Tristan's Letters

[Tristan Venora]

5th of Saun, Arc 716

Dear Theodore,

As you might have heard I am working on a new play that will hopefully premiere in Rynmere Theatre at the end of next season. I have already found the majority of the actors, but what I am still lacking are songs.

I intend to dedicate the play to Zanik (although Daliane – the young Andaris that was fostered in Sabaissant, you probably remember him – suggested that I dedicate it to Vri instead).

As you may be aware, Zanik is an Immortal that appreciates music, and thus a play where the actors only speak would not make sense.

You, brother, are a talented singer and composer, and thus I would like to ask you if you would be willing to write a song or two (or three) for me. I have included a copy of the script for you.

I will of course invite you to the premiere. I might even pay you. If that isn’t enough to convince you to help a sibling in need out - most of the actors are quite attractive!

Your brother,

Tristan Venora

[Tristan Venora]

65th of Vhalar, Arc 716

Alistair,

I won’t call you my beloved cousin because I hate you right now. You may think I’m being childish, but I’d rather be honest about my feelings than hide behind a mask. I care about Faith a great deal. She has been invaluable to me during the past arc, so I’m reluctant to let her go. Without her I would never have been able to finish the preparations for the premiere of my play on time. In fact I might not even be alive anymore without her. You do have a point though.

As long as she is a slave there are limits to what she can do. I cannot in good conscience force a woman that has expressed her desire to learn numerous times to spend the rest of her life in chains, even if they may be invisible, and keep her from attending university and realizing her full potential. I will thus discuss the possibility of freeing her with Faith, and if she tells me that she would rather be a free woman than a slave, I will make it happen.

I don’t need your money though. I’d rather you gave it to Faith so that she can build a life for herself. It seems wrong to me to free a slave and then leave her to her own devices rather than giving her a means to support herself during those hard first few trials. She deserves more than that.

I don’t care if you disagree with me.

Your cousin,

Tristan Venora, also the First of His Name although I doubt that anybody besides me cares.

P.S.: You are still invited to the premiere, if you want to come.

[Faith Augustin]

35th Zi'da, Arc 716

Dear Tristan,

I am back from the campaign and I am well. I had a fall and banged my head though, when I was thrown from my horse and I have had what they called a concussion. It is much better now, but I am sorry that I have not been able to come and see you before now. But I knew that you would worry, so I wanted to let you know that I am fine. To help me recuperate, Padraig has arranged for us to go on a vacation to Rharne. We will be leaving in a few trials. I will write to you from there and see you as soon as we return. I look forward to hearing how the sword training went and trust that you have not become a hardened warrior in my absence!

With love,

Faith.

[Faith Augustin]

80th Zi'da, Arc 716

Dear Tristan,

Greetings from Rharne! I hope that you are well and taking good care of yourself. Rharne is an amazing place, there is a Lightning Cathedral here where the Immortal Ilaren is said to reside! There are priestesses there called the Thunder Priestesses and the military are the Lightning Knights. We have seen a number of sights and met some interesting people. I think that you would really like it here, both because of Ilaren's presence and because there is a lot of wine! I will pick up a few bottles for you before we come back to Andaris.

We are planning on visiting the Lightning Cathedral properly tomorrow. It was a long journey here, but I am so glad to have visited! They had a wonderful festival here, called the twelve trials of Zi'da, where you buy gifts for each other for each of twelve trials and each trial has a theme. It sounded lovely, but unfortunately it ended the trial before we got here ~ but what a nice idea! The people are very friendly and I've discovered some fascinating new foodstuffs. I miss you and look forward to seeing you when we return!

With love,

Faith.

[Neronin]

Dated on the 75th Trial of Zi'da, 716th Arc

Health and long life, Lord Venora

I hope this letter finds you well. Here in Etzos we have heard of your great skill and artistry. The city and her museum take pride in appreciating such rare talent and skill. As the Head Curator of the Etzori Museum of Art and History, I count it a severe disability to our credibility as an institution of culture that we are not, as of yet, in possession of one such legendary piece. We at the museum would very much like to rectify this weakness as soon as possible with a generous commission project. If you would be gracious enough to accept this commission I'm sure the Etzori people would appreciate your vision of Etzori might, encompassing our proud and unyielding history. I would further say that such a depiction of the Etzos character would surely find it's home at the forefront of our exhibits and perhaps earn the favor of High Marshal Parhn himself! I look forward to finding your reply in my mail. Until then, craft on.

Regards,

Perceval Tabard

Head Curator of the Etzori Art and History Museum

[Faith Augustin]

95th Ashan, 717

Dear Tristan,

I hope that this letter finds you well. I am so sorry for not being in touch before now, but I have been so very busy that time has flown away from me. Things here on Scalvoris are very different than Andaris! It is a wonderfully strange place and I am sure that you would love it.

The Viden Academy opened a campus here, a few seasons ago and they allowed me to take an entrance exam. That meant that I could start immediately, despite my lack of formal education ~ I have just completed my Diploma in Medicine and will be starting my Charter in the same in Ymiden. I'm specialising in working with previously incurable diseases. I want to be able to help those who have no other hope.

Alongside that, I am working as a Doctor, volunteering in the Order of the Adunih and I have just opened my own business! It's very exciting, I love it ~ it's a restaurant called Cally's, but it's much more than that. We grow all our own food and it's a charity. The profits either go back into the business or into charities outside of it. In the business we use the restaurant and the farm to teach trade skills and we are going to be opening up a hostel for the homeless where they can work in order to get themselves back on their feet.

I really feel like I am doing good things here, Tristan. For all that your cousin wrote to you, you were the one who gave me a choice I thought I would never have and so everything I do is thanks, in part, to you and your decision to ask a slave if she wished to be free.

However, I wrote to you for two reasons, neither of which I've written yet. The first is to tell you that Padraig and I are getting married. I hope that you might be able to attend, with guests, of course, if you wish it. We are going to be wed on the 122nd Vhalar here in Scalvoris. I would like it if you could attend, if it is possible. It seems like a lifetime ago that I saw you and so many things have happened.

Also, I am writing to ask your help, if you don't mind. I have discovered that my birth was actually in Rynmere, bizarrely, although I was taken to Athart when I was mere trials old. My birth family name is Nardovino, it transpires and I wondered if you would just keep an ear out for that, or think if you know anyone by that name. Any information, basically, that you might be willing to give me would be gratefully received. But I have no wish to put you out.

I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you're well, Tristan, I truly do.

With best regards,

Faith

[Finnegan O'Connor]

A thin, poor quality letter with childish handwriting, sent from the Etzos orphanage on the 40th of Ashan, 717.

To Artist Venora,

Today I went to the museum with my teacher, Mr. Ynush. I didn’t think it would be nice, but it was actually quite nice. There were lots of paintings and skeletons of beasts and monsters. They were really big! But I also saw [the statue you made and I think it is the bestest best piece in the museum. It looks very real and I like that the man you made is standing on an immortal because they’re very bad and the Marshal is very good. I do think you made the immortal look too pretty though. I know they’re actually quite ugly. It says so in my schoolbooks.

What do you call the black stone that you used? I asked, but my teacher didn’t know (I think he’s a bit dumb). Did you really hammer this out of stone? It looks very hard. I wanted to try hitting it to see how hard it was but I wasn’t allowed, they said I would break it if I did, but I don’t think that’s true.

Want to know something funny? I was going to the museum because I had to, because I drew the teacher with a turd on his head on the blackboard today. It kinda looked like this:

He thought it wasn’t a good drawing and made me choose between cleaning the toilets or going to the museum. I don’t think my drawing is that bad. If it looks ugly it’s because Mr. Ynush is a bit ugly too. He is nice too though and I am glad I got to see your statue.

Greetsz,

-Finn

P.S.

I heard you write plays too. I’ve only been in the theatre twice but I would like to play in one someday. My teacher said I should ask if you have ohditions but I am not sure what that means. Do you have ohditions?

[Alistair]

7th of Ymiden, Arc 717

Beloved Cousin, Duke Tristan Venora of Oakleigh,

Regardless of whether or not we always agree, cousin, I will always be there to lend my ear and fill a sheet with words of advice. You should know that my first priority, above all things, is the prosperity of my family - regardless of which line you descend from.

I will admit, your ascension to Dukedom at such a rapid pace was... unique, and strange. Nearly every Lord of Rynmere must've risen their brow at the position being given, though personally, I no longer question this decision. In truth, it is likely that your position was given as a method of the Kingdom exerting greater control over the Settlements, which are by all means our colonies. The regions are far too autonomous, according to many people, and the King would see a friend in control of one to hasten the others into falling in line.

Of course, this means that you were not fully advised on the difficulties of the position, and the danger that comes with an increase of centralized power in an autonomous region. The people of Oakleigh will despise a foreign aristocrat coming to change their way of life. They do not wish to see an island Lord reigning over them, of foreign culture, foreign values. As such, you must no longer be an island Lord.

Learn of the people, learn of their culture, become one with them. Partake in their traditions, eat their food, wear their style of dress. Acquire great and powerful friends who would wish to siphon some of your power - but instead, siphon theirs. In order to be a Duke, dear Tristan, you must learn to play the game. In light of this, I will send you one of my advisors from Oxentide to serve you for the first half of Ymiden; the man I offer you shall be of more use to you than a hundred swords.

His name is Tamlen von Sien, and he is my Spymaster of Novilane; few compare to him in excellence, and few can spot and decimate a malicious plot faster than he. I will assist him in creating a network within Oakleigh so that you may monitor the information transfered throughout the region, and discover which wealthy families are disloyal and which are on the edge. Assume loyalty from none of them -- sycophants at best, enemies at worst. The people who play the game do not have good hearts, only good barbers and speech tutors.

Heed his advice. While he's an ambitious climber with aspirations in Venora, those aspiratons will not extend to Oakleigh, I can offer you that certainty. Treat him as a friend and advisor, not a servant. He will ultimately be the one keeping you from the assassin's blade, after all.

Along with him, I will offer you a few from my personal retinue as loyal guards, though I must ask that I retain the right to reclaim them if need be.

I do not need anything in exchange, though I do ask that you keep an open ear upon a time not far from now. There may come a time where I seek your aid as well, and as family, we must protect each other in the heat of such precarious days. Please do not feel afraid to contact me again. I will be sending Tamlen within the next few trials, and he should arrive before the twentieth. If you ever wish to contact me by letter, he has within his service a small collection of trained hawks.

Yours Truly,
Alistair Nathaniel Venora, First in Line, Baron of Novilane and Future Duke of the Great House of Venora

[Tristan Venora]

24th of Ymiden, Arc 717

Dear Master Caprice,

I have heard of your skill and the skill of those that work for you, and I would like to order several toys from you if you have time. I have a cat, you see. His name is Mistral, and he used to be the leader of a powerful cat gang in Andaris that rose to infamy in recent seasons. After His Royal Majesty promoted me, we had to relocate to Oakleigh though.

Mistral has been somewhat depressed since then. He doesn’t have anybody to order around or fight anymore, and the cats here ignore him, and thus I would like you to make about half a dozen cat toys for me, little animal shaped dolls that remind him of his servants and his victims. Hopefully they will distract him and cheer him up. I will of course pay you well.

Unfortunately I won’t have time to pick them up in person. If you have somebody deliver my order though, I will pay for their travel expenses and have my servants prepare a meal for them.

Kind regards,

Tristan Venora
Duke of Oakleigh

[Faith Augustin]

40th Ymiden, 717

Dear Tristan,

Tristan, I'm so worried! I got your letter and I don't know what's happened but that wasn't me! I've been here on Scalvoris since we arrived here, Padraig and I. Tristan, you have to believe me, that was not me. I am very much alive and I told you what happened to my daughter. Immortals, I think it's Aelig messing with you.

If you need reassurance, Tristan, that I am who I tell you I am, then I can tell you a hundred things that only I would know. Think back to this person? Did they behave like me? Did they act like me? I am sorry, so sorry to tell you but it was not me.

However, this must be very confusing to you and you must not know who to believe. So here is what I can tell you that only I would know. You get very seasick, but it got better when we went into the Crow's Nest together. Not for me, though, I was very afraid. You kept me close though and told me that you would not let me fall. You taught me that I am a person, that I can think and feel what I wish to ~ and that meant that I could not pity you even when you told me to. You taught me what a lickspittle is. We walked together to the ball and we danced together. We also discovered secrets that evening, things that I won't write here because of the damage they can do to someone you care very much for. I once threatened to pin that person to the walls by his entrails.

Your cat is evil. Yet, somehow, adorable at the same time because of how immediately he changes when he sees you. You always believed that he was the head of a cat gang which terrorised Andaris, and I can't think that you were wrong. We were practicing your play in the garden when the shadow beast attacked and your neighbour makes you cake.

Tristan, please believe me. I am very much alive. I am on Scalvoris, like I told you when I left and that is not my child. I suspect it isn't yours either, but I don't know that. I just am so worried about you. Who is helping you with the baby? You drink far too much wine to be in charge of an infant! Duke or not, you should still make sure that you eat properly and I hope that you believe me. Please, find enclosed with this a scroll. I have its twin and what you write on it, I will see. The same is true in reverse. It's like my shoes ~ magic.

Write back to me on that as soon as you get this Tristan and tell me more, tell me what is happening. I am so worried about you. I am so sorry that you experienced that, but I promise you, I am very much alive.

With all my best wishes and hoping that you are well,

Faith

Off Topic

OOC: I've deducted the Point Bank Points from my ledger and marked it "Echo Scroll, Tristan"