the first letter, addressed to Chantelle:

Chantelle,

If you're getting this, I should be dead. That's okay--at this point, I don't think it bothers me. But I wanted to explain just what I set out to do and why, so that I haven't just dropped off the edge of the world.
It occurred to me that Takesis would be a lot easier to defeat if she doesn't having the Knights of Takesis helping her. The Knights are very honorable, and she isn't. I'm not the only one, I'm sure, who tried to think of some way to play on this--I just came up with a solution that I couldn't see not working. I asked to battle her in honorable single combat. If I won, she and the Knights would leave Faerun alone. If she won, none of the Heroes of Happenstance (with the exception, of course, of Nyda, who seems to do whatever she wants to) would directly oppose the Knights of Takesis when they did try to conquer Faerun.
Do you remember when Steel Brightblade told us about Lord Soth's sense of honor being very warped? Like putting down his sword to be fair to an unarmed opponent and then magically killing them? That sounds like something Takesis would do. I rather expect that's what happened. Ask Lord Ariakan. I asked him to make sure the battle was honorable and to return whatever remained of me and my possessions to the Heroes of Happenstance.
So. Now I have to explain why I did it, I guess. Partly because if Faerun is to have any chance at all, the Knights of Takesis have to see what she really is. There's more than that, though. Bear with me, it's not easy to tell. I genuinely like Ariakan and Steel, and I know I'm not alone in that among the Heroes. If, by some miracle, Takesis has killed me honorably, then none of you will have to fight them. Even Nyda will have an excuse not to do so, if she wants, and that's very important to me. She told me once that she considered Ariakan one of her few friends, over and above any of us, and if she wants to avoid the hurt of fighting against him, then I'm glad she has a reason to do so.
If by some miracle I've won, even if I'm dead, the Knights will be bound not to attack Faerun, and when Takesis tries to do so, again, they will see that she is not what they think. And if, as is most likely, Takesis killed me dishonerably, again, they will see that she is not someone they can support any longer.
And the last reason, the most painful one. Nyda needs to send Takesis back to the Abyss, or she will almost certainly die trying. Whether she accepts help or not, this is just short of impossible. If she has to oppose all the Knights of Takesis as well, it will be even less likely, and she'll be more likely to die. And I don't want her to die.
I've never been in love before. I think I am--was--in love with Nyda, though I know she didn't return the feeling. Giving her better odds of survival means a great deal to me. I know I could never had said this to anyone, but I don't want to die never having explained.
I left three things with this letter. The sword is for Bolten, who will undoubtedly tell everyone what an idiot I am for years to come. The dagger is for you, niece. It's the one that I carried when I was thieving in Silverymoon over a hundred years ago. It's been with me a long time. Use it well. The symbol of Mielikki is for Nyda. I know she doesn't worship Mielikki--I don't know if she worships any god. But I hope that she carries it at least. I wish I'd had something more useful to give her, but maybe this is best. Serving Mielikki meant more to me than almost anything else in my misbegotten life. I don't know that Nyda's ever found anything that means that much to her.
Please, the next time you're in Silverymoon, explain to my father what really happened. I've never been able to please him, and I don't think this will start a trend, but I'd like him to know that I died well and for a good reason.
Take care of yourself, and look out for Nyda. She needs all the help she can get.

With much love,
Li

the second letter, addressed to Alak:

Take care of Nyda.