Editing Dafydd in Nega

<big>'''Dafydd in Nega'''</big>

The Party is treated exceptionally well, despite the shortage of food, particularly when people realise that they have destroyed [[Calios]] – the only perceived threat to [[Si Lung]], guardian of the river.  There is an air of pessimism nonetheless.  The low-lying fertile land to the north is occupied by Tana’ri and the farmers are left trying to scrape a living out of the mountainous terrain to the south.  Without re-supply from the coast the food will run out next winter, 6 months away.  Little has been seen of Si Lung in recent weeks and Draco Augusta had ventured to Calios’s Kingdom answering a call from Coatl.

Dafydd learns of the death of Lai Ku at Marilliath’s hands.  He was sent to reinforce [[Ochi]] with a large force of Nega’s Samurai.  Scouts say that Ochi fell after weeks of siege – not long after the Sea Elves stopped coming up the river from Celin.  Since then, the Drow have plied the river and Nega would have suffered a similar fate if it was not for Si Lung and Draco Augusta.  There are not enough warriors left to sortie from the castle in any strength to do much damage to the enemy.  All the noble houses are leaderless and the high-born are fatherless and too young to fight.  There is, however, a strong core of Bushi warriors who have defended the outer walls valiantly.  Similarly, the temples are well defended by a group of battle hardened Shukenja.  

There are several Sea Elves of [[Milai]]’s folk at Nega – marooned and without sufficient craft to put back to the river and thence to sea.  They tell of vast sea battles against the Drow that have lasted many months.  However, when Milai was lost the elven fleet faltered.  The great storms of that night broke the fleet, destroyed many of their ships and sent others scurrying for harbour.  Some were lucky enough to make it to Celin and thence to Ochi and finally Nega.  At each point, the battles were bloody and overwhelming.  Now the elves wait for the return of their Lady – they sense that she is alive but fear that she will never return.
  
Dafydd is struck by the toll that the siege has had on Nega, both structurally and on the people of the city.  He finds little time to rest, preferring to offer his services to the Temple.  He, obviously, takes time to advance and spends much of his time learning from the venerable High Priest who Dafydd takes an instant like to.  The Priest is human and is an octogenarian, mostly confined to his bed.  He spends little time beyond his suite of rooms in the Temple’s grounds and is waited on hand and foot.  He has an excellent turn of wit and an extremely keen mind.  His day is well structured and Dafydd is expected to be part of that structure – up at dawn for prayer, breaking fast with the priesthood and the monks of the monastery.  He then bathes in the monastery’s bathhouse (one of the few periods that he leaves the grounds) then the day begins in earnest.  At mid-morning he listens to the people of Nega and imbues them with hope and guidance.  The rest of the day is spent in close abidance of the rules of the Church.  Much is required of this aging man as many of his followers are young and inexperienced.  He tells you of his private concerns.  He has no-one to send on errands, to perform pilgrimages or carry out the most important deeds for the All Father.  As many of his followers have lost their lives battling the enemy, his next in command is a cannon who himself has little experience beyond the confines of Nega.

Apart from immersing himself in the daily life of the Temple, Daffyd finds little time for any contact with the Party but learns a great deal about how a Temple runs and what its impact really is with its parishioners.  He feels at one with his religion and close to Odin.  He has fleeting visions of tempestuous seas, battles in the open ocean between sea elves and Drow, which always end in descent into the depths.  His darker moments fill him with self doubt and serve to undermine his confidence.  At these times his visions are clearer.  

He sees a churning sea, 2 fleets of embattled ships and a huge flying serpent rising out of the depths into the air.  As the beast flaps its wings, the skies swirl and the storm takes on hurricane strength.  The dark indigo sky is shot through with purple and violet broken only by the flash of bright white lightning which leaves an image of destruction in Dafydd’s mind.  The serpent’s tail thrashes around in the water creating enormous seas, capsizing ships, drowning all on board.  The vision ends with the huge dragon lifting a tiny elf from the deck of her sinking ship.  The elf’s sword, flashes and strikes at the serpent but with little effect.  The serpent carries the elf to a mountainous island which rises sharply from the tempestuous sea.  Here, the serpent dives, crashing into the water leaving the battle to rage on in his wake.

Later, the vision is morphed as though Dafydd looks into a palantir.  He hears different sounds – the hammering of metal, trumpet notes and concordant wind instruments which weave intricate tones amongst the occasional blasts of thunder.  

“Things do not go well on the Prime, my Lord.  They use my elements against us and succeed.  We have perhaps left the Plane too long – it may have been an oversight.  There are those that are for us and we must aid them more directly.  I know this flies in the face of your direction, we have been undone on the prime before.”

“Yes.  My words often come back to haunt me – Frigga oft guides against direct intervention.  Perhaps time is of the essence – she will know what to do.”

“The Giants have suffered a defeat at the hands of a group of Prime dwellers that are for you.  However, I fear that the followers of Hel have created such an imbalance we may not be able to redress it, without direct intervention.”

“Yes, you’re right.  Send your Avatar to one my followers; one best placed to help.”

“You need to be aware, my Lord, that Hel has many powerful followers and has forged links with like-minded Gods from other Pantheons.  I understand that Lei Kung plays tunes on the Prime…”

“As does Hiiti…  I will not stomach their intervention.  Their minions need to be exterminated.  Thor, see to it and ensure that those of your followers assist mine closely in this endeavour.”

“Yes, my Lord.”