Corn sighs in disappointment when the others again seem to prefer inaction but at least Phoenyx backs his suggestion for protection from the twilight and the shadow. Belle 's response to Puck 's accusation is fine by itself, but Corn wants to correct a different misunderstanding. With a nod to the mastigos councilor, he addresses Puck again.
"Councilor, the previous concilium did not vote to prohibit Councilor Belle from ever speaking to apostate mages. What we did decide was that in the theoretical chance that there was a need for such communication, someone would be found to fill that role. Lo and behold, such need for someone to deal with entities and cabals outside the Sacramento consilium was found. And since the Mastigos councilor, as she deftly demonstrated in her reply to your ... insinuations ... is well known among those that know her for her pleasant manner and personality but can also talk straight when needed the councilors on hand decided to ask her to be the contact point. It was you, I think that said if there was need we would find someone. I don't think you have grounds to complain that we followed your suggestions. "
Then Corn turns to the rest of the councilors and gathered.
"I have a complaint to make. This consilium is doing very little as a whole. We act as individual mages or orders and gather once per month for an hour and every three months to decide against doing anything - and accuse those of us that try to do something. For my two years here, the only thing the Consilium has passed was punishment in a couple of occasions. Nothing else. No grand plan. Not even a barbeque that has been suggested and never materialized. We are blessed with a time of peace and while individual orders are - I hope - pursuing their agenda, the consilium as a whole acts as if we're alone in the world without a care.
Some Councilors said there has never been an attack on the Circle. Dadouchos Campanella suggested otherwise. Furthermore, that there has not been a successful attack in the near past doesn't mean it won't be one in the future.
I admit that when Phoenyx and Councilor Aurora are not wrong; indeed the only hard proof we have about the existence of Scelesti is the word of a cabal that doesn't belong to the consilium. But an entire cabal was in Sacramento for a year, pursuing their leads and agenda, and none of us was aware. What makes you all so sure that there's not a Pylon of Seers somewhere in the shadows? Or a different cabal, a nefarious one? We are meeting apostates everywhere we look. Magus Crypto the information broker with little regard to secrecy I have met with Aurora and Belle was operating openly in Sacramento and we didn't know.
Don't you think, don't you all think, that in light of our failures to find mages that are not even hiding we should shed our complacency? Most of the council doesn't like my suggestions and that's fine. However, I don't hear counter suggestions. All I get is 'sit back and all will be fine'.
In my opinion some work to touch up the defenses of the circle is too little, too complacent. But at least it is something. Councilor Phoenyx training us individually is also something.
I am thankful to councilor Phoenyx because she is always willing to help us train and backs a suggestion for further protections against spirit and ghost intrusions. With Councilor Belle also supporting the idea for shoring up defenses, what remains is for the decision to be acted upon. Follow through has been an issue in the past. We are very slow to act for a consilium of our size."
Was Crystal 's decision to practically sit down and surrender to sloth and ennui instead of move a big reason for his outbreak? Well... yes.