A Silent Call

Esei,

My name is Illyria, and I'm a Ward of Serenwilde, new from the portals.
I did not begin there- I started in Celest, and was called to forest
rather than city. I feel, though, the call of a different forest..

Specifically and especially, though, due to the presence of the Silent
One there.

I've been given your name as someone who might be able to teach me of
Him and guide me on this path- or help me determine if it should be
walked in the first place.

I am one whose heart lies with the dark of the night and the lessons it
teaches. The shadows feel like home. But.. if you don't care to help a
Seren child, I do understand.

I await your reply with patience and eagerness alike.

-Illyria



--------------------------




Young Illyria,

I have received your letter. I commend you for shedding your ties with a
city so young; unfortunately, not many realize that they are as such
until later in life, or not at all.

While I cannot detail much while you still remain a member of the
Serenwilde, what you feel is known as the Ole'noc Caihel, a silent
melody that rings through all things. Neither can I teach you of His
tenets while you reside there.

However, the path that is within the Glomdoring is not kind. It can be
grueling, and painful, and force you to address things within and
without about yourself that you did not ever imagine thinking about. The
Wyrd is unrelenting in its chaos and change, even if it is beautiful. I
could tell you a great many things, beautiful things, but this is what
truly matters before you consider joining.

Often, this journey, this path, starts as defining the Wyrd for oneself,
or figuring out if truly, Nothing Matters but Glomdoring to you. Our
Divine, I find, are easily disappointed by those who cannot or will not
truly commit, for any number of selfish or prideful reasons. But, I
suspect you will start far smaller than that.

In your heart, do my words ring true? Are you strong enough for this
path? Or do you only seek out knowledge of Him, nevermind the rest of
the Wyrd?

I await your response,
Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh, of the Ascending Dusk.



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Esei,

Your letter answers many of my questions already, truthfully- or confirms suspicions,
at any rate. It is true, then, that being one of His means being a full child of Glomdoring.
In my quest to learn more of who He is and what draws me to Him, I learned much of the
Wyrd and the forest itself. I must admit... I am of mixed feelings. From an academic
perspective, it makes little sense- not what it is and what it does, but the why the utter
devotion to it?- and I suspect it is something that must be -felt- and not simply -read- of.

From where I currently stand, though, I cannot feel it. I have no means to enter, save
standing at the outskirts on the road staring pensively within. I feel a pull, but I cannot
see why. Why, the decay? Why, the ruination? Nature itself is already chaos and change-
how is riotous and diverse death any better than riotous and diverse life? I have no answers
to these, nor to this point, any means of obtaining them.

It seems this shall be a longer journey than I even suspected, but.. if Lord Nocht waits
at the end of it, then I shall set my feet upon it with determination.

Quietly and respectfully yours,
Illyria


---------------------------




Esei tells you, "** There is a subtle sensation, shadows rolling like a sea across the aether. **."

You tell Esei, "**A slight quickening heartbeat, settled swiftly; alertness, attention, and a sense of patient waiting.**."

Esei tells you, "Would you care to meet with me, little faeling?"

You tell Esei, "**The barest instant of contemplation, snuffed out by certainty.** Yes. A question.. what form of address do you prefer?"

Esei tells you, "'Auspice' functions well and fine as my prefix."

You tell Esei, "Very well, Auspice Esei."

Esei tells you, "I will be around wind-blasted slopes in the Southern Mountains."

Esei turns to face Illyria, inclining their head politely as their eyes sweep up her form, assessing.

Esei folds up a familiar letter, folding their hands behind their back. "You say you have no means to enter," they say, voice soft. "But you do."

Esei says, "You are not barred from joining the Glomdoring, if that is your truest wish."

Esei caresses the Fingerblade of dha'Wyrden-cree gently.

You have emoted: Illyria tucks her own hands behind her back, looking up at them with almost unnatural stillness as she observes and assesses. "It would be a grievous misdeed to waste the time of everyone involved- and insult them in the process- should I do so without first making certain it is the right path and then subsequently abandoning it," she replies finally.

Esei quirks a brow, stepping closer to you, just within arm's reach.

You have emoted: Illyria's lips twitch as her chin tilts upward to keep her eyes on Esei's far taller form as they approach.

Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "What can you sense from me?"

Pale porcelain skin covered in freckles, they are a graceful elfen wyrden demigod changeling. Their hair, a vibrant rosewood in hue, hangs past their shoulders to the middle of their back; it's been pulled away from their face into braids and a fauxhawk, the rest gathered into a relaxed half-tail spilling down their back. Two thinner braids come in front of their ears, just past their shoulders, swaying with every movement. Their arched brows complement sloe-dark eyes, angled and edged with feathery lashes. Their nose is straight, slightly quirked at the tip. Below their nose rests full pink lips, filled with sharp teeth. Their body is tall and willowy, muscled like a dancer and, elegant. Their hands terminate long, slender arms, each finger tipped with a claw-like fingernail; their feet are typically bare, allowing those claws to show. Their height pushes six and a half feet tall, accentuated by their long legs. Their face and figure give them an air of neither masculinity nor femininity, confusing the uninitiated. Their ears are pierced, small bronze studs and rings ranging from the bottom of their earlobes almost to the tips. Wyrden flames flicker across their form like a shadowy cloak, the sweet scent of roses trailing in their wake.
They are wearing:
a circlet of the Shee-Slaugh house delicately placed against their temple
a dusky, layered ensemble of crow feathers and stars
Ebon Prayer Beads of the Silent Lord wrapped around one wrist
a wedding armband of eternal night resting on their left bicep
a phantasmal shroud of shadows wrapped loosely around their neck like a scarf
the Fingerblade of dha'Wyrden-cree.


Esei tilts their head curiously at you.

You have emoted: With a look of faint surprise at the question, Illyria closes her eyes after a moment, brows downturning. "..power," she murmurs after a minute. "Danger. Something predatory, but not necessarily cruel." Her tone is questioning, as if she is uncertain.

You have emoted: Illyria opens her eyes. "A protector of what you hold dear." This, at least, is said with certainty.

Esei hums lowly, the melody attuned to a beat not quite heard.

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "What would you like to know, more specifically? I understand you have mixed feelings."

The pointed tips of Esei's ears twitch to some errant sound.

You have emoted: Illyria's eyes flash and she whispers softly, "Everything." Looking down after a moment, she sighs. "I don't know enough to know what specifics to ask for, in truth," she admits.

Esei reaches out, gently brushing your cheek to tip your head up to face their own. "I see. Ensure you temper your curiosity with sense."

Esei gently crooks their fingers in a beckoning motion.

You have emoted: Illyria exhales, then nods. "I try to," she says, eyes trailing to fix on Esei's fingers. After a moment, she steps closer, following.

You begin to follow Esei.

[Movement to just outside Glomdoring]

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "This is as arguably as close as you can get without actually tripping into the forest itself."

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks you, "Do you truly wish to wander in?"

You have emoted: Illyria's eyes lift upward from the slithering of vipers in their frenetic dance, northward. She doesn't answer immediately- weighing, thinking- then nods. "Yes," comes the quiet reply.

Esei presses their open palm, cool instead of warm, against your back. "Then go. Try not to get caught." Their dark eyes glitter, not unlike icy stone or gems.

You have emoted: Illyria blinks, mouth opening, then closing with a snap. Giving Esei a searching look, she wordlessly turns and slips away, following the unheard sound of drums within.

[Movement through the forest, slowly]

Deliquescent woodland.
What were once branching woodlands have been twisted out of recognition. Trunks are bent into serpentine shapes, their huge bulks contorted and limp. The bark is blackened and smooth, as if burnt by an intense heat. Where branches touch the soil, they have formed black puddles of ooze that runs into the soil. Cracks in the ground enlarge as they move northwards, the trees becoming even sparser and deformed in that direction. A mature blackthorn tree stands proudly here. Casting darkness all around, a shadow totem thrusts up from the ground, chilling the air.
You see exits leading northeast, southwest, and west.

You have emoted: Illyria pauses, staring at the twisted trees.

[More movement to: Under twisted trees.]

You think to yourself: ..why the decay?
You think to yourself: Why?

[A long while of movement, moving more slowly, glancing and squinting ahead before choosing a path.]

Trickling stream.
A small stream trickles from south to north across the area. The water is overshadowed by large oak trees, their gnarled trunks twisted into bizarre shapes. The forest floor tilts sharply down to meet the water. The brook itself is surrounded by mossy stones and fallen branches, and smooth stones lie in the centre of its course. Strands of spider-web stretch across from bank to bank, the arachnids perhaps hoping they might catch some water creature for dinner. Apart from water and wind, this place is otherwise silent. The stream's flow to north and south is blocked by thick brambles and low trees; the only clear paths leading further through the dark forest. A mature rowan tree stands proudly here. Casting darkness all around, a shadow totem thrusts up from the ground, chilling the air. A glittering black rose pushes up from the ground here. There are 2 translucent spiders here.
You see exits leading east and northwest.

You have emoted: Illyria pauses here, letting her fingers run over a glittering black rose's dark petals.

You have emoted: Illyria's fingers curl, as if to pluck the flower free. She straightens instead, moving quietly onward.

[More movement]

Esei tells you, "** A slow, languid tugging. **."

A bulbous spider wraps its long legs around you, biting deep into your flesh.

[moves again]

You have emoted: Illyria rubs her arm, where punctures mark the bite of the spider.

[and onward]

Strands of sticky web shoot down from the treetops, cocooning you and yanking you up.
You are afflicted with entangled.

[Illyria writhes free and escapes, in the trees now]

You think to yourself: **Heartbeat speeding, almost racing.**.

[several more rooms moved]

You think to yourself: What is pulling me? What?

You tell Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk, "Should.. I come back?"

[movement again, exploring deeper]

You feel something following. It's closer than feels safe.

Esei tells you, "Perhaps; is your curiosity sated for the moment?"

You think to yourself: **Racing now, her heart. Something whirls between fight or flight. Which?**.

[Illy climbs down from the trees and keeps exploring]

//dark purple// The skittering of something, many somethings, echoes from all sides.

You think to yourself: **Run. Stay. Run. Stay. ... Face your fears, or you don't belong here anyway.**.

[Movement through the forest, faster now]

You have emoted: Illyria stops, turning, staring into the undergrowth, fists clenching.

Esei tells you, "** A more insistent tug... **."

You think to yourself: **... fight. fight. don't be prey.**.

[And onwards!]

//dark purple// Something wet and cold and very much alive slithers past your ankles, lost in the foliage littering the ground.

You think to yourself: *not prey. not prey. like a mantra, rising in a fog punctuated by glitters of anger.**.

[Illy makes a determination, and goes searching for the rose, moving more and more confidently]

You pick up a glittering black rose.

A thorn upon a glittering black rose pricks your finger, and a drop of blood is absorbed into the stem.

[Movement out of Glomdoring]

You have emoted: Illyria steps out of the forest, sweat clinging to her brow and her pulse fluttering in her neck. After a moment, she drops a slightly shaky curtsey.

//dark purple// Tendrils of shadow reach out from the depths of the dark forest, blindly grasping as if for a lost meal before retreating once more into the Glomdoring.

Esei tilts their head, raising a brow. "Much trouble?"

You have emoted: Illyria lifts her chin. "No trouble." Bloody fingers wrap around the stem of a glittering black rose.

The pointed tips of Esei's ears twitch to some errant sound.

Esei steps forward, leaning a bit closer. "How did you find the Glomdoring, then? From what little that may have been."

//bright, vivid purple// The thorns twist and writhe along the stem of the glittering black rose held in your hands, but they do not touch you. Instead, the bloom coils against your touch, its natural cold harmonizing with your heat, as if it recognises you.

You have emoted: Something stirs in the soft blue of the faeling's eyes as she gathers instinct and impression into words. "Mysterious," Illyria says finally. "Aware. I felt... alive."

Esei's dark eyes scan your face, humming faintly. "And how does that compare?"

You have emoted: A small smile slips onto Illyria's face as her fingers tighten, stabbing farther onto the thorns as fresh blood wells. "It felt like purpose," she whispers.

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks you, "How will you act?"

You have emoted: Illyria turns to glance back into the forest, looking down at the rose in faint astonishment as she realizes that the stabbing of her hand was, in fact.. her own nails, sunk deep. Slowly uncurling the digits to free them from her skin, she deliberately tucks the stem behind her ear and meets Esei's eyes. "I will think. And prepare. And, being myself, probably research. But in the end..." a look of quiet determination. "I know where my feet are leading me."

Esei watches you carefully, humming faintly. "Ensure your path is correct, then," they say, voice a whisper. "Do you have any questions for me?"

You have emoted: Illyria nods once. "Why the decay?" she asks quietly.

Esei blinks slowly.

Sounding half-amused, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Decay is a part of nature itself, surely you know this?"

You have emoted: Illyria nods. "But things grow from it, normally. It is not usually everpresent, nor overwhelming, unless the forest itself is dying. Which.. I don't think it is."

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "The Glomdoring is very much alive, yes. Do not forget that."

You nod your head at Esei.

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "But decay... serves more than just one purpose. That which decays is something weak, or unnecessary, or otherwise deemed not good for Her garden. Just as much as it is a part of natural processes."

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "The Idol Beetle, for example, toils with decay and rot, so that the greater whole may flourish."

You think to yourself: So.. is it perfect like they say in the book, or not?

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Things that we wish to change about ourselves will decay, and slough off and away, like fears and doubts."

You think to yourself: Because if it's the death of things unworthy, why were they there in the first place?

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "It is not so much death as it is rebirth."

You have emoted: Illyria nods slowly, eyes dark with thought. "Thank you," she says after several moments, unfazed still by the never-ceasing rush of vipers about their feet. ".. May I write you again?"

You think to yourself: Best to sort those questions out away from...

You think to yourself: ... from the forest. It listens.

Esei tips their head forward. "Naturally," they say, then pause, eyes glittering. "Do not listen to their kind, sweet lies, in that northern forest, young one. If your heart and spirit calls to the Wyrd... follow it."

You have emoted: Illyria purses her lips and nods again, taking a long breath. "I will," she says in a voice hardly audible above the rush of cockatrice wings and cold wind. A promise- to who?

You think to yourself: To... Him.

Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Good."

You have emoted: Illyria straightens. "Auspice Esei. I am grateful for your time and teaching. I will write you soon," she says respectfully. ".. thank you again."

Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "May Mother Night guide you."

You have emoted: Illyria murmurs, "And may the shadows hide you," as she slips away.