Holy crap, nothing brings home how much these letters suck as a situation like this. I want to help so much more! I want to teleport right over there now and end this thing with some real magic. Lightning is its weakness? Lightning is one of my greatest accomplishments! I could dispatch that thing in my sleep! But I'm here at a five star hotel while all of you are getting screwed. Alright. I really did not want to do this, but I'm going to. I've ordered the Atlantean Arrow's nearest detachment, located in Ipswich, to mobilize. There are fifty arrow in that detachment. Maybe not immortals, but it's all the service I can actually give right now! I wish I could come personally, but things have... escalated. If I leave now, the alliance would fall apart. Otherwise I would get on a redeye right now and head over. I'm glad that all of you are still alive, such as it is. I need to work on mastering space... then maybe I could heal Ricky right now without even being there. I can't do that, though. I know none of you are children out there - you can handle yourselves just fine. It just sucks when your friends need help and you can't do anything. In case the Arrow don't get there in time, the Zeus can only be fired by humans, though they need not have any magic. Other races like Ghouls will also be able to operate it, but someone like Ricky will not be able to fire it. It was designed as a weapon against the other races, after all. Also, it uses the mana inherent in one's own pattern to fire, so it causes painful burns that magic cannot heal. Just be wary when using it. The Arrow were a little /too/ eager to get rid of it when I asked they send it your way, so I suspect there may be more to it.
The Arrow have orders to leave at your request, though they will remain with you so long as you deem necessary to stabilize the situation. They would probably be able to close the portal Austin opened, though they might not. I guess you'll know soon enough. I'm sorry I could not do more. I hate having all these resources I can't do anything with!
Lizzie, I can't wait to see you again. We have lots to talk about. It sucks your investigations didn't turn up anything, but at least those cultists didn't wake up Cthulhu. If that happens, we're screwed. All of us. There won't be any time to run from the universe at that point, we're just screwed. Speaking of which... I feel bad talking philosophically while you all are in danger... but I suppose if you're reading this than you're okay, and there's no more reason to worry. So I'm going to write all this on the assumption that everyone makes it out okay. Because if you don‘t... then Austin's right. The Elements of Harmony won't work without all of us.
First Austin, I'm not sure that you understand what I'm saying when I say there can't be diplomacy with the old ones. They can talk well enough, if we discovered how they did. But like you said, they think so lowly of us that they wouldn't be willing to change their motives because of us. This earth is theirs in their mind, and us the accident thanks to the Elder Things and their experiments with genetics. But you know what... I don't care if we're an accident, even if all that stuff's true. There is a Supernal truth that is just as real. I know that faith isn't something any of you have anymore, but... There IS more to this reality! Even if in their version of the truth they're higher and better than us, and us the mold on their sandwich. And I'm going to prove it. Do you know how? Lizzie isn't going to like this. But I will explain. I will prove that the supernal reality is more real than the abyss.
I know there is only one way to prove it. That's exactly the way I'm going to do it, though. I am going to prove that the supernal isn't just equally valid in that the magic works, because that's a fact. We know the magic works. But think about this - if the Abyss can be rewritten with the magic of the Supernal, than why not rewrite /all/ of it? Outsiders, Cthulhu, the whole bit. We'll replace it. Here is how I will prove it.
Remember Rami? I do. She started all of this, after all. I think in learning the true nature of the abyss, I have discovered the way to bring her back. The First Words - the words of the Master. I know what they are! "Arise!" I don't care if she's been dragged out into who knows what god-forsaken corner of some higher dimension... the Master's words will bring her back. Lazarus, come forth! This is why I want to visit the Library, you see. The Master's magic died with him, all those years ago. But all dead thoughts are there, all dead knowledge. I'm going to find it, and bring her back! What then? Think on it, friends! Forget negotiating with the abyss! We'll write the Book of Night with Moon, and read it in the face of the monsters! Read them all out of existence! I'm done accepting defeat anymore. I'm done acknowledging that their way of reality is the truth. It isn't. I saw the awful truth outside the universe, but I also met an archmaster. I met the wings of the Aether. Enoch may be the wings, but I will be the fist. Together, we will end it! NO more accepting that they're greater and better and more powerful and all of that - they aren't! They’re different, not better! Our magic is better than theirs, because we've got one thing they don't - a soul. Darrel went talking about how magic works, how mages like me channel the Supernal. That's how we do it - our souls. The Deep Ones don't have them. Cthulhu doesn't either, I'm willing to bet. We're alien to them just as they are to us. That's why they hate us so much! We have a light they'll never understand! These random little mutations somehow ended up shaped to capture a spark of the supernal, a world they cannot ever touch.
I'm sorry for ranting. I think I'm done. I'm just frustrated right now. I don't blame you for not making it this month, Liz. I know you'd be here if you could. And when you get here, we shall take the knowledge we need, and bring Ramira back.
You could say this last month had a little good and a little bad news. Guess who showed up? One of the Ministers of the Seers of the Throne, that's who. He came to us, totally unannounced, along with this huge diplomatic detachment from their Order. Here I didn't even think they were real... He had some surprising news - on behalf of his order, the Exarchs, and everything else he represented... he was joining our alliance. "Earth's true kings" as he called them, had come out in support of our effort to maintain reality. They’re pretty much the most evil mages there are, I thought, but... not so, I suppose. They can't oppress our world if there's no world to oppress. You should have seen the uproar when he announced who he was. But I kept everything calm, and got all the nitty-gritty of the alliances ironed out. The Arrow was pissed, but... in the end, even they had to admit that it made sense.
Only problem, is the Seers aren't a unified organization, but a terrorist-like group of disparate cells. A large number of those cells have risen up in resistance, and are now actively fighting their other Seer cells wherever they are. They call themselves Purists, and claim that... get this... the Outsiders /are/ the Exarchs. So if you ever encounter any mages that want to kill you, that's probably who they are. I don't know if you've heard, but their little war has already decimated Rome, and it's spreading all across eastern Europe, where the Seers were apparently most concentrated. So that's just Geeeereat. There's now a Minister on the High Council. One Minister, one Adrinach, and one General. Oh, and me. Interesting company to keep. We've already had to deal with several attempts at bombing of the building since then... brainwashed humans both times - they're fine now so far as I know. I can't stress enough that these Purists are more dangerous than any cultists. The Seers are puppeteers, they work through others and use subtle magic. They are patient, and they have power ordinary mages lack. Keep your eyes out. But we gained some allies, too! Can't say I trust them /less/ than Scientology, I guess.
((Oh, so 5 points, because this entry has a WORLD EVENT! But End, the short stories would be for January's entry. They would not be letters, and the other characters would not see what was in them. You might include the usual letter in the story, if you want your character to write one, though no extra points if you do.))
World Event: Hundreds killed in Rome by "terrorist action" and "gang warfare". The city has been surrounded by Italy's armed services, who have as of yet not allowed anyone in or out. All flights canceled.
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