Open Letter to the Vigil

[Equinox 245]

-- A letter is printed en masse, posted throughout Vailor upon pamphlets. --

  -- Many are around the Cloud Temple Docks, --

  -- though others are put up in areas Vigil members have recently been spotted. --

   -- The letters are written with elegant handwriting, penned in silver ink. --

 

To Members of the Vigil,

 

     Many of you have likely heard of me, though I suspect very few have actually met with me outside of a negotiating table wrought with nothing but violent threats. Today I write to you in hopes of changing this. I do not want war, violence nor ire between those of Celein and Haelun’or. Perhaps to your own disbelief, I merely wish to live unaccosted so I might pursue my goals irrelevant to the Silver State.

 

      Though I sought merely to avoid war and allow the Vigil and Celein to coexist, recently a choice was pressed upon me that led me to question the possibility of such an option. Only a few short days ago, members of the Vigil kidnapped two of my children, Crumena and Elleyun Izalith, an act so abhorrent that I still cannot fathom such an occurrence.

 

      I was promptly informed, and had my agents give me updates regarding their condition. They were taken to the Citadel and questioned extensively, seeking to press them to turn upon their home. Following this, they sought to convince my son to murder me in cold blood. Yet these two failures are not what makes the actions presented today so despicable. No, what made today’s events truly unforgivable was their next desire. To execute one of my children in my stead.

 

      I was informed promptly via carrier pigeon that Arche Raell wished to kill one of my children. It was only after my children were returned that I learned Tahorran Raell was also among those with such murderous inclinations. Were it not for the steadfast and honorable temperance of the Sohaer, I fear that the Vigil would be guilty of the most heinous of crimes.

 

To murder an elven child!

 

      To bring children in the middle of politics is unacceptable on its own, yet this is beyond forgiveness. No upright elf would ever consider such a detestable act to be one of an order to protect all of elvenkind, for children are to be most prized above all others. If “a Vigil must be stalwart in their preservation of the ways of elvenkind,” then a Vigil must reject these acts, and isolate themselves from those who would condone them. Elviran, I ask you now with this knowledge, look upon your order and tell me what you see. I fear it will be quite different from what you were promised.

 

-- A portrait of a Vigil is drawn below, restyled to reflect a different perspective. --

 

      If you believe the murder of elven children to be just, then remain with the Vigil; they are an order suited for your ilk. Yet if you joined Elviran to protect your fellow mali, I implore you to cast aside your sword and green tabard. There is no shame in admitting you have been led astray, only in the passive acceptance of crimes against all elvenkind.

 

Will you stand by the words which the Vigil are meant to dedicate themselves to, or follow in the footsteps of would be child-killers?

There are two sides, yet only one stands for all elves.

 

The Nearly Mourning Father,

Laethis Izalith

 

-- At the bottom there is another portrait of a battle between a dark and light Vigil. --

 

-----------------------

Penned by Laethis Izalith, edited by the Hierarch’s Scribe, Desi, Ward of the Izalith Bloodline.

The 3rd of Malin's Welcome, 1562

[Yuln 265]

Yuln nods. "Murdering children makes you a true monster." She says.

[GDPR 014 48]

A figure clad in steel and cloth issues a distorted rasp, clenching a gauntleted hand around a black concoction, swelling with viscious fluid. "I grow bored of this. They ought to come to an agreement, or both sides will suffer."

[Treshure 5817]

Tahorran reads over the letter, sighing. "More propaganda."

 

A response is drafted.

"To whom this may behold,

 

Your children were caught attempting to further slander name of Haelun'or and convince the Dreadlands that our 'evil' Vigil would attack them next. I cannot fathom a leader so craven and decrepit that he would let his own children wander the world unaccompanied to do his dirty work. You accuse the Vigil of being child murderers when we have actually not done a single thing to them. Can you call restraining them on a plush couch 'child murder'?

 

You speak lies through letters in attempt to sway others without actually talking to them. You wish to lead astray Vigils through you will never actually approach them in the matter, for they are stalwart in their cause. We are not child murderers. We have not killed impures. We have not harmed a single impure Mali'aheral and yet the Vigil is slandered from the shattered sea to the elven isles. Indeed, they were told their task would be difficult, and I hope their mettle is proven through the deterrent of your worthless propaganda. I hope you can procure something worth arguing against next time.

 

For many are invited, but few are chosen.

Lye Lent."

 

 

[knightly11 | lotc_fox 111]

"Factually inaccurate." mumbles a Vigil member upon reading the letter.

[GDPR 014 48]

The obscured fellow chuckles, "Oh. He got them."

[Shalashask 1112]

Mok'han'Braduk wonders why someone would care about the death of an elven child, considering how common they are in Vailor.

[_mkkk_ 194]

Ciri'lla glimpses through the pamphlet, crumpling it up just after to cram it into her satchel. She'd begin to walk off briskly, invigorated with anger while her gloved index finger and thumb pick at one another.

"The Owls have decided to peak once again. Killing the innocent is but another of their tricks. I had thought my husband almost dying ended their cause. Apparently I  really do need to get involved as the bigot of a woman wanted."

[Will (TauFirewarrior) 2466]

"Why can't we be friends?" remarks Orsino, sighing once again reaching for the drinks cabinet 

[Halsi 381]

Estelle delicately took one of the pamphlets she found in her hands to scan over the words with her gaze, allowing her features to be adorned with a visible scowl after.

She folds the leaflet back in half, going to stuff it in her satchel now instead.

 

"Rather exaggerated.."

 

Her head visibly shaked with a muffled scoff accompanying her words, turning back towards her house in Lin'sulan with a swift stride.

[Aelu / Rel (Combustionary) 1540]

"One can only hope that the necessity becomes clear sooner rather than later."

 

Ac'Aelu remarks casually to his golem, 1-B-002, as it concludes its recollection of its trip to retrieve the stolen Izaliths.

 

"Again and again the Mali'aheral of Haelun'or jump to follow a zealot not at all different from the last, pretending to be wise without ever giving thought to the inevitable conclusion. If there's any justice in this world then Haelun'or will be left in ashes, never permitted to rise again."

 

As the golem leaves, he turns back to his table adorned with the map of Celein, and various writing instruments.

[SaltAlt 606]

Fuze Yaander would read the notice many times through, guilt growing in her chest after each word. "I'm sorry Elle . . ." She would say ripping the pamphlet from its post, folding it and placing it in her pouch.

[Supremacy 3361]

Arche would mutter "This is the most inflated piece of trash I've read this week!"

[dm420 186]

"Deez 'aelun'ur zhids neud tu be flat." chuckles Ulga.

[Nekkore 641]

Keros frowns as he shakes his head dismissively. "No no... There is nothing wrong... Must be... They are the ones in the wrong clearly..."