el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Session #23 (part II)
Ethiel motioned for the party to sit at the table, and clearing his throat softly he began, “At first we thought she might try to make her way directly to the Plutonic Realms, but our scrying has found that she has not penetrated the seal of our doorway there. Actually, it makes sense. The Plutonic Realms would be a treacherous place even for her, without the proper provisions or guide.”
Ethiel paused.
“We have found that she has gone into the Honeycombe instead. I’m sure you know what this is,” Ethiel said.
The companions looked at each other quizzically. “Um, no. No, we do not,” said Martin the Green.
“The Honeycombe is the name of the many caves beneath the town of Ogre’s Bluff. The bluff itself is pocked-marked with cave entrances that create a huge labyrinth that is miles deep,” Ethiel explained. “One of the portals below leads to the Honeycombe, and she most definitely went that way. Richard the Red may have gone that way as well, but for some reason we find scrying on him to be very difficult if not impossible. The drow witch in this half-elven girl’s body is most likely trying to get out the other side of the tunnels and supply herself for her journey. Of course, she may have to deal with some of the ogres still left in those caves.“
“Why didn’t she flee overland?” Kazrack asked.
“She probably did not want to risk us stopping her,” said Jana, answer the question for Ethiel. “She probably thought going through the caves would slow down pursuit.”
“So, if you are willing to go after her, we can show you the way to the Honeycombe from our own chambers, as that is the way we recommend you go, but perhaps you might prefer trying to beat her to town overland and catching her on the other end,” Ethiel said.
“But aren’t there a lot of caves on the other end?” Ratchis asked.
“Yes,” replied Eithiel.
“Then it seems we have no choice but to follow through the ogres caves, if we have no way of knowing at which of these caves she will emerge,” Kazrack said, and he turned to Ratchis. “Do you think you can track her once we get down there?”
“I can try,” replied Ratchis.
“We have already found a track down the stairway to the Honeycombe, we can point it out to you to help you on your way,” Ethiel said. “Normally, our leader would send a detachment of our warriors down, but we are small in number, the high priest, as you would call him, and many of the others left for the King Ienegred Magnolius’ wedding in Tempestas. (73) It seems the Watch-Mage knew this and caught us with our guard down.”
“I am concerned for the gnomes,” said Kazrack, suddenly. “I am just afraid that that our delay here will further endanger them.”
“Yes,” agreed Martin.
“Well, from what you have told us about the creature Mozek, he is passing as a gnome and seems more than happy to simply rule the gnomes for now, and not destroy them. We may be biased in this matter, though we wish to see no harm come to the Garvan gnomes, I think this matter is a more immediate danger,” said Ethiel.
“I have some questions regarding the drow witch,” Jana asked. “What do you want us to do with her? Bring her back, or… deal with the problem?”
Ethiel paused and sighed.
“Understand that the girl, Rahasia, is all but dead. Her spirit is trapped in that stone, and it is beyond our knowledge to reverse the process,” he explained. “Unless of course, we can get Karellena to willingly return her own spirit into the stone and free the girl.”
“There is no ceremony or spell that can reverse it?” Kazrack asked, incredulously. “If there is a way to do it there has to be a way to undo it.”
“Perhaps,” said Ethiel, softly. “We do not want to get our hopes up, however, but I will have one of our scholars look into the possibilities of reversing the girl’s misfortune…”
“However,” said Tirhas tersely, interrupting. “Understand, that my first priority is stopping this drow witch, and if that means I have to kill her if no means of capturing her and returning her here rendered harmless, I will.”
The companions looked to the elven maid, her face betrayed a raw hatred that the party had never seen here her face before.
“When you call her a drow witch,” Jana asked. “What exactly do you mean?”
“She and her sisters violate the pact made by the elves long ago. She uses forbidden magics,” Ethiel explained.
Martin the Green shot a look at Jana, who sneered at him.
“What magics are those?” Kazrack asked, as the same moment Jana asked, “Is it likely she will be at her full power?”
“We really cannot be too sure,” replied Ethiel. “Oh, yes, I almost forgot. In connection to Karellena and the tokens we guard, one of them is missing. According to the catalogues it is in the form of a hatchet and bound to it is a handmaiden of the goddess Teneraél Undol.”
“Um, who is Teneraél Undol?” Martin asked.
“She is the spider goddess of the dark elves,” Ethiel said.
“I think it is clear that we cannot let her get too far or get back to her people,” said Ratchis.
“There is one last thing we must tell you,” said Ethiel gravely. “This is something we have discussed among ourselves and have decided that we must tell you, despite the fact that it is a great secret shame of the elven people and are loath to share it with mort…, I mean, non-elves.”
He paused, and looked to the elves on either side of him.
“I know you have heard of the dark elves, what we call in our tongue, the Novilustani, but no you this, any elf can be what you call a drow, and that we have no name for that we share with non-elves. Yes, the Novilustani were the original children of Teneraél Undol, but not all were evil – but most of those that did not turn to dark ways as their goddess did were slaughtered. But there were also among the elves of the other sub-races, who gave their will and promise to the spider queen. They too fled to the dark places in the world. They too have the power of a drow. (74) The elven people have kept this secret from the other races for thousands of years, though there have been a few who have found out. The drow have been gone for so long that we allowed the stories of the coal-skinned elves being evil – and it is not far from the truth in that so many of those who would not betray the Ara-Cemnari (75) were killed, that any you would find today are just that, evil. Be wary of who and what you meet below. Though we have no reason to believe our fallen kin are in the Honeycombe, it is best to cautious.”
“Well, if there are any more questions let us know,” Ethiel said. “I leave you to your preparations. I assume you will be using the urn this afternoon?”
“Yes,” said Ratchis, with confidence.
“I don’t know,” said Kazrack.
“Let us go discuss it,” said Martin.
The companions rose to return to their rooms, and Ratchis turned to Ethiel, “If you have patrols in the woods please look out for a dog, he was scared off by Janx. I don’t think it can fend for itself.”
“We look after all of nature’s creatures,” replied Finarfin. “If we see him we will see about bringing him to you.”
The party took their newly granted gifts with them, and Ratchis took up the urn, and they gathered upstairs in the room he was sharing with Kazrack. There they discussed the implications of using the Urn of Osiris to return Jeremy to life.
“I think you need to have faith that a human god would not ask a dwarf to make a pledge that would violate his faith,” Ratchis said to Kazrack,
“I have no way of knowing that,” Kazrac ksaid, shaking his head.
“That is why it is called faith,” said Ratchis. “Obviously, we were meant to be on this path together.”
“I wish Beorth were here,” said Kazrack.
“Anubis is the son of Osiris, as is Nephthys…”
“I actually I was wishing Beorth were here for the wisdom that is his own, not his god’s,” the dwarf, clarified.
“Well, time is of the essence,” said Ratchis, looking to the others “What will it be?”
“I will do it,” said Martin, gravely.
“As will I,” said Jana, her face betraying no emotion.
Kazrack paused, “I too will do it, for do not our dwarven fathers teach us that loyalty and faithfulness to our friends and comrades in arms are one of the highest virtues?”
Ratchis let out a long breath, worried that the dwarf’s stubbornness would keep Jeremy from his chance to breathe the air of this world again.
-----
Jana, Ratchis, Martin and Kazrack gathered outside just out of view of the elven enclave, in a circle of small trees that they cleared of snow. The lay Jeremy’s wrapped body in the circle, even though it did not need be present for the urn to work according to what the elves had said.
“I think Ratchis should perform as much of the ceremony as possible,” suggested Martin. “Nephthys is the daughter of Osiris.”
“So is Set, from what I understand, so I do not put too much stock in those relationships,” said the dwarf, revealing that he knew something of human theology.
“Anyway, the elves said what there is to do we must all do,” Ratchis said. “Kazrack, place in the urn in the center and we’ll all sit around it.”
The dwarf moved the urn over to the middle of the circle, and inside he saw what looked like some earth and some broken twigs and collected moss. HE turned it over and started to dump out what was within.
“Wait!” Martin ran over, and lifted the urn. “Osiris is a god of the earth, perhaps we should keep that in there.”
“If he comes back with twigs coming out of his head, don’t blame me,” Kazrack said, rolling his eyes.
Ratchis walked over and took the urn and emptied it, “The directions said nothing about anything in the urn except Jeremy’s blood. Jana, would you mind helping me collect some?”
Jana and Ratchis drained bowl full of blood and poured it into the urn, and then the four companions sat around the urn and held hands.
“Now all we need do is speak the words and wait and see what happens,” said Ratchis.
The four looked at each other, and then opened their mouths, speaking the following in unison, “That which has been broken shall be remade, that which has begun the final journey shall turn back, in return for this I will fulfill what need Osiris has of me..”
This was silence.
Even the wind stopped, as did the sound of birds, and the dripping of melting snow tumbling from the leaves and needles of the trees around them.
Kazrack opened his mouth to speak, and Ratchis turned his head to shoot him a glare, but neither was able to complete his action. All four of them felt an incredible tension building in their bodies, as all muscle control left them replace with contraction that held them painfully in place. They could feel it move up their bodies, up their legs, in their bowels, down their arms, and finally up their necks, until they held their mouths open in silent cries of fear. They could feel the hairs on the backs of their necks rise, and suddenly the wind had returned, blowing with an increased ferocity and growing sound that seemed to match the growing tension of their bodies. The wind seemed to be crying aloud for them, and the sun seemed shadowed over for a moment.
And then it happened, the four of them began to speak in a voice that was not their own. They each said a different thing, but all at once, so all they could understand was what the alien voice said through their own person. And they knew that these were the tasks that they must do in return for Jeremy’s life. The description of their assigned tasks were different lengths, so first Ratchis stopped, and then Martin and then Jana and finally, Kazrack. And it sounded as if all four promises ended with the same option, that resonated as the voice issuing from Kazrack spoke alone at the end, “…or forfeit my life.”
The four tasks were as follows:
Ratchis: “I will seek out the Circle of the Thorn and do one complete task for them, or forfeit my life.”
Martin: “I shall retrieve the Book of Black Circles from the Brotherhood of the Lost, cast one spell from it and then destroy it, or forfeit my life.”
Jana: “I will seek out a temple of Isis and learn of magic through her pure sources, and will take no other token and learn no other spell until I do, or forfeit my life.”
Kazrack: “I shall craft a sickle of great quality, hammering and sharpening its blade in the Glade of Hennaire, under the light of the full moon, and then present it to the Circle of the Thorn, or forfeit my life.”
And then it was gone. The four companions gasped and Martin and Ratchis slumped forward, Kazrack and Jana caught themselves before they did as well. The wind and sounds had returned to normal, and they all had the taste of earth in their mouths. Kazrack leapt up awkwardly and hurried over to Jeremy.
The dwarf uncovered the young Neergaardian’s face. Jeremy’s chest heaved and he coughed; his eyes fluttered. The body had no marks on it, and even the cut on his wrist where they had taken the blood was gone.
“I’m sorry that mine is the first visage you look upon, but I’m sure you’re glad to be back,” the dwarf said to the newly re-born warrior.
“Am I finally there?” Jeremy croaked, and tried to sit up, but swooned. He felt as if his body had long been asleep, with pins and needles in his limbs, and a dry mouth.
“You haven’t gone anywhere, except outside the elvish temple we were in,” the dwarf said.
Jeremy coughed again, “I was on a road, where…”
Kazrack placed a soothing palm on Jeremy’s forehead, “You have been called from that road, you are not to travel it yet.”
“I was on my way to a city,” Jeremy said, confusedly. “Where are we?”
“We are in Derome-Delem,” replied Kazrack.
“I was walking to a city, and there were other people on the road, but I could not turn my head to see them. I could only see them ahead of me as they passed me or I passed them,” Jeremy said. “Malcolm!”
“Malcolm was there?” Kazrack asked.
“No, uh… yes, he was at the city waiting for me, somehow I just knew that,” Jeremy said. “Oh, I am so tired.”
Martin walked over, “We should probably get him inside.”
Kazrack nodded, and he and Ratchis helped carry him back into Aze Nuquerna.
“I can walk,” Jeremy croaked.
“Just lie still,” said Jana.
Martin walked over to the urn and picked it up. The pictograms and runes on its surface were gone. It was perfectly smoothed and unmarked.
“I don’t think we’ll be using this again,” Martin noted, pointing to the urn.
“We’ll ask the elves when we get Jeremy to bed,” Kazrack said.
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”How do you feel?” Kazrack said to Jeremy, as he laid him on a bunk in one of the rooms they had been assigned. “I mean, aside from tired.”
“Warmer,” Jeremy said in a dreamy voice. “Things smell funny, different here.”
“You should rest. We’ll be back,” said the dwarf.
“No! I can’t sleep!” Jeremy tried to sit up again. “Is this a dream?”
Kazrack punched Jeremy in the shoulder, knocking him back on to the mat. “Does this feel like a dream?” And if this were a dream would the firs face you saw be mine?”
Jeremy rubbed his shoulder, “Okay, I’ll sleep.”
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Back in Jana’s room Ratchis asked, “So, what was everyone tasked with?”
He looked to Jana, but Martin answered. “I have to destroy something called the Book of Black Circles, but before that I have to cast a spell from it.”
“Do you know anything about it?” Kazrack asked.
“I have heard some rumor in my time at the Academy,” Martin replied. “It is a dark book with a dark history.” (76)
“Well, destroying the book I can understand, but casting a spell from it?” Kazrack mused.
“I can only trust that it is for a good cause,” Martin said. “How about the rest of you?”
“I have to forge a sickle at a particular time in a particular place for something or someone called the Circle of Thorn,” said Kazrack.
“I have to do a task for the Circle of the Thorn as well, but mine is undefined,” said Ratchis.
Everyone looked to Jana, she sighed and spoke, hesitantly, as usual. “ I am to make a commitment to… purify my ways, and that is all I will say about that.”
Ratchis harrumphed.
“Well, does anyone feel any different?” Ratchis asked.
“Yes,” replied Kazrack. “I feel what can only be described as an urge to accomplish this task soon. It is not an overwhelming feeling, but it is there and undeniable.”
“Yes, me too,” said Ratchis.
“Well, I don’t feel any different,” said Martin.
“Neither do I,” added Jana.
“Well, I’m sure Osiris must see some urgency in your transformation, or purification or whatever,” said Ratchis.
“Not Osiris, but Isis,” said Jana softly.
“Well, good,” said Martin with a grin. “Isis will be a good influence on you.” (77)
“ I, for one, knew you would say that,” said Jana with a frown.
“What remains to be seen is if we will feel obligated to do these tasks before we take care of the problem with the gnomes. We may be delayed even further,” said Ratchis.
“I think we should send a message to the gnomes that their chieftain is dead and that they need to accept their interim chief or pick a new one,” said Kazack.
“We don’t even know that the gnome we saw in the dungeons here was the chief,” said Martin.
“And we can never be sure that message arrived properly or if it might put the gnomes in even more danger, or let Mozek think he can put whatever nefarious plans he might have into action,” said Ratchis. “We should take care of the tasks before we help the gnomes so that we may do so unfettered, and in hopes of gaining some means of defeating Mozek in the meantime.”
“I say we take care of the gnomes first, and then take care of the tasks,” said Kazrack.
“I get the feeling that if we do not take care of these oaths, we will die,” said Martin, nervously.
“And?” said Kazrack, casually. “I was willing to give up my life to help the gnomes before, and that hasn’t changed. If it is the power of Osiris or the hands of Mozek that does it makes little difference.”
“And if we deliver ourselves into the hands of Mozek and his brothers there is no hope for the gnomes at all,” said Ratchis, growing annoyed.
“We’ll decide what order to do these thing when we have taken care of the drow witch, which is our most immediate obligation,” said Jana, failing to hide her disgust for her companions.
------
In the darkness of his room Jeremy awoke with a start. There was someone standing over him.
“It is only I, Tirhas. Do not be alarmed,” the elven maiden said.
“It’s…you,” Jeremy managed. The weight of his limbs was lessened, but he still felt a fatigue draped on him like a funeral shroud.
“It’s good to see you…back,” said Tirhas softly. She kept her hands behind her back, and rocked slightly on the balls of her feet.
“Am I really back, then?” Jeremy asked, sitting up achingly.
“You comrades have given a great deal for you to return from the other side,” Tirhas said.
“Given?”
“They used something called ‘the Urn of Osiris’ to call you back from Anubis’ Realm. In return each one of them had to promise to accomplish some task for Osiris, or give their own life trying,” said Tirhas.
“How… how they’d get this thing?” Jeremy rubbed his temples.
“Ethiel granted it to your companions as a gift,” the elf explained.
“Where’s Janx?” Jeremy asked, suddenly.
“Huh? Oh, I am not sure, but if he were in danger I’d know,” Tirhas said. “I am sure he will return soon.”
“How long was I gone?” Jeremy aked.
“Not even a day,” Tirhas said, and pulled her hands from behind her back. She bore an unseathed short sword, and held it out to Jeremy with two hands. “Your companions are not the only ones who received gifts. This is called The Right Blade of Arofel.” (78)
Jeremy took the sword. It was made of some material that seemed as shining as silver, but harder than steel, and immediately above the hilt were carved the elven letters: [insert gif]
“Thank you,” said Jeremy. “It’s beautiful. What does this say?”
“It translates into ‘the Dark Hand’”, Tirhas said.
“The Dark Hand? Why was it called that, because it was used by someone not that respectable?”
“No, he was a great hero, a folk hero of our people. He was a great wizard and a mighty warrior,” Tirhas said.
“And what happened to Richard the Red?” Jeremy asked, looking from the sparkling sword blade, to the shining blues eyes of delicate beauty set in the cold face of the elven maid. “The last thing I remember is hurrying to see if he was okay for some reason.”
“You were ensorcelled,” replied Tirhas.
“Yeah, I remember that now,” Jeremy said, laying back down and passing the sword back to Tirhas. “It was all foggy, but talking to you makes me see things the way they truly are.”
He closed his eyes.
“Sleep now,” Tirhas said, and stroked Jeremy’s hair gently for a second before leaving the room.
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Many hours later the Jana, Ratchis, Martin and Kazrack sat in one of their cells eating the food the elves had brought to them, steam mushrooms stuffed with some kind of preserved and covered in a sauce that was sweet, yet sour.
Kazrack hated it.
The door opened and in came Jeremy with a huge smile on his face, “You are all here!”
“How are you feeling?” asked Ratchis.
“Hungry! Really hungry!” Jeremy replied and sat down and began to stuff himself with bread and cheese and mushrooms.
“Tirhas told me what you all did,” Jeremy said, looking up, his mouth full. “I don’t know what to say…”
“Say thank you,” Martin said.
“Yeah, I was gonna start there,” Jeremy said, taken aback by Martin’s comment.
“You’re welcome,” said Martin, going back to eating.
“Well, you can’t understand what this means to me,” Jeremy said, smiling again. “Everything seems different. Brighter, fresher, more real – It is just wonderful to be alive. Everything is so beautiful.”
Kazrack sighed and smiled, “I suppose we can’t expect you to come back changed. You still babble.”
“But I am changed! Everything is changed! You are all so beautiful!”
“You are making me feel uncomfortable, Jeremy,” said Kazrack.
“I don’t care!” cried Jeremy, and grabbing the dwarf by the ears planted a kiss on the dwarf’s forehead. He then ran around the table kissing each of his companions in turn.
“Um, thank you,” said Ratchis.
“So what happens now?” Jeremy asked.
The others explained about the drow witch, and how they would be descending into the Honeycombe to seek her (and possibly Richard the Red) out.
“Is that your task You know for the urn thing?” Jeremy asked.
“No, it is simply our duty,” said Kazrack.
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Notes:
(73) This wedding set to occur sometime in the next elven Stellar Cycle (a period of time lasting about 1307 days), and will hopefully heal a schism between a high elf and wood elf noble house.
(74) In Aquerra “drow” is a template applied to any elf who goes evil and pledges himself to the dark elven goddess, Teneraél Undol,
(75) Ara-Cemnari is the elven name for the generation of ancestors they revere as gods. The name means “those who were sown”.
(76) Martin the Green knew from his studies that the Book of Black Circles was penned by five of the greatest and most evil necromancers in Aquerra’s history, each one learning from the last and then penning more in the evil book. The last person known to have had it was Marcosias the Corruptor, traitorous master of the Academy, slayer of the Archmage Karellen, and Master of the Void Sphere.
(77) Isis is goddess of motherhood, magic and the moon. She has influence over witchcraft and is the patron goddess of Thricia.
(78) The Right Blade of Arofel, +1 short sword, grants the "Defense of the Dancing Blades" feat when used in pair with "the Left Blade of Arofel". It is made of truesilver, called Mithral by elves.
Ethiel motioned for the party to sit at the table, and clearing his throat softly he began, “At first we thought she might try to make her way directly to the Plutonic Realms, but our scrying has found that she has not penetrated the seal of our doorway there. Actually, it makes sense. The Plutonic Realms would be a treacherous place even for her, without the proper provisions or guide.”
Ethiel paused.
“We have found that she has gone into the Honeycombe instead. I’m sure you know what this is,” Ethiel said.
The companions looked at each other quizzically. “Um, no. No, we do not,” said Martin the Green.
“The Honeycombe is the name of the many caves beneath the town of Ogre’s Bluff. The bluff itself is pocked-marked with cave entrances that create a huge labyrinth that is miles deep,” Ethiel explained. “One of the portals below leads to the Honeycombe, and she most definitely went that way. Richard the Red may have gone that way as well, but for some reason we find scrying on him to be very difficult if not impossible. The drow witch in this half-elven girl’s body is most likely trying to get out the other side of the tunnels and supply herself for her journey. Of course, she may have to deal with some of the ogres still left in those caves.“
“Why didn’t she flee overland?” Kazrack asked.
“She probably did not want to risk us stopping her,” said Jana, answer the question for Ethiel. “She probably thought going through the caves would slow down pursuit.”
“So, if you are willing to go after her, we can show you the way to the Honeycombe from our own chambers, as that is the way we recommend you go, but perhaps you might prefer trying to beat her to town overland and catching her on the other end,” Ethiel said.
“But aren’t there a lot of caves on the other end?” Ratchis asked.
“Yes,” replied Eithiel.
“Then it seems we have no choice but to follow through the ogres caves, if we have no way of knowing at which of these caves she will emerge,” Kazrack said, and he turned to Ratchis. “Do you think you can track her once we get down there?”
“I can try,” replied Ratchis.
“We have already found a track down the stairway to the Honeycombe, we can point it out to you to help you on your way,” Ethiel said. “Normally, our leader would send a detachment of our warriors down, but we are small in number, the high priest, as you would call him, and many of the others left for the King Ienegred Magnolius’ wedding in Tempestas. (73) It seems the Watch-Mage knew this and caught us with our guard down.”
“I am concerned for the gnomes,” said Kazrack, suddenly. “I am just afraid that that our delay here will further endanger them.”
“Yes,” agreed Martin.
“Well, from what you have told us about the creature Mozek, he is passing as a gnome and seems more than happy to simply rule the gnomes for now, and not destroy them. We may be biased in this matter, though we wish to see no harm come to the Garvan gnomes, I think this matter is a more immediate danger,” said Ethiel.
“I have some questions regarding the drow witch,” Jana asked. “What do you want us to do with her? Bring her back, or… deal with the problem?”
Ethiel paused and sighed.
“Understand that the girl, Rahasia, is all but dead. Her spirit is trapped in that stone, and it is beyond our knowledge to reverse the process,” he explained. “Unless of course, we can get Karellena to willingly return her own spirit into the stone and free the girl.”
“There is no ceremony or spell that can reverse it?” Kazrack asked, incredulously. “If there is a way to do it there has to be a way to undo it.”
“Perhaps,” said Ethiel, softly. “We do not want to get our hopes up, however, but I will have one of our scholars look into the possibilities of reversing the girl’s misfortune…”
“However,” said Tirhas tersely, interrupting. “Understand, that my first priority is stopping this drow witch, and if that means I have to kill her if no means of capturing her and returning her here rendered harmless, I will.”
The companions looked to the elven maid, her face betrayed a raw hatred that the party had never seen here her face before.
“When you call her a drow witch,” Jana asked. “What exactly do you mean?”
“She and her sisters violate the pact made by the elves long ago. She uses forbidden magics,” Ethiel explained.
Martin the Green shot a look at Jana, who sneered at him.
“What magics are those?” Kazrack asked, as the same moment Jana asked, “Is it likely she will be at her full power?”
“We really cannot be too sure,” replied Ethiel. “Oh, yes, I almost forgot. In connection to Karellena and the tokens we guard, one of them is missing. According to the catalogues it is in the form of a hatchet and bound to it is a handmaiden of the goddess Teneraél Undol.”
“Um, who is Teneraél Undol?” Martin asked.
“She is the spider goddess of the dark elves,” Ethiel said.
“I think it is clear that we cannot let her get too far or get back to her people,” said Ratchis.
“There is one last thing we must tell you,” said Ethiel gravely. “This is something we have discussed among ourselves and have decided that we must tell you, despite the fact that it is a great secret shame of the elven people and are loath to share it with mort…, I mean, non-elves.”
He paused, and looked to the elves on either side of him.
“I know you have heard of the dark elves, what we call in our tongue, the Novilustani, but no you this, any elf can be what you call a drow, and that we have no name for that we share with non-elves. Yes, the Novilustani were the original children of Teneraél Undol, but not all were evil – but most of those that did not turn to dark ways as their goddess did were slaughtered. But there were also among the elves of the other sub-races, who gave their will and promise to the spider queen. They too fled to the dark places in the world. They too have the power of a drow. (74) The elven people have kept this secret from the other races for thousands of years, though there have been a few who have found out. The drow have been gone for so long that we allowed the stories of the coal-skinned elves being evil – and it is not far from the truth in that so many of those who would not betray the Ara-Cemnari (75) were killed, that any you would find today are just that, evil. Be wary of who and what you meet below. Though we have no reason to believe our fallen kin are in the Honeycombe, it is best to cautious.”
“Well, if there are any more questions let us know,” Ethiel said. “I leave you to your preparations. I assume you will be using the urn this afternoon?”
“Yes,” said Ratchis, with confidence.
“I don’t know,” said Kazrack.
“Let us go discuss it,” said Martin.
The companions rose to return to their rooms, and Ratchis turned to Ethiel, “If you have patrols in the woods please look out for a dog, he was scared off by Janx. I don’t think it can fend for itself.”
“We look after all of nature’s creatures,” replied Finarfin. “If we see him we will see about bringing him to you.”
The party took their newly granted gifts with them, and Ratchis took up the urn, and they gathered upstairs in the room he was sharing with Kazrack. There they discussed the implications of using the Urn of Osiris to return Jeremy to life.
“I think you need to have faith that a human god would not ask a dwarf to make a pledge that would violate his faith,” Ratchis said to Kazrack,
“I have no way of knowing that,” Kazrac ksaid, shaking his head.
“That is why it is called faith,” said Ratchis. “Obviously, we were meant to be on this path together.”
“I wish Beorth were here,” said Kazrack.
“Anubis is the son of Osiris, as is Nephthys…”
“I actually I was wishing Beorth were here for the wisdom that is his own, not his god’s,” the dwarf, clarified.
“Well, time is of the essence,” said Ratchis, looking to the others “What will it be?”
“I will do it,” said Martin, gravely.
“As will I,” said Jana, her face betraying no emotion.
Kazrack paused, “I too will do it, for do not our dwarven fathers teach us that loyalty and faithfulness to our friends and comrades in arms are one of the highest virtues?”
Ratchis let out a long breath, worried that the dwarf’s stubbornness would keep Jeremy from his chance to breathe the air of this world again.
-----
Jana, Ratchis, Martin and Kazrack gathered outside just out of view of the elven enclave, in a circle of small trees that they cleared of snow. The lay Jeremy’s wrapped body in the circle, even though it did not need be present for the urn to work according to what the elves had said.
“I think Ratchis should perform as much of the ceremony as possible,” suggested Martin. “Nephthys is the daughter of Osiris.”
“So is Set, from what I understand, so I do not put too much stock in those relationships,” said the dwarf, revealing that he knew something of human theology.
“Anyway, the elves said what there is to do we must all do,” Ratchis said. “Kazrack, place in the urn in the center and we’ll all sit around it.”
The dwarf moved the urn over to the middle of the circle, and inside he saw what looked like some earth and some broken twigs and collected moss. HE turned it over and started to dump out what was within.
“Wait!” Martin ran over, and lifted the urn. “Osiris is a god of the earth, perhaps we should keep that in there.”
“If he comes back with twigs coming out of his head, don’t blame me,” Kazrack said, rolling his eyes.
Ratchis walked over and took the urn and emptied it, “The directions said nothing about anything in the urn except Jeremy’s blood. Jana, would you mind helping me collect some?”
Jana and Ratchis drained bowl full of blood and poured it into the urn, and then the four companions sat around the urn and held hands.
“Now all we need do is speak the words and wait and see what happens,” said Ratchis.
The four looked at each other, and then opened their mouths, speaking the following in unison, “That which has been broken shall be remade, that which has begun the final journey shall turn back, in return for this I will fulfill what need Osiris has of me..”
This was silence.
Even the wind stopped, as did the sound of birds, and the dripping of melting snow tumbling from the leaves and needles of the trees around them.
Kazrack opened his mouth to speak, and Ratchis turned his head to shoot him a glare, but neither was able to complete his action. All four of them felt an incredible tension building in their bodies, as all muscle control left them replace with contraction that held them painfully in place. They could feel it move up their bodies, up their legs, in their bowels, down their arms, and finally up their necks, until they held their mouths open in silent cries of fear. They could feel the hairs on the backs of their necks rise, and suddenly the wind had returned, blowing with an increased ferocity and growing sound that seemed to match the growing tension of their bodies. The wind seemed to be crying aloud for them, and the sun seemed shadowed over for a moment.
And then it happened, the four of them began to speak in a voice that was not their own. They each said a different thing, but all at once, so all they could understand was what the alien voice said through their own person. And they knew that these were the tasks that they must do in return for Jeremy’s life. The description of their assigned tasks were different lengths, so first Ratchis stopped, and then Martin and then Jana and finally, Kazrack. And it sounded as if all four promises ended with the same option, that resonated as the voice issuing from Kazrack spoke alone at the end, “…or forfeit my life.”
The four tasks were as follows:
Ratchis: “I will seek out the Circle of the Thorn and do one complete task for them, or forfeit my life.”
Martin: “I shall retrieve the Book of Black Circles from the Brotherhood of the Lost, cast one spell from it and then destroy it, or forfeit my life.”
Jana: “I will seek out a temple of Isis and learn of magic through her pure sources, and will take no other token and learn no other spell until I do, or forfeit my life.”
Kazrack: “I shall craft a sickle of great quality, hammering and sharpening its blade in the Glade of Hennaire, under the light of the full moon, and then present it to the Circle of the Thorn, or forfeit my life.”
And then it was gone. The four companions gasped and Martin and Ratchis slumped forward, Kazrack and Jana caught themselves before they did as well. The wind and sounds had returned to normal, and they all had the taste of earth in their mouths. Kazrack leapt up awkwardly and hurried over to Jeremy.
The dwarf uncovered the young Neergaardian’s face. Jeremy’s chest heaved and he coughed; his eyes fluttered. The body had no marks on it, and even the cut on his wrist where they had taken the blood was gone.
“I’m sorry that mine is the first visage you look upon, but I’m sure you’re glad to be back,” the dwarf said to the newly re-born warrior.
“Am I finally there?” Jeremy croaked, and tried to sit up, but swooned. He felt as if his body had long been asleep, with pins and needles in his limbs, and a dry mouth.
“You haven’t gone anywhere, except outside the elvish temple we were in,” the dwarf said.
Jeremy coughed again, “I was on a road, where…”
Kazrack placed a soothing palm on Jeremy’s forehead, “You have been called from that road, you are not to travel it yet.”
“I was on my way to a city,” Jeremy said, confusedly. “Where are we?”
“We are in Derome-Delem,” replied Kazrack.
“I was walking to a city, and there were other people on the road, but I could not turn my head to see them. I could only see them ahead of me as they passed me or I passed them,” Jeremy said. “Malcolm!”
“Malcolm was there?” Kazrack asked.
“No, uh… yes, he was at the city waiting for me, somehow I just knew that,” Jeremy said. “Oh, I am so tired.”
Martin walked over, “We should probably get him inside.”
Kazrack nodded, and he and Ratchis helped carry him back into Aze Nuquerna.
“I can walk,” Jeremy croaked.
“Just lie still,” said Jana.
Martin walked over to the urn and picked it up. The pictograms and runes on its surface were gone. It was perfectly smoothed and unmarked.
“I don’t think we’ll be using this again,” Martin noted, pointing to the urn.
“We’ll ask the elves when we get Jeremy to bed,” Kazrack said.
-----------
”How do you feel?” Kazrack said to Jeremy, as he laid him on a bunk in one of the rooms they had been assigned. “I mean, aside from tired.”
“Warmer,” Jeremy said in a dreamy voice. “Things smell funny, different here.”
“You should rest. We’ll be back,” said the dwarf.
“No! I can’t sleep!” Jeremy tried to sit up again. “Is this a dream?”
Kazrack punched Jeremy in the shoulder, knocking him back on to the mat. “Does this feel like a dream?” And if this were a dream would the firs face you saw be mine?”
Jeremy rubbed his shoulder, “Okay, I’ll sleep.”
--------------
Back in Jana’s room Ratchis asked, “So, what was everyone tasked with?”
He looked to Jana, but Martin answered. “I have to destroy something called the Book of Black Circles, but before that I have to cast a spell from it.”
“Do you know anything about it?” Kazrack asked.
“I have heard some rumor in my time at the Academy,” Martin replied. “It is a dark book with a dark history.” (76)
“Well, destroying the book I can understand, but casting a spell from it?” Kazrack mused.
“I can only trust that it is for a good cause,” Martin said. “How about the rest of you?”
“I have to forge a sickle at a particular time in a particular place for something or someone called the Circle of Thorn,” said Kazrack.
“I have to do a task for the Circle of the Thorn as well, but mine is undefined,” said Ratchis.
Everyone looked to Jana, she sighed and spoke, hesitantly, as usual. “ I am to make a commitment to… purify my ways, and that is all I will say about that.”
Ratchis harrumphed.
“Well, does anyone feel any different?” Ratchis asked.
“Yes,” replied Kazrack. “I feel what can only be described as an urge to accomplish this task soon. It is not an overwhelming feeling, but it is there and undeniable.”
“Yes, me too,” said Ratchis.
“Well, I don’t feel any different,” said Martin.
“Neither do I,” added Jana.
“Well, I’m sure Osiris must see some urgency in your transformation, or purification or whatever,” said Ratchis.
“Not Osiris, but Isis,” said Jana softly.
“Well, good,” said Martin with a grin. “Isis will be a good influence on you.” (77)
“ I, for one, knew you would say that,” said Jana with a frown.
“What remains to be seen is if we will feel obligated to do these tasks before we take care of the problem with the gnomes. We may be delayed even further,” said Ratchis.
“I think we should send a message to the gnomes that their chieftain is dead and that they need to accept their interim chief or pick a new one,” said Kazack.
“We don’t even know that the gnome we saw in the dungeons here was the chief,” said Martin.
“And we can never be sure that message arrived properly or if it might put the gnomes in even more danger, or let Mozek think he can put whatever nefarious plans he might have into action,” said Ratchis. “We should take care of the tasks before we help the gnomes so that we may do so unfettered, and in hopes of gaining some means of defeating Mozek in the meantime.”
“I say we take care of the gnomes first, and then take care of the tasks,” said Kazrack.
“I get the feeling that if we do not take care of these oaths, we will die,” said Martin, nervously.
“And?” said Kazrack, casually. “I was willing to give up my life to help the gnomes before, and that hasn’t changed. If it is the power of Osiris or the hands of Mozek that does it makes little difference.”
“And if we deliver ourselves into the hands of Mozek and his brothers there is no hope for the gnomes at all,” said Ratchis, growing annoyed.
“We’ll decide what order to do these thing when we have taken care of the drow witch, which is our most immediate obligation,” said Jana, failing to hide her disgust for her companions.
------
In the darkness of his room Jeremy awoke with a start. There was someone standing over him.
“It is only I, Tirhas. Do not be alarmed,” the elven maiden said.
“It’s…you,” Jeremy managed. The weight of his limbs was lessened, but he still felt a fatigue draped on him like a funeral shroud.
“It’s good to see you…back,” said Tirhas softly. She kept her hands behind her back, and rocked slightly on the balls of her feet.
“Am I really back, then?” Jeremy asked, sitting up achingly.
“You comrades have given a great deal for you to return from the other side,” Tirhas said.
“Given?”
“They used something called ‘the Urn of Osiris’ to call you back from Anubis’ Realm. In return each one of them had to promise to accomplish some task for Osiris, or give their own life trying,” said Tirhas.
“How… how they’d get this thing?” Jeremy rubbed his temples.
“Ethiel granted it to your companions as a gift,” the elf explained.
“Where’s Janx?” Jeremy asked, suddenly.
“Huh? Oh, I am not sure, but if he were in danger I’d know,” Tirhas said. “I am sure he will return soon.”
“How long was I gone?” Jeremy aked.
“Not even a day,” Tirhas said, and pulled her hands from behind her back. She bore an unseathed short sword, and held it out to Jeremy with two hands. “Your companions are not the only ones who received gifts. This is called The Right Blade of Arofel.” (78)
Jeremy took the sword. It was made of some material that seemed as shining as silver, but harder than steel, and immediately above the hilt were carved the elven letters: [insert gif]
“Thank you,” said Jeremy. “It’s beautiful. What does this say?”
“It translates into ‘the Dark Hand’”, Tirhas said.
“The Dark Hand? Why was it called that, because it was used by someone not that respectable?”
“No, he was a great hero, a folk hero of our people. He was a great wizard and a mighty warrior,” Tirhas said.
“And what happened to Richard the Red?” Jeremy asked, looking from the sparkling sword blade, to the shining blues eyes of delicate beauty set in the cold face of the elven maid. “The last thing I remember is hurrying to see if he was okay for some reason.”
“You were ensorcelled,” replied Tirhas.
“Yeah, I remember that now,” Jeremy said, laying back down and passing the sword back to Tirhas. “It was all foggy, but talking to you makes me see things the way they truly are.”
He closed his eyes.
“Sleep now,” Tirhas said, and stroked Jeremy’s hair gently for a second before leaving the room.
-----------
Many hours later the Jana, Ratchis, Martin and Kazrack sat in one of their cells eating the food the elves had brought to them, steam mushrooms stuffed with some kind of preserved and covered in a sauce that was sweet, yet sour.
Kazrack hated it.
The door opened and in came Jeremy with a huge smile on his face, “You are all here!”
“How are you feeling?” asked Ratchis.
“Hungry! Really hungry!” Jeremy replied and sat down and began to stuff himself with bread and cheese and mushrooms.
“Tirhas told me what you all did,” Jeremy said, looking up, his mouth full. “I don’t know what to say…”
“Say thank you,” Martin said.
“Yeah, I was gonna start there,” Jeremy said, taken aback by Martin’s comment.
“You’re welcome,” said Martin, going back to eating.
“Well, you can’t understand what this means to me,” Jeremy said, smiling again. “Everything seems different. Brighter, fresher, more real – It is just wonderful to be alive. Everything is so beautiful.”
Kazrack sighed and smiled, “I suppose we can’t expect you to come back changed. You still babble.”
“But I am changed! Everything is changed! You are all so beautiful!”
“You are making me feel uncomfortable, Jeremy,” said Kazrack.
“I don’t care!” cried Jeremy, and grabbing the dwarf by the ears planted a kiss on the dwarf’s forehead. He then ran around the table kissing each of his companions in turn.
“Um, thank you,” said Ratchis.
“So what happens now?” Jeremy asked.
The others explained about the drow witch, and how they would be descending into the Honeycombe to seek her (and possibly Richard the Red) out.
“Is that your task You know for the urn thing?” Jeremy asked.
“No, it is simply our duty,” said Kazrack.
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Notes:
(73) This wedding set to occur sometime in the next elven Stellar Cycle (a period of time lasting about 1307 days), and will hopefully heal a schism between a high elf and wood elf noble house.
(74) In Aquerra “drow” is a template applied to any elf who goes evil and pledges himself to the dark elven goddess, Teneraél Undol,
(75) Ara-Cemnari is the elven name for the generation of ancestors they revere as gods. The name means “those who were sown”.
(76) Martin the Green knew from his studies that the Book of Black Circles was penned by five of the greatest and most evil necromancers in Aquerra’s history, each one learning from the last and then penning more in the evil book. The last person known to have had it was Marcosias the Corruptor, traitorous master of the Academy, slayer of the Archmage Karellen, and Master of the Void Sphere.
(77) Isis is goddess of motherhood, magic and the moon. She has influence over witchcraft and is the patron goddess of Thricia.
(78) The Right Blade of Arofel, +1 short sword, grants the "Defense of the Dancing Blades" feat when used in pair with "the Left Blade of Arofel". It is made of truesilver, called Mithral by elves.
