statement on behalf of the guild on the steps of the guildhouse, to a mass of Guild employees and other onlookers.
"Many of you have heard rumours of my Father linking him to all sorts of…unwholesome things. Well, I will put these to rest. The senior members of the Seafarers Guild want to make absolutely clear two things.
The first thing is that Vaster Ashald...my father, dedicated his life to this City. He is a true Peltarchan hero. His leadership in commerce, industry and trade brought our city out of one of the darkest periods of stagnation and poverty it ever experienced. For us personally, in our Guild, he will forever be credited with establishing us as the most successful, the most enterprising and the largest employer in the entire history of this City.
The second...on the other hand, is that the Seafarers Guild repudiates any actions that are outside the bounds of the law. As the largest Guild within this city, we believe that we should be setting an example of honesty in business and fairness in commerce at all times. If there are grey areas within which profit can be made at the cost of integrity, the Seafarers Guild will from here on out choose integrity.
Unfortunately...in his elder years, my father lost sight of these high principles. Rest assured, that everything he did, he did for his Guild and his City, but there are certain means and methods we cannot and must not condone. With the heaviest of hearts, myself, Lord Whyte and the other senior members support the decision of the Magistracy and will not be seeking an appeal. It is time for a new era for the Seafarers Guild, and as the elections draw to a close we must all now look to the future. We hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are."
Senator Ashald's speech ends to a deafening silence, the silence of disbelief. After some moments however, led by some ranking member of the Guild, polite applause breaks out. On the other side of the main trade avenue, inside the Wavebreakers Guildhouse, Captain Hardin leads the celebrations long into the night. All over the city, work grinds to a halt at the news, men and women returning home to tell their families and neighbours. It seems like it will be some time before the reality of the news sinks in, and it is unclear what the impact will ultimately be. What is certain however, is that it is the end of an era for Peltarch, as one of the city's oldest facts becomes a thing of the past.
