I once made an ill-advised comment to the effect that Thorne Darkstrider likes to tell his life story. I actually have no objection to his doing so--Thorne's story is a good one, and perhaps I am simply jealous because my own is neither so prestigious nor so interesting. My story is not such a good one so I will not tell it here. Besides, the warrants might still be active.
That last was a joke. There are, so far as I know, no standing orders for my arrest anywhere. I have done some foolish things in my life, but I like to think that I have come a long way since. This serves to illustrate one of my favorite points--that life is a process of alchemy, and that the worst of us might with enough will, determination, and luck transform the dross of a wayward life into gold.
Such transformations can be achieved anywhere, but Tyrangel is especially suited to them. It is not an easy place to live (just to warn the newcomers) but life is painful everywhere, and perhaps in Tyrangel our struggles are simply more open than those suffered by the residents of more civilized lands. An alchemist must heat and stir the raw material to change it into something better. See the metaphor?
Unfortunately, I have now exhausted my tolerance for pretentious contemplation and I want to talk about something else. I absolutely cannot stand Greater Cosmic Beings. Does anyone else out there hate them too? I am so sick of them telling us what to do, and of people jumping for every carrot they wave. Tyrra for Tyrrans! Kick out the Extraplanar Beasties! Even the cute ones! They are always offering to do us favors, but just because they are phenomenally powerful doesn’t mean they can be trusted. Who has dealt with the Fey without being stabbed in the back? I know, I know, I’m the last person who should accuse the Fey for that, but I was speaking figuratively. What it comes down to is that these beings are single-minded and ruthless, and anything they do for us is only part of some greater and probably nasty plan. It disturbs me deeply that so many people find Greater Cosmic Beings--the Endless and the like--irresistable. Perhaps they seem romantic and fascinating until you get to know them. Maybe some people think that they can use these beings to get things, affinities, abilities, and such. In the end, the Cosmic things will use them. No one ever believes that, but I have seen it happen time and again.
Whoops! I have been ranting, haven’t I? If by now you are still reading, you are probably interested enough to want to know a few things about Marentha.
Marentha is a work in progress. The land itself needs work, as it is confined almost entirely to one seaport and a forest full of hostile gnolls. The idea is to perform another miracle of alchemy and transform Marentha into a place worth remembering. We have made a good beginning. Manath is a thriving port, having risen like the fabled phoenix from its own ashes to live again. That last sentence made me sound remarkably like a mediocre minstrel. As for the gnolls, well, they still aren’t speaking to us. That will change shortly. I wonder if we have hurt their feelings.
We are still a small baronial force. In a way that is good, because the Marenthans have become like a family, and we all know each other well. I would still like to see us grow. This is the way that it works: I ask no one for an oath, but I grant no command and tell no secrets without one. Knowledge is important to us. Part of our mission is to know as much as possible about everything so that we will be prepared for all situations, which is why you will often find Dame Amaris and me sitting awake well into the night with our noses buried in crumbling old parchments. We have a strong interest in the history of Tyrangel. We like to go to taverns and drink a lot when we aren’t busy with whatever Monumental Struggle to Save the World happens to be going on at the moment. We plan on making Manath a center for art and learning in Tyrangel, so we have begun to establish institutions devoted to this purpose. It should be interesting--a town full of poets and sailors! I don’t know whether to make it my life’s work or to run away and hide. Jauntarius Darkstrider has established a Cartographer’s College there, which is our first endeavor in the world of higher learning. Our library is excellent, thanks to Squire Larry’s contributions. We are planning a Spring Carnival with the date to be annouced as soon as we settle on one. If you get a chance, read the material on Manath, because it is already a fascinating town with a life of its own.
I leave you for now, with the delightful feeling that for the first time in my life I have not said too much about myself. A few quick disclaimers before I go: Anything you hear about the Fifth Foot is just a rumor, especially if you hear it from Lord Fang. Only one of the pudding stories is true. I only ever waylaid the Baron of Wulfshire for a good cause. The great shame of my reputation is that I would have had fun doing some of the stuff they say I did.
See you all in Tyrangel, Rosalind
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