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Secrets and Truths

Started by Wildfire, December 12, 2005, 09:48:11 AM

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Johan

"Fair enough." Maccabeus answered. "For more low-hanging fruit: what is that symbol that Zarion wears about his neck?" Maccabeus relaxed again, leaning against Wolf, and stretching his short legs towards the fire.
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Wildfire

"You like that, eh?" Ashe said "Well, when I created the bridge the first time I spoke with the plants and told them that you were now the steward of the Ring of Mists and that by Zebulons' decree you were to be honored with safe passage. Since it was you that ultimately saved them from future destruction it is you that they will aid. Anyone that you claim that should have safe passage across the river by them will receive it. Anyone else will not. I, of course, have safe passage without your charge."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"I cannot yet see deeply nor keenly enough to be overwhelmed." Maccabeus answered. Seeing that Ashe was being weighed down by this conversation, he diverted the elder's attention to a hopefully lighter subject:

"So as for the bramble bridge," he began. "You told me that it was I who created the second one, but I did nothing other than set foot near the river. What has transpired that the shrubbery might accommodate me thus?"
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Wildfire

Ashe says, "You'll understand in good time. Come, let's go back inside."

The three of them walk back into the house and Ashe says, "Well, I haven't had proper time to study the founts but my initial answer is that the founts are what I might call the 'blood' of the four repsectively. It's indicative of the health of the area that they're in. When we drank of the founts the fluid passed to us a bit of the essence of what it represented.

The four have a timeless health in that they are simply the building blocks of life to be used in whatever manner is deemed appropriate by certain forces. Mahiya uses them to build and destroy to maintain balance in the cycles. The Void corrupts them to twist and abolish life to feed it's hunger. The founts as you first discovered them had been usurped to drain life. As for the divine four, they can never be unhealthy only manipulated to cause illness or promote life. It is through the four that the Void and Mahiya are forever tied and dare I say, opposing twins in constant struggle."

Ashe shakes his head, "Sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my head around this so if you feel overwhelmed by this twisted secret you're not alone."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Nope." Maccabeus answered impishly. "Hardly a whit, to be honest. I have to assume that this is when 'I have returned' [Maccabeus stood on his toes and deepened his voice comically] rang out through the land?"

He fell into momentary silence, then asked his next vein: "So the waters in the founts: it is clearly connected to the Quartet, but in what manner? Are those founts a reflection of the relative health of the four? Only in this area? How are those founts connected to or with the four?"
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Wildfire

Ashe smiled a big wide smile, "Liam is my Grandson and student. He was always restless as a child but he had an amzing talent for our craft. After he had reached the point of 'hunting on his own', as he would say, he struck out last Sythus to follow his nose. He found his way to the ancient Tower of Zebulon, which is pretty close to your Dale of Wolves, to claim the Medallion of Balance. With the help of some...well, I would now call them heroes, he defeated Draxiar the Ashlord upon which Liam was then given the gift of the consiousness of Zebulon."

Ashe laughed full bellied and said, "I hope that all makes sense!"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Bbbbbb...who's "Liam"? Maccabeus asked curiously.
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Wildfire

Ashe says, "Come with me outside, if you will, and I'll show you."

The two walked outside and Ashe pointed south towards the Valley. The three moons wer in their various phases and placed about the sky. Ashe pointed and said, "There, between the two cliffs and over the river. If you look close you'll see the The Blood Tear of Mahiya so our order calls it. It's an Omen of the coming of Zyxu. It's actually been in the sky for quite some time now. The emergence of Zebulon is also a sign of things to come. He's here to command his troops in a war that supercedes all other wars. I'm quite proud of Liam for answering the call and taking the throne to battle Zyxu. We all have our part to play."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus frowned as he listened to the elder speak. Why would any power want to destroy all of life? He wondered. It didn't make sense, and for any natural creature to want to aid in its own destruction made even less sense. To be a King of Nowhere. He attended Ashe as closely as he could through his own crowded mind.

"Blood Tear?" He echoed the elder. "I don't know of what you speak."
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Wildfire

Ashe nodded his head and began to frown, "The Void, as I will refer to it, is the opposing force of Mahiya. Mahiya breathes life into the unifications of the four. The Void is the absence of life. It eats life never to return it to the great cycle. I suspect that the defilers were there to turn it into a life eating temple. Think of what the Ring became after you channeled the healing of Istisha. It was full of life and music. Now think of what the Ring was like when you first entered into it. It was turning to dust and ash. The Wasteland of Archea to the north and west of here is testimony to the life eating power of the Void. The minions of Zyxu by their very existence suck the life from Mahiya and channel it to their master abomination. The Ring was very close to becoming a staging point for Zyxu."

Ashe's face and voice gets morose and he says, "We are on the edge of terrible times Maccabeus. The Blood Tear is a sign of that. Have you seen the Blood Tear in the sky?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Why would the Divinities have used me for that effort?" Maccabeus asked. "If you were there, why not use you? I suppose that must have something to do with perpetuity, I suppose." His shaggy eyebrows lifted and dipped as he answered his own question.

"Well, then, on to what the Defilers were doing in the Ring. I mentioned that they were trying to still the waters of the founts, but you said that they were trying to do much more than that. What was their goal?"
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Wildfire

[color=green:f1809ccc6e]OOC: Yeah...I figured that was given.[/color]

Ashe smiled as he put his shirt back on. "It was me. Many of the soldiers take that form to deliver messages for the majesty. Ultimately one can choose any form he wants. The stag happens to be a favorite amongst us. Now, you might be thinking that all of the soldiers have the ability to take various shapes. That's not so. It depends on the path of what you feel is best for you to carry out your work as a representative of Zebulon. He's very open that way."

Ashe's tone gets more serious, "What you've seen and done these past days is no accident. As I'm chosen from a family line to for this so are you. You're grandsire that you spoke of earlier also became an agent of Zebulon along with Orion and the Antlered Giant. The Order of Zebulon has a rich history of exceptional members."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

[color=green:ca8ccd846c]Just so that we're clear: this conversation is being carried out in the Druidic language.[/color]

Maccabeus smiled at Ashe's words. "My mind is rarely still." He noted. "But to be honest, it never occurred to me to reject it. I've worked for this life in the service of Mahiya; it wasn't so much of a choice that I made as a recognition that it is who and what I am. It is my natural path. So, the stag that I saw: other than to tell me that he was a servant of Zebulon, I know nothing of him. Was that you?"
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Wildfire

Ashe pulled off his shirt. His long silver hair tumbled over his shoulders and Maccabeuas noticed that it had the slightest tint of gold at his temples. For an aged man Ashe appeared to have the healthy body of a young adult. Embazoned on Ashe's chest was the same mark that Maccabeus now had. It was four outwardly facing crescents the colors of the divine quartet.

"This is the mark given to the soldiers of Zebulon. I've had this honor as my birthright. It was destiny for me to be what I am...as it may be for you. You have the choice to accept or deny this path. Each choice has it's own sacrifices and rewards. I think I know which you've chosen but you must make the final choice in your heart when your mind is still. When Zebulon can hear you."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Indeed, but where to start?" Maccabues relaxed into the cant of his brethren. "So much has happened of late."

"I have in fact so many questions polluting my mind that we likely do not have the time for all of them in one sit." As he spoke he assisted Ashe in rearing the fire.

"How about this: allow me to ramble for a moment. Many questions and thoughts will fill this room, and we can take them from the air in the order that makes most sense."

"I arrived in Threshold only yesterday. Serendipity or Divine plan brought me to Maal, and thereafter to Julius, and thereafter to the Ring. And a good thing it was."

"You mentioned that you had witnessed Istisha's utilization of me last night. Were you there? Did you actually see? There was an enormous, beautiful stag there as well who identified himself as a servant of Zebulon; are you that stag? If not, then who? Not truly a stag, no doubt. This morning, when we met on the road, you mentioned that I now wear the same mark that you do. What mark is that? Do you refer to this new mark that I've earned on my chest?" He bared his chest for Ashe to see the four crescents that echoed in his ruddy skin the form of the medallion that the giant stag had given him. "What it is? Outside of the obvious, I mean. Later, you noted that the defilers were trying to do more than to stop the waters of the founts in the Ring; what were they trying to do? What would stopping the waters have done? In part, I would think that this action would harm the Divine Ones. The obvious analogy would have me believe that the life of the Divine Ones was tied closely to these founts, but what?s the tail and what?s the wolf? Then there was the destruction of the foul Medallions (are they in fact the antithesis of the medallion that the stag gave me? Of what is now permanently imprinted in my skin?): how?s that destruction done? What sort of power need be brought to bear for that holy rite? What was the totem that Zarion wore about his neck? How is it that I was responsible for the creation of the second frond bridge across the river later this day? Am I to believe that this will happen always for me? Why? And how close to the Ring must I be for the standing ones (plants and trees etal) to aid me in this way?"

The little gnome seemed to run out of thoughts at that point. He sat on the floor, leaning against Wolf's broad side as his friend lay, gaining towards sleep in front of the new fire. "As you begin to see, my mind is ever in motion. Thoughts flitter along in unbridled succession. At times I need to speak them lest they retreat to the darkness of my mind and not return."

"So that seems all of my questions for the moment, but where to start? Low-hanging fruit or particular points of interest?" He stretched his arm up demonstrably. "How about this one?" He asked. "What is this mark that I now bear, and is this the mark that you implied that you too bear?"
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