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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2606812" data-attributes="member: 5203">Broken Mirrors&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Light.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; All around Kavan was light, and peace.&nbsp; He floated in an eternity of luminescence seeming to go nowhere and everywhere at once.&nbsp; After an amount of time that Kavan couldn’t determine, he saw something emerge from the light.&nbsp; The tall, radiant form of a ghaele eladrin stood waiting.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Welcome, Kavan Ar-Feiniel, son of Erito.&nbsp; Are you ready to join the glory of our Goddess?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan stood, overwhelmed by the experience.&nbsp; “Then I am dead?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The eladrin nodded.&nbsp; “You have transcended your material form on Aelfenn and your soul has journeyed to Erito’s realm.&nbsp; Your time as a mortal is no more – your eternity in Her Light is about to begin.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “A moment, Vardilae,” said a voice.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They both turned as a form coalesced from the light that surrounded them.&nbsp; It took on the form of an elven maiden of exquisite beauty, with long hair that looked like spun mithral and a simple dress of the purest white.&nbsp; Her eyes were filled with a sparking violet radiance.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Even the eladrin seemed astonished, and immediately dropped to one knee.&nbsp; “My Lady,” he said reverently.&nbsp; “I am at your service.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Rise, Vardilae,” Erito said.&nbsp; “I would speak alone with Kavan Ar-Feiniel.&nbsp; You may go about your duties.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Of course, My Lady.”&nbsp; The eladrin vanished without further delay.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito turned to Kavan.&nbsp; “Walk with me, Kavan Ar-Feiniel.” She turned and extended her arm out to Kavan.&nbsp; Reverently, he slipped his arm inside hers, and they walked almost as a pair of lovers strolling through a garden.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I am honored that you would visit me in person at the time of my death,” Kavan said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito laughed.&nbsp; It was a joyous laugh, one without prejudice or malice.&nbsp; Kavan would have waited an eternity to hear that laugh again. “Dear, sweet Kavan, I am here because it is not your time.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It isn’t?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; She looked at him. “I am the Goddess of Life and Death.&nbsp; Do you question me when I tell you it is not your time?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, Mistress, of course not.&nbsp; But if it wasn’t my time, then why am I here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Kavan, why did you die?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He paused for a moment, uncertain.&nbsp; Surely Erito knew the circumstances behind his death?&nbsp; “I was battling against an encampment of Ravagers in the Khag Steppes,” he explained.&nbsp; “I was confronting one of their barbarians when I was felled by a mighty blow.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito smiled at him.&nbsp; “That is how you died, Kavan.&nbsp; Why did you die?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan frowned.&nbsp; He knew he was being tested.&nbsp; It was an old tradition among those of the Eritan faith, to promote enlightenment and self-discovery among the faithful by repeatedly asking the same question until all pretense and artifice was stripped away, leaving only truth.&nbsp; “I died because my skills in combat were inferior to those of my foe.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why did you die?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Because I failed to consider…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why did you die?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan stopped.&nbsp; He was thinking of this the wrong way.&nbsp; Taking a breath (or was he?&nbsp; After all, he was dead, and had no body to breathe with.&nbsp; It was an intriguing paradox for him), Kavan rethought the question.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I died because I could do no less.&nbsp; Because I believed in our purpose enough that I had to give all I could, because to do less would be to dishonor my friends and dishonor you.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito’s smiled widened.&nbsp; “That took far less time than it does most,” she said.&nbsp; “And it does not sound like the actions of a self-absorbed, superficial male prostitute to me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan couldn’t help but stare at Erito.&nbsp; He could feel himself trembling.&nbsp; “What… what do you mean?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Kavan Ar-Feiniel, I have never seen you as anything but the being of radiance you are.&nbsp; Now, at last, perhaps you can see it too.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Understanding flooded Kavan like a tidal wave.&nbsp; He collapsed to his knees, and sobbed.&nbsp; Erito sat down, and put her arms around him and held him against her, his face buried in her lap.&nbsp; After several minutes, Kavan pulled back, and wiped tears away from his eyes as Erito smoothed out her dress.&nbsp; Looking up at his goddess, he suddenly chuckled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What amuses you, Kavan?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I was just thinking that Tolly would be mortified to know that I’d just cried all over my goddess,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito’s blissful laughter once again seemed to fill eternity.&nbsp; “I believe he would.&nbsp; You can ask him yourself when you return.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You’re sending me back?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; “Yes, though not as you were.&nbsp; I have need of you on Aelfenn, Kavan, of your determination.&nbsp; But I believe you would best serve me outside of the bounds of my church.&nbsp; I would send you back as one of my Favored.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan gasped.&nbsp; The Favored were the vessels of the gods, who called upon divine power without the training and indoctrination of a cleric.&nbsp; They were seen as the closest thing to a mortal representation of a god’s will.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “If you find me worthy, Erito, then I will do as you ask.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Erito stood up, and took Kavan’s hands in hers.&nbsp; Stepping forward, she laid a soft, gentle kiss on his forehead.&nbsp; Kavan felt power surge through him, more than he’d ever thought possible.&nbsp; He felt the power changing him, transforming his very essence.&nbsp; When Erito broke contact and stepped back, he could only stand in awe for several minutes.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Your friends will have need of you in the days to come,” Erito said.&nbsp; “I know what it is you are about to face, and I have given what help I can.&nbsp; But I can hold you here no longer.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The violet glow in Erito’s eyes intensified, and suddenly the light that surrounded them started to recede.&nbsp; “Keep me in your thoughts, prayers, and dreams, Kavan Ar-Feiniel, and I will keep you in mine.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Always, My Lady.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Everything around Kavan dissolved into darkness, except for the lingering image of Erito’s luminous eyes.&nbsp; Sounds became indistinct.&nbsp; He thought he could still hear Erito’s voice echoing around him, as if very far away.“I will give into your trust a map,” Erito said.&nbsp; “It will lead you and your companions to the knowledge you seek.”A map.&nbsp; He would have to remember to look for a map when he returned.“The enemy will rise again, and the world will be as it was before.”Erito’s voice was becoming less clear, and Kavan wasn’t sure he heard her right.&nbsp; Was that meant as a warning, or a prophecy of things to come?&nbsp; Perhaps he was starting to imagine things as he made the transition back to the world of the living.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Tell Kyle Goodson that his family’s staff is far older than he realizes.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Now Kavan truly started to doubt whether he was still hearing Erito at all.&nbsp; What would Kyle’s staff have to do with any of this?&nbsp; Kavan had little time to ponder this, as he heard the voice one final time.“One more thing, Kavan.&nbsp; When you return, there will be some changes.&nbsp; Your enemies know you as you were, but not as you will be.”In the distance, Kavan saw another light.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The disc of Karakor was touching the horizon when the din of battle finally silenced.&nbsp; The cooling air picked up into a breeze, causing the tall grasses of the Khag Steppes to bend and ripple like ocean waves.&nbsp; In the midst of this ocean lay an island of blood and grief.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly blinked even in the fading light of dusk, as his vision slowly turned from black to gray to muted colors.&nbsp; The bitter taste of the potion he’d consumed to cure his blindness still lingered in his mouth, but he hardly noticed.&nbsp; Looking up, he saw Kyle a short distance away, looking out past him at the battlefield, looking at two still forms lying on the ground.&nbsp; The first was obviously Kavan, though the elf had nearly been split in two.&nbsp; The other…&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly screamed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When the Ardaran kept screaming, sending the carrion birds that already begun to gather flapping and screeching into the night sky, Xu walked up and slapped him hard.&nbsp; He immediately fell silent, staring at Xu, then slowly nodded his head in gratitude.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn’s body lay sprawled on the ground, the soil turned into a grisly reddish mud by all the spilled blood.&nbsp; Arrie sat next to her, holding her head in her lap, staring off as though she refused to accept the reality.&nbsp; Kyle tried to approach, but a look of cold death from Arrie caused him to retreat, and he joined Osborn at Kavan’s side, who was trying his best to keep the body from falling apart.&nbsp; Lanara stood a short distance away, floating a few inches above the gore thanks to her boots of levitation, looking sadly at the carnage.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle walked up to Tolly.&nbsp; “Tell me,” he said through gritted teeth, “that you can do something about this.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He looked back at the wizard.&nbsp; “Not yet,” he said. “It’s not in my realm of capability.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “When will it be?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Only Ardara knows that.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, then, why don’t you ask her?” Kyle’s eyes flashed with emotion.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Ardara’s powers don’t just appear at my whim,” Tolly replied in a growl.&nbsp; “I can’t just read something off a piece of paper to learn it.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle opened his mouth to retort, but Xu stepped between them.&nbsp; “Enough, both of you,” she said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle glared at Tolly a moment longer, clearly unhappy with the answer. He turned around, muttering to himself about “Tolly’s stupid dirt goddess”; then, slowly, he returned to helping Osborn bind up Kavan.&nbsp; Tolly started to walk away, heading off to the other side of the encampment.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s way more anatomy than I ever wanted to see,” Lanara was saying to herself as Tolly walked by, “especially from the inside.”&nbsp; She then walked over to the corpse of the Feeshan priest and began kicking the small, blood-smeared hin.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly stopped.&nbsp; “Don’t be so crass about something so… primal, Lanara.&nbsp; Show some respect for the dead.”&nbsp; He then pointed at the dead hin.&nbsp; “And is that truly necessary?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Shut up, Tolly,” Lanara snapped.&nbsp; “It makes me feel better, and it helps me think.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly looked as though he were about to respond, then thought better of it and turned away.&nbsp; “Good idea,” Lanara snarled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly continued on his way, disappearing behind the tents.&nbsp; The others just wandered in the battlefield, unsure of what to do.&nbsp; Arrie continued to hold Autumn, starting blankly, occasionally moving her lips as if about to say something.&nbsp; Lanara’s voice slowly rose from the silence, filling the air with a gentle, ephemeral eulogy for their fallen companions.&nbsp; So enraptured were those present that at first they failed to notice the rumbling, a faint sound like distant thunder.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was Osborn who first noticed that Kavan’s body was being lifted off the ground by an unseen force.&nbsp; At the same time, the ground all around them was starting to glow brightly.&nbsp; They all stood transfixed, unable to move or speak. The glow seemed to reach up and envelop Kavan, growing in intensity as it touched his dead flesh until it became unbearable to look at.&nbsp; Arrie threw herself across Autumn’s body, determined not to let anything else happen to her.&nbsp; But the light did not touch the sentinel, and after a minute or two it began to fade.&nbsp; As the light vanished, they saw the plate armor that Kavan had been wearing dissolve into thin air, and his body slowly came back to earth.&nbsp; As soon as it touched the ground, the party all saw Kavan’s chest expand in a sudden intake of breath.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; For a few seconds no one moved, unsure of what had happened or what it meant.&nbsp; Lanara looked questioningly over at Kyle.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t know,” he said to the unspoken question.&nbsp; “Maybe it has something to do with the Node.”**&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Node?&nbsp; What Node?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We’re standing on top of a major Node.&nbsp; I didn’t realize it until after the battle.&nbsp; It’s probably why they were camped here in the first place.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was Xu who first approached Kavan.&nbsp; There was something odd in the way Kavan’s body lay on the ground, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.&nbsp; As the monk stepped up next to Kavan, she saw that the elf was, in fact, breathing quite normally, and the wounds had vanished.&nbsp; But she noticed something else, too, that was quite unusual indeed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan’s eyes opened just as Xu was about to call out to the others.&nbsp; Looking up into the monk’s face, Kavan screamed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I could say the same for you,” Xu replied.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan blinked at Xu, unsure of how to respond.&nbsp; Looking around and seeing Kyle standing nearby, Kavan wearily rolled over and began crawling toward him.&nbsp; Kyle grabbed Kavan’s arm and pulled the elf up to a standing position.&nbsp; Kavan grabbed on and held him tightly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Kyle,” Kavan said tearfully, “I have so much to tell you, but I must rest.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As Kavan drifted into unconsciousness, Kyle looked perplexed.&nbsp; Kavan’s embrace had felt strange – not quite what he had expected.&nbsp; Curious, he pulled open the neckline of Kavan’s tunic and looked down.&nbsp; He closed the shirt again very quickly, however, and started to turn red.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What is it?” Osborn asked.&nbsp; “What’s wrong with him?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well,” Kyle said, “for one thing, it’s ‘her’, not ‘him’.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others, save for Arrie, started to rush over, until Kyle held out a hand.&nbsp; “Um, look, let’s let Kavan rest for a while before we try to figure out what’s going on with hi… um, with Kavan.&nbsp; I’m going to carry h… Kavan into that wooden building to sleep.”&nbsp; Picking up the limp form, Kyle began to make his way to the wooden hut.&nbsp; Draped across his arms, Kavan’s physical differences were quite obvious.&nbsp; As he walked past Arrie and Autumn, he stopped and looked down at the two sisters.&nbsp; “Arrie, you might want to move her into the shack too.&nbsp; It’s getting late, and those vultures will be back, as well as field mice, and in the morning I can preserve her body to prevent decomposition…” He stopped talking when Arrie fixed her gaze on him and looked like she was about to snap.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As Kyle walked, he could feel some strange bumps and ridges along Kavan’s back, obviously not accounted for by her ribcage or spine.&nbsp; Once he got her inside, he rolled her on her side and gently lifted her shirt in the back.&nbsp; Spread across the skin of her back was what appeared to be a hand-shaped area filled with ridges made of scar tissue.&nbsp; The scars looked too smooth and straight to be from any injury, and Kyle had seen Kavan’s back before and knew that he’d (when he was still a he) had no scars.&nbsp; Looking closer, he realized the ridges formed patterns… there was a mountain range… there was a river…&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “A map?” Kyle said to himself.&nbsp; “But a map to what?”&nbsp; The questions would have to wait; Kavan was in no shape to answer them.&nbsp; Pulling her shirt down again, Kyle rolled Kavan onto her back and spread a blanket over her.&nbsp; He finished just as the door opened and Arrie walked in, holding Autumn in her arms.&nbsp; Arrie had stripped off the sentinel’s armor and cleaned up the blood as best she could.&nbsp; Arrie laid her sister down on a nearby cot, putting a blanket over her and arranging her as if she were just sleeping deeply.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can stay here tonight.” It was more of a statement of fact than an offer.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I will have to come in to check on Kavan once in a while,” Kyle said.&nbsp; Arrie nodded her understanding.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You know, what I said earlier about preparing… well, the real reason for it is that it gives us more time to seek out someone who can perform the ritual to bring her back.&nbsp; I mean, if she wants to come back, of course, because she… I’ll shut up and leave now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie continued to stare vacantly as Kyle left.&nbsp; He went outside and immediately launched into setting up camp, stripping bodies of gear, and disposing of the Ravager corpses.&nbsp; He worked well past dark, and only when there was absolutely nothing left to do did he sink to the ground and start to cry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie only came out once, to care for Ghost and Defiance.&nbsp; When she returned, Kavan had awoken, and had moved over to lie next to Autumn.&nbsp; Kavan had one arm draped over the body, and was whispering softly to it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why are you dead, too?&nbsp; Why didn’t you come back, too?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The scene was too much for Arrie, and she went back outside.&nbsp; As she stood in the doorway, a late storm broke, and rain began to fall.&nbsp; Lanara, standing under the eaves of the wooden hut, had picked up the eulogy she’d begun earlier, the sounds of her fiddle weaving in with her voice and with the falling rain.&nbsp; Glancing over at Arrie, Lanara began to weave a subtle message into her song, imploring the young warrior to sleep, to let go of her cares for a night.&nbsp; Unable to resist the compelling song, Arrie stumbled back inside the hut and collapsed in the doorway.
*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *Dark. Cool.Sorrow flows through Tolly's body like an underground river. Curled in the fetal position, he sobs and shudders in his grief and loss.&nbsp; Having separated himself from the others long ago in order to ‘pray’, he is alone with his sorrow.&nbsp; So intense is his grief that he fails to hear the sound like thunder, or the cascading light that heralds Kavan’s return.&nbsp; For Tolly, there is no light.&nbsp;Gradually, he becomes aware of another presence, surrounding him, warming him, comforting him through the worst of his grief. He knows this presence--the pressure, the darkness, the scent. The Earth Mother consoles him in his grief.&quot;Mother, &quot; Tolly says, after he has finally cried himself out. &quot;She's gone. I have lost her.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Oh, my poor Tolly, the voice reverberates quietly around him. You feel this pain. You feel this sorrow. Why?&quot;Autumn is gone, Mother. I won't get to talk to hu-er anymore, or f-fight beside her, or...&quot;Your friend Kavan is gone as well, yet you shed no tears for him. Why for Autumn?&quot;We...were closer. More alike. Better matched.&quot;And?&quot;And because I am not falling in love with him!&quot; screams Tolly, sorrow flaring into rage. &quot;I LOVE HER!&quot;He feels a soft smile around him. And this was so hard to admit, my sweet blade? Do you feel better for it now?&quot;I...&quot; Tolly gasps, and reflects for a moment. &quot;Yes, it was. And yes, I do, Mother. Thank you.&quot;Do not thank me yet, Tolly Mulholland. This amount of grief is unseemly. You are young, and it has disabled you. I cannot have this weakness in my blade. You must be tempered.Tolly feels himself stretched out of his curled position. What he thought was a self- protective position is instead the unbending shape of his body. He is pounded, stretched, folded, in the heat of Ardara's attention, as a blade may be on the anvil, yet neither her blows upon his form nor the reshaping of his body can match the pain of the vacuum in his heart.Before too much time has passed, his body is now straight as a blade, and he can feel Her gaze upon him, judging her work, and gauging his worth. Hmm. So, it seems my blade has a fuller. Weakness has become Strength. How interesting.Tolly stands straight as he feels that gaze, two warm ovoids within the blackness. Very well. Strength you will now have, Tolly Mulholland, when you return to yourself. Remember this, though – no matter how you may love another...Tolly feels himself slipping, into waking, into light, the last of his goddess' words echoing in his mind......you belong to me.***Tolly blinked, and awoke.&nbsp; The faint luminescence of false dawn touched the clouds above; it had rained last night. He stepped outside, and placing his bare knees against the earth, began to pray. Spells flowed from the earth into him, and suddenly a new range of abilities made themselves known to him, and he could hear a voice saying to him that he knew what use this one would be. He stood, a certain amount of joy suffusing him. He walked to the hut, noting that only Osborn and Bartlebee stood watch. He stepped past Defiance, patting the steed’s shoulder.&quot;Only a moment more, lad, and we will all be brighter for the day. Patience.&quot;Over Arrie was his next step, and he was into the wooden structure. He was startled by the fact that Kavan was hugging Autumn's corpse. What had he missed as he was out in the plains last night, entreating the Earth for aid, begging it to not be true? No, this wasn't Kavan – this was a woman! But it looked like Kavan; felt like Kavan. He shook his head, certain that someone would explain later. He watched the woman breathe, and then looked at Autumn. He had been unable to do that last night – seeing that alabaster skin just one shade too pale--the jagged tear across her throat – the utter lack of movement or expression. His eyes closed, and he tensed himself. He had work to do. He moved the woman's arm gently off of Autumn, and shifted her some distance to the side. He waited for her breathing to quiet, and then he began.&quot;Ardara, I beseech thee...&quot;Moments later he was done. Exhaustion hit him, the release of tension causing him to shake briefly. He watched carefully, and his heart sang with joy as he watched her breathe in that first ever-so-important breath. She immediately slipped into the healing sleep needed after such an experience after fluttering her eyes. He stood, leaned over her, and kissed her forehead.&quot;Welcome back, beloved. We are waiting for you.&quot; He stepped away, and met the sleepy eyes of the woman he believed to be Kavan. He smiled, bowed to her and turned away. As he passed the door, he knelt and gently shook Arrie's shoulder&quot;Awaken, Ariadne. Your sister will need you.&quot;Tolly walked out past Defiance, gently stroking his shoulder for a moment, and nodding at the horse. The horse met his gaze, and seemed to acknowledge the young cleric. Tolly walked out onto the prairie some distance, and stared out at the view, such as it was. It was a good beginning to the day.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The news traveled fast, thanks to the exuberant shout that Kyle raised when he went in ready to cast gentle repose on Autumn’s body.&nbsp; Everyone gathered inside the small hut, except for Tolly, who was off tending to the refugees from the town the Ravagers had destroyed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn had been a little confused when Kyle had thrown his arms around her and woken her up.&nbsp; It took a while for them to explain that she hadn’t just been knocked unconscious.&nbsp; Kavan and Arrie, who had woken up while Tolly had performed the ritual to bring her back, explained it all to her.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I understand that, now,” Autumn said when they were done, “but why is everyone looking so strangely at Kavan?&nbsp; Is something wrong with him?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, no, there’s nothing wrong with… him,” Lanara said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Autumn,” Kyle said, “We’re not sure how or why, but Kavan’s a woman now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Kavan again, as if seeing him… her for the first time.&nbsp; Kavan just smiled back.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn nudged Kavan with his elbow.&nbsp; “Kyle looked down your shirt,” he said with a mischievous grin.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kavan looked at Kyle, a lok of shock on her face, as one hand went protectively up to the neckline of her shirt.&nbsp; “Kyle?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What?&nbsp; No!&nbsp; I mean, yes, but not on purpose.&nbsp; Well, it was, but I wasn’t expecting to see..”&nbsp; He turned and began addressing Autumn.&nbsp; “Kavan was dead, and then there was this light, and he crawled over to me, and I was holding him up and it felt strange, so I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong, and I didn’t know he was a she now, or I…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He broke off as everyone around him had a good laugh.&nbsp; Even Arrie smiled and chuckled a little, as did Autumn.&nbsp; Knowing he’d never recover, Kyle made a quick exit from the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the laughter died down, Arrie stood up.&nbsp; “Okay, then.&nbsp; I think it’s time for some girl talk.&nbsp; Osborn, Bartlebee, out.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The two hin scrambled out of the building and began walking toward camp, in order to round up some breakfast.&nbsp; Kyle was found by Tolly several minutes later.&nbsp; The wizard was examining the rough wooden logs that had made up the defensive wall around the Ravager encampment.&nbsp; Standing over the pile of fallen logs where Tolly had brought down the wall, Kyle began to chant a spell.&nbsp; Tolly stood and watched as the logs rose into the air and began to split and shape themselves.&nbsp; After a few moments, the rough logs had been replaced by a simple but sturdy wheeled cart.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle looked at Tolly, mopping sweat off his brow.&nbsp; “Kavan and Autumn won’t be in any shape to ride for a few days,” he explained.&nbsp; “Figured it was a good chance to try out the new spell I’ve been working on.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Very thoughtful,” Tolly said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yeah, speaking of which… I’m sorry about how I acted yesterday.&nbsp; And thank you for what you did.&nbsp; You have no idea what it meant to me.”Tolly nodded.&nbsp; “Thank Ardara, Kyle, not me. It is her work--I am but an instrument. Oh, and Kyle...if you ever utter the words 'dirt goddess' where I can hear them again, I will kill you. It will tear me apart to do so, but I will never willingly allow such blasphemy again. You have no idea what it cost to do this, and hopefully never will.&quot;Tolly walked away, leaving Kyle standing next to his new cart, deciding that he wasn’t going to open his mouth again for the rest of the day.---------------------------* Kavan's player is not terribly experienced with 3E, and was getting overwhelmed by Kavan's spell selection as a cleric.&nbsp; She (the player) had also expressed a readiness to move on from her 'male prostitute seeking redemption' background.&nbsp; With Kavan's death came an opportunity to address both issues, by remaking the character as a favored soul, and allowing him a conversation with Erito so that he could see how he'd grown as a person.** Nodes are concentrations of magical or elemental power.&nbsp; Minor Nodes are connected to one of the four elements, while Major Nodes are connected to magic itself.&nbsp; A person can bind themselves to a Node to access greater power.&nbsp; One of the reasons the Ravager Acolyte of the Skin warlock was such a problem was that he was bound to the Node, and was getting a significant caster level boost.*** Heck of a way to get to ninth level, huh?&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />&nbsp; And if you are curious, there was no fudging to give Autumn the raise; the party was at the cusp of ninth level before the Ravager battles.&nbsp; (Kavan did get raised by DM fiat, admittedly, but there were story reasons behind it, and Kavan did lose his magical plate armor as 'payment').</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2606812, member: 5203"] [b]Broken Mirrors[/b] [I] Light. All around Kavan was light, and peace. He floated in an eternity of luminescence seeming to go nowhere and everywhere at once. After an amount of time that Kavan couldn’t determine, he saw something emerge from the light. The tall, radiant form of a ghaele eladrin stood waiting. “Welcome, Kavan Ar-Feiniel, son of Erito. Are you ready to join the glory of our Goddess?” Kavan stood, overwhelmed by the experience. “Then I am dead?” The eladrin nodded. “You have transcended your material form on Aelfenn and your soul has journeyed to Erito’s realm. Your time as a mortal is no more – your eternity in Her Light is about to begin.” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“A moment, Vardilae,”[/COLOR] said a voice. They both turned as a form coalesced from the light that surrounded them. It took on the form of an elven maiden of exquisite beauty, with long hair that looked like spun mithral and a simple dress of the purest white. Her eyes were filled with a sparking violet radiance. Even the eladrin seemed astonished, and immediately dropped to one knee. “My Lady,” he said reverently. “I am at your service.” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Rise, Vardilae,”[/COLOR] Erito said. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“I would speak alone with Kavan Ar-Feiniel. You may go about your duties.”[/COLOR] “Of course, My Lady.” The eladrin vanished without further delay. Erito turned to Kavan. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Walk with me, Kavan Ar-Feiniel.”[/COLOR] She turned and extended her arm out to Kavan. Reverently, he slipped his arm inside hers, and they walked almost as a pair of lovers strolling through a garden. “I am honored that you would visit me in person at the time of my death,” Kavan said. Erito laughed. It was a joyous laugh, one without prejudice or malice. Kavan would have waited an eternity to hear that laugh again. [COLOR=DarkOrchid] “Dear, sweet Kavan, I am here because it is not your time.”[/COLOR] “It isn’t?” She looked at him. [COLOR=DarkOrchid] “I am the Goddess of Life and Death. Do you question me when I tell you it is not your time?”[/COLOR] “No, Mistress, of course not. But if it wasn’t my time, then why am I here?” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Kavan, why did you die?”[/COLOR] He paused for a moment, uncertain. Surely Erito knew the circumstances behind his death? “I was battling against an encampment of Ravagers in the Khag Steppes,” he explained. “I was confronting one of their barbarians when I was felled by a mighty blow.” Erito smiled at him. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“That is how you died, Kavan. Why did you die?”[/COLOR] Kavan frowned. He knew he was being tested. It was an old tradition among those of the Eritan faith, to promote enlightenment and self-discovery among the faithful by repeatedly asking the same question until all pretense and artifice was stripped away, leaving only truth. “I died because my skills in combat were inferior to those of my foe.” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Why did you die?”[/COLOR] “Because I failed to consider…” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Why did you die?” [/COLOR] Kavan stopped. He was thinking of this the wrong way. Taking a breath (or was he? After all, he was dead, and had no body to breathe with. It was an intriguing paradox for him), Kavan rethought the question. “I died because I could do no less. Because I believed in our purpose enough that I had to give all I could, because to do less would be to dishonor my friends and dishonor you.” Erito’s smiled widened. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“That took far less time than it does most,”[/COLOR] she said. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“And it does not sound like the actions of a self-absorbed, superficial male prostitute to me.”[/COLOR] Kavan couldn’t help but stare at Erito. He could feel himself trembling. “What… what do you mean?” [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Kavan Ar-Feiniel, I have never seen you as anything but the being of radiance you are. Now, at last, perhaps you can see it too.”[/COLOR] Understanding flooded Kavan like a tidal wave. He collapsed to his knees, and sobbed. Erito sat down, and put her arms around him and held him against her, his face buried in her lap. After several minutes, Kavan pulled back, and wiped tears away from his eyes as Erito smoothed out her dress. Looking up at his goddess, he suddenly chuckled. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“What amuses you, Kavan?”[/COLOR] “I was just thinking that Tolly would be mortified to know that I’d just cried all over my goddess,” he said. Erito’s blissful laughter once again seemed to fill eternity. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“I believe he would. You can ask him yourself when you return.”[/COLOR] “You’re sending me back?” [COLOR=DarkOrchid] “Yes, though not as you were. I have need of you on Aelfenn, Kavan, of your determination. But I believe you would best serve me outside of the bounds of my church. I would send you back as one of my Favored.”[/COLOR]* Kavan gasped. The Favored were the vessels of the gods, who called upon divine power without the training and indoctrination of a cleric. They were seen as the closest thing to a mortal representation of a god’s will. “If you find me worthy, Erito, then I will do as you ask.” Erito stood up, and took Kavan’s hands in hers. Stepping forward, she laid a soft, gentle kiss on his forehead. Kavan felt power surge through him, more than he’d ever thought possible. He felt the power changing him, transforming his very essence. When Erito broke contact and stepped back, he could only stand in awe for several minutes. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Your friends will have need of you in the days to come,”[/COLOR] Erito said. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“I know what it is you are about to face, and I have given what help I can. But I can hold you here no longer.”[/COLOR] The violet glow in Erito’s eyes intensified, and suddenly the light that surrounded them started to recede. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Keep me in your thoughts, prayers, and dreams, Kavan Ar-Feiniel, and I will keep you in mine.”[/COLOR] “Always, My Lady.” Everything around Kavan dissolved into darkness, except for the lingering image of Erito’s luminous eyes. Sounds became indistinct. He thought he could still hear Erito’s voice echoing around him, as if very far away. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“I will give into your trust a map,”[/COLOR] Erito said. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“It will lead you and your companions to the knowledge you seek.”[/COLOR] A map. He would have to remember to look for a map when he returned. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“The enemy will rise again, and the world will be as it was before.”[/COLOR] Erito’s voice was becoming less clear, and Kavan wasn’t sure he heard her right. Was that meant as a warning, or a prophecy of things to come? Perhaps he was starting to imagine things as he made the transition back to the world of the living. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“Tell Kyle Goodson that his family’s staff is far older than he realizes.”[/COLOR] Now Kavan truly started to doubt whether he was still hearing Erito at all. What would Kyle’s staff have to do with any of this? Kavan had little time to ponder this, as he heard the voice one final time. [COLOR=DarkOrchid]“One more thing, Kavan. When you return, there will be some changes. Your enemies know you as you were, but not as you will be.” [/COLOR] In the distance, Kavan saw another light.[/I] [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] The disc of Karakor was touching the horizon when the din of battle finally silenced. The cooling air picked up into a breeze, causing the tall grasses of the Khag Steppes to bend and ripple like ocean waves. In the midst of this ocean lay an island of blood and grief. Tolly blinked even in the fading light of dusk, as his vision slowly turned from black to gray to muted colors. The bitter taste of the potion he’d consumed to cure his blindness still lingered in his mouth, but he hardly noticed. Looking up, he saw Kyle a short distance away, looking out past him at the battlefield, looking at two still forms lying on the ground. The first was obviously Kavan, though the elf had nearly been split in two. The other… Tolly screamed. When the Ardaran kept screaming, sending the carrion birds that already begun to gather flapping and screeching into the night sky, Xu walked up and slapped him hard. He immediately fell silent, staring at Xu, then slowly nodded his head in gratitude. Autumn’s body lay sprawled on the ground, the soil turned into a grisly reddish mud by all the spilled blood. Arrie sat next to her, holding her head in her lap, staring off as though she refused to accept the reality. Kyle tried to approach, but a look of cold death from Arrie caused him to retreat, and he joined Osborn at Kavan’s side, who was trying his best to keep the body from falling apart. Lanara stood a short distance away, floating a few inches above the gore thanks to her [I]boots of levitation[/I], looking sadly at the carnage. Kyle walked up to Tolly. “Tell me,” he said through gritted teeth, “that you can do something about this.” He looked back at the wizard. “Not yet,” he said. “It’s not in my realm of capability.” “When will it be?” “Only Ardara knows that.” “Well, then, why don’t you ask her?” Kyle’s eyes flashed with emotion. “Ardara’s powers don’t just appear at my whim,” Tolly replied in a growl. “I can’t just read something off a piece of paper to learn it.” Kyle opened his mouth to retort, but Xu stepped between them. “Enough, both of you,” she said. Kyle glared at Tolly a moment longer, clearly unhappy with the answer. He turned around, muttering to himself about “Tolly’s stupid dirt goddess”; then, slowly, he returned to helping Osborn bind up Kavan. Tolly started to walk away, heading off to the other side of the encampment. “That’s way more anatomy than I ever wanted to see,” Lanara was saying to herself as Tolly walked by, “especially from the inside.” She then walked over to the corpse of the Feeshan priest and began kicking the small, blood-smeared hin. Tolly stopped. “Don’t be so crass about something so… primal, Lanara. Show some respect for the dead.” He then pointed at the dead hin. “And is that truly necessary?” “Shut up, Tolly,” Lanara snapped. “It makes me feel better, and it helps me think.” Tolly looked as though he were about to respond, then thought better of it and turned away. “Good idea,” Lanara snarled. Tolly continued on his way, disappearing behind the tents. The others just wandered in the battlefield, unsure of what to do. Arrie continued to hold Autumn, starting blankly, occasionally moving her lips as if about to say something. Lanara’s voice slowly rose from the silence, filling the air with a gentle, ephemeral eulogy for their fallen companions. So enraptured were those present that at first they failed to notice the rumbling, a faint sound like distant thunder. It was Osborn who first noticed that Kavan’s body was being lifted off the ground by an unseen force. At the same time, the ground all around them was starting to glow brightly. They all stood transfixed, unable to move or speak. The glow seemed to reach up and envelop Kavan, growing in intensity as it touched his dead flesh until it became unbearable to look at. Arrie threw herself across Autumn’s body, determined not to let anything else happen to her. But the light did not touch the sentinel, and after a minute or two it began to fade. As the light vanished, they saw the plate armor that Kavan had been wearing dissolve into thin air, and his body slowly came back to earth. As soon as it touched the ground, the party all saw Kavan’s chest expand in a sudden intake of breath. For a few seconds no one moved, unsure of what had happened or what it meant. Lanara looked questioningly over at Kyle. “I don’t know,” he said to the unspoken question. “Maybe it has something to do with the Node.”** “Node? What Node?” “We’re standing on top of a major Node. I didn’t realize it until after the battle. It’s probably why they were camped here in the first place.” It was Xu who first approached Kavan. There was something odd in the way Kavan’s body lay on the ground, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. As the monk stepped up next to Kavan, she saw that the elf was, in fact, breathing quite normally, and the wounds had vanished. But she noticed something else, too, that was quite unusual indeed. Kavan’s eyes opened just as Xu was about to call out to the others. Looking up into the monk’s face, Kavan screamed. “I could say the same for you,” Xu replied. Kavan blinked at Xu, unsure of how to respond. Looking around and seeing Kyle standing nearby, Kavan wearily rolled over and began crawling toward him. Kyle grabbed Kavan’s arm and pulled the elf up to a standing position. Kavan grabbed on and held him tightly. “Kyle,” Kavan said tearfully, “I have so much to tell you, but I must rest.” As Kavan drifted into unconsciousness, Kyle looked perplexed. Kavan’s embrace had felt strange – not quite what he had expected. Curious, he pulled open the neckline of Kavan’s tunic and looked down. He closed the shirt again very quickly, however, and started to turn red. “What is it?” Osborn asked. “What’s wrong with him?” “Well,” Kyle said, “for one thing, it’s ‘her’, not ‘him’.” The others, save for Arrie, started to rush over, until Kyle held out a hand. “Um, look, let’s let Kavan rest for a while before we try to figure out what’s going on with hi… um, with Kavan. I’m going to carry h… Kavan into that wooden building to sleep.” Picking up the limp form, Kyle began to make his way to the wooden hut. Draped across his arms, Kavan’s physical differences were quite obvious. As he walked past Arrie and Autumn, he stopped and looked down at the two sisters. “Arrie, you might want to move her into the shack too. It’s getting late, and those vultures will be back, as well as field mice, and in the morning I can preserve her body to prevent decomposition…” He stopped talking when Arrie fixed her gaze on him and looked like she was about to snap. As Kyle walked, he could feel some strange bumps and ridges along Kavan’s back, obviously not accounted for by her ribcage or spine. Once he got her inside, he rolled her on her side and gently lifted her shirt in the back. Spread across the skin of her back was what appeared to be a hand-shaped area filled with ridges made of scar tissue. The scars looked too smooth and straight to be from any injury, and Kyle had seen Kavan’s back before and knew that he’d (when he was still a he) had no scars. Looking closer, he realized the ridges formed patterns… there was a mountain range… there was a river… “A map?” Kyle said to himself. “But a map to what?” The questions would have to wait; Kavan was in no shape to answer them. Pulling her shirt down again, Kyle rolled Kavan onto her back and spread a blanket over her. He finished just as the door opened and Arrie walked in, holding Autumn in her arms. Arrie had stripped off the sentinel’s armor and cleaned up the blood as best she could. Arrie laid her sister down on a nearby cot, putting a blanket over her and arranging her as if she were just sleeping deeply. “I can stay here tonight.” It was more of a statement of fact than an offer. “I will have to come in to check on Kavan once in a while,” Kyle said. Arrie nodded her understanding. “You know, what I said earlier about preparing… well, the real reason for it is that it gives us more time to seek out someone who can perform the ritual to bring her back. I mean, if she wants to come back, of course, because she… I’ll shut up and leave now.” Arrie continued to stare vacantly as Kyle left. He went outside and immediately launched into setting up camp, stripping bodies of gear, and disposing of the Ravager corpses. He worked well past dark, and only when there was absolutely nothing left to do did he sink to the ground and start to cry. Arrie only came out once, to care for Ghost and Defiance. When she returned, Kavan had awoken, and had moved over to lie next to Autumn. Kavan had one arm draped over the body, and was whispering softly to it. “Why are you dead, too? Why didn’t you come back, too?” The scene was too much for Arrie, and she went back outside. As she stood in the doorway, a late storm broke, and rain began to fall. Lanara, standing under the eaves of the wooden hut, had picked up the eulogy she’d begun earlier, the sounds of her fiddle weaving in with her voice and with the falling rain. Glancing over at Arrie, Lanara began to weave a subtle message into her song, imploring the young warrior to sleep, to let go of her cares for a night. Unable to resist the compelling song, Arrie stumbled back inside the hut and collapsed in the doorway. [CENTER] * * *[/CENTER] [I]Dark. Cool. Sorrow flows through Tolly's body like an underground river. Curled in the fetal position, he sobs and shudders in his grief and loss. Having separated himself from the others long ago in order to ‘pray’, he is alone with his sorrow. So intense is his grief that he fails to hear the sound like thunder, or the cascading light that heralds Kavan’s return. For Tolly, there is no light. Gradually, he becomes aware of another presence, surrounding him, warming him, comforting him through the worst of his grief. He knows this presence--the pressure, the darkness, the scent. The Earth Mother consoles him in his grief. "Mother, " Tolly says, after he has finally cried himself out. "She's gone. I have lost her." [COLOR=Sienna]Oh, my poor Tolly,[/COLOR] the voice reverberates quietly around him. [COLOR=Sienna]You feel this pain. You feel this sorrow. Why?[/COLOR] "Autumn is gone, Mother. I won't get to talk to hu-er anymore, or f-fight beside her, or..." [COLOR=Sienna]Your friend Kavan is gone as well, yet you shed no tears for him. Why for Autumn?[/COLOR] "We...were closer. More alike. Better matched." [COLOR=Sienna]And?[/COLOR] "And because I am not falling in love with him!" screams Tolly, sorrow flaring into rage. "I LOVE HER!" He feels a soft smile around him. [COLOR=Sienna]And this was so hard to admit, my sweet blade? Do you feel better for it now?[/COLOR] "I..." Tolly gasps, and reflects for a moment. "Yes, it was. And yes, I do, Mother. Thank you." [COLOR=Sienna]Do not thank me yet, Tolly Mulholland. This amount of grief is unseemly. You are young, and it has disabled you. I cannot have this weakness in my blade. You must be tempered.[/COLOR] Tolly feels himself stretched out of his curled position. What he thought was a self- protective position is instead the unbending shape of his body. He is pounded, stretched, folded, in the heat of Ardara's attention, as a blade may be on the anvil, yet neither her blows upon his form nor the reshaping of his body can match the pain of the vacuum in his heart. Before too much time has passed, his body is now straight as a blade, and he can feel Her gaze upon him, judging her work, and gauging his worth. [COLOR=Sienna]Hmm. So, it seems my blade has a fuller. Weakness has become Strength. How interesting.[/COLOR] Tolly stands straight as he feels that gaze, two warm ovoids within the blackness. [COLOR=Sienna]Very well. Strength you will now have, Tolly Mulholland, when you return to yourself. Remember this, though – no matter how you may love another...[/COLOR] Tolly feels himself slipping, into waking, into light, the last of his goddess' words echoing in his mind... [COLOR=Sienna] ...you belong to me.[/COLOR][/I]*** Tolly blinked, and awoke. The faint luminescence of false dawn touched the clouds above; it had rained last night. He stepped outside, and placing his bare knees against the earth, began to pray. Spells flowed from the earth into him, and suddenly a new range of abilities made themselves known to him, and he could hear a voice saying to him that he knew what use this one would be. He stood, a certain amount of joy suffusing him. He walked to the hut, noting that only Osborn and Bartlebee stood watch. He stepped past Defiance, patting the steed’s shoulder. "Only a moment more, lad, and we will all be brighter for the day. Patience." Over Arrie was his next step, and he was into the wooden structure. He was startled by the fact that Kavan was hugging Autumn's corpse. What had he missed as he was out in the plains last night, entreating the Earth for aid, begging it to not be true? No, this wasn't Kavan – this was a woman! But it looked like Kavan; felt like Kavan. He shook his head, certain that someone would explain later. He watched the woman breathe, and then looked at Autumn. He had been unable to do that last night – seeing that alabaster skin just one shade too pale--the jagged tear across her throat – the utter lack of movement or expression. His eyes closed, and he tensed himself. He had work to do. He moved the woman's arm gently off of Autumn, and shifted her some distance to the side. He waited for her breathing to quiet, and then he began. "Ardara, I beseech thee..." Moments later he was done. Exhaustion hit him, the release of tension causing him to shake briefly. He watched carefully, and his heart sang with joy as he watched her breathe in that first ever-so-important breath. She immediately slipped into the healing sleep needed after such an experience after fluttering her eyes. He stood, leaned over her, and kissed her forehead. "Welcome back, beloved. We are waiting for you." He stepped away, and met the sleepy eyes of the woman he believed to be Kavan. He smiled, bowed to her and turned away. As he passed the door, he knelt and gently shook Arrie's shoulder "Awaken, Ariadne. Your sister will need you." Tolly walked out past Defiance, gently stroking his shoulder for a moment, and nodding at the horse. The horse met his gaze, and seemed to acknowledge the young cleric. Tolly walked out onto the prairie some distance, and stared out at the view, such as it was. It was a good beginning to the day. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] The news traveled fast, thanks to the exuberant shout that Kyle raised when he went in ready to cast [I]gentle repose[/I] on Autumn’s body. Everyone gathered inside the small hut, except for Tolly, who was off tending to the refugees from the town the Ravagers had destroyed. Autumn had been a little confused when Kyle had thrown his arms around her and woken her up. It took a while for them to explain that she hadn’t just been knocked unconscious. Kavan and Arrie, who had woken up while Tolly had performed the ritual to bring her back, explained it all to her. “I understand that, now,” Autumn said when they were done, “but why is everyone looking so strangely at Kavan? Is something wrong with him?” “Well, no, there’s nothing wrong with… [I]him[/I],” Lanara said. “Autumn,” Kyle said, “We’re not sure how or why, but Kavan’s a woman now.” Autumn’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Kavan again, as if seeing him… her for the first time. Kavan just smiled back. Osborn nudged Kavan with his elbow. “Kyle looked down your shirt,” he said with a mischievous grin. Kavan looked at Kyle, a lok of shock on her face, as one hand went protectively up to the neckline of her shirt. “Kyle?” “What? No! I mean, yes, but not on purpose. Well, it was, but I wasn’t expecting to see..” He turned and began addressing Autumn. “Kavan was dead, and then there was this light, and he crawled over to me, and I was holding him up and it felt strange, so I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong, and I didn’t know he was a she now, or I…” He broke off as everyone around him had a good laugh. Even Arrie smiled and chuckled a little, as did Autumn. Knowing he’d never recover, Kyle made a quick exit from the room. As the laughter died down, Arrie stood up. “Okay, then. I think it’s time for some girl talk. Osborn, Bartlebee, out.” The two hin scrambled out of the building and began walking toward camp, in order to round up some breakfast. Kyle was found by Tolly several minutes later. The wizard was examining the rough wooden logs that had made up the defensive wall around the Ravager encampment. Standing over the pile of fallen logs where Tolly had brought down the wall, Kyle began to chant a spell. Tolly stood and watched as the logs rose into the air and began to split and shape themselves. After a few moments, the rough logs had been replaced by a simple but sturdy wheeled cart. Kyle looked at Tolly, mopping sweat off his brow. “Kavan and Autumn won’t be in any shape to ride for a few days,” he explained. “Figured it was a good chance to try out the new spell I’ve been working on.” “Very thoughtful,” Tolly said. “Yeah, speaking of which… I’m sorry about how I acted yesterday. And thank you for what you did. You have no idea what it meant to me.” Tolly nodded. “Thank Ardara, Kyle, not me. It is her work--I am but an instrument. Oh, and Kyle...if you ever utter the words 'dirt goddess' where I can hear them again, I will kill you. It will tear me apart to do so, but I will never willingly allow such blasphemy again. You have no idea what it cost to do this, and hopefully never will." Tolly walked away, leaving Kyle standing next to his new cart, deciding that he wasn’t going to open his mouth again for the rest of the day. --------------------------- * Kavan's player is not terribly experienced with 3E, and was getting overwhelmed by Kavan's spell selection as a cleric. She (the player) had also expressed a readiness to move on from her 'male prostitute seeking redemption' background. With Kavan's death came an opportunity to address both issues, by remaking the character as a favored soul, and allowing him a conversation with Erito so that he could see how he'd grown as a person. ** Nodes are concentrations of magical or elemental power. Minor Nodes are connected to one of the four elements, while Major Nodes are connected to magic itself. A person can bind themselves to a Node to access greater power. One of the reasons the Ravager Acolyte of the Skin warlock was such a problem was that he was bound to the Node, and was getting a significant caster level boost. *** Heck of a way to get to ninth level, huh? ;) And if you are curious, there was no fudging to give Autumn the raise; the party was at the cusp of ninth level before the Ravager battles. (Kavan did get raised by DM fiat, admittedly, but there were story reasons behind it, and Kavan did lose his magical plate armor as 'payment'). [/QUOTE]

Verification