Write Me, Maybe

Before You Came Into My Life I Missed You So Bad

Dearest Rolling Hills,

This is a letter from Silent Dream. It has been almost a month since we said goodbye. I have thought of you often since then. We have traveled far in that time. We have further yet to travel.

As I write this we are in the city of Caer Itom in the Western Empire. We arrived here through the ancient magic of the Crystal Kingdom. I hope freeing the Crystal Kingdom for Lictalon was worth the cost. When the Crystal Palace rose from the ground the terrible cold of the mountain peaks descended upon the inhabitants of that valley. Lictalon directed his airships to rescue all the inhabitants they could reach. But what I saw of the rescuees were mostly Elves and Dwarves. I can’t help but wonder… Were Elves and Dwarves all that survived? Or were they all that were rescued?

There was nothing we could do except continue to follow this path the Gods have lay before us. We used the ancient crystal magic to travel directly into the Middle Kingdoms. There we were able to safely assist The Nameless Man in exacting his revenge against the Ladies Shara and Daera. What he has done will lead to the end of the civil war in this empire. The ladies attempted to call upon the God Apepi during our fight. We defeated them and left before their prayers could be answered.

Using one of the final gifts which Xerx’ses‘ gave us we transported safely to Caer Itom. Here we had an audience with Emperor Itomas. In this meeting we presented him with the head of Lady Daera. He threw it into the air and prayed to the God Thoth. At that moment Thoth appeared large before us! He accepted the offering by eating her severed head in one single gulp. I felt something in that instant. It was as if something changed about the world. A shift of some sort. I can’t explain it easily. This happened a few days before the festival of Thoth. I wonder if you or any of the other psychics felt anything like that too?

There is a temple to Great Apis here near the outskirts of Caer Itom. I have spent several days there in prayer and meditation. I have also put the skills I picked up from Bizantium and the Shield of Light to help perform repairs around the temple. When I meditate I find my thoughts drifting into memories of our time together. I am not complaining.

Many interesting things have happened to my friends while we’ve been here. The Nameless Man was raised by The Gods to become their newest demigod. He is now the Demigod of Death, Small Gardens, and Underground Agriculture. I hope this will help offset his curse. After he was raised he talked positively about his future for the first time in months. I was very glad to hear that. If you see a small garden say a few words of prayer over it for him if you wouldn’t mind. It should be no larger than a few feet long on each side. I don’t know how far his power can reach but I don’t think it will hurt to try.

Merkl introduced us to his father and their troupe during the Festival of Thoth. His father is a funny man. He could not believe any of the stories about us. He kept asking us to tell him the truth. But we were. He just didn’t believe it. His troupe performed well and impressed the great bard Terramore Gleba. He will ask them to join him in his travels. If they make it to Renvin I think you should make the time to see them. Their performance was amazing.

Grignak introduced us to his wife and their temple to Lady Bast. Our arrival was anticipated. Many people came by that day to worship Bast with CrIsis. With Grignak especially. I think a book circulating around the city played a big part in that. Our day visit continued through the night. None of us were as involved in the worship as Grignak was. People donated to the church in order to spend time with Grignak. He raised a lot of money for the church. We eventually left but he stayed there to keep devoting himself to Bast while we remained in Caer Itom.

I did not see a lot of Ursus. I think he is as uncomfortable in the city as I am. Maybe even more so. I helped him and The Nameless Man distribute pamphlets they wrote about Khonsu when we first arrived. I haven’t seen him since but I know he is safe with others. There was talk of setting up a temple to Khonsu in Caer Itom as well. I wonder if that is what he has been doing? I know he greatly misses his life-mate. I hope we are able to make it to see her before she gives birth to their first child.

Torrun continues to puzzle me. He disappeared the morning after our arrival without saying a word to anyone. We found out later that he wanted to help the downtrodden in the city. That was very admirable but I don’t understand why he didn’t tell us before leaving. When we first met him he seemed so carefree and friendly. But ever since our stay in Bizantium he has become much more rigid and aloof. He doesn’t seem to want to talk with us much. He is a prince from a far-off world. Do we not meet his standards? We are certainly a strange lot. I think I even offended him during the Festival of Thoth. He asked Terramore Gleba to write his name within Torrun’s own book of poems. Of all the things to ask a famous Bard I thought that must be the strangest. I laughed out loud but he did not laugh with me. We haven’t talked much since.

We will leave Caer Itom soon. Our quest moves us ever forward. I hope you are able to write to me. Letters to us can be sent to His Most Holy Pontiff, U’Selekma. He will then send them to us by the grace of the Gods. I would like to hear about how you are doing. Has the meditation for Refinement continued to be difficult? Did any of the healers leave for the Tri-Arcanum guild to pursue Convergence? What happened with Doctor Moore and the father of that Elven woman? Has Moli been keeping out of trouble? Please tell her and the others that I said “Hello” when you see them.

I miss being with you. I look forward to the day we can be together again. Until that day comes may the Gods stand between you and harm in all the empty places you walk.

With Love,

Silent Dream. of Dream Lake. and of CrIsis.

Note: This letter was written in Elven, on parchment paper, on the 24^th day of Thoth, in the seventy-second year of the Great Wolfen Empire and the first year of the return of the Elven Kingdom.

Image Credits:
BagelCollector
AZ_Rune