I'm not quite sure why people think Terentia looks Angelic, but okay!
Further, it's already been established that all gods that claim to be "Siblings" come from the same creche.

Did anybody who played BOMBARD! see the names of some previously unknown Souless Gods?

There was at least one, maybe two. I don't remember--one began with a D.

It's been 8 months since we had a new chapter in this book. I was sort of hoping we'd see another chapter before the end of the year. I thought a new chapter would have been released during this crisis, but alas, nope.

(Not to mention the book seems to be bugged, trying to read it shows it to be blank--yes, I bugged it).

Anyway, I just figured I should beg Estarra to release some new text in this quarter, if possible.

I'd actually like to see a new one before the quiz.

THE BOOK OF LOBOSHI

Dust billowing behind her, Tauro came running over the hills carrying
the broken form of Orlachmar over her shoulder. Keeping pace next to her
was Fain, shouting directions at her and pointing towards the Gladdyn
Forest. Overhead, Illith the Leviathan crawled through the sky, her
ripped lower half flailing and spraying red-black blood.

Foul blood rained upon us, hitting the ground like burning lava then
cooling to hardened stone, I clapped my hands together and unleashed
bolts of pure domoth energies at her. Next to me, Clangorum, Gruen and
Thax, my cadre of the Second, were doing the same. When Tauro and Fain
arrived, Fain immediately began barking out orders.

"Thax, find Gheasia and Raezon and bring them to the healing mounds!" he
ordered.

Thax clapped a fist to his chest and immediately departed, while
Clangorum, Gruen and I kept an onslaught upon the Leviathan. Tauro still
held what was left of Orlachmar's body in her arms, tears of fury and
sorrow streaming down her face. Fain clapped me on the shoulder.

"Loboshi," he said to me, "Contact Volkh and have a doorway opened to
the ethereal fold! We need to get to the Fields of the Maeve now!"

Behind me in the wooded areas beyond the hills, Volkh's creations, the
wolves, watched me as they always have, ready to protect. I merely had
to look their way and Great Spirit Wolf bridged a connection between
Volkh and myself. I passed along Fain's message and immediately felt a
portal open up not far away.

"Follow me!" I shouted, running towards the portal within the forested
area.

Fain and Tauro were on my heels, leaving Gruen and Clangorum to drive
Illith off on their own. She was in such pain and so deeply mangled, I
did not fear they would have trouble. The wolves were howling their
terror as we plunged through the woods and into the shimmering portal.

The ethereal realm was a reflection of the prime plane, and where the
awakened spirits first manifest, their natural home, unlike the animals
created by the Seventh Circle who resided on the prime. The ethereal
realm teemed with these lesser spirits, awakened from trees and rocks,
rivers and streams, clouds, flowers, reeds, countless little ones.

Since we entered through a forested area, we were standing in the centre
of an ethereal forest, and Volkh immediately manifested next to me, his
arms circling my shoulder. Great Spirit Wolf, the oversoul of his
wolves, rubbed against my legs. Tauro and Fain came stumbling behind me,
carrying Orlachmar between them. Volkh looked at me and saw tears
welling in my eyes. He reached up and gently held my head between his
hands.

"Orlachmar was of your cadre," Volkh whispered. "If he has any chance,
you must go there and be with him."

"Do you know I love you beyond reason," I said, briefly nuzzling his
neck.

"I know," he said. "Now go with them."

I nodded and followed Tauro and Fain as they headed towards the Fields
of the Maeve. There, the healing mounds were created by the Hamadhi,
those of the Third Circle devoted to healing and caring. Before, the
Hamadhi mostly kept to the outer planes and cared for the half formed.
Now, however, their healing skills were needed to help us in the war.
Upon each of the mounds was a stone table covered in thick moss. Vines
of fragrant blossoms grew upon the mounds, curling and winding around
the sides of the stone table. Hovering over each table were crystals,
glittering with auron energies.

Tauro laid what was left of Orlachmar on one of the stone tables. Tauro
stepped back, so I went up and stood next to her. I took her hand in
mine and she squeezed back tightly. Lantra the White, one of the
Hamadhi, ran up to our healing mound and then slowed as she saw what was
left of Orlachmar on the stone table. It was only his upper body, half
an upper torso, the lower half and legs irretrievably lost down the
gullet of Illith.

"Fain, it is too late," said Lantra the White gently. "Please, you must
let him go, and let loose your sorrow and grief."

"Start the healing!" Fain snapped, and sharply gestured for her to
begin.

But what could Lantra do? Even I could see that life had been emptied
from Orlachmar's body. The breath was still, the heart silent, the skin
cool, and no spirit flickered behind his vacant eyes. His expression was
frozen partially between pain and resignation. Tauro squeezed my hand
even tighter.

Lantra sighed and ran her hands over Orlachmar's body, opening up
channels to the healing domoth energies. She cleaned away the blood, and
sealed what she could of his wounds. She laid a slender hand over his
face, softening his pained features. The blossoms around the stone table
released a cool fragrance, while the green moss soaked up leaking
fluids.

"There is nothing more to do," Lantra said.

"You are wrong! There is much more to do!" said Fain, not looking at her
but at a group that was quickly running towards us.

Thax had not only brought Gheasia and Raezon, but their entire Fifth
Circle Coterie. As coteries were groups who came together for a specific
task, it was obvious they were here with a preplanned purpose. It was no
secret that Fain had been working with the Fifth Circle, leading and
directing them in certain experiments to help fight the Soulless.

Gheasia was extremely thin, her black hair cropped short and severe.
Raezon was her mate and could have been her twin, except he preferred to
keep his black hair long and wound in a simple twist. Their ice blue
eyes glittered, hungrily I thought, like many of the Fifth Circle. Their
coterie consisted of themselves, Mugowumpois whose dark skin was flushed
as she licked her moist lips, Oshterel whose small hands fidgeted with
some instrument of his own devising, Yomoigu who was tall, silent and
stoic except when excited as he now was, and Mililiki whose sharp
features were now turned to a seemingly perpetual frown as she hovered
next to Gheasia and Raezon.

As they circled around the stone table, Fain pushed Lantra aside. Tauro
looked at me in confusion but I could only shrug. Fain must have had a
plan.

Raezon and Gheasia seemed to be in charge, as they carried between them
a block of pure white marble. Fain excitedly moved to Orlachmar's head,
laying hands on either side of his face, then nodding towards Raezon.

"This is it, Raez," he whispered. "Our salvation could be at hand."

Raezon nodded and bit his lower lip, a nervous twitch momentarily
marring his smooth features. I looked around at the other Fifth Circle,
and none seemed too pleased. Mugowumpois opened her mouth as though she
were about to speak but then snapped it shut. Yomoigu and Mililiki were
giving each other meaningful glances, while Oshterel could barely
contain his agitation and kept twisting the strange device in his hand.

"We should have done more experiments," said Gheasia, giving voice to
the trepidation that grew among them. "We have not gathered enough
information."

"My experiments have proven unpredictable," said Mugowumpois in a rush,
"I want it recorded that I object to rushing forward with this."

"As do I," said Mililiki, nodding at Yomoigu who was shaking his head
slowly. "This is much too hasty."

"What are you doing?" asked Lantra the White, her eyes flickering
uncertainly around the gathering. "Orlachmar is dead, his spirit has
left him, leaked out with his lifeforce. It is only a matter of time
before his body disperses and decays."

"Orlachmar is dead," said Fain, gazing intently at each of the Fifth
Circle in turn. "There is no time for more experiments or
considerations. My friends, it is time to act, while our dear colleague
rests on the table before us. We have a chance to bring him back, to
turn the tide in this war. Let us try, at least, to see if your work
holds any promise. Lantra is right that time runs out, is running out.
We must hurry before his body decays. We must try this! Now! Raezon,
begin."

Fain's words stirred excitement in the group, and hope was palpable
among those gathered. Certainly, an excitement swept through me. Had the
Coterie of Fain's Fifth found a way to turn back death or dissolution of
our bodies, to call back our spirits? That would certainly turn the tide
of war!

Raezon and Gheasia laid the strange white block down. Running their
fingers over its smooth surface, golden glyphs appeared, gleaming with
power. Whispering incantations and directing subtle immanidivinus
forces, the top of the block slid back, revealing a vial cushioned in
folds of white velvet. The crystal vial was an enormous cut diamond
within which a green liquid pulsated. Carefully lifting it out, Raezon
gently unstoppered the vial.

Fain pressed his fingers into the joints of Orlachmar's jaws, forcing
his mouth open. Raezon tilted the vial over Orlachmar's lips, letting a
single drop of emerald fire dribble onto Orlachmar's tongue.
We all waited, holding our breath. Even Lantra had quieted and stilled,
her hands clenched before her. Was there colour rising in Orlachmar's
cheeks? Did his eyes momentarily clear and focus? I couldn't tell.

"More," commanded Fain.

Raezon tilted the vial again, letting the emerald fire trickle into
Orlachmar's mouth until the viscous liquid filled the cavity. Small
streams dribbled down the sides of his cheeks, leaving behind ochre
trails. Raezon paused again, and we waited. The liquid pooling in
Orlachmar's mouth began to smoke, then slowly sink down into his throat.
Gouts of thick grey smoke poured out of Orlachmar's mouth and nose. The
healing crystals around the stone table turned black and spun madly and
then shattered, peppering us with shards. The moss upon the table
withered and turned to ash, and the healing blossoms shriveled, their
fragrance tinged with the stink of rot.

This time there was a definite reaction. Orlachmar's mouth opened and
closed, and his eyes snapped open. He looked as though he were
screaming. Lantra the White gasped, staggering backwards as she pointed
to the opening of Orlachmar's torso, which was leaking the same grey
smoke.

"It's dissolving him!" she cried.

"No!" said Gheasia. "No, it's not. Look!"

Indeed, smoke descended from Orlachmar's torn torso, but instead of
drifting off the table, the smoke gathered into columns, taking on the
shape of legs. As grey smoke leaked from Orlachmar's every pore and
orifice, his body began shuddering.

"More!" shouted Fain. "Use the rest!"

Raezon poured out the remainder of the vial's contents down Orlachmar's
throat, and his body began shuddering uncontrollably. Trying to draw
great gasps of air, his mouth stretched open so wide it seemed it would
like to split. The grey smoke surrounding him solidified, hardening into
a firm shell. His body was bucking now, tossing Raezon away. Fain
shouted for us to hold him down, as he gripped Orlachmar's thrashing
head.

I lunged forward, along with Thax, and we pressed Orlachmar's shoulders
down to the stone table. His regrown legs were kicking wildly and none
of the Fifth could hold them down. A moaning cry came from deep within
Orlachmar's throat, a bellow of pain and rage. I focused only on holding
him down, dimly aware of Lantra shouting at the other Hamadhi for help
as they blanketed us with soothing domoth energies. I heard a sickening
crunch and thought we had broken Orlachmar's newly formed spine.

But it was the breaking of the healing table upon which he rested.

Finally, Orlachmar stopped his screams and lay still, his exertions
perhaps finally running to exhaustion. I stepped back, bruised and
aching as though having just come from battle. All of us were staring at
this miracle before us.

Orlachmar's eyes were closed, and his chest lifted and fell with heavy,
thudding breaths. The golden gleam of his skin was gone, leaving only a
grey pallor. His physique seemed changed as well, broader, even more
muscled than before. Looking more closely, the newly formed grey skin
was thick like an elephant's and small cracks were crisscrossed over its
surface. All his golden hair had fallen off, and his lips and nails were
black.

Slowly Orlachmar opened his eyes, which glowed the same emerald green as
the mysterious fluid that brought him back to life. He blinked through
the sickly pale light gleaming from his pupils and bared his teeth. Was
his jaw wider? His teeth sharper? Why were his lower canines now so long
and curved like tusks?

"What have you done to me?" he said, voice rumbling forth like cracked
boulders, laced with bitterness and accusation.

"We have saved you!" said Fain, gripping Orlachmar's shoulder in
affection.

Orlachmar slowly climbed to his feet, his movements jerky and slow as he
rolled off the rubble that was once a healing table. He looked at me, a
dull sort of recognition that tugged at my heart. I couldn't help it,
but tears filled my eyes.

"Loboshi," he said. "Take me away from here. Take me away!"

So I wrapped an arm around Orlachmar, taking his weight against me. He
felt hot and feverish. Raezon started to follow but Orlachmar stared at
him. Raezon saw something in Orlachmar's his eyes and retreated. As we
walked away, I heard Fain triumphantly proclaim, "There goes our
salvation!"

As we left the Fields of the Maeve, Volkh came running with Great Spirit
Wolf at his side. After getting over his incredulity of seeing Orlachmar
alive, Volkh helped me carry him to a private glade hidden within the
ethereal fold. Orlachmar sat heavily on the ground, his eyes blazing
green yet his expression blank.

I explained to Volkh what happened, how Fain and the Fifth Circle
Coterie brought Orlachmar back from the dead. Being of the Seventh
Circle, Volkh carefully studied Orlachmar's physical form and gave him
healing unguents to soothe his skin and herbs to calm his inner turmoil.
Orlachmar said very little, just leaned against a large rock and took
the medicines.

"He has changed, Loboshi," Volkh confided to me later. "Whatever was
done, he is not as he was. And it is more than just his physical form.
His very aura seems to repel domoth fields, and I swear even the
immanidivinus pathways through his body have altered."

"What does it mean?" I asked, for being of the Second Circle this was
far beyond me. "All I know is that the immanidivinus is the source of
our inner strength and power."

"Just so," said Volkh. "Each of us has a unique system of pathways
within our spirit, if you will, that forms our spiritual body and taps
directly into the immanidivinus energies that surround us. We of the
Seventh Circle tried to recreate these pathways to create new beings,
but our creations could not connect to the immanidivinus but only to the
domothean forces."

"So Orlachmar is now more animal? He is only drawing from the domoth
energies?"

"No," said Volkh with a sigh. "I do not know how he is even alive. It is
certainly not domoth energies that animate him. Partly he is still
drawing from the immanidivinus but that alone is not enough. I have a
suspicion though. Some of the Fifth Circle have been trying to analyze
how the Soulless draw their power since they don't use immanidivinus
energies themselves. They theorize that there is an opposing force which
they call the excoroperditio force."

"Poor Orlachmar," I whispered with a shudder.

Volkh and I stayed with Orlachmar for several weeks. He remained distant
and brooding, refusing to engage in conversation. He adamantly refused
to allow the Fifth Circle Coterie to examine him, so they had to be
content with reports from Volkh and I of his progress.

The remnants of the First Circle had been cloistered in discussions over
whether or not Fain's experiment should even be repeated. There were
only 10 of the First Circle left: Fain, Meridian, Olm, Eventru, Aslarn,
Shairim, Czixi, Dahlthea, Zvoltz and Auginorus. Since they could not
reach a consensus, they called a Gathering at the Towers of Xyl for a
vote among all of us. Orlachmar decided to leave his seclusion and
attend, and it was here where we all learned the truth of the serum
given to Orlachmar.

Once we had all gathered, Fain strode forward on the top dais, the Fifth
Circle Coterie and his mate Lisaera of the Sixth Circle arrayed behind
him. Fain struck an impressive figure, dressed in gold and crimson robes
with his dark hair held back with a platinum circle studded in rubies.
He held up his hands until all were quiet, then he bowed deeply, a wan
smile on his handsome face. I leaned forward with those around me in
response to his magnetic presence.

"We must come to consider our fate, our situation," Fain said, his
melodious voice ringing throughout the chamber. "It is time to put aside
all qualms and inhibitions, and look to see what strategy the Soulless
Ones have used to so far defeat us. Can we use it to our advantage? My
Fifth Circle Coterie and I have come to the conclusion that we can in
fact emulate the strategy of absorbing the essence of others into
ourselves. The first great step was collecting the essence of the
Soulless. The serum given to Orlachmar was the distilled essence of the
Soulless God Erlechtoch."

Fain paused as the furious whispering at his revelation subsided. Like
everyone else, I was utterly shocked. I think Volkh had understood what
had happened to Orlachmar, for he did not appear surprised, only sad. We
held each other tightly.

"As you can see, the experiment was an unmitigated success!" Fain
continued, pointing to Orlachmar. "Indeed, it went beyond our hopes!
Orlachmar was brought back from the dead, resurrected if you will. And
from all reports we've heard, he is stronger and greater than he was
before. And so I put to you that we embrace this new beginning, that we
exploit this strategy. We can indeed take their essence into us, use
their strength against them. This I believe we must do for our own
survival."

There was silence at the end of his words. What did this mean? We would
all consume the Soulless Ones? We would eat them as they ate us? And
what of our own fallen? Do we cannibalize our own? Could this be the
answer to our dilemma, our almost imminent defeat. Yes, perhaps.

Looking around, the faces of others mirrored my own thoughts. Confusion
and fear and trepidation and . . . hope. Then Meridian stepped forward,
bowing stiffly to Fain. Bowing deeply to Meridian in return, Fain
relinquished the forefront of the speaker's dais. Meridian was somber in
deep blue robes, his eyes burning still with grief.

"Taking in the essence of our enemy is an abomination," said Meridian.
"I ask you this: What will we become if we embrace such a course? Those
who killed my dear Amberle, who sucked her dry, would we become like
them? Would we be no better than them? I suggest that we would not! And
what would happen to us? How would we change? We do not know but we may
have an inkling. I've made my own inquiries of those of Fain's Coterie
as well as others of the Fifth Circle. There is the possibility that we
would become what we hate. Indeed, look at Orlachmar. Is he the same as
he was? What if he falls again? Will he be given another infusion of
this so-called serum? At what point will he lose all that he is? Will he
become another of the Soulless? If not, then what? Something evil.
Something cruel."

Orlachmar strode forward, his grey skin darkened with emotion. His eyes
were glittering green orbs. He quivered with emotion.

"Listen to Meridian!" Orlachmar shouted, then breathed deeply to gain
some measure of control over himself. "Forgive me, Fain, but you cannot
do this. You cannot continue on this path. I am not what I was. I do not
know what I am! I know what you did was for our salvation, but trust me,
Fain, this is not the answer. Do not do this! I beg of you and all that
Dynara held for us, do not make any other become like me. It is not just
hatred and despair that consumes me! It is hunger! Hunger for
destruction! Why have I not wanted to be around others? I will tell you
why! I want to kill you all! I want to tear each of you limb from limb!
And I do not know how to stop this wanting!"

With his fists clenched, Orlachmar's voice broke. Indeed, he looked
ready to begin tearing into all of us. But Fain strode down to stand
before Orlachmar and placed a hand on Orlachmar's trembling shoulders.
There was such compassion in Fain's eyes that Orlachmar eventually
calmed down and seemed to deflate, unclenching his fists and bowing his
head.

"Oh, my dear brother," said Fain to Orlachmar, "my dear friend, my dear
comrade, if there was only any other way! But know what I did, I believe
was right. I believe this is our only way to defeat the Soulless Ones."

"You do not understand," whispered Orlachmar heavily.

"There is no choice, my friend," Fain said, then turned to face the
assembly. "And to all of you I ask, what other way out is there for us?
Tell me and I will gladly follow! Meridian, I know you reject this plan,
but tell me what you would do in its place? You do not answer because
you have no other plan! We may survive the coming weeks and months, but
what of the coming years? How long can we hold out? The few of us are
getting fewer, and the Soulless are growing stronger with each of our
fallen. They grow stronger with each of their own fallen, for indeed
they cannibalize each other! This is our chance, my friends. This is our
only chance. This is what we must do to survive."

Well, Fain's words were impressive. I do not know one of us who could
not dispute what he said. But there were also those who deeply felt
Meridian's warning. Like Meridian, many of us felt the death of a loved
one as he or she was devoured by a Soulless. From sundown through
sunrise, we argued the merits of each side.

But in the end, we only had to look out of the tall windows in this
crystal chamber to see the world had changed. The sky was black and
grey, angry with the venom of the Soulless. Clouds rained acidic fluids,
staining the earth black and bloody red. Who could argue that it was
only a matter of time before we were defeated? Fain offered us a way. A
glimpse to salvation. We had to take it.

May Dynara forgive us, we voted overwhelmingly in favour of Fain's plan.

I've noticed these books or chapters have had varying but noticeable effects on racial RP. For example, I've spotted far more Tae'dae acting like Tae here in the books.

You saw Tae'dae? O.o