Dear Master Malphas - A Collection of Letters

[Arn]

A letter given to Lelande half a year ago:

Dearest Lelande,

This decision has not come easily, but after spending so much time in these foreign lands, and after coming to understand your loyalty to the family, I've decided that we can no longer hold you in bondage.

On behalf of the Lloros family, I am hereby freeing you of your obligations and your servitude to that family, to me, and to Thay, and granting you the agency to determine your own path in life.

You've proven yourself to me a hundred times over, and I feel it is time you chart your own course. While I would encourage you to remain loyal to our home country, perhaps as an agent of Thay, I will not hold you to it.

You are free.

I hope what passes for our friendship remains, even as the chains binding you to me fall away.

Sincerely,
Malphas Lloros

[Arn]

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Dear Master Malphas,

It has been half a year since my service was terminated, and still I remain unaware of which shortcoming or failing I committed to be removed from your service.

But it is not my place to question your motives. I understand that House Lloros does not require my services at this time. I understand that I am to operate independently now. I understand that I am never to act against Thayan interests.

Now, after several unsuccessful months of trying to find you, I have returned to the Sword Coast.

Shortly after I returned, I observed the Dreadlord of the Zhentarim conversing with the Knight-Commander of the local Lathanderites. The Dreadlord treated the Knight-Commander with respect, which suggested to me that the Knight-Commander possesses some qualities not often found among paladins.

Thus, when the Knight-Commander suggested that I become a bodyguard in the employ of the Lathanderite temple, I agreed. I wished to see what makes him so different from his peers that the Dreadlord of the Zhentarim spoke to him with courtesy. I wished to see if the fledgling priestess at his side was worth protecting, as the Knight-Commander seemed to suggest.

I wished to see if I could find purpose again.

I do not think you will ever read these letters, Master Malphas. Nonetheless, I remain

Loyally Yours,

Lelande Lloros
In the service of
Acolyte Phaedre Abbot

[Arn]

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Dear Master Malphas,

In the last few months, I have come to see one possible reason the Dreadlord of the Zhentarim treated Knight-Commander Al'maire with respect.

In the time that I have been serving as Acolyte Abbot's guard, her capabilities to handle the undead have developed significantly. Despite the fact that she is somewhat new to the Lathanderite clergy, she is already able to paralyze several of the undead that roam the Fields of the Dead. These undead are the product of relatively advanced necromantic magic, so paralyzing several at once is a noteworthy feat.

If someone so new to the Lathanderite clergy is capable of neutralizing the undead so effectively, I would be interested to see the powers of a more experienced priest.

Considering the undead forces currently threatening the Sword Coast, I theorize that the Dreadlord of the Zhentarim wishes to keep the Lathanderite Church as an ally in the event of further aggression from the undead.

It should be noted that Lathander is not just a sun god. I am told that Lathander is also a god of life. Thus, he views the undead and the negative energy that animates them as antithetical to his purview. The Lathanderites prioritize the destruction of the undead as a religious directive, and need no great incentive to fight them.

While the Red Wizards have the power to fight the undead, it may be prudent to cultivate an alliance with the Lathanderites. With Lathanderite aid against the undead, Thayan efforts can be focused on other goals. Considering the religious directives of the Lathanderite clergy, it should not be overly costly or difficult to forge an alliance with them where the undead are concerned.

I do not know when I will be able to submit these reports to you. Nonetheless, I remain

Loyally Yours,

Lelande Lloros
In the service of
Acolyte Alesea Abbot

[Arn]

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Master Malphas,

I fought a mindflayer several days ago. Ultimately, I prevailed and survived. But its mental attacks dragged up memories I had not recalled in over a decade.

I remembered my training by House Lloros. I remembered the things my "caretaker" did whenever I failed.

My training made me what I am today. But for the last several days, whenever I think of performing my duties and tasks, my chest constricts and I have trouble breathing.

I was not trained to handle these symptoms.

Lelande Lloros

[Arn]

Hidden: show

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Dear Master Malphas,

It has been over two years since I wrote a letter "to" you. I have much to report.

Since my last letter, I have formulated multiple defenses against mental attacks. I feel obligated to mention this, although the primary motivation behind these preparations is to fend off mindflayer attacks.

My recovery from the mindflayer attack two years ago took up too much time. By the time I was fit for work again, the Lathanderite priestess I had been guarding had completed her training and relocated away from the Sword Coast. Eldarian Al'Maire, no longer a Knight-Commander but now a noble, offered me different work. However, I calculated that the work had a not-insignificant probability of placing me at odds with Thayan interests. Consequently, I declined the offer.

Since rejecting Eldarian Al'Maire's offer, I have dedicated my time to developing my defenses and familiarizing myself with the Sword Coast.

The following is critical information: my exploration of the Coast has revealed a portal underneath Dragonspear Castle into the first Hell: Avernus. Although killing the castle-dwellers poses no great difficulty, the denizens within the portal are dangerously strong. Furthermore, within the infernal realm a devil merchant trades in powerful weapons, armors, and artifacts.

I am able to 1) reach this merchant by myself and 2) negotiate very favorable prices for his wares. I do not think there are many individuals who are able to accomplish both tasks. As such, I have considered running a trade route between this infernal merchant and the Sword Coast. I am still considering the logistics of such a venture.

But if it works, it could be great to behold. I hope you would be pleased to see it succeed. Perhaps this is what you envisioned when you released me from your service.

Yours Truly,

Lelande Lloros

[Arn]

A letter sent to Lelande:

Lelande,

It pleases me that you are doing well, and that you write to me once more. It sounds as though life remains eventful on the Sword Coast.

You are wise to be wary of the Church of Lathander. While they can be trusted to show honor and virtue in most respects, they do not understand the glories of Thay--nor do they support our cause. The world will not be remade the paradise we intend for it to be with them standing in our way, so lending them your strength will only detract from ours.

With regards to the passage to Baator you say you have found, be doubly wary. On the one hand, there is a chance that not everything is as it seems. Many have believed powerful illusions to be true, and so made them true in their own minds. But if this portal does in fact let into the Hells, it is extraordinarily dangerous for you to be there.

Remember that even the greatest conjurers in Thay take care when trafficking with extraplanar beings, and that is when bringing them to our plane (where we have power over them). Going to their home plane, particularly one so treacherous as Baator, is a great risk to be taking. If, however, you feel you can turn a profit on the materials you've found there, you have my blessing to do so. Just exercise great care, and do not let greed for gold lead you to an early grave.

For my part, my journeys on behalf of our homeland take me far and wide. It has been nearly ten years now since Kul began the "Enclave Experiment," but through the enclaves our influence continues to grow. So many cities across this continent now depend on us for magical manufactures, and slowly have come to see the great promise of Thay. I am writing you from Telflamm today (the enclave here appears to have great promise), but I will not be here by the time you receive this letter.

Continue to write to the family in Thay, and they will see to it that your letters arrive with me.

Be well, and do well. You carry our name, and so are a representative of the Lloros family on the Sword Coast. I expect you to continue living up to that responsibility.

Sincerely,
Malphas Lloros

[Arn]

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Dear Master Malphas,

I have established the trade route I wrote of before. Although I had a few patrons at the outset, business dried up quickly. A bard whose acquaintance I have made believes my current lack of business stems from some lack of personality on my part. She may have a point; objective observation shows that more people speak to this bard than they do to me. As such, I have contemplated letting her interface with people on my behalf while I run the trade route. That, combined with an offer of support from a major faction, may be sufficient to stabilize my business.

I have also found an ancient dusty tome. My best efforts to decipher its writings have failed, but the tome's obvious age suggests that it may contain some sort of lost knowledge. It occurs to me that its contents may be of interest to you, and so I would like to make it available for your review if you wish.

I am always available by Sending.

Yours Truly,

Lelande Lloros

[Arn]

A letter written in a tight and conservative script:

Dear Master Malphas,

It seems my business venture is on the verge of collapse. The reasons for this are threefold:

• 1. I have been unable to find someone to interface with customers on my behalf. Left to my own devices, I find that I simply lack the charisma and personality that my competitors have. Some people have said that I am stoic or cold, and others have been antagonized by my words.
  
  2. I had been cultivating two contacts in order to gain the business of the Radiant Heart and the support of the Temple of Helm. However, in a remarkably disastrous turn of events, both contacts have fallen from grace in their respective organizations. Anthem, once the leader of the Radiant Heart, has parted ways with that organization over a disagreement involving drow. Pryat Mae Machshikhah has been excommunicated from the Temple of Helm for speaking against the rulers of Baldur's Gate. With both Anthem and Mae now persona non grata, my business prospects have diminished considerably.
  
  3. As the final nail in the coffin, the castle containing the portal into the Hells has been overrun by devils. These devils now patrol the area around Dragonspear Castle, a fact I discovered earlier today when I went to scout the castle. I managed to defeat a few of these devils before I was forced to retreat. With this route into the Hells all but inaccessible to me now, it seems a significant portion of my business is now inoperable.

I must admit that I am at a loss as to how to salvage my business.

While I now have some understanding of why you released me from service to House Lloros, I think things were better when I was given direction instead of having to find it on my own. Of course, I do not mean to question your decision.

With regard to the ancient tome, I have discovered that it contains the name of a powerful celestial wolf known to hunt the denizens of lower planes. Perhaps if the wolf were willing to serve me, it could have helped fight the devils surrounding Dragonspear Castle. Unfortunately, this was not an option for me. I have given the tome to Candlekeep in exchange for access to their archives, hoping to find the name of another entity which might be willing to serve me. I will let you know how this turns out.

In other news, I have provided some assistance to Anthem and Eldarian in their efforts to curtail the Zhentarim. Since the Thayan Enclave and the Zhentarim are rivals in competition with each other, I reason that assisting the paladins against the Zhentarim will help the Thayan Enclave. If I am somehow mistaken about this, please inform me and I will immediately cease providing assistance to the paladins.

Yours Truly,

Lelande Lloros