Echoes of Power, Part IX: Blood, Belief, Beguile
As adventurers travelled the realm in search of the Curator’s weakness, Duiran’s ritualists flocked to desecrated Ulangi.
Called to rites and communion by Runemaster Olto, the council’s foremost shamans and seers delved into the land’s terror and anguish to soothe its many pains. Assailed by ancestral memories of what once was for thousands of years, the Heartwood toiled away for the sake of their grim work. It encased each moment witnessed in a physical form, sealing away the lost might of the Horkvali and Grook tribes into wooden charms that they then strung around the Verdant Totem in celebration of its upcoming journey. Though many rushed to document what was lost, those Duirani who sifted through these tormented recollections found themselves awestruck and mournful by the end of their saddening toil, the dire implications of their viewings weighing heavily upon their minds in a manner that drove some to seek the bottom of bottles and mugs both to wash away those phantom pains.
As the Heartwood worked to ease Ulangi’s pains, the Sanguine Fist mobilised their scholars and mages in hopes of finding a weakness in the Tree of Stasis. Though most visits were mere investigations and treading ground already pursued by the other three city-states, it was the Apostles who finally set out to attack Morvaethe’s landmark in a new, if pointedly familiar, way: digging into the earth. Positing that the Tree could be attacked at its roots, Linyive, the Architect of Blood and Bone, commanded her fellows to begin digging within the Ithmian woods, though a day’s worth of effort found them no closer to success than when they started. Reasoning that magic or a beast of burden would be necessary, the Empire turned an eye toward another manner: the Bloodflower Falls.
Determined to tap the landmark for their own gain, the Sanguine Fist’s ritualists gathered before the Bloodflower Falls and utilised a mixture of mortal humours and Immortal blood to coerce the landmark to bend to their will. Through the power of brutal sacrifice and dark magic, Myrnma managed to divine a shred of purpose from the ancient magical site and soon realised that it had a nigh-insatiable thirst for carnage and gore. Thoroughly convinced that the landmark’s power could be purchased by sating its hunger, the Thronekeeper advised the rest of their fellow imperials that they would need to amass a truly spectacular offering. The uppermost nobility of the city swiftly convened as a secretive cabal might, plotting something even the Grand Library could not divine the fullest extent of.
It was not until the afternoon of Severin’s first day in the eleventh year past the Monomachy that Morvaethe once more made his presence known to the continent at large, proclaiming his latest exhibit on public display: Amitivis, the Fang of Vengeance. Adventurers slowly trickled into the Curator’s halls, with Viceroy Sheryni Nebre’seir the first to arrive and subsequently noticed the psychic energy that seemed to radiate from the display itself, even as she publicly noted her approval of the beast’s confinement in a place where a known enemy of the Theocracy could not harm it. When more members of Spinesreach filtered in, however, they began speaking aloud or offering private thoughts directed to the jailed serpent to aid its struggle, which resonated in the air as escalating psychic backlash.
As the other cities likewise began to find a place in the viewing gallery around the central construct hosting a singular georama on display, cries of passion, fury, and revenge each rang throughout the halls and the continent both. A lone member of the Hammer, Knight-Artillerist Xavin Taziyah, surveyed the scene without interfering for or against any faction, Enorian’s principles firmly adhered to – the unrepentant deserved no mercy, and this snake was no different. Myriad support from all other cities swelled in favour of lending whatever power might be within grasp to Amitivis, with members of the Sentaari attempting to lock minds with and provide telepathic force to him. Other councillors of Duiran, along with a smattering of Spireans and Bloodlochians, chanted a warcry christened years prior in the blood of Sterion’s Minotaurs: Strike! Kill! Consume!
When the cries reached a fever pitch, and the crystal of Amitivis’ temporary containment device had finally cracked under the psychic strain, the gargantuan creature broke free from its stasis amid a calamitous outpouring of combined energy. The few cheers that erupted from the gathering were swiftly drowned out by the Curator’s shouts that rang across the land:
“GUARDS! SEIZE THE SERPENT! DISPERSE THE RABBLE!”
Immediately, a flurry of arcane azure swelled into the halls, bringing with it the shades of Menedu war parties set to march for their conqueror’s cause. Waves of these brutish simulacrums assaulted those gathered, more and more answering their captor’s pleas to wipe free his Curatorial Sanctum of the presence of impudent mortals. Shortly after an overwhelming number of these warriors won a swift victory, the portal allowing entry into the pocket realm’s halls closed off, securing the confines from further disturbances for the time being. Amitivis, the Fang of Vengeance, was last seen burrowing deep into the nearby mountain chain, with the fading sounds of the Curator’s angry tirade likewise disappearing as he raised his defences to buy time to reconsider his plans.
Hardly a few hours later, early in the morning of Severin’s second day, a group of Spireans gathered just inside the Theocracy’s outer gate. A few slow blinks broke the shadows around Regent Legyn as eyes peered outwards towards those nearby, and subsequent investigation revealed the form of a Tricolour-armoured Theocratic gremlin who chose to report for duty. Soon, a plan formed as the Chaos entity adopted an all-too-familiar appearance. Those gathered quickly dubbed the dutiful yet excitedly aggressive spy named ‘Oube’ and offered a new uniform. Designed by Viceroy Pietre, the clothing adhered to the most stringent of ‘Top Rock’ traditions, which he swore by based upon his private studies. After a bit of back and forth, during which dirt and grime were inexplicably found and used to sully the new uniform, the Chaos entity haphazardly donned his new outfit and rolled around on the ground before boldly declaring: “OUBE READY FOR SPY MISSION! DISGUISE PERFECT! NO ONE SUSPECT!”
Soon after, the conclavists subjected Oube to a series of rigorous conditioning activities to prepare him for immersion as a deep cover agent. Of foremost importance was his manner of speech, and the gremlin-Kobold went through an obstreperous series of yaps, yawps, yups, and yeeps as he attempted to perfect a Kobold’s classical ‘yip’. When the time seemed right, or perhaps just when young Oube of Chaos finally remembered, he shared a mission-critical objective given to him by General Aredra, Who Sees All Moves, a powerful commander of Labyrinthine Chaos: “GENERAL AREDRA SAY BEFORE OUBE LEAVE THAT OUBE MUST MASTER COMBAT ROLL!”
Recognising that there were no Kobolds present with which to teach the ancient tradition to young Oube, the Spireans present herded the excitable ‘Kobold’ gremlin toward Chief Trinketeer Hoube, currently the foreperson of the Spirean Steelworks and an associate of TRASH, as well as a ‘Top Rock truther’. The Kobold Foreman briefly attempted to discern if Oube was an Ophidian in disguise, having been previously counselled by Supreme Viceroy Noube about such tricks that the crafty enemies might play upon them. Viceroy Pietre Marcelli’s quick thinking swiftly supplied an explanation that washed away any doubt of Oube’s visibly noticeable differences, leading Hoube to believe the gremlin was merely a Kobold from Siha Dilys who wished to learn the ‘true ways’. Accepting this without question, the actual Kobold pulled his new friend aside, and they began to discuss the differences between Top Rock and Siha Dylis traditions in detail. Those ears most keen heard the Chief Trinketeer speaking at length while Oube, its first deceptive mission a rousing success, practised its yips as short, risk-avoidant responses.
Meanwhile, as the Theocracy, Heartwood, and Sanguine Fist toiled towards individual goals, a burly ship crew made its last preparations…
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Summary: Duiran toiled on Ulangi amid the memory of lives long dead to empower the Verdant Totem. Bloodloch conducted a ritual with the Bloodflower Falls. With support from a diverse array of Sapient adventurers, Amitivis broke free of its stasis. Spinesreach garbed a Chaos gremlin in fake Kobold attire to carry out a plan to fool the Curator with their offering.
Penned by my hand on Closday, the 21st of Chakros, in the year 11 AC.
