This chapter may help put things into perspective time-wise. for
those who may be wondering. Pardon the spelling for Inestron; imagine it
with a French accent (En - est - roh)
************************************************************************
The murals along the wall were faded with time, but Kelia continued to examine them, attempting to reveal the story her father had begun to tell her barely a week before. She had just recently found the room, hidden among the vaults used by the priests of Pelor as meditation chambers. She was overcome by awe as she opened the door and found the large chamber, with every available surface covered in paint telling this story. Below each scene of the mural were letters written in the language of the high elves, giving a more detailed description of what was going on in the pictures.
"As his spirit fled from this life to the next, he felt peace. But, when he noticed that the new light led him to Hades, he wailed in despair, a wail so pitiful even the mortal realm could hear it."
Kelia was surprised at the voice, and turned around to see a man dressed in a white wool robe with gold trim, with an amulet of Pelor around his neck.
"I am sorry High-Priest Inestron. I did not mean to peek where I did not belong."
"You most certainly did, and I am glad you found this room."
Kelia's eyes lifted from staring at the floor, examining Inestron's jovial features.
"Why High-Priest? What is here that I would need to see?" Inestron's features grew cold, but quickly returned to their previous expression; modified now to show a little annoyance at the question.
"Child, you must see everything in life. Nothing should be hidden from you, specifically not this room. Do you know the story?"
"Some of it."
"Well let me continue it for you."
Kelia sat down on the floor in front of Inestron. This caused the High-Priest to raise his eyes.
"Your father told you how to appreciate a good story. I expect nothing less of the old bard."
"Thank you."
Inestron looked about the room, shrugged his shoulders, and sat down in front of Kelia.
"Now then, Felisto's spirit finally did stop hurtling through the planes of existence, only to find himself in the court of a goddess of the dead, Il'Laquar. The goddess had been a very strong one until she was killed by Vecna, at which point most of her powers were absorbed by the other gods. Since she was dead, she escaped from the underworld into Hades, and re-established herself as a goddess. Since all the dead must pass by her to communicate with the living, she was called."
"The goddess of the Silent dead."
"Yes, anyways, she gave Felisto much of her power, but one thing she didn't think about was that she couldn't get Felisto back to life where she was, and only very special spells can bring somebody back when they don't want to be brought back."
"But then why did Il'Laquar give Felisto her powers if he doesn't want to use them and come back?"
"The dreams that conquered Felisto in life also fought with him in death. Wherever he goes he dreams of someplace better. He fights the urge, but if he were to come back to life, the dreams would have full control of him again."
"How does daddy know this story?"
Inestron grinned, and directed her attention to the ceiling of the room. The mural on it showed a bard fighting a shadow with a rapier in front of a tombstone carved with the image of Pelor. The figure in the picture looked familiar.
"Daddy?"
"Yes. Your father was an orphan and lived in the town destroyed by Felisto. He went back, looking for survivors and fought desperately against the fel creature that guarded the pendant. He retrieved the symbol of Pelor, and did the service of returning it to this temple. For that we gave him the farm lands you live on."
"Why doesn't daddy believe in Pelor after all that?"
This struck Inestron as a hard question to answer.
"Because Pelor let down Felisto, and Felisto destroyed what he used to love. I guess your father doesn't want to put his trust in any god now. He doesn't want to lose faith like Felisto and destroy what he loves."
"And why doesn't Orma believe in Pelor"
"Little child, you are so full of questions. Thankfully that is easier to answer. She believes in the goddess Neros, of the new wind. The orcs have few gods apart from Gruumsh, and most of them represent chaos in its many forms. Neros however, advocates change because it leads to creation, unlike Gruumsh who uses chaos as a method to wage war."
"And where is Omra now?"
"She has gone with one of our clerics to join your father."
"Something big is going to change. Otherwise why would she get involved?"
Several thoughts raced through Inestron's head, most of them involving how he could have missed that important fact. Omra had told him she had thrown the pebble, and he had no idea what that meant at the time. Inestron stood ungracefully, his robes a mess around him.
"Innocence allows you to see much child, keep it as long as you can. Go rest, in two days I want you to come with me and the other Clerics to the hidden temple in the great forest. A chain of events is being set around us and I want to make sure nothing happens to you. Now go. shoo."
Kelia left the room, skipping along on unseen air. Inestron stayed behind.
***************************
When Inestron was finished with the wall, nothing remained of the old mural but shards of painted plaster. A new mural revealed itself behind the old one, grotesque in its visage. In the mural a hazy being with eyes shut held up an amulet towards the sun. The sun seemed indistinct, out of focus behind painted clouds. The world behind the being was painted grey, like the grey wastes of Hades; and the lands before him were drained of color. This was what the Oracle who painted these walls had foretold; hidden from the other members of the order until now. The light will be vanquished, and the haziness of the dream will overcome. Inestron wept for his soul as well as Kelia's.
The murals along the wall were faded with time, but Kelia continued to examine them, attempting to reveal the story her father had begun to tell her barely a week before. She had just recently found the room, hidden among the vaults used by the priests of Pelor as meditation chambers. She was overcome by awe as she opened the door and found the large chamber, with every available surface covered in paint telling this story. Below each scene of the mural were letters written in the language of the high elves, giving a more detailed description of what was going on in the pictures.
"As his spirit fled from this life to the next, he felt peace. But, when he noticed that the new light led him to Hades, he wailed in despair, a wail so pitiful even the mortal realm could hear it."
Kelia was surprised at the voice, and turned around to see a man dressed in a white wool robe with gold trim, with an amulet of Pelor around his neck.
"I am sorry High-Priest Inestron. I did not mean to peek where I did not belong."
"You most certainly did, and I am glad you found this room."
Kelia's eyes lifted from staring at the floor, examining Inestron's jovial features.
"Why High-Priest? What is here that I would need to see?" Inestron's features grew cold, but quickly returned to their previous expression; modified now to show a little annoyance at the question.
"Child, you must see everything in life. Nothing should be hidden from you, specifically not this room. Do you know the story?"
"Some of it."
"Well let me continue it for you."
Kelia sat down on the floor in front of Inestron. This caused the High-Priest to raise his eyes.
"Your father told you how to appreciate a good story. I expect nothing less of the old bard."
"Thank you."
Inestron looked about the room, shrugged his shoulders, and sat down in front of Kelia.
"Now then, Felisto's spirit finally did stop hurtling through the planes of existence, only to find himself in the court of a goddess of the dead, Il'Laquar. The goddess had been a very strong one until she was killed by Vecna, at which point most of her powers were absorbed by the other gods. Since she was dead, she escaped from the underworld into Hades, and re-established herself as a goddess. Since all the dead must pass by her to communicate with the living, she was called."
"The goddess of the Silent dead."
"Yes, anyways, she gave Felisto much of her power, but one thing she didn't think about was that she couldn't get Felisto back to life where she was, and only very special spells can bring somebody back when they don't want to be brought back."
"But then why did Il'Laquar give Felisto her powers if he doesn't want to use them and come back?"
"The dreams that conquered Felisto in life also fought with him in death. Wherever he goes he dreams of someplace better. He fights the urge, but if he were to come back to life, the dreams would have full control of him again."
"How does daddy know this story?"
Inestron grinned, and directed her attention to the ceiling of the room. The mural on it showed a bard fighting a shadow with a rapier in front of a tombstone carved with the image of Pelor. The figure in the picture looked familiar.
"Daddy?"
"Yes. Your father was an orphan and lived in the town destroyed by Felisto. He went back, looking for survivors and fought desperately against the fel creature that guarded the pendant. He retrieved the symbol of Pelor, and did the service of returning it to this temple. For that we gave him the farm lands you live on."
"Why doesn't daddy believe in Pelor after all that?"
This struck Inestron as a hard question to answer.
"Because Pelor let down Felisto, and Felisto destroyed what he used to love. I guess your father doesn't want to put his trust in any god now. He doesn't want to lose faith like Felisto and destroy what he loves."
"And why doesn't Orma believe in Pelor"
"Little child, you are so full of questions. Thankfully that is easier to answer. She believes in the goddess Neros, of the new wind. The orcs have few gods apart from Gruumsh, and most of them represent chaos in its many forms. Neros however, advocates change because it leads to creation, unlike Gruumsh who uses chaos as a method to wage war."
"And where is Omra now?"
"She has gone with one of our clerics to join your father."
"Something big is going to change. Otherwise why would she get involved?"
Several thoughts raced through Inestron's head, most of them involving how he could have missed that important fact. Omra had told him she had thrown the pebble, and he had no idea what that meant at the time. Inestron stood ungracefully, his robes a mess around him.
"Innocence allows you to see much child, keep it as long as you can. Go rest, in two days I want you to come with me and the other Clerics to the hidden temple in the great forest. A chain of events is being set around us and I want to make sure nothing happens to you. Now go. shoo."
Kelia left the room, skipping along on unseen air. Inestron stayed behind.
***************************
When Inestron was finished with the wall, nothing remained of the old mural but shards of painted plaster. A new mural revealed itself behind the old one, grotesque in its visage. In the mural a hazy being with eyes shut held up an amulet towards the sun. The sun seemed indistinct, out of focus behind painted clouds. The world behind the being was painted grey, like the grey wastes of Hades; and the lands before him were drained of color. This was what the Oracle who painted these walls had foretold; hidden from the other members of the order until now. The light will be vanquished, and the haziness of the dream will overcome. Inestron wept for his soul as well as Kelia's.