An Attempt to Not Deal With Demons

Mr. Lord Aleister is right. Please do not be cruel to Kaiva, even if you don't agree with her. She has clearly made up her mind to have faith in this. No matter who turns out to be right or wrong, this will be an important lesson for her. Maybe for us too. She is right in that everyone's experiences are different. And to those like Miss Khala who have been personally hurt by these or other demons, no amount of explaining will make her understand what you have seen. And Kaiva, no amount of the words "I'm sorry for what happened to you" will fix, heal, or lessen their pain, especially if it's followed by the word "but." That word usually undoes any words that come before it. You will not change their mind that way any more than they will change yours by telling you their experience. You will only make them feel like you care more about the demons than you do about them, even though that's not true. It is hard to stand up to everyone when you feel very strongly about something, and they don't agree. And you're very brave to do it. But at this point, I think, everybody knows where Kaiva stands. And she know where you stand. And nobody is going to change one another's minds with words on paper, especially if they're insulting, angry, or condescending. So no more, okay? Miss Ilana wrote this missive to present alternatives for those of us who don't want to work with the demons. So let's talk about that, and if there must be more debate about whether or not to sign their contract, it should be on the board where the contract was posted. Here, we should talk about other options.

Speaking of which, Miss Illana, I sent the letter to Miss Pyke a little more than a week ago. I still haven't gotten an answer, but she lives very very very far away, so it might take a while longer.

-Midori Suarez
Daughter of Mercy

I believe Kaiva is being rather harshly chastised. Kaiva, I strongly admire your fervor and courage. It is much-needed refreshment. Your piety and strive to maintain a true and honest heart enlightens me. However, be very wary of people and especially creatures from another plane. I have witnessed too many instances where people have been given chance after chance for redemption, but end up hurting more people than previously. You might get to learn this personally. You learn that people sometimes truly have no light within them. Out of my ten years in Travance and countless instances with necromancers and Dark Paladins, I have looked in the face of people who truly have sought nothing but the destruction of life and desecration of everything good. I wish nothing other than to protect you and the people you love. Something I have always learned is that you first seek someone's redemption before harming them. If they show no will to redeem themselves, then assume that their malicious motives will continue. I hope that this helps.

A paladin has written words, and they are good. I would only add that your compassion might be better suited elsewhere than directed at things that seem to be personifications of malice. There are many hurt souls in travance, and it is often the trap I have seen Andorrans fall into the try to redeem those that openly embrace evil without flinching, rather than helping those that are balanced on the knife edge between good and evil.

Before you look into the Abyss to help, perhaps your words and deeds would be better suited to the lost within Travance itself.

Why are you all wasting effort on this?

You won't convince her and she won't convince you.

Focus on fixing the problem more than convincing some priestess it's the right thing to do. If she gets in the way of your decision, then move her.

You're wasting time.

I do have a simple question.

Instead of signing a contract, why not just agree to a cease fire for now? Like it or not, the demons are in this. This is survival for them just like it is for us- they can't not be in this even if we don't see them. Dismissing that is blinding yourself to reality. Why not simply make a cease fire so that we can concentrate on the true threat here?

The Mother and the Jailer will surely be around after Kalen is dealt with- one way or another.

In the meantime, thank you Ilana for working so hard and diligently. I am unsure whether I will be at this feast due to the amount of attacks on the subjects in the Proper, but I will make an attempt.

-Allyce

Miss Ilana,

I got an answer from Pyke. She said that her mother is worried about another war with demons and doesn't think it's a good idea. And Pyke agrees, especially with what happened to Kalen that put us in this situation. So the Air Queen doesn't think the order should come from her court. But she also said that Mr. King Avalon will be present at the December feast, and if he calls on them for help, then they will answer the call. Would you like me to write to him, or would you rather just speak with him in person?

-Midori Suarez
Daughter of Mercy