I am surprised, Carolus, that a man so purportedly devoted to the ideals
of Good maintains enthusiastic allegiance to a city that has long
supported the cruel exploitation of orphaned children and turned a blind
eye to the mass slaughter of sentient 'innocents'. Surely it can't be
because you believe your scintillating rhetoric will singlehandedly
dislodge such venerable Ashtani traditions.

I'll do you the generous courtesy of assuming this so-called 'harlot' of
whom you speak wasn't just Paphian with a hangover and correct some of
your egregious misinterpretations of Evil philosophy.

The peculiar idea that we all subconsciously desire Good through some
trick of Nature is not quite correct. Mortals are predisposed toward
laxity, inertia, and unproductive attachments. Tragic though it is,
agents of weakness and misinformation have had much influence throughout
history. Exploiting these natural foibles, they have impressed upon us
their doctrines of weakness. They have sought to inculcate upon mortal
societies the idea that living things ought be cosseted and indulged,
that their existence alone deserves praise and protection regardless of
its merit. Such lies, upon which your idea of 'conscience' is
predicated, are impediments to strength that retard the proper
advancement of mortalkind. We are well rid of them.

History has also seen its share of ruthless tyrants, unrepentant
highwaymen, inventive torturers and others without whom our forbears'
selection of role models would surely have been poorer. Yet even these
individuals frequently acted on another base and imperfect urge -
selfishness.

A proper servant of Evil is not selfish. "We seek, through discipline
and pain, to spur the advancement of nothing less than sentient life."
As agents of Domination and Suffering, we walk no easy path. We are
bound to lay aside personal desires in the service of our cause, to
labor tirelessly that we may refine our brethren and sow the bitter
seeds of Truth in our foes. We must both afflict agony and bear it
ourselves. To offer any less is an abomination before the Lords.

The notion that Evil ones venerate pain for its own sake is a
widely-held misconception. Rather, it is the time-proven result of such
adversity that we honor. Suffering forces difficult decisions, forces
every aspect of our being to stand at the precipice between wisdom and
folly, resilience and madness, endurance and capitulation. It is the
great divider of the worthy and the weak. To experience this sacred
strengthening and to bring it joyfully to others, regardless of their
will, is the cause to which the Lords Shaitan and Apollyon call every
truly 'conscientious' individual. Do we enjoy this duty? We delight in
it, for what finer pleasure exists than to carry out the work of the
Masters?

As flame burns wood to ash, does it not also temper metal to lethal
fortitude?

My learned comrades and I welcome any seekers of wisdom who wish to
learn more of the path to true Strength. In the meantime, Carolus, it
seems that your life may have been inappropriately tranquil of late. The
warriors and thieves of Mhaldor shall helpfully seek to rectify this
imbalance.

In Suffering,

Ulrike Dracrotalus,
Viceroy of Mhaldor.

Penned by my hand on the 18th of Mayan, in the year 443 AF.