2007.06.22 Questing - To be continued
- Seriana, Rhoquinn, Lorsalian and Lorendel undertook a mission that
brought them overseas.
During this meeting, we had to talk in verse, and I have that rhythm in my head now ...
Lorsalian watched the heiress depart, and pondered the events of the previous weeks. The rhythm and rhyme of the shaman's words still infected his thoughts, causing his recollection to be cast thus.
Two warder rangers, Seriana, Rhoquinn
set out this day from sand unbroken
An in-laws plea, Tyr-knight to seek
Family could ask, but were too meek
And who to ask, if was not so?
With knights departed, long ago.
Many ships carried them away
What happened to them? Few could say.
And if this knight had sadly died
A piece of amber, young knight's pride
were they to return with, without wait
This piece to prove his unhappy fate.
And so our seekers gathered their lot
and traveled to lands not quite so hot.
Calim, Baldur's, Moonshae Isle
Many a day, and many a mile
Spoke they with knights, and converts rare
Either didn't know, or didn't care.
The seekers turned from those too tame,
and strode then towards the mountain of flame.
They reached the rim, went down the path
expecting to meet the mountain's wrath
What they found pulled at their hearts
No full knights, just bits and parts.
Flesh and bone long since unmade
Just melted shields and broken blades
Admist it all, a guard stood lone
a single monolith of darkest stone.
One of seven, Selune's tool
To warn the realms of Auzorm'Tvorl.
Several years past, the Vile One gone
The stones have stayed to sing their song.
Just it and some metal, covered in moss
Nothing else to mark the loss
True Paladins or Shield brothers, friend or foe.
Seemed like they would never know.
Lorsalian's judgment was reserved,
either way, this fate was undeserved.
Of those who might know it, one remained.
The Endu shaman: Savracain.
Away from the mountain, now funeral pyre,
the seekers strode toward smaller fires.
A hut on stilts, a home on high
was where this shaman spent his time
His guards were lax, two young pups
"You talk to shaman? Go right up!"
The Witch doctor, with little curse
Regaled them with some horrid verse
He responded to just that said in kind,
So the questers were forced to speak in rhyme.
If you still listen, if you have dared,
You know what verse they brought to bear.
The shaman spoke long of what he protected
What they learned was more than expected.
"Nobody knows the good I've done,
What thanks have I, what have I won?
My people leave me to worship Tyr
Three more this week, that's 10 this year!"
The seekers him continue bade,
But well they knew what price was paid
To quiet the mountain, to quench the fire
The villagers were sent; chained to the pyre.
Made sense to the ranger that Tyr they'd seek
Rather than chance death below that peak.
But this view of Endu he did not voice
Such would rob the shaman of poise.
And poise he needed, this evil seer
To speak the fate of the knights of Tyr.
So silence with curses he did not soil
While shaman spoke of charges loyal.
One other thing could save their lives
when the molten rock began to rise;
Above blood prized? One thing alone.
Wealth of carnelian, a reddish stone
Was just this stone, past 2 years now,
Drew mage and dwarf, to forge a vow.
Mage was not Ashstone, but perhaps was worse
As it was he who taught shaman his verse.
Loads of this stone is what mage sought
And it seemed mage got an awful lot.
He said this loudly! He did not mime.
As the shaman said it, he broke his rhyme.
And more of this stone was left still
For the mage to do with as he will
A short time after the mage had left
The peace of the isle was again reft
The change in time, I could not say
To the shaman seemed the same day
An army arrived, in steel encased
Riding white horses, and moved in haste
To the same mountain, up to its rim
Memory of their fate was yet undimmed.
Their blood it was that was the price
That purchased the mage his gemstones nice.
When gone they were, their armor red,
The shaman paused to loot the dead.
Glove and sword meant nil to him
But tickled he was by gemstone dim.
A trade we offered, good all around
Bright opal diadem for amber found.
Within fist-sized gem, hammer dual
Hovered shadowy, perpetual
Was this the fate of our Tyric knight
Not necessarily, for he might
Have been a knight that had stayed back
When his brothers rode to attack.
Last he saw, the shaman knows
Found whimpering softly, bereft of clothes.
Came he upon a gang who, without fail,
Caught him, bound him, and sold him for ale.
We left the village for the wood
To find these slavers up to no good.
But one found them, Jutras Swiftblade
Seeking not conversation, but to be paid.
He judged the group fit for the block
Saw us not as people, but as rich stock
He departed then to find his pack
of hardened thieves, as force he lacked
To see such as we changed to gold
Was for even them a course too bold.
When they saw no scratch for this itch.
They roused from her sleep an island lich
"send word to the Traherns!" came the cry,
If they could not have us, then we would die.
The leaves around grew brittle and brown
and a chilly wind did whistle round.
A word from the druid; a recall spell,
After several known in bars too well.
Swirling mist shortly appeared
as the deathly swirling chill did near
As the others passed within, Lor remained,
Thinking of the one in slavery chained.
What might he say, what might he know
of why the knights left long ago.
Their sudden absence in southern climes
Was why the 'brothers enjoyed good times.
But at a call from the other side,
the ranger entered the moonwell wide.
Seeing his frown, the druid was appalled,
"Be mad if you wish, but I saved you all."
He pondered that truth, and sagged, quite tired.
Liking his flight was far from required.
A discussion later, they scattered not
But started back towards the lands so hot.
The in-law was less than dampered
She seemed almost pleased to see the amber
Especially without the sight
of her husband's brother, the young Tyrite
Watching her closely, emotions Lor missed
Very scant grief, just business.
She clutched the chain with manic glee
Seemed untouched that possibly
The relative knight might still live
Was eager instead the news to give
She paid them all without a wait
and left to re-arrange estates.
Once again, Lorsalian mused
that he had been most badly used.
Abounding with this feeling of misuse.
He knew he must find that knight abused.