My one-on-one meeting tonight with the Bookkeeper, Robert Hughes, made me feel much better, and much less guilty over the blow I dealt Fenton last night. I never thought I would take such direct action that I did against a Third Level Society Dungeonmaster. But at this point, though Robert did not, with respect to his position, assert an opinion on the matter, he did tell me that whether Fenton was right or wrong, even the Dungeonmaster is to be evaluated fairly with respect to both sides on an act to which he or she is held accountable. Therefore, my decision was one well-deserved.

It was merely speculation among Veteran Members such as myself in the past, but now is inevitably obvious that there is a divide in the Society Caucus: the Traditionalist camp and the Progressivist camp. In truth, it always has been there even from the very beginning, though not so present. But it will be perpetual and permanent, and will grow evermore through the passing years.

Initially, Fenton and I shared sentiment regarding the Society that aligned more closely with the Traditionalist camp. That is, we believed that the only way to govern the Society was to do so in the way it was so upon its founding eleven years ago: by the Statute of Principle and Policy Book, administered by the Dungeonmaster and subsequent Administrators, checked by the Bookkeeper, and subject to the popular sentiment of the Caucus. No other entity, accordingly, should have any imposition on this system of foundational balance.

Sari Frame, and now Carla Wright, who has asserted her presence evermore in recent months, have both been following the Progressivist camp sentiment: that there needs to be some form of regulation, or regulatory body, to enforce and preserve the balance in power that the Traditionalists so strive for, and that the Traditionalists seem not to understand this. The Progressivists have been saying that the founders of the Society, including Ivella Ogden, intended that the founded method of Society governance was not perfect, and that openness to progress and change in governance method, as well as technology, was necessary.

When Jon Beyon joined the Society and pushed his new Jon Beyon Console invention, the Traditionalists hated the change, as I had anticipated, and had vowed to keep using the old type-out consoles. As I learned after my separation from Fenton, this had been one of the reasons that Fenton decided to delay the building of the Beyon Consoles. However, the Progressivists, upon hearing stories from Members who took part in the pilot groups, embraced the change. And as a result, there was a small handful of Progressivist-minded Members leading quest entities with these pilot groups and gaining the upper hand in questing dynamics throughout the Realm.

And so Fenton secretly implemented the Shadow of Myrst.

Yes, Fenton was the one behind that, so he confessed last at our one-on-one meeting, which he strongly coerced me into attending. And, quite ironically, in contrast to the recent sentiment he had against them, he had his accomplices employ Jon Beyon Consoles in the process.

"Radical situations call for radical action," he said to me as an excuse.

And then he asked me a favor.

So for context, there are numerous scholars who, having delved especially into the history of Combrian society, may have come across a controversial and long-debated theory that there existed a prototype known as a Monarin Stylus. If the theory is true, eleven of them were made by the Kontacet family with one given to House Esary in the far-Northern nation of Notulfa. Each Stylus looked like a pen at first glance, but was, in fact, a "smart object" capable of utilizing spellfire scripts to trigger other scripts in other objects.

The fear was that House Esary had, at some point around sixty years ago, reversed-engineered their copy of the prototype so that the "smart scripts" could actually influence synapses in the human mind in order to influence human conscience, both in individuals and the masses. In other words, they engaged in oathcrafting. The theorists believe to this day that such practice of oathcrafting was what led to the uprisings in Ereautea in 1187.

One major crux to this theory is that primary sources claiming the existence of such a prototype have deliberately signed themselves anonymous. Furthermore, there is actually no evidence of a single Monarin Stylus ever having been produced.

Apparently, Fenton has a weakness for blind faith. For last night, during our one-on-one meeting, he claimed that Beyon's Console prototype uses a Monarin Stylus, and that this, and its supposed oathcrafting, played a role in why a growing number of Members in the Caucus are so drawn to the idea of using Jon Beyon Consoles.

Of course, I would have questioned his "discovery" on the basis of the absence of evidence. But his charisma in that Office at that hour, quite frankly, had me frightened. Furthermore, he would not let me voice my opinion, for the moment when I would have done so was when he sprung his favor.

He wanted me to summon avatar meetings over the dymensional plane of the Arturian Realm, keeping the identity of my avatar anonymous and having the Members sign a so-called "pact" making them promise not to use Jon Beyon's prototype. Also as part of the "pact," they would secretly call on others to do the same in the same fashion. If I had succeeded in this, Fenton would award me that Administrator position over the Galacia sector, having Richard Brent leave and become the next Bookkeeper. Furthermore, Fenton promised that, come time for his retirement, he endorse me as the next Dungeonmaster.

"I will work some known measures to ensure the Caucus votes accordingly," he said.

Around this time last year, I felt that I had a home with the Traditionalist camp. Moral goodness was their most important value. Cray Fenton, himself more of a radical Traditionalist than myself, I will admit, went completely against this value, leaving me emotionally confused. Between last night and this moment, I began to realize that Fenton, along with other Traditionalists, used bias to hold a sense of stubbornness on certain things, primarily the notion of resisting any type of change in order to "keep the balance of dynamics," one of the core principles of the Society. And although I realize now that Fenton is an unreliable representative of the Caucus, many other Traditionalists have grown to resist change on the basis of emotion, not logic.

I honestly see nothing wrong with the Beyon prototype. Obviously Fenton is wrong about the use of the Monarin Stylus. But it's not just Fenton's sentiment. It's also that I see more benefits than drawbacks with the transition. Surely there will be a learning curve with adjusting to the practice of exacting avatar actions by touch rather than by typing. But that pales in comparison to the skill threshold required to master the old typewriter console type.

The Progressivists understand this; and so do I.

I was still adjusting to the notion that I mesh better with the Progressivist camp than the Traditionalists when I phoned Sari Frame and asked to meet with her and Carla Wright. They are both roommates in a residence two blocks North of mine, and their venue was more appropriate, so we met there. It was late for all of us, but they were willing to listen as I disclosed everything that Fenton had told me.

Their responses reinforced the notion that Progressivist side appealed to me more. And in the end, we decided to join forces and file a joint complaint against Dungeonmaster Fenton to the Bookkeeper, Robert Hughes, who, as I remember, had been appointed by Dungeonmaster Koby Breen during his tenure.

Carla and Sari were not able to join me tonight as I took the official document to the Bookkeeper, so I went alone. I was nervous, for Hughes was not clear on his association with either camp; and understandably so, given his role. But when I handed the complaint over and told of my experience, Hughes demonstrated a gentle listening approach. He was careful not to assert bias over the matter, ensuring that he, as a Bookkeeper, would weigh both sides fairly, but he advised me that there was nothing wrong with filing a complaint, even against an incumbent Dungeonmaster.

On Monday, Fenton will learn of this. By the end of June, we all will know the outcome.