Letters home

[Kaybrie]

A collection of letters lay quiet and unsent, written in the mulhorandi language the only distinguishing feature to those who cannot understand the script are the dates.

Father,

I'm writing to let you know I've arrived safely in the Sundren Valley, things have been... Turbulent thus far, though I've been enjoying the rain and the brilliant dawns of the coast a great deal. I got a room at the menacing mariner, a inn you'd no doubt disapprove of I'm certain. Though I'm happy to say that I found a delightful room available, it's clean, well maintained and furnished, it also has a window that allows me a good view of the rising sun come morning.

My initial travels have brought with them a wide variety of peoples, elves, dwarves, even halflings! Each time I've left Mulhorand I've been left completely overshadowed by the volume of creatures and peoples I come to meet. It's a delightful experience to say the least, just the other day I met another priest, yes they have those here to. He was a charming man, and we spoke at length of theology and rhetoric. The conversation was ended with fond farewells and a merry exchange of addresses so that we might visit one another and speak in the future.

I also performed a few exorcism on the ghosts of a strange ruin, therein were contained sorcerers of the Dark Advent, a small and reclusive organization of Velsharoonites. The run in was brief however, and once the caves were quiet again I left as quickly as my feet could carry me.

In any case, such is the nature of my first week in Sundren, I'll write to you again soon and I'm looking forward to hearing from you once more.

-- Ana

[Kaybrie]

Father,

I met Sir Tornbrook today, he proved to be every bit as little of a charmer as I'd been told he'd be. Encased in his midnight blue plate, he felt more as an individual who inspired fear in the hearts of the wicked... Then an inspiration to the just and the light. He and I talked only sparingly, given his busy schedule and the pressing matters at hand. I agreed to help him and the arbiters alliance restore peace to the valley, and to withhold no power or knowledge in my quest to righteously purge what mess had been created or grown since the age of Mundus.

I've also caught wind of a growing church, the cult of one self entitled blood lord. It brings my heart grief to think that those whom were freely given a chance to live and experience the vibrant joy life would throw it away to experience eternal death. Between this new growing cult and the rebirth of the bone lord, the stench of undeath weighs heavily on the air of this valley. Though it is no great concern of mine, with each passing day I destroy a hundred fold what any necromancer can create and control. The light of Lathander has slowly began to seep unto the breast of the common people, and I feel creations light shining down upon Sundren. It is as is taught within my faith, from the darkest night will still always come another dawn.

--Ana

[Kaybrie]

Mother,

How is father doing? I get your care packages, and I appreciate the oils and silks you send me, they have come to make my room that much more comely. I've been having difficulty maintaining all of our traditions, so I'd like to apologize ahead of time when I return and you find me a little... changed. The differences in culture are immense between this far on the western coast and our home, where we celebrate the human form, here heavy clothing is a staple... And women found not covering any parts of their body are publicly shamed and declared harlots. Strange that the men are not held in equal regard though, I think there may be issues of gender inequality. Though it's okay for me, so long as I remain quiet and reserved, fully clothed and willing to help I have not encountered any difficulty from the locals.

I did meet a bit of a local celebrity second hand though, his name is Peridan; a retired legionnaire. He was rather cussy, and didn't seem like the sort who wanted to rub off on people the right way... I'm almost beginning to detect a pattern... Just the same when I actually approached him to introduce myself he was receptive and respectful. Though our exchange was short as he was busy criticizing a young woman, Eleyna I recall her name being. A student of an elven martial art that bends swordplay and arcane magic together. Which seemed a bit beyond me, any elven methodology would be lost on myself, they spend the length of my lifetime developing their tedious methods to everything they do. Though Eleyna seemed never the less in high spirits, and it isn't unheard of for humans to command similar arts of war. She may never be as graceful as they, though I could see her harnessing the basics then ironing in some human ingenuity to make it her own.

I'll write again soon, suns grace on our house.

--Ana

[Kaybrie]

Mother,

Things are developing around me at frightening speed! Or perhaps I've merely had the time to glean some insight into the individuals surrounding me. I regularly see Sir Tornbrook now, though the exchanges we share have been relatively brief just the same. He warns me of some of the threats that sundren fosters for priests of the dawn lord whom travel without armor, his left hand associate (A sect of the most prosperous magi in the region) seemed to agree. Though unlike Dain he did not share a notion of gentle reminders, to this end the prior night he began throwing stones at me with the demand that I fight back. I chose not to, believing adamantly that teaching through use of violence was fundamentally wrong regardless of intent. Dain caught word of this incident, and in the first instance I'd ever seen him upset, or anything relatively close to it with him, he stormed off. I think at this point is when I realized that he wasn't a part of a cloistered world, he was just as harsh and firm on his friend Magus as he would on any individual who would do the same... He's just closed himself off, and for such a paragon of virtue to do such a thing, I can only imagine that he was hurt by someone, through a means that his armor could not protect... I pray for him nightly now, hoping that he'll find some sliver of happiness in his life.


Paladins and associates aside, myself and Eleyna have become fast friends, we spend a great deal of time chatting and discussing little gossipy things. We've exchanged some remedies, and I even allowed her a vial of some of the oils you send me to care for my skin in this climate. She was duly grateful for it and I'm certain she'll put it to use in some of her more formal meetings with academy mages.

So far as events of note, I've identified and helped do away with a few vampires now... Not every battle is a victory, and none is easily won, though we always work toward a better future, and the victories we've won have secured safety for the common people who they'd plague otherwise... Just the same has my younger brother been sent away yet? I'm curious since he'll be on this side of the continent in a few months time if he has, and I'd love to visit him and see how much he's grown... I miss you, and father dearly... Perhaps I'll take a rest from my duties here and visit soon and we can talk.

--Ana

[Kaybrie]

Dearest Father,

How was Midsummer's Day? I'm sorry I couldn't make it back to join you in celebration, even if our faiths may have divulged, I still very much respect the blooming aspect of Horus-Re... And how he carries the sun from Lathander's hand to rest on the far horizon every eve. Here I celebrated by myself, I wanted to invite friends to my inn room, though in the end I ended up declining from inviting them to celebrate on a day normally spent in rest in preparation for a festive night! Just the same, it was a pleasant day where I had a bard come in to woo and sing for me while I enjoyed some roughly prepared foods.

I feel my courage martial further with each passing day, the coming light I can see blooming on the horizon has become that much more exemplified through the rise of the sun after midsummer's eve. As I rose to embrace the morning light my face was kissed by the dawn with a power unlike anything I've felt. It flooded through my face and chest, and extended to the lengths of my fingertips, I opened my eyes and beheld the cresting sun, it brought no pain to my eyes and filled my soul with such... Warmth. In the texts of the Lathanderite priesthood this is referred to as the radiant art... Not unlike the true Morninglord specialty priests of my religion. I wish to explore this, hopefully with your blessing?

... I wish I could speak with you, perhaps soon...

--Ana