Kiera's Thoughts: My past confounded

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Much time has past since last I wrote. I have learnt much of my past, but it opens only more questions. And as I sit now in a place I least expected to be I have time to think.

To summarise the revelations leading to recent events

First Revelation
- in (my first) life I rose to be the High Priestess of my Lady's church. Her grace towards me was undoubtable, but I preached a more aggressive philosophy than was traditional, particularly against the Church of the Maker
- in this I was manipulated by those we now know to be the descendants of House Drow, the dark elves. They are also behind the rise to dominance of the Church of the Maker and there is a pact between them, which may be broken since our conflict in Redcliffs led to a Drow agent destroying the church there.
- The Drow seek to cause conflict in the land in order to awaken a great red dragon which they foolishly believe they will be able to control. We have set ourselves against them.

- My manipulations led to deaths and eventually a schism and purge. I surrendered but as the Lady's grace had not left me the church leaders were at a loss what action to take, and eventually I was sent to the Battle at Ostegath in the guilty hope that I might perish there (as we know, I did, to most intents and purposes).

- what passions or goal drove me then seem to have perished also on the battlefield. I have no desire to rejoin the hierarchy, I do not feel that is why I returned although I feel I must atone for the harm done and set to rights what I can.


Second Revelation
- the Lady's grace has returned to me in such measure that I was able to cast the Commune spell. I desired some surety that the path we are set on was actually in my lady's interests, and was reassured on this count. However I also learnt that my return was not by her will.

[Aside - the one who raised us, a ... not a renegade but more of a political exile of the Drow and the only one we have met and yet not come into conflict with used arcane methods and while my Lady is opposed to this she has also granted that we may deal with him for now. Thus we all have gained additional tattoos and enchantments. But eventually I must oppose him.]

- we are not truly alive, but neither are we dead or Undead. The tattoos across out hearts prevent our souls departing our bodies, but what returned them to us in the first place? Or, as is beginning to seem more likely, what prevented each of us (3 more met in addition to my first 5 companions, although our party currently numbers 4) from passing on to the astral and beginning our journeys to the Silver City in the first place?


Third Revelation
- The High Temple of our Church is in Highever, and it is also my hometown though I was an orphan there. Although intending to return there to learn more of my past at first convenience (there have been a number of more urgent matters to attend to) it became imperative upon learning that a) I had a sister there b) she was currently High Priestess c) she was preaching my return as some sort of saviour to a sect within the church.
- Clearly I am no saviour, and I in no way wished to divide the church again. With the Drow schemes in motion unity is essential. Also my Commune revealed of Highever that "while the Drow are gone, their cancer remains" and this is a matter I can only attend to personally.


Current Events and Fourth Revelation
So as soon as winter broke and travel was possible we came to Highever. I borrowed Lythari's hat of disguise to keep a low profile about town, for my sister and I bear a strong resemblance and the last thing I wanted was to cause a scene (also because of my previous actions my welcome at the church would be less than assured). Instead I sought out High Priest Lucas, recommended by High Priest Clive in Drakehold.

He was able to reassure me on some points but not on others. My sister enthusiastically followed my path and it was to her, not me that deaths could be attributed although I had certainly taken both the blame and advantage of the circumstances. It was also my taking full responsibility which had enabled her and others to remain within the church, and with the deaths of so many of our brethren in the war she managed to rise in power through both politics and a lack of candidates.

However he (and Hector - another High Priest whom I also approached in contrition having excommunicated him once. Which as events played out may in fact have led to my deserved or fated downfall) expressed concern about my sister's faith. She recused herself from many duties (made easier as the church has restructured to be led by a council so that no one High Priest/ess may have the influence I wielded) and had not been seen to channel out Lady's power in some time.

Also raised was the possibility of a cult of Nerull based somewhere nearby, which may have tendrils into the young of the church. While at this time I would have merely have attempted to subdue a sect fixated on me, an actual cult to another (and evil) deity hiding behind the name of the Lady is not something that could be allowed to continue.

A local man (much like Quinn in nature, in fact they are acquainted) was able to lead us to a temple in the hills. While the evidence of bloody rituals, caged children and another youth who turns out to be a werewolf (but perhaps not beyond help) were unexpected, more so was the fact that they directed their worship to a likeness undeniably of me. This could not be allowed to stand.

We had a relatively peaceful encounter with a priestess who came to the cave from the town, apparently following a similar rumour. She did not really believe her sect was responsible. They are a secret, masked (again with likenesses of myself) order who refer to "me" as the prophetess but direct their worship through an individual they refer to as the Oracle. This is a common tactic for those deities who wish to draw power from those who might otherwise reject them out of hand.

I did arrange a private meeting with my sister, by enlisting the aid of her personal assistant, Abigail. Although this triggered no further memories or revelations she convinced me that she was unaware of any cult or sect within the church, and I encouraged her to return to a more active role.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

We had planned to surprise the worshipers at their temple on the night of the full moon, but arriving early found two setting up for a trap of their own. We let them go to bring more, and although they merely tried to seal us in the cave engaged them and learnt of an imminent assassination attempt on the local duke. Of this we notified my sister and the town guard, and were present ourselves at the festival where the Duke was speaking. Where Lythari spied the assassin sneaking up on me.

He and Branson subdued the assassin but not without causing a scene, during which Abigail approached me and stabbed me with a poisoned dagger. This plan against the Duke and another earlier attempt which deliberately failed have been revealed as a ruse to bring me within striking distance.

[Aside - Lythari has described being brought to the point of death and back while bearing our tattoos but this is the first time I have experienced it. It is like a net, as the soul is drawn towards the astral plane to begin it's journey you are tangled and forced back, restored to the minimum of life. It is indeed like being drawn away from the Lady herself.]

Zellik is a runebaned knife-fighter who joined us before winter, and by the time I had regained my wits he had tackled Abigail. She cried out to "the Oracle" for assistance .. and nearby I saw my sister coldly turn and walk away from both of us, an act which caused Abigail to become distraught and declare herself abandoned.

Even weakened I still held my Lady's grace within me and used it to call my sister's entourage to me, where I revealed myself and challenged where their loyalty lay. I also encased her in a cell of stone, but she was able to Word of Recall away. Which indicates that she is yet granted more power by her deity than I.

That deity as revealed by a now compliant Abigail is not Nerull but Vecna. And overnight it has become clear how far his reach had spread through my sister, as many of the young women of the town have taken their own lives leaving behind only a note referring to "the Prophetess". The church although in some disarray has sent out clergy to attend to the bodies. I will administer the rites to everyone of them personally if I must to atone.

So that which I most wished to avoid, a massive disruption to the church, has instead come to pass. And indeed it must have been inevitable, but I hope that the cancer is indeed removed. I have presented myself to the High Council and given a full account. My sister is undoubtedly -not- among the dead, but with still no memories of our history I have no insight into her character so I do not know if she will flee or attempt vengeance at the first opportunity.

On the other hand when we meet again nor will I be influenced by any trace of familial affection.

~~~
I feel another Commune spell coming on.

Comments

[marsden-online.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned that codym puts awesome and awesomely convoluted plots into his games? I stopped logging early in the campaign so I haven't covered half the things going on in the game, just recounting what the spotlight focused on my character's background over the past few sessions has revealed.