I too witnessed the strange goings on recently at Kada Els. I also heard the following tale in the library. Enjoy
(23:25:03) Jayose says: Well, I invited a friend and storyteller from Ojaveda here - but he's running quite late.
(23:25:05) Jayose says: Welcome to Jayose's Librams and Codexes. I hope your visit is an enlightening one.
(23:25:17) Marialla says: Oh?
(23:25:28) Jayose says: Rotiart was a character in his tale, if I recall properly.
(23:25:40) Marialla says: I see...
(23:25:49) Marialla says: This is interesting...
(23:25:51) Dorbane says: Will he be here soon?
(23:26:11) Marialla says: The disembodied voice spoke of Rotiart as if he were a real person.
(23:26:40) Thahr says: whoof... that walk never gets any shorter...
(23:26:51) Thahr says: Good day, Jayose. My apologies for being so late.
(23:27:07) Dorbane says: It seems Rotiart abandoned this voice?
(23:27:09) Marialla says: Who're you?
(23:27:19) Jayose says: I was beginning to wonder if you were actually coming, Thahr.
(23:27:52) Aiwendil turns around "Is that the guest you were waiting for Jayose?"
(23:27:55) Marialla says: This the story teller?
(23:28:07) Thahr leans heavily on his staff. "Aye, that I am..."
(23:28:15) Thahr looks around.
(23:28:17) Dorbane says: You have a tale of Rotiart to tell?
(23:28:20) Marialla says: Who's Rotiart? who's he abandon?
(23:28:28) Marialla says: Who'd*
(23:28:48) Thahr eyes Jayose critically. "What have you been telling them, Jayose? Don't tell me you've spoiled the tale already?"
(23:29:02) Jayose says: Far from it. Please, have a seat.
(23:29:09) Thahr says: Hmph...
(23:29:19) >Assimil Koer takes a seat by Thahr Ulvirr.
(23:29:21) >Marialla Sensola takes a seat.
(23:29:22) >Thahr Ulvirr takes a seat.
(23:29:25) >Elolla Validor takes a seat by Thahr Ulvirr.
(23:29:27) >Dorbane Carax takes a seat.
(23:29:39) Thahr says: And I suppose you young fellows are all here to listen to my tale?
(23:29:48) Marialla says: Sorta...
(23:29:55) Dorbane says: Indeed
(23:30:25) Thahr says: His name was not always "Rotiart" you know. That was a name he adopted, after his... ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
(23:30:42) Dorbane gets comfortable.
(23:31:01) Thahr says: This tale was related to me by an aging ylian over a bottle of particularly strong Stone's Red.
(23:31:02) Marialla is sitting [yeah, no sit anim
]
(23:31:22) Thahr says: While the liquor may have loosened his tongue some, I believe the story to be true.
(23:31:26) Dorbane says: A Ylian you say?
(23:31:29) >Thahr Ulvirr dropped a Rotiart.
(23:31:44) Thahr says: Aye. It concerns a cursed sword he once possessed...
(23:32:02) Thahr sets the evil-looking blade on the floor.
(23:32:23) Thahr says: Now then... let us see...
(23:32:29) Thahr flips open the pages.
(23:32:45) >Catarina Mistborn greets Elolla Validor.
(23:32:51) Thahr says: "Jadath peered out of his tent, taking in the early-morning light.
(23:33:02) >Catarina Mistborn takes a seat by Elolla Validor.
(23:33:31) Thahr says: A male Rabanni of average appearance and gaunt physique, he had always admired his more powerful cousins, one of whom seemed born a warrior.
(23:34:00) Thahr says: More than anything, he aspired to be a soldier - an armor-clad deity of the battlefield, striding fearlessly into war with his sword ready, and a grim smile on his face.
(23:34:42) Thahr says: Alas, his dream was not to be. His true strength would always lie in the use of glyphs, and he cursed the fates that made it so.
(23:35:02) Thahr says: Everyone had a purpose, a role to fulfill, he'd been told - but that didn't mean he believed it.
(23:35:18) Thahr says: He hated the way nature had shaped him, and defied his gifts of magic as best he could.
(23:35:46) Thahr says: Moving onto the rugged plains, living the nomad's life, this had been part of his defiance.
(23:36:13) Thahr says: The strain of such harsh living had been etched into him, but his plan to toughen and temper himself had failed. Worse still, he knew it.
(23:36:18) >Joale Mable takes a seat.
(23:36:19) >Joale Mable stands up.
(23:36:20) >Joale Mable takes a seat.
(23:36:31) Thahr says: But where he had failed, his Lord had seen fit to intervene...
(23:37:04) Thahr says: 'You were born Rabani, and Rabani you shall stay,' the Lord told him. 'But this sword I hold could make you stronger than the mightiest Kran.
(23:37:16) Thahr says: I will give it to you, if you believe you are strong enough to pay its price.'
(23:37:31) Thahr says: 'I am strong, Lord,' Jadath answered. 'Ask what you will of me.'
(23:38:00) Thahr says: When his Lord gave Jadath the request, however, Jadath was greatly troubled. He begged for a night to consider it.
(23:38:28) Thahr says: Reluctantly, the Lord granted his request, promising to return at dawn's light to receive his answer.
(23:39:05) >Joale Mable stands up.
(23:39:15) Thahr says: "...And when the crystal's light broke over the plains, Jadath saw the mysterious Lord had kept his promise.
(23:39:42) Thahr says: 'Have you decided, little Rabani?' the Lord boomed out, in a voice only the enkidukai could hear.
(23:40:22) Thahr says: 'I have, Lord,' Jadath choked. The decisions had not been an easy one, but as he lay awake through the night weighing the Lord's price against the potential the sword would grant, he realized it was really no choice at all.
(23:40:38) Thahr says: 'I will pay the price you ask,' he declared.
(23:41:15) Thahr says: 'Then the blade is yours,' the Lord bellowed. 'Go, and do its bidding in my name.'
(23:41:54) Thahr says: The sword fell at the Rabani's feet, gold and black, glittering with malicious intent.
(23:42:12) Thahr says: Reverently, he lifted the blade, testing its weight and balance. A cold chill ran through him as he felt the sword's power.
(23:42:27) Thahr says: His pulse quickened, his breathing grew steady, and a cool confidence fell over him like a cloak
(23:42:31) Thahr says: He was strong.
(23:42:37) Thahr says: He could do this.
(23:42:55) Thahr says: ...Jadath stepped back inside the tent, the Lord's gift in one hand.
(23:43:28) Thahr says: Its blade caught the morning light, throwing a bright gleam onto the floor. Next to his bed roll, another enkidukai stirred, rubbing the light from her eyes.
(23:43:47) Thahr says: 'Jadath, is that you?' she asked. His mate, Ferah.
(23:43:57) Thahr says: The sword flashed once, and it was done.
(23:44:08) Thahr says: She hadn't even made a sound as the blade cleaved her through.
(23:44:09) Dorbane whispers, " The voice"?
(23:44:36) Thahr says: He was stronger indeed... 'My name is Rotiart,' he hissed coldly.
(23:44:49) Thahr turns a page.
(23:45:13) Thahr says: "The name 'Rotiart' became synonomous with kin-slaying. Jadath surrendered his old name, his idenity, to the blade's power.
(23:45:43) Thahr says: The strength it imparted upon him after Farah's death was more than he had ever known in his life - even his use of the glyph of Might had not empowered him so fully.
(23:45:56) >Calak Jivan takes a seat by Thahr Ulvirr.
(23:46:19) Thahr says: It was intoxicating, and left him no room for remorse. Without hesitation, he returned to his pack in search of the family he had forsaken.
(23:47:04) Thahr says: They were overjoyed, thinking Jadath had returned to his senses. And though mad with his lust for power, he had enough good sense to treat them amiably at first.
(23:47:31) Thahr says: When the next day dawned however, his kin found one of their own slain - cut down inside his own ultic, on his very bed.
(23:48:10) Thahr says: The pack was concerned, and at first suspected a rogue or a wild beast. But when nothing of value was discovered missing from the ultic, their suspicions turned to Jadath.
(23:48:40) Catarina says: ooohhh...
(23:48:57) Dorbane fidgets a little.
(23:49:05) Thahr says: They spoke secretly to each other, afraid to voice these thoughts, but none could deny that their cousin was acting strangely since his return. And Ferah's disappearance concerned them.
(23:49:30) Thahr says: The following day, when another was found murdered, they felt forced to confront him about it.
(23:49:40) Catarina says: oh my...
(23:50:01) Thahr says: At first of course, Jadath did his best to hide the truth. But the name "Rotiart" escaped his lips, and he could not provide a satisfactory answer to what the name meant.
(23:50:18) Thahr says: ...By nightfall, the traitorous kinslayer had left his home in flames.
(23:50:27) Saiix glances at some of the books on the shelves, slightly listening to the story happening
(23:51:06) Thahr says: A very slight few returned from the grave, over the weeks - one, a full cycle later, although the shock of it nearly killed him permanently.
(23:51:47) Thahr says: With those that escaped, and the fewer still who returned from death, the tale of Jadath's foul deeds spread far. Some embellished the horrors, from false memory or for the entertainment of others, but none hid the awful truth of what the Rabani had done.
(23:52:48) Thahr says: In next to no time at all, word had spread to the lowest levels of Yliakum, and its highest. The Octarchy, had not convened on the matter, but whispers and discontent in the streets made it seem a likely possibility. Wanted posters, bounties, and all manner of rewards were offered for Jadath's arrest - or his head.
(23:53:58) Thahr says: And in the meanwhile, the Rabani continued his bloody tasks. Bereft of friends and family - at least those he knew of - he would find a companion for the night. Drinking fellow, or a willing lass, it did not matter to him, for in the morning he would simply leave the bodies where they fell. Some vanished, but most were sent to burial wells, never to rise.
(23:54:13) Catarina says: wow.
(23:54:37) Thahr says: Jadath's strength and battle skill had yet to be tested, however. Murder satiated his lust for power, but he had felt the lost purpose of it.
(23:54:51) Thahr says: And so it came to be that the young Rabani traitor made his fatal mistake.
(23:55:26) Thahr says: After days of nomadic wandering, he came to the gates of Hydlaa, and confessed his terrible deeds to the closest guard he met.
(23:55:29) Dorbane shifts in his seat.
(23:55:37) Thahr says: And when the guards attempted to arrest him, Jadath fought like mad.
(23:55:42) Catarina 's eyes widen
(23:55:53) Marialla says: Hmph...
(23:55:59) Thahr says: It exhilirated him, the rush of battle, and with the sword's power aiding him, Rotiart claimed another victim.
(23:56:19) Thahr says: But Jadath was not a trained soldier, though he had yearned all his short life to be one.
(23:56:40) Thahr says: Infuriated with the death of one of their own, the Captain of the Guard lead a dozen of his finest to confront Jadath.
(23:56:56) Thahr says: It was at this moment, facing thirteen armed and armored warriors, that the dark Lord's price became known.
(23:57:11) Thahr says: His deep voice resonated in Jadath's head, blurring his vision and bringing tears to the menki's eyes.
(23:57:30) Thahr says: 'These are not the sacrifices I demanded of you. Take their lives, and you do so without my aid.'
(23:57:55) Thahr says: And though Jadath still held the blade in his hands, its power abandoned him utterly. His limbs felt like lead, the weight of so many day restless travel.
(23:58:17) Thahr says: The Rabani fought as best as he was able, but his efforts were laughable.
(23:58:29) Thahr says: Hide bloodied from a dozen wounds, he fell gasping at their feet.
(23:59:02) Thahr says: The sentencing was a short one, for the evidence of his crimes spoke volumes. Without the sword's power, Jadath felt himself betrayed, and so confessed all that had come about since it was bestowed upon him.
(23:59:19) Thahr says: The court was not without a sense of irony. They ordered Jadath's death by beheading - with his own blade.
(23:59:28) Thahr says: The guard Captain was assigned as his executioner.
(23:59:29) Catarina says: ooohhhhh!
(23:59:33) Marialla says: My guess is that this spirit in the Tavern must be Jadath...
(23:59:51) Marialla says: betrayed by Rotiart.
(00:00:04) Dorbane says: I agree.
(00:00:13) Thahr says: At dusk, Jadath was lead to the center of town, and placed upon a stone pavilion. The list of his crimes was read aloud, his head laid upon a waist-high block.
(00:00:35) Thahr says: Rotiart hovered above his neck for a moment, then the Captain raised it high.
(00:00:51) Thahr says: As the light glittered from the blade in the waning light, the Lord's voice spoke one last time to Jadath.
(00:01:03) Thahr says: 'Did I not warn you that this was the Betrayer's Blade...?'
(00:01:23) Thahr says: The look of shock and sorrow that etched itself on Jadath's face was forever sealed there as the blade came down.
(00:01:36) Marialla winces.
(00:01:40) Thahr smiles grimly, shutting the book.
(00:01:57) Calak looks slightly bord
(00:02:03) Marialla says: Shall we all head to the Tavern again, then? And try to puzzle out this mystery?
(00:02:11) >Catarina Mistborn stands up.
(00:02:14) >Marialla Sensola stands up.
(00:02:20) >Calak Jivan stands up.
(00:02:21) >Calak Jivan takes a seat.
(00:02:22) >Assimil Koer stands up.
(00:02:23) >Calak Jivan stands up.
(00:02:28) Dorbane takes a close look at the blade.
(00:02:28) Jayose says: Well that was a bloody tale indeed. Pleased with yourself, Thahr?
(00:02:47) Thahr grips his staff, pulling himself slowly to his feet.
(00:02:48) >Thahr Ulvirr stands up.
(00:02:55) >Dorbane Carax stands up.
(00:02:57) >Elolla Validor stands up.
(00:03:08) >Thahr Ulvirr picked up a Rotiart
(00:03:36) Thahr says: Thank you, for listening to an old menki's tale.
(00:03:44) Dorbane says: Thank you for telling us your tale,
(00:03:50) Marialla says: Thanks for telling us.
(00:04:11) Calak smiles and nods
(00:04:22) Assimil nods
(00:04:37) Elolla nods
(00:04:57) Thahr chuckles dryly. "Odd, the last time I told this story, there were a great many questions indeed."
01.tiff)
