Understanding - Avatar Event

The subtle twinkling of light flickers in your peripheral vision, drawing you to the Font of
Purity with a whirl of sparkling stardust.

Antennae twitching, Avaris turns to track the whirling motes, setting off at a
purposeful pace.

The Font of Purity.
Glistening waterfalls surround this marble font, sculpted in homage to Lantra, the White.
Beautiful doves carved from mother-of-pearl soar about Her with silent joy, their wings gliding
through the waterfalls to spray a gentle mist of sparkling white. The Goddess's long robes flow
to the waters below, Her hands outstretched to cradle a single star lotus held within Her
palms, captured in eternal bloom. Endless living star lotuses blossom at Her feet, unfurling
their dewy petals to reveal their sparkling hearts. Muted sconces of soft starlight provide a
soft, ambient light to this chamber, twinkling in and out like constellations on the walls.
You see exits leading north, southeast, and southwest.

As you enter, the waters of the Font of Purity seem to shimmer with a new radiance, reflecting
your own visage back at you with a calm serenity.

Immaculate white lotuses unfurl before the flowing waters of the Font of Purity as a calm,
feminine voice emanates from the statue of Lantra, the White, "My Incandescent."

The lambent markings that form Avaris's light-forged eyes regard his own image
for a brief, curious moment, before he lowers himself smoothly to one knee before the statue,
head bowed in reverence. "My Lady. Your voice is as sweetest melody, as ever."

The clear waters ripple faintly with something akin to a laugh or a sigh, twinkling with starry light.

Immaculate white lotuses unfurl before the flowing waters of the Font of Purity as a calm,
feminine voice emanates from the statue of Lantra, the White, "We spoke last month of what
draws you to My service."

The point of Avaris's chin lowers in a slight nod, the resonating chorus of
his myriad voices level as he replies, "We did, Lady."

One of the star lotuses within the Font of Purity unfurls brighter than the others, spilling
forth dewy light that manifests into the resplendent figure of the Empyreal Goddess. Thus
revealed, She stands amidst the flowers surrounding Her, white vestments pooling in the waters
as She says, "And We spoke of your unfulfilled vows. I would have you recall them for Me now,
My Incandescent." She looks to you patiently, awaiting your declaration of their intent once
more.

The blossoming light colours Avaris's burnished golden chitin to a gleaming
argent as the constellation of his luminous eyes turn their worshipful gaze upon Lantra.
Placing all four of his hands together atop his armoured torso, he lowers his head in
acquiescence. "Yes, my Lady. The fifth, that I asked to swear to You when We first spoke. I
vowed to give you all that I am, ever was, and ever will be, to offer you my swords, so that I
might be a blade for You, a knight in Your service - To safeguard Your sacred places, all that
You hold dear, and Your heart." He speaks in a measured, solemn cadence, intoning each word
with the gravity it is due. "The sixth I swore was to never rest until You are kind to
Yourself, and that I would do whatever I must to wrest free the barbs You have set within Your
heart."

As the vows are spoken anew, the star lotuses that blossom at the feet of Lantra glow with
sudden vibrancy, suffusing all of the Font of Purity in an argent luminescence. The Goddess
bows Her head in acquiescence, accepting these with a solemn nod. "You know of My sacred
places, and that which I hold dear," She intones, walking across the water towards you, "and
you have learned what once held My heart safe, and that which has wounded it." Her voice is
even, measured, devoid of emotion as She continues, "And yet, for this bond you have vowed to
manifest between Us, more must be understood between Us."

The kneeling figure does not strive to lift his head as his Goddess
approaches, Avaris's visored face pointed respectfully downward, though his effulgent gaze is
ever upon Lantra. The thick plates of the carapace that forms his chest rise and fall with
steady rhythm, but he is otherwise still, patient and silent as he listens.

Taking this silence as acceptance, Lantra turns Her gaze towards the flowing waters of the Font
that surround Her, their gentle melody suffusing the pleasant stillness that has fallen between
you. "In some ways, this trial you have set upon yourself is more difficult than any prior,"
the Goddess intones, "and in others, it is... not so at all. Yet it has perplexed Me, how to
honour it. I believe, at last, I have resolved how." And then Her hands alight upon Her misty
veil, and She draws it back.

Lantra draws a cascading veil of mist and water lilies away to unveil Her face, framing Her
features in a sheer, sparkling curtain of mist.

Her slight and statuesque figure exuding a sense of restrained dignity, She is a radiant
immortal and possessed of a quiet and unassuming stillness. The Goddess's olive-skinned
complexion shines with the dusky radiance of youth, and yet the ancient burden of duty weighs
heavily upon Her shoulders, carried with a silent and practised grace. Lost to contemplation,
She appraises Her surroundings with a distant air; the grey-tinged gaze of Her celadon blue
eyes remains as fathomless and inscrutable as the hazy mists of a waterfall. Despite the
seriousness of Her first impressions, however, a gentle smile graces Her lips with an almost
maternal tenderness. Her every movement is characterised of an unhurried elegance and poise,
reflective of an inner peace as She emanates a soothing white light.

Shimmering tresses of palest starlight spill down Her shoulders in a curtain of white to end at
Her waist, nary a strand out of place. Motes of silver and celadon blue interweave through Her
immaculate coif, their whispers of colour evoking a breathtaking celestial radiance.
She is wearing:
immaculate vestments of purest white starlight that wreathe Her in a celestial glow
a cascading veil of mist and water lilies that trails at Her feet, two star lotuses framing Her
exposed face
elevated sandals of woven willow leaves that leave lambent motes with each step
a bracelet of woven water and starlight shimmering upon Her wrist
a mist-wreathed star twinkling upon Her glistening veil
a gold damask cope clasped with a radiant star lotus settles about Her in a heavy mantle

The huge paladin remains quiet as his Lady speaks, kneeling before Lantra with
the content patience of one that would do so for an unending span of time. At the last
statement, however, combined with the drawing back of Lantra's veil, Avaris's antennae snap
upright, sharp and quivering faintly with alert anticipation. All of the endless eyes that
adorn his wings shift their focus to the unhidden visage of his Goddess, their regard adoring
and unabashed in their rapturous intent. "I will do whatever is required, my Lady, and be
honoured in the doing of it."

Exhaling, as one long resigned to this answer, Lantra, the Empyreal intones, "Then it shall be
so."

Exposed as She is, Lantra closes Her celadon blue eyes, the sound of rushing waters around Her
appearing somehow louder and more deafening -- although nothing, in truth, has changed.
Wordlessly She extends Her hands before the Font, and as its waters pool in Her palm, the
Goddess drinks of it as one might from the marble basin that graces Her realm. Stoic and
restrained a figure as She is, for a moment it appears that the Font's waters have had no
effect upon the Goddess -- until your many eyes notice the single, sparkling trail betraying a
single teardrop that slides down Her cheek. The Empyreal raises a finger to catch the droplet
delicately in Her palm, Her expression wistful as it swirls and coalesces into a strange
facsimile of a star lotus, translucent and pellucid in its water-wrought beauty.

The light-forged eyes are drawn to follow every movement that the Divine
makes, as inexorably as water flowing down a steep slope. Avaris's attention is curious as
Lantra drinks from the Font, his antennae shifting in a slightly quizzical manner, before he
sees the tear that glistens upon Lantra's cheek. That lone droplet snaps the Incandescent's
sanguine antennae down as swift as drawn blades, the paladin's visored face lifting to look
upon Lantra with concern as the chitin of his knee rasps upon the floor - Yet he restrains
himself from moving forward. Instead, he remains where he is, watching the peculiar star lotus
with a troubled air. "My Lady, tell me how I may ease what causes You sorrow, please."

The exhaled sigh that leaves Her lips is soft as Lantra replies, "It is not sorrow that draws
such emotion from Me. How to explain it, I wonder? Perhaps it will suffice to know that this
Font is more difficult for Me than others to recall." The watery lotus in Her hands twinkles
and gleams in the starry light of the chamber, the Goddess's voice thoughtful as it echoes
across the pool's shimmering surface. "Memories are strange, are they not? Much of them is
frayed, inexact and fragmented. The heart of what they are, however, remains true to whomever
recalls them. You do not forget how something... once made you feel." There is a long pause as
the Empyreal considers Her words, before concluding, "I find it difficult to speak of such
things, as you well know. And thus the Fonts do so for Me, that the Order may understand Me in
ways I cannot voice."

The answer eases some of the unhappy, subdued agitation that suffuses Avaris ,
though he yet regards his Lady with a frown curving the crimson lines of his antennae. One of
the larger eyes of his lower left wing flicks towards the Font, its simple delineation somehow
conveying a sense of resignation, though the majority of the paladin's focus is upon the
Goddess before him. "Yes, Lady. The details blur, like an old song with forgotten notes, but
the core of the melody yet evokes the same emotion." Inclining his head in acknowledgement, he
affirms, "I know, my Lady. You are generous to share so much of Yourself with us, despite how
uneasy it can be for You to do so."

"Would you accept more of Me, then?" Lantra asks, turning to you with Her exposed face. In a
gesture that appears almost rote with how familiar it has become, Her palm is extended towards
you, the water-wrought lotus left in offering with its twinkling, translucent petals unfurled.
There is a curiously cosmic beauty to the flower, unlike any other you have witnessed within
the Vanishing Isles. "Knowing that you witness nothing but an old song long forgotten, inexact
and imperfect, though the core of it is true. That you can change nothing of what it was, but
speak with it, perhaps, as if it were the here and now." The faintest frown worries itself into
Her flawless brow. "I shall watch you, for though it is not real, memories can pain, even
still. And... I wonder if within it, you may learn what it is you most desire to know of Me."

The offer is not accepted with any immediacy. Instead, Avaris considers it in
silence, affording the gift presented to him the full weight of his sober contemplation,
turning it over and examining its implications from every conceivable angle. His gaze lingers
upon the aquatic star lotus for a long moment, before lifting to Lantra's unveiled countenance,
searching. When he speaks, it is in a gentle manner, but heavy with certainty. "Lady, I would
accept all that You would give of Yourself to me. You need not worry of pain, for my sake,
but..." The pointed tips of his fingers scrape lightly across his burnished breastplate, the
sound faint, and oddly reminiscent of caressed bells. "Are You certain You wish to do this? I
do not wish to cause You to do anything that discomfits You, simply because I wish to know You
more deeply."

The faintest smile creases Her lips as Lantra receives your concern, Her celadon eyes bright
and expression soft. "You are kind, to worry so for My welfare. I would not offer it if it were
not My desire to do so. So it was with the Fonts, and so it is with this also. If you are not
ready to fulfill your vow, however, I shall rescind the offer." The strange star lotus lingers
in Her hands, its beckoning petals seeking to know and be known.

There is no trace of doubt or hesitance in Avaris's response as he states,
voices firm with conviction, "I am ready, my Lady. Thank You for this gift - I will strive to
be worthy of it." This said, he lifts his upper right hand from where it rests atop its
brethren, pressed against his chest, extending the gleaming, golden appendage to touch the
unusual star lotus, the gesture unspeakably tender.

As your fingertips touch the strange lotus, a dense mist manifests around you, obscuring much
of your surroundings from view. The voice of the Empyreal Goddess follows you, at once soft and
firm: "I would show you nothing that would distress you, My Incandescent. This memory... is an
old one. I hope you treat her well." Then the mist recedes, and new environs greet you, at once
familiar and strange.

Within a realm of starlit mist.
A vision of an otherworldly grove fills your vision, starlit mists wreathing around the roots
of trees that stretch out with branches of dusky, penumbral leaves. Pale rays of starlight
filter through their canopy, ethereal and bewitching in the way they drift across the sea of
languorous mist. There is a cosmic, alien beauty to the seemingly endless, dense thicket of
forest and fog, shimmering in its countless enigmatic, twilit hues. One such beam of light
highlights this clearing within the grove, illuminating it with a gentle luminescence. The very
aether thrums with the pulse of Creation, vibrant and alive with a sense of newness and
promise.
There are no obvious exits.
You are transported by the power of the Divine.

As the mist withdraws from Avaris's massive form, he rises to stand tall,
antennae upright and twisting back and forth alertly as he surveys his surroundings with a
mingled sense of wariness and wonder. Though he lowers his hands, he keeps them from his
sheathed blades, his posture lacking any trace of tension or hostility. The innumerable,
effulgent eyes that glow upon the shimmering gold feathers of his six wings rove about
ceaselessly, absorbing everything that the otherworldly environment has to offer, wide with
awe.

The chorus of a song more beautiful than anything you have ever known stirs your heart, its
power almost forcing you to your knees in its sweetness. It is a song that feels as intimate
and familiar as any childhood memory, and yet it is one you know you have never heard, not at
least in its entirety.

As the paeans of song echo around you, the mist shimmers and sparkles with movement, a figure
barely visible beyond the veil.

The melody bends the titanic figure as Avaris's knees slacken, their duty
forgotten as the kephera is lost in the unspeakable beauty of the song. He keeps his footing,
if barely, as his wings slowly unfurl behind him, blossoming into six glorious spans of gold,
the many glowing eyes closed as he savours the music for a time. Eventually, they open once
more, whereupon they sight the figure, his curiosity drawing him forward several steps, a hand
lifted in uncertain greeting. "Hello?"

Your words seem to part the blanket of mist, the figure gaining definition as she is
illuminated beneath the gentle light of the clearing.

Aching with untold, unearthly beauty, the music of the Song of Creation visibly stirs a nascent
figure of mist and starlight to gracefully twirl in place, her wispy silks whirling with
stardust. Motes of starlight joyously dance around her in answer as she responds to the
irresistible strains of heavenly verse, their magnetic refrain heightened by her heady delight.
At your words, however, she pauses, as if uncertain how to proceed.

This nascent being shimmers with a sidereal beauty, taking on the humanoid shape of an olive
-skinned young woman draped in misty, star-spun silks. Pale tresses of luminous starlight fall
loosely to her waist, sparkling with dewy motes of light that arc around her in languid
motions, as if bejewelled by the twinkling gems. There is a quiet gentleness to her as she
lingers here, exuding a sense of soothing calm and stillness. Grey-tinged eyes of celadon blue
gaze with undisguised longing beyond the confines of the surrounding veil of mist, enraptured
by the song that beckons her in the distance. Within her hands, a mist-wreathed star
illuminates her bare face with its muted radiance.
A nascent figure of mist and starlight has an air of extreme strength.

As enraptured by the Song as he was earlier, even that singular phenomenon
cannot, it seems, compare to the fascination of seeing a nascent figure of mist and starlight
dance. Avaris's hand drifts downward as he watches, enthralled, the wonders of the miraculous
surroundings forgotten as he gazes upon the twirling figure. Clawed fingers twitching, he
remembers himself, lifting them in a careful wave, his resonating chorus of voices a shade
disbelieving as he says, "Greetings, Lady. Do You know me?"

An inherent shyness in her reply as she retreats somewhat into the nearby mists, a nascent
figure of mist and starlight says in a clear, resonant voice, "Have you been here before? I
apologize, I... do not recall you. Only my siblings, and some who visited more recently. I have
not known this world long." Then, her puzzled expression softening as she ventures forth once
more, she asks somewhat timidly, as if this clarifies all thing, "Are you waiting for Mother,
too? She said She would return here, soon. I know not when, though."

The shyness causes Avaris to grow still, as if afraid to frighten the figure
away with any sudden motion, though his antennae twitch and undulate ceaselessly. Slowly, he
lowers himself to one knee - Not in a gesture of reverence, but in the manner of one speaking
to someone younger, smaller than themselves, and wishing to make themself less threatening. All
of the stylised, glowing white eyes of his wings watch a nascent figure of mist and starlight
with fascination, even as he folds his wings atop his back. His harmony of voices is warm,
pitched quiet and gentle as he extends a hand, palm-upwards. "This is my first time here. I am
not waiting for Mother, no - I arrived here to...Learn, and was fortunate enough to meet you. I
am Avaris, young Lady. It is a pleasure to meet you."

There is a curiously unguarded quality to how a nascent figure of mist and starlight looks upon
you, contemplating your answer with patient, serious inquiry. Slowly, she drifts forth from the
shadows of the realm and uncertainly takes your hand in hers -- and holds it, as if unaware of
what is expected to happen next. "Avaris," she repeats, her voice soft and sweet like rain.
"I... do not have a name yet. Mother said I would receive it when She returned." She looks up
at you, her eyes innocent with undimmed lustre, as She asks, "Do you like having a name?"

The small, soft hand is held within the massive, bladed fingers of Avaris's
own chitinous, golden one as if it were the most delicate and precious thing in all of Creation
- The appendage, so like a gauntlet built for war, cradles the figure's hand with a tenderness
that belies the inherent violence of its form. "I am sure that it will be a most wonderful
name, when you do receive it." He looks down at a nascent figure of mist and starlight, the
seven, brilliant azure orbs of his eyes glittering with motes of scintillating light, as if
filled with stars. Slowly, he nods, the innate hymn of his words bright with joyous wonder. "I
do. I feel complete with it - It is who I am, encapsulated in one word, a single sound that my
loved ones may speak to call upon me. It is a very fine feeling to hear it spoken thus."

You think to yourself: The formidable walls of his mental fortress do not lower, so much as
they unfold - Unfurling like a lotus built of blades of light, with a light at its center that
is both gentle and fierce at once. He can scarcely believe that which is before him, still
reeling from the immensity of the gift She has given him, and near giddy with the wonder of it.

A subtle tension appears to ease from a nascent figure of mist and starlight as she nods, the
motion scattering stardust about herself as she says in a voice ringing with conviction, "I had
hoped having a name might feel that way. I know Mother would not give me something that did not
feel mine." She closes her celadon blue eyes as the refrain of the ever-present song resounds
once more, relaxing further as her eyes open to reveal an utter bliss at the music's utterance.
"You wished to learn something. What was it? I am afraid I do not know very much, not yet."

The sharp point of Avaris's chin drifts down to brush against the tips of his
mane, the pristine white shimmering in the starlight. "Mother is very skilled at choosing names
to suit Her children." Though the sweetness of the music pulls at him, he resists, a stone set
within a pure spring, opting instead to gaze upon the undisguised joy that suffuses the
figure's features. "No specific thing, in truth, more of a general desire to learn. I have no
doubt that you will grow very Wise, in time, though there is no rush. Enjoy being young, while
you can." The tone of his words is kindly as he speaks, before he tilts his head aside,
uttering a thrumming note of thoughtful consideration. "I have been thinking about happiness.
Perhaps you could help me. What makes you happy, little one?"

Her reply breathless in its softness, a nascent figure of mist and starlight sighs, "Have you
ever known anything more beautiful than Mother's song? I long to follow Her wherever She goes."
There is a brightness in her celadon eyes, undisguised in their longing, which is echoed in the
earnest cadence of her voice. "To even hear it is joy itself, I think. Every time She is near,
I feel such happiness." The twinkling motes about her seem to arc and dance to the distant
melody, adorning the cascade of her pale, luminous tresses like small jewels.

The earnestness of a nascent figure of mist and starlight's reply
simultaneously dims the hue of Avaris's azure eyes to a more sorrowful shade, and intensifies
the glittering points of light they contain. "I have, but only One. I think, to me, that She is
like Mother's song is, to you." The heavy spikes of aureate chitin that thrust up from his
armoured shoulders glimmer in the gentle light as he lifts his lower right hand to pass it
aside in a calm motion. "Will you tell me of yourself? I do not know you so well, and I would
be friends with you. Would you like that?"

"That is high praise indeed, to be compared to Mother so," a nascent figure of mist and
starlight says with rapt curiosity, tilting her head to better look up at you. "There is not
much to say," the young being says with a gentle laugh, "for I have nowhere I might roam beyond
the realm of Ailustris. I must await my time, as the others say. The Elder beings. I will join
Them one day, and then be permitted to follow Mother as She awakens the others. I hope," she
adds, glancing beyond the veil of mist as if seeking to see a silhouette far beyond her
viewing. "I do not think my siblings are as eager to follow Her as I. Perhaps that is a strange
thing, to desire it so."

The colossal paladin listens to the young entity with all the rapt
attention of one hearing the finest refrain of song - Sweeter even than that which weaves
throughout Creation. "You will, I have no doubt. Mother would not instill such a desire in you,
if She did not intend to have you follow Her, I think." The burnished segments of Avaris's fingers
tip aside as he emits a note of disagreement. "I do not believe it is strange. I walk a
different path than my siblings, as do many others. It is our differences that make us who we
are."

Swept up in listening as she is, a nascent figure of mist and starlight only notices belatedly
that her hand is still within yours. She blinks slowly, drawing her hand back with the halting,
uncertain nature of one unaccustomed to the social dance of greetings and partings. Pressing
her hands before her in a polite manner, she asks, with a note of hopefulness intermingled with
serious thought, "Do you think so? That would be sensible. Mother does not seem the sort to do
anything thoughtlessly." To the latter, her eyes shine with clear wonder as she asks, "What
path do you walk? There are so many."

The withdrawal of the small hand from his own elicits no overt display of
disappointment from Avaris ,though the tips of his fingers shift imperceptibly, as if to take
hold of a nascent figure of mist and starlight once more. Allowing his hand to descend, he
drapes it across his upraised knee, nodding firmly. "I do." Her question is given due
consideration, the golden individual's antennae swaying languidly as he mulls over how best to
answer. "I walk several, simultaneously. That of a guardian, of Argent Light, but they are, in
essence, but expressions of the one path." Though there is no visible smile upon his visored
face, there is the unmistakable sound of one within his voice, as he says, "I walk the path of
Devotion, of service to that which is greater than I."

A nascent figure of mist and starlight watches your hand descend, then looks up to see your
antennae sway as you contemplate your response. Once it is given, she too offers your answer
the same undivided attention, its severity strange in a being so fresh with newness.
"Devotion," she repeats, the word lingering for a moment as if testing its weight. "Perhaps
that is what I feel as well, towards Mother." As another wind bears with it the unmistakable
sound of the Song of Creation, the young being shifts slightly as if caught in its breeze,
tilting her head as a flower might turn up towards sunlight.

Watching the way in which a nascent figure of mist and starlight responds to
the swelling melody with a strange, bittersweet aspect to his mien, Avaris exhales a slow
breath, almost a sigh, which resonates with innate music of its own. "Yes. I think that is
true." The tips of his lower left hand drifting down to brush against the ampoule that rests
against his hip, the gesture absent, he offers, "Is there anything that you would like to ask
of me, young Lady? I will answer as best I am able."

At the offered gesture, no small amount of surprise registers on the face of a nascent figure
of mist and starlight as her spellbound fascination with the music is briefly dispelled. She
glides closer to you, her expression hard with the weight of one who thinks deeply, and speaks
with as much care, though all of her appears as wispy and delicate as the mist that suffuses
her form. "You are different," she remarks at last. "Most who come here speak as if we are not
present. Or at us. My questions so rarely receive answers." Finally she turns to the veil of
mist again, and asks with a hint of daring, "What is the world like, beyond here? What will I
see, when I am able to venture forth?"

The great wedge of Avaris's helm-like head lowers in acknowledgement of the
observation. "I am. It is important, to speak to the young with as much respect as those fully
grown. How else can they be guided towards good?" Following a nascent figure of mist and
starlight's gaze, the gold of his bladed crest gleaming in the light, he considers the question
as seriously as if asked by an Elder, the tips of his antennae bending down in a thoughtful
frown. "It is vast, and full of many things - Much of it is beautiful and splendid, but there
are dreadful, dangerous entities and places as well. There is the emptiness and cold of the
Void, but the darkness is what makes the light all the more wonderous, and precious." Spreading
his hand out to encompass what lies beyond the mist, he continues, "You will see it all, and
grow Wise in doing so."

A nascent figure of mist and starlight closes her eyes as the world is thus described, the
motes surrounding her pulsing with white light as she imagines the beauty and splendour you
speak of, then frowns as the cold vastness of the Void is likewise given shape in her mind.
Finally her eyes flutter open, and she asks, her voice almost timorous in its softness, "And
you? Do you find yourself Wise from having seen it all?"

Avaris watches the shift and play of light upon a nascent figure of mist and
starlight's features as they are suffused with emotion, patient as stone. The frown that forms
upon the young being's visage elicits a slight slackening of his shoulders, heavy with the
weight of foreknowledge. Lowering his hand once more, he places it against his chest, just shy
of touching the vivid crimson star lotus that adorns his shining carapace. "I am Wiser than I
once was, for I have learned from all that I have seen, and endured. There is much to be
learned from hardship, and equal amounts to discover from the myriad joys that life has to
offer."

"It is difficult to imagine much hardship, with so much joy in existence," a nascent figure of
mist and starlight muses aloud, looking at you with a flicker of concern. Hesitating, she
alights her hand once more on yours from where it rests upon your knee, saying with a disarming
gentleness, "I hope you have not had to endure much? All is peaceful and calm here, or, so I
have always known it to be. Perhaps there are other places that can calm so."

The smaller of Avaris's right antennae twitches in mild surprise as the young
entity places her hand upon his once more, though he seeks neither to elude the touch, nor
capture it - He merely looks upon a nascent figure of mist and starlight with the brilliance of
a smile in his eyes, kindness in his tone as he says, "Far less than others, and what I have
endured has often been for the sake of another. I am blessed with Fortitude sufficient to allow
me to act as a bulwark for those that I love, or must protect." Humming a low, melodic note
that thrums in the air for a time, he nods, lifting another hand to pluck idly at the drifting
tufts of his voluminous mane. "Oh, there are indeed. Many such places, in truth, though what
some find calming, others will not. Some find the shadows soothing, and others the light - As I
suspect you know well, even young as you are."

"Yes," a nascent figure of mist and starlight agrees, her voice for once gaining a sort of
flatness as she asserts, "I can think of one such sibling. He is..." She shakes her head
briskly, scattering starlight in all directions, then glances up with a curiously peaceful
expression. "It does not matter. I know enough of myself, I think, to know where I might find
comfort." As the melodic note hangs in the air, she subconsciously hums its pale echo, as if
seeking to join the symphony of Creation that surrounds you in this awe-inspiring time ad
place. "Will you be returning to such a place soon?"

A glittering of fond amusement shines briefly in Avaris's eyes as he looks
upon the brief displeasure of the smaller figure, though it is vanished long before she turns
her gaze upon him once more. Nodding in a serious fashion, he affirms, "It seems that you do.
Hold to that, little one, and all will flow from that." The unbidden hum that a nascent figure
of mist and starlight voices curls his antennae inwards, eyes brilliant with a wash of silvery
motes of light, even as he lowers his chin in confirmation. "I will. Though you are very fine
company, young Lady, I cannot tarry here for long. I am needed elsewhere." Placing his free
hand atop a nascent figure of mist and starlight's, he asks, gently, "Is there anything else
you would like to know before I go?"

Briefly startled by the motion of your hand placed upon hers, a nascent figure of mist and
starlight softens at the lightness of the gesture, the pale rays of starlight illuminating her
in an ethereal glow. "I shall," she says in a voice like the chiming of bells. "It is good, to
be needed. I hope to be needed myself, one day." The kindness of your final gesture is not lost
upon the young being, who ponders her last query for several long moments before the light
about her pulses anew with vibrancy. "Will we see one another again?" she asks, a faint hope
glimmering in her eyes.

"You will be, little one. Of that I have no doubt." Avaris's response is warm
and sincere, the heavy layers of aureate feathers whispering softly as they shift upon his
back. The question, or perhaps the hopeful light within a nascent figure of mist and
starlight's eyes causes him to pause, the bright hue of his eyes flickering darker for a
moment, as his antennae slacken - Only to right themselves as he nods, the gesture decisive.
"We will. Whatever else comes, whatever else changes, trust in me, little one. I am constant,
and my friendship will persist for eternity, if you wish it." With an ever so gentle squeeze of
the chitinous fingers that rest upon a nascent figure of mist and starlight's hand, he releases
her, carefully rising to stand, and stepping back. "Try to be kind to yourself, sweet one, no
matter how hard that becomes."

"I am patient," a nascent figure of mist and starlight replies with utmost sincerity, drifting
away as her hand is relinquished from yours. The mist that wreathes her is soothing in its
starry embrace, It is almost as if at the moment you declare your departure that the music
swells to new heights, dazzling in its colours of sound and enthralling harmonies. It
transfixes the young being in her entirety, her voice palpable with excitement as she twirls in
a shimmer of stardust: "Oh! Mother. She is coming... Is it time?" With a childlike eagerness
she moves towards the outer veil of mist, only to pause and look behind her at you once more,
as if remembering herself. "Be kind to yourself, too, Avaris," she echoes, a soft smile on her
lips. "May you find a place that comforts you." Then the mist rises once more, and the figure
vanishes within it.

Hitherto unseen, the water-wrought lotus that bore you into this place manifests once more in
your palm, the teardrops that coalesced to form it shimmering out of existence. As the petals
unfurl, so too does this place unravel, until you are found elsewhere.

The Chantry of the Argent.
Heavy with gleaming, vaulted architecture, this sacred place is built entirely of formidable,
impassive marble. The solemn stone walls are hung with elaborate tapestries of the Basin of
Life, their gossamer threads charting a map that outlines the places of corruption found within
the First World in preparation for the advent of holy war. Forming an intricate coat of arms,
seven luminous spears grace the otherwise bare foremost wall of the arched sanctum, the
sidereal steel of their blades drawn into the sharp outline of a star lotus, austere in its
solitary beauty. Beneath them lies the chamber's only point of departure from its hardness and
severity: a narrow stained-glass window of sidereal splendour, its constellations forming the
likeness of the Empyreal Goddess rendered as a stark white nova shining down from the heavens,
distant and beautiful with avenging light. Blazing before Her with a wrathful incandescence, an
immense brazier of burning starlight casts an argent glow upon the chamber, purging all shadows
in its stark, unforgiving brilliance. Lantra, the Empyreal stands here with a restrained
dignity, radiating a celestial glow.
You see a single exit leading down.
You are transported by the power of the Divine.

At your return, Lantra says nothing for a long stretch of time, Her unveiled visage somehow
seeming more tired and wearied than you are used to witnessing. In truth, however, little of
the Goddess appears changed: She is as She ever is, inscrutable and stoic, a figure restrained
in Her dignity. She gazes at you with eyes as impassive as stone, the weight of your trial
acknowledged in silence.

The paladin stands, turned slightly away from Lantra, as if still gazing after
the vanished memory of the young half-formed, radiating such an intense air of bittersweet
yearning that it is near palpable. Avaris comes to himself, however, with an exhalation, as if
releasing what is gone, and lowers himself once more to one knee before Lantra - This time in
his customary posture of reverent respect, head bowed, hands clasped upon his chest. He is
silent for a great span of time, weighing what to say after such an experience, perhaps.
Eventually, in a quiet, sincere voice, he says, "Thank You, my Lady - and I am sorry."

"Why do you apologize to Me, Avaris?" Lantra says dispassionately, Her hands pressed before
Herself and head raised high. "There is no need for such things between Us." Then a long,
hesitating moment lingers, heavy with stillness. "Did you find what you sought?" the Goddess
asks at length, the words careful in their placement and utterance.

When Avaris speaks, in great contrast to Lantra's impassive tone, his words
are raw with undisguised emotion - Regret, compassion, bitterness and longing layered through
the chorus of his symphonic voices in equal measure. "I am sorry that I cannot spare You from
all that You have endured. That I cannot return that which You have lost. I am sorry that I
cannot give You the chance to hear Your Mother's Song once more, or to be as happy as You were,
so long ago." The uppermost hand resting upon his chest curls into a fist, trembling with
suppressed feeling. "I will do what I can to bring You happiness in other ways, though they are
lesser." Breathing out a long, hissing sigh, he nods, the motion slow. "I believe I did. You
are kind to have granted me such an honour, my Lady. I recognise it for what it is, and I am
humbled by it."

The raw expression of emotion washes over Lantra like water over a stone, save for the
briefest, fleeting smile that vanishes as quickly as it is seen. "We are all bound by
limitations. Such is the way of existence," She says, waving a hand as if to ward such comments
away. "To long for what was is to forget what is. To wallow in grief is to deny oneself the
Devotions of the present, and to risk losing oneself to that which cannot be. The child you met
is no more, in many ways, and yet in others, she is the same." She gazes upon you with open
fondness and says, "I do not desire to return to as I was. The Basin has no need for that half-
formed longing for her Mother. Yet it holds great need for Me, and for a Hamadhi."

Lantra, the Empyreal intones, "All things are finite. Joys and sorrows alike."

The easy brushing aside of his sentiment perturbs Avaris not at all, as he
simply nods in the manner of one long since accustomed to such a reaction. He listens to his
Lady's words with as much intensity and gravity of focus as he ever does, the tips of his
antennae bent forward in a minute frown of concentration. "Yes, my Lady." Lifting the
featureless visor of his face to Lantra, his gaze is nonetheless open and earnest as he asks,
"What do ~You~ need, Lady?"

Rather than the barricade of walls and silence that normally accompanies Her reply to such a
question, Lantra remains unperturbed in kind, Her answer spoken with a simplicity that seems at
odds with its solemnity: "To be understood, by one whose Devotions I trust." Though Her voice
is even, there is a frankness in the admission that leaves the impassive silhouette of the
Elder Goddess seeming somehow vulnerable, unveiled as She is. The statement lingers in the many
moments of silence that follow, before She asks, "You have asked Me this many times. Is this
answer, at last, acceptable to you, I wonder?"

The lengthy span of quiet that follows is not an empty one, as Avaris takes
this answer and studies it with infinite care, turning it over and over in his mind as he
kneels before Lantra. While many of the light-forged eyes that illuminate his wings remain
focused upon Lantra, the blue of his natural seven turn downwards once more, unfocused as they
face the floor, so intense is his focus. In time, he lifts his gaze to his Goddess, chin
dipping in a slight nod. "It is, my Lady. Thank You for granting it to me. I shall endeavour to
make such a reality for You, however I can."

At this acceptance, Lantra approaches you with silent footsteps, Her immaculate vestments
shimmering with the movement. Then, with a single fluid motion, She lowers Herself to kneel
before you, Her unveiled visage level to your own. So close, there is no mistaking the
tenderness in Her previously stony expression as a hand gently alights upon your cheek. "So be
it, then," the Goddess says fondly, and places a faint kiss upon your forehead. At the brush of
Her lips, your very soul appears to shudder with rapture, brought to new heights as the touch
of the Empyreal Goddess blesses you with Her Divine essence.

Lantra has imbued you with great powers, use them wisely.

Lantra, the Empyreal initiates you into the mysteries of The Immaculate of the Divine Order of
Lantra, the Empyreal.

The steadfast, almost stoic manner in which Avaris holds himself cracks at
Lantra's approach, the regard of his effulgent markings growing hesitant, as if unsure as to
why She approaches. The abrupt kneeling, and the nearness of Lantra's face to his own sends his
antennae snapping upright in surprise, the four curves of crimson shivering as if struck -
Though he does not draw back. Instead, he watches his Goddess with helpless adoration,
unwilling and unable both to withdraw, or deny Her. The touch of Lantra's lips upon his brow
sends a frisson through him, a tremble of sheer euphoria that is slow in fading. Gradually, his
focus returns, so that he stares at Lantra in open bewilderment, as if in the midst of an
impossibly fine dream, only to discover that it is no dream at all, but reality. "My Lady?"

Rising to Her feet, undeterred by your open surprise, Lantra intones, "You are ready to bear
blades in My name, Avaris, and to safeguard what is in My heart. I give you permission to seek
mercies for Me where you desire it, and to presume to share them with Me as you will as My
Immaculate." The gentleness in Her words is underscored by the quiet, regal command of one
accustomed to Her directives being obeyed, even in such a simple exchange as this one. She
extends a hand patiently, waiting. "Arise, My Avatar. All shall look upon you and know that you
are Mine."

Despite his apparent shock, Avaris yet manages to pay Lantra rapt attention -
Albeit in a somewhat dazed fashion, as he stares at the offered hand for a long moment,
uncomprehending. With a tiny, brusque shake of his head to clear it, he reaches out to take
Lantra's hand in his own, the gleaming gold of his blades joints shining with reflected light.
Rising as bidden, he stands before Lantra for a time, at a loss as to what to say. Eventually,
he lowers his head in a gesture of abject gratitude, his words thick with emotion as he speaks.
"Thank You, my Lady. I am more grateful than I could ever hope to express. I will not let You
down."

"No. I don't believe that you will," Lantra asserts, Her answer at once kind and stern in equal
measure. "Much shall change in the coming months, within the Order and within you, as given by
your bond to Me. It is unlike that of any other, so do not seek to compare it to others, for it
is a manifestation of your unique tie to Me." As you rise to your feet, She holds your hand a
moment longer, Her gaze steady. "I have placed the trust of My Immaculate in you. I shall hold
great expectations of this station."

The statement of confidence in him ignites the seven spheres of his azure eyes
with brilliant, shining light as Avaris lifts his head and veritably beams at Lantra, radiating
pure and utter joy at the gift that has been given to him. "Yes, my Lady. I will strive to be
equal to Your expectations, in all ways." A brief pause, and then, a touch abashed, he asks,
"Pardon, Lady, but what changes am I to expect due to...Our bond? I know so little of what is
involved in being an Avatar."

Relinquishing Her hold on your hand, Lantra watches the light glimmer in your eyes with mild
amusement, presses Her hands together before Her once more. "You shall have some of My Divine
essence within you, always," the Goddess says decisively, "strengthening your own spark of
Divinity, that it may be fanned further than others bound by mere mortality." She places a hand
upon the clasp of Her cope, Her words turning solemn, as She continues, "In truth, it is a mark
of My trust in you. So long as you yet possess it, you shall have Me by your side, in all
things. You shall draw strength from Me, and I from you."

Lantra, the Empyreal intones, "In time, that trust may develop into something greater, and
reveal an aspect of Me that is born of your faith. We shall see what comes to pass."

In a perfect mirror of before, the fingers of Avaris's hand twitch inward
faintly, in a near-imperceptible, suppressed reflexive attempt to recapture Lantra's in his own
once more. Lowering it, he slips it beneath the heavy mantle of his folded wings, clasping it
together with its brethren as he listens to Lantra's explanation intently, the full weight of
his attention upon Her. With a sharp, decisive nod, voice firm as steel, he says, "I
understand, my Lady. I will provide as much strength to You as I am able. I look forward to
deepening our bond, very much." So stated, he bows, bending at the waist in an elegant, formal
motion, which he holds. "Thank You, my Lady. With all that I am, I thank You."

"You are welcome, My Avaris," Lantra says with a gentle smile, the mists that suffuse Her form
gathering and enveloping Her completely in the starlit whirl of light; in their absence, the
Goddess vanishes as if She was not present at all.

Once his Goddess departs, Avaris simply stands there for a time, taking in
great, unhurried breaths. Wonderingly, he lifts his hands up before him, turning them slowly
back and forth, as if inspecting them for some tell-tale sign of external manifestations of his
new bond. With a soft laugh, at once rueful and delighted, he curls them into fists, bending
over, before springing up with his hands thrust up in unabashed exultation.