Ozyletter01
My Dear Mithra,
How it tears at my heart to be so far away from you, my love. This world, our world, has gone mad it seems, and that madness has driven us apart - but not for long. I have accompanied Master Bax and ten of his closest friends south. Not to our old kingdom, but near enough. You should see the world here. It is green and vast, and full of strange beasts - a far cry from the capital. There, the air is filled with ghosts; here, it is filled with stillness. When the wind is just right, even at night, I can smell the sands of our old home, blowing over mountain and jungle to reach me. It is a wonderful sensation.
This will be an excellent place to wait out the war up north. As Master Bax says, "Let the Dawn Caste deal with those thin-blooded troublemakers. We, we rulers and thinkers and makers should not have to dirty our hands." Instead we will pass the time (short, I wager) in isolation with our thoughts, planning the fate of the world at its edge.
That is not to say we live in common residence. Master Bax has built a great stone mansion right into the mountain - a Manse comparable to those that adorn the estates outside the Capital itself. It offers every amenity, from a great library to baths, to store rooms full of the finest food and drink - more than enough to stuff ourselves while the traitors are put down. Yet the appearance of this place is less impressive than its function. It is the crowning achievement of my Manse building technique. Master Bax and I have created a work of art in this place. Not because it offers up fountains of Essence, but because it offers up none.
I can see you scratching your perfect head now, love, but you read right. This place, which bears my own mark next to that of Master Bax, is one of power, yet it does not draw others like us. To another Chosen walking mere feet away, it looks like nothing more than a small cave, yet inside, we can live in luxury for as long as we wish! It is a Manse the likes of which has never been seen before, one that takes the Essence it summons and channels it back onto itself, thus appearing invisible to the outside world. No turncoat brigands will find us here. We will be free of that conflict. A most cunning charade, and one I, your beloved, was a part of. How they will be thrilled to hear this at the next building conference! While the thought of delighting my peers brings comfort to my mind, it does little for my heart, which aches for you. Visit soon, my love. I await you eagerly.
Until then, may the Sun and Moon favor you,
Ozymandius
