Letters to Old Friends

[Kaitou Kage]

June 22, 765

Dear Lia,

Thank you for the devotional scroll collection. Once the rites have been performed, I'll make sure they're enshrined. I even added some plans in the temple's construction to have the alcove installed.

Construction is almost ready to begin. Hopefully we'll be starting in the next couple of months. I managed to purchase the island and I've begun hiring building crews. Construction is going to take a long time, but I'll be glad when it's done. Meanwhile, Dieter and I are going to stay in the fishing village on the island. Their old priest died about a year before I showed up, so they are glad to have a new one.

Dieter fits in well here, even though he doesn't speak Rajian. I've taught him a few things, and he picks up on other words just from being around it, but he's definitely not the linguist Remy and Sebastian are. But he's laid back and outgoing, and makes enough of a goof of himself that the villagers smile and treat him well. They've gotten over the weirdness of his blond hair blue eyes finally.

The village sees a lot of trade and more people are coming out now that they've heard a great temple to Varuna is going to be built here. The mountain has some excellent paths and cliffs that are perfect for my building, and we have quite a place planned. If you're ever in this part of the ocean, I'll show you around.

How are things in Dementlieu? I heard you are planning to start an orchestra. Has that happened yet? I know you sing, but I never thought you'd end up being a major patron of the arts. You always seemed more bookish, I guess. I picture you in the libraries, not the orchestra halls.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Kuzan

[Rock of the Fraternity]

July 6th, 765

Dear Kuzan,

I was very happy to receive your letter! I have discovered that the lines of communication between Dementlieu and Sri Raji are less than ideal. To be honest, I was worried whether the scrolls would reach you intact ... The ship's captain has a fairly good reputation, but 'who knows what darkness lurks in the hearts of men', am I right?

I thought of you the instant I saw that collection of scrolls in my favourite bookstore. Pity that I never had the opportunity to take you to Alphonse's while you were still in Port-a-Lucine ... Then again, we had different matters on our minds at the time, didn't we? And after that whole business at the Opera House, you had to arrange for your trip to Lamordia.

Perhaps if you ever find yourself in this area again, you will allow me to show you Alphonse's -- as well as several other places in this benighted city that are halfway worthy of your regard. Alphonse's is named after the previous owner, who died a very deserved death at the fangs and claws of something he had summoned to give it a sacrifice. His daughter now runs the store, and it is much improved for the change in management, I assure you. Having been virtually locked up in an Ezran nunnery since before puberty has apparently instilled some strong virtues in the young lady.

Over here in Port-a-Lucine, life is starting to return to normal after the assassination of D'Honaire -- somewhat. There is still plenty of political upheaval, and there are rumblings on the horizon of various natures ... But I shan't go into that now, politics never having been my forte.

I have found a place of work, where I can present the symphony bestowed on me by our mutual acquaintance from the Kermanevar to the art-loving public of Dementlieu. It will be all flute-music and no, I myself will not be performing; the music is highly complex, and I could not produce it with sufficient speed. Much thanks goes to professor Marchand-Renier, who pointed me in the right direction and helped me negotiate an agreeable rent. If I dread anything about this whole exercize, it must be the prospect of being subjected to the 'opinions' of Dementlieuse aristocrats who will form their judgment after one show. Or even without one show. I wonder whether I should invite that man, the member of the Council of Brilliance who reviews all new art ...? I forget his name right now; as I said, politics and I are not the best of friends. While I would usually ask you your opinion, I must now request that you forgive me for not seeking it; by the time you receive this missive, I will already have given the first performance, and the die will be cast.

Let me say once more that I am very glad to hear that the scrolls reached you in good order. Acquiring them was more difficult than it should have needed to be; I was well-prepared to pay the young lady the price she asked, but a rather odious fellow barged into the store and started to yell that I was trying to buy 'that which was rightfully his'. The proprietess did not know him, the scrolls had not been ordered, nor reserved for his purchase, and so they went to me on a basis of 'first come, first served'. (The fact that I am a fairly regular customer probably didn't hurt, either.) I am half-sure the fellow tried to trail me to my current place of residence ... Odd sort of man. I was concerned he might have tried to bribe the captain I gave this letter and the scrolls to, to turn them over to him. But now I am reassured. Ah, my friend, I can just see you rolling your eyes. "She is still paranoid," you'll be saying. You would not be wrong.

But well, I must be who I am, must I not? And perhaps a few years of quiet and routine can dull my edges again. I certainly hope so. I look forward to your next letter, my friend. Please give my best to Dieter.

Yours in camaraderie,

-- Liability Mourneswaithe


P.S.: Should you by chance come across some of those marvelous Sri Rajian spices for a low price, I would not be averse to a few samples for my experiments. In magic, I am afraid, not cookery; I would like to start a new series of arcane experiments soon. Nothing I have ever made can be considered to be 'mouth-watering'.

[Kaitou Kage]

This letter comes attached to a small wooden box that contains tiny packets of assorted spices.

July 20, 765

Dear Lia,

Here are some spices for your work. I hope you find them useful. Most of our spices and rare culinary delights are inexpensive here, within the country. Unfortunately, the government imposes high export tarriffs, and most of the spices have to be kept just so or they can go bad. I have sealed these with my divine power, so they should stay fresh. The box is locked with a simple magic puzzle, but I'm sure you'll have no problem opening it.

Should I be concerned that something suspicious surrounds these scrolls? I have not performed divinations or communed with the gods about them, and I haven't gotten an opportunity to read them in detail yet. But if you feel there is danger, I might look into it. If the man is just some common thug, I doubt he will come all this way. However, this temple -- this whole island is to become sacred ground. I would not have it desecrated by theft.

It seems like both of us are keeping very busy. If I ever get back to Dementlieu, I would like to see your opera house and hear the performance. I know your clothing is usually dark and somber, but I recall you have good artistic taste. Music soothes the savage beast, is that how the saying goes?

Lately, if I am not building the temple, I am busy doing any number of other things. I took up crafting again. Some of my crafts have gone to help the island villagers, who are pleased to have a high priest and temple here, as well as tools to make their daily lives less difficult.

And speaking of savage beasts, there are still parts of this island and the surrounding waters that need to be tamed. The other day, I had to put down some ghosts from a ship that wrecked long, long ago. I also have been warding the path to the temple against malicious spirits. There has been a string of unfortunate accidents lately and I can sense a presence in the area. I have been investigating, but have not found anything. I hope it's something that can be easily fixed. Many upset local gods are appeased if a priest consecrates a small shrine to them, but I need to make sure it's a god and not an evil spirit.

There is still so much to do, and I know many more dangers need to be dealt with before the temple is finished. Dieter and I have heard rumors of fish-men that have attacked the village hunters and farmers lately. I have not encountered them, but I am keeping an eye out. Sometimes I miss the constant travel, the life at sea and on the road, but there are enough new events here to keep me from getting too restless.

Speaking of Dieter, he went into the marsh the other day and ran into a cloud of mosquitoes. He caught the yellow fever, but I purged it from him before it could do lasting damage. He's in good health, though he's still resting. It's so funny to look at him, though, because he's covered in red welts and bumps and he whines so much about how bad he itches.

Also, word of my temple is getting out and I am receiving some patronage. Just last week, a kshatriya prince arrived to donate money to the temple's construction and he presented me with a pair of tigers for pets. They are magnificent beasts, very well-bred and well-raised. I am suspicious, though. I know patronage is usually political, but I sense some darker purposes among some patrons.

We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, please keep letting me know how things are with you, in Port-a-Lucine, and with the others you still have contact with. Please tell Remy, Sebastian, and whoever else is still around that Dieter and I say hello. I should write to Remy. I've got some extra copies of sutras and literature that I can send him for his language studies. We never got very far in teaching him Rajian.

Sincerely yours,

Kuzan

[Rock of the Fraternity]

The parchment this letter is written on sports some disturbing, rust-coloured stains.

August 10, 765.

Dear Kuzan,

Please pardon the stains. The parchment still seems to take the ink well enough, so rather than bankrupt myself by charging into futility, I decided to just use this.

Excuse me. I am allowing my annoyance to run away with me. Thank you very much for the selection of spices and the magical puzzle; it was a lovely diversion for my evening on the day I received your package. The spices themselves have been put to good use in my experiments, which were yielding very satisfactory results last night. Right now, I wish there were some spices or other items the Core is well-known for that I could send you in return.

I have passed on your greetings to our friends. Remy in particular is looking forward to hearing from you, I must say! Marchand-Renier acted the same as always. He tells you that he expects nothing less than a full report of conditions on your island and your temple when you write to him. He was smiling a little when he said it, however. Unfortunately, I have not been blessed with the opportunity to speak with Andre. He and I are keeping very different schedules these days, and walking in different circles. The world of the performing arts is not that well-respected at the University as one might hope of an institute of learning.

As for a need to be concerned for suspicious matters surrounding the scrolls ... Well. It seems the person who was interested in them is a bit more than a common thug. Not even a week after I had sent off my previous message, all the parchment in my Opera House started giving off a disquieting smell and sported these unpleasant stains, as if I'd gone around spattering them with blood. All except the parchment of my spellbooks, fortunately; magical protections always pay off. As you can imagine, this occurrence was very disquieting to my musicians. I tried to remedy the matter by purchasing fresh parchment at market, but this displayed the same unpleasant traits the instant I brought it through the door.

If it were just me, I would ... No, I shouldn't lie. This kind of petty attempt at intimidation irritates me to no end. Even if I hadn't needed to take care of my employees, I would have done my damndest to hunt this man down. I returned to the shop where I purchased the scrolls in hopes of finding out more about the bastard. Alas, he had not returned to complain, but I had a bit more luck by spending some small coin on the street.

Port-a-Lucine is a cesspit, Kuzan, I am glad you never had to get to know it too well. There are always poor people on the street corners, desperate to earn some money to either support their families or drink themselves into a stupor. All I had to do was keep talking to the people who hang around that shop, then widen my search area until someone told me where the bastard was rooming.

Unfortunately, I did not have the time to pay him a visit that very same day - not that I intended to, not without doing a bit more reconnaissance - since we had a show that evening. I had to do a lot more hand-holding than usual, not to mention the fact I had to see to the placing of pots of incense to to hide the smell emanating from the score sheets.

If you do ever come back here, I will welcome you to the Opera House. By the time you return, we should have the smell out and the parchment back to normal. I am already researc -

An ink stain and a small tear in the parchment.

Excuse me for the unsightly damage. I just received a rather unpleasant shock. I realize that my domicile is not exactly up-town, but we usually don't have to worry about vermin. We certainly do not need to worry about tigers in the hallway, trying to claw down the doors.

You mentioned missing some of the adventures on the road? I, also, sometimes catch myself missing the excitement. Now it will be a while again before I experience that feeling. Tonight, I bless my paranoia. I never let a day go by without preparing spells of attack and defense both, and I needed everything I had. Luckily, I had ample witnesses to the tiger, or else my landlord would most likely have called the gendarmerie on me.

You say this prince gave you your tigers as pets? You know I am not the keenest strategic mind of the century, but I pride myself on my ability to deal pain and destruction to my enemies. Aren't tigers supposed to be normal animals? With the arcane power to demolish a giant serpent and vaporize stone walls at my fingers, I barely survived fighting that damn creature! If this attacker was sent at me by the same bastard who wanted the scrolls, why did he bother stinking up my parchment? It's ridiculous.

Then again, I am not that well initiated in the workings of the deranged mind ... No. No, these attacks are not even thematically linked. I can not conceive of the thought that someone who wields such petty inconveniences to intimidate people is capable of summoning such a fierce beast to attack me. Something strange is happening.

I am adding a new address for you to send future letters to in an arcane cypher, old friend. I trust you will be able to decipher it with ease. I have to leave this place - for one thing, I blew out the windows when finishing off the tiger - or I think I finished it off. When I struck it the last blow, it vaporized, and I was a bit busy dodging flying glass to see where the vapours went, if they went anywhere at all. For another thing, regardless the fact that my neighbours all testified to hearing the tiger roar - and quite a few can testify that it ripped down their doors while it was looking for mine - the landlord is eager to see me leave his establishment.

I can not blame him. Actually, it is just as well: I need to lair somewhere where I can set up permanent magical protections, to prevent this kind of attack from catching me asleep or otherwise defenseless.

Ahh, I should be ashamed of myself. Right now, my heart is hammering in my temples and my blood is racing. I feel excited, my friend, energized. Somewhere out there, someone has thrown down a gauntlet at my feet. Perhaps two people have done so. I feel so alive right now. Whoever is doing this, surely I need not doubt that their motivation is malicious? Enemies are at the gate, and whatever happens is on their heads. How liberating.

I should busy myself by establishing my new lair before doing anything else. I need to get my emotions back under control before I even think about visiting the bastard who tried to snatch the scrolls, let alone try to find out where that tiger came from. I must not throw away the lessons we all paid so much to learn.

Please write to me again as soon as you are able, my friend. Help me to cool my head a little, before I allow my anger to rule me again. I can not afford to make that mistake ever again. Also, please pass on my best wishes to Dieter. I am certain that you know an ample supply of remedies for what currently ails him.

I remain yours in camaraderie,

-- Liability Mourneswaithe

[Kaitou Kage]

This letter comes with several others, and is attached to a small puzzle-box made from fragrant sandalwood. The box is decorated with carved images of the four-armed god Varuna.

August 23, 763

Dear Lia,

As you've no doubt noticed, I've sent quite a package with this letter! I've included a letter for Sebastian and a letter and some texts for Remy. I don't have mailing information for them, so I hope you don't mind. Who else is still around the city? After I left Lamordia, I lost contact with a lot of our companions.

The puzzle box was built by a priest of Tvashtri, the god of knowledge and craftsmanship. I am sure you'll find the box a challenge, but not too hard. Judging from your last letter, it sounds like you might have a curse, so I took some time to bless some charms. Hopefully they don't arrive too late. Attach the charms to posts and walls throughout the building, especially in places you keep your parchment. If you'd like more, let me know. I wish I could offer more help but without being there to see firsthand, it's hard to figure out what to do. I think you'll find the charms are also a tasteful decoration that you can use to impress visitors or something. I know that sort of politics isn't really your thing, but you could get some conversation out of it.

The box itself is sacred, too. It will protect whatever is inside from dark magic. When it's unfolded, can sit comfortably on a dresser or end table.

There is also some Rajian incense enclosed. I have blessed the incense, too, but its magic is not as permanent as the wards. Even if you have solved the problem, the blessed charms should help against further attacks. Let me know how the matter turned out.

Finally, I've enclosed some tea. The tea is made from herbs that should help you relax and achieve mental clarity. When I get an opportunity, I will translate some yogic meditation practices or send them to Sebastian and Remy to translate for you. Yoga is a useful way to ease the mind and sharpen the senses.

I still haven't gotten a chance to read the scrolls properly, but they seem innocent enough at first glance. I am rapidly crossing things off my list and so sitting down to read them is getting higher and higher on my things to do.

The tiger attack is quite shocking. Are there tigers in the Core? I have half a mind to think you are being plagued by a rakshasa or some similar fiend. There are stories of phantom tigers summoned up from the hells by the demons. The tigers we received are quite normal. The prince that gave them to me set me on edge. I got very strong feelings from him. But I have divined nothing wrong with these tigers. They are well-trained and make excellent companions. Dieter practically worships them.

Speaking of Dieter, he's much better. He said you don't need to worry about him because there's no way some bugs would stop him. But secretly he thanks you for your concern. I'm not supposed to tell you that, so pretend I said nothing. We went hunting a few times over the past couple weeks and he showed me how to use that ridiculously loud firearm of his. I don't understand how anyone can hunt, let alone use those things. They are so loud they would scare everything away and they make my ears ring.

I have started telling people he is a kshatriya from a foreign land. This earns him a lot of respect from visitors. When he does something awkward or bizarre, I patiently explain that he is used to different ways where he is from. It also makes patrons and visitors more willing to accept that I keep his company. If he were lower caste, it would be absolutely unacceptable.

I don't have much more to tell you about the princes, fish-men, or the evil spirits yet. My attentions have been focused on building the past month or so. The spirit attacks have quieted for now, and the kshatriya have other matters to attend to. The main sanctuary is almost complete. I hope that by the next letter, I can write that we have a completed place of worship. It will actually be one of the secondary shrines in the completed temple. We are going to build outward from it. But I need a place of worship now, and this will serve until the center of the temple is complete.

The village is gradually getting larger. It's slow, but every couple of weeks a few people decide to stay here permanently. Over the next few years, I think this port will become a major town, but I don't think it'll become large enough to be a city. This island wouldn't support that much.

I did find some caves inside the mountain. I haven't taken time to explore them with Dieter yet, but I want to take a look. If they aren't too deep, I can use them for storage. I will write to you again soon. I have a lot to do to prepare for the official ceremony blessing the completed sanctuary. I have to conduct dozens of rituals before the building is complete and I need to prepare to expand my official duties. I have begun looking for disciples to train so I can relieve myself of certain tasks. It is hard, though, because this island has few kshatriya and no brahmin families. I've put out a call in Tvashtri and I hope next letter I can report that I've begun considering disciples.

Ah, Dieter is calling me now. I apparently have some villagers looking for me. I'd better go see what they want.

Let me know how the matters at the opera house go.

Yours,

Kuzan