Echoes of Power, Part XV: Preparations
As the Labyrinth’s Grasp neared the zenith of its power, the Theocracy of Spinesreach turned its formidable attention toward final preparations for their most audacious goal yet: breaching the Source of Knowledge itself.
Deep within the guild’s shadowed halls, Sneak the Numerologist presented her findings to the assembled Archivists. The legendary occultist had spent weeks analysing the resonance patterns captured during the sevenfold elicitation of the Immortal Number, poring over data that had cost seven lives to obtain and created numerous disasters. Where once it was thought Lord Severn’s memories might have resided in a singular location within the Source, Lexadhra’s cunning had scattered them like stars across Her domain into countless fragments dispersed throughout that timeless repository. From this vast constellation of knowledge, Sneak had isolated twenty-one distinct coordinates she deemed most likely to contain the departed God’s memories relevant to divine nature. Each point resonated with varying intensities across the seven Spheres of numerological study, although all showed pronounced interaction with Yi – a correlation that the numerologist claimed indicated strong ties to the mysteries of godhood.
Sneak constructed a resonance prism echoing the results of the twenty-one designated coordinates within the Source, and the Archivists scrutinised the results with fevered intensity, debating the merits of each resonance pattern. They knew that the time the Theocracy’s daring plan would allow access to the Source would be fleeting at best, making the selection of the target coordinates paramount to success.
One particular point, designated ‘M’, drew special attention due to its strong resonances from Yuef, Ef’tig, and Jhako. Most telling was its notably weak response from Jherza – the Sphere of physicality. Given the Lord Manipulator’s previous distinction between Gods as conceptual rather than physical entities, this absence of material resonance marked it as an ideal candidate for memories concerning the fundamental nature of divinity itself.
With their target selected, the Conclave of Magic, under Dhasan Csethiro’s guiding hand, began the arduous task of preparing the ritual framework that would grant mortal flesh temporary ascension. Criminal mages continued to disappear from villages all across Sapience into Ironmaw cells, awaiting the uncertain fate that would soon befall them.
Meanwhile, Spinesreach’s Season of Strife to honour Lord Bamathis reached its bloody conclusion. Week after week, the Theocracy hosted brutal tournaments in the Warlord’s name across the continent, each producing a champion who would serve as a willing sacrifice in the culminating ritual. The Boar’s mask went to Sepyhie, the Atavian’s to Sheryni, the Haatun’s to Llancarfan, the Abomination’s to Legyn, and the Scorpion’s to Oridez – five warriors, five sacrifices, five components for the monstrous offering they would create.
Under the careful orchestration of Dr. Pietre Marcelli and the ritual preparations of Dhasan Csethiro, the Theocracy had assembled all the necessary components for their grand working: a creature stitched together from the beasts of two continents, awaiting animation through the collective will of Spirean sacrifice. The culmination ritual took place within Yggdrasil’s hollow in a spectacle of frenzied brutality worthy of Strife Himself.
As the five masked champions fell, their organs were harvested with surgical precision – lungs from the Atavian to grant the creature breath unhindered by any blight, a tongue from the Abomination to provoke with endless threat, bones from the Haatun to weather any march, liver from the Scorpion to purge its poisons, and finally the heart from the Boar to beat with unflinching charge. Each component was lovingly integrated into the vessel by Pietre’s skilled hands, the work accompanied by the rhythmic drumming of Ulo and the harmonious Kalsu chanting of the assembled Theocrats.
When forces from Duiran attempted to disrupt the ritual, drawn by their revulsion at such dark workings, they brought with them a fierce determination to reclaim the bloodshed for Life’s purposes. Wildings and northerners clashed briefly under the stony eye of Immortal Strife before the Duirani found themselves beaten back by the sheer weight of Theocratic will. Nonetheless, the Warders of Dia’ruis returned with heads held high back to their Heartwood, proud to have slaked their charge’s thirst with bloodshed and defiance.
At the ritual’s crescendo, as Pietre placed his bloodied palm upon the creature’s brow and commanded it to rise alongside the joint exclamations of his compatriots, the combined will of Spinesreach forced unholy life into dead flesh in an act most profane. Alongside this abomination, the Theocracy presented a second offering in a bastard sword of imposing size, hoping the Warlord might wield it in battle against the very beast they had created. The Warlord accepted both creature and blade with evident satisfaction, His approval manifest as He agreed to Regent Legyn’s bold request: to stand against Lexadhra while they breached Her Source of Knowledge in the coming weeks. After all, He had scores of His own yet to settle with the Mauve Goddess.
While the Theocracy still celebrated their success from the Season of Strife, the Syssin’s vigilant eyes bore unexpected fruit in the south. For several weeks, they had been maintaining a diligent network of informants through persuasive methods in order to track down the suspect responsible for several missing Spireans, and their patience was finally rewarded. They discovered one of those very missing citizens in a disturbing state, eyes glazed in hypnotic compulsion, fervently offering prayers up to the Labyrinth’s Grasp in an attempt to sway its allegiance. The prayers spoke of the Inheritor’s glory, exploiting the landmark’s connection to Spirean citizens with subversive purpose.
The suspect soon revealed himself to extract the entranced citizen, pulling them into phase with him, but the Syssin were all too familiar with such tricks. An eye sigil swiftly thrown forced both figures back into corporeal reality, revealing the infiltrator to be Semiastin, a rogue Syssin of Rebel’s Ridge and now false Dhasan of the Underspire. A brief but vicious struggle ensued before Semiastin managed to slip away even as Spirean reinforcements arrived.
The hypnotised citizen was carefully transported to Hought Memorial Hospital, where days of care slowly lifted the fog from their mind. Under Pietre’s questioning, and aided by his mastery of hypnotic techniques, fragments of memory emerged. These precious clues led the Syssin to a concealed location: ruins upon a beach where the remaining missing citizens huddled in enchanted captivity, a mere wormhole away from the dig site.
Under the advice of Thuneron, Captain of the Spinesreach Guard, the Syssin extracted half of the prisoners quietly, replacing them with their operatives disguised in civilian clothing. Days passed in tense anticipation before Semiastin finally returned to tend his captives, unaware of the snakes now hiding amidst his flock. A warning was sent through the Syssin telepathic network as he approached, and shadows throughout the northern city stirred with purpose.
At the Labyrinth’s Grasp, the trap snapped shut with lethal precision. Semiastin led the compliant captives directly into a web of waiting blades, and this time, there would be no escape. The combined might of the Syssin fell upon him like an avalanche of darkness, rendering their traitorous member unconscious after a decisive scuffle. In the aftermath, his limp form was dragged to a location known only to the guild’s innermost circle, to have answers extracted from him in a manner best left to one’s imagination.
With divine protection secured, their coordinates selected and interference from the Underspire subdued, there remained little preparation left for Spinesreach’s machinations with the Labyrinth’s Grasp. Soon they would attempt their most dangerous gambit yet…
~~~
Summary: Spinesreach pinpointed key coordinates within the Source of Knowledge, choosing a point from which to recover a portion of Severn’s divine memories. They conducted a bloody ritual, crafting a monstrous creature that earned the favour and aid of Lord Bamathis against Lexadhra. Meanwhile, the Syssin thwarted sabotage by capturing the traitor Semiastin, ensuring no disruptions as the city prepared its dangerous final gambit.
Penned by my hand on Falsday, the 13th of Ios, in the year 12 AC.
