To her Fey Majesty, Queen Yolande of Celene
From her Envoy, Lord Skye Ni'Tessine

There has been much afoot in the Sheldomar Valley recently. The events in Geoff and Gran March in particular deserve attention.

As you well know, when the Giants invaded Geoff and Sterich, none could withstand them. The Giant's gains were however hard-won in Geoff, as the sylvan and half-elf archers picked off the first giant forays. But eventually Geoff's defenses broke, and the natives were forced to flee to neighboring nations. Gran March, a militant nation bordering Geoff, came to their aid and had an early victory. They reclaimed Hochoch, the capital city of Geoff, and many "Geofugees" returned home. Geoff is even now rebuilding its forces, but nonetheless little more than the area around Hochoch has been reclaimed to this day.

Geoff is desperate for help and has called upon many allies to aid it, including Yeomanry, Keoland, and the Gran March. The leader of Geoff, Owen I, even went so far as to marry the daughter of the King of Keoland and to repledge his allegiance to their imperial crown. As he would learn, those sacrifices would be in vain, as King Kimbertos soon afterwards withdrew the Royal Keoland forces he had promised.

But the treachery of Geoff's allies did not end there. This past Fall, Commandant Vrianian of the Gran March annexed Hochoch and its environs, locally called The Cup, claiming "Right of Conquest". To say that the Geoffites felt betrayed would be an understatement. However, there was little they could do themselves.

The Peers of Geoff appealed to the nobler motives of the Knights of the Watch, who all but run the country of Gran March. Commandant Vrianian of Gran March himself is a Knight, as are more than half of the Electors and nobles, as well as many of the military's officers. However, the Knights were non-comittal, explaining that they must remain neutral in affairs of nations -- an odd response from a Knightly order that freely admits to dealing in politics. Despite offering protests, Geoff could do little to stop the Gran March from claiming their capital city, and they surrended it to the Gran March.

All of this you are no doubt already aware. However, what deserves attention are the recent actions of Commandant Vrianian of Gran March. He met with the leader of the Knights of the Watch, who informed him that no less than Hieroneous himself told him that it was the Knights destiny to rule Hochoch and the surrounding area. Within a matter of days, Commandant Vrianian of the Gran March then declared that he had given Hochoch to the Knights, effectively creating a new nation in the Sheldomar Valley.

The arrival of a new sovereign state in the Valley is a truly unexpected event. One must wonder how the Geoffites now feel about the Knights, who initially told them they would remain neutral in affairs of state, then openly backed Vrinian in Gran March's election (who won), and finally now rule Geoff's old capital city thanks to Commandant Vrianian.

I would caution vigilance against the Knights, Gran March, and Keoland. The Knights are now just another human-dominated nation, and have goals known only to them. They have demonstrated a keen skill for politics that has rewarded them well. Treat them as you would any other foreign human nation.

In health and happiness,
Your trusted Envoy,
Lord Skye Ni'Tessine

P.S. Sikitha of House Vae appears to be in good spirits. I believe it might be due to our new merchant lifestyle. Running past Duke Luschan's blockade on Keoland has brought us much excitment and riches. I suspect she is also happy to be away from Lortenford, where she does not feel well liked.