Preparations before the Storm 2

Linus received the most dreadful news that the Sons of Izarah marched with their allies, camping a day away in the fields north of Solus City. Like the Solusians, their neighbor to the north, Oakwood Town, was a friend to the Nexians and their southern allies. It wouldn't be strange for the Oakwoodians to have their allies occupy their fields, but to allow a military force of thousands to stay there and set up camp during peacetime was very suspicious.

It is normal even for allies to have frictions between them in trade, but Linus didn't expect the Nexians to be this far ahead in the game, threatening military action against them in the guise of this so-called "inquisition". As he heard from Blake in his stories when they were together in Stoneaxe Town, inquisitions did happen in the past. And even then, an inquisition didn't require the backing of an army, as the cooperation of the local chief and or the wealthy land-owning gentry was enough to bring down the fugitives.