Dearest Mother,

I am heartened to hear of the fall of the Black Monestary of the Kaurlites. It is a blessed occasion when Humanity bands together to push back the Thorns. Truly, I am relieved. This city was once a stronghold of the Kaurlite, and it is joyous that that history is one further step diminished. I hear a raiding force remains, in route to the Black Tower. I pray that the Throne’s forces will find and overtake them before they inflict much more harm.

The black band known as the Hollow Men cut off the hands of many women and children this last season. Sir Sanguine says they did it to lure the Frateris Sanguine into a trap, goaded on by the hot desire for vengeance. He hid the knowledge from us so that we could focus on our work, and quietly arranged for the miracles of Lurian to be called upon to restore our loved ones to wholeness. I think his leadership here was wise, though I do wish he would have consulted with us more. I do believe we could have kept our hearts level, and possibly captured some of these blackguards. Markus has faced this trial in a manner that makes me proud.

The city rulership has asked me to serve as Eparch, and I have accepted. I hope that I can provide righteous guidance to those in power, and help everyone here find more meaningful lives.
One question that comes up frequently is the role of sorcery in our society. In order to understand this place better I have studied the rudiments of Magic, and in so doing have noticed that the names of the rebellious angels who now are the Thorns are reversed and included in the incantation of every guild spell. I am not alone in noticing this, and it has led to questions about whether Magic, or Mankind’s ability to wield it, is part of how the world is wicked? The church teaches us that it is slothful to turn to the supernatural, but is otherwise silent of the deeper implications of magical power. Do magicians open the Judgment the rebellious angels are sealed in to draw power from them? Are ancient false gods and demons being invoked, or revered? Is the presence of the guilds in our society a fundamental compromise of the ideal of the Throne? These are things I feel I need to know to give proper council to the rulers here, and to guide the course of the Frateris Sanguine and others.

I pray you and your men every blessing and fortune in the field. If your time and the campaign permit, I would be grateful for another visit. In particular I feel our prior lesson has settled well, and I am now ready to learn the Langschwert technique if you are able to teach it to me.

Love,

Ansel