The RP events are awesome Hadloc, and Mard is a superb character that I love interacting with. That said, I felt like suggesting something.
Perhaps RP events should just roll the way the players choose. Whether it's aggresive, passive, or heck, even joining Mard, or whatever, knowing that it needs your approval halts our possibilities to react in the way our characters would compared to how the characters are told. Mard may be freaking amazingly powerful, but character's who are always cynical of the force would still think they had a chance, for example.
The whole fun of roleplaying these epic story arcs is using everyone's character to their advantages. Their personalities, and the improvisational, spontaneous RP can top seriously planned, restricted RP in most cases. I'm not saying that you should just say "fuck it" and leave the choice up to it completely. You could choose the place, and even choose where Mard is positioned so it seems like he is in the position of power, (and so he should be). If someone wants to attack Mard, let them, and crush their optimism into the dust. No matter what way, I feel this storyline in particular is only going to get more amazing.
As a side note, I love the fact that the guild itself as a whole is really starting to react to this central cause to the problems. Character's are getting on edge, people are starting to blame each other, and the tension is really felt in all of the RP. I love the fact that Lariana has stayed so.. in character, despite the fallings out that have been going on, especially. The way that the character relationships between Raynd, Lariana and other characters like Minx and Hadloc are really combining to show the overshadowing pressure that Mard is putting on the guild. This guy is a threat, and everyone is starting to feel that.
Superb work, I freaking love you all. :3