Ledaal Lethas
Aspect: Air Residence: House of Diving Swallows (Imperial City). Spells: Flight of the Brilliant Raptor, ?
Ledaal Lethas is an Air-aspected Dynast of House Ledaal and a Senator in the Ledaal caucus of the Deliberative Senate's Greater Chamber.
Versed in Sorcery and artifice, Lethas spent some time in his youth engaged in expeditions in the Scavenger Lands and serving as a page to elder Senator Ledaal Grey Herbs, before time in the Imperial Legions and Thousand Scales (including a handful of years as ambassador to Thorns) preceded his own appointment to the Deliberative. Lethas was considered a middling Senator for most of his career a protege and close ally of Grey Herbs on the Senate floor, though he showed particular support for Imperial actions outside the Blessed Isle to contain the Confederation of Rivers. Lethas was present as an 'observer' with the armies of Thorns during the War of Broken Thorns, though he engaged in active combat at least once in the Battle of Forked Creek. On return to the Isle, his calls for increased support to Thorns found little purchase in the Senate until the Mask of Winters emerged as a threat to Thorns... this brought him into unity with the bulk of his House caucus but still few others joined them. Lethas was in Thorns along with a cadre of Legin officers to provide advice to the Autocrat when the city came under siege by the Mask's forces and the order to withdraw was given, and was among the last to leave: some say he had been determined to engage in fighting himself before his attendants forced him aboard the final evacuation vessel.
On his return, it became clear Lethas' mind had not accompanied him on the journey. His first few Deliberative sessions involved ranting and raving at the dangers of the Deathlords and the need to redeploy all Legions against them before it was too late. Opponents in debate were accused of being blind, then of being traitors, then of being ghosts planted by the Deathlords with the aim of destroying the Realm. His mad actions discrediting their push for action against the Deathlords, the other Senators of House Ledaal attempted to convince Lethas that he should fall silent for a time while they lobbied for political support, and in response Lethas accused his caucus of being Deathlord agents too, retreating to his walled villa where he established a gauntlet of sorcerous and Firedust defenses to destroy any who attempted to call upon him. He remains ensconced there to this day.
This has posed a severe problem for House Ledaal, as his absence from the Senate leaves them one vote short. As he refuses to see their representatives or discuss requesting his own dismissal, and as only the Scarlet Empress could strip him of his rank so he could be replaced, they have been unable to resolve the situation (though they have tried numerous times, including through legislation and, many are certain, assassination).
