Zorlon - Levdia

[ThetaOrionis01]

"I'm not sure if it is of interest, but there's certainly a discrepancy between what 2 different people told us," Lurel says cautiously - not sure how the archivist will react to a direct accusation against one of the council. "We were told that Kumor has 6 children - yet we saw only 5. And we were also told that Kumor was absolutely set against easing access restrictions to Xetcherin - yet Kumor herself told us differently. What do you think about this?"

[Malchik]

"Change her mind on access? Surely not. I will accompany you and check this out myself."

 

Before you know what is happening you are back with Kumor and her guilty expression cannot be hidden from Archivist.

 

The woman becomes puffed up with self importance. "My son has met Anromainyus. The man is enlightened - a mystic. He will show us how to destroy the evil of Shaura once and for all. Join us before it is too late."

 

A look passes between Archivist and Princess Siffli. The princess nods and before anyone can blink Archivist has garrotted the unfortunate Kumor.

 

Archivist grunts. "I suppose I'd better make sure someone looks after her brood. I'll check to see none is infected. We'll put the council on their guard."

 

She glares penetratingly at Lurel. "I don't suppose you'd be prepared to tell me what made you suspicious in the first place?"

[ThetaOrionis01]

"We were asking about the desecration of Mara's tomb, to find out how the key could have got there, and people kept mentioning access to Xetcherin. That seemed to be the only lead we had to go on," Lurel says evasively, not sure whether it would be a good idea to mention Anima, and her involvement in Avelyssian affairs.

 

"What do you know of this Anromainyus Kumor mentioned? Is it because of him she had to be executed?"

[Malchik]

"We know very little, other than in Shaura's rantings he talked of his brothers and that Anromainyus was one of them. They were all of a kind to judge form his words. How he came to influence anyone here is beyond me. Perhaps it was only possible with the influence of this 'alien magic' Strigid goes on about. He thinks it has stopped. We need to find out what else it might have done but that is not a task for foreigners. Nevertheless you have accomplished what we could not and I thank you for that. I will give you each a small metal pipe. When you are in Avelyssia it can be used to call for aid. Do you wish to return to Levdia now?"

[ThetaOrionis01]

"We need to go back to the haunted cathedral first," Lurel says with a grin. "We've got a bet on as to who's going to get scared first."

He winks at Ford and Midge, hoping one of them will support his statement.

 

'I don't like lying to her... but I don't think we should tell her about Anima.. it's up to Anima if she wants the Avelyssians to know about her.'

 

"Thank you very much for your gift.... I hope we won't need it tonight." Lurel gives the archivist a disarming grin.

[Malchik]

Princess Siffli accompanies you back to Anima. You explain what happened. She seems pleased.

 

"I will lift the King's 'madness'. Now before you move on this is the last chance for questions of me."

 

OOC> I'll be away until Tuesday when I'll give nima's reply to any questions you have. Gabbe is away for a week.

[Abramul]

"Do you know if Anro-whoever might be behind the rest of the misplacements?"

[Switch]

Ford looks shocked as Kumor is executed and looks to Archivist.

 

"Was that really necessary?"

 

When Lurel winks at him he quickly attempts to put on a grin, though how successful is he isn't sure.

[Malchik]

Anima sits you all at a table and provides you with a full meal.

 

You have completed one of the three tasks you set out to do, although you did not know this was a task when you first arrived in Levdia. No one knew of Avelyssia then. Now the alien magic no longer affects us and we will slowly root out any damage it has done. I would reward you but all I have is some information on the next part of your quest and these potions."

 

She passes three potions to Lurel. "They will give you the equivalent of a full day's magic. I know you use your powers on - other things."

 

She glances at you all. "Of one of your remaining quests - finding a gate to the Aneira in Levdia - I can offer you no help. I am sure such a gate exists but I have never seen one to know what it might even look like. Your other task is, as here, to halt the depredations of the alien magic in the dimension of Levdia. If you have identified the object correctly, you need to replace an arrow. Bows and arrows are not widely used among the Levdians, except for sport, with the exception of a group of people known as 'the Held'. I will tell you what I can of their story and then I will teleport you close to their settlement."

 

She looks at Lisette. "Anromainyus is behind many things, one of which has some relevance to this story but I doubt if you will find anything about him on Levdia. If you do, be very wary of him."

 

She waits for you attention. "When the women of El Rhun were forced to leave one married couple took a voyage into the unknown. They came to Levdia and settled in what was then the most prosperous city - Witten. The city was destroyed long ago but that has nothing to do with my tale. The names of the wzards were Auran and Damiel. He was a Life wizard and she studied with the school of Death. Of course the odd thing about these opposing ideologies is that they are both seeking 'life' in rather different ways. Auran in particular sought to find a way of creating eternal life. In one of his experiments he produced a group of infants that ceased to age at sixteen years old. They did not however live any longer than most men and women of Levdia - some eighty years. It was an unsuccessful experiment you could say. These offspring lived with Auran and Damiel. But the wizards were naive and did not see how the other people of Witten began to wonder about the eternal teenagers. They speculated not that Auran had discovered the secret of eternal life but at least he had found the secret of eternal youth. Auran and Damiel went away for a long trip. Their 'children' were suddenly hunted. Rumour had it that by eating their hearts the gift of eternal youth could be passed on. The children fled from Witten and settled in a wild part of Branden Forest Levdians were afraid to visit. They became the Held."

 

She pours you warm milky looking drinks.

 

"I will come back to them in a moment. But I mentioned Anromainyus. When Auran and Damiel returned to Witten they too came under attack. Once again they voyaged into the unknown. They arrived at Bashkher and settled on a small island near the coastal city of Selma. Anromainyus visited as a 'friendly' wizard but meddled in Auran's work. The details are too long to explain but two of the dreadful effects he had on that household will show you the kind of man he is. He turned Damiel into a monster. Or rather she became a monster at night - a lychdame - one of the undead. During the day she was as she always had been. And he caused their only child, a little boy called Auriel, to become an all but immortal seven year old. They have lived for millennia, the three of them, locked in a cold gloomy castle. At night Damiel roams the endless dank passages that run beneath the castle. By day she and Auran search in vain for a cure. Auriel spends his time alone. If he goes outside the populace will kill him." She sighs. "I have not heard or seen of them for years. Perhaps they have found their cure, perhaps they are dead. Who can say?"

 

She pauses. "But that not of importance to you. You must hear what I know of the Held. Well, there are several hundred of them now living in a large village near where they first settled. They do not want people to number them and so do their best to seem exactly alike. Fully aged they appear to be sixteen. They wear identical costumes and adjust their boot sizes to seem the same height. The women bind their chests and cut their hair short. To look at, the Held is a race of sixteen-year-old boys. You will only know which are the women when they speak and you will have no idea how old they are unless they tell you."

 

She smiles. "Be careful what you say. They are excellent with bows and arrows and at all the tricks you would expect of forest dwellers, melting into nowhere, appearing out of nowhere and moving totally silently. They wear costumes of green and brown that blend with the trees. Some call them elves although they are not. Elves are creatures of fable and the Held are very definitely human beings. They don't have a heirarchical society. Everyone contributes what they can to a central store of goods and take what they need from it. There is a purely nominal leader. I'm afraid I do not know the name. Their village is partly on the ground, partly under it and partly in the trees."

 

She offers more food.

 

"The effect of the alien magic in Levdia is a strange cloud that blots out all sunlight from the ground. It formed over the ruins of Witten and is slowly spreading. I'm afraid that is all I know. Are you ready to go there?"

[ThetaOrionis01]

"I have heard of Auriel!" Lurel exclaims in surprise. "He is travelling with my friend, Top - so he must also be part of this quest to save Zorlon." He sighs. "I don't know much, but Auran and Damiel found peace in death. But it worries me, to hear that Anromainyus is involved in their tale, too."

 

He frowns. "It sounds as though Anromainyus has a plan, doesn't it? And it's probably not a plan we want to see come to fruition. We will go and seek out the Held."

 

Lurel carefully packs the potions into his bag. "Thank you very much. I have a feeling they will be very useful. You have helped us a lot, in our task here. I wish you could come with us to Levdia, but I know that you're needed here, to guard Shaura."

 

He sighs, and looks at the others. "Ready?"