*Sheru: Behind the Curtain of Night presented by Lord Setzier VonEvenlore [#s4cdda13]

You say, "Ahh, here we are."

Sheka says, "Hmmm"

Witcheaven shifts her weight.

Sheka gazes in wonder at her surroundings.

The black wax candle flickers softly, casting a warm light throughout the area.

Pyrocite leans on her scythe.

You glance at a twisted black wax candle.

Kaliri says, "I like the atmosphere..."

A pained expression crosses Largyn's face.

Lyvonia says, "cozy"

Sheka says, "Never been here."

Sheka sniffs.

Sheka says, "Musty"

You recite:

>"Welcome all to another edition of Theology 101"

A bit of fragrant dust falls from some crimson blood incense as it burns.

A wisp of smoke rises from a twisted black wax candle as the hot wax drips and splutters.

You recite:

>"Sponsored by The BeaconHall Archive, we will be learning a bit about one of the most misunderstood god of Lornon."

(Valthrae holds her fan and glass in one hand as she brushes off a place to sit down.)

Valthrae sits down.

Pyrocite smirks.

Largyn smiles queitly and inhales deeply.

Grhim gazes in wonder at his surroundings.

(Sheka leans against the tomb.)

Strayla raises an eyebrow.

The incense emits some crimson smoke which disperses, leaving a faint scent of blood.

The raven atop the tomb preens, haughtily ignoring all onlookers.

You hear a blood curdling scream from somewhere nearby!

A wisp of smoke rises from a twisted black wax candle as the hot wax drips and splutters.

You recite:

>"Tonight, Lord Setzier VonEvenlore presents to us -- Sheru: Beyond the Shadow of Night."

Sheka cackles!

You lean back.

(Tarkisis steps back into the crowd.)

l

[Ravenswood, Mausoleum]

An overgrown mausoleum of flat grey stone dominates the area.  Shadows cling to it like terrified children to their mother, and a few brave plants climb up the walls in a quest to get closer to the sun.  Sitting atop the tomb is an immense raven, glaring down on everyone with unbiased irritation.  You also see the Pyrocite disk, the Sheka disk, a twisted black wax candle and some crimson blood incense.

Also here: Lady Witcheaven who is seated, Valthrae who is seated, Lady Pyrocite, Treow, Ceilia, Largyn who is seated, Nadala who is seated, Kaliri who is seated, Lord Grhim, Xulia, Aranrhod who is seated, Daelnor who is seated, Lady Sheka, Lady Jolivette who is seated, Lord Arkhaine, Lady Lyvonia, Lady Strayla

Obvious paths: east.

You hear a shriek and smell burning flesh.

Lyvonia gags.

Witcheaven smirks.

Grhim smiles ever so slightly.

Pyrocite sniffs.

Aranrhod covers her nose tightly.

Sheka smiles chillingly.

Kaliri wrinkles his nose.

Arkhaine rubs Lyvonia gently.

Pyrocite mumbles something that you don't quite catch.

A trickle of blood-scented smoke rises from some crimson incense.

Daelnor sniffs.

Daelnor frowns.

Largyn laughs!

Ripples of pure darkness roll out from an unseen source.

Setzier fades into sight next to you.

The glow from a twisted black wax candle softly illuminates the room.

You bow to Setzier.

Pyrocite nods to Setzier.

You say, "Good evening Setzier, and welcome."

(Valthrae rises to her feet to perform a small curtsy to Setzier and then resumes her seat.)

You say, "Quite a crowd."

You nod to Setzier.

(Setzier glances about the grounds, arching an eyebrow at those gathered.)

Setzier says, "A... large crowd."

Arkhaine gulps.

Setzier rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Lyvonia whispers, "it helps to have a news item posted on time"

The faint scent of blood fills the air.

Setzier says, "Before I begin, know that there are some things which will not be spoken upon, and I will not be able to talk about.  I have taken an oath with the Order, and I will not break it."

The black wax candle flickers softly, casting a warm light throughout the area.

Sheka raises an eyebrow in Setzier's direction.

Setzier says, "Also know this and be forewarned.  I will not tolerate interruptions, or heckling.  Look about the place in which you stand, and be aware."

Setzier shifts his weight.

(Valthrae inclines her head to Setzier.)

Setzier says, "I know there are those among us who do not know who His Lordship is, so I will explain..."

Daelnor takes a drink from his ruby red wine.

Setzier says, "Sheru is the Bringer of Night.  Lord of Fear and Terror.  Master of the Twisting Nightmares, and the Ruler of the Realm of Insanity."

Soft wisps of scented smoke waft from the blood incense.

Setzier adjusts an ornate blackened ora ring upon his finger, his face darkening momentarily.

A twisted black wax candle burns with a warm golden light.

Setzier says, "Sheru prefers the manifestation, whether it is due to the Change on Lornon or simply because he wishes, of a tall man whose head is that of a jackal's."

Setzier says, "He reigns in the Night, sweeping from house to house to bring the lesser beings their blissful nightmares."

Setzier says, "Those stories young children tell their parents, of something under the bed and in the closet, are true."

Setzier smiles quietly to himself.

Setzier says, "Sheru visits them, showing them the ways of the Jackal and the Night.  However, their fragile, little minds are not able to understand it fully so they scream out to their parents for 'protection'."

A faint, flickering light emanates from a twisted black wax candle, warming the room with its glow.

The faint scent of blood fills the air.

(Setzier glances acrossed the crowed once more.)

Setzier says, "Allow me to interject a comment upon another..."

Kaliri leans forward and rests his chin in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Setzier says, "Zelia, as most of you probably are aware, claims rulership over the Realm of Insanity.  While this is true that both Arkati share it, Zelia and Sheru cannot tolerate each other."

Setzier says, "It is said that mLord Sheru views Zelia's methods both dull and simply too slow when trying to bring a being into blissful insanity."

The black wax candle burns warmly, lending a soft light to the room.

Some crimson smoke rises from the blood incense and dissipates into the air.

Setzier says, "On the converse side, Zelia is said to view His Lordship's way too brutal and.. lacking finesse."

Setzier rolls his eyes.

Setzier says, "However, back to his Lordship..."

The wind blows through a chink in the tomb's stone walls, filling the air with a melancholy moaning.

Setzier says, "I wish to clear up misconceptions of mLord Sheru this evening.  Like all Arkati of Lornon, His Lordship is not "evil".  This myopic view has also lead to the misunderstanding of the Sheruvian way."

Setzier wraps his black rapture cloak around himself, causing a dark haze to enshroud him.

The faint scent of blood fills the air.

A small draft catches the flame of a twisted black wax candle and it flickers brightly.

Setzier says, "Due to rumors and lies being spread, people have waged war against my breathen for no reason at all."

Setzier says, "Sheru's ways are to cleanse what the vicious Light has done to people by showing them the true comfort of the shadows.  Only in the Shadows will people know the full knowledge of Sheru."

Setzier says, "Most of these misconceptions are brought forth from those of the Liabo Pantheon.  Heed this, however, those of the Light hide their truths behind it and the deception runs deep."

Setzier adjusts an ornate blackened ora ring upon his finger, his face darkening momentarily.

Treow snorts.

A faint aroma of blood fills the room.

Treow ducks his head.

The black wax candle burns warmly, lending a soft light to the room.

(Setzier glances out the corner of his eye to Treow.)

Setzier says, "There are two main sects when it comes to worshipping Sheru.  Granted, there are many more much smaller ones.  Some follow neither of the two main following, and yet serve Sheru's needs perfectly."

(Sheka chuckles softly.)

The low cry of a forest bird cuts through the air, giving you a heart-pounding start.

Setzier says, "There are those who follow the corrupted Estrion, which in the end their path will fail just like the first.  Then there are those who follow the Sheruvian Order, an Order created by Sheru himself with beings formed of his creation and those who he changed."

Setzier says, "The Sheruvian Order was formed over eons ago, beyond the veil where the Arkati reside.  When the Corrupted summoned Sheru to this plane of existence, Sheru released the Harbingers to announce his arrival."

Setzier says, "I will speak more on Sheru's Coming in a moment..."

Setzier rubs his chin thoughtfully.

Setzier says, "Those Sheruvians who were left behind after the Coming, created a physical Sheruvian Order on this plane of existence.  They picked a sacred ground, and built the surrounding structure known today as the Sheruvian Monastery, a sanctuary for Sheru's creations."

Setzier says, "Those who follow Sheru often revel in the woven tapestries known as nightmares, and tend to stay away from Ronan's grasp.  It is because of this, the insane are often to have said to be touched by Sheru.  Then there are those who are called insane, but obviously are not."

Setzier fingers the jackal's head upon his ring, a slightly deranged look in his eye.

Setzier says, "However, that would be determined how the person attained blissful Insanity.  If they slowly went beyond the edge of what people call sanity, then they would be touched by Zelia more than His Lordship."

A faint aroma of blood fills the room.

Setzier says, "Then again, if it was something tramatic, and... devestating..."

Setzier smiles quietly to himself.

Setzier says, "... Then it would be Sheru whose grasp they are now in."

A twisted black wax candle burns with a warm golden light.

Setzier says, "Sheru and Luukos are allied more often than any of the other Dark gods, because the undead minions of Luukos tend to inspire more fear in mortals than any other creatures of darkness."

You lean on your staff.

Setzier says, "The bond of alliance between the two has extended to the ranging Battle of the Griffin Sword, tearing at the forces that would protect Lorminstra's pitiful temple, to battling off Shar."

The faint scent of blood fills the air.

A small draft catches the flame of a twisted black wax candle and it flickers brightly.

Setzier says, "Sheruvians and Luukosians also share common interest, devoting most if not all of their time to their Gods, rarely leaving their home.  Sheru and Luukos' gains in the end are much of the same, each willing to dispatch another to gain their way."

Some crimson incense emits a tendril of blood-scented smoke, which forms a lacy pattern in the air before fading away.

Setzier says, "Now, to keep this brief, and to allow time for those of you who have questions, I'm going to end with a tale.  The story of Darkstone, Estrion, and the Coming of Sheru."

A faint, flickering light emanates from a twisted black wax candle, warming the room with its glow.

Setzier says, "Before the fall of the castle to a Sorcerer and his Wizard partner, Darkstone was a burnt out husk of a castle, remaining, seemingly, as a reminder that war is destructive, pure and simple."

Daelnor leans forward and rests his chin in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Xulia lies down.

Pyrocite leans back.

Xulia stretches one arm along her side and props up her head with the other hand.

Pyrocite closes her eyes for a moment.

Setzier says, "Estrion and Siarl had designs on expanding their area of influence from Teras Island, into a much larger area.  They were drawn, like flies, to the growth and chaos surrounding a small frontier town known as Wehnimer's Landing."

With a squawk, the raven launches itself at Sheka!  As she instinctively ducks out of the way, the bird grabs a talonful of Sheka's hair and yanks it out!  Smug, the bird returns to its perch on the tomb with its prize.

Setzier glances at Sheka.

Setzier smiles quietly to himself.

Jolivette appears to be trying hard not to grin.

A faint aroma of blood fills the room.

Daelnor snickers.

Witcheaven clasps her hand over her mouth.

Grhim smirks.

Sheka squints at Setzier.

Setzier says, "Now, Estrion and Siarl, while both megalomaniacs, were smart enough to realize that they could not accomplish their goals alone. Together they performed dark rituals, almost nightly, to call upon the spirit of the night for aid."

(Valthrae turns away a moment, her lips quirking into a smile.)

Xulia snickers.

A bit of melted wax drips from a twisted black wax candle with a hiss.  The flame jumps, burning high for a moment, then settles into a warm glow.

Setzier says, "Sheru was even then hard at work on plans of his own, yet felt that in aiding these two foolish mortals, he could accomplish his own goal of wrestling the Realm of Dreams Ronan."

(Sheka frowns as she watches the raven clutching strands of her hair.)

Setzier says, "As Estrion and Siarl used Sheru's spiritual force to come to their aid, so did Sheru himself use the combined elemental energy of the two to prepare mortal world for his coming."

The glow from a twisted black wax candle softly illuminates the room.

Setzier says, "His first step was to bring his Harbingers forward from behind the veil to wreak havoc amongst the citizens of the town, and to "herald" his coming. Things went wrong however, as both Estrion and Siarl where very draining, even upon this immortal figure."

A stiff breeze blows through, causing the raven to fluff his feathers and hunch over.  A single black feather flutters to the ground, riding the last gusts of wind until it settles on the dirt.

Setzier says, "Their rituals and experiments in spirit and element backfired, causing a lingering mana storm to remain above the castle, its black vortex constantly sucking mana away from the ground and upward like a great vacuum."

You pick up a raven's feather.

You show Sheka your raven's feather.

A bit of fragrant dust falls from some crimson blood incense as it burns.

Setzier says, "Sheru was spent of energy, and had to retreat back behind the veil, leaving his Harbingers behind him."

(Setzier glances out the corner of his eye at the cat.)

Setzier says, "It was then that Sheru noticed Estrion's true intent on bringing him to this plane.  Estrion wished not to become Sheru's avatar, but to gain Sheru's full power and become Sheru himself."

(Valthrae raises a delicate eyebrow.)

Daelnor blinks.

Setzier says, "His Lordship cast down Estrion, and removed any lingering bit of Sheruvian from him.  Sheru would not stand to be usurped by a mere, and foolish mortal."

Setzier says, "No longer aided by Sheru, and both very spent from their own workings of magic, Estrion and Siarl launched an attack against the town in a desperate attempt to destroy as much of the living as the could, in hopes that the release of spirit could help them re-open the veil."

(Sheka idlys draws her fingers through the dust on the tomb.)

Setzier says, "Their attempt backfired again, however as Estrion, already spent and drained of mana, was killed by the townsfolk who were defending their homes. Siarl was able to flee, and has not been seen since."

Some crimson smoke wafts up from the blood incense, sending tendrils of fragrance throughout the room.

Setzier rubs his chin thoughtfully.

A twisted black wax candle burns with a warm golden light.

Setzier says, "Sheru's presence is still felt upon this rock and dirt we call home.  Each passing night, a Sheruvian's creation begins from the nightmares of those who inhabit Elanthia, adding to the existing members of the Sheruvian Order."

Setzier says, "Sheru's plans continue to be performed to the day that his true form will come out from behind the veil once again, and the world's sanity will be unseated utterly - leaving nothing but the absolute and blissful madness he seeks to create."

Setzier grins slowly.


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