Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hjorimir" data-source="post: 1574035" data-attributes="member: 5745">Being part of an account concerning the rise and fall of the Knights of the Valley-author unknownNow it came to pass that Amassian of Pala, who was a powerful man of station, was shunned by his wife, Eira whose beauty was unmatched throughout the Valley. She turned him away, naming him wicked and unblessed in the eyes of the Æhü-Father.Amassian was angered and did place blame upon the holy man, Jaspin, who had joined them in the Temple. “It is thy failings as council unto my wife that has caused this hardship upon me,” he did say unto Jaspin. “Thou shouldst command her love upon me and make my house proper.”But Jaspin denied him in saying, “Nay, I will not avail unto thee in this matter. Thou art wicked, Amassian-Lord and should seek atonement under the Law of the Æhü-Father.”Amassian grew wrathful at the words of Jaspin and did strike and rend his flesh. “I am a Lord unto you, lowly Jaspin. Your treachery and failure will be thine Ending. Henceforth thou art outcast in all the Valley.”Amassian then went to Esrik, father of Eira, so that he may council his daughter. “I have given unto thee a great dowry, yet Eira fails to serve me as wife. Thou art to attend to this matter and make her pleasing unto me.”Fearful of Amassian, Lord of the Valley, Esrik did go unto Eira and plead. “Thou must submit to his lordship lest we all suffer by his Hand. Thine own Acts will condemn us all.”“Wouldst thou have me surrender my purity unto so vile and fallen a man, father? Art thou paid in silver or gold for thy honor?” did Eira ask. “I will deny him to the End of Days and remain pure seeking Grace and Blessings from the Æhü-Father.”Esrik did return to Amassian and tell him of her words. “She will not surrender her purity unto you, Amassian-Lord.” Hearing this, Amassian did rage and curse the name of his wife and thought to do murder upon her.But then did a Stranger appear unto them, his body wreathed in shadow. “If thee wouldst bow to the Master and none other, all shalt be yours. With Dominion and Fortune, thou wouldst be both Power and Prince within the Valley. All wouldst kneel before thee and call blessings upon thine house.”Amassian and Esrik did recoil and fall before the terrible Stranger and weep at the dark Presence.“Yet more, thine body will be made eternal and touched with the Master’s Will. All will tremble in thine own wake and falter under thine gaze.”Amassian did come to his knees before the Stranger and ask, “Will Eira-wife be mine?”“Once she knows thine own flesh, Eira will be thine eternal and will sing of your beauty ever more if thee wouldst bow to the Master and none other.”Amassian did then invoke the name of the Master and bow unto his Will in the dark of the night. He confronted Esrik and did say, “And where does lay thine loyalty now?”Esrik did fear and tremble and humble himself before Amassian. “Thou are truly the Lord of all the Valley. Unto the End Days will I serve thee in loving fealty.”Then did Amassian and Esrik return to Eira and command her obedience. But Eira did turn her eyes from him and pray to Æhü-Father for deliverance. Amassian raged and struck her from her prayer. “Nay! None shall bow evermore unto the Æhü-Father who has shunned me. Only unto the Master will thee pray or pray no more.” Eira again turned away from Amassian and thought to pray. But Esrik took hold of her and forced her before Amassian.“Thou will know my flesh and unto me give thine love and purity.” So then did Amassian force his Lust upon her and they did couple.Amassian then exerted his Will upon the Valley. Temples of the Æhü-Father were raised and the people celebrated the Master and the Lord of the Valley with coition and sacrifice.Esrik, decumbent before Amassian, did ask, “Great is thine glory and righteous thine rule. But Jaspin-Betrayer speaks against thee and yet lives. What shall be his fate, oh mighty and terrible Lord?”Amassian did consider Jaspin who he had already made vagabond. “As his faith in the Æhü-Father is Blind to Truth, so shall he be in his suffering. Pluck then his eyes from him and bring them to me and cast him into the wilds where tooth of beast and pain of hunger shall be his only comfort before his ending.” And so it was done as Amassian had bid.From the Lands came three men, dressed in the clothes of peasants, who did present themselves before Amassian and the People of the Valley in their pace of Worship and of their Sin. “What crime was done by Jaspin’s hand that he should be blinded and cast out? He is humble before the Æhü-Father and blessed in His light,” one did ask of the Lord of the Valley.“Prostrate thyself before me and give worship unto the Master! Only then shalt ye know the Truth and All! Lo the Æhü-Father is no more within the Valley and naught a bygone god in the lapse of His care,” Amassian answered from his throne of blood and gold.“Thine own Fall is of a singular Accord, Amassian-Maggot. But castigation of thine Creator before the people shalt be answered on High. Hear me, for I am Usariel, Herald unto the Æhü-Father! Your deeds have set to motion a Coming! Repent in the eyes of the Æhü-Father and leave this place lest you be consumed in the Autumn-harvest! Deceived ye have been and thine love misplaced in the Taint of things most unholy.” Usariel then did strike the foundation of the temple and sunder it with his rod.Amassian cursed the three for their words and the Æhü-Father whom they worshipped. High on post, they were sacrificed before his dark Master and an angel of the pit was called to dwell there and give strength to the Fallen. “Fear not the empty threats of a god removed. Behold the power of our Master and know that he alone is the Undeniable.”His Wrath was but then delivered by plague and swarm as Burning Merlutat ascended to be Great in the Heavens. And so the people of the Valley suffered and were hewn by scythe as was foretold. To the great lords of the north did they plea for deliverance from the disease and darkness. But none would answer their need and they were turned away.Then did they come to the Temples of the Æhü-Father in the east and make great offerings of jewels and gems and of gold and silver. So the Chair of the Temple gathered a host and sent them into the Valley so that they would undo the dark works therein. But great was the Master’s Hold and his darkness consumed the host. Still did the Chair of the Temple send forth more warriors so long as the offerings were made with each ascension of the Pale Hand.But it came to pass that the people of the Valley had given all their wealth to the Temple and could donate no more. “Where then is thine Offering to the Æhü-Father?” the Chair of the Temple did ask. When told there was no more to give he spat upon them. “The People of the Valley no longer dwell within His light and shalt linger ever more in Tainted darkness unto the End of Days.” And so the Valley was left to Shadow.Now the fiercest warriors of the Lands had gathered in a great contest so it may be known who among them was strongest in arms. But their contest was stilled by a blind man who took the field amongst them and would not yield to the thunder of hoof nor point of lance. “If ye would know which of thee is the greatest, go unto the Valley and make thine contest upon those cursed in the eyes of the Æhü-Father! Blessed is he that answers the Horn!”“All that have gone unto the Valley have come to their Ending, none may go there and yet live,” they did answer to his call.The words of the blind man did embrace them. “It is true that all who have fought for weight of gold and silver have fallen to the Darkness. But such things are not the design of the Æhü-Father and only an Ending will be won by any who would seek to profit at the suffering of thine brothers. If ye be true men of the Æhü-Father, go there and sacrifice thine selves and face the Enemy.”His words did ring of the Divine and so from the Lords of the East did come Matteo, Celio, Amato, Danilu, Melchior, Vascian, and Orso. From the Lords of the North answered Owayn, Rhodric, Urion, Arn, Vaund, Mathumn, Haulus, Kendyl, Edryc, Alvar, Bedvyr, Darion, and Casamyr. And from the Lords of the East did respond Ariane, Didier, Corentin, Reynaud, Thierry, Guillaume, and Vespasien.“We shall March upon the Fallen in the name of the Æhü-Father and do war upon his kind. Great is His Will and the Mysterion,” said Darion.Along their travel did they come upon a great menhir that marked their way to the Valley. Together they bent their knee before it and pray upon their arms to the Æhü-Father for guidance and blessing so that their final moments be not in vain. Divine power struck the menhir and they were showered in fire. An angel appeared, concealed in light, and soothed their worries. “Know then that thine arms are blessed and ye hearts will know no fear and as your faith doth hold so shall your soul be shielded. Ye are not forgotten in the eyes of the Æhü-Father.” And so each was blessed unto the qualities of the man…</blockquote>

Verification