Hero Wars
Issaries, Inc. |
The Travels of Biturian VaroshSecrets in the Earth
The cult here is an earth cult, and thus shares many traits
with other earth-worshipping regions. But in Paps they revere Eiritha as
the center of worship, rather than Ernalda as in the Holy Country. However,
I had little trouble convincing the Respected Elder that I was, indeed, a
Lay Member of the religion. After so proving, they welcomed me and blessed
me. And after that, at dawn and dusk, I could see pixies darting and sparkling
about the area.
I sold the copper armor which I got at Pimper's Block for great profit, for that metal is holy among the earth folk. I still had some packets of herbs which I had got from the elves, and many people at the Paps wished to purchase them. A shaman of the Good Shepherd paid gold for dragonewt bones, and I was lucky to have a load of obsidian arrowheads and a bolt of red silk which some Rune women of the earth warrior cult vied for. The Winter ceremony is one of great sadness and mourning for the earth cults. There were no elves here to liven up things, so everyone viewed all their deities as dead or dying. Earth-mourning is accompanied by great wailings and moaning, and some of the fanatics fell into fits or mutilated themselves. As a Lay Member, I viewed the external ceremonies, wherein such activities took place, and normally could not have participated in any inner secrets, but I had offered to cover the area with my Market spell. The Most Respected Elder had accepted, and she was glad she did. The Middle Secrets of the earth ceremony occur within the Paps, underground, where those worshippers are then taken into the world of Godtime, where they can view the inert corpses and spirituality of their deities. This is a dangerous rite, for during it the worshippers risk Darkness invasion of the sacred area. Such an invasion then took place, with a great fury, as if we were in Hell itself. My Market spell first alerted everyone, and the Waha guards moved quickly to the entrance tunnels. Then the area Warding spells went off, and we realized we were under attack from two sides. Our enemies somehow had found a secret entrance or had teleported themselves. The first attack came from Morocanth, often accused of betraying the cult. They mostly were Lay Members, and therefore outside at the surface. But their leaders were powerful, and the raiders thrust deeply into the tunnels. Trolls led the second attack, much to our surprise. The Most Respected Elder did not pause in her ritual, for the luck of the Paps for the year depended on her completion of the ritual without interruption. But her assistant barked commands, and a group of Storm Bull worshippers cast their rune spells and charged the trolls. For a while I waited, trying to see which was the greater threat. I did not like being caught underground with foes on both sides, and was most tempted to fight the Morocanth, and thereby open a path of escape. But I saw the trolls batter the Storm Bull contingent, and without further waiting cast Orlanth's Shield, then a Bludgeon enhancement on my staff, and joined that fight. More than my effort led the successful counter-attack, but I paid deep respects to the earth cult with my blood and my power. Some trolls did escape, fleeing down the secret tunnels even deeper into the Paps. The women warriors of the earth cult conferred briefly, then set off in pursuit. The priestesses continued their rites, unfolding the secrets of the ritual. Even though I was present, I could not see them, but I knew from study that they were showing the secret sparks of life inside their deities, from which the Initiates lit their soul flames anew to help them against the Darkness season thereby. Norayeep came back from the ritual strong and beaming. She, as an Initiate, did have access to the secret. Morak was subdued and dirty, and I realized that he had joined the fight even though unarmed! For my spell I received Speak to Beasts from the Respected Elder, and she was most pleased with the aid they had received from my Market, or Neutral Ground, spell. I left the gathering feeling well, but now anxious to get to another bustling market of which I had heard. |
