To Quendi Giftgiver, Spring's Gift [DM]

[MAGIC]

Dearest Quendi Giver-of-Gifts,

I hope that you are well, my dear friend.

I write this to you from Ephia's Well. The Ephians are in the process of electing their new leaders. It is a strange process to me even after having seen it multiple times. I can better explain it in person - but there are three parties and each of them has a candidate. They spend a lot of time yelling at each other, extolling their supposed virtues and exposing the weaknesses of their opponents. These candidates need to curry votes from the citizens and the one who has the most votes is the victor and becomes of their co-leaders for a term or until they give up or are murdered. The murder is not supposed to be a part of their governance but it happens with some regularity.

The candidates are:
Sephidra, League of Purple. Elf. Sephidra is a friend. She has come to our home, she has offered to help us scout and survey the land around the Gift. She has expressed an interest in aiding our people. Unfortunately the League of Purple is most closely aligned with the Sultan's interests. They wish to see the Sultanate extend its grasping hand and grow into an empire with all of the settlements in the Great Sea subservient to it. She may be in danger if she acts against their wishes. Some of the other city-states have issues with her. She is very tall and it hurts my neck to look up at her.

Qari, League of Gold. Ashfolk. The Golds are true to their namesakes. They are greedy and concerned overmuch with acquiring wealth and using wealth to influence others. They claim that they seek eventual autonomy from the Sultanate. The amount of gold one has determines how important of a person they are. It is a strange, distasteful thing and I do not like it and do not want to expose our kin to this kind of thinking. He is an ashfolk and this makes me wary. We know they are a duplicitous lot and are not to be trusted. He seems wiser than his political peers and more ambitious while also showing restraint.

Echemmon, League of White. Human. Agassian. A warrior. Doesn't wear pants. It is distracting. I tried getting him to wear robes. Most of his thoughts seem focused on a looming threat to the south. Lacks the unified support of the rest of his league.

Qari has made us an offer in exchange for supporting his candidacy. I ask that you consider this and share your wisdom with me.

Spring's Gift will be recognized by Ephia's Well as a free and independent settlement.
Spring's Gift will be allowed to establish an embassy within Ephia's Well.
Spring's Gift and Ephia's Well will agree to a non-aggression treaty with each other.

I think that this pact will be good for us. It will protect us from aggression from the likes of the Banda Rossa and the Sultan's 4th Legion. It may lead to better things in the future.

I wish that this offer had come from Sephidra but it may be dangerous for her to make. Or it may be that she has not even considered it. I do not know her thoughts. She is a friend in their sense of the word, it is not the close bonds that we have so I struggle with this sometimes. I feel that I would be betraying Sephidra in a sense if I were to publicly support her opponent. But we may never achieve what we want with the Purple - at least not without endangering her life.

I await your guidance, my friend.
Narwen Alendiel

[MAGIC]

Dearest Quendi Giver-of-Gifts,

Qari has been good to his word. Others have warned me that he is loyal only to the Sultan but I have not seen this to be true. We have spoken at length about what the the days to come may look like.

We have made a change to the pact. I hope that this addition will make us appear more valuable to them as a friend and a partner. This may grow to something more, something greater.

Pact of Trade and Friendship - Ephia's Well & Spring's Gift

Spring's Gift is recognized by Ephia's Well as a free and independent settlement.

Spring's Gift is permitted to establish an embassy within Ephia's Well.

Spring's Gift and Ephia's Well agree to a treaty of non-aggression with one another.

Spring's Gift will send one merchant with goods, including ammunition and protective vials, which will be traded within Ephia's Well. This merchant will be permitted to import and export goods through the Gate of Coin.

I do not think it will be an issue to use some of our bronze to fashion arrowheads, wood for the shafts, and fronds for the vanes.

Sincerely,
Narwen Alendiel

[Ironside]

Sister,

I do not think it is wise to fashion bronze into arrowheads for the people of Ephia's Well.  The making of weapons and the making of war are things that the Quessir of the World have told us are foul, and the Spring has agreed with me.  I have seen no good thing emerge from talk of war, and no green thing grow from ash and blood. 

  I am happy that they wish to be our friends, and the Gift would gladly share songs for singing and hands for clasping with them.  We Will Do No Harm and Nor Will You, that will be the song for our friendship. 

We will not harm our trees, or pluck our fronds, or dig out our rare earth, though.  Spring's Gift was meant for the Newborn.  Not for the sinful, in the weary old world. 

-Quendi

[MAGIC]

Dearest Brother,

You speak wisely, as always.

I have reflected upon the Spring's wisdom and now I worry that I have been too long apart from our people, too long among the outsiders. I fear that I have begun to take on some of their habits and ideas. I fear that I have begun to think like them and less like a Eiliri.

My companions set out to a great battle tomorrow. This war is a terrible thing but it is done to protect the weak and weary from a dangerous foe. I do not look forward to this. If I survive I will return to the Spring so that I may cleanse myself of the old world's thoughts and influence.

Narwen

[MAGIC]

Dearest Brother,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have shared your concerns to the speakers of Ephia's Well and they have agreed to make changes. I hope that this is more pleasing to the Gift?

Ephia's Well recognizes Spring's Gift as a free and independent settlement.

Ephia's Well and Spring's Gift agree to a policy of non-aggression with each other.

Ephia's Well will permit Spring's Gift to establish an embassy within Ephia's Well.

Ephia's Well will permit Spring's Gift to appoint a trade merchant to Ephia's Well. This merchant is permitted to import and export goods through the Gate of Coin.

Sincerely,
Narwen Alendiel

[MAGIC]

Dearest Brother Quendi,

I have met Notos and Olvette! I am doing my best to keep them safe and help them find themselves amongst these strange people.

The people of Ephia's Well are selecting a new Legate. I think it will be a man of the League of White. He shared very comforting words about building friendship and unity with the Spring. I think this is a good thing! I will, as always, keep my eyes open for any traces of duplicity. Any signs that he is singing a false song.

Perhaps we can invite some of them to the Spring for celebration and a sharing of stories?


Sincerely,
Narwen Alendiel

Scribbled below the signature in a hurried scrawl:

Something strange and wonderful is happening to me.

I do not understand it.

I do not know if it is safe for me to return home.

I would appreciate the guidance of the Spring in understanding this strange sea I travel.