Post by Stingray888 on Nov 30, 2013 3:44:03 GMT
Athea's whispering, 'Harkker',
No one would make camp near the priestess, both fear and anger keeping them away. The shapely woman lays upon a hammock cradling the freshly cleaned skull of a Gnoll as if it were a new born babe. Stark white hair covers what would be a mildly pleasing face, if it weren’t for the hauntingly red tinted eyes. She whispers ever so silently to the skull, just quiet enough so that no one can hear.
“I look upon this wild landscape and I thank the goddess that she has put me here. The fools around me do not yet realize what they have done. When they look at me they expect a weak thing, something that will not last. The others believe me to be the only one here who did not have a choice in coming here. They think that their 'noble' intentions somehow makes them superior. We all have choices my child, all of us. I had a choice, and I am grateful to the goddess that I made it. Should I tell you my secret? Secrets are power and should not be given without equal trade, but I think you will be giving me something as well in return. No, no I am not talking about giving you the secret of death, in return for your bones. You will give me your service child, so let me tell you my tale.
Our goddess my child is the guardian of secrets, for it is in those secrets that she gives her chosen power. It was five years ago child that I stumbled upon the hidden temple on my thirteenth birthday. No, I will not tell you where it was, you do not get anything for nothing. As I said there is balance, there is cost and repayment. Some were not meant to find the temple and they were silenced but I was initiated to her ways. It was as you imagine it to have been, I was given no knowledge but had to uncover the truths as I developed. It was a journey within as well as without and you can imagine how great my sisters were ahead of me. They had power, power that came from knowledge. I was told as a youth, that the secret to power had a cost. The balance was there even within those early days.
Like all secrets they do not last forever. Someone had uncovered our temple and ran to the Avarians. The Avarians in Lomar did not allow the worship of other gods, afraid that it would anger their god. Of course we did unspeakable things there, it was a temple dedicated to secrets. The high priestess knew that the Avarians were coming. Knew that we would be persecuted even if we had abandoned our temple. The Avarians are dedicated, they will not stop nor do they accept the practices of others. Our leader asked for a volunteer to await them coming to the temple. I had the honor of choosing this, I asked for the privilege of being the one to sacrifice, to guard our secrets. They destroyed the fake holy symbols we had placed upon the temple. It was just as well my child, for what good is a secret that everyone knows. We would have abandoned the temple regardless. No my child there was need to find a cleric there who would be to blame. I was just barely 16 when they came. I put up a mild resistance so as to play my part. They in turn took turns attempting to liberate the truth from me. But I was strong in will my child. Every time they asked for me to reveal a secret I prayed for the goddess to give me strength. Do you know the best part my child? She listened. I revealed no secrets, and felt my power grow in prison. In time I became the ideal inmate to appearances. I ruled the other inmates, my magic grew by leaps and bounds. The warden saw the results of some minor healing I did to a servant and he had me watched. Even the guards became bound to me by oath in return for my awesome aid. The one thing you can count on is the Avarians and their ridiculous fascination with doing good. They could not terminate me for they did not have enough cause without a confession. It was the sticky years after the Holy avengers, you see, where they could do nothing without proof. So they offered me a choice. I could come here to this colony and join this wreck of a mission, or stay in prison for the rest of my life. Perhaps, my child, they thought that I would be better far, far away. For them, they were right. For me, to be sent to a land where I will become queen by my own hand, it is a reward rather than a punishment.
What my child? Well yes. There will be bumps in the road. I admit that I did not expect to be put into every exploration group. But it is better to be isolated with them rather than the group. The smart ones will see what my power brings and shall not want to be on the opposite side of it. I need not worry so much about the elf Glori, as an elf he will move on and the concerns of mortal men will bore him in time. Timo the Halfling, as all Halflings, tends not to take anything serious. Though he speaks rudely too much, he has some skill and I might be able to impress the little one with my power. No those two are not so much to worry about. It is the other two who give me pause. The emerald bard Momo, took his oath as the others but he is a bard. Bards do not keep secrets well at all my child. Their tongues are loose, they tell others secrets for their own amusement. However, they also have many secrets to tell. Such power they could have. But alas it is not their way.
The horse warrior Dori, she did not take her vow to aid me in return for my aid. This means my child that she is either ignorant or knows the power of a bond. It could be nothing my puppet… but one can never know. She was brave enough to help me wipe out all your friends and family at your castle. That makes her more dangerous than the others. No my child, you cannot take revenge. You do not yet understand the secret I am telling you. Perhaps it is time.”
With that, Priestess places the skull on top of a pile of bones and whispers softly into what would be its ear, if it had one. The bones rise and stand next to the other two skeletons who hold the hammock ever so gently, swaying it in the breeze.
No one would make camp near the priestess, both fear and anger keeping them away. The shapely woman lays upon a hammock cradling the freshly cleaned skull of a Gnoll as if it were a new born babe. Stark white hair covers what would be a mildly pleasing face, if it weren’t for the hauntingly red tinted eyes. She whispers ever so silently to the skull, just quiet enough so that no one can hear.
“I look upon this wild landscape and I thank the goddess that she has put me here. The fools around me do not yet realize what they have done. When they look at me they expect a weak thing, something that will not last. The others believe me to be the only one here who did not have a choice in coming here. They think that their 'noble' intentions somehow makes them superior. We all have choices my child, all of us. I had a choice, and I am grateful to the goddess that I made it. Should I tell you my secret? Secrets are power and should not be given without equal trade, but I think you will be giving me something as well in return. No, no I am not talking about giving you the secret of death, in return for your bones. You will give me your service child, so let me tell you my tale.
Our goddess my child is the guardian of secrets, for it is in those secrets that she gives her chosen power. It was five years ago child that I stumbled upon the hidden temple on my thirteenth birthday. No, I will not tell you where it was, you do not get anything for nothing. As I said there is balance, there is cost and repayment. Some were not meant to find the temple and they were silenced but I was initiated to her ways. It was as you imagine it to have been, I was given no knowledge but had to uncover the truths as I developed. It was a journey within as well as without and you can imagine how great my sisters were ahead of me. They had power, power that came from knowledge. I was told as a youth, that the secret to power had a cost. The balance was there even within those early days.
Like all secrets they do not last forever. Someone had uncovered our temple and ran to the Avarians. The Avarians in Lomar did not allow the worship of other gods, afraid that it would anger their god. Of course we did unspeakable things there, it was a temple dedicated to secrets. The high priestess knew that the Avarians were coming. Knew that we would be persecuted even if we had abandoned our temple. The Avarians are dedicated, they will not stop nor do they accept the practices of others. Our leader asked for a volunteer to await them coming to the temple. I had the honor of choosing this, I asked for the privilege of being the one to sacrifice, to guard our secrets. They destroyed the fake holy symbols we had placed upon the temple. It was just as well my child, for what good is a secret that everyone knows. We would have abandoned the temple regardless. No my child there was need to find a cleric there who would be to blame. I was just barely 16 when they came. I put up a mild resistance so as to play my part. They in turn took turns attempting to liberate the truth from me. But I was strong in will my child. Every time they asked for me to reveal a secret I prayed for the goddess to give me strength. Do you know the best part my child? She listened. I revealed no secrets, and felt my power grow in prison. In time I became the ideal inmate to appearances. I ruled the other inmates, my magic grew by leaps and bounds. The warden saw the results of some minor healing I did to a servant and he had me watched. Even the guards became bound to me by oath in return for my awesome aid. The one thing you can count on is the Avarians and their ridiculous fascination with doing good. They could not terminate me for they did not have enough cause without a confession. It was the sticky years after the Holy avengers, you see, where they could do nothing without proof. So they offered me a choice. I could come here to this colony and join this wreck of a mission, or stay in prison for the rest of my life. Perhaps, my child, they thought that I would be better far, far away. For them, they were right. For me, to be sent to a land where I will become queen by my own hand, it is a reward rather than a punishment.
What my child? Well yes. There will be bumps in the road. I admit that I did not expect to be put into every exploration group. But it is better to be isolated with them rather than the group. The smart ones will see what my power brings and shall not want to be on the opposite side of it. I need not worry so much about the elf Glori, as an elf he will move on and the concerns of mortal men will bore him in time. Timo the Halfling, as all Halflings, tends not to take anything serious. Though he speaks rudely too much, he has some skill and I might be able to impress the little one with my power. No those two are not so much to worry about. It is the other two who give me pause. The emerald bard Momo, took his oath as the others but he is a bard. Bards do not keep secrets well at all my child. Their tongues are loose, they tell others secrets for their own amusement. However, they also have many secrets to tell. Such power they could have. But alas it is not their way.
The horse warrior Dori, she did not take her vow to aid me in return for my aid. This means my child that she is either ignorant or knows the power of a bond. It could be nothing my puppet… but one can never know. She was brave enough to help me wipe out all your friends and family at your castle. That makes her more dangerous than the others. No my child, you cannot take revenge. You do not yet understand the secret I am telling you. Perhaps it is time.”
With that, Priestess places the skull on top of a pile of bones and whispers softly into what would be its ear, if it had one. The bones rise and stand next to the other two skeletons who hold the hammock ever so gently, swaying it in the breeze.
