Dear Ilinca Cristescu,
It is wonderful to have received your letter! Your notion has left my mind considering for a few days. And, I believe your theory hits upon a concept we perhaps should investigate further due to its potentiality.
That unusual stress, an almost continuous challenge placed upon a sentient being, can provoke said being to rise above and beyond their own limitations, giving rise to unexpected, perhaps, latent talents buried deep within. From your words, I can safely assume you are a native, or as close as one can be. In sheer contrast, I am as far displaced as one could be. My existence was founded upon a city that floats in the sky. When I read your concept, at first I was hesitant till two realizations struck.
First, my world is not a peaceful, idyllic land. There is a delicate balance between warring philosophies, as streets are crowed with citizens from differing lands, often at war with one another. The wrong word can often get you, as the vernacular goes, "Penned into the Dead Book." And in this throng of chaos, you often see individuals exhibit talents that are often unexplained, beyond the scope of normalcy, even for the city. The stress of my world could very well have provoked that reaction in its citizens, like these lands do here.
Second, I know of the apprehension this land and its citizens have to the use of magic. I also know of those natives who practice the Art. They are, on the whole, powerful practitioners. I can only image the stresses that must impose on the mind of a secretly learned warlock, hiding from friends and neighbors a skill they have been nurturing.
If stress is a catalyst, and we don't know yet if it is or isn't, then that opens another avenue of thought. Could the "quality" of stress produce a different series of talents and skills? Could an ultimate expression of stress produce an ultimate expression of abilities, if the user where able to survive the stress itself? I have heard of those who have undergone the machinations of these dark lands, undergoing changes and acquiring exceptional abilities at a cost.
Would this be too outlandish a concept?
Feel free to leave another letter with the Vistani in Mist Camp, and do not worry, I have already left another amount to cover your letter -- don't let them tell you otherwise, though it seems they have been honest in their dealings up till now.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Humbly,
Rhetra
The letter ends with a quirky little paw print in red ink