Chronicles of Espiria Season 1
Episode 17 - The Temple of the Seers
Written by The Dude
At the heart of the Scorched Expanse was a vast oasis known as Dura's Gift. Legends say that the oasis was placed by Dura herself to sustain the Maulers in the desert after their expulsion from the Lightbearer lands. At the center of the oasis was the Temple of the Seers, which legends say was also built by Dura, who also decorated the temple walls with the spells and incantations the Maulers would need to survive in the desert. The spells written on the walls of the temple were studied day and night by the shamans who lived there; their discoveries from their studies formed the basis of Mauler magic, an art form that they called Voodoo.
Because the temple was so sacred to the Maulers, it was guarded at all times by the Temple Warriors, an elite unit of warriors hand picked by the shamans and raised nearly from birth for the sole purpose of keeping the temple and its shamans secure. The Temple Warriors were regarded as the deadliest of all Maulers, rivaled only by the Paragon and his Blood Guard. So important was their calling that they were the only Maulers in the Scorched Expanse exempt from the Paragon's call to war.
Unfortunately, neither the Voodoo of the shamans nor the skills of the warriors could prevent the demon plague from taking its toll. When the plague reached the Temple of the Seers, only two who lived there were unaffected. These were Kumaza, the High Shaman of the temple, and Satrana, a teenage initiate in the Temple Warriors who was being trained as the new Keeper of Flames. While Kumaza knelt over the prone body of a fellow shaman, reciting various comfort and identification spells, Satrana returned with water from the river at the edge of the temple complex and gave some of it to the barely conscious shaman. As Kumaza drank his fill from the pail after his friend, Satrana gazed at the other shamans and warriors laying against the walls of the temple.
"Have you figured out what this is yet?" Satrana asked.
"Not yet. All I know is that this is no mere disease; they are afflicted by dark spirits, the likes of which I have never seen before. How they got here, what they want, and how to repel them are all answers that continue to elude me."
"Here's another question," Satrana said, "Why are we still okay? What's so different about us that's keeping these spirits away from us?"
"That is the greatest puzzle. All we can do is thank the ancestors that we remain unaffected until we can find the answer."
Satrana knelt next to a nearby warrior named Jalek and offered him a drink. Just days ago, this man was full of energy, nearly besting her in a sparring match, then getting both of them in trouble by starting a prank war that turned many of the shamans temporarily green. Now, watching him struggle to breathe, but not knowing how to help, Satrana felt as powerless as she had been before she came to the temple.
"Satrana," Kumaza called out, bringing Satrana back to the real world, "finish dispensing the water, then fetch some more. The servants will likely need some as well."
"Of course." Satrana answered as she picked the pail back up.
As she moved to another shaman, Kumaza called after her, "I will not stop searching, Satrana. I promise."
Satrana smiled weakly at Kumaza, then resumed her duties. While the fetching of water was considered beneath a Temple Warrior, Satrana readily agreed to it because it at least gave her some way to help. Besides, she was the only one left who could physically accomplish the task.
Once she emptied the pail, she left the temple and made her way to the gentle stream that flowed past the temple. As she gathered the water from the stream, she took a moment to drink in the natural beauty of Dura's Gift. The first time she had ever seen the oasis, she was fleeing from a cruel master on the other side of the desert. She had not had food or water for days, and finally collapsed in front of the temple from exhaustion. She had nearly accepted the inevitability of her death when one of the Temple Warriors knelt next to her and offered her water. Her memory of the next few moments was a blur, but the next thing she knew, she was taken into the temple by the shamans. She never fully understood why the kind warrior was banished; it took years for the shamans to even admit the warrior's name: Antandra.
While Satrana knew nothing more about Antandra than her name, the image in Satrana's memory was as vivid as ever. At times, when she would look out at the desert beyond the oasis, she could still see Antandra kneeling, as if still offering water to those who needed it. Sometimes the vision was so vivid that she would call out to her, only to feel foolish when the vision inevitably faded like mist. Gathering the water this day, she saw the vision again, just beyond the edge of the temple complex, strikingly vivid as always, and called out to her, realizing too late that she would likely vanish as she always had.
So imagine Satrana's surprise when, this time, Antandra replied, "Hello, child."
Realizing that Antandra was real this time, Satrana jumped to her feet and ran to her, forgetting about the water that she was supposed to be fetching. She hugged Antandra as she might have hugged her mother, saying, "You're real this time!"
"I have always been real, child." Antandra answered. "I have watched you from a distance ever since I was banished, delighting in your successes, and sharing your disappointment in your failures. Though saving your life cost me my place here, I am glad to see that my loss was worth it; being appointed the Keeper of Flames is a high honor."
"But why were you banished in the first place?" Satrana asked, still confused.
"I took an oath to protect this temple and all who live here, the same as you. When you came to us, there was a...difference of opinion concerning our duty. My superior believed that you should be left to the mercy of the desert, but I could not in good conscience accept that. Our disagreement came to battle; in the end, she was dead, and you were not. The shamans had no choice but to banish me for attacking a fellow Temple Warrior."
"Then why did you protect me? I'm not saying you shouldn't have, I'm glad you did, but...you know..."
Antandra looked up at the temple while Satrana struggled to articulate her question.
"This temple and the oasis it was built on were given to our ancestors by Dura herself as an act of mercy after we were cast out by the humans. To not extend that mercy to others would be a betrayal of Dura herself."
This reminded Satrana of her duty to fetch the water.
"Wait right here."
She retrieved the pail and filled it, then brought it back to Antandra so she could drink.
"Won't you come in?" Satrana asked as Antandra drank her fill. "The temple could use your help..."
"I am banished." Antandra answered. "I cannot set foot on temple grounds without special permission from the shamans, on pain of death."
"You flirt with that punishment now, Antandra."
Both turned and found Kumaza hobbling toward them.
"I wondered what was taking you so long, Satrana." Kumaza said with frustration in his voice. He hobbled up to Antandra so that they were only separated by the stone beam marking the edge of the temple complex. As he stared up into Antandra's eyes, his expression was unreadable through his mask, but his voice showed mostly irritation, with some curiosity.
"I'll admit, Antandra, I never expected to see you again." he said, seeming to hold back a measure of contempt.
Antandra straightened up and held her spear slightly inclined toward Kumaza, the proper stance of a Temple Warrior when speaking to a shaman. "My oaths to serve the temple were not made void by my banishment. I have kept watch from afar, as I swore to Dura and the ancestors."
"Admirable." Kumaza replied, his tone softening. "Still, it would be best if you leave this place; it is not safe for you."
"I am aware that the Plague has reached the temple. I do not fear it."
Kumaza eyed Antandra curiously. "Do you have news from outside concerning the Plague?"
"I have heard from travelers from the Steelthorn Peaks that Numisu has found a cure."
"A cure?!" Satrana cried out hopefully.
"Tell me of this cure." Kumaza said, his voice tinged with cautious hope.
"The travelers told me nothing of the ritual itself. However, they did refer to the Plague as a 'demon plague', and they told me that the ritual involves the use of these."
Antandra produced three stones from her satchel, one dark gray, one a lighter gray, and one a pale orange. Kumaza picked one up and examined it closely.
"Come with me, both of you." he said as he turned and hobbled back to the temple. Satrana skipped off after him, Antandra's news lightening her spirit with hope. Antandra took a deep breath, then crossed the threshold of the temple grounds and followed after them.
"Many of the incantations written on the walls of this temple describe rituals for the expulsion of dark spirits of all sorts." Kumaza explained as they walked. "Most of them involve the use of cleansing totems, but only one uses stones like these."
They soon arrived in a chamber that neither Antandra nor Satrana recognized. The spells covering the walls were accompanied by images of monstrous creatures of all shapes and sizes; one wall featured an image of Dura locked in combat with her brother Annih.
"This chamber contains what we believe to be the last writing of Dura herself. It is a ritual to expel and repel a spirit far darker than anything we have ever faced before. This demonic creature is called a Hypogean."
Though neither of them had ever heard the name before, Satrana gasped at the mere mention of it, while Antandra snarled and tightened her grip on her spear.
"Normally, a Hypogean is flesh and blood like we are; but Dura knew that under the right circumstances, they could become spirit, and so she devised for us a way to deal with this spirit form. The ritual requires the use of sacred stones that have been imbued with the power of Dura herself. That is likely what Numisu is doing." Kumaza chuckled. "Clever Numisu; why did you never seek to be High Shaman?"
"So all we have to do is perform this ritual with these stones and everyone will get better?" Satrana asked hopefully.
"Not with these stones," Kumaza answered. "Their sacred power has been spent in repelling Hypogeans in the Steelthorn Peaks."
"Then I will travel to the Peaks to fetch as many stones as we need to perform the ritual." Antandra concluded.
"Of course. I will stay here and study the ritual carefully. May the ancestors be with you, Antandra."
As Antandra turned to leave, Satrana asked, "So does this explain why we were unaffected?"
"It might." Kumaza answered. "I believe that there are sacred stones woven into the fabric of your uniform. Their presence likely shielded you from the influence of the Hypogeans."
Satrana looked at her clothes for a moment while Antandra asked the next logical question, "If Satrana was protected by her Keeper uniform, what protected you?"
Kumaza's tone became instantly sing-song. "Oh, child, I had no protection at all."
The door to the chamber slammed shut seemingly of its own accord, plunging all three into total darkness. Satrana was quick to ignite a flame in her hand, but the flame gave surprisingly little light. Both could hear the unnerving laugh of Kumaza, but neither could see him in the dark. Antandra began to listen intently for any sound that might betray movement, but the echo in the chamber made this difficult.
"The empty husk that you call Kumaza was among the first to fall ill." Kumaza said in a mocking tone. "My brethren have struggled to drive the other Maulers into submission thanks to your Bloody Will, but Kumaza succumbed with so little effort. All I had to do was promise him the power to repel the Plague. The fool gave me his soul, and in return, I have forced him to watch as all that he ever cared for crumbles to dust and ash! Of course, I have since grown tired of this body and its shortcomings. The old man can barely walk, and his control over his bladder leaves much to be desired. Perhaps I can offer a trade; I will return Kumaza to you, in exchange for Antan..."
Without warning, Antandra thrust her spear into the darkness in the direction of Kumaza's voice. A cry of pain, the sound of shattering clay, and the sound of blood spattering the wall told her that she had found her mark, while the sound of hobbling footsteps told her that she had not struck a killing blow. She swung her spear in a quick circle, hoping to find Kumaza with it, but to no avail; he had disappeared again in the darkness. Soon, the door gently opened and light returned to the chamber. A quick glance around the room showed that the only evidence left of Kumaza's presence were a broken mask and a few drops of blood leading out of the chamber.
"What happened?!" Satrana shouted.
"It would seem that Kumaza is no more," Antandra answered. "His body has become a puppet of a Hypogean demon."
"How can we help him?!" Satrana asked, struggling to understand.
"We cannot." Antandra answered. "Without the means to expel the Hypogean, all we can do is give him the warrior's death he deserves."
They started following the trail of blood droplets out of the chamber, down several corridors, and eventually to the main sanctuary where the animal sacrifices took place. As they searched the sanctuary for Kumaza, their ears started to twitch; they could hear the faint sound of his labored breathing. Soon after, a single drop of blood spattered on Antandra's spear; Kumaza was trying to hide in the shadows of the ceiling. Antandra looked to Satrana, who knew what she had to do.
"I'm sorry, Kumaza." she whispered.
Satrana pulled a small device that she called a fire seed from her pouch and tossed it straight up; before Kumaza could react, it latched on to him and exploded, engulfing him almost instantly in flames. He lost his grip on the ceiling and fell hard at Satrana's feet, rolling around in a desperate attempt to smother the flames. Eventually, the flames did die, but they had already done their work; Kumaza struggled to stand up, his flesh covered in severe burns, his lungs scorched by the heat and smoke. Even through the agony of his burns, though, he still managed a weak cackle.
"You always were a clever one, Satrana," Kumaza whispered with an abnormally gritty voice, "but not clever enough!"
At that moment, a circle of wooden totems, each glowing with a purple light, appeared around the three as if they had previously been cloaked. It was a trap. Kumaza slammed the palms of his hands into the ground and howled. Energy began to flow from the totems into himself, healing his wounds and giving himself strength as he slowly morphed from his normal ape-like appearance into a monster. His fangs grew in length, his fingernails became vicious claws, and he dropped on all fours as his back gained a row of spikes. With a roar, he threw himself at Antandra, claws bared.
Antandra dodged his lunge and responded with a flurry of jabs and swipes with her spear, many of which found their mark. Unfortunately, each wound she inflicted was quickly closed as energy continued to flow from the totems. Soon, Kumaza grew adept at blocking and dodging her attacks.
"Foolish child!" Kumaza shouted. "Kumaza observed your training closely; I know everything that you could..."
He was interrupted by a flaming kick in the side from Satrana. The burn healed quickly as he leaned on one of the totems to recover his balance. Antandra attacked again, just missing as Kumaza ducked out of the way of her spear thrusts. Satrana, too, had difficulty landing anymore kicks, while Kumaza managed to inflict a number of shallow cuts with his claws. As a last resort, Satrana pulled another fire seed from her pouch and threw it at Kumaza. He deftly ducked out of the way, allowing the seed to fly toward Antandra. She, in turn, used her spear to deflect the seed toward one of the totems; the explosion when it struck the totem destroyed several of the totems.
Antandra and Satrana both noticed that Kumaza seemed to weaken and slow down after the totems were destroyed, giving Satrana an idea. Allowing Antandra to draw Kumaza's attention, Satrana stood in the center of what remained of the totems and began to dance. As she twirled, flames began to fly from her hands and feet, lightly scorching the totems. Antandra noticed what Satrana was doing and leaped away as Satrana performed one last pirouette, sending a wall of fire in every direction that destroyed the remaining totems.
With Kumaza's source of power gone, exhaustion suddenly took hold of him and he slumped over the altar. Before he could recover, Antandra impaled him on her spear, while Satrana threw one last fire seed at him to ensure his execution. As the body silently burned, Satrana fell on Antadra's shoulder and began to mourn her teacher.
Unfortunately, they were given mere seconds to mourn; with the death of Kumaza, the Hypogean demon that possessed him was forced out of the body. The dark spirit stared hungrily at the two, desiring nothing more than a new host. Antandra and Satrana readied themselves for a fight they were not certain they could win, their minds racing for any ideas as to how they could oppose it. Just before it lunged at Antandra, they were surprised to see it cry out in pain. Moments later, the tip of a stiletto blade burst forth from the demon's chest. Antandra was the first to notice a human woman dressed in white robes standing behind the demon, her eyes covered by an ornate blindfold.
"Now you will burn!" the woman growled as she took the stiletto blade in her other hand and thrust it into the demon's skull. She soon withdrew the blade and stood back as the demon vanished like mist with a final cry of pain. Antandra and Satrana were stunned as they stared at the empty space where the Hypogean was, then at the woman who had dispensed with it so effortlessly. The woman sheathed her blades and fell on one knee, apparently from exhaustion.
"We all have many questions for each other, but before they are answered, my companion and I need water."
Soon, the woman, who identified herself as Cecilia, Mother Superior of the Path of Ascension, set to work freeing the other shamans and Temple Warriors of the demons that oppressed them. As she worked, Antandra asked her, "I thank the ancestors that you are here, but what brings a human to the Temple of the Seers?"
"And how did you get here at all without eyes?" Satrana further asked.
"Do not thank your ancestors for my arrival." Cecilia answered. "Your ancestors are enjoying their rewards and suffering their punishments in the Underworld; their influence over you is in what they left behind after their death, nothing more. If you must thank someone for my presence, thank Caliya."
Cecilia indicated the young sphinx who she had helped near the Barred Gate, who was at that moment offering water to one of the recovering shamans.
"If I understood her correctly, she was sent by her parents to seek help from the temple shamans in combating the demon plague. Unfortunately, she was afflicted herself and led into Lightbearer territory instead. I found her wandering among bushes and freed her of the plague. She then led me to this temple, where I hope to find answers."
"What kind of answers?" Antandra asked.
"Like you, the Lightbearers have been trying to combat demon invaders. When I learned that you were plagued by them as well, I decided to investigate in the hopes of learning where they are coming from."
"It is well that you did." one of the shamans, named Bokiv, said weakly. "We might not have survived if left in the hands of the demons. Tell me, do you know who Caliya's parents are?"
Cecilia thought for a moment. "I do not know their names, but I believe the village was called Paer."
"Paer? You are certain?" Antandra asked.
"Do you know the village?" Cecilia asked in turn.
"I have heard from survivors of a catastrophe in Paer. One of the sphinx went mad and wiped the village from the face of Espiria. Only a handful of people escaped and made their way to the Steelthorn Peaks."
Satrana gasped at the news. Cecilia said a brief prayer.
"We will investigate in the hopes that her parents survived." Bokiv said. "In the meantime, Caliya is welcome to stay in the temple until a new home can be found for her."
"Couldn't she become a Temple Warrior like me?" Satrana asked, hopeful.
"Sphinxes have never made good Temple Warriors." Bokiv replied. "They think too much, they don't trust their instincts enough."
"If it is no trouble," Cecilia offered, "could Caliya come with me? She has so far shown a stronger will than some of my sisters at the convent; I'm sure she will be an exceptional nun."
Bokiv thought about Cecilia's proposal. "We will consider your request. In the meantime, we have another matter to discuss. Antandra, come here."
Antandra knelt before Bokiv and placed her spear at her feet, the proper stance of a Temple Warrior when receiving solemn orders from a shaman.
"You were banished because you fought and killed a fellow Temple Warrior in defense of one not of the temple. Even so, it appears that your commitment to your vows is as unwavering as the Bloody Will itself. Despite your banishment, you have served the temple well this day."
"Am I allowed to return to the temple?" Antandra asked, cautiously hopeful.
"That is a thing to be discussed among the shamans once we have recovered. In the meantime, we will show this human shaman the gratitude of the temple. Antandra, you will accompany Cecilia in her quest; protect her until you have found the source of the Plague and destroyed it. Teach the demons the consequences of attacking the Maulers."
"I promise." Antandra responded. Turning to Cecilia, she asked, "Where do we begin our search?"
Cecilia knelt next to a warrior who was still afflicted, named Henape, and held her knife next to her shoulder.
"Tell me where the demon flees." she said as she thrust the knife into Henape's shoulder. The demon left her body and fled from the temple. Antandra gave chase while Cecilia worked to heal Henape's wound. Antandra soon returned, disappointed that she did not catch up to the spirit.
"It fled to the south." Antandra reported.
"Of course it would." Cecilia mused. "Of course it would flee to Bantus."