A letter to the Cinquefoil Rose and the Astronomers of the Mount

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To whom it may concern,

It is my understanding that the record-keeping of some of your members, those who sit upon our War Council, have neglected to impart the scope of the war and our efforts in it. I would like to think that this is due to my own focus on how such information should be protected jealously lest it reach the wrong ears or fall into the wrong hands. To that end, I send this summary of our efforts thus far. Details deemed too sensitive for writing have been removed, but I suspect you all have ways and means of learning more should you seek it. If not, then you are welcome to seek me, and I will use what time I have to answer you.

The War Council at present consists of, in particular order:

Zain al-Saiba, Logistics
Naelin Karstwen, Scouting
Bashir Khatara, Diplomacy
Aurelio d'Lyon, Champion
Mirielle Rosseau, Commander
Zol Nur, Magical Consultation and Divination
Sister Selsi, Support
Narwen Alendiel, Research and Culture

They, in turn, have chosen seconds who they can trust to sit on the Council when they cannot, to take up their duties should they fall in battle or be otherwise unable to see them through. As well as a cabinet, to aid them in their efforts.

In the south, things have been relatively quiet, which was strange. Before the battle of the Boundary, the orcs were reported to be rather disorganized, dispersed throughout the region and busy harrying the southern homesteads. We now know that Got Valdhazr has seemingly been a refuge to the militiamen on the run from Iakmes' forces. It is likely that the siege engines and war beasts that have been reported are harrying the Dwarven stronghold, their sworn foe. Breaking the siege will not be easy, but saving our allies must be a priority if we are to gain an upper hand over the orcs. All other pockets have resistance to Iakmes seem to have been fallen. Ash on the wind.

Most recently, an intelligence-gathering mission led by Scouting, with the assistance of the Astronomers of the Mount and the Sibylline Sisterhood journeyed into the ashen wastes to investigate what has been called the 'Goreheart'; the remains of the meteor called down on Red Hill. What provoked this operation was a suspicion that the orcs might be making use of it as a source for blood magick following the display we witnessed in Iakmes' fortress a month and a half ago. It was thought that the ritualistic blood-letting of hundreds of orcs as well as a dragon might be empowering the meteor somehow. That does not seem to be the case.

Scouting's report, in brief:

...There are no Orcs or Sibilant present near the impact site itself. Whatever control they have derived over it seems superficial, and unlikely they have any control in directing the storms. As such the chance they can effectively use it against us as a weapon in the upcoming war is rather small. The region instead is patrolled by the infected, bloody carcasses of Banda Rossan and Fourth Legion Janissaries. Rounding up flesh and life to be fed to the growing tumour of flesh.

There is a massive flesh shaped dome present where the meteor struck. Rather than a crater, fragmented or not, we found an opposite structure. It seems to be alive. And the things we fought, mere strands of hair of the same being...Arteries ran through it like mighty roots. Each time it pulsated with a beat of a heartbeat, we saw within it the structure of a tree. The same arteries ran through the sand itself, digging deep beneath the earth.

To approach this dome is to contract the blood plague. To take any definitive action against it may well be a suicide mission. Indeed, there was one casualty upon the group's return from the South, and it is only by the grace of the Mother that there were not more. I have no doubt that this vile monstrosity will be a problem eventually, but at the moment, it is a secondary concern compared to the orcs.

On the eastern front, very near to the Lover's Gap, the vanguard of Iakmes has sat immobile for some weeks now. I led an operation to destroy a bridge that has done much to prevent them from bringing to bear the war machines and siege engines they could use to harry the Well, and that is part of the delay, but we now suspect that the thousands of orcs gathered there await the arrival of one of Iakmes' generals. In the meantime, the orcs have taken to constructing a fortress in the middle of some abandoned ruins nearby, while the Fourth Legion maintains an uneasy forward camp against their number. These ruins have also been scouted out, and action will be taken to seize this fortress and establish our own foothold, if we can. It will not be easy, and I expect it will not be done without sustaining some losses.

Finally, on the matter of Kha'esh and the role their Great Serdar will ultimately play in relations to my own remains to be seen. At the conclusion of Kardesler we spoke briefly and made plans to meet to discuss the war at large. When I know more, so shall you. 

Lt. R. Colmes
Warmaster