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November 19, 2003

And From the Caves She Comes

Days have gone by, more than a few but less than a lifetime. The Dominion sentinels have performed their duties as expected and none have disturbed the caves. The Guard has changed a few times as the days went by but Dominion as a collective never wavers in their commitment to getting the task done. The two Tabernacle Priests, Nikola and Mandolus, have left the firepit only once while She was inside. The nameless faceless Lore Trackers have kept them abreast of all they would need to inform Her of when She emerged. Their faces were devoid of expression as they felt the change in the air. The 11th Rite was over. Exchanging quick glances, their attention turned fully to the mouth of the cave and the sudden silence that surrounded them. Nikola places one small candle in the center of the pit, silently praying that Morakai appeared to His daughter in a kind spirit. The feel of witchery in the air is intense and even the Dominion assassins are soaking it in.

After what seems an agonisingly long period of silence, there can be heard from inside the cave the fluttering of wings. Making the sign of Morakai, Nikola and Mandolus rise in unison, chanting quietly. As all eyes stare at the cave opening, they emerge. First the hawk, looking none the less for worse but hawks are resilient beasts. Following the hawk She appears.

Her hair hangs limp over her shoulders, her clothing dusty and speckled with dried blood. A crusted over wound in the mark of the Norlondarian Witch stands out on Her chest, proof that the 11th Rite is not a painfree one. Yet She is alive and walking and Her eyes are crystal clear and alert. She walks slowly to the firepit, nodding Her thanks to the Dominion sentinels and holding Her hands out to the Tabernacle priests as She approaches the pit.

Taking first the hand of Nikola, She presses his palm against the wound, causing it to open slightly and release a few drops of blood. Nikola bows before Her and rubs Her blood from his hand to his chest. Repeating the gesture with Mandolus, She seems weakened as She sits on a rock. Weakened yet perfectly lucid.

Her voice is raspy from chanting, hoarse and tired sounding but still She speaks. "Well, my dear Priests. As far as I can tell I am still sane, although I felt the pull more than once, I believe I was able to resist it. Now please, before I tell you what I learned, share with me what the Lore Trackers have made you aware of while I was in the caves. I am anxious to know what I have missed."

The more loquacious of the two, Nikola begins to inform Her of all She has missed. "They did WHAT?!?!? How long have they had him now, for the love of Morakai?" Nikola tells Her of the butlernapping, the taking of Alfred. Despite Her exhaustion, She can't help but snicker as She listens and thinks of the helpless God of the Undead. "How deliciously nasty, The Den must be rewarded well for their work. I'm glad they didn't harm him, I can imagine having to spend time in the Hall of Iniquity alone would be enough to cripple a stodgy butler like Alfred. When I return to the city I shall set the poor old chap free and let Darkstar return to the pampered priss that he so enjoys being. Ah, I do love that Den. Please, go on.."

With only the slightest hint of nervousness Nikola quickly tells Her how Mount Doom is no more and of Navarre's brush with eternity. "He did WHAT!?!?!?? What the bloody Hell got into his mind, what you describe seems almost an attempt at suicide." Finding it best to get it all out at once, Nikola brings Her up to date with the doings of the Seraph of Fate. "He went WHERE??? To do WHAT?!??" Speaking quietly under her breath in the olde tongue of Norlondar, She looks to the skies as if to demand they answer Her at once. "Alright, I never thought much of Mount Doom to begin with, such a bleak and depressing place. I shall have to don a warm cloak and traverse these chilled lands, this place borne of a hatred for chaos so deep it can manifest itself in significant geographical changes or (as it would seem)the attempt of a God to self destruct. He and I will have to sit and have a rather lengthy talk when he returns. Now tell me again, when and why did he go THERE?" Relaying to the best of his abilities what the Lore Trackers shared, he spoke of Navarre and his determination to penetrate the Tower. " He never knew he was being followed? Something else to remind me when I return to the city, Stravorius has earned a promotion if he is such a skilled tracker even a God doesn't see him. He has earned the right to full Priesthood. But back to Navarre. Continue to monitor his actions, if need should arise use the full scope of Norlondar but it would be preferred if we remained unseen. Let him do what he needs to do, I'll connect with him soon enough. Oy, Pigeon.." Allowing a tiny chuckle, Nikola continues his talk of the lands.

"So much going on and who would have thought Kaiko had it in him to lead the Brethren to bloodshed, will the wonders of Morakai never cease.. But now let us speak of the Rite, what it showed me and what it did to and for me. Come close and let me whisper of the secrets revealed..." Speaking in the olde tongue in a voice barely above a whisper, the Dominion sentinels can only make out a word here and there; "monolith...Crusaders....chaos....InfernalOrder....cleansing...godly battles....light.....dark....morakai....oaklore?.....catharsis" Whispered words of answers learned and why Her chest bleeds the mark of Morakai.

"And so you see, there are only a few possible ways we may allow things to go. It seems Oaklore has some insight into this, I shall have to spend some time alone with him as well and hear what he has learned. Yet now you see why there has to be drastic change, to sit quietly and let it continue will only result in our being written by the Lore Trackers as the lazy gods in the annals. It is far past the time of action, I am sad to say. At least the grand gates or Norlondar will not be........." Her words break off as a noise is heard and the Dominion sentinels spring into action like hungry lions after an elk.

Rising quickly, She turns her attention to one of the smaller caves to the west of the firepit. Reaching into Her bag and removing some herbs and small jars, She makes the sign of Morakai, rubs Her fingers against the mark on Her chest and brings Her finger to Her lips for a kiss. "Enough talk of that for the moment. The scroll Mandolus gave me was correct, the Drow has in fact survived and found his way here, I was right in my assessment of him. Let us tend to his ailments and stop the Dominion sentinels from slicing his throat and when he heals he will learn of what the loom of Fate has woven for him."

Seeming to glow ever so slightly as She walks towards the caves with the hawk on Her shoulder, She is followed by the Priests to where an injured Drow is about to be given over to the Underworld.

Although the residents of the lands don't know it, the ball has begun to roll down the hill and when it reaches the lands of Kjeldoran it will be so large that it could easily destroy all in its path. Life in the lands has begun to change, one era begins to fade and a new one lurks in the near future. What is is soon to become what was and what will be shall become what is and what is will be what should be and what was will be recorded forever in the annals by the faceless Lore Trackers

Posted by Strega at November 19, 2003 05:42 AM

Comments

Posted by: Beltanshy at November 19, 2003 07:26 PM

Posted by: Darkstar at November 20, 2003 01:48 AM