A small teaser...
After a night’s rest, I was no closer to a good idea of how to proceed, but at least I felt much better. Of course, being nowhere near Ruun-Khazai might have something to do with that.
I decided that it was time to seek wisdom from those would be better at thinking on the large scale. My first stop was the palace to see the Queen. I hoped that she could trigger new insights, as I sorely needed some.
The Queen received me, this time in the presence of a strange being, more artifice than alive. It appeared to be a metal ball with strange metal feet, and a single eye where a face might be. On it's back, two delicately crafted armatures looked like mechanical wings. Though it had no mouth, I heard a strange, lilitng voice emit from it, though in what language, I could not say. It's speech was set to a strange set of music that only played when it talked. The Queen gestured for me to wait, while she sang a conversation in the same tongue. After a moment they stopped, apparently reaching an accord.
The curious creature's wings began to move, fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird or perhaps a dragonfly. It lifted into the air, and then with a flash, disappeared.
Only then did the Queen motion me forward. "Yes, child?"
"Your Majesty, I find myself disturbed by any number of things and I was hoping to seek your council. I am in dire need of wisdom right now. First, are you aware of creatures called Primals, and do you know of any imprisoned in Celene?"
She had to search her memory a bit before responding. "The ancient tomes speak of beings by this name, but I know little else on the matter. Onselven would know more, as this is scholarly pursuit of his, I believe. I do know that if one were imprisoned here, I WOULD be aware of it. I am told that the locations of the binders have something to do with the locations of the primals...but I do not pretend to recall the details. Onselven is a fine teacher, but in my younger days I was a poor student."
A shuffling gait and the echo of staff to stone heralded the timely arrival of the Queen's counselor. Onselven looked desperately tired, as if he had been at a great task for some time. He leaned more heavily on his staff than I was used to and the staff was a simple wooden one rather than something more elaborate. But for all it's simplicity, it projected a greater presence than the ones he normally bears, though I could not discern exactly why it seemed so.
"Woe for the kingdom had you been remained so, Majesty," he said in a tired voice.
The Queen questioned him but was not reproachful. "Master Onselven, We have been waiting on you. I had expected your aid in negotiations."
"My apologies, mistress. Reinforcing the palace defenses is a more time consuming task than we first thought."
I repeated the question to Onselven, who looked at me as though he was noticing me for the first time.
"The Primals? Yes, I know of them, Lady Kayleigh. They came before the Elves, before the Dragons...before all the others. They are for whom this plane of being is so named. They came from elsewhere, and met here, in this place that we now call home. Where they came from, and why, I do not know. It is a great mystery. All that I know is that the Leshay and Dragons joined together and made war upon them, and found a way to inter them that is lost to us. Where they did place them I do not know."
I nodded. “I see. Well, perhaps it would do well for me to combine my knowledge with yours in case it proves useful in the future. I know the Primal of Disease is imprisoned below Brindinford, and I believe the Primal of Water is contained below Kalstrand. Orcus’ undead forces have recently taken Kalstrand, and we found them taking steps to flood the city. We believe this is related to the water Primal, but cannot fathom why Orcus would want to release it or how he could harness it. We stalled their designs but it is only a temporary step.”
Onselven took all this in and added “I shall refresh my mind on the Primals at my first opportunity.”
I turned back to the Queen, ready to go on to other things. "Of late, it seems the assorted gods of good have distanced themselves from the Prime. Their agents have withdrawn from many off-world places such as Sigil, and they are not taking a hand in the radical events happening in our world. I went to Arboria in an effort to redeem the captured souls of our bretheren, but the host would not even speak to me, and Dravot was also told that there would be difficulties in contacting his god. I am at a loss to understand this. One being told me that they were staying their hand, lest the Prime be crushed in a war of titans, but it seems the alternative is to consign us all to Orcus and Fraz's plans. Is it possible that the divination binder could shed some light on this whole situation since the divinity will not?"
The Queen talked as if this were a simple matter, but I could see it troubled her. "It is not just the good gods who have removed their divine agents. All deities not native to this world are gone. I have faith that Corellon will protect us in our hour of need. Perhaps the divination binder can help, but what would you have me ask of it? I trust little that I have learned of the Demon Prince of Deception through the binder. Powerful as it is, it is not immune to deception by one such as Fraz, who was tricking mortals before it was conceived. I would aid you, but I need to know what it is you would know, or try to know."
This was the answer that I had expected. I could not help but express my heart's fears where the gods were concerned. “As for Corellon, my heart tells me that he will protect us. But my fear tell sme that he has turned his back on us. I pray my heart is right.”
“As for the other, I confess I do not even know what to ask. Indeed we are always constrained in that we do not know what questions need answering, and hence cannot seek information. This is by Fraz’s design I’m sure. We cannot even begin to comprehend his plans. Yet I am left with the undeniable feeling that with each step we take to stop our enemies, we take a step to further his designs. I am sure, though I cannot say why, that the attack of the githyanki was nothing more than a diverstion - a distraction orchestrated by Fraz to draw attention. At each turn he guides my path - how can we hope to thwart him if we constantly take the bait he has provided? There are times I feel as if I'm advancing his plans just by getting out of bed. But there has to be something better than complete inaction."
The Queen of Celene thought about this for some time before answering me. "If what you say is true, then you need to do something completely unexpected. A being such as Fraz lays plans within plans, but even he has limits. It may be that you have already confounded some of his schemes, though he has prevented you from being aware of it. He is the rarest of creatures...a patient demon. You need to find a way to strike at HIM, and not his distractions. If the Githyanki were a distraction...." She shuddered at the thought. "There must be a way to change the rules of his game. I will meditate on this."
The Queen had echoed my own thought and I had to say it out loud. “Aye, we need to change the rules of this game.”
There was one other small matter I had to mention but it would require some explaining. I quickly sketched out the release of Ralishaz and the appearance of Ruun-Khazai on the Prime and then went on to the troubling bit.
“Due to the actions of a certain kobold, which were I to tell you them you would call me a liar, there is now a very active community there. It includes many freed slaves and many refugees from a war in the underdark. Among them are well over a hundred dark elves. Whether they are truly "redeemed" I cannot say, but they are there."
The Queen went from pensive to serious. "I can have a hundred bows and three mages at your side within the hour. If they are not seriously entrenched, culling them should be a simple enough process. We shall not suffer..."
"My Lady", Onselven intterupted her. "The Suel God Ralishaz is a matter for concern. He is a master of chaos and strange chances. This matter changes everything. Do I understand you to say that you have been living in a fortress that has been in contact with the Suel's lord of fortunes for over a century?"
I had been trying, unsuccessfully I’m sure, to suppress my smile at the thought of eliminating the drow enclave as a threat. But Onselven’s question made the smile fade fast enough. “I do not care for them either My Queen. I believe Aethramyr has extracted an oath of some form from them, but I know not its nature, and I fear he does not realize how little such things mean to the dark ones. If it is your will, I will destroy them."
"But as to your question Onselven – yes, that is the essence of it."
The Queen was puzzled. "Meaning what, Master Onselven?"
"Meaning, my Lady, that we should take care for any rash actions. I appreciate your...zeal...where the Storm Lord's children are concerned. But there are weighty matters to be considered. I must consult my charts to see what kind of significance this holds for us all."
The Queen was not completely convinced but she was cautious. "Very well, we shall wait on your words, Onselven. If I mislike them, then Kayleigh is to kill every one of these abmoinations."
I shared the Queen’s mind on this. “Onselven is quite correct about Ralishaz – he governs unusual happenings, and often for the better. But know that if it is Your will, then I shall see to it they are destroyed.”
With that, I thanked the Queen and cursied and withdrew. She had given me much to think on, and triggered the start of an idea. While I considered it, I went to seek more council. This time I went to the quiet glade where the Celenian told me I could speak with him if I had need.
I found him where he promised to be, where I left him just days ago. He sat, motionless, covered in snow as if he had not moved for days. He remained in silent meditation as I approached, until he suddenly opened his eyes. They betrayed no emotion, save a sense of calm. Then while I watched, the snow crawled away from him as if it were a carpet someone were rolling up.
"Hail, Daughter of the Forest. What words do you seek from me?"
I spent some time relating the tale of our attack on the githyanki in Celene and then our assault on the Lich Queen. He seemed disturbed by the fate of the lost elven souls but said nothing. After I had finished, I went on to my questions.
"You spoke of the primals. How many do you know the prisons of? Are there any in Celene?"
"Once there were nine Primals and nine Prisons. Three gods of light came and sealed the prisons, to ensure that they could not escape. Only the divinities knew the location of all the prisons, and I only know the location of one. It is the prison of Earth, and it is located at the bottom of the Wislanna Dallisa...what is now called the Nyr Dyv. Each being was placed in a prison built in an element that was foreign to them. They are rendered weaker when they are out of their own element. Each prison was unique, but protected by powerful wards and forged, at least in part, of Isometril, an ancient ore fashioned by my people."
Now I knew at least one more than I used to. I then asked about Fraz, hoping that his longevity would give him an insight into the larger picture.
"I know little of this being you speak of. Demons came after us, I think, or perhaps came before but did not reveal themselves. For whatever reason, they never chose to trouble my kind. They commerce in souls, and we are of little use to them in that respect, for our souls are sealed and wholly ours. They cannot be sold or bartered. Such being are only concerned with two things, possessing power and obtaining power. Seek to what power this demon seeks, and how he hopes to obtain it, and you will understand his designs."
I thought a moment, the idea begun with the Queen forming further here. “Demons seek souls. Perhaps I have worried too much about the why. Perhaps there is something that can be done after all.”
“I thank you, elder. The Queen’s words sparked an idea, and you have given strength to that spark. Perhaps I can cause that flame to catch.”
I left him to his meditation and went to do some of my own. Perhaps the secrecy is the thing…
This just might work.
