Julan’s Letter

Kuul,

Hi! I hope everything is going well for you. Have you found anything else out about the murders? Is the investigation still going? It’s nice of them to pay for your apartment for you. I’m glad to hear the murders have stopped, and I hope there won’t be any more. Maybe the guy got in trouble for something else, and that’s why they stopped. Or maybe he died or something. I wouldn’t let my guard down too much though. Not until more time has passed.

I’m doing well with the rangers. I still think you should come out and join them too! I mean, I know why you don’t, and that’s okay, but they do take care of their own here. I’ve been going on patrols and learning how to shoot a crossbow. It’s not bad work. One of the rangers is also a baker, so we have cookies and fresh bread and muffins and everything all the time. There’s also a mage school nearby with an actual real cook who makes amazing spinach rolls. I don’t even like spinach, but I think they’re good. If you ever change your mind, you know I’ll put in a good word with you with the Captain!

Part of my training is going to be working with and training an animal. Lots of rangers get animals to work with. One of the trainers here has a giant lizard, and the woman training me has a moth. The Captain and his wife have cats, and one of the other rangers just got a dragonhawk. I’ve been thinking about what I want for a long time, but I keep changing my mind. But then I guess one might have picked me.

I was walking along the beach here below the mage school. They always have big parties there, so I like going for the spinach rolls. They had so much food! There was a lot of wine too. I had a couple of glasses and decided to take a walk, so I went to the beach. It’s cold here so I didn’t think there would be anyone else there, and there wasn’t. It was quiet and the stars were bright and clear, and the sound of the waves on the shore was relaxing, but then I heard a bird. It was just there on the ground. I had almost stepped on it! I didn’t think it was normal for a seagull to just sit on the beach and let itself be almost stepped on. So I bent down and inspected it. It was holding one of its wings out, and there was a bit of blood, so I picked it up and carried it back to the mage school. I fed it while I fed myself and at the end of the night, I took it back to the ranger building. Now I’m taking care of it. I took it to the priestess in town for its wing. She said she wasn’t a specialist with animals, but then she helped anyway. She said it was broken, but it should heal just fine. She thinks one of the bats tried to get it. I think that sounds about right. She also said it was a young seagull, that it’ll get a little bit bigger, but not huge. I’m not going to make it stay with me, but if it wants to, then I guess it’ll be my animal.

Anyway, I have to go practice my crossbow yet today before patrol, and I want to send this letter when we pass by the town on patrol, so I have to stop here. Again, I hope everything is going well, and that the murder investigation catches that guy!

Your friend,

Julan

A Letter to Sath’alor

Captain Sath’alor Silverdawn,

I have made my inquiries here at the Ebon Hold, and as I suspected, the missing death knight has passed through here, which makes him a lot less missing. The case is closed for us as we know where he is, but as I promised, I am sending along the information.

I spoke with one of the people in charge of where we send our death knights, and found that he was sent to Northrend to aid in clearing the Nerubian tunnels. Despite the fact that much of the Scourge has been dealt with in Northrend on the surface, there are still those underground to deal with. He was sent to a town in the western part of Dragonblight, near one of the main entrances to the Nerubian tunnels. I expect he’s already been sent down below, due to the fact that I was told that he claimed to have expertise with spiders.

I have also given notice that I would like to join your rangers. Is there anything I need to do on your end? I am required to finish a couple of investigations here before I am allowed to leave.

• Salenicus

A Letter to Linarelle

(( Carefully placed in her lunch before patrol. ))

Dear Linarelle,

I’ve been getting your letters so I thought I would leave you one. Maybe you don’t think about me on patrol, but I think about you a lot, and I think maybe you do too, so I hope you like this letter.

I didn’t tell this to you last night because I thought you might like a letter about it, so here it is. I went to the school to ask for a few things. Magister Fairsong has agreed to let us stay there for a night. It won’t be the same room as last time because he has a new student in that room, but he said the room we’ll have is really nice and the largest guest room. He said it has a nice view of the trees in the forest next to the garden. There’s a large bathroom across the hall. He said Tik would make us a special room and bring it up to us, as there is a small table and two chairs in the room, so it’ll be a private dinner. He said he could put candles all over too because he bought too many candles. I think that will be nice and romantic.

I keep thinking about you, and how special you are to me. It hurt so much when I thought you wouldn’t want to marry me and didn’t want to be with me. I never want to feel that way again! I can’t wait until we have our own cabin. I want to wake up next to you every morning without having to worry about packing up the tent and taking it back, or how much it rained, or anything like that. I want to nibble your ears in the morning light coming through the window, and not worry that there’s anyone outside listening. I want it to be just you and me. I can’t wait.

Oh, and your brother stopped by the other evening while you were still out on patrol. He wanted to let you know that he loves you, and that he’s still watching out for you even if you have me too.

I have to go so I can get ready for patrol!

Love,

Sunashe

The Letter

Alinash Brightblaze decided to take the letter back to the room that he and Harrier had rented at Light’s Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands before opening it. He had hoped to find Harrier there, but other elf had woke and left while Alinash was out. While people of all races were allowed here, they did raise some eyebrows by fraternizing with each other. Alinash had not bothered to disguise himself here. While there were a lot of humans at the chapel, this wasn’t Stormwind. Sin’dorei were allowed here just as much as any other elf or race. Alinash had even seen a tauren on his way to check the mail this morning. Still, he and Harrier decided it would be best if no one had a reason to remember them, thus they didn’t spend much time together outside of the room.

Alinash sat on his bed and began to open the letter. The mage had promised to send further instructions, and the letter had arrived right on time, only a day after their arrival here. Alinash unfolded the letter, and read it, frowning in confusion as he read.

Greetings Sirs, Sorry I am late. I hope you’re well, and the kids did not trip you. I just went out to the well for water as my glass was empty. Research should prove the shows greatly tire out the performers. They will first need water, a book, and rest. I was thinking of the last show I performed, located near the town in the Plaguelands, not Scholomance, but it’s near there. The biggest thing is the fact good evidence has been found of another show soon. The shows stopped their existence there for problems of rat infestation. Perhaps a trap would help! Partially, I think the translated show was a copy, and doomed anyway. As a performer, many well meaning people suggest I go back. I would, but I don’t like rats. Father says that he would not also. I don’t enjoy the suggestions and the name calling.  That’s not, of course, to say the story isn’t a book waiting to happen. In many cases, it’s common to write what is happening in your time. Biographies, histories, tales and essays are quite magic to read in a study. Young men look interesting when they’re into reading about the linear histories of nations. Magic to the ladies! Perhaps, I’ll write one. You do think that can work, right? I find a pen and an envelope to write. Elf be damned! Now, there is an idea to be a writer. Help me bring to you my work, and translate it to another. The words in the title will be first before the rest can start going.

Other things, like the current gossip, are second written in a book, as always it is. An author is called a word magician time and time again. To write is to cast words upon pages. It’s really something to last forever and be known. The only best location is home. It was there I read Silvermoon Stars Showing their Butt. A good book, it entertained me. What is your favorite? It’s unclear to me. What if you only like it when I perform? Is that so? But still, I wish writing there was easier but, I really think that would be best for either of us. You like my shows. Not to boast, but I have loved performing on this. I write a book, and maybe you, or others, won’t enjoy if I do. Damn it to shadows now! Has anyone said? I’ve been searching and greatly moved by these emotions too. I’ve come too far to give up. I continue performing. I want to keep going. Know this is true. It’s easy to lose new ideas when changing location like that, but I will carry on. Don’t stop me. I expect you will, but a gnome and a human cannot be together, and will never carry a candle in the night. Only if an elf performs the show would it work out. Be careful! Many are very difficult. You are welcome to try. Sugar in candy helps sometimes. Silver and gold help. Moon them, if needed. Perhaps not, but if you try, maybe you could convince them, even befriend them, and then a new relationship blooms. Blood oaths from an elf are not trustworthy at midnight. Only noon. The best place is chapel. This letter is too long now. I’ll help myself.

– Lark

Alinash frowned and folded the letter back up. He put it in his pocket and headed out to find Harrier. It had to be a code. Maybe together, they could figure it out.

Letter to Syrina

Dear Syrina,

Hello. I know it’s been a long time again. I’m afraid I don’t get much chance to write. I wanted to let you know that I am doing fine. I don’t know if you worry about me. I think maybe you do, but I also think that maybe I was always a burden to you. I will be leaving Stormwind shortly. I had help sending the other letters, but I’ll be sending this one on my own. I’ve made some very good friends here who help me, and give me work so that I can afford my own place. I know you didn’t expect me to be so independent so fast. You always said you’d be stuck raising me for the next fifty years. I plan to return to Stormwind after this trip. I know it’s dangerous here, but in Silvermoon, they were actively looking for me. They aren’t here. Stormwind is my home now.

My best friend is a kaldorei. He comes from a forest in Kalimdor, but he’s nothing like what I heard they were supposed to be like. He doesn’t have flowers in his hair. He doesn’t live in a tree, and birds don’t land on him and sing spring songs. Though it’s true, we are in the depths of winter here, but even in the spring, that doesn’t happen.

We’re being sent on a job to find a book. It’s supposedly in Thalassian and has no translated copy for the human who’s looking for it. It’s possible I will need someone to check Silvermoon for me. If you are unwilling to, perhaps you can watch for someone who would? My kaldorei friend thinks it’s more likely that the book is in some old school in the plaguelands. We’ll find out more from the mage after we’re there, but it’s possible that I may be in contact again very soon.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I’m doing fine, and hopefully alleviate your worry, if you worry about me. I feel a lot safer in Stormwind, but at the same time, I’m looking forward to this trip.

• Alinash

Cyannah’s Letter

Cyannah stared at her paper. She had written no more than the greeting, ‘Dear Father and Mother,’ but how was the rest supposed to go? She couldn’t tell them the truth. Especially after the letter she had just received. They had been talking with a man who would like to meet her, and they had invited him to a supper over the holidays. She was supposed to be there. She looked down. There was no way she could hide it now. As if on cue, the baby kicked. She couldn’t go home, not like this.

She had already gone to the lower city clinic to see if they could do anything about it. Months ago, on her first visit there, they had given her a vile-tasting potion. She had cramped and bled after ingesting it. She had thought that was it, but a few months later, it became very apparent that it had not worked. Now, they refused to do anything, saying she was too far along. The same potion would just cause the baby to be born early, and while she didn’t want a baby, the healers were adamant about not causing a premature baby to be born. They told her that she would have to wait, and give the baby to the orphanage if she or the father didn’t want it.

She did get the name of the potion and was exploring other avenues of obtaining it. None of them had turned up anything yet.

Of course, there was the problem of getting rid of the baby after it was born, and the time it might take to recover from the birth. Perhaps the father would want the baby, or maybe she could just leave it on his doorstep. It would be fitting. After all, she wasn’t being given any choice in carrying it. Why give him a choice in the matter?

She already knew that he had moved. There was someone else living in the home where he had said he lived. She had talked to them. He was renting it out, and was now living in the Ghostlands. She had gotten the new address from the current occupants as well. She had originally planned to write him to let him know, but she felt there would be a good chance of him denying everything. Had he even told his boyfriend about her? Probably not, and in that case, the baby showing up on the doorstep would be a perfect revenge.

She frowned again at the paper. Telling her parents the truth was out of the question. She picked up her pen and began to write.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to Silvermoon for Winter Veil this year. I am very excited that you’ve found someone who wishes to meet with me, but there’s a ton of work to finish up in the library here before I return home. I hope he’ll consider rescheduling our meeting, possibly in early spring. I’m sorry it might be that long. If I had known ahead of time, I would have told you, but it’s rather sudden. I may not be in Shattrath much either. Some of the books are in other cities here in Outland, and I’ll need to travel frequently.

She paused thoughtfully. It was all made up, of course. She had already quit her job at the library, as she knew people would talk. Now she wore a hat and sunglasses when she went out so that no one would recognize her. She would hide here long enough to have the baby, drop it off in the Ghostlands, then go get married in Silvermoon. The travel was a good cover, as they wouldn’t be able to visit her in Shattrath. She smiled sadly as she closed her letter.

Your Loving Daughter,
Cyannah

Hethurin’s Reply

[[ Hethurin’s reply to a letter he recently received from Silvermoon. ]]

Magister Morningsky,

I write to deny your request to send your daughter home over the summer holiday.  I highly advise against asking Maerista to go home when she’s already completed half of the summer term.  We have begun preparing her for her testing in Silvermoon, which she should be ready for before the end of the year, and stopping now would greatly disrupt her progress.

At Fairsong Academy, we encourage our students to think for themselves, as well as to think beyond what they already know.  Many of the schools in Silvermoon do not do this, preferring instead to stifle independent thought by teaching conformity and by giving a whole book of rules, most of which serve no purpose.  This leads to graduating students without creativity or any ideas of their own which suppresses innovation and advancement in all areas of magical studies.

As such, I have asked Maerista what she wants to do.  She wishes to remain at the school, so I cannot, in good conscience, allow her to go.  I realize that you may wish to stop paying, but I will work something out with her if you do.  She could, perhaps, arrange books in the library or act as a tutor for the private lessons.  If she wishes to stay after passing her mage testing, I can also make arrangements for that, possibly giving her a position here at the school.  You will be free to visit at any time, as it is not my intention to keep her from you.  I only wish to allow her to make her own decisions.

As for the rangers having poor manners and dubious behavior, I think you should meet them before you make that judgement.  One of my sisters is a ranger and I’ve never heard those words to describe her before.

I have a duty as headmaster of the school to protect my students.  I know that you, as her father, also have the same responsibility, and wish to do what you feel is best, but then why are you rushing her to elope?  While I am staunchly against arranged marriages as they often end only with the parents being happy, I don’t think rushing things is much better.  Why not allow her time to see if she really likes this ranger or not?  Don’t you care if she’s happy?  I can’t see how she could be happy marrying someone else in an arranged marriage when she would be wondering the whole time how much happier she might have been with the ranger.  At the same time, if she rushes to marry the ranger, she won’t have as much time to get to know him and might not be happy with her decision later.  I would think you would want to guide and advise her.  I don’t think forcing her to do something she doesn’t want to do is going to work out very well for any of the involved parties.

You are free, of course, to visit the school this weekend so that we may discuss things further, but unless Maerista changes her mind, she will be staying here.  She is a young adult, old enough to be making her own decisions, and I will respect that.  Won’t you?

May the light of the sun shine forever upon your path,

Magister Hethurin Fairsong

Headmaster of Fairsong Academy

A Letter to Desdeyliri

My Dearest Desdeyliri,

Hello!  I was so happy to get your letter.  I asked for the day off to come to see you in Lani’s wedding, and I think I’m going to get it.  There should be less going on then, so I don’t see why they would say no.

Right now, there’s a lot going on.  Normally, my post is really boring.  You know that.  You’ve seen it.  However, there’s a fire festival going on right now, and they built a big bonfire in the middle of the city!  Now usually, that wouldn’t be a big deal, but someone gave some stupid humans the idea that they should come in to put out the fire!  I’m not kidding!  There were a lot of them the first day.  I hardly got a break, but it’s slowed down a little now.  I catch about one each hour during my shift.  We’ve been escorting them out of the city and telling them to leave.  I’m pretty sure I’ve caught the same one more than once, so I don’t think they’re listening very well.  It’s not just humans either.  I caught a dwarf the other day!

Did you know dwarves have a lot of facial hair?  I read about them, and saw drawings of them in books, but to see it for real is really quite something!

Anyway, some of the others are roughing them up a bit while showing them out the gate.  I haven’t.  I don’t think it would be good to make them mad.  Some of them do have swords after all.  Being a guard is hard work.  I don’t want to make it harder by being attacked!

The festival is going to last for about another week.  Hopefully, no one gets hurt during it.  I did go to see the bonfire with my family.  They have fire jugglers and everything there, and there were some treats with chocolate and marshmallows.  I heard they have fires set up in other places too.  Is there one in the Ghostlands?  I hope there aren’t any crazy humans coming to the school, and if there are, I hope the Magister takes care of them.

I really look forward to seeing you!  Stay safe and away from bonfires until then!

Love,

Perothis

 

A Letter to Kestrae

Miss Kestrae Vel’ithri,

I suppose it may come as a surprise to hear from me, but I believe I have found something here in the Ghostlands which may be of some interest to you.

As you may know, I’ve been updating the ley-line maps in the Ghostlands.  Ley-lines don’t typically move much without outside intervention, but they are susceptible to gentle shifting over time.  I liken it to streams and rivers, which can also change their course slowly as time passes.  Ley-lines need to be remapped every now and then, and it’s been a couple of decades since anyone has bothered with this area.

While I was out working on the maps, I happened upon one ley-line which had veered considerably from its old course.  This is normally not a cause for alarm, but where this ley-line veered to, did make me pause.  Some of the old Scourge ziggurats still line the Dead Scar, and this ley-line veered off right towards one.  I’ve never heard of the Scourge using ley-lines before, so naturally, I had to investigate further.  The ley-line veers off at an abnormal angle then is straight right to the ziggurat.  On the other side, the ley-line veers back towards it’s original path.

I decided to check out inside the ziggurat.  Normally, I wouldn’t walk into something like that alone, but I wasn’t alone.  One of my sisters, a ranger, was watching me that morning.  I decided to go in to see if I could find out why the ley-line had been re-routed to the ziggurat.  Inside, I found a summoning circle.  It had been used.  Unfortunately, there was also a Scourged undead, and my sister followed too closely behind me, so I wasn’t able to investigate as much as I wanted.

This was a few weeks ago.  Now, I’ve been watching the rangers.  Recently, another undead showed up at the ziggurat.  The rangers kept talking to him, but he didn’t move, and simply sat out in front of it.  I checked from time to time, but nothing ever changed.  He was always sitting in the same spot, and there was usually a ranger or two nearby.

That is, until this week.  Yet another undead showed up while I was watching.  They spoke to him a short while until he left, with the one who had been sitting there for days.  Then an imp showed up.  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but one of the rangers got it to jump into his bag.  They walked off with it like that.  I’m not sure where they took it; hopefully nowhere near my nephew.

Anyway, I thought you’d like to know.  You really should stop out for tea sometime.

– Magistrix Vallindra Embersun

Nessna’s Letter

Dear Sath’alor,

Hi.  I really liked your letter, and though I think I’ll be visiting soon, I’m writing anyway.  I would have written sooner, but my father was here.  Between patrols and trying to figure out where Ann’da took Rylad, I haven’t had much time to write.

Everything is going well so far on the patrols.  I think the trainees are slowly beginning to learn the route, and considering all my daydreaming lately, I think that’s a good thing.  Gaelardrim seems to be picking it up faster than Tylenthis was, but it may be because Lin was teaching him before.

About him and Lin, he gets very defensive if I bring it up.  I did manage to get him to talk a little about it one day.  He’s mad because she expected him to talk to her first, and he thought she should have recognized him or something.  It sounds all so stubborn and childish.  I asked him if he had thought of any ways to resolve the issue.  He said he was going to lie to her, and tell her he was wrong.  I guess, if it helps them get along, it’s not so bad, but I do think he should mean it when he says something like that.  He definitely shouldn’t be telling other people that it’s a lie, at least.

We have seen Vallindra a few more times, mostly working around the Scar.  I really wish she wouldn’t.  Of all the places to be sticking markers in the ground and standing around taking notes, I’d think the Scar is the worst.  Well, the second worst.  I think the ziggurat outdoes the Scar on danger, just a bit.  I suppose, I haven’t seen any bats or cats or other animals along the Scar though, so maybe she is safe there… as long as no Scourge wander close, but she claims to be able to handle those on her own too.  She probably can.  I have not spoken to her since seeing her at the ziggurat, but Gaelardrim and I have followed her from a distance.

No one’s told Hethurin about her being nearby yet, but I am fairly confident that all she is doing is ley-lines.  I think it may be best if Lani tells him.  I think he trusts her the most.  I’ll talk to her about it.

I’m not sure where the demon symbols came from.  She seemed to happen upon them herself, but I will keep a closer eye on the area around the school.  It is very concerning if Hethurin’s wards are being broken, and is even more reason to let him know.  I do worry that he’ll overreact.  I hope he won’t.

I’m looking forward to cleaning out the spider nests.  It’s not the spider guts that bother me.  It’s cleaning up after.  You’re right that we should use fire, depending where the nests are.  It’s been a bit dry lately so we’ll have to make sure the fire is well-controlled.

I’ll be by soon for supper.  I’m really looking forward to it.

– Nessna