Invisible FortressGM:Letters
First letter
My Dear Mithra,
How it tears at my heart to be so far away from you, my love. This world, our world, has gone mad it seems, and that madness has driven us apart—but not for long. I have accompanied Master Bax and 10 of his closest friends north. You should see the world up here, it is all white and vast—a far cry from the Capital. There, the air is filled with shouts; here, it is filled with silence. When the wind is just right, even at noon, I can feel the cold on my skin. It is a wonderful sensation, sharp and fresh and new. This will be an excellent place to wait out the war down south. As Master Bax says, "Let the Dawn Caste deal with those thin-blooded troublemakers. We thinkers and artists should not have to dirty our hands." Instead, we will pass the time (short, I wager) in isolation with our thoughts, planning the fats of the world at its edge.
That is not to say we live in common residence. Master Bax has built a great stone mansion right into the mountain–a Manse comparable to those that adorn the estates outside of Sperimin. It offers ever amnity from a great library to baths to store rooms filled with the finest food and drink–more than enough to stuff ourselves while the traitors are put down. Yet, the appearance of the place is less impressive than its function. It is, Master Bax says, a crowning achievement of the Manse builder's art. Not because it offers up fountains of Essence, but because it offers up none.
I can see you scratching your perfect head now, love, but you read right. This place, which bears my own mark below that of Master Bax, is one of power, yet it does not draw others like us. To another Chosen walking mere feet away, it looks like nothing more than a small cave, yet, inside, we can live in luxury for as long as we wish! It is a Manse the likes of which has never been seen before, one that takes the Essence it summons and channels it back onto itself, thus appearing invisible to the outside world. No turncoat brigands will find us here. We will be free of that conflict. A most cunning charade–and one your beloved was part of. How they will be thrilled to hear this at the next builders conference! Mast Bax says I may receive my marble robe early for this! And while that thought comforts my mind, it does little for my heart, which aches for you. Visit soon, my love. I await you eagerly.
Until then, may the Sun and Moon favor you,
Ozandus