An Urgent Epistle

[Talathian]

What driving force stood within the heart of the lagoon? What force could bind savages past a simple spoken word contract? What epoxy could bind men who would slit their own mother's throats for a nickel? When it came to the Blood Lagoon it was neither the rate of work(since it could be found anywhere in the lands) nor was it undying loyalty or respect. Fear and loathing were powerful things, powerful enough to bind a man beyond any formal contract or any legal obligations.

An army has its general, a general has she who he must answer to; but what of the common soldiers? The man who just recently murdered a peddler in the past market who sought refuge within their walls, why does he not betray those beside him in his tent at night? Fear. Blood Lagoon although at one point was considered the most powerful mercenary troop this side of the sphere was not dictated by laws or governed with an iron fist. Fear of those who accompanied you on your first mission; the general's might, wisdom, sword and pride. They were the four who had accompanied the general since his first accepted bounty and had stuck by his side ever since, going only as his Four Horsement.

Loathing. Each of the soldiers that picked up arms under the banner of Blood Lagoon accepted the first sensation of fear and wore it into their first battle all the same. When placed beside the ungodly virtues of the General's Four Horsemen it was a terror that would make them grateful to simply be on their side. The loathing came next. It manifested in every soldier's heart and was first bared at the Horsemen, spawning of inevitable greed and envy of their abilities. Yes, each Horseman had their own skills but when they were on the same battlefield? They were spoken of to be invincible, each ceased their flaws of when they were alone and all compensated for one another's blind spots. Together, they were a force that could demolish even the most grandiose of nations. Loathing was eventually turned inward upon the common soldier and thus drove him not to abandon his stride beside the Horsemen, but would drive him to continue onward so that one day he might take their spot. For in Blood Lagoon, if you desire your superiors position all you must do is take it from them.

On the downcast day he who wore a midnight cloak trimmed with the lavender and held by the golden tassels approached the apex of the camp. It was the tent that she who even the general would kneel before resided in and at acknowledgment of the guards on post, the General's Wisdom entered with a wound scroll that was left upon the end table. Without ushering a word to break the gentle silence that fell upon the rainy night the General's Wisdom exited before mounting a steed and taking off for whatever business he had to see to.

"Myself, accompanied by the General's Might, Sword and Pride all sought out to see if we could find the whereabouts of he in the elven flesh he wears. It was not difficult to find what remained of his companion Mista, a most unfortunate discovery that I fear was to be a foreshadowing of what was to come.

Wisdom, my title granted by the General himself is not something I would ever claim to uphold, but I am pained while writing this to inform you that the knowledge I report should be considered fact, unless I am mistaken in what my own two eyes have seen. We followed a trail to an unnamed city, one of relative importance holds nothing for you or any of us to even blink about. Yet our trail brought us into its harbor and further into its barbaric entertainment. It was there that we could be sure we had found the General. We were prepared to stop at nothing to free him from his incarceration and my lady, I swear it to be true that were he not the one to claim otherwise, he would be in the camp now.

But he is not. He assured us that he had a purpose in being treated like cattle, in being forced to face death each prolonging night. Were I not bound by my loyalty to him, I would have disregarded his wishes. It pains me now to write that I wish I had. Before we could get a day's distance between us and that damned city the night sky cried before the awe of spectacle that shined so bright even the stars failed to relinquish their envy. The shockwave was too much, we could not turn around to go investigate the city but from what I could find, my lady, I regret to even write further... I am the General's Wisdom and on this day I wish I could have been granted to be the General's Hope, for right now.. I'm afraid I have none."

~ Wisdom