News:

- Chubby Dwarves are low fat.
- Pippen accused of getting drunk and feeling Merry
- Mexican Hobbit corrupted by One Ring. Known as Smiegel

Main Menu

Secrets and Truths

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

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 4 Guests are viewing this topic.

Johan

"Is there no rejuvenating that bleak land?" Maccabeus asked. "Perhaps I can make that part of my life's work. It's not that far off, really, and perhaps if we crept up on it, revitalizing the fringes and driving the annulment back, perhaps over time we could breath life into it. It's worth trying, I would think, unless we were content to leave it there as a reminder to us?" He sipped thoughtfully at his tea.

"I wouldn't want to advocate that there is good to be had out of that particular incident, but we can all take a lesson, no? After all, without blights such as that, if all of Elsenban were as beautiful as this place, and as the Valley you have described to me, then those places would be less impressive; less cherished, one would think. How can one have a light without a darkness to put it in? The only true tragedy is that those souls were not returned to the Great Cycle, and - being largely ignorant as I am - I cannot even say that."

"This is what piques my curiosity with respect to that theory: Mahiya breathes life into the land, the Void sucks it out. There is balance there, is there not? How is it that we are assured that the Void doesn't feed that force back into Mahiya to breath it out to us once again?"

"Liken it this way: the less enlightened feel so confident that death is an end, whereas we are well aware that it is not. That life finds its way through the Great Cycle to return reborn and renewed. How can we be assured that in this way, as we consider the Void and Mahiya's efforts, we are not the unenlightened, and we think that the Void is the final and definitive end, meanwhile the Void and Mahiya are working in their own machinations to return what has been lost? I greater Great Cycle, so to speak?"

He sighed disconsolately. "I don't know. I'm just trying to find a balance; that's what I do. For every desert there is a sea, after all."
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

Ashe smiled sadly and said, "Yes...there is. But that is some time away so you needn't worry of it right now."

Ashe brought Maccabeus's mug of tea to him and said, "The dead land you spoke of used to be a forest as thick and lush as the one around this town if you can believe it. That wasteland was not here 200 years ago. So, behold the power of and will of Zyxu Archeon. That Wasteland was created when in the last arrival of Zyxu he managed to reattach the Horn of Mahiya. Zebulon defeated him by tearing it back off. But in the time he had it Zyxu and his followers ate the life of that forest. Can you even imagine the amount of things that died in there never to have their spirits..."

Ashe's voice trailed off and Maccabeus could see that he was disturbed by the topic.

"Excuse me Maccabeus. Sometimes I just can't bear the thought of the treachery that happened."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"You must refer to that unnaturally dead land north of here." Maccabeus replied. "We saw it. As we hugged the mountians on our journey south, that foul place was at times close enough that you could feel its silence. Hunting was poor on that narrow band of plain, so we stayed closer to the mountians. We even rode out that last blizzard in an abandoned city that hugs those mountains. Wolf was able to find a few head-butters in the mountains for us to eat while we waited. We were really quite comfortable there while the winds tore bitterly outside."

Maccabeus inhaled deeply of the Brimblesprig. "Very nice, and thank you. I realize that it might sound trite, but for all this kindness and charity that you've shown me, is there anything that I can do for you in payment?"
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

"hmmm...Tarrindor Root...you have fine tastes my friend. Let me get it ready for you and here..." Ashe tossed a man hand sized pouch to Maccabeus, "You can have that. It's full of Brimblesprig tabac. "

Maccabeus could see the pouch was soft black leather with a Tree of Life embroidered in gold and silver thread. The scent emanating from the pouch was heavenly.

Ashe ashe was preparing the tea he asked, "Just before you arrived to Theshold out in the wild did you see an area that looked like it was constantly covered in a cloud of grey fog?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"I suppose that I must kindle a passion for Zyxu, then." Maccabeus answered wryly. "Right now, I have a disdain for him. I don't imagine that this is enough, though. I have to develop that deep, abiding enmity that begets the kind of raw emotion that I think I hear you talking about."

Maccabeus smacked his lips a little. "You know, all this talk and warmth is making me dry. How about some of that tea you proferred me earlier? Do you have any Tarrindor Root, by any chance? I've long since run out as that is my favorite, and I'm not usually very prudent in my rationing. Oh, and if you have any of that weed you spoke of for my pipe?" Maccabeus took his pipe from its temporary place at his belt and inspected it critically. "I'll have to come up with another of these." He said ruefully. "I've sat upon it too many times. Once more and I'll have no pipe, and that's a sad way for a Dale Gnome to be."
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

Ashe nods his head, "You're eager to battle those of Zyxu...this is good. It's something that I can teach you right now. You have the ability you just need the training. I'll teach you as soon as possible as I think you'll need the skill that quickly. It invovles channeling your connection with Mahiya to the passion of destroying those of Zyxu."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"For the most part, yes." Maccabeus answered. "As for the symbol, you noted that some power need be brought to bear to destroy them. Is that something that lay far down my road, or is it something that you might teach me sooner rather than later?"
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

Ashe says, "You have a good mind for anaylsis. The reason involves a bit of history. I will however, be brief. Zyxu Archeon, a minotaur, was at one time the highest agent of Mahiya as Zebulon is now. But he became infected with his lust for power. In his quest to dominate life he opened a portal to the Void. The Void was everything that Mahiya was not. In swearing his allegience the Void gave Zyxu the power to channel life energy directly to it. To meet his new masters demands Zyxu, who still had control of the Mahiya's forces as well, went to the Valley of Mist and stole the life energy from the Valley and put it in his left horn. After this occurred there was a rebellion from those faithful to Mahiya. Zebulon, who was the leader of this uprising, tore the horn from Zyxu's head banishing Zyxu to the Void. Zebulon became the new champion of Mahiya from this act. In doing so his essence and conciousness became one with the fabric of this physical and spiritual world. Now, the Horn of Mahiya remains in the Valley and when Zyxu invades from the Void, Zebulon returns to battle him. Does that make sense?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Such ornamentation, if such it be, could mean many things." Maccabeus supposed. "By your question I must suggest that there is indeed more to that design than aesthetic, and it might either be functional or indicative."

He considered a moment longer. "I have no real information to draw upon, alas, but if they are agent of the Great Void, what if this medallion were to indicate how far Zyxu's power had spread? The more powerful he gets, the more black spreads across the steer."

Maccabeus was on a bit of an erratic roll now, and his thoughts passed directly to his mouth without stopping for consideration. "But is that truly a steer's head? Why would that be his totem? Why would he have a totem, and why would that totem be any kind of animal? It makes no sense for Zyxu to have an animal totem, so it must not be a totem (or at least not an animal one). Why the odd shape? In my zeal to see a steer, did I overlook a different symbol? I know nothing of Zyxu except what you told me earlier today, so I have no history of it. And, by the way, metal is somewhat of a rarity in the Dale, so the medallion might be of two different materials entirely. One, as you say steel, and the other some other metal, but what kind? And what symbolism is borne by what races, or religions, or cults, or sects, or geographies, or legends, or Divinities, or whatever, based upon metal types? What if one of those metals is from a different world all together? Is it a beacon? It might perhaps be indicative of a marriage between two distinct and separate quantities, as his living agents are juxtaposed in marriage to him (why would any living being, aside from a loss of intellect, want to feed the Living Force into the Void? Are these creatures and agents not alive, then?) metal to non-metal is analogous to living to non-living."

"Blech - as I note, in the absence of information, all things are as likely as not. I would need some solid information in order to properly conjecture."

"In any event," he finished, "I took note of that point, but its meaning, and even whether it has meaning, is well beyond my grasp."
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

"That was indeed Zebulon's voice that stretched across the land."

Ashe stood up and fetched a sheet of parchment and an inked quill. He drew the symbol of the defilers and said, "I asked you about the symbols because there is one thing that is odd upon looking at them. Something indicative of the past. It is important to note that the symbols were all grey steel but one of the horns, the horn on the right as you look at it, was black. What do you think that might mean?"

Ashe knew his question was cryptic but asked so that he could see the thought paths of Maccabeus.
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"So that was truly Zebulon's voice that rang out last year?"

"Why did you ask me what I noticed about the symbols of the defilers? Did I miss something?"
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

"After Liam got the Medallion and the Ashlords were defeated he put it on and that's when he became Zebulon and proclaimed that he has awakenend. He had to prove himself worthy. It was the courage to follow his heart by himself and continue against all odds and the resolve to fight at the expense of his own life that was the proof of his worthiness. He now presides in The Tower of Zebulon where he defeated the Ashlords."

Ashe took a sip from his mug and continued, "The Elemental Eyes are Gems that give tremendous amount of control over the element that it is dedicated to. When Zebulon was here last he used them to defeat Zyxu. He then scattered them out so their power would not be abused until he needed them again. As we speak the quest to retrieve them is underway. Three have been recovered but the Eye of Kossuth is in the control by the Witch-Queen of Xanthakos. It will not be easy but I keep faith in those on the quest."
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Well," Maccabeus began as he tried to recall the specifics of the medallion. "It was metal - two-toned metal - shaped kind of like a bull's head, with two eyes in the middle. It was very pointy. [color=green:120f44c1ea]I think that I recall that at least somewhere one of the medallions had red eyes, did it not? Maccabeus would recall this detail as for him it was only earlier this very day that he saw one, and yesterday that he saw all of them.[/color]

"It also tingled when I touched it. It was rather unpleasant." He shuddered as he recalled the sensation upon touching the foul medallion.

"I take it from your conversation that the agents of Zyxu had it, and that Liam wrested it from them. Is that when he received Zebulon's awareness, and is that when we all heard that mysterious voice of someone who had returned? What's an Elemental Eye?"
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

Ashe takes a draw from his pipe and says, "Little is known about the Medallion of Balance even amongst The Order of Zebulon. It is worn by Zebulon as an aid to keep the mortal part of the avatar from straying off his path. It's powers are unknown. How it acts in the hands of agents of Zyxu I do not know. I can only guess that they were using it to prevent Zebulon from reemerging. What I do know is that it is important to Zebulon to have the sacred Medallion. Once he gets the four Elemental Eyes he'll have power that Zyxu has not even fathomed."

Ashe turned his head towards Maccabeus and says very seriously, "The symbols on the defilers at the Ring, what did you notice about them?"
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Three days." Maccabeus echoed. "So close, but not close enough. I'd like to see that place one of these days - perhaps after I've settled in and can be comforted that there's no impending ill for the Ring. I'll await a sign from Istisha; she hasn't led me astray yet."

"What's a Medallion of Balance?" He asked rather abruptly, closing his eyes to drink the warmth of the fire.
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank