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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Herremann the Wise" data-source="post: 2095607" data-attributes="member: 11300">Thanks Pogre for the compliment. I have actually wondered how many people actually read this Story Hour. Should I pimp it more? I seem to get a good number of reads per update (about 30) but I wonder how many of these are people actually reading it and how many are reading a line and going, "yeah right" and just clicking off. If you are reading, post a line or two if you feel the need - it's nice to hear from the audience here and there (I really appreciate any comments). Anyway, things in the actual gameworld are really starting to heat up. In fact, we have planned a three day Easter weekend marathon of playing this game - permission from wives etc. and everything. Not bad for a bunch of thirty, forty and fifty somethings. I think we all want to feel that we're 16 again playing. I have a goodly sized backlog of stuff to do and will have significantly more soon. As for the frequency of updates, my additions to it should be a little more consistent now that we have the computers running properly at work (about once to twice a week). I hope you enjoy as the maelstrom of separate threads of the weave intertwine into the big finale involving the appearance of Sarrash.A Chance MeetingIn a place perhaps best described as… ElsewhereThe void of utter nothingness stretched beyond perception. In fact perception is a difficult and fleeting concept when there is nothing to perceive. Haunted echoes of memories might coalesce with strength enough to have some sort of meaning to the isolated soul but such events were random at best. There was no pain here nor light nor any real thought or sentience; just complete isolation from everything else in the multiverse. Different cultures have represented different ideals of purgatory in many different ways. The truth in fact is perhaps far more mundane. There is just nothingness.For the battered and racked soul of Orzhan Tahg, former Storm Soldier and lost Priest of Galasso, the random pulses of memory were perhaps more active than others. His suffering had been near complete at the hands of Lucifus Cray and so his tortured soul writhed sporadically in tormented reminiscence. The spasms of mindless recollection would eventually dull merging what was left of his soul into the void. At this point, several darkened images of some greater hulking beast of the Hells adhered to the wisps of his essence before dissipating. For some souls, the memories would slowly eke out of them over a period of time long enough to have no real meaning. Others like that of Orzhan Tahg’s would quickly and rapidly expunge what energies they still possessed. His soul would soon be one with the void.At this point however, a node of power entered this place, divine in nature radiating a strong glow of holiness. Its time was short to complete its mission and so it used its highest magic to navigate to its destination: the proximity of Orzhan Tahg’s ravaged soul. Having found its target, it reached out acting as a conduit between itself and Aralais, one of Galasso’s seven Demi-solars. The divine power coursed through the tattered wisps left of the soul in front of it, quickening a sentience lost and that would normally be beyond recovery. The soul’s first thought in this strange rebirthing was insane and extreme horror. The divine servant then healed the woes of the soul for a moment; it would lose the soul entirely unless it could guide the soul to hear its message. Again the servant acted as a conduit but this time for the Father of the Beltratian Gods. The voice of the angel sounded breaking the complete silence of the void.Through one of his servants, Galasso spoke.***A short time earlier amongst the rapturous wonders of the Heavens and the Halls of Galasso…“Time is short my daughter to undertake this. His soul will soon be lost to the void and be forever beyond even our Good Father’s reach.”“Father, are you sure of this endeavour? I will sacrifice my being to the void in an instant if you but command but will it all be for nought?”“You will be under The Good Father’s protection for long enough to join with the soul. I will come for you if something goes awry… but I trust and have faith in you as you do in me and as we both hath in The Good Father.”“His soul will not want to return father after what it has been through. The light of Galasso hath been extinguished from him. I truly might not have time to touch him with Galasso’s forgiveness and make him understand. His soul must come of its own volition… otherwise we will have spawned an unbeing {1}.”“You must find what ember remains and stoke it well with the righteous faith of Galasso’s glow. We must save this soul.”The exchange between the Demi-solar Aralais and his daughter was interrupted by an aura of divine and complete magnificence. The two immediately bowed and prostrated in His radiance.“Arise my children and hath faith in me.” Galasso’s form was outlined in brilliance as He looked down at His two servants. “I am restrained in my actions as they art governed by the Laws of the Heavens and The Compact. While I will not sunder or break this Covenant, there is something I canst and will do. If ye can but carry the light faithful daughter of my beloved servant, I will guideth this soul to me once more.”Aralais was surprised and confused by the words of his master: such an action would contravene the details of the Compact. Galasso however in His enormous wisdom had chosen to act directly. This stirred a divine passion and reverence in the Demi-solar once again to his God. He smiled knowingly, finally understanding and basked in the glow of Galasso.***And returning once more…Orzhan’s soul wept tears of troubled memories, as the consciousness that was once part of his soul returned. It felt unnatural…and cold. A warmth was there just beyond reach, tempting it. It was then that he, Orzhan Tahg awakened, naked, being spoken to by his former deity. Galasso penetrated the clouded haze of the soul’s perception that had just evaporated from His voice. “Ye art in pain, my child. My divine servant hath come to assist your return from this place of darkness.”The soul tried to scream but could not. It instead spoke in delirium, “Heaven’s voice of wasted breath… depart from me, as I am unworthy for your love and warmth… go far away and forget of me… leave the void to consume my soul… eradicate me from an existence I do not deserve.”“Quiet my child. The void can consume beyond my power to redeem. I hath need of ye. Ye hath a purpose in heaven and ye still hath my love and forgiveness.”“What is thy purpose Lord Galasso? What need could you have of this sullied and blackened soul of mine?”“I wish ye to right the wrong ye hath committed. Only thou canst do this. Only thou may heal the cleave ye hath created.”The soul started to unravel but was once more divinely assisted by the daughter of Aralais. It tried to fight against the divine light forcing it into some form of sanity but failed. It wished for no more than denial and non-existence. It wanted to embrace the void and nothingness and non-being. However, there was a spark, an ember if you will. A blackened cinder of hate resided in the soul. It glowed into life despite the presence of The most divine being before it. “I will have revenge. For this I must have revenge upon the being that lead me here. You cannot deny me this!”“Your motives maketh it difficult for me. The revenge ye crave is not yours to reap. Remember my child; it was not he that causeth thou soul to find its way to this place. It was ye and ye alone.”The soul wept tears of utter anguish as the veneer of denial and responsibility was suddenly displaced by Galasso.“Will you return with me to perform this final task?”The soul was silent, afraid, untrusting of the boundless love and forgiveness being offered. With any other response being futile, the soul of Orzhan Tahg capitulated, fighting through its self-loathing.“I will accept my Lord”.***{1} To enter the blackened depths of the void is to risk one’s soul to be lost forever. The actions taken here by Aralais and his daughter Symphenia are dangerous in the extreme. Only with the assistance of Galasso himself do they truly stand a chance to resist the pull of the void. While it would be possible for an angelic being to survive the void for a short period of time, to protect a quickened soul as well would strain even the Demi-solars abilities. However, in rebirthing a soul and leaving it unprotected, the danger of producing an unbeing mounts.An unbeing is a soul that has the power to evade the void for long enough to escape to another plane – somewhat similar to moving into the ethereal and then escaping but in a different way. Upon another plane, the newly created unbeing could grow in terrifying power being able to pull other creatures essences into the void to consume. There have only ever been a handful of unbeings, hunted down at extreme cost to the heavens. It is not a mistake to be made lightly.</blockquote>

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