Re: The Game: Chapter 13
In reply to Maeve Hassan (msg # 51):
Team Lo'driel
Zuriel accomplishes much in his three-month window, but since part of that time is spent in the Celestial Heavens -- where time slows to a crawl -- it's not really a fair comparison.
The Church of Ma'or takes root within Lo'driel, and the Knight-Captain-turned-Protector-General Edrahil is tasked with the establishment of a proper (and non-choking) bureaucracy along with making the necessary appointments to allow for smooth administration. Missionary work begins in earnest, as there is much to be done in terms of healing the hearts, minds, and bodies across the continent.
Advised by his father that saving the world was more important than being bogged down in the minutia of church administration, Zuriel then heads to the Celestial Heavens with Lyriel, who hopes to find some record of her brother's divine mirror there and perhaps learn through that whether he is well and truly dead.
As she is not a citizen, Lyriel is forced to remain outside the gates of the Celestial Heavens while Zuriel enters the city to obtain a visa for her. En route to the proper facility -- he'd done this before for Sazed, so the way was familiar -- Zuriel was stopped by armed Celestials and escorted without delay to the Celestial Council.
All the burning questions and desires Zuriel had for the Council were forced to be swallowed, as the illustrious gathering did not allow him to speak.
"You have resurrected the lost church of Ma'or."
A statement, not a question.
"When Tassada first rose to power, it became clear that the presence of two Lawful Good churches was too much for mortal minds to handle. They succumbed to in-fighting and to petty vanity, and weakened the cause of both in the process. The more militant of the two ultimately prevailed, and Ma'or entered a dormant state after ceding her territory to the younger church."
"Thanks to you, Ma'or stirs once again. We do not believe this to be a problem, as the power of the Hells has grown such that even the might of Tassada may not be enough to contain them."
"Therefore, this Council has seen fit to assign you a Celestial Duty: Restore Ma'or to full consciousness, and help her return fully to the pantheon of light. You are dismissed, Celestial. May the Heavens ease your travels."
Zuriel returns to the gates, so bewildered that he had forgotten entirely about the visa, to find Lyriel chatting with Liora outside.
"I can't stay, but it's great to see you both," the celestial researcher smiles, hugging each in turn before heading back toward the city. "We'll catch up properly later, but right now I am very, very pressed for time. Take care!"
Lyriel clutches to her chest the scroll Liora had brought to her (presumably in response to a Sending while she waited for Zuriel), upon which is etched the title: An Archive of the Mirrored Spells Provided to Eldric Vesper -- (P) Tassada.
A plane shift later sends the pair miraculously onto the deck of a Gaelian vessel, upon which Maeve, Keef, and Boreas have just set foot in the expectation of setting sail to the East.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:34, Mon 01 Dec 2014.