I Am One With The Light, And The Light Is One With Me

Gracious and wise Rod Rambler, I do not have the right to ask so I beseech you to send a copy of this to any and all (certain the number is small) that send prayers to me.

Zavik the Troll, Envoy Alloywin Earthseeker, and last but never least my sister, and my Queen – Disvanova,

I wonder if it is the mortal nature of entropy that causes most creatures to become accustomed to the miracles that happen around them everyday? For an immortal or even a potential one is it called ennui? While I am mindful of the brooding question and its depressing yet rhetorical delivery I still feel compelled to ask. For this is a question with what appears to me to have no correct answer. Below you will see a sunrise I had commissioned painted from the Temple of Isis of sunrise in Sekti-Abtu.

I am continuing this four days later and I have permanently gifted the painting set of, Indaris – The Seeker, I got from, Ursus – Revanent of Khonsu, some months back. I asked the priestess to capture the city of Sekti Abtu from a rooftop at dawn. I asked her to use this paint set specifically and add it to the message. When she returned my scroll I gifted her with the case and knowledge of whom owned it. The look on her face would made one think I gave her a rune weapon! She dragged me to meet Cardinal Savina, high priestess of Isis, so it could be proven because she was convinced no one would believe her. The Cardinal nodded and told the priestess she must go and serve the fledgling Oathkeeper faith in its labyrinthine Temple for a year and a day making art for them. Then the next year and a day for Horus the Avenger. When the priestess asked why, Cardinal Savina, told us that it was Xerxses that gave this gift to Indaris upon Horus’ Day.

The priestess said she would make ready and leave in the morning. Everyone was smiling and thanked the Cardinal and left quietly. The 5th of Gryphon it is as I write this in the temple district. Now I need to re-task and explain why I had the painting done and this dour question(s) posed. While for everyone else I was gone but a day or so, I spent a solid year in Ma’ip. Looking out from a window in the Eternal Sun’s pyramid I saw the city of Sekti-Abtu and just never knew it! Sekti-Abtu’s temple district and the adjoining grand plaza is a copy of the Ma’ip just on a micro scale! This whole city reminds me of my time in Ma’ip and I can not believe it exists on a mortal soil! There’s a small stylized pond that separates the light and dark halves of the temples just like the river Nu’Ak does in Ma’ip for Sekhet-Aanru and Neter-Khertet! The river shaped pond feeds into a larger pool at the garden below where Pontiff U’Selekma spoke to us on the 29th of Algor. Very clever to have that location be where one can cross the large stylized river-like pond safely and in a “unified” manner.

Sitting on Ra’s side of the water I found a bench and I am wearing a thin, white cloak to obscure myself from the mass of people here. I can tell the 10 scouts following me were picked to keep up with me should I get young and dumb enough to cross the pond. Justice and Retribution are also wrapped in white cloth as a peace-keeping sign of faith. However, my trusty small axes are below the cloak on the frost dragon hide belt. I am thinking about a poem I read once

We are nothing
In Comparison to
What we shall become
If we pray and meditate
For the remainder of our lives.

I find that at face value this is a sure way to finding ignorant, docile, people that will be slaughtered by the unfaithful or even opposing faithful. Let’s just say that an old warrior, Maxwell of the Goldenbeard Clan, once wrote:

Dreams do not work
Unless you do the work.

Now, before someone throws out the word – critic – I assure you there is a convergence of minds, bodies, and soul in those two poems and this city. If the first poem is the bones of Sekti-Abtu, then the second poem is the meat of Sekti-Abtu. We all know once you have meat and bones you have created body or Ma’at. If your soul is purpose and direction then on the meat and bones the inhabitants are the soul of Sekti-Abtu! Yes, all the residents, I can see the “other” temples from my bench. Now though, with a soul such as this it is no wonder this is what I call heaven on Palladium.

I believe I am alive because of your thoughts and prayers so thank you!

Be well!

Zavik the Troll, Envoy Alloywin Earthseeker, and last but never least my sister, and my Queen – Disvanova,

Ever since my last missive back on the 5th I have been staying in the Temple of Ra in a simple cell given to visiting priests. As a monk I am out ranked here and as a Prince they keep trying to give me the nicest rooms next to the Cardinal of Ra, it seems a new Cardinal is being inducted as the last one has just passed on the 1st of Algor. Two Flails, is the son of Four Skulls – Chieftain of the Ursa Rex Wolfen Tribe! I do believe he may be the first Wolfen to be chosen as the high priest of any god in the Church of Light. Though I suspect petty members of light will say we are losing our touch to the Dark. As much as the Dark will say they trusted the Wolfen long before anyone else would. All I thought of that day was that how amazing it was that Cardinal Two Flails beat me at chess, and we are each sporting bruises after the sparring match this morning. I would say the clergy of Ra will be talking about it long after I leave. He is a great person and I am blessed by Ra to know him.

Today is the 12th of Gryphon and after a small misunderstanding during our meeting with Master Alchemist Azariel of the Church of Light. I am trying to apologize to, Sky Captain Willy, by spending the last three days seeking glory and valor for his cause of a Bard trapped in an air warlock’s body. In other words I am putting up paper pictures detailing a concert to come near the end of the month. Breathe, Disvanova, and stop laughing at the idea of me doing something other practicing with axes. I even agreed to perform acrobatic displays while hanging from banners of silk some 30 feet in the air. If you hear that I have run off to join the circus know that because of this show it is only temporarily correct.

Oh my goodness I forgot to share another miracle. Appareently, back on the 30th of Algor, Annie our human cook on the Shield of Light got married to the Minotaur, Kom’var Spellborn, and became his wife, aka: Anne Spellborn! Did I mentioned she used a Spell of Legend on a scroll to permanently become a Minotaur as well! Miracles! Everywhere!

I believe I am alive because of your thoughts and prayers, my thanks unto you all!

Be well!

Zavik the Troll, Envoy Alloywin Earthseeker, and last but never least my sister, and my Queen – Disvanova,

This will be my final missive from Sekti-Abtu and it is 25th of Gryphon. We are leaving at dawn on the morrow’s tides. After I sent my last missive I had a chance to talk with the Spellborn couple. They told me about the quiet ceremony with Cardinal Rincewind and Cardinal Keegan. It is interesting that celebrations are being muted around us now. I can feel the wind of fate blowing through the city as it settles that we are heading to Cynopolis via Caer Itom. Time to recover Osiris’ Left Hand and then head into the abyss of Hades.

You know what, Willy, is actually pretty damn good with these concerts and with 99,000 in attendance. He rivals mass here in the city on major holidays! I had a lot of fun spinning through the air on those silken banners! Best workout and one I shall have to incorporate into my training regimen! I hear he would like to throw a concert in Caer Itom, maybe Master Gabriel the Alchemist might want to sponsor a concert or help direct us to those that would. Master Azariel the Church of Light Alchemist delivered on so many things I am not certain he slept for the last few weeks. I am not going to detail what he made us for obvious reasons.

The highlight for me since my last missive though was the 14th of Gryphon I asked Rolling Hills on the 13th of Gryphon what types of dishes her tribe made and said I had a surprise for Silent Dream and needed to have her come to the market with me. The crew was helpful in having Silent Dream help with whatever they broke to get repaired by his aid. First we hit the market and I got an idea of ingredients. Then we tried food from some taverns recommended by merchants so she could explain how some dishes should taste and look. Then we went back to the Shield of Light and I bid her farewell till the next day. I went back to the galley and decided to remind Dream of how home should taste. I made the following over night so it would be ready in the morning:

Fish, sliced and de-boned on long grain rice.
A minced meat pie spiced with herbs from his home.
Two small loaves of bread from grains found in the region of his tribe according to Rolling Hills.

I knocked on his door that morning and when he opened it I said, “Happy naming day my Kankoran friend. This should help remind you of home.” He looked stunned and I handed him the tray and left. My hope is if I treated him like his old self maybe he could remember it and return to such. We shall see what will be. I can’t wait till he tries the breads, because I hid a small, cheese cloth wrapped, pearl in one based on a “conversation” we had once. It is my hope to survive long enough to give one to each of my friends in CrIsis.

As I leave heaven on Palladium I know that the light is with me and I am with the light.

I feel alive because of your thoughts and prayers, my thanks unto you all!

Be well!

Sent upon the various dates; in the 2nd year of Koris Gwaisol – Kingdom of Ælfrik.

Pictures from our own AZ Rune