The Tale Of Kla'dhon

[Nummy 413]

*A young woman with long curly hair and bright blue eyes stands before you in the center of the Sanctuary, her arm is bandaged and fresh blood can be seen seeping through the wrappings. Her other hand clutches onto her sword as she looks out at the crowd, her voice raised as she begins speaking to the people around her*

It is amazing how immense curiosity can manifest into fear, a fear grips onto your body and leaves you motionless, almost begging for your life and wishing for it all to end. I never thought I would feel that, my entire life I have learned to be strong, stand tall, don’t take abuse from anyone. But not everyone can be full of courage; we all have a breaking point, the point where we all fall apart and turn to jelly. I guess my rambling about fear is not what I am here for, what I am here for is something far more important, for I have witnessed something, come in contact with something so terrifying that we all may be in grave danger.

My name is Piper, and I am a banner man of house Adelban. For the last few weeks I have been spending a great deal of time in the city of Arethor, and it is there where I met them.

*She takes a deep breath, her eyes meeting the ground before beginning once more*

Many of you have seen them, heard them whispering in your ears. They come and go at will, blowing away in the wind like grains of sand. They are seen only by those who they want to see them, and will say no word that you understand. I was, like many around me who have seen them, entranced by them, curious and marveled at their abilities. I wanted to know more, wanted to know what they wanted and who they were. Yet nothing could have prepared me for what was to happen.

I wish I could give you a description of them, but it is hard to describe a shadow. Dark grey robes hang over their bodies, almost rotting fabric dangling over them. Yet, I can describe their leader, the one who took an interest in me. I will never forget the way he looked at me, his chilling eyes staring into mine as he smiled and showed his yellow rotting teeth. His breath is as vile as the rest of him, giving off an odor of death and rot. His tangled beard is frayed, the hair dry and almost dead looking.

"Kla'dhon..." she seems to whisper to herself

I stood in the square, standing between the hooded shadows and an army of armored men, trying to keep the peace between the two. They had never done harm to another, so why would I let the armies of Oren tear them apart, to let blood flow into the fountain? Yet, now that I think of it... I should have stepped back; I should have let them be thrown to the wolves. They disappeared from the fountain, one by one they turned into smoke, the gates rose and another sun shone above us. I left the city, the crowds of people and disturbances driving me to look for a more peaceful place. My feet took me away, step by step until I was at the sanctuary. Smiling, I stood under a birch tree, enjoying the cool breeze as I looked around at the people around me. Something felt wrong..

Her hands begin to shake, gripping tightly on the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turn white.

There was a man with his sword out. He swung at the air as he cursed out some being. I looked him over, and he showed no signs of madness. Gripping onto the tree I kept my distance, knowing deep down what was going to happen. I felt a pair of eyes on me, and looking across the temple courtyard stood their leader, the bearded vile one. He smiled at me and pointed, and one by one the others appeared on the platforms of the temple, swirling smoke around them as they came. The man with the sword grew angry, his katana catching the light of the sun as he gripped it tightly in his hand. He leapt at the bearded one, his hands reaching out to try and grasp at his robes, yet his fingers wrapped around the air as the bearded one disappeared once more, standing in the center of the temple.

I moved around to get a better look, standing directly in front of the path to the dwarven nation. The shadow ones.. they started saying things in their tongue.. Yet always, just like it was before. Kla’dhon.. Klad’hon.. and then.. I looked around me; the others were closing in on me, getting closer and closer as they surrounded me. My eyes still did not stray from their leader and one by one, just as many times before they disappeared… except this time, I went with them.

"Kla'dhon.."

As the world around me stopped spinning and the smoke cleared, the room became clear. He was standing in front of me, his teeth rotting as he smiled. Startled and confused, I backed up into the corner, foolishly demanding them to tell me where I was, and what was happening. His followers grabbed hold of me, their icy metallic fingers digging into my skin as they drug me across the floor, through the winding hallways and into a grand room. I was underground.. The air smelled musty and old, water dripped from the stones above and onto the floor. I don’t know what was going through my head at the time, fear yes, curiosity; a little.

*she chuckles as if remembering some sort of joke, shaking her head to snap herself out of it*

The followers drug me to a deep pool in front of a red throne, where the leader took his place. He smiled that bone chilling smile as the followers let go of me. For one moment I dared take my eyes off of him and I gazed down at the pool, the fresh water reflected my face back at me as I took sight of the blood circling the outside edge of the pool.

"Kla'dhon"

I looked back up to the leader, my eyes filled with fear. I knew that I had no hope of fighting these men, these beings that could disappear at will, which could turn to smoke and blow away. I was hopeless and completely at their mercy. I put on a mask, a mask of whatever courage I had left in me, yet they knew how to throw it off, how to shatter it. Their whispers filled my head with words unknown to me as the broke what was left of my shields against them. They reveled in my fear; spoke in a mocking way as I almost begged them for explanations.

*Her legs begin to betray her, shaking a bit as she relives the memory*

I felt a cold hand wrap around my arm, metal scraping against my skin once more as I turned to face him. One of the followers had me in his grasp, a long dagger in the other hand. I looked to the leader for answers, but all I got in response was the same, “Kla’dhon”. The follower yanked my arm and put it over the pool of water, dragging the blade across my skin as blood pooled to the surface of the cut. I gritted my teeth, fighting back a scream as my skin tore. The leader began to laugh, if the noises that escaped his mouth could be classified as laughter. Yet as the first drops of my blood hit the water below, the laughter ceased and the Leader’s body started to twitch ever so slightly, his dark eyes rolling to the back of his head so only the whites were visible.

"Kla'dhon"

The follower released my arm, walking behind me as the others began chanting, mumbling something I didn’t understand. Gripping my bleeding wound I looked around me, fear taking hold of me as smoke swirled around the follower’s bodies. I looked up to the warlock, but my vision was blocked, blocked by the smoke that seemed to be seeping up from the pool and enveloping them all. The followers enjoyed the smoke; they seemed to revel in it, wanting more and more of it around them. I heard a voice through the smoke, the leader was chanting, some sort of incantation, his voice growing deeper and deeper until it sounded almost demonic.

My knees started to shake, before long they betrayed me as I fell to my knees. The followers.. I looked around at them, their backs were arching, they were mumbling as if half mad. I had never felt so out of place and frightened. One of them said something to me... “Mieln’bjor” if I’m repeating that correctly.

The smoke started to cloud and allowed me a look at the leader, and one by one the others turned to smoke once more, disappearing into the air until it was just him and I. What did I feel in those last few moments? I felt like my life was going to be over, that I would never see the sun rise again, nor feel the cool spring air on my face. He looked into my eyes.. and I’ll never forget the smile that spread across his face. A smile so full of pride and hatred, but most off all filled with a sense of victory. He let out one last laugh, a laugh that echoed off the cave walls around me, before the world went black and I fell forward.

*She falls to her knees, her hand letting go of her sword and holding onto her bleeding arm. She looks down at the ground*

I awoke gasping for air, clinging to the sides of the pool. As I opened my eyes I looked up at the sun. I was no longer in their lair.. but back at the sanctuary. “Was it a dream?” I asked myself. I looked down, the pool of water began to turn red with my blood.

"Kla'dhon"

((Also would love to add a BIG thank you to the event team for this amazing rp))

[Rilath 3719]

*Rilath listens in, chuckling as she finishes.*

"Are you people seriously continuing this tale? I have seen nothing of these cultists, or this Kla'dhon they speak of. Perhaps all of you are imagining it, hm?"

[Lanader - Richard Tarus 197]

Richard Tarus looks up to her in the crowd, shouting:

"I have seen them as well. They said the words Chiel-Nahiir! These words are Ancient Elven!"

[shiftnative 3103]

*The pathmaker listens to the maidens tale from the back of the crowd and begins to look ill.*

(( Very well made post!, I hope many use this as inspiration for documenting detailed interaction ~ ))

[Aryon 679]

[Thank you! This is simply amazing!]

[Salamandra 1136]

*Sits beneath his favorite birch tree, and as the tale finishes, utters a remark of his own*

"Perhaps instead of trying to spread fear, you could keep it to yourself next time~ That would be nice, yes."

[steelersfan1221 300]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.