Empire! The Mother of the Night calls to her Children

[lt_murgen]

Year 468

Guests will arrive at the city of Beryl. It is the only deep water port in Tar. It is also the only significant city along the North/South trade road between Crima and the Alydaxian Dominion. Guests notice at once that it was the prototype for so many of the other AQUA city-ports: the Emerald City, Diamondhead, and so on. Since then, prosperity from the tar, pitch, and weapons trade has made it quite prosperous.

On the morning before the ceremony, a large convoy of smaller river-ships will depart to take guests up to Snake Falls. The trip through the Blackadder forest by boat can be confounding, but the guides will helpfully point out flora and fauna of interest to the guests. Lunch will be provided in the pavilions along the Falls.

In the afternoon, the guests will be carried to the Nighthawk by elephant howdah. Quarimosi elephants are well suited to travel along the paths to the sacred grove. Once there, the guests are encouraged to examine the grove at their leisure. The actual ceremony will begin after it is fully dark.

This is largely a Children of Kina event. Elemi Scoria, the Eldest Child of Kina, and Sadie, A Quill scholar, are the hosts. Representing AQUA proper are Pyrithia, a Cloudiz woman, and Maximillan Grant-Tremblor, Aide de camp to the Skipper General.



The grove was an ancient site for Quill Spirit worship. The massive petrified oak tree, called the Nighthawk, occupies the western end of the grove. Over the centuries, its bark has been worked into numerous glyphs, sigils, and patterns. These same patterns are seen in the tattoos upon the Quill who are here in great numbers. The ground around the Nighthawk is pierced with deep fissures. Out of these fissures curl up hot, dark smoke tendrils. The plants along the edges are ropy vines of a dark reddish color, with small dark green leaves. These vines climb up the lower reaches of the Nighthawk and seem to burrow into it.

A throne was integrated into the Nighthawk so that the tree itself appeared to be the backrest for the figure seated there. A statue of Kina sat in repose. She was portrayed in massive dimensions, easily 20 feet tall when standing. She was carved out of some jet-black stone. Tiny crystals were embedded in the stonework, giving the impression she was clothed in the night sky. Her six arms were raised in her classic pose- one holding a ruemel, another a staff woven with living thorn vine. About her neck was the necklace of bone and 51 baby skulls. A closer inspection reveals them to be actual adult human skulls, dwarfed by the size of the statue. Her skirt was of actual tiger pelts sewn together. A belt topped the skirt- metal thread piercing 105 dismembered male genitals. Anyone taking a closer look would swear that they, too, were real. Her face was rendered in great detail, all unkempt hair, wild eyes, and fierce fangs. A dark, thick fluid seems to drip slowly from the Kina statue’s 5 breasts.
In front of the statue, 20 stone altars were placed in a circle. They appeared large enough to hold a person. At one end, a large candle of red wax stood. Surrounding the altars is a three foot side pit of glowing coals, separating the sacred area from the large spectator area.
Finally, an earthen berm surrounded the entire grove, separating the forest from the cleared space. From it came the smell of newly turned earth, mold, and the faint smells most would associate with old cemeteries and new battlefields.

[Reggiejam]

Valineth and her two daughters, Kyria and Loris, arrived at Beryl a week early aboard a Woodwind boat they had rented from a Triumvirate Shipping Guild for twenty Ignos worth of gems. Valineth had wanted to wait for Wayve or Rove whom she had both invited and the four to travel together to the Islands but her daughters had insisted they arrive early, Loris for spiritual reasons, Kyria for political and familial ones that kept her from wanting to see her father or elder brother. The three fae born women looked more different that day than they ever had before but there was an undeniable sense of connection between them as well.

Valineth had grown to look much older in recent years, her pink hair faded almost white and her fair skin wrinkling and creasing around her eyes and mouth. Her bright purple eyes, still lit with intellect and wit were sadder now than they had ever been, having seen much in the world. She dressed conservatively a gray and black dress of silk with no identifiable jewelry other than the Kasumori crafted ring on her left hand that Wayve had given her decades ago.

Her daughters looked quite a bit different than their mother, owing to their mixed heritage, but what was even more shocking was how different the identical twins looked to each other. Kyria was tall and straight in posture with rich silver hair pulled back tight in a ponytail, a military air about her that spoke of some pride in Prowess despite her objection to her Huroshan heritage. She wore a simple blackened iron breastplate, open in the back that her great black wings could stand behind her freely, over a simple black military dress tunic. Her eyes were sharp and crimson and seemed eager like those of a predator beast and with a full and rosy coloration that spoke of a fiery temperament. Unlike her mother and sister she wore a weapon, a sword of Sanctuary design hanging at her waist.

Loris on the other hand was gaunt, thinner than her sister or her aged mother her skin stuck to her strangely and although there was a beauty to her she looked almost sickly in her thinness. Her silver hair hung long and loose and seemed to swallow her thin shoulders which were draped in an elegant black dress dotted with silver points such that it seemed to be a dress woven of the night sky. her wings, less boisterous than her sister's stayed folded neatly at her back. Loris' eyes were deep pools of a color most unnervingly described as dried blood red and her pale lips were thin. Around her neck a pendant of a dismembered male genitalia crafted from bronze hung as a sign of her devotion to Kina as did a reumel, the reuemel of the late Eldest Child Flint, tied loosely around her wrist. Despite her frailty she appeared quite infused with excitement and vigor, especially now that the trio had arrived in the holy land.

Valineth looked around, it had been quite a few years since she'd visited AQUA, for Loris it was slightly more recent, having come to pay her respects to the last Eldest Child and witness the rising of his successor, but Kyria had never made the pilgrimage at all, though she had traveled with Eldest Scoria to Tzalteclan. Loris took the lead, bringing the trio over to the Eldest Child.

"Eldest, thank you for inviting myself and my family to attend" Loris said, bowing her head along with her mother and sister.

"It is good to see you again Eldest," Kyria added though the validity of the statement was unclear.

[lt_murgen]

"Eldest, thank you for inviting myself and my family to attend" Loris said, bowing her head along with her mother and sister.

"It is good to see you again Eldest," Kyria added though the validity of the statement was unclear.

Elemi greeted all three warmly, taking their hands and placing small kisses upon the backs. "Greetings, sisters in spirit. I am glad you could attend. Kina is calling to us all, and we will answer."

He spoke to Kyria directly, adding, "I wont turn into a dragon, I swear. Not all ceremonies are so.. sanguinary."

[Reggiejam]

Elemi greeted all three warmly, taking their hands and placing small kisses upon the backs. "Greetings, sisters in spirit. I am glad you could attend. Kina is calling to us all, and we will answer."

He spoke to Kyria directly, adding, "I wont turn into a dragon, I swear. Not all ceremonies are so.. sanguinary."

"I have heard Her," Loris agreed, "In my periods of fasting and prayer I have heard Her calling me home. Here,"

"I should hope not. My sister assured me the Mother does not operate in such grand and gruesome manners when I relayed the story upon my return after that particular event."

"It will be good to hear the Mother here in the lands She holds closest dominion over," Valineth spoke for the first time.

She'd only spoken about it some with Rove in letters but she had felt the Mother had grown more distant from her since she accepted her all those years ago. Though, Valineth suspected much of those thoughts were more to do with her aging and the rising temperaments and independence of her daughters than it had to do with the Goddess.

"I cannot wait to hear what She has to say, I can feel her power in the very air here," Loris looked around, her eyes taking in her surroundings.

[lt_murgen]

"I have heard Her," Loris agreed, "In my periods of fasting and prayer I have heard Her calling me home. Here,"

"I should hope not. My sister assured me the Mother does not operate in such grand and gruesome manners when I relayed the story upon my return after that particular event."

"It will be good to hear the Mother here in the lands She holds closest dominion over," Valineth spoke for the first time.

She'd only spoken about it some with Rove in letters but she had felt the Mother had grown more distant from her since she accepted her all those years ago. Though, Valineth suspected much of those thoughts were more to do with her aging and the rising temperaments and independence of her daughters than it had to do with the Goddess.

"I cannot wait to hear what She has to say, I can feel her power in the very air here," Loris looked around, her eyes taking in her surroundings.

"Just wait until we reach the Grove." He assured them. "Her presence permeates the place. It is a place of visions and dreams. We will travel as a group up the river on the day of the ceremony. Then by elephant to reach the grove by dusk. Have any of you ridden in a howdha before?"

[WaylanderX]

A week ago, about 4 minutes after the Woodwind boat with the Faedas delegation departed.


Two figures clad in Kasumori cloaks stood upon the Woodwind docks. One was broad and long, a fairly long grey beard visible from beneath his hood. The other was as long as the first, but more slenderly build. Both were armed, for they were clearly Kasumori. (I mean, cloaks, nuff said)

"We missed it..."

"You're getting slow and old, father."

"Shove it, boy. If only you didn't take so much "personal time" with your fiancee."

The two walked back to the hovercraft, continueing their bickering.

"You were the last one who had contact with mother, three weeks ago. I mean, you went to Tekorva and the Heartwaste on yourself."

"15 days ago, son."

"Not making it any better, old man."

"Well, I had to make sure your mother and your sisters were doing alright. That's a father's obligation!"

"Ah, and you have to check once every three months? For the last what? Five years?"

"Eehhh....yes?"

Rove sighed. His father was always like this when he was around family, blood-related or not. The only ones who could hold him in check were Valineth and his father's own mother. And Valineth had already departed and grandmother had declined tagging along, maybe for the best. An Avatar of a foreign faith may have caused trouble if she showed up. He wasn't even sure if he and his father were supposed to go, for they were Ashmarites.

Also, Rove had been in touch with his mother by letter and knew more about what was going on than his father expected of him. But no need to tell him that. He was getting old, although it did not quite show physically. Mentally, Wayve was degrading fast however. The pressures of repeated invasions and the Ascension militants appearing took their toll.

"At any rate, father. We have no time for your antics. Let us get a ship before we get too far behind."

He walked to the nearest office to arrange passage, cleverly keeping their real identities hidden. He did not need any commotion, for that would only delay them.

His father murmered something about the rules of being a man, about absolute Prowess, but the old emperor followed his son anyway.

A little while later, they were at sea, sailing towards Beryl.


At Beryl.

After spending the week in Beryl, they meet up with Valineth, Kyria and Loris the evening before departure. After what undoubtedly was a interesting conversation, they travel with them to the Grove, but upon arrival stay a bit back, both Ashmarites unsure what to do or what is expected of them.

Both Wayve and Rove are clad in traditional Kasumori finery, Wayve wearing a light chain vest with a well-made silken and cotton tunic, with a stylized black axe on the front, his heraldry. His fullplate he left at home on the advise of Rove, so that they did not insult their hosts. His beard was turning grey rapidly, and wrinkles spread across his face. Nevertheless, he was still fit at a fiddle physically, a result of still training 2-3 hours each day. Akaitaiyo was sheated upon his back. Although he was willing to part with his fullplate for a while, leaving his trusty axe behind was just too much. The axe was pulsing red, in tandem with Wayve's heartbeat. The necklace Valineth gave him so many years ago was hanging on his chest, the crystaline Tahedhan and raven with their wings together clearly visible, a symbol of their union. His wings lay folded on his back, his garb conveniently leaving the wings free so that he could fly when something was amiss. You never knew at foreign events.

Rove on the other hand, was much slimmer than his father. He "only" trained 1-2 hours each day and he wielded a lighter weapon, the epée. He also had a beard, but was more short and well kept than his father's. His wings were more slender than those of normal Cloudiz heritage, and his hair was streaked with silver in addition to red. Also, if one looked closely, small fangs could be seen, not unlike those of his sisters. He was clad in a fortified leather hauberk, his tunic with the same heraldy as his father worn on top of it.

Both, they walked behind Valineth, Kyria and Loris, keeping their distance and trying to respect this allien faith as well as they could. For also that was considered Prowess.

[lt_murgen]

After spending the week in Beryl... they travel with them to the Grove, but upon arrival stay a bit back, both Ashmarites unsure what to do or what is expected of them

The sun had dropped below the trees as the arrived at the grove. People were lighting torches staked into the perimeter embankment. A wide variety of peoples and cultures milled about in the large circle between the embankment and the pit of coals. Many, indeed most, bore the wound bracelet that was the only outward sign of the faith.

As the night grew, the grove cooled. Heat waves shimmered over the torches and fire pit. Wayve and Rove found themselves ill at ease. The grove held the smell of mold and decay, growing stronger as the night came on. They shivered occasionally. A slight breeze stirred the torches, making the shadows dance. Occasionally, out of the corner of their eye, the shadows seem to behave oddly. But examination reveals nothing.

A female Bereginian, about three feet tall, with grey skin, glowing yellow eyes, and very little hair, approaches them. "Greetings, brothers in spirit. Eldest informs the ritual starts when the Mother sky arrives. Meditation and quiet conversation preceeding, please." She seems unaffected by the atmosphere of the grove.

[Reggiejam]

"Just wait until we reach the Grove." He assured them. "Her presence permeates the place. It is a place of visions and dreams. We will travel as a group up the river on the day of the ceremony. Then by elephant to reach the grove by dusk. Have any of you ridden in a howdha before?"

"One, a long long time ago," Valineth said with a remembering smile.


The sun had dropped below the trees as the arrived at the grove. People were lighting torches staked into the perimeter embankment. A wide variety of peoples and cultures milled about in the large circle between the embankment and the pit of coals. Many, indeed most, bore the wound bracelet that was the only outward sign of the faith.

As the night grew, the grove cooled. Heat waves shimmered over the torches and fire pit. Wayve and Rove found themselves ill at ease. The grove held the smell of mold and decay, growing stronger as the night came on. They shivered occasionally. A slight breeze stirred the torches, making the shadows dance. Occasionally, out of the corner of their eye, the shadows seem to behave oddly. But examination reveals nothing.

A female Bereginian, about three feet tall, with grey skin, glowing yellow eyes, and very little hair, approaches them. "Greetings, brothers in spirit. Eldest informs the ritual starts when the Mother sky arrives. Meditation and quiet conversation preceeding, please." She seems unaffected by the atmosphere of the grove.

Loris seemed infused with the air at the Grove, breathing deeply as if the scent in the air were one of fragrant flowers rather than decay. She quietly and politely excused herself from her family and began to slowly make her way through the Grove, exchanging whispered blessings and prayers with the other faithful.

Meanwhile Valineth and Kyria stood with Wayve and Rove, an uncomfortable air between them.

"Tell me father," Kyria whispered, "How are things in Kasumor? I never seem to have the time to visit."

There was an ice in her voice that was unmistakably hostile but though her tone dripped with displeasure her words were amicable. Valineth felt strange, it wasn't just the extremely quiet grove, itself disconcerting as such a large mass of people whispered and spoke so quietly as to allow the sounds of birds and insects to be heard intermittently which was quite unlike most other great gatherings of people, but the entire situation between herself, her daughters, her husband, and her son. It weighed heavily on her and she desired a solution that would not come.

[WaylanderX]

The sun had dropped below the trees as the arrived at the grove. People were lighting torches staked into the perimeter embankment. A wide variety of peoples and cultures milled about in the large circle between the embankment and the pit of coals. Many, indeed most, bore the wound bracelet that was the only outward sign of the faith.

As the night grew, the grove cooled. Heat waves shimmered over the torches and fire pit. Wayve and Rove found themselves ill at ease. The grove held the smell of mold and decay, growing stronger as the night came on. They shivered occasionally. A slight breeze stirred the torches, making the shadows dance. Occasionally, out of the corner of their eye, the shadows seem to behave oddly. But examination reveals nothing.

A female Bereginian, about three feet tall, with grey skin, glowing yellow eyes, and very little hair, approaches them. "Greetings, brothers in spirit. Eldest informs the ritual starts when the Mother sky arrives. Meditation and quiet conversation preceeding, please." She seems unaffected by the atmosphere of the grove.

"Very well, we understand." Wayve replied respectfully.

Inside, he said a prayer to Ashmar. His axe still pulsed in tandem with his heartbeat. With his rising nervousness, he felt the black bile that plagued him coming up. Quickly, the Emperor took his medicine from his pouch, swallowing the pills. The power of alchemy kept the corruption at bay, for now. Even the best Fireguard alchemists did not know how long they would be able to stave it off.

Long enough, I'll make sure of that. Wayve thought. Focusing his attention back to the grove, a chill went down his spine. The balance of this place was off. Something he felt akin to the corruption of the Jaaku Na held sway here. Silent but viligant, he kept watching for any sign of trouble, his honed instincts and years of training kicking in. Beside him, he felt that Rove did the same, scanning his surroundings carefully. A rush of pride for his son rushed through him.

At least, I am in good company.


"One, a long long time ago," Valineth said with a remembering smile.



Loris seemed infused with the air at the Grove, breathing deeply as if the scent in the air were one of fragrant flowers rather than decay. She quietly and politely excused herself from her family and began to slowly make her way through the Grove, exchanging whispered blessings and prayers with the other faithful.

Meanwhile Valineth and Kyria stood with Wayve and Rove, an uncomfortable air between them.

"Tell me father," Kyria whispered, "How are things in Kasumor? I never seem to have the time to visit."

There was an ice in her voice that was unmistakably hostile but though her tone dripped with displeasure her words were amicable. Valineth felt strange, it wasn't just the extremely quiet grove, itself disconcerting as such a large mass of people whispered and spoke so quietly as to allow the sounds of birds and insects to be heard intermittently which was quite unlike most other great gatherings of people, but the entire situation between herself, her daughters, her husband, and her son. It weighed heavily on her and she desired a solution that would not come.

Wayve smiled, his words loving, but his eyes and the subtle tones of his voice betraying his sadness. Even if he was to be hated by his daughter or even daughters, he was still their father. He couldn't get himself to hate them, despite everything.

"Everything is fine, my illness stopped for the moment. The people are happy, although there are problems with the followers of Ascension it seems."

"If you have time, Kyria, you are always welcome in Earthhome. You will be received with open arms, a warm meal awaiting near the burning embers of the hearth. The same goes for Loris and your mother of course. I've been visiting Tekorva and the Heartwaste quite a lot lately. Unfortunately, you were never there. I would love to talk with you some more Kyria, for that is something we were never able to do. Next time perhaps?"

Rove interjected, his voice a low whisper.

"If you would like, I'll send you a letter with our plans next time, sister. That way we maybe could ... organize our visits a bit better."

[Reggiejam]

Wayve smiled, his words loving, but his eyes and the subtle tones of his voice betraying his sadness. Even if he was to be hated by his daughter or even daughters, he was still their father. He couldn't get himself to hate them, despite everything.

"Everything is fine, my illness stopped for the moment. The people are happy, although there are problems with the followers of Ascension it seems."

"If you have time, Kyria, you are always welcome in Earthhome. You will be received with open arms, a warm meal awaiting near the burning embers of the hearth. The same goes for Loris and your mother of course. I've been visiting Tekorva and the Heartwaste quite a lot lately. Unfortunately, you were never there. I would love to talk with you some more Kyria, for that is something we were never able to do. Next time perhaps?"

Rove interjected, his voice a low whisper.

"If you would like, I'll send you a letter with our plans next time, sister. That way we maybe could ... organize our visits a bit better."

"Next time," she agreed but her tone and body language made it clear she was only playing lip service.

"I'm going to go and check on Loris," Kyria said, ignoring her brother and leaving without waiting for her parents' responding.

"I'm sorry dear," Valineth said quietly, "I don't know what to do with her. She spends all her time away from me, cajoling and making connections with the Fae Court and the Yorukuni Aristocracy. The only family she speaks to anymore in anything longer than a sentence or two is her sister. And Loris," she paused as if she couldn't think of the words, "Loris has become devoted, overly devoted I think to Kina. She pays all her time and works towards the Mother but her own mother hardly sees her," Val's words caught in her throat and she visibly fought down a panicky outburst, moving to stand next to Wayve and taking his hand.

[lt_murgen]

***Advancing the Timeline***

Darkness enveloped the grove. Cool night air flowed from the plateau above, thin tendrils of fog forming in the dark corners of the forest. The crowd grew silent and attentive as twenty people entered the grove and passed into the inner circle. Dowager Queen Fern Cascade and John Robson were among them. Others were known Quill scholars, a Beregenian missionary, and representatives from across the faithful. The Eldest Child of Kina, Elemi Scoria, was with them. He spoke to the crowd, a thundersheet necklace amplifying his voice. His words reverberated through the crowd, echoing off the darkened forest beyond the grove.

“Brothers and Sisters, Cousins in Spirit, attend. Mother calls. Her darkness stretches across the sky. It embraces us. We are her devoted Children. We answer her call. The call to be brave. The call to face the terrors of life, and of death. Yet mother knows our greatest Terror. Uncertainty. Uncertainty!” He shouted, his words echoing repeatedly into the darkness. “Fell demon of our fears. Our souls that temper the darkes despairs quail at thee. Khaditna calls upon us to search for meaning, yet our quest for certainty block our serach. Hear me, brothers and sisters! To embrace our faith is to resolve ourselves to uncertainty. We must become powerful in its face, to accept uncertainty and as a sign of our humility. For what is humility but a willingness to accept the lessons of life and to learn from them?

Cousins in spirit, knowledge is an unending adventure dancing upon the knife edge of uncertainty. We cannot see the future, and only glimpse the past. Yet in Khadi, in Kina, in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, our Mother provides. It was here, in this sacred grove, that she rent the very earth. It was here, on the night the great scholar Petrichor passed, that our Mother began to prepare a gift for us. For now, from the Nighthawk and onto her idol comes the sacred blood of the Mother of the Night, to lift the veil.

There are those among us, brothers and sisters, who were given a glimpse beyond. The mists that rise from those fissures have granted insight to the faithful. The twenty assembled here tonight” he indicated the 19 others, already seated on their platforms, “have come here to risk the uncertainty, to risk their very lives. As they were called to. As they believe they must. As we believe we must.”

He paused for a moment. As the echoes of his vice faded, the gathered crowd became aware of another sound. A distant confused drumbeat, and a wave-like roar, rising and falling. Those closest to the ring of coals were the first to realize it came from the assembled platforms. Thundersheet plants were amplifying the heartbeats and breathing of those 19.

Elemi spoke again, this time very quietly, “We hear the call of our Mother. In our hearts. We carry her life giving breath in our chests. Brother’s and sisters, cousins in spirit, I ask simply that you chant the first mantra with us as now. “Akhanda Satchidananda kali ma, Om jaganti mangala khaditna, narayaṇi namostu te Khaidi, Akhanda….” Elemi removed his thundersheet amplifier as the crowd took up the chant, quietly and slowly. He took his position on the twentieth dias. His heartbeat, his breathing mingled with the rest.

Slowly, over the space of many minutes, the beating grew more clear, the roar more defined. Twenty heartbeats synchronized. Twenty pairs of lungs breathed in unison. The beating matched the cadence of the mantra of the crowd. It seemed as if the torches lining the grove began to pulse as well, growing dimmer with each beat from the circle. Dark tendrils of mist crept from the cracks around the sacred tree. The circle of glowing coals that surrounded the twenty seemed to fade from red into a deep, barely visible purple. The fog of the night seemed to be congregating within the circle.

Suddenly, a great stench exploded from within the circle. Mold, decay, and the smell of corpses rotting in the heat assailed the nostrils of the assembled crowd. Many wretched, or coughed, but the chanting lost little intensity. Yet even as the stench rolled outward, a sudden wind seemed to pull toward the circle. The torches were extinguished, the coals taken up in a swirl of purple-white ash. The twenty bodies were obscured by a darkness so perfect it was visible against the night sky. It towered above the grove, dozens of chains high. A few red hot coals seemed to congregate into two almond shaped eyes near the top. A faint dusting of white ash seemed to form a necklace of skulls about the human-shaped darkness.

A wave of anger beat down upon the congregation. It was palpable, a literal force that pressed upon the assembled crowd. Many staggered under the weight of it. Others cried out, asking forgiveness for knowing transgressions. Others were caught up in the living memories of the first time they knowingly broke their parents rules, and were caught- reliving the embarrassment, the shame, the fear of losing forever the love of a parent. It was brief, intense, and heart-wrenching.


And then it was gone.

[Reggiejam]

Loris' voice was at the forefront of the Faedas family's chanting of the mantra, followed in intensity and volume by Kyria and Valineth respectively. As the hideous stench of decay rolled over them Loris only began to chant louder while Kyria maintained a steady volume, familiar with the smell from the campaigns in Galie-Noiret. Valineth's eyes watered and she paused as bile and wretchedness came to just before her lips but she recovered and returned to chanting. As the great spirit was willed forward into a more physical appearance Loris fell to her knees, wailing for forgiveness and in praise of the Mother in equal measure. Valineth, who had been without a parent for more years than she had ever had one stood stone still, her skin cold to the touch as waves of regret and emptiness washed through here. Kyria, who had started down the path of scorning her parents many years ago seemed the least affected, externally at least. Within her a war of emotions was being waged and it took all her willpower to continue to stand resolute.

At last it was over.

The three Varinel women looked around, their faces were all streaked with tears they didn't remember crying and their hearts were pounding in their chests. What had just transpired?

[lt_murgen]

The chanting had stopped. The gathered crowds struggled to recover from the massive shock. It was as if each person had relived all their most terrifying and shameful acts of lying and betrayal, all at once. The swelling and beating from the inner circle had become ragged and disjointed once again. It was quieter as well.

The Beregenian woman seemed to be one of the first to recover. She rushed into the inner circle, to Eldest’s dias. A few words passed between the two. Quickly, she got the torches around the outer embankment reignited. More were brought in to illuminate the inner circle as well. Ten of the individuals who participated in the ritual gradually recovered, and stood. The other ten remained still. The young Beregenian took up the thundersheet amplifier. “Brothers and sisters. The Chosen request recovery opportunity. They have undergone remarkably. Each will tell tomorrow, after morning meal. Pavilions are there for rest. Go now, cousins in spirit. Rest, reflect.”

[Reggiejam]

The three Varinel women, after a few moments of recovery, acquiesced the request to withdraw and departed the Grove to return to the other part of the area they had come from. Loris was visibly shaking, her thin frame wracked with tremors that seemed to be fading in intensity yet still held some amount of power over her. Kyria's eyes were distant, like those of a fresh warrior who had just broken through the wall following their first battle. Valineth looked drained, even more tired than she'd looked the previous years and one might even say her hair seemed more faded than it ever before.

The three shared an exchange of looks but said nothing and the twins split away from their mother, making their way to a place of rest and reflection while Valineth sought out Wayve and Rove again to speak with them.

***

"What was that Loris?" Kyria asked quietly as they began to walk together.

"That was our Mother Kyria, She came to look upon us and judge us. Did you feel Her judgment fall across us? She deemed us worthy in that She did not consume us, the Chosen were well picked to earn Her favor. I can only imagine what they felt, it must have been what we ourselves experienced magnified one hundredfold."

Kyria remained quiet, a moment, "What does it mean? What will Her judgment mean for us? For the Chosen?"

"That is for the Chosen and the Eldest to decide sister, we must reflect on what we felt, on our flaws that She showed us. The Chosen will tell us their vision when they are ready. The Prophet Tupelo held many revelations from his followers who were not ready to receive them. The Chosen must decide if the rest of us as Children are ready to hear what they have been told."

Kyria didn't seem to care for that answer but pressed on quietly.

[lt_murgen]

Few slept soundly that night. A close brush with the mind of a goddess will do that. But others, a select few, had weird, vivid dreams.
The dreams were all the same. Darkness and the sounds of the rolling sea. Gradually, the person becomes aware of gently rocking on waves, being carried somewhere. The light gradually grew, and the person was being buoyed upon a sea of bleached, white human skulls. Being carried back into the grove. There, in the grove, was their mother. Not Kina, but Kina. The guise of the loving mother smiling at them. The loving mother offering them a warm place to rest and cool drink.

These people all found themselves awake, standing in the grove. They were alone. A few torches illuminated the ceremonial tables, but the shadows were dark and thick. They witness Elemi Scoria, eldest Child of Kina, literally step out of the insubstantial shadows and into the torchlight.

“Welcome cousin. You have heard her voice tonight as well. A choice lies before you. Partake of the Blood of the Mother and you will truly be in her presence. For a time. But be warned. Not all return. Some of our greatest have chosen to remain behind, in her embrace.

[Reggiejam]

Kyria and Loris both blinked away the dream as reality grabbed ahold of them and they saw they stood in the Grove once again. Their feet were bare, Loris in only a nightgown and Kyria in a military officer's underalls. Loris was shaking with the chill of the cool night air and excitement at the Eldest's words. She took a step forward instinctively as the Eldest finished his words but felt a hand on her arm, seeing her sister had grabbed her.

She turned to face her, "Kyria, the Mother calls to us to taste of her succor."

"Not all return Loris, we cannot risk it."

"You have heard the words, heard the call of the Mother Kyria. You know them to be true. We must embrace Her now, take Her gifts as they are presented and grow stronger as our Mother shows us the path to enlightenment, to growing wiser in our understanding."

"You can't Loris, we must both return to Faedas. Mother grows old, soon we will rule the Throne together, as we always intended."

"And we shall still do so sister, but with the enlightenment of our Mother to guide us. You cannot stop me from partaking in Her Blood, do not resist this Kyria, but embrace it with me. Taste of Her Blood beside me and may we both hold audience with the Mother."

Kyria seemed about to protest but she could see in the deep red eyes of her sister that such protests would fall on deaf ears, and there was something in the air, something of Loris or something of the Grove and the earlier events that day that spoke to the Mother being present and giving of Her Blessing. Slowly Kyria and Loris fell into line behind the others who had been called as they approached the statue of Kina and partook in the blood that dripped now from her breasts into the mouths of her children who had heard the Call.

Finally the two reached the front of the line and, in unison, opened their mouths and took to them the viscous liquid. It was bitter, yet salty and it nearly made Kyria gag to taste it. Loris grew pale, at first Kyria thought due to the taste but came to realize her own head was growing light. The Grove around them seemed to disappear, the night sky swallowing up their surroundings until the two of them stood amid the black night sky dotted with stars around them. Appearing before them was Kina, arms open to the Varinel twins. Without thought the two approached her, feeling her arms circle around them and draw them to her chest like a mother embracing her lost children.

OOC: This can be continued or picked up from when Valineth arrives

[lt_murgen]

A quick note- Elemi would guide them to a dais, and bring them some of the blood of the mother from the idol rather than taking it directly. A dark wine poured gently over the thick fluid, and collected in a cup. Sorry, I should have specified.

I tried to write this to suit the girls, but I might have gotten their motivations and stuff backwards, so please let me know and I will adjust. You don’t need to respond to Loris and Kyria. I was just trying to show how Khaditna, the Great Deceiver, can make a pleasant test into a trap.
****
Loris found herself climbing amongst the cracks of the Wyrm’s Pit. An old miner woman accompanied her. It was a beautiful day for climbing, and Loris never felt more alive. Her muscles thrummed with anxious exertion as she climbed the gem encrusted walls. A particularly large and clear blue diamond caught her attention. It snapped off its outcropping with ease at her touch. She held it to the light, to see its imperfections. In the dancing lights she saw a woman laughing and dancing in the arms of a man, her bethrothed standing behind crestfallen and devastated. “Ah, a delicate stone, that one. How easily something beautiful can fracture.” The old woman said.
Loris slipped it inside a bag, and climbed some more. Another jewel beckoned, and another…..

****
Kyria loved all libraries. The rich smell of leather, papyrus and vellum, the haze sunshine of candle smoke and dust. Endless shelves of books stretching off in all directions, and a comfortable ottoman on which to recline and read. She sighed, reading the book the elderly librarian gave to her. It was a child’s story about a young girl who didn’t listen to her parents and ran off to play in the dark woods. The illustrations were captivating and rich with detail. She was engrossed in the story, anxious to see if the young girl would fall prey to the dark creatures in the shadows. “Can you understand the story, child?” The old woman asked, “If so, I have many more you can read.”

****
For Valineth, the night came with horrible dreams. Dreams of mistakes, of errors in judgment, of pride shown to be hubris. And pain. In every horrible tableau, there was pain. Memories twisted and false, to cause her anguish. She recalled every painful moment of the birth of both her daughters. She ached to hear their first cries. She remembered the joy that sound had brought. Instead, she heard the midwife say she had lost her child. Lost and gone. Her tormented cry shook her dreams as the darkness smiled.
She awoke with the tail end of her scream still in her throat. Her heart pounded. She was drenched in sweat despite the cool night air. Frantically, she looked about the darkened tent. Two pallets were empty, the blankets cast aside. Two beds. Her daughter’s beds. The smell of the grove lingered here, though it hadn’t been strong before.

[Reggiejam]

Yeah, I didn't know what to do and didn't want to waste a post with them standing in line.

Motivations and dreams seem good though :)


Valineth's heart leaped to her throat, beside her Wayve stirred, already tired from her having woken him repeatedly earlier in the night. Wordlessly she bounded from her bed, grabbing her robe and pulling it quickly around her she raced out into the night, heading towards the Grove.

She didn't know why but she felt compelled, a mother driven to find and protect her children. She ran unbridled, feeling now the heaviness of age upon her but pushing it aside as her fear and love overtook her. It felt like a moment of eternity for her to reach the Grove, and when she did she saw it was not empty as she had silently hoped it would be. The stench of death was nearly overpowering and almost drove her back but she buried it quickly and pushed on.

She saw the Eldest Child Elemi and, there, her daughters were lying on the ground, eyes closed, each with a paleness to them that was entirely unnatural.

Her eyes shot up to lock with the Eldest's own, her furious questions overshooting her mouth and becoming encapsulated in her gaze.

[lt_murgen]

[SPOILER=OOC]
She saw the Eldest Child Elemi and, there, her daughters were lying on the ground, eyes closed, each with a paleness to them that was entirely unnatural.

Her eyes shot up to lock with the Eldest's own, her furious questions overshooting her mouth and becoming encapsulated in her gaze.

Elemi was checking on another person, who was tossing about, muttering as if he had a fever. Another two or three could be seen in a similar state, tended by another man. But Loris and Kyria lay upon their dias, still and pale.

He looked at the woman. His eyes took in her frantic state. "You are not welcome here. Not now. The Mother of the Night did not call you." There was a sadness in his voice. He followed her gaze. "Your children chose to take this journey. They were told that they might not return. It was their choice to drink of the Blood of the Mother."

[Reggiejam]

Elemi was checking on another person, who was tossing about, muttering as if he had a fever. Another two or three could be seen in a similar state, tended by another man. But Loris and Kyria lay upon their dias, still and pale.

He looked at the woman. His eyes took in her frantic state. "You are not welcome here. Not now. The Mother of the Night did not call you." There was a sadness in his voice. He followed her gaze. "Your children chose to take this journey. They were told that they might not return. It was their choice to drink of the Blood of the Mother."

"The Mother of the Night is not the only mother my children have," Valineth said, her voice icy, "I will follow my children and I will bring them back Eldest. You can help me or you can stand aside," her tone left little room for debate.

[lt_murgen]

"The Mother of the Night is not the only mother my children have," Valineth said, her voice icy, "I will follow my children and I will bring them back Eldest. You can help me or you can stand aside," her tone left little room for debate.

"I will not dissuade you. But be warned that you too will be tested. You could fail to learn the lesson Mother provides." He motioned for the other man. He went to the statue and poured wine from one cup over the statue, dissolving some of the thick liquid into a dark wine, which he collected.
He reached out a hand and touched Valineth gently . "Consider carefully the reasons for your actions. Many have lost a loved one today. Fern Cascade, my mother in all but name, has chosen to remain with Kina. I would not dishonor her choice with grief." His tone, however, held great sadness.

The man at the statue stepped sideways, and disappeared into a shadow. Moments later, he stepped out of a shadow next to Valineth. "John Francis Xavier Robson! Do no dishonor the Walk of the Night Sky with frivolous use."

[Reggiejam]

"I will not dissuade you. But be warned that you too will be tested. You could fail to learn the lesson Mother provides." He motioned for the other man. He went to the statue and poured wine from one cup over the statue, dissolving some of the thick liquid into a dark wine, which he collected.
He reached out a hand and touched Valineth gently . "Consider carefully the reasons for your actions. Many have lost a loved one today. Fern Cascade, my mother in all but name, has chosen to remain with Kina. I would not dishonor her choice with grief." His tone, however, held great sadness.

The man at the statue stepped sideways, and disappeared into a shadow. Moments later, he stepped out of a shadow next to Valineth. "John Francis Xavier Robson! Do no dishonor the Walk of the Night Sky with frivolous use."

Valineth's eyes were cold points of light now as she took the wine cup. She paused, it was unclear if it was hesitation over the Eldest's words or an internal steeling of herself, but in the next moment she had put the drink to her lips and downed its contents, slipping away from the Grove and going to visit the Mother.


I figured I'd let you set the scene for Val and Kina to have their conversation and work the deal.

[lt_murgen]

Valineth broke the surface of an ocean. An ocean of bleached white skulls rolling and cresting against a black sky of stars. She gasped and struggled against the pull of the tide. Several times it pulled her under, several times she fought back.

Clouds formed, and the waves became stronger. Lightning struck down into the ocean of bone. In the flash, Valineth saw the a skull rise up, a body of energy forming about it. She knew that person. A teacher she had when she was a child. ”You never learned my lessons. Your parents blamed me for you intemperate behavior.” It accused her. In a second it was gone, roiling in the ocean of bone. Another flash. Another person from her past, pointing out the times she has failed, or been hurtful, or sacrificed someone ‘for the greater good’. With each flash, the pull of the ocean seemed to grow, threatening to drag Valineth under.

She tried to explain, to beg for forgiveness and understanding with each gasping breath she took. Yet it seemed to fall on deaf ears. The dead have no ears, only memories. It was becoming harder and harder to breath, the undertow coming stronger and faster. The bones began crashing in to her hard enough to cause pain. Every cut, every bruise, every sprain and broken bone had its own memory, brought back by the wavws. Valineth’s vision blurred, beomcing tinged in red. Distantly, she remembered teaching her children the mantra’s of Kina ”Know that your salvation or destruction is within your control, the Mother of the Night will not save you from yourself.’

Another flash, another spectre from the past. Linden Flint, the man who introduced her to the religion. [b]”Have you forgotten me? What I taught you?!
Men seek mercy, but there is no trace of mercy within you, Devourer.
You have cut off the heads of the children of men to wear as a garland about your throat,
their manhood’s as a belt about your waist.
In you, there is an end to their futures.
It matters not how much I plead “Mother, Mother”. You hear but do not remark my anguish.

And in that instant, Valineth understood. She reached inside, finding the justification for her actions. The only justification. The waves pulled her under for the last time, she knew for certainty. In her last breath, she screamed out the last conscious thought she held.
“FOR MY CHILDREN!”





Her feet touched bare stone. Bare feet on cool bare stone. The air was temperate, and familiar. She was home, in the palace her family occupied. It gradually came into focus. The throne room. Her mother sat in the throne, staring down at her child. Queen Kynvessa, who ruled before her. “The things a mother does for her children require no justification, child."

[SamBurke]

A young man, a Guilderene, presumably, walked up towards Valineth. "The good things of this world are always done for children, I think."

He shuffles his feet awkwardly, not certain what to say. He had entered the area, and he wasn't exactly invited. No little letter for him. He was just a curious man who wanted to know a little more about the quiet faiths of the world. And the power! The wonder... the horror of what had happened last night, even though he watched from far away. "Can you... tell me, o Queen, of when the Mother of Night was first found? Who discovered this part of the human soul?"

[Reggiejam]

Valineth broke the surface of an ocean. An ocean of bleached white skulls rolling and cresting against a black sky of stars. She gasped and struggled against the pull of the tide. Several times it pulled her under, several times she fought back.

Clouds formed, and the waves became stronger. Lightning struck down into the ocean of bone. In the flash, Valineth saw the a skull rise up, a body of energy forming about it. She knew that person. A teacher she had when she was a child. ”You never learned my lessons. Your parents blamed me for you intemperate behavior.” It accused her. In a second it was gone, roiling in the ocean of bone. Another flash. Another person from her past, pointing out the times she has failed, or been hurtful, or sacrificed someone ‘for the greater good’. With each flash, the pull of the ocean seemed to grow, threatening to drag Valineth under.

She tried to explain, to beg for forgiveness and understanding with each gasping breath she took. Yet it seemed to fall on deaf ears. The dead have no ears, only memories. It was becoming harder and harder to breath, the undertow coming stronger and faster. The bones began crashing in to her hard enough to cause pain. Every cut, every bruise, every sprain and broken bone had its own memory, brought back by the wavws. Valineth’s vision blurred, beomcing tinged in red. Distantly, she remembered teaching her children the mantra’s of Kina ”Know that your salvation or destruction is within your control, the Mother of the Night will not save you from yourself.’

Another flash, another spectre from the past. Linden Flint, the man who introduced her to the religion. [b]”Have you forgotten me? What I taught you?!
Men seek mercy, but there is no trace of mercy within you, Devourer.
You have cut off the heads of the children of men to wear as a garland about your throat,
their manhood’s as a belt about your waist.
In you, there is an end to their futures.
It matters not how much I plead “Mother, Mother”. You hear but do not remark my anguish.

And in that instant, Valineth understood. She reached inside, finding the justification for her actions. The only justification. The waves pulled her under for the last time, she knew for certainty. In her last breath, she screamed out the last conscious thought she held.
“FOR MY CHILDREN!”

Her feet touched bare stone. Bare feet on cool bare stone. The air was temperate, and familiar. She was home, in the palace her family occupied. It gradually came into focus. The throne room. Her mother sat in the throne, staring down at her child. Queen Kynvessa, who ruled before her. “The things a mother does for her children require no justification, child."

The slick frozen walls of the Ice Palace and the Throne of Thorns that twisted it's rooty form, that which refused to surrender to a harsh surrounding, through the cold ice reminded Valineth of home, of her place in the mortal world as a queen, but seeing her mother sit now upon the spiky throne sent her back to her childhood and she felt a century younger. A young child standing before her mother.

"Where are they Mother? Where are Kyria and Loris?"



A young man, a Guilderene, presumably, walked up towards Valineth. "The good things of this world are always done for children, I think."

He shuffles his feet awkwardly, not certain what to say. He had entered the area, and he wasn't exactly invited. No little letter for him. He was just a curious man who wanted to know a little more about the quiet faiths of the world. And the power! The wonder... the horror of what had happened last night, even though he watched from far away. "Can you... tell me, o Queen, of when the Mother of Night was first found? Who discovered this part of the human soul?"

OOC: Valineth is currently in the spirit realm so I'm going work under the assumption that this conversation is taking place after the ceremony earlier in the night before this next bit kicked off.

Valineth turned to see the man addressing her. She had still been looking for Wayve while her daughters went off after the ceremony when this man's words had drawn her ear.

"I am no theologian," she answered, "Much of my knowledge of Kina comes from the Eldest Flint, and the writings of the Call of the Mother. Have you read the text?"

[zabbarot]

Year 468

Guests will arrive at the city of Beryl. It is the only deep water port in Tar. It is also the only significant city along the North/South trade road between Crima and the Alydaxian Dominion. Guests notice at once that it was the prototype for so many of the other AQUA city-ports: the Emerald City, Diamondhead, and so on. Since then, prosperity from the tar, pitch, and weapons trade has made it quite prosperous.

On the morning before the ceremony, a large convoy of smaller river-ships will depart to take guests up to Snake Falls. The trip through the Blackadder forest by boat can be confounding, but the guides will helpfully point out flora and fauna of interest to the guests. Lunch will be provided in the pavilions along the Falls.

In the afternoon, the guests will be carried to the Nighthawk by elephant howdah. Quarimosi elephants are well suited to travel along the paths to the sacred grove. Once there, the guests are encouraged to examine the grove at their leisure. The actual ceremony will begin after it is fully dark.

This is largely a Children of Kina event. Elemi Scoria, the Eldest Child of Kina, and Sadie, A Quill scholar, are the hosts. Representing AQUA proper are Pyrithia, a Cloudiz woman, and Maximillan Grant-Tremblor, Aide de camp to the Skipper General.


The grove was an ancient site for Quill Spirit worship. The massive petrified oak tree, called the Nighthawk, occupies the western end of the grove. Over the centuries, its bark has been worked into numerous glyphs, sigils, and patterns. These same patterns are seen in the tattoos upon the Quill who are here in great numbers. The ground around the Nighthawk is pierced with deep fissures. Out of these fissures curl up hot, dark smoke tendrils. The plants along the edges are ropy vines of a dark reddish color, with small dark green leaves. These vines climb up the lower reaches of the Nighthawk and seem to burrow into it.

A throne was integrated into the Nighthawk so that the tree itself appeared to be the backrest for the figure seated there. A statue of Kina sat in repose. She was portrayed in massive dimensions, easily 20 feet tall when standing. She was carved out of some jet-black stone. Tiny crystals were embedded in the stonework, giving the impression she was clothed in the night sky. Her six arms were raised in her classic pose- one holding a ruemel, another a staff woven with living thorn vine. About her neck was the necklace of bone and 51 baby skulls. A closer inspection reveals them to be actual adult human skulls, dwarfed by the size of the statue. Her skirt was of actual tiger pelts sewn together. A belt topped the skirt- metal thread piercing 105 dismembered male genitals. Anyone taking a closer look would swear that they, too, were real. Her face was rendered in great detail, all unkempt hair, wild eyes, and fierce fangs. A dark, thick fluid seems to drip slowly from the Kina statue’s 5 breasts.
In front of the statue, 20 stone altars were placed in a circle. They appeared large enough to hold a person. At one end, a large candle of red wax stood. Surrounding the altars is a three foot side pit of glowing coals, separating the sacred area from the large spectator area.
Finally, an earthen berm surrounded the entire grove, separating the forest from the cleared space. From it came the smell of newly turned earth, mold, and the faint smells most would associate with old cemeteries and new battlefields.
Seven Radurjic mystics arrived in Beryl. Four watafiti and three mashahidi. They dressed simply, each carrying only the robes they wore and a small leather bag full of writing implements and religious paraphernalia. They made no fuss and greeted their hosts kindly. During the boatride the young watafiti took notes on local plants and impressions of leaves as they were able. Mtafiti Lahar, a Raanekan in his early twenties, was a surprisingly capable artist, and did his best to sketch what fauna they were able to see along the way.

At the grove the mashahidi found a comfortable place to sit and prepare themselves for the night ahead. Any acts involving a gods seemed to come with a bit of danger. If it were not for the risk of offending their hosts they'd likely find a spot to ward completely, but there was also the chance of offending the goddess herself so they let such thoughts slip away. The watafiti meanwhile took notes and drew the ritual area so they could properly add it to the Codex.



***Advancing the Timeline***

Darkness enveloped the grove. Cool night air flowed from the plateau above, thin tendrils of fog forming in the dark corners of the forest. The crowd grew silent and attentive as twenty people entered the grove and passed into the inner circle. Dowager Queen Fern Cascade and John Robson were among them. Others were known Quill scholars, a Beregenian missionary, and representatives from across the faithful. The Eldest Child of Kina, Elemi Scoria, was with them. He spoke to the crowd, a thundersheet necklace amplifying his voice. His words reverberated through the crowd, echoing off the darkened forest beyond the grove.

“Brothers and Sisters, Cousins in Spirit, attend. Mother calls. Her darkness stretches across the sky. It embraces us. We are her devoted Children. We answer her call. The call to be brave. The call to face the terrors of life, and of death. Yet mother knows our greatest Terror. Uncertainty. Uncertainty!” He shouted, his words echoing repeatedly into the darkness. “Fell demon of our fears. Our souls that temper the darkes despairs quail at thee. Khaditna calls upon us to search for meaning, yet our quest for certainty block our serach. Hear me, brothers and sisters! To embrace our faith is to resolve ourselves to uncertainty. We must become powerful in its face, to accept uncertainty and as a sign of our humility. For what is humility but a willingness to accept the lessons of life and to learn from them?

Cousins in spirit, knowledge is an unending adventure dancing upon the knife edge of uncertainty. We cannot see the future, and only glimpse the past. Yet in Khadi, in Kina, in the endless cycle of death and rebirth, our Mother provides. It was here, in this sacred grove, that she rent the very earth. It was here, on the night the great scholar Petrichor passed, that our Mother began to prepare a gift for us. For now, from the Nighthawk and onto her idol comes the sacred blood of the Mother of the Night, to lift the veil.

There are those among us, brothers and sisters, who were given a glimpse beyond. The mists that rise from those fissures have granted insight to the faithful. The twenty assembled here tonight” he indicated the 19 others, already seated on their platforms, “have come here to risk the uncertainty, to risk their very lives. As they were called to. As they believe they must. As we believe we must.”

He paused for a moment. As the echoes of his vice faded, the gathered crowd became aware of another sound. A distant confused drumbeat, and a wave-like roar, rising and falling. Those closest to the ring of coals were the first to realize it came from the assembled platforms. Thundersheet plants were amplifying the heartbeats and breathing of those 19.

Elemi spoke again, this time very quietly, “We hear the call of our Mother. In our hearts. We carry her life giving breath in our chests. Brother’s and sisters, cousins in spirit, I ask simply that you chant the first mantra with us as now. “Akhanda Satchidananda kali ma, Om jaganti mangala khaditna, narayaṇi namostu te Khaidi, Akhanda….” Elemi removed his thundersheet amplifier as the crowd took up the chant, quietly and slowly. He took his position on the twentieth dias. His heartbeat, his breathing mingled with the rest.

Slowly, over the space of many minutes, the beating grew more clear, the roar more defined. Twenty heartbeats synchronized. Twenty pairs of lungs breathed in unison. The beating matched the cadence of the mantra of the crowd. It seemed as if the torches lining the grove began to pulse as well, growing dimmer with each beat from the circle. Dark tendrils of mist crept from the cracks around the sacred tree. The circle of glowing coals that surrounded the twenty seemed to fade from red into a deep, barely visible purple. The fog of the night seemed to be congregating within the circle.

Suddenly, a great stench exploded from within the circle. Mold, decay, and the smell of corpses rotting in the heat assailed the nostrils of the assembled crowd. Many wretched, or coughed, but the chanting lost little intensity. Yet even as the stench rolled outward, a sudden wind seemed to pull toward the circle. The torches were extinguished, the coals taken up in a swirl of purple-white ash. The twenty bodies were obscured by a darkness so perfect it was visible against the night sky. It towered above the grove, dozens of chains high. A few red hot coals seemed to congregate into two almond shaped eyes near the top. A faint dusting of white ash seemed to form a necklace of skulls about the human-shaped darkness.

A wave of anger beat down upon the congregation. It was palpable, a literal force that pressed upon the assembled crowd. Many staggered under the weight of it. Others cried out, asking forgiveness for knowing transgressions. Others were caught up in the living memories of the first time they knowingly broke their parents rules, and were caught- reliving the embarrassment, the shame, the fear of losing forever the love of a parent. It was brief, intense, and heart-wrenching.


And then it was gone.
The seven sat close together during the ceremony. The watafiti transcribed the Elder Elemi's speech, and did their best to make a record of the entire ceremony. Meanwhile the thee shahidi sat in meditation watching the ceremony from the anga lingine. They watched in silence as more and more energy seemed to gather into the statue. As the dark slowly consumed the fires the mashahidi began their own quiet chant. "Asili Mkuu, utuokoe upumbavu na hatari milele na milele..."

The wave of stench washed over and around the mystics but left them untouched. The four watafiti wrote unflinchingly, until they were struck by the wave of anger. Once they had come to their sense they wrote what they each had experienced. The mashahidi only bowed their heads. They had long ago come to terms with their past.


Few slept soundly that night. A close brush with the mind of a goddess will do that. But others, a select few, had weird, vivid dreams.
The dreams were all the same. Darkness and the sounds of the rolling sea. Gradually, the person becomes aware of gently rocking on waves, being carried somewhere. The light gradually grew, and the person was being buoyed upon a sea of bleached, white human skulls. Being carried back into the grove. There, in the grove, was their mother. Not Kina, but Kina. The guise of the loving mother smiling at them. The loving mother offering them a warm place to rest and cool drink.

These people all found themselves awake, standing in the grove. They were alone. A few torches illuminated the ceremonial tables, but the shadows were dark and thick. They witness Elemi Scoria, eldest Child of Kina, literally step out of the insubstantial shadows and into the torchlight.

“Welcome cousin. You have heard her voice tonight as well. A choice lies before you. Partake of the Blood of the Mother and you will truly be in her presence. For a time. But be warned. Not all return. Some of our greatest have chosen to remain behind, in her embrace.

Who should be effected you think? One of the stoic but curious mashahidi, or one of the younger more easily influenced watafiti?

[SamBurke]

OOC: Valineth is currently in the spirit realm so I'm going work under the assumption that this conversation is taking place after the ceremony earlier in the night before this next bit kicked off.

Valineth turned to see the man addressing her. She had still been looking for Wayve while her daughters went off after the ceremony when this man's words had drawn her ear.

"I am no theologian," she answered, "Much of my knowledge of Kina comes from the Eldest Flint, and the writings of the Call of the Mother. Have you read the text?"

OOC: Sorry. Part of why I asked about this is because I'm very unfamiliar with the religion, both OOC and IC.

"I have read what portions of it are available in my lands, but Guilder's focus wanes on religion, growing on mechanics. So, tell me all that you can..." He pauses for a moment, and decides to introduce himself.

"I am Columbo Fiassa, born into a first name that means nothing, and a last name whose fame makes me obscure. So, I do not seek glory. I instead seek learning. There are worse ways to live one's life, are there not?"

[lt_murgen]

OOC: It does make sense for Colombo Fassa theGguilderene to have witnessed the ceremony from afar and be talking with Valineth afterwards, but before everyone falls asleep for the night. There is also the beregenian woman (otter-woman?) wandering about.



"Where are they Mother? Where are Kyria and Loris?"

Without comment, her mother motioned to two windows. Valineth moved to the first one, and looked out. She saw Loris far below, climbing about a rockface. She carried a backpack overflowing with dark pieces of polished jet. She watched her child lose her grip and slip down the face, pulled by the weight of the backpack. Still, Loris held on and continued climbing.

Through the other window, she looked down from a high balcony. Kyria sat in a chair, surrounded by books. She looked gaunt and pale, as if she hadn't eaten or even moved for days. As she watched, Kyria closed one book and took up another.

"They have chosen. I bear their failings. They witess their harms. In all cycles. They chose ignorance. They choose abstraction. They will remain" It was her mother's voice, but the words were cold, callous, and disconnected.


**SNIP**

The Children of Kina welcomed the Radjurjic mystics warmly. Several of the older scholars engaged in lively debate about the nature of reincarnation and the spirit world with them during the travels. They were also able to find a small area on the far side of the grove, that the mystics could use. They couldn't construct formal wards, but they were able to partition off a space for themselves with minimal disruption to the overall flow of energy in the grove.

***The Ceremony***
The wave of anger, despair, and recrimination pounded against the mystics. Every failure, every emotional betrayal they ever experienced was amplified and hurled at them in an instant. It took every bit of their training to not be overwhelmed. Still, it was physically unsettling.

As they watched the ceremony finish, those under the influence of the angua lingue noticed a connection between the survivors and the darkness. It was as if a portion of the shadows clung to them.


The stoic ones might be interested in what happened to the 10 who survived. I will post that a bit later. The watafiti might be unsettled by the power they felt. Either way, there is ample to be curious about.

[Reggiejam]

OOC: Sorry. Part of why I asked about this is because I'm very unfamiliar with the religion, both OOC and IC.

"I have read what portions of it are available in my lands, but Guilder's focus wanes on religion, growing on mechanics. So, tell me all that you can..." He pauses for a moment, and decides to introduce himself.

"I am Columbo Fiassa, born into a first name that means nothing, and a last name whose fame makes me obscure. So, I do not seek glory. I instead seek learning. There are worse ways to live one's life, are there not?"

OOC: No worries, just letting you know :)

Valineth smiled at the young man. His hesitance to boast and curious manner reminded her of her son.

"Walk with me Columbo, I am looking for my husband and son but that does not mean I cannot speak to you some about Kina though I imagine my daughter Loris would do a finer job."

"The Mother is a somewhat different goddess than those worshipped in other parts of the lands. She is a loving and guiding spirit much as the Lord of Fire is said to be, but equally she is a bringer of ruin upon the unjust, much as Yphinne is prophesied to bring about an eternal winter that will wipe out the unfaithful. In her is both the compassion and love of a mother for her children, for we are all her children, but so too within her is the rigid discipline necessary to teach and guide children and punish them when they err."

"She seeks to guide us to strive to better ourselves, to grow as we live, returning and learning again as we cycle through lives. But for those who refuse to learn, theirs are condemned to be removed from the cosmic cycle, to have their essence devoured by Khaditna, so is Kina a more involved god than the many conflicted spirits purported to mill about in the afterlife by Radurja who allow each and every creature the chance to be reborn, to try again. As Brother Adam was cast into the void over one half century ago it was Khaditna who devoured his soul and destroyed him as she did with the demons who fought the first gods before time."




Without comment, her mother motioned to two windows. Valineth moved to the first one, and looked out. She saw Loris far below, climbing about a rockface. She carried a backpack overflowing with dark pieces of polished jet. She watched her child lose her grip and slip down the face, pulled by the weight of the backpack. Still, Loris held on and continued climbing.

Through the other window, she looked down from a high balcony. Kyria sat in a chair, surrounded by books. She looked gaunt and pale, as if she hadn't eaten or even moved for days. As she watched, Kyria closed one book and took up another.

"They have chosen. I bear their failings. They witess their harms. In all cycles. They chose ignorance. They choose abstraction. They will remain" It was her mother's voice, but the words were cold, callous, and disconnected.


Valineth walked back from the window, standing in front of her mother, The Mother.

"An elder child must help guide and shepherd the younger. It is every child's choice and every child's burden to bear their fall, but a child does not walk alone. Let me speak with them Mother, let me be their mother that I might return them to the mortal world for they still have much to learn. I will not beg you for this Mother, it is not the way of a proper Child to beg, but I will request, and then I will insist, and then I will act."

[lt_murgen]

Valineth walked back from the window, standing in front of her mother, The Mother.

"An elder child must help guide and shepherd the younger. It is every child's choice and every child's burden to bear their fall, but a child does not walk alone. Let me speak with them Mother, let me be their mother that I might return them to the mortal world for they still have much to learn. I will not beg you for this Mother, it is not the way of a proper Child to beg, but I will request, and then I will insist, and then I will act."

The woman on the throne changed, slightly. Her skin became black and her hair wild. She appeared with her garland of infant skulls, her belt of severed genetalia. Her countenance showed no sign of compassion, no hint of mercy as her mouth opened to expose sharp fangs. Khadi, the Devourer of Souls, had come. Yet her eyes remained the caring eyes of birth mother.

Loris and Kyria appeared in the same instant. Loris, pinned to the floor under the weight of the backpack. Kryia, books clenched in each hand, moe under each arm, looking pale and paper-thin. “Show your mother your failures.” Came the command. From each child came a token- a stone, a book. They fell to the floor out of weakened hands, crashing, shattering, re-forming into blob like miniature lemure.

The abominations attacked Valineth, clawing and biting at her leg. She kicked them away, only to have them rush back. She stomped them, only to have them reform and come at her again. She grabbed them, holding them away from herself. She looked about to find a place to dispose or contain them, but she met Khadi’s eyes instead. Instinctively, she knew what was expected of her. She ate them, bodies shattering like shards of glass with each bite. Vile, stomach churning nausea followed them into her stomach, where they roiled and burned her from the inside out.

Panic and horror gripped her children’s face. “Mother no!” They weakly cried out. And Khadi smiled.


I leave the next part to you. It is clear the girls have to confront the demons of their mis-deeds, not only from this life but past lives. But as Valineth showed, it is painful. Valineth is certain they will not survive it. Had they confronted it one at a time, maybe, But now, weakened, they stand no chance. She has to convince them to allow her to take their sins, that she is strong enough to save them. Once that is done, all three will be very weak. This is your FAITH 10 moment- to survive the weight of two peoples sins. After that, I will post the demands of Kina.

****For others besides Reggie****The Next Day*****

The people gathered after the morning meal to hear each of the Chosen testify. The Eldest Child of Kina, Elemi Scoria, was first.

He spoke first of the 10 who did not return. Of the eulogized, only Fern Cascade, Dowager Queen of Celero, were known to outsiders. But Elemi spoke highly of each one, telling of their knowledge, their wisdom, their deeds in missionaries and theology.

Then he spoke of his own experience. Of having to face personifications his own fears and doubts. How he faced the demons of his life, and was further set upon by the misdeeds of his former lives. With each victory, he knew something of his soul’s journey across the ages. Different races, different places, yet the same strains of conceit, hubris, cynicism, and vainglory over and over again. He came to understand the very patterns etched upon his soul. Then he was in the Mother’s presence for a time. She brought understanding that his duty was to break those patterns. She returned him so that he might try harder.

She also gave him a gift. Touching a shadow created by the lectern, he simply melded into it and disappeared. He stepped out of another shadow some distance away. Shadows are an echo of the everlasting darkness of the night. The Night sky is Kina. She allows her favorites to pass through the infinite blackness as a sign of her favor.

Each of the other nine had a similar story. They returned from the realm of death understanding that shaping the faith, shaping the world, was not enough. They exhorted the congregation to truly examine their lives, to break the habits of the past, and to forge a new spirit.


https://40.media.tumblr.com/7bdc71505bc70923bfcee75228219e63/tumblr_n0dmbiR9wz1qiq3fqo8_500.jpg

[Reggiejam]

The woman on the throne changed, slightly. Her skin became black and her hair wild. She appeared with her garland of infant skulls, her belt of severed genetalia. Her countenance showed no sign of compassion, no hint of mercy as her mouth opened to expose sharp fangs. Khadi, the Devourer of Souls, had come. Yet her eyes remained the caring eyes of birth mother.

Loris and Kyria appeared in the same instant. Loris, pinned to the floor under the weight of the backpack. Kryia, books clenched in each hand, moe under each arm, looking pale and paper-thin. “Show your mother your failures.” Came the command. From each child came a token- a stone, a book. They fell to the floor out of weakened hands, crashing, shattering, re-forming into blob like miniature lemure.

The abominations attacked Valineth, clawing and biting at her leg. She kicked them away, only to have them rush back. She stomped them, only to have them reform and come at her again. She grabbed them, holding them away from herself. She looked about to find a place to dispose or contain them, but she met Khadi’s eyes instead. Instinctively, she knew what was expected of her. She ate them, bodies shattering like shards of glass with each bite. Vile, stomach churning nausea followed them into her stomach, where they roiled and burned her from the inside out.

Panic and horror gripped her children’s face. “Mother no!” They weakly cried out. And Khadi smiled.


I leave the next part to you. It is clear the girls have to confront the demons of their mis-deeds, not only from this life but past lives. But as Valineth showed, it is painful. Valineth is certain they will not survive it. Had they confronted it one at a time, maybe, But now, weakened, they stand no chance. She has to convince them to allow her to take their sins, that she is strong enough to save them. Once that is done, all three will be very weak. This is your FAITH 10 moment- to survive the weight of two peoples sins. After that, I will post the demands of Kina.


"Kyria, Loris," Valineth managed to speak their names as the sins of her daughters boiled inside her, "Cast off your chains and shackles of sin! Bind them to me my daughters, let your souls free from their torment and live!"

Kyria hesitated, clinging to her books, a stack of tactical stratagems, of writings on Ashamrian Prowess, of heroes and conquerors long dead. Loris' hands bled as she gripped the jet black stone tightly, but she didn't seem to notice, her eyes were transfixed on her mother.

"Listen to me now! Do not hesitate!" Valineth's voice was ragged, as if it were a page being ripped from a book.

Loris' grip loosened and a stone fell to the ground, it morphed and attacked Valineth but she devoured it. A tome fell from Kyria's arm and followed suit. The twins, seeming almost in a haze one by one released their sins, jet and leather bound paper thudding and crashing to the ground, flooding forward towards Valineth and swallowing her in inky blackness.

Within Valineth could feel herself consumed, the cold sting of her daughters' sins gnawing at her, seeming to reach under her very flesh to undo her. She felt as if she might explode, or be crushed into a pinpoint of nothingness, but she held on. Her teeth flashed and she swallowed the surrounding sin like a drowning woman swallowing water. She did not slow down, she did not stop even as she felt her head grow faint, she continued to consume, to take in the sin and let it fight her from within. As she felt her body begin to fade and her eyes begin to close she saw light, fractal light spewing in from the Ice Palace within the spirit realm, illuminating the Throne of Thorns and beside it standing her two daughters.

She screamed, it seemed silent to her ears but the black pitchy sin coalesced about her mouth, pouring into her like water down a drain. Her hair flew wildly as wicked wind blew over her and for an eternity she thought it would never end.

Then it was over.

Her mouth snapped closed and she doubled over in pain, falling to her knees and then all the way to the ground, laying on her side. Her skin was grey, black lines running through her veins beneath her pale skin, and her eyes were bloodshot and distant. Her hair was completely white, like a phantom's and her teeth were rotted and black.

Her daughters moved forward, collapsing beside her. Tears streamed down both their faces but they seemed oblivious to it. Valineth's breath was shallow and seemed to be growing fainter. Inside her mind she saw only two faces, Kyria and Loris, hovering above her. She focused in on them and they morphed, becoming the faces of young women, then children, then the twin babes she had held in her arms in Earthome so many years ago. Slowly her breaths deepened and she struggled up to her hands and knees. The blackness in her veins began to fade and she looked up at her daughters, one by one, before turning to look at Kina.

She said nothing, but a question filled her eyes. She felt too far gone, she had done too much here now to return to life as it was for her, but her daughters, they were free now. They were free but could one life buy two?

[WaylanderX]

"Next time," she agreed but her tone and body language made it clear she was only playing lip service.

"I'm going to go and check on Loris," Kyria said, ignoring her brother and leaving without waiting for her parents' responding.

"I'm sorry dear," Valineth said quietly, "I don't know what to do with her. She spends all her time away from me, cajoling and making connections with the Fae Court and the Yorukuni Aristocracy. The only family she speaks to anymore in anything longer than a sentence or two is her sister. And Loris," she paused as if she couldn't think of the words, "Loris has become devoted, overly devoted I think to Kina. She pays all her time and works towards the Mother but her own mother hardly sees her," Val's words caught in her throat and she visibly fought down a panicky outburst, moving to stand next to Wayve and taking his hand.

Wayve pulled Valineth close, softly carressing her hair.

"I know, my dear, I've seen it as well. All we can do is hope that their gods will lead them to the correct path. Our part is done, the only thing we can do is to be there for them when the time comes."

Sadness warped his voice.

"Until then, there is nothing we can do but watch."


"Kyria, Loris," Valineth managed to speak their names as the sins of her daughters boiled inside her, "Cast off your chains and shackles of sin! Bind them to me my daughters, let your souls free from their torment and live!"

Kyria hesitated, clinging to her books, a stack of tactical stratagems, of writings on Ashamrian Prowess, of heroes and conquerors long dead. Loris' hands bled as she gripped the jet black stone tightly, but she didn't seem to notice, her eyes were transfixed on her mother.

"Listen to me now! Do not hesitate!" Valineth's voice was ragged, as if it were a page being ripped from a book.

Loris' grip loosened and a stone fell to the ground, it morphed and attacked Valineth but she devoured it. A tome fell from Kyria's arm and followed suit. The twins, seeming almost in a haze one by one released their sins, jet and leather bound paper thudding and crashing to the ground, flooding forward towards Valineth and swallowing her in inky blackness.

Within Valineth could feel herself consumed, the cold sting of her daughters' sins gnawing at her, seeming to reach under her very flesh to undo her. She felt as if she might explode, or be crushed into a pinpoint of nothingness, but she held on. Her teeth flashed and she swallowed the surrounding sin like a drowning woman swallowing water. She did not slow down, she did not stop even as she felt her head grow faint, she continued to consume, to take in the sin and let it fight her from within. As she felt her body begin to fade and her eyes begin to close she saw light, fractal light spewing in from the Ice Palace within the spirit realm, illuminating the Throne of Thorns and beside it standing her two daughters.

She screamed, it seemed silent to her ears but the black pitchy sin coalesced about her mouth, pouring into her like water down a drain. Her hair flew wildly as wicked wind blew over her and for an eternity she thought it would never end.

Then it was over.

Her mouth snapped closed and she doubled over in pain, falling to her knees and then all the way to the ground, laying on her side. Her skin was grey, black lines running through her veins beneath her pale skin, and her eyes were bloodshot and distant. Her hair was completely white, like a phantom's and her teeth were rotted and black.

Her daughters moved forward, collapsing beside her. Tears streamed down both their faces but they seemed oblivious to it. Valineth's breath was shallow and seemed to be growing fainter. Inside her mind she saw only two faces, Kyria and Loris, hovering above her. She focused in on them and they morphed, becoming the faces of young women, then children, then the twin babes she had held in her arms in Earthome so many years ago. Slowly her breaths deepened and she struggled up to her hands and knees. The blackness in her veins began to fade and she looked up at her daughters, one by one, before turning to look at Kina.

She said nothing, but a question filled her eyes. She felt too far gone, she had done too much here now to return to life as it was for her, but her daughters, they were free now. They were free but could one life buy two?

Wayve and Rove looked at the whole ritual, unable to move, their faces wrenched in horror. Wayve's axe glowed in a blinding crimson now, its power palpable. There was something else on the clearing, another power....

"VALINETH! NNOO! DON'T DO IT! THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!"

Wayve stepped towards Valineth, only to be pushed back by an unseen force.
A soft voice echoed through the clearing.

It is not your time.... This choice was hers to make.... Your time to choose will come...

"But but...my wife...my love...I cannot...."

Flames spread across Wayve's body, jumping over to Rove. The flames seemed to guide them off the clearing, back to their accomodations, not seeming to physically hurt them. Again, the voice could be hear silently, trailing off on the wind.

Protect the souls who worship you, Mother. Until we meet agaaiiinnn........

[lt_murgen]

To clean up the timeline a bit:

Wayve and Rove had awoken sometime later, and realized all three women were gone. The obvious conclusion was that they had returned to the grove once again. They followed cautiously. By the time they reached the grove, Valineth was in the throes of her trials, lying on a bier between Loris and Kryia. The girls were pale, and still, dead or nearly so. But Valineth thrashed and called out, her words clear to those around.

"You will not disturb them. They are here by choice." Elemi's words were curt and to the point. Several figures emerged, literally, from the shadows. Each carrying a ruemel. Elemi motioned them off. "Watch. Something miraculous happening."




Wayve and Rove looked at the whole ritual, unable to move, their faces wrenched in horror. Wayve's axe glowed in a blinding crimson now, its power palpable. There was something else on the clearing, another power....

"VALINETH! NNOO! DON'T DO IT! THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!"

Wayve stepped towards Valineth, only to be pushed back by an unseen force.
A soft voice echoed through the clearing.

It is not your time.... This choice was hers to make.... Your time to choose will come...

"But but...my wife...my love...I cannot...."

Flames spread across Wayve's body, jumping over to Rove. The flames seemed to guide them off the clearing, back to their accomodations, not seeming to physically hurt them. Again, the voice could be hear silently, trailing off on the wind.

Protect the souls who worship you, Mother. Until we meet agaaiiinnn........



...She said nothing, but a question filled her eyes. She felt too far gone, she had done too much here now to return to life as it was for her, but her daughters, they were free now. They were free but could one life buy two?

The goddess upon the throne stood. The two girls turned to look at her. Gone was the fierce red eyes and vicious fangs. Gone was the garland of skulls and belt. She was clothed as her mother was clothed for her most formal occasions. The girls felt a wave of emotion pouring off of Kina. Not hate, not fear, not anger, but pride. "She understands. She acts. I have found one to save."

Kina stepped past the two girls and bent down, placing a kiss upon Valineth's forehead. "Rest now, child." The imprint of her forehead began to glow, spreading a shimmering white across Valineth's prone form. It covered her in a cocoon of light.

"She had paid a dear price for her children. Yet the balance must be struck. Three souls came here, and only one was destined to return. I cannot gainsay it. Her sacrifice can be honored. One will live for 50 years while the other is preserved. He soul shall tend her mother in the mending. Fifty years you will have to honor the sacrifice. Then your places shall be swapped.” A thin rod of polished jet appeared in Kina’s hands. She held it out to the girls. "Take it and return.”

At the grove, Wayve’s spirit form had barely departed when the darkness engulfed the bodies of the three women. Another wave of smell washed across the grove, and a strong wind rushed outwards. Inside the minds of those present, an unbreakable command was imprinted- speak not of this.

When the darkness faded, Valineth lay still. One daughter heaved a great intake of air. The second was cocooned in a carapace of jet black, yet somehow transparent stone.

[Reggiejam]

The goddess upon the throne stood. The two girls turned to look at her. Gone was the fierce red eyes and vicious fangs. Gone was the garland of skulls and belt. She was clothed as her mother was clothed for her most formal occasions. The girls felt a wave of emotion pouring off of Kina. Not hate, not fear, not anger, but pride. "She understands. She acts. I have found one to save."

Kina stepped past the two girls and bent down, placing a kiss upon Valineth's forehead. "Rest now, child." The imprint of her forehead began to glow, spreading a shimmering white across Valineth's prone form. It covered her in a cocoon of light.

"She had paid a dear price for her children. Yet the balance must be struck. Three souls came here, and only one was destined to return. I cannot gainsay it. Her sacrifice can be honored. One will live for 50 years while the other is preserved. He soul shall tend her mother in the mending. Fifty years you will have to honor the sacrifice. Then your places shall be swapped.” A thin rod of polished jet appeared in Kina’s hands. She held it out to the girls. "Take it and return.”

At the grove, Wayve’s spirit form had barely departed when the darkness engulfed the bodies of the three women. Another wave of smell washed across the grove, and a strong wind rushed outwards. Inside the minds of those present, an unbreakable command was imprinted- speak not of this.

When the darkness faded, Valineth lay still. One daughter heaved a great intake of air. The second was cocooned in a carapace of jet black, yet somehow transparent stone.


*Giddy screaming* Awesome! Been wanting to do this for ages and it is more awesome than I hoped it would be! Thank you for working with me on this Murgen! :D


Kyria and Loris exchanged glances, an unspoken communication between the twins and Kyria reached out and grasped the offering of Kina. She felt a shudder, a wave of heat like that caused by blood rushing to the extremities when entering from the chill to the warmth of a fire. Around her the Ice Palace of the dream world faded, turning black as the night sky, then the stars brightening, filling her vision until she could not see for the light was so intense. And at last her earthly eyes opened and her breath found her she was in the Grove once more.

Kyria sat up, looking over at her mother and her twin. Her face, paler than it had ever been before, betrayed no emotion but her hand lingered to lightly touch the encasing stone of Loris and she stood slowly from beside them. She turned to where she saw the Eldest in the torchlight and took a step towards him. On the ground a shadow curled to her feet and seemed to writhe up her leg and she felt the tug of the darkness. To walk through it and join it for a moment. The next moment she was beside the Eldest, appearing from the shadows.

"Eldest, may I make a request?" she asked.

Her voice sounded different than it had before. Hollow wasn't the right word, but dead with a notable lack of vibrancy.

"My sister must remain here, in the Grove, until it is my time to return and pay a portion of my due owed to my Mothers. My mother Valineth would like to stay with her, buried here in the Grove if you will allow. And Eldest, thank you for what you have helped bring here today."

After the night had ended Kyria was not seen the following day, but rumors from fisherman off the coast of Tar and the Jeweled Cities purported seeing a winged woman flying across the bay in the night. Kyria could not be found by Wayve or Rove, she seemed to be avoiding her father and brother, though Valineth's ring was found by Wayve within his tent, resting on his bed as if it had been there waiting for him to find it.

[lt_murgen]

The Eldest honored her request. The first, and only, mausoleum in the Grove of Doom was constructed. It lay across the grove, driectly opposite the idol of Kina Bethroned. Throne native to the regions of the Faedas were imported, along with precious metals and gems. Bas reliefs were carved along the exterior, telling the story of the Great Sacrifice. The only door was secured with the most complex and ornate lock the AQUA clockwork masters could devise. Another door lay on the roof of the structure, similarly locked. One key went to Queen Loris, the other to Wayve.

[Reggiejam]

The Eldest honored her request. The first, and only, mausoleum in the Grove of Doom was constructed. It lay across the grove, driectly opposite the idol of Kina Bethroned. Throne native to the regions of the Faedas were imported, along with precious metals and gems. Bas reliefs were carved along the exterior, telling the story of the Great Sacrifice. The only door was secured with the most complex and ornate lock the AQUA clockwork masters could devise. Another door lay on the roof of the structure, similarly locked. One key went to Queen Loris, the other to Wayve.

OOC: Queen Kyria* and I see what you're doing and I approve for proper dramatics sake :smallwink: