Letter From A Northern Clan

[MikhaiI 231]

A letter arrives at the homestead of every major House of the Kingdom of Oren. On the front is a wax seal of Clan Völík, likely an unfamiliar sight to many lords and ladies. The envelope is made of a rough paper.

 

 

"Ære og Lojalitet Evig!"

 

 

"It is difficult for me to understand the deep hate that exists among people. It is hard to understand a culture that justifies the killing of thousands in past wars, and is at this very moment preparing equipment to kill even greater numbers. It is hard for me to understand a culture that spends more minas on wars and weapons to kill, than it does on education to help and develop.

 

It is hard for me to understand a culture that not only hates and fights his brothers but even attacks nature and abuses her. I see my Oren brothers going about blotting nature from his cities. I see him strip the hills bare, leaving ugly wounds on the face of the mountains. I see him tearing things from the bosom of Athera as though she were a monster, who refused to share her treasure with him. I see him throw poison in the waters, indifferent to the life he kills there; and he chokes the air with deadly fumes.

 

My Oren brother does many things well for he is more clever than my people but I wonder if he knows how to love well. I wonder if he has really learned to love at all. Perhaps he only loves the things that are his own but never really learned to love things that are outside and beyond him. And this is, of course, not love at all, for man must love all creation or he will love none of it. Man must love fully or he will become the lowest of the animals. It is the power of love that makes him the greatest of them all... for he is alone of all animals capable of love.

 

Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look out confidently at the world. Instead we turn inwardly and begin to feed upon our own personalities and little by little we destroy ourselves.

 

You and I need strength and joy that comes from knowing that we a loved. With it we are creative. With it we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others.

 

There have been times when we all wanted so desperately to feel a reassuring hand upon us...there have been lonely times when we so wanted a strong arm around us... I cannot tell you how deeply I miss my brothers' presence when I return from a trip. There love was my greatest joy, my strength, my greatest blessing.

 

Everyone likes to give as well as receive. No one wishes only to receive all the time. We have taken much from your culture...I wish you had taken something from our culture... for there are some good and beautiful things in it.

 

Soon it will be too late to know my culture, for integration is upon us and soon we will have no values but yours. Already many young people have forgotten the old ways. And many have been ashamed of their Northern ways to be scorn and ridicule. My culture is like a wounded deer that has crawled away into the forest to bleed and die alone.

 

The only thing that can truly help us is genuine love. You must truly love us, be patient with us and share with us. And we must love you - with a genuine love that forgives and forgets... a love that forgives the terrible sufferings your culture brought ours when it swept over us like a wave crashing along a beach... with a love that forgets and lifts up its head and sees in your eyes an answering love of trust and acceptance.

 

Signed,

- Lövaas Völík"

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

Guy collects this letter at Keep Banard in place of Olivier de Savoie, who seems to be away. He doesn't see a return address for this misguided man who wants all of humanity to abandon their productive, righteous lives to live in mud huts in the woods, not to mention abandon and spit on centuries of cultural and religious development.

[Wyvernbane 252]

Veren paces by houses, pausing to glance at the notes left for them. He tilts his head to the side at the door, just staring for a moment

"Finally a House with some sense." he says simply, continuing on his way.

[Raomir 1855]

Tomislav hears a Noble reading the letter aloud and then scratches his head with a confused look on his face

"Education?"

[Savoyard 263]

Ivar extends his arm to snag the parchment off of a post in Karovia, scimming through it, face still stoic before he'd tack it back on.

[SodaiKamikaze 652]

The Grizzled Bear grimaces as he reads the letter, wiping down his broadsword with a rag. ".... "  His brow furrows as he thinks back to earlier, his blade slicing into the neck of the one known as Sivar, his head disposed of with the rotting meats of his hunts.  A low sigh escapes from the massive man's mouth, his nose wrinkling in mild distaste. ".... I do not want to overuse my chopping station.. but if they come, I remove. Simple as that.." He mutters before being bitten by a small pug on his ankle, crying out in pain. "ARRGH! BARNSY WHY!"

[Publius 4098]

Happening across the letter while filing a report for the 2nd regiment, he takes pause at the note, frowning deeply as he finishes reading.

 

"A gentil people... By the Creator, why of all men, do these ones have to be pagan's? Oren would be better with these men close at heart, and these men better off protected by her... Quite misfortunate are we both to have to be the other's enemy."

 

Shaking his head, he leaves the report, thinking on what he read.

[The Great Mongol Khan 1110]

 

Happening across the letter while filing a report for the 2nd regiment, he takes pause at the note, frowning deeply as he finishes reading.

 

"A gentil people... By the Creator, why of all men, do these ones have to be pagan's? Oren would be better with these men close at heart, and these men better off protected by her... Quite misfortunate are we both to have to be the other's enemy."

 

Shaking his head, he leaves the report, thinking on what he read.

 

Lucius rests his old hand on Publius' shoulder, "Hate is a sin greater than paganism, my old friend."

[HeroOfDuLoc 1935]

Fizldank sits on the mesa, wondering how all these peasants are reading a letter that was only sent to the powerful houses, such as Vladov, Chivay, and Stafyr.

[MatrixNeo585 10]

Ingolfer stares as Loovas runs around getting the letters pinned to the doors for those to read wondering how well people will take to the letter.

[Publius 4098]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.