Part Two: Preparations for Project Cosmic Hope

Autumn Equinox Year 543: Brennan and I first journeyed through the Great Ravenwood Tree to the Faethorn Realm, the ethereal plane where the great spirits dwell, where the reflected souls of our dear forests stand, newly healed and now vibrating with life. In accordance with our symbiotic ties to the fae, Queen Maeve did pledge the support of Faethorn to the decree of Mother Night, to help convince the Empire to stop their scheme to further tear into the fabric that binds the cosmos. It heartened me greatly that the covens of the Moondance and Lakewood also beseeched Faethorn to join them on this mission.

After bidding farewell to silvery Faethorn and departing the ethereal plane, to Hallifax we travelled. Indeed, the crystal spires that float upon the clouds are majesty themselves, but, oh, I cannot feel the vibrations of the living ground beneath my feet, nor smell the green of life, nor even sense the beating of the earth’s heart. Is it no wonder, Mother Night, that those who live in cities do not hear the rhythms of the cycles and cannot understand the wisdom of the great spirits?

Chairman Adom heads the Hallifax Board of Governors, and is as passionate as stone and cold as ice as are most of the race of lucidians. The Board is made up of lucidians and trill, and it was to the trill that I made my strongest appeal. Perhaps the winged race of trill hear the cycles of nature at least a little, for indeed they were more responsive to my plea than their lucidian counterparts. Or perhaps an elfen like myself just cannot fathom the race of crystal beings, whose expressions never change and eyes fall upon me like icicles. Only Mother Night knows how these two peoples came together.

Alas, after the Board adjourned to a private meeting, it was decided that Hallifax would support the Empire’s project. Later, Llisilli Cloudwalker, one of the trill board members, told me in confidence that political considerations played no small role in their decision since Hallifax was seeking imperial mediation over mining rights with the dwarven kingdom. Her words perhaps were meant to comfort me, but only made me sadder to think such secular concerns were given greater weight than the spiritual wisdom of the great spirits. Still, some small hope was offered as the Board agreed not to use the Matrix, the nexus of power in Hallifax, for these imprudent experiments.

Next, we travelled to the great dracnari pyramids of Gaudiguch, ruled by the mysterious Illuminati and spiritually led by the enigmatic Most Venerable Bhodifucius. Where Hallifax was cold and aloof, Gaudiguch was hot and tempestuous. The dracnari are not called dragon lords for nothing, as they live among the volcanoes of the Razines and swim in flames as easily as the merian swim in water. Though they listened to me with sympathy and made many placating platitudes, it was obvious they were much excited by the Empire’s quest.

Indeed, they danced and feasted, revelled until deep into the night. When intoxicated, the dracnari make little effort to hide old racial tensions, as certainly was the case when the High Flame belched fire upon the ambassador from Hallifax, who was one of the cold lucidians on the Board who I had met previously. My only hope is that the dracnari spiritual leader, the Most Venerable Bhodifucius, hears the ring of truth from the words of Mother Night, for one of his cryptic remarks to me made me think that perhaps he understands more deeply than the others. But the Most Venerable does not lead his people, but teaches through paradox and conundrums.

Mother Night, I fear I have failed you in this mission. Will no one listen to your words? Does your wisdom fall upon deaf ears? Despite all our protestations, the Empire pursues their quest for power relentlessly. Even pointing out the Empire’s previous failure of Project Soulforge, that drove the mugwump from their ancestral home, makes no difference. Our words fall like snowflakes upon the hot skin of a dracnari, melting into nothing and disappearing as so much steam.