Dearest Farah, I salute you.
Antioch has stood for hundreds of years as a beacon of might against the truth that is Magick. Throughout those years, your warriors have fought, died, been victorious and been defeated, but never faultered in their beliefs, their heirtage, their path. While we did not agree with your people or your ways, we respected their staunch loyalty to their way of life. But, you shall go down in history as the first Farah to betray....no, that is the wrong word. You shall go down in history as the first Farah to set aside all of your storied, misspent past and embrace Magick.
Citizens of Antioch, nay, Brothers and Sisters I salute you! Many have argued, that the leader of the Horde simply used Blood Magick to control the weak minded Septus, and he in turn led your leaders into similar traps. But this cannot be true, for a simple fact. You, my Brothers and Sisters of Magick, did not rise up and replace them, brand them traitors to your way of life, to your history, and your future. Instead, you embraced this new path, dashed aside all prior, false, misgivings about the power of Magick and now embrace it.
Sure, in your early days your politicians must brandish terms like 'nessesary evil' and 'means to an end' to quiet the older, less open minded of your population. But this is a brave new step you take, and we salute you for it. You march out and lay down your lives now not to destroy Magick, but instead to defend it. You put blood on the line to defend Ogre Warmages, and in this, we salute you. You give your lives to power Urzog's Magicks. What a powerful declaration you make with this act! Not only do you defend those who use Magick, but you are willing to give your very life's blood to power it!
Admittedly, you use the darker form of Blood Magicks. Most of our civilization has turned away from such things, as few practioners of the art are able to stay away from the deluge of poor choices surrounding the art. That, and you are supporting an invading army. But still, we are proud of you. You are making a brand new future for yourselves, and your children. Your Farah and Mukhtars will go down in history as the people who not only allowed Antioch to defend Magick designs, but encouraged the giving of your very lives to power it. And you, dear Brothers and Sisters, as the population who embraced such leaders rather than cast them out.
And dearest people of Ithaqua, I know you are hesitant to stray from the path of your fore-fathers. Change is hard, admitting that hundreds of years of your past were lived in the wrong way, is doubly hard. But take courage from your allies, see that it can be done. I know you allow your warriors to support Antioch in their Magick defending and empowering ways. For this open-mindedness, we salute you.
Brothers and Sisters of Antioch and Ithaqua,
Welcome to Magick
Penned by my hand on the 23rd of Vita, in the year 79 AM.
