A collection of letters - The accounts of Rathan Valerian

[Windrider]

Dear Aya,

You will be pleased to know that I have arrived safely within the city of Sundren. The rumors we have heard within Tethyr are true, the city does indeed float freely from the ground just as the doomed cities of Netheril once did. It is strange to be so high above the ground and yet see the familiar sights of a city around me.

I believe now more than ever that the calling I felt was from The Watcher, leading me to this valley and its people. The presence of the darkness is strong here and it shall take equal strength to ensure it stays at bay. I have learned of a dreadful battle that claimed many who fought for the good of all. A part of me wonders if it was their collective screams that resounded so strongly within my own soul, calling forth any and all that would defend their land now that they had fallen in its defense.

I know that mother and father disapprove of my departure and that their vision for me was to continue our family's tradition of serving within the Champions Vigilant, but I hope that one day they might come to see that this is my course. I shall always revere and serve The Watcher until my body can no longer draw breath, but I must do so in my own way. Their instruction with sword and shield shall carry me through the times ahead of this I have no doubts.

If mother and father ask of me, tell them I am well and ask them to pray for me as I pray for you all each night during my vespers. There is much work to be done and I must start where I can. Know that I shall love you always dear sister, my thoughts and prayers will forever be towards your safety and well being.

Faith in Helm always.

With love,
Your brother.

[Windrider]

Dearest Aya,

I know it has been some weeks since my last letter but I have been busy securing my place within the city of Sundren. You will be pleased to know that I have officially and successfully declared myself for the Temple of Helm within the city. The process was not a long one but rather a profound one. I was interviewed by a priest whom verified that my desired to official join the church within the city before being led to the Abbot of the Temple. It was here that I was asked a difficult question.

'What do you do when there are not enough men to guard all that require it? How do you choose whom to guard?'

I am slightly ashamed to say that at the time I avoided answering it. Instead I deflected and deferred to the wisdom of my superiors indicating that it was not my place to advise. But the question has haunted me since that meeting. A small voice constantly speaking it when I am alone or meditating. It rings in my ears like a trumpet calling for a charge. But sister, I believe I have finally found my answer to the question. What do I do when there are not enough men to guard all that need it? You find more men.

I am unsure if I will ever be prepared to make the hard choice between guarding one position or group of people over another, but until that day comes I will do what I can to encourage and promote others to join our ranks and those of the Triad to take up the call of duty and defense. I will do all that is within the power granted to me by Helm to ensure those that need protection have it. This is my calling, sister, and I shall see it done.

Faith in Helm always.

With love,
Rathan

[Windrider]

Dearest Sister,

The first few weeks of my time within the valley of Sundren have been busy and productive. After swearing my services to the Temple of Helm I was tasked with aiding the city in the reduction of crime. It was fortunate timing as a Centurio in the Sundren Legion, their name for a senior officer, required aid dealing with a faction of thieves in Cheapside, a place whose name is a suitable descriptor.

I pursued the leads as I discovered them and eventually I arrived at a small out of the way house where, "Southstreet Sally" resided. Refraining from words she and her companions set upon me immediately. Responding in kind my blade went to work, cutting the thieves down and removing one head of the many headed serpent that is the crime in this city.

Killing a man is vastly different than killing a monster or beast of the wild. There is little moral confusion about the latter. But with a man there is always some small chance of redemption that you have snatched away from them. I understand now the lessons that father insisted upon, hardening ones heart against the acts that must be done to ensure continued safety for all.

The simple truth that sometimes a man must be put down just the same as a rabid animal. That is not to say, sister, that there is no hope for redemption from those that have waiver or lost their way. But once they have committed themselves willfully to the act of murdering a man of the law, nothing should be held back until the situation is resolved or mercy is begged. It is a lesson I finally understand, and one I dearly pray you will never have to.

As always my love and prayers to you and our parents.

Faith in Helm always.

With love,
R

[Windrider]

Dear Aya,

I was overjoyed to receive your letter. I am glad that you are finding temple life suitable and are enjoying your studies. As a totally biased brother I can proudly say you would be an asset to any temple. During my travels I recently met a member of the Sundren Legion who shared the same view of heavy armor. Though she was far more diplomatic than your first exclamation about just how badly it smelled, she too cares little for the encumberance and difficulties associated with such protection.

My duties and training have finally taken me into the valley as you no doubt guessed upon mention of meeting someone outside the city walls. I am still struck by the magnitude and splendor of a city suspended from the ground, yet ever in the back of my head persists a nagging feeling that such things were not meant to be of this world. I push aside such thoughts because I have greater concerns than a flying city, a sentence I had never thought I would put to parchment.

As I keep alluding to throughout the letter, I have indeed begun to meet and interact with other people of the valley other than my immediate superiors. I know you have always teased me about my distinct discomfort and coldness in social settings, yet I am learning and making an effort to be at least polite to those I meet even if I cannot be friendly. Those that I have come across have been quite diverse several elves, both garbed in the clothes of nobility and that of a woodsman, a few armor encrusted dwarves, a him who seemingly can shift her shape at will, a few priests of various faiths and fellow warriors of justice and righteousness. Many different walks of life and many different personalities.

It was within the Port of Avanthyr that I met the woman serving within the Legion I mentioned earlier, a one Heartwarder Chime, and her companion whom I met earlier in the week a Lady Olivia Kimiris, Knight of Lathander. I spoke at some length with these two within a local tavern as we waited out a bad thunderstorm that I was assured were most common for the area. We spoke of many things but likely of most import was the mention of the presence of the Black Hand. I bring this up because up until now, I have had the good fortune of meeting and speaking with only those that would be counted among the side of good and right. I have been told that elsewhere in the valley a much more vile and foul breed of individual make their homes. I cannot say that I look forward to such confrontation but I will say that I must be ready for they will show me no mercy when our blades cross.

Please do not worry overly much. I am in the grand hands of The Watcher and as always he shall see me through. My thoughts and prayers are with you and our parents. Study hard and do well in the temple.

Faith in Helm and Ilmater always.

With love,
Your brother

[Windrider]

Aya,

Please forgive my lapse in brotherly duty to our correspondence. Your last two letters have made your feelings towards my lack of writing in the last weeks quite clear. As ever I shall endeavor to remedy my failings towards you.

I shall begin by addressing several of your questions from the last few letters and proceed to relate my own personal experiences since my last missive.

In regards to your question about the City the answer is yes. The City does in fact hover in the clouds far above the ground, but there is hardly any feeling or sense of such unless you happen to look out a window in a building that is more than two stories tall. The wall around the City otherwise blocks any views out into the open expanse but there are a few points where such things can be seen over and only then are you reminded of how strange a situation the City rests in currently.

As ever, your teasing about any presence of a love life is unwelcome and as always the answer is no there is no one I fancy. Where this obsession is born from I know not but I suppose we must all indulge our little sisters from time to time.

The farthest I have currently ventured from the City is a forest called Viridale. There are multiple interests within and as always seems to be the case in the wilds goblins, gnolls, orcs and ogres have made their home within. I have been making an effort to focus my patrols around the area as the population of the above mentioned beasts seems inexhaustible and so I shall continue my quest to bring as many of them low as I can during what free time I am allowed.

And for your last question, I have in fact visited the old site of the City and the gaping maw that was left within the ground surface. It was an eerie experience as I stood upon the lip gazing down. The lands surrounding the old City site are quite devoid of human life as they were ravaged just prior to the cities ascension and continue to be a source of plunder and roaming bandits. It saddens me to see such things, almost as if I were witnessing vagabonds traipsing over a grave site.

As for me, dear sister, I have been kept busy with my patrols of the city and surrounding areas in an attempt to lessen crime where I can. It is strange to be assigned towards such a duty. Before I left Tethyr I never gave much thought to watching people or attempting to discern their motives. I focused solely on my training in arms and tactics in battle. Learning to spot a feint or to know which among many were the most gifted with the weapons they held were lessons I excelled at, yet to know a man's heart and his intent in a non-combat situation is something that I had never considered. I suppose I naively considered that anyone I faced would be open and honest about their intentions to do others harm.

We are taught never to engage an unarmed man nor to fight from a position of guile or subterfuge, yet these are the same tactics our foes shall use against us and I was a fool to neglect my training in discerning the intents of such people. I realize now that though we strive to be the best of this world, we must face those that strive in the opposite direction. Though my training in this area is less than ideal, still I shall make every effort to carry out my orders to the best of my ability as it stands currently and I shall make ever attempt to improve my meager skills so that I might perform above my current level.

Besides my efforts into reducing crime I have finally received my Squire's armor from the smith. Though it is steel like any other piece of full plate armor it never-the-less seems to provide me with even more protection than it otherwise should be able to. I find the sense of camaraderie associated with a uniform to be what I imagine intoxication to feel like. I feel buoyed and emboldened by the presence of my armor. I am part of a Symbol now, one that is greater and stronger than any individual and I feel that I cannot possibly fail. Even if I should fall, my brothers and sisters of Helm shall forge on and defend those that cannot do so themselves. In that way we are all invincible while our order draws breath. Worry not, Sister, I promise I shall not be reckless in my efforts only determined and steadfast. I sense Helm has much work ahead of me.

I promise that my next letter will not be so long in its dispatch and I pray that your studies within Ilmater's house continue to go well. As ever I shall keep you and our parents within my prayers.

Faith in Helm and Ilmater always.

With love,
Rathan

[Windrider]

Dear Sister,

My time within the Temple of Helm in Sundren City over the past weeks has been eventful to say the least. One particular event stands out as I pen this. During my patrols I have met a man from the Dalelands by the name of Artalen. I mention him to you, Sister, because he has struck me as something of a metaphor for the entire valley of Sundren.

He is by all accounts and seemingly ordinary young man that has been thrust into a poor situation and is attempting to do what he can to make the best of it. Possessed of some skill at fighting and subtle training in the Art he has done what he can to earn his keep and eventually his ride back to his family within the Dalelands. I shall not disclose his entire story to you as it was told to me in trust and I have not asked his permission to retell it, but suffice to say he is stuck within the valley until such time as he can secure enough coin to buy a ticket home.

That in of itself is not the interesting part, Sister. What struck me about this young man is that when I offered him the coin without need for payment or adoption of debt he declined my offer. Not out of spite or any other such repugnant emotion, but out of a sense of duty and pride to himself and his father. His father had taught him that a man must earn his way and support himself. He must do as he can to make his own way. A noble and honorable way to live provided one is given the means to seek honorable and noble paths. I see within this man the spark of greatness to achieve his goals and help a good many people, but too do I see the darker path. The path of easy money and a quick payout that lands him back amongst his family, the only price being his morale fiber.

And so dear sister this man stands as an example to me of all those living within Sundren who have yet to make a choice. Darkness and Light balanced on the knife edge of choice and the opportunities presented. I believe it is my duty to Helm to see these people offered ample opportunities towards the Light. I shall do as I can to ensure as many as can save themselves are simply given the chance.

I pray your studies continue to bear fruit and perhaps once you are finished you may request a brief leave to see your older brother, but until then be well and may Helm watch over you.

Faith in Helm and Ilmater always.
With love,
Rathan

[Windrider]

Dear Aya,

I have encountered disturbing event on my patrols across the Valley. Specifically a material found within the Valley. The material is necessary and vital to the City's continued operation, however, it seems long term exposure to the material produces horrific consequences. Men and women are twisted and mutated into husks of their former selves. When confronted these creatures harbor nothing but rage as they attempt to wrend anything before them. I do not know how or why this occurs but it does make the point quite clear that this material is dangerous if not defended and allowed to fall into the wrong hands many terrible things could be done with this material.

The necessity of this material for the survival of the City does trouble me, sister. I understand the reasoning behind it and without revealing too many details, it is indeed necessary for the continued safety of the City. However, these facts do little to assuage my worries with regards to this material. Relying on a material that causes such suffering feels inherently wrong. It is perhaps naive to believe that everyone can be made safe but that is my hope. I hope for a world where there is no danger and all are made safe, but until that day comes I suppose those of us that stand against the darkness must do the best that we are able with what we are given. But the loss of any lives when defending innocents shall always chafe my conscience.

I know that my demand of a perfect defense is unreasonable but I would not be who I am if I did not feel the sting of compromise so sharply, nor guilt for things I likely can never change. Our path, sister, is never an easy one but it is the only path I know how to walk. I shall continue to strive for my perfect world and save as many lives as I can along the way.

I hope you are well and that things with Sister Evelyn resolve themselves.

Faith in Helm and Ilmater always.
With love,
Rathan