Raziela's Plight, Part Two: Tears of the Angel, The Crimson Rose and the Five Brands
Written by: Anonymous
Date: Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Addressed to: Everyone
As Liam laid besides a pool of putrid ooze deep within the Great Muud,
his hand reached into the filth, Raziela's soft voice could be heard
echoing from within. After much coaxing, New Celest managed to keep her
asleep, while the tormented Liam struggled to keep her attention. After
stammered apologies, it was finally realized that Raziela foreseen this,
and had gone in not expecting to return.
New Celest, hoping to weaken Muud, ran in a red-tinted rage through the
Village of Duum, known to be host to strange and terrible nightmares. As
they struck down villagers in scores, finally they discovered and slew
the Dread Lord of Contagion. As Muud lost much of His accumulated
strength from the death, the pool in which Raziela was trapped erupted
into the forms of terrible monstrosities known to traffic the deepest
and most dangerous parts of Muud. When they were slain, the timid form
of Raziela, the Loving Radiance, was found weeping, bound within the
remnants of the ooze.
As despair set into the Supernals of Celestia, many of them moaned and
prepared themselves for what they believed to be the worst - the loss of
Raziela, the Loving Radiance, to the Soulless God Muud. For even if she
could be saved, a terrible thought lingered in the minds of everyone -
how long could a Supernal stay away from its creche, before the madness
would set in?
It was several days before Japhiel, the Illuminator of Merciful Justice
was able to construct a pendant that had once before been used to save
the beings of Celestia, the pendant of Celestial Light. While Squire
Acrune of the Paladins set to influencing angels to empower them enough
to pool their power to free Raziela, the Demon Lord Baalphegar was fast
at work on Nil, fashioning the Foul Amulet of Baleful Desire, for
Nariah, the Heresiarch of the Nihilists. It was not long after that the
Thornroot Movement of Faethorn, notorious for their disagreement with
Fae leaving the Faethorn to either forest, sent a messenger to both
Serenwilde and Glomdoring, explaining their situation, and their plan.
As the pendant of Celestial Light passed to Doman of the Aquamancers, it
was the Queen of the Night, Astraea, the Vernal Ascendant of Glomdoring
Xenthos, the Eye of the Crow Izekeal and a crowd of members of the
Glomdoring Commune who met with the Serenwilde, lead by Sarrasri,
Champion of the Moondancers, and began the process of preparing the Song
of Ail'Fae Runia. As the days passed the Communes grew closer to their
goal, quietly working under the awareness of the pre-occupied New
Celest.
As the communes traveled to the Tree of Trees to bless the fae girl with
the power to sing the Song of Ail'Fae Runia, Nariah continued to
influence demons, each she came across sacrificing itself for the glory
of the Tainted Plane of Nil, while Doman continued influencing angels.
Soon the Communes lead the determined child into the belly of Muud,
seeking out the hiding place of Raziela. Thinking the communes had come
to help, New Celest was shocked to discover the fae girl open her voice
in song, while Raziela began to scream and pull at her bindings, ripping
flesh and ooze from her body from the force of her struggle.
When the song came to an end, a manifestation of the song formed across
Raziela's right arm - long thorny vines crawling from wrist to shoulder,
painfully piercing the flesh, while scarlet roses began to bloom across
its length. Feeling betrayed and angered, Acrune of the Paladins lashed
out at the fae girl, though Xenthos managed to save her and lead her
back to the Faethorn. While cheers of fae descended upon the Prime
Material and the Ethereal Planes, cries of outrage and anger came out of
Celestia, the voice of Methrenton, Crusader of the Holy Flame loudest
among them.
Heartbroken and shocked at the betrayal of the Communes, New Celest
trudged on, encouraging more and more of the angels of Celestia to
support Raziela, and to help free her. More of Magnagora mobilizing,
they sought to wrest control of the bound Raziela's prison from New
Celest, and eventually succeeded, if only for a time. Whispering
poisonous words and terrible lies into her ear, Feyrll of Magnagora
began to delude what sanity remained in Raziela, convincing her that
Celest sought her harm. Though with shouts of encouragement from all
across the First World, Raziela slowly regained her senses - though only
for a time, eventually all she saw were Celestian, mistaking Marcalo of
Magnagora for Narsrim of New Celest, Feyrll as Liam, and Liam as Feyrll.
Wielding the Foul Amulet of Baleful Desire, Nariah unleashed its waves
of dark, tainted energy at Raziela, who finally succumbed to the
darkness. As the energies washed around her, they branded five
blasphemous marks into her neck, which to this day burn as they did the
moment they were placed there. Their job done, Magnagora quickly fled,
and a beleaguered New Celest finally succeeded in freeing Raziela.
As she returned to her arbour, it became clear to all gathered that
Raziela was no longer herself. Confused, disoriented and upset by her
arbour's condition and her time beyond her creche, the child half-formed
began to sob and scream. Rushing to see what was wrong, Elohora,
Methrenton, Japhiel and Shakiniel arrived in her arbour, though
Methrenton left soon after, too upset to remain near Raziela in her
condition. It was not long before the Elder Goddess Terentia, the Even
Bladed arrived, perturbed by what had transpired. Though not skilled in
the arts of healing, Terentia remembered seeing a healing mound on the
farthest reaches of Celestia upon Her arrival once before, unknown to
the Supernals. Soon it was discovered that essence could be used to form
a portal to this place, and once opened, Elohora, Shakiniel and Japhiel
carried Raziela through the portal, and bound her to the marble slab
found within. Unsure of what could be done, Japhiel began instructing
New Celest to begin pooling power in the amphora found at the head of
the slab. As they did, beams of pure white light streaked through the
sky of Celestia, and beyond.
As dawn drew close after several days of gathering essence, Japhiel
began to worry for Raziela's condition, and called New Celest to them.
Afraid to wait any longer, the Illuminator of Merciful Justice began to
call the pooled essence from within the amphora. As he began to channel
the liquid power down the slab and into Raziela, a beam of light rose
from the ceramic construct and shattered the sky above, breaching
through to the Prime Material and shattering the sky above New Celest.
While Japhiel continued his work, the sky tore open above Avechna's
Peak, and a golden figure descended into the Divine Fulcruxes. As
another flare of light shot through the Pool of Stars, as Japhiel
continued to work, the being took flight once more, and began to travel
through the Pool of Stars, and then across the Holy Plane of Celestia.
As the being descended He was revealed to be Eventru, Crown of the
Exalted, one of the few living First Circle Gods, who once lead the
Hamadhi. At first angered by the sight of Raziela, He gave in to His
better nature and listened to the cries of the Celestians and Supernals
around him. Dipping His hands into the amphora, He drew out light
essence and bathed Raziela, restoring much of her shattered sanity.
Passing her to Elohora, he firmly commanded the half-formed to protect
and shelter Raziela until she was ready to be left alone.
After He returned to His fulcrux, it was soon discovered that He dare
not remove either the mark that the Fae had placed upon Raziela, nor the
brand burnt into her neck, for fear of doing irreparable harm to the
still fragile Supernal.
As Eventru took His place in the Divine Pantheon of New Celest, many
questions were raised as to what would be the fate of Raziela, and the
two dangerous marks now bound into her very being. And what would it
mean for Fain, of the Red Masque, the only First Circle God seen upon
the First World since the Elder Wars?
Penned by My hand on the 10th of Dioni, in the year 204 CE.