Midnight RPG - Chapter 12.24

[This scene takes place moments after Durgaz has left Kyuad, Neese, Zal'Kazzir and D'hal hidden in the sanctuary chapel of the Obsidian Spire...]

Kevin

Black candles flicker near the sarcophagus that seems more pulpit than coffin. This room isnot quite as dank as the dungeonous halls that you've moved through to hide within waiting for the Orc Seer to pull the Elf and his wolf to safety. From your vantage point beneath a long dark stone and ancient wood table that sits against the wall around a corner to the left of the cathedral-like doorway you are hidden from view by a cloth draping over scraping the warm stone-worked floor.

Durgaz quickly plunked you down beneath the table to hide from the denizens within. Ducking in and out of the carved nooks along the outer dungeon walls on your way to this "safe room", you heard the echos of human voices but could make nothing out.

It took nearly three minutes that seemed like hours to climb the chute leading into the room when the automaton-like Orge sat watching for movement of the hanging bodies, once to the top perhaps another two minutes creeping behind shadows to this place. The room feels less like an underground dungeon and more like a chapel with intricate weavings of tapestry adorning the walls. The only areas open to bare wall show strange carvings of beasts and gargoyles jutting out mostly high along the tops of the walls. Pews line this room, perhaps thirty on each side of the center walk to the front pulpit. Surrounding the pulpit/coffin, hundreds of black and dark crimson candles illuminate casting dozens of long shadows throughout the gable ceiling room.

Now and then the sound of a bat flutters somewhere in the dark. The floor carpetted in some places sometimes moves with beetles, bugs, centipedes, maggots and flys underfoot. They seem to permeate the Spire, having worked their way into the recesses of the stone walls and floor which seems to periodically have small pools of the same necro-seepage from the caverns below - the bugs scurry about to avoid being stepped on. The scent of mildew and death is covered in this room by an odd sweet wax that fills your lungs with a warm haze.

Not moments after Zal'Kazzir has been deposited by Durgaz next to Kyuad beneath the table does the cathedral door creak open... Footsteps and paper shuffling can be heard before the voices of at least three denizens of the Spire walk the center aisle toward the alter...

[For sake of easy, and because its no real secret, I've labeled the names of the legates present. Assume that they say enough in their conversation that you can get the jist of their names/ranks.]

Curate Martial, Bearer of the Black Shield - Seneschal of Shadow, Harrower (Soldier) Ahimia Gaskindin (female human, Urban Sarcosan)
"... beyond that point Hyuri, I fail to your logic to the arguement. I take issue that he offers such easy alliance for anyone that would follow his cause. Might I add that I fear that his cause is not our own. Even now the Orc and Undead march to the treeline but what does he do? He toils his time with the stars leaving before the initiates that are to become during HIS ritual on the moon. He twists in plots contending on meaningless whelps making their way to us from the ShadowWall, hoping they will grant we Spire-folk favor to overcome King Jahzir..."

Harrower, Sunulael’s Handmaiden - Inquisitor Hyuri Dezba-Kahon (female human, Urban Sarcosan)
"...'HIS' ritual is to support the..."

Curate Barrack-Master, Surgeon Knife Yungat Titkan (male human, Urban Sarcosan)
"...'HIS' ritual is the point Lady Dezba-Kahon... 'HIS' ritual should not be noted. It is because the master chooses to go his own way that..."

Ahimia Gaskindin
"Shadow have you Hyuri! Listen to Yungat... He continues to step closely to the boudries watched by those such as us within the Devout. Some have feared that his elfin ways cloud his mind from the stars, yet he continues to rely on them as the long dead Sahi did. Not only does he tempt fate by having the slave-master bring his latest batch in such a large contingent in one massive drive, but he continues to toil with that damned eye. Truly Hyuri can you believe that it speaks as he postulates, true it has power, true it has raised these halls from obscurity but it is but a sick tool for a self-annointed would be scientist driven mad by the things he saw beneath the Spine of the World.
Do you truly believe that it was Lord Sunulael's wish to taunt the orc traitor who can see through the eyes of the Cadaverous thing? Do you think the Shadow compels him to use the Spire as his personal fortress for conquest on which he can hang the bodies of the pathwalker's allies? Do you think the orc legions, that would have his head, are so far from the truth told them by hundreds of years of raw instinct? Do you think Kulos would..."

Yungat Titkan (gasping as he walks)
"...blasphemous Lady Gaskindin! Speak not of it here!"
As the man looks upward into the shadow as if he fears being overheard in this unholy debate...

Hyuri Dezba-Kahon
"'tis true Ahimia... the Priest of Shadow may or may not compel Vrolk directly in the manners in which he weaves. But I follow... You follow. We follow. We follow without hesitation because we know that he will take us..."

Ahimia Gaskindin
"...take us WHERE Hyuri?!! Take us to the Marches to die true death? Take us beneath the Spine to a fate worse than undeath? Take us to the grave with so many others beneath this Nail?? You speak as though you have a devotion that reaches beyond the Shadow Hyuri. You speak with a light in your eye. You speak with..."

Hyuri Dezba-Kahon
"...I speak with my heart Harrower..."

Ahimia Gaskindin
"What good is heart without a mind to follow it Hyuri? What good is heart when drowned in pity for an elf who forsaked his own kind to emulate ours? What good is heart for one that has never shown mercy to the Sisterhood? What good is heart for one who's only wish is to..."

Hyuri Dezba-Kahon
"...YOU know nothing of heart Ahimia. You wouldn't have to ask these things if you knew love..."

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Midnight: North & South Portal

Denizens of the SPIRE

These 13 Legates of the Spire are intense, half-insane men and women of the Devout… (4th)

1. Prelate to the Spire, Darkvoice (Voice of Shadow) Ozar Teusela male human (Urban Sarcosan) 2. Curate Librarian I, Keeper of Forbidden Lore – Keeper of the Key (Keeper of Obsidian) Suman Wikuya male human (Urban Sarcosan) 3. Curate Master of Sacrifices, Binder of Blood (Umbral Catholicon) Rerim Ehola male human (Urban Sarcosan) 4. Curate Engineer, Knight of Shadow – Dark Knight (Soldier) Hojmin Otutena male human (Urban Sarcosan) 5. Curate Treasurer I, Seeker of Blood – Blood Seeker (Witch Taker) Khurar Minosa male human (Urban Sarcosan) 6. Curate Choirmaster, Darkvoice (Voice of Shadow) Imbriaz Muhawee male human (Urban Sarcosan) 9. Harrower, Wolf of Shadow – Witch Bane (Witch Taker) Ridar Meda male human (Plains Sarcosan)

7. Curate Professor , Master of Blood (Keeper of Obsidian) Qabdinana Gameni-Kia female human (Urban Sarcosan) 8. Curate Professor , Shadowcaster (Voice of Shadow) Mazoela Ihnan-Nianon female human (Urban Sarcosan)

11. Curate Professor, Preceptor of Pain (Eye of Izrador, Sisterhood) Shalim Hemato male female (Urban Sarcosan)

The three NEW Legates

 Keeper of Forbidden Lore – Master of the Pale (Keeper of Obsidian) Diero Pessiogn male human (Erenlander)  Darkvoice (Voice of Shadow – secretly one of “the True”, the Cabal) Radim Quinon male human (Urban Sarcosan)  Bearer of the Black Shield - Dark Templar (Soldier) Griliance Thalareon male human (Erenlander)

SLEEPERS

The other greater legates of Eredane, and their assigned base of operations are:

1. Mother of Pain – former Merciful Mother (Sisterhood) Bazzida Hanishee female human (Urban Sarcosan) 2. former Master of the Zordrafin Corith of Zorgeth, Master of Blood (Keeper of Obsidian) Stoki of the house of Snena male human (Dorn) 3. Darkvoice (Voice of Shadow) Burim Hihin of Wituna male human (Urban Sarcosan) 4. Warrior Son of the Dark God - Seneschal of Shadow, (Soldier) Niliance Nazan male human (Erenlander) 5. Wolf of Shadow – Witch Bane (Witch Taker) Cimbar female elf (Caransil)

Krell Azma’han’s & his Sharuun Mercs

Krell Azma’han male human (Sarcosan Rog1/Lgt5/Ftr3

1. Sohid Ninohanzee 2. Fijab of Enesa-Eteus 3. Numiah Nahon-Duhale 4. Jamood Ehni 5. Abrin of Wingin 6. Anir Otawee-Dion 7. Ismar Elsin 8. Nalzir of Toren 9. Sateef Tola 10. Charin of Petu 11. Suhrabin Maston 12. Ozza of Menah-Seton