"You sound not at all foolish, my friend," Shade-Seeker assures him. "My world, as well, is rife with those sentiments. I once held my share, but recent experiences have shown me that there is forgiveness for all who seek it, and that life is not a road with a single fork at the beginning, one path marked 'right' and one path marked 'wrong.' There are many branching trails between those two, and no signs at all. We must show each other the way, else we all are lost." He smiles, then catches himself and adds a clause: "at least, that is what I believe. Please forgive me, if I proselytize."

To the question of his magery, he nods. "The Archmage, now, through a chain of circumstances which beggars belief. I am not a great mage, certainly others are more accomplished. I have mastered the art of Alchemy, to be sure, but I am barely a journeyman of the other Arts."