Do not read this out loud. Do not share verbally without silencing wards or a way to ensure you won't be overheard. Burn after reading. Or eat it. I don't really care. Don't become a target.
The Cult of the Fox is rumored to be led by Reynard's daughter, Severine. That's who you meant, isn't it? The fiery-haired girl. Half-sylph. Did you know? Now you do. We don't know how many people are part of this Cult. ALWAYS watch your back.
Reynard wanted to raise a third court to defeat both of our own and used all means possible to do so. Killing people, kidnapping people, torturing people, etc. The third court's not possible anymore but that doesn't stop the Cult. They're still going strong and they still probably want to destroy all of us. They're probably the ones instigating so much of the anti-shardbearer sentiments that cropped up last summer. Nobody's safe.
Not magically. Not martially. Not mentally.
The Cult wears the masks made out of shards. Because of our shards we're able to recognize it and know on-sight so long as they're not using it to disguise themselves. Clever assholes. With the masks the Cultists can wear anybody's face and mimic anybody's voice and can shapeshift. SHAPESHIFT.
Here's the scary part. They're trained in ways that we're not. They know how to use ancient shardbearer arts we haven't yet. They can mind control us, erase and warp our memories, and who even knows what. We're all at the risk of being messed with and rendered totally useless and driven completely insane.
NATURAL OR TRAINED RESISTANCE TO THE ABILITIES THEIR SHARDS GIVE THEM DON'T HAVE AN EFFECT. REMEMBER THIS. PLEASE.
We don't know how many crimes the Cult's committed but we know of some. The Oracle's death was originally thought to be our fault (which it's NOT…) but knowing that the Cult can wear our faces it takes it off of us. Those hangings in Daonna, the beheading of natives, and obviously an attack on an Unseelie stronghold after they rescued one of the cultists from Cothromach (dude was posing as one of us. NOT COOL.)
These guys are posing as us. They're posing as shardbearers which doesn't help combat the fact the natives are NOT happy we're here. Some of the Cultists can probably manipulate people into believing they're shardbearers and the idea that they're capable of turning all of us against each other freaks me out. We've known for a while that there's something wrong with the fact that everybody's so focused on the war between the courts. It's the perfect chance for them to strike. Look at what happened to us recently.
We need to get stronger. All of us. We all need to get better and get stronger in other shard magic. THAT SAID, DON'T YOU DARE ACTIVATE YOUR SHARD AROUND A CULTIST. Outside interference from someone can pull both shard-using members out of the mind of someone else. Seriously. Don't do it.
If you can, find a way to identify yourself. Some people are getting tattoos or marking themselves in ways that are unique to them so we're not victims of bodysnatchers. Keep the marks hidden. Don't even know what it is so that others can identify it for you and your mind can't be raked for the info.
On top of Severine who's super dangerous, there's Martin Maskmaker. Shardbearer of a court that no longer exists. Name implies he made the shard masks that they're using against us. We don't have a lot of proof, but think about it.
In the meantime, keep your eyes open. Be suspicious of everything going on, especially anything that's going to point fingers super fast. That's exactly what they want.
Stay sharp.
End of June, post-Hiro's quest, rune-locked letter, written in Josh's native language
[Joshua's letter doesn't come as fast as the last conversation had. He's been tying up his own loose ends.]
Half-sylph I didn't know, but that's interesting.
Some of this I've already received information about. The information I didn't know about has explained a couple of things. These ancient teachings must have been lost to history for a reason, and may well have been skills acquired only through in person lessons, never written down.
We're forced to turn inward, but if we're careful, then we may be able to work within the rules shoved onto us. Perhaps we could even change those rules, given the right information and the right way of handling it. When you stop looking for the enemies outside of the ones you know, that's when you get the knife buried between your shoulder-blades.
Added suggestion to the markings: make it temporary. This way, it's a different mark every time and can change where it's located on your body. Either way, it's not total protection, but it's something we can all do in the meantime.
This requires investigation. It could be possible that there's someone with extraordinary talents using his name and he's actually dead in a ditch somewhere.
Hiro, whatever you do, don't be rash. You must be cautious if you're going to try investigating these people and helping put a stop to them. These people are more dangerous than any of our Monarchs, and I don't want to see you become a victim.
[This is...the first time Joshua's ever said something definitively protective to Hiro. Everything else has always read as off-handed, just like he normally is. This is different, though. The Cult changes things rather drastically.]
End of June, post-Hiro's quest, rune-locked letter, written in Josh's native language
I've known for a while. I didn't know you meant her until recently and then things got bad and then I received some inside info and now here we are. Half-sylph and fully dangerous.
You really don't think they were written somewhere? They have to be. There has to be record somehow but...I mean the Drabkeeper's library burned. Other places and people have been destroyed. Someone's gotta have information stored somewhere else, don't these guys believe in back-ups?
So what exactly are you suggesting, that we work among ourselves but keep an eye out for ways to work around the restrictions? Isn't that what we're already doing? I'm done being blindsided, I'm always going to look out now.
And I don't like the idea of making it temporary, personally. What if it disappears when you need it most? What if your friends don't recognize it either because it changes too much? It's not total protection but it's our best bet for now.
"This requires investigation?" And you're telling ME not to be rash? If I'm not allowed to act on my own, neither are you! Any of you! I'm being perfectly cautious and...look. I'll be fine. You're the one with the crazy angel powers and everything. I think you're more likely to be a target than I am. I'm just...me.
So seriously. Wanna talk about not being rash? You've gotta be more calculative than ever.
A shame our lockets can only text people via dictation. Otherwise, it'd be a simpler matter to get this information circulating through my side as well. Though...I do have connections who may be able to help with that.
Consider it like this, Hiro. Shardbearers once were able to wield great and terrible power, using that power for good or ill or however it suited them best. What if that information was lost on purpose to the world at large? The Drabkeeper would've been the only one who had that information, no matter what, but what if he didn't keep copies of those particular books out for the public to read?
Calm yourself before you let your emotions do the blinding. The Monarchs keeping us from working together is still a major problem. We still need to work within those restrictions they've placed on us, and that's by not openly working with each other.
Except that the more people who know about your mark, the less secure it will be. As it gets fainter, you get a different mark in a different place. The thing with the mark is that it's something not in your memory. You've never seen it before or if you have, then you only have a vague impression of what it might be. A third party looking at the two of you will immediately notice that there's a detailed mark on a visible part of your body, but not on the fake's. The mark is only for the benefit of that select few people you trust, and it can't be a huge circle. Otherwise, you run a higher risk of the copycat knowing about it as well.
You overestimate my power in this world, though I'm flattered by the sentiment. I'm not nearly as powerful in this current form, this Realground version of myself. Powerful yes, but still relatively weak. Also, I've taken care to not show the full extent of my abilities in this world. You've only seen a brief glimpse of what my "crazy angel powers" can do.
You're just you and you willfully would walk into traffic if you saw something you liked on the other side of the road. Regardless, I said nothing about you being allowed to investigate or not. Merely, I asked you to be cautious as you run headlong into the street.
Total shame, right? I constantly feel like we’re going backwards. Do I know these connections, too?
But why would that information be completely lost on purpose? I can buy that people tried. I can buy that they kept it from the public but someone HAS to know. Somebody has to know so that they can bring out the same power when they need leverage…kinda like now. That’s what I want to find. I need THAT information.
I AM calm. And I know that’s what they want us to do, and I know we have to play their game but…it’s only a matter of time before we’re pushed back together. It’s gotta be that way. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.
I would only tell a few people in the first place, but like I said…what if they don’t recognize it because it changes too much? What if you don’t get to see them in time to tell them you updated the mark? A lot of people have the same friends, Joshua, that’s a lot of marks to memorize and if they keep changing…? Anyway I can’t disagree that it’s just for a few people. It’s just a pain having to track down people to give you a new mark over and over again. Isn’t there a compromise?
You realize that whole sentence is sorta contradictory don’t you? “Oh I’m not that powerful but I’ve only shown you a bit of how powerful I am in this form.” Am I ever going to see the full extent of the RG form? (I think I know the answer to that.) My point still stands though. They’re more likely to go after people with powers and not people like me.
Why does everybody use the traffic analogy? It’s not that bad! But I’m going to be careful. I have a few ideas to follow but I’m going to make sure I don’t get caught up in it.
The only ones who would know are the ones who've had that knowledge passed down to them orally. Writing those techniques down would mean tempting more than your casual thief to try stealing them. Given the fact that you're grounded at the moment, you're not in the best position to find out that information on your own. You'll need to rely on other people to gather that information for you, don't you?
I can sense that you're a font of calmness at the moment even from all the way over here. Still, given how things are, I wouldn't hold your breath on that happening anytime soon.
The only "compromise" is whatever you choose to use as your method. You could keep it permanent. You could use the same symbol and move it to a different place. You could use different symbols to move to different places. The end result is the same.
Perhaps, if things keep going as they are. Eventually, my hand will be forced. I just plan on keeping it to my chest as long as possible. However, don't discount yourself just yet. Your status and connections are just as likely to make you a target as someone with supernatural abilities.
You realize then that the only way to actually get this information is to either get people to talk or actively lift it from their brains. I don't think they're great options, but they're options. ...and anyway, I can still do a little bit of work from here. I'm not totally grounded. Just mostly grounded. It all comes back down to who you trust with this kind of thing.
You're making fun of me, aren't you. I am the most calm you've ever seen and you can't prove otherwise. And just because things are going this way now doesn't mean they're going to be forever...isn't that the point of the world? Things change.
And it probably doesn't matter. I doubt I'm getting a tattoo anytime soon. Or letting somebody cut me. But I'll keep that in mind if anything changes.
What status and connections? You mean being an Unseelie shardbearer and who happens to be close to a couple of the prominent figures on the Unseelie side? I guess MAYBE that makes me a target if you really think about it. I'm still saying that they seem to be going after higher beings first. Gods and stuff. I'm not a god, remember?
Way to totally ignore my last sentence, dude. But I'll take it as "you're right, Hiro, thank you for being my friend and looking out for my well-being even while you're busy dodging metaphorical trolleys."
It's more of a security issue than anything personal.
Of course. That's why you use agents to gather this information for you instead of going in person yourself. Aside from which, they will hopefully have experience in getting that information out of these people.
Everything changes. It could be instantaneous or it could take eons. Sadly, I feel that our time is running short, so we will need to expedite change very carefully.
Consider yourself lucky to not be one, Hiro. It's a high price to pay to become a god, especially nowadays. However, those connections you have, if deep enough, can most certainly make you a target. This isn't to say that you should cut them. It's simply that you should be aware that there may already be a target painted on your back. The most damage you can do to a person is by destroying the people they most care about.
[He's going to ignore the friend comment. At least, for now he is.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
End of June, post-Hiro's quest, rune-locked letter, written in Josh's native language
Do not share verbally without silencing wards or a way to ensure you won't be overheard.
Burn after reading. Or eat it. I don't really care.
Don't become a target.
The Cult of the Fox is rumored to be led by Reynard's daughter, Severine. That's who you meant, isn't it? The fiery-haired girl. Half-sylph. Did you know? Now you do. We don't know how many people are part of this Cult. ALWAYS watch your back.
Reynard wanted to raise a third court to defeat both of our own and used all means possible to do so. Killing people, kidnapping people, torturing people, etc. The third court's not possible anymore but that doesn't stop the Cult. They're still going strong and they still probably want to destroy all of us. They're probably the ones instigating so much of the anti-shardbearer sentiments that cropped up last summer. Nobody's safe.
Not magically. Not martially. Not mentally.
The Cult wears the masks made out of shards. Because of our shards we're able to recognize it and know on-sight so long as they're not using it to disguise themselves. Clever assholes. With the masks the Cultists can wear anybody's face and mimic anybody's voice and can shapeshift. SHAPESHIFT.
Here's the scary part. They're trained in ways that we're not. They know how to use ancient shardbearer arts we haven't yet. They can mind control us, erase and warp our memories, and who even knows what. We're all at the risk of being messed with and rendered totally useless and driven completely insane.
NATURAL OR TRAINED RESISTANCE TO THE ABILITIES THEIR SHARDS GIVE THEM DON'T HAVE AN EFFECT. REMEMBER THIS. PLEASE.
We don't know how many crimes the Cult's committed but we know of some. The Oracle's death was originally thought to be our fault (which it's NOT…) but knowing that the Cult can wear our faces it takes it off of us. Those hangings in Daonna, the beheading of natives, and obviously an attack on an Unseelie stronghold after they rescued one of the cultists from Cothromach (dude was posing as one of us. NOT COOL.)
These guys are posing as us. They're posing as shardbearers which doesn't help combat the fact the natives are NOT happy we're here. Some of the Cultists can probably manipulate people into believing they're shardbearers and the idea that they're capable of turning all of us against each other freaks me out. We've known for a while that there's something wrong with the fact that everybody's so focused on the war between the courts. It's the perfect chance for them to strike. Look at what happened to us recently.
We need to get stronger. All of us. We all need to get better and get stronger in other shard magic. THAT SAID, DON'T YOU DARE ACTIVATE YOUR SHARD AROUND A CULTIST. Outside interference from someone can pull both shard-using members out of the mind of someone else. Seriously. Don't do it.
If you can, find a way to identify yourself. Some people are getting tattoos or marking themselves in ways that are unique to them so we're not victims of bodysnatchers. Keep the marks hidden. Don't even know what it is so that others can identify it for you and your mind can't be raked for the info.
On top of Severine who's super dangerous, there's Martin Maskmaker. Shardbearer of a court that no longer exists. Name implies he made the shard masks that they're using against us. We don't have a lot of proof, but think about it.
In the meantime, keep your eyes open. Be suspicious of everything going on, especially anything that's going to point fingers super fast. That's exactly what they want.
Stay sharp.
End of June, post-Hiro's quest, rune-locked letter, written in Josh's native language
Half-sylph I didn't know, but that's interesting.
Some of this I've already received information about. The information I didn't know about has explained a couple of things. These ancient teachings must have been lost to history for a reason, and may well have been skills acquired only through in person lessons, never written down.
We're forced to turn inward, but if we're careful, then we may be able to work within the rules shoved onto us. Perhaps we could even change those rules, given the right information and the right way of handling it. When you stop looking for the enemies outside of the ones you know, that's when you get the knife buried between your shoulder-blades.
Added suggestion to the markings: make it temporary. This way, it's a different mark every time and can change where it's located on your body. Either way, it's not total protection, but it's something we can all do in the meantime.
This requires investigation. It could be possible that there's someone with extraordinary talents using his name and he's actually dead in a ditch somewhere.
Hiro, whatever you do, don't be rash. You must be cautious if you're going to try investigating these people and helping put a stop to them. These people are more dangerous than any of our Monarchs, and I don't want to see you become a victim.
[This is...the first time Joshua's ever said something definitively protective to Hiro. Everything else has always read as off-handed, just like he normally is. This is different, though. The Cult changes things rather drastically.]
End of June, post-Hiro's quest, rune-locked letter, written in Josh's native language
You really don't think they were written somewhere? They have to be. There has to be record somehow but...I mean the Drabkeeper's library burned. Other places and people have been destroyed. Someone's gotta have information stored somewhere else, don't these guys believe in back-ups?
So what exactly are you suggesting, that we work among ourselves but keep an eye out for ways to work around the restrictions? Isn't that what we're already doing? I'm done being blindsided, I'm always going to look out now.
And I don't like the idea of making it temporary, personally. What if it disappears when you need it most? What if your friends don't recognize it either because it changes too much? It's not total protection but it's our best bet for now.
"This requires investigation?" And you're telling ME not to be rash? If I'm not allowed to act on my own, neither are you! Any of you! I'm being perfectly cautious and...look. I'll be fine. You're the one with the crazy angel powers and everything. I think you're more likely to be a target than I am. I'm just...me.
So seriously. Wanna talk about not being rash? You've gotta be more calculative than ever.
no subject
Consider it like this, Hiro. Shardbearers once were able to wield great and terrible power, using that power for good or ill or however it suited them best. What if that information was lost on purpose to the world at large? The Drabkeeper would've been the only one who had that information, no matter what, but what if he didn't keep copies of those particular books out for the public to read?
Calm yourself before you let your emotions do the blinding. The Monarchs keeping us from working together is still a major problem. We still need to work within those restrictions they've placed on us, and that's by not openly working with each other.
Except that the more people who know about your mark, the less secure it will be. As it gets fainter, you get a different mark in a different place. The thing with the mark is that it's something not in your memory. You've never seen it before or if you have, then you only have a vague impression of what it might be. A third party looking at the two of you will immediately notice that there's a detailed mark on a visible part of your body, but not on the fake's. The mark is only for the benefit of that select few people you trust, and it can't be a huge circle. Otherwise, you run a higher risk of the copycat knowing about it as well.
You overestimate my power in this world, though I'm flattered by the sentiment. I'm not nearly as powerful in this current form, this Realground version of myself. Powerful yes, but still relatively weak. Also, I've taken care to not show the full extent of my abilities in this world. You've only seen a brief glimpse of what my "crazy angel powers" can do.
You're just you and you willfully would walk into traffic if you saw something you liked on the other side of the road. Regardless, I said nothing about you being allowed to investigate or not. Merely, I asked you to be cautious as you run headlong into the street.
no subject
But why would that information be completely lost on purpose? I can buy that people tried. I can buy that they kept it from the public but someone HAS to know. Somebody has to know so that they can bring out the same power when they need leverage…kinda like now. That’s what I want to find. I need THAT information.
I AM calm. And I know that’s what they want us to do, and I know we have to play their game but…it’s only a matter of time before we’re pushed back together. It’s gotta be that way. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.
I would only tell a few people in the first place, but like I said…what if they don’t recognize it because it changes too much? What if you don’t get to see them in time to tell them you updated the mark? A lot of people have the same friends, Joshua, that’s a lot of marks to memorize and if they keep changing…? Anyway I can’t disagree that it’s just for a few people. It’s just a pain having to track down people to give you a new mark over and over again. Isn’t there a compromise?
You realize that whole sentence is sorta contradictory don’t you? “Oh I’m not that powerful but I’ve only shown you a bit of how powerful I am in this form.” Am I ever going to see the full extent of the RG form? (I think I know the answer to that.) My point still stands though. They’re more likely to go after people with powers and not people like me.
Why does everybody use the traffic analogy? It’s not that bad! But I’m going to be careful. I have a few ideas to follow but I’m going to make sure I don’t get caught up in it.
Just make sure you do, too.
no subject
The only ones who would know are the ones who've had that knowledge passed down to them orally. Writing those techniques down would mean tempting more than your casual thief to try stealing them. Given the fact that you're grounded at the moment, you're not in the best position to find out that information on your own. You'll need to rely on other people to gather that information for you, don't you?
I can sense that you're a font of calmness at the moment even from all the way over here. Still, given how things are, I wouldn't hold your breath on that happening anytime soon.
The only "compromise" is whatever you choose to use as your method. You could keep it permanent. You could use the same symbol and move it to a different place. You could use different symbols to move to different places. The end result is the same.
Perhaps, if things keep going as they are. Eventually, my hand will be forced. I just plan on keeping it to my chest as long as possible. However, don't discount yourself just yet. Your status and connections are just as likely to make you a target as someone with supernatural abilities.
The analogy suits.
no subject
You realize then that the only way to actually get this information is to either get people to talk or actively lift it from their brains. I don't think they're great options, but they're options. ...and anyway, I can still do a little bit of work from here. I'm not totally grounded. Just mostly grounded. It all comes back down to who you trust with this kind of thing.
You're making fun of me, aren't you. I am the most calm you've ever seen and you can't prove otherwise. And just because things are going this way now doesn't mean they're going to be forever...isn't that the point of the world? Things change.
And it probably doesn't matter. I doubt I'm getting a tattoo anytime soon. Or letting somebody cut me. But I'll keep that in mind if anything changes.
What status and connections? You mean being an Unseelie shardbearer and who happens to be close to a couple of the prominent figures on the Unseelie side? I guess MAYBE that makes me a target if you really think about it. I'm still saying that they seem to be going after higher beings first. Gods and stuff. I'm not a god, remember?
Way to totally ignore my last sentence, dude. But I'll take it as "you're right, Hiro, thank you for being my friend and looking out for my well-being even while you're busy dodging metaphorical trolleys."
no subject
Of course. That's why you use agents to gather this information for you instead of going in person yourself. Aside from which, they will hopefully have experience in getting that information out of these people.
Everything changes. It could be instantaneous or it could take eons. Sadly, I feel that our time is running short, so we will need to expedite change very carefully.
Consider yourself lucky to not be one, Hiro. It's a high price to pay to become a god, especially nowadays. However, those connections you have, if deep enough, can most certainly make you a target. This isn't to say that you should cut them. It's simply that you should be aware that there may already be a target painted on your back. The most damage you can do to a person is by destroying the people they most care about.
[He's going to ignore the friend comment. At least, for now he is.]
no subject
Just don't be afraid of the change that comes no matter how much time we have left.
And no matter what? I'm not going to let me or my friends get damaged.
[And that includes Joshua, and he's not clarifying because he knows Joshua will know. That's all, dude. Keep those things in mind.]
no subject
Perhaps you will become wise.
[It's one of his top five Most Ambiguous Responses. Is it condescending or actually genuine? That's up to Hiro to decide.]