Letters of longing

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DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Wed Jun 03, 2020 5:20 pm

Dear Mother,
Today is the midst of summertide, father is probably busy cropping the weeds on the fields and the kids are running around enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze gliding in from the sea.
I write this to tell you of my ventures to this day, because as much as I'd want to, I cannot give you the accounts in person.

Father gave me permission to leave our home at last. Admittingly, I had begged him, pleaded and nagged him till his hair was almost grey - but I did so out of love. At my nineteeth nameday he gave me the news. After the fields had been plowed and sowed, I would be allowed to take my leave. To venture with the next group that wandered into town, to see the wonders I had heard so much about.
We travelled far, Mother dearest, through many a winding road. Passing small villages like that of our own, into larger subburbs until one day we arrived at a buzzling town.

::Caer Callidyrr::

An amazing sight, never have I seen so many people assembled in one place. The docks alone were alive with peddlers trying to fend off their merchandise, taverns, travellers, handmaidens and adventures each booking yoyage to exotic locations or just trying to earn an honest living.
I wish i could have lingered for longer but alas, the captain with whom I had secured passage, was quite eager to leave as our destination was far away somewhere in the trackless Sea.

::Arelith::

Today we arrived in the city of Cordor, capitol of the isle of Arelith. I wish you could see it through my eyes Mother, but i'll try to do it justice.
From the harbor front rises a magnificient Palace, a beautiful place most surely fit for a King and Queen. And next to it, a large impressive temple and a vast open square with an exquissive fountain in its center.
Here resides nobility Mother. Knights, Lords and ladies. Merchants, barkeeps and the most brave adventures.
But it is a place clearly in need of brave souls. As trouble seem to arise all around. Be it from bandits lurking in its sewers, undead crawling through the crypts underneeth the city.
But worry not Mother, for i have met kind people here. A woman with a harsh life, Maya Ashald, and her friend Roselyn Kingsley.
I will send you more letters Mother. Please take care of Father, for he need not to worry of me. I am safe.

With love,

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Thu Jun 04, 2020 6:56 am

Dearest Mother,

I hope all is well at home. Did father manage to bring in the harvest without too much difficulty? I've been praying every night that the crops held and you will all have plenty for the coming winter.

I am not sure how I should tell you this, as I wish you no worry.

This isle is a dreadful place. Liches are abundance, demons, devils and those who appear to worship them. Perhaps that is why brave souls are drawn to this place, in search of the great deeds. So often I meet these beautiful souls, yet they all seem perplexed by the thought that great deeds are not tallied by what you may slay, even if under the stigma of keeping others safe.
As you said so Mother "in face of true peril, it takes a brave man to draw a sword - but an even braver not to" - true bravery is not about charging fearlessly into a fight. But to leave yourself vulnerable and extend trust where others would not.

I have taken on a task in the local coal mines. It's hard labor and spend most my days covered in coal dust. But it's good and honest work and the pay is sufficient enough to let me rent a room at the local tavern, while getting myself two good meals a day! It's all I could ask for. When I can, I try to set a little aside for a rainy day - Father did after all give me his armor as I left, and I mean to take well care of it. Not that I hope I'll ever have need of it.

Winter is drawing closer here, so it might be a while before you receive my next letter. I am not certain if they can get to you before the docks are covered in ice. But I thought you should know this at least - I have spend more time with Maya, the one I mentioned last and I am getting to know her well, I hope. We spend an entire night talking by a small pond just at the outskirts of this town.
She has had a hard life, she has likely wronged others in her past but all of this does not matter. She told me she wants to move past who she was, she wants to make a real change not only to herself but for others. So no one has to suffer as she did.
And I trust her words when she says such.
I am going to do all I can to help her, whatever the Gods might toss her way.

She's my friend Mother. Please help me keep her safe.

With love,

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:22 am

Dear Mother,

Winter is here, the familiar sting of the cold wind brushing against my cheeks. The soothing warmth of a fireplace as you step into the local tavern, wrapped in furs or hides to shield yourself from the chill that Auril grants us. The lands lay dorment, snow covers the ground in a beautiful white sheer. It lights up the dark days and even darker nights. It reminds me of home, Mother. Though at the same time reminds me that this is far from it.

How I miss you.

We're well into the winter as I write this letter, Uktar has come and gone along with my name day. Twenty winters old, Mother. If only you were here.. *A slightly darker taint marks the paper in the shape of a few droplets*
As I write this I do so with a heavy heart. Too much has happened in the past few months to explain in a single letter.

Cordor was attacked Mother. I am safe and sound, as I was thankfully deep within the mines and hid in there during the assault. But that does not mean I do not feel the sting of what happened. Maya was implicated by this, there was an accusation placed against her in public - Most appauling it was. Along with Maya I met with the Chancellor of Cordor, Elspeth Derlson - a woman of noble birth.
She is a true and virtueous woman and for a noble woman, she even respects a commoner such as myself. While she might misstep on occation, no one is above fault. And thankfully, she was mistaken in this alligation as the charges against Maya was dropped.
Roselyn however was evidently the one behind the assault, Mother. I know not how to feel about this - I have tried to find her, but not been able. Even if she did this, there was a reason. If she is in such agony to lash out as this, then it truely is a cry for help - But even as I wish to, I cannot help who I cannot find.

I will keep this brief Mother, but I do have an admission of my own.

For the first time since I arrived on this isle, I am now all alone. Maya has vanished - I hope nothing happened to her, but I cannot get a hold of her.
Truely, I am now alone Mother.

Alone and Frightened.

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:21 am


Dear Mother,

It has been a busy few weeks since last I wrote and much has occured. I met a noble elf, Silmaleng Thielen, while out on the road. She was accompanied by a most courageous half-orc, Sir Roland. A valiant knight vowed to defend her with his life, if need be.
Exactly the pair I had only heard of in tales and adventures back home - But now I've actually met one.

Lady Thielen is unlike any other elf I have met so far.
She is open, warm and kind. Even if she is highborn, she doesn't let it show in the way she regards a plain farmer's daughter. But perhaps, what is known does not need to be adressed.
I am not sure if I'd go as far as to call her a friend, because can a noble and a commoner ever truely be friends - Can they find common ground? I hope so. I like her, Mother.
She has asked me to consider joining an Order in which she is enrolled - I told her yes, but I am unsure Mother. I thus ask for your guidance to how a girl like me, might serve any aid to a Knightly Order. Never the less I have agreed to meet with their Oathkeeper if only but to learn what it is they do and how I might be able to assist - After all, everyone has to eat, Mother.

There's still no trace of Maya, it is as if she has vanished. I will try to contact an old friend of hers, and hope she will see me.

With warmth and hope, I pray that madam Kingsley will take my audience,

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Thu Jun 11, 2020 6:06 am

Dear Mother,

I apologize for not having written for so, so long now. I feel like a terrible daughter for neglecting you as such, but it is not that you have not been on my mind - You always are. Let me try and narrate it all to you.

I had met with him, the Oathkeeper and we spoke at length. He asked the questions he needed to and with you in mind, I gave the best answers I could, Mother. He seems to me a kind man, a warm heart and one who will do what it takes to help - Much like myself. We certainly found common ground, and any doubts I might have had were shattered. If a man from a fishing village can be what he is, and help so many - Then so can a farmer's daughter.
I admire him so, Mother. I won't ever have his courage or bravery but there is much I can learn from him and I know his heart is true.
My initiation was formally completed and I became a full member of the Order. It ties so well with what you have always taught me. To be there for those who need it, to support those who have less and be respectful to your peers and all. The tasks have been rather simple so far, gather ressources and donate what you can to those who need it.

Time moves quickly when you're in good company - I've been spending a lot of time with the Oathkeeper and the rest of the Order. We're often alone, him and I - I've told him things. Things I never shared with others. I told him of Father, I told him of my origin and how I learned to use a blade.
I've told him of my conviction. Of how a Mother always stands by her children. How her love is eternal and never waivers, no matter their actions. That if they seek a better path she will guide them towards it. The road is theirs to walk and she will not clear it for them, but she will always be supportive.

At times, I think I confuse people with my words. They think I am a Mother myself - How little they know. But it is alright. I don't mind the questioning and gladly answer.

Words come so easily when I am around him, Mother. I wish to tell him everything.. But I stalled. I almost let it slip. My heart yearns to tell him but it pains me so. To tell, I'd have to go back to that memory and.. I cannot.

I... Am unsure of how to put this into writing Mother.. *The letters are jagged, as if written by a slightly trembling hand* I've seen things, Mother. Things I couldn't phantom to begin with and cannot force myself to describe to you. The horrors, the suffering that is all across this isle is one thing - But to bear witness to someone I truely care for, to be so brutally hurt I... *The writing fades, clearly something was written but the ink has been smudged by the stroke of a hand*

They have returned, Mother... Please guide me through this dark night.

Your Eternal,

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:53 am

Dear Mother,

Hope
Bestowed upon others or by them. A Faith that no matter the hardship, no matter the grim way life can present itself in things will turn for the better.

Faith
In more than but yourself. A deep seated belief that by doing right by others, they shall show you kindness in the end. To rely upon matters of which you have no control. To surrender yourself completely.

Trust
Something so easily lost and so hard to gain. Is placing trust upon those you do not know, truely a sign of being young and naive? It might be, but how else to believe in the best of all, if not to trust them?

Anger
Boiling, burning and blackening. It erupts in bursts of deep seated emotions long ignored. It draws one to the edge of dispair and desperation and is all consuming.

Fear
Of the past, of the future. Afraid to have Hope, afraid to have Faith, afraid to Trust... Afraid that anger is all that will be left.

Dearest Mother - I pray - Help me forgive them. Help me see good even where others say there is none. Guide me with your blessings and shield me from that which consumes.

Shield me from ... Them

Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

DeepDarkTruth
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:01 am

Re: Letters of longing

Post by DeepDarkTruth » Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:52 am

Dear Mother,

Lately I've found myself thinking about home more than usually. It's the little things mostly. The bite of frost when it first sets in, solidifying the muddiest soil. The cool winters breeze which rips through cloth and bone, an errant reminder of what a fragile thing life is.
The beautiful, serene display of light and astonishing flakes. Marvels gifted by the cool sting of Auril's wrath. In truth, there is beauty in all things.

From the deepest darkest winter springs thaw. Inevitably as with all things in life.
Life - What a strange concept it is. How often I've lately found myself debating its worth. It's merrit. It's use. What is life truely about. What cause do we all live for. Is it but to die, to pass from this world with a bitter sting left in the heart of others - Is that the cruel fate the gods have decided for us?

It begs the question..
Is life truely life?

Lately I've found myself yearning. Yearning for what was and no longer is. A hope, a glimmer that deeds of the past could be undone. That things could be different. I keep telling myself my days as the young farmer's daughter are over - That I am no longer her. That my life has taken a different course. It is however but a lie that I tell myself, to keep my thoughts from topics.

In truth, I am her. I might not show it, I might not act it. But to my core - I am rattled Mother. I yearn for your support and embrace. The warmth of your touch and guiding hand. The strong words of Father, tied with the certainty of his decisions. Never waivering. Never doubting himself.
The walls of this room feels constricting, darkened by my choices as of late - I shall turn to prayer, Mother.

May you heed my prayers.


Marley
"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." - Celia, The order of the Stick.

~~Rachel M'haaren~~ - Strangled by plague elf
~~Sipas~~ - Lost searching for ancient tomes in the sands
~~Marley Goodman~~ - Dead and rotting

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