I may be a Sidhe elf by birth, but my heart has never lived amidst the
hustle and bustle of the city. Ive always felt within myself a yearning
for that life my ancestors left behind amid the lush forests of
Aetherius. This very night finds me upon that special hill in the
Vardarian Highlands which gives us entry into Lady Cassiopeias temple. I
revel in the feel of the verdant grass as I recline, gazing up into the
clear night sky. My eye roams the stars and my mind idly wonders at the
formation of the constellations. It has been said that these forms are
merely things that mortals see and that they are not of any divine
design. I have to wonder if perhaps the stars themselves have a deep
desire to reflect the beauty that they see here in our world. It could
be that they unknowingly shift their position ever so slightly over time
to form these depictions of that which captures their hearts.

I can only dream that this is the case.

Many of us come to a time in our lives where we search for meaning and
order in a senseless and chaotic world. We ponder the fate of the
celebrated war hero who slew dragons only to die stupidly to the orc
trainee. Good people die poor while the evil grow rich. Innocent
children are mistreated and die of starvation in filthy goblin camps.
Things like this shouldnt happen, but they do.

Its not easy to make sense out of these senseless things. On the one
hand, perhaps there are important lessons we can learn from them. On the
other hand, perhaps there are no meanings at all. Either way, the stars
are still going to shine through the ebony curtain of night, the seasons
will continue their constant ebb and flow through the years, and people
will always be people.

We do indeed incite much evil on the earth, but we also do a lot of good
when we shine as do the stars.

Life may be messy, but thats life. I dont think were here to find order
and glean design so much as we are here to grow and enjoy being alive.
The stars themselves inspire the hearts of many merely by sparkling
placidly above. The stars do not flit to and fro in search of anything,
but rather they meander faithfully across the skies. Sometimes the best
remedy for a restless heart is to be still and simply to "be", for in
this state we are most honest with ourselves. When we attain to this
pureness of being we are enlightened to that purpose which we have
forgotten in the wind chasing of day to day life.

Balance in perspective is necessary. Often in life it is not a matter of
right or wrong. All we have are choices and circumstances. Some find
this an easy truth to embrace, but for those of us who remain staunch
idealists its a tragic truth to comprehend.

In the end its all a question of what you choose to reflect in the
mirror of your soul. Theres still a lot of beauty and light in the
world, and I hope this is what you choose to reflect. It is our
privilege to shine as lights in this dark world even as Our Lady so
fervently desires for us to do.

Penned by my hand on the 16th of Ultio, in the year 423 AD.