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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2143757" data-attributes="member: 5203">Life and DeathAutumn slowly closed the door to Arrie’s room.  She turned to address the group of people assembled in the hallway.            “She agrees with our decision.”            The rest of the party nodded solemnly.  Earlier that day, they had rode out into the mountains near Arrie and Autumn’s ancestral home to combat Sauroth, an elven necromancer who was a cousin of the Imperial House of Tlaxan.  Herion had ordered them to bring him Sauroth’s head after the wizard had possessed his fiancée using the spirit of Herion’s grandfather.            They rode back to the castle in haste after dispatching Sauroth, pausing only to search for the mysterious Caller in Darkness, the undead entity that according to Lanara hadn’t been seen since before the Cataclysm.  But there had been no trace of the creature, and their haste to check on Arrie’s well being prevented a more thorough search.            They found that Arrie’s possession had ended, but the ordeal had left her close to death’s door.  Her strength and vitality had been sapped by the struggle for her own soul, and she was barely able to move or speak.  But beyond that, they all recognized the hollow look in Arrie’s eyes as she sat in bed, tended by servants.  It was a look that belied something perhaps more frightening that Arrie’s weakened body; it was the look of someone whose innermost confidence and self-assurance had been deeply shaken.  There were no herbal restoratives or clerical rites that would heal this type of wound; only time would do that.            Kyle walked up and put his arm gently around Autumn’s shoulder, offering her support.  The others began milling about, talking amongst each other.            “She knows that we’ll be back for her after we finish our business in Noxolt, right?” Kavan asked.            “Yes, she does.  She thinks that by then she should have recovered enough strength to travel with us again.  She sees the wisdom in remaining here while the rest of us go to the capital, especially since we’ll be coming back in this direction anyway once we’re done.”            “Yeah, and considering what she’s been through,” piped up Osborn, “she’s probably eager not to be around too many elves right now.”  He gave Kavan an apologetic smile.  “Nothing personal, of course.”            The group spent the rest of the evening preparing to depart for the elven empire’s capital of Noxolt.  In the morning a dozen House Verahannen lancers, an honor guard sent by Lord Zanich to accompany them, met them outside.  After bidding farewell to Lord Zanich and Lady Auror, the group turned their horses toward the road leading to the main imperial road.            The journey north to Noxolt took a little over two weeks, and given the fact that they traveled on a large highway accompanied by a dozen horsemen, the trip itself was uneventful, even boring.  The late summer heat was oppressive, and both Tolly and Autumn roasted in their heavy plate armor.  The only odd thing that happened was that as they traveled, Kyle would occasionally wander over to trees at the side of the road, and pick up large fallen branches to examine them.  Sometimes he would walk with them for a short distance before discarding them.  At one point Kavan asked what he was doing.            “Trying to find my staff,” he explained.            “You don’t carry a staff,” Kavan said.            “No, I never have.  I never felt comfortable with a staff, kind of like I was pretending to be something I’m not.  But I guess I just decided it was time, like maybe I’m ready.”            “So, what’s the problem?  One staff is as good as another, right?”            “Well, for most people, but not for a wizard.  See, it’s kind of like a symbol, the way people recognize you.  I’ve been told that when a wizard sees the staff that’s supposed to be his, they just know it.  So, I’ve been looking, but so far nothing’s grabbed my attention.”            Kavan looked at Kyle curiously.  “You know, I think this is one of the few times I’ve heard you talk about yourself like a wizard instead of a carpenter.”            A shrug was Kyle’s only answer.They arrived in the wide valley containing the city of Noxolt as a large bank of storm clouds began to roll in from the west, providing some respite from the heat.  The party rode through the streets in astonishment at the grandeur of Tlaxan’s capital city.  Although the approaching storm diminished the effect, the sight of the delicate arches and spires sticking out from numerous gardens and orchards drew appreciative glances.  Even Autumn and Kavan, who were more familiar with elven architecture, couldn’t help but let their eyes wander around the beauty that surrounded them.            It took nearly half a day to ride to the gates of the Imperial Palace, a sprawling compound the size of a small city in and of itself.  The palace guards examined the letter of introduction that Lord Zanich had provided them, and with a curt nod allowed them to pass.  The large gates to the compound opened slowly, the massive doors apparently connected to some sort of hidden mechanism.  They dismounted in a large courtyard, where stableboys in crisp uniforms led their horses to the stables and robed officials took down their names and began leading the party toward the palace itself while their escort was led off to suitable quarters.            During the walk to the palace, the party marveled at the sights around them.  There were many of the shops and professions within the compound that could be expected in service to an emperor; smithys, tailors, gilders, barracks.  They noted a wide variety of people within the city, many of which they hadn’t seen since their days in Trageon.  There were Touched races of all descriptions; they even saw a few tieflings wandering about.  Of course, the majority of the citizens they saw were elves, many wearing uniforms of the House Guard.  Lanara tried catching the eyes of some of the guards for a little harmless flirting, but they seemed even more somber than one would expect from guards.            The official leading them took then up the stairs of the palace, and escorted them down a grand hallway.  Though the walls were made of white marble, the floor was polished wood, and several tapestries and carved wood panels softened the effect. The hallway was littered with niches and alcoves, which held statuary of various sizes and other objects of art.  The effect seemed designed to distract and draw the eye away, yet at the same time make the imposing stone structure feel more comfortable.            They were led to the third floor of the south wing of the palace, into a large reception area.  The room lacked chairs or tables, but numerous large cushions and pillows were stacked against the walls, obviously meant to provide a comfortable spot to relax.  In the corners of the room stood large wooden screens, meant to provide a bit of temporary privacy to the room’s occupants.  A handful of servants stood nearby, some holding silver trays with cups of cool water or small delicacies.  Autumn and Tolly made their way to the screened corners, accompanied by two or three servants of the appropriate gender to assist them with their armor.  Osborn immediately stacked up a pile of cushions nearly as tall as he was, while Lanara primped at her hair while looking in her reflection in a polished bronze shield being held by a small statue against the wall.  Kavan struck up a conversation with one of the young maidservants, while Xu began sampling some of the food being offered, pleased to discover that most of it contained no meat.Kyle picked at loose threads on his robes, and grimaced.  The robe had once been very fine, probably the finest he’d ever had; it had been an anonymous gift after his graduation.  But it was also the only robe he owned; his old mustard colored robes belonged to the school.  Months of wear and tear had taken their toll, and there was only so much that a mending cantrip could do.            “Hey, why don’t you put on your nice robes?” asked Osborn.            “These are my nice robes,” Kyle said through pressed lips, as if hoping to avoid being overheard by the palace staff.            “Oh.  Why don’t you buy more clothes, then?”            “Because I’ve never been very good at it, to tell the truth,” Kyle admitted.  “And it just seems strange to me to spend money on fancy clothes.  Still, its probably time I changed that attitude, if we’re going to keep staying at palaces.”            Osborn laughed as he took a handful of small, leaf-wrapped appetizers from a passing tray. He sniffed at one, and frowned.  “Fish.  I don’t suppose they’ll serve a lot of bacon here, will they?” he sighed.            Once everyone had had a chance to relax, a herald came in and announced to the party that a member of the Imperial Family was on their way to greet them.  After the herald left, the party gave a knowing look to Kyle, who immediately cast a prestidigitation spell and worked quickly to remove two weeks’ worth of sweat and trail dust.            A young elven girl walked into the room, looking to the humans in the room as though she were in her mid-teens, though they knew she was probably decades old.  She wore a surprisingly simple dress in browns and greens, and her long hair cascaded over her shoulders.  A large hunting dog came in close on her heels; Osborn smiled and nodded appreciatively at the hound, which was obviously well bred and well trained.            “Greetings,” the young girl said.  “I am Princess Aralda.”            They all bowed.  Autumn rose first, and approached Aralda, taking her hand.  “It’s good to see you again, Aralda.”            “And you as well,” Aralda replied, smiling.  “My brother told me that you might be coming soon.”  She looked around the room at the assembled guests.  “But where is Arrie?”            “Arrie remained at home,” said Autumn.  “She is still recovering from her ordeal.”            “Yes, Herion told me a little about that,” she said.  “Not much, though.  He’s frightfully overprotective.  But I overheard enough to know that it must have been dreadful.”  She sighed.  “Well, when you see her, send my love, and thank her for the lovely comb she sent with Herion.”            “And how is your family?  Your father?”            Aralda’s gaze fell to the floor.  “I fear he’s not well.  The news has traveled throughout the kingdom by now.  We fear it won’t be long – perhaps within the week.”            “I’m sorry to hear that, Aralda,” Autumn said.            The princess smiled appreciatively, then turned her attention to the rest of the party, standing nearby.  “Please, introduce me to your friends.”            Autumn introduced Princess Aralda to the rest of her companions.  Aralda spoke briefly with each of them, seeming very comfortable in her role.  She explained that her older brother Herion was delayed with matters relating to their father’s illness, and it would be some time before he could greet his guests personally.  The conversation went smoothly, though the room went silent when at one point Kyle asked Aralda if she, too, was expected to marry someone she didn’t know.  But Aralda laughed it off, saying that she was the youngest of the emperor’s children and too far down the line of succession to worry about such things.Aralda sat with the group and talked for nearly an hour before another herald announced Prince Herion’s arrival.  The man who strode in bore little resemblance to the calm, dignified elven prince they’d met at the Verahannen estates.  He looked drawn and haggard, and his eyes were heavy from lack of sleep.  If elves grew facial hair, one could easily imagine several days’ worth of stubble on his chin.  Herion greeted the party warmly, if with little energy.  Tolly offered to try and alleviate Herion’s fatigue with clerical magic, but the prince declined.            “I apologize for how I must appear,” Herion said.  “But my father’s health has worsened, as I’m sure Aralda has mentioned.  He lost consciousness several days ago.  And beyond dealing with the grief of watching our father die, you understand that the impending death of an emperor carries with it a great deal of preparation and work, not only for the funeral, but for the succession.”            “We understand,” said Autumn.  “And we don’t wish to take up any more of your time than necessary.”  She collected a large sack from the corner of the room, and handed it to Herion.  Herion peered inside.            “You’ve brought me… a rock?”            Tolly cast a stone shape spell, and the outer casing of rock fell away from the object in the sack.  Herion blinked in slight surprise, then nodded.  Aralda tried to look inside, but Herion pulled the sack away from her.            “You’ve done our kingdom a service,” he said.  “I’m sure my father will rest easier knowing that this one will no longer trouble us.”  He closed the sack and held it in one fist.  “As I promised when I gave you this task, there will be a reward for you.  I will order the House Guard to allow you access to some of the palace vaults, where we keep some of the relics and magical treasures belonging to Tlaxan.  I’m sure you’ll each be able to find something suitable for yourselves there.  I’ll also take the liberty of having something appropriate selected for Ariadne.  Though she was not present when this…” he held up the sack “trouble was dealt with, I think we can agree that my fiancée was involved in the affair.”            No one argued with Herion, and they each professed their gratitude.  “I’m sorry that I can’t stay and converse with you further,” said Herion.  “Please, stay as guests of the palace.  It will take two or three days for the arrangements to be made with the vaults.  And, of course,” Herion swallowed heavily, “should my father finally pass into True Sleep, you would be attending the funeral as friends of the Empire.”  Herion glanced at Autumn briefly, conveying in that brief look that as the representative of the Verahannens, and perhaps even all of Merlion, she would be expected to stay.            “Thank you again,” said Tolly.  “And though I know you must be busy, there is one other matter that we must bring to your attention.”  When Herion’s gaze fell on Tolly, he continued.  “While we were battling Sauroth, there was a creature in his service that none of us recognized.  However, Lanara told us that it was known as a Caller in Darkness, and that such creatures had not been seen in Aelfenn since before the Cataclysm.  We never had the opportunity to dispatch it; it fled the field of battle, and we were unable to locate it afterward.”            “I don’t know how tough those things were supposed to be,” Lanara chimed in, “but all I remember hearing was that they used their powers to induce people to commit suicide.  That part seems accurate – I know I was having a hard time staying chipper when I heard it calling to me in my head.”            “That sounds like formidable magic indeed,” said Herion.            Lanara shook her head.  “No, from what I remember of the old stories, the Caller in Darkness had powers that weren't magical - some sort of natural mind-control.”            Herion’s already pale face grew even whiter.  “Erito preserve us,” he whispered.  “Then I am glad you chose not to face this creature.  As I understand it, the legends state that even the gods themselves sometimes could not stand against the creatures of the mind.”  Herion thought for a moment, his fingers stroking the sides of his chin.  “Still, such a creature cannot be allowed to rampage unchecked.  I will alert the proper people of your discovery.”            “If I may,” said Kyle suddenly, “perhaps if I could have access to your library, I could see if there is information on the Callers in Darkness.  And, to be honest, I have one or two items of my own I’d like to research.” The look in Kyle’s eyes grew strangely distant for just a moment.            Herion nodded.  “I will see to it.” He then bowed to his assembled guests, and took his leave.  “I will have servants escort you to your rooms,” he said, just before turning and walking out the door, his sister Aralda on his arm.            As soon as they left, Lanara turned to Kyle.  “A library?”            He grinned.  “I know.  I never thought I’d hear those words come out of my mouth.  If my brother Angar were here, he’d probably beat me up on general principle.”            The rooms were more extravagant than they thought possible.  Kyle stated that his room was bigger than the house he grew up in.  Enormous feather beds dominated the sleeping chambers, carved from rich mahogany.  Tolly, who was used to simpler accommodations from his years being raised by the church of Ardara, requested a hard cot to sleep on.  Lanara, on the other hand, immediately requested more pillows.  Autumn requested that tailors be sent around to each of her friends’ rooms in the morning, to measure them for appropriate funerary garb should the occasion arise.            Within an hour of settling in, each of the party received an invitation to dine with Princess Aralda that evening in her suites.  In the meantime, most of the group spent their time wandering about the palace grounds, admiring the many manicured gardens and songbirds.            They were escorted to Aralda’s suite later that evening.  Only Kavan begged out of the invitation, stating that he needed to report to the Temple of Erito in the city to speak with his elders in the church.  The others, knowing that Kavan probably wished to seek guidance around his newly discovered son Marrek, did not challenge his departure.            Aralda’s rooms were decorated with a strong hunting and outdoor motif.  A number of hunting dogs roamed about, and they guessed it was only a five-minute walk to the stables.  Aralda greeted them in a large, but surprisingly empty chamber.  As they engaged in small talk, servants began to set up a table in the center; evidently Aralda had chosen to present a less formal meal to put her guests at ease.  Despite this, at first the conversation was quiet and halting, until Aralda asked what was wrong.            “Well, nothing’s wrong,” said Lanara.  “It’s just that we’re not used to dining with elven princesses whose fathers are dying.”            “Oh, I see.  Well, if it helps, please know that I’m glad you’re here.  As the youngest, I have very little to do with the goings-on, and so having you here gives me something to keep my mind off things.  If you can, just try to ignore it all.”            As they talked, Autumn’s eyes were drawn to Kyle.  Somehow, he seemed different to her, as if he were drawing more attention than normal.  She noticed that he seemed more at ease in the room, not stumbling over his words as much as usual.  She couldn’t help but note that several of the maidens attending Aralda were eyeing him and whispering to themselves.  Curious, she approached the wizard.            “You seem different tonight, Kyle,” she said.  “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you’re doing far better than I expected this evening.  Somehow I don’t think the etiquette lessons I’ve been giving you can explain it.”            Kyle smiled, and winked at her.  “Just a little magic to enhance my bearing and poise,” he said.  “I was feeling kind of like a bumpkin when we first got here, like I should be scrubbing the floors or something.  I figured this might help me get through the evening without putting my foot in my mouth like I did earlier when I asked about Aralda getting married.”            Autumn nodded.  “I suppose I can see why you’d do it.  But be careful; you’re attracting quite a bit of attention.” She nodded toward a small cluster of maidens in the far wall, obviously watching them.            At first Kyle thought she was exaggerating. But later in the evening, Kyle would find a note tucked inside his sleeve, wrapped around a flower.  The note invited him to go to a particular waterfall-filled grotto on the palace grounds after the dinner was concluded.  He decided that Autumn had been right, and using the splendor spell on himself was probably not the best idea.            Aralda and the party sat around a large table, conversing and drinking wine as servants brought around platters of various foods.  Rather than serving one large main course, the meal consisted of several smaller samplings of a variety of items.  As they sampled the delicacies, Autumn made note of the hunting motifs in the room, and asked Aralda about it.            “Hunting is a hobby,” she said, smiling.  “If you’d like, I could take you out on a boar hunt tomorrow.  The Imperial Forest is kept rather untamed for that very reason.”  She glanced at Kyle.  “You’d like it, Kyle.  You’re nice and big.”            “That sounds exciting,” said Autumn.            Lanara turned up her nose.  “Well, I may ride along, but facing down a boar doesn’t sound like my idea of fun.”  Lanara’s eyes looked down at the rug for a moment, then she looked back at Aralda.  “I don’t suppose that you have anyone in the palace that does dream interpretation, do you?”            “I’m sure we do.  Why do you ask?”            “I… just might like to visit them, that’s all.” Lanara’s eyes took on a distant look that many of them had seen over the past few weeks, and she fell silent.  The cansin had not explained her sudden lapses to anyone, so the others were left wondering what troubled her.            Aralda looked to quickly fill the silence.  “So, was that my cousin’s head in the bag you gave Herion?”            “Yes, it was,” Tolly nodded.  “But I got the impression that Herion didn’t want you to know that.”            “There’s a lot he doesn’t want me to know,” she replied.  “But being the youngest and largely ignored has its advantages.  Care to tell me about it?”            “Well, again, Herion didn’t seem to want us to inform you about it,” Tolly said.  Then a slight smile creased his face.  “So I suppose you’ll have to overhear us discussing it amongst ourselves.”            “I wrote a song about it, actually,” said Lanara, coming out of her reflective state.            At Aralda’s urging, Lanara took up her fiddle and began to play, her exquisite voice rising up above the instrument to fill the room.  The song was at once both inspiring and tragic, their deeds in the battle rising with the music to the level of epic heroism.  Lanara followed her song about Sauroth’s fall with one depicting their first encounter with the necromancer, when Tolly had been killed.  Lanara’s retelling of that tragedy brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room.  As the last notes faded away, they could hear a burst of spontaneous applause from across the room, where several of the servants and handmaidens had gathered to listen to the song.  Xu, who was sitting close to a window, glanced outside and saw that a sizeable crowd had gathered below as well.            Aralda wiped away a tear from her eye before looking at Lanara.  “I don’t suppose I could persuade you to stay here?” she asked.            Lanara beamed.  “Well, I did have some slight success with Arrie’s mom, too,” she said.            “I think you’d be happier here,” Osborn chimed in.            Aralda laughed.  “Yes, I have heard from Arrie that her mother can be quite… austere.”            “I don’t know,” said Tolly, “I found Arrie’s mother to be refreshingly uptight.”            The others laughed at Tolly’s joke, not realizing that he was being mostly serious.  Having been raised as an orphan by the church of Ardara, and living among dwarves, he was accustomed to a strict, disciplined lifestyle.  Having lived among his companions, who were somewhat more free-spirited – or, in Lanara’s case, a great deal more free-spirited, he thought to himself – he’d actually had found a slight comfort in Lady Auror’s demeanor.            Thunder rolled across the valley outside the window, announcing the approach of the coming storm.  Aralda set down her wine glass.  “So, after your stay here at the palace, where will you be heading?”            “Well, after we return to Merlion to rejoin our companion Arrie,” said Tolly, “we will be going west, to seek out some diamonds.”            “Diamonds?  Why diamonds?”            “He owes someone a really big favor,” Lanara jumped in.            Tolly sighed.  “Archprelate Jerome used some rather rare diamonds from the church treasury when he returned me to the world of the living after our first battle with Sauroth.  As part of my obligation to the church for that act, I have been commanded to replace those diamonds.  I have been told that such can be found west of here, in the Haran Desert.  My companions have agreed to assist me with this.”            Aralda nodded.  “As you might imagine, I rarely get a chance to travel far from the palace.  The Haran Desert is the realm of the orcs, isn’t it?”            “Yes, it is.  Which is one reason I’m glad for the help of my companions, in case there’s trouble.”            The leisurely, informal dinner continued for several hours, Aralda staying and conversing with the party well after they had had their fill of the fine elven food.  The princess glided through the room, speaking with all her guests in turn several times.  She asked what everyone needed to do while in Noxolt, and offered to act as their guide.  Tolly, perhaps having underestimated the effects of elven wine on his judgement, made a rather crude comment about what Autumn needed.  The sentinel’s face turned red, but she managed to restrain her violent impulses to merely throwing the remnants of a dinner roll at Tolly’s head.  Tolly looked down at Autumn’s flaky instrument of revenge, and then turned to Lanara.            “You’re a bad influence on me,” he said.  Lanara grinned and planted a wet kiss on his cheek in response.            Finally, Aralda bid her guests a good evening, and they returned to their rooms.  As expected, the next morning each of them was visited by tailors, fitting them for appropriate funeral clothes.  The elven tailors had a bit of difficulty fitting Tolly and Kyle’s large frames, but managed to make the proper adjustments.  Only Kavan was able to excuse himself from the fittings; the Temple of Erito had a wide variety of white funeral robes to select from, as befit the goddess of life and death.  Osborn, who was accustomed to wearing black and somewhat offended by the implication that his own clothes weren’t good enough, could be heard loudly complaining through half the palace for hours afterward, until mercifully someone brought him a plate of sizzling bacon to soothe his wounded pride.As promised, that afternoon Princess Aralda led a few of the group on a boar hunt.  Autumn, Kyle, and Osborn participated directly in the hunt, while Lanara and Tolly accompanied but chose not to hunt.  Xu also came along; though she expressed no interest in killing animals, she thought the experience of trying to subdue a wild boar without weapons was a worthy challenge.  Later that evening, when Kavan greeted them, Lanara regaled him with the tale of how they were attacked in the woods by a dire boar, and how Xu took it on single-handedly and saved them.  Kyle had even brought back the boar’s corpse, magically shrunken, to prove the story true.  Later, the others would confide to Kavan that Lanara had exaggerated a bit, but that Xu really had faced the boar head-on.News of the excitement spread through the palace, and soon Xu was receiving the kind of attention from the palace’s young men that Kyle had received from the maidens the night before.  Though she was polite to the elven men, she declined their invitations for moonlit walks.  Being sought after by so many only brought her bitter memories, of the life she lost because her parents wanted to force her into an arranged marriage.  She wondered, briefly, what had become of that man, or if her parents still searched for her after all these years.  It was uncommon for her people to leave the boundaries of their country, so she presumed that they would not cross the sea to look for her on the continent of Affon.After the day of excitement, life turned into an uneasy period of waiting for everyone.  As the Emperor’s health worsened, even Aralda was called away to help the family prepare, and so the party was left in the capable hands of the palace staff.  Kyle spent much of his time at the palace library; when asked, he stated he was researching the Caller in Darkness as well as ‘one or two other things’, though he would not elaborate further.  Lanara had the opportunity to visit a dream oracle, but the experience did not appear to comfort her, and she was unusually quiet for two entire days.For the most part, the group saw little of each other over the next several days.  Each one was absorbed in their own pursuits, each trying to stay out of the way and keep their mids off the fact that they were living in the home of a dying man.  A bright spot came when Arrie was able to join then only a few days after the party had arrived.  Arrie had recovered faster than expected, and upon hearing of the Emperor’s failing health and that her friends had not yet left Noxolt, she managed to convince the priest of Tor that served as the Verahannen’s chaplain to use magic to speed her to the capital.  That evening both Aralda and Herion managed to break free from their duties and join the party for a friendly, if brief dinner.For nearly two weeks they resided at the Imperial Palace, preparing themselves for the inevitable time when they would have to depart and seek out places where they were needed.  They were meeting together in a small chamber one afternoon, looking over maps, when a somber-faced herald stepped into the room.  As soon as he walked in, the party heard the great Crystal Chime of the palace spire begin to toll, its clear, high note sounding out for everyone in Noxolt to hear.  They all turned expectantly to the herald at the door.“The Emperor is dead.”</blockquote>

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