Respectfully, to the Bloodsworn Gods:

It has been a fairly long time since I last spoke publicly; the opinions, thoughts, and feelings I expressed at that time had an
explosive effect, the scope of which I truly had not anticipated. My words resonated, both positively and negatively, with mortal and Divine alike, and the consequences of my words -- both immediate and lingering -- have not gone unnoticed. Not only was I given the form of a maggot by Lady Aurora, but the Garden placed Its formidable support behind the Lightbringer as Lord Sartan, God of Evil, Lord Twilight, God of Darkness, and Pandora, the Wayward Heir all placed Their collective disfavours upon me, setting aside Their differences in a show of solidarity with Their sister in the East. Furthermore, Lady Aurora declared all Cyrenians present to be enemies of Her order, then placed Her favour upon the soldiers of Targossas who stormed Cyrene in a protracted raid that lasted between three to five days, if not longer (time is hard to track while fighting a desperate battle as a squishy white grub). After two failed attempts to gain a raiding sanction, and two disarmed Targossan tanks later, this prolonged battle ultimately resulted in the dismantling of a shrine to the absent Lord Scarlatti, God of Art, so that Lady Aurora's shrine could be placed instead, implementing a Worldburn that secured the destruction of a staircase near the Garden of the Arts.

It was immediately clear, not only to the Senate of Cyrene, but also to myself, that an apology is in order for the disrespect that was exhibited on that fateful month. Despite the conviction behind my words and the unrefuted facts contained within what I must admit was something of a heated diatribe, I did stray from the respectful when I referred to Lord Deucalion as Targossas' "Daddy". This slip was an error of judgement, and for this I do apologize.

One might wonder why this apology comes so long after the fact. In truth, I began penning drafts of my apology in the months following my initial post. Certainly there have been distractions; the Reckoning consumed all of Sapience for a truly incredible amount of time, and the Asterian History Festival immediately afterwards engaged us all in multiple capacities, as contributors, organisers, and revelers alike. It was during this Festival, however, that I was able to receive a glimpse into the nature of Lord Deucalion's relationship with Targossas, especially for those tragedy-stricken souls who had formerly called Shallam their home. By grace of the skilled storytelling and immersive illusion-weaving of the historians of Targossas, I shared some fragment of the suffering, the loss, and the perseverence experienced by the refugees of Shallam, and while what I witnessed cannot possibly compare to what those survivors felt, I felt pangs of sorrow for their plight, for it was less than three decades ago that we, of Cyrene, were driven from our home by the forces of the tsol'teth.

What Cyrene endured, overcame, and is even now in the midst of recovering from, Targossas represented to all those who forged a new path leading away from the ruins of Shallam. Lord Deucalion Himself came to the shivering masses that gathered in Jaru and presented to them a new way of life, a new dawn to look towards, and for what He did for those people, I offer Him my utmost respect. He inspired their leadership, stirred the embers of faith in their hearts, and made them into a people refined and redefined. And while there are those from Shallam who have since sought out different paths and new homes, Targossas, for all that it is, became precisely what the people of Shallam-that-was needed.

While I would not dare to equate the losses of Cyrene to the losses of Shallam, the parallels in what our people have endured are clear. From these parallels, from these common threads, even I, with all my sacrilege and hubris, am able to weave a skein of empathy and understanding. Perhaps I do not now agree with, nor understand, the decisions of the Bloodsworn. Perhaps I do not agree with nor understand the politics of Targossas. But that does not mean that I cannot respect that which is worthy of respect.

Lady Aurora, Lord Deucalion, You have my apologies for my misconduct on the 5th of Daedalan, in the year 826 AF.

Sincerely,
Taelle Si'Talvace

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Daedalan, in the year 830 AF.