Oath of the Tiarna an-Kiar

Illikaal

It took me a while to get it all together, but here it is! I've gone ahead and broken it up into parts to make it easier to read and digest. This was easily the most memorable (and emotional) moment I've experienced in my 15 year long Aetolia career, and I couldn't have asked for it to play out any more beautifully. So, here you go:

(Tells): The low, throaty sound of Haern's voice reverberates through your conscious: "Need you at the cabin, lad. Got somethin' to ask."

(Tells): "Yes Lord? I'm at the Core," you think, instilling the message into Haern's memory.

(Tells): The low, throaty sound of Haern's voice reverberates through your conscious: "Aye, pretty sure I said cabin."

(Tells): "Errr. Where might that be," you think, instilling the message into Haern's memory.

(Tells): The low, throaty sound of Haern's voice reverberates through your conscious: "You don't even know how to use your knife, lad?"

Securing the hold on your knife, you raise it up above your head before slamming it downwards into the earth, burying it to the hilt. Your eyes slip shut, and you begin to concentrate on the Hunter's Refuge.

You continue to focus upon your destination. Verdant flames spring up around your flesh, rapidly spreading across the surface of your form with only the barest hint of increasing warmth. A second later, and even that trickle of heat dissipates as the flames wink out. You open your eyes, and find yourself in the Hunter's Refuge.

The Hunter's cabin.
The interior of the cabin is sparce and barely ornamented. A hearth sits at the end of the room, the pelt of an enormous elk stretched out before it. A table is set in the center of the cabin, a wide rectangular surface adorned with a single candle and various tools and equipment. Knives, arrows, feathers and shafts are littered across it, bearing no rhyme or reason in their placement. A massive wooden chair carved of a dark wood is here, seated at the rectangular table, clearly fashioned for some large person. A wide, rectangular table is set center of the room, intricately carved from a dark wood. Two normal-sized chairs are situated at the rectangular table, carefully carved by some intricate hand. Haern looms here, His hulking form dominating the area. He wields the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine" in His left hand.
You see exits leading east, south, and west.

You raise a staff bound with bone-laden chains in wordless greeting to Haern with the soft clatter of bone upon wood.

Haern grunts noncommittally.

Haern sets down His carvings, twirling an obsidian knife etched in runes between His massive fingers with surprising deftness for such a hulking beast. "Never been here, lad?"

"Mmmm, it's been some time. Didn't quite come inside last time, though." Illidan says, looking around briefly. "In fact the last time, I swore my oath to You."

Haern nods, slowly, standing from a massive, dark wood chair with some visible effort. "Aye," He rumbles, looking into the middle distance in remembrance. "You've sworn many oaths, Shaman. Do they hold true?"

Without hesitation, you say, "Now and forever."

Haern frowns, His mouth a wreck of teeth and tusks, but He grunts in affirmation. "Your oaths," He begins, counting on his fingers. "To the Shamans... to Me... to the Guardians... and to Dendara." He speaks the last one reverently, a look of melancholy briefly crossing his face. "Would you fulfill those oaths with your life?"

Illidan pauses a moment, bowing his head as he pulls the mask from his face, leaving none of his expressions to the imagination. Raising his gaze to meet Haern's, he speaks solemnly. "My service belongs to Dendara. The Guardians. The Praadi. To You, Lord Hunter. For as long as I draw draw breath, I am theirs. Yours. Eternally."

"Then it is time for those oaths to be kept," Haern rumbles, a dour shadow crossing His monstrous face. "Right, then," He demands, stepping away even as a rippling sheet of flames leaps to life, forming a shimmering portal. Haern steps halfway through this portal, and turns to look at you once more. "Go make your peace with your loved ones," comes the command, and without offering further explanation, Haern steps through the fiery portal and is gone, with the portal vanishing soon after.

Valorie has been consumed by the confluence, her mortal frame rendered irrevocably immaterial by a surge of sidereal fire.
You divine the location of this death as A strange altar flanked by vast statues in the Ruins of Masilia.

Nearly instantly after this, Valorie was slain by the confluence and her body was nowhere to be found, nor her spirit able to be sensed/revived. Illidan stood here briefly in shock trying to process this.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Barely a minute later:

(Duiran): Haern says, "Duiran! You may attend Me at the Oak."

*movement*

Rihrin enters from the west, riding a rainbow-hued peryton.
She is followed by a nine-tailed fox of flames and a wyvern spirit.

(Tells): Mazzion tells you, "What are you doing in the neighborhood!"

Iesid arrives from the west.
He is followed by a masked ancestral simulacrum, a scarred ancestral simulacrum, and a wrinkled ancestral simulacrum.

A shadowy figure enters from the east, followed by Tabinathia.

Caitria clenches her right fist and pounds her chest thrice in rapid succession, symbolizing the
vibrant heart that beats within.

Valeria enters from the west, followed by Jakarn and Khelzya.
She is followed by a diminutive nightingale and an oversized toad.

Wylliam steps down off of a giant, snowy white-furred direwolf.

Rihrin grins mischievously at Edhain.

Streaks of lightning crackle across the floor as Eaku treads in from the west.
He is followed by a veiled ancestral simulacrum.

The shadows stir as a concealed figure slips in from the east.

Khelzya clenches her right fist and pounds her chest thrice in rapid succession, symbolizing the
vibrant heart that beats within.

Yvi pats a giant, snowy white-furred direwolf in a friendly manner.

Eliadon enters from the west, riding a white-cloaked gryphon.

Pressing the open palm of her left hand against the clenched fist of her right, Rihrin bows
respectfully.

Eliadon says to you, "Your wife appears to have been evaporated."

Eaku says, "..I just can't put together how she even ended up in there."

Haern steps forth from the Great Oak, surrounded by winking motes of green light that cling to His scarred flesh. He sweeps His broad arms wide, addressing those gathered with His voice a baritone boom. "Heartwood! Duiran! The time has come to serve your oath. The Fury threatens the wilds and, in doing so, threatens Dendara." He pauses, allowing those words to hang in the air, before He declares, "And so, I will fight to drive It away. Bamathis has begged Me for My aid in trapping the bastard, so It can be wounded."

Eaku asks, "I was outside the whole time. How did the door even...?"

Edhain nods to Rihrin, unsmiling, but with a glint of mirth in his eyes. He glances towards you and lifts a hand to salute -- then pauses with a look at Haern.

Eliadon gives Haern a respectful salute.

Pilar enters from the north, riding a giant, black-furred wolf.

Haern narrows His eyes to thin slits.

You think: Where is my WIFE.

Edhain bows his head respectfully.

"For something that powerful, I will need Dendara's help," Haern rumbles, and turns to Runecarver Rhydderch, nodding solemnly. "You will lead them to the breakage point, Runecarver."

Kidos enters from the west, riding a donkey.
He is followed by a hellcat.

Pilar tilts her head curiously.

Edhain glances sidelong towards a figure hidden by flames, lifting his head.

Runecarver Rhydderch bows his head in obeisance, but his voice rises in a probing question. "Lord, are you certain the dangers are worth it?"

Mazzion enters from the west, riding a flaming stallion.

A figure hidden by flames peers about himself suspiciously.

Yvi says, "Shoo!"

Jakarn pounds his fist against his breast, nodding towards Haern, "As you command of us, Hunter."

Eaku says, "...The Fury's important, Lord Hunter, but our Fury just... exploded."

Tabinathia nods her head in agreement.

Firmly, Haern says, "I am certain."

Yvi begins to follow you.

The faintest bit of shakiness in his voice, you say, "As You command, Hunter..."

"Here to serve, Hunter, if that is what is needed." Rihrin says towards Haern with a bob of her head.

Valeria says to Eaku, "I'm sure our Fury can handle a little exploding."

Haern asks you, "Then you've no one to say goodbye to?"

Jakarn says to Eaku, "Think of everything she had to endure living alongside Valeria."

You crease your brow in a frown.

Wylliam creases his brow in a frown.

Eaku ponders the situation.

Doman creases her brow in a frown.

Valeria peers at Jakarn suspiciously.

Wylliam says, "Da...mn."

Caitria exhales another slow breath. "As promised, Hunter, we are here and will serve our oaths to aide You in trapping the Fury."

Ranae arrives from the west.
She is followed by a weathered direwolf.

Eaku peers about himself suspiciously.

From atop a giant, black-furred wolf, Pilar remains still as she shifts her ear forward to listen more closely.

Haern grunts noncommittally.

Khelzya glances over in concern at you, in hearing the words of the Hunter.

Eliadon fluidly swaps a hunter's spear with a Shamanic quarterstaff in both hands.

Distastefully, Haern says, "Breakage..."

Haern snarls in distaste at the very thought, but shakes unsureties away with a toss of His mighty head, and addresses Duiran once more. "The breakage point is a part of Dendara only I have tread in centuries," He begins. "It is the forefront of Dendara's struggle against Shadow. It is exceedingly dangerous." He begins to pace, a wild beast barely restrained as He explains, "Monsters, aberrations, and worse exist there, where shadow eats away at the very being of the wilds. And yet, Dendara persists: there are yet three groves untouched by rot, where the fight is not yet lost. You are to clear My path to these groves, and hold back the tide long enough for Me to complete My arrows."

Caitria begins to follow you.

(Duiran): Caitria says, "Duiran, be on point behind Illidan."

Rihrin says to Haern, "Will You need the powers of one of the Sentaari? I'll have to prepare myself for it if so."

Iesid begins to follow you.

Eaku begins to follow you.

Sibatti nods her head at Rihrin.

Tabinathia begins to follow you.

Nodding, Rihrin says, "One moment.."

Rihrin leaves to the south, riding a rainbow-hued peryton.
She is followed by a nine-tailed fox of flames and a wyvern spirit.

Jakarn begins to follow you.

Pilar chews thoughtfully on her lip.

Haern says, "Aye, Sentaari and Shamans will be necessary if you're to survive."

Rihrin arrives from the south.
She is followed by a nine-tailed fox of flames and a rainbow-hued peryton.

Rihrin nods her head at Haern.

Tabinathia nods her head sagely.

Rihrin says, "The one Sentaari, ready for what comes."

Rihrin begins to follow you.

Eliadon arrives from the west.
He is followed by a white-cloaked gryphon and a wyvern spirit.

A shadowy figure begins to follow you.

Tabinathia says, "Really?"

Edhain gives you a solemn look, then leans forward silently in the saddle. Careful hooves tread across sticks and moss as his warhorse drifts near your side in a show of mute support.

Edhain begins to follow you.

Gruffly, Haern says, "Rhydderch will lead you."

Rihrin says to Wylliam, "Or you, if you know of the ways, but I'm unsure if you do."

Illidan turns slowly to everyone gathered, particularly casting a concerned glance to those of the Praadi, of Duiran, and those considered friends and family. "I do not know what this means. I do not know what He means. But what I do know is that I've sworn oaths with my life. So if it comes to a goodbye...I suppose this it."

Pilar's remaining ear droops as she continues to chew on her lip. Under her breath, she mutters mostly to herself, "I am not...prepared for a fight. I admit."

Haern glares angrily at Mazzion.

Haern says to Mazzion, "You've got thirty seconds, leech."

Haern reaches for the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine".

The corners of Wylliam's mouth turn up as he grins mischievously.

"I will lead you," agrees Runecarver Rhydderch, though his voice holds notes of melancholy at the thought of it. "Follow me closely through the fog, and I will see you to Breakage, but I dare not enter. I will hold fast, to-" he pauses, and with a look of hope crossing his face, finishes, "... to lead you home after."

Runecarver Rhydderch presses a palm against the great tree, his clouded eye briefly glowing with the contact.

(Shamans): Sibatti says, "Praadi, come to the core if you are not yet here."

Eaku makes a quick adjustment to a black phoenix tattoo, which shimmers with reddish light.

Mazzion says to Haern, "I was sent as a silent observer, by Qeddwyn. I am quiet and with full respect to the proceedings."

(Shamans): You say, "If there was ever a time for you to uphold your Oaths. Now is the time."

(Tells): Wafting, as if on the air, Caitria's velvety voice reaches your ear: "We are flanking you."

Wylliam raises an eyebrow questioningly.

Ifinthiri arrives from the south.

The following members of the Shamans are in the realm:
Member Rank Position Class
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illidan an Omen of Dendara Speaker Shaman
Pilar a Dendaric Reclaimant Shaman
Sibatti a Dendaric Reclaimant Shaman
Ixmi of the Vintal Circle Shaman
Valeria an Omen of Dendara Wayfarer
Raisha a Shaman of the Heartwood Shaman
Jakarn Beyami Sentinel
Tabinathia Beyami Shaman
Khalil Beyami Sentinel
Yvi Beyami Sentinel

(Shamans): Tabinathia says, "I am present."

Haern raises His fists above His head. Concentrating briefly, He causes rippling blue fire to flow from the heavens above into a ball of energy between His upraised fists. Scornfully, He throws His fists forward, sending a beam of crackling energy to incinerate Mazzion. A stream of crackling blue fire sizzles across the sky. You hear a high-pitched screaming noise and instantly, a bolt of blue, crackling energy strikes Mazzion. His body arches as his mouth opens in a noiseless scream. Blue fire erupts out of his eye sockets and mouth and his charred body crumples to the ground.
Mazzion has been slain by Haern.

Haern nods to you, gesturing to him. "With me, lad."

Ifinthiri says, "What have I walked into?"

You begin to follow Haern.

You think: Where is Val....

Caitria says, "Duiran, we flank Illidan and Rhydderch."

(Shamans): Pilar says, "I am woefully not prepared for a fight of any type but I am here..."

Haern says, "Rhydderch, take care of 'em."

Haern says, "Duiran, you're with the Runecarver."

Haern says, "Illidan is with Me."

Rihrin nods her head at Haern.

Sibatti begins to follow you.

Caitria nods her head emphatically.

Caitria says, "Follow me then."

(Tells): Jakarn tells you, "Good luck, father."

Runecarver Rhydderch offers Haern a solemn nod of understanding. "By Your will, Hunter."

Haern turns and, with a step, is gone, disappearing into a shimmering portal of flames.

(Web): Edhain says, "Illi, want us to follow Rhydderch?"

Eaku coughs softly.

You move about quickly and lose Knight Edhain de Verdigris.

You follow Haern to the ether.

(Web): You say, "Yeah."

At the foot of an ancient, weathered stair.

You find the weather around you imperceptible. The seemingly endless stairway down through the pass comes to a meandering end at a broad, flat landing carved from the living earth in the distant past. Shrubs and hardy saplings protrude from the dark soil, competing with dry, tough creepers to overtake the flat, though there is still more than enough room for most to pass without difficulty. The depths of the valley lurk to the north, guarded by enormous, dark-needled pines, and the slopes of the pale mountains loom to the south; the wind flowing down from the heights is crisp and thin, overlaid with a slight chill. Runecaller Drehos sits atop a cairn here, his staff cast across his lap as he keeps vigil across the entry into the depths of Dendara. Its slimy eyes unblinkingly observing the world, a colossal, winged sapphire toad sits here in an oversized lump. Like a bird-shaped hole in space, a dark raven spirit glides through the air. Suspended in a web of ethereal, fickle light, a luminescent spider spirit waits here. Standing vigilant, a masked ancestral simulacrum waits here. White wings draping like a cloak over its back, a gryphon stands tall here. Jaws gaping and ethereal tail raised to strike, a wyvern spirit hovers menacingly here. Sniffing at his surroundings, a rainbow-hued peryton stands here restlessly. A small, flaming fox stands proudly here, its nine tails flicking this way and that. There are 2 diminutive nightingales here. Standing vigilant, a veiled ancestral simulacrum waits here. Standing vigilant, a wrinkled ancestral simulacrum waits here. Standing vigilant, a masked ancestral simulacrum waits here. Standing vigilant, a scarred ancestral simulacrum waits here. White fur stretched tightly over sinewy muscules, this giant snowy white-furred direwolf snarls. A mote of verdant light flickers. Eliadon is here. He wields a Shamanic quarterstaff in his hands. Rihrin is here. She wields a glowing quarterstaff of magewood in her hands. Jakarn is here. He is riding on an elk. He wields a keen-edged dhurive of dusk in his hands. Doman is here, concealed within the shadows. She wields a vicious light brown dhurive in her hands. Tabinathia is here. She wields a Shamanic quarterstaff in her hands. Eaku is here. He is riding on a war-painted orel. He wields a sword-bladed ironwood greatspear in his hands. Haern looms here, His hulking form dominating the area. He wields the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine" in His left hand. Yvi is here. She is riding on a massive white-shelled hermit crab. She wields a wooden fishing pole in her left hand. Iesid is here. He wields a pair of heavy wargauntlets in his hands. Pilar is here. She is riding on a giant, black-furred wolf. She wields a quarterstaff of blossoming dogwood in her hands. Sibatti is here. She is riding on a verdant sylvan eland. She wields a Shamanic quarterstaff in her hands. Caitria is here. She wields hellcat-claw wargauntlets in her hands. Wylliam is here, concealed within the shadows. He wields a vicious dragon skeletal dhurive in his hands. This area has been overgrown with a swathe of seething plantlife. A shimmering portal of verdant green yawns wide here, leading to the depths of the Vintal Glade.

You move about quickly and lose Esrytesh Sibatti dur Naya.

Haern asks, "Mm. You lot are awfully bright today, hmm?"

Haern says, "If you aren't Illidan, wait here for the Runecarver, or I'm gonna start eatin' people."

Caitria says, "Not overtly. You move swiftly."

"Heh heh heh," Tabinathia chuckles.

Rihrin nods her head at Haern.

Haern asks you, "Any of them still clingin' to ya?"

You shake your head.

Wylliam says to you, "Be strong, Son."

Rihrin focuses a moment on her inner light and lets it dim down to nothingness.

Doman exhales slowly, allowing a long fluid breath to creep from her lungs.

(Tells): The low, throaty sound of Haern's voice reverberates through your conscious: "You sure?"

The following people are in your entourage:
The following creatures are in your entourage:
A colossal, winged sapphire toad#38944 and a raven spirit#401138

Runecarver Rhydderch blinks.

(Tells): "Looks clear to me," you think, instilling the message into Haern's memory.

A flickering gateway of fell green fire blossoms in the air before you, wavering outwards as the Hunter lumbers through it with a guttural chant.

The shrill Gnomish voice of Nipsy resounds antagonistically, "For interrupting our work in the Spires, enjoy the Pit of Xa'azamit."

Caitria smiles wryly at Runecarver Rhydderch.

Softly, Runecarver Rhydderch says, "Onwards then, to the remnants of the idol."

With a derisive sneer, Runecaller Rhydderch lumbers northward.

Caitria leaves to the north, followed by Eaku, Eliadon, Iesid, Jakarn, Pilar, Rihrin, Sibatti, Tabinathia, Wylliam, Yvi, and a shadowy figure.

Illikaal

Deepest blackness falls as another day passes, midnight commanding the skies of Sapience.
It is now midnight on Kinsday, the 19th of Chakros, year 499 of the Midnight Age.

You are transported by the power of the Divine.
an ancient, overgrown ritual site.

You find the weather around you imperceptible. A clearing opens up in the midst of impossibly dense forest, ringed on all sides by immense trees and an impenetrable verdant haze. The grass here grows taller, waist height on an average adult Human, with the light from the shattered skies above more easily to filter down without vast tree canopies blocking it all. In the middle of the clearing, a vast stone slab sits, surrounded by a variety of marked positions: a perch marked with a feather, a cougar paw and bear paw near one another, a scaled circle, a beautiful spiderweb, and finally, a mark resembling a glorious set of antlers. Dendaric runes surround this entire ring, marking it as sacred, and a strange calm hangs over the grove as animals seem to give it a respectful distance. Looming in the center of the clearing is a ritual slab, covered in carvings depicting Tiarna an-Kiar. Haern looms here, His hulking form dominating the area. He wields the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine" in His left hand.
There are no obvious exits.

Haern steps forth into the room, standing before the slab. He looks down at it with frustration on His face, then turns to you. "Your staff. I'll need it."

Illidan steps closer toward the slab, then up at Haern. Without a word, he offers up his a staff bound with bone-laden chains.

Haern raises an eyebrow questioningly.

Haern says, "The staff, lad."

You cease to wield a staff bound with bone-laden chains.

You give a staff bound with bone-laden chains to Haern.

Haern nods His head emphatically.

You can see the following 1 objects:
"stone372660" a carved ritual slab.

Carved from a single piece of vast, dark rock, this slab dominates the area, with a flat surface large enough to accommodate even a hulking bear. Moss creeps up every side of the table and even begins to encroach upon the surface, evidence of centuries of disuse. Where the moss has not made a home, elaborate carvings can be seen, depicting humanoid figures standing before great animal spirits: serpents, bears, birds, wyverns, stags, cats, spiders, and wolves. It depicts battles, with walking trees crushing spear-wielding mortals, and it depicts quiet moments, with a humanoid figure meditating amidst trees. In the center of the slab, a spiraling triple knot has been carved, deep grooves stained dark red from eons past.
It weighs about 312 pound(s).

Haern breathes deeply, and gestures to you, then to the slab. "Approach - the Praadi will be here shortly."

One by one, silent figures file in through the treeline, their heads bowed in reverence to the Hunter. As they step closer and encircle the ritual slab in the center of the clearing, you recognize them: the Praadi an-Kiar, voices of the Guardians.

Illidan steps toward the slab, drawing in a deep breath through his nostrils before pulling his mask back down over his face. "As You command, Lord." He says, voice soft with unsurety while remaining at the edge of the hunk of stone.

Humming a gruff, dire beat beneath His breath, Haern stands before the vast ritual plateau, looking to you with a dour countenance. "I have need of you, Shaman," Haern demands. "Will you fulfill your oaths to Me, and to Dendara?"

"I will, Lor-." Illidan's words are cut short with a cough. Clearing his throat, they come out with much more confidence this time. "I will. Lord."

You think: This is for Dendara. This is the oath you swore. You do not have choice in what you must do. Even if....Val...

Acting as one, the Praadi each step forth to slash an obsidian knife across their palms, allowing blood to spill into the sacred soil beneath.

A shadow passes overhead and, with a great flapping of wings, Srahda the Seer arrives, alighting on a perch near the slab.

Silence falls over the forest and you feel the tickle of tiny legs across your leg as Kree-Sa emerges from the underbrush, taking her place near the center.

You hear the rustle of leaves too late to react as Griash leaps forth from the forest behind you, giving you a wary glance before prowling forth to take her place.

Trees and brush are shifted aside as the sinuous bulk of Vo'acha emerges from the treeline, coming to a rest to coil atop herself near the slab.

Following Vo'acha's trail, the hulking form of Rhulvok, the Keeper steps forth from the forest, his fur shimmering with verdant energy.

The trees shake and your bones tremble as the mighty roar of Takaros, the Fury reverberates across the shattered skies of Dendara. Wreathed in primal flame for but a moment, you see him shoot from the canopy, before he lands in the clearing amidst thunderous wingbeats.

Illidan's eyes widen in unmitigated awe as the Guardians begin to emerge from the forest, tears nearly welling up in his eyes upon beholding them. "By Dendara..." he gasps softly, bowing his head in reverence.

Haern draws forth a clay bowl, the bottom of it burned and seared from usage in ages past. He sets it on the slab, and intones, "An oath fulfilled."

Wrapping itself around Ifinthiri's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

The claws of an ursine aberration tear Edhain apart in a violent frenzy.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Doman succumbs to infection and rots.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Pilar succumbs to infection and rots.

Wrapping itself around Yvi's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Tabinathia's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Pilar's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Khelzya's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

The Praadi echo Haern's words, chanting, "An oath fulfilled!"

Haern chants, "An oath renewed."

Narra says, "An oath renewed!"
Gortuk says, "An oath renewed!"
Miazi says, "An oath renewed!"
Vras says, "An oath renewed!"

Alela's voice resonates across the land, "DUIRAN, GET YOUR ROTTEN BUSHES UNDER CONTROL!"

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Edhain succumbs to infection and rots.

Haern chants, "As once you swore..."

The shrill Gnomish voice of Nipsy resounds antagonistically, "Or don't, we are fine if the lot of you withers away."

Narra says, "So shall you swear!"
Gortuk says, "So shall you swear!"
Miazi says, "So shall you swear!"
Vras says, "So shall you swear!"

Haern chants, "Give of your life!"

Wrapping itself around Tabinathia's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Sibatti succumbs to infection and rots.

Narra says, "Give of your blood!"
Gortuk says, "Give of your blood!"
Miazi says, "Give of your blood!"
Havar says, "Give of your blood!"
Vras says, "Give of your blood!"

You think: What horrors are they facing? What is happening? Where's my Val?

Illidan's head bows and his eyes fall shut as the ritual goes forth, focusing deeply inward upon himself, the Guardians, and the Praadi in silence.

Haern ushers you forward, holding the man's hands in His own over the mural at the center of the slab. He looks the man in the eyes for a long moment, then in a sudden rush of violence, slices an obsidian knife etched in runes across your palms, letting precious blood flow down onto the stone. "You will swear anew to each of the Guardians," He demands. "Approach the Seer."

"stone372660" a carved ritual slab.
"narra198474" Narra (alert).
"gortuk92434" Gortuk (alert).
"Miazi150766" Miazi (alert).
"judoc114490" Judoc (alert).
"havar179237" Havar (alert).
"vras174629" Vras (alert).
"Srahda63208" Srahda, the Seer.
"kree-sa201938" Kree-sa, the Broodmother.
"griash247701" Griash, the Keeper.
"vo'acha214384" Vo'acha, the Shadow.
"rhulvok22241" Rhulvok, the Warden.
"takaros248689" Takaros, the Fury.

Srahda:

Towering above most mortals, this enormous raven is an imposing silhouette. Her white-grey feathers are immaculate, a smoke-like, spectral pall pouring from her being and chilling the air around her presence. The material world touched by this aura is affected curiously, as though it loses some of its lustre, some of its very realness, and warps to something fundamentally similar and indescribably different, only to return to its natural state so soon as the wisps dissipate. Although she appears largely similar to other members of the corvus family, there is something altogether knowing and uniquely sentient in her piercing gaze; even more obvious is the third eye in the center of her forehead that does not blink and almost never wavers in its distant focus.
Srahda, the Seer radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.
She is strangely weightless.

Illidan draws in a breath sharply from his nostrils in some attempt to mitigate the sudden pain from the open wounds. Resisting the urge to close his hands into fists, he steps toward the Seer with blood dropping down his fingertips. "Seer." He says with great reverence of the smoke-like Raven.

As you stand before Srahda, the Seer, she tilts her head to level one inscrutable eye on you. You hear a screeching voice echo in your head, piercing deep into your mind. After a moment of excruciating pain, you realize you can withstand the onslaught, and the Seer's voice takes shape. "Shaman! You have served us since the days of the Sky-Darkener! You have sworn us your oaths! Now, fulfill them, and swear the oath of Tiarna an-Kiar. Swear: You will act with wisdom in all things, for Dendara is unknowable."

You think: Tiarna an-Kiar?

Haern chants, "Swear your oath anew."

"I swear this to you, Seer. That I will act with your wisdom in all things." Illidan says gruffly, several drops of his blood splashing onto the ground before Srahda, the Seer.

Poisoned by the rot of shadow, Yvi expires at the Breakage, destroyed by encroaching filth.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Edhain succumbs to infection and rots.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Edhain succumbs to infection and rots.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Sibatti succumbs to infection and rots.

Overwhelmed by an aberrant, many-horned stag, Sibatti is fatally gored to death.

[HINT]: "... for Dendara is unknowable."

Illidan clears his throat, finishing it. "For Dendara is unknowable."

Srahda plucks a feather from her great wings, letting it drift gently into the bowl.

Kree-sa:

An arachnid of immense proportions, this translucent spider stands poised on each of its eight, spindly, chitinous legs. Her bulbous abdomen is the largest part of her, thorax and head small in comparison, and the geometric patterns marked upon her spectral exoskeleton glow of their own bioluminescent accord. Eight fathomless, glossy black eyes take in the world around the aspect, a sentient weight to her predatory gaze. Kree-sa's mandibles constantly shift and click together, her fangs visibly flexing, adding an ominous overtone to her already unnerving appearance. Kree-sa, the Broodmother radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.

Your skin crawls with the feeling of ten thousand tiny legs, and all eight of Kree-sa's eyes behold you. Again, you hear the voice of the Guardian threatening to destroy your mind, and again, you remain standing. "You are but one creature, and you wish to stand against the tide? Are you foolish, or brave? To rush ahead is to die, and Tiarna an-Kiar must remain. Swear to me: You will strike when the moment is right, for Dendara is patient."

Haern chants, "Swear your oath anew."

Alela's voice resonates across the land, "I'm enjoying watching the traffic through the Halls. Very entertaining. I hope you do this every week!"

You say to Kree-sa, the Broodmother, "I swear this to you, Broodmother. To strike when the moment is right, with the cleverness, patience, and lethality you demand. For Dendara is patient."

You think: My heart feels as if it's going to burst from my chest...my skin is on fire.

Griash:

This massive, translucent cougar stands, calmly observing everything around himself. His fur is sleek and black as shadow, his muscular, rippling body filled with the predator's grace. The mighty body tapers into a long tail, supported by large paws that nonetheless rise and fall with complete silence. The feline's eyes are deep and piercing, golden bright and bisected.
Griash, the Keeper radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.

Even before the wretched feeling of spider-silk drops from your skin, you hear the growling voice of Griash, raking metaphysical claws across your mind. "Tiarna an-Kiar cannot hesitate. Tiarna an-Kiar must act, or be destroyed. Swear it: You will act swiftly and decisively, for Dendara is brutal."

Wrapping itself around Tabinathia's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Eliadon succumbs to infection and rots.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Rihrin succumbs to infection and rots.

Wrapping itself around Ixmi's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Doman's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Eaku's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Wrapping itself around Belgarion's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

Overwhelmed by an aberrant, many-horned stag, Khalil is fatally gored to death.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Jakarn succumbs to infection and rots.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Ranae succumbs to infection and rots.

Poisoned by the rot of shadow, Wylliam expires at the Breakage, destroyed by encroaching filth.

Overwhelmed by an aberrant, many-horned stag, Kidos is fatally gored to death.

Ravaged by the corruption within an infested rotspawn bush, Eaku succumbs to infection and rots.

The claws of an ursine aberration tear Kidos apart in a violent frenzy.

Wrapping itself around Valeria's neck, a length of vines rotspawn withers away their life in its choking embrace.

As the gravity of the situation begins to grow on him, and a sea of thoughts racing through his head, Illidan remains as grave as he has been. "I swear this to you, Keeper. I will act swiftly and decisively. For Dendara is brutal."

Griash scrapes one paw against the bowl, ejecting the husks of her claws into the receptacle.

You think: They are dying for Dendara. If...if I must die. If I have to.

Vo'acha:

Every inch of it coated in overlapping scales, this great serpent towers above most men when it rears its head; slitted eyes, a wide mouth, and a slender tongue define its visage, tasting the air at frequent intervals. Its body is massive and strong, winding with sinuous, powerful intent; light seems almost to go through and around its shape, and the shadows cling to it, making it difficult to make out detail even under the strongest illumination.
Vo'acha, the Shadow radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.

Like fangs sinking into flesh, the whispering voice of Vo'acha seeps into your thoughts, and you fight back a rising wave of nausea as she imparts, "We cannot afford to let live those who would destroy us. Above all else, we must survive. Swear: You will destroy the enemies of nature, for Dendara is merciless."

Haern chants, "Swear your oath anew."

You say to Vo'acha, the Shadow, "I swear this to you, Shadow. As you have called us to be brave and walk in the darkness without fear. I will destroy the enemies of nature, for Dendara is merciless."

Vo'acha allows a single drop of venom to fall from her outstretched fangs, causing the ingredients in the bowl to bubble and melt.

Rhulvok:

Several times larger than even the largest wild bear, Rhulvok is an immense, spectral ursine, even his great bulk rendered insubstantial. Still he looks every bit the part, muscle and fat rippling beneath his shaggy coat with every heavy motion, his loose lips open as he huffs and scents the air. Five long claws tip each of his paws, possessing both the size and keen edge of manmade steel blades, looking more than capable of causing mortal damage even with the lightest of pressure applied. With each rolling motion, the world distorts further through the vision, settling and unblurring again whenever he stands still long enough. Simplistic symbols have been painted onto his fur, and they glow a faint white-blue.
Rhulvok, the Warden radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.

The softest of the voices, but with the ever-present threat of violence, the rumble of Rhulvok reaches you, reverberating inside your skull: "More than anything, Tiarna an-Kiar must stand ready to intercede. Tiarna an-Kiar must shoulder anything, for you exist between realms. And so, you must swear: You will endure, for Dendara is eternal."

Haern looks up, sensing something, but still chants, "Swear your oath anew."

Overwhelmed by an aberrant, many-horned stag, Wylliam is fatally gored to death.

Illidan turns to the lumbering bear spirit of Rhulvok, the Warden. "Keeper." He exhales, the wounds on his palms beginning to sting some causing his fingers to twitch. Still, his eyes never from the spirit. "Just as you stand between the darkness that would taint Dendara, I will endure. For Dendara is eternal. I swear it."

Takaros:

Scaled and fearsome, this wyvern stands tall, his thick supported upon its two pillar-like legs. His winged arms are long and powerful, ending in fierce claws, conveying the ability to fly to the beast. His long, ridged snout and narrowed eyes convey a sense of rage, his long, pointed teeth bared and fierce.
Takaros, the Fury radiates with terrifyingly monstrous power.

Rhulvok rears back and roars, shaking the trees as the might of his voice is infused into the concoction.

Just as Rhulvok's voice fades, you are forced to your knees by a sudden, ear-splitting ache in your skull. It shakes you to your core, the roar of Takaros felt in your very bones, and as your vision blurs from the pain, you hear him demand: "Those who would stand against Dendara are a rot, a sickness to the wilds! Swear now! You will scour away the filth and disease, for Dendara must be cleansed!"

Teeth clenching tightly as he endures the pain wracking his skull, Illidan remains on his knees before Takaros, the Fury, eyes fixated on the ground. "Fury." He groans, brow creased with focus and discomfort. "You are the Guardian I've pledged myself to. That I resonate with the most. Your Fury...it burns as a great fire within me. But I know that it is not my own. It is Dendara's." Pressing his hands to the ground, he struggles back onto his feet until he can stand before the wyvern. "I will scour away the filth and disease that plague Dendara. They will be met with unrelenting fury, for Dendara must be cleansed!" Balling a hand into a fist and pounding it once to his chest, his voice comes out as a resounding bark. "I swear it!"

Takaros unleashes white-hot fury from his mouth, coating the bowl, the slab, and everything around it in all-consuming flames. When they fade, the bowl remains, the elixir within now glowing with infused rage.

You are surprised to hear the real voice of Haern after so many voices in your head, and His tone is gruff, almost angry as He makes demands of you. "And finally, swear to Me: You will give your life to Dendara, for you are Tiarna an-Kiar."

"My body. My spirit. They belong to Dendara, and to You, Hunter." Illidan says simply, finally turning from Takaros, the Fury to Haern. "Dendara Eternal!"

Didi's voice resonates across the land, "Bears."

Haern nods solemnly and slices His own palm with an obsidian knife etched in runes, allowing His blood and essence to drip into the bowl with a grimace.

The concoction in the bowl ignites with Divine Essence added, the gifts from each Guardian subsuming into a roiling green elixir, looking almost more like fire than water.

Darkly, Haern says, "Lie down on the slab."

You lie down on a carved ritual slab.

Haern sets one massive hand under your head, lifting it up just slightly. His other hand clutches the clay bowl, full to the brim of burning liquid, and He guides it to your mouth, allowing the man to drink deep. He does not relent - there is no choice but to drink every drop of the elixir.

The moment the elixir touches your lips, it burns. It fills your mouth, fills your throat, fills your stomach, and then fills your body with a burning fury, every nerve and every vein screaming in protest. It is as though your very soul is being caught aflame, and you feel it bubbling up behind your eyes as you writhe.

You feel your strength slipping away as the elixir begins to claim your life. You can feel it deep in your bones: you are dying.

You think: Val....if this be the end of me. Wherever you are. I love you.

An intense pressure descends upon your chest, but as you turn your head to look, you realize it is merely Haern, gently laying His hand there to reassure you. Beyond Him, you see the Guardians looking on.

The smell of rot seeps into the clearing, preceding the arrival of sickly-looking aberrations, each of them dripping with Shadowy corruption and filth.

Shouting, Haern demands, "DAMN IT! HOW?!"

Haern swings Rhythm's Spine in a wide arc, unleashing a torrent of wild green fire to obliterate the aberrations, their screams filling the clearing.

Fervently, Haern says, "Damn! They can't interrupt the ritual - they can't get to the Guardians!"

Haern plants one hand hard on your chest, keeping you where you are as the potion wracks your body. "Stay down, lad! I'll hold them off!"

Illidan's eyes remain closed tight, agony spreading through his body until he can no longer contain himself. A piercing scream can be heard from the Ogre as he lets out a bellow as loud as his lungs will allow. "Val!"

Yet more corruption slithers into the room, horrid slimy melting aberrations of antlers and claws, hardly recognizable amidst the filth and rot.

The Guardians shy away, snarling and hissing and ready to fight, and Haern opens His mouth wide, unleashing a torrent of calescent, viridian flame to scour once more the filth from the face of Dendara.

What's happening to me? It hurts. Is this what my life was meant to be? Is this what the Guardians will? If I die here.....Val... I'm so sorry I couldn't say goodbye.

Valorie arrives from the ether.

Val:

She is an athletic Aetherial of Tsol'aa heritage who is a celestial creature possessed of the eerily remote beauty of Mejevsavelnel. Languid, undeniably feminine, her lecythiform silhouette is an ephemeral canvas of dusk-born skin that has captured the wonder and fathom of a vespertine sky. Upon this mysterious, flesh-made firmament, starry pinpricks of brilliance are in constant flux, these hungry flickers shivering into being in beguiling constellations that shift at seeming whim over the blessedly curved vault beneath. The Aetherial's countenance is fine-boned and sharply angled, bearing the telltale echoes of Tsol'aan ancestry in the height of cheekbones, the length of each acutely tapered ear and upward slanting of exotic, almond-shaped eyes. Haunting the bridge of her narrow nose in a fading nebula are spectral freckles, their barely visible stippling all but vanishing into the twilit planes below. Her features are delivered into an alien realm, however, when one beholds the coruscating coldness of her sidereal gaze. Caught betwixt incandescent white and startling silver, these fallen stars bear no resemblance to ordinary eyes, their regard a dizzying shifting of astral energies. A nimbus of eventide spills behind her head in a queue of gloaming, these lustrous locks evocative of an evening sky: deeper hues of lush rose, intense indigo and lurid violet swaying alongside a paler palette of ethereal heliotrope and tenuous teal. Unfurling at her back like twin veils of stelliform radiance are membranous wings reminiscent in shape of a dragonfly's own, each delicate, almost insubstantial appendage reflecting lucent stars in evanescent whorls that bathe everything around them in subtle incandescence. A streak of serpentine-scaled effulgence coils behind her in a tail that slithers gracefully from her spine, its tapering circumference traced with diaphanous, fin-like wisps both dorsally and ventrally - each translucent veil ashiver with the cosmic energies that flood her entire being. Her face is marked with the deathmask of the raven, symbolizing Defiance. Shoots and flowers are left in the wake of her steps, showing she walks with the Hunter's blessing.

Haern turns back to you upon the slab, rushing to your side and frowning. "This is taking too long," He declares, drawing forth an obsidian knife etched in runes and holding it above His head. "Valorie, hold them at bay!" He demands.

An ursine aberration snarls angrily at Valorie and moves in for the kill.
An ursine aberration snarls angrily at you and moves in for the kill.
An aberrant, many-horned stag snarls angrily at Valorie and moves in for the kill.
An aberrant, many-horned stag snarls angrily at you and moves in for the kill.

Haern exclaims, "Valorie! Wipe them out!"

Valorie blinks.

Valorie uses Aetherial Spiral on an ursine aberration.
Hushed sparks kindle betwixt Valorie's fingers, and with a flick of her wrist, starlight whips in a spiral toward an ursine aberration, burning red-hot as it lashes it. Scoured by argent starlight, an ursine aberration seethes in agony as the might of an Aetherial visits destruction on its putrid form.

-bashing content mostly cut out-

Haern plunges an obsidian knife etched in runes directly into your chest, burying it to the hilt until all that can be seen is the man's convulsing body and the God's enormous fist. Just as swiftly, Haern retracts the knife, leaving a gaping, throbbing wound upon the Shaman's torso, a hole straight through your heart. Blood flows freely from the wound, filling the mural upon the slab with life-giving red rivers.

You feel a sudden jolt of pain and your body convulses one last time in protest of that which slays it, before you lose all strength. As your vision darkens, you can hear your heart weakly pounding in your chest, syncing with a much larger heartbeat that resounds in your ears.

In fulfillment of a solemn oath eternal, a knife has been driven through Illidan's heart, sacrificing him to Dendara.

The forest grows still for but a moment, before suddenly bursting to life. Millions of blinking motes, signaling a myriad of greens and whites, begin to rise from the ground around you, drifting through the air towards the slab.

Thousands of motes alight upon the slab, covering Illidan's body in shimmering light. A verdant haze leaps to life around him as the wisps of Dendaric energy begin to sink into his flesh, infusing him with light and Life.

Shimmering spirits drift into the clearing by the dozen, joining the Guardians in watching the ritual's completion. Many of them approach, dissipating into constituent motes themselves, to join the rest in empowering the Shaman.

You feel the burning in your veins return, jolting you to wakefulness, but you find that you cannot open your eyes. Instead, you feel the hole in your heart sizzling as it heals itself, empowered by Dendara. You hear the rhythmic heartbeat of the wilds pounding in your head, and feel your heart begin to beat again, in perfect sync with nature.

A joyous susurration passes through every wild place, the forests exulting as a new emissary is raised to defend them: Illidan Aresti-Te'Straif is dead. Illikaal has risen, chosen to serve as Tiarna an-Kiar.

Haern chants, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"

Narra says, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"
Gortuk says, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"
Miazi says, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"
Havar says, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"
Vras says, "ILLIDAN IS DEAD! ILLIKAAL RISES!"

Illikaal:

He is a wise Tiarna an-Kiar of Ogre heritage occupying a significant amount of space in the area by his bulk alone, dwarfing a standard humanoid in the same way an elder oak would dwarf a sapling; it is as if the make of his composition was drafted from the Great Oak itself, with a broad trunk like body and a crown of thick bark-like antlers branching out to wreath his shaggy head. By all accounts he is humanoid, but the sum of his parts have been surrendered over to nature to shape by its terrible will, its influence granting him a quiet power reminiscent of an ancient tree stood vigil. Six arms branch out from the core of his bulk, each one swollen thick like an ogre's, ending in clawed hands built for crushing skulls in their meaty grip. The uppermost pair of arms differs from its brothers in that they sprout auxiliary bones webbed with leathery wings. Too rude and brutish to be described as bat wings, they moreso evoke the rugged gargoyles of lore in their inelegant make. A pair of thick legs keep him rooted to the earth in a steady, unmovable way, and they like the rest of his body are covered in the thick, coarse fur that one might expect on a wild animal - in the rare instances where his skin is visible, it is strikingly pale green in color. Peeking out from the wreath of fur and hair matted down into vine-like dreadlocks is a face of the same complexion. Two pupil-less eyes of vivid green are set beneath a stern, thick brow and on either side of a hooked nose. A mouthful of tusks, along with his fur, are evocative of the massive, mythical boars of the wilder places - they, among the rest of his feral assets, hint at an origin from some obscured pocket of the primeval, as if nature had put together a weapon marrying all aspects of her terrifying arsenal into a form worthy of her name. Shoots and flowers are left in the wake of his steps, showing he walks with the Hunter's blessing.

A luminous, star-bound glimmercrest blinks into existence and falls into line behind Valorie.

Didi's voice resonates across the land, "O a couple duo power."

Haern gives a Heartwood quarterstaff to you.

Haern says, "You'll need that, Tiarna an-Kiar. Now, to Me."

Simple and sturdy, this quarterstaff is a single piece of wood drawn from the Great Oak. It has been shaped and carved into a straight staff, the dark wood slightly worn where a hand has most often gripped.

Haern beckons to those around Him.

Haern grunts noncommittally.

Haern says, "And put some clothes on."

Haern gives rugged robes of the Hunt to you.

You begin to follow Haern.

Haern nods His head emphatically.

Illikaal sits up from the slab, blinking and looking about with awe as the pain finally subsides. "Lord Hunter?" He asks, then laying his eyes on Valorie. "Val!" Though, once Haern makes His request, he swiftly takes the new weapon in hand.

You are now wearing rugged robes of the Hunt.

As you take hold of your staff, it leaps to life, the core pulsating with energy as it blooms a deadly flower and awakens its true form.

Infused with Life, this quarterstaff thrums with palpable power. The tip blooms, flowering into a beautiful but deadly Dendaric plant whose roots wind down and around the shaft in tight, viridescent coils. Runes of variegated shades of green glow all along the weapon's length, shifting in perpetual metamorphosis to assume the shapes of spiders, cougars, bears, snakes, and all manner of creatures great, small, but ever-representative of Nature's vast demesne.

Haern moves with a speed that defies imagination, stepping forth into the verdant haze of Dendara. Visions flash past your eyes: swamps, vast jungles, enormous oceans, and then suddenly you stop, standing amidst the Breakage.

You follow Haern to the ether.

Haern looks around, then moves once more, His speed insane.

Illikaal

You follow Haern to the ether.
An unstable animal trail.

You find the weather around you imperceptible. A narrow dirt path has been worn away through the ancient trees, weaving around trunks, roots, and bushes, but even from a distance, the flora appears not right. Where there should be green, only black can be seen instead, the grass blades and tree trunks oozing to the point where they appears as if melting, trickling and pooling on the forest floor. The very earth itself is unstable and oddly squishy - like a boil about to burst. An elk stands here proudly, its tall antlers jutting upward. A small brown nightingale perches nearby. White fur stretched tightly over sinewy muscules, this giant snowy white-furred direwolf snarls. Valeria is here, giving off a truly ghastly stench. She wields a rune-covered cavalry shield in her left hand and a throwing axe in her right.
You see exits leading north, east, and south.

Jakarn is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
A shadowy figure is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Ixmi is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Lush plantlife sprouts beneath Ixmi's feet, blanketing the vicinity in quick motion.
Doman is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Rynkhia is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Tabinathia is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Eaku is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Ranae is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Rasani is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Iesid is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Kalena is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Tee is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
Orunmila is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.
A shadowy figure is thrown in from the east by a powerful force.

Valeria peers at Valorie suspiciously.

Valeria says to Valorie, "You are.."

Valeria says, "You're a STAR."

Haern exclaims, "SLAY THE ABERRATION!"

(Combat spam, but worth noting:)

You use Tiarna Wildflame on an enormous, murderous aberration.
Calescent flames flicker around your fingers, as you fill the air before you with verdant green wildflame. The flames leaps upon an immense, flowering toad, the heat of Destruction crawling across her body.

Haern quickly strikes an enormous, murderous aberration with the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine".

(@Rasani last hit and slew it)

You see Haern turn to yell out, "DIE, MONSTER! AND STAY DEAD! DENDARA ETERNAL!"

You shout, "DENDARA ETERNAL!"

You see Aolin raise her voice and shout, "FOR SCRUB."

Haern breathes heavily, His hulking form covered in blood, not entirely His own. "Well done, Duiran," He intones, gripping the colossal spear, "Rhythm's Spine" firmly. "Well done, indeed - to hold out so long, without Me, with..." He smiles wide, looking across those gathered. "You've made Me proud this day. All of you."

Another eerie quiet falls over the breakage in wake of the monstrosity's death, the shadows stilling, yet still ever present with their sickness. A brief respite has been earned, thy task must be finished quickly with the time you have earned in this place of desolation.

Haern looks around the area, His brow furrowing in concern. "Now you see why we must fight," He states. "Why it is so important to protect Dendara."

Khalil asks, "Couldn't we just have a small grove of rotspawn, south of the Mhojave for instance?"

Haern casts one massive paw out to the side, calling forth a rippling sheet of green flames, which swiftly form a portal. Beyond it, you can see the Valley of the Ancients, and the God nods. "Everyone, let's go home."

Edhain rests crossed rapier blades over the pommel of his saddle, observing in solemn silence as his gaze flicks between Haern and you.

Proudly, Rihrin says, "Home."

Rasani says, "Wait, the sickness... we've nothing to do?"

A figure hidden by flames says to you, "Lookin good."

Iesid says, "It is a continued struggle. The sickness runs too deep to excise in a single day."

(Portal)

Haern exhales, great gouts of steam blasting from His nose. "We've succeeded - and you lot reek." He wrinkles His mangled face, but casts a pensive glance at Runecarver Rhydderch, before nodding. "Time to head home, to Duiran. If you have questions, they can be answered there."

"Answers..and a drink," Caitria says with a tired grin, before she beckons those remaining to her. "Let us go home."

Rihrin rubs her eyes a few more times before coming out of her stupor, "Think the pushing has drained me." Weakly, she smiles at Aolin and the rest of the crowd, inclining her head a moment before stepping out.

Illikaal finally takes a good look at himself, and an immense, flowering toad. "You too, girl?" He asks, noticing the toad's changes as well. Dawning on him as if it were almost an afterthought, he turns to Valorie. "What happened to you? Is....is that even you?"

Bashoomba:

Bearing the usual stance of its smaller kin, low to the ground, this toad is an odd sight, surpassing the height, length and mass of even great bears or draught horses with ease. Its mottled, sapphire-hued skin, slick-looking though dry to the touch, has been blessed with what seem to be vines, growing and stretching along the beast's length, fey green motes dancing about the leaves that sprout about. Similarly veined with green vines, two large wings grow along its sides, more bat-like than feathered, better suited to the amphibian. Its legs and shoulders are thick, fitting the jumping motion the creature is known for, and similarly blessed with what seems to be strong bark protruding on the skin, shielding it. Its eyes are milky white, large and round and oddly attentive despite their color - it is hard to tell where it is looking. Atop it, as a final blessing of Dendara, a flower blooms, large blue petals spreading in a match to its skin.
An immense, flowering toad looks weak and feeble.

Caitria looks upon Valorie and the Aetherial's form with a vague sense of wonder on her visage, and then upon you with the same startled expression. "Well," the Voice says as speech fails her.

Jakarn glances from you to Haern, raising his hand once as he speaks, "If needed, can I request you kill my father again?"

You say to Haern, the Hunter, "Lord Hunter....thank You."

You exclaim to Haern, the Hunter, "But if you ever unicorns try to kill me again I swear on Dendara!"

Haern snorts. "Try? I killed ya, lad."

You think: So I DID die.

Haern asks Valorie, "So, you didn't die, after all??"

Haern grunts, looking at those gathered. "I'm sure there are questions."

A blink of moonlit eyes at the question posed, as Valorie glances down at herself, a shake of her head at Haern following. "I think I did," she replies, too much to focus on at the moment, gaze drifting from the changes to her own appearance to your, up - way up - to the antlers that sprout from your head. "I was... very dead."

(Shamans): Sibatti says, "What does it mean? ... Tiarna an-Kiar?"

(Shamans): Pilar says, "I have not heard the term."

"I'm glad you're alright." Rihrin says towards Valorie briefly. Then, sniffing at herself, she slowly steps backwards and out of the space.

Rihrin leaves to the south.

The vague image of a bracelet of entwined roses and sunflowers appears in the air, before Valeria appears in a flash of magic.

(Shamans): Pilar says, "A sister to our Praadi an-Kiar?"

(Shamans): You say, "I'm...not sure. What the Guardians put me through. I wouldn't wish that on any of you unless you were truly ready."

(Shamans): Haern says, "Emissary - something not seen for centuries. A mortal, charged to fight on Dendara's behalf on the Prime, where the Guardians do not tread."

(Shamans): Pilar says, "Ah, a blessed thing."

Haern nods thoughtfully, beholding Valorie for several moments. Eventually, He speaks again. "Aye. You're different, lass. The sort of different only death can create."

(Shamans): Sibatti says, "They are not the type to do anything lightly, or spontaneously. We should aspire to document this as we learn more."

(Shamans): Yvi says, "Thats wonderful!"

Illikaal steps to Valorie, reaching out slowly with one of his hands. "I...I thought I'd lost you. But there were the Guardians and...there was so much going on." He says with concern, taking a half step closer. "Is that really you? You look so...different." He states, almost oblivious to the dramatic changes he himself underwent.

Caitria sits down with a heavy thud onto one of the scattered trees salvaged for a make-shift seat. Her breath hitches slightly, as if coming to grips with all that transpired over the past half day. "What happened at the confluence? You were truly, wholly dead?" She shakes her head slightly, more questions building before she buttons her lip and lets the pair have their moment.

Eaku asks, "..and who closed the door?"

Ixmi quietly makes her way over to where Caitria thumped over after she lapse into silence. There, she quietly remarks, "I've been distant for quite a while. Praytell, what is a 'Confluence'?"

Eliadon says, "A lovely aeonic bit of 'let us make everyone suffer'"

Eaku says, "Anyway, just wanted to apologize. By the time I noticed you were stuck in there, the door was closed and we couldn't get in."

Eaku inclines his head politely to those around him.

Eaku leaves to the south, riding a war-painted orel.
He is followed by a veiled ancestral simulacrum.

Caitria plants her elbows onto her knees, ignoring the detritus and slime that half-way caked her legs. "It's an aeonic device of unknown origin that has been giving us quite a lot of headache the last year or so. It is in Masilia, behind a door, and it seemed to be what killed Valoire." She hates saying that word, another hitch of breathing on the 'k' one. Before she fords onward and answers Ixmi "We have had to battle Haekathi and Albedi abominations while it does Confluence things."

Ixmi looks over to Eliadon as he answer, though Caitria's stirring draws her eyes back down, and she takes a half-step back as she notices the excess of slime around her. "What a lovely discovery," she remarks drily, then nods her thanks to Caitria and to Eliadon in turn.

Diaphanous wings flutter with a sprinkle of stardust, a short burst of flight carrying Valorie up, where she can reach for the hand you reaches out, finding familiarity in gaze if not in appearance, relief in her silvered eyes. She lifts the hand to her cheek, a press of her lips to your palm, the rest of the crowd seemingly nonexistent to the Aetherial in this moment. "You wouldn't lose me that easily," A promise behind her whispered words. "Not as long as I love you. Not as long as the last star in the sky dies." A smile turns up the corners of her lips, the question posed with just a touch of teasing: "Do you think Keyo and Shiri loved each other half as much?"

"Aww!" a figure hidden by flames says.

Haern grunts noncommittally.

Yvi leans forward from her mounted position to listen.

Haern says, "Well done."

A flickering gateway of fell green fire blossoms in the air before you, wavering outwards as the Hunter lumbers through it with a guttural chant.

Sibatti follows the trail of green fire with her eyes, pursing her lips.

Sibatti leaves to the north, riding a verdant sylvan eland.

Illikaal stares at the celestial being floating in front of him, and it only takes a moment for her words to strike the depths of his heart, forcing a stream of tears from his eyes. Taking Valorie's hand into his and raising it to touch his cheek, a contented semi-smile breaks across his lips. "Yeah. Half as much." He whispers, wrapping all four arms around Valorie in a tight, almost crushing hug. "I'm happy you made it."

Yvi wipes away tears that swell on the edges of her eyes.

A figure hidden by flames chuckles a bit even as he wipes away a bit of wetness from around his eyes.

(Tells): Mazzion tells you, "Congrats!"

Wrapping her arms around your neck, Valorie sinks into the embrace, disgustingly affectionate and tender. She lets long moments of silence pass, before raising her head out of your head and saying, "Oh. The confluence," she mentions almost casually, too filled with relief to be anything but content for the moment, "It was made by Aechros. It seeks the Hunter's preservation. I was not told why, but - if It succeeds, it means the end of the world."

Caitria's head lifts at the mention of 'Aechros', memories of the last few weeks coming immediately to the forefront. "What do you mean by preservation, as it removing the Hunter from us in some way to 'save' Him while ultimately dooming us?"

Yvi listens and watches, her friends changed so much it is hard to follow.

Illikaal releases his hold on Valorie, intoning with confidence. "I think...that is why the Guardians granted me these powers. They have chosen me to hold the line here on the Prime,
where they cannot tread." Turning to cast a brief glance over Valorie once again, he turns to look over everyone else. "I cannot say what's to come. But I have more oaths to uphold, now more than ever. They will be met with all Fury."

Yvi smiles at you.

Ixmi rattles her fetish-strung staff at your words. "Strength is born from adversity. That is nature's way. The proof of it stands before us," she speaks, her eyes settled upon Jakarn.

A figure hidden by flames says to you, "It is good we have you."

A figure hidden by flames says to Valorie, "And he is lucky to have you."

A hand lifting to her forehead, Valorie rubs at a temple, eyes flickering upwards for the briefest moment. "Well," she clears her throat, a pale nebula of starlit hues rising to her cheeks. "It seems I had my sense of time scrambled a little. False alarm! Taking care of the Dendaric threat was all was needed to prevent that."

"Yay!" Yvi exclaims enthusiastically.

Yvi covers her mouth quickly.

Caitria says, "So we've closed that fate and a new one was written by what we did this week? The Hunter is safe, the device is doing what now though?"

Valorie

Thank you for not putting the part in where I didn't know what my bashing attack was and almost got you killed <.< But also darn you for not having insight up so you could see Val thinking about how those horns are gonna get stuck in the doorway.

That was an exciting ride from start to finish which I'll definitely be thinking about for the next decade minimum, and it's fun to know what people were up to while Val was having storytime in the sky!

Illikaal

I was too busy dealing with the onion factory that decided to set up shop in my house the moment Val inexplicably popped up with what couldn't be any more or less perfect timing.

Edhain

That really was perfect timing! This is a beautiful log. Congrats, seriously so cool.

Illikaal

Now imagine how much I teared up when I went and read Val's log after! I genuinely had no idea what was happening to her at all, and I wanted it that way on purpose until it was done. I knew just as little about my event as I did hers, save for a ritual of some kind was going to be done. I wasn't lent any story insights or anything, and i think the fact it all happened so organically (or well timed planning by the admin) is what keeps on hitting me in the feels factory.

Alela

(i read it, congrats duderino)