To Lord Halion After the Incursion Into His Library

Lord Halion,

I must express my great regret at the decisions toward which fate has driven me.

It has been difficult for me ever since my studies of Corellon led me to discover the mysteries surrounding the powers of the Feywild and the existence of planes beyond the known world. It has become clear to me that we have been cut off from the full experience of Corellon's power by a decision he made in concert with Yondalla and Pelor many long years or even centuries ago. For a long time the worlds beyond our own were abstract notions, and I considered that they might be a metaphor for deeper states of spiritual awareness. Yet clearly the study of arcane powers manifest within and beyond the natural world is essential to our reverence of Corellon himself, who rules these realms. I could no more turn away from what I had learned than I could discard Corellon himself, and it seemed to me more and more with time that whatever distance our world might have from these other worlds now, there was a time when the connection was more direct.

You have dissuaded me from my studies, and steered me toward a more typical and orthodox form of worship. I cannot blame you for this; I myself believe that our primary duty as priests of Corellon is to minister to the needs of our community, even as we seek to understand more esoteric and spiritual matters. I know you are satisfied with my work in the Tri-City, even if you did not always agree with the priorities I placed on considering the needs of all peoples on an equal plane rather than favoring elves.

But in recent days leading up to the night where the colors broke free from the sky, the reality of the other worlds became stronger until it is now fully manifest. I have communed with spirits from some of these worlds, and I have learned more about my heritage, my arcane studies, and how both of those things relate to my devotion to Corellon. That communion, and the events since the colors appeared in the sky, have shown me a path forward to greater study. It is a charge which I cannot deny.

This charge is not just important to me, it is personal. The group of adventurers that appeared during the night of the colored sky had been sent to protect me. In some way, the recent changes in the world do not just include me but are wrapped up in my particular destiny. I do not understand this, but I cannot deny it.

Specifically, the woman who sent my new associates claims that I am the youngest of her line, which implies that she is an ancestor of my lost birth father. This is a personal mystery which in large part brought me to the Temple in the first place, and while I have long accepted that he is not part of my life, I still wish to know his destiny.

You are, as you know, like a father to me. You have nurtured me and taught me much about the world, and gave me passage to the heritage of my elven ancestors despite the absence of my birth father. I respect your leadership and admire the example you set for me, the other priests, and the acolytes, initiates, and visitors to our temple.

I came to you requesting access to the libraries hidden near the Temple crypt, and you forbade me. My studies, recent events, and my very destiny demanded that I find the book within, but you thwarted me with little consideration for the importance of my quest, a part of which you were responsible for setting me to. I had to have that book. My first instinct was to ask others to look in the library, as your words if not your intent forbade only me.

I did, in fact, make sure that I was nowhere near the crypt while others were looking for the key. But when they went down one of them asked me to go with, and I had a premonition of danger. They were doing this because they had been sent to protect me, and I could not ask them to take such chances without being present to protect them. Also, I had to ensure that the Temple was protected and that we left only with the book that we came to find.

We found the book guarded by a fell spirit that we vanquished, in large part through the power of Corellon through my presentation of his symbolic crest.

I am sorry for any damage I may have done, both to the material possessions of the Temple as well as to our mutual trust. I take full responsibility for that damage and will do everything I can to repair it. I hope that you can forgive me, though I understand if you cannot. But my duty puts reverence for Corellon and his mysteries above any mortal institution of elves or other people, and that means following the current clues to their end.

I may be gone for some time. I hope that when I return I can make amends.

With love and admiration,

Merendir