Ashen-Stained Letter

[wooz 345]

[!] This note would be left in the room of Ahnakriel's drakeshrine, and therefore is only accessible to him and whomever he shows it to.

 

 

 

 

 

persvek jacida letnic tir si faestir

 

 

When I was but a boy, not long after seven, my father took me into our yard. He thrusted a sword into my hand and told me of duty and purpose. Words and ideas that were meaningless to my mind at the time. But, oh, how they would come back to me in many years time. Duty the thing all men are a slave to. Purpose, the one not all acknowledge to an extent that isn't one of idle passing.

 

Many years later, in my, hopefully, pious and leal service to the Black Titan. When you sent me to the firelands on pilgrimage for a year to meditate. I took it as a pilgrimage of repentance, for my failure in killing the Paladin. I took it in stride, and hope, for I was self-flagellating myself already. 

 

I won't be dishonest and say it was an easy journey. You said not to bring anything but the clothes on our backs and I followed that to a Tee. When I made it to the Firelands I spent my first few months getting acquainted with the land I'd spend a year in. I found sources for water and food. All that was needed of me from then was my meditating and a spot.

 

My spot I found was in a deep cave, full of bubbling lava, I went to the end of the cave, sat under a ruined banner and caved-in tunnel. There I sat, where it was hottest, meditating on Heralds past and the riddle you posed to us. I must admit, it was hard, I never considered myself one for philosophy. But month after month passed in that hot cave, where I let flame dance and lick upon my flesh with no answer.

 

 I begged and prayed to Him to help me understand, but He was silent to me as He should've been. But at my wits end, in the lowest of lows, the darkest of pits, covered in ash and burns in a cave full of the sounds of bubbling and roiling magma it came to me. Duty, was the answer. Duty, all men have one to something. 

 

But it is duty with purpose that separates blind faith, the flames that devour and beat down all. From an everlasting eternity born from flames that love and respect. Those who have duty without purpose do not know what it is that drives their sword through a king's neck. It is what leads men to so easily change their minds upon who to follow. 

 

But purpose, oh, purpose this is the missing key to lead men of blind faith to one of everlasting loyalty and eternity. Loyalty, drive, truth, all facets of purpose. The wind has duty in how it blows the grass, trees and flowers. But it is purpose that is what gives wind its force to be a destructive power. My purpose, I know, is to be as the wind to Him, and give His enemies a gale to reckon the consequences with.

 

 I am loyal in my duty to Him, as well as I am not, or no longer, ignorant to my purpose in mine service to Him. What there is now is only understanding. The mixture of duty and purpose, though limited, I am in mine shortcomings as just a man. But I can at least say that I understand this to be true. 

 - Your faithful tool and hand in His service, Cædmon.

[Ryanark 1946]

Ahnakriel was most pleased, a clawed finger carving a vessel of blackened dracanium as he read.