The Response from Rancoura

read letter
You read what is written on an elegant leaf of shadow-faded stationery:

[[ The silvery script upon the stationery, usually so elegant and fluid,
is sharp as it depicts the Haruspex's missive. A deep scent infuses the
parchment, reminiscent of the deeper reaches of the Wyrd and something
sanguine and singed. ]]

Crescendo,

My thoughts are many. I shall summarize them below.

To begin, I am concerned that you have passed such large quantities of
time and have been so intimately involved with the Shofet's affairs and
those of Their Order.

I am also concerned that one of the Shofet's priest's spectres is in
possession of you. Why might this presence have chosen you, rather than
one of the Shofet's own? Think you not that your resulting pursuit of
becoming a Beloved be the intention behind this selection? Furthermore,
I am curious that this does not strike you as an opportunity to ingrain
a new servant of the Glomdoring within the Wyrd. Have such thoughts
occurred to you?

If this presence cannot be swayed to the beauty of the Wyrd, you must
release it. Bid it to leave, coerce it if it does not. For as part of
you, it is privy to all that you see, all that you witness and hear and
experience within the Wyrd -- including our sacred traditions and
practices, coveted knowledge and experiences. Think you this
appropriate?

In regards to your request to follow the Shofet -- joining the Order of
a non-Glomdorian Divine is a betrayal of the Wyrd, whether or not you
recognize it to be so. You have spent a remarkable amount of time
focusing upon the Shofet and Their priests, rather than committing that
time and effort instead to the Glomdoring; dedicating your offerings,
further time, intelligence and knowledge to that Order would again be
wasted effort in terms of the Wyrd. I am, evidently, aware of your
contributions to this forest; but the Truth which you seem not to
recognize as true, or otherwise are neglecting, is that naught matters
but the forest which you hold so dearly. Nay, it is quite clear that
other things matter a great deal to you.

This request also stands as an insult to the Glomdorian Divine,
unintentional or not. You may believe that you have "hurt the Lady of
the Roses' feelings," but I assure you -- the "feelings" of the Divine
are far more potent than mortalkind can imagine, and categorizing them
within such a mortal context shall prove a great mistake.

Incidentally, I say this all without mention of the treachery of
Gaudiguch, for you have stated your awareness of it. That you are
fraternizing with Gaudiguchian citizens, however, despite the Shofet's
claim that They are not as close to Their followers' City despite all
evidence to the contrary, has been noted.

It can also be expected that it be the prerogative and, truth be told,
responsibility of the Shofet's followers to aid one of their own. Why
you must be torn from the Glomdoring (which you shall be in part, mark
my words) is beyond me, but it is clear that this is a personal
sentiment, which leads me to state the following:

I suggest that you continue your involvement with the Shofet's affairs
by merely observing what comes to pass, if you must continue it at all.
There is no justification to solidifying such an offence and risk
against both the Glomdoring and its Divine in order to know what comes
-- if you are so close with the Shofet's own, would they not pass on
such warnings, if your friendship is truly valued? The manipulation
embodied by Mother Night does not extend to becoming that which you seek
to understand. You must remain impartial, rather than allow yourself to
be lulled into the webs of others. Aside from this -- whatever trials
are held by the future for the Glomdoring, the Heart of Darkness shall
endure. It shall adapt, and it shall emerge all the stronger. If you do
not have confidence in this, I would also find such a thing concerning,
and a fault in and of itself.

If you wish to change, begin with the temperance of your compassion for
those outside of the Wyrd, and begin strengthening your heart's
vulnerabilities, particularly when witnessing the trials of foreign
individuals. If you do -not- wish to change, and wish to follow the song
of your heart, then it is your prerogative to do so -- but you must be
prepared for the sacrifice this shall require, and do so as a child of
the Wyrd no longer.

Void yourself of this affliction, re-evaluate your values and consider
your position. Meditate upon the meaning of our mantra, and whether or
not you are capable of truly embracing and living by it. If you find the
answer to be no, consider your future within the Heart of Darkness, and
how it may be affected.

Find your strength for the Wyrd, Crescendo. Not for yourself.

The seal of Lady Haruspex Rancoura So'hthae, Ole'noc Caihel is stamped onto the page: An ephemeral umbravian is lifted in silent song, the image of the phoenix-like, shadowborne avian one of divine elegance, her wings flared in magnificence and her gaze keen. Her ethereality is captured in swirling and disembodied strokes, curling flames wreathing about her fluid form. A seven-pointed star depicted with intricate, infinitely-connected knotwork is branded upon the umbravian's chest, marking the emblem of the Ole'noc Caihel.
An elegant leaf of shadow-faded stationery is holding:
Nothing.