The Diary of Verity, Viscountess of Seawatch
Volume V

This volume contains the notes of Verity Touraine, then the Viscountess of Seawatch, as she grew into a potent initiate of the secrets forbidden by the Church of Inner Light. It details her rebellion against her mistress and her rise to power in the Touraine family.

Possession of this tome is worth **** Research Points per session. If delivered to the Church, this tome is worth **** Church Prestige Points.

The following note is written in newer ink on the front page of the diary, as though it was added at a later date than the majority of the text.

Hear me, oh seeker into forbidden lore!
My name is Verity Touraine, and in life I was known as the
Duchess of Touraine.
I sacrificed my life to the pursuit of knowledge, out of belief
that truth is a virtue, and wisdom an honorable aspiration.
History will decide if I was a monster or a hero, but the truths I
discover will survive me. These texts contain all that I learned
during my life.
Read them and follow me in my journey through light and
darkness.

The deed is done.

On the aphelion of Lucien, the Hawks of Light entered the estate of Anastasia Issorat, a known heretic in flagrant violation of the dictates of the Inner Light. Despite heavy resistance from her servitors, the Hawks of Light, led by the heroic Lydie Bellatrix, were able to prevail. Sadly, Lady Anastasia Issorat, Viscountess of Issorat, was slain in the fighting and could not be brought to trial. However, correspondence seized in the raid indicted several other Issorat lords in league with her, and these lords were swiftly brought to trial and executed for their crimes against the Crown and the Light.

On the day she died, Bloodstone uttered a soundless scream and vanished into shadow.

...

She sent me a letter before she died.
She knew what I had done.
I have destroyed it.

...

What have I done? Now I am alone, and I have given a sister in the art to my worst enemies.

What can I do to bring her back?

...

I was a fool to destroy her letter. I will struggle to remember what she said.

My dearest Verity,

I have learned that I have been betrayed. I placed too much trust in you, and now the shadows are coming to claim me. This, my haven, my refuge from the Dream, shall soon be no sanctuary against the knives. Despite everything, I have some to love you, and I am sorry that we could not have been closer. As I die, my last thought will be of what could have been again.

In the years to come, watch for this sign, for they will be your enemy:

Take these cards as a remembrance of our time together, and trust me when I say that I had only our happiness in mind. Our son is safe.

Your devoted Anastasia.

Our son?

...

I saw one of the Mer today for the first time. It was like seeing Anastasia reborn as a creature of exquisite death. Years ago, I would have eagerly accepted the conclusion his embrace would provide.

...

I am discovering one of the problems of having had my patroness murdered. It has been a year since Anastasia's death, and since then the small amount of power the Issorat family possessed has been reduced through the efforts of the Hawks of Light. I have made an effort to rescue some of Anastasia's library from the torches, but the Gitany who assist me are justifiable afraid of the Hawks of Light.

...

Today I learned that my mother has passed away.

As her heir, I am entitled to her title, her seat on the royal council, and her place at the head of my family. However, the elders of the Touraine family have apparently decided that I am not a worthy heir to my mother's titles. I am entirely certain this is my mother's fault for sending me away from the capital, but I am nevertheless determined to claim what is rightfully mine.

Tomorrow, I return to court.

...

I had my first encounter with a theurgist today. I did not enjoy it. As near as I can tell, it functions by temporarily invoking pacts to the Powers, and then ritually breaking those pacts. The energy produced fuels the rite's effects by channeling the power through the theurgist's body. Were I to break one of my pacts, it would surely consume me. I would not be surprised if a theurgist's art slowly consumes them as well.

...

Today, I have been confirmed as the Duchess of Touraine, foremost among the Touraine family and fully entitled to a seat upon the Royal Council. I have returned to court.

To my dearest daughter.

It is with the greatest sadness that I send this message to thee. I have heard of thy success in thy studies, and wish that I could travel to assist thee in person in thy initiations. Alas, I fear that my duties to the Circle prevent me from departing the capital at this time. Were I any other man, I know I would not let my duties as a guardian come between me and my most beloved offspring. However, I have become something other than any other man, and as such I must maintain my vigilance far from thy side.

Since my last letter, the Apostate's supporters have only grown stronger. I fear that within the next several years, they may even be able to challenge the Circle directly, For now, the Kodacha have remained loyal, but I have reason to believe that the King is making determined efforts to ply them for information. Blaise Komaru is a powerful man, and the Council worries that his ambition may cause him to seek an alternative to his traditional role at the time of the End. I devoutly hope that he can be dissuaded from his madness, but if rumors of his expeditions into the Shield of the North are true, I doubt that we have much hope.

On then, to happier news. The news of thy imminent supplication of the Crystal of the South has reached my ears. I do not doubt that thy instructors have included a number of miko, and that thy attunement to the second circle has been completed admirably. After thou completest thy initiation to Kaijikisaki, though, I suspect that thou wilst soon encounter the limitations of the Circle's academy. As I would not see the issue of my flesh stymied in her pursuit of wisdom, let me grant thee the gift of knowledge, that thou mayst progress to the fullness of thy potential.

Ere thou canst progress to the mastery of the third circle, thou needst confront the Ordeals and the Summonings. Ainomeiyaku and Suadela will pose their Ordeals against thee, and thou needst to persevere to conquer their challenges, but I do not doubt that thou will be able to bend thy miko to the task. Suadela's Ordeal is by far the more straightforward, though it pains me to imagine thee facing it without me there beside thee. Thou wilst need the assistance of an initiate of Omoehime, of course. Once thou findest such a one, thy challenge begins: thou needst win the love of a miko of the Tempestuous Paragon, breaking his bond to Omoehime in the presence of thy assisting initiate. Beware, my love, for I would not see thy heart broken in thy pursuit of initiation.

The Surrender of Spirit's Ordeal is one I know well, and one that thou needst fear, I am afraid. In the presence of a follower of Eratohime and her miko, thou needst offer the miko thy own secret heart. The Ordeal itself is simple, but the effects profound. While thy miko lives, he will see thy inner heart, and thou wilst be able to speak no lie. Worse, though, is was comes if thy miko breaks his vows: thy voice will be strip'd from thee and thou wilst never speak again. Only because I love thy voice, and dream of hearing it say "Father" to me again shall I tell thee the final, terrible truth: thou can speak false again once thy miko is dead. I pray, though, that thou wilst do thy best to offer kindness to those who wear the same mantle as I.

With thy ordeals past, thou wilst face a new challenge, one that thy miko will need to be prepared for. The Summonings demand that thy miko bear sanctified implements consecrated to the powers. To prepare these implements requires an involved ritual. Vahranshouri is the Desire Achieved, and for this ritual thou wilst need to find thyself a silver mirror. The better the quality of the mirror, the better thy result will be, but I am certain thy inheritance will serve thee admirably in this regard. Once thou hast acquired the mirror, acquire as well at least two doses of flame powder, a geomancer's crystal, and a dose of Soma. In mine own day, the instructors kept such substances in the academy, but thou mayest need look farther afield to find them. With these items in hand, draft thee two followers of Ashavahista, and find then place of safety.

Thy miko should lay before thee: in my day, we used an altar, but in place a table or even a couch may suffice. Mix the flame powder and share the concoction between thyself and thy miko. If thou findest sufficient flame powder, sharing two doses may be wise. Once thou feelest the effects of the flame powder, thy miko (and thy miko alone) must consume the Soma as well. Act swiftly, for the combination of Soma and flame powder will soon profoundly affect thy miko. Lay thy silver mirror upon thy miko's breast, set the geomancer's crystal atop it, and place your hands over both. At the same time, chant thee the following:

Vahranshouri, the granter of victory,
The Desire Achieved, open your heart.
Grant me the power of Lucien and the Light.
I call the Mirror of Dreams!

As thou finishest chanting, thy miko must lay his hands upon your own, and repeat the chant. As he finishes speaking, thou shouldst feel thy hands drawn into thy miko's breast. The crystal will melt into the mirror, and all will melt, with thy hands, towards thy miko's heart. Once this begins, both guardians must sound the chant in unison. Once thy hands are within thy miko, thou must not move or speak for at least five minutes, lest thee shatter the ritual. In this period, thy guardians must defend thee from all harm, so choose them wisely. When thy miko awakens again from the Soma vision, he will be able to call the mirror forth at will by repeating the chant I provided above, provided he is under the influence of flame powder. The mirror, as thou wilst see, will grant him some noteworthy powers, including the ability to initiate followers of Vahranshouri in the presence of two followers of Ashavahista. However, by wary, for while he can restore the mirror to his self at will, if the flame powder he imbibes wears off while it is out of his body, he will suffer a horrible and painful fate. The mirror, of course, will not survive it.

The rite for creating Ruroubi's Jewel is identical, save that it replaces the mirror with a red jewel, and requires the following chant:

Ruroubi, the fox-tail fire,
The Meandering Path, open your heart.
Grant me the power of Lucien and the Unmaking.
I call the Eye of Lusts!

My daughter, I hope that this information serves thee well, and that it stands in some stead for me in my absence. I wish that I could see thee again, but I know that it is not to be, and that thou canst understand why it is so. May the white moon watch over thee, and guard thee day and night.

Thy father,
Ambrose Issorat
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