To: Talonia
Subj.: The Luminai

Babelite,

I cannot help but smile at the amusing quip that served as closure for your rather unequivocal declaration of hostilities against all Creation. You speak of the Luminai as if this organization had ceased to exist, which is not the case.

We existed long before the Guild of the Occultists had flocked to Ashtan, serving as pawns to Belladonna through her son, Lord Luxsyth. Long before the Seleucarian Empire was even founded, we were there, observing your forerunners. And we have never ceased to be. Allow me to point you the name of Rho Evensong, who was one of our numerous Eminent Masters long before Shallam fell, and who, himself, was one of a long line of leaders in an organization that, to this day, has passed its 1500th year of continued existence.

That smile turned to a grin of delight, when I have reached the words "stalwart and scholarly Occultists". Pardon me, but I find it an overstatement. Your House, even when it was but a Guild, has always prided itself in the treasure troves of 'scholarly works' hidden in it's restricted-access library. A library crumbling under the weight of researches done by Occultists who did not -yet- have access to that same library. Scholarship and erudition depends on the accessibility of knowledge, and the production of new knowledge is intimately linked with the state of preceding research. Occultists working without access to these very important books are not scholars, they are toddlers repeating ad nauseam a process of dry and empty research.

No wonder this Library is kept under lock, was I one of yours, I too would be melting with shame at the thought of someone picking one of these books, and witnessing the amount of crass amateurism makes up the weight of this legendary Library. Granted, a few of those who have made it past the preliminary hazing period probably deserve the title of scholars, but the fact remains it would be a gross generalization to say that a House founded on such methodological faults is "scholarly".
In closing, I encourage you to read the book titled "A History of the Burning Times", by Sander. The Library of Nicator had a copy, the last time I visited Ashtan, and the Great Library of Ram in Targossas holds another. I am quite certain copies are in every City actually.

Contrary to the Occultists, whose tactics revolve around the twisting and the hiding of the Truth, we of the Luminai strive to inform and reveal: You will find out that the Burning Times, contrary to what your House has told you over and over again since novicehood, never involved the burning of Occultists, or of Libraries for that matter. The only fire that you will get to read about is that of the old Tower of the Luminai, in Shallam, burnt to the ground by an Occultist infiltrator.
Go on, and read. It's probably about time you got to it.

May the Light lead and we never fail to follow,
Siduri Azagnanna

Penned by my hand on the 16th of Ero, in the year 663 AF.