An Open Letter to the Citizens of The Verushan Empire


    THIS IS A DECLARATION OF WAR


    TAKE NOTICE!


    For too long, we have sat complacent. For too many generations, the people living under the thumb of the Verushan Empire suffer while they attack our cultures without remorse. All the while, those who pretend to be the preservers of knowledge enjoy the privileges of the elite families of this world.


    That time is at an end.


    We no longer accept our station as if it is our birthright. We no longer allow the wealthy families of the Empire to benefit from the sweat off our backs and the blood in our veins. No longer will our children starve, and we no longer accept that their children will be consigned to the same fate. We will no longer move through our days as if we are satisfied.


    Today, we state to the world: We will resist.


    This action has been done with great thought. We are not ignorant of the inevitable repercussions, but the cost of complacency is too great and one we can no longer afford.


    Therefore, the Shroud of Freedom returns to declare war on the Verushan Empire and all its accomplices, in particular the Dasholin Scholars of the Eternal Library. We call upon those who profess to support all people of the world to reject their imperialist ties and join the people in the fight for freedom.


    For too long, the Dasholin Scholars maintained a policy of “neutrality” when we come for aid. They horde powerful artifacts away and refuse to allow anyone access to their arcane visions and wisdom. We know the truth. This is little more than a gauzy fabric that fails to hide its allegiances to those who uphold the systemic oppressions of people like those of us who live here in the suffering neighborhood of Valakarma in Pradita. The Scholars claim they do this to protect us. They claim the power wielded by the other arcane cults is too great and must be contained. They cite the Battle of the Burning Rain, which they claim reduced the city of Bat-Hom to ash. They cite the thousands dead in the Civil War in Erikenyea. But these events were centuries past, and today, the Scholars work under the employ of the “royal” families while the majority of the people of this land are pinned to the ground by the scepter of the Empire.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    DO NOT BELIEVE THEIR LIES.


    The Library is no friend of the Valakarma.


    Has an “Elder Scholar” ever dined at your table? No. They eat their meals with the Living Autumn Mother and dance in the court of the Roaring Throne. They benefit from every bead of your sweat that drops on Pradita’s stone streets. They do not care about the fishmonger, the ropeweaver, or the stonemason.


    Our list of specific grievances is clear:


    <ol>


    <li>They sit idle while the Living Autumn Mother and the Goshaka Family commit numerous atrocities on the people of the Valakama.</li>


    <li>They refuse to support the liberation of the people tormented by imperial forces in the ancient forest of Lhoda in the kingdom of Samghara.</li>


    <li>They do nothing to hold other arcane cults accountable for the many acts of violence perpetrated under the pretense of mystic advancement, which is little more than greed-laden quests for power.</li>


    <li>They continue to present themselves as ignorant of the plight of the Hanaqi people living enslaved in the kingdom of Ería.</li>


    <li>Above all, they hold and refuse to share the invaluable information and artifacts within their libraries that could free us from the empire’s tyrannical rule.</li>


    </ol>


    As should be plainly understood, the Dasholin Scholars, by continuing to remain “neutral,” signal their support for violence committed not just by the Verushan Empire but by regimes throughout the world. It is our duty, and the duty of all oppressed and enslaved people, to hold them accountable for their lack of action. There is no such thing as neutrality in a world in chains.


    At great human cost, The Shroud of Freedom liberated a collection of classified documents from the shelves of the Library’s secure archive on the island of Golau, and we will soon release them. We do not know why each document in the collection was obtained and held secret, nor do we care. It is not our purpose to explain them to the world. Our purpose is to make them available for analysis. We will release these documents over the coming months. Do not worry about how this is done. You will find them.


    By taking this course of action, we demand the Eternal Library reject its policies of nonintervention and imperial appeasement. We urge its ranks: reject fealty to false rule and join the struggle. We welcome you with open arms. And for those that don’t, those who choose to reject our call, whether you are a scholar, a soldier, a shopkeep, to you we say all people, regardless of station, religion, or forced citizenship, have the right to self-determination. So you have a choice. Stand with us or stand aside.


    We hold all governments accountable for their actions.


    We hold all arcane cults responsible for the violence that they inflict upon the world.


    We hold the Eternal Library especially responsible for their lack of intervention.


    Let all who support and profit off the suffering of others be on notice.


    WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS


    WE ARE YOUR SERVANTS AND CARETAKERS


    WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS


    WE ARE ALWAYS NEAR


    WE ARE ALWAYS VIGILANT


    YOU WILL KNOW US BY OUR SHROUDED FACES


    ONLY WHEN WE ARE VICTORIOUS WILL OUR FACES BE SEEN


    YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED