To His Holiness Bahtell Del'Strata, Patriarch of Angels of the Empyreal
Assembly of Shallam, Mayan Prelate of the Holy Church of Achaea; and

To His Holiness Colgano LastGoodbye-Kelworan, Archprelate of the Holy
Church of Achaea:

I bid you good day.

Speaking not for the City of Cyrene nor in any other capacity except
that of emeritus Patriarch and Archprelate, I find the recent posts
representing the interests of Shallam and the Church disheartening and
hollow. It is easier, by far, to ask for forgiveness from one's
erstwhile allies than to ask permission, and the Master of Manipulation
Himself is likely proud of all of you for doing precisely that.

That being the case, then, I wish to address you for a moment,
Patriarch.

I know the unique nature of the relationship between Celestia and the
Empyreal Assembly: the companion Angels so much the hallmark of Priests
serve those mortals at the pleasure of the Hierarchs, who rule over that
sacred world of Angels from high upon the Empyrean plane. Should the
Hierarchs deem it necessary, they could easily withdraw the aid their
Angels provide. Thus, it is, quite simply, as much the duty of the
Patriarch of Angels to allay the suspicions of the Hierarchs of Celestia
as it is to serve as the font of wisdom which sustains the Holy Church,
much like a desert oasis sustains a parched pilgrim in his time of need.

Angels, as the more enterprising and erudite scholars of Sapience
already know, are powerful beings, anathematic to Evil and Chaos and
Darkness. Until comparatively recently, however, the Hierarchs thought
those mortals who did oppose such forces were too weak and transient in
their resolve to merit Celestial involvement. Your hastily-made apology
has demonstrated that those initial fears were not without reason. Count
yourself lucky that the Hierarchs simply did not recall all Angels back
whence they came.

As Patriarch, you are charged not only with serving the greater Good,
but in always leading others to do so, as well. This consideration comes
before all others-- before even your desire to avoid conflict and gather
to your person innumerable fair-weather friends and relations, insipid
and wheedling to the last.

If you find these requirements to be so odious that you must immediately
ask for forgiveness upon acting in the interests you're sworn to
protect, perhaps you ought to surrender your claim to a relationship
with an Angel of Celestia, trade in the vestments of the Mayan Prelate
for the smock of the common labourer, and join whatever rebuilding
effort Eleusis and Oakstone initiate.

It should be noted that your own Goddess of the Sun thought such
measures were necessary. Though I do not speak for Her in any medium, I
do find it necessary to ask you: are you really willing to imply not
only that She would lead you away from serving the greater Good, but
that you know better than She what that service entails? Do you really
think it appropriate to undermine Her efforts in ensuring your House
and, indeed, all priests everywhere still enjoys the ties to Celestia it
currently maintains?

Now, to the Archprelate:

Though the bulk of my attention has been reserved for the Patriarch,
your overtures of a certain coerced cooperation have spurred me to
include you in this address.

Your talk of supporting those who are reluctant to accept your
assistance reminds me-- not without cause-- of the rhetoric that Western
wordsmiths employ in their justifications for burning down forests and
wantonly slaughtering the innocent and those deemed too weak to believe.
Incidentally, most currently walking Sapience know the form of these
particular arguments-- the promises of strengh in mind, body, and spirit
found on the edge of a daegger's blade and the experience of sublime
Suffering that edge affords; or, perhaps, the absolution from Freedom's
anguished lightness of meaning that is, apparently, Oppression's
hallmark gift to the enslaved. The only virtue in those words is that
they directly, if somewhat counterintuitively, convey the implications
of what horrors await those following that path. Would that the rhetoric
of the East afford the same courtesies.

As the matter of penultimate concern, I wish to preface this remark by
saying that I do not speak in any way, shape, form, or capacity for Lord
Phaestus. I will admit, however, that you, the Patriarch, and the Caliph
have thus far done a wonderful job of avoiding the post posed to you by
the Worldforger, Himself, and I am sure I speak for most of Sapience
when I say I eagerly await your edifying response to His post.

In closing, I address you, Sapience. I wish to ask you all that when the
attacks upon my person, character, or credibility roll onto the public
board-- and they will, rest assured; of this, I am certain, though I do
not know yet what form they shall take-- that you take this letter at
its own merit. Let the arguments here expressed stand or fall by virtue
of their strength alone, not in whichever demeaning or misleading
context or false Light my detractors would choose to portray me.

Respectfully yours, I am and remain,



Mathony Corso,
Patriarch of the Empyreal Assembly of Shallam, Emeritus;
Mayan Prelate of the Holy Church of Achaea, Emeritus;
Vizier of the Sovereign City-State of Shallam, Emeritus;
Archprelate of the Holy Church of Achaea, Emeritus.

Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Daedalan, in the year 566 AF.