her Majesty Catherine Marianne Euphemia Aspexia de Litran, Empress of the West, Defender of Civilization, Protector of Sargava, Isger, Korvosa, Merab, Aspenthar, Duwwor, Lamasara, and Pashow, Overlord of Varisia and Arcadia
This petition writes to warn you of a danger, unintended but corrosive to the long term moral alignment of the nobility and empire. This danger is the very same one that brought down the great and powerful Runic Wizard Kings of Ancient Thassilon. I do not speak of ancient empires in jest or to veil my intentions, please do not presume me to be of the same ilk as the conniving satirists whose works recently plagued the streets. At the end of my letter, I will directly explain the relevance of the fall of Ancient Thassilon to your empire today.
Ancient Thassilon was founded by a wise and good emperor Xin. His nobles were all powerful wizards. These wizards, the seven Runic Wizard Kings, discovered spells of immortality and used them on themselves. Thus, in Ancient Thassilon the power was held by an Immortal Ruling Caste. Some of the successors of the Runic Wizard Kings, upset they would never have their time in the sun, assassinated their overlords to seize their power. Thus, the Immortal Ruling Caste was filtered by willingness to assassinate. Of the Runic Wizard Kings, some held onto life with a tighter grip than others, taking every precaution against assassination and death, for they knew their hearts to be evil and feared the fires of hell. Thus, the Immortal Ruling Caste was filtered for fear of hell. The result of this, what was once an empire lead by the virtuous became an empire ruled by the cruel and despotic. The Runic Wizard Kings fought against each other in war and assassination, and inflicted great evils on the common people. Ancient Thassilon was torn apart by these depraved rulers.
The danger I seek to warn of is the creation of a similarly filtered Immortal Ruling Caste in Cheliax. The Archmage Healer Naima offeres great boons to Cheliax, including the spell of reincarnation by which the old may trade their age for monstrous forms. While this spell is surely offered in the spirit of kindness and to avoid death, allowing the nobility to hold titles eternally risks an empire whose nobility eventually warps to resemble the Immortal Ruling Caste that brought doom to Ancient Thassilon. It is not my place to suggest which policies could remedy this, as that is the duty of the the Crown and newly assembled Senate. I simply wish to bring this danger to your attention.
In humble submission to your will, your loyal subject,
Simeon Sarnax Aeon