Lo-da'i, assorted inhabitants of Sapience - hello.

The vast majority of you will find little interest or business in this missive, so if that applies you, I wish you a fine day as you move on to more important items of business. This most directly concerns a small handful of mortals, and a small handful of divinities.

Since the formation of house Wintermourne in the sixth century, the family has always been pledged in service to the divinities who have shown Themselves to have a vision for the continued growth and care of the world that is backed up by Their actions.

In the earliest days of my family's founding, it was the Goddess of Vengeance who served has our Matron as well as the object of our servitude and devotion. In the years following Her demise at the hands of the Worldreaver, we found ourselves in service to the Lightbringer, She who slew Bal'met, as well as Her Bloodsworn. In the centuries since the Sword of Dynamis was plunged into the lower Zaphar, my family - at least, those who bore the name - were only those who devoted themselves to the Targossian state and religion. For all of my travels, I refrained from taking the name that was my own out of respect for our traditions. Today, we take the next step on upholding those same traditions.

With Their return to the realm, an important fact has become clear; for all of the credit that must be granted for actions taken during the defense against Bal'met, the Bloodsworn have failed to present a vision for the world that takes even the slightest of care for the dedicated and intentional preservation and renewal of the world as it was. The East may see the moment that Chaos entered into Creation as the great tipping point, but the destruction, desecration, and degradation of our world truly began in earnest one mortals began to annihilate their new homes and environments rather than learn to live within the natural cycles that would otherwise allow for an eternally-bountiful and eternally-living, if ever-changing) world.

More simply put, the East holds no particular vision, action, nor commitment to address the dangers posed to the wilds and our world at large by the falsities of iron and stone. As such, the Wintermourne family finds itself no longer bound intrinsically to the Divine. Even more simply put; we are now free of the chains that once bound us to the Bloodsworn divine.

Our family shall continue in our customs and traditions, of course; as of the time of this writing, we have completed the blood oaths and the associated rituals; let this serve as official notice that house Wintermourne is to be pledged to the Wildwood Queen, Lady Gaia. Whatever growth my ilk shall enjoy shall be found under the guidance and wisdom of the Earthmother for so long as She yet lives.

To Antidas Wintermourne specifically, or whomever is reading this to him; rarely if ever has one man done so little with so much handed to him. In the moments where your city, your Gods, and your family needed you the most, you remained true to yourself; absent, short-sighted, and possibly illiterate. May you find peace and solace in your twilight years; I can assure you that the family is in the most capable hands they've ever known.

Laiq tsuura - in strength,
Aodfionn Wintermourne




Penned by my hand on the 16th of Aeguary, in the year 880 AF.