A Partial History
Pre-Cataclysm
:
A.S. (After Sphere)
Recent History in Brief.
Historic Events and Events of interest from Year
By Asceno Sole
The Destruction of the Great Forge and The Soo’ki
The first negative major event to impact the history of the Towskish Empire in
the reign of Cinda, was the destruction of the forge.
Built by Dmitri Belre in his youth, a project that he toiled over endlessly, the
forge was a major influence on the economy of Tow. People who had previously
been unable to work metals because they didn’t have the ability to make a fire
hot enough to melt the great metals of the world (keep in mind that all of the
metals in the world of the Great Lands are far harder than real life metal, and
only iron and steel are any stronger than any of the others), were now able to
do so, something that greatly displeased House Kondei, as before, they had built
the only forge in existence in the Empire, while also having another, secret
source of heat that could work the harder metals.
However, the forge was built anyway, and Dmitri Belre allowed everyone and
anyone who wished to use his forge to do so, without charge, without time
limitation, and without cost. Some of the elves of Tow at the time, among them a
young elfin named Amandara, and as far as is remembered, an elf named Seth, as
well as Draust Tokken, were often seen at the forge, the elf Draust becoming
known throughout the land as a highly talented individual, who carried with him
a wisdom that many sought. Amandara began to gain wealth, though almost
covertly, building a locked cabinet right beside the forge on the free beaches
of Tow.
Earth shattering, the boom that broke the silence of the morning, two years
nearly to the day that the forge was built, brought elves from all over the city
running. Laying in ruin, the forge was destroyed beyond recognition, even the
small pieces left were useless, as no one had a fire hot enough to melt the
pieces of metal anymore. Another could be built, but no one did the work that
Dmitri did in those early days, to make a new one.
On the same day, within the hour, there was another great boom, this one even
louder and stronger than the first, and when investigated, it was found that the
mine had been destroyed, the smell of burning sulfur lingering in the air. It
would require many, many workers to reopen the mine, and since Kondei had
originally done this, and no longer needed the materials of that mine, the mine
remained collapsed and closed off.
After the destruction of the forge, Kondei convinced the Great Lady to issue a
decree, that no silver weapons or armor could be crafted by elves not born of
Kondei, or working for them.
Eventually Dmitri Belre did build a new forge, however, by then he was the Lord
of Belre, Unta of Zuntohki, and he built the forge within the village, and
eventually charged people for the time they spent at the forge, as it was
overcrowded otherwise. People used the forge to make jewelry and other lovely
baubles of silver, but if one was caught creating silver weapons or armor, they
risked a long jail sentence. No one could blame him however, he built the forge
alone, and the task was so daunting that it was never attempted by others.
Happening concurrently and just before the destruction of the forge ....
After many years of peace, Cinda looked out over the city, beautiful in the
early morning sun, and felt a presence that she certainly hadn’t missed during
her time among the people as SunJin. She felt the swelling of a darkness in the
life force of her kin. She became confused and unsure, for the first time since
her reign began, and a sudden fear enveloped her heart.
Suddenly sitting down, her eyes began to widen, the horror-struck look amplified
by the sudden gape of her perfect, tiny mouth.
Very softly she began to speak, though no one was there to hear it. The tiny
whisper swirled around her like a soft, monk’s chant. At that moment, she was
communing with the SunJins past, and fear swelled within her, something she was
not used to knowing.
The afternoon was sunny as she stepped into the silken grasses in the courtyard
of the JaiChen compound. Her golden eyes began closing as her head tilted back,
her face taking on the full brunt of the warm Towskish sun. She could hear her
suns horsing around under the tree, Kianeth commenting on some young
noblewoman’s ample... body, and Antoninus laughing, but not quite joining in. A
smile touched her lips as she opened her eyes to gaze upon them. One son full of
vigor and perhaps a bit immature. The other, somewhat closed off and distant,
but with an overwhelming sense of duty. She listened to their laughter for a few
moments more and then moved through the grass, her robes lightly brushing the
grass and alerting them to her movement.
They rose, bowing to her, both of them with fluid, practiced movements. It made
her smile again. They were the bastions of perfect manner in Towskish society,
and even Kianeth was able to keep himself under control in public.
She sat down in the shade of the kora tree, wishing them both good morning,
tasting the fresh fruit of the tree, and having a bit of chit chat, before
finally making her decree. They both stared at her for some time. Unsure of what
to say. And after some time, discussion, and understanding of what was to be
their duty, the sons (adopted at birth for the power that the Great Lady sensed
in them) proudly took up their new badges of office. They were to be the first
Inquisitors in the Empire in over a decade.
They took to the tasks like moths to the flame. Tackling the sudden resurfacing
of crime in the Empire with a thirst to prove themselves that was undaunted by
the minor failures that all must face.
During this time, an elfin named Kana had a desperate desire. It called out to
Cinda through the echos of the forest. Cinda made her way to the city. After a
ritual that was unrecorded, the elf-girl slowly began to change, her physical
features taking on feline qualities, including fur, a tail, claws, and
luminescent eyes with a strange iris. She also took on personality quirks that
are often attributed to those of a feline persuasion. Although she retained some
of her elf qualities, she had become more animal than elf. When Kana met the
elfin Pen, Cinda again heard the cry and came forward. She looked on Pen for a
long while and wanted to be sure that Pen understood the nature of what she was
asking... for the animal inside you is what comes to be, not what you think you
are.
Pen slowly developed monkey-like qualities. She grew a long, hairless tail, her
arms elongated, her hair became more wiry and shaggy. Physically, she grew more
agile, quick, and was able to climb even on the most difficult terrain.
It came as no surprise to some, and great surprise to others, when Kana claimed
Pen. They were deeply in love, blessed by the SunJin, and given a home as a
wedding gift.
The Inquisitors’ first truly heroic task pitted them, as well as many of the
townspeople, against the great demon known as Soo’ki.
Additional information here, written by Iduanna Sole:
The Soo’ki tribe, was a tribe of
elven people, comprised entirely of stenmin. When the Towskish people set them
all to death, they fled, and built their home in an area as hard to locate as
that of the Daga ’Suut. The only elves to know the whereabouts of the tribe are
two members of House Sole, who are bid to never interfere, and who were allowed
to witness only to make note of the tribe’s place in history. The one they
called Soo’ki was actually “Tsuschki”, first of the tribe of the Soo’ki. If any
being, without the aid of a member of the tribe, stumbles upon their home, it
appears to them only as a deserted place. Dusty and empty. Desolate and eerie.
Because of these factors, few notice that the buildings, empty furniture and
various tiny objects are, while covered in dust, in completely perfect
condition. The Soo’ki live still, though their numbers have diminished over time
to three families of twenty or less.
The two young and heroic Inquisitors led many of the brave people of Tow, to a
physical battle with the apparition. Though at times they seemed to actually
injure the creature, it regenerated it’s open wounds far too quickly for even
the masses of elves that turned out to assist to fully take it on. It flew,
attacked, used it’s dark magics and a great sword of flame that seemed to have
no real physical properties save the intense heat it left on it’s victims.
When all was said and done, many elves lay in the streets, their souls returned
to the ancestors, as their families grieved, and many feared that they would not
be able to end the Soo’ki’s attack on the Towskish people until all had passed
to the ancestors.
During this time the Inquisitors sat in deep meditation, seeking the answers to
the trials that faced them and all of Tow. After communing with their SunJin,
they came to a decision and sought to use the SunJin’s greatest power for the
banishment of the Soo’ki. The apparition was too powerful to be faced by any
elf, or by any twenty, the groups of which were easily separated by the Soo’ki’s
flight. However, as the word passed about the city that the SunJin’s greatest
gift would be used at the height of a ritual, where all were asked to come
forward to witness, the elders of all of the great families, common and noble
alike became somewhat quiet and smug. And while the young didn’t see the power
of one elf (they had heard legend of the SunJin’s great powers, but there was no
need for her to use them to this point), they continued to fear, continued to
doubt, but vowed to show up to be a part of one of the greatest magical events
in all of the Empire’s history.
Elves slowly began to gather in Euphoria park that day. They whispered to one
another, some prayed, many wept, and the elders simply waited, their heads held
high, assurance on all of their faces. As the elders set the tone, many of the
younglings began to follow suit, finding power in the surety of their elder
family members. And when the Inquisitors entered the great park, shrouded by the
enormous redwood, they were bookends to the SunJin. She paused near the back of
the open circle, letting her sons step forward and begin the ceremony.
Ritual Prayer for peace
Their prayers swept over the people of Tow, strong voices carrying with their
deep baritone slowly easing the people. They spoke of the great love between the
elven people for one another, they spoke of the connection to the forest and
their duty to it, they prayed to the ancestors for guidance against the powerful
evil that held sway over them all. Those in the crowd followed in prayer, some
speaking from time to time, their own words of love and passion for their kin
who stood with them, their kin past, and their life essence, The Great Forest.
The people slowly began to believe in the depths of their hearts. Shimmering out
of thin air, the translucent, red-eyed form of the fearsome Soo’ki appeared to
all, hovering, but seemingly unable to move. And as the group’s prayers mounted
in what, from a distance, would have sounded as one voice, the tiny SunJin
stepped forward between her sons.
In ritual word and symbolic act, never to be written (as the great SunJin’s law
will not allow the writing of their rituals except in the Great Book), though
spoken among elders of elven family’s to this day, the SunJin called upon the
great power of the Ancestors, Maht Sor, to lay judgement on the apparition of
the Soo’ki.
The SunJin cried out, her voice slowly rising until it became painful and then
seeming to disappear as she stood rigid, her head held back to the sky and her
fists clenched at her sides. Elven voices increased in volume as their prayers
continued to hold the Soo’ki for the great judgement.
Before the SunJin could complete the ritual, a young Daga’ Suut named Ichi Kore
(the root of the Kora, one of the great families in Daga’Suut) rushed into the
park, screaming for help, his body bloodied and battered. The elves all about
and even the Inquisitors sent him away, not listening to his cries. Ichi ran off
as the SunJin’s form began to flicker from view, a completely solid form slowly
blinking in and out of existence, though few saw this as they were so deep in
prayer.
Suddenly the ground began to shake. The elves, ever resolute to hold the Soo’ki,
continued their prayers, though one would lie to say that many did not look up
for brief moments to behold the awesome sight that was slowly unfolding.
The earth split, revealing the deep roots of the redwood, and shooting up
through the great chasm, flames erupted, scorching the grass around the hole and
shooting upward to graze the uppermost branches of the tree. Plunging upward, a
great beast, shrouded by flame, hung in the air before the Soo’ki, it’s breath
leaving great plumes of fire in the air around it’s enormous head. Covered in
leather-like skin, the beasts enormous frame was humanoid, save the fact that it
was overly large and bulky with muscle. It’s two, tree-trunk like legs led to
hooves that stamped at the air and pressed it toward the ground, causing a great
booming sound when the air made contact with the ground. It’s head, almost like
that of a great bull, reared up and back, it’s horns enormous and smooth, deep
black in color, and appearing far too heavy to be held up at all. The beasts
face, squashed and ugly, bore black eyes in deep sockets, and a mouth full of
enormous, squared teeth, resting below a huge, pugged nose. A wild mane of what
looked like both hair and fire sprouted from it’s head and a line down it’s
back, and as the beast roared, the people’s prayers were jostled, and the Soo’ki
found itself free.
A great battle began to play out before the eyes of almost all of elven kind. A
physical battle. One in which the feared Soo’ki took physical form and began to
hurl both magics and physical attacks at the beast before it drew it’s great
sword. The fight didn’t last long. Maht Sor was a far greater threat than the
apparition could have imagined. It’s great sword of flame was lost in a single
breath from the great beast that the SunJin called forth, and it approached
Soo’ki too quickly for it to continue casting it’s dark gift.
The battle raged no more than a few minutes, with wild physical attacks, punches
and kicks, the Soo’ki at one point being rushed by an enormous shoulder. And in
the end, the great beast simply grasped the Soo’ki, held it firm within it’s
grasp and growled in Towskish (a growl that again shook the lank) ‘You have been
judged.’ It lept into the great chasm of flames and the as the ground continued
to shake and groan and tremble, the fissure closed up, leaving no trace of what
had transpired, save a great burned scar in the lush grasses, and one side of
the great redwood damaged by fire.
A collective sigh went up about the people of Tow at that time. Commoners,
Nobles, JaiChen, Militia, merchats, magicers, and all the folk of Tow, found
comfort in one another as the great evil was vanquished.
Unnoticed by most, the SunJin was lifted and carried back to the compound by the
dark one, enshrouded all in black, and as the Inquisitors eased the minds of the
people and joined in the celebration of what they all had been a part of, the
SunJin was returned to her chambers, recuperating after the toll on her body,
which aged her considerably, but warm in the knowledge that her children, not
just those raised by her own hand, but all of her children were safe for the
time being. She fell into a deep sleep then.
With the SunJin lost in a sleep that could not be woken (In fact, the SunJin
disappeared for a time, her whereabouts unknown, and while the small group that
new of her disappearance was worried, they had the strength of Cinda’s profound
beliefs and an understanding that she would not be permanently leaving anytime
soon, something that Cinda promised her sons years before.), and the people of
Tow lost in a celebration that lifted their spirits higher than they had been in
ages and bound them to one another and the forest more than ever before, our
forgotten Daga’Suut lead several of his kin in battle against armies and armies
of undead that walked among them, eating and killing. Soon the creatures had
made their way toward the city, unable to be held back by the few that had come
across them. Ichi Kore fought them bare-handed, his punches landing blow after
blow and shattering dead bones and ripping through dead flesh. As the undead
began to stream into the city, the people began to scream, rousing the warriors,
JaiChen, and Inquisitors from their celebrations to run to the streets.
In a battle that would last for days and days, and with many, many lives lost,
Ichi Kore, Kianeth Quelirian, Antoninus Nicolo, and later in the battle, Shinmen
Kondei, leading the rallying militia, JaiChen and available scouts, the armies
of the undead were finally laid to waste, but not without the toll on elven
life.
In all, twenty thousand elven lives were lost. Their bodies were buried
according to familial traditions, from the Kondei, who set their kin ablaze on
the shoreline, collecting their ashes to place them within one of the lawn
statues on the Kondei grounds, to the common people who tended to bury their
relatives in the forest so that their bodies could be returned to the earth.
During this time, Dmitri Belre was named Unta of Zuntohki, and given Lordship
that would follow his family throughout history, providing that he had an heir.
In Cinda’s absence, in accordance with her will, Lord Inquisitor Kianeth
Quelirian was named SorJin, and was to handle the events that the great Lady
would usually see to, save the ones that required her special powers. He would
hold this title until his death, even after Cinda’s return, as she named another
Inquisitor upon her return. It is said that she felt that Antoninus was the more
capable of the brothers, and more deserving of a promotion, but that he was
needed far more in the position of Inquisitor, rather than the promotion to
SorJin, which has always been something of an honorary title. And during this
time, Cinda -did- return, though without memory of where she had been, unable to
speak, her hair shorn, and a scar that ran around the base of her skullcap, and
though she certainly looked worse for the wear, she was young again. Cinda wrote
very little for public consumption at this time, but one item seemed to amuse
her greatly and she wrote of it often:
I ran into the
young elf Seth again today. He didn’t recognize me without my hair. He blushed
like a fire when he found out who I was.
And another
entry...
I ran into the
young elf Seth yet again. He didn’t recognize me, I suppose because my hair has
grown out a little bit. But his face turned redder than the great sphere when he
figured out who I was.
And another...
I ran into the
young elf Seth again today. I worry about that one, ancestors, for it’s a wonder
the child can even put his pants on in the morning. He didn’t recognize me this
time because my hair has grown back to it’s full length! My goodness but he is
dense!
And things were
peaceful then for a time.
The Truth of Twins and History During the Time of Cinda and Cilla
The peace was shattered in under a year when the attacks of undead began to come
more frequently. While they weren’t as intense or large as the first attack,
they still struck horror into elven hearts, as they watched their family
members, long dead, shamble into town to feast on their living kin. The Kondei
armies kept the undead at bay, and few lives were lost, but the intermittent
battles pained souls of the elves of the Empire.
In a horror of a case, the elf Dwyndyn Tresserhorn, known as a well-established
hunter, and best friend to the elf Ichi Kore of Daga’Suut, fell in love with an
elfin known as Sera. Little was known of her at the time, but there is this
entry log from Lady SurKali Sole’s (soon after this entry she married Ichi Kore,
and at that point was known as Kora, as she was under cover in order to live a
life of the common elf, to record history in that manner as many of the Sole do)
log entry, saved by the family:
I was approached by
Sera today. She is so afraid. She’s falling in love with that oaf Dwyndyn (and I
mean that in the kindest of ways... he just seems a touch... dim). He doesn’t
know what she is though. I keep telling her to tell him... that he’ll
understand... that the Goddess forgives, especially one who fights so hard
against the urge to use her dark gift. But she’s so scared and she just doesn’t
have the strength to speak of the truth.
We were talking about how she found out about the black light. She was attacked
out near Thraille by a bear. She kept trying to get away, but the animal was too
strong, and too fast. She felt herself bleeding and felt the pain throbbing from
everywhere, and she screamed in horror and pain and fear, and her hands, held
out in front of her like a shield (which was completely ineffective, obviously)
turned black... some people call it light. She calls it the absence of
everything...
Sera and Dwyndyn were soon to be married. It was several months after the above
entry, but from all accounts they were happy. It is unknown, as SurKali never
wrote of Sera’s dark gift again, whether or not she told anyone what she was.
Though from the account of history, she, at the very least, never told anyone in
great authority.
Unfortunately the marriage never happened. Sera was killed on the beach,
reportedly by a pack of hairless, red wolves. She ran away, but it was too late.
One of the beasts overpowered her on the stairs, and she was found dead on the
stairwell, a wretched crow feasting on her eye. I only mention the latter
because it does come up later.
Dwyndyn was grief stricken. Sera was laid to rest in the great forest, and he
fell into a depression, becoming known about Tow as the drunk who could always
be found in Tufleet’s Tavern. He began to move on rather quickly, some say with
drink as his aid, and was soon seen in the company of the elfin Kat, who he
seemed particularly interested in, in far more physical a way than just
friendship would imply.
Interrupting that romance, though it is unrecorded as to whether or not Kat
returned Dwyndyn’s affections, Sera was suddenly spotted, in town, alive. She
walked into the tavern, her eyes rather dazed, and settled on Dwyndyn who was in
an obviously intense moment with Kat. She ran off, heartbroken.
At some point, though of course, the personal details of all of this are
unknown, Sera and Dwyndyn decided to move on with their marriage.
Throughout the city, Sera was treated as a devil, an evil blight on the grace of
the Forest and the Goddess’ will. She was shunned by the most religious of elven
kind, while protected by the Inquisitors, as they felt she was a pure innocent.
Elves threw rocks at her, screamed at her, and mistrusted her return. This is
also the first time that the Inquisitors faced public backlash for their
position. No one trusted Sera’s return, and the people could not reconcile their
fear of her with the Inquisitor’s decrees.
She was a lovely elfin in life. SurKali wrote of her appearance in her diary:
Sera is so pretty...
I don’t know how she could keep deluding herself as she does. She thinks she
must be a horror to look on because of what is inside her. It’s really sad...
Her hair is so dark, thick but soft and baby-fine that it catches the slightest
of breeze and sweeps it about her face. Her eyes are intense, so intense in
fact, that I can easily see why a man like Dwyndyn could be dazed by her. It’s
not magic... it’s just real, honest-to-Goddess beauty. I wish I could show her
what she looks like to others.
And after her
return, SurKali wrote this:
Sera’s return has
done nothing to diminish her beauty. The only difference I see in her, is the
streak of gray that slips from her temple, and runs throughout her dark
hair..... but even that is intriguing and adds an exoticness to her that wasn’t
visible before.
After announcing their wedding date, the Great Lady soon came out, taking a
stance that surprised most of the populace. She would, herself, be marrying the
couple, giving them both her blessing, and in doing so, giving Sera her
blessing. Since the SunJin could read minds, the people were baffled that such a
horror could be defended by the Great Lady. Rumors began to circulate that Sera
was bewitched by a higher force and power.
The wedding day came, and the following was recorded of the event by Lord
Doralion Sole, who watched on with interest, but who could give a non-biased
point of view of the events, since he was not close with any of those involved:
Sera knelt at the
shrine for a long time. She stood, and I was fascinated by her immediately. The
streak of gray that Iduanna, Asceno, Kejin and I had discussed was striking
against the pitch blackness that was her mane of dark locks. Most elves don’t
realize that this is a sign that someone has been frightened so badly, that they
could have died from the fear alone. She wore baby’s breath in her hair, and her
ivory skin complimented the emerald hue of her gown that mimicked the faceted
greens of her lovely eyes. She looked so happy and at peace. It was really
breathtaking to watch her, a young elfin so in love, and ready to commit her
life to her intended. It reminded me of why we keep our traditions.
The beauty of the moment was broken when scores of elves strode onto the beach
and a few threw rocks at Sera, forcing her to stumble back against the fountain,
blood pouring from her forehead. She ran and was chased, rocks striking her
back, stomach and legs as she sobbed, fleeing for what looked like her life. She
rushed back to the fountain, her eyes wild with fear, and a light sweat broken
on her brow. Antoninus Nicolo arrived just then, and rushed to Sera’s side,
taking her hand gently to help her rise as Dwyndyn shouted at the crowd, his
hand trembling against the hilt of his weapon. Antoninus turned, rested his hand
on Dwyndyn’s shoulder, and shook his head only once. Dwyndyn immediately stepped
back, holding Sera gently in his arms as he looked over the crowd that had
gathered. Antoninus stepped forward and gave an impassioned speech, calling on
all elves to look upon their reverence for life, and see that this innocent
child, so named by the Goddess, deserved their mocking hatred no more. The
elves, moved by the speech, slowly began to wander off, some looking forlorn and
others with guilt stamped all over their faces I didn’t leave. Many of us
didn’t. We were looking forward to seeing the Great Lady’s arrival. Just looking
on her makes so many of us feel good.
When she did arrive, Sera’s face erupted in a smile so glad, so warm, so very
adoring that I couldn’t help but like her. Dwyndyn was a lucky elf as far as I
was concerned.
The Goddess came forward, smiling warmly at Sera and Dwyndyn. She spoke to them
quietly and then began the service.
My eyes were fixed on Sera. How could they not be. She had a fascinating
background, and I was thinking about speaking to her about life after death,
writing her story for the history section, and using what I gleaned for
something in the philosophy wing.
That never happened. During the ceremony something in Sera changed. I could see
it happening. She seemed to be struggling with herself. I suppose no one knows
what goes on in another’s mind, but as her face twisted in a grimace of pain and
agony, the SunJin looked up at her, her eyes wide.
She said something like... Priscilla... and she and Sera growled back and forth
at one another...I couldn’t hear very well, I was a little ways off. Sera’s head
snapped up, and her eyes were different. Her whole demeanor was different. The
way she stood, there was a slight arc to her back that hadn’t been there before,
and her image... it seemed to waver before my eyes. She screamed suddenly, a
voice that was almost disembodied. At the very least you couldn’t have told
where it was coming from, except that Sera’s lips were moving. She attacked the
SunJin out of nowhere! With her bare hands, she went at her, punching and
hitting and scratching and going for the throat. And the SunJin, trying to fend
off the blows, kept stumbling back. I’m saying this and it sounds like it
happened slowly, but it was just so fast. Suddenly Nicolo jumped in, protecting
his mother, and as the SunJin shouted no, his blade finished Sera. He leapt
back, looking to the SunJin, not understanding. Of course his actions were
honorable. He only meant to protect his mother, and when Sera’s eyes went dead,
Dwyndyn began to scream and shout. He was horrified. So hurt and so confused and
so lost.
We were sent away then as they handled the rest. But when asked later what
happened, Nicolo said, as though it was a simple answer, ‘my mother’s sister
used Sera...’
It is a far too confusing time.
Sera was to be buried, and even her funeral was interrupted by those who wanted
her burned, who saw her as a traitor to the Goddess, and didn’t know the whole
of the tale. That day, at the ceremony, Sera’s body was overtaken and used, as
it was always meant to be, to attempt to kill the SunJin. In time it was learned
that the SunJin had been born of twins. And in Towskish history, in ancient
societies, it was told that while twins born of no magical ability were not
affected by this horror, babies born of a magical nature in the form of twins,
were blessed and cursed. One would always be eternally and inherently good, and
one would be the exact opposite, eternally and inherently wicked. One would
always be blessed of one of the pure gifts, and the other would be cursed with
the magic of the black light, stenminism.
Sera’s body disappeared before her burial. The attacks of the undead continued,
though their numbers were far too small to be of much concern, and the attacks
came with far less frequency.
Some time after Sera’s death, though littered here and there with attacks by the
undead, was mostly peaceful. Some small events took place that should be noted.
There was an event between Lady Lily Sole, Lord Inquisitor Antoninus Nicolo, and
a common elf who’s name has thus far been unrecorded. Perhaps, or rather, with
hope, one day his journals will be found, and we may give him proper credit.
This particular event began when something enormous flew from the sky and struck
the ground in the Towskish forest with such force, that the shockwaves
reverberated about Tow.
This common elf ran into Lord Nicolo and Lady Sole at Tufleet’s and told them
what he had seen. Lord Nicolo, confident that between himself, an amazing durin
and a very good warrior, Lady Sole, who unknown to all but a few, was a great
assassin, trained in the art of skilled attacks, and this man of the common
people, who apparently kept a rather detailed journal of the event spoken of
here, would be able to take care of any issue that arose.
Little is known here, however, beyond some basic facts.
The three elves came upon a smoldering rock in the middle of the forest. They
inspected it for some time, noting the heat coming off of it, and keeping their
distance. At some point it began to have physical effects on them though what
those were is not clear, as there is no actual record. The only living person
from the event never spoke of it that others heard, and what transpired is
unclear, save a vague discussion between Lady Lili and her cousin Doralion. And
those closest to Lady Lili, rarely spoken of her after her death.
What is clear, is that the rock began to kill the forest, and somehow, in some
way, the three elves assembled were able to destroy the meteor, saving the rest
of the forest from the fate of the dead clearing, which remains dead to this
day.
Elves were becoming more and more willing to commit crimes against one another
as a means to gain wealth. The greatest evidence of this soon came when, after a
series of break-ins, muggings, and even murders, Lady Lili Sole, Head of House
Sole, was taken by kidnappers who demanded ransom in the form of evars. This was
the first time in history that such an event had taken place. That an elven life
was being traded for money, that greed was driving others to kidnap their kin.
Lady Sole was held for some time. During her imprisonment she was tortured in
numerous ways, and three of her fingers on her left hand were sliced off at the
joint. The family immediately bowed to demands, and as Inquisitor Nicolo did his
best to find her, Lili Sole was returned. She was scarred, both physically and
emotionally, but she was alive and in good health all the same.
Dmitri Belre crafted a pure silver glove for Lili to wear, hiding her deformity.
It was worn over her hand, covering the stumps where her fingers were, with
jointed, silver fingers. She was rarely seen without gloves after her return
however, and never seen without her prosthetic.
Another event that had an impact on history is the story of Lady Lili Sole, Lord
Shinmen Kondei, Lady Nadja Sole, and the Sole and Kondei families.
As Lady Lili Sole began to gain social prominence among many of Tow’s nobility,
among the Inquisitors, and especially the noble families of MendiKu, and Belre,
House Kondei took notice. After Lady Lili saw to the funding of the public Sole
Library, she became the most prominent Head of House in Tow’s history to that
point.
Noticing this, Lord Shinmen Kondei decided to take action. The whispered rumors
about the Lady Sole’s growing fondness for a Lord Inquisitor meant that she
could have more social power than the head of House Kondei (Shinmen himself),
should that fondness be returned and a mating occur. Shinmen Kondei claimed Lili
Sole, announcing his intentions publically.
Many things happened after this. Something of a domino affect.
Lili read of his intentions on the public message board in Tufleet’s tavern. She
went up to the House Sole suite and wrote in her diary, the entry follows here.
Shinmen Kondei has claimed
me. I know why. It is purely a political move, and while I understand it, I hate
him for it.
Perhaps Antoninus will challenge for me.
No. I can’t let that happen, not ever. I won’t begin my life with the man that I
love, with him being forced to challenge for me. It will ruin something between
us, and I know he isn’t ready yet.
I can’t beat Shinmen. His prowess as a warrior is well known.
The library is under control, fully funded. The House will be well, Doralion is
ready to take my place. Antoninus will move on and have a full life.
I love him desperately. And if I am to be the person I want to be, the person he
loves, I must be good, kind, generous, and most of all just, I must do this. For
him. For me. And in the name of House Sole’s honor. We can not have these two
lines mixing. It would be disastrous.
I am going now. I don’t want to do this. I’m so afraid.
Following this entry, Lady Sole went to the streets. She called Shinmen Kondei
out, and challenged him for her freedom. She lost her life on that day. Shinmen
Kondei won honor for his house, and Lord Doralion Sole was named Head of House.
It is said that Lord Inquisitor Antoninus Nicolo sought to apprehend Shinmen for
murder, and did chase him through town and all over the forest, and only after
some time out of his sight, did the Inquisitor let his mind come to the
realization that nothing illegal had transpired, and that Shinmen must be left
alone.
As an aside, the following note was written after Lili Sole’s last entry in her
diary:
She hoped and
believed, though she would never say it, that he would save her.
He was the only one who could have.
I’m going to make that -bastard- pay for the rest of his life for taking my
perfect daughter from my life.
-M
“M” in this case is Mesha Sole, a member of the Elder council of Sole, aunt to
Doralion Sole, and sister to Unta of Sole, Iduanna. At her daughter’s funeral,
attended by many, Mesha Sole behaved in a way that can only be construed as
“mad”, going so far as to grab her daughter’s corpse, hugging it and wailing. It
was a scene that Sole would rather not recall, but does have indications to
consequences that would come later.
The situation only became worse.
Soon after Lili’s death, Shinmen Kondei came upon Nadja Sole, weeping at the
loss of her sister at the Great Shrine on Tow’s beach. Sources to the events
after that moment are unclear, save one thing. Shinmen fell in love with Nadja.
Despite Shinmen’s sister Oechi’s protests, Shinmen approached Doralion Sole to
ask for Nadja’s hand in marraige. Doralion Sole reports that Nadja was terrified
at the prospect of being mated to the man that killed her sister. As such, he
did the only thing that he could. He told Shinmen that he would not bless any
such mating, and asked that Shinmen be honorable by refraining from claiming
Nadja.
As Nadja was finding herself thrust into the war between the two houses, her
mother was growing more and more mad. The loss of her favored daughter drove her
insane, and the entire family worried for her. Sole’s aren’t known for taking
death well, but in Mesha’s case that was a gross understatement.
On request, a submission from Iduanna Sole’s diary at the time:
I am so worried for Mesha. She was
never the strongest of us, but with the loss of Lili, I worry that she may never
come back. The madness runs deep in the dark bloodline, but I never thought it
would come to this, that I would watch my sister drown in her insanity...
She actually walks about the estate, holding Lili’s glove as though holding her
daughters hand, and talks to the thin air of her days as though Lili were
standing there listening.
It pains me to think of Lili’s death. We all hate that weak little man for
letting it happen. But, I think more than those events, the loss of my sister,
for her mind is no longer there, is even more painful...
House Sole then hired Miriah Svenyani to watch over Nadja and to keep her away
from Shinmen. Nadja was small, frail, naive, and fresh out of Harvest House, and
it was thought that Miriah’s guidance would keep Nadja from being influenced by
an older, more powerful noble who’d obviously set his sights upon her.
As the story is recorded, rather than keep the elves apart, Miriah felt badly
for Shinmen and soon, Nadja and Shinmen were seeing each other in private, with
the help of Miriah. The relationship lasted in secret for some time, and
finally, Shinmen and Nadja approached Lord Doralion Sole together, to ask for
his consideration. Doralion was -furious-. He not only would not allow Shinmen
to wed Nadja, he fired Miriah, and he ordered Nadja to the House Estate, where
she was to stay until he felt she was ready to become part of society. Nadja
began the walk back to the estate, but at some point along the way, she
plummeted to her death from atop the cliffs. They may have suspected something
different, but the number of broken bones in her ravaged body could mean only
that. Shinmen Kondei was found beside her, sword plunged into his stomach,
dragged up through his ribcage and a bit to the left, his heart. His blood mixed
with Nadja’s in the sand, and rumor after rumor abounded about the nature of the
deaths. This nailed the coffin closed on any sort of Sole/Kondei relations. With
Shinmen’s death, Oechi ascended as Head of House, and over the years, the most
wicked and bloody fights that didn’t end in death were between she and Lord
Doralion Sole, over wounds that never healed, and Nadja’s mother, Mesha, went
even more mad with grief, even stealing her daughter’s body at one point. The
House had her locked up eventually, until they felt that she could return to the
outside world a bit more in control of herself.
Not long after this, Miriah Svenyani, Trainer of the JaiChen, was found guilty
of covering up the murder of a commoner, by a man she had been having a sexual
relationship (which was strictly forbidden for JaiChen) with. The man was a mine
worker who happened to see the two, completely by accident. While the murderer
was sent back to the land, Miriah faced the Inquisitors, both of whom were so
disgusted by her behavior that they were ready to rid the JaiChen of her, and
cast her out on the streets with an announcement to let people know what she had
done. The Goddess, however, stepped in, and forgave Miriah of her sins. While it
was kept quiet for quite some time, it became clear that Miriah was pregnant as
a result of the encounter, and it was said that her child had much to accomplish
for the Empire. Miriah was eventually renamed to the JaiChen, with her old title
in tact, and the rest of her career has been known as a great success, ending,
as will be explained later, in the line of duty. Her bravery is still spoken of
to students among the JaiChen.
Also, at about this time, Lord SorJin Kianeth Quelirian met a young JaiChen, Fao,
who managed to capture the young SorJin’s heart. While many spoke of their
relationship in whispers, insinuating that it was less than pure, the Goddess
proclaimed it to be, and so they were together for a time, and they seemed quite
happy. Rumors abounded that three JaiChen women had set their sites on the young
SorJin, not only Fao, but Kat and even Miriah Svenyani, and it is said that the
three women despised one another because of this. When Kianeth was no longer
available, it is said that they moved on, their sights set on Lord Inquisitor
Nicolo, and the common people loved to gossip endlessly about this.
The undead began to rise more quickly. Barely resting in their graves, they
would rise from them, disappearing into the forest. For quite awhile there were
no attacks at all.
Another event that occurred at about this time, was the emergence of the MendiKu
family as a major player in the race for House placement. Their products were in
great demand, they gave back greatly to the Empire, and they released among the
population a trio of one brother and two sisters who were twins. The elves gave
a face to the long quiet house, the children of Orin and Oona, their mother,
though she had passed on, one of the great leaders of House MendiKu’s
negotiations during their integration. These children, Oonagh, a shaman, under
two minutes older than her twin sister Orinna, and their baby brother Orvelle,
began to throw parties, open shops, and push thuja, more than it ever had been
before. Orvelle was just a child, at eleven years of age, but his personality
was that of a great salesman. He single-handedly sold more thuja, made more
major deals, and created new markets before his death at the age of thirteen,
than any other member of the House had or would after. Oonagh was something of a
doe-eyed spiritualist, and gave her personal stash, rather than selling it,
which only created new customers. Finally, Orinna sold a bit here and there, but
her mind was often lingering elsewhere, her deepest thoughts recorded and still
kept by House Sole. Later, you will see why that was important to history
overall.
The final battles against Cilla are legendary.
Scores and scores of undead filed into the city on a bright, sunny day in the
month of the Winter Wolf. They feasted on the helpless, and were fought by those
who had the ability, and even those who did not. The military and the JaiChen
poured into the streets, the battles ranging from brilliant lights growing in
the hands of the shaman and durin of the Empire, and the brilliant flashes of
silver from Kondei blades. Heroic in the battle against the undead, Oechi Kondei
was named, Ichi Kore, Antoninus Nicolo, Kianeth Quelirian, and Unta of Kondei,
Oeta Kondei. The Kondei’s kept the battle in the city raging and as under
control as possible, laying waste to thousands between just the two of them.
During the battle, one of the undead, seemingly more aware than most, her skin
green with rot, one of her eyes missing, her raven hued hair light on the
breeze, began moving toward town. She came upon the pregnant elfin SurKali Kore,
overtook her with the help of stenmin magic, and ran from the city with her
obvious task accomplished.
Separated from the army and from most of the JaiChen, several elves gave chase,
upon seeing SurKali taken. They came upon a cavern in the ground, north and east
of the city. This cavern had been, in the past, used as the burial ground for
all of Tow. The elves included in the chase, Ichi Kore, Antoninus Nicolo, Miriah
Svenyani, an elf named Dunord, Dwyndyn Tresserhorn, Kianeth Quelirian, and the
young JaiChen Fao.
Note inserted by Iduanna Sole:
The elf Dunord, was actually a
member of the Soo’ki tribe. He did not try to harm the elves of Tow at that
time, it seemed that his business was to watch, learn, and understand. He died
later, in the city, his body disappearing into nothingness.
The troupe of elves, ventured down into the crypt. There they found a filthy
sleeping chamber, holding an enormous painting done of a family. In the
painting, the family depicted, included a mother, a father, and two tiny girls,
both of whom had shimmering silver locks and ruby-red lips. However, one of the
girls had brilliant golden eyes, while the other’s irises were flat and black.
Miriah was the first to be taken aback by the painting, instantly recognizing
the SunJin.
The attacks of the undead were eventually attributed to “Cilla”, the Great
Lady’s twin sister. It seemed that Cilla was taking revenge on an empire that
abandoned her and upon a favored sister, given everything, while she was ordered
killed.
Note inserted by Iduanna Sole:
In time it became known that the
only reason that Cilla still lived, was that the nanny who was sent into the
woods to kill her, could not do it. She saw only a beautiful baby girl, and her
guilt would not permit her to take the life. She left the baby in the forest,
certain that the forest would find an elvish way to take care of the wickedness
in the child, and beyond that, no one knows how Cilla lived, and grew, and
thrived after her abandonment.
The elves moved quickly through the tunnel, Miriah more than the rest lingering
back, stunned by the picture. She was very close to the Goddess and perhaps her
reaction was one of fear for the Great Lady more than anything else.
As the elves continued through the dark and dank tunnel, they came upon a great
vault in the crypt, where spaces for thousands of caskets had been hollowed into
the dirt itself, and the caskets themselves, all of them open, were very old to
nearly new, from plain wooden boxes to heavy caskets of mahogany with gold and
silver trim. Of course, the elves assembled spent little time examining these
small points. Within the enormous vault, more undead slept, stacked atop one
another and flung about the floor without any real care, and certainly not
worried for comfort. They were asleep, or in a trancelike state, for some of the
elves, whose eyelids had rotted away, stared off blankly at nothing.
As Ichi looked around, he began to push the assembled elves back, trying hard to
quiet them without making noise himself. Just outside the chamber, he began to
give orders. He sent Antoninus back to the entrance with Dunord to watch the
retreat. He intended to lead the charge himself, and looked almost weak when he
asked Dwyndyn to stand with him.
They came back into the vast chamber and stepped over the piles of bodies,
trying desperately not to make a sound as they made their way to the corridor
across the great room. Just as they got to the narrow corridor, a groaning began
behind them that would have terrified any elf, even to death. The sounds grew,
groans, wails, and screams echoing through the chamber behind them. The elves
started down the corridor, already fighting the undead that came their way.
Running ahead, Dwyndyn came upon two doors at the end of the earthen hall. The
first was locked. The second swung in, and the group all stumbled into the room,
fighting the dead to close the door behind them. As the group turned, they were
stunned to see Dwyndyn, standing in the middle of the room, his mouth agape. As
their eyes adjusted to the faint firelight, they followed the snow-haired elf’s
line of sight to the darkest corner of the room. There, cowering in the corner,
was a crooked, bent, and rotting corpse, face averted from those assembled. Her
dark hair covered her features, and as Ichi moved quickly up to Dwyndyn’s side,
he understood.
His friend’s eyes gave away the identity of the creature in the corner. It
slowly looked up from it’s spot in the dank corner, it’s missing eye oozing with
green-grey slime. It was a female. She was a horror to behold, and to look on
Dwyndyn, one would think that he might die of heartbreak right then and there.
Ichi, who had seen the creature run off with SurKali as he tried to fight the
creatures in the streets, and was held back by them for far longer than he could
stand to think about, knew suddenly that the creature that took SurKali was none
other than Sera (a truth confirmed by her missing eye, something that happened
when she died originally).
Things become unclear at this point, as most of what transpired came about
between Dwyndyn and Sera, Ichi stepping back. As Antoninus rushed into the room,
Ichi shouted at him about watching the enterance, and he stopped, eyes wide and
fixed on the two elves in the middle of the room. Sera and Dwyndyn spoke
quietly, and eventually she fell to her knees, sobbing, rotting flesh around her
torso hanging off and showing her ribcage. She began to beg loudly for Dwyndyn
to kill her, and he looked on her in horror, unable to move. Who could blame him
really, this was the love of his life, dead twice, standing before him a rotting
corpse that was begging his forgiveness and urging him to move on with his life,
and finally asking that -he- kill her and end what she had become. Dwyndyn
seemed unable to move, and Sera eventually crawled back into the corner,
whispering that all of them must hurry before ‘she’ had time to complete her
ritual.
They all turned to leave, Ichi grabbing Dwyndyn and pulling him toward the
doorway. Antoninus an Kianeth moved forward, and in an act of mercy, and for the
good of the population of Tow, they struck Sera down and dismembered her so that
her corpse could not be used again.
Note by Iduanna Sole:
Sera was able to return to life in
Tow previously under a kind of ‘glamour magic’. Cilla had cast the glamour on
her, so that her true form, that of the wretched zombie, would be hidden under
the guise of her beauty in life.
They burst through the door and immediately found themselves set upon by a hall
filled with zombies. Dwyndyn, coming out of his stupor, began to bash in the
other door, finally crushing it in with shoulder. The elves broke off from the
fighting, darting off (the living had always been faster than the dead), running
into the small chamber and up the stairs there, which led to a chamber, a ring
of fire, and in the middle, SurKali lay, screaming in pain as her stomach tensed
with contractions. Cilla stood above SurKali, knife poised above her belly, and
as the elves rushed in, Ichi only had time to scream ‘No!’ before Cilla thrust
the knife downward into SurKali’s belly, slicing a long, curving line at the
undercurve of her pregnant form.
As SurKali began to cough and gag on her own blood, Cilla reached into her belly
and withdrew the child, holding her up in the air triumphantly. Ichi, his feet
no longer failing him, rushed at Cilla, but she was suddenly gone, having moved
at unbelievable speed, and paused at the stairs behind all of the elves. She
beckoned them all to follow her, and to face their demise, her children that
waited at the bottom of the stairs. The horrified elves’ attention was diverted
from her for a moment as SurKali cried out in anguish, and when they looked
back, Cilla had gone.
Antoninus, Kianeth, Dwyndyn, Miriah, Fao, and Dunord rushed down the stairs,
following Cilla, and it is said, Ichi trudged to SurKali’s side, falling to his
knees and staying with her as she bled to death. In her last moments, she was
said to tell him to save the baby. And when she gave her last breath, Ichi ran
from the room, his face streaked with tears, and his eyes filled with horror,
pain, and rage.
Ichi caught up with the group that was fighting wildly against impossible odds,
only Kianeth and Fao missing from the group. He lunged through hundreds, when
suddenly, a group of the undead, raised swords, as if on a mechanical cue, and
cut him down with more force than any of the undead before had shown. His body
lay crumpled on the floor, when suddenly a blue fire enveloped his frame, and he
disappeared, the few remaining elves to witness this, thrusting themselves out
of the chamber. They ran along the corridor, screaming directions at one another
until they came to the stairwell and thrust themselves out and up into the fresh
forest air.
The elves stood where they were for a long moment, unsure of how to proceed. It
was Antoninus Nicolo who first made his way back down into the hole, hurriedly
explaining that he could not leave the undead to strike the heart of Tow. Many
of the elves followed him.
Kianeth and Fao followed Cilla on foot for quite some time, and she remained
just out of reach. Their attention was focused solely on saving the child, and
when they lost Cilla’s trail, they sat down and held each other in fear, pain,
and almost relief, for there was nothing more they could do at that moment.
As Antoninus and the others made their way back down into the pit, they found
the undead easier to kill. This was mimicked throughout the city as Oechi and
Oeta Kondei began hacking through the undead as though they were threshing
wheat. With Cilla’s attention elsewhere, her undead children were no match for
the strength of the elves, and soon they were all cut down, leaving the elves of
Tow victorious, but tired, ravaged, and mourning the losses all around them.
And the child was lost...
During this time, a series of strange and brutal murders were happening around
Tow, that had many of it’s citizens more afraid than even the attacks of the
undead. Dead women had been found here and there, missing parts of their body. A
young woman from Daga’Suut, Makkara DeDaga, was found, her naked body pristine,
save her missing eyes. Her family spoke of her with great fondness, and said
that her most impressive feature was her hauntingly beautiful, crystal-faceted
violet eyes. The next woman found was missing her legs, Lera Kra, a common
woman, whose family and friends confirmed that she too had been relieved of her
most beautiful feature. And while, at the time, it seemed unrelated (there was a
long space of time in between this event and the murders), Lady Lili Sole’s
corpse had been taken for some time, and was eventually found, scalped. Her
long, luxurious dark locks had been taken. The killer was identified as an
escalating serial fetishist once the connection was made by Lady Oechi Kondei.
Lady Kondei and Inquisitor Nicolo led the hunt for the fetishist and murderer,
but for a time, there seemed to be no real leads as to the identity of the
monster.
Shortly after the battle with Cilla and her undead, Cinda came into Tufleet’s
Tavern, followed closely by a hooded figure. She spoke softly to Inquisitor
Nicolo and SorJin Quelirian and they both had visible reactions to the hooded
figure. The SunJin moved to the back room, where the message board carried not
only messages from one elf to another, but also held Emperial decrees. After she
left her notice, the SunJin stepped wearily through the doorway of the tavern
and returned to her quarters, where she stayed for some time. The cloaked figure
soon lowered his hood, revealing himself to the assembled elves of Tow. Ichi
Kore looked on his kin once more and simply moved to the bar for a drink. The
decree on the message board had named him Champion of Tow, and elves looked on
him not in fear, but in wonder, as his return was the work of the SunJin
herself.
