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Admiral Remi LeRou didn’t view himself as a bad man. After all, he’d give a coin to an urchin on the street, a job to a sailor down on his luck, or – provided the wench was comely enough – a tumble to any woman in need. He was also very loyal to King Iain II, so he prided himself on loyalty as well, despite the fact that said loyalty was well and truly bought with hard silver and a prestigious role in His Majesty’s fleet. :Loyalty is loyalty:, he reasoned with himself, :regardless of how it’s come by.:

When he thought of the social ramifications of his brethern’s activities at all, Remi comforted himself with the belief that his organization of crime was less bloody and brutal than that of the previous three Tenebraes combined. He ran a business, not a battlefield. If he left the job, it would only leave bloodthirsty folk like his second, Sanguine, to take over. Useful people, that, but it wasn't like him. Remi was a thinker and a lover before a fighter, not that he couldn't handle a blade. He'd killed the previous Tenebrae before him when his boss became suspicious of Remi's ambitions and attempted to put him down.

Unfortunately, there were times when the demands of his position threatened to shatter these peaceful illusions, and he had to get his hands dirty. Like now.

Rubbing ink off his fingers, Remi blotted the blackmail letter he had just written Lady Chloe Dmitreva. The woman was, he judged, nothing more than an empty-headed lass who relied too heavily on her family’s money to appreciate the finer subtleties of politics. Everyone knew she bought herself the title of Countess. Iain ab Harmon’s coffers were reportedly bare after the civil war, but no longer once Dmitreva threw her family’s support behind him. And now, the silly chit had made the mistake of grilling Sanguine about his identity over a glass of Tubori red.

Remi wasn’t at all concerned that Sanguine might have revealed the inner workings of the Brotherhood of Common goods to the Countess – Sanguine wasn’t likely to have reported the incident of von Dmitreva’s inquiries if anything self-incriminating had been transferred. Still, Remi didn’t know how Chloe came to be close enough to make those inquiries in the first place - or how she knew that he was a practicing mage. Not even Sanguine was privy to the latter fact, Remi kept it so close to his breast.

Intending to find out, Remi scanned his letter once more for errors, especially anything that gave away his common origins. Threats must be written just so, he reasoned:

“To the Hand of Lady Chloe von Dmitreva, Countess of Garod:

You, my dear, will do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it, or I will be forced to give you reason to be afraid of me. Do not play coy with me, please. I really hate the ignorance and games in your letters.

It seems you believe I am a mage and have spread those terrible lies to your brother. I am not. I have already attempted to convey this to the Church, however the Church is so simple minded they fail to look at all the facts and possibilities, and only what their eyes allow them to see. It is because of this, and your slanderous tongue, that I am now deemed a user of magic. That really does not bother me much, as I don’t leave Southside anyway, so the Knights Lithmorran can hardly drag me in. Still, it's plain rude.

Rudeness incurs a debt, and as you know, The Brotherhood collects with interest.

I do intend to use you, my dear, until your debts are paid in full - or you will have complications that will need to be resolved. This said, I do hope your party goes off without any complications. Would really hate for a real murder to occur in your home with so many pretend suspects present, hmm?

Shadows be with you,
-T-”

:Really,: thought Remi, distractedly chewing on his finger and determining that he had, indeed, spelled ‘slanderous’ correctly, :That Murder Mystery Masquerade could be fun. Sumptuary is suspended for the night… how did she manage that? And anyway, I need to go to carry out these threats. I’ve always wanted to wear gold somewhere other than me teeth too.: “Sanguine!” LeRou roared, picking up the sealing wax and holding the edge to a candle, “I need a costume!”

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Notes:
There was only one power on this fair green Urth that Remi fears, and that is the Holy Order.

I'm hiding Julea’s gender for the moment… not sure if it’s worthwhile, but thinking it might be fun to paint her as Remi’s primary enforcer, with lots of people afraid of “Jules” then one day hit them with her sexuality.

Remi's role is geared towards 'entertaining' and lighthearted on the surface with a nasty reality underneath. Please let me know if I've gone overboard and 'colorful' is coming up 'stupid'.
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Related Links:
TI Books - Permission for Character Usage Requested
TI Books - First Cast