Huebald/Letter to Endalar

[Though still present, the blots of hesitation and incidences of hastily strung together letters penned and smudged in excitement have been kept to a minimum, giving the impression that the letter-writer has taken care to make things as legible as possible.]

Dear Mr. Endalar,

Hullo there, sir! Hoping this letter finds you well.

You probably don’t remember me at all, but we met, sort of, at the last Guildfest in Therengia. It was rather brief-like, to be sure, so I’ll be introducing myself again if you’ll oblige me. My name is Huebald, I’m a Halfling if that helps jog your memory a bit, and I’m just starting my second year with the Empath’s guild. In case you weren’t aware, there have been some happenings going on with the vela’tohr plant here in our guildhall in the Crossing, and your name’s come up as a person who might be interested–and, to be frank, I’m hoping you might have some interesting things to share besides!

Far as I, or any of my more experienced guildmates, can tell as of this writing (446 years, 72 days, night), the vela’tohr plant in our courtyard (Ms. Jaelia says you've said her name’s Ithrosie! Did you name her that or did she tell you her name? Got the feeling that was maybe an odd question when I asked the others, but I can’t help but wonder. Oh! And while I’m on that subject, sir, does the plant in the Temple Garden have a name too? I tried to ask the gardener, Mr. Eaadrich, but he was a mite too interested in educating me about its?/his?/her? origins to share that with me. Though if the plants are naming themselves, I’d be suspecting Mr. Eaadrich wouldn’t be able to glean that if he tried. If you do happen to know it, or how I might go about finding out for myself, I’d be right grateful if you’d pass that pearl along, so to speak) is in good health and good spirits and the good news doesn’t stop there! Leastways, I think it’s good news. Probably ought to be doing less of the thinking and more of the reporting.

Saplings have been spotted around Ithrosie! Just for the last few andean, but we’re seeing more and more by the day, it seems. First, she was sending out this calming energy around the courtyard and then, after a bit, a little sapling would poke up out of the ground before disappearing again. And some trainees from the guild have been coming out and investigating now and again. No one’s caught one of the little dears yet–or at least, no one’s admitted to it if they have to my knowledge–they’re awful quick. Today, there were a great many more saplings gathering around her and she was actively feeding from the earth with her tendrils. When she looks thirsty, some of us have been putting down (holy) water for her to drink. She must be needing a lot of water, though, because it’s been raining almost non-stop for a few days now and seems like she's after it as soon as it stops. But when she’s hungry? The little ones are right good at hiding away and not being found but is there something more we ought to be doing? We want to help if we can, we just need some guidance, if you’d be kind enough to give us some. We've also been getting the feeling that she's...paying us mind more than usual? Can't speak for the rest, but she can pay me all the mind she likes! Long as it doesn't distract her from raising her babies and whatnot, of course.

K’Salvur’s aware of it, I’m sure, otherwise several of the trainees have gone rogue and are studying Ithrosie in secret during her most active periods. But we’ve received no word on what, if anything, we ought to be doing to support our courtyard companion and her little ones. Though I’m certain he’s got plenty enough on his mind and we’ll know what we need to know whenever it is that we need to know it!

But the others were educating me some on where our vela’tohr friends are from and the troubles they face in their homeland; that they’re almost all of them blighted or cursed somehow and it’s a miracle beyond even the longest recollection of theirs that Ithrosie has produced any saplings at all. Thought you’d like to know about the saplings in case you didn’t already and that there’s quite a few of us keen on helping out if anything comes to mind.

On that note, Timorias has volunteered to organise a trek up? down? Honestly, I haven’t the foggiest where this Forfhedhar place is from here–which is why I did not volunteer to lead that expedition! But that’s where the vela’tohr came from as I understand things, so we’re going to pay the healthy plants there a visit too and see if anyone up/down there has seen anything similar and what they’ve been doing about it if they have.

Respectfully (and grateful for your time, sir!),

Huebald