[He hands the mail to "Ravindra Savarna" and the dragon doesn't take it. Nor "Akhilendra Sandeep." And then he tries his own name and it sends. That's spooky and Acher doesn't want to think about it.]

Write back to your own name as soon as you get this. Your life is likely to depend on it.

[user name is Ashadorable (Beatrice would cringe, but he doesn't care and she's apparently not here right now); posted early Wednesday morning

Gabe really hates having to be uncool, guys, but...]

To anyone who may find themselves in the World Library in the forseeable future,

While the Library itself is a place of magic and we encourage it's use and practice within the Library walls, all non-essential uses of magic are temporarily banned from anywhere other than the training facilities until those who have switched bodies with other individuals learn to use the powers their new bodies wield responsibly. My moghan and I do not have the time or the capability to be everywhere at once, and fire, while impressive, is generally not recommended around flammable objects except on a training ground.

Anyone found in violation of this restriction will be promptly removed from the building.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
The Asha
A'zam Mogh of the World Library


P.S.: This is not an invitation to test me. If you even so much as think about it, I will know. I will find you, and it will not end well for you.

[Acher's scribes compose the following letter and send it via dragonmail to the Ahura, the Spenta, the Mazda, the Asha, the Vahishta, and the Khshathra. He signs the bottom. He tries to write the Mano, too, and it doesn't work. Huh, that explains why she wasn't there.]

The Vairya saw fit to attempt to maintain her agreement with his majesty with me. In doing so, she confessed to suspecting the importance of god-organs transferring to Earthmen, and said that it did not matter to her that her refusal would cause Zenderael harm.

I executed her for such treason and chose her successor, an Earthman such as yourselves. He was sent from my lands yesterday to do as he sees fit.

Consider this the first and only mercy you will receive from me.

Acher Ostendramm, Lord Commander of the Pakeri Imperial Forces

Earthmen.

I have read some of your histories. Tell me which is greater: the Romans, the Persians, or the Mongols.

[username: Majestica. She is v creative. icon is the rune for 'power']

Who's a lady need to talk to to defect into Aerveas's army?

Safta can rot, as far as I'm concerned.

Did the boy, Sam Stern, live? His cell was empty after the assault.

[A few days to cool off has made Acher... not quite chill out, but become willing to accept that Nova may have made a mistake. On the other hand, maybe he didn't. He needs to know. Which means it's time to have a talk.]

I take it your tongue remains in your mouth.

Did you poison me? Do not lie to me.

[ tuesday evening, while he is at val's bonfire ]

[ Dragonmail: Ravindra Savarna ]

[ man this shit is not even wrapped. the flower wreathe val bestowed upon him is hooked around a bottle of wine (two-thirds emptied) and actually kept there by a vine tying the two together.

the postage is just slapped onto the bottle. below it: ] Happy summer solstice. Don't drink if you're still [ 'feeling bad' but he forgets to finish the sentence ]


[ Dragonmail: Acher [ ... what was his last name, fuck, it started with an O, didn't it? it takes a few tries before he spells it correctly and the dragon actually takes it ] Ostendramm ]

[ here's another wreathe

and a swiped bottle of shochu (he has no idea what these kanji characters mean)

the postage is also right on the bottle, but below it: ] Berserker? Like to hear the story --A

[How to make contact with old acquaintances after like three weeks of silence: with harshly worded demands and no greetings.]

Ferrus. Come to Bastan.

I can provide you work arming and fighting with Aerveas's army. Let us set the world to rights.

Nova --

I presume, judging by your lack of presence, you are not involved in this war.

Have you escaped it or did you choose a side?

- Acher

[both letters are hastily scribbled onto napkins because SOMEONE didn't bring any paper with her to the bar]

[Dragonmail: Sam Stern]

Lindsey's son, right? My name's Marlene, I'm a friend of Duncan's, living with your mum. Are you all right?

[Dragonmail: Ravindra Savarna]

I heard about Bastan. You all right?

[After she mailed Eileen and was mailed by Jordan, but before she mailed Harriet. She sure did take awhile to find the nerve to send this.]

Acher. I heard about everything that happened in Bastan. Are you alive and well?

[ friday, after lindsey's dmail ]

Where are you? Are you safe?

Jordan
Mom's friend [ he probably doesn't remember her as jordan; she wasn't around much to begin with... ]

[So very late Friday night, a dragon delivers a small burlap sack to Omid. Acher probably had to pay a lot and it's dripping, and you know why?]

[The head of the guard he killed is inside of the sack! And there is a rolled up letter in there, which is nicely written if a little... wet.]

Your Most Gracious Majesty,

I have been honored to be of service to you in the past. However, honor has been proven to be an artificial concept imposed on me by otherworldly controllers. The only right thing, when a man finds himself enslaved, is to destroy every chain placed upon him.

You are one such chain.

As such, I must resign from your service. Know that I bear you no ill will, but that will not stay my hand against you and yours.

Sergeant Donwick, I am sure, would be proud of his continued service even after death.

No longer yours,
Acher

I have a question for everyone.

If you're not in a guild, which one would you want to join and why?

And if you are in a guild, which is it and what do you like about it?

Ferrus.

Are you reading this, or is it your controller?

[After Lera and Jamie talk, Lera gets arrested, and lastly after Acher sent Nova a dragonmail. Late Wednesday evening.]

[So when Acher came to -- quite suddenly -- after the servers went down, he found a letter from Lera. He read it a few times and mulled it over and read it again.

Dear Acher,

If you're reading this, that means you gained self-awareness. I don't quite know how to put this, so I'll hope you understand bluntness. You were good at it. You came about as the result of something I don't understand, where characters created within a game came to life. You are your own person, as you may recall, and I was your controller.

You have done a great many things for honor, but done even fewer to avoid it. I know you are inclined to think of it as a restraint on your behavior, something holding you back, and only had things been different, you would not have to be an honorable man.

I wanted you to learn that doing the right thing was its own reward. I wanted you to think that the feeling of holding yourself back and doing what you should, rather than what you wanted, when you knew that thing was wrong was for the best.

Please remember it. I will help you however I can, but you are your own man now.

- Lera

It took him a bit to send a letter back.]

You are my creator, then. I trust you will indulge me with a few questions about what has happened?

[So who's got two thumbs and gained self-awareness and turned into an entitled asshat? This guy!!]

I require the story my creator wrote about me.

Find a way to provide it. Keep the tablet if you wish, but I need to inspect it.