Jonas purses his lips thoughtfully at that. "I have always thought of good and evil as a matter of perspective," he notes. "When one is prepared to go to any lengths that are necessary in pursuit of a cause, whether that is deemed good or evil depends on one's sympathy for the cause.

"But, leaving aside the vocabulary of moralism, Ryl's plans would clearly be disastrous for everyone living in this region - perhaps the whole world. As long as we and those we care about live in the world, we have little choice but to oppose him.

"I tried before to argue rationally with him. But clearly, his motivations are not rational. He seems to be set on fighting a war that ended centuries ago; and to identify with the devils who took him in when the world turned its back.

"So, if he cannot be reasoned with, he must be stopped, and it is something we should all be prepared to work towards. But given his level of power, is there anything we can usefully do to help your efforts, Magister?"