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Amelie,

If I must be there,
I shall be there.

And when it possesses me and my body moves on it's own to strike you down, shall I simply be cut down?

I ask we think this through.
Perhaps I should be shackled

I will feel naked and defenseless.
But I shall place trust in my companions to keep me safe.

Alfred

[Alfred Delafosse]

Amelie,

I have informed Isabella of my ''status''. With the intent to let the people involved know.
I do not intent to hide my failure.

And like you I dwell in the wilderness now.

It's tricked me, it was clever. I did not intent for it.
I am a Fool.

If there exists an " after " I can promise you that I will walk a Long Path of Redemption.
Any request you would make, I would fulfil. Perhaps for all my life.

I was informed however that there's more than my pitiful life at stake.
Now it is a matter of retaining my Soul.

Please do not sacrifice me.
Could you imagine losing the Afterlife? I cannot think of a Fate worse than that.

I am glad that you are not Marked.

Are there even words that I could quill or speak that take away any of the pain?

Regardless, I am sorry.

You've a plan to destroy it.
Now with my new status - do I attend, or do I avoid, partaking?

I imagine it could control me to harm you or the others.
What is next?

I do not wish to meet you in person for it.

An eternal apology,

Alfred Delafosse
Professional Fool

I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.  I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.

I might live......?

This is not healthy. I have been left alone to my own devises. Do they not know the torment in my mind?
Alfred come on. It is completely logical why you're out here now.

Stop placing blame elsewhere.

What am I saying? I blame myself every day. Every waking moment. It was such sweet release to try and place it elsewhere.

But one must live honorably.
One must behave like an adult.
There's no time for playing around.

Were those the last nougats I ever created?
I hope not... My ART is baking and candymaking!
It is an ART! And I deserve to be in the College.

If only that boy's face wasn't so punchable.

Okay, that wasn't the reason, but I like to pretend it was.
Speaking of punchable faces. What Lynneth did to that female Apothar, that was great.

...She did that for me, didn't she?
To keep Cosine in, and her out.

To allow Cosine to investigate me fully and command forth the truth. The truth is that I am but a victim.
It would have come out that way. I would have kept my position in the College. I would've gotten the chance to truly know Lynneth and Alejandro.
And all the new Students, even Pirouette.

They're all great people and I have prevented myself from engaging fully. It was the Curse that was my concern. It was the Curse that made me paranoid and do what I did.

Can I imagine a reality without it?

I think I would do my very best to become everybody's friend.
I'd probably fail, because of my sadistic sense of humor. I laugh hardest when things go wrong. Ah, the art of selfsabotage.

I didn't wanna go to fencing lessons. So I pretended to be bad at it.
I didn't wanna learn siegecraft. So I threw the books into the water bucket.
O boy, that earned me a spanking. No, that's not funny. It was a full on beatdown.
Though I understand, I think I destroyed several years of knowledge and I don't know if the monks actually finished copying all of it.

I wish I could throw this curse into the water bucket.

I love Isabella. I love Shamsa. I love Soliana. I love Tormod....... his beard.

They're all so happy and insistent on helping me.
They don't realise the danger. They can die too!

[The letter was left in a particularly difficult to reach cavern somewhere high.]

Dear Nameless Kulamet who happens to dwell in the Canyons,

I am writing you this letter because, I, interwoven cursecarrier, made a mistake.

Not just any mistake, no.
One of the life-ending variety.

It seems without your guidance it took but a grand ten minutes for me to blunder.
And what a blunder!

Remember what was on the young man?

Well it is now in my personal interest to learn how to... Not have that on you.

Regards,

Utter fool possibly not worth saving

PS: Just give me a clean death really.

Cruel fools occupy heroic positions.
A withering Rose inspires no hope.

At the first obstacle, crumbles their visage.
Who are they *really* I wrote in last entry.
Such was answered in most unpleasant way.

Before opening my mouth, Acolytes condemned me.
Accusations of Brooking.

It entered their mind so easily, that their opinion of me must've been always low.
If so, why falsely mask it with smiles, like disgusting liars. Gellemedes in Rose robes.

I warned them I did not trust the blue robed boy. He went to casting spells.
I thought he'd prepare my execution, my behavior was erratic and being expelled understandable.

But to be brought to the Janissaries, to be trialed for Capital Criminal Behavior and Capital Brooking?
They attempted to have me killed!

What heroism rests in their actions?

Admittedly, my seeking Amelie out for help was selfish.
Selfish, that I want to live, to survive.

Why could that not be understood? I want to live.
That is all.

Killing me, what'd that solve? Why did they attempt to kill me?
Do they truly believe I sought out a Djinni Court?

That is the only way I could understand their decisions.

They'll find out it is not so.
And then they'll be too arrogant to regret anything.

I pray Urazzir claws out Lynneth's eyes. Alejandro's tongue. Amenya's heart. And fills Hypatia's mouth with poison...



...and fuck you Kragg.

[Alfred Delafosse]

Dear Apothar Cosine,

This comes likely too soon for you to perceive as genuine.
However, I implore you to give me a chance regardless.

I wish to offer you my deepest and sincerest apologies for the assault on your person, inside the College of Balladeers.

At the time I was filled with paranoia, the accusations levied, everything was tense.
I felt that those surrounding me were holding stones to throw at me, that I was reduced to nothing but a sinner.

I thought something I said triggered you to walk off and prepare your arcane.
When I heard your castings of magic, in the middle of my confession, I was truly and genuinely convinced you were preparing my execution.

However your investigation and our conversations in the garrison convinced me this was not the case.
If anything, I regard you to be a honorable, good man.

Furthermore, I found myself in good company after release, company that believes in my innocence and gave me hope enough to sustain me.
It gave me the chance to think back during the night and walk over everything that's happened.

My mistake is unforgiveable.

Yet in light of my dedication to resolve this matter, I hope that may be lenient in this case.

I beg your forgiveness and hope for your reply.



Sincerely,

Alfred Delafosse

[Alfred Delafosse]

[Left this letter addressed to Amelie at the Camp at the Low Road, where they once conversed.]

Dear Amelie,

It is I, Alfred Delafosse, writing you. I hope this letter finds your hands.
You've alerted Apothar Estellise and several Acolytes that I am cause of your curse.

I wholeheartedly agree.
We spoke upon the Rooftop of the Krak des Roses and only then began this nightmare for you.
I do not believe that to be coincidence.

However in the College of Balladeers I was confronted by Balladeers, Banda Rossa and your Sisters.
Accused of Brooking. Accused of striking a deal or pact with Djinni. Endangering you by it.

When I arrived in Ephia's Well, after being chased by my curse for ten years, I was relieved. Finally, a City, Finally a Place that had potentional of becoming Home.
All I ever wanted in my life, is normalcy. Boring, dull, normalcy. Friends, Love and Art.

When the haunting continued despite my arrival, I panicked desperatedly and saw to confide in you.
I explained to you the dangers and you accepted to help me regardless.

I am forever in your debt for this kind act. I am forever shamed by the horror you face now.

I'm despairing greatly howevever at the thought that you believe I wilfully inflicted such.
Or that it is caused by me striking pacts and deals with Djinn-kind.

I'm sorry that I did not tell you the whole truth. But the truth is that I did so to prevent disaster.
When they are mentioned, they arrive, the spirits of my past. It is also an exceedingly painful subject.

These Djinni however, I never encountered them before. Only the one time with you. That was the last time for me, aswell.

I too am confused greatly by this fact.

I don't know what to say or do now, Amelie, I can only plead and beg of you to believe me.
The curse upon me was hexed by a Necromantic Priestess, ten years ago, in Ring 306.

I have never dealt with Djinni ever before. I would never, ever strike a deal with them.
I have been carrying one curse for ten excruciating years and require no more than one.

The others, they do not believe me. They handed me over to the Fourth Legion to process me through a Capital charges trial.
It flopped, thankfully, with the aid of Apothar Cosine and Sergeant Colmes.

My desire is to help you, but I do not presently think you'd accept it, with everything I have heard and gone through.

What do you wish of me Amelie?

I'll do anything. Truly, I will do anything.

Alfred Delafosse

[Alfred Delafosse]

Dear Estellise Azimi,

Thank you for your letter. I did not expect it, to be frank.
That I reply so swiftly is only due to the fact I require to send a lot of people a lot of letters right now.

I struck you, because Lynneth did. I was a Student and she a Balladeer.

When you strike upon an unwanted intruder, would you not wish your Nadiri to follow suit?

I'm no Brooker. The charges were dropped.

What would you wish to make ammends?

With kind regards,

Alfred Delafosse
Delafosse Delights

Amelie,

I must dissapoint you and admit that what we encountered was but one foe of many.

Though it's defeat shall without doubt bring me great reprieve. And those around me will be safer for it.

I am so greatly sorry to hear that you've been hunted as a consequence. I don't know how to make it up to you.

We shall meet upon the High Road. I shall take Shamsa the Oathseeker with me.
She and you are the only ones that know.

Alfred

And hello dear journal...

I came back immediately to you since I'm not done rambling quite yet.
It feels so good to have slept after more than a day. Thank you - new protector!

If I'm managing to stay safe from their influence... Scrap that. I know I'm not safe, perhaps "safe enough" is a more apt description.
Yes, if I am *safe enough* then I wish to craft a life worth living in Ephia's Well and there's nothing more that I want than deep, genuine, friendships.

But I find myself in a College of Artists, theatre actors, politicians and bards. What do they have in common? Social grace and wearing masks! Ha-Ha! Just like myself in some way, but I am consciously self-aware of it and call myself out on it infront of others. So in a way that makes me brilliantly honest. But these other people? Lynneth? Alejandro? Aubrey? Velan? Shae?

How do you lift the veil? Who are they *really*?

Lynneth is a brilliant superior and priestess. You can trust her to do the right thing in both these aspects.
Perfect in her socialising and trustworthy with her profession of faith.

Alejandro the most talented stagewriter and songwriter that I have ever met! His wordplay is legendary and he is always ready to help another Balladeer.

They infuriate me! What's wrong with them? There's nothing wrong with them and that's what's wrong with them.

It could be I simply feel outclassed. I'm a Baron's son for crying out loud.
For years and years growing up it was ME that had the love and admiration of many.

And now there's these stupidly competent folk around. Damn you!

Jokes aside, it'd be great to break some barriers and get to know all these folk's true selves.
A real challenge that'll be. Can I even handle that? Maybe I should be vulnerable first, but I know what I'll get "oh sweety it will be okay"  yeah now that's a really manly impression I'll give them, you can really count on this crybaby! Scrap that.

I'm going to make nougats for Shamsa, Alejandro and Lynneth.
Why not.

**He'd resend the same letter.**

I've changed as a person and I don't know if it's for the better or worse. Perhaps it's neither. I've begun wearing a mask of humor, joking the whole time. It's helped me retain my sanity. So perhaps it's not such a terrible thing and those around me seem to enjoy it! Unless they're the bud of the joke. So many prideful egoes around this Citadel. That's what I sadistically enjoy the most however... breaking egoes! It was good to see Hazezon beat up and made to scrape infront of me and the Cinquefoil Rose. Admittedly, not at all a showing of my own competence or danger. He's managed to beat me up first and he did so without getting even a scratch on his armour. And then my parting words were rather pathetically unheroic aswell. I don't know if I'm the material to be a hero or chivarelous knight. The most I'll achieve in my mind is a redemptive sacrificial goodly act in vain, but that will make my friends remember me fondly. That's not what I want though!! I want to wield a golden sword ablaze into battle and step my boot on a mountain of goblin corpses proclaiming victory. What a dream that'd be. Uhm, where does my cooking fit into that? Well, I suppose that's just my Art for the peaceful times, an outlet of sorts. Yes. Why can't I be both? The golden sword wielding hero and the master cook at home. How excellent, how hopeful. Let's do it.

And then I wake up and remember *THEY* are out there too. The nightmare doesn't end yet. Koukol, sweet angel, you did so well to protect me. Sadly they twisted your mind so that it was filled only with maddening rage. My fault indirectly, I'm so sorry. It's best that you're gone. Maybe Shamsa will manage to resist them and the evil urgues they instill.

It only took me a day to find a new protector. Is that not cold blooded? No. No, probably not. It's necessity that I act with. Selfish however to be certain, placing those in danger for my sake. What do I give in return? Thank you and some candy? How is that an equal trade? Well, the love I gave Koukol was sincere but it still feels like manipulation. And if it feels like it, does that mean it is? Underneath this all... I do think neither wished anything in return. They are glad to help. Thus forgiveness might I give myself...

What a bunch of rambling.

[Alfred Delafosse]

**There's a few wrapped in cloth candies contained in the parcel. There's a letter, too.**

Acolyte Amelie,

I was wondering, with your devoutness and great poetic talent, if it was possible to create a warding song or poem.
It's difficult for me to stay alive, to stay hopeful.

Those around me are dragged down into darkness.

I'm honestly desperate. I've found love in my life and it should be a beautiful experience.
She knows of the happenings and she swore to protect me.

But I am so worried for her safety.

Could you do such a thing?

With kind regards,

Alfred Delafosse

[Alfred Delafosse]

Dear Mrs. de Veend,

400 shall do wonderfully to completing your order. Thank you so much.

I'll tell you of the incident. It revolved around me, but Karl played a role in coming to my defense. I am once again impressed by the Oathseekers. How actionable, honorable and compassionate they are.

We'll speak soon,

Alfred Delafosse

[Alfred Delafosse]

Dear Mrs. De Veen,

I am always glad to hear from you.
I'm curious what you wish to discuss.

Personally I've some politics I wish to involve myself in and I've spoken with Shamsa regarding commonalities and shared purpose between the Oathseekers and Balladeers. (NOT Banda Rossa).

As for your kind feedback. That makes me so happy to hear! That I could have played a small part in enhancing the wedding experience. Oh, I'm so hopelessly in love with romantic tales. I will wed my sweet Koukol some day.

Regarding your order... Well, this will be embarrassing and uncommon for me to write... But a series of incidents (no, really) have seen me without gold. And people have been difficult to motivate on taking lower board jobs.

I'm out of gold. I cannot buy ingredients. Could you pay up front?

An audible sigh,

Alfred Delafosse