From the Office of Chancellor Pepe, Acting Head of Civil Service

We had scheduled 5 days of meetings, from Monday to Friday, followed by a week where I would create a rough draft based on the agreed upon points. Then we would meet again for another 5 days of meetings and another draft. This would continue until all major constitutional issues were settled, and the final wording was agreed upon. Crysta would preside over the proceedings and set the agenda. She intended to move through 2 major topics per day.

The other members of the convention were:

General Aguilo - He pushed hard for military influence in the government. I do not believe this man is trying to create a dictatorship, but is looking to the military as a stabilizing force that can replace the traditional structures of monarchy and nobility. He secured the capital and the western regions of the country against internal royalist threats and rebuffed naval landings from the United Kingdom of Hibion.

General Oliphaunt - This man is also of noble origins and royal defector to the revolution, but he joined much later than Aguilo. Many doubt his sincerity, including myself. However, he has proven himself with successful campaigns in the north against the Valsian Empire and the Kingdom of Rubidia, giving him substantial influence.

Admiral Dauphin - A relatively moderate voice. His unique blend of concerns, both military and business, bring a unique perspective to the table, and multiple times he proposed workable compromises. He is the most senior officer in the navy, following the purges of suspected royalists. He wants peace with Hibion in particular, because he knows our navy will struggle to handle them, while the other royalist nations pose a less serious naval threat.

Militia Captain Robert - Invited to represent the rural farmers and militias that control much of the northern farmland. Although a proponent of democracy, that alone isn’t enough, he fears any centralized authority, regardless of its origin. His militia seized control of substantial farmland in the north and made sure the revolutionary uprising was fed. Now they supply food to the Northern Army to sustain its war against the Royalist Coalition.

Ambassador Charles - I suggested he be invited to provide context on the larger diplomatic situation. Often dismissed as an aristocrat defending his own privilege, I think his attempts at concession and compromise were underappreciated by some members. His efforts to preserve the nobility and royal family seem self-serving to others, but I think he was coming from a place of diplomatic concern.

Spokeswoman Emilia - A last minute addition, she was invited to represent the mob that had surrounded the convention hall. Although similar in ideology to Crysta and Robert, she was representing specifically the urban poor in contrast to the rural base of the other two. She also had a much clearer vision of how the government should actually operate. I don’t know her background, but I might guess that she was a lawyer or some other educated professional. 

Statement from General Aguilo, Revolutionary Commander - Western Front

The criticism of the membership of this convention continues, driven by the notes of one particular instigator, so I feel I must provide a more thorough defense. Crysta’s place hardly needs to be defended. She is the mother of our revolution, and our undisputed leader. No one else could have the moral authority to preside over this meeting.

Myself, General Oliphaunt, Admiral Dauphin, and Militia Captain Robert represent the army, navy and militias. The army gets two representatives because we have played a larger role in securing the nation from royalist invasion. There have been attempts to drive a wedge between myself and Oliphaunt, through rumors and innuendos. I won't stand for it. I disagree with him as well as the other military representatives on some issues, but I respect the service these men have provided and the method by which they were chosen for this convention. They earned their seats by shedding blood for the revolution.

I was among the many military officers pushing for Chancellor Pepe to be included in this convention. His practical knowledge of administration is invaluable. He has a key role in constructing functional government structures. I will admit his push toward technocracy and meritocracy can go a little too far at times, which is why he is only one voice among many, and he does not get to decide anything on his own.

Pepe suggested including Ambassador Charles to give us a perspective on the diplomatic situation. This is because Pepe fundamentally misunderstands the diplomatic situation, and still believes peace is possible with monarchies. However, his diplomatic skills are useful in buying us breathing room, through a kind of diplomatic theater. I accepted Pepe’s suggestion so Charles could act as a diplomat at the convention, which he did. In addition to some baffling suggestions that were rejected, he primarily served to propose compromises on matters of no real concern to himself. It was simply in his nature to facilitate consensus. Despite being a privileged aristocrat, we keep him around because his diplomatic skills are genuinely useful.

The agitator was welcomed into the convention to give voice to the urban workers that were unrepresented, a genuine mistake on our part, which we rectified. However, she overestimates herself and her importance too much. She is rigid and uncompromising, and refuses to reach agreements with other members. A stubborn troublemaker, her only redeeming quality is that she has some genuine revolutionary spirit guiding her actions. Despite how misguided some of her ideas are, she does care for the urban constituents that sent her.

Official Communique from Ambassador Charles, Envoy to the United Kingdom of Hibion

I have little to say about the members of the convention that hasn’t already been said. I have only two main points to make.

Hero worship is dangerous. Crysta is just a mortal woman, brave and courageous for sure, but still flawed. Anyone who disagrees with me should pay more careful attention to Crysta’s public statements and actions, and her reluctant role as our temporary leader and presider over the convention. She is our leader only because her virtues are universally recognized and no other figure could unite the nation during this transition. She has made a clear statement that she will not participate in the government after the first elections conclude. This is an impressive woman who nevertheless is reaching her limits, and frankly needs a break soon.

I also want to be clear that the military does not decide foreign policy, and General Aguilo himself certainly does not have the authority to say anyone is participating in diplomatic theater. While the military is playing a larger administrative role than would normally be the case, due to our state of emergency, decision making power lies with Crysta and her advisors. This is not a dictatorship and the military’s larger role does not translate to final authority. While I have great respect for General Aguilo’s battlefield successes, and his support for my participation in the convention, his recent statements are incredibly dangerous. The ceasefire with Hibion is incredibly tenuous, and reckless comments like his could jeopardize the fragile agreement. I would advise longer reflection before making such statements in the future.

From the notes of Citizen Emilia, Voice of the People

I can still hardly believe I was allowed to participate in the constitutional convention. These are my impressions of the other participants.

Crysta: She is amazing. She presides over the proceedings and maintains order when arguments get too raucous. Previously, I had only seen her from a distance as she gave her public speeches, but she was even more amazing up close. And I think the legends about her magic hammer are true, it really does seem to have a strange power radiating from it.

Chancellor Pepe: This guy tries to present himself as apolitical and neutral, and I think most people buy into it, but he was subtly influencing almost every aspect of this convention with his little tweaks, all to promote his elitist vision of governance. He was also put in charge of writing the first draft based on our agreed upon points. I will be going over every word of that draft to look for anything that deviates from our agreement.

General Aguilo: I had heard he was an early defector to the revolution. My sources say he was pressured into an arranged marriage by his aristocratic family, and his unhappy marriage caused him to reject the entire concept of aristocracy. He has been a key figure in suppressing royalist sentiment internally, as well as fighting invasion attempts by the Royalist Coalition. I initially thought he was an ally pushing for democratic governance, but he seems to have a dictatorial streak, pushing for military influence in the constitutional structure.

General Oliphaunt: This guy is awful, a pure opportunist, who joined the revolution to save his own life. He spends the entire convention trying to secure the privilege of the aristocracy. He talks big about the Northern Army he commands, but sometimes it sounds more like a threat than a boast.

Admiral Dauphin: I think he is well intentioned. I disagreed with him on some issues, but he made multiple good faith attempts at compromise between competing proposals. His ability to weave together multiple proposals into a single new structure is impressive. He is the kind of figure that Pepe tries to be, but isn’t.

Militia Captain Robert: He is a good guy. We are largely aligned on most issues, but slightly differing priorities occasionally led to different proposals. Still, I can tell he has the best interest of the rural farmers at heart. He knows their needs better than I do, so I expect him to advocate for the farmers while I advocate for the urban workers that I know.

Ambassador Charles: I don’t know why this aristocrat is actually at the convention. Robert told me that Charles was a diplomat for King Valerius and the revolutionaries kept him around to smooth negotiations with the Royalist Coalition. It didn’t work, the guy has failed at his job. And even if there is some use for him in diplomacy, do we really need him at the convention? Like Oliphaunt, he is constantly pushing for aristocratic privilege. I have to admit, he did occasionally propose compromises that didn’t seem to benefit himself. Maybe he’s not as bad as Oliphaunt.