You cannot fathom why someone would put a Soothsayer in the middle of the desert, but that is where she is, so that is where you are going. Upon learning of your newly acquired condition, you were left a message, though how it came to you without anyone to deliver it is a bit suspect. Fenwick “Beatrix” Hux found his within the confines of his coveted book. How it got there, you will likely never know, but the instructions that the message bore were quite clear.
You were advised to make your way to the Wastes of Faranas, an uninhabited, barren land that consists of little more than coarse sand, blistering sun, and more coarse sand. There is little water to be found, so you are glad that you managed to pack at least a few light provisions for yourself. However, by the seventh day, your waterskin is likely empty and you are beginning to feel your first pangs of thirst.
It is at this time that you realize that you are being followed. As you look above you and squint your eyes towards the midday sun, you note an enormous black bird of some sort. You surmise that it is likely a vulture, but if the creature is waiting for you to keel over so that it may delightfully feast upon your rotting remains, it will be sorely mistaken. You’ve already died once, and thus far, there has certainly been no rotting.
Both the sand and heat are unforgiving, but you were told in this message that you cannot stop for any reason. No rest, not even for a moment; the message was very clear about that. So, you continue your journey south, hoping to see some signs of civilization, but the endless expanse of desert is the only thing that greets your eyes.
You stumble forward, your feet growing heaving under you, and you nearly trip over IT. You manage to catch your balance, and as you correct your posture you find that you have walked directly into the wall of a small tent. You’re positive that it wasn’t there a moment ago; you would have easily recognized such a thing in the midst of all this emptiness, but there it is. You reach out a hand to determine if this is merely some mirage, a cruel figment of your sun-addled mind, but you are assured that it is indeed there.
A chastising, female voice calls out from somewhere within the confines of the tent. “Are you just going to stand out there all day?”
You cautiously enter the tent and your eyes need a moment to adjust to the darkness.
“Well, I suppose you have spent a bit too much time in the sun,” remarks the voice, a hint of amusement present in her tone.
There is a brilliant flash of effervescent light that explodes from the center of the room and spills outward, affecting everything that it touches. You realize that this room is far greater in size than you imagined, and what appeared to be a rather unremarkable little tent actually has enough space to fit an entire house, maybe even two.
The woman gives you an even stare, and you find that she is much like you expected. She is a hunched over, wizened, little old woman. Strands of gray hair hang across her forehead or congregate in clumps upon her brow. Wrinkles affect every corner of her face, and she has the look of someone who is very well-travelled.
She is seated at an elaborately carved wooden table in the center of the room, and it is from there that the soft, blue light continues to emanate in undulating waves. She snaps her fingers and the motion of the light instantaneously stops, each azure curl frozen in time as she slowly makes her way towards you.
“Hmph. I should have known that you would be the first, Mr. Hux.” She reaches up a withered hand, tilting her craggy face as she places her palm upon your forehead.
Despite the unbearable heat of the desert outside, you find that the tent is quite cool, and you shiver a bit as her cold hand presses against your skin. After several moments of this, she narrows her eyes and you feel that gaze is exploring the depths of your very soul. You feel strangely exposed and she grins in response to your obvious discomfort.
“Hmph. All that for a book, eh? You’re either very brave or very foolish… Truth be told, I would bet my money on the second, but I suppose time will tell. Well, just one more thing to check. You’ll want to hold still for this.” She presses her thumbs against your eyes, and without warning, she jams them hard into your sockets.
You feel as if your eyeballs will pop, but you find that you can tolerate this pain. However, the searing agony that comes next is enough to nearly bring you to your knees. Though you cannot see it as your vision is obscured, you hear the crackle of lightning as it explodes from her fingertips in a deafening roar. You howl in pain as you find yourself paralyzed. You quickly think of some course of action to stop this madness, perhaps a spell to protect you, but as you move to intercede on your own behalf, the pain stops and you fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. You find yourself dizzy and unable to see. Your mind is swimming in the vestiges of the dull ache that permeates through your skull.
The soothsayer extends a hand to you and pulls you to your feet before helping you into a luxuriously soft chair near the wooden table. She presses something squishy to your lips, and as she does so, you find your former mental clarity, balance and vision restored.
Before you can utter a word, she raises a hand to stop you. “I am terribly sorry, I do not delight in these dealings. You will be glad to know that such a jolt would have killed any human, but you… you, sir are indeed an Ageless. I suppose I should explain myself, but before I do, now that I have confirmed who you are, I can take my true form.”
The entirety of her body is enveloped in a shimmering white light and the wrinkled flesh begins to physically melt away. Her gray hair slithers from her skull before joining her flesh in landing in lumpy heaps upon the floor. There, the remnants of her former appearance evaporate into nothingness. What is left in the seat before you is likely the most alluring woman you have ever seen. Her long, blonde hair falls across her shoulders in golden waves, and her piercing blue eyes sparkle with a delighted glint.
“I must say it is so good to have company again. There haven’t been many of us lately. The last was about eight months ago.” She pats your hand sympathetically. “Again, I’m so sorry about that. I know how painful that must have been for you, but it had to be done. Awhile back, the Forsaken learned of my whereabouts, and because this place is warded against them, they began to send humans posing as Ageless. There were enchantments on them that enhanced their abilities and certainly made them seem like Ageless. One of them managed to get by me… a very convincing glamour they had on that one… but luckily, Blood was able to stop them at the gates.”
“Since then, I’ve had to go out of my way to make sure all of you are who you say you are. But, this should be at least a little amusing for you. When the rest of them come, you’ll get to see them flop around just as you did. Sometimes they drool and writhe, and I must admit that despite myself it is fairly entertaining to watch. Oh my! Where are my manners! My name is Cleo Seer. Appropriate isn’t it? You’ll get a name like that soon enough. The Archon always knows what will suit us.”
She sighs heavily as she realizes that she has been rambling for several moments now. “Sorry. Like I said, it’s been awhile since I’ve had company. I’ll get you something to eat and drink if you like. We’re going to have to wait for the others. You are the first, Mr. Hux, but you will not be the last today.” She glances down at your hands. “Perhaps in the meantime you would like to know your future? It’s fluid you know… dynamic… always changing… but perhaps I can offer you a glimpse? Or perhaps there is something else you would like to know?”
The prospect of telling you a bit of your future seems to excite her and she eagerly awaits your response.
