Orklanishkal,

You know, I finally put my finger on why I was so livid when you failed to back me up against Babel.

I was reading though my notes and I remembered why I was called back from my infiltration of the Priests and Shallam. I mean, aside from the fact that a former Demiurge was rebelling against you, and that you were being openly mocked by probates.

Let us compare my excommunication and outguilding to your removal from Ashtan.

Both times, an external organization, one ostensibly friendly with the Occultists, put undue pressure on the House to act against its own interests.

When you were driven out for outguilding Xadzia, I came back from my infiltration of the Priests full of righteous fury and threw myself into improving the House and I stood up to Ashtan. It made our lives difficult. Erhon worked against the House for decades, and it was a pain in the ass for you and everyone else - but we stood by you. It was the right thing to do.

Were you removed from the House for being kicked out of Ashtan? No. Were you grilled and blamed by your own House for something that was not your fault? No.

Babel did to me what Erhon did to you, and what did you do?

You stayed silent.

You were Amunet's conscience, and you stayed silent.

You were the man who best understood the position I was placed in and you said nothing in my defense.

You are weak. You are spineless. You became a thrall to a God that wishes to destroy Sapience, one that represents only the destructive aspect of Chaos, and you let yourself be cowed by a drunk and a lunatic when you had a chance to stand up and make a difference. To repay me for centuries of unwaveringly loyal service.

The stubbornness and determination I showed against those that persecuted you was wholly absent when I was persecuted by Babel. You let them hang me with the same stubbornness I used to defend you, and you had the gall to act like I'd brought it on myself.

It is people like you that have allowed the Occultists to languish in stasis. People with your lack of drive and vision. People with your lack of backbone. Mindless bureaucrats paying lip service to madmen and swilling drinks while the rest of Sapience sailed on past.

You were a horrible Demiurge. You let the House walk all over you, and you let Ashtan walk all over you. I came back to save you and House both. You returned the favor by letting Babel walk all over you, and me, and centuries of tradition.

I did what needed to be done, and then I got out of the way to let others lead.

I look forward to the destruction of the Occultist House. I loved it dearly as a Guild and House, but it is now an empty shell, just a building where great works were once done and great schemes hatched. A relic that has failed to evolve, adapt or change as Sapience has changed time and time again around it.

I am going to enjoy making whatever replaces them great. I am going to make whatever replaces your obsolete ruin of a House lean, effective, organized and feared. I am going to train them in the history you have seen fit to skim or gloss over, and I am going to make them the greatest House in Sapience.

One, because it's what I do - and two, just to spite you.

Father Reznik Saer'rac

Penned by my hand on the 19th of Lupar, in the year 687 AF.