My Dear Sister,
I have been in good health and spirits! I have been staying St.Kronii for a few months now. The city is beautiful! It even has some pre-Great Winter buildings standing, still maintained in working order by the Clockmen. And there are so many other races here too! Just last month I met a Rosebuta, if you can believe it. I did not ask for the name of this hulking gentleman as I figured interrupting his business would have been rude, and even though I am a bit of a fighter myself, I would not have bet on my chances against a Rosebuta.
Father's company and the Clockmen have been kind to me, and I have made many friends from among them. The Clockmen are weird in their ways, but I have found them endearing at times. They get very friendly when you crack through their shell, you just need to let them warm up to you for a bit at first. I have found the story houses to be the best places for socializing with them, but one should be wary of drinking too much: Father's notes were right in many things about the Clockmen. Sadly despite this, I still remain loveless and without a prospective wife.
How has mother been? Have you been taking care of her? What about your studies? If the sum I left you has not been enough, please contact me as soon as possible, and I'll send you a cheque to access more of father's inheritance. There should still be a lot left even after my expenses. If the money is needed urgently, go to the Trade Office and show them father's seal. They'll help for sure.
Finally, the big news! I am leaving for the expedition I have talked about previously in a week's time from the writing of this letter. I'm so excited! Once you get this letter, I might already be at camp in the arctic continent! The boys at the LAB found an absolutely beautiful location for it, north-west of Infinitum, through the eastern passage and a little bit to the north. There the ice melts during warm summers, but as the ground is mostly bedrock there is no mud to slow me down! Here, I have circled it on a map!
I have asked the LAB to leave me a chest with a variety of books at the camp, hopefully including a few of father's works. I'm really looking forward to working through my reading backlog, and perhaps finally getting started on writing that book I've been telling you about. I will have a lot of time to do that, for I will be staying alone at the camp for the first winter, as this way I will not need to feed multiple mouths and the camp construction expenses were cut in half. This I did in the interest of making sure that you and mother have enough money to live without you having to juggle work and studies.
I have saved on equipment too where I have seen fit, but worry not, I have trained winter survival at Infinitum, and the K.U.T and LAB teams have gotten me everything I may need and more! I have chuubanite supplements, enough food and fuel to comfortably last me through the winter, a lot of warm clothes and jackets, and all the tools I could ever need, including two Infinitum built rifles, one conventional and one Vitaiho, both designed to function in any weather imaginable, all waiting for me at the camp, or arriving with the last supply ship before the ocean freezes over, and of course, enough ammo to kill a small army.
I commissioned a troll hunting armour from the Serene republic to be made perfectly according to my physique, taking into account a thick jacket. That one cost me a small fortune, but if it is even half as good as what was advertised, I will be satisfied. I have also bought a trained firebird, and commissioned it a chuubanitic jacket to keep it warm when it flies to deliver messages. The bird is the one thing I did not skimp on one bit, he is best one I could find this side of the Hecates Road. Jackie should keep me some company, and he should allow me to contact the LAB or the K.U.T if anything happens.
The first winter I will spend surveying the area around the camp, taking notes on the weather, and preparing for the rest of the expeditionary team to arrive next summer. Unfortunately I cannot tell you the ultimate goal of the expedition, but I can tell you that if I succeed I'll be hailed as one of the greatest scientists and explorers of all time, and if not, I'll tell you about it when we next meet, I promise.
If the Divine Reaper and Kroniisiah are merciful, I'll return home in tip top shape the spring of the year after the next one, in 1155. I'll write to you every month, if the weather allows for my bird to fly safely.
With love, Lucius your brother
St.Kronii, Infinitum. August 12th, 1153