"When we have restored that which has been lost, The Lost will Return, and we shall walk in our Green Forest again."
(The Seer Akilia)
"Truly all human history is a history of interference by supernatural forces; and that interference is consistently for the worse. If your suffering is less, it is because the Higher Powers have merely chosen not to interfere with you directly."
(from 'The Pantheon', a subversive tract by one Vozhey)
"We are naught but the stuff of dreams, So dream, my love, of Chaos, For the taste, it is sweet."
(Opening stanza of the Lyrics of Erobinil: composed 602, quoted by Lirra, the Mad Poet in Rockholme, Spring 2502)
As the sun set on 5 Kemel, a crowd gathered in the main hall of the Temple of FIDAR on Earth, in Bjarmigen. At the gates of the Temple, a pile of axes, swords and daggers grew, as people left their weapons out of respect for the holiness of the place. Whispers around the room spoke of a major coup by the Powers of Good, of some good news about the coming of Spring. The buzz died down as Ulrik Kazan, instantly recognisable by his ice-white hair and eyes, stepped onto the podium to speak. His words resonated through the room, reaching the hearts of every listener as if magic was in the air.
"Friends, I bring you better news than I have ever before had the fortune to tell! Good has triumphed over Evil, and Spring has returned to the world!"
In the crowd a tattered old beggar slapped the side of his head. Jak reminded himself that these magically-enhanced speeches can be seductive. Caught up in the words of the silvery-tongued cleric, you can overlook their content. He tried to concentrate on the news behind the speech- making. This was the raw material that would provide the basis for his own tales. On the streets information has value, proselytising does not.
"Sometime during this Winter, perhaps earlier," Ulrik was saying, "the Evils hatched and nearly succeeded with a terrible plot to remove the healing power of Spring and Nature from the world. Harnessing the powers of Chaos and Change, they managed to create a 'Dark Area' in the North West Forest, like what happened at Rockholme: an area where Evil tipped the balance over. The Dark Forest, as some people called it, slowly expanded, and within it many things were warped. For example, the light from CAERULAS and the rest of the sky did not enter the forest, and Good and Neutral Clerical magic did not work."
"This is more like it," thought Jak. "A place of Evil and darkness in the depths of the Forest."
Ulrik was emphasising his speech with dramatic gestures. "VER, Demigoddess of Spring, was already weakened by the murder of ORIL, and Her remaining power came in some measure from the area covered by the Dark Forest. She 'sleeps' through the other seasons, and the abomination of the Dark Forest prevented Her from waking up on 19 Destri, the official first day of Spring. This terrible Winter thus continued unabated by Her tenderness. Without an ending of the Dark Forest, She would not have risen this year; we would have had no Spring, a barren Summer, little harvest, and a sharp return to Winter.
"However the good news is that, although this plot came close to success, it did not succeed. The Dark Forest was dispelled about two Caeriads ago, and VER has woken up. Spring is here. I am given to understand that She will be weak at first, but we can Hope that She will become stronger. Friends, the good news is that this terrible Winter is over. We can now work to rebuild the world."
Jak cast a surreptitious eye around the crowd. He spotted a couple of his competitors, a spy in the pay of various masters, and a number of representatives of the Thieves' Guild. He was pleased to note that the City Guard seemed to be absent. Unsurprisingly, the Temples were here in force, especially the Church of ESCUS.
It was hardly news that Spring was coming. It always does, and is usually late in this part of the World. Jak offered a silent prayer to DALA to inspire this orator with some real rumour.
"I played a small part in the Good effort to remove the Dark Forest, and it is my privilege to be able to recount to you this evening some of the story of what happened.
"I am told that a group of Higher Powers led by OPSOR, God of Hope, gathered together on 19 Destri to sponsor a mission to dispel the Dark Forest. The other Powers involved were SHELDA, Goddess of Love, TIPRE, Lady Luck, RAYLIT Elf-friend, NORRID, God of the Forests, CHARIAM, Demigod of the Crops, and our own MIORA, Demigoddess of Reconstruction."
Jak mumbled his thanks to the Mistress of Gossip. The people like nothing more than tales of the doings of Gods.
"I am not at liberty to reveal exactly what OPSOR and the other Powers' plan was, but it involved delivering secretly something that would reverse the Darkness in the heart of the Dark Forest. You can think of it as a Good Device, created I think by MIORA, that had to be taken to the centre of the Evil. The Powers decided to give the honour of the mission to a group of people."
A mystery Magic Item: fine, he could make that up. A Chalice would be appropriate. Human heroes too: he'd better catch the names.
"There were eight of us chosen. As well as myself for MIORA and FIDAR, there were three exceptionally capable elves: a married couple, Carriel and Elodar, followers of OPSOR from Minduinath, and Tindómerel, a RAYLIT magic-user and musician from the Underworld. SHELDA chose as Her appointee on the mission Jafat, the famous Man of Heaven, and the party also included Carus, a Valdrean farmer, Merrel, a tree-man, and Akilia, a powerful Chaotic visionary. We met just outside the Dark Forest on 1 Kemel, and plotted our strategy."
Jak wondered what race a 'tree-man' might be. Presumably one of those mad woodsmen, but it might be more entertaining to cast him as some kind of walking tree.
"Because the Dark Forest sucked creatures in, and let nothing come out, we had little knowledge of what to expect. However Akilia had somehow managed to enter and leave it, and gave us an account of what he had seen. Merrel also thought he knew how to find the centre of the Darkness, where we had to aim for. We made what preparations we could, and decided to enter the Forest by air, using a FIDAR Windwalk.
"Entering the Forest was a shock. The wholesomeness of the natural forest was reversed cruelly and horribly. I do not propose to sully the beautiful place we are in now by its description, but believe me, I have been into Hell and seen much of the Underworld, but this was one of the most unpleasant places I have ever seen."
"Nice touch," approved Jak. "Don't make the mistake of describing it. Always better to leave it to their imagination."
Ulrik now launched into a more detailed account of their adventures. Jak took the opportunity to scratch a few sores. This sort of stuff is always best made up as you go along. You have to suit it to your audience. Noticing some well-dressed Clerics enthralled by the story, he sidled over to pick their pockets.
"Eventually," Ulrik was saying "we reached the edge of a vast lightning storm..."
The beggar carefully slid his donor's purse out through a foolishly fashionable wide sleeve. Giving such a sum to the poor would improve this fat cat's credit greatly. In a way, Jak was performing an act of charity by helping the man so.
"We then trudged on foot through the lightning and the mangled forest. Eventually we found the centre, where some ghastly ceremony involving human sacrifice was going on. There was a huge fire, a horde of orcs, many Undead, and some HAERIM clerics, including Glersh, a particularly misguided HAERIM follower, and someone who Jafat had had dealings with before."
Glersh the Dread, eh? The Champion of Love meets the Champion of Hate! What a story, if only this amateur could tell it.
"Our Clerical and Druidic powers no longer worked, and those of us who were Elementalists had used much of our power. Even with our full power, it would have been difficult to Peace or otherwise neutralise such a force. So we decided instead to distract them from our mission.
"Jafat, Carus and Merrel provided a heroic, though regrettably not an entirely peaceful, diversion. The three of them marched up to the edge of the horde, and Jafat shouted 'Glersh, you old rogue. I love you!' Glersh seemed not to reciprocate this feeling! He gave a loud scream (I cannot duplicate it), and a huge melee soon began; the three against a small army. Tindómerel and Akilia used their powers to further confuse the situation.
"Meanwhile Elodar, Carriel and I took Invisibility potions and Elodar Dimension-Doored us to the other side of the battle. Carriel then placed and set off the Good Device, while we tried to protect her. After some anxious moments, the Evil of the Dark Forest was dispelled by the Good we had brought with us, returning the place to a natural forest. Our first sight of the world outside was seeing the light of RAYLIT in the evening sky, the same light we see now streaming in through the windows of the Temple.
"All of our party survived. Most of the Evils fled. Let us Hope to reflect on their mistakes, and decide to work for a better, rather than a nastier world.
"And Spring is here. Friends, let us give thanks to OPSOR, CHARIAM, MIORA, NORRID, RAYLIT, SHELDA, and TIPRE for sponsoring the mission, and let us also thank FIDAR, since without Her magic, the news today would be less happy. We thank you, Gods and Demigods, for bringing us Spring!"
Stuffing the purse down the front of his trousers, Jak made for the door. The moralising was coming, and if he left now he could beat the rush at the end. Besides, the last owner of his new codpiece might soon notice his sudden gain in credit...
Meanwhile up on the podium, Ulrik Kazan continued his own bid for credit. Warming to his subject, he shared with the crowd some of his thoughts.
"Those who aid the powers of Evil have gambled recklessly with all our lives. OPSOR has said that Change was one of the powers used to make the Dark Forest. I think we need to realise that not all Change is Good, and that there are dark as well as bright sides of Change. At the Temple of Peace on Earth, we are fortunate to see much of Blue and Green, but I think we must realise that RAVAR and the powers that work for Him are not always dedicated to our well-being. We all know how much the world needs Change, but no Change is better, much better than the wrong sort of Change.
"It is obvious that the Destruction of ORIL has caused most of our misery this Winter. How did it happen? Obviously WAGREN was the agent, but He could not have acted if the Gods and peoples of Good had not been on divergent paths. Allocating blame can only lead to discord. The lesson for the future is that together we can control our destiny, but if we let pride or rivalry take hold in our hearts, we are lost.
"Many of us have different ideas about what should be done to help the world, but if we really want to help, we will have to put that help ahead of our pride and our egos. We have all of us, including myself, been guilty at some time of putting our own beliefs ahead of the co-operation that the world needs. We need to work together.
"As FIDAR said to me in Commune just yesterday: 'Let the co-operation which enabled this Mission to succeed be your example for the future'. I hope that there will be lots of opportunities in the future for those of us in the Temple of Peace on Earth to work together with people of SHELDA and other Good and Neutral people who share many of our goals. Together we are strong, together we cannot be beaten, but if we follow our own separate paths, the past shows that division can lead to ruin.
"Friends, friends, I beg you, listen to my message. This Winter has been a tragedy. Every child who died was a potential light for the world. Let us make the memory of all those who died a beacon for what we want to do in the future. Work hard. Work together. Work for a better world!"
This conclusion was greeted with rapturous applause, which Ulrik acknowledged with a modest bow and mumbled thanks to FIDAR for his inspiration. As he stepped down from the podium, his pretty young fiancee rewarded him with a hug and a kiss.
It was at this point that Humbor of the Temple of WACON on Earth discovered that the purse he kept hidden under his robe had somehow become untied. Dropping to his knees, he frantically scoured the floor. Approving of this gesture, others nearby also bowed down in prayer. Spies and informers joined in, so as not to look out of place, and soon everyone was praying to FIDAR for a better World.
Ulrik Kazan was most gratified at this response, not appreciating the subtle intervention of Chaos in what to him was simple cause and effect.
VER smiles, and caresses Her green fingers over the budding shoots. Across Anarea the new lambs gambol, and sunshine and showers sprinkle the land. Life springs forth anew at Her gentle touch, and it feels good.
She flits on a breeze across the ravaged heart of the North West Forest. Here vast tracts lie blackened and dead. Alighting in a devastated brake, She rubs Herself against a leafless stump and kisses a fallen cone. New shoots sprout all around. VER whistles, and a small herd of deer trot towards her. She rubs the stag's antlers, and runs Her fingers along the flanks of the hinds. Allowing the starving creatures to feed upon the new growth on the trees, Lady Spring passes on.
She came late this year, almost too late, and Her stay will be all too brief. But Her arrival was most welcome to the hard-pressed survivors of the worst Winter in living memory. Not until Kemel did the dark clouds roll back, letting the warming sunshine thaw the snows and bring forth growth in the plants.
There is much to do in the few weeks She has, and VER is not as strong as She once was. But Regeneration is part of Her Aspect, and the effects of Her touch are subtle and long-lasting. For VER is a Demigoddess of Fertility. The death of ORIL may have aborted last year's growth, but the Goddess of the Harvest and Fertility was not the only repository of new life in the World. Though weakened by the loss of Her Mistress, VER retained Her own sources of power, which survived the depredations of the Forces of Waste, and allowed Her to emerge, frail but still potent. Now, in the fleeting time available to Her this year, She spreads that power and Anarea is regenerated.
As She dances through the glades, VER sings a song of Spring. A chorus of blackbirds and thrushes accompanies Her. The sky is blue, and the sun is shining. Hope is in the air at last.
Kyarlin, Champion of the House of Heaven and Commander of Fort Venture, surveys the front line. Each entrance to the cavern is barricaded with rocks and the bodies of the fallen from both sides. Dwarves labour to repair the breaches before the next assault, and Angels of SARAN and ESCUS use Their Magic to strengthen the defences. Clerics heal the wounded.
Tactically it would be wise to abandon this position, but strategically it is a vital link in the chain of strongholds high up in Mt. Anar which are sealing off the lines of communication between Heaven and Hell. Until the sappers have dug the new tunnels, they must hold this point, or their friends further down the line will be cut off. Indeed, the very ferocity of the attacks shows the importance the enemy attach to this cave junction.
The Man of Heaven cannot but admire the dwarves. For a year now they have been fighting the Forces of Heaven and Hell in the Dungeons of Mt. Anar. The combat has been bitter and bloody; fought in narrow passages, above precipitous drops, through convoluted mazes and against cruel and powerful opponents. But, like true servants of SARAN, they have never faltered. The Dwarf-King stated his people would retake Heaven for the Forces of Good and Law, whatever the cost, and his loyal subjects have remained true to his word, despite the most appalling casualties.
Now at last, they are reaping some reward from all their sacrifices. Assisted by the Higher Powers of SARAN and ESCUS, they gradually extended the area under their control. Now they have been reinforced by Valdrean forces from Fort Venture under Kyarlin's command. Veterans from the wars in the West and North of the Empire, every man is a volunteer. The fresh troops have allowed the allies to advance to such an extent that they are now threatening to besiege Heaven itself. The dwarves are superb engineers, and are reinforcing and rebuilding the network of strongholds, such as this, which will enable them to resist attacks from below whilst they strike upwards, towards Heaven itself.
Of course, Planist links remain open, but the talk amongst the Higher Powers is of a Teleport Block. After all, They used to have one around Heaven, so it should not be beyond Their power to re-impose it.
Kyarlin reflects upon the irony of his position. Of the Men of Heaven who came to Earth, he has been the most successful; to the point where he will soon be Emperor of Valdrea, the most powerful human state in the World. He achieved this by his acceptance that there was no realistic prospect of returning to Heaven within his lifetime, and by his devotion to advancing himself on Earth. Now his very success has put Heaven within his grasp once again.
A cry goes up from the barricades. The orcs are returning to the offensive. Symbols flash. Balrogs appear all over the cavern, and the Angels attack Them. A wall collapses, and a confusion of Umber Hulks, of Trolls and Evil Magic-Users enters the fray. Swords clash, Fireballs explode, and Words both Holy and Unholy are Spoken.
"Ah well, back to work!" thinks Kyarlin, as he steps into shadows, draws the Sword, and selects his target.
Your plots are requested for Summer 2502.
© P.R. Wild, 29 July 1992
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