To: The Starfall Accord Production Team
From: Lane, Line Editor, Crimson Leaf Publishing
Date: October 24, 202X
Subject: Line Editorial Review: Chapter 24 – "The Fall of the Council"

### 1. STRENGTHS TO PRESERVE
*   **Distinct Character Voice (Dorian):** Dorian’s "rhythmic, subject-verb-object precision" remains his most effective trait. His tendency to frame emotional or chaotic events as "evidence" is a masterclass in voice-driven worldbuilding.
    *   *Example:* "The architectural cooling in the Chamber of Oaths is currently set to a frankly aggressive forty-four degrees. I suggest you... stoke your internal kiln."
*   **Sensory Grounding:** The contrast between the Academy and the Ministry is handled through olfaction and temperature rather than just visual description.
    *   *Example:* "The air here didn't smell like rain or cedar; it smelled of ancient dust, cold gold, and the stagnant water of a bureaucracy..."
*   **Rhythmic Momentum:** The pacing of the "Nullifier detonation" sequence uses short, sharp sentences to mimic the shattering of the device.

**VOICE SIGNATURE CHECK:**
*   **Dorian:** YES. His "The evidence suggests..." tag and clinical syntax are unmistakable.
*   **Mira:** YES. Her voice is punchier, more grounded in physical sensation ("Actually. No," "Past and rot").
*   **Elara:** YES. Her voice carries a weight of "exhausted triumph," transitioning from subordinate to peer.

### 2. MUST-FIX — CONTINUITY
*   **ERROR:** The text states High Inquisitor Malchor’s armor is a "ruin of dented plates and scorch marks." This implies he was present at the Gala confrontation in Chapter 4/5, but RAG data indicates he is a Council official in the Capital.
    *   **CORRECTION:** If Malchor was not at the Gala, his armor shouldn't be dented. If he was, clarify his presence. Otherwise, change "dented plates" to "immaculate, over-polished gold" to contrast the battle-worn Chancellors.
*   **ERROR:** Mira signs as "Mira Solas-Pyre" and Dorian as "Dorian Solas-Pyre." Per Chapter 1-5 context, "Solas" is Dorian's family name and "Pyre" is the house/school name.
    *   **CORRECTION:** Ensure the naming convention for the "Equilibrium" is established. If they are merging names, this is a major plot point (marriage/union signature) but it happens very abruptly here.

### 3. MUST-FIX — CLARITY
*   **PASSAGE:** "Actually. No. It wasn’t a brand. It was a resonance."
    *   **FIX:** This internal correction happens twice in the first three paragraphs. It stalls the rhythm. 
    *   *SUGGESTION:* "The heat of Dorian’s mouth still felt like a brand—no, a resonance—against her own."
*   **PASSAGE:** "Mira saw the Chancellors of the minor houses—The Obsidian House, the House of Slate—whispering frantically."
    *   **FIX:** "The Obsidian House" is redundant with "The House of Slate." 
    *   *REVISED:* "...of the minor houses—Obsidian, Slate, and Marrow—whispering frantically."

### 4. OPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS
*   **Line Economy:** "Voss shrieked, his oily mask finally disintegrating into raw, bureaucratic madness."
    *   *Rationale:* "Bureaucratic madness" is a slightly weak abstraction.
    *   *SUGGESTED:* "Voss shrieked, his oily mask disintegrating into the raw, screeching desperation of a man losing his leash."
*   **Dialogue Tightening:** "The protocols on 'unintended manifestations' were authored by my predecessor, Sergeant."
    *   *Rationale:* Dorian is at his most powerful when he is brief. 
    *   *SUGGESTED:* "My predecessor authored those protocols, Sergeant. Section Four, Paragraph Twelve. Move."

### 5. FORBIDDEN CHANGES / NON-GOALS
*   **DO NOT** smooth out Mira’s "Actually. No." verbal tic. It is established as her way of processing somatic shifts and re-grounding her reality.
*   **DO NOT** remove the "Suboptimal" or "The evidence suggests" repetitions in Dorian’s dialogue. These are his emotional anchors.
*   **DO NOT** soften the "Grey" metaphors. The synthesis of mercury, flint, and cedar is the established "scent" of their unified magic.

### 6. VERDICT

**REVISE**

The chapter is emotionally resonant and hits the necessary beats for a series climax. However, the continuity regarding Malchor’s armor and the abruptness of the dual-surname signature ("Solas-Pyre") requires a quick pass to ensure it aligns with the established house structures. Once those logic-gates are cleared, this is a very strong finish.