Dear Neglected Reader,

It has been too long. I hope to explain and to secure your understanding. At the risk of some crassly audacious honesty, I admit that I hope to maintain your readership as well.

I’ve been away. Yes, space may be relative for me but not demands. An opportunity arose suddenly, and for the sake of a friend, I was obligated to accept. It has to do with the realm that recently took to our way-faring company. After all, realms rarely work out. A people might attack just for our showing up! This time, they took to us but most especially to my good friend, my second. (Hey, I wonder if he mentioned that he runs the taverns! Anyway.)

This friend has followed me on so many adventures that it only seemed right to follow him on this one. So, he took the lead. And, I have to say, I wonder if he feels more at home here because of it. Either way, this is a debt of gratitude I owe him several times over. I hope you understand and can appreciate this much. There is more.

Upon due diligence, we obtained a large swath of land at the locals’ asking price and started our small settlement. It has been a wild ride ever since. Anselm had to go nuts (again) and get his athenaeum going large and “boss” from the start. It's amazing what you can do with elvin and dwarven resources in cooperation, but while the results are a blessing to the area, it is starting to look like he's showing off. We’ve taken to filling it with extra Terran resources just to keep up. (There are more books over there. Here, it is like- zero.)

Also, the performance troupes have mostly stayed behind in Chora. They prefer to hone their craft than build settlements. It’s fewer hands, but of course I understand. A few did come, and they are a relief, even when too tired to perform anything but a familiar face.

It is a full day building here, but we also have to keep the woodland critters from getting too close to the settlement. They are easy pickings, but we’ve yet to survey the outermost regions of this realm. I worry about dragons. Every realm seems to have them except yours, and we haven’t seen them yet. Yet.

Fortunately though, we’ve made great progress. Anselm’s is established enough to grow. The tavern is operational and busy from the natives alone. (And not like that. It is a great place to find local work.) Recently, I’ve even met some distant locals that may be from another tribe, and I am eager to see what else is out there. This place is my friend’s baby. It must go well.

So I hope you understand. I do tweet on Terra runs, but that is hardly the time to write a real post. Even this letter I write from the settlement hoping to have it posted for me.

Thank you for your kind understanding. I hope to reward your patience with more frequency soon.

Yours,

Penjammin de Chora