Return from the Tower

The idea of life revolving around Eclavdran elicits a bark of surprised laughter from Seldan, and he picks up his gear, gesturing that they should continue on the road towards town. "Indeed no. Between the Shards of Animus, Eclavdran, and the temple's demands, there is little time for idleness. I have not set drawing tools to paper in a moon or more, so much is there to be done."

He sobers, then, his eyes going towards the walls. "We of the Guild must not be our own undoing."

Verna's brief hint of smile returns to a more common slight frown in contrast to Seldan's laughter. "You are not wrong, alas, though I referred more to aspects of ... normalcy. Such as it is." 'Normal' is perhaps a rather fluid and subjective term, moreso as of late.

As the pair talk, a familiar form takes shape behind them, coming down the road. He is walking slowly, but he is not so far from them that he can not see them, nor them him. "Ssseldan." Zeke says, loudly enough to be heard, and with a touch of surprise given their unexpected arrival. "Peasssce on your nessstsss." He offers in greeting to both of them.

"I pray indeed that this does not become normalcy - and yet do I fear that it is so," Seldan replies quietly, his own smile fading, but before he can continue, Zeke greets from behind them, and he turns, surprised. "Zeke, peace upon your nest also. What brings you out this way?" He does not wear all of his usual quiet reserve, and there is at once a sadness and a satisfaction that rests across the even features.

Verna turns at the address and greeting, though the former is aimed at another. "Peace on your nest," she returns the customary greeting to the sith-makar with a dip of her hood.

"Thisss one wassss performing ssssome resssearch in Mictlan." Zeke replies. He carries a basket with him, and at his other side is a small sampling of fish. "Thisss one did ssome fisshing on the way back for dinner. It isss getting quite cold to do ssso however."

He shakes his head at this and then looks from Seldan to Verna and then back again. "What bringsss you to the edge of the ssscity in sssuch a way?" He asks, clearly meaning the means by which the pair had traveled to this spot.

"We have only just returned from the Charneth border," Seldan explains, and indeed the full armor that he wears, with no attempt to cover or hide it, gives credence to the explanation. "A fruitful trip, and only one hurt, for whom I have done what I can. Yet is there much to share, not all of it good." A tinge of seriousness, there. "Still-" He pulls from his belt pouch a silver and stone orb, glowing gently in his hand. "We were able to retrieve the second one."

"A success, all things considered," Verna affirms Seldan's assessment, as well as his concerns, "with new information gained. All will recover quickly enough."

Zeke's eyes widen a little at the sight of the glowing stone and silver orb and he looks at Seldan as if to be sure that he is seeing rightly. "Thisss isss very good news! Thiss one isss lessss pleasssed to hear that one of your number wasss harmed in the processs, but it mussst have been very dangerousss going to Charn to get it."

Seldan tucks the glowing orb back into his belt pouch, but there is not a trace of a smile on his features. "Both more, and less than one would guess. This Cult of the Cockatrice may wear Taara's symbols, but they serve Eclavdran. I would see them wiped from Ea." As he speaks, his eyes take on a slightly haunted look. "I have also learned the fate of at least one of the Champions of Eluna, and it may be that others shared that fate."

"I do not know what the demon thought to accomplish with the stone," Verna glances to it briefly, "but it is best that he possess none of them, nor have this cult serving him." As if he were not concern enough without relics and more followers.

"That isss a good quesstion. Doesss it sserve him to keep them out of our handsss, or do they have sssome purpossse in hisss that he keepss them?" Zeke shrugs, having no answer to his own question. "But if you would ssshare wordss kin, thisss one would know what you have learned of thisss Champion of Eluna on your misssion."

Seldan's eyes have drifted to the pavement/dirt of the road before him was the other two speculate. "I have not spoken of the things that I learned in my research, Mourner," he begins, thoughtfully. "The orbs were gifted to the Champions of Eluna long ago, and their tales are many. They unraveled, in the end, and among that unraveling, one is said to have lain with Eclavdran." _Why they did that, I do not know,_ is the unspoken remark. "_In the heart of the world lies a beast's broken heart._ It is in my mind that they may have spurned him. A demon may well wish to keep such things from the Light, for their own purposes, but these are of no use to any not looking to the Dreamer. Perhaps his motivation is more - personal, but -"

He draws a deep breath. "I had come across in my reading a thing so hideously absurd that I had thought it mere ravings, but I learned that it was no raving, but truth."

That is certainly news Verna did not have before and she takes a moment to digest that. Seldan's discomfort or incredulity at the one notion is not overlook. "Some tales can be exaggerated or altered for the recorder's own interests... yet fiends can be quite manipulative or misleading to achieve their goals. This could well be personal for him. The statue, the symbol that seems to represent the demon, has always been feminine. There is some key significance to that."

Zeke is not at a loss for words so much as he is deep in thought. "Thisss one hasss thought before, that sssomeone mussst be the sssource of the demon'ss sssoftssskin sshape. Perhapsss one of thesse Championsss? A... mocking blow perhapsss, to defasce the name and imagesss of thosssse that onsce fought againssst him. But what isss thisss that you learned wassss not ravingsss and isss truth Ssseldan?"

"A ritual of dark deities, a magic unspeakably black that turns a devotee into an undead focus, granting power to the deity. Supposedly a deity may draw significant power from this." Seldan keeps his tone low and grave. "It is called the Chorus, and is an insufferable abomination. We - were nearly witness to this ritual, save only that I refused to abide it and disrupted it."

"We are better off that you did," Verna is prompt to note to Zeke and remind Seldan. "An unexpected opportunity that was taken; another blow struck. It is a ritual that may well be attempted again, if it is that potent."

Zeke grows even more pensive at the thought of magic so dark. "Thisss one isss glad that you sstopped sssuch Sseldan. Sssuch evil sshould not be abided. Thisss one hass not heard of sssuch, but it might be bessst to do sssome ressearch into it." He shakes his head. "Ssso much to do, and we ssseem never clossser to our anssswersss. That they might perform thisss ritual again isss no ssurprissse, if only we knew when and where ssso that we could cut him off from being able to make more of sssuch thingsss. Or perhapss even - desstroy othersss."

"We destroyed one, that was holding the orb." Seldan's eyes lift - at least mostly. “I yet look to continue my reading on the heart of the world, and I wait not on others' pleasure." He lets out a breath, slowly. "We learn more, and yet should we indeed learn more of the Chorus."

Verna's hood dips. "I intend to begin that very research immediately. As I new nothing of it before now, and Seldan believed it a myth, there may be little to find. I will seek it, nonetheless. Anything of how it is done will aid us to prevent, locate, or destroy others in the future." Additionally, even those foolish enough to submit to such a thing still deserve their rest.

"Thisss one hasss dinner to prepare, but afterwards... thiss one will likely join you in your resssearch. More eyesss may make for finding the information all the more quickly." Zeke nods and glances at his fish. "Thisss one sshould go and attend to sssuch. Thisss one thanksss you for ssharing wordsss with thisss one." He bows his head briefly, and then makes to leave.

"Peace upon your nest, Zeke." As he talks, Seldan's reserve seems to have found its stride, and he regards the sith-makar steadily. "I shall see you anon."

Once Zeke has turned away, he turns back towards Verna. "Let us seek the walls and our beds."

"Peace upon your nest," Verna offers in farewell to Zeke as he departs. A nod to Seldan follows at his very wise and welcome suggestion. "Indeed. Some rest is in order and, I believe, deserved."

-End