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Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:05 am Post subject:

"So we agree, Faylinn... If you do not save Greymoor, you will lose the center of all things. Their fate is now inherent from one another... your king made it so. Shall you fail here, Amber will be soiled and overwhelmed by the Forces of Chaos..." The little spirit says.
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

"There is rarely only one way to do a thing," Faylinn says firmly. "And Eric is not infallible. I will follow this path to a point, spirit, and when I have had enough, I will find my own way. You will not talk me out of that."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:51 am Post subject:

The little spirit smiles and nods in approval, apparently satisfied. "Let us visit the poor souls afflicted by the Dark Sign," it says, and resumes making its way to the underground dwellings of the beings nestled in nooks of the cave.

First, she comes across a man that can be no other than a brother of Corann. Half of him is completely blackened and looks as if he sustained a massive burn. The twisted side of his face is grinning impossibly, jaw bone and teeth distorted to form a frightening mask. The eye on his left side is red and cat-like.

"Who are you?" the man asks lowly with two voices.
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

"Faylinn," she answers, her head tipping to one side. One brother light, one brother dark - it was interesting... and it reminded her a bit of home. "Who are you?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject:

"My name is Nashar Tal. Welcome to the cavern of wonders..." he says with obvious sarcasm, then quickly he corrects himself. "I apologize. I meant Welcome, Faylinn. What is it that you want from me? Am I part of your test, too?"
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

"Perhaps," Faylinn answers, shrugging slightly. "Please, do not feel that you must follow some prescribed formula to speak with me. I do not have a set of questions to ask yet, so please forgive me if I am particularly impertinent. Could you tell me something of why you are here?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:48 am Post subject:

"To be perfectly honest, I do not wish to help you. If I am part of your test, it is because I would be a reminder of what curse may befall you. Us Shadowlings are sometimes placed before you, real folks to teach you a lesson. I do not wish to fall in the category of lessons to be learned from." He pauses for a moment and continues after inhaling deeply, as if in pain or calming himself down. "Because I hope I am not here for your enlightenment and I cannot assume the path I followed led me here to be entertainment, I will tell you my tale with as much simplicity as I can manage."

The troubled man squeezes his dark fist and releases it again, before speaking. "I am here because I wanted to understand the great enemy and I discovered its nature and its corruption, and although you may assume that it is the Black Road that corrupted me so, know that it was not... It was the spirits tucked away in the deep recesses of this earth. Greymoor holds many things that can truly wield power greater than the Black Road, and I am one of those things. As for why I am still here, it is simply because the other spirits and attendants of this temple lament on my cursed life... They do not believe I have a place in the world above."
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

Faylinn regards him thoughtfully as he speaks, listening intently. "Do you mean to say," she asks at last, "that to stop the Black Road, greater powers must be unleashed?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:59 am Post subject:

"Unleashed, controlled, wielded with impunity... Corruption corrupts those who fight it. Fire with fire and all of that," he says, one side of his face exasperated, the other calm and thoughtful.

"The glorious victory", Nashar continues with sarcasm, "over this Black Sigil of Shadow is a costly one."
He shakes his head and chuckles lowly, looking down. "I don't think I am part of your test, Faylinn. I realize now how bitter I must sound. When one sacrifices everything, like I did, one wishes for peace and death after a resounding but difficult success... Not becoming an atrocity that cannot ever die..."
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

Faylinn shakes her head. "There is no glory in war, only victory, defeat, and survival. That may not be quite the lesson my father intended me to learn, but it is the one I learned nonetheless. Your bitterness is earned, Nashar, and something of a relief." She smiles faintly. "But then, I have had a very long week, and as much as I appreciate mystic experiences, I am not overmuch fond of the things I am learning in this one."

She holds out her hands to him. "I am a student of Nature and the natural in all worlds I encounter, not just this one. There are places beyond this one where it is possible your condition might not hold. I do not know this for certain, but I am willing to seek such a thing out, if..." Her head tilts slightly. "I am given to understand that I will need the aid of all spirits in this land. It has been put forth that I should devour them, but I am not inclined to do so. I would accept alliance, willingly given, if this is something you may offer in exchange for a chance to find what you seek when the continuance of the universe is secured."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject:

Nashar looks into Faylinn's eyes, instinctively trying to discern lie from truth, the way he analyzes his own words and thoughts. Finally, he takes her hand and says with conviction, "If you can offer me solace, I offer anything I have left to give. Allegiance and action until the time I can rest in peace."
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

"Done, and done," Faylinn agrees, clasping his hand with a smile. "Come with me now. I gather there are others to speak with; I will need all the information I may gather."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:09 am Post subject:

Half wicked grin, half honest man. "Yes, there are others... They will likely accept a deal, should you offer them a chance to war upon the Black Road again, although many are maimed beyond help," Nashar says, holding her hand.

"Come on, Faylinn," says the young spirit excitedly. "Let's go see the others!" it says, its arms on her right shoulder.
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sandrayln · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 244

"Yes, let us go," Faylinn answers, with an amused glance at the young spirit. "Would you please lead the way? I assume you know more of these caverns than I."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:

"Yes!" it says, "I know them by heart by now!"

Nashar's bones crack into motion as he stands up and picks up a bundled robe from a corner of the room. When he and Faylinn walk out together into the main passages of the caverns, following the young spirit, Nashar's gaze meets with Corann's and they both noticeably pause, eying each other, then resume their opposite walks. Corann says nothing to Faylinn, but simply smiles and bows his head, watching them pass him by.

...

In the next several natural openings, things get awfully dark, but not to the point where Faylinn has to stop. She adapts and things become more clear, silhouettes of rocks and tainted folk become clearer. A string of passages and low openings connect together and in each, Nashar introduces another monk, tainted by the local dark spirits. They are told by Nashar to gather in the furthest room, and by the time they travel there, Faylinn has a small crowd of nineteen monks, men and women, though only five of the latter. Nashar introduces Faylinn as a powerful "spirit herder", a term she has not heard before.

Everyone looks at Faylinn and Nashar, mixed expressions on their twisted faces.
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