Therin Fassit

Therin Fassit, the ex-Archon of the Eye, held the position for several years before his untimely death. He was found assassinated in his chambers with no apparent signs of a struggle; investigative affairs divisions of the Eye are looking into the unfortunate incident.

He will be remembered as a quiet man, and competent, though not brilliant. His rise to power was largely due to a well-connected family and a lack of any naysayers on the Council; most of the better-qualified candidates had rubbed some superiors the wrong way during their rise. Fassit presided over a slight drawdown in Eye involvement with active military campaigns, focusing instead on peripheral projects and fairly straightforward investigative pursuits rather than combat. This drew some muttering from other Archons and Sub-Archons, with his most vocal detractor being Sub-Archon for Pacification of the North, Valas Hune.

Archon Fassit has been temporarily succeeded in his duties by Anabran Cane, his Hand. Kayla Prinn, Archon of the Scale, is known to oppose Cane's ascension to permanent status.

Ava's investigation notes

Fassit was found dead in his chambers. I didn't get to see the body, but I'm told it was unmarked. My search turned up nothing interesting except an appointment book; he had just met with someone in his office, but it didn't say whom, just the initials B.F.

There's not much evidence to go on, so I guess it's down to means, motive, and opportunity. If I didn't know Anabran Cane, I'd say he was well situated to do it. Fassit would have opened his door for his own sub-Archon, and Anabran stood to gain from the assassination. But Anabran? Really? He seems so good-natured, and I think he has better sense than to commit a crime in which he is the most obvious suspect.

I guess B.F. was the last person to see Fassit alive, though not in his chambers. Poison? But I don't think I know any B.F. Could be someone from the Maw, maybe even the Archon; Fassit had just had a contentious Archon meeting and might have been trying to build alliances. Why would the Maw want Fassit dead, though? Aren't they supposed to be involved with the civilian government? I don't see how they gain from Anabran's elevation, unless they intend to interfere and run a dark horse to succeed to the Eye. Kayla Prinn would probably vote for anyone but Anabran, and a lot of the sub-Archons didn't like Fassit and might not like his successor either. Still, why would the Maw want to subvert the Eye?

It seems to me that the people with the most to gain by destabilizing the military, especially the Eye, are Tiamat's cultists. We know they have spies in the Dragon. The Eye is responsible for revealing the cultists' existence and extent. Chaos in the leadership serves the cultists. Maybe a well-placed agent could even succeed to Archon, or at least to Cane's office as sub-Archon. Is B.F. a Tiamat cultist? Why was Fassit meeting with them? I need to learn more about who Fassit was, his agenda, what the argument was about at the Archon meeting, who he would have been talking to and why.

Last thing. Fassit himself is an F. Does he have family?

Ava's further notes

B.F. is likely Branwyn Fassit, Therin's sister. Her story is that she was supposed to report to Therin on the day of his death with news of the cult's infiltration of the Dragon -- but this meeting never actually happened. Seems likely enough, and her story checks out as far as I can check it out. But then I don't have any leads about who killed Therin.