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

(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'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.

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Footnotes & Wiki Links

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

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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'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?"

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?

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 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...

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 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."

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."

Elthas observed Gum and his Father, Halm Belthasar with tremendous interest.

It had been a long time since Elthas knew any sort of peace inside...his life had been a consistent state of warfare and tragedy. The man named Xu Bellaparte and his subordinate, Yosef Terrentius had taken much from him. But in that great loss...the terrible tragedy that he knew was the loss of Hylda Terrentius. He was that time's broken heart. Elthas looked at his Father for a long moment. If Gum needed help with something...Elthas would of course lend him his power. But there was something else and Elthas knew that to be the case. He realized that his family was always with him...Mother and Father. The lost elements of the Belthasar clan. At that point he realized that a past failure still lingered.

"Father...I left before I was ready to." He suddenly looked up towards Halm Belthasar. "Though it is true that I was banished...my training was not complete. I could not finish the training I had needed and had no knowledge to preserve the old ways. Only some of it I could complete." Elthas said, the failure of his past coming back to haunt him. "But because of you, I was able to save that man...Seth Terrentius." Elthas knew he had honoured the Old Alliances in a way that would always be his. He'd separated himself from the followers of Xu Bellaparte and the rest of the Ruild Elves. Elthas considered everything he was thinking about at that point. He listened to everything Gum said...the caves had power.

Elthas looked at his Father who remained silent at that point...as if in deep contemplation.

Then he looked towards Gum. "I understand I am meant to see something in these caves." Elthas explained. "A man once told me...Seth Terrentius...that the world of Althanas held many places of power. Some were hallowed grounds, Wards that repelled those in my situation. And some were indeed conduits of greatness." Elthas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You mentioned you are a Shaman...tell me more about yourself. Perhaps you can help me and my Ancestors more than words can say." Elthas said, he too, was being sincere.

It had been a long time since Elthas had anybody to trust...anybody to call friend.

And in so finding Gum...a part of himself had been healed from the lingering sadness and depression in his heart and soul.

“I am just a shaman. Just that. To be a shaman in the Xangu Basin is to be a servant. I do not have details to tell you.”

The depth of his service was layered with moral ambiguity and dutiful rites, death and life, compassion and brutality. His lack of a detailed explanation came from an unfamiliarity with the question rather than any malice or secrecy. The visions of Elthas's past comforted Gum, it was easy to see that the spectre was a being of principle. So it was that the moist grains of stone trapped under his fingernails that broke his stoic wall, more words came forth. Gum pulled his hand from the wall and rubbed the dirt away.

“I can reach into the Underworld and communicate with the dead. So yes, maybe I can help you and your ancestors a great deal. Your unique predicament and my training seem, at first at least, to compliment each other.”

Gum could do more than that, but that seemed the most relevant.

“And you. I am curious about your limitations, my new friend. My experience with the spirits of the dead is that they are typically weak, confused—they seem to be like bottles floating in the sea. How is it that you appear so permanent? I have encountered living people whose souls were less well anchored than yours. How can that be?”

The shaman was, by Dheathain's savage standards, an expert in death and the realms the dead inhabit. However, in his many years practicing the shamanic discipline, he had never encountered a being like Elthas Belthasar. While the conversation progressed quickly, the shaman's thoughts strayed away from the altruistic. There was a war with the dragon worshipers and an independent Xangu nation on the horizon, a secret weapon in that war could go a long way. Gum wondered if this possible ally could be that very weapon.

Underworld...

The phrase resonated with Elthas in an unexpected deep sort of way. Elthas knew of the Thayne codex, but he also knew there was more than the Thayne Codex's religion on Althanas. He considered the man's words very carefully and let them linger for a moment or two. He knew he was interested in what Gum had to say...he knew it. Elthas was a quick study in life and had always hungered for knowledge. He did not know the world of the Xangu Basin, but Elthas knew of geo-politics. He had to consider the situation at hand, and consider whatever the man was going through as well. Elthas nodded after a minute or two passed.

"I was killed a long time ago. By an enemy..." Elthas thought about Yosef Terrentius at that moment, and his mind flashed, he saw his face for a brief moment. In his mind's eye. He knew that Yosef lurked behind the mask of his face. Somewhere behind the good and honourable man that Elthas always fancied himself. His Father, still present, noticed the subtle change in Elthas's eyes...but perhaps...Gum would notice it as well. There was a shadow hanging over Elthas. Perhaps it was a part of who and what he was...and that shadow would cling for the longest time. Uncontested. Elthas continued to speak in a calm voice. "I did not take the path to final judgment...my desire for vengeance proved much stronger than the cold reaches of death itself." Elthas knew he had to explain quite a bit. "Seth once told me that those like me, those who don't face final judgment wander without a purpose in life." Elthas rubbed his chin calmly. His voice had a soft quality to it when he spoke in the common-tongue, a consistent reminder of who he was in life.

"When I defeated the one who killed me...I kept finding things to occupy my time with. Matters kept following me around that refused to let go. Maybe, I refused to let go in some ways too." Elthas looked at Gum for a long moment. "So now my journey has brought me here, to you." Elthas said casually. In life, he would have considered Gum an ally, and perhaps more than that. A friend...

The idea of "final judgment" left the Xangu native bemused, for his people lived and died and then, if Lord Oxxad required it, they lived again. Life was a journey of gradual improvement across the realms, not a solitary opportunity to succeed against great odds. "They have their beliefs, we have ours," he thought to himself, affirming his people's tolerant notion that religions were not fundamentally exclusive. While he truly found foreign spirituality curious, Gum was no zealot.

"Hmm, vengeance," Gum accepted Elthas's explanation as reasonable. In his homeland, shamans like himself were always present to assuage the burning resolve of those slaughtered without justice. Whereas, in other parts of the world, without a shepherd, it was understandable that fury could make a spirit persist. Wandering long enough would certainly keep them aligned with this world rather than the next.

"So now my journey has brought me here, to you."

The notion resonated with Gum's sense of duty, it was for him to interpret the will of the spirits. The arrival of Belthasar in his life was of clear consequence; and so, he made an offer, "Elthas, should you ever tire of your journey in the Overworld, then I can help you join the spirit of your father in the next life."

As Gum made his sombre offer, the delicate glow radiating from the sacred rocks began to falter. The light pulsed with reduced intensity with each repetition.

"Sir," the shaman addressed the spectre of Elthas's father with a tempered hint of urgency. "Our beacon in this world is fading, soon you will be returned to paradise." The sobre gravity in his eyes inferred the situation's severity, the shaman warned them both, "I implore you to conclude your reunion while this sacred cave has energy left to channel. The energy will recover and we can convene again, but it could take many days."

It was at that point Elthas turned towards his Father.

Halm Belthasar.

"Father, I thank you for watching over me these many years. It has been a long time that you have done so." Elthas said for his own benefit as well as Gum's and his Father's. He nodded towards his Father. "I will take care of everything that Gum needs to have taken care of. You have taught me well, Father." Elthas said calmly. Then he turned towards Gum. His Father faded into the aether energies and became little more than arcane residue as the spectral body faded away, back into the recesses of Elthas's mind. Elthas looked at Gum for a long moment. Then he spoke.

"I am unfamiliar with this Underworld you speak of." Elthas began. "Is it another place...like the Firmanent and Antifirmanent of the Thayne Codex?" Elthas asked. There were many questions, and Elthas found himself hungry for the information that Gum could provide. It was fascinating in a lot of ways, though Elthas did not study the ways of his own people nearly as much as he should have...he found solace in the fact he could study Gum's ways. And learn all he could from them. In a similar way, he would teach Gum about his own experiences and his own ways, the way of the Forest Elf of Ruild. Elthas oft thought of his homeland, Ruild and he longed for the greenery of his youth. The carefree, wayward life of the adventurer of his day. But that youthful zeal was long since past. He'd replaced it with the mad desire for survival in death, keeping his existence intact.

Elthas thought about what was being put on the table by Gum.

"You speak of a Nation, Gum, does that mean there are more Shamans someplace like yourself?" Elthas was indeed curious and had found an agreeable companion in Gum. It had been a long time since he felt hunger of that nature. The hunger for knowledge, and it was true that the dead envied the living. Elthas rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered everything he had learned from Gum. He also considered something else. "Gum...I think there is something I must tell you. There was an enemy that I eagerly consumed in a moment of rage and possibly insanity. I have recently found out that this person has become a part of me. I'm not sure what that will entail but that person has it's own agenda. The name of the other within me is Yosef Terrentius. The very same man who killed me when I was still alive, trying to stop him from destroying everything I knew and held dear." Elthas was trying to explain everything that he could think of that was important. "Yosef was allied to an Elf named Xu Bellaparte."

His mind became a whirlwind of thoughts, and almost immediately, the energy within the cave became negative at the anger and rage in his heart that was still present. Where once the energy was dissipating, the energy reacted to Elthas's emotions. Elthas did not realize his emotions would also affect the place of power, but he did not stop speaking. Gum had to know. "They took someone away from me and ruined my life." And at that point, there was a face in his mind. Her face... That would always haunt him. He could see Hylda Terrentius, it was the one weight that he would never allow himself to let go. The one failure that had cost him the love of his life. If only I had come back sooner...I might have been able to save her. I will never stop loving her...

"They stole Hylda Terrentius away from me." Elthas said carefully. His mind was obsessively clinging to the image of Hylda, trying to hang on to every last precious memory of her. With time, he was slowly losing the memories, even the once clear images of her face. She was slowly becoming harder and harder to decipher in the darkness. At that point, Elthas's mind was revealed as being starkly unstable. There was a trauma present there that was more than just a man who was killed by an enemy. It was a love that he refused to let go. He had denied death's embrace because of that love, and his vengeance had been complete. But now, on the verge of madness, he realized that his enemy was with him. Taunting him in the silent darkness, and waiting for his time to strike back. Elthas's face was shifting with the weight of his emotions for a few minutes. Then the sudden outburst swelled down. Elthas shook his head. He looked at Gum with a saddened expression.

"You said this place can heal." Elthas considered that. "Perhaps that will be the best course of action here today. I am in pain...but my sort of pain is not a physical one. It has become a rot in my soul that refuses to let go." And it was in such a way, that love sometimes became the worst enemy of all.

Gum relinquished his sway presence, stepping back from the reunited spirits. The reverence Elthas showed Gum was returned with a rare smile. While it was a joy to see a bond so strong between the Overworld and the Underworld, the shaman held a secret fear that the wraith's anguish may anchor him to the Overworld for all eternity. It would be arrogant of Gum to say so aloud, but within he experienced a troubling pang that Elthas could never be happy, there was no serenity to be found for a wandering ghost in the world of the living.

"Is it another place...like the Firmanent and Antifirmanent of the Thayne Codex?"

In Belthasar, Gum felt the vibrant curiosity of a life cut short. It was endearing, but tenderness was not a trait the shaman could afford in times of duress. While the spectre had earned Gum's respect early in their encounter, the layers of Elthas's story portrayed a spirit worthy of trust. Time would tell if it would be wise, but Gum had been tempted into providing additional information about his troubling scenario.

"I am unfamiliar with your religion," the shaman said when prompted about the Thayne Codex and its associated system of belief. Gum surmised when he spoke again, "But all people, I have found, realise that the living exist here and the dead exist somewhere else. The Underworld is somewhere else. On that I am sure we can find common ground."

"You speak of a Nation, Gum, does that mean there are more Shamans someplace like yourself?"

"Each settlement in the Xangu usually has its own shaman. I am not tied to any town or village, I am a Xico Shaman--I must travel from place to place performing my duties. My master, Do U, was also a Xico. He was a very powerful shaman," Gum hesitated, "He made mistakes in his life. His abilities were misused."

The spirit cave was renowned for its powerful energy; so much so that the conduits could be witnessed manifesting in glowing lights, ghosts and rumblings in the rocks. For the first time, the shaman had witnessed the flow of power within the natural sanctuary drained. Like a stream diverted to nourish crops, the cave had given life where there was none. And so, the lights continued to fade. Darkness crept along the walls and towards the shaman and his companions; it was time to leave, and so Gum began to take careful steps in the dimming light.

"While I may not bound to a particular location, I am obliged to serve all those who worship our gods. Wherever I go, I meet with leaders. Politicians are always eager to earn my favour. Together, we discus what is best for our people. If a task meets with the will of the gods, then I will pursue it.

"Up until now, the worshipers of the pantheon have been divided. At war even. We have two races, the Bestu--forest pygmies. And humans, like me. Although, I serve all the races. I have no tribal loyalty, just a loyalty to the gods and to the Xangu itself. The river and forest here is sacred. I have to protect it.

"The wars between the tribes are over now. We have a union of all tribes and both the races. I never believed I would see this day. We have, in essence, the first true Xangu Nation. This union was not formed out of goodwill or progress. In fact, it has come about through tragedy. The Drakari Empire have begun an invasion of our lands. Amongst their worst atrocities are the prison camps.

"In the coming days, I will leave for Radasanth to seek political recognition, and perhaps even military support, from their Imperial government. More imperials, of that I am wary. Nevertheless, it is our last hope."

The shaman turned back to his newfound ally and insisted, "I will discuss you with our nation's leaders and ask them to consider your offer of assistance. We are struggling to withstand the onslaught of the dragons."

"Gum...I think there is something I must tell you," when Elthas spoke, Gum translated the tone in his friend's voice, there was something that could represent a barrier between their cooperation. "There was an enemy that I eagerly consumed in a moment of rage and possibly insanity. I have recently found out that this person has become a part of me. I'm not sure what that will entail but that person has it's own agenda. The name of the other within me is Yosef Terrentius. The very same man who killed me when I was still alive, trying to stop him from destroying everything I knew and held dear."

"That is a dire complication for your soul," while it was a concern, the spirit of Elthas Belthasar was well worth taking a risk on. More than that, Gum was presented with yet another opportunity to act in service of displaced spirits. "I am unsure of a remedy for a bond of that nature," Gum continued, "but I can begin researching the subject. One day we might uncover a way to separate your two spirits."

"They took someone away from me and ruined my life."

Gum steadied himself against the sudden violence within the sacred rocks of the subterranean sanctuary. The place itself was taking on the darkened emotions of his spectral companion. "Elthas," Gum warned, "you must calm your mood. You are turning the energy of the cave. You are powerful, and this place will mirror your emotions. Anger, frustration, hate--when you these emotions into these walls, the walls will send them back to you."

"You said this place can heal. Perhaps that will be the best course of action here today. I am in pain...but my sort of pain is not a physical one. It has become a rot in my soul that refuses to let go."

"For this place to heal you, you cannot let your negative emotions overcome you."

Do not doubt yourself...

Elthas thought to himself for a moment as the spirit cave was beginning to grow negative in nature. A reaction to the powerful emotions in his heart and soul. Elthas clung desperately to the memory of Hylda Terrentius. She was the wraith's only love. His eyes narrowed carefully as he tried to calm himself down, but the weight in his heart proved a difficult one to overcome. However, he tried. Where the rocks in the cavern began to glow red, slowly, they were returning to their normal colour. Elthas took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm the anguish in his heart.

In many ways, the memories he hung on to had become like a shackle.

He felt both a duty and an honour to preserve the precious memories.

Elthas looked at Gum for a moment and finally, the red faded from the rocks as Elthas calmed down. He also had listened to Gum's explanation of the Xangu Nation, concepts he had never of until that point. Strange, but I have never ventured to this part of Althanas up until this point. It is very possible entirely new cultures and people await in other parts of the world. Elthas thought to himself. He listened as Gum spoke. Quickly, the wraith felt his emotions reverting to their normally calm demeanor.

Once he had calmed down, Elthas took another deep breath.

He then waited until Gum had stopped with his lengthy explanation of the Xangu Nation and her tribes. "The Imperials may not be a worthy ally to your cause." Elthas finally said. He was thoughtful and was trying to explain the current instability in Corone. "There was a Civil War in Corone not too long ago. Many lives were lost." Elthas thought back to his own relatively small participation within the Civil War attempting to regain Radasanth back for the people. He shook his head. "However, if you are set on heading to Corone...I know of some other folks there who would be more than willing to help." Elthas was speaking of the people in the township he once called home. As he considered a possible reunion with the ancestors of his people he could not help but feel positive emotion at that.

"But if you're ready to go to Corone...I have the power to take you there myself." Elthas said calmly. He meant that too, he was capable of travelling through Phantaria and seeking out various Gates that would be useful for travelling from place to place. Elthas looked at his friend. "I am also willing to accompany you the entire journey so that you can better situate yourself in Corone. And establish proper contacts and allies." Elthas said. He was admittedly feeling a lot better after the minor outburst had occurred. Perhaps, in some ways, the cave had already started to heal the sad man's heart. Perhaps, someday, he would be able to let go of the pain in his soul...

...For Elthas represented the broken heart of a generation.

"The Imperials may not be a worthy ally to your cause."

"I have no other choice, my people are dying."

It was then that Gum creased the wrinkled skin at the corner of his eyes, they had reached the cave mouth. He squinted at the sunlight illuminating the mouth of the cave. The clear warmth felt like a new beginning flushing through his veins. Elthas, the powerful spectre, had arrived in Gum's life as an unlikely ally. For all his adult life, the shaman had persisted as a servant of the dead. Now a soul from the army of the afterlife was coming to his aid when most needed. A throbbing crack, very much audible, came from his tired knees as he stepped from the uneven rocks of the entrance and onto the forest floor. "You do not suffer from these problems, do you?" he said looking back at the wraith, a being freed from the suffering of flesh and blood.

"There was a Civil War in Corone not too long ago. Many lives were lost. However, if you are set on heading to Corone...I know of some other folks there who would be more than willing to help."

"We have received word there is a new conflict, another civil war, another revolution in Radasanth. The Castigars have begun re-arming themselves and politicians are being assassinated. Elthas, I am afraid that it is that very violence that is providing my people with a political opportunity. I am going because of the danger, not in spite of it."

"But if you're ready to go to Corone...I have the power to take you there myself. I am also willing to accompany you the entire journey so that you can better situate yourself in Corone. And establish proper contacts and allies."

"I wish I could accept your assistance. For strategic reasons, it would be best for me to arrive by ship. I do not want to reveal to my enemies that I have such a strong ally in you, friend. Please, meet me there, in Radasanth. One day I will need to call on you as an escape plan. If the Imperials or the Castigars try to kill me, you may be my only hope."

The steady ground at Gum's feet put him at ease, while his uncertain future received the boon of Belthasar's promise. With the darkness of the cave behind him, he was able to focus on the light of his material existence. Gum felt something substantial about the moment, the gods were near. A flutter of rainbow sparrows broke from the undergrowth and the omen was clear.

"Elthas, those birds are sacred to my people. So many together is a good sign. It means there is a rich bounty ahead of us, my friend."

As they stepped out of the cave, a great weight was lifted off of Elthas's shoulders.

There were many more questions, and Elthas was convinced that his meeting with the Shaman was part of a larger piece of the puzzle. Then he spotted the spiritual related birds, there was an odd glow about them and he noticed a woman with a cloak made of feathers. Elthas immediately, as a Thayne follower, knew who that was. The woman was handsome and she wore very revealing clothing but had the glowing eyes of the Thaynehood. Elthas immediately walked towards Y'edda the Wild.

He bowed down towards the matron goddess of his people.

He was not sure why she would have been in Dheathain, but he was glad she was. Adventurers and Heroes oft wanted her blessings for their travels. Y'edda looked at the kneeling wraith with a soft smile.

"Rise, my child." She began to say. "I know your name. It has been whispered to me..." She motioned with a hand for him to stand.

He did so. "My lady." Elthas remembered his manners in the presence of greatness. "What is thy bidding?"

"Son of Belthasar, your meeting with the Shaman known as Gum was done so by my design. I wanted you two to meet so that you could see your purpose...I wanted you to become a a Champion once more. The world need you, Elthas Belthasar." She looked at Gum with a sly smile. "And you as well Child of the Xangu Basin." Y'edda continued. "This is my decree. I need champions once again. I need for you to be the Hero you are meant to be."

Elthas felt confused for a moment. "A Hero...? I have not been called that for some time." He wondered if he even had the capacity to help anybody anymore as he was.

"Elthas you have come a long way since you first entered your current state. Gum has and will continue to help you but for now you must part ways. When you two meet next, it will be under better conditions." She said. "Elthas, I have a gift for you, come forward."

Elthas stepped forward and was immediately embraced by the whimsical Goddess. Then, she kissed him deeply, and Elthas sank into the kiss. Having not felt such warmth in a long time. Not since Hylda Terrentius. "I beg of you, Son of Belthasar. Become who you are meant to be."

"I swear I shall." Elthas said as the kiss broke.

Y'edda nodded to him and then said one last thing. "I have given you a gift, Son of Belthasar. Use it well. Soon, I will be calling upon your aide. Until then...become strong." She let Elthas go at that moment.

The birds at Elthas's feet flocked away at that moment, and Elthas saw a single feather of the rainbow coloured birds on the ground.

Elthas knelt down and picked the feather up, it pulsed with power. It had an incredibly calming effect on Elthas's troubled heart and his body glowed with an energy. He put the feather away and looked at Gum, who was already gone.

Elthas smiled knowing that. "We shall meet again, my brother." And with that, Elthas began his journey to explore the Xangu Basin...

~FIN~

~Spoil Request~

Y'edda's Blessing- An elegant and handsome feather dropped by one of Y'edda mystical birds. It's purpose and mysteries will be revealed as Elthas levels. For now, I just want the feather, will be explaining what it does once Elthas hits level 7. Thank you very much.

Name Of Judgement: A Forgotten Whisper
No Judgement

Rewards:

Elthas_Belthasar receives:
1175 EXP
85 GP

Gum receives:
860 EXP
100 GP

Spoils:
Elthas receives a feather with the following description for 25 GP that was debited from his GP rewards:

"Y'edda's Blessing- An elegant and handsome feather dropped by one of Y'edda mystical birds. It's purpose and mysteries will be revealed as Elthas levels. For now, I just want the feather, will be explaining what it does once Elthas hits level 7."

All rewards added!