The Temple of The Eldritch Horrors (closed)

[Ailnea]

Dheathain, a land of swamps, mountains, magic, and mystery. It was also the ferry’s destination. Ailnea looked over the side at the endless waves wondering what experiences lay in wait for her. It wasn’t with anticipation, nor was it with dread or fear that she waited to find out what waited for her, more of a neutral grey sort of mood. A grey mood to match the grey overcast sky above.

It wasn’t raining; it wasn’t too windy, just a slight breeze stirred the air. The sun didn’t peak out from any cracks in the clouds; no birds winged their way overhead, though a few were stowaways on the rigging.

“A day like this makes me feel like trouble’s brewing somewhere.” One passenger said to another.

“We make port within the hour.” The captain announced.

Ailnea couldn’t help but feel that within an hour, trouble will have arrived.

She was supposed to meet her companion, the infamous Lord Lorenor V’halkulus, currently a neophyte in the Aibrone order, and finally tell him the complete and unabashed truth about what was going on, and why she was going to this swampy land.

Minutes later, after meeting the man, she began speaking, sharing things The Elder had shared with her what little he knew about her, her species, and her species's religion.

“Well, as you already know, for the past week we’ve been traveling, and I’ve been silent on this trip. The last I spoke was in our duel at the citadel when you beat me, and now, here we are, heading into no man’s land.

“I, though appearing as such, am not human. I was born on Althanas, but I am not a member of any species predominantly inhabiting this sphere. My species comes from beyond the stars, living in the great gulf between the universes. I am Eldritch. I cannot show you what I truly look like, for I have not yet gained that ability, it has not awakened yet. It’s all for the better, as my real form would be too horrific for you to take. Well, maybe not you specifically, but most Althanians would likely drop dead at the mere sight of the real me, and no, that is not an exaggeration in the slightest.

“Regardless, I must visit a temple long forgotten by the younger races, a temple that was old when Althanas was young, or so I have been told. It is not a temple to the thayne, it is a temple to my gods, to The Eldritch Horrors. These are Gods that follow the rules of no universe. They won’t likely want you as a follower, for you are not Eldritch, but they might gift you in some manner for keeping me safe, however I warn you, they are not known as The Eldritch Horrors because their nice friendly people. While it is likely you might walk away unscathed, it is just as likely you might limp away stark raving mad. It’s likely I might limp away stark raving mad, and I’m one of their own people. However, the power, the knowledge, the wisdom, the experiences they can give, you simply can’t find anywhere else, at least not easily.

“However there is one further issue. Of this issue, you need to keep silent to all others, for this is secret knowledge. There is dissent within the order. For reasons unknown to me, Grandmaster Akim, a thin frail man with a powerful mind, is secretly rebelling against The Elder. It is said, that he thinks The Elder to peaceful, to cowardly to fulfill The Order’s objective, of assisting all of Althanas achieve a higher level of existence, of helping everyone evolve, to expand their physical might and spiritual power. He has become increasingly aggressive. He also despises me, because he feels what happened with my mother was my fault.

“This brings us full circle. For you see, he thinks my mother died in childbirth, as did many people. The Order tried to resurrect her, but their powers failed. I have since learned that is because her healers tried to work against her own power, and her magic ripped theirs apart. Eldritch power is superior to all others, and if you attack it, it is very likely to destroy you. But my mother, obviously, is Eldritch. She did not die in childbirth, only her body, our spirits, once formed, are immortal, and can only be destroyed by The Horrors, or another deity. Yet Akim did not know anything about my mother, only that she seemingly died giving birth to me, and all the order’s powers could not resurrect her. The Elder took me in as his own child, raising me in the order since birth, showing a softer weaker side, and Akim began to believe The Elder an incapable leader.

“I guess, to summarize all this, be on your toes, and be careful who, and what, you attack, you may regret it later. I promise to give you the option of fleeing before beginning The Eldritch Rites, and establishing my first connection to my Gods, and learning more about who, and what, I am, as well as what I can do.” Ailnea said, saying everything she had to say on the subject in one lengthy speech.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

(Note: For the remainder of this thread, I am using my ~Level Ten~ profile thank you)


Always standing by her side, the mutant was not too far off. He had much to think about these days, especially the current decree of the Elder Monk. Very few neophytes of the order were ever even acknowledged by the Elders of the Order unless they were exceptionally skilled. The order was a loose government that had its own laws and was able to operate outside of the rule of law that existed in modern-day Corone. Lorenor rubbed his chin as he thought about the current state of the Red Hand, the current states of the order, and the current state of Corone proper.

Much confusion was in the mind of the young monk, but the girl's voice brought some ease to him. Lorenor blinked a time or two and looked to Ailnea's general direction. He simply listened while she spoke revealing knowledge of many things. Normally, Lorenor thought of all other religions as a heresy.

Lorneor could feel the ferry all around him as it moved from Corone over to the distant lands of Dheathain. Having never been to Dheathain before, the mutant didn't know what to expect. He questioned the Elder's decision to choose him to become the guardian of Ailnea. Lorenor did not openly question the Elder, but he had some doubts in his own level of skill. He would have to be quite clever to survive the coming ordeal, he knew. So, he stood there in silence, never interrupting her. Understanding the nature of the mission now, he really felt like he wasn't the appropriate person for the job.

A follow of N'Jal, a Thayne, the mutant was extremely religious. He was part of an organization known as the Cult of N'Jal, and as a High Priest, he'd obtained a certain level of infamy. Passengers spoke various concerns about the trip at hand as they headed to the unexplored land of Dheathain. The mutant largely ignored the rest of the passengers and the ship's crew. He simply paid attention to Ailnea and when she stopped talking, he voiced his concern.

"I still do not see why the Elder chose me over another who was part of your sect. I am a High Priest of N'Jal, one of her Paladins." Lorenor said calmly. "In fact, I carry the N'Jal Protocol within." He said, tapping his own chest for emphasis. "Despite the fact that I believe in different matters than you, I know what is like to be outcast. I will protect you with my very life for it is the sworn duty of Monks to protect fellow Monks during long journey. It is part of the Monks' precepts."

Though a new monk, Lorenor was still a monk nonetheless. Having removed the bounty that the Knights of Dawn placed upon his head, the Monks were like his extended family now. Despite their hard ways, Lorenor had learned much and was well on the way to obtaining the next rank of monkship. Taking in the smell of the ocean spray, the mutant turned to look deeply into Ailnea's eyes. Whenever he looked into the nun's eyes, he felt a sort of peace in himself, and a courage swelled within. He felt like he really could protect her.

"Come what may my lady. I will protect you you can be sure of that." And Lorenor continued to stare at her whilst he waited for more words from the lovely nun.

[Ailnea]

“I asked the Elder Why you were chosen myself. Fact is Lore, I am the only one of my kind. The Eldritch Horrors are a racial religion. You are not Eldritch, they won’t accept you, not that you probably want to convert anyway. One has to become Eldritch for the Horrors to accept you. As of this current moment, I am the only one of my kind in all of Althanas. But then still, why you, why not someone else? You are the one of the few people The Elder can trust. You bow to no man, serving only N’jal. You are a man of your word, doing what you must to keep it. Thus, you are less likely to be a servant of Grandmaster Akim. It’s confusing now, but I’m sure it’ll become clear in time.”

Later, after the boat docked, Ailnea looked around, not certain where to go.
Talmhaidh was a new city to her and nothing was where she thought it should be, of course she was used to the layout of Radasanth too.

“I don’t know where the temple is. We’re going to have to ask around.”

To Ailnea’s eyes, and Ailnea’s eyes alone, shadows moved taking on the ghostly image of her mother in eldritch form.

“Mother?” Ailnea asked out loud.

“Fngh’w Shlltkhw ultruos nesqhga.” Ailnea’s mother said in Eldritch, while floating backwards into a building. Most curiously, Lorenor could hear the words if he was paying attention, as though a third person were by them.

“What do you mean, I don’t understand. One knowledge is contained in another, what does that mean? Why do you have to be so mysterious?” she asked, running after her mother.

She opened the door to discover the Talmhaidh Tourist Information Center. Writers of the famous “The Traveller’s guide to Dheathain”, it was likely that if anyone could help her find her way around Dheathain, it was them.

“Thanks mom.” Ailnea said with a smile.

The fae behind the counter looked at Ailnea quizzically.

“Nothing, say, how well do you know the country?” Ailnea asked.

“I know it very well, ask me anything, go ahead, I know everything there is to know about Dheathain. Wanna know what the Ceann Cath had for breakfast? I can find out.” The eager fae said.

“I need to find a temple that has been abandoned for many ages. It was devoted to alien gods.” Ailnea said.

The eagerness of the fae faded somewhat.
“I’ve been defeated! I know not where that is.” The fae said, disappointed she couldn’t help.

“Drat, guess it’ll be harder then I thought to find The Temple of The Eldritch Horrors.” Ailnea said, turning around.

“What did you call it?” the fae asked curiously pulling out a book from behind her counter entitled “The complete collection of Dheathainian lore.”

“The Temple of The Eldritch Horrors?”

“It’s not quite a match, but history and fable often share striking similarity, sometimes being one in the same thing. There is a story of a young Draconian warrior, whose name was erased by the sands of time. He wanted to be the Ceann Cath, but was not strong enough, so he left his home and journeyed through the swamps to train and get stronger.

Eventually, he stumbled upon a stone temple carved in a manner most foreign to Draconians. It wasn’t of fae design, it was older. Older than their city, and seemingly older than all other buildings on Althanas, as though it had survived from the legendary world that came before, Tanthanas. The monks who dwelled in the temple were often described through the story as being monsters in human form. They worshipped a pantheon of deities they called Horror.

The point of all this is, the area where the temple was hidden was well described, and modern day historians all agree that it must be lost in the impassible swamps. Their called impassible, because they are just that, impassible. No one can move into that area by any means, the swamp bush is just too thick, the rainforest is too dense, and the air currents are too difficult to maneuver through, all of this. On top of that, it’s a favored nesting area for swamp dwelling dragons. Even with magic it’s impossible to get through.

The hero of the story had a mysterious woman with him, who is described in a fashion similar to your own appearance. It is written that the swamp simply parted for her, as though it were a magic barrier attuned to her blood.” The Fae said, leafing through the story to refresh her memory.

She got out a map and pointed at a section of the map that had a red circle around it.

“That’s the impassible swamp. If you were able to somehow get in the impassible swamp, that would be a likely place to start.” The fae said handing over the map.

“Thanks. Did he succeed, the hero of the story?” Ailnea asked.

“Hmm? Oh, yes, but strangely, he became terrified of dark spaces, and once slaughtered three of his own men in an effort to flee the darkness. The map’s free by the way.” The fae said.

“Thank you.” Ailnea said. If Lorenor had followed her in, which Ailnea didn’t doubt though she didn’t look, and he had other questions, now was the time to ask.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Keeping close to the nun, Lorenor knew that this was her story, not his story. So he simply took on the roll of guardian. Lorenor's senses were swelled by the plethora of distractions that came his way. Dheathain was a newly discovered land to the mutant, and as such, his eyes traveled to observe the unique architecture present. Houses followed a dual-combination of the strange Draconian tribe mixed with Faean aspects. As a result, the mutant's heart soared. A certain darkness was in the air that the mutant could detect that was not naturally abundant in Corone.

Parts of Concordia Forest it in the deepest section of the wild. Recalling the Elves of Concordia Forest, the mutant noticed the organic, homes built in various trees. Everything about Dheathain's architectural design was an attempt to be one with its local surroundings. Lorenor's eyes studied each edifice and noticed the differences between the architectural design of Corone, Salvar, and Raiaera. Dheathains' structures and Falliens' structures were the most foreign in nature. A part of Lorenor felt at home in this place so close to the swampland.

Closing his eyes to get a better sense of the energy that flowed within this city, the mutant concentrated so that his senses could focus. He could see Ailneas' person nearby to his position. He instinctively followed her, ever ready for anything. The Draconians that were present gave off a mysterious energy unique to their person. As a collective race they seemed to have certain common features but the mutant was too preoccupied to make a complete analysis of the situation.

So when Ailnea lead them into the information kiosk, the mutant was surprised to see a tiny Fae operating the center. She fluttered about naturally with her powerful wings and gave off a tremendous energy that lit up the room. Lorenor looked at Ailnea for a moment and then to the Fae girl. Somehow, the Fae knew what Ailnea was looking. He didn't like that his partner was so open to revealing information about their quest. Lorenor frowned when she discussed the location she was looking for and made it a point to take her aside later. For the time being, they were in a city and relatively safe. Lorenor knew that.

Certain of the Draconian fellows looked burlier than normal and had armor that was quite distinctive. Lorenor assumed that these individuals were city guard of some sort and would make it a point to ask them for guidance at his own convenience. Walking on the platforms built around the trees, Lorenor had to get used to being so high up in the air. Though he could fly, the mutant was cautious of falling over the side of the platform and into the swampland below. Trees in this area seemed massive and reminded him of the trees in Corone. So feeling the energy from the wild made Lorenor feel alive. There weren't the oppressive buildings that were present in Radasanth, Jadet, and Serenti.

Lorenor suddenly felt the spotlight revert to his person as the Fae and Ailnea turned to him suddenly. The situation worked out somehow, though Lorenor paid very little attention to the story of Dheathain's history. He cared little for ancient heroes of the past. He lived in the now. Simply shrugging, the mutant decided to speak to the Fae. "I'm new here. I've never been to Dheathain before. I have questions I can ask you when we return from our trip. Right now we need to get to this Impassable Swamp." Lorenor was armed with Prevalida weapons and thus could easily cut through even the thickest of vegetation. "We'll see how Impassable this area is when it meets Prevalida." Lorenor said and he walked out of the kiosk letting Ailnea complete her business. She didn't need him to shadow her every move so he stood by the railing of the platform immediately outside of the kiosk. People moved back and forth amongst the city in the trees. He looked out into the swamp for as far as his senses would physically allow himself to. He was a little annoyed that Ailnea was so eager to divulge information to a complete stranger. The mutant sighed. Elder, why did you pick me?

[Ailnea]

Ailnea smiled, sure they’d get to the temple for certain.

“So, that one fable is what we should go on?” Ailnea asked.

“Oh no, there’s a lot of fables with similar references, mostly veiled. And then there’s actual history too, as I had mentioned earlier. It’s just that one fable, and actual history have a lot of striking similarities. Draconian archaeologists have uncovered histories of the ancient Ceann Caths; one of them had no recorded name, referred to only by his title. It was written he was very terrified of the unseen things that lurk in the darkness. He claimed to have trained at a temple devoted to strange alien gods, which explained his great power. As for the other fables, they lack the detail this one does, which was why I used it, and as has been researched, the Impassible Swamp marks the very same area in which the temple is traditionally recorded. The other fables indicate other things like the hall of the thousand and one traps, or the giant ogre in the tiny room. I’d list them all, but that would take all day.” The tiny fae said.

“Well, thank you.” Ailnea said, and turned to leave.

She walked toward the door confident this was going to be easy, with Lorenor really along only to help protect her from the more savage local beasts. Then the fae mentioned something that stopped Ailnea in her tracks and took her confidence away.

“You’re not the first monks to look for the temple. A large group of them passed through a few days ago, lead by a person that may or may not have been both a man and a woman at the same time. Possibly an elf of some sort, but I’ve never heard of all white elves, or bald elves either.” The fae said.

“I see, thank you.” Ailnea said and then stepped out.

She took in the local scenery for the first time, appreciating the unique architecture that was a mix of fae and draconian designs. But her mind was elsewhere, troubled by the fae’s last revelation.

“So, that was a most informative visit. It’s where the swamp meets the rainforest, is surrounded by a shield of some sort, is filled with more traps than I care to think about, has both ogres and Dragons living near it, and is hunted by Grandmaster Akim for reasons I care not to think about.” Ailnea said in a tone that mocked a happy one.

She shook her head and sighed.

“This is not going to be easy. We have to hurry, if the Horrors are half the gods their made out to be, Akim will gain the power of madness. Looking at the map, we need to head towards Suthainn, as the impassible swamp is half a day’s ride to the north of the main traveling paths, and a full day’s ride before we actually reach Suthainn. Let’s see if our horses were offloaded.” Ailnea said, outlining a plan.

Before they had left Corone, it had been seen to that they were provided fresh horses for their journey. Ailnea walked back over to the ferry, busy offloading its cargo, and by sheer happenstance, right as they arrived, their horses were being offloaded. Ailnea walked over to her horse, a gentle solid white mare she named Snowflake. Being inexperienced in riding, it was perhaps the best possible choice for her. After getting help in checking that everything was in place on her horse, she took off the robes in favor of the pants and loose blouse underneath, folding her robes and putting them in a saddle bag. Only her medallion stayed on, but it swung about as she climbed into the saddle.

She petted the horses’ neck as an inland breeze made its way out to sea, on it one could catch the slightest of hints that somewhere ahead lay a particularly large swamp, and equally large rainforest.

“You know Snowflake; someday I’m going to run even faster than you can, I’m sure of it. Well, let us be off.” Ailnea said, starting their journey.

On horseback, it was a two days across the plains, two through the forest, and by dawn of the fifth day, they would have reached the temple, provided everything worked out.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

There were patches of solid earth in the swampland, but some of them were difficult to see for the normal traveler. Lorenor's senses could play in Dheathain with its particular natural phenomena. Sensing the various minute subtleties in the everglade swampland, Lorenor kept looking about. Sounds from strange creatures filled the air, unfamiliar to the mutant. Movement, and a particularly disturbing vibration swirled all about him. On horseback, Lorenor could concentrate on the situation at hand and let the horse guide him through the everglade swamp. Foliage covered the water and lake below it hiding its untold depths. Lorenor kept looking about the area prepared for anything that might come out of the shrubberies. He kept his hands on the reigns of the beast as he moved through the swampland. His eyes were locked on the road ahead, but he kept glancing on Ailnea from time to time. They left Luthmor behind. Lorenor took his time resupplying at the ship, ensuring that they had all of the basic and necessary travel equipment.

Lorenor allowed the horse to move at his own pace only pulling at the reigns when he felt that the stallion was moving him too close to the edge of the path they were moving on. Looking up at the trees, the mutant could see the glowing light from the tree's villages that lurked so high above his person. The mutant sighed as his heart ached from the beauty of this place. The canopy of the trees was so thick that not a single shard of sunlight poked through it to feed the fungi at the roots of trees. So fungi had to find heat from other sources in the swamp.

Lurking within the everglades, the ecosystems within the swampland were unique to Dheathain. Lorenor studied the specimens attempting to familiarize himself with the local surroundings. If they got lost, they were screwed and it was on Lorenor to ensure that they could get back to Luthmor or Donnalaich. As they moved, Lorenor painted a mental map of the area so that he could find their way back. Patches of earth that were used as roads interlaced the swamp, some marked by road signs, and others marked by experienced guesswork.

Having lived in Concordia Forest for many years, the mutant knew his way around The Wild. He made sure that his stallion stayed alongside snowflake at all times so that Ailnea wouldn't wander off. Lorenor was ever concerned about his companion's well being. Once again, the idea that this wasn't his story crossed his mind. He was just along for the ride. Lorenor didn't mind playing the support role in their party. As long as he could protect her, that was all that mattered to him. He looked at her as they road for a long time this particular glance through and wondered what was going through her head.

Staying quiet the entire time, Lorenor continued to count the different types of plants and trees he was discovering. He knew these were not new to the natives, but to the mutant it was an orgy for the senses. No more than a few miles out into the everglades, the mutant sensed people up ahead. Is that a settlement up ahead? Lorenor looked over in Ailnea's general direction. The signs were written in native Dheathain, not the common-tongue. The local dialects remained a mystery to the mutant. "There's a town of some sort up ahead. Probably a settlement or something. Let's try and camp there for the time being, it's getting dark. I trust my own strength, but we're in a new environment. I don't think I want to attempt to pit myself against the creatures in this place." Lorenor was being sincere. He was confident, he was insane, but he was not stupid. He guided the horse up towards the settlement, it was just coming up against his sensory grid. Lorenor saw several tents and a few wagons up ahead. His eyes locked on the figures roaming in the small camp. Are these people hostile? He wondered and drew his weapon just in case.

He was prepared for anything.

[Ailnea]

Throughout the day Ailnea’s mind constantly wandered to the surrounding environs taking in the sights. The air felt sticky as the swamp gave up its moisture to the air creating a humidity that felt thick enough to cut with a dagger, at least it felt so to Ailnea.

She felt a familiar energy in the air, and surmised that the energies of the temple were slowly leaking into the environment. What effect might such a thing have on the wildlife?
Probably very little, as she was certain it wasn’t a very noticeable leak; all the same there were strange sights to behold if one looked for them.

Off in the distance at one point in the day, Ailnea spied what looked to be an alligator, but, it didn’t have a normal body. Truthfully, it had the normal alligator form, but what covered it was flesh only in the sense that it covered its body, protecting the delicate internal organs from the outside world. However, this substance was completely translucent, allowing for full viewing of the insides.

Then, awhile later, she spied what she was certain was a boa constrictor. It was after a monkey foolishly taunting it from a low branch. The snack reached for the monkey, and the monkey of course, skittered back out of the snake’s reach, the snake unable to go any further. Then, the snake stretched, like it was made of rubber. The monkey, startled at this new development could only stare in surprise as the snake grabbed it, and crushed it to death.

Ailnea wondered if Lorenor had seen any of this. Of course, for the most part, most of the sights were normal. No, she surmised he was more interested in learning the lay of the land, trying to keep from getting lost. Ailnea couldn’t get lost though, for the familiar energy she felt beckoned her onward, like a lighthouse guiding a ship to shore in the dark.

Light fell, and Lorenor mentioned a settlement up ahead.

The settlement was small, partly fae, partly draconian, a few humans ran about. The houses were wooden, and on stilts. In the center stood a stone idol that had been moved into position for some sort of celebration or religious service that night. Ailnea was unfamiliar with the gods, focusing on her own training instead of conferring with a deity about it. Thus, she walked into the settlement unaware of what god or goddess was represented by a spider. Carvings well cared for in a local dialect formed what Ailnea thought were letters. One was a capital N, one was a J.

NJ, a spider goddess? I should’ve paid more attention to the various deities of Althanas.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

A child looked on as the strangers arrived in the village. It was a small settlement to be sure, one erected quickly possibly a few years prior. Lorenor noticed that there were actual houses amongst the tents. These were more shacks than houses, but the mutant understood that this was a camp of some sort and not a true village. Powerful scents of various herbs, unguents, and cakes and treats. Some sort of celebration was taking place. Lorenor suddenly spotted the idol in the center of the village and a smile crossed his face. Whenever he spotted one of those idols, the mutant felt like spiders crawled upon his epidermis. Lorenor felt a shiver go up and down his spine when he saw the idol. His eyes narrowing as he spotted it, the grin on his face quite a grotesque thing. Turning towards Ailnea, the mutant's face became serious. "Do you know what that is?" Lorenor asked in a very sincere, calm tone. There was a hint of excitement in his voice. "We're in a territory of allies. Follow me Ailnea." Lorenor said casually and stopped his horse. The mutant immediately dismounted hoping that Ailnea would respect his wishes. If she didn't follow him, this could be a very dangerous place for the hybrid.

Holding the reigns of his horse, the mutant walked forward to the congregation of people gathered near the idol. By now, hungry eyes were on the mutant and his companion. Lorenor frowned at the sudden attention and a part of him wanted to vanish into the swamp away from these people. That was his unsocial side. But he knew, judging by the expressions on their face that he would be welcome there. For once, ever since he left the Red Hand territory, ever since he left Salvar, he had found something that he knew he was looking for. A place to call home.

Lorenor walked on the dirt road for a moment and let go of the horses' reigns for a moment. He patted the flank of the beast casually and only then noticed that he was suddenly surrounded. Several groups of Fae and Dragonic warriors looked at the mutant and his companion. Lorenor noticed that there were various people of all walks of life staring at him now. The Fae hovered on their powerful wings as they looked at the mutant and his companion, and the Dragonic people stood holding spear and sword. He looked at the knotted muscles and admired them greatly. Lorenor was no chump, but he knew where he was outclassed by natural strength and endurance capacities.

An elderly looking Dragonic individual walked over to Lorenor and Ailnea's position. The chieftain. Lorenor immediately thought to himself and nodded to the man. After a moment he bowed. "<...>" The man spoke in native Dagonian. Lorenor did not understand the words they sounded like a series of barks and grunts with no natural syllables. Upon seeing the confusion on Lorenor's face, the man switched to a heavily accented common dialect. "Are you the one they call Lorenor?" The man asked. Lorenor took a moment to study the man. He stood at an impressive eight feet in height. He had a green-yellowish scale colour. The man also had an impressive skull upon his head with many horns and teeth that looked like it might have been from the beast of a fell wyrm or a wyvern of sorts. Studying the man further, he noticed that the man had ancient seeming azure eyes, many tribal markings upon his scales. Those looked like they could have been tattoos. He wore a series of necklaces that had bone components. Each of them had symbols etched upon them. The man had impressive physical strength and composure. The mutant studied the man further admiring the man's physical appearance. At his side was a long staff that was apparently a huge femur bone of some insanely proportioned behemoth monster. Lorenor guessed that the chieftain was probably really strong. Looking at the black idol of N'Jal for a long moment, the mutant could see energy flaring out of the statue as if the N'Jal Protocol herself lurked within.

"We know what you carry inside you." The chieftain said. Then, mysteriously, the man knelt down before Lorenor. Then, all of the villagers knelt down before the mutant as they all observed him. Lorenor, taken aback by the gesture, began to cry. "I am merely a servant. I am no different or no better than any of you. Please stand friend. We are equal in the eyes of the Spider Queen." Lorenor was speaking in the language of the Spider-Magi. It was a strange language that comprised of strange clicks and other guttural sounds. Not an expert of Spider-Magi by any means, the mutant still struggled with many of the consonants and words. Once he said what he had to say, the mutant continued. "The Lady bids you all grace for your service to our cause. She smiles fortune and prosperity upon this place." And Lorenor assisted the chieftain to stand. The mutant then looked the man right in the eyes. "My name is Lorenor." Lorenor said. The chieftain shook his head. "No. You are the promised one." The chieftain continued. "My name is Thrugh'lhak. I am the leader of this settlement. We know why you are here. It was written in the stars that your coming will hail a new age for Althanas."

Suddenly, the chieftain turned to look at Ailnea. "Our prophets know why you have come young lady. The place you see to go holds something very dangerous, very powerful, even to us. You are asking us to place someone very important to us in mortal and grave danger for your own crusade." The Chieftain asked. "I must consult with you in private." The chieftain said then turned towards Lorenor. "In the meantime, make yourselves at home. This is a place of worship for the Spider Queen. We have been preparing for your coming." Lorenor nodded. "We need a guide to the Temple of Eldritch Horrors." Lorenor said casually. The chieftain suddenly became pale. "I knew this day would come." He nodded casually. "Please, join us for a feast. There is much to say. Much to do in the name of the dark lady." The chieftain said casually. "Very well. We need a place to stay for the night. But the girl. She is my charge. She stays with me at all times. Anything you have to say to her, you say to me. I keep no secrets from my charge."

The chieftain frowned, Lorenor kept an emotionless face. He'd already wiped the tears from his face.

[Ailnea]

The Chieftain’s quarters were comfortable, for a new settlement. He possessed a three room house, with a kitchen and a water closet. The sitting room was the room the front door led into, and this housed a small bookshelf, a table, and a few comfortable chairs. In the kitchen, a woman about the Thrugh'lhak’s own age moved about helping to prepare the feast the chieftain had promised them later that night. She stopped only long enough to take in the sight of the two visitors to her house, and then continued about her work as though nothing had happened.

Ailnea smiled, this was a nice little place. The chair she sat in was covered in a green velvet material, decorated with red flowers made of expensive silk thread that was sown into the chair itself. She decided it must’ve taken a lot of work and a lot of sowing to make each individual flower. She leaned back and relaxed, taking in the scents of roasting meats and garlic. The lamps must have had a few drops of peppermint oil added to them, for she could also smell a hint of peppermint in the air. She tried focusing on the pictures on the walls walls, but the single lamp in the center of the room was not enough for her to see anything with. Instead, her mind conjured up images of dancers moving in tandem with the shadows dancing on the walls and pictures.

“I’d just like to state once more, that the place you’re going contains something that’s even too dangerous and powerful for us to deal with.” Thrugh'lhak said, a note of fatherly concern rising in his voice.

Ailnea wondered if he had children, and if so, if the woman in the kitchen was his wife and the mother of his children. She decided this was so, and would continue to think that way until someone revealed the truth to her, provided her assumptions were false in the first place. Even still, there was one thing that she knew was true about him, and that was the fact that she somehow knew his concerns, though valid for him, were not valid for her.

“I know you’re concerned about the hidden powers The Eldritch Horrors placed in the temple, but trust me when I tell you that those very same things are of no danger to me. They summon me, drawing me ever closer with each step I take, and each breath I draw, towards my heritage. My own mother waits for me there, to teach me about myself, about my true self. This form you see is a lie, a mask placed upon me by my mother to conceal the truth of my identity, for I am not yet powerful enough to go about as I truly am. I am too different in appearance, too, horrifying. Thus you see, the only dangers that could await me, are dangers of this world, not of my own.” Ailnea said, trying her best to sooth the man’s fears.

“Even still, your companion is very dear and important to us.” Thrugh'lhak said, going down another avenue. Truth be told, he wanted Lorenor to stay in the village with them. He also didn’t want to see Ailnea get hurt.

“I do not doubt that Lorenor holds value to you, but just as the temple will not harm me, so long as he stays by my side and does as I say when it’s necessary for me to tell him what to do, no harm shall come to him either. Even still, I have had first hand experience with his power, and doubt there is any situation that he cannot cope with.” Ailnea said, countering the argument with one of her own.

Thrugh'lhak sighed in defeat. His shoulders slumped forward as he looked from Lorenor to Ailnea. His tail twitched a few times as he appeared to think, then he stood up and fetched a thick tome from his bookshelf. He moved the lantern on the table to make room for the book, and then opened it. It was a bestiary, a guide to the various creatures one might find in Dheathain coupled with a guide to the landscape.

“Very well, allow me to give what little help I can. I shall go with you to this temple.” Thrugh'lhak said, thinking the matter finished.

“HAH! We both know you’re in no condition to go adventuring. Besides, if you left, who would lead us? You have more important responsibilities.” The elderly woman said.

“Xis’tiel you know It’s my responsibility to assist everyone in the village.” Thrugh'lhak protested. Ailnea knew however by his tone that he wouldn’t fight too hard to stay here.

“Thrugh'lhak, I didn’t fight hard to become your life mate, give you five children, help you construct this settlement, and work up this feast just to lose you on some fool errand now. Send our eldest son; he’s a strong powerful warrior wise in the ways of the land. He’ll make a good guide to the temple, provided that’s as far as it goes.” Xis’tiel said from her kitchen.

“Oh yes Ma’am, I promise that’s all the farther he’ll go. Infact, I’ll have him stop a good hour’s ride on horseback from the temple and turn back. I’m certain Lorenor can help us get back here afterwards.” Ailnea said quickly. She knew Draconians were quick to anger and slow to calm down, and the last thing she wanted on this trip was an angry Draconian to deal with.

“Then it’s settled, I’ll introduce him tonight at the feast, which starts shortly.” Xis’tiel said, and proceeded to make final preparations to carry the delicious smelling dishes out to the feast.

[Mutant_Lorenor]

Walking over to a window, the mutant stared out into the darkness of the camp for a long time. He listened in silence whilst Ailnea talked to Thrugh'lhak about the adventure that awaited them. Many thoughts passed through the mutants mind as he observed the area outside of the house. The Antifirmanent glowed with the energy of the Idol to N'Jal. It gave off a living energy that the mutant could detect even from his position in the house. A living vibration, the N'Jal Protocol gave off a pulse. Lorenor, detecting that pulse, concentrated on the energy. He could feel the hairs on his epidermis standing on their ends stiff and erect. Observing the Antifirmanent in silence, he could see various individuals, souls of the fallen, traveling around the idol as though it were a flame and the spirits were moths. In the dark, Lorenor's eyes appeared as orbs that gave off a tremendous glow from within them. The mutant continued to observe the area around the idol for a moment watching the festival that was going on.

Outside, the night sky was clear. Though it almost always rained, the rain had let up for a short while and the sky had temporarily cleared. He looked up and saw only a few pregnant storm clouds lingering. Lorenor was glad that the rain had let up, even if only for a short while. Rains were a common place occurrence in Dheathain.

Folding his arms before his chest, the mutant continued to listen to the conversation between Ailnea and Thrugh'lhak. He picked out the general theme of the conversation but decided not to interrupt them. He did not have a place questioning his superior's order. For the time, Ailnea was his acting superior officer and he had to respect the wishes of the monks. At least for as long as he was a part of their organization. Lorenor turned to look towards the trio. "We set out at first light. I want to get this trip to the temple over with as soon as possible. I am suspecting it will not be pleasant at all." Lorenor said with a grim expression on his face.

He said those words as Xis’tiel was putting the food pans and pots on the table. Hot, steaming scents filled the chamber as the mutant absorbed the smells into himself. Gravies, cranberry sauce, poultry, beef, and other monster meats were visible. Some sort of brown spicy rice was on the table as well that was probably a recipe native to Dheathain. The mutant had never seen such a large variety of food. Several large pitchers were placed on the table. Lorenor smelled several hard drinks of various types also native to Dheathain. Some of them were exotic juices. The mutant, seeing that he didn't really have a taste for cooked food, walked over to one of the juice containers and poured himself a drink.

Filling his chalice to the brim, the mutant nodded towards Xis’tiel and
Thrugh'lhak quickly and then found himself going outside with his drink. The couple looked at themselves strangely for a moment as Lorenor walked outside. He needed some air. The air inside the house was too oppressive with the various scents of well-cooked food. Though he was hungry, the mutant would wait his turn to eat. Noticing a chair on the porch outside of the house, the mutant walked overt towards it and sat down. Holding the chalice in his hand, the mutant took a deep pull of the juice. It had a very sweet but tangy kind of flavor to it and a strange texture to the liquid. There were things floating around in the juice.

It was probably freshly made. As Lorenor sat down he meticulously took a deep sip of the juice in his hand. Closing his eyes, the darkness seemed to cling to the mutant. Lorenor could feel the texture of the liquid flowing down into his stomach as he sat there. He was focusing on Ailnea and the people inside the house. He could listen to them without being within. Lorenor finished the contents of his juice when a young Dragonian walked towards the mutant with large dark eyes. Lorenor opened his eyes and offered the small warrior a friendly nod.

"Do you need something?"

"You are the one they call Lorenor, are you not?"

"I am young one. Are you lost?"

"No. I am not the one who is lost. It is you who is lost. You are like a paradox swirling across the rings of reality. My papa said that there are some of us who can see the future. I see darkness coming to you Lorenor. I see the Dark Lady setting something in motion for you. Once this event comes to pass you will have no choice but to bring about your own demise. There is nothing but suffering in your future, for a great many people."

The Dragonian said. Lorenor listened carefully. "You are truly gifted to be able to see such things. And to whom do I owe the honor?"

"His name is Raequan." Came a deeper voice. Lorenor looked past the child and saw an older Dragonian that stood about the same height as Thrugh'lhak. Lorenor guessed that these people were the chieftain's children. Lorenor nodded with a profound respect towards the individuals before him now. "Hello there." The mutant said casually. "I am Kythor." The Dragonian said casually. "Son of Thrugh'lhak." The mutant continued to listen to the man before him and his child. "Kythor. The feast is ready, you should join everybody inside."

"What about you Lord Lorenor?"

"I am not someone who likes his food cooked. But I will be joining you all shortly."

"Go inside Raequan. Dinner is ready. I would like to speak to Lorenor."

"All right. What troubles you Kythor?"

Lorenor saw that Kythor walked over to his position and sat down on the bench like chair next to his person. Kythor was a tall individual with sinewy muscle and scales. "My Father will ask me to go acompany you to the Forsaken Place. The Eldritch Temple. It is the main reason you've come here with that woman. The thing." Kythor said with a hint of malice in his voice. Lorenor looked over to Kythor's person. "You do not know Ailnea like I know her." Lorenor said. Kythor nodded. "I understand that, but we know what the ancient scriptures state." And that's how the conversation went.