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T H E C O N C O R D A T O F P O R T O R E G N E B Y D E C R E E O F T H E C O U R T O F M O N T L E M O N I O N F A I T H & U N I O N It was by the Star of Saint Lothar that John Casimir found the Rock of Atrus. So are the machinations of the Lord God, who guides us by His Holied Devices - and of those, is the Holy Mother Church the foremost. So have the relations between that governance of Balian and the Mother Church seen much dispute, and much strife. Yet, it is in these days whereupon the Lord God does send His Skyward Messengers that our mortal devotion is compounded. No longer are the Days of Silence upon us, and no longer shall the Mother Church stand in silence on matters of mediation and Spirit. It is thus reaffirmed that the Kingdom of Balian holds staunchly to its faith in the Holy Mother Church and its High Pontiff, and thus that the Court of Mont Lemon affirms its efforts to promote that union that ought stand between all Tribes of Man, by way of the Faith of the Canon. I I O N D E F E N C E So did the King John II of Balian first speak his oath of defense in name of the Holy Mother Church upon his ascension as Prince of Canondom, and so is such a compulsion to defense of threat unto the institutions, offices, and persons of the Mother Church confirmed, as includes the cathedra of the High Pontiff as stands upon the Mont Lemon. It is thusly that the Holy Mother Church remains in its shepherding duty, and so too defends the Balianese Folk, that there be servitude for servitude, under the Light of the Almighty God of Horen. I I I I N V E S T M E N T S KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF THE PROPHETIC HILL OF LORINA As invested upon the 10th of Owyn’s Flame, 2011 & Which does so provide diplomatic entry unto the Mont Lemon and its Court of Mont Lemon. HIS MAJESTY JOHN II of NOVELLEN D’ATRUS & HIS EXCELLENCY MARCEL ELIO of VUILLER I V G R A N T I N G O F E M B A S S I E S THE EMBASSY OF THE COURT IN BALIAN As situated about, or within, Portoregne. ✠ THE SHRINE OF THE BALIANITES As situated upon the Mont Lemon. HER APOSTOLIC EXCELLENCY Ilia Aeneth de Ekain HIS APOSTOLIC EXCELLENCY Ledicort Alexander Vuiller HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, JOHN II, by the Grace of God, King of Balian, Prince of Providence, Duke of Helena, Sunholdt and Lorraine, Count of Pompourelia and Kositz, Viscount of Eflen and Anatis, Baron of Renzfeld, Brucca, Valens, Malenos, Montcoure and Ciavola, Lord of Portoregne, Atrus and Monterosa, Warden of La Costa Rubinissima, Protector of the Heartlanders and the South, etcetera. HIS EXCELLENCY, Sir Marcel Elio Harald Vuiller, Duke of Aquilae, Cavalier of the Order of St. Michael, Royal Sentinel of Balian, Royal Legate of the Kingdom of Balian

A P R O C E S S I O N F O R T H E M A R T Y R S I N T H E N A M E O F T H E S A I N T L Y L O R I N A I N T H E N A M E O F T H E B U R N I N G M A R T Y R S A C A L L T O S A C R E D P R O C E S S I O N It is in these days of newfound peace and retribution that the deeds of our forefathers must be remembered; those perished in the pursuance of the Lord God’s faith. So is all the flock of Canondom invited unto the foot of Lemon Hill, wherefrom a procession shall continue to that olden Temple of the Sacred Heart stood at its peak. LET THE HOLIED BLOOD OF THE DEAD BATHE US The Patron of Martyrs, St. Christopher of Hanseti The Patron of Franciscan Martyrs, St. Wilfriche of Hanseti, and the Franciscan Martyrs, Damon, Dmitri, Francis, Fredek, Peter, Peter, Stephen, Jon The Martyred St. Nicholas of New Reza The Martyred St. Arpad of Vilacz The Martyred St. Charles of Petrus The Martyred St. Carolus of Carrenhall The Martyred St. Malcolm of Fjordheim The Martyred St. Ottomar of Merryweather The Blessed Karosgradi Martyrs, Aldric, Fr. Amadeus, Fr. Carlos, Fr. Otho The Blessed Host of Martyrs, Adaldag, Basil, Jago, Francisco, Jude II, Lucien III, Owyn II, Pius II, Josephine, Laurens, Melchior, Stephan, Vytenis, Wigbrecht, IN ETERNAL FAITH Lay-Abbess Ilia

T H E R E V I T A L I S A T I O N O F T H E A B B E Y O F T H E S A C R E D H E A R T I N T H E N A M E O F T H E S A I N T L Y L O R I N A I P R E F A C E WHAT WOE, has come upon man, who sees not the Orders of Julia. WHAT WOE, has come upon man, who withers in penance. WHAT WOE, has come upon man, who is now rebuked from the Lord. THUS, is the Abbey of the Sacred Heart, once founded by the Mother Lorina in the year 1933, placed under newfound administrate and purview. So is it called to newfound purpose, for tutelage, for housing, for alms, for penance. Where it has stood largely empty, in shadow of its grander sister in the Holy See, it is now opened. For laymen, for monastics, for clerics, it stands opened. LET THEM BE ARRIVED. II O R G A N I S A T I O N LET IT BE KNOWN, That no standing, no order, no hierarchy, is instated here. Let it be as the Days of Gospel, where all man were alike and equal. Let the ABBOT guide, but be held as no greater fellow than his peers. Let the PRIEST exact rites, but be held as no greater fellow than his peers. Let the ORDERMAN battle, but be held as no greater fellow than his peers. Let the MONASTIC pray, but be held as no greater fellow than his peers. SO IT IS. III I N T E N T FOR THE LORD GOD IS MERCIFUL ONLY IN STRUGGLE, Let it be that the tenants and visitors of the Sacred Heart are ever-penitent. Let them struggle in atonement. Let their skin be marred and their vessel be undone. Let the soul be cleansed and made holy by this struggle, by these pains. Let these pains guide, and make guides of men. Let the LORD grant his mercy to the truly penitent. LET THIS PENANCE BE THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF THE SACRED HEART. OF THOSE WHO SEEK THEIR COMING UNTO THIS PLACE, Of the PIOUS, Of the SINNER, Of the LEPER, Of the PENITENT, Of the TAINTED, Send word to the Lay-Abbess Ilia, or come upon the Abbey in your true personage, or speak to the Lay-Abbess in passing. IN ETERNAL FAITH Lay-Abbess Ilia

D I E S I R A E OR A REFUTATION OF WRATHFUL ACTS AS COMMITTED UPON THE FAMILY WICK I BY WHAT PRESCRIPTIONS DOES MAN DRAW BLOOD? No Son of the Sons need be killed or maimed, save the wholly unrepentant and the wholly tainted. This is a truth, a veritable truth, that stands in the Lord’s Holy Word. Read these sacreds texts thus, “So Harren fell before Owyn, and assented to the command of GOD, and ordered his lords of mixed blood to free their subjects. But Owyn was wroth for the death of his father. He raised the sword of GOD in vengeance, and with it he slew his own uncle. Thus the lords of mixed blood scattered into the night, and there was a great thunder. Here, the Lord spoke ‘O Owyn, Son of Godwin, Son of Horen, you spill the blood of your uncle in the tabernacle of Horen. Even as My holiest city was sacred in spite of Harren’s rejection, it is spoiled by the blood of kin. You betray man with your wrath, and once again Horen’s sons are divided.’” (Gospel 4:43-53) Whereupon Harren’s killing might have been righteous and goodly (a supposition which I shall not proclaim wholly truthful for the truth thereof is one known only fully to the Lord God), there are elements twofold which proclaim it as unrighteous: that of kinslaying, and that of unrighteous wrath, or wrath-by-vengeance. Whereas the particular binds and extent of kin do not extend so far as to bind that of the Wicks with those of the Harrenites, and so no argument can be made on that former breach, that of the latter is one wholly examinable in this circumstance. Let it be further proclaimed, “Horen went out of his tabernacle and found that in their wrath and wickedness, the unholy had slain each other. They lay upon the ground with the body of Saul, and the whole camp was unclean.” (Gospel 2:45-46) “So I find that you seek power in wrath, but there is no power like unto GOD’s. For he is the Most Merciful, the Most Powerful, and even the thousand petty wraths of the spirits do not overcome His mercy.” (Spirit 5:13-14) “So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not raise a hand in wrath, nor in envy, nor in any kind of sin.” (Virtue 5:9) So it is evident that it is not wrath itself that is sin (for to be inclined to unwise action is no sin in itself), but that false killing or act in the name of wrath is sin. Where the camp is not unclean by the mere presence of the unholy, it is made unholy in their killings of wrath. Where the Son of Krug is not rebuked for his feeling of wrath itself (for that wrath which was his imperfection is an emotion given to the Lord God also), but that the Ork makes false power by his wrath and his killing, as the killing of Horen. Where the emote of envy or wrath is not itself condemned, act (violence in the foremost) by consequence of it is condemned. Thus is this prescription of sinful violence examined, and so the bounds of righteous killing itself must be established. Read these sacred texts, “‘You stand before me in the waters of Gamesh, Owyn, Son of Godwin, Son of Horen. Your people cry out for justice and purity. Take hold of this blade, a symbol of holiness, and by it you shall cleanse mankind of sin.’” (Gospel 4:22-24) “In his grief, Owyn went into the greatest city of Edel, and reproofed the wicked for seven days, until every servant of Iblees lay dead at his feet, and he collapsed. The Lord saw the penance of Owyn, which was the death of the unrepentant. And Owyn was made again as the light of his blade, and the great city was destroyed.” (Gospel 5:18-20) Noted otherwise to these quotations are those definitions of justice and righteousness. Where Harren is named the purifier, and given that attribute of justice, justice can hence be seen as the expulsion of sin in favour of purity, as in its description unto Owyn, where justice is the cleansing of sin. The qualification, then, of Harren’s justice was righteousness. The examination thereof finds itself in the closing refrains of Virtue, where the righteous man is named as the virtuous man, for they are those who follow the Will of God. Thus prefaced, these quotations act as evidence for the nature of righteous judgment-by-killing. Where Owyn’s blade is given as a tool to enact justice (or else the cleansing of sin), the killing consequent of it is thus shown that killing (or else violence) is only righteous when done to cleanse and refute existing sin. This cleansing of sin finds its particularities in the second quotation, wherein the wicked are those of unrepentant nature who do so serve Iblees in their sin. It is thus that the prescriptions of righteous violence are found: it must be violence enacted upon those who act in sin and remain unrepentant thereof, and can extend so far as the direct killing of such sinners. II AS RELATED TO THE WICKS OF THE WICKWALD With these relevant prescriptions of righteous and sinful violence established heretofore, they can be applied to that violence as enacted upon the House of Wick most-late. Let each case be considered: I. FELIX WICK This shall stand as the sole irrefutable killing of righteousness herein. Where he was proven as acting in sin by untoward magicks, and this proof hence accepted by his kin, he is evidenced as having incited sin with a lack of repent, hence being killed in righteous nature. II. THE BLIND WICK Where evidence hereupon stands as uncertain, that base consideration of mortal judgment had ought to be considered: forasmuch as the Wick had not been revealed by known tests, some untoward nature, or aid, or manner of sin may have existed. It is in this very uncertainty that the Wick’s blinding is sinful: where the sole irrefutable judge is the Lord God, who so extends that ability unto the bearer of the Laurel, who is the High Priest, who so extends that upon his High Court, such is not an ability inherent to the layman. The layman has not the Laurel, and so cannot make absolute judgment, save proof in the absolute. Where this mauling may have been righteous if due course were followed, it was not, and so remains sinful. III. THE MALE WICK The same evidence spoken of in Case II is that applicable here, and so shall go unrepeated. IV. THE FEMALE WICK Where that same application extends unto this fourth case as the prior two, it is extended thus: where the monarch has ostensibly proclaimed some supremacy of judgment and truth, the extent of the sin in unrighteous violence is revealed. No longer is it mere wrath, where ill-emote has incited some unwise killing, but it is the pride of the Godwinite, who proclaims absolute monarchical superiority over the Lord God. What judgment has the layman lord, in matters uncertain? The layman lord has naught, for he is vested with the due and duty to maintain the livelihood of his men, and has not the due of judgment as vested in the High Priest and the Priesthood of Owyn. V. THE CHILD WICK This shall stand as the sole point of absolute refute herein. Where a child of great youth cannot bear sin (for ill taintings have not yet entered their soul), and those of more advanced age are capable only of minimal sin and are otherwise redeemable (by virtue of the youth of their malleable souls), this violence stands as wholly unrighteous. To maim a child of no or little sin, is to maim for sake of wrath. The child bears great potential for repent, or else greater guidance from sin: so was the case of Godwin Alstion in his youth. That this has been refused in favour of some violence, is a grave misact. III FINAL REFUTE So do I rebuke the acts of the Harrenite lords of the White City, as my lordly husband would have. Never have I withered nor shied from the killings of those who bear it as their due; I have seen bandits slain, and tainted men culled - for these were acts of righteous violence. I rebuke these, for they are not righteous, for they have revealed in the Harrenite government some sinful bearing of wrath and pride. The Wick is not unholy by his mere name nor affiliate. If it were thus, then all man would be killed; all Harrenite, all Godwinite, all Jorenite. That their kin has sinned, is some great shame - and if some individual bears a greater culpability for these crimes than has been named, then let the Lord God by his Vicar and Priesthood judge them, for any-such capacity thereof has been shown absent among those of the Harrenite Crown, and if they do so deign as to read this paltry text, then let this be known: your acts are as Harren, who was prideful and of ill-temperament. Your acts are as Owyn in his gravest day, where unrighteous wrath had become of him and penance was his due. Your acts are as sin in the highest, and I bid you find repent of them. IN ETERNAL FAITH Aeneth Ilia, Wife to Antonius

T H E M A T R I M O N Y O F M I S S A E N E T H I L I A J O S E B I Ñ E D E E K A I N H R H A N O R H I L A N T O N I U S C A R A N E T H I O N T H E R O Y A L W E D D I N G O F 1 9 9 6 A S D E C R E E D B Y T H E W H I T E T H R O N E O N T H E 2 2 n d O F S U N ‘ S S M I L E I N T H E Y E A R 1 9 9 5 “All took concubines, except for Horen, who took only one wife. Her name was Julia, and they kept their union holy.” (Gospel 2:3-4) T O T H E S U B J E C T S O F N Ú M E N D I L A N D T H E G R E A T E R T R I B E O F H O R E N I A F U N E R A L T O F A T H E R S In the preceding moments of the nuptial ceremonies, the funeral of the late High Pontiff Deunoro I, as father to the bride, shall be conducted within the Temple Mont Lemon. A prayer in memoriam of the late Peter Stroheim shall be conducted in accompaniment, as father of the bridegroom. To this occasion is all of Canondom invited, in memory of Frantzisko. II M A T R I M O N Y That sacrament so delivered unto us by God in His vehicle of the Father, St. Horen and his St. Julia - that very matrimony - is an affair solemn and holy. It is thus that under due consideration of their Paths, the marital sacrament is to be delivered unto Crown-Prince Anorhil Antonius Caranethion Arthalion of Númendil and Miss Aeneth Ilia Josebiñe de Ekain of the Apostolic City. Those noble and common company of theirs are hence invited as witness to the union in the Temple Mont Lemon, upon the 11th of Horen’s Calling 1996. III A F E A S T T O M O T H E R S Thereafter shall there be a pilgrimage between the great temples of Aevos, by Aemon to Daemon, arriving in Númenost the Fair whereupon a reception shall be held, dedicated to Tar-Caraneth as mother to the groom. IV I N V I T A T I O N S T O A L L S A C R A M E N T S A N D H A P P E N I N G S N A M E D H I T H E R T O A R E I N V I T E D HIS HOLINESS, High Priest Ro’eh Tzon I and his Curia, the College, and the Synod of Bishops HER ROYAL MAJESTY, Tar-Caraneth of Númendil and all of Royal House Arthalionath T H E F R I E N D S O F N Ú M E N O S T SHUGO OJŌ-SAMA, Ugokoyama Atsuko and all Koyo-Kuni HER ROYAL MAJESTY, Adalia I of the Petra and her subjects HIS GRACE, Duke Tiberias van Aert and the flock of Grense HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, August Valentin of Beleth and his subjects HIS GRAND MAJESTY, Ulfar Starbreaker of Urguan and his subjects HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, Prince Leon in Reinmar and of Minitz and his subjects HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, Princess Frederica in Reinmar and of Sutica and her subjects HIS LORDSHIP, Burgrave Otto Stroheim of Langenkirch and his House Stroheim HIS LORDSHIP, Thegn Conan of Sólgaard and his Nordling Tribe HIS LORDSHIP, Lord Paramount Glyndwr Glennmaer of Garenbrig and the Knights of the Pyre HIS LORDSHIP, Sir Edwyn O’Rourke of Al’Ildic and his noble pedigree HIS LORDSHIP, Sir Eldacar Marsyr of Cartref Mor and his noble pedigree HIS GRACE, Exilic-Duke Markus Sarkozic of Adria and the Great Adrian Duma HIS LORDSHIP, Alteon Gwynadar and his noble pedigree HIS LORDSHIP, Stefan Euler and the Knights of the Ivory Tower HIS HIGHNESS, Bo I of Ravenmire and his subjects HER HIGHNESS, Xiomara I of Hyspia and her subjects O T H E R F R I E N D S O F T H E B E T R O T H E D HIS EMINENCE, Mattia Cardinal Andrikev HER EMINENCE, Clover Cardinal Mont Lemon HIS EXCELLENCY, Brother Franz THE REVEREND Adolpha Yohānāh HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, Dame Rowena of the Petra THE HONOURABLE, Viscount Karl Weiss of Novkursain and his House Weiss HER LADYSHIP, Dame Amélie Auclair of Rhénanie and her House Auclair HIS LORDSHIP, Sir Caius Mareno of Grense and the House Mareno HER LADYSHIP, Heledd Glennmaer of Garenbrig HER LADYSHIP, Verena Weiss SIR Jurkha of the Fellowship and his fellows SQUIRE Authadan of Willowmere and his fellows MISTER Calaron Wick and his dutiful family MISTER Hythael of Amrûn MISTER Gawain of Mont Lemon MISS Lucia of Whitespire MISS Andree Inés of Númenost PILGRIM Moon Seong-Hwa PILGRIM Auris Vourkehardt and her hard-vourking family S I G N E D MISS Aeneth Ilia Josebiñe de Ekain of the Apostolic City HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, Anorhil Antonius Caranethion of the House Arthalionath, Crown Prince of Númenost, Captain of the Radiant Guard, Templar of the Archangel Michael, Knight of the Realm

O N C E F R A N T Z I S K O O N C E D E U N O R O N O W G O N E B U T O W Y N W A S W R O T H F O R T H E D E A T H O F H I S F A T H E R I F R A N T Z I S K O And a man came to this sorry babe, who was his kin, and said: you are alone, and I am also, and so you are now mine. And so she was not so sorry, or so weeping, or so alone. She was gone from that little caravan, and with him to his manse. It was a pious place, but scarcely suited to some prepubertal girl - there were nuns, and priests, and Cardinals, and acolytes, and choirboys, and all of these were older and graver and she would bristle at that. No courtly governesses, or noble peers, or ballrooms, or training yards; there were halls of meek and holy men, who made their bickerings of semantic and theology, and she did not care. And so she did not like the man who had taken her from some unknown pasture to this sacramental district - perhaps she loved him, she did not know, but she did not like the man, for he had made of her youth a spinster’s life chambered in a country priory. But he said, then: you must go unto the cities of our world, and find a suitor, find a husband, and she joyed. He had understood her, she thought, for this was all she wanted, this girlhood of hers. So she went to Valdev and to Whitespire, to Vallagne and to La Dorada. And she grew distant. He met her once more and said: what is this impious creature you are? What accent, what foreignness, what impropriety, and she revolted from his touch. In the eastern hills she encountered some fellow of her father and his little cohort, and joined them some ways along their pilgrimage, and she was soon joined to some man there, and said this to her father, and he joyed. No more cloister, said he, and so she joyed also, and they began their little ponderings and negotiations, once more as that sorry babe and her saviour. And then, there was death. II D E U N O R O The little congress of the College began, and she sat near. He did not come with the rest from their chamber, and so she knew - of her father was now a Vicar, as was his greatest will and desire. And so was his joy hers. She went with him on some of his trips - to the Princes and their little lords; to chapels and palaces. She understood it now, how man might his father like and love both, for she did, now. She gave her advice, and he heeded it rarely, but the mere giving was enough - for that was her place, and it was now fulfilled. She acted as aide insofar as she could, and so had presumed that role of daughter, and was no more a saved babe but a child of his. Then, very then, too then, he had absconded from her side, or perhaps she his. She heard of him, but he spoke not to her. This was as it was, and she was contented in it, for she moved to a greater fate: to become as Julia or Tara. She did not know, o, she did not, not ‘till his finals days. And then, there was death. III G O N E As Horen, or Owyn, or Godfrey, he was. A saviour, lost to Canondom. His death was not theirs; it was inglorious. No great betrayal, no great light, no great rising. Very soon, too soon; no, he had not been ill thus. He was crippled by some youthful ailment, but many men are made as injurious in their youth and live to their natural end. She had seen him only some year, some two, ago - this was not as Tylos II, who had withered in his monastic chamber for some great time. This was unfounded; this was unright. Men - goodly men - did not die as this, save by the hand of some betrayer, some Saul. And then, she wrote. IV L E T T E R S I T I B E R I A S II C A L L A H A N III T H O M A S

DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF THE ALBAROSAN SEE BY ILIA OF THE APOSTOLIC CITY “ And they shaped in this plane many lands, and they separated the earth from the seas, and sowed the Lord’s treasures into it. And the Lord breathed life into the beasts, and ordered their estates. And GOD saw that it was good. ” Gospel 1:11-13 I shall not deign to place under question Her Highness’ ability of mind or hearing both - I am sure she, having born witness to the event itself, is well-aware of the causes under which this most recent shepherding came to pass. I am sure she is aware that this was a procession conducted by the Cardinal Callahan. I am sure she is aware that it was endorsed by the Cardinal Villorik. I am sure she is aware that this was a Canonist pilgrimage, and New Valdev only one destination among many. Then, still, one must wonder, in acknowledging her knowing of these facets, for they were widely evident and spoken-of this prior Saint’s Day, why they have spurred her to seek limitations on pious acts such as these. I will not question her faith - it is not for me to know - but I will say that any notions of limitations to the progress of animals, whether for pilgrimage or otherwise, is but mere foolishness. Let each point be refuted: The preservation of public order What, then, is this? This is a blithe insult to God. Consider the phrasing adopted: “[to] prevent … chaos within city limits.” The implication is well-apparent here: that His Eminence’s pilgrimage is a source of chaos, and hence otherwise to God’s Whole Goodliness. This would be to name Ex. Horen’s progress to the Grotto of Gamesh as an incision of chaos, also, as it is pilgrimage alike. This would be to place pilgrimages in the vein of Saul’s impious inquisition unto Horen’s encampment, to say that the Cardinal Callahan has acted in a manner Ibleesian, and hence sown chaos upon a City of God. I cannot help but refute this on its mere basis - whereas holy men may be fallible, and may be sinful, and may be at times impious, Callahan is known and regarded as a member of His Holiness’ College for God’s Vicar has deemed him so, for his general piety in service of the Holy Mother Church. To say that he is Saulician, is to say that His Holiness has made continued and wanton error in his maintenance of good Callahan’s appointment. If this is Her Highness’ intention, then I bid her: send word unto the Pontiff, and let him be the arbitrator of justice, as he is empowered to by our Lord. The protection of property What is all land, but the domain of God granted upon us? I refer to the translated Holy Word inscribed hitherto: these lands are all the Lord’s, and are all granted for man and beast alike, for these are our and their estates both. To say: let us ban animals, let us ban their progress, is to say that His ordering of this worldly plane is wrongful; this is heresy. Animals have not the capacity for sin, for they bear not the wisdom of us fallible beings. They cannot be chided or chastised as us, for they act merely as God has ordered them to. It is thus that any limitations upon the estates of these God-given beings is a prideful and greed-bound matter in itself; it favours the fallible man over the ordered beast. The maintenance of cleanliness I will refer to the points written just hence. Worldly cleanliness is a human deed, and wrought of our impious minds, also. Whereas men may wash themselves, and perfume, and garb in great gowns and suits - these are all things in themselves. Whereas they may pose pride at times, they carry not the weight of the burden of God’s greater plane - what Her Highness seeks here is to impose our worldly and flaccid pride unto the Lord’s greater dominion, to make of His granted Bounty hers alone, and that is a sin, indeed. I will say further: Horen did not come upon his tabernacle and say: this is too meagre, this is too little, this is too dirty, for it was the Lord’s, and it was goodly in that. Where we may exalt Him through our stone chapels and gold idols, these are not ours, they are His; it is not clean for virtue of us, it is clean for Him. The ensurance of public safety I will not tire you with continued regard to the same points, but only further them so: there is no safety, but in the embrace of God’s Virtue. There is no comfort, but in His arms. The soldier does not battle for he seeks safety; he battles for God. Owyn did not smite a thousand thousand unrepentant for he sought the safety of his fellows; he smote them for it was God-given Path. Do not seek safety for you fear your worldly things and worldly life, for that is pride. “And you shall be without pretense or conceit, for before the mountain, the ant and the aurochs are equally small.” Virtue 7:7 We are but naught to him but cogs in His Plan; it is our duty to serve Him as we are bidden, and to not fear it. Let safety be made as disregard, lest it be the coming of greed. It is so that I say: this is a foolish endeavour. Look to the pious pilgrims: Callahan, and Jerkah, and Cathan, and Anorhil, and Aerin, and Adolpha, and Moon, and Floris, and Auris. Look to your pious fellows: Villorik, and Karl, and Almalna. Look to them, and say: this is a goodly image; they do not fear their property, or their cleanliness, or their worldly order, or their safety. Look upon them, and hold that image near, for it is a goodly one - it is one delivered by God unto his pilgrims and his flock. Do not impose yourself upon His Bounty. Live with it, and feel blessed in it, for these are all His Blessings, and we must not disregard them for our sin. In pious and goodly faith Ilia of the Apostolic City

[!] A letter, posted dually as public missive and as private decree to the Pontiff @MadOne, came as such: “Of His Holiness and His Estimable Curia and College, I am confused. This is not born of matters of faith or theology, for my Cardinal-Father has delivered well onto me these pious notions; it is born of the mere inconstancy of the policies thus employed by the Curiate and those decreed by Your Holiness. Let it be named particularly: on the matter of the Dragonkin, and their correspondence with Your Holiness’ Curia. Your Holiness, and let your eternal wisdom and piety never be denied thus, has named any relations betwixt the See and the Kin of Azdromoth as defunct. This is not what I have seen. Your Holiness’ Commandant, the Eminent Villorik of Jorenus, had made knowing word with one of theirs – I do not know the name – some five months ago. This was not a conversation of conflict: the Cardinal asked questions in regard to the Dragonkin’s allegiances, conflicts, and theology, and named even his assumed intentions of Your Holiness – that Your Holiness would scarce-ever aid the Followers of Janus. He asked, also, that this Dragonkin place him in communications with another – Volk, I heard it. I name these things, only for the Haeseni Cardinal has said that they were done under Your Holiness’ will. I am confused, then, how those words of Your Holiness’ missive and commandant can be construed as arising from a source-alike: Your Holiness’ own will. I have sent query to my father on the matter, but I think the bird has itself been waylaid in journey to Whitespire. And so, in some degree of impertinence, I acknowledge, I ask direct of Your Holiness: what is the definitive decree of the See, in public and private matters both? In faith, Ilia Josebiñe de Ekain.”

VERILY, THE SON OF MAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN FILLED WITH VANITY. KNOW, THAT THIS DECEIT IS ONLY RESERVED TO IDOLIZERS. YOU HAVE SINNED. FOR THIS, OUR LORD GOD IS MERCIFUL, AND HE WILL FORGIVE YOU. AT THE SAME PLACE YOU CAUSED DESTRUCTION, THERE HIDES AN EMPTY PYRE OF OWYN, FORGOTTEN. BURN IT YET MORE, AND WE SHALL SEE TO IT THAT THIS WAS MISGUIDED FAITH. Margareta did not fear death - what cause was there, when death was merely ascension by terms more grave? Indeed, she embraced it - she would be perfected in GOD’s Bosom, and made whole. Death was no more ascension, now - it was stasis. This much, she had been told: that man’s sin was so grievous and so unrepentant, that the Gates of the Skies had been closed; that the soul of folly could no longer be purified. She had not thought sin so rife, for she was a woman of pride - of prideful nature and prideful action, both. She had burnt idols, and made sacrilege to what was once-holy. This was her grave sin: that she determined faith by her will alone, and enacted her will of faith as unilateral - that her faith was divided from the flock, and the people, and all the goodly souls that GOD had so carved. She was rebuked. Her shrines were her repentance. THE HEARTLANDERS The pyre was candle, only, and it was found and lit by Margareta, and her alone, for this was her land-home, and this shrine was truly hers to bind to. It was later expanded - an action not of hers, for she did not know metal-smithing, nor had the gold to expend on such a costly thing. She was glad for it. The Pyre of Owyn THE REINMAREN Her second shrine was one unplanned. She had made visitation to Reinmar, and therein found and gathered some folk - an ag-ed Holy Dame, an Owynist-yet-to-be, a Reinmaren Sergeant, and a pittance of local militiamen. It was set in the lake in the upper-city, and dedicated to Saint-King Caius. The Lake Shrine of Saint-King Caius THE ADUNIANS The third, came upon a visit to the White-City of the Adunians. Thereupon, found she some man made pitiful and lonely, and bade his following, and sent him unto a girl-alike. She would not know their conclusion - of happiness or discontent either, and she was contented in it. There, where she had met that sorrowful boy-child, she erected her shrine. It was by the aid of a becrowned woman that it was made, and, by her will, dedicated to Saint-King Caius. The Sorrowful Shrine of Saint-King Caius THE BALIANITES A fourth was founded in Balian, where she found much merriment. A knight and her babe made aid in its construction, clearing that tavern-corner where it would be made. It was dedicated to Saint Tobias of Sarkoz, on suggestion from the tavernkeep there. The Tavern Shrine of Saint Tobias THE HYSPIANS A fifth came to be in Hyspia. Some great travel with her wood-cart had brought her to the city, for she had been waylaid on her path to the Petrine, following her meeting with some pious and goodly nomad-folk. Therein, she traveled about the city with an elf, who so agreed - in hesitation - to make aid in the shrine’s construction. Another man, of warrior-bearing and indeterminate homeland, made aid in its making. Neither knew of the canonized, or the beatified, or the venerated - but they chose among some few letters the initial of a saint, and it was hence dedicated to Saint Richard of Aldersburg. The Tree Shrine of Saint Richard THE HIGHLANDERS A final was founded in the new-built city of the Haeseni, where an elf of reddened skin joined her about the city. They would find a boy, of distant heritage but local growing, who would help in its locating and construction. There, between their church and barracks, a military-shrine was made, and dedicated initially to Blessed Francisco Altamarino. It would later be rededicated, in times unknown to her, to Saint Otto of Vanderfell. The Barrack Shrine of Saint Otto & Blessed Francisco HER FORGOTTEN PYRES WERE THUS BURNT.

THE HOMOSEXUAL TRIUMVIRATE OF HAENSE SCRIBED BY L’HÉTÉROSEXUEL LET IT BE KNOWN In the pious and holy Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruski, does a being of a most vile and unholy temperament reside - and it is a being, in its singular nature, for it bears only a single thought: HOMOPHILIA. In three parts does it exist: two men, a father and son - this author is certain of the son's unwilling indoctrination, let his soul be saved - and their sycophant-harlot. Upon the sanctified and sacred steps of our GOD’s Cathedral was I accosted with this foul creature; it attempted its charms upon my soul, and only by my endless virtue was I saved. It drew upon me, arms outstretched with a grin that one might only describe as Ibleesian. I know not what might have happened if I had not fled. My body quakes at the thought. This plague - this veritable cult of licentiousness - has set its tendrils deep within the orifices of the Kingdom, for they name even the architecture of the city - their entrances are gaytes and their supports buttresses. I was brought to illness at the sight of such - I lay bedridden from it still. I fear that I might write this upon my deathbed. LET THEIR MEMBERS BE KNOWN

RESPICE FINEM OR THE DEATH OF ONE FR. MIKHAEL He did not remember much, if he was to be quite honest with himself. He did not remember most of those he had met; he did not remember his masses; he did not remember his bills, or missives, or theses. Indeed, he remembered only the few faces that had proven the greatest landmarks and monuments in his memory. Perhaps there was his mother, and father, and his grandfather, too. They were country folk, and he had not spoken to them for some time. Admittedly, the details had faded in consequence of such - a wide nose, or thin lips, or that one mole that always perturbed him - but much more, he could not recall. Then he might have recalled his fellows in the Church. Some fondly, and some with disdain, and some, to be sure, he had thoughts so addled that it hurt his mind to think on them. Perhaps there was Callahan, who had haunted him ever-so, and his circle, with Elim and Lorina and all those stranger sorts. Oh, but there were others, too - those priests that made their home Whitespire, as he had: Arnaud, but he was Sixtus, now, and Francisco and that new fellow at the abbey. Oh, indeed, he would never see the designs of that abbey come to life. What a shame! And there were others, indeed, but not so near to the center of his soul that a full recollection was permitted. And then, to be sure, there were those miscellaneous folks - those of stranger bindings than he was used to. There was that orc, who had attacked him, once - ironic, that, given his ending. So, too, were there some lords and merchants - the good Boon, and Marlene, and Heinrich, and that nefarious Isabella. But nearest to his mind’s core were those he sombered to think of, for most were gone, now, and he was left with scheming priests and raving warlords and ladies with little more than their good looks. He would not call them friends - that would be an indignity - but, perhaps, his nearest confidants. There was Anna, first. She had passed on, already. A mercy, for him and her both, to be sure. He would recall much of her - she had been wrinkled, and that he feared, and he feared, too, that grey hair that remained shrouded. But, he could tell, she had been beautiful, once. Long before him, when her husband lived and her daughter was naught more than an idea. Perhaps he would see her in such a state, purified, in the Seven Skies. That shall be wonderful, perhaps. And next, there was Adela. He had admired much of her - not her beauty or her fineries, nor her position. Indeed, he admired her far more before she achieved much of such, when she was merely Adela of High Peak, whom had so failed to triumph in a game. He knew she lived, still, but he had not seen her - he did not wish to. She would be changed, as he had seen her changing, and he would not wish such alterations to take root in his mind. Not after her expulsion, and, certainly, not after her son’s death, for he knew that all that shone in her once must be gone. And yet, as the core of his spirit and his goodness and his evil grew nearer, something stood before it - nay, beside it, indeed. This man, he did recall. He would recall him as Horen did Julia, or Joren did Tara - but his name was forever shut from his mind. Oh, he was beautiful, and intelligent, and kindly, but he was forbidden. This, Mikhael knew, and would forever know - and so, his name was gone, thrown from the graces of his mind to that endless plane of thoughts forgotten and ignored. And yet, here it was - the last one he should recall: himself. He was not a good man. He knew this, and ever denied it. He was worldly, and impious, and sinful; he lied, and schemed, and coerced. Oh, Mikhael, you were not meant for the Church; you were no priest, nor politician. You were but a man, who rejected all you could not fathom. You rejected pain, and it came for you. You rejected sin, and it came for you. You rejected even death, and now, it has come. And so, nestled amongst roadside foliage betwixt Stassion and Aaun, did Mikhael die. Not to any disease, or accident, or great misfortune, but to that which he least expected, that which he least fathomed: mere bandits. There were no letters, for he did not believe it set for him; his goods would linger, and his food would spoil, and his face would go unrecalled for most. And thusly, did he lay, crumpled, soiled, wetted with blood, in the dirt. An inglorious end, for an inglorious man.

FIRST MINOR BULL OF BURON PRIMA MINOR EDICTUM BURON 6th of Harren’s Folly, 1941 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S I. Greetings and Benediction II. Appointments in Buron III. Liturgical Reforms IV. On Pilgrimage Sites V. A Call to Deacons VI. On the Meeting of the Curia VII. Minor Ventures VIII. On Lotusgrad IX. The Coronation of Edmund II I. GREETINGS AND BENEDICTION God's endless blessings upon you. From the seat of mine and the Cardinal Albarosa in the Temple of the Four Exalted, I have deemed it so fit to address those of the public on the clerical ongoings of the Diocese of Buron. In this capacity, I am glad to conduct such following a tenure of some many years as the Bishop presiding over Whitespire and its surrounds. In such, I note the aim of this missive to grant more clarity and transparency on those activities that occur within Buron, that the faith might be more interwoven with the laymen of the Crownlands and its surrounds. Let us pray: “O God, who so carves our paths and acts as supreme shepherd for our souls, look upon us and grant that we might not waver from that role You have assigned us. We call on the name of Your Vicar, Blessed Tylos II, to so inspire the peace of the modern day as he did in the Orenian Wars. We call upon the Blessed Pontiff to pray for our farmers and craftsmen, that their worldly diligence will bear endless fruit; to pray for our lords and ladies, that their oversight might see the flourishing of our lands; to pray for our clerics and monastics, that their pious inspiration might enlighten the spirit of one and all. Amen.” II. APPOINTMENTS IN BURON It has been some time since I have been granted this seat of mine in Buron, when the settlements were few and the people concentrated. Yet still, the lands grow, and my duties become greater. Thusly, have I found it suitable to appoint a vicar to my diocese, as my aide. FRANTZISKO VICAR OF BURON 1941 - present Further, I submit my position as Clergy Representative within the City Council of Whitespire to Fr. Frantzisko. Such was granted upon me in my youth, and I see it only fitting that so great an opportunity be granted upon another of similar inclination. III. LITURGICAL REFORMS For many years now, I have borne witness to the ongoings of faith in the Hand of Horen and greater Whitespire. In these years, I have seen and grown accustomed to a cultural tradition unlike the Kingdom’s foreign peers. Thusly, I declare my intent to begin work on the introduction and standardization of rites and activities of faith in the Diocese of Buron and greater Albarosa. In this, I seek to make official those societal norms that have been so witnessed among the halls of the Hand of Horen, within the Judite Sisters of the Abbey of St. Jude, and among the streets of Whitespire. In acknowledgement of the diverse lineages of the Aaunic nobility and populace, I invite the commentary of any such individuals who so seek it upon the rites as they are written, and I further seek the aid of the priests of Buron and its neighbours. IV. ON PILGRIMAGE SITES In following the prior recording of sites of faith throughout greater Canondom, the need has been witnessed for the declaration of formal paths of pilgrimage and holy walks. Thusly, the intimate detailing of various sites is to be conducted, and a definitive list and advisory path for pilgrims to be published. This accompanies the planned erection of a cloister court between Whitespire proper and the Temple of the Four Exalted, which shall act as a centerpoint for any such future pilgrimages upon its complete erection. V. A CALL TO DEACONS Since the untimely passing of the Prince Henry of Aaun, the Diocese of Buron has been without a single known deacon. In acknowledgement of such, the laymen of Aaun are urged to make any intentions for tutelage under the priesthood known, that a member among them may be nominated to act as a deacon for the populace. VI. ON THE MEETING OF THE CURIA I am overjoyed to announce that this prior Saint’s Day, within the bounds of the Temple of the Four Exalted, a count of sixteen clerics and those of associated organizations were in attendance at an open meeting of the Curia of our Holy Mother Church. Overseen by His Holiness, Sixtus V, a number of matters were discussed, and the intention for further such meetings made known. Thusly, I declare that the Diocese of Buron shall be available at His Holiness’ will to conduct any further meetings of the Curia, if He would so will it. VII. MINOR VENTURES Of lesser importance are some minor mentions and occurrences, which shall be noted here. In the archway beneath the belltower of the Chapel of Our Lady of Paradisus, a stand is present for the delivery of suggestions and requests to our Holy Mother Church in Buron, with admittance for both public and private requests. I urge the extensive of such. Moreover, a meeting of the priests of Buron and St. Emma is under discussion, and further details shall be admitted henceforth. A sketch of the suggestions stand. VIII. ON LOTUSGRAD We, in the Diocese of Buron, are gladdened to hear of the further erection of Canonist polities within our lands. Thusly, with the creation of the Marquisate of Lotusgrad. In light of such, plans are underway to permit more regular visitation and oversight of the faith in Lotusgrad, and by way of such I urge the Marquis to send word of any such wants that he may have for the faith in his demesne. IX. THE CORONATION OF EDMUND II It is ever a momentous occasion in the realms of Canondom, when a Canonist Prince is formally charged with his duties, and we pastors among the diocese are gladdened to have taken a role within it, and to have had those seats of the Temple of the Four Exalted filled greater than they have in many years. Thusly, am I overjoyed to have participated in it myself, in the reaffirmation of the King’s baptism. Here, I further note that myself and my fellows await the beginnings of the King’s lessons in theology under the guidance of myself, and those priests under my purview. In this, we affirm our desire to intertwine further God’s Will with that of the Aaunic elite. In Faith Father Mikhael

THE MERRYWEATHER MIRACLES From the Diocese of Buron To the High Pontiff, and His Curia, It is in these recent years that the lands over which I preside have been blessed, in the dual erection of New Warsovia and Ulrichsburg, under the pious purview of Heinrich of the House of Alstreim, and Waclaw of the House of Jazloviecki. It is these esteemed houses, who have for some time been bound by those ties of spirit and culture, that have impressed upon our Holy Mother Church their indelible mark, hosting even predecessors of Your Holiness among their ranks. It is in this churchly tradition of these houses that I have witnessed the piety and due blessings granted upon them, in the like of the Infant-Martyr Ottomar. And so, it has come that such miracles as shall be described have been witnessed this prior year. I shall not linger overmuch on the details here, for they will be described with due scrutiny in the latter half of this letter, but merely to affirm the validity of these miracles I name the witnesses as such: Sister Gisele, a Judite Sister and sister of the Prince Merryweather; the Prince and Princess Merryweather, Aleksandra and Heinrich Lothar, and their noble scions; Walter of Apfelberg, and, by necessity, myself. Beyond two dozen others were present also, of noble and peasant inclination, of local and foreign bearing. It is here that two miracles had occurred, affirmed by myself and the aforementioned Sister Gisele - one, of fortune, and another, of redemption. These, after due analysis, are presumed to have been dual intercessions of Calliope Renata, of the House of Alstreim, and the Blessed Tylos II, of the House of Jazloviecki. As such, a description of these miracles and a petition for their recognition, and therefore the due canonisation of the pair. To note, the belated Sister Calliope has as yet not been beatified. In light of this, I request the waiving of prescription four, of the requirements for canonisation as enumerated in the Codex of Ecclesiastical Laws, under the recognition of her role in these intercessions being inextricably bound to that of the formerly beatified Tylos II. Thusly, shall I write on the lives of these pair, and their miracles as occurred this prior year. SISTER CALLIOPE RENATA OF MERRYWEATHER (1846 - 1914) Born to Ulrich I Lothar of Merryweather and Nikita, Calliope Renata von Alstreim, known as the Maiden in her youth, bore tutelage in the lands of Fausten, to which she was sent following her mother’s untimely death. Reflecting such Salvian teachings, she developed a fascination toward the arts and her brethren in Salvus. There, she gained an aptitude for battle that would carry forth through the entirety of her life, within the Royal Salvian Regiment. The Merryweather Maiden remained still in Salvus upon her father’s death, and was diagnosed shortly thereafter with an inability to bear children. It is this which spurned her joining of the Holy Mother Church as a member of the Sisterhood of Corwinsburg. It is thusly, under the guidance of her pious sisterhood, that she began the task of the translation of the Rex Perpetuus. This would come to occupy most of her youth, intertwining her very duty with that of her fellows in far-flung Salvus. In her middling years, the Alstreim sister sought rightful comeuppance of those foes of Canondom, acting upon those threats towards the holy sites of Southern Almaris, permitting, in the keep of Merryweather, the residence of a number of knights of foreign creed, that they might battle for those nigh-desecrated vestiges of the Church in the Kingdom of Savoy, and aiding in that settling of Aaunic conflicts upon the arrival of the Acrean Rebellion. It was this temporal intervention that saw her family’s continued prosperity despite the chaos surrounding the fall of Oren. Upon this resurrection of peace among the realms of the Canonist Princes, the sister took once more to her monastic duties, founding even the Chapel of St. Edmond within the bounds of Haute-Epine, and a monument to the Nauzican Martyrs of Haverlock. Yet still, she saw those duties of blood which so bind any Canonist, and was called to familial service as regent through the Merryweather Interregnum. In those years that followed her year-long regency, and the election of Ottomar II von Alstreim, the nun returned to that duty which had occupied her infancy within the Church. It is here that she would scribe once more, creating poems of faith of significant renown - as Virvyn's Wager, The Walrus, and Whisperwood. In the year 1913, the nun’s last will was published; nary but a year following, her demise came, in 1914. In such, she sent upon the Apostolic Church of Salvus a great portion of her personal funds, permitting the upkeep of their churches. MIRACLES 1. Within the bounds of the Merryweather keep, upon the nameday ceremonies of three of the Alstreim daughters, a conduction of testing was administered upon two. Of these two daughters, both - of particularly young ages - displayed strength unlike any child, each cleaving a log of some considerable hardiness with a single stroke. Each prayed to God shortly beforehand, and it is understood that the spirit of the Alstreim sister, in her era of military campaign, embodied the pair. 2. Throughout that same period, a test of another sort was sent upon the first daughter of the Prince of Merryweather. A bout of storms came to pass, in which she was sent upon a tightrope across a chasm of some great depth. Here, she would fall, but the dual prayers of two Church figures saw her safe rescue, the spirits of Calliope Renata and Tylos II - each one an intercession on behalf of the prayers of a nun and priest respectively - witnessed to have softened her fall into the palms of a nearby serf. BLESSED HIGH PONTIFF TYLOS II (1819 - 1876) Born Fiodor Jazloviecki, son of Lech and Maria, the future Pontiff’s youth was marked by service within the courts and surrounds of San Luciano, in Savoy. Here, he was inspired by the teachings of local pastors and priests. Entering his early adulthood, then-Fiodor wrote a thesis on Humility; it is this which brought his induction into the Church. It was during the pontificate of Blessed High Pontiff Everard VI that Fiodor participated in a number of debates, regarding topics which would be so-integrated throughout his reign, most-so that of women in the priesthood. It was for such dedication of theology that, under Everard VI, he was raised to the position of Archbishop of Allobrogum, and granted a seat within the College of Cardinals. Throughout the Michaelite Schism, Fiodor and his kin in Freimark and Merryweather declared their unilateral support for then-Pontiff Everard VI. Following its conclusion, Fiodor returned to his ecumenical duties. Thereafter, Fiodor - who had occupied himself for a number of months on a pilgrimage to Oren - was ousted from the nation, upon the second excommunication of Philip III and Anastasia. Thusly, a few years later, in 1856, was Fiodor elected at a count of three of five votes as High Pontiff, taking upon himself the name Tylos II. Though he maintained Everard VI’s anathematization of the imperial couple, the Pontiff garnered much support from Orenian nobility that his predecessor had lost. Throughout his reign, Tylos implemented a number of modernisations of Church structure and policy, notably including the raising of the matrimonial age to eighteen-years, and oversaw the gathering of peace among temporal princes in Sedan and Savoy. In the continued wars of Oren, the Pontiff sought still to temper the wrath of those in battle, ensuring that no excess in Canonist blood was spilled. In aim of such, he oversaw affairs of the newly-erected Kingdom of Balian, mediating conflicts betwixt itself, the then Daelish-Vistulians and the Hyspian diaspora, ensuring continued Canonist settlement and prosperity in the south. Tylos’ pontificate would conclude after twenty years, following a period of prolonged illness. It was within his pontifical seat at the Abbey of Saint Robert of Metz that the Pontiff perished, in 1876. MIRACLES 1. Within the bounds of Tylos II’s mortal life, the Pontiff prayed over the ailing body of the Duke of Drusco. In this, his prayers wrought success - for the duke’s blindness and illness were miraculously cured shortly thereafter. 2. Throughout that same period, a test of another sort was sent upon the first daughter of the Prince of Merryweather. A bout of storms came to pass, in which she was sent upon a tightrope across a chasm of some great depth. Here, she would fall, but the dual prayers of two Church figures saw her safe rescue, the spirits of Calliope Renata and Tylos II - each one an intercession on behalf of the prayers of a nun and priest respectively - witnessed to have softened her fall into the palms of a nearby serf. In Faith Father Mikhael

A CALL TO MEETING From the Diocese of Buron To the priests of Albarosa and beyond, It is in these recent years that many of our greatest peers have been called to God’s side - and in such, their authority over their diocesal realms has fallen wayward, and the Church’s cohesion has thus degraded. It is in acknowledgment of such that I, alongside my superior, the Cardinal Albarosa, call for a meeting of a most casual capacity, of all priests who may attend, within the bounds of the Temple of the Four Exalted. It is to this meeting that I encourage our good peers and brothers to bring forth their ideas and ponderings, and any such recent events or occurrences of note, that all amongst the Church may aid in their construction or resolution. In this good spirit of faith, I hope that we might make great progress for our Holy Mother Church, as a whole and entire being, as Godfrey so declared. In Faith Father Mikhael

ON THE SISTERS OF PETRA 22nd of Tobias’ Bounty, 1939 From the Diocese of Buron To the faithful Know that the Church holds strong, and acts with all the temperance expected of it. Know that it holds its faith toward the pious Judite Sisters of Whitespire. Know that it condemns the falsehoods and lies conducted by the Sisters of Petra. In this, the Diocese of Buron proclaims its admonishment of any who would so seek harm upon any member of our flock, and upon any sister operating in our midst. In the lands of Petra, we condemn the actions of those misled by the Deceiver, and condemn callings for indiscriminate killings. Thusly, do I call for sense among the Canonist folk of Aaun. This is not the domain of the layman, and certainly it is not in the domain of the layman to enact judgement upon any who has been sworn into the ranks of the Church, as cleric or monastic. Further, I call for coordination among our Canonist folk, through the Church as communal vessel. In this, I call upon the aid of the Princes of Canondom, and I ask that they pay credence to any calls for meeting. To the Petrans Know that your timely reaction is valued, and that your adherence to the Holy Mother Church’s authority is praised. As such, until word is sent by Callahan Bishop Gelimar, I call upon your aid in the handling of these most troubling matters - I ask for no interdiction in the Church’s testing, questioning, or actions otherwise, and I ask that any such resources, be it material goods or records, be granted in a timely manner. Forasmuch as I have named those actions of virtue, I must question the belated action of the Commonwealth’s Government. Merely Saint’s Hours prior to the bounty’s posting, I had been made aware of such concerns by the Reverend Mother Anna of the Abbey of St. Jude. From this, I can be certain that such condemnable actions of the Sisters of Petra were known and acknowledged within Vallagne and its surrounds. Thusly, I urge that such matters be brought to the Church’s attention with more haste than was given in this matter - for we must not be slothful, and our acts must not merely be those of simple reaction. To the Aaunites There is much to chastise here. I, alongside my superior who sits so diligently upon the Council of Regency, have our seats in Whitespire. You hold no Churchly authority in this region - you hold no right to condemn or call for the capture of nuns, regardless of any actions which are purported to have committed. No layman shall be permitted that judgement which is reserved for the Pontiff and His Auditor. And so, I decry the actions of the military. Not for their lack of consultation of the Holy Mother Church, or for their rashness, but for the defiance which they have so shown toward the Church. I urge you to take some inspiration from that deference of the Petran Queen, and I command the rescinding of the missive of Merryweather. In Faith Father Mikhael