The Duke's Deceptions

Dear King-to-be Leonidas Orre Welles II, 

I could well have been one of your beloved uncles. I fought alongside your father and all your Uncles, against the Cruel King. But when Kelton wanted its freedom like we'd helped Pax win, instead, the Duke and his army invaded. The first town they came upon, the ancient walled village of Houndtooth, his Draggoons burned alive. The women, children, and men. After that, he would generally take the towns and leave the people to wander with nothing. 

The Paxans and Orren faired better. They were given great swathes of land. All this happened under the King, too, mind you, but it was much, much worse under the Duke. In fact, he had the idea because one of his roles as Viceroy of Kelton under the King was to do just such. They took the farms, and the Paxan Landlords took the homes. We had nothing to eat. 

The already existing Rott plague got worse and targeted our weakened immune systems. With nowhere to go, our people were literally forced underground into tunnels. So we did what oppressed peoples have done for centuries and will do until the end of time. We stood up. We fought back. We built a broad coalition, we built a myth, we used your bigotry against you to confuse you. 

We hid our movements underground. Our weakness became our strength. We mastered the Reaper and learned how to win. We dug tunnels, took towns, and freed our people. What we were really doing was feeding them, because you wouldn't. So many have died all becuase you didn't see us as Æureans. We were a burden, an inconvenience, an eyesore. We were a statistic. An obstacle. So you trample over us. So what did we do? We made the ground uneven. We made it collapse. We made ourselves impossible ignore any longer. Then we got back up. 

The worst part is you probably don't even hate us like your father does. But you still fought for him, carried out his will. Why? You will have to live with that and find your repentance. 

You took your rich fancy boot that cost more than most of us have seen in our entire lifetime and you stepped on the lives of every one of us. You pushed us back underground. But we are not done. You killed our Messiah, but all you have done is given us a martyr. Grimm will not soon be forgotten. One day, the people of underfoot people of Kelton will be free, and you will either be with us or buried deep, deep underground.  

As a show of goodwill, please return Reaper to me. I would be most grateful. 

Always Underfoot,

Lord Sullivan of the Wyrm tunnels