Fools of April (Hell)
Author: Iawen Penn
A few coins are passed across an old table and you ask about the task that lies ahead of you. The fortune teller turns over a few well used cards and stares intently at them before speaking, "These cards represent your past. The Hierophant with the Knight of Swords signifies a higher authority in a position to drive someone who could be considered a crusader. Though, looking for lost souls is a bit like a treasure hunt with a poorly drawn map."
Date: April 13th, 1011 M.R. "Now for the present task." Turning the next cards reveal the eight of cups and the devil. "Ah, a journey into a place where most mortal souls would never venture. Not very surprising of a destination given that you're on a quest to find lost souls. But what to do once one finds them? Would you know what one looks like or what to do with it once found?" "Finally, let us see what the gods foretell of your future." Two cards are placed on the table. "The Ace of Wands with the King of Swords represents the opportunity for a new beginning given to one who is deserving of great respect." You hold your breath in anticipation as the fortune teller turns the final card. Without showing you the card, the fortune teller begins, "Remember now, the cards only show what could be, not an absolute." The card is placed on the table, Judgment. "Combined with the other two cards it represents a great change for the King of Swords. I can't say whether this change augurs for good or evil though. Though, I can saw with certainty that you will be instrumental in bringing about this change." With that, the fortune teller thanks you for your business and hopes that you have found all that you seek. ----- Hell sucks. I don't know how many times I have to say it or write it in order to get through to people that it is not a 'vacation'. Granted, there's this rumor about 'The Temple of the Sun', but I've never seen it... it is possible the Aurorans are just screwing with me. Anyway, a list of people I can recall going at this point: Gryf, Harlest, Niccodemus. Bright, Quinn, Tara, Ged, Demetria, Chan. Laika, Faelinn. Magnus, Laurante. Solaire, Book, Elezar. Rhode. Roland, James Swift, Aris, Jester. A jolly member from Creathorne with a Lightning Bolt and sounded like Temorse a bit(but wasn't Temorse). There were probably more...? Gryf made the announcement or some such that Aremial (the gentleman who is neutral, yet lives around Hell or in Hell or something) was an angel who was kicked out of the heavens (not fallen). The reason for this: his task in the heavens was to guard the pure souls, and somehow a few denizens of Hell were able to snag many out from underneath him. He cannot go back, this Aremial. However, Gryf made a deal that he would get these Pure Souls back; not so Aremial could return to the heavens, but so he could at least be granted an audience. Gryf also mentioned an aside about 'being destroyed for all time and removed from the cycle', but as he said it quickly and into his shirt sleeve I have no idea if he meant himself, or Aremial, or someone or something else. Harlest was a prophet for the day, and he kept getting painful flashbacks of someone forging something, then being stabbed through the back (literally). The rest of us who had precognition (like the old spell Dream) kept seeing a necklace, a bottle with red liquid, a sword, a box, a book, and a candle. Gryf already had the box; it was locked and had souls crying out to him within it. At the end of the gathering I ended up with the sword, the necklace, and the bottle after a Lein & Obligation was put on me for it. The candle, it is believed, went to James Swift or other parts north. The book ended up with Harlest & Gryf. More on the items later. There was an incredibly hard puzzle and yet... oddly fun(sometimes I do enjoy a mind challenge, but not often): candles were lit on the floor everywhere. The only way to put them out was to have a spell from each of the paths available to us in these Realms, cast one at a time, into the 'right' candle. There was a Blacksmith candle, an Assassin, a Shaman, etc. ...There were these devils/golems that whenever you blew a candle out (with your spell), they'd go after whatever looked alive. This caused my head to be beat in many times via death strikes from them, or being rendered unconscious by other people. So... forgive me if I don't really remember a lot of this gathering, let alone the finer details. We fought many devils, and even met this powerful being called 'The Merchant'. Sadly, some people (even after Gryf said don't) made contracts with this Merchant(which caused them to be killed and then scalped when we got back to the Realms when the gathering was done). Gryf, however, also made a contract and found a way to get out of it. The contract went thusly: we kept finding items that were crafted of Pure Souls, and we wanted to find a Master Crafter to unmake them (so the guy who made it can unmake it. ...makes a certain type of sense, save it is a devil!). The Merchant said he would guide Gryf and the rest of his group there if he would procure the skull of a very powerful demon (not devil) instead. The issue being was that when we got there, there were other 'Realmsies': a few worshiped Aurora and were scared (healers), and most were just militia from 'some place' where they were sick and tired of the gods and the lords not answering, and took matters into their own hands. Turned out that a lot of their children had fallen asleep a few weeks ago, and nothing was waking them up. When they saw the posted, public cries of help to the list and how the Realms responded to them, they decided to take matters into their own hands, and marched into Hell, and made a deal with 'The Merchant' to procure the demon's skull as well (so the Master Crafter could make them a tincture that would wake up the children). Gryf had Harlest kill him, and the 'Realmsies' made off with the skull. Gryf's contract was to 'do his best and everything in his power'... The Merchant was less than thrilled as Gryf grinned his way out of it, and for one reason or another The Merchant still led us on to the Master Crafter. Along the way, he cited that there was more than 'just one', and that the Crafters do eventually need an Apprentice... Harlest's visions and other seeings were intensifying. Quinn attempted to consecrate a place in Hell with a bit of Sanctuary, and yet The Beast (who could reach him) advised him not to, and we moved on. I keep thinking Valarie Hart, Indana Ward, and Janus Kil'tra were here... but I don't think that's right. Anyway. There was a Tavern on this level of Hell. The name was apparently 'The Wayward Soul'. This is where we met 'The Merchant'. Ged, Demetria, Faelinn, Magnus, and Laurante (and a bit of Quinn) all got into a loud discussion about Fae stuff, so I left. All I know about Faerie's tie to Hell is that they have to pay a tithe to Hell every seven years. I don't know what for or anything, but I do know that seven years is coming up soon. Somehow, at some point: Gryf, Harlest, Faelinn, myself, Niccodemus, and Laurante were stuffed into a Forge Room. There was a skeleton at our feet and a table laid out with all sorts of acids, ingredients, objects, and more. Gryf, instead of Harlest (who it was thought was going to start the forging process) followed the Ritual of Unmaking laid out in the book, and was able to get the locked chest open. There were the souls, condensed down into this level of Hell's odd form of currency: poker chips. It was then I understood how deep in this business of souls Hell really is. The screaming in Gryf's mind also stopped... but we were running out of time, according to Aremial. We fled Hell: Laurante, myself, and others grabbing the other items as we could (Aremial said to leave the tools). I've ended up with feathers from the wing of an angel (Laurante has feathers from a fallen one). Gryf & Harlest nabbed the Ritual book (which turns out to be magic). I ended up with many chains, some gems I believe, and the three items I've listed above and will go into detail below: The sword is a cursed item in that the screams and cries are like a beacon to all devils everywhere; they are drawn to it and must attack the sword-bearer(and attempt to secure the sword for themselves). The problem being is that although the sword-bearer has this sword, they are not a devil and thus cannot lift it into combat. Indeed, your very countenance grows weak and it is as if armor and spells don't matter anymore (OOC: you are suddenly a non-combatant and if any devil hits you anywhere (even a limb), you die). Full Devils (not half-breeds) don't have this curse problem, as the sword was made for them and thus does considerable amounts of damage. There is writing on the sword that I am currently translating; will edit this once that is done. This sword is also as heavy as sin. There are quite a few souls in there: few are Neutral, most are Pure. Maybe that is why this is cursed? The bottle is crafted from Pure Souls to keep contained whatever is within it. There are blood samples, mixed together, from some of the more powerful devils on that level, and it also rumored that there may be demonic blood as well from demons we have recently spacked. I don't know about that last one, so I'm sure someone can look into whether it is hearsay or not. Apparently it is drinkable, and that is disgusting to me that anyone would want to. It's basically like a devilish flask, and the blood is some monster's old Scotch. The necklace is crafted from the Pure Souls of potentially Fallen Warriors: there is metal grafted over the little bone bits. Booke, a Healer girl new to the Realms, wore it for a little bit before it was taken away from her: I managed to wrestle it back with words but Booke did not want it (as she had at that point already made a contract with 'The Merchant' for ten Cries of Life). When we got out of Hell, back into the Realms, Rhode called us all out and proceeded to beat on us for one reason or another. He finally managed to find a guy alone and scalped Solaire, before killing himself (apparently sending himself to the Dark One)? His body was left on the ground as people milled away, heading home to their own nations. As I've worked with Grimloch in the past (especially the last Feast of Blackwood), I recovered Rhode's remains, brought them to Chimeron where I could use my Mortician trapping and the following days later he was delivered to the Coronation and Syruss picked him up to call his soul. Rhode walked around after that. Dark One worshipers are an odd, curious lot. But then again, so are Aurorans. Faelinn was no longer feeling the effects of the Rev Dagger that caused her soul to be worn down and her mood cranky when we had left Hell. Aremial asked Gryf to show me to 'his place' soon, for we are to have tea. Gryf says this is because Aremial trusts me. I have no clue what I did to earn his trust, as I was pretty much support casting all during this journey, and spent a lot of time dead. And yet, this gains me a tea date. Hell sucks. |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 04-13-11 11:53 AM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 04-13-11 11:58 AM