*The Tale of Thingul Manor presented by Lord Silvean Rashere [#u9400cb8]

You clear your throat.

Silvean takes off a pair of fashionable silver spectacles with deep crimson lenses.

You say, "Good evening, folks. I would like to welcome you all to another edition of Elanthian Chronicles."

Silvean put a pair of fashionable silver spectacles with deep crimson lenses in his silver-buckled jacket.

You say, "Tonight, House Chesylcha's Patriarch, Lord Silvean will be gracing us with a suspense filled tale of The Legend of Thingul Manor."

(Haxley moves into a relatively empty portion of the room and resumes scribbling.)

You curtsy to Silvean.

Silvean says, "Very well. Let's begin."

Silvean asks, "You have all heard of Thingul manor and the rumors surrounding it?"

'''much nodding, and a few shakes'''

Silvean says, "It goes back to a story far more ancient than the one that took place here. A tale that spans ages concerning a curse placed upon the family Thingul and what occured as a result."

Silvean says, "(He became very good at)enchanting, and a Wehnimer's resident; perhaps in an attempt to escape fate."

Silvean says, "But none of us can escape fate. Not even here on the edge of the world."

Silvean smirks.

Silvean says, "Our Thingul entered this town in its earlier days when town square was empty from time to time, when one could hear himself think, and when I was quite new to the area."

Silvean says, "As I mentioned, he was an enchanter and he set up his trade from his manor near the pawnshop."

Silvean says, "It is now closed off and that gate produces more questions than nearly any other structure in this Township."

Silvean says, "I blame Zepath for a lot of that, he marked it on his map with question marks. I can't recall him putting a similar label on anything else."

Silvean says, "It was a lovely manor, particularly for this area during the time period. He had enormous opportunity to ply his trade among the adventure seeking townsfolk."

Silvean says, "One thing that will always have a market in Wehnimer's is swords, after all."

Silvean says, "So, I imagine that he was very optimistic as he settled into his work."

Silvean says, "But the one thing about our Thingul that could be seen as a flaw at this point is his ambition."

Silvean says, "He began working longer hours and studying more obscure texts. As a result he was spending less and less time with his wife."

Silvean says, "Less and less time with any social company actually. Books. And magic."

Silvean says, "But his swords were strong. His enchanting was flawless. People all over the town were speaking his name with good favor."

Silvean says, "But it wasn't enough and night by night he became a little more obsessed. A little more frantic that he was reaching the end of his ability to improve his work."

Silvean says, "And this is when they came."

Tanri smiles at Silvean.~
Silvean winks at Tanri.~
Haxley peers quizzically at Silvean.~
Starrine cocks her head at Silvean.

Silvean says, "It was a soft whisper at first. Perhaps it could have been mistaken for a breeze."

Silvean says, "Voices in the wind."

Silvean says, "Voices from the shadows."

Silvean says, ""Thingul..", they whispered, "listen to us and you shall know power.""

Silvean says, "I'm certain he tried to ignore them at first."

Silvean says, "Perhaps he busied himself with other activities. Perhaps he pulled a fresh book from his shelf and tried to focus on reading."

Silvean says, "But the voices came often and they grew louder until he knew that there was no ignoring him."

Silvean says, ""Thingul, listen to us", came the whispers."

Silvean says, "And he screamed out to them, "Yes, yes, tell me what I wish to know." Thus, it began."

Silvean says, "Night by night Thingul's enchanting increased in potence. His weapons were known throughout the town as finer than any that had come before."

Silvean says, "Anyone of worth was carrying a Thingul blade. And the stir was so great that I suppose not a soul noticed when a beggar went missing or an orphan from the east side of the town was unheard from."

Tanri smiles thinly.~
Grapple shakes his head.~
Grapple mumbles something that you don't quite catch.~
Haxley frowns.

Silvean says, "And Thingul with his newfound wealth and fame was perhaps happy again for a time."

Silvean says, "Spending more time with his wife. Buying her gowns and jewels."

Silvean says, "They shared a unique love and I can't imagine a man more fulfilled than our Thingul."

Silvean says, "But it was not to last. In the dead of the night they came, he was sleeping arm in arm with his beloved and they came to him even there, in that most sacred of placed."

Silvean says, "They came and whispered gently in his ear, "Thingul, listen to us, you are a fool.""

Silvean says, "Perhaps he attempted to ignore them again. Perhaps he felt his old tactic would work this time, but if he could ignore the whisper of the darkness he could not ignore the people of Wehnimer's."

Silvean says, "One by one they appeared at the gates of his manor screaming and shouting. Blade by blade the broken, shattered, and useless remains of Thingul swords were piled on his steps."

Silvean says, "Brittle! Rusted! Worthless! They demanded replacements. And Thingul returned to his cellar to begin work anew."

Silvean says, "Night after night he worked harder and harder. The voices sang to him as he wove his tapestry of magic and blood around the finest swords the blacksmith could provide."

Silvean says, "And soon he had replaced every last blade with examples of work finer and more powerful than ever seen before in this town."

Silvean says, "His fame spread for miles and his wealth was beyond measure."

Silvean says, "So wealthy, in fact, that none raised even an eyebrow when the servants of his household vanished without word."

Silvean says, "Finally he could know peace. Finally he could spend his days.. and his nights.. with his wife."

Silvean says, "And the voices were quiet. The horrible voices with their shrill whisper had been silenced."

Silvean says, "Our Thingul was a great man. A man of glory, of honor, and a wizard of extraordinary insight."

Silvean says, "And this happiness lasted weeks, months even. It's as if he had emerged from a winter into the glory of the spring. Something his family had rarely known."

Silvean says, "Picnics with a beautiful wife by the river in town. And the respect of all his peers."

Silvean says, "If only we could all be so happy at some time, perhaps fate could weave just that much for us."

Silvean exclaims, "But it was not to last. They would not allow this!"

Silvean says, "And in the dead of the night they returned to him, louder and sharper than ever before. They returned to him with the control they knew they had and their cry was clear."

Silvean says, ""Thingul, you are pathetic, you are nothing - a failure.""

Silvean says, "A nightmare to his man obsessed with his art and they twisted the dagger deep into his soul with their chants."

Silvean says, ""Thingul, watch as what you have crafted crumbles around you.""

Silvean says, "And as before as he shook and sobbed the folk of our fair town and all that lands nearby came to the gates of his lovely little manor."

Silvean says, "As before the shards of broken metal, once powerful blades, lay in jagged piles in the yard."

Silvean says, "But this time there was no response from our Thingul. No promise of more blades."

Silvean says, "He locked himself away in his cellar workshop. He refused entry to all. Even his wife was not allowed to see him."

Silvean says, "And there he worked to the screams of the voices from all around him. They called him fool. They called him worthless. They called him a man with no claim to the title."

Silvean says, "Evenings passed one after the other. Food trays were left at the door and not touched. No one ever saw Thingul leave his cellar."

Silvean says, "And then late one evening he did choose to. He had to. He had to prove himself."

Silvean says, "With him in that room he had a blade crafted to perfection. A shining example of the blacksmith's art, a blank canvas for the wizard's craft like none other ever in history."

Silvean says, "It was truly the perfect sword, thought Thingul. The perfect sword that would prove to them, to the voices, to the people, to himself, once in for all that he was a powerful mage."

Silvean says, "That he was worthy of fame and praise."

Silvean exclaims, "That he had mastered his craft. This is what he wanted! This is what he desired!"

Silvean says, "And the voices, the voices urged him on with every inclination."

Silvean says, ""Thingul, you must create this, this is your masterpiece. You will be a god and not the fool", came their whisper like the voice of death."

Silvean says, "And thus he was resolved. He emerged finally from his self-imposed prison in the cellar."

Silvean says, "His hair was dirty and unkempt. His body stank from sweat. He wore the nightrobe he had on at the start of this final scenario."

Silvean says, "And he possessed a madness in his eyes beyond any I could put into words for you here."

Silvean says, "Our Thingul was a man shattered just as his blades were time and time again."

Silvean says, "But now he would prove to everyone that he was not a failure. Now he held the greatest blade ever crafted and he would imbue it with power."

Silvean says, "And so he was determined, step by step he moved through the empty, quiet halls of his manor with that blade in hand."

Silvean says, "Gleaming in the moonlight past every window, a work of art and beauty to contrast this man fallen to the darkness."

Silvean says, "And he made his way up the stairs of his home, a route he had taken many times during more pleasant evenings. Step by step he went."

Silvean says, "And he came before the doors of his own bedchamber and opened them. There was his goal, and there was the last component. The last thread for the tapestry."

Nofret closes her eyes for a moment.~
Grapple's jaw drops.~
Nadala's face turns slightly pale.

Silvean says, "And they screamed around him from the shadows for his completion of this, his ultimate test."

Silvean says, "And his wife didn't seem to hear them. She didn't even stir."

Silvean says, "She lay in bed in all of her beauty, sleeping in a quiet peace. A woman who have loved him and trusted him all along. A woman who had given her soul over to this man that they both may know joy."

Silvean says, "And I want to tell you that he hesitated."

Silvean says, "I want to tell you that he screamed out, "No!", I will not do this thing."

Silvean says, "I want to tell you anything other than what happened, but it is not in my power to do so; for he struck her so hard with the hilt of the blade that she could not even cry out before she fell into forced slumber."

Silvean says, "And leaving a trail of blood our Thingul brought his wife down the stairs recently climbed, past the windows with the moonlight, and down into his cellar workshop."

Silvean says, "And there he worked the magic he had worked so many times before on innocents, on ruffians, children, and women. He worked the magic to the call of the shadows and when his spell was finished he placed the blade atop the body of his wife."

Silvean says, "And the body turned to ash."

Silvean says, "He held up the blade for it was beautiful. He held it high and he proclaimed loudly, "I, Thingul, have created the perfect weapon, for I am a god among wizards!""

Silvean says, "And there was nothing. No rewards."

Silvean says, "No applause."

Silvean says, "No cheering."

Silvean says, "Nothing."

Silvean says, "And perhaps in this he found a moment of sanity and understood what he did. Because Thingul would become the first victim of the perfect weapon on that evening."

Silvean says, "And this is how our Thingul died."

Silvean says, "And thus is how it went, more or less. It is the way of fate and the way of men."

Silvean says, "I wish to thank Erik and Enegue for telling me this story originally. Particularly the former for providing me with a written copy."

Silvean says, "And Tanri who developed more of the narrative than I did with a poem that suits it far better, but I am not a poet or a bard."

Tanri says, "I do like how you tell it, much more chilling than any other version I've heard"

Sarahoff says, "You didn't tell how the wizard got smushed"

Sarahoff stares at Silvean.

Silvean says, "He fell on the sword once he had realized the horror of what he had done."

Silvean says, "The Thingul family line is under a curse, as I mentioned."

Sarahoff beams happily at Silvean!

Silvean says, "It revolves around an object that has been passed down from generation to generation among them."

Silvean says, "This object passed on to Sagan for a while and now it has come to reside with others."

Silvean says, "It was a diamond. The Thingul diamond."

Silvean says, "The sword was discovered inside of the manor by Enegue."

Silvean says, "He continues to carry it, it's quite powerful and is one of two blades commonly referred to as the demon swords."

Silvean says, "There was a third, as well, actually."

Silvean says, "But it's more of a matter of confusion as Maruko's blade, now Kree's, is the only one that is actually demonic in nature."

(We then started talking about Kree's blade here.. but that is for another day.)

Nofret asks, "What were the voices? Were they demons or merely Thingul's own madness?"

Silvean says, "Literary device created by Tanri, which I was not aware that she originated it until tonight, but you make of it what you will."

Silvean asks, "Was he insane on his own? Or was it some thread of fate due to the diamond?"

Tanri says, "I've wondered myself what would drive him to kill the one thing in his life he truly loved"

Silvean says, "Every time I discuss Thingul, someone usually asks if I would kill Lylia if it would make me a god."

Shiril says, "He apparently loved something more than his wife."

Shiril shrugs.

Tanri says, "It wasn't clear whether he was insane and invented the voices to carry through with his obsession, or the voices drove him mad"

Silvean says, "I've held the diamond and examined it. I also watched what it did to Sagan."

Silvean says, "I get obsessed with my sorcery or my politics and I lose what originally pulled me into those fields."

'''end'''

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