[AdmiralZhao]

On the events at Swande, in the winter of year 5, A.D.W
Report filed by Hand of God #156, Angel of Marignon

I send my greetings to the Council. Doubtless you have already read the reports sent by my most holy brothers, Hand of God #152 and Hand of God #153. They have not as yet seen fit to join me on the front lines, but they are quick to write when they see some benefit in it. I am sure they have informed you, with great regret, about the losses of men and material at Swande. I am equally sure that they wrote of how disheartening it was that so many senior mages could die to the province defense of the infidels. And, I am confident that they went on at great length about what a tragedy it was for the soldier's families, and how inexplicable it must seem to the populace, seeing as how our mages were guarded by the elite northern battle group.

As I am sure you know these things, I will not repeat them in detail, but will instead inform you of some things which I am quite sure you do not know. For instance, I am sure that my brothers did not tell you that it was Climorins, a mage transferred to my department specifically at Hand of God #153's authorization and against my written protests, who cast the first Phoenix Pyre. I have never thought Climorins qualified to stand in the line of battle; I could smell fear off him the first time we met. Fear and lies. Still, I could not dis-obey the Council's wishes, and so Climorins was present at Swande. The man quailed at the sight of the enemy, puny as they were, and rather than obeying my express orders to wrap the enemy in chains of fire, Climorins began the Phoenix ritual. The other elder mages noticed, and rightly fearing for their own lives should something happen to Climorins, began their own Phoenix rituals. Still, even then the situation was not lost. If the enemy had just been simple province defense, as my brothers have surely reported, then victory would have been ours without any loss. Instead, mixed amongst the enemy ranks was an elite archer, skilled in the arts of marksmanship and assassination. While I detected no enchantments or magic items on her, I believe this is only because the Adversary has cloaked or shielded the gifts he had given to her, via infidel magics as yet unknown to us. In any case, she knew just where to strike, and while the Adversary's troops fled amongst fire and chaos, she loosed a single arrow which took Climorins through the heart. Of the results, again, my brothers have surely told you. What they did not tell you was how I blocked the worst of the blast with my great wings, preventing the conflagration from spreading still further. Indeed, if it was not for my quick action, it is possible that the entire host battle group might have been ripped apart by the Phoenix rituals.

In light of these events, I ask your leave to investigate how the Adversary's archer could have known to target Climorins. Furthermore, as Climorins survived his death, I request the immediate dispatch of a group of Inquistors to my battle group in order to uncover the truth about Climorins dealings with the Adversary. While it is too early to say anything definitively, I do find the relations between Hand of God #153, Climorins, the archer, and the Adversary to be a bit too close.

Naturally, I will not let these investigations or the Swande losses interfere with my primary duty of taking the regional capital from the Adversary. I will write you next from beneath its walls.
Your servant,
Hand of God #156