My Dear Greganth,

I hope you will not mind a written response to your inquiry concerning the new art of ensorcellment. I have been detained by my work over the last week and it has become increasingly difficult to find time for conversation. You wish to know if ensorcellment is comparable to the enslavement of souls associated with Luukos? I do not share your scruples on this point but it is my belief that you can enjoy the advantages of ensorcellment with a clear conscience.

When I was a young man in Ta’Faendryl, it was my custom to visit two of the local booksellers each day. One shop carried the finest new selections in philosophy and history. The other shop was worthless except for its location on the same street as a house of leisure. This was well before my marriage, of course, and there was one courtesan in particular who held me in fascination. You cannot imagine how many hours I wasted flipping through the same poorly translated copy of Meachreasim while craning my neck to catch a glimpse of those starlight eyes. For two years I resisted the urge to reach out to this woman because of the dire warnings from so many of my teachers. It is said, “A scholar with a wife is like a ship with a hole in the bottom.” This courtesan threatened to ruin my discipline and end my career as a sorcerer before it began! Can you imagine what happened? In the end, I gave up on trepidation and quit the shabby bookstore for the more intimate setting I desired all along. Ah, Silvean, and then what? Nothing. My discipline remained intact and my future eminence assured. My point, Greganth, is that sometimes we build up scruples in our mind that have no connection to reality. Do you not trust in your own intentions and willpower? You know that my strange magic holds no corruption for you. And you know that knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Dwell not on the means, think of the good service ensorcellment will provide.

Still, I can offer two points that will soothe your conscience. Luukosian soulcrafting seems to work with whatever essence survives the fleshy body of a sentient being in its totality. The necrotic energy used in ensorcellment is just a sliver of something else. It is sufficient for my purpose here to note that the process of death and decay carries an energy all its own. Consider that the weakest permanent ensorcellment of a weapon requires energy drawn from the death of hundreds. If their souls were bound up by our hands, it would be a much faster process than this stitching of tiny threads. Additionally, some may label the resulting enhancements unnatural but they err by failing to develop their point further. If it were not for the unnatural, our ancestors would have died out in the forests long ago.

For every three sorcerers, you will find four opinions. You know that my opinion is sound, however, and it will provide you sure guidance as you seek ensorcelled weapons and armor. You will soon know the power of sorcery in a small way and this experience will not leave you as you were before. I look forward to discussing your experiences with this magic further.

My regards to you and all honor to the Patriarch,

Silvean Rashere

Lord Rashere,

First, my thanks for taking the time to follow up on our conversation, and sharing your experience. The moral of your story does make a statement about wishing, hoping, and action. The point rings home. I think however, you may have mis-interpreted the foundation for my question. For me, personally, I doubt that my own belief system will be affected in any manner, as you may know, my mother was Faendryl, and the legacy of our bloodline was not set aside in my youth. The question that has been posed, was more to enlighten others, once the research and complete understanding of the process was obtained.

I posed the question to you, as a sorcerer of some renown, and one my family has held in regard for as far as I can remember. My own idle curiosities prompted me to ask, 'If the power to bind this spell comes from the spirit of the fallen, then could not the use of these beings very soul, to be in service to another, compare on a lesser level to the evil that commands undead?' This to many may relate to Luukos, but we all know that the undead can be raised by many others.

I realize you have recently returned from your pilgrimage, and were absent during The Landing's problems with Grishom Stone. I will not dwell on the details here, but he used the 'spirit's' of literally hundreds, if not thousands, of young women to bring life to the Urnon Golem Mirayam, and later the Black Urnon Golem Madelyne. I bring this name to light again, because on some level, this ensorcellment, some could, and may, identify as an abuse of spirits that should be left to be free. Now, I am a pretty open-minded individual, in most regards, and it may simply be that this force that it used to perform and bind this spell is as you so aptly stated in conversation, 'Left over parts'. My own beliefs aside, are we certain that no part of the sentient is being used against it's wishes, or is this energy, or force, merely the natural order of things? How can we be sure? Lastly, if we cannot be sure, is this truly magic that should become known to the world?

I have a trait, some find it endearing, others find it annoying, but the trait is thus; I like to know what lies around the corner, and often choose the third option that is not on the table. The ability to question, understand and act was something my father ingrained in all his children at a young age. My point I suppose is this, if the possibility for the gathering of , let's call it life force, for conversational purposes, can be exchanged or manipulated to power this spell, then the possibility for abuse of this power cannot be far behind.

My question arose merely through the terminology used to empower the spell. Is it truly the spirit of the fallen, that is being used, or is another energy, something not yet defined, that we would understand as their spirit, for lack of a better descriptor? I suspect there is a valid argument for the use of the spirit. There are certainly those that would gladly sacrifice their own 'soul' for power, but should we, as a society, be encouraging the use of another's 'soul', after death, for our own benefit? I have the understanding of calling lesser spirits to my aid, in the form of some spell that I have retained, but not having given the process much thought prior, I may now reconsider my use of any spell that calls upon these.

Certainly, you, M'lord, can see why to truly understand this new-found power, before we begin to use these 'threads' to weave a greater proportions and aggravation, becomes vital.

Again, thank you for your observations, and I look forward to speaking to you of this in detail sometime soon.

~Greganth Olberath

~