The Witch Queen from Amytri

Heiassa,   It’s a joy to hear from you especially so soon. I’m glad you’ve made it safely to the far north - crossing the Desolation is no trivial challenge.   To your mystery, the woman you’re speaking of is named Llelaen and I’m sorry to say that she has history with my son. Their marriage ended badly (for her) some thirty years ago. It sounds like she’s turned that bitterness into something even darker. Be warned, she possesses unique magic related to the spirits of the dead. Her powers are what drew the attention of my son and her refusal to use those powers to advance some of my son’s less palatable schemes is what broke them. The mutual animosity you both bear towards my son may be fertile ground for a relationship but I’d caution against trusting her, the price of her friendship is high.   My son, as ever, remains obstinate. Perhaps some day he truly needs to taste real and lasting defeat in order to move forward. I won’t belabor the pain of trying to continue as a parent after so many years of strained relationship.   In happier news, I’ve presented a research challenge to one of the universities in Solace - “Understanding the bonds of blood and family, given a sample of the body of one person, how would you locate the people with whom they share blood relations? How could that magic be contained within a magical tool used by people who aren’t wizards?” Some of the early work being produced is promising - my hope is that within a year or two, we can devise a tool that helps lost elves find their family on this side of the barrier. It’s limited, of course, in that it won’t help to locate romantic partners unless someone has a sample from mutual offspring, and chosen family who share no bonds of blood wouldn’t be revealed… but clearly, the world needs this magic right now, and I believe that Solace can produce it. (Don’t thank me, knowing the problem your people face, I’d do it regardless… though if you do want to reciprocate with a gift, I still very much want you to accept my offer of a position as a guest lecturer. We have much to learn from each other.)   Be well in your travels and stay safe.   Amytri