@Sig:
“This matter is not up for debate, Sig.” Blood’s tone is firm, yet her eyes betray her. She’s hiding something, though what, you don’t have the slightest clue. “When that portal opens, you’re going through it. As a Chosen of Alviss, you are our best bet of figuring out what these constructs are and how to ensure the Forsaken have no access to make any more of them. The library in Avalon may have information. For now, take this.”
Blood crosses to the construct and plunges her hand into the center of the rubble. She fishes around in the parts for some time before her hand emerges with a large, round, red stone. The stone glows with a life of its own, and you immediately recognize it: it’s an Arkenstone.
At once, you are both horrified and transfixed. It is said that Alviss forms his children from the living rock, and where a mortal’s heart would be held, it is in its place that every Chosen of Alviss has an Arkenstone. When Alviss breathes life into his children, the stone softens, and forms the resilient hearts of the Chosen of Alviss, and when a Chosen dies and is returned to the living rock, the Arkenstone once again becomes a magnificent jewel of immense power. The Arkenstones are recycled to form new Chosen of Alviss.
Your amazement turns to rage. How would the Forsaken have access to an Arkenstone? No one outside of the hallowed halls of the All-father would even have knowledge of the Arkenstones. It is a secret coveted by the children of the Great Creator. No mortal or Immortalis has ever been welcomed into the halls of Alviss. That means this stone was either stolen somehow, or smuggled out by one of Alviss’s own children and into the waiting hands of a Forsaken. More horrifying than anything else is the fact that it was obviously this stone that was powering the construct.
What will this mean for the growing relationship between the Ageless and the previously self-isolated race of the Chosen of Alviss? Was that not why you were sent to Avalon in the first place? To help in relations between the Ageless and the Chosen of Alviss? When your brethren learn of this slight, surely they will cease all diplomacy between the outside world and themselves.
Blood places the Arkenstone in your waiting hands. “Take this back to Avalon. Take it directly to General Fury.”
@Aeliana:
At Aeliana’s request, Blood stiffens. It’s obvious she isn’t thrilled by the prospect of having these recently reprieved Forsaken with her in the first place.
Blood sighs. “We will do as you request, but only once our own mission is complete. In fact, by accomplishing our task, it may be that it will fulfill Punisher’s desire to free his family.”
Punisher’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean, Captain?”
Blood is silent, and Punisher’s eyes widen.
“You’re going to break the Confinement Spell, aren’t you? You’re going to free all the spirits from the Marrow!”
“For a very limited time. If the spirits are willing to cooperate and help us to cleanse the fields, the Ageless will consider granting freedom to all of the spirits of the Marrow.”
“That is… hilarious.” Coward chuckles and receives a sharp look from Blood. “Come on, Blood!”
Blood closes the gap between herself and Coward. “That’s Captain Blood to you… Coward…” She pokes him in the chest with her index finger. “And I’ll thank you to remember it.”
“Coward.” The assassin shakes his head. “Who would think self-preservation would result in such an epithet. I wasn’t always called such. Do you even remember my true name, Blood? That which was gifted to me by the Archon on behalf of the Divine?”
“You gave up your rights to that name a long time ago,” sneers Blood.
“You know that if you release all of the spirits, you release both the good and the bad. Do you honestly think those souls who have been so twisted and corrupted by the creature of the Marrow will be able to coexist with mortals? You don’t think they will just return to their previous ways of ensnaring the innocent and forcing them to join them in their curse of eternity?”
“We must at least give them the chance. I’m sure Punisher will attest that there are those within the Marrow who are worth saving,” speaks Blood.
Punisher gives a silent nod of agreement.
“We shall observe their actions and demeanors when their confinement is dispelled, and should they be worthy to rejoin the world, so be it. Yet, if they show the capacity to harm others, if they attempt to work their wickedness on any of us, the Confinement will remain in place,” explains Blood.
Coward shrugs. “Your funeral.”
@Sembas:
As Sembas extends his hand to Navar Coward, the assassin shows some reluctance, examining Sembas’s face carefully, and glancing down at the hand he has offered to him.
“Respect? Huh… Well, that’s something I haven’t heard in a long time.” His features soften and he accepts Sembas’s gesture.
“Dangerous is an understatement, Sembas,” comes Blood’s reply. “We’ve already lost two people, one of whom was a veteran in our ranks, and the other a friend of yours. We’ve already down two of our own and we haven’t even reached the Marrow. Something ancient that defies description lurks in the Marrow, and it is that creature who serves as its ruler. It is that creature who was responsible for collecting the souls here, and in many cases, contorting them, and twisting them beyond repair. Let us hope we can hide from its gaze, and that it does not make an appearance during our time here. You must be on your guard at all times.”
In Sembas’s pocket, Chico shivers, and perched upon the falconer’s shoulder, even Anlaf’s normally steely gaze falters slightly.
@All:
Blood takes up the scrolls and begins to mutter strange words under her breath, words from a long-forgotten language. Aeliana, from her studies, recognizes it as being the language of the Divine himself. While she cannot translate what is being said, she knows the words are a well-kept secret of the Immortalis, and only the most senior or well-regarded in rank know the words of the Divine.
Slowly, a swirling mass of energy takes form, and when the portal has reached its full strength, Blood announces that it is safe to cross through.
“Siron, hold fast to Cyan,” instructs Blood.
Meanwhile, the blue feline leaps into Siron’s hands and nestles against the knight’s chest. “Seriously, don’t let go of me. I don’t want to be ripped apart by the portal. It wouldn’t be a good look for me,” says Cyan.
Siron and Cyan are the first through the portal, followed by the majority of the Crimson Wolves. Vartan crosses to Aeliana and wraps his arms around her protectively as this is her first time through a portal.
“Just hold tight to me, milady. It is unlike anything you’ve felt before, as if your body is being pulled in all directions. Everyone tends to get a little nauseous their first time through, but it will pass quickly.” Vartan assures her. Vartan glances at his mother one last time before assisting Aeliana through the portal.
Last to cross to the portal is a very reluctant Sig. The Arkenstone rests in his hands. It gives off a brilliant crimson light, and is warm to the touch. There is an almost unperceivable low hum emanating from it, and the sound brings some comfort to Sig, yet at the same time, he is uneasy holding something so important in his hands. He still can’t believe an Arkenstone could be found here, far away from the sacred Halls of the All-father.
Blood puts her hand on his shoulder. “I know you don’t want to go, but you know as well as I, this Arkenstone cannot remain in the Marrow. Until you can return it to your people, Avalon is the safest place for it, and I would not trust anyone to bear it to safe haven other than a Chosen of Alviss. Take it to the General, and I assure you she will personally see to its safety until it can be returned to your All-father.”
Blood gently pushes the hair from Sig’s forehead, and places a kiss upon his brow. “Go now, hobgoblin… Before I change my mind.” Blood turns away from him, and Sig gets the sense that it is with great reluctance she watches him depart to Avalon while she must remain with the others in the cursed Marrow.
(From henceforth, until the party is reunited, the group returning to Avalon will be referred to as the Avalon Party, and the group that is remaining will be referred to as the Marrow Party.)
Avalon Party:
For those of you who have crossed through the portals before, you are gradually becoming accustomed to this strange mode of transport, but for Aeliana, she finds the experience is exactly as Vartan described. As she passes into the portal, she feels like every fiber of her being is being tugged upon in a million different directions, and she is thankful for the protective arms of the grizzled warrior who keeps her on her course to the gates.
When you emerge in the Seer’s abode, now in the form of a cabin rather than a tent, Aeliana finds herself struggling to steady herself, but Vartan patiently props her up as she slowly regains her balance. She feels as if the entire room is spinning, but eventually it all slows to a halt as her eyes focus on the state of the cabin.
You all notice that it looks as if an extreme force of nature has devastated everything within. There are large holes in the wooden walls that allow light from the outside to stream in. The furnishings are knocked over and there are shards of broken ceramic plates and cups scattered throughout the room. Books, their innards spilling out in piles of ripped pages, lay strewn about, and in the midst of this chaos stands the Seer, whose stares back at you with a broken expression upon her face. For those of you who have met Cleo before, you know she has always been a bit odd, but to see her in such a state is unsettling, then you remember what she has lost. Her lover, Fenwick, has disappeared without a trace, and perhaps she, as the Seer, is the only one who knows where he has gone.
“You’re here for the gates,” mutters Cleo. “The gates, the gates, the gates. I will open the gates. I will open them. I will open the gates.” She is rambling and half-mad, and you get the feeling that perhaps no one in Avalon knows she is in such a state, otherwise someone would surely be here with her. Siron makes a mental note to alert the Keeper of the gates to what has transpired here.
Vartan crosses the room and places his hands on Cleo’s shoulders. “Miss… I know you are obviously upset about something, and I promise to send you relief as soon as we return to Avalon.”
Cleo’s eyes suddenly focus, and a small smile crosses her face. “Little Vartan. Baby Vartan Crozier. Have you escaped from your mommy again? Does she know you are visiting here? Does she know you long to see the world outside of Avalon? She worries for you. She doesn’t want you to be lost to her… Like your father, little Vartan. She could not bear to see her little boy die as his father died. But that is the way of mortals. They die. They all die. And Ageless, too. I wonder if Wicky will die in Darastae. He is with the Forsaken now while I am stuck here, mourning over his departure. Why Wicky? What need of him would Severan the Deceiver have? Will he die like your daddy, little Vartan? Eventually we must all die. But you have time yet, little Vartan. I know. I have seen it. You shall not be taken so easily.”
The Seer is obviously unhinged over Fenwick’s disappearance, and you are all taken aback when you begin to put together what really happened to Fenwick. He was taken by the Forsaken, just as you had thought; the Seer’s words confirm so much.
Her eyes glaze over and her pupils and irises are engulfed in white, she turns her face towards Siron. “Blood, blood, blood. There is blood upon your hands. Where has Honor gone, Siron Entrima? You carry his gift for the lovely Muse, his one and true beloved, as he was hers. There is blood upon your hands, Siron. Blood, blood, blood.”
“And… and you…” Cleo crosses to Aeliana, and the recently turned Immortal is unnerved by the milky whiteness of the Seer’s eyes. All of Aeliana’s research suggests that those few who are gifted with the second sight have their eyes so affected when they prophesy, but so rare is the gift that Aeliana has never seen it in person.
Cleo cups Aeliana’s hands in her own. “The Seer, the Scribe, and the Scholar… Welcome, Scholar. Shall you be as the book suggests? Will you be so learned in the ways of immortals and men alike that you shall teach the Dying Ones how to slay the Immortalis? Will it turn the tide in our favor? Or will the Dying Ones betray us? The Seer, the Scribe, and the Scholar. The Seer, the Scribe, and the Scholar. The third of the Archmage Trinity will arrive in Avalon, and together they will change the tide of the battle. The Seer, the Scribe, and the Scholar.”
Cleo presses her hands to her ears. “The humming, the humming, the music of the stones. That which the All-father Alviss covets all alone. An Arkenstone in the world of men, old Alviss won’t be pleased…” Her vacant eyes move to Sig. “To Avalon, the last bastion of hope. Take the stone and give it to the Bane of the Forsaken Horde, the Blood-Warden General. To the cathedral it must be taken, for Alviss will not forgive this slight. Only the Divine may make peace with the All-Father. And as you know, Sigurd Glorrack, they aren’t exactly on speaking terms these days.” She winks conspiratorially, the gesture bizarre in light of her milky white eyes.
Cleo’s head rears back, and when it snaps forward again, her eyes have returned to normal. She gazes about the room in confusion. “Oh… Hello. I take it you must return to Avalon. Let me open the gates for you.” Her voice is completely different, calm and composed, as if the last several minutes never occurred. Without another word, Cleo moves to the center of the room and summons a glowing, purple mass of energy to form the portal to Avalon.
One by one you enter the portal, and again, Vartan helps to guide Aeliana through, though she feels much stronger this time. There is a searing light and when you emerge on the other side, the gilded gates of Avalon stand before you, and in front of them stands Aloysius Keeper, Guardian of the Gates, to grant you entrance into Avalon.
