i found myself a shadow in a shell of a man.
i could not speak to him but he harbored me
nonetheless, so i wandered there,
in the dusty rooms of his heart and memory,
wondering at his wounds and visiting his dead,
of which many had known him only by the title
given him by his clan,
maclaomainn.
he was apathetic in the extreme and had forgotten
all but the worst of his life. he did not, i found,
remember how he had built the walls around himself,
could not recall any other death but the one he
perpetrated on himself nightly with liquor.
his need was so great it bound me to him,
and him to me, though he did not know me,
nor who or what it was inside him that pressed him
to continue living. he was a faithless man. empty and sad.
and yet, i was here. beyond skin,
between muscle and bone.
my desire to show myself to him was my own obsession.
he was a prisoner of his own making and i his captive guardian.
we remained in his cell and night after night, near sundown,
when the shadows grew long, i sought to escape the confines
of his lost heart and let him see what he had kept of his shredded self.
i made many wrong turns in the endless halls of his recriminations and
tried to speak to him through the creatures of his world
but he could not hear me. and yet i knew he knew i was with him.
then, one night, as he tossed and turned on his cot,
mumbling curses and pushing away dreams, i saw a door.
in the dimness i reached forward to open it, thinking i would
again be assailed with more of his denial and anger,
and found myself sitting in a wooden chair
in the corner of his cell.
the room was chill and i felt myself
manifested in the semblence of a woman and whole.
in my astonishment i called out his name.
he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot
and swore and put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
his lanky hair draped over his fingers and i could not see his face.
who are you? he asked me.
he did not look up.
you are dead, stop hounding me.
you can kill me anytime you like, maclaomainn,
but thus far, you have only locked me away.
look at me and see what i am.
if you are some sort of ghost or memory i'd as soon not.
i am neither.
i am the only part of you that lives on, maclaomainn.
look on me, i told him.
i have long been a prisoner in your heart
and know you love me still.
Pantheon - The Third Age - Game Thread
Moderator: Xar
Drawing his worn leather travelling cloak around his shoulders, Imanu dashed through the rain-drenched streets of Ghalali. Although the sprawling port city was protected from the worst of the winds by the small mountain range to the east, the storms that periodically blew in from the Nocturnal Sea still brought a chill to the air. His grandmother used to tell him that it wasn't always like this, that before they were shattered these lands were mild and temperate. He had loved her tales as a child, but as he matured he had become indifferent. What use was a tale of how wonderful things used to be? It certainly didn't keep him warm and dry.
Straddling a busy trade route, Ghalali was founded at the very dawn of the Third Age, or so it was said, by the survivors of the army of houka sent by the Mother of Chaos at the end of the Second Age to aid the people of the Shattered Lands against the undead menace. The fledgling city swelled with human refugees, most former followers of the Lady and the Lord fleeing persecution from the Ancient One, and over the years she had become known as a place where houka and human, as well as a small community of dwarrow miners and an even smaller group of yekith mystics, lived peacefully alongside one another.
The main avenues were still relatively busy despite the downpour, so Imanu moved swiftly into the labyrinth of alleys that lead to the less affluent areas of the city. Not a particularly safe place to be out alone, especially at night, but it would be worth it once he reached Shogo's. Like the street urchins always said, there's no point breaking into a nobleman's house to steal his drink - for all his money he seems unable to buy a quality brew. Whereas drink is sometimes the only thing a poor man has, so he'll make sure it's good. Besides, he was more at home in the shadows of the winding back streets, and if anyone wanted to mug him they'd have to see him first.
As the evening airship from Alemanth sailed overhead towards the Sky Docks, Imanu emerged from the maze of streets into the small square where Shogo had set up business. The busy bazaar that normally occupied the space was gone, replaced by a throng of harried merchants desperately trying to shut up shop and get home before the full force of the storm struck. Seeing that he would have to wait for the crowd to clear, Imanu leaned against a discarded barrel under an old awning and drew out his pipe. Packing the bowl with the pungent galbana leaves, he lit the pipe and took a deep draw, savouring the sweet cloying smoke. As he did so a flash of...not light, but something, caught his eye. Locating it's source on the other side of the emptying bazaar, he saw a woman dressed in long grey hooded cloak. She was human, or at least human-shaped, yet she moved with the grace of a houka. Arriving at the door to Shogo's she suddenly came to a halt, holding herself still as if poised, ready to strike. Then, with a brief glance over her shoulder at Imanu, she pushed the heavy wooden door open and disappeared inside. Her eyes were grey.
Imanu was unused to people knowing that he was watching them, yet he remained calm and he finished smoking before stowing his pipe and striding purposefully across the square. It wasn't the way he usually moved around Ghalali, but the woman had left him, not shaken, but at least a little curious. Besides, he was imposing enough that the remaining merchants got out of his way.
Heaving the door closed behind him, Imanu let the warmth and comparative light of Shogo's bar flood over him and relaxed a little. As accepting a place as Ghalali was, he was still unusual enough to attract attention. At Shogo's however, everyone was a little strange. By the Abyss, the man himself had skin as blue as the sea on a clear summer's day, and only four fingers on his left hand. And he left both eccentricities unexplained. In a place like this, even Imanu was practically normal.
Looking around he couldn't see the woman with the grey eyes, but she had to be here somewhere. Better, he thought, to relax and wait for her to come out of the woodwork. Nodding to Shogo he laid a silver coin on the bar and accepted a steaming cup of cactus wine. Turning, he walked slowly through the smoke-filled room, acknowledging the silent greetings of acquaintances with a nod. Stepping over some poor senseless fool who had decided to chew fresh galbana leaves and may now never wake up, Imanu slid into a seat in the corner booth that allowed him to keep watch on the rest of the room and raised his cup to his lips.
"Would you mind if I joined you?"
Without waiting for a response, the woman with the grey eyes lowered herself into the seat opposite his. No sooner had she done so than Shogo arrived at her side and placed a pitcher of cactus wine, another cup, and a bowl of eksir berries on the table. The woman dismissed him with a nod and an amused smile before returning her attention to Imanu.
"Now that you've made yourself comfortable, what would you do if I told you I did mind?"
The woman raised her eyebrows in amusement as she took one of the dark berries from the bowl and placed in in her mouth. Pausing to savour its rich, almost spicy, flavour, she smiled again.
"I would have to convince you to let me stay, for a short time at least. But let's not go down that road - it's so unpleasant." She gestured at the bowl. "please, won't you join me as I've joined you?"
Imanu regarded her warily for a moment before acquiescing and taking a small handful of berries.
"You know", the grey-eyed woman smiled mischievously, "eksir berries are said to enhance the prophetic properties of those that eat them."
"Were said to", replied Imanu with a smile of his own. "The belief that they ever held any such abilities was discredited a little over 2000 years ago."
"Yes. By Kalsatas Manithar of Nishal." Taking a sip from her cup the grey-eyed woman continued, "yet Manithar lived almost 400 years after the destruction of the Woven Sphere during the 2nd Abyssal War, at a time when the long, slow decline of divine sight had robbed Eiran of all but a scattered few of her seers and oracles. It is highly unlikely that the scholar knew of anyone with a prophetic gift to aid him in testing his hypothesis."
"Perhaps then the stories are true?"
The grey-eyed woman's smile suddenly flared, and her eyes shone with warmth as if he had pleased him greatly. "Perhaps they are", she replied. "The only way to be sure is to test Manithar's theory."
At this Imanu chuckled. "And just how do you propose to do that?"
"With a simple experiment of course. We have between us nearly emptied the bowl that good Shogo provided. I believe that now would be an opportune time for you to bring out your Deck and perform a reading."
Imanu immediately stiffened, and the half-empty cup of now lukewarm cactus wine slipped from his hand and fell to floor with a clatter. The bar went silent for a moment before Shogo's other patrons returned to their drinking. Bending to retrieve the vessel, Imanu set it down on the table and took a deep breath before returning his attention to his companion, whose grey-eyes were now full of compassion.
"How did you know that I possess a Deck?"
"You do not possess a Deck, my friend. You possess one of the Decks! Said to have been crafted during the Second Age by the prophet of the Queen of Night herself!"
"How did you...?"
"I have made it my business to know such things", the grey-eyed woman interjected. "Indeed, I have made a study of divination in all it's forms, and of those forms the Deck of Dreams is the highest. I have journeyed throughout Eiran since the days of this city's founding to discover of it what I could."
His eyes not meeting those of the woman seated before him, Imanu replied in a tone devoid of emotion. "Then you have wasted your time in coming here. I cannot read the Deck of Dreams."
Once again the grey-eyed woman's smiled radiated warmth and kindness. "Wasted my time? Not at all. Had the All-Father released his interdict on this world sooner then I would have come to speak with your grandmother. At this time I have come to speak with the one who inherited both her Deck of Dreams and her talent with it. I have come to speak to you."
Moving the now empty crockery to the side of the table, Imanu's companion spread her hands over the flat surface she had created as if presenting it to him. Holding his gaze, she spoke in a voice overflowing with emotion.
"Will you not read the Deck?"
"Are you so eager to see me fail?"
"I do not believe you will fail. Otherwise I would not have made such a request."
Looking into her soft grey eyes, Imanu saw that she spoke the truth, that she truly believed he would succeed, where he never had before. Confused by this stranger's confidence in him, and also rather curious as to where such confidence might have come from, he made the decision that he knew his grandmother would have wanted him to make.
"Very well. How do you wish to proceed?"
"A simple spread will do I think. One in which we can learn a little more about each other."
Imanu nodded and reached into his robe, drawing out a small package wrapped in grey velvet. Unfolding the soft cloth, he revealed a small Deck of wooden cards, each one only slightly longer than his index finger and about three times as wide. The back of each card was left unadorned, but the face was intricately carved and beautifully painted, so that no two were alike. Imanu held the Deck in both hands for a moment before quickly laying two cards face down in front of his companion and then two in front of himself. He was about to return the rest of the Deck to it's velvet wrapping when he changed his mind and dealt two final cards, also face down, in the middle of the table.
The grey-eyed woman raised an eyebrow at him. "And whom shall we learn about from those?"
"I don't really know to tell you the truth. I just knew that they needed to be there."
To Imanu's surprise, she simply nodded her understanding and then reached down to touch the cards he had dealt her, pausing slightly before actually making contact. She stroked each one from one end to the other before looking up. "Shall we?" she asked.
"It's too late to do anything else", he replied with a smile, and both revealed the lot that Fate had dealt them.
In front of the grey-eyed woman The Virgin sat demurely in a garden, shading herself with a violet parasol, whilst The Stranger hid his face within his black hood as he strode silently through the night. Yet Imanu's eyes were drawn to the two cards in front of him - The Whore, lying naked, yet strangely ashamed, on a bed on thorns whilst The Merchant sat in his tower counting his gold, an ecstatic look further tainting his already cruel features. The truth of what he had dealt, and the horror of it that he had tried for so long to escape, came crashing down upon him.
The grey-eyed woman reached across and covered Imanu's hand with her own. "Your mother wasn't really a whore. It's simply the name your father used when he took what he wanted - a way of justifying his crimes to himself."
Imanu lifted his head, gratitude shining through the tears, and studied his companions cards. "And your father wasn't really a stranger, not to your mother at least. There's just no other way to describe him."
With a shiver Imanu withdrew his hand and rubbed his eyes. His companion filled his cup with the last of the cactus wine and handed it to him silently. He took a deep draught and then another, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why did you come here?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful", he gestured at the cards on the table, "and my grandmother would be immensely proud, but I'm sure you didn't do this just for my benefit." His companion nodded in confirmation. "Then why?"
"As with almost all things in life, it was a test."
"A test? You wanted to see if I could read the Deck of Dreams?"
"No. My presence ensured you would have no problems with the reading, so could had nothing to do with it. I wanted to see if you would read the Deck of Dreams."
"Hang on, what do you mean by 'my presence ensured you would have no problems'? What has that got to do with anything?" He paused as if afraid to go on before asking hesitantly, "who are you that your presence could unlock the ability to read the Deck within me?"
"I am a Goddess, of course. What else?"
Imanu could never be sure if she changed at that moment, or if he simply noticed something that had always been there, but her grey robe was suddenly alive with power. Just as it had been, he realised, for an instant when she had caught his eye out in the bazaar.
It was like nothing he had ever seen, or even heard tell of. To his eyes the cloth remained as it had always been - clean and soft and grey like the sky before a storm. Yet now, something beyond sight sensed that it was not simply dyed, but rather that black and white were waging their eternal war within its fibres, never ceasing, and yet so perfectly matched that grey was the outcome. A swirling, seething grey that at the same time was as solid and unmoving as stone. Yet those around him appeared to see nothing unusual for they carried on drinking and carousing just as they always had.
"They do not experience what you experience because this gift is for you alone."
Imanu turned to look at her once again, and was calmed somewhat to find that her eyes still radiated warmth and compassion. "A Goddess?"
"Yes. I am Anaya, the Goddess of Fate. And you Imanu, are my prophet."
"Wait, what?" He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts as she laughed gently at his confusion. "Why me?"
"For a number of reasons", she replied, "one of which is this." With that she revealed the two cards that still lay face down in the middle of the table.
The first showed the sun rising over a vast forest through which ran a sparkling stream. The other also depicted the sun, setting behind a crystal-clear mountain lake. Imanu snatched them up and examined them closely.
"Daybreak? And Nightfall? But...these weren't part of the Deck this morning."
"They are part of the Deck now, for you have helped bring them into being. What better reason for me to choose you as my prophet?"
Imanu sagged under the weight of this revelation. Holding the two newly-created cards up he asked, "but what do they mean?"
"They mean that the All-Father has released his interdict on Eiran. They mean that Gods and Goddesses have returned, or inherited, or ascended, to the heavens. They mean that the Deck of Dreams is active once more. And finally, they mean that I am the final piece to be placed on the board, and that the game can now begin."
Sighing, Imanu looked at his Goddess with just the barest trace of a smile on his lips. "At least the fact that you make me feel so foolish isn't such a big deal any more. Now why don't you buy us another drink and explain a bit more about these and what they mean?"
This time Anaya's laughter was loud and joyous. "Whatever you wish my prophet. Whatever you wish."
Straddling a busy trade route, Ghalali was founded at the very dawn of the Third Age, or so it was said, by the survivors of the army of houka sent by the Mother of Chaos at the end of the Second Age to aid the people of the Shattered Lands against the undead menace. The fledgling city swelled with human refugees, most former followers of the Lady and the Lord fleeing persecution from the Ancient One, and over the years she had become known as a place where houka and human, as well as a small community of dwarrow miners and an even smaller group of yekith mystics, lived peacefully alongside one another.
The main avenues were still relatively busy despite the downpour, so Imanu moved swiftly into the labyrinth of alleys that lead to the less affluent areas of the city. Not a particularly safe place to be out alone, especially at night, but it would be worth it once he reached Shogo's. Like the street urchins always said, there's no point breaking into a nobleman's house to steal his drink - for all his money he seems unable to buy a quality brew. Whereas drink is sometimes the only thing a poor man has, so he'll make sure it's good. Besides, he was more at home in the shadows of the winding back streets, and if anyone wanted to mug him they'd have to see him first.
As the evening airship from Alemanth sailed overhead towards the Sky Docks, Imanu emerged from the maze of streets into the small square where Shogo had set up business. The busy bazaar that normally occupied the space was gone, replaced by a throng of harried merchants desperately trying to shut up shop and get home before the full force of the storm struck. Seeing that he would have to wait for the crowd to clear, Imanu leaned against a discarded barrel under an old awning and drew out his pipe. Packing the bowl with the pungent galbana leaves, he lit the pipe and took a deep draw, savouring the sweet cloying smoke. As he did so a flash of...not light, but something, caught his eye. Locating it's source on the other side of the emptying bazaar, he saw a woman dressed in long grey hooded cloak. She was human, or at least human-shaped, yet she moved with the grace of a houka. Arriving at the door to Shogo's she suddenly came to a halt, holding herself still as if poised, ready to strike. Then, with a brief glance over her shoulder at Imanu, she pushed the heavy wooden door open and disappeared inside. Her eyes were grey.
Imanu was unused to people knowing that he was watching them, yet he remained calm and he finished smoking before stowing his pipe and striding purposefully across the square. It wasn't the way he usually moved around Ghalali, but the woman had left him, not shaken, but at least a little curious. Besides, he was imposing enough that the remaining merchants got out of his way.
Heaving the door closed behind him, Imanu let the warmth and comparative light of Shogo's bar flood over him and relaxed a little. As accepting a place as Ghalali was, he was still unusual enough to attract attention. At Shogo's however, everyone was a little strange. By the Abyss, the man himself had skin as blue as the sea on a clear summer's day, and only four fingers on his left hand. And he left both eccentricities unexplained. In a place like this, even Imanu was practically normal.
Looking around he couldn't see the woman with the grey eyes, but she had to be here somewhere. Better, he thought, to relax and wait for her to come out of the woodwork. Nodding to Shogo he laid a silver coin on the bar and accepted a steaming cup of cactus wine. Turning, he walked slowly through the smoke-filled room, acknowledging the silent greetings of acquaintances with a nod. Stepping over some poor senseless fool who had decided to chew fresh galbana leaves and may now never wake up, Imanu slid into a seat in the corner booth that allowed him to keep watch on the rest of the room and raised his cup to his lips.
"Would you mind if I joined you?"
Without waiting for a response, the woman with the grey eyes lowered herself into the seat opposite his. No sooner had she done so than Shogo arrived at her side and placed a pitcher of cactus wine, another cup, and a bowl of eksir berries on the table. The woman dismissed him with a nod and an amused smile before returning her attention to Imanu.
"Now that you've made yourself comfortable, what would you do if I told you I did mind?"
The woman raised her eyebrows in amusement as she took one of the dark berries from the bowl and placed in in her mouth. Pausing to savour its rich, almost spicy, flavour, she smiled again.
"I would have to convince you to let me stay, for a short time at least. But let's not go down that road - it's so unpleasant." She gestured at the bowl. "please, won't you join me as I've joined you?"
Imanu regarded her warily for a moment before acquiescing and taking a small handful of berries.
"You know", the grey-eyed woman smiled mischievously, "eksir berries are said to enhance the prophetic properties of those that eat them."
"Were said to", replied Imanu with a smile of his own. "The belief that they ever held any such abilities was discredited a little over 2000 years ago."
"Yes. By Kalsatas Manithar of Nishal." Taking a sip from her cup the grey-eyed woman continued, "yet Manithar lived almost 400 years after the destruction of the Woven Sphere during the 2nd Abyssal War, at a time when the long, slow decline of divine sight had robbed Eiran of all but a scattered few of her seers and oracles. It is highly unlikely that the scholar knew of anyone with a prophetic gift to aid him in testing his hypothesis."
"Perhaps then the stories are true?"
The grey-eyed woman's smile suddenly flared, and her eyes shone with warmth as if he had pleased him greatly. "Perhaps they are", she replied. "The only way to be sure is to test Manithar's theory."
At this Imanu chuckled. "And just how do you propose to do that?"
"With a simple experiment of course. We have between us nearly emptied the bowl that good Shogo provided. I believe that now would be an opportune time for you to bring out your Deck and perform a reading."
Imanu immediately stiffened, and the half-empty cup of now lukewarm cactus wine slipped from his hand and fell to floor with a clatter. The bar went silent for a moment before Shogo's other patrons returned to their drinking. Bending to retrieve the vessel, Imanu set it down on the table and took a deep breath before returning his attention to his companion, whose grey-eyes were now full of compassion.
"How did you know that I possess a Deck?"
"You do not possess a Deck, my friend. You possess one of the Decks! Said to have been crafted during the Second Age by the prophet of the Queen of Night herself!"
"How did you...?"
"I have made it my business to know such things", the grey-eyed woman interjected. "Indeed, I have made a study of divination in all it's forms, and of those forms the Deck of Dreams is the highest. I have journeyed throughout Eiran since the days of this city's founding to discover of it what I could."
His eyes not meeting those of the woman seated before him, Imanu replied in a tone devoid of emotion. "Then you have wasted your time in coming here. I cannot read the Deck of Dreams."
Once again the grey-eyed woman's smiled radiated warmth and kindness. "Wasted my time? Not at all. Had the All-Father released his interdict on this world sooner then I would have come to speak with your grandmother. At this time I have come to speak with the one who inherited both her Deck of Dreams and her talent with it. I have come to speak to you."
Moving the now empty crockery to the side of the table, Imanu's companion spread her hands over the flat surface she had created as if presenting it to him. Holding his gaze, she spoke in a voice overflowing with emotion.
"Will you not read the Deck?"
"Are you so eager to see me fail?"
"I do not believe you will fail. Otherwise I would not have made such a request."
Looking into her soft grey eyes, Imanu saw that she spoke the truth, that she truly believed he would succeed, where he never had before. Confused by this stranger's confidence in him, and also rather curious as to where such confidence might have come from, he made the decision that he knew his grandmother would have wanted him to make.
"Very well. How do you wish to proceed?"
"A simple spread will do I think. One in which we can learn a little more about each other."
Imanu nodded and reached into his robe, drawing out a small package wrapped in grey velvet. Unfolding the soft cloth, he revealed a small Deck of wooden cards, each one only slightly longer than his index finger and about three times as wide. The back of each card was left unadorned, but the face was intricately carved and beautifully painted, so that no two were alike. Imanu held the Deck in both hands for a moment before quickly laying two cards face down in front of his companion and then two in front of himself. He was about to return the rest of the Deck to it's velvet wrapping when he changed his mind and dealt two final cards, also face down, in the middle of the table.
The grey-eyed woman raised an eyebrow at him. "And whom shall we learn about from those?"
"I don't really know to tell you the truth. I just knew that they needed to be there."
To Imanu's surprise, she simply nodded her understanding and then reached down to touch the cards he had dealt her, pausing slightly before actually making contact. She stroked each one from one end to the other before looking up. "Shall we?" she asked.
"It's too late to do anything else", he replied with a smile, and both revealed the lot that Fate had dealt them.
In front of the grey-eyed woman The Virgin sat demurely in a garden, shading herself with a violet parasol, whilst The Stranger hid his face within his black hood as he strode silently through the night. Yet Imanu's eyes were drawn to the two cards in front of him - The Whore, lying naked, yet strangely ashamed, on a bed on thorns whilst The Merchant sat in his tower counting his gold, an ecstatic look further tainting his already cruel features. The truth of what he had dealt, and the horror of it that he had tried for so long to escape, came crashing down upon him.
The grey-eyed woman reached across and covered Imanu's hand with her own. "Your mother wasn't really a whore. It's simply the name your father used when he took what he wanted - a way of justifying his crimes to himself."
Imanu lifted his head, gratitude shining through the tears, and studied his companions cards. "And your father wasn't really a stranger, not to your mother at least. There's just no other way to describe him."
With a shiver Imanu withdrew his hand and rubbed his eyes. His companion filled his cup with the last of the cactus wine and handed it to him silently. He took a deep draught and then another, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Why did you come here?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful", he gestured at the cards on the table, "and my grandmother would be immensely proud, but I'm sure you didn't do this just for my benefit." His companion nodded in confirmation. "Then why?"
"As with almost all things in life, it was a test."
"A test? You wanted to see if I could read the Deck of Dreams?"
"No. My presence ensured you would have no problems with the reading, so could had nothing to do with it. I wanted to see if you would read the Deck of Dreams."
"Hang on, what do you mean by 'my presence ensured you would have no problems'? What has that got to do with anything?" He paused as if afraid to go on before asking hesitantly, "who are you that your presence could unlock the ability to read the Deck within me?"
"I am a Goddess, of course. What else?"
Imanu could never be sure if she changed at that moment, or if he simply noticed something that had always been there, but her grey robe was suddenly alive with power. Just as it had been, he realised, for an instant when she had caught his eye out in the bazaar.
It was like nothing he had ever seen, or even heard tell of. To his eyes the cloth remained as it had always been - clean and soft and grey like the sky before a storm. Yet now, something beyond sight sensed that it was not simply dyed, but rather that black and white were waging their eternal war within its fibres, never ceasing, and yet so perfectly matched that grey was the outcome. A swirling, seething grey that at the same time was as solid and unmoving as stone. Yet those around him appeared to see nothing unusual for they carried on drinking and carousing just as they always had.
"They do not experience what you experience because this gift is for you alone."
Imanu turned to look at her once again, and was calmed somewhat to find that her eyes still radiated warmth and compassion. "A Goddess?"
"Yes. I am Anaya, the Goddess of Fate. And you Imanu, are my prophet."
"Wait, what?" He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts as she laughed gently at his confusion. "Why me?"
"For a number of reasons", she replied, "one of which is this." With that she revealed the two cards that still lay face down in the middle of the table.
The first showed the sun rising over a vast forest through which ran a sparkling stream. The other also depicted the sun, setting behind a crystal-clear mountain lake. Imanu snatched them up and examined them closely.
"Daybreak? And Nightfall? But...these weren't part of the Deck this morning."
"They are part of the Deck now, for you have helped bring them into being. What better reason for me to choose you as my prophet?"
Imanu sagged under the weight of this revelation. Holding the two newly-created cards up he asked, "but what do they mean?"
"They mean that the All-Father has released his interdict on Eiran. They mean that Gods and Goddesses have returned, or inherited, or ascended, to the heavens. They mean that the Deck of Dreams is active once more. And finally, they mean that I am the final piece to be placed on the board, and that the game can now begin."
Sighing, Imanu looked at his Goddess with just the barest trace of a smile on his lips. "At least the fact that you make me feel so foolish isn't such a big deal any more. Now why don't you buy us another drink and explain a bit more about these and what they mean?"
This time Anaya's laughter was loud and joyous. "Whatever you wish my prophet. Whatever you wish."
Last edited by Anaya on Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
When you reach a crossroad
Fate is the path you choose to walk
And Fate is the path down which you are thrust
Fate is the path you choose to walk
And Fate is the path down which you are thrust
My!! There seem to be a number of my brothers and sisters who are interested in the Shattered Lands! *chuckles*
Let me repeat what I said earlier. It is my intent to offer the worship of Life to all, starting with the Shattered Lands. It may be that in the offering, some cities and areas become dedicated to my worship. That will be well received. However, brothers and sisters, know this: any deities followers may be settled in my cities, and any followers in cities not controlled by my worshipers may still seek the aid of Life.
My teachings are to support all life. Especially those that are worthy by bravery of spirit and kindness of deeds. Worthiness will not be determined by what deity a follower calls Lord (or Lady)!
*bows*
Let me repeat what I said earlier. It is my intent to offer the worship of Life to all, starting with the Shattered Lands. It may be that in the offering, some cities and areas become dedicated to my worship. That will be well received. However, brothers and sisters, know this: any deities followers may be settled in my cities, and any followers in cities not controlled by my worshipers may still seek the aid of Life.
My teachings are to support all life. Especially those that are worthy by bravery of spirit and kindness of deeds. Worthiness will not be determined by what deity a follower calls Lord (or Lady)!
*bows*
To my knowledge, there has not been much discussion of the Forests, but there has been some. And there will certainly be more from time to time. To make things easier, I thought it would be a good idea for all of you to know the names of all the Forests. Rather than saying things like, "The Forest nearest Void's Ward," "The Forest on Halym," and so forth. So...
The Forest on Enstorm is named Oa.
The small Forest in southern Imray is Ihlathi.
The Forest in southern Malyth is Magni, and the northern one is Modi.
The Forest of Kunis is Cook's Woods.
The western Forest on Noptae is Lal, and the eastern one is Kokoro.
The Forest of Halym is Lemah.
The Forests of the Shattered Lands, starting with the northern-most, and moving clockwise, are:
Logan
Alek
Celebi
Erdõ
Sivar
I hope this helps.
The Forest on Enstorm is named Oa.
The small Forest in southern Imray is Ihlathi.
The Forest in southern Malyth is Magni, and the northern one is Modi.
The Forest of Kunis is Cook's Woods.
The western Forest on Noptae is Lal, and the eastern one is Kokoro.
The Forest of Halym is Lemah.
The Forests of the Shattered Lands, starting with the northern-most, and moving clockwise, are:
Logan
Alek
Celebi
Erdõ
Sivar
I hope this helps.
But what the Tree Elders lack in mobility, they make up in Forest affinity! 
ohohohoh, my dear sisters, my dear brother,
i'm glad to offer you my service to heal your followers from the "evil diseases" that could take them.
You have only to ask my help and i will remove the illness, just for free.
ohohoho, big kisses and hugs from your Rothmog.
i'm glad to offer you my service to heal your followers from the "evil diseases" that could take them.
You have only to ask my help and i will remove the illness, just for free.
ohohoho, big kisses and hugs from your Rothmog.
"... and I will bestow abundant gifts and blessings upon my little nieces and nephews who desire the embrace of their big Uncle Rothmog. ohohohoh"
From the mountains bordering the Shylan Desert to the sea, The South of Imray shall be the domain of uKulwa, the Plains of Opal. Much of the world stands ready for the taking, but my vision is as clear as yours, and my will as strong.
I will welcome co-operation. But not the surrender of my vision. Dwell in Southern Imray, and worship uKulwa. Or seek more condign lands.
*bows*
I will welcome co-operation. But not the surrender of my vision. Dwell in Southern Imray, and worship uKulwa. Or seek more condign lands.
*bows*
All Things Begin and End in Strife.
------------------------------------
Msasi Haogopi Mwiba.
The Hunter Does Not Fear Thorns
------------------------------------
Msasi Haogopi Mwiba.
The Hunter Does Not Fear Thorns
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O-gon-cho
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 1441
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:36 pm
- Location: And closing of the eyes - true vision, The Light within became...Within the Light
uKulwa wrote:Dwell in Southern Imray, and worship uKulwa.
My followers will not.
And again I tell you. Imray is my home. It is the land of my Hatching, and I have been away from it long enough. The area you describe is large enough to share, and I seek a means to do such with you.uKulwa wrote:Or seek more condign lands.
But if you insist upon an EMPIRE, then defend their homeland my followers will do.
So let it be written...
Interesting O-gon-cho. You are forcing the god of war to aggression because you have refused his plentiful and generous offereings to you and you have made no "negotiations" whatsoever. Only demands that you get what you want.So let it be written...
Being that you both are vying for the same land that borders my own, I have a vested interest in the outcome. I have told both of you that I do not want war on Imray.
I have spoken to uKulwa and he has told me that he has offered to help you relocate, help train and provide military protection, and pay you money or services in compensation for the cities you think belong to you.
You, on the other hand, have offered nothing but to have him train your centaurs which only benefits you entirely. You, O-gon-cho are refusing all offers, no matter how reasonable and you, in turn, accuse him of starting an Empire.
Now, you throw down the gauntlet and claim that your followers will "defend" themselves. In all actuality, you are the one who started this conflict and therefore, you are the aggressor. You are the one who begins the war.
It will be uKulwa who will be defending himself.
You know where I stand and now, you know my mind.
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. There is no fear in love; for perfect love cast out fear.
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O-gon-cho
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 1441
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:36 pm
- Location: And closing of the eyes - true vision, The Light within became...Within the Light
Aye, Calais. So you have told me privately.
I understand your position, and accept it.
My Centaurs will not attack another unprovoked. I intend to share southern Imray, not control all of it. But, they will defend their lands if others choose to force them to worship another.
I disagree that being offered compensation to relocate when I desire it not is negotiating in good faith. But, we view things with different eyes, you and I. I asked uKulwa to suggest what he would desire for my followers to remain in Imray, other than the worship of himself, and you see his reply.
My followers will defend their homeland, if needed to do so.
I understand your position, and accept it.
My Centaurs will not attack another unprovoked. I intend to share southern Imray, not control all of it. But, they will defend their lands if others choose to force them to worship another.
I disagree that being offered compensation to relocate when I desire it not is negotiating in good faith. But, we view things with different eyes, you and I. I asked uKulwa to suggest what he would desire for my followers to remain in Imray, other than the worship of himself, and you see his reply.
My followers will defend their homeland, if needed to do so.