Editing Morglin Ironfist (section)

=== Letter 6 ===
11th day of the Month of the Lizard, Common Year 641

Ragnar,

:I have survived the last three years, no thanks to you. I thought for a time that all was lost. I had but one town, my capital, that the residents insist on calling [[Ironfist Keep]]. Twice I was besieged and twice I repelled the attacks.

:Both times I captured the hero leading the attacking hosts. The first of these heroes was the same one I had captured before. Thinking that I could gain great wealth I held him for ransom. I received a paltry offer the first time and reasoned that I had but to hold out and his master would offer a great sum. I never heard from that skin flint of a king again. I asked the hero to then serve me but he refused. I was bound by the code of royal blood and could not execute him and thus had to let him go. I had lost a hero and had no ransom money to show for my effort.

:The second time I was wiser and upon capturing the hero of the next attacking host I immediately made an offer to him and he gladly accepted the right to serve me. He has become a powerful ally. While still protecting the source of my power I sent him out and he recaptured the town I once held to the south. I built my wealth up, investing in yet more structures to bring various creatures and brave warriors into my service. I had found that moving forward aggressively at the start of things might win great glory and honor, but also left one vulnerable to attack from the rear.

:The next time I was attacked I repulsed it easily, driving my enemies before me and hearing the lamentations of their loved ones.

:At great expense I built jousting arenas to attract great and powerful knights into my service and then at even greater expense I erected a holy cathedral so that mighty paladins would rally to my banner.

:I did not neglect the realms of magic either, for it was due to a weakness in such spells and powers that I had nearly been bested the first time I ventured out into the broad and dangerous world. Though they are expensive to develop, they are worth the investment.

:The powers of those who wield magic are many. They have mastered arts here that your useless court magicians can barely imagine. There are various spells of protection and attack. There are spells that can burn an opponent into cinders or turn them into ice. My magic users have spells that can enchant and spells that can block the strikes of swords and spears, while there are yet other spells than can aid greatly in the difficult art of siege craft.

:At great expense I commissioned my magic users to master such subtle arcane arts as the ability to turn undead, to provide protection against the magic of others, to cure, to bless my warriors so that their strength increased, and to blind my opponents so that they could not see where to attack.

:I think I should add here that the pathetic wizard, Guthbert, who caused me so much trouble in your realm with his loose tongue and could not strike a mouse dead, would have been burnt to a crisp by the rivals he would face here.

:I also developed my contacts with the [[Thieves' Guild|thieves’ guilds]] and thus learned many secrets from them to help me in the campaigns I now planned.

:After thus consolidating my powers I set out on an expedition that brought another hero into my service. I now had three armies. One, under the command of a trustworthy hero, I left to protect my homeland. The other I sent south to sweep back down to the sea, while I marched eastward across broad open plains.

:My hero in the south reached the coast where I had first marched years before, and taking a town there, he greatly strengthened it. A lighthouse was constructed to aid in the sailing of ships. I commanded him to move upon the flowing waters with caution for there were many dangerous creatures, brigands, and rival heroes upon the sea.

:He guided his ships up the coast, taking the town of a sorceress and thus did my power wax greatly. Islands were next taken and their wealth added into my coffers, denying at the same time such wealth to rivals. And then disaster struck yet again. A shower of great stones, trailing fire, plummeted from the heavens, smiting down the host of my hero. It seemed as well that as I grew more powerful an alliance was formed between the rival kings to turn their combined strength against me. As a result all that I won in the south was lost.

:I knew that if I stayed on the defensive the enemy would march to my gates. Therefore, I set out to meet the new threat. But this time I did not make the foolish move of stripping my capital and the towns close to it of their defenses. My reasoning was proper, for through some great and powerful magic an enemy army appeared, materializing out of thin air, near my capital. They were repulsed but at great loss of the city’s warriors, wizards, and wealth.

:I now realize as well that I had neglected to build up strength with the great and dark creatures such as Gargoyles, Minotaurs, Hydras and the dreaded king of all, the Dragons. Thus I set out to bring the towns of warlocks under my control.

:I found that though a Paladin was indeed a mighty warrior he was, as they say, ‘burnt toast’ when confronting an army with dragons. I shall work hard in these areas and then all shall tremble before me.

:I am curious to know, is Ewine’s breath as disgusting as I now remember it to be?