THE RED LETTER, ISSUE 1: "Shoes That Never Fit Right"
THE RED LETTER
Consequences Made Legible
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ISSUE ONE
Nieri Aetherforge
Shoes That Never Fit Right
Many of the readers will recognize the name, and many more will infer what this article is about by the name alone. For those who are content with a story being encapsulated in two sentences, you can stop here. For the rest who have a more honed attention span, you might enjoy more context.
For I have uncovered in this research a statistical miracle, something that I, and likely all of you, thought would never be possible on this island of Arelith. All races and all beings across the Isle can find something to disagree with. You would say "blood sausage is gross!" and the dwarves would sneer at such a rude remark. You could say, "elves are the best woodworkers!" and the druids would shift back into their humanoid forms, if only to argue that point.
Except for one point, one that every subject of my investigation has parroted in one way or another. One thing that the entire Isle of Arelith was in agreement on. And that is: Nieri Aetherforge was not cut out to be a paladin. A paladin's heart must be made of resolute steel, but hers was only forged with iron. She was prone to rust, and it chipped away at her ability to overcome her hardships.
The oxidation began long before she ever stepped foot on Arelith mainland, with her only ally and mentor, Sir Victor Walsin, disappearing the day after they sailed to the remote islet of Skal, only to later discover that he was another unfortunate victim of the evils in the wilds. The only thing he had contributed to the land was as a body to be used to spread violence. He had no headstone. He said no final words.
Cordor was supposed to be a new beginning, to connect with people and work towards her destiny as a divine warrior, bouncing between the big city with her civil duties and the Radiant to earn her ranks.
"We didn't dislike her because of her hooves, we disliked her because she was undeserving," was a comment left by an anonymous member of the Radiant Heart who claimed to be present during Nieri's time with the organisation. They expressed feelings of frustration, utterly sick and tired of the "drama" that was caused, and requested that this reporter pike off. He was not willing to answer any further questions.
"Her fall from grace is a consequence of her own ignorance," a Cordorian lieutenant commented when queried about the tiefling's time within the city. They hold the sentiment that, regardless of the influences, it was her decision to act the way she did. They believed no one forced Nieri into the position she found herself in, and that the largest roadblock to her personal development was her inability to take accountability.
On the other side, a well known Priestess of Cordor had this to say: "I feel that she herself used her blessings for the wrong notions, that wonder of creation was denied and used for unwellness."
The Priestess voiced sentiments of sympathy and understanding. With so much negativity chipping away at her willpower, it was the Priestess' belief that Nieri's fall was inevitable, that even the strongest of people cannot withstand a bombardment of discrimination for long. She believed that Nieri still had a chance to return to the light, but the metaphorical odds were stacked against her. She settled on the opinion that Nieri was strong, but not strong enough to handle the social impacts of her actions.
A petulant child with unreasonable expectations, or a victim of seemingly endless backhanded comments? There seemed to be a clear divide between the people within Cordor regarding her conduct.
Even her most recently estranged allies in Sibayad were divided. A guildmember of a merchant guild commented: "Her home, exile--more cruel than death. Adds further emotional turmoil, suffering, upon a suffering soul."
They expressed that Nieri truly did care, and love, the sandy city. They believed she was acting in a way which she believed would benefit the city. The key takeaway being it was what Nieri believed was best. Whether or not it was actually the right choice, that is not this reporter's job to decide.
However, Vizier Eduard echoed an opposing viewpoint, viewing her actions as contradictory to her dedication to the settlement. Believing her actions were not well meaning mistakes, but instead calculated slights against the people who had given her endless chances to be better. He went on record to say simply: "You know what they say, fool me once..."
He alleged that the situations spawning from her fumbled attempts caused grief and strife towards the settlement, and that Eduard had to issue a formal apology to a neighbouring nation in order to maintain trade relations.
This reporter spoke with Nieri last, after receiving first and second hand accounts of a variety of situations the ex-paladin found herself involved in.
"If Cordor were to say they wanted you to return, would you?" She answered no.
"If The Radiant were to accept you now, would you try again?" She answered no.
"If Eduard were to reverse the exile, would you go back?" She answered no.
Her reasoning being that time cannot be reversed. The people who she felt wronged her cannot go back and fix their mistakes, and an apology now would be little more than absolving themselves of guilt instead of making up for what happened.
If this reporter were to break down every single situation, they would be writing a book instead of an article. It is not this reporter's task to say if Nieri is a victim or villain. This reporter has also not been bribed to frame the story one way or another.
What this reporter did find in the criminal archives is that Nieri's newest employer was potentially aware of a plot to assassinate her guildmate, a guildmate she mourned so that she forged a token in his honour, which lies in the hands of the Guldorand Watch now. Her fate has come full circle, associating with the same creatures that seduced, slaughtered, and fed on the blood of a friend she once held dear.
She lost her faith and fell from grace. Not in a dramatic impact cloud, nor crater left to remind her of the severity of her events, but instead in a burnt out match barely smoldering, left as there was no more faith left to burn.
Evianna Emeraldhart, Reporter
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Day 15, Month 8 (Elasias (Highsun)), 188 AR
''The Red Letter''