Letters (2)

From, Lord Baloryn Dunn, Ebonhawke.

To, Lady Gracelin Howard, Destiny's Reach

Season of the Phoenix 1320 AE


Dear Gracelin and future wife,

What could be called the beginnings of warmth has reached this land now that the spring is coming to a close and the summer draws in, but with it comes the Charr.

Yesterday I beat my first foe. My training is finally complete and I have gone the final steps to becoming a man and on my way to being a hero and seeing our lands restored.

Even now I still shake slightly with the thrill of it all, and the blood of my foe still stains my armor and my wear. We had heard of a raiding party terrorizing people in the village to the west. Knowing the route of the land we prepared an ambush.

Wielding your father’s sword I headed into battle alongside my vanguard brothers and gave battle to the deadly evil foe that is the Charr. Striking left and right we moved in and a horrible large beast of a creature came for me knocking me from my mount, using its full force to unhorse me.

Quickly I struggled to my feet knowing that lying on my back was surely death. Once more on my feet I could see it charging, its jaws open as he raced towards me axe in hand. I fainted left and stuck right speed was key against this creature and wits, dumb creatures and slow is what we have been taught. It was not long before your father’s sword was deep within the creature and shouts of victory could be heard from those around me.

My brothers bloodied my forehead with my first kill’s blood and we rejoiced in our victory over the vile creatures.

I would have rejoiced less if I realized the cost, we lost a few friends of mine in the battle. I have been told to keep strong and my face firm. Using my frustration and turning it into a desire of vengeance to take back their lies tenfold to repay for every one of ours we take. I have been told it will not be the last time that I will lose brothers in this war. But through victory we will retake our lands and that is what we fight for.

But for now the villages nearby are spared any assault until they arrive again. I have been told now is the time when Charr activity is at its highest and we have little time for relaxation. Mainly training and sleeping with drinking in between.

I have been informed however that I will be given a specialist trainer, a member from the league of guardians is coming to train me in their skills with magic. I am unsure of this but those around me tell me it is a great honor and that I should feel proud. I worry this special treatment may have those below me dislike me as I am still relatively new compared to them. I have been told however it is not chosen by birth right but by skills and that my attack showed signs of the inherent traits required.

The village were very thankful for our aid and help and many of the men have gone to visit the location tavern for what the call their ‘reward’. I have decided this is not the activity of a commander or a Lord and instead I have chosen to stay here and write this letter to you.

I hope you are safe and that the summer is treating you well, I am sure it is much warmer where you are. I suspect your ability to cause rain will be much needed on the lands your father owns to keep crows from dying.

I still long for the day that we shall be married and together both in name and in body.

Your Betrothed

Lord Baloryn Dunn

(added to the letter is a small map with a couple locations marked on it those being ‘village’ ‘ambush’ and ‘our camp’)


Dear Diary.

I carry on my life, little by little regaining my sanity and senses after my unfortunate summer.

Lady Tate never leaves my side, unless someone else she trusts me with is in the room. This is, as one might imagine, very few.

After my mother died, rumors of father and she began to circulate again and no sooner did I hear them before my old friend Louisa came to call and ask in a most intimate way if they were true. I, kindly and in a most women-like manner, asked her to leave the matter alone and she did for a time, until she left. Then she dropped the most disturbing news of all on me and it's weight is a heavy rock.

"Gracelin", she said, "you are of course aware that your old stable hand Nath has married our housemaid?" When I shook my head and asked why she wanted to tell me this, she explained in a most poisonous way that she had heard the maid whisper to one of the other girls in the house, that Nath had been involved with a Lady of the noble houses, though she didn't know who it was. Louisa, of course, wanted me to know to protect me, simply because Lady Tate was in bed, my mother sick and father away, leaving my reputation most vulnerable all season long. Curse her and her quick mind, Lady Tate and father were right, that the damage I have done to myself would be tenfold worse if any of this ever leaks to the public. All the more reason to keep it to myself and carry on my connection to Baloryn as if nothing has changed between us.

To make it all the more so, I sat down to write him a letter and here's what came of my efforts.


To, Lord Baloryn Dunn, Ebonhawke.

From, Lady Gracelin Howard, Destiny's Reach.

Season of the Colossus – 1320 AE

Dear Baloryn.

I hope this letter finds you well, knowing that it leaves my hands and me in that same state.

Since I received your last letter, only one major event has taken place in my life and I confess that though it brings me some sadness, I also feel the relief brought on by it.

My mother passed away a few weeks ago, surprisingly quietly and with little fuss considering how the last fifteen years of her life were spent. She was mourned, buried and so forth in the appropriate manner, quietly, as suitable for a woman who has brought nothing but pain to her family, as a former friend of hers spoke over her. It may not surprise you to know that, barely cold in her grave, women already flock to my father to replace her, and though I believe my father is truly sad that she has died, I also believe him relieved. It's almost as if a burden has been lifted from his shoulders.

In more cheerful news, I can inform you that I have tried, and passed, the many and heavy history and politics lessons about Kryta, as we turn towards the fall of Ascalon, I find myself more eager to see this world for myself, though of course this is not possible.

As you may remember, I turn sixteen soon, on that occasion Lady Tate insists my father gives the proper and expected party and introduces me formally to the noble houses. In that same regard, I believe, Lady Tate never misses out on what is 'expected of a young lady with your social status'.

In that same regard, also to do with my age I believe, master Thomas has requested permission to teach me in a more broad area of the world such as the vast differences between rich and poor and the reasons behind. All in all, I find that turning sixteen is a most exciting time. It also marks the day in which I may say I am to be married, four years from then.

I wonder, do you ever occupy your mind with the welfare of the commoners? Master Thomas claims it's our duty as nobles; to seek to improve their lives, however father insists that as we are part of the Ascalonian bloodline, all we should focus on should be the restoration of the old Kingdom and the recovery of our status in the old lands. I am torn, while I understand my father's desire and always have been brought up by its tales, I also wonder if the cause isn't already lost and we shouldn't focus on the more pressing matters and preservation of the world we live in now. To this, my father insists my young age and ill knowledge of the world outside the city and Queensdale adds to my naïve mind and that I do not understand the bigger picture. Perhaps he is right, but I for one have never seen a Charr, never seen Ascalon and forgive me my words, but I do not always understand the need to carry on this way. Lady Tate insists, women should not bother with these politics and simply keep their focus on their homes and families, leaving the rest to the men.

For the time being, I shall limit my thoughts on the matter to personal scribbles and of course to you, from whom I'd not keep them. If you would rather not read them, I trust you'll inform me.



Until next, I remain your betrothed.

Gracelin.


I shall have it sent first thing tomorrow morning.

Praise be to the Gods and goodnight.



From, Lord Baloryn Dunn, Ebonhawke.

To, Lady Gracelin Howard, Destiny's Reach

Season of the Zephyr 1321 AE

To my Love

I am sorry my letter has taken so long to be completed. It is early spring here now, and much is not as my last letter left it. Firstly, the activities are more easily explained. For this I must set some background. During the winter it is common for the races of Men and Charr to not fight after the autumn harvest, this is due to the climate and weather defeating armies better than any enemy and it is tactically unsound as well as any crops they wish to raid no longer being in the fields. However the Charr have continued their raids long into the winter. More and more attacks were spotted and called upon, and even with their thick beast-like hides many were found frozen to death. Battle has been constant but successful in keeping them at bay, at least for now.

…Now I must ask for you to believe me when I say the next words are very confusing indeed to write into a letter and I must ask that the trust I place in you with this information go no further than yourself and your father if you choose to tell him. I would never ask a daughter to hide anything from their father. But I digress from the true topic itself. We captured three Charr and they have informed us of the strangest tales. Undead have risen in our homeland and battle the Charr daily continuing the fight to defend their lands even in death, ghosts and other spirits unable to pass on. Not only that but ‘Another’ dragon has risen. Even more destruction has rained upon our homelands and crystal rock sprouted from it’s mouth to engulf the lands with a giant scar marking the flight path it has taken.

The Charr are becoming stretched in their battle against the ghosts and now the minions of this new dragon and some show so little honor they are attempting to flee towards the Ebonhawke and our last bastion. However I understand the dragon to the north forced the entire people of the Norn southwards not far from us. If this dragon does the same, the Charr’s days in our lands may be numbered. But then a full assault by the Charr may also mean my own….

I am sorry to hear of the passing of your mother. I shall mourn her also and pray to the gods that she rests now in peace if in life she had such struggles.

I am sure your father will find comfort in knowing how much of a strong and faithful daughter he has to his family household and I am sure not a day goes by where he does not think of the blessing that you are to him.

I am still continuing with my new training with becoming a guardian and not a moment too soon. I have been told I am taking well to it and the skills I shall learn will aid my brothers in battle with my very presence.

As for our role, I am often presented with the poor and those that suffer. But in the Ebonhawke whether rich or poor all suffer in many ways but they are hit hardest of all. Yet still here they remain, they could have moved to Kryta but they choose to stay and fight.

I ask you this, our duty is to our homeland as your father says but I would say that does not mean we are not fulfilling our duty to our people by trying to improve their lives. Every day I battle to keep their last homes and hopes safe from the Charr. Not only that, but if you consider we have but short lives on our hands, we can do little with the time we have. But together spanning generations we can work to something pure and good, a legacy to last beyond our years. For those after us to enjoy cherishing and having the quality of life we cannot. For two hundred and fifty years our ancestors fought and died to try and bring us that peace and deliver us our home.

I once heard of a man who spent all his life building a house using whatever money they had spare. But he was poor and what time and money he had was little. One day he was asked why he didn’t use the money now, why he didn’t eat better or have finer clothes. He just smiled and said, “This house will not be completed until I am an old man. I know however that my children and my children’s children will have a home. As big and as strong as I can make it, with my heart and soul in every brick. Once you are gone my friend, your fine clothes and your food will be forgotten, but my house will still stand strong.”

So my love, I hope perhaps you can see that through our struggle. Though the path is long and hard, we are building a future for our children and children’s children.

And I am always interested in knowing your thoughts and opinions. My love, you are to be my wife and therefore you are to stand beside me not behind me. We will be stronger together then apart but when we choose a course of action we must agree and all that see us must know we stand united and not divided in our opinions.

Your Betrothed

Lord Baloryn Dunn