Severus' letters to Lady Pelius, to Pontifex Phinias, and to Magnus Tillaford

Letter to Lady Pelius

Lady Pelius,

Sorrow your husband has brought to my house, and sorrow I have brought to yours.

Your husband is a murderer of innocents, slaying my brother and his cousins, but children, at hunt. Without warning, and against the law of men and gods, he cut them down. I see his hand in the murder of Ferinus Molossus as well. For all these crimes, he and his will die.

I, in turn, have begun my vengeance upon his sons, taking them from your very bosom. Unlike your husband, however, I have proclaimed my cause to all and have stayed my hand from his, and your, children. Once.

If you care for your children, you will divorce your husband, and take your children to the Golden House and plead for sanctuary and Crescens' mercy. I have little doubt that Lady Clarissa Benobles will shelter you from the evils of your husband. Well she knows the danger of laying with dogs.

I warn you; I will come again to your house. And when I do, mercy will not stay my hand a second time. Get up and leave that place.

Severus Surrexus

Letter to Pontifex Maximus Phinias

Pater Phinias,

So many interesting things to read out here in Tillaford. I hadnt really expected to find so much of interest here after my letter went public, but people do tend to dawdle and not get thing s done, dont they? Im so looking forward to sharing more of these materials with my fellow counts.

Such a pity that Surilla and Magnus failed to cover it up the first time. Im sure their promises and protestations were so sincere. No way to connect it to you. Such dear friends you have, to look out for you. Keep everything hush hush until the right time. But then they failed to cover it up again, and now all these nasty stories about you on everybodys lips. What a horrible embarrassment it all must be.  Enraging really.

You almost have to wonder after their first failure, whether the second failures might make something of a pattern, dont you? Why did they leave me with all these interesting things to read? How was I so able to connect it all to you?

Have you done something to so annoy them I wonder? After all, a protective spell and nobodys the wiser about a fallen magus or a count's son. Nothing really changes about them that you can see from the outside, so who's to know the real truth? A few polite and slightly affronted protestations and the matter is done. But a priest, well that's a different matter, isn't it? Things change for fallen priests don't they?

You know I visited Sobel Ka a few years ago and there were a few Franskan merchants there selling dancing baby skeletons. Rather repulsive if you asked me, but the price was quite reasonable if you liked that sort of thing, and oh so easy to slip under a curtain or elsewhere for that inopportune courtiers challenge. I must remember to mention them in my letters, no doubt many counts and courtiers will want to be picking some up now.

Pity for you there really isn't any right answer for this challenge, and you know it. Worse, your friends know it, and pretty much all the counts know it. And they also all know taking you down is the first step to unseating the King. What an embarrassment having you unmasked would be. And so you have to ask yourself, how long will they let it go on? Or will they have you assassinated and blame me? Or maybe they'll unmask you themselves and blame you for everything. Nothing like a good scapegoat and a humiliating public execution to bring the crowds together, don't you think?  It would be a pretty end to the problem you present.

But I imagine from your point of view, the relative elegance of a pretty piece of treachery that leaves you dead doesn't much appeal, does it?

I guess I should count myself lucky, shouldn't I? I may not have many friends, but at least I don't have yours.

Severus Surrexus

Letter to Magnus Tillaford

Magnus Tillaford,

I must thank you for your excellent hospitality. I'm sorry I couldn't stay, but your wife was most gracious to me. Lovely woman. You should have taken better care of her. And then, of course, there was your priestess of Crescens who provided the lovely wind and rain that aided our departure. A bit damp, but nothing like a little wind and rain to ruin a trail. If only Sir Pelius had been at home, my pleasure would have been complete. Thursting myself into his sons was only a tepid pleasure compared to the one his fine form offers.

Still, one mustn't take all ones pleasure at one sip. Best to savour it. Perhaps you could do me the favor of having another son sometime in the near future to accommodate me?

I must particularly applaud your seizure of the paladin's boy.  All a paladin's desires to not intervene in political matters are thrown out the window in one go.  I don't even have to plead my case, you've done it for me.  I never thought it would be so easy.  They're practically deranged.  Manipulating them now is like throwing coppers to whores.

Better still, you seized the boy of the one knight of the Order that can call, and now will, a Convocation of the Order of St. Cavallius. Every knight of the (rder gathered with the express purpose of dealing with the evil in Rostilla is, of course, going to provoke a great deal of interest in the Viridian court at really the most inconvenient time possible for your dear King Albanus. And I will control all the voices in that council, and you will control, well, none.

And lastly, you really shouldn't wear ostraka feathers in the rain.  It quite ruins them.

Severus Surrexus