A Family Legacy ; Katrien

[minerva]

A Wedding

It was a beautiful wedding.  Bris was radiant and Plen...well Plen without his hood is quite handsome.  They are a wonderful couple.  I wish Lar could have joined me, but I know it was for the best he did not.  Celgar was there and that could have gotten ugly fast.  Poppa I even think Enzo was flirting with me.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was a married woman.  Cole made a scene over Lalaith and Veldrin…  Even with  his faults I can still see why she chose Veldrin over him.

[minerva]

My Birthright

Poppa she accosted me, right in the middle of town.  Annie, that fighter Asher introduced me to.  She said we urgently needed to talk.  The busy streets are not the place for this.  Thankfully we found a quiet place to sit.  If I hadn’t been sitting, I might have fallen over.  She demanded my flute.  Can you imagine?  Of course I said no.  Nothing will make me give up Mother’s flute.  Her story did concern me though.  She spoke of the council.  What she described sounded like what the spider described.  Could it be they are awake?  I sent her away despondent.  I feel sorry for her, but more lives and souls are at stake here than hers.


It seems she does not give up easily.  If the Drow seek to divide us, they are doing a good job.  Somehow she talked Gloin into trying to intimidate me into giving up my flute.  Gloin, a dwarf I called friend, casting divine magic on me…  Thank Lucinda I had a champion in the crowd to help me and Henri, sensing my need, flew to find Connor.
Annie told her story to Connor.  Essentially the same as she told me.  She was part of an expedition in to the mountains when the group was besieged by shadow.  It was then they apparently met individually with a member of the shadow council.  The council held their soul.  They were given a task to have it given back to them.  Annie was to retrieve my flute.  Another is after the spider book.  One is seeking the location of the shee, and yet another Veldrin’s sword.

That woman is  *blot*  well…stupid.  Poppa I am sorry, but it’s true.  For a fighter she lacks in courage and I think one too many giants have dropped boulders on her head.  She didn’t think to get any information from the Drow.  She honestly thinks that the Drow will keep their word.  She is prepared to simply rollover and die if she doesn’t get Mother’s flute.  No fight, no trying to find another way.  The Drow says jump and she asks permission to come down.  Honestly.   I think Connor and I finally got thru to her. I think.

Ceela and Veldrin tried to explain how the council was coming close to our plane and out of shadow.  I’m afraid it was a bit complex for me.  Veldrin thought they wanted our personal objects because they link to us, that thru these objects, the council could compel us to their will.  Never will I give up my flute.  It is my only link to Mother

[minerva]

Family

Poppa, I…rather we were summoned before the Queen.  If seemed a strange light had been spotted in the south, and out to sea, as if nestled within that place they call the Serpent Isles.   Connor, Lalaith and I had an inkling of what it might be, but kept quiet in front of the Queen until we could go and confirm our suspicions.  Our companions had no idea of the power they faced, but resistance was met on the road as we traveled.  We suffered a major attack from the Drow in Port Hampshire.  I wonder how many of those old tunnels are still functional.  Lar has shown me one, but it was in a different area than the Drow attacked from.
     
The closer we came to the Islands, the more my nerves stood on end. The fools in the entourage would not listen.  We tried to tell them of the Cradle and our suspicions before leaving port.  They were far more interested in preparing for battle than knowing what they may possibly face.  Fools.     They were quickly enlightened.   Navarre met us on the road.   He had another with him as well; the one Lalaith spoke of, the pale one, Kelezephian.   He told us if we sought the Cradle he would kill us. This confirmed to us it was the cradle.

Lalaith called Veldrin to her. He tried to explain to these fools what it is  we fought for.  I don’t think they understood.  Again Veldrin called the shadows and provided a vision of the council and their mounts. I was terrified.  Lar appeared to hold me and ease my terror, before he had to slip way to defend us from the shadow beasts that dodge our steps.    A message was sent back to the Queen.  Our mission was successful in so much as we knew the source of the light she sought.

So close Poppa, we were so close to cradle. Being close to the cradle also meant we must have been close to the homeland of the families.
We were.  Poppa we got to travel to the homes of the families.  Our guide almost seemed to be expecting us. He was of Light and took us to his ancestral home first, the Halls of Light.  The way was arduous.  Poor Connor was struck dumb by some creature ands I had to tend to him for hours until his reasoning returned.  During that time our wonderful party left us behind.  It is a good thing the Lady of Spells grants us both the ability to hide ourselves, but it took awhile to catch up.  We found the grove of the families.  We entered the Halls of Light.    It was so sad.   The once beautiful architecture of the great halls lay in shambles.  Dust, rubble and decay lay all around.  It touched most every surface, save the books.  They seemed to be spared the ravages of time.  Books have a way of jumping into Lalaith’s pack and true to form she removed one that looked like a journal similar to the one of Shadow she stole from the other library.  This time I believe is not theft.  Clearly we of the gift are home, and the contents are ours to find if they chose to yield their secrets to us.  Lalaith found a beautifully carved crystal mantle that did indeed include a secret. A pair of flawless diamonds was embedded within it, released with a key that made the plinth shatter. The diamonds were engraved with runes of Light and Creation.  With the key came a riddle.

“The three did not fail in unity lost, the light ceased to shine.  The path made clear once you find gems bought so dear"


Next we traveled through the grove and came upon a void of darkness.  Only this could be the Halls of Shadow.   The darkness blinded me and still it frightens me.  The shadows seemed to reach out and hold onto me as I made my way with the others to the door.  Lalaith was able to open the door for us, and like Light, the Halls of Shadows were in decay. Dank and rotting smells assaulted the nose as gnats buzzed in the air around us. It was not a nice place, and deep within the Halls, there was a shadow and a mirror.   Being of Shadow, Lalaith was able to communicate with it, and once again another riddle to be solved, this one with far more fearful consequences.  The gems of shadow it seemed were held in darkness.  Only passing into darkness and returning could bring them back.  Poppa I could not help but think of Mother and the shadow of her that Veldrin called.  She has passed into darkness, yet returned.  *blot of a long pause in the script*
I’m not sure what transpired between her and the shadow figure but she did manage to pass the test and return with the gems.  The repositories of Shadow are soul stones.   I wonder if they have runes on them, elven runes for Shadow and Death?  


Light and Shadow, are not mine Poppa.  Sound and the harmonies of the world around me, are my family.  Lar is shadow, but I do not feel with him the darkness that enveloped that place.  I can’t lie and say I was unhappy to leave.  As if sensing my unease, my Ceela appeared on the road as we searched for my ancestral home, the Halls of Sound.  With his aid we found it.  Poppa it was like coming home. My description could not give the tower justice.  It soared into the air like a high sweet note from my flute.  The music of life encircled it.  It seemed to blend in perfect harmony with the land contiguous to it.  Just stepping close to it doors called to my mind, called to a song that was new yet ancient as time itself.  My flute seemed to jump to my lips as the celestial tones from it called home to the tower. The tower answered by unlocking the door.  Steeping inside was as heart wrenching as the other halls, but there did not appear to be the same amount of disarray here.  In the center on the main tower room stood a large glittering gem that seemed to resonate to the harmonics of the various instruments scattered around. It seemed truly a creation of sound, and we used sound to break it and release the guardian.  Again another riddle.  The second function of Sound… Sound creates, but sound also maintains, but to convey that in nothing but music was difficult.  Poppa each day the music comes easier but becomes so much harder.  At times I ache for the simple little tunes I used to play.
Somehow, with the aid of Connor and Lalaith we managed, and the sound gems were ours.  Life, and it’s harmonies, its complexities all falling away to eventually to eventual nothingness, only to be lamented by those left to suffer the void , those left behind.  Leaving was difficult. I so wanted to linger and explore , but the others were impatient.  We have the gems.  But what must be done with them?  How do they serve us or do we serve them?  I wonder if they can be set in unity in the Ancient’s Light replica.  Could this help us unlock the knowledge of the cradle that the Tol’Eflor left behind?


*a quick note appears in the margin*

Family… long have I thought of Connor as a brother.  Now it is so.  Veldrin somehow transferred his gift of Sound to Connor.  He is now like me.  *blot from a pause*   If Veldrin can give his gift up at will, does that mean that I could as well?   If he no longer has it, then the gifted should not need to die in the ritual like the spider foretold.   Poppa this is quite confusing

[minerva]

Dragons


I had wanted to see dragons.  I know you were always fascinated with dragon lore, and I had the chance to go see these beasts up close.  I tagged along with the party sent as envoy to these great ones.  I was just doing my best to survive the trip and provide some moral with my song.  I got to see the chromatics blue, green and black.  They were truly frightening beasts.  

[minerva]

Unsettling News

Connor hailed me by the fountain today.  I almost wish I hadn’t stopped, but the worry in his eyes compelled me.  It seems he heard a rumor.  Yashilla had been attacked, by a Drow assassin.  So much for our escape to Pranzis.  I left Lar a note in our rooms and headed back to Port Hampshire.  Yashilla was not hard to find, but her news Poppa, I am glad I left Lar behind.  She had indeed been attacked. Her attacker was none other than Veldrin.  Connor happened upon us as we spoke, and Yash relayed her story to him.  We tried to rationalize why.  It only left us with more questions.

Part of the question has been answered.  Veldrin was betrayed. His sword is in the council’s possession.  They have him under their sway.  We must have extra diligence to keep the other objects from them, but I fear it may be too late for some.  Lalaith’s ring is missing, as are the journals of light and sound we discovered in our family homes.  How are we to prepare for the ritual without these?

Poppa please help me to think:  the Path and the Destiny.  Is it truly the destiny of shadow to fall? Is it the Path we must follow?  Do they walk alone or are they linked?

[minerva]

Mysteries of Song

I received a strange note from Kobal, the dwarf, requesting my assistance in a secret endeavor.  It was clear from the start our endeavor was no secret.  Drow assassins and mages dogged our steps as we made our way to the halls of the Broken One.  I had no idea why I was needed, until I entered the halls.  Having just been there shortly before, I noticed a change… the air, the sounds were different.  I was drawn to my flute, the discord resonating from the walls too much to bear. Chaos and life that was what I felt.  I was able to harness the life and blend away the chaos to aid my friends as we made our way deeper into the halls.  It was only at the final confrontation with the Drow assassins that I made my error.  Sound is creation, sound is harmony, it is not for destruction, it is not for death. I attempted to harness the chaos of the weave and turn it on our Drow foes.  I succeeded, but at a cost. I almost killed us all. Mother’s flute went silent, as did the air around us.  Not a breath of sound.  It was so eerie.  Then Kobal discovered them.  We were after the gems, much needed to cure the poison that afflicts so many.  The way was blocked.  The council of Eyes was there, or so it seemed. I can’t help but wonder if the silence was them.  Did I do that? Did I call them forth? We searched for a way past them.  Kobal thought that light might drive off the shadow.  He had the light gems Veldrin had left in his care and gave them to me, to use.  The memory of light; I have no gift for it . To force it to obey my gift for sound would prove disastrous.  Only one with a gift for light may command it.   Poppa in even the wild magic of the Broken One’s halls, Mother was able to reach me.  I prayed for her guidance and she gave me a song.  Once again the flute worked.  Simplicity was the key.  Stay true to yourself and you can see clearly what lies ahead.  I played her song, and the notes allowed us to see the Council was no threat.  From the realm of Shadow, they could not touch us.  We were able to collect our gems and the first part of the cure is underway.

[minerva]

A Goodbye

Gathering aloe; that is where he found me.  He always knew how to find me.  It seems that the others did not lie.  He is no longer the Veldrin we once knew and I am partially to blame.   Life stirs within me.  The union that Lar and I share will produce a child.  Unfortunately that is what the council wants.  The prophecy is that she will be the next link in the chain. Veldrin, no longer needed in that capacity, has been claimed by the council.  Claimed by deceit, but claimed none the less.  His final visit one of duty and I hope of friendship.  We talked a bit, and he gave me a journal; A beautiful book with a single symbol of music on the front.  Pity I cannot read it.  It seems to be in elven.  I’ll have to find someone to help me.  Lalaith perhaps, but the pain may be too great and she has withheld information from me before.  I don’t know as I can fully trust her.  Calling her sister is even a stretch now, though she still carries sound as a gift.  I played for him one last time. He left for me a music box.  A box with the most wonderful of memories.

Wandering the hills behind the castle is a favorite pastime for both me and my Brother. It was here I found him. I began to tell him of Veldrin’s plight, but it seems I did not have to, as Veldrin slipped from the shadows to join us.  Out of respect I kept my distance and tried not to eavesdrop on them.  I simply sat and played as Veldrins said goodbye to brother and a good friend.  After he had left we were both overcome with grief. I handed Connor my flute and bade he play for me.  I don’t know where it came from, but a lament for friendship lost rang into the air.  It was more powerful than anything I have done to yet.  Unfortunately its power served not only to comfort us, but caught unwanted attention.  The Fletcher and her mount walked among us.  Lar, as always, watching from the shadows, came.  He told us the tale of the Fletcher and her might.
  What was most disturbing was the effect she had on him.  He seemed to be briefly under her control.  I shudder to think what might have happened without arms around him to hold him to me.

A father. I wonder what your reaction was Poppa when mother told you. Lar in his quiet and sometimes obnoxious confidence was actually quite cute.  I think he was pleased.

*tear stains mar the ink*

How could he ask me to do that?  I would sooner die than end his life.  Life without him would be death itself.  He talks of the purge; the same that stole Veldrin from us.  He says if it takes him, to kill him before our love is turned against us and he kills me. I don’t think I could live without him, and I will not go back to mere existence.  I will not loose the fire.  I chose to dance in flame.  If the consequence is death, then what is, is.  The Drow can seek their link elsewhere.  They can release Veldrin, they can use Lalaith, or they can bloody well start all over again.

[minerva]

The North Wind Bow and the Fletcher

She is known only as the Fletcher
Of course their real names are unknown but that never stopped anyone from giving them some.
Her bow is rumored to have been crafted from the scales of a white dragon all molded and contorted around mithril and yew cavities.
Made from the last white dragon to roam this world, the oldest of them all, as you can imagine the most powerful. She used to live up north in the islands that you now call the Barbarian Isles.
Huge. That was her home, the goblins and kobolds that now live there are the only thing that remain of her kingdom.
A long long long time ago; Very long ago, the islands ended up being an exit to the under dark. Of course it was a strategic place being the perfect location to sail to the protected continents of Layonara. And so the Drow wanted it. The cover and coldness provided by the dark caverns the perfect place for a dark and cold race. The council mandated that this cave system was secured and protected immediately. Half the under dark jumped at the command, the other half was already running for the surface to make the will of the council a fact. And so legions of the best assassins and warriors, spell casters with infinite cosmic power approached the surface.
Back then those kobolds and goblins were empowered by the presence of the dragon as well. All of them swatted like flies and turned into funny looking ice sculptures by the breath of the white one.  Locals said that when you were scarred by a White Kobold, the wound would fester and never heal, eventually gangrene would take over and the limb lost.  And so after hundreds and thousands of troops were lost the council started to get irritated. At this point in time the voice did not exist. Instead 5 stewards served the ladies.
The position of the stewards was to please and do as the council asked, but they didn't have the influence the Voice has.  Yet in power they were a good match to the current Voice. The council ordered the Stewards and their armies to personally foresee the ending of this oversized lizard. And without a second thought another yet massive attack was planned against the creature. ] The consequences of that fight are still seen. To simply put it, there used to be only one island.
Now three instead.  So after this enormous battle occurred the land change and mostly everything turned to a desolate wasteland. The dragon stood firm, the stewards dead. And so the dragon stood. Its unwavering dominance over the lands, still unchallenged
The council was now slightly bored and aggravated with the dragon so they took manners unto their own hands. The Fletcher rose from her sanctum in the windy towers of lightning. Her old castle: Wa'q d' Nizzre' ,The Tower of Lightning .  An ominous and powerful fortress.
Only fools dared attack and its eyes expanded miles within the deep below. As she glide through misty clouds and passages of dark thunders, she eventually made it to the northern islands of cold.
The Fletcher is known as the first to come and the last to leave wherever the council roamed. The keenest senses of them all, gifted by the purity of her dark heritage.  The storm that builds before the council strikes. When she is sighted, it normally means that soon everyone within a close range will die.
When she arrived, her dark presence was felt by the white beast.  The winged winds of the north, truly unmatched by any power before attacked blindly at the lithe creature. In its perfecting, the dark lady avoided and contorted around every single one of the Wyrms attempts at destruction.  Nothing could be heard of her but the wisping dark winds as they molded around the beast. Twisting and turning, the dragon screamed in frustration. Finally, as the lady finished playing with the power of the north, the lightning answered her call with a single arrow, empowered by the gift of the ages, the gift of the dark halls, one single arrow enraptured in magic and hate.
It flew menacingly from her old bow, and ripping through hardened scales and thick hide, it struck the beasts heart, exploding within.  
Nothing was heard after that in the northern wastes, nothing but the cold laughter of the wisping Fletcher, nothing but the cold and calculating devices, as she carved a new bow out of the creature’s skins. The North Wind Bow. A creation of beauty and pain. One carried by an equally beautiful and painful lady.

[minerva]

New Hope

Day by day I can feel you within me and the wonder never ceases to amaze me.    I know you are a girl.  I don’t know how I know, I just do.   Lisse’, Harmony that will be your name, a blend of light and shadow and a new hope for us all.     Your father’s devotion to you and to me is quite sweet.  I never believed he could act like this.  The rough edges are gone, replaced by the utmost of care for our comfort.    I see the fear in his eyes when he thinks I am not watching.  I don’t know the source of his fears or even if they are the same as mine.  At night he holds us both, his arms around me and his hands on the growing mound you make of my belly.

[minerva]

* … the page is marred with water stains and the ink blurred in places from the moisture. … *


Lisse’ please forgive me.

The arrogance of elves, the desperate plight of so many and the overly large mouth of your Uncle Connor got us into this mess.
Please trust me to get you out of it.  I will not condemn you to a life with them.  What kind of life would it be, locked in a tower with stuffy old mages who think they are above us all? What kind of person would you be?   Was it not the frailties of the elves that got us here to start with?  
I did not forsake you.  The deal I made was with a heavy heart.  So many are afflicted by this poison, so many lives are at stake.  I will not give you over to those unfeeling bastards.  You will be raised in the love that conceived you; your father’s and my love, not in some cold tower.  They refuse to acknowledge the power of the cradle and yet they fear you.  They in their arrogance, think they know best.  It is the arrogance of elves that got us into this mess.
The cure will soon be made, as we are close.  With the wolf returned to the towers, they can have no hold on you.  My duty as your mother is to you, not a promise extracted under duress.

Even as you grow within me, I can feel the gift. Of all the gifts you are the greatest.  Your Father and I love you.  Always

[minerva]

Mother help me please.  

I am so lost, and so afraid.  I can do nothing right.  You are not here to teach me.  I can hear the music around me.  I am bathed in sound but it is also my prison.  I cannot escape.  Those first with the gift had the Tol to teach them, however limited, and those that followed had family.  I have none.  I feel like as though I am stumbling blind.  I try and it all ends in disaster.  It is never the same twice, constantly the rules seems to change and I cannot understand.  I have no way to understand.  How I wish you had lived.  Lisse’ and I need you.  We need to understand the gift.  Every time I touch your flute I am scared.  Music used to be my joy, and now I fear it.  I cannot even sing for fear of causing something unwanted.  A simple lament to a friendship lost and a Shadow dragon came with a council rider.
How I wished I had never told Lar we would face the ritual.  How I wish we had run. It is too much.  All I want is my family.  To raise my child in the love of a family I never got to fully enjoy.  To teach her, watch her grow.  Play with her, sing to her.  And Lar: to be secure in his arms, to feel his fire in my soul, his love surrounding me.

All of this I am losing.  In some grand sacrifice to the greater good I stand to lose it all. Lisse’ to the elves. Lar talks of me having to kill him should the council gain control over him.  Seeing the effect the Fletcher had on him, my heart knows this is possible, even in the face of our love.

I don’t think I could live without them.  What would be the purpose? How on earth could I go on?  They are my very soul.  If they were gone, my soul would be dead. There would be no joy. The song of grief would be mine to wail forever.

[minerva]

      Concentration and focus; Mother, that seems to be the key.  I wish I had your guidance, but all the wishing in the world will not bring you back to me.  This is a path I must travel, but although you and Poppa do not travel it with me, I do not go alone.  Lar has been my rock.  His patience with my outbursts is remarkable. He has helped me to seek your guidance from within.  I will do my best.   Kobal asked my assistance in protecting the wolf when the time comes.  I have been practicing my songs on Connor.  I hope his patience lasts as well.  The burn marks in his robes I will have to repair.   This is all so very confusing at times.   What I think I am asking the music for sometimes is so very different than what occurs.  Most times it is good and a harmony appears that I had not thought of, but sometimes… * blot*
 
Kobal told me of the thrice gifted soul sacrificed to the Council. The mother of that child lives somewhere close by.  I feel the need to visit her grave and see if I can discover more about her.  Perhaps …. Perhaps her mother can help where you cannot.

[minerva]

Lisse’,
The world you come into will be far different than it is today. A wondrous thing has happened.  The great ones have given us a gift.  I only hope we can make the best of it.  Of course it will be a very long time before the hatchlings will be able to defend Layonara, but their presence, their magic….
        Standing in the cave, in the audience of those sleeping; the calling I felt in my being was overwhelming.   I know I carry the gift of sound from the Tol’elfor, but what if there is something else?  I can pull the Lady’s gifts from the weave without the aid of study or memorization.    My Poppa said to seek the magic.   Lisse’ there are so many forms of magic.  I’ve heard whispers of those like me and your uncle Connor, that somewhere in our lineage, dragon’s blood flows.   When I was standing within the might of the great ones, the wise ones I could feel something calling to me.  I know you could feel something too as you were particularly restless within me on that journey.
 
 
  *a break in the writing, the new prose seems to be added later*
 
  Silver and gold… those were the colors of the tunic you wore the day you left.  Why does that memory haunt me now?  It flashes in my head now when I think of the great dragons I saw.  Oh Poppa what does it mean?  I can see you in a haze…I can make out your tunic, but little else.  I can hear your voice echoing in my young ears as you tell me to seek the magic …then the vision floats off like a cloud of mist.
  Are you trying to tell me something?  Nothing new appears in the family journal.
     
     
     

[minerva]

Heritage
  *what follows is a rather bland description of day to day family life. Lists and notes of various alchemical preparations line a few pages, while others contain drawing of plants, animals and various landscapes (including those of the underdark).  These go on for quite awhile then the following appears*
   
  It was a difficult day Lisse’, full of many trials.  Twice today I had to shoo flocks of birds out of the kitchen as your father insists on using it as his private research area.  Today was the last straw and I moved your nursery to a corner of our room and set the small room to his purposes.  Perhaps that will save my kitchen from ruin.
  Tired and cranky *blot* (yes, your mother gets cranky too, not just your father)[/i] I took a walk down by the water, next to the crypts.  I was hoping to get a glimpse of the woman Kobal talked about. Instead I found your uncle. 
  We talked for a while. He encouraged me to try to use the gift on him. To try and weave a protective song around him, as Kobal has asked me to do with the wolf.  It worked…somewhat.  
  We discussed the child, and the sacrifice of her gift. Together we sought her grave.  I could not have done it alone.   Your father has done much to alleviate my discomfort around the undead and the concept of shadows but places such as crypts and where the dead lie still makes me uneasy.  With little effort we found the site of her burial and something very much unexpected. 
  Above the grave site was a ball of pure light. Even more unusual was the fact it was trying to speak to us.  Your uncle was able to make a connection with it, and by doing so a most disturbing image filled our minds.  Horrible green … a tainted river … the passage of time… and the continuation of a cycle, a very ancient cycle… these images crowded my mind.  They were disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing as what it chose to do next. 
  As though in a dream… we were able to travel in what I think was back thru time, back thru the memory of the child.  It showed us images of the woman I had sought, her mother.  It was odd …for she could not have been much more than a glimmer of hope within her at the time.
   The vision was disturbing.  The woman … rejected by her own husband … leaving two children behind to try and hide them from the assassins of the council… making a choice that could have only been excruciating.... sacrificing her pain that they might live and prosper…. Or have some chance at it. 
  Then the vision moved forward to unspeakable horror.  Lisse’ I saw your grandmother… Vas’menier… she was the assassin… just as her letter had spoken… she was the one killing this woman’s children…   
  I saw your grandmother murder an innocent at the feet of its mother.  And I wept.  I wept for the mother, I wept for the child ...and I wept for you Lisse’.
  You are a product of the love your father and I share, but part of you is also her as much as it is my gentle mother.  I wept to think that your heart might contain the evil of that woman.  I pray to Lucinda and lately to Az’atta as well that it does not.  I pray that you are free of that taint of evil, that your heart will contain the goodness of the gifts and the love we have for you.



                   

[minerva]

More Musings
   *several songs are written below; all seem to lullabies or children’s tunes except one. 
  One is a collection of notes, a score of a sort.  If played on the flute the notes would evoke the feeling of a meadow ripe with wildflowers and a gentle breeze causing them to sway in a sensual dance.  Feelings of the warmth of midday bathe the listener into a dreamy relaxed state, a calmness washing over them*



 
   

[minerva]

A Mission
 
  I knew the day would come when I would have to return to the dark.  This time I returned not as an uneasy visitor, but as an unwelcome one.   Kobal asked my assistance once again in gathering another component for the cure.  Knowing his destination was Az’atta’s grove, and the dangers he would likely face, I could not say no.  Connor and a few others that Kobal trusted joined us.  I was pleased to see Sand amongst the faces.  His troubles seem to have left him, which for him is fortunate.  Two others caught my eye.  I had heard by reputation alone of the mage Brac’ar, although I think I did sell him some of Patsy’s eggs.  The other was a salient figure named Remiel Delmir.  His face had a familiar look to it. 
  Just getting to the entrance to the caverns proved treacherous.  Several times I had to call upon Sound and the harmonies of this world to imbibe life back to fallen comrades. It was almost humorous to see the expression on the faces of those who had not been previous witness to the ability of sound to heal.  I chose to have them become part of the process, but I don’t think some appreciated the loss…even if it meant life to one of our best defenders. 
  The council was aware of our coming, but with my flute called upon, how could they not be. They made their presence know as well; they and their shadow dragons. 
  Lar helped as best he could.  He is unable to fight at my side, his reasons are vague and he doesn’t openly share them with me, but I trust they are important.  
  *what follows are sketches of four large obelisk structures, a few pages of hastily scribed musical score and a scribbling of notes* 
  It seems that Brac’ar’s journeys into the pillars confirms what I have suspected since translating the Journal of Sound and seeing the Fletcher and her affect on Lar.  The Drow council, the Tol guardians are one.  Being right has an empty feeling.  I am tainted with evil… the gift is tainted with evil, but somehow in your innocence Lisse’ you remain pure.  At least that is what the mage could see in you.
   The power we face is enormous.  How can I hope to stand against the training of the Tol and ages of experience?   My music would be but a child’s practice tune to them.  Elamshin proved this when he crushed my notes with ease.  For some reason he allowed Connor to collect our quarry and us to leave unscathed…Why *blot*[/i] 
  We must find a way.  We must.   The diadem must not be allowed to spread its taint.    The pillars talk of it being dragon forged, ancient beyond ancient.  Joining with it doesn’t seem to be the answer; so surely there is the knowledge to defeat it somewhere… surely somewhere we will find the answers. 
  The plant in hand we returned to that horrible city, and then finally back to Karthy.
                       

[minerva]

A Needed Break  
  

*here in the journal are numerous drawings.  All are set in the mountains, but depict various scenes.  Some are glorious sunrises, while others are tracings of the night sky as if seen from the view of someone gazing up from the ground.   There are several small studies of Lar in various tasks from hunting to swimming lazily in what appears to be a cool cavernous lake.  More musical scores are also present. In each, nature seems to flow from the notes.  The compositions range from soothing enchantments to inspirational harmonies of animals and elements.  A  full two pages contain drawings of what appear to be a blending of Lar and Kat’s features into that of a child, supposition on the appearance of Lisse’*  

[minerva]

Vas’menier
 
  Connor joined me once again for my regular sojourn by the lake.  I kept hoping to see her… the elven lady… to talk to her … find out what she knows.  This day however brought another … it seems my mates mother is not dead after all.   Vas’menier visited us… Her words were mostly for Connor however.  It seems in the giving of Sound to him, Elamshin forged some kind of bond.  Both my brothers bonded … I pray this is a means to salvation for Veldrin, I pray that somehow what he was, however flawed can be returned to us.   The Elamshin creature he has become…..   Lisse’ I would have you know your other uncle as he was, not as he is now.  Not the creature full of hate I met in Az’atta’s grove. 
  *penned lightly in the margin*   Vas’menier called Lisse’ a child of corruption yet Brac’ar could see no taint in her…[/i] 
  She taunted us with the location of the elven mother, and then challenged us to find her first.  It was a race against time. Luck was with us however.  We were able to confirm her move to Lannisport.  She must have moved while we were in the under dark.  A sea voyage that bordered on a nightmare brought us quickly to the costal town.  I must remember to ask Connor about that odd captain and how he was able to secure us passage on such a ship. 
  A quick stop at the inn for inquiries brought answers but also new questions.  Yes our mother was there and she had a new child. But where she was living was a story unto it’s self.  The family was living in the home of the town’s recently deceased healer. The healer’s untimely end was officially due to natural causes but scuttlebutt at the inn spoke more of poison.  Her death just seemed a bit convenient to me.  The other revelation was the name of the healer…Elyse Delmir. The same surname as our companion in the dark. The same surname as the youthful healer that performed that ritual on me in Port Hampshire so long ago.  Too much coincidence. 
  The visit with our elven mother was enlightening.  She was one of the thrice gifted.  Gifts of Sound, Light and Shadow mingled within her, and I suppose were passed to her children.  The children did not fit the council’s plans for some reason *a pause in the script shown by a large blot[/i]* but the mother kept alive, just incase … 
  She told us of how the Tol guardians had visited her … Lindale was first to warn her of the dangers of the gift. Told her how she was bound beyond will, beyond hope to a darkness that would not cease.  Liyalia came next. She told her how after a time the guardians had become bored with the cradle and left in the care of their children, striking out to find new challenges for their gifts.  But even as they expanded their knowledge it was not enough, they sought further challenges, never content in what they had.  Word came to them of an artifact … an artifact that could challenge their gifts and as a group of three they set off to find it.  Deep underground they went, traveling long and had until they came to gates.  The gates would not yield to the gifts until… until they discovered its secret.  In time they did.  The secret was the acceptance of what lay within.   Past that gate was the lair of an ancient dragon, the only item left in it’s lair of evil, a crown covered in runes and set with emeralds: The doom of them all.
  Alata was last to visit her.  She told her of her pride and her lust for power.  She told her how the three had battled to possess the crown, how light, shadow and sound had fought amongst themselves to solely breach its wards and how as individuals they failed. In stubborn resolution to conquer rather than fellowship, sound, light and shadow conjoined and in doing so, they breached the crown and sealed their doom.  Ever prideful Light seized onto the power of the diadem, it was quickly seduced to it call.  Alata used the diadem to augment her own gifts, and battled with her sisters.  Sound and shadow withstood the assault for a time, but in the end were overcome.  The evil of the diadem seduced them as well.  
  The end of her chronicle also spelt the end of our cushion of time.  Connor wrapped the woman in the weave and bade her and child run.  Vas’menier had found them.  But the woman’s salvation came not from us, but from none other than the young healer Lithany Delmir.  She fought off the assassin, not killing her unfortunately, but she was badly wounded when she fled.  Her appearance … what did it mean.. I am not sure.   *note in the margin to ask Lar*[/i] Lithany bade us to tell her father about her mother. We agreed.   With Vas’menier temporarily vanquished, we helped the elven lady depart and bade her to make her way to Voltrex and the tower of Nature.  Surely they will give her shelter. 
                 

[minerva]

Seersight
 
             Lisse’ I do think Connor has a touch of druid in him.  I’m glad he takes such good care of the plant we brought back from the Dark.  He asked me to accompany him to the great library to seek information on the other plant we seek, the one that is more delicate than his budding druidistic care can support.  Seeing as I love any chance to poke around in books and the great Library is one of my favorite spots, I happily agreed.
              The librarian, (Elmil something or other), was most helpful and was able to direct us to a stack or recently scribed tomes on the flora of the Serpent Isles.  Within these volumes was some information on a magical plant found to grow in the bridges area of the Isles.  Dreamsky; such a pretty name.  The illustrations of the flower were beautiful, but the information on it a bit disheartening.  Quick to die away from its home, it seems many have sought to preserve it for its magical/medicinal abilities.  It is touted to be a powerful hallucinogen used by the Wild elf tribes in the area for sight as well as for its legendary painkilling properties.  Seems it also is an aphrodisiac of some note, but that’s likely due to the aforementioned qualities. * a blot of ink here denotes a long pause*[/i]
            From what we could gather, only two paths formed in front of us.  The first relying on magic.. a magic vessel constructed to preserve the plant and force bloom weekly; Connor found plans for such a device.  The second path would be to convince the Wild elves to part with their secret of harvesting the plant at will and the rituals behind it; again possible and a more natural approach.
         Your Uncle chose to visit the Tower of the Arcane and seek their advice.  Yes Lisse’, another tower of elves.  This one was better than the last, but not by much.  They made pains to make it clear they considered my /our gift of the weave lesser than that of mages and sorcerers.  Lesser they said.  Lucinda blesses us with both the ability to shape the weave to our use and to heal and they call our gift lesser? *again a blot on the page denotes a large pause*[/i]
        Your uncle discussed the device with one of the Masters.  Turns out it will be expensive to make, and potentially very dangerous for your uncle.  Connor is no mage, yet he must learn the inner workings of the thing in order to perform the final stage of the ritual himself.  The Masters, if they agree to make it, can only do so much.  I think we should at least approach the Wild Elven tribes and see if we could persuade them to aid us.   *a note jotted on the side of the page reads  BRIS?*[/i]
 
  *what follows is an illustration of a flowering plant.  White flowers adorn it with eight teardrop petals a piece. The petals are richly textured and even the illustration speaks of sleep to you.  In light charcoal beside it are the words …. The magic of dreams*
     
     

[minerva]

 
The Magic of Dreams
 
  *many sketches cover the next few pages.  All are of two main subjects. The first a man dressed in full plate armor, a dragon insigne on his shield, a glowing long sword in his hand.  The other is a shadowy figure of a woman, not quite distinct, but of the same form and build of Katrien.*
 
  My sleep is marred of late.   Restless turning alone in our bed as I wonder where Lar has slipped off to yet again.   He comes in my dreams Lisse’.   Poppa is there, in the world not quite awake.  He seems to be reaching for me, reaching for us and at the same time searching.   I also see her.  I see the shadow Veldrin called.  The figure of a woman I once knew as my mother so very long ago.  She seems so sad, so lost.  She looks at me and I feel despair unlike anything I have ever felt before.  I wish I knew what these dreams mean.  I wish….