Letter to Bruzog

[Sparrow]

My friend, I write to you now with a heavy heart. I can only hope that the raven I sent with this letter finds you quickly. I fear this expedition of ours is already in a bad state. We were accosted by brigands twice in the desert. They kidnapped both Raine and Mu’kan and we were only able to save our companions by paying them a ransom. I feel my failure to protect our citizens deeply. I swore an oath to serve and protect and I let not only one of our townspeople be taken but a fellow member of the guard.

We finally arrived at Gandra thanks to a group traveling with an undead elephant. They were taking the creature’s corpse to a final resting place of sorts. I did not inquire too deeply into the matter. It seemed to have little relevance to our current predicament. Somehow during the trip Jack got separated from the main group and only arrived hours after us. He is suffering from either sun exposure or some other ailment beyond my ability to identify. I can only hope he is able to recover from this illness quickly.

We also encountered the group known as Sanctuary yet again. This time they seemed to have taken residency in a temple. Both Dahlya and Mu’kan were welcomed inside but the rest of the town were barred from entering. After some time had passed we heard screams from the inside. I did what I thought was best and helped mount an assault on the temple to save our citizens. A prolonged battle began. I confess we killed several people in the temple. We were able to save the pair of hostages but it was not without cost. I don’t know if bloodshed could have been avoided. But it was the most direct method involved.

My brother, I must beg for your quick return. We are without a definitive leader. Raine has become strange from being so far from a stable large source of water. I fear he has become violent and temperamental from his current condition. I don’t believe the townspeople would respect me in a leadership position, and rightly so. I believe you would have come up with a better solution if you had been there. I must be honest, I don’t think I have the capability to lead. Not after what I’ve done. Not after all the lives I’ve put at stake. But I willI take the blame for the deaths in the temple. I feel if I could have just thought of a different solution things would have ended better. I don’t know what it says about me that violence has always been the solution I have sought to most problems I have encountered in life. But I know I should be better than that. Should I not represent something better by being a guard? Yet I lead a slaughter on holy ground. The temple now lies in ruins. This is now the second building I have left in rubble. This is becoming a habit it seems.

The town needs a leader Bruzog and I feel you are the only one who can fill that role. They need you. I need you. So please. Return to us as swiftly as you can. I fear for what will happen if I am all the town has. I know this must seem like an incredible weight to put on your shoulders but I promise to help you lift it. I don’t know if I have anything else of substance to offer. I will try to keep the peace as best I can in your absence. It seems it’s all I can do just to keep our town from killing each other. But we must weather this storm. There is no other option while we wander these strange lands.

I hope to see you soon,

Marcus Everan Ariquis Tamaril

Dicun 28

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