Friends,

I am Adjudicator Elija Quintrell of the Citadel and Priest of Kael. Although my rank and title have been disavowed by Rodrick Hale and the false Church of Light, I still beacon.

Full truth, I am now a criminal, hunted down by my own brothers and sisters of the Light. The church has charged me with a multitude of crimes, many of which are true by the law's definition, but know that my judges are unjust. 

I send this notice with my messenger to the nearest functioning Skein Gate. I also send it with my prayers.

My life was not always like this.

Three years ago I started noticing inconsistencies within the church. It was never obvious but over time I developed a nagging feeling in the back of my skull that something was off. Little things, like men and women of strong faith being passed up for promotions I believed they earned. Those that did rise in the ranks were not all bad people, but they were not… I don’t know if there is a word… they were not known to me. I am not trying to exaggerate my popularity or importance within the Citadel, or Church in general. I am a soldier in the Light’s army, but those around me that gained ranks fast were not friendly. I could not become friends with them to gain their measure. They started showing traits of impatience and cruelty. 

Regardless, strange as it was, it was not unheard of for something like this to happen. Strategies change in the ever evolving war against the dark. What the qualities we look for in today’s leader may change tomorrow. I chalked it up to a simple change in ideology that came far above my pay grade.

But it became more. 

As time progressed it was obvious to me that certain people were being moved into positions of power within the Church, including the Citadel. The Church itself is fallible but never in my life would I say this about the Citadel. The Citadel is supposed to be untouchable. We are the cleansing fire when darkness takes hold. To see this beginning to take root in my own order shook me to my core. There were missions of mercy and cleansing that many of us were not asked to be part of. Permission and requests to bring holy justice to places of obvious corruption and malfeasance were denied. Or worse, approved but then given to others to lead and to execute. What became the most strange was the reaction my equals had when I brought it to light. It was ignored. These were my brothers and sisters, people I had fought beside for over two decades. Good light fearing soldiers of the Gods who had saved my life more times than I can count, just ignored me. My warnings and concerns fell upon deaf ears and it struck me as almost supernatural. Like a cloud of compliance had been placed around their senses.

I don’t know why I was immune but did find others. It took some time and I don’t trust this communication by betraying our numbers, but there were others who also saw this impunity spreading like a web. At first we met openly but after the mysterious deaths of a few of us, we started closing ranks. It was then we knew we needed to leave. 

The church had become more brazen in their quest for expansion and control. We started to see attacks being made on towns that did not appear to need cleansing. This has always been a contentious subject but some of these towns appeared to offer no evidence of corruption whatsoever. There was another objective and we could not discern what it was. 

Before we left we came upon a map of Maud’Madir in a high ranking Bishop’s office. On it were marked many towns. We recognized some of these as targets we were ordered to cleanse or were scheduled to be cleansed. We also knew that at least most of these places were innocent to the crimes they had been charged with. Whatever was happening we understand that these towns were a focal point. If this corrupted Church wished them destruction or worse, then it was our holy duty to protect them. With no other options we left in darkness. Many of us did not make it to our destinations and those brothers and sisters will be missed, but we are here nonetheless and we will shine.

I will not publicly post where I am but, since my arrival, things in the church have only gotten worse. Rodrick Hale is no servant of the Light Gods! How he casts his miracles in their names, I do not know. Why the Gods of light have seemingly abandoned us to his will and desire, I do not know. What I do know is I have faith. I have faith in the Gods but in their apparent absence I have faith in the tenets they stand for. That is enough for now. 

Seek out my brothers and sisters, for we are here in many of your towns. If we are not then we are arriving soon. We do not seek power or to lead this rebel church but we will help build it with you. If your town is a member of the Whiteraven Alliance then I beg you to keep your voice silent for now, for the church will hunt us if we are discovered. Make no mistake they will hunt us well past the Alliance borders but it is most dire there. We must bide our time and grow our strength. 

To the good hearted people of Maud’Madir and my Greenskin allies in Amaranthia. Will you help us rebuild hope? A safe harbour in the darkness? Not to those who preach falsely in the name of Rodrick Hale and his Church of “Light”, but simply for those with goodness in their hearts? I say the current Church is corrupt! That there is a malignant heart full of taint where once love used to be, and the Gods are blind to it. If such is true, then we must build another. One they can see. A Church of true Justice, Law, Love, and Mercy. A Church to stand against whatever it is that Archbishop Hale leads today. A rebel Church. A Bastion Church. 

Adjudicator Elija Quintrell of the first Bastion, Priest of Kael