[hr][i][quote][color=FFBE63]To High Priestess Tingara Tomae,

My dear child, I pray this letter finds you well. May the radiance of Aelios guide your steps and fortify your spirit as you carry out your sacred duty in such a remote and challenging place. Your dedication to our Goddess and the great Kingdom of Aurelia is evident, and I trust you are acclimating well to your new surroundings. Truly, your presence there will be a source of strength to all who seek the light in such troubled lands.

I have read your letter, and I commend your zeal for interpreting what you believe to be the will of Aelios. Yet, I must caution you, dear Tingara, to temper your enthusiasm with patience and discernment.

Visions, as you know, are rare gifts, and interpreting them requires a clarity of mind, body and spirit. Being so far removed from the heart of Aurelia and surrounded by shadows of the blight, it is possible that the darkness of this land weighs upon your mind, leading it to wander where Aelios has not sent it. It is only natural that such things would cloud your thoughts.

I myself have received no such visions from Aelios since the prophecy of the child destined to bring forth her light in our darkest hour. This silence is not to be taken lightly, for it suggests that Aelios wishes us to act with care and wisdom rather than haste. 

It may very well be that the dreams you describe are not divine in nature but rather reflections of your own concerns or the trials of adapting to an unfamiliar and daunting place. You must learn to discern the difference.  

I urge you to meditate deeply upon this, to quiet your mind, and to let the eternal flame illuminate your path. Within its light, you will find Aelios’ eternal wisdom and the clarity to discern true vision from fleeting dream. 

As for sharing your visions with His Highness, I must strongly discourage this course of action. The Prince already carries the weight of countless burdens, and to add unverified dreams to his concerns would do him no service. We must shield His Highness from unnecessary worries so that he may focus on the immense responsibilities before him. 

Aelios demands of us prudence and foresight, and it would be unseemly for you to jeopardize the fragile balance of Dawnhaven by introducing uncertainty. Trust that the Goddess will reveal her purpose in due time, and until then, remain steadfast.

I must insist, Priestess, that should you experience any further visions you believe to be of divine origin, you inform me at once. It is my solemn duty to discern the will of Aelios, and together we shall ensure her wisdom is neither misinterpreted nor misplaced.

Furthermore, Her Majesty, the Queen, eagerly awaits your report on the Prince's state and actions. It troubles her deeply that she has not heard directly from him, as any mother would be concerned for her child. I am certain his silence stems from his preoccupation with the settlement; however, it would not be remiss of you to remind His Highness of his duty to the crown and to his family. 

Take care, Priestess, for though I question the origin of your visions, I do not doubt your sincerity or your devotion. You are a beacon of Aelios’ light in a land gripped by shadow. 

May Aelios’ radiance guide your path, 

Arch Priest Iakovou
Grand Illuminary of the Kingdom of Aurelia[/color][/quote][/i][hr]
[hr][i][quote][color=lemonchiffon]To Her Royal Majesty, Queen Viviana of Aurelia,

I offer my most humble apologies, that this letter comes to you past the scheduled date – a blizzard has overtaken Dawnhaven this past week, and though I would not dare to make excuses for any dereliction of my duties, we have all been advised to stay indoors until the storm passes. Far from Aurelia’s abundance, resources are precious and closely guarded in Dawnhaven. It would be unseemly for a representative of the church to squander resources or manpower with an irresponsible and ill-advised venture into avoidable danger. I am sending this letter at first opportunity, once the streets can again be tread safely. I thank you, Your Majesty, for your patience, as I cannot imagine the urgency with which you await word of Dawnhaven’s status, not only as a Queen, but as a mother. 

I write to you as your most humble servant, honored to be entrusted with such a grave task as informing the Crown of the many happenings in Dawnhaven. I shall endeavor to serve the proud kingdom of Aurelia to the best of my modest ability so that we, in cooperation with our fellow souls from the kingdom of Lunaris, may weather the foul tragedy of the blight and return the Sun to Her rightful place in the sky. 

Aelios’ warmth shines upon Dawnhaven, if not yet Her light. I would like to report on the truly remarkable progress of the settlement’s construction, the result of His Highness’ dedication to the heavy task laid out before him. Of course, while his leadership is instrumental to the ongoing survival of Dawnhaven, I would be remiss to leave the many citizens now residing here unacknowledged. All people who have journeyed to this growing beacon of promise, in what was an unoccupied and undeveloped plot of frigid forest just two short months ago, have demonstrated an admirable spirit of resilience and cooperation. 

Though the blizzard has prevented me from becoming properly acquainted with more than a handful of the residents here, I was able to briefly tour the settlement. In the place of the fear and despondency that one might expect given our current circumstances, I instead found a small but bustling community of individuals working together despite clear and historic differences. Aurelians and Lunarians, humans and blight-born, have all banded together in a truly inspiring demonstration of cooperation and empathy. 

My heart sings with pride as I report that my fellow Aurelians, while aching with the loss of the sun, remain resilient examples of Aelios’ perseverance and brilliance. In an unfamiliar land and with such dire circumstances, they continue to adapt. Our Lunarian neighbors have been most welcoming and their aid has been instrumental in helping us learn to navigate this land. 

Of course, so many disparate peoples cohabitating together has not been without its challenges — upon my arrival in Dawnhaven I was party to an incident involving a well-meaning, if slightly overenthusiastic blight-born citizen. With the aid of His Highness’ advisor, Lord Nightingale, and the sage Lady Hightower, the situation was contained and I have faith that the blight-born in question will comport himself with more care in the future to prevent such incidents. Still, this has served as a reminder of the caution with which we must act to ensure the safety and comfort of all citizens. 

His Highness, in yet another display of his dedication and thoroughness, has taken it upon himself to personally meet with each blight-born resident to learn about not only their unique conditions, but also their humanity. I am ashamed to admit that my own personal history with the blight has at times shaded over my heart. Your son’s patience and compassion is an example I hope to learn from as I reside in Dawnhaven and demonstrate Aelios’ light, as is my duty as Her priestess. 

His Highness was gracious enough to meet with me upon my arrival in the settlement. While he searches tirelessly for all possible remedies for the blight, he also, in my estimation, remains mindful of the guidance that has already been provided by the Arch Priest’s vision. We spoke together at some length about Aelios’ will, and the grave task before us. It is no simple thing that has been asked of him. But I have seen his devotion to not only Aurelia, but his subjects of Lunaris, by way of his marriage to Her Highness, Princess Amaya. I believe his strength of character shall continue to guide him, and he will continue to act in the best interests of all, whatever may come. 

I have yet to meet Her Highness personally, but news has arrived in Dawnhaven of great tragedy for our northern neighbors. It was announced that Her Majesty, Queen Anjali of Lunaris has tragically passed. I regret to report that I was unable to attend the announcement as I was seeing to matters of the church at the time, but I am told that it was given jointly by Prince and Princess. I cannot fathom the loss they feel at this moment, and I pray that they find comfort in their shared union as they grieve this loss. 

There is report that His Majesty, King Jericho, has joyfully found a new wife in the wake of the Queen’s passing and may be blessed with another child soon. I hope that the royal family of Lunaris may find peace with the gift of new life, especially in these times of such burden. 

I eagerly await the passing of the storm so that I may rejoin my fellow citizens of Dawnhaven and continue to learn more about the people here, offering what guidance I can. I have expressed to His Highness that I hope to be of aid to the shared mission of seeing the end of the blight and the return of Aelios’ brilliance to the sky. Again, I thank Your Majesty for the opportunity to serve Aurelia here, in this most noble mission. 

In the light and warmth of the Sun,

Tingara Tomae
High Priestess of the Church of Aelios[/color][/quote][/i][hr]
[sub]Written in collaboration with [@The Muse][/sub]