The musings of Jakob Pettersohn
(From the Chronicles of Jakob Pettersohn)

Azrael and I set out to rule our land in justice and in majesty
But then his murder broke my mind and turned our tale into a tragedy
I tried to raise him from the dead but all my efforts brought futility
But power corrupts and so my noble reign descended into tyranny

I cannot bring myself to speak in detail of the war which I embarked upon. There were many deaths, of foe and friend alike, and I consider it now to be one of the most hateful things I did in my career as ruler of Ha'Khun, although my analyst assures me that it turned out for the best.

When Port Okra decided to invade us, the story was rather different.
Whether they acted out of panic at seeing their neighbour fall, or whether - as I would like to believe - they thought us weakened by our attack on Macura, I can not say with any certainty. But they had no idea what they were letting themselves in for.

One night I was visited by Azrael in my first dream for nearly seven hundred years. My tears fell as he took me aside and showed me how far I had fallen from the days of my noble reign.

How could I have been so stupid? So wrapped up in my own petty plans for vengeance that I couldn't see how I perverted the dream of Ha'Khun?
All life is sacred. This had been my guiding principle from the start, but now it was an inconvenient slogan to be worked around with clever excuses.

* * *

As I placed Azrael's ring in the envelope, I found that I was whistling to myself. This caught me by surprise, until I realised it was because I was free.

I would not have to listen to my advisers anymore or solve other people's petty problems. The burden of my leadership was at an end, for despite what I had written, I had not the slightest intention of ever returning.
The reign of Johan Cross was at an end.