Athena appears. She and Arianna stand in a massive, dark chamber too large to fully see, lit by faint, diffuse light. All is silent and still, with only motes of light moving.
The goddess tells her champion, "The world is in grave danger. The forces of Chaos are gaining the upper hand and the situation is quickly sliding out of control" (vision of various primitive deities bursting free of confinement and running amok, earthquakes, volcanoes, and wars, and orcish invasions). "Although the forces of Law are working together quite well," (visions of the faiths of Athena, Bahamut, Angellus, and Wee Jas cooperating to find and bring the Orb of Law to Amberwood), "it will probably not be enough to spare the world from destruction. Another faith" (vision of a guy in bronze platemail and a golden helmet with wings handing over a mithril staff to a group of Egyptian priests), "has hidden the greatest means of defense.
"There is hope," (vision of a shaft of light too bright to look at). "Three ancient relics may hold the key to saving Oerth," (vague vision of uniting three items). "The first is the Hesper, an oracle for sundering the veils of time and space. It has been lost for many centuries, stolen by the demonic followers of the false god," (vision of demon-worshiping witches), "Amnissos. A being representing decay and chaos, this demon lord had the Hesper used to defeat the followers of various true gods. The relic, however, should still lie in an ancient temple to the goddess of balance, Harmonia," (vision of an island in Eastern Medegia, home to a ruined temple). "Beware, however, for although Amnissos' death-loving cult is no more, his legacy remains.
"The next artifact will be revealed after you recover the first. It is of critical importance that only Greeks be aware of this mission. If another pantheon learns of this quest, other deities may take steps to completely thwart it. Although your allies are noble and trustworthy, the motives of their GODS may not be. Thus, this undertaking must remain a secret even from them" (vision of Moorak, Sage, Rhanée, Black Robe, and the dragons). "Under no circumstances let others" (vision of illithid, a bald guy, Chastity, and other telepaths), "scan your mind or those to whom you give this secret."
"Choose heroes from across the length and breadth of the land. Each will receive a vision. Indeed, some many come forward without summons, for you need every trustworthy ally you can get. Do not turn away anyone who hears the call. Remember only the greatest of Greek heroes should attempt this quest, as it is dangerous beyond belief, yet it is also the greatest hope for the world.
"Before you depart, there are some things you must know.
"Amnissos is an ancient figure, a demon masquerading as a god of decay and chaos. He is no longer worshiped, as his death-loving cult has long since disappeared, destroyed finally centuries ago by Leonidas, the mighty paladin-king (one of Damelia's great-great-great-granddads). All of Amnissos' followers were killed, driven away, or converted to the worship of other deities.
"But the temple where his followers practiced their evil religion was originally raised to Harmonia, goddess of renewal, balance, and mastered passions. Harmonia's followers were driven into hiding when Amnissos' minions desecrated the temple and took it for their own. Indeed, it was at this time that Harmonia lost the first half of her amulet."
"The Hesper was an important tool in the hands of Amnissos' bloody priests, so they kept it well guarded. It is concealed somewhere within that temple, and it is the first object you must find.
"I have provided you with a vision of where the ruins of this temple are. You must secure your own transportation there and back. It is important that you take action as soon as possible, as time is running short. I will not be able to answer your prayers directly, as such appearances can cause unwanted attentions on the part of other beings. Indeed, no other divine being must know of your quests, save we Olympians. Even the worshipers of other gods must be kept from this knowledge, lest our goal be thwarted.
"It is important you explain the nature of this quest to each taking up the summons. Moreover, you must give them the option to decline, for freewill is important to your success. If any choose safety over heroism, leave them be, but quest them to keep what they know a secret from all other beings, living, dead, or non-sentient. Dimensional imprisonment or even execution are your only other recourses, even when dealing with others who share your ethics. The needs of your world come first.
"May the Fates shine upon you. Good luck, my champion..."
...and Arianna woke up with her spear in her hand.
It was late and most of the keep had already headed off to bed. The children had been asleep for hours. Vladimir was out on one of the towers' parapets, drinking in the night air and the glittering stars. This is his time, his place. In her lab, Tasha devoured a book and conducted some experiment. All was calm and quiet throughout.
"Father, could you come inside please. It's dark out here," came Amber's quiet-but-deep voice from behind.
Vlad raised an eyebrow; this young lady should have been sound asleep. She isn't one to disobey the rules, even though she shares his love of the night. Vlad scooped Amber up and carried her into the warmth of the hall, closing the door behind him. She nuzzled against her father's shoulder and chin, her arms around his neck.
"Strange," he thought, "Amber's never been one to fear the dark."
When father and daughter reached the fire-lit room, Amber reached into Vladimir's pouch and drew forth his continual light stone. At that moment, as the room was illuminated with daylight, Vlad realized that his glittering silver sword symbol of Eilistraee was in his daughter's tiny hand instead of being around his own neck.
"That's better," she says slightly relieved, tossing the talisman out a nearby garden window. To Vladimir's slight frown, she answers, "a great, gray-eyed lady visited me tonight. She said I should relay her message to you and that on this one night, I must do a few things I normally shouldn't.
"The lady says that no one must know what we're talking about, not even Mother. She made me promise to keep her secret. The Dark Maiden may be trustworthy, but the less she knows, the better. If word gets out, it would be ruined."
Vlad eyes Amber carefully, a slight flicker in his gaze saying "continue".
"Oerth is in mortal danger. You may think you're too old for adventure, but you're a great hero, Father, one that the Olympians respect. They need you. I need you. You've been asked to help protect our world from harm. I've been asked to invite you to join some of your former companions on a quest. The mission is a secret, but Arianna is putting it together. You need to gather your adventuring gear in secret and join her at her temple. She can tell you all the details.
"In the meanwhile, you can't tell anyone anything. Not even Mother! Not a word! You can't even pray to the Dark Maiden. And no matter what, we can't let either of my brothers find out. Nathan's no real problem, but Raitan could accidentally ruin everything!
"Slip away with Rufus tomorrow night and go from there, okay?"
Amber looked into her father's face and softened slightly. "I'm sorry. I'll keep your silver sword safe while you're gone. And I'll be good for Mother." There is a hint of a tear in the girl's gray eyes. "This is really important, Father.
"I know you think I dreamt this all up, but I didn't. I'm supposed to tell you to remember your time in the Underdark and the blessing in the great cavern. This mission is more important than when your friends went to the Demonweb. If someone doesn't do something, I'm never going to have a chance to grow up," she finishes.
Vladimir paused in reflection for a brief moment before answering, "Very well, my little puzzlebox," he replied as he gently hugged his daughter, kneeling down to her level and looking her in the eyes. "Tell me what I must do..."
Rufus was hanging out with Raitan and Ael'Mara, trying to get ahold of Quendi so his group (and possibly Zarabell) could find the dimensional breach that leads to Abydos, the demi-plane the Entropy Bell is on. After having spent some time in Amberwood and Portown, Raitan finally managed to get the group transported to SeaHaven in order to talk with Flora. While Rai and "Bong-Woman" were working out the details of how she could see the ley-line breach, Rufus noticed his coral bracelet was really looking badly. It appeared to be drying out and dying. His skin underneath it was likewise becoming dry and flaky.
Naturally, Rufus sought out the ocean. Taking a quick dip, the coral's color again became vivid and expanded to its former size. Then it surged forward and grew into a solid tether of coral in a split-second. Suddenly, Rufus found himself anchored to the bottom of the sea floor, connected to the natural reef formations just off the coast. As he was about to take action, a beautiful but-not-entirely-human woman swam up.
"Greetings, Rufus. Please don't be alarmed," she smiled. "I bring you greetings from my father, the Lord of the Sea." Her sea-green eyes flash toward the surface of the water and the keep of SeaHaven. "It is important that no one overhears our conversation and that you speak of this to absolutely no one. Please be at ease."
At that, the coral bracer returned to its normal shape and size.
"The Earthshaker asks you to join a mission of great importance. You will know many of your fellows, as they all serve the Olympians. Your world is in danger and you are one of its best hopes. Seek out your former compatriot, the priestess of the gray-eyed goddess, as she will be assembling heroes. Tell no one of where you are going or why -- a moment's indiscretion could doom us all!
"Very soon the Champion of Istus will return to the Land of the Pagans. Go with him, but abandon him there. In the Temple of Wisdom you will learn all you need to know. I'm sorry, but I may not speak more plainly.
"The fate of your world rests on your shoulders. May the Fates bless you and the Olympians guide your hand. Farewell."
And with that the nereid was gone. Rufus swam back to the surface and returned to the keep. At dinner, Vladimir kept eyeing him strangely and Tasha seemed to be a bit more withdrawn than normal. The next day Rhanée opened the mirror to Amberwood and not only Raitan and Ael'Mara, but Vladimir also journeyed to Dragondale.
© 2004 buddhabear@geocities.com