4th Session Interlude Letters

Letter to Count Bryndorr Von Urkseld
To my father, Count Bryndorr Von Urkseld,
I pray this letter finds you in strength and vigilance, and that the hearth of Urkseld Hall burns steady with honor. I write from Emberbrook, where my companions and I have paused briefly on our journey to the Stormcradle Mountains.
Our assignment has turned out to be no mere test of skill. It is, I now believe, a crucible by which the truth behind ancient wards and forgotten histories may be uncovered or reclaimed. The orb we were sent to retrieve is real, pulsing with energies of the old magics. It may, in fact, be capable of restoring the kingdom’s faltering protective wards.
While investigating a local injustice, an accused knight named Ser Caldron Valehart, we discovered his ring bore a resemblance to the Fatebound sigil, suggesting a possible ancestral tie. The ruin responded to our mark, revealing a disc and a vision from the distant past: dragons and faeries standing with mortals to defend the world from the Void, not betray it as history claims. This revelation, if true, could alter the kingdom’s understanding of its very foundations.
The accused knight was exonerated after we exposed inconsistencies in the charges and faced Dame Duskbane herself in trial by combat. Though we were bested, she yielded, and the Arbiter recognized us as Guardians of Elden Law, a title I hope we honor in deed.
Lastly, the mastiff once belonging to Lord Duskmoore, poorly treated and scarred, now travels at my side. I have named her Nibbles, and she is loyal already.
More troubling still is a letter we received from Archmage Solmere, delivered through trusted channels. He reports that on the 14th of Selmaren, Aldric Duskbane arrived at the Academy with troops from the capital. Under the guise of protecting students from the threat of an Imperium invasion, he seized control of the grounds. All student travel has been suspended, even for assignments, and soldiers now patrol the halls.
 
Worse still, Master Thornblade and Captain Vexmere, both known to be steadfast allies, have been arrested under what Vaelin assures us are false pretenses. They have been taken to the capital, and in their place, men loyal to the Queen’s Blade now oversee martial training.
 
The King has died, as we feared he soon might. And the Queen Regent, acting swiftly, seems to have orchestrated these movements with foreknowledge of his passing. The Princess has resolved to leave for the capital immediately, accompanied only by her personal guards and Lady Isobel Marbrant. The Queen’s Blade made no effort to prevent her departure, which may be the most disquieting sign of all.
 
The Archmage remains under heavy watch, yet he continues to safeguard our siblings and do what he can without drawing attention. He is walking a careful line, but remains our friend, even as danger closes in on every front. We have taken steps to protect our siblings, thought some of those steps have been compromised, we are hopeful the rest remain intact.
Please extend my love to Mother and reassure her: I stand for what is just, and I walk with allies whose courage has already shaped the coming storm. Prepare, Father. The Imperium moves, and the kingdom may need not only knights, but truths long buried.
Your son,
Orren Von Urkseld
 
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To Lord Braedon Caerthall,
This letter will likely seem nonsense at first, my apologies. With the Imperium stirring and eyes upon us, caution has become necessity.
We remain in Emberbrook, having uncovered truths both ancient and perilous. While investigating a knight falsely accused of sabotage, we discovered a Nytherian ruin reacting to the Fatebound sigil. Inside, we found an disc, hovering over a dais inscribed with lost language and forgotten power. When Caelith touched it, a vision overtook us all.
We stood amid a battle lost to history. Dragons, faeries, and mortals fought together against the Void. Lyrielle was there. So was Zorythis, a silver dragon. What we saw contradicts the great betrayal tale we were raised with. If true, the Veil Binding was not a sealing of traitors, but a last desperate defense.
More urgently: Archmage Solmere’s letter has reached us. It carries grim news. Aldric Duskbane arrived at the Academy with troops on the 14th, seizing control under the pretense of protecting students. All travel is forbidden. Master Thornblade and Captain Vexmere were arrested under false charges and taken to the capital. The King, as feared, is dead. The Queen Regent moves swiftly.
The Princess leaves for the capital, escorted only by her loyal guards and Isobel Marbrant. The Queen’s Blade made no attempt to stop her, which is perhaps more troubling than if he had.
Vaelin is under surveillance but still watches over our families. He remains our ally, though the enemy moves closer with each breath.
Stay vigilant, Braedon. If the world forgets the truth, we must remember it. I send you this as friend, as brother-in-arms, and as Fatebound.
Orren Von Urkseld