Letters

The phonetic Orcish business is a sign-countersign setup from when Ganeth and Milana used to translate literary works into Orcish.

Ganeth's letter to Milana

[phonetic Orcish] Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...

We're both still alive...who'd have thought? You're probably wondering what I've been doing for the last thirty-something years. Getting in over my head, for the most part. After the family was massacred, Veros and I left for the frontier. I created a new persona for myself, wound up in what was Zubberg at one point, hooked up with an adventuring party, and did some nice carefree (though I didn't think so at the time) adventuring in the Silverton corner of the world. I ended up specializing in alteration...I doubt Mother would have approved, but I've found the mobility and versatility to be rather useful. Of course, things got more complicated after that...you probably know the feeling. Still, there are perks, like diviners repaying a favor by tracking down long-lost relatives. By the way, was that message I got about twelve years ago (toward the end of the undead business) from you? If so, I still haven't worked out what you meant by the poison in my veins.

I've been wondering about the family history. I've come across some references to a female high-elf with a flaming blue sword whose crest was a solar eclipse...she rode a creature called something like a pegasus lord. She lived about a thousand years ago, and fought a number of demons, including a balor, with a tribe of dwarves. I don't know how this relates to me, but a number of events indicate that it does...it may relate to both of us. Do you know anything about this?

Ever notice that the period of totality for a solar eclipse is seven minutes? I thought that was interesting, given the Barshen and Nirduk heralds. Incidentally, Streck is operating in the vicinity of Chthul-Ra. He was hooked up with a shade organization for a while, but appears to have pulled out of their operation. Anyway, he eventually figured out who I really was, but once he lost as many assassins as he cared to we reached something of an understanding. (Basically, our clans don't attack each other unless specific mission objectives require it, and Streck seems to have been avoiding operations that directly conflict with me. He's got some ulterior motive, I'm sure, but that's just one more thing to worry about.) Kalek, by the way, was killed by a doppleganger some time ago, when the Nirduks moved from Auramkil to Chthul-Ra. I don't know if old Sonek is still alive or if Streck is running everything now. In any event, based on the date of the treaty it looks like the Nirduks were off on a fast plane for fifty years making lots of burnable items, but do they seem to have lost old magic along with everyone else (until the extraplanar types started reintroducing it).

You were always the observant one...I know roughly why the Barshens were massacred: someone didn't like the idea of the Mareks and Parnos getting together...but who and why? Any ideas? It seems that there's more to our history than your basic merchant family...eclipses in particular seem fairly portentous. Also, I'd always gotten the impression that while I was supposed to be respectable and make the jump (back?) to nobility, you were actually going to run the family affairs. What was the family business, really? (It seems that a merchant fleet is good for covertly moving all sorts of things around, but my adventuring life may have made me a little paranoid...though generally they really are out to get me :)

Do you know of anyone called the Lady? She is, as far as I know, an aboleth (or at the very least a communal being) with interests in the Empire. She attempted to recruit me shortly before the undead began their final offensive, with a deck and all the trimmings. She has connections to hags (all kinds). Also, her "Organization" seems to have been connected to some branch of the Nirduk outfit. It may also be the same Organization that at one time employed a wererat summoner named Ramola (aka Milma). I've encountered Ramola several times (most recently as one of the beings posing as Councilman Nicomas in Chthul-Ra), and I've heard that he and Streck go way back. Have you heard anything about this guy?

Have you had much contact with spiders in your travels? They seem to be a recurring theme for me. Other images I've been wondering about (not that I know why you'd know about them, but I might as well ask): an amethyst lit from within, an arc of light or gold stretching through the void, and a one-handed Eastern woman (I guess northeastern to you nowadays) with her face hooded in shadows.

Anyway, how's life down south? I'd heard about a forest with elves from all over the world down south; are you near there? (I don't actually know where you are beyond "by the western shore of the southern continent", just that this will get to you in a day or so.) When did you decide to head down there? (My party has considered leaving this continent periodically, but other committments seem to keep us somewhere betwen the two empires for the most part.)

The last word I had on Demos was about twelve years ago; he was in prison in Auramkil. Have you heard anything more recent?

If Semile is by some chance still alive, tell her I said hello (and tell her I'm adventuring with another nightblade). At this instant I'm in the Dragon Tears Archipelago, but hopefully my party will be getting back to Chthul-Ra in a few days. If you're ever up in that neck of the woods, the diviner has offered us both dinner at his place (I hear he's a rather good cook). I imagine you can think up ways to find me around there...there aren't many adventuring parties that include grey elves these days. (In fact, I'm pretty sure mine is the only one.)

Anyway, you can send a letter back with Pobhitakor (or with whoever -- probably not whatever, since he is a diviner -- actually delivered this, if he didn't make the trip in person). If there's a Temple of the Wind anyplace in your neck of the woods, you can probably get messages to me that way for a while (until this quest of mine is over...but it beats being dead, and my adversaries are such slimeballs that I'd probably be trying to stop them anyway). If you can do stuff like sendings, great (though that puts you rather ahead of your big brother, who's just getting the hang of things like dimdoor). Otherwise, if you're up my way I'm sure your training will suggest a few methods for tracking me down.

I can't think of a whole lot else, aside from how happy I am that you're still alive. Try to stay that way, okay. :)

Love,

G.

Milana's letter to Ganeth

Dear G,

Hearing from you after so many years was a complete surprise. I had feared that you and Ramos had never made it out of Auramkil alive. In fact it was only after that nice mage Pobhitakor spoke with us at length that we decided not to dismiss your letter as a cruel hoax.

Although your letter was very detailed, it was nevertheless extremely confusing, and I hope to glean more out of it on rereading. In particular, the mention of the "sending" is somewhat disconcerting since I didn't do that. However (and this is what makes it curious), I do happen to be living near the Western shore of Dongar, in the forest we call "Elvenstar".

I suppose that I have changed over the last few decades, so let me try to summarize things in the short span of this letter. After our successful escape from Auramkil, we spent some time in hiding in the Empire. One of the human merchant families was able to give us refuge. Eventually I made my way East through the empire, and took a ship to Silverton. During the time of the revolution, I was having some adventures with pirates, and by the time we got to Silverton, it had declared itself a "free city".

My adventures have taken me East but not as far as Chthul-Ra. I had heard that it was an evil city where elves were not welcomed. In your letter you say little about your companions but they sound like they are as paranoid as you. I'm somewhat surprised that you adventure with a grey elf. Karis says that they are so intent on hunting the "drow" (they still believe the legends) that they have lost sight of the present.

In any case, let me tell you a little about my adventuring party: first there is Zaran, who I met in Silverton. He's (don't be shocked now) a half-elf, and a bard. I can see you laughing at this, but Zaran's an amazing guy and we've been together for over a decade. How about you? Have you corrupted some innocent maiden and forced her to live with you? She'd have to be mad of course, to share in your peculiarly dangerous lifestyle... :)

Our warrior is Gozar, a gnome who calls himself an "engineer", In addition to his arsenal of melee and missile weapons, he considers himself an expert in siege warfare, tactics and explosives. He has some mysterious Gnomish contacts who provide him with a wide variety of hazardous and untested junk.

We also have a human priestess, named Sonali, who is from Dongar. She dresses in exotic silks and worships Gold. In addition to being an excellent healer she also manages our party investments. We hang out with her family whenever we are in the city, since her father is the High Priest (and they have a lavish bungalow).

I guess I qualify as the party thief, and only mourn my useless class when I am feeling grouchy. There are rumors that ink has returned, but the crawl back will be a pain for us I know. We have run into a few evil mages over our last few adventures and we are trying to get their spellbooks. Sonali wants to sell them for Gold, but I think Zaran & I can talk her out of it. Tell me about your party next time.

Your dreams sound really weird. The only ones I had were when I took some strong dwarven liquor and had my fortune told. Zaran says that I used to wake up in the night talking about Blood and Feathers or something like that. Eclipses are a weird thing. I've heard that there are some people out East who have games or festivals on days of the eclipse. The Nirduks were apparently sighted in the Eastern part of Dongar, but they were only rumors. It is interesting that we have signed a treaty with them.

Your letter also mentions an ancestor. She sounds neat, but sorry I have not heard about her. I would ask Zaran, but he's kind of weak on Empire history. Our family has been alternately involved in doing great good and making great profits. As far as I know, our latest family business, under the front of merchant shipping was doppelganger import. The doppelgangers are rather common in the underground areas of Dongar and high elves have for centuries been "farming" them and training them in the ways of Empire society. We used to have a training camp on the Northern coast of Dongar where we had replicated a small section of Auramkil, with actors playing the parts of the protagonists.

This continent is different to what I was used to. In some ways their language sounds a little like Common. They wield scimitars and don't wear too much armor as the weather is rather warm. Suits me fine since I can even pass off as a fighter (haha). In fact, Zaran and I have this neat routine where both of us disguise ourselves as warriors and swindle people.

And finally about our past: I set off on my own after being separated from Semile in Silverton. She was planning for us to head off East, but I was attacked in the inn. I escaped to the sewers and eventually ended up leaving on a ship. In any case, Pobhitakor is keen on heading back with the letter so I will end here.

I've accepted his gracious invitation for a "home-cooked" meal in Chthul-Ra so we should set up a time. We're taking a break from adventuring to wait for Gozar to heal up from his conference. Zaran & Sonali say hi to your party. See you soon & don't get killed.

much love, M

Click around here to head back to:

the main Campaign page

the Barshen clan page

the high elven clans page

the index for my piece of the Campaign site

my home page