Page 2 of 2
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 12:40 pm
by Imogen
The Orkhan witch remained a bit befuddled as she followed the Dawnmartyrs into their newly-extant keep, but mild bafflement was Imogen's usual state of being. The sanctum's interior was almost alarmingly flash; tones of light and silver and gold in evidence everywhere, each room bespeaking a symbolism of authority and omnipresence. She wondered vaguely if the images in the crystal and glass were merely decoration, or if they were true Windows across the world. That idea defied her understandings of the order underpinning Ransera, but she supposed that was why works of the divine were meant to be impressive.
When the four reached the side room--she supposed that, having just created this citadel, it was natural that the Prince knew its interior--she took the proffered chair, still preoccupied with reflection upon the sudden existence of it.
(An ordinary chair was grown as wood, distilled by life from the surrounding elements for decades, then cut down and reshaped, worn by time and force until it eventually collapsed. What about this chair? Formed ex nihilo, would it too collapse? Would it persist indefinitely, alien to the natural processes of the world, or had it become tainted with materiality upon its creation? Such questions would someday form the foundation of her seminal work on the nature of divinity: What Doeth Chair?.)
Is- Laveriel's tale quickly tore Imogen's mind from such navel-gazing thoughts. She had suspected that the elf was of the generation of Sunsingers who fled Alios, and not the recruits here. The woman's proficiency with a Reaved blade and presence of mind in the face of a great dragon had spoken to experience and power, but it hadn't occurred to her that she might have known the Marshal. It did not surprise her, not even a little, that the leader of the coven had not shared any news of his recent contact with the Dawnmartyr with the rank-and-file.
Gregoire was a tight-lipped bastard at the best of times.
Still, hearing that Laveriel had taken Novuril from the original thief helped to clarify things. Imogen could hardly fathom how this "Master" had stolen the damn thing, but the coven had been pretty convinced that powerful necromancy was involved, and Laveriel had certainly given no indication of such inclinations. Well, she supposed it would be welcome news for a change at the Sanctuary when she reported that Novuril had been found. She could hardly envision Gregoire marching north to demand that Arcas return the sword, especially since the Sunsingers had never seen themselves as owners in any real sense of the word.
Imogen sat quietly through the Dawnmartyr's summery, but it seemed that she expected the Sunsinger to chime in. Imogen didn't have much in the way of experience addressing either princes or divinities, unless you could count her failed attempt to out-drink Vhexur, but she supposed that a professional approach had never failed her yet.
"That report fits with what I know." she began, slowly, "I am Corporal Imogen Ward, of the Sunsinger coven. I was stationed in the perimeter of the High City at the end of Ash, both to assist with refugee matters and... well, I suppose as part of the broader effort to find Novuril's thief, really."
"At that point, in response to reports of dragon attacks in the hinterlands, I was assigned to a small party of dragon-hunters commissioned by the locals, alongside Laveriel. We met with a professional dragonslayer by the name of Jac, who told us that it was- hold on a moment-"
Imogen reached down beneath the table and rooted around for several seconds. Without too much pause, she retrieved a handwritten paper- a copy of the report she'd filed at the Sanctuary last Frost. After her nightmare experience with the Unknown in Drathera, she had taken to keeping written records on her whenever practicable. She skimmed her own messy handwriting, squinting at the page.
"Oh, yes. He told us that the dragon's name was 'Exathun, the Horror Who Dreams', and that Mr. Exathun was the guardian of an artifact called the 'Voice of Tekrah'. When we made contact with Mr. Exathun to sort out the matter, we were forced to engage him, at which juncture Laveriel and myself briefly rendered Mr. Exathun unconscious. When he awoke, he reported that this Voice of Tekrah had been stolen from him and requested its return. Only description of the thief was, well, as Laveriel said."
"We figured it was better to try to sort the theft out than to start buying cannons for when he comes back. Mr. Exathun had suggested we begin with 'the Light's dark past', so the present circumstances naturally suggested themselves. I and my coven would be greatly obliged if you could identify this sorceress who apparently wants to see you and Raxen slain."
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2023 8:38 pm
by Talon
He seated himself, joined by Aoren who stood resolutely by his side, a hand resting on his shoulder. Talon listened to what both Laveriel and Imogen had to say. The names sparked a dim sense of familiarity that he could not quite place. In the long years of his unified memory, he knew that somewhere in the recesses he knew information that could be helpful. The trick was recalling that information. At the mention of a sorceress, the Light’s dark past and other hints, Talon did not need to think long. He knew exactly to whom Exathun was referring. His jaw tightened. One of his hands clenched into a fist.
“Eadra.” The light in the room darkened only slightly and the fires in Aoren’s eyes burned hotter.
“So, she lives.” Aoren’s voice, despite being calm, held a distinct edge to it. It was clear that he very much did not approve of the fact that this sorceress was still alive. Talon took a moment to collect his thoughts before he looked at Laveriel and Imogen.
“Eadra. She is the sorceress responsible for causing the avalanche that nearly destroyed half of the city. She is also, I suspect, a person who is partly responsible for my abduction and subsequent imprisonment. Our paths crossed several years ago, prior to my ascension. She and her cohorts were sent to kill me. Likely in a bid to prevent the very thing they had a hand in causing, my awakening to divinity.” Talon would never forget that awful day. His own stupidity. His own arrogance. The pain and suffering that ensued. The battle that had unfolded. He would remember it all for the rest of his days.
“I fought her and her companions. When it became clear that they could not defeat me outright, one of them resorted to using dark arts to transform himself into a demon. It was a suicide of sorts, one she has sworn vengeance for as the one who was transformed was her lover. In the fight, the demon and I killed each other but a mortal death is what led to my immortal rebirth.” He did not go into details about how agonizing of a death that had been. He did not regret it. He had saved Aoren’s life through his final truly mortal act and in so doing, had become something more. If given the choice, he would do it again. He could feel Aoren’s heartache at the memory. Across their bond, he soothed the edges of his partner’s pain, earning a gentle squeeze of his shoulder.
“If Eadra is involved in this, then I suspect you have your work cut out for you. She is clever and powerful. But if she is involved, I can certainly help you find her.”
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2023 5:54 pm
by Laveriel
Before the demigod even started to explain who the sorceress was, the room turned somber. The siltori felt the dread growing with every word the Lightbringer spoke. Avalanches. Suicide. Demons. This was the first time she had heard of the details of what had transpired on that dark day. It was things beyond her own imagination.
Even after all the years she had lived, Veriel had never encountered a demon before. She had heard stories, of course, amongst the knights. Some claimed to have experienced an encounter and based on their accounts, she was grateful that she never met one till now.
Alright so, the good news was Talon knew exactly who they were talking about. The bad news was it was someone who had, arguably, succeeded in killing him.
At the demigod’s offer, Veriel nodded slowly. “Yes, that would be very helpful, Lightbringer. It is probably better if we seek her out as soon as we are ready.”
“This means we have to steal the Voice from a powerful dark sorceress. Great,” the knight-captain mused, partly to herself and partly to Imogen. With such hatred towards Talon, it was highly doubtful that they would be able to negotiate with her. She turned back to the room, looking at Talon, then Aoren, and Imogen. “Do you think we will be able to kill her?” The elf wasn’t asking it with confidence, but more speculatively. Theoretically, the longer she was around, the more time she had to plot some kind of revenge.
The loss of a loved one… well, Veriel knew that better than most. Two decades had passed and the siltori still had dreams of razing the Imperium. Even during the short moment of their walk into the temple, she had briefly wondered how much damage she could wrought if she would go there right now with the Dawnblade in hand.
The sorceress’s pain would be even fresher, more painful, and she would go to the ends of the earth to bring upon what she thought would be justice.
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2023 8:25 pm
by Imogen
The witch listened to the demigod's explanation intently, brows raising as he confidently named the thief.
It wasn't a name she was familiar with, but no real surprise there. The Sunsingers had mostly been engaged by mages looking for protection throughout the provinces of Zaichaer, not ones bent on some arcane quest for revenge against the gods.
As Laveriel turned and made her remarks, Imogen sat quietly, looking thoughtful, eyes closed. After a surprisingly long silence, she spoke:
"Kill her...? Yes- well. Yes and no."
The Orkhan woman opened her startlingly purple eyes and continued, holding up a hand, cupped palm upturned as if to illustrate one side of a set of scales. "We have now the element of surprise, most potent and fragile of advantages. No-one who has robbed an ancient dragon would expect them to commission mortals for any recovery, so it is not likely that we are known to her. Unprepared, the mages who can deflect a blade wreathed in Novaflame are... rare."
Imogen raised her other hand- except that it was barren of flesh or muscle, a skeletal appendage in contrast to her fleshy hand. She held both in front of her, raising one and lowering the other, and vice-versa. "But anyone who has chosen to challenge a god will be prepared for sudden, overwhelming force." Imogen gestured to the shining crystal windows and lustrous walls about the group to illustrate her point. A sorceress, however canny, could not plausibly vanquish Arcas by dint of sheer power, and would certainly have to suspect that he might come looking for her, bringing such divine might as the Archmagic which had just conjured this building from the Aetherium.
"A mage prepared to take extreme measures to achieve their ends can become extremely troublesome to kill. It is, therefore, a bad idea to attack this woman until you have ascertained that such an approach can work." She recalled one of her uncle's least-favorite stories, of being sent to rescue a vanished Grymalka and finding the man had been splitting his own spirit to incubate in children, in the hopes of attaining immortality. The resolution of that particular job had been excruciating, and it had taken months to be sure the madman was gone.
The ork sighed, dropping both hands, living and skeletal, below the table, then leaned forward. "But I would still be grateful for assistance in locating this Eadra. I don't suppose that any of you knows what, exactly, the Voice of Tekrah is or wherefore she might have taken it?"
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2023 10:27 am
by Talon
Talon thought long and hard. He searched the depths of his memory, brow furrowing in concentration. The reemergence of Eadra had unsettled him but she was a problem that had been on his heels for quite some time now. There would come a day when he would have to deal with her more directly but he doubted that would be any time soon. At Laveriel’s inquiry, he shook his head.
“Alone? No. Eadra is well prepared in even the most innocuous situations from what I have found.” He leaned back in his chair. “But she is not the goal here. Returning the artifact to Exathun is. Focus on that. If Eadra must be engaged, I would advise you do so sparingly. If she can be avoided, I would strongly recommend that you pursue that route. Even when I was a mortal, she was a clever sorceress. She has only grown more so as her hate has festered.”
Of the two dangers presented in this situation, Exathun, an ancient white dragon, was the more pressing concern. Eadra’s wrath was concentrated on him. That was something he could and would deal with in time. Exathun was a far more unpredictable variable and he did not want to think about the kind of devastation that such a formidable dragon could unleash. He nodded in agreement with Imogen’s assessment. The hint of a smirk touched his lips, leave it to the Orkhan to be deeply aware of the manner of conflict ahead of them. Raxen’s people never failed to have an uncanny awareness of obstacles in their path. At the mention of the Voice of Tekrah…again…something in his long memory flickered just out of reach. It was on the tip of his tongue but he did not seem to be able to articulate it.
Perhaps I can help, love?
Talon turned his attention to Aoren. He nodded.
The two of them shared a steady look as Talon opened himself up to his husband’s mental assistance. Together, the two of them probed the depths of Arcas ancient memory as Talon worked to sort through the Ages of information in his own head. Again, there was that flicker of recognition but this time, Aoren grasped it and pulled it forward. As soon as it came to the forefront of his mind, Talon went still. Both of them did.
“In the beating heart of a stillborn child,
There shall the beauty of my Voice take root.
There is no Truth, for the world is a Lie and they shall be its Speaker.
There are only worms, as we are but Parasites feeding on the milk of the Old Ones.
There is only one path, as all that we behold is a realm made beautiful by Horrors.”
A shiver went through him as he recalled that fell prophecy.
“Shynetekrah was a Mistlord. Feared, even by its counterparts. It was destroyed. By a coalition of heroes both good and evil. But it swore to return.” Talon shook his head.
“The Voice of Tekrah is not a what. The Voice of Tekrah is a who. More precisely, they are the heir of a Mistlord…one that even the other Mistlords feared.”
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2023 6:44 pm
by Laveriel
Shynetekrah.
“So this sorceress is in the possession of a dead god that is likely reborn in a child?” Veriel laid out, just to make sure her mind was processing it right. She leaned back and pressed her lips together. Her hand wandered to Novuril, its presence comforting. “A mistlord of parasites and horrors.”
A mistlord so terrible that light and dark set aside their differences to dispose of him. And he might or might not return. It did not bode well for all of them.
Veriel tried to rack her brain, searching for the name in her memories but nothing came up. It was peculiar. Even from a young age, the history of their people and the mistlords had been hammered into her. It didn’t matter if she was terrible at mathematics or languages. As long as she memorized every mistlord and the domains they preside over, they would be pleased.
Perhaps her parents never knew about it or perhaps she had just forgotten it - she wasn’t the most studious growing up. Veriel was never as While most of her siblings followed their parents’ footsteps, Veriel was the odd one out. Instead of dedicating her life to the mistlords, the siltori left her homeland to serve a draegir. They never stopped her or berate her, but clearly it was not a life her parents had imagined for her. The only redeeming factor about her departure was that it was to serve the demigod of Dawn. Her people would never forget how Arcas had been the first to welcome them in the fight against the dark.
The elf folded her hands on the table and took a deep breath. “Where should we start?”
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2023 11:01 am
by Imogen
Imogen Ward's brows knit together as the two men gazed long at one another, then spoke.
Disturbing words, to be sure. The witch was neither historian nor religious scholar, but Shynetekrah was not a name which inspired confidence; at least she had an answer for the dragon's cryptic words about killing light and truth. This Eadra's vendetta was against Arcas--or perhaps Prince Talon, she wasn't sure if there was any distinction--but her weapon of choice was falsity.
It seemed as though the evil sorceress and ancient dragon were just as literalist as the Arbiters whom Imogen had argued with in the past. She doubted she'd have any more luck convincing them that truth and lie were not opposites.
Anyway, no time for idle philosophy just now. She looked again to Laveriel as the elf spoke, closing her eyes to consider her words. When she finished her question, Imogen reopened her eyes, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful.
"The dragon seeks the return of the Voice by dawn of the new year. To accomplish this, we must know three things:"
The ork held up a finger. "One, where the Voice is being kept."
A second: "Two, the precise nature of the sorceress' ambitions- how she plans to use the Voice."
A third finger: "Three, the safeguards she has placed."
Imogen dropped her hand back on to the table. "With this knowledge and the element of surprise, we are likely to succeed. However, there are two additional considerations- first, we ought to know if the Voice is the dragon's willing ward." It would be a rare violation of the laws of Ecith to be a party to the kidnap and enslavement of another, regardless of whatever poisoned destiny they bore. Though the Sunsinger did not say it directly, her implication loomed; she would not permit Laveriel to return the Voice if the Voice was unwilling. "And lastly, we must be aware that we are certain to suffer deception, given the circumstances."
"To those ends, I propose that we locate the sorceress and the Voice with all due haste... and bide our time until the truths we seek surface."
It was not a particularly bold plan, but a situation like this one was not amenable to being rushed. Too many unknown factors which could transform a quick victory into a swifter death for Imogen's liking.
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 11:57 am
by Talon
Talon shrugged his shoulders.
“Eadra could be in possession of a swaddling babe or a fully grown adult. The prophecy does not specify the age of Shynetekrah’s successor. Only that they are or were a stillborn child. I am the Child of Eikaen, but I am certainly not a child in the literal sense.” Prophecies were precarious things that had to be considered carefully. The exact wording was often important and those very words were almost always just as often muddy in their meaning.
Before he answered Laveriel, he listened to Imogen. She had sound proposals and ideas, clearly a woman who was accustomed to taking decisive action. In many ways he recognized hallmark traits of the Dawnmartyrs in her. More than that, he could feel the echo of some scrap of, well, himself in the weave of her aura. That was a curious thing he might investigate further at some other time. For the moment, there were more pressing things to deal with.
“Eadra is unlikely to have the Voice too far out of reach. Risking the wrath of an ancient dragon on top of maneuvering in the shadows against me? No, she will likely keep them close. Where she is, I can confidently say you will also find the Voice. That, alone, is also an estimation of the dangers posed. As for Eadra’s ambitions? Likely the same as they have ever been, to cause pain and suffering, primarily directed at me.” He shrugged his shoulders again. It was a strange state of being to be somewhat nonplussed by the idea that there was someone out there hellbent on causing him as much pain and suffering as imaginable. He had grown, on some level, far too accustomed to the idea that there were many people in this world who despised him simply for existing or for the atrocity of defending himself and those he loved.
“I cannot tell you what manner of sorcery she might have put toward her own defense. Anything is possible. I know that she is capable of Mesmer and Elementalism based only my own battles with her. She has undoubtedly gained other tools in the time since we last fought.” Talon opened his senses to the Aetherium. His nimbus manifested very softly as he concentrated on funneling the portfolios of Justice, Light and Hope in a more focalized manner. Through Semblance he wove together his familiarity with Eadra’s aura in conjunction with the vestiges of her Hopes, and the edge of her craving for Justice in the form of Retribution or Vengeance. He knew the traces of her marks left in the impression of the world’s aether. More so than he wanted to, given their relationship. His eyes clouded over with mercurial silver as he navigated the weave of the Aetherium, searching for the threads of her aura as far as his senses would carry him.
He found them.
“Of course.” He sighed, blinking away his projection and searchings. “My scrying takes me here, to Kalzasi. Specifically, to the Yawning Chasm.”
Beside him, Aoren grunted.
“It means she’s in the Warrens.” Talon nodded in agreement with his husband.
“Specifically, the First Deep.” He smirked. “Fitting, all things considered.”
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2023 9:33 am
by Laveriel
Once the demigod found where the sorceress was, the siltori couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The Warrens. Again.
First, Arcas’s legendary weapon was hidden in the Third Deep. Now, his supposed nemesis and a reborn mistlord were located somewhere in the First Deep. One couldn’t help but wonder if there was a connection she had yet to figure out. Her excursion to the Warrens had still left questions unanswered - especially about the Master - and now they were only adding to it.
Without even thinking, the siltori turned to look at Aoren, recalling their last trip and the horde that nearly swallowed them whole if it wasn't for him. Next time, she would have to be much more prepared. “The one with the pyramid, I remember.”
She supposed based on the name they were supposed to find a wide opening on the ground this time. Still, Veriel had only ever been in the underground once. She certainly was no expert on it. “Is it possible to scout the Yawning Chasm? To see what sort of safeguards the sorceress might have as Imogen suggested?”
If they were to surprise Eadra, they would have to be stealthy. Although, the last time they had tried to be clandestine in the First Deep hadn’t panned out so well. “What if we try to lure her out? Away from her hiding place? Do you think she’ll leave the Voice and give us the chance to take it without needing to fight her?
Since what Eadra wanted most was to enact vengeance Talon, perhaps they could dangle some sort of bait to trick her.
Re: Hope’s Legacy
Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2023 2:07 pm
by Imogen
The Ork did not seem particularly troubled by the report- in fact, it crossed her mind that it might be easier to find a target amidst the First Deep than in a populated area. It certainly opened up the sorts of approaches which would be available when the time came to make a move.
The Dawnmartyr seemed quite concerned, though. Perhaps the Warrens were deadlier, near Kalzasi? Imogen grunted, skeptically.
"First Deep isn't so bad. My uncle was garrisoned at Sunstar for a few years, hardly had any major issues until the Order blew the place up."
Not that he'd been stationed there for that, of course. So far as she knew, nobody at the garrison that evening, witch or Reconciliator, had escaped the catastrophe which had buried the Sanctuary. Still, it was perhaps a disingenuous point; while it stood, Sunstar had been fortified and enchanted, and guarded by a constant watch of expert battle-mages.
"...admittedly, I am not so familiar with the Warrens beneath Kalzasi. Still, I am confident that I can take a small team down, locate the sorceress, ascertain the best approach without drawing her notice and report back. With that information, we will obtain superior results- or, if not, there will at least be nothing tying my people to the Dawnmartyrs and your Highness, and you may have a second shot at it."
Imogen had run into a lot of trouble with her superiors over running operations without making any money back, but the recent payment from the mysterious mage Lyra ought to have gone a long way in shutting Peggy up. She could probably swing dragging a handful of witches along on a wild goose chase, especially since this was, technically, all part of the assignment she'd been given last Ash. As for knowledge of the Kalzasaern warrens... well, there were plenty of people who might be of some use there.
"But I'll defer to you on that, seeing as how you're the ones with the army to hand."