[Closed to Gum.] A forgotten whisper...

[Elthas_Belthasar]

(Primarily a socialization thread/but will have some stuff going down too. Takes place sometime after my current solo project.)

The gate ripped through the stillness of the swamp, sending crackling energy cascading through the night air.

As it opened, symbols manifested in the air glowing with arcane power.

For a moment, the firmanent united with the antifirmanent and Phantaria itself was visible as the gate took shape.

The gate became physical reality for approximately a minute as Elthas stepped out of it. Once Elthas was no longer connected to his previous location in Corone proper, he looked back at the Phantaria gate as if to acknowledge it. The gate vanished into the fabrics of non-existence soon after Elthas rippled into being. It was a harsh way of travelling through the Phantaria gates. Elthas never did get used to it from the first time he'd traveled in that way. His eyes burned with the power of the particular form of travel, far superior to that of any ship or vessel. As he stood up and straightened himself, his spectral body felt a tremendous wave of pain and agony course through it. He could not help but growl in extreme pain until it subsided.

The gate, in it's wake, left much of the marshy earth burned in a form of black glass. Steam swirled upward from the heat of the moment, energy still passing through the air itself. For a moment, Elthas had no recollection of where he was, or, what he was meant to be doing. That soon passed and his head felt somewhat normal. Memories, schemes and plans swelled in his mind and he recalled why he took the initial trip in the first place. His destination was somewhere in Corone, but he knew he was not in Corone. The air was different, and the very smell was different. The sounds of local critters and beasts were not the ones of his precious Concordia Forest. Elthas took a look up at the night sky, the constellations from his youth were all in different places of the night sky. A few were in similar locations. Gotta spot the specific ones I can use to travel...this place...it has a familiar aspect. Elthas looked down to the soft, black earth beneath him. There was water from various ponds and he could tell he was in a marsh, swamp like area. His eyes narrowed as he attempted to gather himself. He leaned down grabbed a sample of the earth in his hand. It felt soft, almost alive. Only a patch of the ground was transformed into glass from the gate.

Once the pain passed, Elthas took another look at his surrounds. The dirt in his hand felt natural, alive as he noticed earlier. There was something else in the air too...something far darker. And that did not emanate solely from Elthas. Seth Terrentius once told me Phantaria gates sometimes have a mind of their own. I meant to end up in Corone...but I guess that gate had other ideas... Elthas did not yet know exactly where he was. Only that he was not in Corone. Each area of Althanas had different lay lines and energy that it gave off, this lay line was completely different from Corone's. The positions of the constellations he recalled from his youth were also in different places in the night sky.

The stars were numerous that night and only a few clouds lurked overhead.

Elthas was also not quite used to the smell of the flora in the area. Some of the larger mushroom collections gave off intense smells, that affected Elthas even in his state of being dead. Elthas shook his head and attempted to focus on the task at hand. Need to find a town or settlement. Elthas thought to himself and proceeded to travel through the swampland itself and attempt to figure out where in Hell he'd ended up. Something took me waaay off course from where I intended to go. That something could be ally or enemy...I have to figure out what happened that I would end up here. Elthas was trying to remember which regions of Althanas had large swamp-like areas. The only one he could think was...Hey I might be in Dheathain. Elthas recalled hearing about Dheathain in his travels in life...but had never made it that far on his own. It's possible that is where I am at...but there's no way of knowing for sure.

And so, his journey began...

^Enter here.

[Gum]

Gum's squelching feet danced out a soggy rhythm to the primal drums pounding in his head only, the sound was imagination alone. Flying muck speckled his dark skinned calves, the old shaman span with increasing intensity until he was utterly tranced in the night's starlight magic. He bent his knees to harsh right angles with each spinning jump. The dance carried Gum between the eight points of an octagon marked out in the marshy earth with protruding sticks and bones decorated with the golden glowing feathers of Dheathain's heaven goose⁽¹⁾. The mystic markings were dotted out in a space where the rain forest's raging vegetation, for a reason almost certainly of a supernatural nature, relented into a clearing. A smoldering corpse sat at the very centre of the shape. The victim at the centre of the spell was a Bestu⁽²⁾ tribesperson. As a Dheathain shaman, Gum's paramount responsibility was to protect the realm from the tortured souls of the angry dead; he was the man who accompanied the dead across the divide from the Overworld into the Underworld and into the greedy hands of Oxxad⁽³⁾.

The humid hiss of tropical cockroaches distracted the shaman from his trance, this was compounded by the awful assault of an army of skin piercing mosquitoes clouding his lithe body. In the muggy air it was difficult to execute his duty. Gum's water wrinkled feet failed him and he stumbled from his rhythm and into the broad leather of tropical leaves surrounding the clearing. Gum shook his head violently, "Urgh!" he complained. "I must focus," he insisted to himself sternly. While the conditions were challenging, in the Dheathain rain forest they were always so. Something else was contributing to Gum's failure. The dutiful shaman couldn't put his finger on it, but something was interfering with the channels that linked places with places, worlds with worlds and dimensions with dimensions. With the hairy length of his forearm, Gum wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and was poised to begin his spirit dance anew.

Again he was interrupted, this time it was before he could even start. A sudden glow of warmth shone its eerie invitation through the narrow trunks of the swamp's stunted trees. Fearlessness was a gift given to Gum through his intimate association with his own god of death, Oxxad. Visiting the Underworld on a regular basis took away his fear of ending up there for all eternity. It was with this bravery and curiosity that the shaman moved through the night's dark uncertainty towards the glowing of the scorched earth created by Elthas Belthasar's wayward portal.

---

Footnotes & Wiki Links

1. Heaven Goose
2. Bestu
3. Oxxad and the other gods of the Dheathain Pantheon

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Time never sat still for those like Elthas, the dead.

Or spiritual entities from the other side.

Elthas maneuvered through the lands of Dheathain...a forest entirely different from that of his precious Concordia. Ruild. Whatever tongue you called it by, that forest was unlike any other place on Althanas. It had distinct lay lines, and a fierce energy and vibe all it's own. Elthas missed his homeland already, but he was certain he'd been called to that place...Dheathain...for a reason. I only need to find my way through this mess as always. Elthas's glowing eyes pierced through the inky darkness. As he moved forward he could feel the oppressive life energies surrounding him.

Something else was afoot.

As Elthas moved forward, he saw a figure up ahead. There was the distinct scent of fresh death. The lull of violence and murder drew the wraith to that place of power. Elthas moved forward, drawn by the strong scent of death. I don't know why I am doing this...I probably should be much more careful. He was aware that his kind were more likely to get caught in the ancient traps of the elders. The old ones pre-dating The Demon War, left marks of power across the land to prevent the dead from encroaching on the living. As was the case in Raiaera, those old wards failed.

Elthas was one of the dead and wandered the land of Althanas freely...to a degree of freedom.

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he observed the figure up ahead.

Curiosity was the main thing that pulled Elthas forward.

That scent of death...likely caused by the figure up ahead...I must be careful. Elthas decided to reveal himself to the shaman, called from the great beyond. He moved forward, and seemed to materialize out of the darkness. As he detached himself from the dark, he moved forward towards the mysterious Shaman. With his observant eyes locked on the older looking man, there was a flash in Elthas's mind. He recalled the night he saved Seth Terrentius from ruffians...everything had changed. For some reason, every time he interacted with the living...

As he stood there he kept the hood of his spectral mantle up. Elthas was an intimidating wraith, but he did not attempt any hostile actions towards The Shaman...yet. That same sense of curiosity and pull was there as he waited for the old Hume (Human) to initiate the conversation. The old poems stated it best...the dead envied the living. However, Elthas had grown paranoid and careful as time went on for him. The recent events in his life had made him more careful of who he called an ally...and who was labelled enemy.

A recent lesson Elthas was learned was that enemies hungered in the dark.

And it was the most unlikely dagger of those very same enemies that would claim one's life if they were not careful.

The rain forest seemed to quiet down at Elthas's presence, reacting towards the unwanted ghost. Moments earlier there were tons of mosquitos and cockroaches hissing, where currently, there was now silence.

A supernatural silence that was fitting for someone like Elthas...

[Gum]

Gum's focus was re-found in the dire reality of the individual before him. "What are you?" asked the sweating shaman with the confidence of a man who was of substance to the living and the dead. Xangu funerary rights required Gum's presence, the shaman ferried the dead to the Underworld. As such, ghosts did not frighten or surprise Gum. Spectres found refuge in every tree, plant and river of the Xangu Basin. Elthas Belthasar, however, was of great surprise to him. Gum was accustomed to being the only one to see the transient spirits of the land, they needed him. Belthasar, though, seemed thoroughly sturdier to the curious shaman. More sturdy at least than the hopeless spirits of the newly dead. After all, every creature in the rainforest had fallen silent in reverence to his arrival.

The question stood rigid, like a wall between them, "What are you?"

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Humidity was thick in the jungle and it made the air difficult for breathing...

However...Elthas saw that the man before him was no ordinary human. The scent of death did originate from the man's camp. And that scent was tainted with various types of energy. Elthas felt drawn to the older Hume, not really understanding why at the precise moment. Elthas looked at the man and let the question linger. He looked passed the old man looked at the glowing symbols where the man's sacrifice was. He'd seen something similar to the ritual sacrifice once before. It is not my place to judge a man's religious beliefs...especially considering my own situation. Elthas looked at Gum for a long moment and the question lingered heavily in the air. He can see me as I am...he is not afraid... Elthas let a full five minutes pass as he stood there, hovering off the ground.

His spectral wraith body swirling through the air consistently. It seemed that the black robes that the entity before Gum wore...was semi mobile of it's own accord. Elthas had glowing piercing eyes that swirled from behind the large hood that covered his head. Elthas looked at Gum and nodded. "That is an excellent question." Elthas began to speak with his deep Elvish accent. His voice also echoed with the taint of the dead. "I am what you see." Elthas began. "More importantly than what I am though...is what are you?" Elthas considered the weight of the question that was asked. Then he looked at the man calmly. "I am called Elthas." He said carefully. At that point, Elthas touched the ground beneath him and stopped hovering. He kept staring at the old Hume. But most importantly, he was fascinated by the ritual-work behind the man. Elthas was drawn to the presence of the old Hume...but he was not entirely sure why.

He wondered if he'd been summoned by that mysterious ritual?

[Gum]

The solemn sight of the pygmy's funerary ceremony left incomplete troubled the aging shaman. The deceased's glowing hot corpse began to cool in the night's chill. The shaman took a moment to, again, look over his shoulder at the octagonal ritual site and sighed to himself, knowing the death rights would have to be repeated from the beginning and the person's soul would languish more.

"I am what you see," the spectre said to the static shaman, bringing his attention back to his guest.

"I see a kind of spirit. I am a friend to the spirits," as he spoke these words he felt the pang of his duties gone incomplete.

"More importantly than what I am though...is what are you?"

"A shaman. I go to war for the gods. I take the souls of the dead to the Underworld."

"I am called Elthas."

"I am Gum, a student of Do U, a steward of the Xangu forest and a zealous advocate for a united Xangu nation."

It was at this time that the forest steward turned his back on Elthas, recognising that the vigorous apparition appeared to pose no threat. When Gum walked away from Elthas and back towards the bestu corpse he spoke, "If you would like to talk more about why you are here and the possible significance of our having crossed paths then please follow me. I know a place where spirits grow stronger." Unlike his contemporary, the shaman's weary feet were victim to the rigours of the wild forest floor. Twigs and leaves snapped and rustled in his wake.

With the short distance back to the pygmy's corpse complete, Gum wrapped the body in the bovine hide upon which it had been placed. Next, he moved into the undergrowth and stripped two thick leaves down to their fibrous filaments. He used the makeshift string to tie the cow skin tight and make a bundle for the pygmy's body. Gum tightened his arthritic knuckles around the deceased's protruding feet and began to drag the body away.

"I will finish this man's ceremony later. Follow me."

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas considered the information that he'd just acquired.

Shaman... Elthas thought back to his preliminary education with The Forest Elves of Ruild, and later at the House of Terrentius. He'd never heard of a Shaman...but the man had clearly a sense of knowledge and power about him. Furthermore, Gum was not afraid. Most mortals fear the spirit realm...he does not. He could prove useful. The Shaman explained various matters about what was going on, Elthas simply nodded. Our meeting is not an accident. He is offering to help. I will accompany him for some time...and figure out what he requires in exchange for his help. Elthas understood that all matters of life and death required contracts. He was prepared to pay a great deal to acquire more allies...and perhaps a further purpose in life.

When Gum walked ahead towards another area of the wilderness, Elthas did indeed follow.

He wasn't sure why...but something ABOUT Gum rose Elthas's interest. Elthas followed closely behind Gum. His eyes narrowed casually as he looked around the swampland kingdom. Gum revealed terms that Elthas was not familiar with. He speaks of geo-politics I am not aware of. Dheathain is not someplace I am familiar with. There are different energies here in this wild land than in Ruild. I must be cautious if I am to protect both myself and Gum. For some reason, Elthas felt compelled to help Gum. He wasn't sure why...but memories of when he first saved Seth Terrentius swelled up in his mind. Seth Terrentius was the human connected to the Terrentius Estate that he went out of his way to save.

It cost him far more than he would ever admit to most folks...but honouring the old alliances cost him considerable standing with the Elves of Ruild.

Either way...that was a long time ago. Elthas followed Gum a few paces behind. His eyes constantly looking around. Elthas listened to everything he said, noting the accent that Gum spoke in. Was quite different, and Elthas had never heard it before. Do all of the Humes of Dheathain speak in such a way...or is it just Gum??? I wonder...? Elthas was curious about Gum...his interest growing with every passing moment. And the terms he used......Shaman...student of Do U??? Elthas had never heard of the Do U school, and that was promising information. So he decided that he was going to stick by the Shaman's side for as long as he was required...

[Gum]

At a rare rocky outcrop, the tired shaman lay down the body of the deceased bestu and entered an opening in the earth. "It is this way, Elthas. Let me show you," over his shoulder he ensured his revered guest was following behind. Gum let the pitch black caves of Dheathain's Xangu Basin deprive him of his vision, he did so trustingly. The saturated earth enclosing the subterranean network meant the rock walls wept with water and the ground was slippery with aufwuchs.

"I must be careful on the slick stone, but you, Elthas," Gum laughed, "have nothing to fear!"

Gum's weary old knuckles stretched obtuse. The shaman's hand was flat palmed and trying to feel the damp grain of the stone through his rawhide skin. "Is this the cave?" the shapeshifter whispered the words to himself and to his ancestors. In the dark there was only the feel of the etched words to go by. With a gradual touch, the prose began to reveal itself as comprehensible. Gum licked his cracked lips and hummed out a baritone delight. Generations of Xangu people, human and bestu both, had visited these caves and committed to the future the works of their great storytellers, poets and artists.

Gum's voice was broken and echoing, the cavern was his chorus, "This is where the spirits of my ancestors are strongest. This is where they wrote their words on the walls. Tell me, Elthas, do you feel empowered here?"

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas carefully floated above the ground and made his way through the cave.

The cave reminded him of another time...the time he fought Storm Veritas. And later found out that it had not been a dream...it had been real on some level. Elthas landed on the ground and carefully looked around...he studied every aspect of Gum and everything the man did. The man's ways...the path of the Shaman...greatly interested the wraith. He looked around the cave...no wards were in place that could potentially harm Elthas or repel him out right. Seth Terrentius taught him the ways of the wards and the laws of life and death. Seth had proven to be a guiding light even in his current state of death.

At first..Elthas felt nothing.

Only lingering memories of the past haunted him.

Then something else happened...something he did not expect. A vision permeated the glowing cavernous expanse. It projected itself from the depths of Elthas's mind. And manifested as a fragmented memory that even Gum could see. The image...looked much like Elthas had but it was another Elf of Ruild. A man...a legendary Hero by the name of Halm Belthasar.

"Father." Elthas suddenly called out to the sentient memory. For a moment...Elthas considered leaving the cavern outright. But then...he looked at Gum. Gum did not seem startled...at least at the moment, he was not. Elthas decided the least he could do was hear the fragmented memory out...

"My son." Halm said...he had long flowing green hair, and the other marks of his people. He was battle scarred and heavy. "This man has brought you back to me. We have unfinished business together."

"Father..." Elthas realized that his family had traveled with him to the after life. They were always with him. That realization hit and affected Elthas a lot. It was at that point that Elthas lowered his hood for Gum and his Father to see. His face manifested out of the darkness his hood created, he was a handsome ghost. His skin was pale and see through...but the most notable feature was that Elthas had glowing eyes that were blue just like his father. Further, he had long platinum coloured hair. Elthas looked at Halm Belthasar. "Father...what is it that I am meant to see here today?"

"My son." Halm began. "Yosef Terrentius has taken a lot away from you...but you have also gained much more. Your power is not yet realized...you will have to continue to go through many trials and tribulations. This man...Gum...will help you on your way. All I ask is you help him in exchange."

"Father. You were away when they banished me for saving Seth Terrentius. It was something that has always affected me." Elthas continued. "I shall honour the old ways as you taught me. You are the one man I have always respected next to Seth...Seth Terrentius."

"Elthas. You harbour many memories...memories of the past...the future...the present. You must make peace with it all to acquire the skill level you seek. The power you long for."

"All I want is to be able to protect the ones I care about." Elthas said and looked at Gum. "Gum...this is my Father. Halm Belthasar. He was someone who I admired in life, growing up...historically. He was a man who honoured the old Alliances. And instilled that very notion into my being."

[Gum]

Age lines thickened with joy across Gum's face as he smiled for his new acquaintance. The sudden calm of amber glowing from the darkness lit the shaman's warmth with stark shadows. It wasn't just the grooves in his face that were illuminated, the lines carved into the cavern walls were bare to be seen. The Xangu glyph poems scrawled on the walls took the Gum by surprise, in the gentle spirit light they were more numerous than he'd imagined in the dark.

"Father."

Gum's contentedness spread as he heard Elthas speak again, a powerful bond had been restored. A bond to spite Oxxad's relentless death. The damp walls and poems of his ancestors dripped and spoke with the strength of generations, it was an open conduit between the Overworld and the Underworld. The Xangu caves existed as a rare safe, positive, and protected place where the living and the dead could come together to relieve anguish and make plans for better times.

The vision spilled into Gum's mind. He braced himself against the wall to steady his flesh while his spirit was set free in the thick wash of the night's consequence. He was not startled, only a moment was needed for him to come to terms with what his ancestors wanted him to see.

"All I ask is you help him in exchange."

The Xangu's spirits were pulling strings across the layered worlds to bring a powerful spectre, Elthas, and a skilled shepherd of the spirits, Gum, together. While the sight of Elthas and Halm blocked Gum's eyes, it didn't block his thoughts. The pressure from the Drakari Empire on the free people of the Xangu was foremost in his mind. "Maybe Elthas can help ensure my people's freedom from the Drakari?" thought Gum to himself.

"Gum...this is my Father. Halm Belthasar. He was someone who I admired in life, growing up...historically. He was a man who honoured the old Alliances. And instilled that very notion into my being."

"I am pleased to be in his presence," a solid sincerity could be heard in Gum's deliberate pace. "More than that, I am pleased to see you reunited. These caves have a rare power for that."