Letter to Lyrist Aubrey Demogure

[I love cats]

Dear Lyrist Aubrey Demogurure

I write to you of your Balladeer Aurelio as the "only one with a heart". You spoke of things such as "honor" and "morality" I now write to you of them. I do not speak of Aurelio arguing we should leave the Krak exposed to the Orcs for his Dwarven lovers I write of something else. Your balladeer Aurelio before all in the war Divan allowed Zosmere Never Crown to slit his wrist upon his greatsword  and came as his guest. The "holy" warrior then stood aside as the most corrupt and blackest magical right I have ever witnessed occurred. The Prince incited a curse of Doom upon the well and that the dead of his home would rise up to haunt us forever. Open black magical necromancy an ancient and powerful curse.  The main factor in my decision to not cut this dwarf down was Aurelio your Balladeer as one of his most loyal supporters. Unlike Aurelio I do not strike my fellow members of the Rose but I write to their superiors. Given my respect for the contract and knowledge of Aurelio's character I deemed such an action would mean a fight with Aurelio. The rose drawing steel on one another is not a goal or desire of mine.

You called me as "Having a Heart" I find it hypocritical that me taking a few hundred dinar from ill behaved patrons springs your Balladeer to such action but a powerful necromantic blood ritual makes him stay his blade in fact even lending to its action. The prince has sworn his men would rise as spirits and torment the well forever. This was nothing short of pure evil that will bring such to our people and suffering to the innocent. The only reason I stayed my blade was the likelihood I would have to potentially fight Aurelio. I meant to fight that dwarf with live steel. Given he partook in this ritual I think it fair to say he would have defended the dwarf.

At the end of the day when the dust settles and when the dwarf are finally all butchered to a man and the horrific curse of dark magic is activated. It will be remembered that it was the blade of Balladeer Aurelio that this ritual was wrought. What was done to these dwarves was wrong. But to curse the entire well for the actions of the Legates is that a moral high ground? Is that justified? Is Aurelio standing by his side as he does this justified?

I should add that a student of your balladeers Nasir paid the Banda Rossa 450 dinar to allow one of his honor guards one bitter oath to openly wield a huge hammer in the Krak De Roses after he was threatening patrons. 450 dinar that could have been spent on refugees for someone to wield a dangerous deadly hammer and make threats. Instead of 450 to feed the many at our gates. 

I am left with a burning question, where is the honor and morality in this? Will the prince finally be condemned for choosing to commit an act more horrific than I have ever done? I don't claim to be some saint but a foul curse for his own people to rise from the dead and torment us is that not the kind of evil the knights of the Rose is meant to put down? You can ask others present of what occurred at the War Divan and the curse.

-Recluta Bruce Danebluff

[Pandip]

Danebluff,

Thank you for your report.

The matter is being handled presently.

    -- Aubrey Domergue
       Lyrist of the Lost Hearth
       

[I love cats]

I give you the words the curse he uttered from that dweeb scribe Bashir. These are the words of an evil man. Was he scorned? Did Legate Marcellus break his oath to them? Yes but what excuse is there in condemning the souls of his own people to rise from the dead? What excuse is there to curse the descendants of the well for the sins of their fathers? Why should the innocent voiceless suffer for the crimes of the Legates? When my comrade Banducci executed this dwarf at the gate of Roses in death Zosmere blasted us with negative energy killing some weak refugees at our gates and injuring the strong.  A truly honorable Dwarf would have killed Marcellus for breaking his word and not condemned the innocent of our Well or used horrific black magic. There is no justification for what the Prince did on his last day.

Even after Aurelio saw the evil wrought at the Divan and our Legate exiled him for his crimes Aurelio bid the prince come to our Krak as a guest before the Grandmaster. I can't think of a time the Banda Rossa openly met with someone who damned the souls of his own people pon his death. Although I can see how Aurelio struggles with basic morality as he didn't realize making it legal to kill or enslave voiceless was wrong untill the Grandmaster told him. Knowing the changes to the penal code he still voted for them. I may not be the most honorable or the most moral but at least I don't pretend to be. When I was in my prime I never thought in my old age I would be having to explain to dumbass young people that black magic condemning the souls of people to punish the innocent is evil. Read the words of Zosmere below for yourself and tell me this is not a wicked and foul curse that is pure evil.

-Recluta Bruce Danebluff

The Cursed Words of Prince Never-Crown

SPEAKS THE NEVER-CROWN.

BLOOD OF THE GODS. SCION OF THE WHEEL. HIGH KING, BY RIGHT OF DIVINE HERITAGE.

ACCURSED IS THE OATHBREAKER. ACCURSED ARE THOSE WHO WOULD FORSAKE THE LIVES THAT PUT THEIR TRUST IN THEM.

DOOM.

DOOM. DOOM. DOOM UPON THE OATHBREAKER.

HEAR ME NOW, AND KNOW THAT OUR FATES SHALL BE JOINED.

IF MY PEOPLE DIE, GODS HEAR ME, MOTHER HEAR ME, MAY OUR GHOSTS HAUNT THESE BETRAYERS TO THE DYING OF TIME.

MAY THEIR VICTORIES TURN TO ASH IN THEIR MOUTHS. MAY THEIR DESCENDANTS BE CHASED BY MISFORTUNES ETERNAL.

DOOM.

DOOM STALK THEIR STEPS.

DOOM CHASE BEHIND THEM.

DOOM STRANGLE THEM WITH THEIR CLOAKS.

DOOM.

YOU KNOW NOT THE MEANING OF THE WORD, FATHERLESS COWARD.

WE ARE THE SONS OF VENGEANCE.

AND WE CALL OUT.

OUR VOICES AS ONE, TO THOSE WHO BETRAY US.

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