Anonymous

Haven is out traveling up and down the highway on his patrol when he senses Kerryn nearby. Thinking to visit her for a time to talk more about a project he's planning, he ventures towards Duiran and upsets some guards.

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "Those guards really don't like me."

Kerryn tells you, "Well.. no. You should probably see about being unenemied, dear."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "Mm...Seems unlikely."

Kerryn tells you, "I'll pay the fine for you, if you like."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "They want an apology!"

You have emoted: Haven spits at the ground in disgust.

Kerryn tells you, "For what exactly?"

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "Who knows? Damn savages, the lot of them."

Kerryn tells you, "Uh-huh. Perhaps you should find out."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You."

Xavin tells you, "What of me?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You command the sa..cred... You command the Council now."

Xavin tells you, "Aye, I do."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "What will it take to see my brand lifted from amongst your people?"

Xavin tells you, "Repentance."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "...elaborate."

Xavin tells you, "You continue to call us savages. You continue to insist that we worship demons. All these things you say and believe...and we are simply to ignore it?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Why not? You ignore the righteous path easily enough. What's a few words from me?"

Xavin tells you, "What about your path is righteous? You seem to think that because we follow the spirits that guard the very foundations of this world that we are evil people."

Xavin tells you, "What makes our beliefs any less righteous, any less valid than those that live farther in the south?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "It is far more than that!"

Xavin tells you, "What is it?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Dare I list your crimes?!"

<You think, "Doubt he'd even listen... Faith requires I try, however."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Very well."

Xavin tells you, "I'm curious what crimes we commit, as a council. We, who do all we can to uphold the natural order of the world."

(Daru): Aren says, "Haven you awake?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You lot allow yourselves to toe the very line of corruption. Your selfish needs blind you to it and as such, some of your ilk have been known to affiliate themselves with the corrupt and the undead. Even some of your very elevated members that stand as leaders delve into the jaded waters. I know not of how many others have fallen victim to your Council's whims but I know first hand that the very laws you claim to uphold, you've double backed on to see me -personally- punished. You let yourselves be guided by your primal urges with no heed for the consequences that come from them."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Why I remember there was a time when you lot said those that caused problems that did not concern the Council as a whole would have to deal with it themselves. Even as far as allowing violence within your walls! And when such a time came for me to hunt one of your members who fled to your protection, you denied me my right! My justice! Worse you branded me enemy for decades because of it! I'll never forget the injustice your people allowed to happen by the Raven's hands!"

Xavin tells you, "Nature is not kind, nor is it particularly cruel. So too is the way of the council. There are shades of grey in nature, and we will not, as a people, stand to drive out those that attempt to change the ways of those who would harm the natural cycle. You yourself are branded an enemy not because of your beliefs, but for your actions. You were branded an enemy not because you attempted to slay a member of this commune, but because you burnt every forest on the continent."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Pah! I was branded an enemy far before that."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "When the fires came and they came JUSTLY! It was the Shamans, Sentinels, and the Lord Haern's Order that stepped forward to brand me their enemy. The Council had already laid claim."

Xavin tells you, "No, Locke. There is no circumstance where the destruction of the forests of this continent is just."

Xavin tells you, "And that is what you remain an enemy for."

Xavin tells you, "I quote from the council's records, 'Offense: Burning multiple forests, threatening to burn the Oak.'"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Then they've changed their records. I would not be surprised considering the injustice of the first offense by the Raven, Seir's hands!"

Xavin tells you, "Seir is not an authority in the council. I cannot speak for what he may or may not have done, but our records -now- reflect the crimes that were and are valid in our eyes."

<You think, "Peh! Look at his silver tongue. The Raven's not -now-."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "If you want me to apologize for punishing your ilk for their wrongs..."

Xavin tells you, "You did not punish my people, Haven. And that is what -you- do not understand."

<You think, "HA!"

Xavin tells you, "If an Enorianite wrongs us, do we murder the so-called innocent? Do we go to Enorian and will the very wilds to tear the city brick by brick to the ground and reclaim the land?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "I beg to differ. Your people -mourned-. Oh, how they cried! Ah...it was a good day."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "It is not that you wronged me specifically that your people were punished that day."

Xavin tells you, "And that attitude of yours right there is why you will remain branded an enemy of the Duiran Council."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Pah! FINE."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "BLOODY SAVAGES."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "They never learn."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "NEVER."

Xavin tells you, "You committed crimes against the very nature of our world. You have proven yourself to be as bad as those that dwell in the desert, in the volcano in the Vashnars."

<You think, "Wha..."

You have emoted: Haven grips the reins of his mount suddenly as he grits his teeth.

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "...HOW DARE YOU."

Kerryn tells you, "What did they do now?"

(Web): You say, "Target: Xavin."

Your angel senses Xavin at Within the chilly Moonglade with a health of 6515 and a mana of 7242. (16128) (Duiran.)

Xavin tells you, "Do you deny it? Your actions are very similar to the actions they would take, Locke."

Xavin tells you, "They have attempted to destroy the wilds in the past. Just as you yourself did."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Don't you dare, savage!"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "They have not managed to sway me. Neither shall you!"

Xavin tells you, "Does the truth hurt you, Locke?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "I do what I must, Xavin! Always have, always will!"

(Daru): You say, "I swear."

(Daru): You say, "I'm going to kill him too."

Xavin tells you, "You actions are identical. You need not go farther than the Aureliana to see it."

(Daru): Aren says, "Who."

(Daru): You say, "I'm going to crush his little face and hang his body before his wretched council."

(Daru): You say, "I'll do it!"

(Daru): Aren says, "Calm..."

Xavin tells you, "Walk within that forest and find the desert that has claimed part of the land. The unnatural scar left by Bloodloch's terramancers."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "I am not of Bloodloch's ilk!"

Xavin tells you, "And you would have seen the same happen to every forest on Sapience."

<You think, "They never understand. How can I make them understand?!"

Aren tells you, "What's wrong with you?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "I would have seen the land purified! The weak seared to ash and allow the strong to grow!"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I'm going to kill Xavin."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Damn savage! He says I'm of them, brother!"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "He says I'm just like the Bloodlochians!"

Xavin tells you, "Do you not see how similar that sounds to the words of Bloodloch?"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "PIT HIM! PIT HIM TO HELL."

Aren tells you, "Why would he say that?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "My path leads to a better world while theirs leads to ruin and extermination!"

Xavin tells you, "But your path requires the extermination of the natural world, Locke."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "They would see the world cease to exist! A void! That is not what I desire."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You lie!"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You filthy savage. STOP IT."

<You think, "He's such a fool! Arghhh!"

You have emoted: Haven shifts atop his saddle, clearly aggitated.

You think, "The guards will make quick work of me with their sheer numbers."

Xavin tells you, "I speak the truth of what I see."

Xavin tells you, "What I observe from your words and actions."

Xavin tells you, "The fact that it enrages you so...it means there is some truth to my words."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "You are blind, savage. If that is what you see then you are doomed along with them!"

Xavin tells you, "I see a man who is so blinded by his beliefs that he would destroy the very things that make this world what it is."

Xavin tells you, "The very things that make this world worth something."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Only the world's impurities!"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Corruption and undeath are my enemies! They are the scourge to our realm."

Xavin tells you, "That is what you do not understand. Nothing in this or any world is pure."

Xavin tells you, "Every being, every thing holds some measure of impurity. All men harbor evil within their hearts."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Bah, don't try to sway me with your demon logic."

Xavin tells you, "It is just the best of us that are able to repress it."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "It is not evil that I care for, savage. Evil can be many things. Sometimes it can even be a necessity."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "What I oppose is Corruption and Undeath. They are the heralds of the end. The harbingers who foster weakness in us all in hopes to bring about eternal damnation."

Xavin tells you, "You do not seem to understand, Locke. Evil and corruption are entwined."

<You think, "So simple-minded! Bet it was that spider demon who tried to eat me that taught him... Blasted thing was mad!"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Is this what your "spirits" teach you? Your savagery?! Pah, demons I say. The faithless swine!"

Though too far away for you to accurately perceive details, Xavin is in the neighborhoods of Duiran.

Attaining her fullest glory, the shining sun sits upon her throne at the apex of her daily trek through the firmament.

<You think, "Blessed sun... Keep me true! Hold to the faith."

Xavin tells you, "It is not what the spirits teach me. It is what I have observed. I lived in Bloodloch for a century. I sat their throne. I was one of the Corrupt's chosen, one of Her highest ranking priests. I understand corruption better than most."

<You think, "He is either blind or still serves Her... Yes. YES! That's surely it."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Of that I've no doubt. It would not surprise me if you served Her still."

Xavin tells you, "I serve none but the Lord Hunter. Unlike you I know the meaning of repentance."

Xavin tells you, "I know how to admit that I was wrong, that I was on the wrong path."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "It is not you or your people that I have wronged. They got what they deserved."

Xavin tells you, "Do you have any idea what the destruction of the wilds would cause, Locke?"

Xavin tells you, "It would bring the extinction of every living creature in this realm."

<You think, "Again, he misunderstands! It must be purposely. How else when I am so clear?!"

Xavin tells you, "Every last living thing."

Xavin tells you, "Think on that."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "It is not the destruction of the wilds that I stand for. Only your corrupt behavior. Only your willingness to sacrifice what is right...and for what? Your selfish wants! Your desires! Clear marks of the Corrupter's touch!"

Xavin tells you, "What selfish wants are those?"

Xavin tells you, "Desire to see the wilds thriving?"

Xavin tells you, "Desire to see Dendara thrive so that the wilds may be strengthened?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "Peh... I will find her and I will show you."

Xavin tells you, "Who?"

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "I will drag her screaming and squealing to you. And show you, Xavin. Force you to face the truths of the seeds of corruption amongst your own."

Xavin tells you, "Answer the question."

Your angel senses Serrice at Before the moss-covered pylon of Duiran with a health of 7140 and a mana of 4085. (16154) (Duiran.)

You gallop away to the northeast. (Haven rides hard from Delos towards Duiran's entrance before abruptly stopping.)

Under a gnarled oak. (Eastern Ithmia.) (1064)
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. A large, blood-splattered totem has been erected here, formed of obsidian, ivory and red-wood. Facing outwards and surrounding the totem are a large ivory bear, an obsidian raven and a red-wood serpent. Its armored plating covered in an icy coat, an enormous tlingor lumbers about on powerful legs. A regiment of 5 Tainhelm stonebreakers waits nearby. A tangle of wood and tumbled dirt surrounds a half-built spike pit.
You see exits leading northeast and east.

<You think, "Easy... easy. Patience is key. Have you forgotten everything from the old Boss? Go charging in and they'll paint you the demon. Wait til temptation seizes her, then strike."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "No, her name is mine to keep. I will not have you warn her ahead of time."

<You think, "Besides... I must first learn how to defeat her. Damn Fox has beaten me at every turn."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "But if your Council does not do the right thing when I present her to you... well. I suppose time will tell what judgment will be at hand."

Aryanne tells you, "Mister Haven?"

<An odd prick tingles at the back of your thoughts and you think, "Well... They aren't all bad. I should pray for them. Perhaps some will listen. Others have turned to the Light before."

You bow your head in silent prayer, allowing your devotional energy to anchor you to the ground.

You have emoted: Haven waits for a time in silence before eventually relinquishing an easy breath.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I must learn to control my temper."

You tell Aryanne Aquila, "Hrm.."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "Apologies."

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "I shouldn't have screamed at you."

Aryanne tells you, "Do you follow any Gods about?"

Kerryn tells you, "It's alright, Haven. I know you get worked up, thank you for apologizing."

You tell Aryanne Aquila, "...why?"

You tell Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "Save your coin, Blood Maiden. The Council will not change."

Kerryn tells you, "Alright. At least you tried."

Kerryn tells you, "I'm proud of you for trying."

You shout, "The reckoning is not yet at hand. There is still time to shed your shackles and rekindle your sparks! Turn to the Light, Sapience."

A quiet howl in the distance strikes your ears and sets your hair on end.

You have emoted: Haven turns his head at the sound of the howling. "Hrm..."

Aryanne tells you, "I know pathetic little of them all and feel a touch-bit lacking without. Was hoping mayhaps you'd know something of one that you could tell me on more."

You tell Aryanne Aquila, "Hrm."

You tell Aryanne Aquila, "What do you care about the most in this world?"

Aren tells you, "I know. You should let me help."

Aryanne tells you, "The sun. That it ought continue to shine about. Ought help bring the Dawn Mister Daingean likes talk on quite as well."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Before I came to the Light...I held it all in for so long."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I'm not sure how to shove it all back in. I just...burst."

(Market): Ezalor says, "Accepting duels for my bounty."

<You think, "Him."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Look at him! So smug. So proud. Basking in his crimes towards the Light."

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "I hate you."

Ezalor tells you, "Hate is such a strong word."

Aren tells you, "Xavin you mean?"

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "I just thought I would have you know, Bloodletter. I. -Hate-. You."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Ezalor."

Aren tells you, "...you're with him?"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Xavin's not worth my hate."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "No but he's shoutting for duels."

Aren tells you, "Don't go near him brother, he's bad for you. For us."

<You think, "Maybe..."

Ezalor tells you, "On the contrary, Sun man, you -are- me."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "He must be judged! We cannot allow him to continue snuffing out the Light every which way he goes."

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "...You lie!"

Aren tells you, "We'll train, together. Then we'll both take him out. Ok?"

Ezalor tells you, "When I see you broken at my feet, I see what I would have become had I not found Her."

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "How do you not see Her madness? In Her pursuit of strength... She has lost Her sight to see simple truths in the pain!"

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "Hunger guides Her now. Do you not see it?!"

<You think, "Peh! Why do I try?"

The night sky is clear, and the stars twinkle like diamonds.

You have emoted: Haven turns his head to the skies and his lips twist into a frown. "Because I must... The Light must be brought to dark places. Who needs it most if not them?" He calls aloud to noone in particular.

<<> Ezalor ENTERS FROM THE northeast! <>>

Ezalor gives a pained sigh.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "He's found me!"

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says, "I'm not very welcome in Duiran. Though, I suppose, neither are you."

You have emoted: Haven stares at Ezalor with a grim expression. "You should not be here, Bloodletter!"

<<> Koari ENTERS FROM THE northeast following Kerryn! <>>

Kerryn peers at you suspiciously.

Ezalor tells you, "Why don't we have this conversation somewhere more comfortable?"

Kerryn folds her arms across her chest, "Are you being mischievous?" she demands of you.

You have emoted: Haven curls his fingers into fists, not seeming to notice Kerryn as he stares at Ezalor. "You keep trying, Bloodletter. But I assure you, you cannot succeed!"

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "You will not sway me!"

Ezalor shrugs carelessly at you, one crooked finger gesturing for the man to follow. "You are even less welcome here than I am."

Seeming to notice Ezalor for the first time, Kerryn frowns, her posture tensing slightly.

Aren tells you, "Are you ok? Do you need me?"

You have emoted: Haven takes a heavy step forward as he says to Ezalor, "All must be reminded of the spark within. All must be shown the Light! Even the savage welps." He utters, tone laced with disgust as he cocks a thumb towards the eastern path leading to Duiran.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "He wishes to take me away. He says I'm him."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Xavin claims I am one of them too."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Why does everyone say it is in the Dark that I belong?!"

Rashar sprints in from the east.

Rashar stands with arms outstretched, his mouth moving rapidly in fervent prayer.

White strands of light weave themselves together before Rashar, and within seconds he holds a spiritual mace within his grasp.

Rashar calls upon the Divine to grant him the grace of speed and is answered with a ripple of energy flooding his body.

Much like his counterpart, Ezalor seems to have eyes only for you, no outward sign evident that he has noticed his other companions. "I know somewhere that could use a little light," he says casually, beckoning more insistently.

<<> Trager ENTERS FROM THE east! <>>

"Don't follow him. It's a trick."

<<> Xavin ENTERS FROM THE east! <>>

Aren tells you, "He's getting into your head, brother. He knows you doubt."

Aren tells you, "The only people who say that are the ones who want to hurt or use you."

Trager raises an appraising eyebrow, glancing around slowly. "What seems to be the issue, here?" he rumbles pointedly.

Strolling in at first casually, Rashar quickly slows to a near-halt. Immediately his eyes flick back and forth between Ezalor and you, and his eyes narrow. Two long strides takes him to stand next to the latter, close enough for his presence to be felt but not enough to hinder movement. "What occurs?" he rumbles.

A quiet howl in the distance echoes through the trees, signaling the hunt of a predator in the night.

You have emoted: Haven's lips peel back to shape an earnest snarl as he glares at Ezalor. "Do you jest with me, Bloodletter? The scourge could never embrace the Light as they are. They would first need to give up their taint. Their thirst that would bring the end of us all."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Gods. The savages are here too."

<<> Xavin LEAVES TO THE east! <>>

Aren tells you, "-Calm coaxes within you, trying to relax your worries and fears-."

Aren tells you, "Call on me, and I'll be at your side in an instant. Try not to let them get to you. It's only words."

At last, Ezalor gives indication that he's noticed he is no longer alone you; his nose wrinkles as he draws a deep breath, lips peeled back in a faint grimace. "Do you smell that?" he asks you, tone still conversational and light.

"Savage they may be, but they stand at your side ready to fight. To bleed to protect you."

Rashar tilts his head. "Smells like somebody needs to chew a mint," he comments dryly before turning slate gray eyes to you. "You alright, feller?"

The night sky is clear, and the stars twinkle like diamonds.

You have emoted: Haven narrows his gaze, eventually breaking eye contact with Ezalor to take in the others gathered around him. It is Kerryn that he first notices, his eyes widening just a touch before he manages a nod of acknowledgement. Then it is Rashar's question that calls to him next and his usual grimace returns. "I live." He rumbles with a sharp edge in his tone.

The night sky is clear, and the stars twinkle like diamonds.

One lid closes, momentarily obscuring the bottomless orb that watches the former knight. Rashar's wink is deliberate, as are the words that follow. "That is certainly more than can be said for a certain someone I know." His elbow jerks, indicating Ezalor.

Kerryn steps closer to you, offering him a knowing smile before her pale blue gaze alights on Ezalor.

"I am not at all comfortable with this gathering so close to the Council grounds," Trager remarks firmly. His eyes flash from you to Ezalor. "Is there anything either of you require before I ask you to vacate?"

"Fealty. Always."

<<> Brayden ENTERS FROM THE east! <>>

Brayden stops short suspiciously.

You clench your jaw tightly, pressing your lips into a line with a grim look on your face.

Ezalor's glance flits towards Rashar for a second, the faintest of smirks gracing his lips before his attention returns to you. "You heard him. Come with me, Sun man. If you stay here, you might get to see Trager show you his skill at running away."

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says to you, "But you, you do not run. Don't run from me now. Come."

Daskalos tells you, "Lesser."

Brayden tells you, "You aren't his to tell what to do. What a douche."

Trager's eyes flash with a sudden burst of anger, his legs driving him a quick step forward towards Ezalor. "That is not what your other Leeches would say, Emperor." He spits out the last word, his tone dripping with condescension. "I've chased dozens of them down and split their unicorn spines while they scurried away for help."

::[ Lilith ]::   <<> A lesser leyline has been tapped. <>>

Kerryn places a hand on your shoulder, "He's not going with you." she says to Ezalor, her chin lifting slightly in defiance.

You have emoted: Haven pulls his shield from the ground and stands a little straighter. "I've done my duty here for the day anyway." He grumbles before beginning his march away from Duiran, neither following Ezalor or looking to his companions. "There is other work to be done yet."

With nary a whisper nor a sigh, rosy-fingered dawn creeps into the land, stealing the soul of the night.

Ezalor's skin begins to slowly char, exposed to the sunlight.

Relaxing your legs, you allow the focused devotional energies anchoring you to the ground to dissipate.

You ford your way to the west atop a donkey. (Haven trudges onward to the lesser to do battle with the scourge! Though he falls, the Light prevails and Enorian holds the lesser.)

<<> WARNING: Daskalos wants to revive you at Dilapidated cottage! Use REVIVE to accept. <>>

Daskalos extends a palm in your direction and suddenly you are engulfed in a stream of radiant light.  Your entire being tingles with a sense of joy and vitality as you are pulled back from the brink of the netherworld and restored to life.

Dhar appears out of thin air.

Haag, the Swamp Witch says, "Who are you?! What do ya want?"

Dhar, the Underking says, "Excellent work."

Daskalos grins mischievously at Dhar.

Rashar inclines his head respectfully to Dhar. "Lord Dhar," he rumbles.

Arbre bares her teeth at Dhar in a feral grin.

Daskalos Qefin says, "Thank you, Lord."

Dhar, the Underking bows His head and disperses into a strange white haze before vanishing altogether.

Dilapidated cottage. (Prelatorian Highway.) (13713)
It is amazing in itself that this structure is still standing. The rafters are bowed and sections of the roof itself have fallen in and been replaced with moldering sod. The windows have been covered with weathered planks and rotting canvas, and if it weren't for the steady cloud of thick black smoke emanating from the building's rusting chimney you would be inclined to think it had been abandoned. A disgusting, filthy woman stands over a large pot, cackling with glee. A birdlike creature composed seemingly of nothing but fire and light watches you impassively. A sonic portal, edges vibrating madly, is here. A bit of slippery elm lies here. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here.
You see a single exit leading east (open pine door).

You step through a sonic portal. (portal)
Skirting the Vashnar mountains. (Mhojave desert.) (2501) [-Haern-]
The bright sun shines down, blanketing you with its life-giving warmth. A rotting skeleton has been piked here, its bony hands crossed as it warns against the passage to the east. Like sharp teeth, a few stalagmites reach up from the ground here. A black, murky mist has settled here.
You see exits leading east, west, and northwest.

You tell Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter, "There is a spark even in you, Bloodletter."

<You think, "There is a spark in all of us."

<<> Ezalor ENTERS FROM THE northwest! <>>

Ezalor beckons you to him.

<You think, "Though this one is drawn to me for the wrong reasons..."

You begin to follow Ezalor. (They travel primarily in silence. Weaving through the mountain passes, crossing the desert, and into the Dakhota hills before delving into Azdun.)

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says, "(PASSCODE)"

As you stumble through the dark tunnel, you suddenly find yourself without footing as the tunnel turns sharply downward in a sheer drop. You plunge into it, falling into the unknown.

Tangled within a massive spider's nest. (Lair.) (16596)
The hollowed out pit of this section of the lair has been overtaken by a massive spider's nest, silk spiderweb covering nearly every available surface. Hundreds upon hundreds of white silk strands form a funnel shape toward a central location, where a hollow resides - presumably the home of whatever creature made this nest. The webbing has hardened and dried, slightly sticky to the touch but not enough to deter anyone from movement. Several dozen cocoons are secured to the webbing, their contents unknown and entirely motionless. Thick spiderwebs encase a cocoon bulging with its contained victim. A massive, bloated spider sits low to the ground here, her backside covered in hundreds of unhatched eggs. A demonic spider is towering here, surrounded by a dark violet aura. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here.
You see a single exit leading southeast.

(Haven wanders the lair for a bit until he finds Ezalor again.)

Overlooking a bowl-shaped pit. (Lair.) (16598)
The chamber opens up spaciously, nearly swallowed up by a bowl-shaped pit in the center. Approximately eight feet deep in the center, the pit ramps up steeply along its perimeter to provide an escape from its depths. There is just enough room rimming the pit for a single row of onlookers, as even a single step forward would draw one into the pit. Rimming the chamber is a crowd of shadowy forms, erratic and vaguely humanoid in outline. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here. Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter is here.
You see a single exit leading west.

You peer at a crowd of slender, twitchy shadows suspiciously.

Ezalor walks to the edge of the pit, spinning abruptly on his heel; the motion is practiced, fluid, honed by countless repetitions. His eyes close, hands spread out to his sides, a rare look of peace on his face. "Take a dive with me."

You have emoted: Haven wanders towards the edge and looks down at the gaping maw of darkness. "You would have me plunge....down there?"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "When I ask you to."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I'll need you to pull me out of the darkness."

Ezalor nods, eyes still shut. "You'll like what comes next."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I'm going to jump...and see if I can perhaps bring Light to its depths."

You begin to follow Ezalor.

You have emoted: Haven's expression remains grim but he nods.

<You think, "Light preserve me."

The sun begins her downward journey towards eventual sleep, casting even, full light upon the land.

You feel that your soul is strong enough to be protected once more.

<You think, "...or is it the Night?"

Ezalor abruptly tilts over the edge, wings curled tight against his body as he loses himself in the freefall.

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says, "(PASSCODE)"

As Ezalor speaks the words of passage, the cavern trembles and shudders. The bottom of the pit opens up, the ground falling away to reveal a chasm of unfathomable depths. From it emerges the sounds of a deadly battle - the brutal slice of limbs being severed, the screams of the fallen - and a red blood mist seeps from the pit's entrance.

A bloody and chaotic battlefield. (Lair.) (16789) [-Iosyne-]
You are at the center of a trampled and bloody battlefield, stretching out in every direction. There is no horizon or distant scenery, only the stark whiteness of a thick fog that appears to wall this battlefield in on all sides. The grass of the valley has been flattened beneath the traffic of many creatures or people, brown and dead and ripped out of the ground in places. Though the battlefield is empty, the roar of a battle involving hundreds of people is audible, but muted, just enough to be a constant din above the silence. The evidence of war is scattered over the field - bloodied limbs, unidentifiable piles of carnage and broken weapons. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here. A warm, yellow flame sits here, constrained to the shape of a small sphere. Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter is here. A red haze has been carried in on a faint breeze, coating everything in a light mist of blood.
There are no obvious exits.

The stark whiteness of a thick fog surrounds the battlefield, muffling the sounds of some distant battle. As your feet touch down upon the trampled grass, a spray of fine red mist lightly coats your skin, smelling unmistakably of blood.

Despot Issril Etysul tells you, "When you are ready to leave the battlefield, TELL ISSRIL LEAVE and I will pull you out."

Ezalor's perversion of 'peace' is readily apparent as your surroundings clear, the large vampire drawing in a long, satisfied pull of air. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he breathes, blue eyes flaring to life.

Stumbling through the fog, the hazy image of an armored and bloody foot soldier enters the clearing. The stark details of his pale, shaken visage are incredibly clear despite the evidence that he is some sort of image or phantasm. As he reaffirms his grip on his sword he unleashes a mighty, soundless warcry, and plunges back into the fog.

You have emoted: Haven's nostrils flare at the sight and smell about him. Did he relish in the sights? Did it disgust him?! The former Knight couldn't be quite sure as he tries his best to resume his usual scowl and allow the vampire to believe what he will. "Gods above..." He utters at a near whisper, his right hand gripping his mace fiercely. The Azudim eventually returns his sights to Ezalor as he states, "This is what you wish for the world? An endless strife?"

There is the metallic sound of clashing weaponry, followed by a visceral tearing of someone's internal organs being shredded.

The brilliant aura surrounding you slowly fades to a mere glimmer before disappearing.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Gods, brother! ...He holds the very dream...The very -same- dream I held before I came to the Light."

--------------------------------------------------[ CROWD SEARCH RESULTS ]-----
  The massive core of the - Duiran. - (16204)
      Kerryn, Koari, Rashar, Trager (4)
  (H) Within the unformed - The Havens. - (11818)
      Aakash, Aerdan, Neron (3)
  A barren plot - Salma Settlement. - (9171)
      Kaleigh, Lianca (2)
  A bloody and chaotic bat - Lair. - (16789)
      Ezalor, Haven (2)
  End of dim hallway - Spinesreach. - (4940)
      Rho, Serrice (2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<You think, "Of course! While I'm in hell, the Fox stirs beyond my grasp..."

Ezalor laughs out loud, the noise clashing with the violent sounds permeating in the air, adding to the chaotic din. "There is no place for me and you in any other world," he says, walking over to stand directly in front of you. "Don't you see? You're -me-. That unquenchable thirst for blood, the joy that only battle brings. But you're booooooooring," he continues, voice flippant as he draws that last word out, accompanied by an exaggerated rolling of his eyes. "You're on the side of the angels."

Aryanne tells you, "I answered your question up, but you quite did not answer my own!"

<You think, "Bah! Focus. One thing at a time."

The stars wink into existence, familiar constellations illuminating the night with tales of myth and legend.

You have emoted: Haven gnashes his teeth together in warning as he takes a tentative step backwards from Ezalor. "Corruption is not needed for this dream, Bloodletter! Good? Evil? That is not where my quarrel lies... Those concepts are beneath me. There is only strength and weakness. Life and death... The path you walk will not bring you this in the end." The Azudim allows his mace to fall from his fingertips and crash to the bloodied floor as he curls his fingers into a fist. "A world of undeath and corruption means that it is inevitable that the eternal void comes to be. It means then there would be no life. There would be no death. Only a void! What man would want that, Ezalor?!"

You say to Ezalor, "Tell me, Bloodletter. Who will there be to fight if all cease to exist?!"

Ezalor offers to become your mentor. Read HELP MENTORS to see what this means, and then AGREE if you wish him to become your mentor.

Aren tells you, "He's still lost though. You are not."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "...you should see it, Aren. It's..."

Evoking the power of light, you begin to glow with a radiance far surpassing anything known in Aetolia.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "You're right. I am not lost."

"No, no, no, no, no," Ezalor whines, his eyes squeezing tightly shut in disappointment. When they open again, the vampire has regained his composure, voice steady. "You mistake the the aspirations of predator and prey. -Your- people, they are the ones that seek eradication." He sighs, fingers flexing and unflexing. Finally, one hand settles at his side, palm down. "This is where -your- cattle lie. Cows and sheep, lambs and goats." The hand rises now, to his midsection. "This is where your living people lie. Do they wish for the extinction of those below them? No, they hunt them, feed upon them. And here," now the hand rises to his eye level, one finger pointing directly at himself. "We lie. Do we wish for your genocide? No, just as you would not wipe livestock off the face of this earth."

Aren tells you, "People like him, brother, cannot be helped. He's too far in. He'll only drag you down with him."

Deepest Stygian night steals over the land as the symbolic hourglass empties and turns, ready to begin a new day.

You have emoted: Haven recoils from Ezalor's gesture, shaking his head as he slips his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I cannot speak for the Enorians. Many of them are as you say...even worse more reside in Duiran and are allowed to fester and grow. Their apathy..." The Azudim's visage darkens despite his attempts to keep himself cool and from exploding in his fury. "What I can speak for though is what the Light means and why we should reach for it. Where the dark is eternal and cold, sometimes cruel, it teaches you how to rely on yourself. How to become predatory. But it also leaves you susceptible to corruption. To blindness. To self destruction. The Light offers illumination to simple truths, Bloodletter. It is meant to inspire us to rise above what we -are- and become something -more-. Those who not only flock towards the Light but actually reach up to try and seize it are the ones without apathy. They are the ones who strive to strengthen themselves. Who strive to shed their impurities. The Light means to bridge the strong together, Ezalor, for two will always be greater than one."

You have emoted: Haven shakes his head as he continues, "While I served the dark, I had not realized it because it has taught me to focus on myself. To take. True, it has bred a self reliance but it also left me lacking in other qualities. The Light mends and it sears away that which we do not need. We are freer in the Light."

Xavin tells you, "Do not tell me that the leech is swaying you."

You tell Seneschal Xavin Taziyah, "What do you care of my business, savage?"

Ezalor rolls his eyes, one hand finding purchase upon your cheek almost fondly. "You have seen my Goddess, have you not? Do you truly believe I am -alone-? The night sky is awash with millions of stars, beautiful, majestic, ruled over by the moon. Your sun sits alone in solitude, lost, blinding any who stare into it. Tell me, -Sun- man, who is truly alone?"

Flecking the darkened sky with streaks of orange and magenta, rays of early morning light streak upwards from a newly awakened sun.

Xavin tells you, "Because unlike you I do not harbor hatred for those that simply do not understand."

Calipso tells you, "Hmm..."

Calipso tells you, "Where exactly are you Haven?"

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "...why?"

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says, "Even your 'allies' curse your name in revulsion, no fonder of you than they are of me. But where they revile you, speak your name only with scorn, an afterthought, they fear me. Iosyne gave me Power. She must see the same in you."

You have emoted: "The Sun sits alone above us all because there is but one thread to seek. The inner fire in us all..." Haven growls even as Ezalor grasps his face before he continues, "it strives to join the greater. We are all linked. We are meant to rise, Ezalor. Not sink. We are meant to suffer so that we might learn! Your beloved Iosyne knew this once but in Her pursuit for strength...She has lost Her sight in the face of endless pain." The grimace grows more defined as his face wrinkles profoundly in his snarl so much so that it may be difficult to tell which is natural and which is hate. Whatever the case, the Azudim pulls himself from Ezalor's grasps and turns with a raised fist, his obsidian covered hand beginning to radiate with a brilliance. "She lives in torment and relishes in it. She has simply forgotten! Pain is not forever."

Calling upon the power of light, you mold a brilliant orb into existence between your hands. As you carefully place it on the ground, darkness is banished, and light like midday illuminates the area.

You can see the following 4 objects:
"shrine26307"            a shrine of Iosyne.
"monolith sigil193011"   a monolith sigil.
"angel7441"              a guardian angel.
"flame255288"            a brilliant ball of flame.

Calipso tells you, "Because unless my sight is off, I sense you in a location you shouldnt be."

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "I've come here to bring Light to their Darkness, Calipso."

Calipso tells you, "Hmm."

"Pain is the essence of this world," Ezalor shoots back, his free hand waving dismissively. "Where some would seek to subvert it, bury it, Hers drink it in, use it as the fire to forge Power." The hand upon your cheek tightens its grasp slightly. "Power, Haven. You are so close. Seize it."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Pah! I do not know how to leave this place!"

Shining silver rays peek over the tops of the nearby hills as the moon creeps over the edge of the horizon.

There is the metallic sound of clashing weaponry, followed by a visceral tearing of someone's internal organs being shredded.

Calipso has been suffocated by a horde of skittering things while attempting to claim a smooth onyx dais.
You divine the location of this death as The center of a complex network of tunnels in the Lair.
(16595) Located within (Lair.)

Aren tells you, "What place? Where are you?"

You have emoted: "There is more to life than power!" Haven screams as he draws the radiant flame in his hands closer to Ezalor. "Bask in the brilliance of the sun! Feel its warmth! Rekindle the dim spark that resides in you!"

You call for enlightenment, and you are granted a glimpse into the soul of Ezalor.
You see nothing.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I...Her lair. I think he's brought me to the Weaver's Domain."

Aren tells you, "WHAT."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "<> The bond is flooded with a mixture of apprehension and pain. Though the pulse of fire within remains strong, it is tangled heavily with the cord of pain."

Aren Ratek Yaslana's voice resonates across the land, "EZALOR! Bring him back to me NOW!"

Grand Duke Zsadist Lunare, Angelsbane's voice resonates across the land, "You make it sound like he owes you to give it back... completely the opposite."

Ezalor smiles softly, no visible reaction to the burning globe near his face. Indeed, he draws closer to you, lips pressed almost seductively against the man's ear. "I know what resides in me," he whispers, the soft hiss right against your ear. "And I suspect you know very well too." He takes a small step back, and in that instant, the mask drops; no more refinement, no more flippancy, no amusement, the beast burning hot through his blue gaze. When he speaks, even his tone is stripped of its pleasant tone, resonating with naked fury and hunger. "You know -very- well. You're me. Capable of anything, ready to do anything."

A piercing sound cleaves through the air.

A portal opens in the air in front of you, edges vibrating madly.

Ezalor attaches a flame-shaped sigil to a monolith sigil.

With a cadence that sounds like the scraping of knife edges, Lin roars, "The man brays like an ass, every month, without end. Perhaps it has come to an end."

A stiff wind passing through the valley shakes hair, clothing and nearby foliage as it passes.

A beam of prismatic light suddenly shoots into the room.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "How did I not notice here.."

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says to Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "Get out."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "In a sec, however, not without him."

Calipso points accusingly at you.

Ezalor pulls a charred scythe swathed in blood haze from his weaponbelt fluidly.
Ezalor starts to wield a charred scythe swathed in blood haze in his hands.

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter chatters rapidly in a series of arachnoid clicks.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Oh please."

Piercing the tip of his finger with his fang, Ezalor quickly paints a rune on himself in blood.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Better men have tried."

A pair of glowing runes appears on Ezalor's tongue and forehead, and they glow with a burst of energy before fading into his flesh.

A nearly invisible magical shield forms around Calipso.

Hissing, Ezalor launches himself at Calipso slamming into her shield. Enraged, he strikes it repeatedly, shattering it into a million translucent pieces.

(Haven hesitates for a moment before he springs into action to defend Calipso as she somehow manages to escape. Enraged, Ezalor turns his ire on Haven instead. A midst the fight:)

Aren tells you, "Do you remember how you got there? Anything that can help me?"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "A pit."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "He said a key phrase."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Erm....(PASSCODE), I think."


  **************************
/                            \
| Balance status: RECOVERED. |
\                            /
  **************************
> - ALERT: Ezalor's at 60 % mana. - <
shield overwhelm Ezalor
chasten Ezalor loneliness
queue bal contemplate Ezalor
[94] [99] E97 W95 B100 S100 Dev99 Spark34 <<XP 94%>> [csdb eb] 26:48.526 -
Ezalor is afflicted with: self-pity, anorexia, epilepsy, weariness, impatience, shadow, stupidity, vertigo, berserking, vomiting, confusion, slickness, hellsight, sensitivity, prone, paralysis, fitness, disrupt, deafness, lethargy, dizziness, clarity, hypochondria, hallucinations, asthma,
[94] [99] E97 W95 B100 S100 Dev99 Spark34 <<XP 94%>> [csdb eb] 26:48.582 -

Your aura of weapons rebounding disappears.
Your rebounding defence has been stripped.
You strike at Ezalor with an overwhelming combo of your mace and shield, the symbol of the Gods glowing brightly.


> - Ezalor has been DEFEATED! On to the next one. HROAGH! - <

::[ Lilith ]::   <<> You have gained 3000000 (0.91%) experience. (Player Kill) Repeat 5.18 more times for next level. <>>

A bloody and chaotic battlefield. (Lair.) (16789) [-Iosyne-]
You are at the center of a trampled and bloody battlefield, stretching out in every direction. There is no horizon or distant scenery, only the stark whiteness of a thick fog that appears to wall this battlefield in on all sides. The grass of the valley has been flattened beneath the traffic of many creatures or people, brown and dead and ripped out of the ground in places. Though the battlefield is empty, the roar of a battle involving hundreds of people is audible, but muted, just enough to be a constant din above the silence. The evidence of war is scattered over the field - bloodied limbs, unidentifiable piles of carnage and broken weapons. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here. A warm, yellow flame sits here, constrained to the shape of a small sphere. A sonic portal, edges vibrating madly, is here. There are 4 testis slices in a stack here. There are 5 castorite gland slices in a stack here. There are 2 bladder slices in a stack here. There are 4 heart slices in a stack here. There are 3 stomach slices in a stack here. There are 5 kidney slices in a stack here. A small red slice of heart muscle lies here. There are 5 stomach slices in 2 stacks here. There are 5 bladder slices in 3 stacks here. A slice of testis lies here. There are 6 liver slices in 6 stacks here. There are 5 ovary slices in 5 stacks here. There are 8 lung slices in 8 stacks here. There are 8 eyeball slices in 8 stacks here. There are 12 kidney slices in 7 stacks here. The withered husk of Ezalor rests here. An insubstantial mist swirls about here. A red haze has been carried in on a faint breeze, coating everything in a light mist of blood.
There are no obvious exits.
Ezalor is afflicted with:
[95] [99] E97 W95 B100 S100 Dev99 Spark34 <<XP 95%>> [csdb eb] 26:52.715 -

You feel strength return to your mind.
You feel strength return to your body.

Daskalos tells you, "...how?!"

A cloud of fog hangs low overhead, trapped between the hills surrounding the valley.

Calipso tells you, "Took you long enough."

Aren tells you, "Can you put a pilg up there?"

Calipso tells you, "Now let's get out."

You pick up the withered husk of Ezalor.

The Divine grants you the Rite of Pilgrimage.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "There is a monolith here."

Brayden tells you, "You showed that guy."

Raising a jewel-encrusted sacrificial dagger on high, you murmur a prayer to Slyphe, the Maelstrom, before striking downward into the withered husk of Ezalor. As your dagger rams home, blood sprays over you, the corpse fading into nothingness as it is sacrificed to your God.

Calipso tells you, "Come on... tell issril leave."

Aren tells you, "I'll send you a sigil to get rid of it. Perhaps you can let it explode."

Trager tells you, "Del."

A beam of prismatic light suddenly shoots into the room.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Anyyy day now."

You tell Despot Issril Etysul, "Leave."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "He wont be gone for long."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "He is probably right under you."

You say, "She's not letting me leave."

Calipso blinks.

Trager tells you, "Deliver me, Haven. I am here."

Calipso beckons to those around her.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Follow me."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "I'll get you out."

You tell Trager Del'baeth, "I don't need you!"

You begin to follow Calipso.

Trager tells you, "...I was told to come, to assist you."

Calipso blinks.

Calipso looks about herself, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Calipso chews thoughtfully on her lip.

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Pit...I'm stuck here."

Aren tells you, "I'm sending you one. Tell me if you receive."

The fog parts to reveal Despot Issril Etysul, her scimitars held out in front of her.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Hmm..."

A bloody and chaotic battlefield. (Lair.) (16789) [-Iosyne-]
You are at the center of a trampled and bloody battlefield, stretching out in every direction. There is no horizon or distant scenery, only the stark whiteness of a thick fog that appears to wall this battlefield in on all sides. The grass of the valley has been flattened beneath the traffic of many creatures or people, brown and dead and ripped out of the ground in places. Though the battlefield is empty, the roar of a battle involving hundreds of people is audible, but muted, just enough to be a constant din above the silence. The evidence of war is scattered over the field - bloodied limbs, unidentifiable piles of carnage and broken weapons. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here. A warm, yellow flame sits here, constrained to the shape of a small sphere. Despot Issril Etysul is here, scanning her surroundings with a harsh glare. Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane is here, shrouded. She wields a needle-pointed dirk in her left hand and a tower shield in her right. A red haze has been carried in on a faint breeze, coating everything in a light mist of blood.
There are no obvious exits.

You crease your brow in a frown.

You say, "This does not look good..."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "This suddenly went down fast."

Calipso tells you, "Have a mushroom sigil?"

You shake your head at Calipso.

Dryly, Despot Issril Etysul says, "How observant."

A homing pigeon flutters in towards you, gliding over you as it drops a letter into your hands before flapping away once more.

78737    Aren                      Haven                           10

Aren tells you, "Did you get the letter, brother?"

You take a mushroom sigil from an elegant white letter.

Calipso backs away from Despot Issril Etysul warily, like a cat surveying danger.

Kerryn tells you, "Haven, you've got a great number of people concerned for you."

You gingerly affix the mushroom sigil to a monolith sigil, and upon contact, both are destroyed in a magical explosion that damages you significantly.
A flame-shaped sigil tumbles out of a monolith sigil.

A bloody and chaotic battlefield. (Lair.) (16789) [-Iosyne-]
You are at the center of a trampled and bloody battlefield, stretching out in every direction. There is no horizon or distant scenery, only the stark whiteness of a thick fog that appears to wall this battlefield in on all sides. The grass of the valley has been flattened beneath the traffic of many creatures or people, brown and dead and ripped out of the ground in places. Though the battlefield is empty, the roar of a battle involving hundreds of people is audible, but muted, just enough to be a constant din above the silence. The evidence of war is scattered over the field - bloodied limbs, unidentifiable piles of carnage and broken weapons. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. The shining figure of a guardian angel floats in the air here. A warm, yellow flame sits here, constrained to the shape of a small sphere. Despot Issril Etysul is here, scanning her surroundings with a harsh glare. A glowing red flame-shaped sigil has been left here. Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane is here, shrouded. She wields a needle-pointed dirk in her left hand and a tower shield in her right. A red haze has been carried in on a faint breeze, coating everything in a light mist of blood.
There are no obvious exits.
Ezalor is afflicted with:
[95] [99] E100 W98 B100 S100 Dev98 Spark34 <<XP 95%>> [csdb eb] 31:52.806 -
perform deliverance aren
Your aura of weapons rebounding disappears.
Your rebounding defence has been stripped.
A monolith sigil near your target prevents the deliverance.

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter's voice resonates across the land, "Felt good, didn't it? This is what She sees in you. I am so very proud."

You shout, "...STOP IT! I AM NOT YOU!"

Calipso tells you, "Let's get out of here fast."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Monolith destroyed."

Despot Issril Etysul ignores Calipso, her sights trained on you. She circles you, her blackened scimitars stained with old blood.

Menelaus tells you, "Funny, two fanatics abyss-bent on spreading their murderous ways. I don't see any difference whatsoever."

A piercing sound cleaves through the air.

A portal opens in the air in front of you, edges vibrating madly.

Like a howling blizzard, the icy voice of Riluo bellows defiantly across the land, "Abandon your false prophets Haven, for they would use twisted deceptions to strip you of your power of free will, instead seek salvation through blood, pain and sacrifice."

Calipso beams broadly.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says to you, "Go! Enter!"

Despot Issril Etysul says, "You can certainly try."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "But I doubt you'll succeed."

Aren tells you, "Put up a pilgrimage."

You have emoted: Haven frowns at the despot before him and backs slightly. "Allow us passage!"

Trager's throaty growl resonates across the land like rolling thunder, "Do not give in, Haven. Resist them. You are so very much stronger then this."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "I did."

With a cadence that sounds like the scraping of knife edges, Lin roars, "Join our kind, Haven. You cannot imagine how wonderful this feels."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "You think this is just some ordinary place? This is the world of my Goddess. Her vision."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Gods...there is something else here."

Grand Duke Zsadist Lunare, Angelsbane's voice resonates across the land, "Join our side Haven, you'd be much more appreciated than you would be over there in the ditches of Enorian."

Aren tells you, "I can't get to you. Something else prevents it."

Aryanne tells you, "....Doso be careful?"

Aren tells you, "Deliver me?"

Ilarin tells you, "I appreciatte you."

A nearby mysterious force prevents the deliverance.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "He is far better than anything any of you can be."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Something...prevents me."

Aren tells you, "Damnit."

Daskalos' deep rumbling voice resounds across the continent, "Is it Freedom that makes you cower from the Sun, Riluo? Nature itself rebels against you and your kind. You are a disease, to be cured or eradicated. You are not superior, you must steal from the living just to exist!"

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Gods I'm trapped with this...this thing! Calipso got in via prism."

You tell Aren Ratek Yaslana, "Maybe you can too? Unless this thing stopped that too."

Zaephlyn Chaltier's voice resonates across the land, "I still enjoy the sun quite a lot! The flames just make me that much better!"

Like a howling blizzard, the icy voice of Riluo bellows defiantly across the land, "Glorious are those who have turned away from the falsehoods of the dawn and the blinding lies of the light. Fear not the strength of immortality. Instead, confront the sightless heretics who are blinded by their false light, for they would conceal the knowledge of all things from you in order to corrupt and weaken your minds to their will."

The stars wink into existence, familiar constellations illuminating the night with tales of myth and legend.

You have emoted: Haven holds the ball of flame higher now, illuminating the chamber. "Allow us passage!" He demands now, his tone a touch firmer.

Despot Issril Etysul arches an eyebrow. "You want to leave? You were just getting warmed up, though."

Ezalor steps in through a bowl-shaped pit.

Ezalor beams broadly at you.

Calipso glances around nervously as her selfpity anxiety settles in.

Despot Issril Etysul says, "Didn't you feel it?"

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "This is madness."

Voice rumbling in a low, powerful roar, Xavin bellows, "Interesting definition of corruption you have there Riluo."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "The frenzy that consumed you, as you laid into the Bloodletter?"

Emperor Ezalor D'baen, the Bloodletter says to you, "Exquisite, isn't it? A taste of what you can become."

You have emoted: Haven shakes his head vigorously, "I only do what must be done....what -needs- to be done."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "And yet you came here of your own volition."

A beam of prismatic light suddenly shoots into the room.

Magistra Ashlea Bloodrose, Ward Prefect's voice resonates across the land, "It is not we who exist in fear, but you in your loathesome state of abomination as you hide in the Earth from facing judgement in the Halls of the Underking!"

Arbre, Aren, Kerryn, and Rashar enter from the ether following a shadowy figure.
They are followed by an incorporeal shadow fiend.

Aren snarls viciously.

Almost desperate in tone, you exclaim, "I am no monster. Not any more...I am atoning for my sins!"

Xiuhcoatl's voice resonates across the land, "The living taste much better than the undead. Convert to the light, and all that unicorn."

Rashar moves quickly, snarling at Ezalor as he moves to stand beside you.

You see the following people here:
Calipso, Kerryn, Haven, Trager, Rashar, Aren, Arbre, Ezalor

Despot Issril Etysul tilts her head back, laughing openly and easily. "Look at all of these lambs!"

Aren steps down off of a giant, black-furred wolf.

Aren grips his mace firmly, his eyes settling on Ezalor, "Step aside." he warns.

With a cadence that sounds like the scraping of knife edges, Lin roars, "We have no purpose in this world but to slake our thirst for life; to take what we desire. This is an existence without the bonds of morality and obligation. This is freedom!"

Trager remains at his postion, his knuckles clenched white against the haft of a vicious black dhurive. He remains silent, though his body offers no sign of passivity, ready to strike out at a moments notice.

Despot Issril Etysul says, "I might as well dig an open grave, and invite priests of the Earthen Lord to invoke their incantations."

Calipso peers about herself suspiciously.

Her tone darkening, Despot Issril Etysul says, "For all of their eagerness to die."

Daskalos' deep rumbling voice resounds across the continent, "You are a slave to your own needs. If you were truly free, Lin, then try not feeding for some time. See how well that works out for you."

Raspy, like the sands dancing across the Mhojave, the voice of Menelaus rumbles and resonates across the land, "What a conundrum! They would want you to give up one set of fanatical teachings to embrace the equal but opposite murderous ways of another zealot-like path... sure, makes sense. Enorian and Bloodloch are just two sides of the same coin. Consider Spinesreach, a place of Progress, Freedom and Equality. There is room for common sense here!"

Daskalos' deep rumbling voice resounds across the continent, "-Life- is power, and your very need to feed proves that."

Glaring back, Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "There will be death here, it is a battlefield nonetheless, but I see the odds against you."

"You might as well shut your mouth," Rashar barks, sparing a quick glance at the speaking figure before turning his attention back to you. "Time to go, Haven. It is time to go."

With a cadence that sounds like the scraping of knife edges, Lin roars, "In life, I killed and fed from death. Now I feed from life. That is all that has changed."

Despot Issril Etysul barks a laugh. "Excuse me? Do you even know where you ARE?"

You have emoted: Haven seems rooted in this place as he looks to Rashar and the others. "I know not the way out of this pit. She bars my passage!" He exclaims as he points a finger at the Despot.

Despot Issril Etysul smiles wryly.

Daskalos' deep rumbling voice resounds across the continent, "Death is a part of the Cycle, Lin -- the Cycle of the Living. You are now Undead, an abomination to Nature and Life."

The brilliant aura surrounding you slowly fades to a mere glimmer before disappearing.

Retorting, Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "A battlefield, yes, your Goddess' dream you stated."

Arbre's eyes flick around with paranoia, her back arched and fur puffed out.

Grimly, you say, "We are in the Malevolent's domain now..."

Voice rumbling in a low, powerful roar, Xavin bellows, "Those that once called you family would likely disagree with your assessment, Lin."

Ezalor walks easily around Rashar, no obstruction between the vampire and you once more. "Feel it. Embrace it again. And again." He taps his chest, complete with torn shirt and rumpled vest, pride evident in his stare as it remains on you.

Rashar tilts his head. "How does she bar your way, Haven?"

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Well then...unless you wish the dream to end badly, let us go."

With a cadence that sounds like the scraping of knife edges, Lin roars, "This is not about me. This is about Haven."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "Perhaps She is hungry. Should I fetch Her?"

Calipso shudders violently.

Raspy, like the sands dancing across the Mhojave, the voice of Menelaus rumbles and resonates across the land, "So our answer to the guy who shouts too much is to in turn shout way too much?"

You tell Rashar Del'baeth, the Thunderstorm, "She closed all the exits...Portals and rites do not seem to work here."

Calipso tells you, "Are you empowered by the spark?"

The Divine voice of Slyphe echoes in your head, "You will not give in My son. You will fight. Like you always do."

"Brother...now." Aren says almost urgently, trying his best to stay calm.

Rashar tells you, "She smells weakness, Haven. You need to stand strong. You need to burn hotter than you have before, and show her that there is no chance of Her success."

Wild eyes distant in concentration, Arbre contorts and shrinks, fur falling away as she becomes Azudim once more.

Hooking the white chiffon behind her neck, Arbre crosses it over her breasts before tying it behind her back.

Arbre puts on a feral chiffon skirt.

Speaking up a bit uncertainly, Huntress Arbre Aquila says, "You fetch Her like a dog?"

You see Despot Issril Etysul shout, "My, my my... look at all of the little creatures who have wandered right into My web.."

Aithene tells you, "All of their beckoning for you seems pointless, Haven. Choose because of what calls to you more and stirs within you more."

Calipso's eyes widen slightly in fear of what is to come.

Ezalor's stare turns to Aren, his smile widening further at the words. "Brother he may be, but he is -me-, and I am him. His eyes are starting to open."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "This is MY domain."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "And the only exit is through bloodshed!"

Calipso tells you, "Quickly, set it alight, burn the curse away."

"I have faith in you. I know you will not be swayed so easily by the empty promises."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "You want destruction?"

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "You got it."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says to you, "Do it now."

You have emoted: Haven visibly trembles at the voice resonating throughout the chamber. "The Light is the better here..."

You remove 5 elemental ashes, bringing the total in the cache to 75.

evoke firestorm
This location is not flammable.
(DAMNIT!)

Trager shifts his stance slightly, offering only a slight nod towards the Despot. "We are not going anywhere unless Haven comes with. So please, allow us to pass over this useless posturing and get to the heart of the matter - do you wish to die this night," he rumbles slowly, his voice abnormally calm give the surroundings.

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "This place is not flammable."

Calipso tells you, "Damn valley."

Despot Issril Etysul says, "Do you?"

"I knew I was going to regret this," Arbre mumbles lowly to herself, keeping back from Ezalor and Despot Issril Etysul.

Rashar sneers at Ezalor. "Easy to deceive a feller, when you've got him all alone with not another flame around." He taps his chest, and then indicates Aren, Trager, and Arbre. "Not so easy when you're held up and stood behind."

"I have no fear of dying," Trager returns simply, his shoulders raising slightly at the words. He glances around the room, eyes flicking towards his companions, "And neither, I think, do they."

"We're not leaving without him." Aren says with confidence, jerking his chin towards you.

"This isn't light," Rashar says to you. "You know what the light is. This.." He glances around, waving shortly. "This is deception."

Ezalor ignores the others, turning his gaze back to you. He walks up to seize your chin in a fond hand, nodding once. "You are on the side of the angels. But you are not one of them."

Calipso peers about herself suspiciously.

A stiff wind passing through the valley shakes hair, clothing and nearby foliage as it passes.

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "Stop touching him."

Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane says, "You want a fight, you got one."

Calipso sinks her fangs into Despot Issril Etysul's body and she winces in pain.
Calipso has scored a CRITICAL hit!

Despot Issril Etysul steps into Calipso, swinging two of her arms in a swift, horizontal slice at her neck.
Decapitated in a single blow, Calipso slumps over into a heap.
Calipso has been slain by Despot Issril Etysul.

Aren picks up the corpse of Calipso.

(Order): Aren says, "I'm unsure if I should revive her here."

"Show him the strength of the Light. Ignore his lies and walk away."

You have emoted: Haven gradually shifts his position to draw closer to his companions, particularly Aren and Kerryn, as he keeps his silvered gaze fixated between Ezalor and the Despot. As Ezalor reaches to grasp his chin, the Azudim recoils and swats away the hand. "The games end, Bloodletter."

Rashar reaches out physically and pulls at you, one large hand pressing the smaller man's chest as he attempts to drag him bodily away from Ezalor. "He is not -yours-," he growls. "You have your servants, leech. This one is not among them."

You begin to follow Aren.

(Order): Aren says, "He's with me. We have to get out."

(Order): Rashar says, "He follows?"

One step after another, Arbre slowly moves forward, her nerves evident in every motion as she battles them to join the group standing against Despot Issril Etysul and Ezalor.

Kerryn offers you a small smile, a brief glance given Ezalor before dismissing him entirely.

(Order): Rashar says, "Follow, Aren, if Haven follows you."

(Order): You say, "She is stronger here...how can we escape?"

(Order): Rashar says, "I'm going to try and fly."

(Order): Rashar says, "If that fails, we start digging."

(Order): Rashar says, "If that fails, unicorn. We start swinging, I guess."

(Order): Trager says, "One way or another."

Rashar Del'baeth, the Thunderstorm says, "Duanathar."
You follow Aren to the ether. (lost)
On the clouds. (Skies.) (5468)
A spacious liqueur bar stands here, covering most of the centerern wall.
You see exits leading north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, and down.

Aren nods his head solemnly.

Trager's eyes visibly relax as he stows a vicious black dhurive.

You have emoted: Haven breathes out a long sigh of relief.

Aren turns to you, slamming both hands into you roughly, "Stay away from him!! Don't let him close to you damnit!"

Trager Del'baeth says to you, "If you have need of this Savage again, just call."

A shadowy figure slips out of sight to the north.
He is followed by an incorporeal shadow fiend.

Calipso tells you, "Call upon nirvana."

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "We're out."

Calipso tells you, "Oh good."

Calipso tells you, "How?"

Rashar turns to you. "So much heat," he rumbles softly. "So much -fire-. You need to burn when that feller comes. Burn so bright his lies are incinerated before they ever reach you."

You have emoted: Haven stumbles back a step from Aren's shove and grimaces. "I thought maybe I could reignite the spark in him, brother..."

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "The power of artifacts."

Calipso tells you, "Hah."

Calipso tells you, "Which?"

"He's not ready yet to listen, Haven." Kerryn says quietly.

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "Wings."

Calipso tells you, "Of course.."

Calipso tells you, "Couldnt use those from the start??"

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "I don't own them."

Calipso tells you, "Ah well, least got out. Now what the frick were you doing there to begin with?"

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "Spreading the Light."

Calipso tells you, "To -there-?"

Ezalor tells you, "We will speak again soon."

Calipso tells you, "The darkness circles you like a jealous lover, Haven. Why do you keep indulging it."

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "I thought perhaps if I delved into the darkest place... I would shine brightest and shed their illusions."

"He's beyond gone! Understand? You cannot help him, no one can. Unicorn him!" Aren yells, fingers clenched into fists at his side, "We could've lost you..."

Volmarion flies up from the ground, carried by a pair of wings of the eagle strapped to his back.

<<> Volmarion LEAVES TO THE east! <>>

Calipso tells you, "Did you even try to shine?"

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "Aye and he merely laughed!"

Calipso tells you, "That cavern was darker than the shadow."

Iosyne, the Malevolent has bestowed a divine blessing upon you. It will last for <x> days.

Rashar snarls at the arrival and the departure of Volmarion, looking close to violence once again.

You have emoted: Haven drops his gaze from Aren and visibly shudders as the divine grace of Iosyne envelops him. "I...I can be strong. I am strong, brother. You need not worry so much."

You tell Vagabond Calipso, Trollsbane, "The very cavern was the same dream I used to have."

Calipso tells you, "Beware haven. I see a strange longing in you. This is the seed of corruption, let it not pull you into a depths you cannot survive."

"Unicorn. You think they'll just give up and stop suddenly?" Aren hisses. He closes his eyes, taking a breath and motioning towards Kerryn, "For Slyphe's sake talk some reasoning into him!"

You have emoted: Haven raises his gaze to meet Aren as he suddenly snarls, "Did they not say the same of me when you first stretched out your hand?!"

(Order): Teani says, "Hi."

Kerryn looks to you, "They are exploiting your attempts to turn them, Haven. You're playing right into their hands, they see weakness, not strength in your actions." she explains softly, "Sometimes the hardest part of conversion is knowing when to turn away and let them wallow in their self-pity a bit longer before they realize the truth all along. Then.. and only then will they be ready to listen and take that hand offered."

Aren grows silent, watching you with a steady glare.

"Sometimes you need to shift your direction a bit," Rashar rumbles quietly from a short ways away. "Know when to set aside succor, and go straight for the extirpation." He blinks and glances around before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Never thought I'd be saying -that- to Haven," he mutters to himslf.

Teani tells you, "How are you doing?"

(Order): Teani says, "What's going on?"

(Order): Aren says, "Ezalor and ...That one were causing problems."

(Order): Teani says, "That one?"

You have emoted: Haven's nostrils flare but he says nothing as he adverts his gaze. A nod is all that he offers as he seems to delve deep into his own thoughts. His chest rises and falls like the tide, swift but even as his fingers curl into his palms. What felt to be a long while passes before he breaks his silence, "I...What bothers me most about my service thus far is how I cannot seem to find that balance you all crave from me. When I walked amongst the shadow and relished in their taint...it was because I contained myself. Locked away all emotion. It was the Light that set me free. Unbridled and unbound but true."

<You think, "When I burn, you complain. When I cool, you complain. What do you want?!"

(Order): Teani says, "Ah, She. Do you need my assistance?"

(Order): Aren says, "Can you make it so She never 'graces' these lands again?"

Casting off her final fetters, the luminous lady awakens fully, shedding her joyful light from horizon to horizon.

(Order): Teani says, "I could try, but I doubt I'd succeed."

You tell Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich, "I...have seen better days."

(Order): Teani says, "It would require some very intricate plotting, and a lot of muscle to back me up, I believe."

(Order): Aren says, "Heh."

(Order): Teani says, "She's a spider being. Maybe if we pull off the legs..."

Teani tells you, "Anything I can do to help you?"

Rashar inclines his head and takes a slow step forward. "Not everyone is so balanced," he says softly. "It is not a requirement, Haven. All we can do is ask that you try. And try ourselves, to help you." His head tilts, and his lips purse in thought.

Aren sighs and steps in towards you, placing a hand on your shoulder, "I worked at you because I saw potential, Haven. You've proven that I wasn't wrong about you time and time again. If you go to them, you won't be free anymore. You'll only be their slave, doing their bidding." His hand squeezes tighter, "I won't let you go. Understand?"

You tell Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich, "I...don't know."

Teani tells you, "I can't reach the cloud, or I would have come."

Kerryn gives a slow smile, "I don't think any of us are perfectly balanced." she glances around at those present. "I have a temper and tend to hurl cookware." she looks to you and grins, "Or have you forgotten?" she jests, "I could remind you, you know."

You have emoted: Haven's expression is grim even as Aren places his grip on his shoulder... but with time the former Knight does manage a quiet smirk. "Understood." He whispers before looking up to regard those assembled. "I need not the reminder, Blood Maiden. But we mustn't all forget that the Light extends to all. Even those as vile as him... Perhaps even the Weaver may yet be pulled from Her madness. Right?" The last of it comes out rather soft for Haven's usually gruff and grim tone. It is almost pathetic if not full of hope.

Attaining her fullest glory, the shining sun sits upon her throne at the apex of her daily trek through the firmament.

Aren lifts his brows, letting out a barking laugh, "Doubtful! But sure, perhaps." he replies, releasing you and stretching his arms over his head, "We'll train together soon and show that leech what we can do. Yes?"

"I do not forget, there is the ability for them all to be saved." Kerryn murmurs to you, "It is up to us to notice the signs and when to offer the hand, when they are ready to accept it and can be saved. That one." she gives a soft laugh, "Is -not- ready. He's playing you like a fiddle at a dance festival and making you the mockery of the Light. Exploiting your compassion. You want to save him. Ignore him, he'll start questioning himself and then doubt and eventually it'll spiral out and he'll be ready to accept the truth you offer."

<You think, "I hate him and would let him burn! ...But duty says to at least try."

A distant keening howl seizes your attention, and you stop to listen. It is the sound of some creature, somewhere, experiencing inutterable sorrow. A chill ripples down your spine as the sound trails off, but you remember...

Rashar smiles faintly. "Perhaps," he murmurs, "But it would take a light brighter than yours, Haven. It would take many of them. You are far too old to fall into that trap, feller. There is a reason he leaves when others arrive. He -cannot- get to you, when you are supported. Alone, we are always weaker."

Lightly, you say, "Two will always be greater than one."

You have emoted: Haven slowly nods in agreement before standing a bit straighter. "You know...you aren't half-bad, Rashar."

"A mathematician," Rashar teases, eyes regaining their standard, much-lighter shade of gray.

Rashar shrugs and brings his hands out of his pockets, splaying them out before him. His smile is crooked, and his head cants to the left as he says, "I'm not half-good, either. But I do the best I can."

Aren gives your arm one last, not so light, punch, "You worried me, you asshole."

You have emoted: "We do what we must." Haven amends to Rashar before abruptly snorting. "Do not think this to mean I actually like you now." He extends a finger accusingly in Rashar's direction. A slow and easy smile begins to surface, cutting across his grimness like a swift blade. With his eyes on Aren now, he replies, "I don't think you'd recognize me if I didn't do that often, brother."

Kerryn nudges Aren, "Want my pot?" she whispers loudly.

Aren Ratek Yaslana smiles and says to Auspicious Legacy, Abbess Kerryn Cardinalis, "My fist will meet his face next time."

Rashar slaps Aren on the back and then turns to Kerryn, pulling her in for a quick, one-armed hug and a kiss to the temple before turning away and walking. "You know how to find me," he calls over his shoulder.

<<> Kerryn LEAVES TO THE east following Rashar! <>>

Aren snickers under his breath.

Aren Ratek Yaslana says to you, "I'm going back. Brother...be careful."

(Haven heads to Delos, contemplating a drink and further meditation. He pauses on the bridge and reconsiders the ale.)

On the Delosian Bridge. (Isle of Delos.) (3214) [-Dhar-]
Snowflakes float down around you, colouring the world white. A small wooden sign is here, several words having been carved upon its surface. Sporting a potbelly, Jhugyr, the Tsinkin mayor stands here. A glowing golden crown bound by chains sits atop a marble pedestal here, armaments scattered about its base. A carved redwood pot is abandoned here.
You see exits leading north (closed pine door), northeast, east, southeast, west, and in.

<<> Teani ENTERS FROM THE northeast! <>>

Teani inclines her head at you, concern showing in her eyes.

You have emoted: Haven runs his fingers through his hair, looking rather haggard and beat as Teani makes her way in. When the Azudim takes notice, he immediately draws in a breath to stand straighter and look more neutral if nothing else. "Teani..."

Meyvitch clenches his right fist and pounds his chest thrice in rapid succession, symbolizing the vibrant heart that beats within.

Fox of the Rhythm, Meyvitch Qefin-Yaslana says, "Hello."

Fox of the Rhythm, Meyvitch Qefin-Yaslana says, "Where--oh, Black Flagon."

Fox of the Rhythm, Meyvitch Qefin-Yaslana says, "Pardon me."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "Is My gift not enough, creature?"

<You think, "I...Malevolent!"

<You think, "Your gift... Your... Iosyne. Undeath is not the way. I cannot believe that it is."

<<> Meyvitch LEAVES TO THE east! <>>

"Apparently." Teani mutters, then walks over to you. She waves briefly at Meyvitch, then turns her full attention to the Azudim. "No need to pretend around me." she says, making a dismissive gesture with her hand.

Quietly, you say to Teani, "She calls to me still."

"Am I not generous? Are Me and My ways not desirable?"

The deepening dusk yields to impenetrable darkness as night claims the land.

You have emoted: Haven presses a finger to his temple and then his chest as he says, "I can feel Her twisting and prodding in both places."

Nodding slowly, Teani creeps a little closer, though not enough to appear threatening or intrusive. "The question is how it resonates with you. Does it weaken you? Strengthen your resolve?" She tilts her head to the side, studying you.

<You think, "There is some wisdom in pain, Lady Iosyne. But pain is not meant to be eternal. Surely You still remember that...Is there no semblance of what You knew from before? As the Muse?"

Grimly, you say to Teani, "It troubles me because I understand Her. I know the path She treads and watches over. It would've been one I revered as an Infernal... it is one I respect. But She's veered too far off if She's come to accept and approve of Undeath."

Growing quieter still, his tone still tight, you say, "She's forgotten what they are, I think."

A feminine laugh is audible, in the faint recesses of your mind.

"Aye." Teani's frown deepens. "I can understand how that would be difficult. I'll never truly accept Undeath, though I can see merits in many other teachings." She takes a deep breath, running a hand across her forehead. "What matters is that one sticks to what one believes in most firmly."

<You think, "Must You torment me so?!"

The stars wink into existence, familiar constellations illuminating the night with tales of myth and legend.

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "I am just like them... put together by some sculptor's hand. A corpse, risen from Her remains. She took My eyes, and still holds the Muse's Tome... all of My knowledge and insight was from it."

You ask Teani, "What do you think I believe in?"

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "My heart, recently taken back - fairly - from the Sovereign. The one indignity I was able to recover."

<You think, "They are a mockery of life, Weaver! Why can You not... Is it eyes that You desire? Is that what You -need-? I would find them for You if it meant You'd see the truth again, Weaver! The Light has its mercies."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "You think that I did not have the chance to wrench them out of that whore of a Sister's sockets? No... I knew from the moment She opened those eyes, and I could see through them, that this would be Her punishment. She can never escape Me now."

Teani looks at you long and hard before countering with her own question. "Does it truly matter what I -think- you believe in?" A crooked smile fleets across her lips. "Each faith can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, each right in its own way. All is about the angle from which one views it." She shakes her head. "I can't claim to understand you, Haven. I don't know you well enough, but I know that you are a staunch adversary to Undeath and that you promote the change and transition from that state to one of living. Whether this goes side by side with Her teachings or not... does it matter?"

Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich says to you, "It does not make you Hers."

A quick gust of wind blows through the nearby buildings with a chilling whistle that sends a shiver across your skin.

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "And even if I DID take them back, and My tome, and everything else that was robbed of Me - I cannot take back the sole, reigning fact that MY SISTER orchestrated MY DEATH, and NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOUR ALLIES did anything to Her in return!"

Deepest Stygian night steals over the land as the symbolic hourglass empties and turns, ready to begin a new day.
It is now the 25th of Ios, year 415 of the Midnight Age.
Today is your birthday! You are 210 years old!

You have emoted: Haven keeps his eyes off of Teani as she speaks, instead studying the token of the Malevolent's esteem within his palm as he listens. A multitude of emotions flood across his features from concern to doubt to anger and more. If there was one common, resonating note throughout - it was in his conviction! His fire. His intensity! Gradually his fingers close over the token of the Malevolent's esteem as he offers Teani a small nod. "I only wish to see the world return to its potential. I do what I must to see that end. To see the rise of those with strength. And it is not the strength of arm that I revere or respect most, Teani... But I think you already know that."

<You think, "I cannot speak for them, Malevolent... I cannot. What You speak of is true and if it is justice that You seek... That would be my bargain to You."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "She drugged, killed, and mutilated Me- Her Sister, another Goddess of the Spirit pantheon - and then let My remains drift down a river... the lot you have cast yourself with are craven, and shameful. They still love Her and sing Her praises."

You crease your brow in a frown.

Eyes following the apparent battle of emotions crossing your features, Teani nods in understanding. "It's the strength of others' conviction and moving in the right direction." She falls silent, eyes turning from you to the ground. "We all have different ways to serve. Sometimes they are not agreeable to everyone else around us, as you already know. I respect you for yours."

(Order): Mariena says, "Spider beings get very angry about that."

(Order): Teani says, "So? She wouldn't be able to move very fast after."

(Order): Mariena says, "Belated, but! If you were going to do that, you'd have to have eight people and perform what the wolves do, only faster and more sure because if you pull one at a time you're gunna die fast."

(Order): Rashar says, "Can't give Her any time to apply restoration."

(Order): Teani says, "Aye, quartering would be the way to go."

Solmenly, you ask Teani, "What do you think of the Weaver?"

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "And yet when I was reborn, My power fused into the Mistress of Spiders.. do you know how many of -them- looked at Me and cringed? Take a guess."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "You know the answer."

<You think, "She was wrong, Weaver. They were wrong! Were it I, I would have -welcomed- You. I have never loved the Dreamer. For all Her gifts, She is mad."

Teani takes a long, deep breath, hand coming up to brush through her hair. "I know only a little. I have meant to find out more, out of pure curiosity, but I never had the chance yet. I know there are some respectable people following Her ways." She smirks, shaking her head. "Of course, there are some idiots who do as well, as I suppose there are everywhere."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "They could not bear to look at what I had become, even though their beloved Dreamer was the very one responsible!"

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "This is the hypocrisy of the Light, creature."

<You think, "No, Weaver. It does not mean that Corruption is the answer. That undeath is the better choice. It is not the hypocrisy of the Light but the hypocrisy of lesser men. Mortal men! You can still reach for the Light, Weaver. I can find You Your justice! If You would only turn Your back to the undead scourge!"

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "When I was alone and an alien among My Siblings who did not know what to do with Me... there were those who loved Me instantly."

You think, "Love You? Or the power You represent?"

A feminine laugh is audible, in the faint recesses of your mind.

With nary a whisper nor a sigh, rosy-fingered dawn creeps into the land, stealing the soul of the night.

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "You and I both know there is more to it than that."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "But I cannot blame your ignorance - you are, after all, only mortal, and only working with a partial deck."

You think, "I... Weaver.  I will show You. I will find Your justice for You. Regardless whether You comply or not, You are right in that You were wronged, but I will ask of You one thing and pray You do it."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "They loved Me because they understood My anguish. They are persecuted and reviled for simply being who they are. They, too, have a vengeance that seeps deep beneath their skin."

<You think, "Show the Undead a great and terrible weakness. Show them vulnerability and see if they love You then, Weaver."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "Don't you even see? The real reason they love Me is because I teach them to embrace themselves - every aspect of themselves. The dirty, the painful, the broken... they have gone through fire on My behalf and emerged victorious. I have crippled Mine, dragged them down with Me into the debilitating Shadow Plague."

The multitonal voice of the Malevolent seeps into your mind: "And they thanked Me for it."

You have emoted: Haven draws himself from his thoughts and gives himself a brief shake to keep himself from visibly shuddering before Teani. "The Weaver is..." The Azudim rotates his wrist slowly as if he might grasp the idea he's looking for right out of the air. "different. She is more than some might realize."

"More... what though?" Teani asks curiously.

A clockwork messenger bat flits in from above and begins flapping around.

A clockwork messenger bat chirps happily at you.

A clockwork messenger bat says to you, "Still here for you. You can't give up."

A clockwork messenger bat flies suddenly out of the room.

You have emoted: Haven looks towards the fleeing bat with a curious glint in his expression before he answers Teani with a level tone, "She is wise as She is cunning. For all Her faults, She...still has Her heart. And that I can respect. Even if I see what She cannot in the undead. I almost..." The Azudim falls silent then, daring not to finish the thought. Instead he returns his gaze to Teani and says, "I think there is work to be done for Her sake. As an example to all of the power of change."

<You think, "I respect You, Weaver. That much I can say..."

You read what is written on an elegant white letter:
I thought you might like something to set on fire for your birthday.

- Aryanne
You see inside:
A blue lily firework
A bird of prey firework
An angel of light firework
A gargantuan snail firework
A flaming sword firework

You tell Aryanne Aquila, "...You've my thanks."

Aryanne tells you, "I doso hope you can have a decent enough birthday, Mister Haven. Sounded as if you've a trying sort of month leading up and about."

Teani narrows her eyes for only a brief moment, looking intently into your eyes, as if to try and discern your thoughts and intentions. She tips her chin down in a bare fraction of a nod, then glances about herself. Pausing, she brings her hand to her chin, stroking it thoughtfully with her thumb. "Sometimes.." she begins, voice low as a whisper. "I feel like He is closing Himself in too much for all work to be done."

You have emoted: "Maybe," Haven answers as he tucks away the token of the Malevolent's esteem into his pack. "In any case, we can serve as reminders to all. These recents months have only proven to me how important our work truly is. And how much this realm needs it. I must be swifter with my sermon. I've several pieces already in play, I think I will call upon them all soon."

"Sacrifices are important, should one wish to make true progress." Teani says softly, nodding her head. "And sometimes change happens only once one is tossed into the fray of things."

Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich says, "Or walks there willingly."

You nod your head and say, "Aye."

Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich wryly says to you, "It might seem strange, but in some way I feel like I actually do understand you."

With a quiet smirk, you say to Teani, "Well, it is good to know that I'm getting better at getting people to understand what it is that I actually represent and strive for."

You say, "Perhaps there is hope for us all yet."

Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich smiles impishly and says, "Don't read too much into it, Black Sun. I might just have a very odd way of thinking."

Making as if to leave, Evening Sky, Teani Fiadhaich says to you, "Just know I'm here, should you need someone to talk to. Alright?"

You have emoted: "Sometimes it is the oddity that proves superior to all." Haven counters, the smirk on his lips growing a touch wider. It draws warmth into his typically grim demeanor that actually reaches up into his eyes. Only a touch, however. "Understood, Teani. Warm fires to you and yours."

Teani nods her head and moves off, frown marring her features as she seems to close herself off with her own troubles in mind.

<<> Teani LEAVES TO THE west! <>>

You have emoted: Haven pats at his pack idly as Teani leaves as if half-tempted to pry the token of the Malevolent's esteem out again. With a slow shake of his head, the former Knight merely concentrates instead, beseeching the guidance of his angel.

You beg your guardian to grant escape and a safe refuge.
Your guardian takes you by the hand and the world begins to fade slowly to black.

Your mind fills with light as reality fades back into view. (Angel Refuge)

The stars wink into existence, familiar constellations illuminating the night with tales of myth and legend.