The chamberlain of the Reapers of Sorrow was well used to his Lord's moods but this one had a particular edge to it that disturbed him greatly. "My Lord, may I assume that you no longer favour fine Cabilisian pottery? Or is there, perhaps, something on your mind?" he asked carefully.
Jhaerak glared at him for a long moment before sighing deeply and turning away from his current destruction of the ancient artworks adorning the tables of Jhaerak's private chambers. "It's that damn bard, Breudar..."
"The one that dared to accost you at the New Tanaan banking facility? My Lord, say the word and I shall have him dragged before you in chains, there to - "
Waving him to silence, Jhaerak slumped down into the one chair in the whole suite, a bulky, high-backed behemoth made mostly of bones collected over the Seasons by Jhaerak himself and crafted in the form of a grisly throne-like trophy.
"There is no life in the mansion anymore, Breudar. A handful of us stalk around the perpetual shadows that no longer hide life, intrigue or danger. What voices are there in these walls now? Aside from the two of us, plotting our futures, recounting our pasts... where are the screams? Where are the cries of pain, the screams of passion? The calls-to-arms and the pounding of feet on the way to new battles?" He sighed again and slumped deeper into the comfort of the chair.
Jumping to his feet once more, Jhaerak strode over to a wall to regard a shawl that hung there. Peering closely at the dwarven stitchwork he whispered "and do you remember Tahngou, Breudar?"
"The... the druid?" he stammered, "yes, I recall her, Lord. I always felt you should have execu - "
"And Lady Kyrstellaine?" Jhaerak interrupted striding to another wall to regard a weapon of most unusual design. Without waiting for a reply from the dumbfounded chamberlain, Jhaerak idly stroked a lump of crystal that glowed faintly on the table before him - "and Lord Varigon? Does he still reside in fond memory, my friend?" Turning fully to face Breudar, Jhaerak allowed a faint smile to touch his lips as he took in Breudar's discomfort at the mention of these almost-forgotten names.
"The Koada'Dals, my Lord. Yes... I remember them... and despite what you think, I did not disapprove." Squaring his shoulders and meeting Jhaerak's eyes fully, boldly and without flinching or signs of fear, he raised his voice steeled himself to do what he did best - tell Jhaerak the untarnished truth as he saw it, without bias, motive and aboive all without fear of retribution.
"You were different back then my Lo.... Jhaerak. When you first came to us you were wild, uncultured, almost feral. Your time here tempered your moods and harnessed your spirit but your travels above ground, whilst viewed with disdain by many at court, tempered your very soul! Your skills grew beyond anything I had imagined for you when first I saw the bedraggled strippling that first stumbled through our gates. Your adventures ranged across these lands and into the very stars themselves. You battled demons, monsters, beasts large and small. You. Were. Magnificent!"
Stepping closer to his guild leader, Breudar dropped his voice once more to a whisper - "you battled the very gods themselves and gained audience with the great Father of us all himself! And then... and then it all changed..." Breudar hung his head sadly, sadness tinging his voice as he continued, "our halls began to empty, our allies began to depart. And your passion for the hunt began to depart along with them.I turned a blind eye to the company you chose to keep, Jhaerak, but I have to admit, they gave you fire. Fire which is now, I fear, a flickering ember." Drained by the depth of emotion pouring through him Breudar slumped to his knees at Jhaerak's feet and quietly began to weep.
Gazing down at his oldest and most trusted friend, Jhaerak nodded quietly to himself. "I thank you, Breudar. I have always been able to rely on you and your wisdom. And now, my friend, I have one last thing to ask of you before you retire for the evening..."
Raising himself slowly to his feet, Breudar nodded slowly and mumbled "of course, my Lord, whatever you desire."
"Summon the Deadcallers, Breudar, have them prepare their rituals. We have need, once more, of Temporus...." Turning on his heel, Jhaerak strode from the room.
The ringing of his boots through the stone hallways of the mansion echoed the pounding in Breudar's head. Temporus. The Resting One, The Sleeping Soul, Herald of Change. The creation of arcane magics and forgotten sciences.
Once a tortured servant who had had their mind and soul stripped away from them to be replaced with a piece of Jhaerak's own life-force, there was one reason and one reason alone for the existence of the now-slumbering Temporus - to lay at rest until the piece of Jhaerak's soul within him was awakened, that he might take over the leadership of the Reapers in the absence of the real thing...
Change was indeed in the air. Jhaerak was going adventuring !
"The one that dared to accost you at the New Tanaan banking facility? My Lord, say the word and I shall have him dragged before you in chains, there to - "
"There is no life in the mansion anymore, Breudar. A handful of us stalk around the perpetual shadows that no longer hide life, intrigue or danger. What voices are there in these walls now? Aside from the two of us, plotting our futures, recounting our pasts... where are the screams? Where are the cries of pain, the screams of passion? The calls-to-arms and the pounding of feet on the way to new battles?" He sighed again and slumped deeper into the comfort of the chair.
Jumping to his feet once more, Jhaerak strode over to a wall to regard a shawl that hung there. Peering closely at the dwarven stitchwork he whispered "and do you remember Tahngou, Breudar?"
"The... the druid?" he stammered, "yes, I recall her, Lord. I always felt you should have execu - "
"And Lady Kyrstellaine?" Jhaerak interrupted striding to another wall to regard a weapon of most unusual design. Without waiting for a reply from the dumbfounded chamberlain, Jhaerak idly stroked a lump of crystal that glowed faintly on the table before him - "and Lord Varigon? Does he still reside in fond memory, my friend?" Turning fully to face Breudar, Jhaerak allowed a faint smile to touch his lips as he took in Breudar's discomfort at the mention of these almost-forgotten names.
"The Koada'Dals, my Lord. Yes... I remember them... and despite what you think, I did not disapprove." Squaring his shoulders and meeting Jhaerak's eyes fully, boldly and without flinching or signs of fear, he raised his voice steeled himself to do what he did best - tell Jhaerak the untarnished truth as he saw it, without bias, motive and aboive all without fear of retribution.
"You were different back then my Lo.... Jhaerak. When you first came to us you were wild, uncultured, almost feral. Your time here tempered your moods and harnessed your spirit but your travels above ground, whilst viewed with disdain by many at court, tempered your very soul! Your skills grew beyond anything I had imagined for you when first I saw the bedraggled strippling that first stumbled through our gates. Your adventures ranged across these lands and into the very stars themselves. You battled demons, monsters, beasts large and small. You. Were. Magnificent!"
Stepping closer to his guild leader, Breudar dropped his voice once more to a whisper - "you battled the very gods themselves and gained audience with the great Father of us all himself! And then... and then it all changed..." Breudar hung his head sadly, sadness tinging his voice as he continued, "our halls began to empty, our allies began to depart. And your passion for the hunt began to depart along with them.I turned a blind eye to the company you chose to keep, Jhaerak, but I have to admit, they gave you fire. Fire which is now, I fear, a flickering ember." Drained by the depth of emotion pouring through him Breudar slumped to his knees at Jhaerak's feet and quietly began to weep.
Gazing down at his oldest and most trusted friend, Jhaerak nodded quietly to himself. "I thank you, Breudar. I have always been able to rely on you and your wisdom. And now, my friend, I have one last thing to ask of you before you retire for the evening..."
Raising himself slowly to his feet, Breudar nodded slowly and mumbled "of course, my Lord, whatever you desire."
"Summon the Deadcallers, Breudar, have them prepare their rituals. We have need, once more, of Temporus...." Turning on his heel, Jhaerak strode from the room.
The ringing of his boots through the stone hallways of the mansion echoed the pounding in Breudar's head. Temporus. The Resting One, The Sleeping Soul, Herald of Change. The creation of arcane magics and forgotten sciences.
Once a tortured servant who had had their mind and soul stripped away from them to be replaced with a piece of Jhaerak's own life-force, there was one reason and one reason alone for the existence of the now-slumbering Temporus - to lay at rest until the piece of Jhaerak's soul within him was awakened, that he might take over the leadership of the Reapers in the absence of the real thing...
Change was indeed in the air. Jhaerak was going adventuring !




