The Rose of Nelthroch
By Eldersen Valderoth of Nelthroch
My departure from Nelthroch Village was not adorned with bittersweet goodbyes and warm embraces to cherish along the way, but with the sourness of regret and the unbearable weight of dread. No caramelized treat or crystalline flash of light could mask that taste or lessen the darkness into which I would trek. Not even the gold of bees or rusting of autumn's foliage could distract me from the choices I had made. How I wish someone else could have been chosen to bear this task.
In my heart, were words who's weight would drag me down. Like a cold and dented anvil, they made each hill feel twice as steep, and each beast from whom I fled, ever more menacing. If only they knew of the burden and responsibility that I bore for myself, for my people, and even for them, then perhaps they would not stand in my way and add to my chore.
~~*~~
On the third night of my journey from the the Lower Fields, I laid within the split of a great stone and there I took refuge and prayed. Offering a fourth of my meal to the goddess through the mouth a small, nocturnal beast, I asked her how I might lessen the weight upon my soul. "I cannot walk any farther like this.", I complained. "This weight is overwhelming, I have no more hope."
I fell asleep in sorrow, but awoke in dazzling light. There in my midst, she stood clothed in golden leaves and rose petals – impossibly placed. She spoke with motherly adoration, the wisdom of an elderly woman, yet with the playfulness of a child. “Seek true love, learn of me, and when you are done with your task, I will escort you home.”
Her words were immediately written upon my soul. I could feel them deep beneath my flesh, and they changed me that very night. I could not sleep, and so chose to journey forward through the night with nothing but my staff with which to feel my way through the blackened forest, and the hope in my heart to light my way.
“To Hydlaa, and beyond!”
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I'll be posting progress in Eldersen's path in story format; always a bit behind so as not to spoil any surprises. Feel free to add any of your own observations, writings, encounters, and so on. I see this as a collage or memories, so don't be shy.
Unlike past events, I don't plan on actually running an event, per se, but rather simply role playing with several pre-chosen objectives and seeing where things go.
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