Editing Journal - A Beautiful Death (section)

==The City and The Crown==

We could see smoke rising to the south, and it was growing in volume as if the fire was spreading. Where Falcor had applied what he called "the Creator's ointment" to my arm the skin looked better, but the rest of me was still pallid and drawn. Falcor was willing to give me more of the ointment, and I had some of my own, so I found some shelter and half-stripped to apply it to all of my skin, then did the other half once I had re-dressed. My skin looked immediately better wherever I applied the concoction. I finished with my hair, restoring my natural looks, but wary now that I would capture the attention of any man that saw me. I asked Falcor to close his eyes again so that I could retrieve the sack I'd dropped and put it back on my head to avoid any distractions. I carefully placed the other sack, with Sulinassauri's dagger within it, inside my backpack.

All of that took about ten minutes, and we noticed some flashes of flame briefly flaring bright somewhere to the south. The smoke had continued growing, and it was likely that the city was under sustained assault. Falcor spent some time studying the wand he had retrieved, finding that it was of order and not chaos, but that there was both good and evil within it. We set off south towards the smoke, trying to get a better idea of what was going on as we neared the city. As we reached the edge of the foothills, I looked behind us and caught sight of a flame on a hill some way behind. As I squinted to see what it might be, it sank into the ground, so I was none the wiser. We hurried through a narrow gap in the hills, emerging about a mile from the city. There was, unsurprisingly, lots of flame and smoke within the city although the forest before us seemed untouched. There was a group of dark elves on the plateau before us, and we could also see movement within the forest, although we could not see what or who was causing it. In the air we could see flaming creatures hovering nearer to the city, perhaps three or four of them, throwing flames at it from above.

We closed with the elves whilst using the terrain to hide us from view. Falcor peered around the last corner to see a shimmering portal in the air near the elves. Was the portal linked to the appearance of the fire creatures in some way? There was some light coming from within it, as Falcor could see it reflected from the elves. I closed up and Falcor made me invisible so that I could try to get within range to close the portal they had opened. I sprinted forward at first, slowing as I got nearer to make it harder for them to notice me. One elf seemed to be bothered by a noise I'd made, but then lost track of me as he peered around where I'd come from. Another fire creature burst from the portal just before I got close enough to start casting, and at that point Falcor ran forward to provide a distraction.

Shouts of alarm went up, but I was able to force the portal to close and one of the elves collapsed as the connection was broken. The rest scattered, with two coming straight at me, one moving back and readying a bow, and the last took something from their collapsed colleague and threw it to the ground to open a tear in the world. We had seen this before, of course, but before he could drag the mage through Falcor used the wand he had taken from Dalryssia and an explosion of radiant energy engulfed them. After the immediate brilliance that blinded us, we just had time to see their bodies glow with energy before they expanded slightly and then exploded into tiny pricks of light. I ran forward to meet the swordsmen at the charge, taking a blow but then landing two in return. My strength was still enhanced by dweomer from earlier, so my blows cut deep and my foe collapsed with a slight look of surprise on his face.

I started to engage the other one, but a ball of fire flew at us from the flying creature and I threw myself backwards. I avoided the worst of it, but was still burned by the intense heat. My opponent was much worse off, though, falling to the floor in flames and writhing around screaming before dying painfully. The archer had turned to flee from the creature, but couldn't escape and ended up burning too. Falcor conjured a ball of ice, but it didn't seem to affect the creature; I tried using Kelditch's staff to control it, but that also didn't work. Falcor tried another ice ball, and this time the flame within the creature died and its body fell to the ground, smashing into nothing but a black smear where it had landed.

We couldn't really fight the flying fire creatures - we just didn't have the dweomer left between us. Falcor was keen to retrieve the crown if we could, though. We cautiously headed into the forest and towards the city, although we were certainly aware of things moving in the forest ahead, and heard what might be giants calling out - almost certainly part of an invading army from Ilianna. Avoiding the concentration of forces, we had to turn east, getting a sense that there were fewer of them in that direction. Eventually we were moving south around the east side of the city, and there was certainly less noise and activity on that side. We were able to move within sight of the eastern wall as it started to get dark, and were undisturbed. We waited a little while for darkness to fall properly, then used both a scroll and a potion to fly up and over the city wall. We could see clearly, especially from our new vantage in the darkness, that the city was a flaming mess. Even parts of the central palace were burning where chunks of masonry had been blasted out in the bombardment.

The main entrance had clearly been targeted, and was mostly destroyed, but the balconies in the area where Falcor had stayed were largely unaffected, so we headed there. We passed over some defenders, but it was mainly just panic and not well organised - the narrow streets were helping to slow the attackers but that wouldn't last for long. The attacking force was mostly giantkin, although there were a few dark elves here and there directing them. The focus of the combat was near the main gate still, so we should have time to investigate the palace at least. I wish we could have intervened, but there was nothing we could really do that would make a difference at this point.

We entered the palace through one of the guest rooms, and Falcor led the way out and downstairs. I removed the sack from my head, knowing that appearances meant everything to these people, and sure enough it made a difference when we met some guards. They were slightly mesmerised when they saw me, and it took an effort to get them to go to their duties and let us move on. They just seemed pathetic to me - their city was aflame and they were just stopping to gawp! Eventually we ended up with a bunch of dribbling idiots that helped us to find the throne room whilst barely taking two steps without staring at me again. I somehow managed to suppress the urge to slap them. We learned that Queen Dalryssia was dead, although they were happy to adopt me as their new Queen just because I had a pretty face. Gods, they were so pathetic. There was indeed evidence of a battle in the throne room, and more importantly the throne itself was missing. Was this why they had attacked, to distract the defenders while they took this artifact?

The door behind the throne was open, and we suspected the crown was through there so we hurried forward. I was suddenly aware that there was some kind of planar instability ahead, though, and I warned Falcor. He said that there was chaotic dweomer in the air towards the back of the room. We paused, and I used Kelditch's staff to try and close whatever portal might still be open here. I had a brief sense of a massive sphere centred on where the throne had been, but I was unable to force it to close. We could move into the sphere, but could not communicate across the barrier - it also seemed to be shrinking, and as it did so the transition became harder. I decided to stay on the outside and just move as it reduced in size, not wanting to be stuck in another place when it was gone. Falcor, more rashly, forced his way through the sphere and out the other side to pass through the door. A short corridor led to another door, but as Falcor touched that one a star symbol appeared and the door stayed closed.

Falcor activated his energy sword, touching the door with it, and the door swung open immediately. There was a white marble room beyond that was loosely star-shaped, and with a gold eight-pointed star embossed in the floor in the centre. Beyond that, to Falcor's right, was an altar with a sapphire-blue velvet cushion upon it. On top of the cushion sat a gold circlet with a blue sapphire set within it - this was the crown! Falcor ran to pick up the crown, then headed back whilst being careful to avoid the star. At this point I was able to squeeze around the still-reducing sphere, and we met in the corridor. Falcor offered me the crown, and I took it from him. There was an instant, electrifying sense of power flowing into me, but I could feel that it was fundamentally linked to the essence of beauty that I'd spent so long suppressing... rejecting, even. I was aware that it wanted to be worn, but wary of what might happen. Could it help the people being assailed here, though? I asked Falcor whether any of the crowns had changed others, but he was a bit vague, saying that it gave power but only the small one had been changed. That wasn't very reassuring.

We heard a loud crack from where the throne had been, behind us, and at that moment I decided to place it on my head, hoping that it could help in some way. It was just frustrating, though, as there was some kind of barrier stopping me from making a connection to it, so I put it into my backpack instead as Falcor said that we should go. He had taken out the prism that should transport us back to his island, but that too could not make a connection in this place. There was an obvious hole now opening in the floor of the throne room, and it was widening. I tried one of the side doors, having to use dweomer to open it, but found that it provided a way around the hole.

As we started to move past it, a creature climbed out. It was large and ugly, but I recognised it - it looked like the thing I had seen when I nearly died on the plains near Sullinassauri's tower. I was almost mesmerised by it, feeling a sense that I should just wait for it, but I managed to shake it off and act freely. I warned Falcor, who had his back to it, and asked if he could hold it? The hole was clearly a portal to my father's realm, and if I were to have a chance to close it then I would need time to concentrate. I tried Kelditch's staff, but that didn't work, and the creature got to its feet and accelerated towards us until it was moving alarmingly fast. There was a horrible stench from its breath as it got close, but thankfully was suddenly stopped by an invisible barrier that Falcor had conjured. He guided me around it and I summoned my patron's favour in an attempt to close the gate. As I was doing so, another hand appeared over the lip of the hole, which had widened even more. I finished focusing my energy on the portal, but disappointingly I still could not close it!

We were forced to run, with Falcor and I yelling at each other to do so at the same time. The other creature lumbered into a run behind us, and as we reached the doors Falcor looked back to see arrows flying from the balconies above us towards our pursuer, but they passed straight through as if it wasn't there at all. By the time we had got through the doors the giant death creature was breathing down Falcor's neck, almost literally, and the smell forced him to his knees, retching. I swerved to the side, drawing swords, and the creature brushed past Falcor, knocking him to the ground, and then barrelled straight into me. I ended up on all fours, winded, but managed to stand and cut into it with Aramat. My other sword swing passed through it, though, without any sense of making contact. I had been expected to connect, so momentarily was off balance, and the thing grabbed me in a massive, crushing hug. I got a sense that it was it was preparing to leave, more than likely to return me to my father! In a panic, I used a mental discipline to get straight out of there, appearing in the hills overlooking the city several miles away, but having left Falcor behind.

I could see two elves watching the city burn, silhouetted against the distant flames. I approached until I was challenged, then ran forward to engage them. One drew two swords, and the other turned to look at me, neither seeming too bothered by my approach. The second one was not of this place, his essence definitely of elsewhere. He casually drew a large sword and pointed it at me, and I felt a tugging from my backpack as he did so. I slowed again, halting to appraise them, and noting that they seemed to both carry themselves as if highly competent warriors. Then the one with the single sword spoke, catching me by surprise as he called me "sister" and invited me to join him. I said that he was no brother of mine, but he insisted that as he was the Prince of Chaos and Death, and I was Princess of Death, we should be brother and sister. Again he invited me to join him, but I simply replied "no". He seemed slightly disappointed, but not surprised, and said that I would be welcome if I decided to return home.

I said that if I decided to return home then it would be with my own designs, and that seemed to impress him a little, saying that perhaps I wasn't as stupid as first appeared for seeing that possibility. I asked what he sought, and he laughed, saying that he sought only what was rightfully theirs: dominion over all! I said that we would have to fight at some point, if not now, and he gave an open shrug as if to say "shall we then"? I looked at his companion and said "perhaps not now", at which he slashed the air with his sword, cutting a rent in it from nowhere, then stepped through with his companion, disappearing from sight and leaving nothing behind. I sagged with relief, knowing that it would have been a deadly encounter and not nearly as confident than I had tried to appear.

I took out the crown again, wondering why I could not make a connection. I remembered how the ointment that Falcor had given me had transformed my flesh, and wondered whether this might help to make a connection with positivity. I smeared some onto the crown itself, and again onto my head, until I had none left. Then I placed the crown on my head and tried again to make a connection. I felt a strong transfer of energy, but this time it seemed more natural and controlled, and I immediately had a sense of how the crown might enhance my nature and help to protect me. I also sensed a strong connection with Aramat, although I did not know why.  I also noticed that it had an aversion to something in my backpack.

I ended up laying out the various weapons from evil sources separately and walking around to get a sense of which one the crown reacted to. Unsurprisingly it was the dagger that I had used against the Sarn, which seemed to be the source of trouble for many things. I was fortunate that Falcor was able to find me as I was sat there, items set out around me, contemplating what I had found and what it might mean. Apparently, though, my encounter with the self-proclaimed "Prince of Chaos and Death" had been the key - he had sensed the sword when he used it, and came as quickly as he could... Falcor claimed that it was HIS sword that the elf wielded! He had not been troubled by the evil giants once I had left, so their focus had been solely on returning me to my father.

Falcor was able to use the prism from where we were now, though, and returned us to his temple on the island. I insisted that we needed to do something with the dagger quickly, which Falcor agreed with, but the priest in the temple there wanted nothing to do with it! Instead Falcor communed with his Goddess, Milada, to discuss what might be done. She told him that the dagger itself was not to be feared, and that it depended on how it was used. The Elvradhil knew more of how such items worked, if he was interested in knowing more about one specific item. They went on to discuss how Falcor would need to confront the Sarn that had ascended next, who had an affinity with fire (this affinity would explain a lot about recent events).

When Falcor had returned from his reverie and explained what he had learned, we traveled to the nearby Evradhil halls and Falcor asked for an audience with Farseer, their High Priest. When he arrived he was accompanied by one of the Maltroc (mythical holy warriors), named Torbar Cordhil. Falcor was open with them both and gave them an update on what we had achieved, and caused to happen, since last he spoke with their people. He then asked about the dagger and how it might be dealt with safely. Farseer asked if he could see it, and I tipped it out of the sack we had been carrying it in. Torbar caught it deftly in the air, with impressive speed, and handed it to Farseer to study. He commented on the remarkable purity of the stone, musing that perhaps it was from when the Gods had fought. He went on to explain that it was a powerful stone, but wrapped in an evil blade that corrupted its purpose. He offered to re-home it within a sword that was more fitting for Falcor to wield, as such gifts from Karmana should not be wasted.

He also wondered how I had been able to use the blade without being driven mad or worse, seeming very interested in how I might have resisted its power. I quickly admitted that I had not been able to, and that when I had used it I did lose my mind, being ready to challenge the Gods themselves until Falcor had intervened to bring me to my senses. That seemed to satisfy him, thankfully. I took the chance to ask about Aramat, and how we had been told that there were more blades like it, but he said that we would need to speak to his kin in the north to learn of such things. We left much happier, though, knowing that the dagger would be unmade and the stone put to good use.

We spent several weeks training and studying, as well as recovering from out latest escapade. We would need all our strength to challenge a Sarn that had ascended to become some kind of minor deity, especially one of fire.