The changing of the guard.. Part One

The fog was lifting, as the morning sun crested the horizon. Six silent travelers peered across the bow of the corrack, each striving to find the room to reflect on the past evening, amidst the rigging and supplies packed onto the small vessel.
They were tacking west, against the prevailing winds, a course set for Temple Isle. The riddle posed to Arathorn by the sea nymph, Kree, indicated that as their destination and the fulfillment of his destiny.They had departed from Serpent's Hold upon a vessel that Nubias Roxxer kept anchored at the docks.
Avalon had, early on, been vociferous in his objections to their mode of transportation, but had either succumbed to sea illness and found quiet the only way to master his stomach, or his sea legs had grown sturdy and he had retreated into the quiet contemplation that was his normal manner. NoX and Nubias were engaged in their typical competitive banter and AJ and MaXiMuS seemed lost in thoughts of their own. Arathorn had taken command of the vessel and quietly guided the tillerman's hand toward their destination, watching them all and wondering what the evening before last had brought them in the way of revelations.
His mind turned often to the words of Kree, whispered in his ear like the hushed roar in a seashell found lying upon the beach.
"Speak softly in what you say... All the etheric calls you home..." These two phrases echoed through his mind as they sailed. The dreams of his mother had returned to haunt his sleep these past two nights. Dreams of Elvish warriors and a race of Lizardmen from the distant past. Was this island then the ancestral home of his mother's kin? What destiny could call to him from a long dead people? What course would guide his step into the future?
Avalon's voice interupted his ruminations, as the jungle treetops of Temple Isle slipped into view on the horizon. He quietly instructed the tillerman to find a secure landing on the west side of the island and strode to the bow. His keen Elvish eyes picked out no signs of civilaization upon the islands shores. Apparently, Temple Isle had long been abandoned to the serpents and beasts.
The corrack slid up to the western shore and the companions, stirred from their own thoughts, made ready to depart. Avalon, obviously eager to once again plant foot to firm ground, threw out the landing plank, even before the ship came to a stop.
Arathorn ordered the anchor dropped and made the ship secure before stepping upon the soft sand and taking his first steps towards his hidden future. The sounds of the jungle were interrupted by the resolute members of the Coven of the Secret Shadow slashing through the undergrowth. They made their way slowly towards the ruins peaking through the trees in the distance, bringing one of their own to the pinnacle of his long search for peace, though he knew it not....

Author	Comment
MadCeltUSA Master Story Teller Posts: 65 (4/1/03 8:33 pm) Reply	The changing of the guard.. Part One The clamor of battle could be heard in the distant direction of Moonglow. It subsided as evening slowly settled over the island. A troup of warriors and lighter clad mages clanked around the bend that led to the home of the Coven of the Secret Shadow. They were Coveners, an oft disparaged sect of religious devotees that followed the ways of the Old Goddess. They had been fighting for their freedom against the oppression of the so-called High Council of Brittania, a group that was attempting to set itself up in succession to the missing Lord British. The Crown Guard had expressed it's commitment to avoid involvment in local political posturing, and enforced only Crown Law in the city's of Sosaria. But, the High Council in it's infinite wisdom (or oppressive dictation, depending on whom you asked) had decreed that Crown Law was insufficient to maintain Order. The Coveners were one of the first groups singled out as "criminals" against a Crown which openly welcomed them into it's cities. The forces of the High Council had recently set it's goal of domination upon the city of Moonglow, the city the Coven of the Secret Shadow called home. And so the Coven resisted, with the aid of it's allies within the Shadow Collective. Days of fighting had pushed the invaders out, but, they knew it was a brief respite at best. And so the band of Coveners returned to their stead, to rest and renew after the latest round of fighting. A wave of suprise and suspicion passed across the weary faces of the troup as they spied a flicker of firelight eminating from the Temple to the Goddess, which stood beside their home. Weapons were unsheathed and incantations prepared as they clustered about the steps of the Temple. Tension turned to guarded curiosity at the sight of a lone figure bent before the altar. Slight it was and obviously feminine. Sea foam green hair cascaded across delicate blue toned skin. A green tunic barely covered the well formed thighs, and the men among the troup stared in open curiosity as the figure turned to them and smiled. "Hello", she spoke with a musical lilt that garnered images of the sea washing a windswept beach. Emboldened by her apparent harmlessness, the warriors stepped forward and questioned her as to her business in their Temple. She gently reprimanded them for implying that the Goddess' Temple belonged to them. "The Goddess was before you and shall last beyond your mortal bonds", she said. She stated that she was there to make her offerings and give thanks for the bounties the Goddess bestows. One warrior stepped forth and asked, "Are you Fae?" She laughed, a lilting sound that brought images of dolphins, singing in the surf. A look of profound shock passed across the warriors face as she said, "Nay, Arathorn, though my kind are akin to your mother's, I am not. I am the sea and the waves. I am Kree, a spirit of the Coral Realm. And I bring a message to the faithful servants of the Goddess. She looked sidelong at the warrior who stepped forward, displaying an interest that intrigued the Priest and Priestess who stood in attendance. The gathered assemblage moved, with much chatter and speculation, to the Covenstead. They gathered around the grand meeting table in the main hall. The talk centered about the will of the Goddess and the strivings of the Coven. Kree bolstered the will of the Coven to persevere and hold to it's convictions, firm in the knowledge that the will of the Goddess was with them. The gathering lasted long into the night, with members nodding off around the hearth, until at last Kree pulled the warrior named Arathorn aside and whispered into his ear. She then gathered those of the Coven still awake upon the shores of the sea. Speaking to individuals, she posed the future in rhyme for them, startling many and confounding not a few. She then took her leave and disappeared into the sea behind the Covenstead, the waves hiding her departure as the senses hide the dreams from the waking mind....
MadCeltUSA Master Story Teller Posts: 69 (4/8/03 1:27 pm) Reply	The changing of the guard.. Part Two The fog was lifting, as the morning sun crested the horizon. Six silent travelers peered across the bow of the corrack, each striving to find the room to reflect on the past evening, amidst the rigging and supplies packed onto the small vessel. They were tacking west, against the prevailing winds, a course set for Temple Isle. The riddle posed to Arathorn by the sea nymph, Kree, indicated that as their destination and the fulfillment of his destiny.They had departed from Serpent's Hold upon a vessel that Nubias Roxxer kept anchored at the docks. Avalon had, early on, been vociferous in his objections to their mode of transportation, but had either succumbed to sea illness and found quiet the only way to master his stomach, or his sea legs had grown sturdy and he had retreated into the quiet contemplation that was his normal manner. NoX and Nubias were engaged in their typical competitive banter and AJ and MaXiMuS seemed lost in thoughts of their own. Arathorn had taken command of the vessel and quietly guided the tillerman's hand toward their destination, watching them all and wondering what the evening before last had brought them in the way of revelations. His mind turned often to the words of Kree, whispered in his ear like the hushed roar in a seashell found lying upon the beach. "Speak softly in what you say... All the etheric calls you home..." These two phrases echoed through his mind as they sailed. The dreams of his mother had returned to haunt his sleep these past two nights. Dreams of Elvish warriors and a race of Lizardmen from the distant past. Was this island then the ancestral home of his mother's kin? What destiny could call to him from a long dead people? What course would guide his step into the future? Avalon's voice interupted his ruminations, as the jungle treetops of Temple Isle slipped into view on the horizon. He quietly instructed the tillerman to find a secure landing on the west side of the island and strode to the bow. His keen Elvish eyes picked out no signs of civilaization upon the islands shores. Apparently, Temple Isle had long been abandoned to the serpents and beasts. The corrack slid up to the western shore and the companions, stirred from their own thoughts, made ready to depart. Avalon, obviously eager to once again plant foot to firm ground, threw out the landing plank, even before the ship came to a stop. Arathorn ordered the anchor dropped and made the ship secure before stepping upon the soft sand and taking his first steps towards his hidden future. The sounds of the jungle were interrupted by the resolute members of the Coven of the Secret Shadow slashing through the undergrowth. They made their way slowly towards the ruins peaking through the trees in the distance, bringing one of their own to the pinnacle of his long search for peace, though he knew it not....
MadCeltUSA Master Story Teller Posts: 71 (4/14/03 1:34 pm) Reply	Re: The changing of the guard.. Finale The giant serpent struck from the cover of the thick undergrowth. Arathorn saw AJ lift his shield to deflect the attack. The remaining members of the Coven of the Secret Shadows unleashed the very fires of hell upon it in response. Arathorn wasn't sure if the hissing emanated from the dying serpents mouth or was a product of it's frying flesh. But, he was sure it would bother them no more. They were nearing the ruined structure that was once a temple to a people long dead. Altars could be seen upon it's raised base, and marble pillars jutted skyward. The sounds of the jungle were hushed at their approach, in response to the melee that had just erupted amidst them. Ascending the stairway that began in jungle growth, Arathorn looked to the pillars, covered in Elvish runes the likes of which he had not seen before, or perhaps he had, in some distant past, only half remembered. They seemed to whisper of wood and dale, quite out of place on this tropical island. The rest of the party had spread out through the Temple, looking for some sign of the Sea Nymph that had bid them make this journey. But none was apparent. Arathorn approched the northern end of the Temple, upon the floor of which was a frescoed circle of power. Memory hinted at him, with visions of streams falling gently through hills he had never seen. A calming energy washed over him as the rest of the party gathered near him to discuss their course of action. The long forgotten voice of his mother spoke to his mind in the tongue of her people. "Gwennin in enninath, Arathorn.. U arnech in naeth. In nen tangado dan naeth. I chen le." She comforted and strengthened him with the words. and then words flooded from his own mouth, unbidden and forceful. They were not his own, but they reassured him more that he was protected ever by the spirit of his ancestors. "Divine Goddess, I praise thee for the gifts you bestow upon me. Your bountiful gifts show your divine love and presence. I thank you for these gifts and more. I pray that you allow your flow of blessings to continue upon my soul. Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen." A blue shimmering began in the center of the circle at these words, coalescing into the shape of the Nymph Kree, a thoughtful look upon her face. It was quickly replaced with a smile as broad as the ocean. "Well met again Arathorn" she said to him. "And well met to the rest of the faithful who stand with their brother. Arathorn step with me through this portal that I might annoint you in the path of the Goddess." The shimmering began again and Arathorn stepped forward through a portal with Kree, leaving the other Coveners standing alone on the Island of the Temple. Arathorn found himself standing beside Kree in a grassy valley, ostards could be seen grazing in the distance, and the smell of wildflowers was overpowering. A lake shimmered in the distance. He found himself lost in the moment, until Kree irritatedly shook him to attention. "Lost in your own history are you, Man-Elf? Does this place seem familiar? Your mother was birthed near here, and you are one of the few remnants to a culture that has died at the hands of great evil. They were worshippers of the Goddess, devout in the preservation of Her beauty. I had thought the Goddess merely wished to make a gift to you of your past, but, things now lead me to believe you, and your Coven, have a larger role to play in the righting of a wrong." Hours seemed to pass as they wandered the valley, Kree speaking of his people and the service they performed to the Goddess. Yet she left the story unfinished, speaking nothing of their end, turning instead to his future with the Coven of the Secret Shadows. "It is her will that you take upon yourself the mantle of priest, and support the strivings of Ariyana Sune, for the Goddess loves her dearly. You should study, and lead by example, for the Coven will be hard pressed in the times ahead. It is my thought that your studies should begin here, for I sense the hand of the Goddess leading you to a fork in the river of life. And an annointing that will heal the wounds that have plagued you. For whole you must be, to truely serve Her. Waste not your energy on hatred, but, strive to bring new strength to your family. For the Coven is your family now, and loyal to a fault. "Come", she said, turning, as her hand brush across his temple in beckoning. They returned to the platform that mirrored the structure on Temple Isle, stepping into the shimmering that took them back. The members of the party left behind, jumped up startled at their reappearance. Kree introduced a new priest to the Goddess, and bid them all blessings and fond partings, reserving a light kiss for Arathorn before she disappeared whence she came. Avalon congratulated him and the rest of the party gathered to welcome their new priest. NoX pulled a jug of wine from his pack and began passing it around, to the delight of all. After a long round of jovial banter, Avalon spoke to them. "Well, I don't know about you, but, I've had enough sea journey to last me months. Nubias, send your boat back to Serpent's Hold. I will gate us home in a manner fitting this occasion. Quick and painless!" The corrack they had made the journey upon was sent with it's crewman, back to port. And the party that had made it's way to Temple Isle stepped through a conjured gate to the Covenstead, to be met by a curious Ariyana Sune. She was informed of what had transpired, and Arathorn knew a moment of sheepishness when she brushed a tangle of seaweed from his hair, obviously a parting gift from the Sea Nymph, Kree. Arathorn did not speak of all that he had learned, intent on solving more of the puzzle himself before bringing it to the attention of the High Priestess. His mind was racing over each detail as he fingered the rune he had marked upon the Island of the Temple. His distraction was unnoticed in the celebratory air that hung over the Covenstead that evening......

The Coven of the Secret Shadow > Voices of the Watchtowers > The changing of the guard.. Part One
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