Empire 6: The Sentinel's Fortress

[Laura]

Meeting of the Shepherds


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The great black cliffs of Gilead rose from a churning sea, but their height and craggy majesty were overshadowed by the stone-stacked walls of the fortress above them, a castle as large or larger than any other to be found in the known world.

Visitors coming into the harbor make port alongside enormous sentinel ships with many rows of oars and step onto a quay teaming with a cosmopolitan crown. The sound of seabirds and crashing waves mingle with the calls and voices of people. Sentinel aspirants from around the world move by with various weapons on their belts or carried in hand. Tradesmen and merchants work hard to bring in supplies, unloading cargo which would need to be laboriously carried up the steep winding paths from harbor to the high fort above.

Amidst the bustle, an elven sailor catches the visitors eyes. She has dark skin, tattooed in inks of blue and teal green. Curly brown hair is bound up in a frizzy bun between her pointed ears and her eyes are a cheerful sea-green. She bows to the visitor, placing her fist to her forehead and crossing one leg in front of the other. Her language is strange, a lilting almost musical tone and though the words can't be understood, her expressions and motions clearly indicate her intentions of welcome. She says something more, with the tone of a question and then smiles patiently and turns to wave to someone else across the quay.

Another elf, taller than the first, turns from where she'd been arguing with a vendor and then with a dismissive hand wave to her previous debate partner moves over to join the first elf. The two are obviously of the same race, with similar features and complexion. However, the second elf is dressed in the bright streaming colors and clothing of a Dreamspeaker and a tambourine is tied to her hip. Her green eyes look the visitor over and her wide lips smile as her companion explained something in their own language. Then the second elf bows in a manner similar to the first.

"Greetings," she says in a slow careful tone, Dreamspeaker or not, she was clearly not accustomed or comfortable speaking in the visitors native language, "Long days an' warm nights be with ye... Welcome to Á'Shansholí. I am M’Ká’acindi’tonyóndersan – My Song Flows to Lands Far & Wide - and this is Captain Zulaura’Klaní’Hiah – Blue-Waves-Crashing-&-Laughing. Ye be here to meet the High Speaker, yes? We can bring ye to the Fortress. Will ye a'comeing?" she motions up toward the fortress, "We have kept a room fer ye, waiting fer when ye may a'come."

[Frostwander]

Khetra steps from the deck of the ship that had brought her onto the quay. Her eyes lower from the massive fortress above, which has kept her gaze for most of the last hour, to the people milling about. Elves. Though these people were certainly different from the Sirrvadut in many ways, they were at least more familiar a physical form than some of the strangers she had encountered in the last few months' journey. It had been a difficult trip, not just for the massive distance, but also the hardships of communication with so many foreign cultures and tongues. She had not lingered in her travels anywhere, but crossing so much water and land could not be done alone. But for the assistance of Dreamspeakers and Truthseers in places, it would not have been possible at all.

The Mira was aware that as much as her gaze rested curiously on the folk greeting her, she turned many more heads herself, a reminder that here she was the foreigner and the stranger. She stepped briskly up the pier, not shying from the prying eyes. At twenty-one hands tall, she is a full head and more above most of the workers and sailors here, and her purposeful stride sends a few bustling to get out of her way. She wears heavy cloth wraps and a skirt of undyed gray wool, and over her shoulder is slung a wood-and-hide shield, a shortspear with a bronze blade, and a black iron sword the length of her forearm. While her aqua colored skin is worn with age, it is still taut over the powerful muscles of a warrior. Her wavy hair is held from her eyes by a thin copper wreath, and seems almost to sway with her motion like the waves below.

Halfway up the quay, the first person not to clear out of Khetra's way catches her eye, and addresses her. Khetra is patient while she summons another, this elf a Dreamspeaker by appearance, who speaks to her in words she knows, for the first time in months. The names are unfamiliar, a flow of strange syllables, but with time and repetition she is sure she will catch on; she has always been good with names. The ra smiles, stretches out her arms to either side and dips at the knees. "Greetings, My Song Flows to Lands Far & Wide and Blue-Waves-Crashing-&-Laughing. I come to you bearing the respects and good wishes of the Vygra, at the invitation of your leader Talákin’Zaní’Quezí. I am Khetra of Vyterrat." She follows as they lead up the cliff path toward the home of the Sentinels of Stone.

Khetra
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[D&D_Fan]

A ship arrives at the Cliffs far below the Sentinel Fortress.
Stairs and spires are ascended till the castle above is reached.
Gothek, Queen of the Soreni, and Alexios, the Sentinel Hero.
Gothek is wearing her Snow cat cloak, and some silver jewelry.
This is probably a good decision as it is presumably cold outside, and Soreni are cold-blooded reptiles.
Of course, there aren't that many 7 foot tall feathered reptiles here, and her presence is sure to net a good deal of attention, but she is fine with that.

As far as Alexios goes, he is there too and is probably also wearing weather-appropriate clothing.
Dark will be playing him.

[Laura]

The shaní elvs accommodate their guests the best they could, providing them with rooms and meals and giving them free rein to explore Gilead and the surrounding countryside. Usually, a Dream Speaker or a Sentinel could be on hand to help them translate conversations and give directions, but the language barrier was still a difficult obstacle to overcome. Nonetheless, the culture in Á'Shansholí seemed to be friendly and welcoming toward strangers and most people the encountered were eager to learn about new peoples and culture and just as eager to share gifts or offer "Very good deals! Excellent quality!" on native goods and trinkets.

A few days after Khetra, Gothek and Alexios had arrived they were given a message that Talákin'Zaní'Quêzí would meet them in the Central Hall of the fortress. The room was enormous with a ceiling so high it was shrouded in dark shadows. It was pentagon in shape with no windows and large tapestries adorning four of the five walls, the fifth wall contained the room's only door, a large double door with stone reliefs depicting warriors standing on a fire mountain carved into it. In the middle of the room was a large round table with twenty chairs evenly spaces around it and a number of bright candelabras illuminating the middle of the great chamber.

The only person when they entered was Zan'Quêzí. He stood very tall for a shán, though at a few inches short of seven feet, is was still the shortest person in the meeting. Long black braids that shone in the candlelight hung over each of his shoulders and intricate tattoos of abstract design spiraled over his bronze face. Intense blue eyes, like the color of striking lightning captured the attention of any who looked upon him and his age was impossible to guess. He seemed as faire, strong and handsome as any young warrior taking the field for the first time, but there was a look in his eyes and a gravity to his stance that seemed to speak of many years and a weight of time and disappointment known only to the oldest of elders. His clothes were made of buckskin and furs and left very little skin revealed, clasping close at the neck and covering his arms down to the wrists. Some silver beads and dyed eagle feathers adorned his braids, but otherwise the High Speaker had little to indicate wealth or luxury or a high position in society.

As his guests entered he bowed, crossing his right leg in front of his left and pressing a fist to his forehead. His voice was deep and had the same melodically lilting tone as they'd heard other shaní speak in.

"Welcome my sisters an' Alexios'Siah. Long days and warm nights be with ye. I am grateful that ye have heeded my call to this place an' that simráh has guided yer steps the many long miles across the yonder world. Alexios, my friend, it lifts my ka to see ye again. Would ye be willing to translate the words between us all? I kin that there is much o' great importance to discuss an' I would not wish to bring in other translators to hear our words."

As Alexios nodded and translated his greeting into the two other languages, Zan'Quêzí's striking eyes surveyed his guests, making note of expressions and details, trying to understand the disposition of his guests. Both the Soreni and the Vygra were races unfamiliar to him, but, in his experience, the emotions, minds and Kaí of all people were of a common song, regardless of the outer instrument it was played upon.

"Please stand or sit as it most pleases yeh," he said, once the greetings had been translated, "Save fer the Undying, our common teacher, we are all equals here, students who have heeded Alexios'Siah's call an' pondered the Riddle o' Steel."

[Frostwander]

Khetra returns Zan'Quêzí's bow with a polite smile, spreading her arms to her sides and dipping her knees in the Vygra manner. She steps partway around the table, pausing to greet Alexios with a familiar smile and bow to Gothek as well, then takes a seat about halfway between the sentinel and the elven host. Once he has finished his welcome, she speaks, allowing pauses for Alexios to translate.

"Thank you for your welcome and your hospitality, High Speaker Talákin'Zaní'Quêzí. I bring to you and your people the greetings and good will of the Vygra Confluence.

"I am glad to learn that there are others dedicated to the service of the World Soul. My people know a little of the Soreni," she indicates Queen Gothek with one hand, "but have had no prior contact or knowledge of your people, the Shaní. I am eager to learn more of them, and how you came to this service and stewardship of this land."

[Laura]

Zan'Quêzí took a seat as well. "Even a'fore the Blue Commit cleansed the sky, my people held great respect fer the Sentinels an' honored 'em fer their courage an' dedication in fighting the 'Spawn. A warrior among my people, M’Eld’Quêth’Dóah, in particular had great interest in the Sentinels an' considered some among their numbers as his dearest friends. When the Blue Commit came, the Sentinels reached out an', at their behest, we constructed a circle o' standing stones as a base fer 'em in our own native valley o' Shandolyn."

Zan'Quêzí paused to make sure Alexios could translate and then continued with his story, his hands folded on the table before him. "They sent one o' their number, a human called Roland, to tend the stones. Over the years that follered, Roland an' M’Eld’Quêth’Dóah grew close in friendship an' trust. Indeed, Roland'Cai did much fer all o' us an' was well beloved in Shandolyn. However, as is the way between elves and humans, Roland passed away leaving M’Eld’Quêth’Dóah mourning his friend with a long life still to live. By this time, rumors that the Sentinel's always sailed out o' the west had reached us. Kinning this, M’Eld’Quêth’Dóah made it his quest to return the Sword o' Roland to the Sentinels in person an' fer many years he searched the coasts journeying ever westward. He an' a shaná sea captain, Zulaura’Klaní’Hiah, finally found this land o' Gilead an' this great fortress o' the Sentinels. It is only in the past dozen years, however, that we formalized an official alliance with the Order o' the Sentinels o' the Stone an' Gilead joined the united councils of Á'Shansholí. It was amidst these negotiations, that we sought the wisdom an' council o' Alexios, fer we wished to truly understand an' do well by him and his order. I gained his trust an' after years o' training together, he shared with me the Riddle o' Steel."

Having finished his story, Zan'Quêzí let the translations finish and they added, "Fer my self, I admit that I kin nary nothing o' the Vygra nor the Sorení. What paths led ye to yer oaths?"

[Frostwander]

Khetra's face is somber as she recalls. "The Vygra have struggled against the blightspawn for as long as we remember under the poison of the red sky. Even with the aid and diligence of the sentinels, some would find their way into our lands and prey on the people. I lost my wife and youngest daughter to one such attack. When the blue star cleansed the sky, and the possibility of growth exceeded mere survival, we knew there would be bigger challenges ahead. I have dedicated myself to aligning our progress with the Sentinels, so they need not face the blight alone, and in turn have found them to be as staunch an ally as we could ask."

Her lips finally curl into a brief smile. "Alexios came to me, and I am well familiar with the rigors of training under his instruction, as I am sure you both are. I did not anticipate the truths he shared with me then, but I believed, and have come to know the Riddle and the tempering of flame. And my understanding came none too soon. For nearly three decades the lands of Kiswa were beset by a host of gluttonous shadows like had never been seen. Thousands died, and much was sacrificed in purging them, until we finally found their source and our champions brought it down. We stand now with those foes cast down ready to rebuild again.

"I know that our respite cannot be truly permanent, however, so long as the Trespasser remains. And I worry that more abominable creatures yet await us."

[Laura]

A heavy stillness settled, once Alexios finished translating Khetra's story. Zan'Quêzí had heard little more than vague rumors and wisps of far-flung tales about the Gluttonous Shadows of Kiswa and to have it confirmed that such creatures and battles had indeed been fought for the past thirty years was sobering.

When no one else took breath to break the silence, Zan'Quêzí leaned forward in his chair, "Ye speak true, Khetra'Cai. While the Tresspasser remains in this world, there can narry be an end to his nightmares o' Blightspawn. Death an' horror shall haunt all the lands an' worse still, we ever stand under the threat o' the Trasspasser breaking from his trap an' awakening into this world fully."

He stood and ran a hand over the heavy surface of the table, as Alexios translated and then continued, his lightning blue eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. "Furthermore, fer years I have been working with allies here in Tarandi to gather what clues an' tellings I may on the False Dawn an' the lost histories o' the First Empire. They have uncovered insights on the Can'Calahs o' Life an' Destruction that turn the cycle o' the World Soul. Matched with the histories Alexios have told me, we have formed what theories we may on what truly happened in the False Dawn. Like a land buried deep under snow and ice, the secrets o' the past are obscured. There are only muffled shapes an' bit an' parts laid bare by the winds o' chance. Yet, fer those with searching eyes, these shapes may be seen, an' they have shown us where to begin digging an' chipping away at the ice o' time. It is very well that Alexios an' his order seek out the ruins o' Nemoikriosus, fer I kin there is much to be uncovered there, which may confirm or reconstruct our theories. In the meantime, I kin it well that we share what we have now with each other an' Alexios'Siah, so that when his scouts return we may view the results with clear eyes."

[Frostwander]

Khetra nods in agreement as the elf speaks. "There is much for us to discuss in depth, then, and more knowledge to share. We would know of your allies and the insights you have uncovered, and will wish to share ours in turn. Perhaps together we shall accomplish much in the grace of the World Soul. I would stay here for a time to speak, if you will have me.

"It will also be important for our people to have a manner in which to communicate. Once I return, I will bring your words to Matji Varsha, who stands tempered by the World Soul as well. We will send more emissaries as we are able."