A correspondence with Elias Wren

[WriterX]

Mister Wren,

 While our last outing may have not been very successful, I will do what I can to help your son study. While I am not a skilled Astrologist, like the Nadiri and Apothars of the Tower of Q'tolip I can at least provide some basic knowledge and understanding for your son to follow through on.

 He is still very young, and thus capable of learning much, but I'd rather not test his abilities with materials that can be overwhelming for a beginner.

 A good beginning to help him prepare for greater Astrological learning is to begin with stargazing. Purchasing a telescope or even a spyglass may be very expensive, so using his own eyes will be a good start.

 You should then purchase a star map. Some of these are less, some are more detailed, but you should try and purchase a basic one, that would mention and identify some of the primary constellations and stars.

 These constellations and stars, through the use of the map, can in fact help in navigation, so it would already be a somewhat practical skill.

 While there might be plenty of light pollution coming from the Well, the brightest starts ought to still be visible. Going away from the Well for stargazing can be very dangerous so I would advise against it.

 Ask your son to use the Star Map to try and identify the different stars and constellations on his own, or with your help.

 If you wish for him to have a bit of fun while doing so, suggest to him recording his own constellations or stars on the star map, and ask him to try and find them again on subsequent nights.

 I would argue that if one wishes to seriously study Astrology, knowing how to find these basic stars would be a proper beginning.

 There might of course be other phenomenon to observe, such as comets, falling stars, and so forth. I would encourage him not only to spot them, but try to identify them correctly.

 Let me know how these beginnings will go, and if he will have some trouble I will try to aid him. We can arrange a time.

Orin Vossar
Apprentice-Student of the Sandstone College

[father]

Orin Vossar,

I am writing with my son sitting beside me. I hope you do not mind the doodles he has etched all over the parchment. He is quite excited by the prospect of being taught by an esteemed student of the College.

An apology, however, for how things turned out at the Lighthouse. It was certainly a chaotic undertaking. You should see the way I am still twitching with the residual shock. I think some of my muscles are still locked up. But I will endeavour to aid you in your recovery, simply call for me should you require my assistance.

As for stargazing, it is a pastime Luca and I participate in each and every night. A telescope or spyglass would be an auspicious thing to have, however. Star charts we have, and I have been instructing him. Though my understanding is fundamental, he is far more learned than me.

Truly, he is a boy genius and I am a proud father.

Luca possesses an unparalleled intellect for a boy of only seven years. I do think you will be surprised when you are to meet with him. The basics he is on his way to mastering already.

I will keep you in the loop, as they say. But he is very excited to get started. I fear he will not be able to sleep tonight, with such prospects looming on the horizon.

From Elias and Luca Wren

[WriterX]

Hello Elias,

 I would suggest that if we are to go ahead with a bit more theoretical learning, without any advanced tools, I would invite your son to the college. The library is a public space, and while we won't have access to our Astrology equipment, we can at least study the books available.

 Among the titles that I have found that I can study together with him, that I hope won't be too advanced will be:

- Celestial Navigation: A Journeyman's Guide to Caravans
- A Prince's Guide to basic Arithmetics
- Ancient Constellation Theory: Patterns in the Stars
- Foundations of Baz'eeli Mathematics: The Symbology of Al'Gebra
- Limits of Basic Astronomical Calculation

 As you can tell, I wish to also touch on teaching your son Mathematics. Knowledge of mathematics will simply aid him, in the long-term, because while Astrology may be the study of the stars, the correct use of it in navigation may allow one to calculate distance between locations, angles, how to adjust your course, and so forth. It may be going beyond his basic area of interest, but navigation relies heavily upon astrology, and whether one will travel on land, or by sea, such skills are priceless, and much sought after by merchants.

 But, everything must have a beginning, so alongside studying Astrology, I will also teach him basic mathematics.

 I would suggest that you find a teacher for his reading and writing however, as these are also much needed skills, in this day and age. I could also teach him these matters, but I am not a linguist by experience, unless it has to do with the Arcane.

 Please just prepare some food for him, or leave him with some pocket money for purchasing a meal, so that he can eat something during our breaks between lessons.

 I will have to see how much patience he has for learning, as I know the tolerance between people is different, and I'd rather not exhaust him too much, to not dissuade him from further learning.

 If you have any questions before we begin, go ahead and write to me. Otherwise, I would expect him to begin our lessons in two days time.

 Orin Vossar
 Student-Apprentice of the Sandstone College

[father]

Orin Vossar,

Apologies for the late reply. I have been faced with a dilemma, but it is nothing to concern you with. Truthfully, I think it would set my mind at ease to know that Luca would be safe in your care and within the walls of your College.

There is a trepidation in him, and he has asked me to be there when you tutor him. But I think it would be good for him to practice independence. I would simply drop him off, perhaps stick around for a few minutes, before ducking out.

Your learning plan is sound to me, and he has expressed an animated interest. You are giving him what I could not, which is a proper education. And his is a boundless, inquisitive mind filled with untapped potential. Do not worry, for he is quite adept at both reading and writing, more so than me at times, I like to think, so we are covered on that front.

Truthfully, I think you will be surprised. He is a well-mannered boy unlike many around his age. Meek, perhaps, and at times overly-sensitive. But I am sure you will get a measure of his character once you meet him. I am confident that he will not give you much, if any, issue. As I have stated, he is extremely eager to begin.

You have our gratitude.

Sincerely,
Elias and Luca Wren

[At the bottom of the page: a child's drawing of the night sky. With smiley faces.]