Lo-da'i,

I am being asked for more receipts - where is the exact wording that states that there was an Oath? Where is this Oath? Why is it not simply stated anywhere? I wish it was - it would make life far simpler.

However, all I can offer are my own diplomatic trails that mention Laorir over and over, and the agreement to protect the Aalen that I know to be factual, if not made public to the Cyrenian masses.

It should not be doubted that this was an Oath made. King Tu'eras has said it himself, and I have noted it both to Eleusis and in private correspondence - nobody is telling untruths.

Alas, this is what I have surrounding the events concerning our own folly and conquest. Subsequent to my missive, I was told in no short words that living under a boot was not on the agenda of the Tsol'aa, and so, we allowed the liberation by Cyrene.

===============
13 Glacian, 955
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Lo-da'i, King Tu'eras.

I write this day to reach out to ask for your opinion and guidance. Eleusis has recently claimed influence over the Aalen forest, you will see Her chittering refrain within the nearby forest and weaving through your village, and I wish to know how you feel about this - if it is acceptable.

If you recall, we have some history of meeting and talking. You forgave me all those years ago, and then tasked me to resolve the rifts between Eleusis and Sparrow's Rest if there were any chance of us seeing allyship between our people. You wished not for an allyship to bring more boots to stomp through your home, and rightly so.

It has been some years since I wrote to you, one of the last being when I urged you to evacuate your people if the need arose, following the fall of Sparrow's Rest during the harrowing time of Woe.

I have visited many times since, to ask what we can do now, if there is anything we can do now, but now I write more formally because I need to ask you this question regarding Her influence.

I'm unsure if my prior letter ever got to you during those troubled times, but I enclose a copy of this in case it never arrived. Either way, I am thankful that we did not have to defend your home, and that all of yours still stand strong in the Tsol'aa village. I remain eternally sorry that we were not able to save the places that fell, including Sparrow's Rest and the Druids within.

After you implored me to try and fix the rifts with them, I did manage to speak to Jahalen directly. This what he had to say:

Jahalen, Master of Sparrow's Rest: "It's a simple rift to mend."
Jahalen, Master of Sparrow's Rest: "Stop welcoming Sentinels."

Simple, he said. But not really simple at all. I am sorry we cannot push this any further due to the tragic loss. I called out after, to see if any had escaped. But all I heard was silence. This is why I wrote to you, King Tu'eras, we were not prepared enough then, and I wanted to urge you to protect your people if the time came.

[A page of vellum is attached to the back of this letter with a wad of sticky tree sap, the page sharing those those words scribed back in 922 AF, over thirty years ago:

King Tu'eras,

Sparrow's Rest has fallen. Despite the differences between Eleusis, Jahalen and the Druids within, we were continuing to attempt to mend those rifts. That they are no longer there is deeply saddening, and a loss that will be mourned for eternity.

Aeraithian Falls fell last month too. Lives lost, places we could wander now we cannot ever again. Small settlements across Sapience, seemingly no rhyme or reason.

I am certain that nowhere is truly safe. Eleusis may be no safer than the Tsol'aa Village itself, but if you do sense trouble and need to seek refuge, please feel free to do so within Her boughs.

If any corrupted branches befoul the Aalen or your Village, if any Demons arrive, and you see adventurers in their droves attempting to fight, evacuate. Let us fight and do what we can, and you will have a chance of survival.

We will continue to fight, but please, I implore you to give yourself the best chance of survival too.

In Service to Nature,

Speaker Blackwillow Seir-Distara]
Prior to this, in 913 AF, it was also Eleusis who utilised one of their greatest weapons to let your father go back to rest. Many of ours gave their lives to spread Her swarm across the lands, these insects eventually being the ones to destroy this Undead influence within him. It was both one of ours - our then-Hierophant Seyrnon, and a Cyrenian - Sir Brandilar, who ended this with cleansing flame across your father's bones, allowing him rest once more.

Neither Eleusis nor Cyrene are your enemies. Eleusis wants to help your people, to offer what we can, to even potentially be your formal allies. I understand from Laorir D'lajess that he gave you his word to keep the Aalen free of any influence, including ours. He intends to keep this word he gave.

Eleusis and the many city-states have been fighting over territory for decades, and this is the first time Eleusis has been close enough to the Aalen to even try and bring the forest under Her sway. All of the forests are Hers, this much we know, but having territory over them is the very least we can try to achieve.

While many of the city-states vie for 'Empire' of Her wilds and beyond, Eleusis spreads the influence of Nature as Her Viridian Charter implores us to, and attempts to prevent our enemies from achieving their own goals.

And so I must ask you, after your consideration of this missive, what is your view on Eleusis holding territory of the Aalen?

It might be the only chance we have to do so, it will likely be liberated away either by Cyrene if you give word to Laorir that you wish for it to be under no influence, or by another in the future - Mhaldor could spread their fog across it, Ashtan could bring Chaos, Hashan could turn the lands to metal.

Having no influence over any of Her forests is far preferable to the influence of any city-state, but if the option is without territory, or Eleusian, I urge you to consider allowing this to stand.

I will take your words seriously, King Tu'eras, so please speak true.

Please let me know, and if you agree to meet with Laorir, if it is appropriate please invite me too, or meet with me separately if you think it helpful.

Thank you for your time.

In Service to Nature,

Speaker Blackwillow Blackwing

===============

Also, after receiving the noted book from Laorir, my response to him was thus:

Lo-da'i, Laorir!

Thank you very much for the journal, I have read it already and I will add it to my personal library. Those events feel like a lifetime ago - I only wish I could have been a little more heavily involved at the time.

That was back in 913 AF, and I was first speaker in 900 AF. I was Hierophant since 883 AF before that.

I feel like so much has changed since then.

Here's to the continued sanctity of the Aalen for King Tu'eras' people.

Mandad, andad!

Speaker Blackwillow Blackwing
Herald of the Rot

===============

The operative word here is 'continued'.

I suppose one could argue that Laorir gave his own word rather than Cyrene's, but however he phrased it, a word was given, and a word has now been washed away with the tide.

In Service to Nature,

Blackwillow Blackwing

Minister of the Interior
Head Wildwalker
Oracle of Autumn


Penned by my hand on the 24th of Ero, in the year 992 AF.