Game Date: 13-14 Leaffall, 994 KC
Interlude (2/9/2001): Darra, Ruqayyah and Al-Zaki
13 Leaffall (continued): Darra and Ruqayyah spent some time that evening talking with Al-Zaki, out of the hearing of Bran and Fran. (Laylah and Naima overheard much of it.) They discussed magic, dragons, and other things:
Interlude (2/10/2001): Darra and Al-Zaki
14 Leaffall: During the day (while Bran and Fran were in town contacting Corben), Darra spoke to Al-Zaki alone. She told him that before they left Yantos, she had told him about herself, and offered her help if he needed it. Yantos was not sure if she could help, so she wanted to know what more Al-Zaki could tell her about him. Al-Zaki had her tell him detail what they had said to each other. He had told Yantos much about their journey into Perbor and back, hiding little, so felt he should share more with Darra, but wasn't sure where to begin.
Yantos's cave is an occult place: death magic is stronger there at certain times. He found it while exploring the Rift (Al-Zaki did not how long ago this was), and encountered the necromancer soon after. When Al-Zaki asked her what she knew of creatures created with necromantic magics, she finally put together the clues: Yantos was a spirit. That explained why he never touched or lifted anything, why the rain passed through him, and why he never slept or dreamed. Yantos died in his encounter with the necromancer. He is unable to go on to the afterlife, and as an abomination against nature, he has lost his "seeker" magic. He does not know how to change his condition, and Al-Zaki knows too little about spirits and necromancy to help him.
Al-Zaki did tell him that Darra was a servant of Klur. The Ranae are tolerant of most gods, but the Mynar gods are unlikely to be well-received. Yantos was taken aback at this, but more curious than anything else.
Darra asked Al-Zaki whether he would come, if she went to help Yantos. Yes, he would like to see his friend at rest. Darra asked about the funeral rites of the Ranae; he had seen some, but knew little about them. Darra planned to ask people up here about exorcisms and the like, to see what might be of use to her.
Al-Zaki warned her to avoid the cave at the new moon--the death aspect manifested then. It did not affect people directly, only if magic was used. Mages (and sensitives like Laylah) would sense the difference. This occult aura is only part of the reason that the dream-eaters avoid the cave; Yantos claims it is different from their own caves in other ways.
Darra plans to go help Yantos as soon as the Asanos has been seen to--she at least wants to see it into the hands of people who can begin to heal it. Al-Zaki would prefer to keep the group going to help Yantos small, only taking those who would be indispensible. Laylah's goddess could help, but seems to have more pressing matters here. They weren't sure of Naima or Ruqayyah's plans.
They agreed that Ruqayyah needs to find some path of her own to embrace, to lead her into the way of her goddess. She needs to believe she was given her gifts for a reason.
Helping Yantos is Darra's first priority after the Asanos is delivered. She is also contemplating a couple of other quests. First, she wants to know whether Ormenlind is deserving of justice, and if so, how she can help him. Second, Laylah deeply misses her mother, and Darra wants to help find her.
Darra then went off by herself to pray and meditate about her upcoming quest. She had a waking dream that she was in Umok's cave. A human-sized and -shaped body was lying on the floor, under a dark shroud, surrounded by a circle of candles (the only light in the room). She stepped forward to look more closely. She still couldn't see details of the body, so entered the circle and pulled the shroud away from the face. It was her own! A bull's-head symbol was crudely painted on her brow, and she was dressed in a simple white shift, with her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't look dead, just asleep. Darra touched the shoulder, which was warm, but even shaking the shoulder didn't wake her other self. She replaced the shroud and walked to the altar-stone. The painting of Klur behind it now included her own image, with Klur's hands on her shoulders. In the candlelight, His eyes seemed alive. She greeted Him, and his image seemed to nod slightly. She asked why he brought her here. A voice spoke to her in Mynar: She intended to fight Vadim [Shulkor] again, but He is a dangerous foe. She felt an unseen finger drawing a bull on her brow. The voice stated that if she falls, Vadim will not have her--she is Klur's. Helping the victims of demons is always a worthy cause in His eyes. She thanked her god, who thanked her for her service to him. [Darra has received a Covenant of Rest (p. UN102); when she dies, she will automatically receive the Final Rest spell (p. R111, p. UN47).]
Darra woke from this vision, and could feel no mark on her brow. She pondered the vision for some time. She had not learned how to help Yantos, but her god had condoned her efforts towards that goal.
She then talked to Helledoth about her desire to help Yantos. He can be used to exorcise, but not if his user is magic resistant, as Darra is. The sword's three suggestions were: 1) Find a Celestian cleric willing to go into the Outlands to help a ghost of an alien religion; 2) Take Laylah back there, and have her petition her goddess; 3) Invoke your own god.
Helledoth was forged to defend the Krithian Empire, and Yantos is outside it. Darra does not plan to take him outside the Empire; she intends to talk to the Celestian clerics she knows about who she should give the sword to. Of those clerics, she trusts Pelmark most, and might give the sword to him. Helledoth thought that he sounded like a suitable bearer, but would not know for sure until they met.
Darra told Al-Zaki about Helledoth's suggestions, and that she had received confirmation that her quest was worthwhile, and assurance that she would not suffer Yantos's fate.
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This page last revised 3/19/2001. | Copyright 2001 Timothy E. Emrick. | time@sluggy.net