I'm sure the council of Eleusis would much rather have this penned in a less public forum, but luckily for me the wants and desires of the Eleusian ruiling council are no longer my problem.

I'll start off with a little story of a very young little druidess in the village of Eleusis, who was just 18 years old, eager, excited, and ready to serve Nature. I had a run-in with one named Venari. I approached him to ask him about the Order of Gaia and maybe learn a little more about this Goddess I was so fascinated with. To put it bluntly, he was nothing but rude and dismissive. It was on that day that I decided I would never join the Earthmother's Order, if that was the type of person She chose to represent Herself.

The first simple truth: I should of left Eleusis that day.

However, I endured, I continued to do what I believed was the Lady's work. I was savage to our enemies, I was even savage towards other Eleusians. I embraced what I thought it meant to be a savage. I thought what I was doing had purpose. I thought it mattered. I rose in the ranks because of this effort. I participated in nearly every project, I defended whole heartedly, and I raided without mercy. I was in my mind, a perfect little Scion.

The second simple truth: I was an idiot.

I joined Elections. I lost. I slung mud. I was disfavoured. I was mean. I was favoured. The cycle continued. Over and over for decades. Until I eventually won the house election for houseleader. The other houseleaders had stepped down or disappeared, and I ended up Ascendant. This was a role I wasn't exactly qualified for, or one I even wanted. I was a little confused how I'd even won, but now I understand.

The third simple truth: I was set up from the very beginning.

This brings me to a quote, about the Earthmother, a warning I received the very day I became Houseleader from a much older and wiser Scion.

"She doesn't lie. She just doesn't care enough to remember the truth." a"An unnamed Scion

I was invited into the clan which they call the Great Oak. This is for the ruiling council and the Ascendant houseleaders of Eleusis. This was not an invitation I was particually interested in, and against my better judgement I agreed. It was here that I learned more about the innerworkings of Eleusis. How things were debated, discussed, and eventually approved.

The fourth simple truth: I was horrified by what I saw.

I won't go into the specifics of all the decisions and discussions there, but it was what we saw here that eventually lead us to believe that it was in the best interests the Scions to seperate ourselves from the ruiling council. Since Truax and I were both in the clan we were privy to the decisions there. Mycen however was not. We filled Mycen in best we could and then voted on it. It passed unamiously, and then we waited on the Earthmother. It was Her vote that was required to seal the deal. This vote is what delayed our House's foregathering.

The fifth simple truth: The Earthmother told us to cast out the Hierophants.

Knowing what I know now, this was a trap. Designed to ensare me from the very beginning. I walked right into it. I led the others to trust that She'd placed Her faith in us for an important mission. Aodfionn played his role perfectly. I don't harbour any ill will towards him at this point. I know that he was fed the version of the story which would manipulate him into doing what the Earthmother wanted.

The sixth simple truth: I got beat in a very elaborate game of chess and I didn't even know Who I was playing against.

So a very simple answer to the Council of Eleusis regarding their demands for my unenemying.

No.

To the village of Eleusis,

Even telling you my story pains me because you have to hear it. Believe it or not, that is up to you. I have lost everything I hold dear and realized that every belief I had was a lie. Every cityfavour I earned, wasted. I have nothing left but my truths, and all I can do now to assuage the wound left behind is share them with you so that you might understand why we did what we did. We're not crazy. Just insane for putting our trust in Her.

Dythesa

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Scarlatan, in the year 893 AF.