The following letter is written in Thalassan script but use the Sylvan language phonemes. Emmeline knows that while Alix may not speak the Sylvan tongue, she does know the comprehend languages spell and so should be able to translate this message, particularly if she has someone she trusts speak it. The speaker, unless versed in Sylvan will not understand it, but the spell would allow Alix to understand it regardless.
To the Esteemed Magus Alix, First of the Tribunal of the North and Defender of Derrien, a warm greeting from Witch Emmeline, Mademoiselle d’ Cerisey.
Your victorious survival and heroic deeds during the terrible night of betrayal by Hugo and Skall warmed my heart from the cold dread it felt at premature news of your sacrifice. I was relieved to hear that you overcame a terrible fate.
Since that awful night it has been many weeks and we all have been extremely busy with matters of caring for the Duchy and addressing our individual duties. Please allow me to bring you news which may be somewhat belated but nonetheless is of interest to you.
I realized belatedly that there was news that I carry in which you have indicated particular interest in the past. I lost the father I had met for only a few spare moments as my own sight faded to darkness, yet I was able to give instructions before I lost consciousness. The choice I made at last was to keep Margrave Roland’s son and daughter, while freeing the spirit of Mahryswenifar to the mother tree to become whole but reborn. My Henri and Lara are healthy and strong. And my Mara, once mother and daughter, now both at once, exists more in the otherworld than this one. Spirits of my mother Lara and father Hoel have joined her in the Otherworld where I will join them as and when I can from time to time.
In the end, it was the only choice I could have made and been right with myself. I recall the Baroness Rivanon asked me once, “How does one discipline a god?” The answer, of course, is one does not. While Mahryswenifar is by no means a god, the point remains that she would have been an extraordinarily powerful child. And so Lara is my daughter, a human child that I like to think of as carrying the spirit of my mother forward to a new generation just as Henri carries forward the spirit of my father. Both are truly the children of Roland and I.
I’m sure you will be keenly interested to hear Mara’s fate. She is bound to the Mother Tree and in this way she is limited in this world to the tiny yet beautiful Vale. She remains a font of wisdom and a window into another time. In the Otherworld, she is newly returned from her long exile to the Astral, but she is a true Arch Fey, a powerful noble among the sidhe. I am confidant she will quickly establish herself there among her kind. In the meanwhile, I continue my role somewhat more officially as her speaker, at least among those who respect her.
In speaking of roles, I must next ask as to my current disposition with regard to our arrangement this past summer. There are no questions in my mind as to your expectations of me and my duties regarding the Tribunal itself. The only matter that moves me to inquire is the subject of my apprenticeship. A full year has passed since it began with Elemix, but it rests now in your hands. May I join the Tribunal as a fully vested wizard with your blessing?
I look forward to meeting with you at our next available opportunity.
Your most loyal Witch of the North,
[Signed Emmeline d’Cerisey]
To my Apprentice-in-Being, the Witch of Uzec, Emmeline de Cerisey.
Thank you for your words of kindness. It is appreciated. I offer you congratulations of the birth. Family is in the end all we have. You are lucky in that you have on on Thalassa, in Uzec, in the Vale, in the Otherword, and in a very real way in the Guild, whether you know it or not.
I also wish the best for your rescued archfey, the Lady Mahryswenifar, and the emergence from her bondage in the astral depths. I urge caution; however. You should be aware that every action that happens now in the Vale will be watched by many parties. It is for you and yours to prove your good faith. Your actions and that of your allies, including your cousin, the Baroness, and the esteemed Sister Typhon, have bought you much goodwill. Do not let the actions of zealots cause you to squander it.
Your period of apprenticeship can be brought to a close, with my blessing. We will convene a Conclave about Hugh and the growing darkness in many parts of the North early next year. As a point of business, I will add your name to be brought to a vote for inclusion. Like Magus Elemix, I do not believe your membership will be in doubt, but we must go through a formal procedure. Two points; however. First, we must discuss any future arrangements and alliances of a personal nature between you and I, specifically if you wish to continue a patron-client relationship to mutual benefit, as I have with a number of allies. Second, please send me the disposition of the young witch Kalista. I am most concerned about her status.
Lastly, you should be aware that it is my belief that what we experienced that day is but one of a number of salvos sent against us. After consultation with my peers and others of skill, it is my belief that Hugo is not dead, but was merely transformed by his hatred into something new. Whether he returns in our lifetime of no I cannot say. For the time being, my duty is to protect the Lord Arles and his house. My personal fate went as planned in extremis. It is not something I wish to repeat. With this in mind, we must someday deal with the root cause of where Hugo gained this power. Should you discover anything, that knowledge would be valuable.
Magus Gillian Alix, First of the Tribunal of the North and Defender of Derrien