Open Letter to the Will of the Empress

Inclosed within this letter is magic to produce a living illusory map of the land, dotted with gems that will project images of each location. In particular, Lone Mountain Keep, New Whitewater, Solace, Dreamfall, and Drognar form the outermost edge of what I have described as the Outlands. Beyond that are other gems to show what I’ve seen, but they are specifically not called out as part of the Empire.

  To whom it will concern,   On the far side of the Barrier my family and I have extended our borders to form the Outlands of the Empire. We are anchored by several monarchies led by trusted allies sworn to the service of the Empress, may she cast long shadows across these old lands.   Among this family and the kingdoms now beneath our banner I count several new or rekindled racial friendships:   Humans, a short-lived race of barely a century each. Their determination and tireless drive lets them move and adapt quickly. Their culture is diverse and widespread; it is wiser to meet and befriend an individual than it is to rely upon assumptions of their people as a whole. The new kingdom of Solace and the town of New Whitewater are led by humans, close friends and allies.   Fae, a race of people who in recent memory have lived merely a quarter century. They sleep beneath sacred trees and wake adorned in the colours and energy of a new season. New fae exist now as well, led by a member of my own family. They live as long as we and live in shades of day and night. The Empress herself, may her twilight fall soft on our wings, knows of these people and has had dealings with them before. The Grove of Dreamfall, home to an ancient ziggurat left by our Empress, whose darkness hid it for so long, is led by the midnight fae, Arborist Andstella - a woman I consider to be my sister.   Dwarves, another long-lived people with whom elves and the Empress, who gentles the sunlight, have an ancient bond. Like us they have been sworn to service of the Empire but unlike us, they were left behind when the Barrier arose. Many of them still carry bondage that serves neither them nor us, while others have won a form of freedom. My Lady of Storms, Lyssa, is cultivating ties with these people. The king of Drognar is one such dwarf who recognized our shared oaths immediately when we met - Torrick and his human queen, Nina, are the Northernmost edge of the Outlands.   The South is held by a keep under my own banner and the trusted guidance of General Zadiyah.   Just as I stood no objections to our bond with Carthians, I will have none to our jointure with humans, fae, dwarves, or any of the friends who the Empress honours with her shade.   When I left it was in the service of our war with the Collective. My communications with Mistress Artem’Isia’Kel and Maestro Caata'Sol confirm that the war is in good hands in my absence. The military service I continue to do in the Outlands and beyond will serve us in the millennia to come. My presence beyond the Barrier is not one that anyone but the Empress herself, whose oaths keep me, has the ability to recall.   I am humbled to have travelled so far from my homeland and found friends and family to serve and guide. It is my deepest wish and solemn intention to continue until we no longer have our backs up against a Barrier with unknowable threats beyond. Instead, I look forward to a future where we are free of the Collective and able to greet our far-flung Imperial allies with open hearts and welcoming shade.   Your servant in flickering light and dancing shadows,   Lady Shae’deneir’lanael
Fifth Hand to the Empress
Guardian of the Imperial Outlands