Dear Caliph,

I do believe you stand on the verge of a defining moment in your reign.
A chance to let your light burn brightly, illuminating the land or to
leave that light unattended to be snuffed out by the stirring winds.
Thus, I write to you now in hopes of encouraging you to be bold and
decisive in this definitive juncture.

Mathonwy has presented you with your first challenge, an opportunity to
defend not only your faith but that of your Jewel. I can certainly
understand your apprehension in facing the Nihilists on their own terms.
However, if you are so confident that you hold the truth in your hands,
what is there to fear of heathens? Surely, as the appointed mortal
conduit of all that is Good, you must believe that the Light can
illuminate even the most clouded of eyes.

Furthermore, I would like to personally present you with a second
challenge, the excision of refuse from your city, certain serpentine
allies in particular. It is now apparent that certain forces within the
Jewel found that having these snakes amongst your ranks to be beneficial
in one way or another. However, when those benefits are reduced to their
lowly brood backstabbing my fellow citizens, spying on their supposed
allies, or shameless robbing young Priestesses, it becomes quite clear
that the Jewel has little need of their ilk. Moreover, it reflects
poorly upon your personal legacy and furthermore on the reputation of
the Jewel to both stand beside and shelter such low lives; one would
expect Shallam to take the moral high road and steer clear of any such
questionable characters that might blemish the righteous piety of the
Jewel.

It seems there are more than a few who question your capabilities as a
leader and their accusations are not unfounded, yet the TeSerra must
have spied in you some redeeming quality to have appointed you to your
lofty, dare I say empyreal, station. This, I say, is your moment of
truth, Caliph. I know you are man of conviction and faith, stand up and
make them known.

Highest Regards,
Vayne des Valois
Seneschal of the Crown
Serpentlord


Penned by my hand on the 8th of Phaestian, in the year 585 AF.