Adventurers of Fortannis,
I feel I’m drawing closer to gathering the necessary tools needed for your assistance, so I apologize that I have not been responsive to the inquiries and words of honor you have whispered in my direction. I will try to briefly address some of them now, and we can discuss further when we meet in a few weeks’ time.
---
The first letter is from Liddia Fallingstar. Liddia wrote to ask why I think Simmon took the actions he did, how many lands are threatened, and whether I believe that Simmon can be redeemed.
Dear Liddia,
I honestly wish I knew what caused him to fall into what he’s become, so that I could have done more to prevent it. I can only imagine it was the years of declining sales or perhaps the thought of him being unable to hang onto the peak that he once had. He’s a man of legacy, and I think he just saw his waning popularity as a sign that his legacy would be diminished. Most people will go down and bounce back, but Simmon fell so far that I don’t think he’ll ever come back up.
I don’t know how many realms Simmon has reached beyond the Kullan Tarina and stolen from, but as far as within the book itself, there are seven different provinces he has affected: Summerspring Forest, Winterfall Woods, Goldbone Isle, the Gaunt Highlands, the Desert of the Painted Sands, Shadowmoon Academy, and Mossycobble Farm.
Can Simmon be redeemed? Personally, I don’t think he can be redeemed. No, I KNOW he cannot. He’s a monster at this point, one whose blood I share, but even family means nothing to him now. You can try all you want, but I would not hold out hope.
---
The next letter is from Auryn Fairhorn, who writes of how Simmon recently snatched away the spirits of the people of the entire town of Abeille within the Wayside mist-sphere, obviously fearing for the spirits’ safety and inquiring how we might return them to their home.
Dear Auryn,
Rest assured knowing that the stolen spirits are here, so all is not lost, though they are captive. The nature of this strange book requires a repertoire of “nonfictional” spirits to fuel its reality, and using spirits from across Fortannis, Simmon has created these lands and filled it with his chosen cast of characters. The spirits from Fortannis are held in stasis, their essence being shaped to form Simmon’s characters. Fortunately, I believe the process doesn’t harm them, regardless of what might happen to the entities that their essence are fueling. The characters in the book are just as real as you and I, but if you destroy them (and I’m sure you all will do an excellent job destroying them), The Author can use his power to recycle them into new roles at his whim. As long as Simmon has the imprisoned spirits, he can keep regenerating new characters for his stories, so he wants to keep them intact and safe wherever they are. I’ve been working on devising a method to free the imprisoned spirits, but I’ll admit that my research has been inconclusive so far. I’m certain there MUST be a way, though, and if we can find it, all will be well.
---
Our next letter comes from Gareth Galencia. Gareth writes of how he and his companions and I are in search of a cure to a Black Web Blight, as well as a mystic hammer that can swiftly repair armor that was stolen from his employer.
Dear Gareth,
I can say that appears to be a story of your land, and as such, Simmon thankfully hasn’t gotten involved yet. Unfortunately, I do not know anything of your plight, though I hope you can find a resolution. You might be able to find many things in Lavendalir that can aid you in your endeavors back home, but a cure for your blight regretfully won’t be found here.
---
The next letter comes from Lucian. Lucian writes to me as a storyteller that hopes to use his experience on the matter to help confront Simmon’s usage of worn tropes and what we can expect of him from that, as well as asking for information on the Kullan Tarina’s powers and the reviews of readers that most flustered my brother into his current state.
Dear Lucian,
It will be nice to have someone skilled in literary arts present, and you are quite correct that the best way to confront Simmon may be to play into how he writes. My brother lives by story, cliched as it may be, and so we can use our existing knowledge of stories to predict what he’s going to do. By weaving in and out of following and subverting what he expects, I think we’ve got our best chance of removing him from power.
The nature of the Kullan Tarina is mysterious, even to those of us that have been in its inner workings. I know almost as much as you do about it from the old stories: it is a golden book that creates a living realm within its pages. While the reality of characters within is maintained by captive spirits as I mentioned above, its magic as a whole is fundamentally maintained by three entities of power: an Author, who gives the land its story; an Illustrator, who gives the land physicality; and an Editor, who keeps the power of the book stable. Unfortunately, I was the one of the three with the least knowledge of how the world within came to be - Simmon told me to simply take a back seat for the time being as he and The Illustrator did their work, then take up my role to polish things as they needed polishing once they were in place. I was so pleased to see him acting like his old self that I let it happen, for which I am dearly sorry.
I have since been stripped of practically all of the powers I once had as Editor, which should not have been possible. The Author, Illustrator, and Editor were supposed to be equal checks of power, but Simmon somehow found a way to overcome that balance beyond what he should have been able to as Author. He is a FAR more powerful Author than he should have been able to become, and I wish I knew how it happened.
As for reviews, Simmon received many over the years that wore him down, but those that come clearest to my mind are those you see above.
Many have reached out to me desiring the knowledge of what I know within the Kullan Tarina, though I see you have collected some of my words to share. I thank you for this, and I encourage you to continue your efforts of coordinating the adventurers, reaching out to your fellows and spreading the information that others may find useful in this endeavor. I’m sure we’ll be in further communication when we can meet in person.
---
Next we have a letter from Beryl Bunchberry. Beryl asks what words of warning I have for the adventurers as you prepare to deal with Simmon.
Dear Beryl,
My best advice is to go along with his story... for now. Be the heroes he wants you all to be... for now. His power within the book is unmatched for the time being, and until that changes, we won’t stand a chance at diverting from what he has planned.
---
This next letter comes from Shen. Shen writes asking about how my brother shaped Celestial and Earthen magic in his realm, as well as if I have ever stricken something from a past story that you suspect Simmon may add back into his story now that I’m not in the picture.
Dear Shen,
Simmon was always pathetic at magic throughout his life, but within the Kullan Tarina, he has chosen to take on the position of an archmage of incredible power. These days, he wields Celestial and Earthen magic in equal measure, and to help with his villainous image, I assure you he has no qualms against the usage of Necromancy. Beyond his Earthen, Necromantic, and Celestial powers, he also wields the raw power of the Kullan Tarina, something beyond all three schools and honestly mysterious even to Simmon himself.
I have made a lot of corrections with my brother’s works, but recently he all but stopped listening, which resulted in his worst works. I don’t know if there’s anything I specifically rejected, but I know I was always very against him trying to write romance novels. I would not be surprised to see him bring a romance novel into all this, purely out of spite.
---
The next letter comes from Glenn, who brought up a potential avenue for an advantage against the Author.
Dear Glenn,
I won’t necessarily discuss the details of your plan in public, for obvious reasons. But, I say go for it! I would recommend you do what you can to get in good graces with The Illustrator himself, since he currently fills the role you’d be looking to inquire about.
---
Next comes from Foss Fairfax. Foss asks how many Loyal Tyrants does Simmon have?
Dear Foss,
I’m certain that each of the seven provinces has a tyrant loyal to my brother, though I’ve only managed to deduce a handful of them: a fearsome dragon of flame and chaos, a fear-wielding beast lurking in the dark, a ruthless dwarven pirate captain, a corrupt oathsworn monarch, and a manipulative and green-loving djinn.
---
The next curious letter comes from Gertrude Clayheart. Gertrude writes to ask about The Illustrator and what art forms he uses, as well as how Alchemical Solvents might be of use against his artwork.
Dear Gertrude,
The Illustrator’s name is Ronan MacLennane, and he’s been an acquaintance of my brother’s for many years. He’s done a lot of different illustrations for Simmon’s books, and while we weren’t exactly super close with him, he was certainly the best candidate when we needed an Illustrator to fulfill the third role of the Kullan Tarina. Just like Simmon, he’s now taken on a station of extraordinary power within Lavendalir, though The Illustrator is far more martial than magical in his abilities these days. As Simmon said, “Every evil villain needs a powerful general as his right hand, after all.”
I am not versed in the different artistic expressions and styles known throughout the land, for I can merely draw stick figures at best. Art was never my thing, which is why Ronan was hired in the first place all those years ago when our works needed illustrations. That said, I’m sure you’re onto something with Alchemical Solvents. His creations are made of living paint and paper, and I’m certain if we can weaponize that alchemy somehow, it’ll be very useful against him.
---
This next letter comes from Klonoah Kona. Klonoah writes asking if there is any way of furthering his Life Mark, or otherwise anything he can do to help Life in Lavendalir.
Dear Klonoah,
Unfortunately, I do not know a way to further your Life Mark, as that is a matter from far beyond this realm. That said, if you are looking to aid Magistarium Life in these lands, I would suggest putting your efforts towards restoring the vitality of the barren landscape of the Gaunt Highlands, or perhaps preventing the rampant wildfires destroying the most verdant portions of the Summerspring Forest. I would recommend getting in contact with some of the Dark Elves or Oathsworn of this land if you are interested in the former, and getting in contact with Dryads or Elves if you are interested in the latter. Or both, for both!
---
Alas, my wrist is getting tired from writing these responses - I am out of practice from this, it seems. That said, I think I need to rest, but I would like to recognize those that have simply sent me words of encouragement. Aramis Seablade, Luke Bluwolf, Locke, Binar, Earendur (Elros) Heleanwe, Gilwing, Shin Shanshi, Jasper, Alenthea Ogden, Ignathis Nachtfeuer, Pebbles, Nyio Sorn: I thank you all, and I look forward to speaking with you further.
For those I did not respond to your inquiry, know it did not fall on deaf ears. Frederick and Rengar, knowledge is a wonderful asset, and I encourage you both to seek the words I have spoken here, and aid your fellow adventurers such as Lucian with the sharing of information.
I will see you all soon. Let’s bring my brother’s madness to an end.
Your Editor,
Gaius Lavendale
I feel I’m drawing closer to gathering the necessary tools needed for your assistance, so I apologize that I have not been responsive to the inquiries and words of honor you have whispered in my direction. I will try to briefly address some of them now, and we can discuss further when we meet in a few weeks’ time.
---
The first letter is from Liddia Fallingstar. Liddia wrote to ask why I think Simmon took the actions he did, how many lands are threatened, and whether I believe that Simmon can be redeemed.
Dear Liddia,
I honestly wish I knew what caused him to fall into what he’s become, so that I could have done more to prevent it. I can only imagine it was the years of declining sales or perhaps the thought of him being unable to hang onto the peak that he once had. He’s a man of legacy, and I think he just saw his waning popularity as a sign that his legacy would be diminished. Most people will go down and bounce back, but Simmon fell so far that I don’t think he’ll ever come back up.
I don’t know how many realms Simmon has reached beyond the Kullan Tarina and stolen from, but as far as within the book itself, there are seven different provinces he has affected: Summerspring Forest, Winterfall Woods, Goldbone Isle, the Gaunt Highlands, the Desert of the Painted Sands, Shadowmoon Academy, and Mossycobble Farm.
Can Simmon be redeemed? Personally, I don’t think he can be redeemed. No, I KNOW he cannot. He’s a monster at this point, one whose blood I share, but even family means nothing to him now. You can try all you want, but I would not hold out hope.
---
The next letter is from Auryn Fairhorn, who writes of how Simmon recently snatched away the spirits of the people of the entire town of Abeille within the Wayside mist-sphere, obviously fearing for the spirits’ safety and inquiring how we might return them to their home.
Dear Auryn,
Rest assured knowing that the stolen spirits are here, so all is not lost, though they are captive. The nature of this strange book requires a repertoire of “nonfictional” spirits to fuel its reality, and using spirits from across Fortannis, Simmon has created these lands and filled it with his chosen cast of characters. The spirits from Fortannis are held in stasis, their essence being shaped to form Simmon’s characters. Fortunately, I believe the process doesn’t harm them, regardless of what might happen to the entities that their essence are fueling. The characters in the book are just as real as you and I, but if you destroy them (and I’m sure you all will do an excellent job destroying them), The Author can use his power to recycle them into new roles at his whim. As long as Simmon has the imprisoned spirits, he can keep regenerating new characters for his stories, so he wants to keep them intact and safe wherever they are. I’ve been working on devising a method to free the imprisoned spirits, but I’ll admit that my research has been inconclusive so far. I’m certain there MUST be a way, though, and if we can find it, all will be well.
---
Our next letter comes from Gareth Galencia. Gareth writes of how he and his companions and I are in search of a cure to a Black Web Blight, as well as a mystic hammer that can swiftly repair armor that was stolen from his employer.
Dear Gareth,
I can say that appears to be a story of your land, and as such, Simmon thankfully hasn’t gotten involved yet. Unfortunately, I do not know anything of your plight, though I hope you can find a resolution. You might be able to find many things in Lavendalir that can aid you in your endeavors back home, but a cure for your blight regretfully won’t be found here.
---
The next letter comes from Lucian. Lucian writes to me as a storyteller that hopes to use his experience on the matter to help confront Simmon’s usage of worn tropes and what we can expect of him from that, as well as asking for information on the Kullan Tarina’s powers and the reviews of readers that most flustered my brother into his current state.
Dear Lucian,
It will be nice to have someone skilled in literary arts present, and you are quite correct that the best way to confront Simmon may be to play into how he writes. My brother lives by story, cliched as it may be, and so we can use our existing knowledge of stories to predict what he’s going to do. By weaving in and out of following and subverting what he expects, I think we’ve got our best chance of removing him from power.
The nature of the Kullan Tarina is mysterious, even to those of us that have been in its inner workings. I know almost as much as you do about it from the old stories: it is a golden book that creates a living realm within its pages. While the reality of characters within is maintained by captive spirits as I mentioned above, its magic as a whole is fundamentally maintained by three entities of power: an Author, who gives the land its story; an Illustrator, who gives the land physicality; and an Editor, who keeps the power of the book stable. Unfortunately, I was the one of the three with the least knowledge of how the world within came to be - Simmon told me to simply take a back seat for the time being as he and The Illustrator did their work, then take up my role to polish things as they needed polishing once they were in place. I was so pleased to see him acting like his old self that I let it happen, for which I am dearly sorry.
I have since been stripped of practically all of the powers I once had as Editor, which should not have been possible. The Author, Illustrator, and Editor were supposed to be equal checks of power, but Simmon somehow found a way to overcome that balance beyond what he should have been able to as Author. He is a FAR more powerful Author than he should have been able to become, and I wish I knew how it happened.
As for reviews, Simmon received many over the years that wore him down, but those that come clearest to my mind are those you see above.
Many have reached out to me desiring the knowledge of what I know within the Kullan Tarina, though I see you have collected some of my words to share. I thank you for this, and I encourage you to continue your efforts of coordinating the adventurers, reaching out to your fellows and spreading the information that others may find useful in this endeavor. I’m sure we’ll be in further communication when we can meet in person.
---
Next we have a letter from Beryl Bunchberry. Beryl asks what words of warning I have for the adventurers as you prepare to deal with Simmon.
Dear Beryl,
My best advice is to go along with his story... for now. Be the heroes he wants you all to be... for now. His power within the book is unmatched for the time being, and until that changes, we won’t stand a chance at diverting from what he has planned.
---
This next letter comes from Shen. Shen writes asking about how my brother shaped Celestial and Earthen magic in his realm, as well as if I have ever stricken something from a past story that you suspect Simmon may add back into his story now that I’m not in the picture.
Dear Shen,
Simmon was always pathetic at magic throughout his life, but within the Kullan Tarina, he has chosen to take on the position of an archmage of incredible power. These days, he wields Celestial and Earthen magic in equal measure, and to help with his villainous image, I assure you he has no qualms against the usage of Necromancy. Beyond his Earthen, Necromantic, and Celestial powers, he also wields the raw power of the Kullan Tarina, something beyond all three schools and honestly mysterious even to Simmon himself.
I have made a lot of corrections with my brother’s works, but recently he all but stopped listening, which resulted in his worst works. I don’t know if there’s anything I specifically rejected, but I know I was always very against him trying to write romance novels. I would not be surprised to see him bring a romance novel into all this, purely out of spite.
---
The next letter comes from Glenn, who brought up a potential avenue for an advantage against the Author.
Dear Glenn,
I won’t necessarily discuss the details of your plan in public, for obvious reasons. But, I say go for it! I would recommend you do what you can to get in good graces with The Illustrator himself, since he currently fills the role you’d be looking to inquire about.
---
Next comes from Foss Fairfax. Foss asks how many Loyal Tyrants does Simmon have?
Dear Foss,
I’m certain that each of the seven provinces has a tyrant loyal to my brother, though I’ve only managed to deduce a handful of them: a fearsome dragon of flame and chaos, a fear-wielding beast lurking in the dark, a ruthless dwarven pirate captain, a corrupt oathsworn monarch, and a manipulative and green-loving djinn.
---
The next curious letter comes from Gertrude Clayheart. Gertrude writes to ask about The Illustrator and what art forms he uses, as well as how Alchemical Solvents might be of use against his artwork.
Dear Gertrude,
The Illustrator’s name is Ronan MacLennane, and he’s been an acquaintance of my brother’s for many years. He’s done a lot of different illustrations for Simmon’s books, and while we weren’t exactly super close with him, he was certainly the best candidate when we needed an Illustrator to fulfill the third role of the Kullan Tarina. Just like Simmon, he’s now taken on a station of extraordinary power within Lavendalir, though The Illustrator is far more martial than magical in his abilities these days. As Simmon said, “Every evil villain needs a powerful general as his right hand, after all.”
I am not versed in the different artistic expressions and styles known throughout the land, for I can merely draw stick figures at best. Art was never my thing, which is why Ronan was hired in the first place all those years ago when our works needed illustrations. That said, I’m sure you’re onto something with Alchemical Solvents. His creations are made of living paint and paper, and I’m certain if we can weaponize that alchemy somehow, it’ll be very useful against him.
---
This next letter comes from Klonoah Kona. Klonoah writes asking if there is any way of furthering his Life Mark, or otherwise anything he can do to help Life in Lavendalir.
Dear Klonoah,
Unfortunately, I do not know a way to further your Life Mark, as that is a matter from far beyond this realm. That said, if you are looking to aid Magistarium Life in these lands, I would suggest putting your efforts towards restoring the vitality of the barren landscape of the Gaunt Highlands, or perhaps preventing the rampant wildfires destroying the most verdant portions of the Summerspring Forest. I would recommend getting in contact with some of the Dark Elves or Oathsworn of this land if you are interested in the former, and getting in contact with Dryads or Elves if you are interested in the latter. Or both, for both!
---
Alas, my wrist is getting tired from writing these responses - I am out of practice from this, it seems. That said, I think I need to rest, but I would like to recognize those that have simply sent me words of encouragement. Aramis Seablade, Luke Bluwolf, Locke, Binar, Earendur (Elros) Heleanwe, Gilwing, Shin Shanshi, Jasper, Alenthea Ogden, Ignathis Nachtfeuer, Pebbles, Nyio Sorn: I thank you all, and I look forward to speaking with you further.
For those I did not respond to your inquiry, know it did not fall on deaf ears. Frederick and Rengar, knowledge is a wonderful asset, and I encourage you both to seek the words I have spoken here, and aid your fellow adventurers such as Lucian with the sharing of information.
I will see you all soon. Let’s bring my brother’s madness to an end.
Your Editor,
Gaius Lavendale
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