Whitton Letter

To the Council of Bluebell, salutations.

In Whitton, we have long sought peace and cooperation between the realms of elfkind.  Our position has ever been that of a neutral party, a mature older sister, a caring friend.  Never have we reached out to another town with the spear of war, but always with the open hand of peace.  That is why we were appalled to hear of Bluebell's aggressive war with Redmoor, especially on such a thin pretext as a magically-based attack and the word of a deposed Councilor.  All records of the Third Greenspear War indicate that Waterlogged was loathe to take apprentices, and that his only disciples perished with him at the conclusion of the Inland Sea War.  Therefore, in the opinion of our town's own magicians, the only reasonable conclusion is that his dangerous (and since unduplicated) Sorcery was lost beneath the Inland Sea.  While we hesitate to cast aspersions on the character of your admittedly mostly young and mostly FOREIGN Council, it seems to be greatly convenient that the only enemies at hand are well-aged corpses such as could be found beneath any gravegrove.  If there is, as you claim, some irregularity with the electoral process in Redmoor then that is a matter for patient deliberation and bipartisan mediation.  We suggest that, in a year's time, a commission formed from representatives of all the Free Towns gather in Whitton to discuss investigating the incident in person.  Allowing a few years for heads to cool before invading the privacy of another town is furthermore in our Council's opinion the wisest option.  War should be avoided at all costs, there is most certainly a more harmonious solution than violence.  Two other, less substantial issues have been raised.  The first is your alliance with the Gruf Tribe of Satyrs.  As bandits and former minions of the Horned King, how can you trust them?  How can we trust that they are not simply mercenaries intended to be the foundation of an army raised against all of the Freemarches?  Our records indicate that three of your Council's members are Avalonian by birth, another is one of the notoriously barbaric Dinay peoples, and yet another is the prince of a deposed desert clan with historical ties to Avalon.  With all due respect, loss breeds ambition and a heart of vengeance both.  We can only hope that Councilor Haida shows good sense, and realizes that any schemes he harbors for becoming a prince in truth again by abusing the trust of the Marcherfolk to achieve revenge on the Mellouks are doomed to bring pain, suffering, and hardship to the rest of us.  Last but not least, we have heard rumors that suggest the Bluebell Council has been plotting to provoke the Horned King and Felt's Stand to war through false accusations.  Perhaps the Bluebell Council fails to understand, through distance or youth, the threat the Horned King would pose to the northern towns, Whitton first among them, if his anger were to be roused by southern folly.  While it is true that the Horned King does let certain of his forces serve as mercenaries, perhaps hired by the Redmoor Council in their desperate need against your larger, stronger town, surely if he were interfering in Freemarches business we of the Whitton Council would be the first to know of it.  Be warned that, if you seek to harm Whitton in your lust for land and power, kindness has not dulled our knives, and patience has not taken the spring from our bows.

Respectfully, the Council of Whitton.