Last Stand of the Dorinthians (Final Chapter)

[GlassEye]

Silas shakes his head and whispers a reply to Dartis. "I don't know. This is beyond anything that the avariel told me about. I wouldn't have thought this possible..."

 

[Fenris]

Silas shakes his head and whispers a reply to Dartis. "I don't know. This is beyond anything that the avariel told me about. I wouldn't have thought this possible..."

Dartis whispers back "Remember the other crystal? To store memories, is he saving himself, his memories that is, or retrieving old ones?"

 

[GlassEye]

Silas stares at the crystal as if seeking some sort of revelation.

"Retrieving, I think, memories and power. I spoke to an avariel spirit who said the crystal was brought with them from their celestial home and carried power from that place."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Varrel seems confused and feel of anxiety, "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. The inner circle of the Magi has secretly kept our land safe for thousands of years. Always the orcs would come back and threaten us, and always would our magic devastate their population. This is the first time the Magi ever used it against the human population. Maybe it was a mistake, but what else could we do? The Imperials were on our border threatening to enslave us. We just hoped we could move fast enough to avoid detection, but some of you informed the weaker of heart amongst us... and now it's come to this. Elf against elf. I failed to save our people... I am no longer sure what to do!"

The crystal pulses brighter as the Council Voice rambles on emotionally. It is evident he is growing more unstable and he is now connected to the crystal's power. "It wasn't even us who created the disease. It was your human descendants, the Locusi! Our own ancestors tried to pacify the Locusi by sharing their magics with them. What became a spell to eliminate weeds and pests for crops was twisted by them to kill the Avariel. Us among the Magi's inner circle do not share the real history of our people. How can one tell the children of the beauty and paradise that was lost? How do you tell them that in the attempt to change the world into a better place, that it was us instead who were changed for the worse? The disease killed so many back then, made us bitter until one suggested using the disease as a counter-weapon. Did we lose our wings in an attempt to save ourselves by modifying our own bodies, or is it as some suggest where our thoughts of revenge caused us to lose our wings and become different? Sol, what are we becoming? Will we ever return to Celestia? What am I to do?"

The crystal hums and vibrates once more before a bolt lashes out from it and punches a hole in the far wall.

Silas
[sblock]
You cast detect magic as you examine the crystal. You see many familiar spheres, but the strongest auras are a blinding mixture of enchantment, divination, and abjuration. The abjuration is the strongest, strangely enough, making this crystal different from others you've seen.
[/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

"Heal them all, Varrel. Take the step that will put the elves back on the path to Celestia. Heal them, and put an end to the fighting. Let the elves be unified once again, let the humans return to their homes, bury their dead, and pick up their lives. Heal them, Varrel. Only you can save us all from destruction."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"Ha! You speak as a member of a race fearing extinction. I fear the same for my own. In only a few human generations both the orcs and humans will be numerous enough to wipe out or enslave my people. So how should I heal them? I have seen the future if we unite and stand our ground. Our elven reunification in such a situation either leads to the ruination of our civilization or to the drow passe, the dark path."

 

[GlassEye]

"Then lead your people back to the bright path. Undo the change that robbed you of the skies and set out for Celestia, the true home of your people. But, Varrel, you will never be allowed to enter if you do not repair the harm you have caused here."

 

[Fenris]

"Then lead your people back to the bright path. Undo the change that robbed you of the skies and set out for Celestia, the true home of your people. But, Varrel, you will never be allowed to enter if you do not repair the harm you have caused here."

OOC: Oh, that's good!

 

[Deuce Traveler]

OOC: Well, I did a long post, but ENWorld lost it because of unscheduled maintenance. Give me a bit and I'll try to do one again.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

"There is perhaps a way to end this, and maybe also to make up for what has been done. The crystal is more than an artifact, but its magics can be used to ensure unity. I could use the device to stand down and deliver the cure, or to rally the elves to all defend their homeland. One will lead to the path of reconciliation, which will likely end with my people being exterminated by the orcs or subjugated by the humans. The other will cause my people to fall slowly to the drow passe in order to survive. Some already experiment with forbidden magics. Or we can try the way I cannot foresee. I can destroy the crystal which will destroy the only thing left unifying my people. It will never be used again to do ill and the formula for the cure we have will work permanently. But the elves will cast themselves across the world as they fracture and argue, weakening themselves to the privations of internal and external strife. Most will be forced to roam as colonists or refugees and no one will be able to predict their fate in the harsher lands outside of their ancient home."