ZYARAZyara holds quite a fair amount of knowledge about the songs in question. It is said that, after the passing of the maiden, the Lillend decided to bless the alessian Fey, bringing them comfort through her songs. As the hearts of the Fey became darker, though, she began to prophesy. Her songs are a collection of such predictions. This one was considered of particular interest for the fey, since it mentioned the coming of the Plague, a reunion of sorts and a confrontation of great consequence to Laholt and, perhaps, Gaelia itself. The song begins as the Plague settles in; it then proceeds to tell of the gathering, enunciated a moment ago by the priestess; after that, it speaks of a series of strange signs, all of them related to the sacrilege to be committed in alessian soil; it speaks of the shattering of Alessia on account of a tome of secret lore and ends in doubt: should the plague be beaten, a disease ten times worse might plague the land.
Not the happiest of songs... But a true reflection of the Lillend's disappointment with the Fey's rage. Especially the rage dictated by a certain group of young, fiery elves...
Be as it may, the prophecy speaks of a role to be played by each of the announced heroes. The Fintir would carry out the hunt for a dubious prize, with the Herald as a guide: the glory of days gone would surface to redeem the crimes of today. The Sage and the Huntress would sing the lore - only they would know how to read from the tome in the right time, it is said. Rage would be redeemed, Death would be the guide in darkness, and the Seeker- the one with the heaviest duty - would become a seal. As they gathered, the tome would whisper, the skies would darken in smoke and fire and the belly of the world would revolt.
Parts of the song, making less and less sense, mention the death of the plagued by brutal means as Alessia sinks in violence.
KNIGHT
"I was born in death."
Shock and silence befall the Fey as they contemplate the harsh, true words of the knight. In choked words, the Firbolg manages to say, humbled by the circumstances: "Perhaps... Even the most dreadful of pasts might bear some light... This time, at least." - he dares not go further.
After a few moments, the gnome takes the word, smiling sympathetically. "Well... Few here fear death nowadays... Consider this a plus..." - she smiles to the knight, trying to lighten up his own mood, at least a bit.
ALICE
All I'm after is, you know: truth and justice. The boring stuff. Making sure that people live and the wicked face justice."
"Just what we need..." - the voice of a green knight in the beck resounds. "Your word's good enough." - he continues, coming a little closer. "We still have to deal with the Plague, though. And since you're under the priestess service, might as well report to you." - he approaches, bending his head respectfully.
"We discovered that the people afflicted were found asleep a bit before they were taken. Not the usual kind of asleep, but laying in places uncommon to their own habits - always secluded, always after some festivity or gathering. A few were found in the caves, others in the Orchard, others still by the waters in the north, and one - as far as I know - under the hills. Mawdir, Meroveus and Morrigan were a special case - they were found together by the entrance of the caves, after several hours of debate upon this very problem, as far as the gnomes say." - he falls silent, satisfied to have finished the report.
ARANEL
The distractful creature becomes bored out of his mind right after "As I've been saying", focusing on Aranel's appearance instead. With him, four more gather. They study her gestures and words carefully, giggling and whispering all the time, and remaining as far away as humanly possible from Moss - they seem to fear his jaws.
Still, when a prophecy is mentioned, the small creatures explode in a mixture of awe and excitement, twirling around Aranel and blabbering about as many things as the small mouths allow. They seem more and more fascinated by her.
The small creature that pestered her in the first place approaches her face, as the others poke her scales to attest their authenticity. He squeezes his own eyes and, forgetting his own jesting manners in a second, assumes a most stern face. "The Fintir, the Herald... Finally. We lived long enough without a queen." - he then blinks and, forgetting everything he just said, flies up, singing the prophecy with the rest of his offspring in a high-pitched tone.
MOSS
"Well, there's no small amount of demons to be killed..." - one of the elves say. "I say they're down there... With those weird grey gnomes and their dark cousins... Lurking... And the priestess should have taken cara of it once and for all... Those caves - and the ones that live there - are a danger to us! The lords of the city used it, and the priestess has found something in there, I'm sure of it!" - a few of the gnomes seem to take offense.
"The caves are simply a means to reach..." - one of them starts.
"To reach the cities, yes... and the settlements... And what else? The roads down below crawl with beasts! I say this is nonsense. I say we shut the paths once and for all, instead of running around like fools. And if the gnomes are on our side they'll see the benefits of it..."
The gnomes that are present seem to be at a loss. The one from before speaks once more, his eyes going from the elf, to Moss, to the others.
"The roads are a means to an end... It's foolish to just shut them... We can control it! And we can prove it!"
A small debate ensues, neither violent nor uncontrolled, but very swift. After a few exchanged words, distrust remains and a decision can't be reached, even though many are convinced that the caves to the dark below should be shut.
Pellanor is the one to round it up, as he talks to Moss.
"They... Feel that the caves might be a gateway to demonic infestation... Into the city, I mean. And they might as well be right... The roads are open, and some of our rangers scout down there... But who knows..." - he shakes his head in disapproval.
DAXIO
The shy priestess answers the questions with lowered eyes and a blushed face.
"Mawdir is the priest. He is the one that holds the crown and speaks to Gozreh... He is not the only priest around here, as you know by now" - she motions towards the castle. "But he is the one the people trust the most. Alessia is the stage for many gods of lost ages... Gozreh was incorporated under such name because of the human cult that remained here before. The priestess resents the cult of non-Fey gods in here... They... Don't get along, as you can imagine." - she looks to the side, as if to make sure no one hears her observations.
"I... Appreciate the help..." - she speaks on a defensive tone, clearly unaccustomed to expansive gestures, such as Daxio's.
EVERYONE
As the heroes parley, a cold, strong wind crosses the hall. All of a sudden, a shiver runs through everyone present, as if a glacial storm approached. Strangely enough, leaves decay in heartbeat's moment - not all of them, but enough to carpet the area in autumnal colors, as dry leaves are dragged inside. The day, so pleasant an luminous thus far, becomes darker, and under the canopies of the Honeydew everyone is under the impression that the sky is now clouded. The darkness intensifies a bit longer, and the day seems to be delivered to a heavy storm. The pixies fly upwards, attracted by the unusual event. Towards the door, three green knights enter the place, covered in dignity. Suddenly, the lighthearted disposition within the Honeydew vanishes. One of the elfic soldiers say, in a concerned, heavy tone, as he points towards the sky. "The sun..."
Through the canopies, everyone can see a clear sky, no clouds on sight... But the sun is covered by another body, dark and filled with red veins, as if on fire... An eclipse, unforeseen and certainly not caused by the moon, darkens the skies. [MENTION=24380]Neurotic[/MENTION] [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=6801311]KahlessNestor[/MENTION] [MENTION=1231]Kaodi[/MENTION] [MENTION=87106]MetaVoid[/MENTION] [MENTION=6847138]Charlotte of Oz[/MENTION]
[Sorry for the delay... As I mentioned in the OOC thread, chaos unfurled! But we're back! Thanks again, guys!]
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