Letters+between+Cho+and+Acasius

Dear Sir or Madam,

My apologies for the informal greeting. I am relatively new here and have no information regarding the nearby area, nor do I have any contacts. There is much I do not know. I do know, however, that the Great Library is a source of great and wondrous knowledge. If you would be so kind to impart any manner of aid, it would be much appreciated. Perhaps even a map of area? With some guidance, I could mark out the nearby area and become more acquainted with it.

With much appreciation, Acasius Ucciont

My dear Acasius,

I would be a poor librarian indeed if I should not allow you to come to the library! I am sending you a library card with this letter and I hope that you will use it often. Knowledge, after all, is meant to be shared with all who seek it.

If you do not have a place to stay at the moment, you are always welcome to stay at the lamasery with the monks. Lama Dorje, the head of the order, is quite hospitable to all travelers who sojourn to the Great Library. The rooms at the lamasery are small but comfortable, the meals are piquant and well cooked and you will have ready access to all of the maps and books you could want. The monks will also provide you with paper and ink should you require them to make copies.

When you come, I hope that you will take a cup of tea with me. I have a special blend that I enjoy called //lungjing//: it is a bright jade green and it tastes of ripe summer. I would be interested to hear how a person has no real knowledge of our world. Unless I miss my guess, you have a tale to tell, and I, as you know, am a great collector of tales.

I look forward to your arrival at the Great Library, Blessings to you, Madame Cho Librarian

Dear Madame Cho,

I must admit, I did not expect such a warm welcome and I humbly accept; my previous attempts at finding shelter have not been pleasant, and I will most certainly have a cup of tea with you. It has been a long while since I have had the pleasure of enjoying one. I might also accept copying the maps. Though I wish not to admit it, I was foolish enough not to bring any with me. I believed I was prepared and took some blank papyrus at least, but alas, they are not currently on my person.

I must extend my apologies for leaving so many holes in my words. You are correct when you say that have a tale to tell, and quite the unique one at that. Although, I am having quite the difficult time coping with my incident and I can't remember exactly how the event occurred. What is known though is that this body that is writing these letters is a product of the Void. A product of two entities merging into one form. It is almost as if two different mixtures combined, and it is clearly visible that it is now one substance owning qualities of each mixture, but not yet fully blended. Though there is still some opposition between the two minds, the merged mind, my mind, is the governing will. Think of it as having two shoulder angels each telling you their own opinions on a matter.

As previously stated, I do not know all of the details on how this managed to happen. I only know that the event happened, then I woke up in a forest with no knowledge of this world. Even the name of the planet escapes my mind. It is quite the peculiar predicament. This is where I was hoping you could come in. I require aid delving in to this bizarre topic. If there is anything of the Void you can discover before my arrival, it would no doubt help.

Sincerely, Acasius Ucciont

My dear Acasius, Indeed, I was right to say that you have a tale to tell. I look forward to taking tea with you and listening to your story. You, my new friend, will prove to be most fascinating! A child of the Void, indeed. I am very old, but this is new to me. It is a joy when we find new knowledge, is it not?

As for your welcome, it is part of the monk's mission to shelter strangers. One never knows when one may be hosting a deity in disguise and it is always good to show kindness to others. Indeed, we are taught by Lao-Tien Chan, that "we must spread mercy and compassion as thickly as honey on bread, to show the sweetness of the world. When this is done, that mercy and compassion will be returned to us a hundredfold."

I am beginning to research the Void. The mentions that I have found of it thus far are frustratingly vague and few and far between. Obviously, I need to pull out some of my more esoteric texts. Fear not, though. I shall have a good selection for you to peruse when you arrive at the library.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. With my blessings, Madame Cho

Dear Madame Cho,

Although your aid with this matter brings me relief, I am, of course, still troubled. I scarcely remember either of my pasts and I hear echoes of voices in my head. They are the loudest when I am in solitude and the most prominent voice seems to be beckoning to me. It is only on occasion I hear this though, but it seems lately to be more often than not.

I had a small satchel with me when I woke up here and I had never thought to peruse through it; so I did. I had hoped it would jog my memory. The results were disappointing. The contents were as follows: an onyx watch, an old, tattered book (which I think would interest you terribly), a small metallic egg, and a large key. The watch and key seem normal enough, however, the egg emits a constant low hum and the book seems to have some force emanating from it. I'll bring these when I visit.

I have begun my trek to the lamasery and I hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Acasius Ucciont

// Before Acasius leaves for the lamasery, he receives a small map and a medallion upon which is etched a mountain with a dragon flying over it. //

My dear Acasius, Forgive me for not thinking of this sooner. I have sent you a small map containing the route to the library. I have also sent a medallion. Show this to innkeepers along the way. This will indicate that you are a pilgrim to the Great Library and under my protection. They will give you food and shelter for the night or they will face my displeasure.

As for the book, you certainly have found the way to my heart! In fact, I believe that my second husband won me over when he gifted me with his library. He was a good man and had a remarkably fine collection of books. I look forward to seeing it and the other things that you carry with you.

Take care upon your journey, my friend. We move in dangerous times. With my blessings, Madame Cho

Dear Madame Cho,

We move in dangerous times, indeed. It seems that I am being watched, or perhaps even followed; there was a letter awaiting me upon arrival at the marked inns (I had no trouble thanks to that medallion). I failed to mention this before as I thought it unimportant, but this isn't the first letter I have received that isn't addressed from you. I've gotten three over these past few days. They've just appeared on my nightstand when I wake up. I should only bring it to your attention now because I am not sure of the course of action I should take. I've copied and attached them so you may look upon them with your own eyes.

As always, Acasius Ucciont

__The first:__ // One, yet broken. // // Three halves of a whole. // // Venerable gentlemen. // // Emerging from nothing. //

__The second:__ // Hungry. // // Is it strange that no matter how much we consume, our thirst will never be quenched? //

__The third:__ // Do you fear death? //

My dear Acasius, You become more and more fascinating with every letter! First, I am enclosing another medallion. This is a //mandala// and it will provide you with protection on your journey. You may clink a little, but it will be worth it, I assure you. I do not like all of the reports of people being followed in my realm. I think it is high time I did something about it.

As to the strange letters you are receiving, that puzzles me. Now this is not a bad thing, as there is little that I enjoy more than a good puzzle! Still, some of the things I wonder at, such as how can there be three halves in a whole? I think the first letter clearly points to you somehow. You mentioned in one of your earlier missives that you felt as if you had "two shoulder angels" and a "controlling mind". Could the letters be from yourself? Could one of your shoulder angels be writing them, all unaware, when you are asleep? "Emerging from nothing" clearly points to the Void, but is there more meaning here? As I said, a puzzle. Keep the letters, please. They may be useful to examine when you arrive.

I expect that the snows are melted in the lower passes by now, but the high passes will still be cold. You should try and get something to keep you warm. I hear that yak pelts are very good for that sort of thing. I do not feel the cold myself, but other pilgrims have told me that they appreciated the warmth. The first medallion I gave you will also act as currency. They will send the bill to my monks. The Library itself is quite warm, but no fire is allowed on the premises for fear of sparking a blaze in my books. I am sure you understand. When you arrive, Lama Dorje will send me a message. I will meet you for tea in the tea garden two days later, to give you a chance to acclimatize and rest from your travels.

My blessing to you, and safe travels, Madame Cho

PS: You should not fear death. One of my books says it is but the next great adventure for the well prepared mind.

Dear Madame Cho,

It is a complicated business, living with other consciousnesses inside you. I am aware when one decides to take the reigns, but I hardly believe they could take over without me, the "host" noticing. This is why I am hesitant to agree with your assumption that Iam writing these mysterious letters. However, wouldn't the letters seem even the slightest bit familiar when I read them? Nevertheless, I will most certainly not cross it off as an explanation as I think everything is possible until proven otherwise.

I would never be the one to take advantage of another, so I will use the medallion acting as currency sparingly (starting with your yak coat suggestion). As for the new medallion, I will most certainly make use of it. One can never be too careful! I am beyond grateful for these kind gifts and I wish to repay you for it. Before you decline, I have been reading that old tome and found something that may be of interest. You will have to wait just a bit longer I fear, as this letter may be intercepted and I would not want this information to fall into the wrong hands.

I cannot help but be curious when you say there are others being followed. Are you close to these people? Did something similar to what happen to me happen to them? I suppose I'm only looking for closure. It would be nice to know that I'm not alone...

I look forward to taking tea with you. Acasius Ucciont

P.S. I know more of death than you may think.

My dear Acasius, I find that I must laugh at the irony of one of your statements for how can you be alone when you are three-in-one? Most people would find that the very definition of not being alone! However, I understood what you meant. The person who mentioned that he was being followed is my closest friend and I have known him for a great number of years. I sent him a similar amulet and he says that, as far as he can tell, he is no longer being stalked. I may say with some confidence that he is not in precisely the same circumstances as you are, although he, too, is an enigma.

As to taking advantage of me, never fear on that account. I think you will find that I have a rather, shall we say, //ample// account and I can well afford to be generous. Besides, the people who help you on your journey will be well rewarded. Another part of the mission of the lamasery is to aid True Seekers and you, my friend, are indeed a True Seeker. Still, I am always glad to accept another book into the library and I look forward to what you can impart to me about your mysterious tome.

As to death, I would hope that I would never presume to know what you have been through in your life. If I offended with my words, I apologize. I did not mean to do so, I only meant to respond to one of your notes. And on that front, I believe that I may have seen the beginnings of a pattern! I will, of course, have to examine them more closely when you arrive in order to be sure. Dorje tells me that Norbu and Tenzing are returning with the yaks, and I hope they might be able to accompany you to the lamasery and the Library.

I await your arrival with great anticipation, my rku rka, With my blessings, Madame Cho

PS: Do you, by chance, play Castles and Kings? I believe that it is also called "chess." If you do, let us set aside time to play a game.

Dear Madame Cho,

When I stated that I know much of death, I simply meant that it is an intricately woven in my tale. I can assure you, there was no offense taken. As for the two monks sent to accompany me, I have asked the innkeep to inform me of their arrival. Although it may not seem like it, I am hesitant in traveling or revealing personal information. However, I believe in your good judgment and will gladly take on the company.

As for your friend, I am pleased to hear that he is not being followed anymore. 'Tis an unpleasant one, the feeling of being stalked and it is nice to know there may be one as confused as I. On a related note, I have not received any new letters. I am uncertain whether this is for the better or the worse, however. As much as I want it to be over, I confess I was hoping for some new indication of who it is that antagonizes me. I may rest easier in my mind when this business is cleared up.

I plan to stay at the Kong Yul Inn near the base of the mountain until Norbu and Tenzing arrive. I asked Rinzen, the innkeep, if he had this Castles and Kings game you speak of. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when he he annihilated me. With luck, I may stand a chance against you!

As always, Acasius Ucciont

My dear Acasius, You may certainly trust my judgement when it comes to my monks, but, although I am wise, I am not infallible. Tenzing and Norbu are good men and I have known their families for years. You may trust them as much as you trust me. How much that is, though, is up to you.

I know Rinzen and he is a good player. However, if I may be permitted a moment of immodesty, I have played a few years longer than he has. Perhaps you should play a few more games with him or with Lama Dorje when you arrive before you challenge me for it will take more than luck for you to stand against me.

I am glad that you have received no other letters, but have you considered that they may not be antagonistic in nature? We do not know the full extent of what they are or from whence they come. Let us not assume the worst. Perhaps they are some kind of warning to you. However, I understand how you would be uneasy about this.

I will leave you with this quote by Bao Li which I have found about the Void, "The Void is that which stands right in the middle of 'this' and 'that'. The Void is all-inclusive, having no opposite - there is nothing which it excludes or opposes. It is living Void, because all forms come out of it and whosoever realizes the Void is filled with life and power and the love of all things.”

I look forward to your arrival. With my blessings, Madame Cho

My dear Madame Cho,

The two monks have arrived and we shall begin our trek as soon as I finish this letter. They told me we would be making two or so stops along the path and then staying at the inn halfway up the mountain.

As for that quote you sent me, I have read up on the subject myself. It is indeed surrounding and including everything around worlds, but also it seems to "bleed" into universes. Contrary to what some may believe, it is not the highest point on a planet where the Rift is thinnest (the Rift is the gateway to the Void. Let's call it the "Dreamworld").

No, it is actually the northern and southern poles that are the weakest. Honestly, one such as myself would view this as good, but I have found that the southern guardian is not where they belong at the present time. They haven't been for some time now. It goes without saying that I this worries me as it most surely does you.

On a brighter note, I will be arriving within the next two days. I'm excited to meet you, my wise old friend.

As always, Acasius Ucciont

PS: You honestly don't think that I, a man of science, would not research the planet I must now inhabit? I have learned much of this world, much of the cultures and the like as I am a master of perception. The Bird is missing and a darker power is coming. It is a magic that I am not familiar with, which is strange as I had years to practice and meditate upon them.