Hail, brave inhabitants of the basin.

I come before you this day to warn you of a grave danger, a danger of
banditry and robbery. The uncouth forests of the north have ever been
barbarous and without civilised laws. It is a land in which law gives
way to might, and the rodentine regent abases himself, squealing, before
the robber barons of his kingdom.

Once you might have shrugged and said, "And what are the barbarities of
Serenwilde to me?" Now, you can no longer. The bandit Narsrim, growing
tired of pillage and rape amongst the fae and amongst his own kind, has
announced his intent to rob from all he can. The highways through
atavistic Serenwilde were always dangerous, but now they are doubly so.
Robber bands of Moondancers eagerly await the next merchant foolish
enough to tread the rough road to Celest.

"But how can the Serenwilde allow this?" I hear you ask. "Are there not
laws against theft? Why do they not cast this highwayman from their
midst in disgust?" Ah, my friends, how naive you are! Let me tell you
about the Serenwilde. It is a forest wracked by inconstancies and
hypocrisies, ruled weakly by a coward furrikin who wets himself at
Narsrim's very approach. The people are retarded by excessive incest and
inbreeding, and all force of law has long since fled. The very worst are
the moondancers, "Protectors of the Fae" they dub themselves. Yet they
do not protect, they enslave. They do not help, they abuse. The bandit
bears the rank 'Heir of Ellindel', but he is a disgrace to the name of
his predecessor... the fae themselves have said it, but the bandit does
not care, and his fellows will not hear anything so contrary to their
self interest. The bandit's fellow leaders are one Laysus: a weak willed
fanatic who will say nothing against his master, and Tsuki: a vain and
insipid elfen who lacks the insight to see her guild fall apart around
her, who may be bought by cheap stolen trinkets from her champion.

The extraordinary part of the story, is how none other than Terentia,
Goddess of the Even Blade, applauds the bandit's behaviour. A serving
wench from my Guildhall was attacked as she walked the highways to visit
her dying mother. I myself questioned her. The bandit was suffused with
the aura of Terentia's favour, even as he beat her bloody and stole what
little she had.

"She is uncompromising in Her ideals and expectations and as such only
accepts followers who have exhibited moral fibre..." There is no need to
say more. Perhaps it is that Terentia has a different understanding of
moral fibre to mine. It is, no doubt, perfectly acceptable to steal from
the weak, to rob from women and children, to spring dishonourably on
travellers on the highway. Let all thieves and bandits turn to Terentia
for sustenance! Hail Terentia, Golden Goddess of Thieves and Robbers!

What will we do to this bandit? We will hang him... when we can. We can
hope for no help from his fellows, who are too stupid to appreciate the
evil of what he does, or too weak to oppose him. Indeed, the pathetic
regent of Serenwilde has decreed against thievery repeatedly. He has
been ignored. Earlier this month, he informed a highranking Magnagoran
that he had reiterated his laws against stealing... yet not one day ago,
a young and pretty Geomancer of my acquaintance was attacked, and barely
escaped with her clothes intact.

It is sad that Serenwilde has fallen so low. Tis sad that Terentia's
Gold is now associated with stolen wares from unprotected merchants,
that the Silver of the Moon is besmirched by thievery. I urge you all,
be vigilant, be wary, and Magnagora opens its doors to all who require
protection.

Archmage Aiakon d'Murani

Penned by my hand on the 21st of Vestian, in the year 145 CE.