RP:When The Darkness Takes You, Part 2

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

Summary: Kailani, Ralinde, and Zahrani work together to deal with a couple of undead brothers that have been stuck in the basement of the Sanctum of the Divine for a considerable time.

Sanctum of the Divine

Kailani :: It had been well over a year and a half since the brothers were captured by Zahrani and Kailani, only to be locked in the Devout’s Guild headquarters. The hope was that they would be able to resurrect the two brothers, rather than condemning them to a permanent death. Even when Kailani and Zahrani initially decided they would try, both were aware that the chances of their success were bleak. Rot had already set into both of their bodies, and one brother needed both a heart and a lung in order to be successfully given another chance at life. Add in the time that this task has been neglected for so long and the chances of their success in bringing the two Arkhen brother’s back to life were likely non-existent. If rot was an issue then, what state would they find the pair in almost a year and a half later? Still, it was not appropriate for them to be kept locked up in the headquarters and ignored. While most of the members of the guild were quite capable, not all were skilled at defending themselves. All it would take is one careless moment for someone to end up hurt. And what if they managed to make an escape in one poorly planned decision? No, they needed to be dealt with. So Kailani sent out letters, one to Zahrani and one to Ralinde. “We have neglected the two Arkhen brothers for far too long, it is high time that we address the situation that we have created. If we cannot bring them back, then they need to be eliminated once and for all so that any chance of them being a threat again is removed completely. I would appreciate it if the pair of you would meet me at the headquarters. If you do not feel your presence is required for this, then I will be forced to handle the decisions on how to proceed on my own.” A date an approximate time is included in the letters sent to Zahrani and Ralinde. The blue-haired druid would make good on her end of this request. While she normally frequented with wilds of Venturil, she would temporarily inhabit the headquarters to give Zahrani and Ralinde sufficient chance to make an appearance.

Zahrani had spent the last year and a half questing for power and knowledge, keeping her mind and body honed, traveling to every library she could reach. If there was any scrap of lore on healing, divine petitioning, ritual-crafting, anything that she thought might help, she would learn it until she could recite it in her sleep. It was not for her benefit, nor her kinsmen or her living comrades. It was because she knew this day was coming. Despite all of her early training at accepting death, and having a healthy relationship with the fact that she would one day pass away and leave many loved ones behind, her instinct drove her to find anything that could reverse one of the most foundational fabrics of the universe. Perhaps such brazen defiance of Gods is just as unnatural as the curse that bound the Arkhen brothers in Undeath; nevertheless, though she found nothing solid, she found pieces of a puzzle that even now she was still working on. Upon receipt of the letter from Kailani, the feline concludes that it is a sign. One way or another, the paladin is ready. She meets the blue-haired druid at the Devout’s Guild headquarters in Kelay, her divine aura revealing her presence, along with the gentle clank of her well-oiled and maintained plate armor. A panther snout sticks out from a grey hood with yellow trim. The cyan eyes beneath the hood have a heaviness to them, as does her stance. Upon making eye-contact with her sister-in-arms, she makes a chuffing noise not unlike the greeting a big cat would give to friends or family. The cat-woman would wait for the third person to join and for Kailani to speak first, before speaking on what she brings to this grim meeting.

Rallinde arrived with little pomp or circumstance. The half-elf came ready and willing to do what she must to bring these poor bastards back from the dead. She wasn't keen on all the details yet, but she brought a few tools and items that might help. Clad in her half plate, under a pilgrims coat and a full helm with a strange reflective faceplate, she carried a small metal chest in one hand. The paladin nodded at each of her teammates and gave a simple motion that welcomed either to speak. At first it occured to her she should offer apologies or sympathies, but perhaps actions might speak louder than words. The result of this encounter was a difference of life or death. The least she could offer was prayer.

Kailani :: The average individual might at first be perplexed by the chuffing noises that Zahrani makes but the blue-haired druid has a clear understanding of its meaning. In reciprocation, Kailani offers Zahrani a smile that most do not often earn from the druid as Kailani was very reclusive by nature. Ralinde’s greeting is a bit more tempered, offering a polite and respectful bob of her head. “A woman by the name of Rhaevyn, who is affiliated with Khitti through the Necromancer’s Guild, has been able to utilize her knowledge of carnomancy to help slow the rot and decay that the two brothers have undergone during their time locked in the basements of our guild headquarters. She was also able to help secure us the body parts we would need to make them whole. It was no easy task, as usually when someone dies various parts of their body are already failing. Still, I believe we able to secure a lung and a heart from an individual...who met a more tragic end.” Meaning they did not die of illness. Kailani cannot help but frown as she says this, as here they were trying to bring two cursed brothers back to life. Why would they not spend their energies on the person they were taking these parts from? Kailani could not help but feel a pang of guilt as she grappled with this moral issue. “If the two of your are ready…” Then Kailani would lead them both to where the brothers have been kept, opening a door for both Zahrani and Ralinde. Once this door was opened, they would see the brothers have been restrained to separate tables and that a woman was already waiting for their arrival. This must be that Rhaevyn that Kailani spoke of. The exact details of her race might be tricky to uncover, but Rhaevyn was a petite dryad who stood about four feet in height. She had black hair and greyed skin, but yet the color of her skin should not be an indication of her age. Rhaevyn was quite far from an old woman. “Any questions or concerns before we begin?”

Zahrani turns to Rallinde, noting her choice of armor and face covering. She nods in return, before listening to Kailani with perked ears. It is a short briefing, but it has some good(?) news, under the circumstances. In a slightly raspy feline tone, the panther responds, “I am ready...” As she follows her comrades into the vault where the undead brothers have been temporarily entombed, the smell of decay assaults her keen sense of smell. She exhales sharply, but her nose eventually becomes accustomed to the odor. Keeping her satchel slung over her shoulder, the paladin of Cyris observes the dryad, taking in the small form with vibrant blue eyes. At Rhaevyn’s question, Rani responds, “Just two: where do you need me to be, and what do I need to do?"

Ralinde tries not to look like the smell of decay bothers her as much as it does. "Much the same. I'm merely here to assist. I have scrolls and items that could revive them whole, if first we ended their lives..." there was only one magic she knew that could heal the undead, but that was martyr magic that would require the sacrifice of others. Other priestly arts could only revive those first 'cleansed' of such a curse, and they were quite costly. Followers of Arkhen were few and far between - it would be a difficult decision, deciding two people she'd never met deserved such over others, but the moral quandry persists where those 'more deserving' would likely selflessly reject such an offer. So, whatever Kailani has planned here, is hopefully preferrably.

Kailani would motion to one of the two brothers to nonverbally suggest that they all crowd around him. It would be the brother that is missing both the heart and the lung that Kailani decides they should attempt to resurrect first, it would be the more challenging of the two resurrections given his current state. Kai comes to stand just behind the Arkhen brother’s head. A look is leveled on Ralide, “Yes, I came to the same conclusion. The best course of action we could possibly take is to first end their life...and then with our combined efforts and energy, hopefully we will be able to resurrect them. That is...after Rhaevyn assists us with..replacing the missing body parts. Your scrolls would be useful in this instance.” Her words shift in focus, now aimed toward Zahrani, “If you have not performed a resurrection before, perhaps you should take a moment to also review the scrolls? While Rhaevyn and I do the last little bit of prep work. From there, her gaze shifts between her comrades before she mutters, “My apologies for this.” The druid meant the violence, these were not actions that she typically resorted to but it was necessary given the circumstances. After the apologies are uttered, her hands are placed on the undead brother’s head, one hand on each temple. As soon as her hands make contact both appendages begin to glow a soft shade of blue, as do the druid’s eyes. That last detail would be hard to notice as the druidic elf closes her eyes shortly after, trying to concentrate on expelling the undead brother’s “life”. It was not something that Kailani did often, the druid preferred to nurture life rather than take it away...but again, circumstances. It will become quite obvious when the undead brother is no longer with them and the moment that movement ceases entirely, Rhaevyn sets to the gruesome task of placing both the heart and the lung in the open chest cavity of the semi-rotted individual. Well, placing it probably an understatement of what the carnomancer is doing, yet she is clearly not performing full blown surgery to secure the body parts into their new owner. Magics are definitely afoot. As soon as Zahrani and Ralinde felt prepared, they would need to lend their own magical energy in order to raise the brother back from the dead.

Zahrani :: The panther observes as Kailani cleanses the first brother of undead energy. The dark magic reanimating his rotten corpse had been expelled. Zahrani places her belongings out of the way, taking a scroll and reviewing the contents. The paladin commits the needed sigils to memory, stashing the parchment and putting on a pair of rune-embroidered gloves. With a strong inhale, the feline’s aura (which can often be felt from a distance) seems to disappear, withdrawing to her mortal vessel. Hair eyes take on a bright amber glow, while faint lines of Sunfire play across her armor and skin, arcs of energy leaping from the woman to the ground around her. The big cat’s maw opens; the sound that comes forth is eerie and spine-tingling; throat-singing, the panther holds two resonant notes with one voice. The air seems to vibrate with power. As arcs of energy leave Zahrani’s form, they form a glowing amber seal around the brothers. Lines of sunlike energy rise and merge above their bodies. The feline is maintaining a Spirit Beacon, a lifeline cast to the first brother from beyond the grave. The caveat, of course, is the man’s spirit must be willing to return. As a paladin of Cyris, God of Freedom and Independence, she would collapse the beacon should both brother decline to return; there would be no forcing them to live, if Rani has anything to say about it. The dual-notes trail off, and the feline woman’s glowing eyes widen in awe and hope. It would appear as though this first brother wants to live to fight another day. A spectre of the young man appears, garbed in silver light, a look of apprehension on his face as he surveys the scene, waiting for the right moment to return to his corporeal state.

Ralinde's glft is less pretty than Zahrani's but no less effective. The paladin stands amongst the swirling lights reading from the scroll and holding aloft her shield. The scrolls are old vellum, written with complex diagrams of symbols and passages of prayer, the words glittering with silvery light. As Rallinde chants and motions her shield seems bathed in a pale blue essence that mingles and trails with Zahrani's energy. The passages of prayer are by no means short and to the point - this vast and elaborate ritual seems to require a lot of flowery flowing poetry and purple prose that lingers around certain topics. Beseeching the dead, beseeching the gods, the unknown of the afterlife, the supposed nature of spirits, both mourning and celebrating the dead, honorating all the parties involved - the whole thing reads like a sermon combined with an article of terms and conditions. There's a lot of pleading to and for various things, for their return, for safety, for grace, for mercy, for forgiveness. Channeling all this energy with sincerity, honesty, reverence, solemnity and ferocity, surety - its exhausting but Ralinde won't give up. She holds no envy for the priests that would normally conduct such rites. Sweat coats her body, running cold in the damp. Her cheeks flush as her voice strains with effort. Ressurecting the dead is no simple task. Never does the light of her faith falter as she goes about this daunting task.

For those who know Kai well, it should not be surprising that the taciturn druid has a different way of communing with the deities that she is loyal to. Her years have taught her that the strength is not in words themselves, that it is the intention and the words themselves only help to focus that energy. While the druid is utterly silent, there is a look of intense concentration on her face. She is working in tandem with the entire group to not only guide the spirit of the first brother back to the world of the living but also to use her healing energies to mend the very extensive damage that has been wrought onto his body. The spirit of the first brother would not be able to return until this process is complete. Given that the body of this brother was missing both lung and heart, this process would be very draining on the entire party. This detail was expected and it was precisely why they selected this brother first. The process in this resurrection would not be an instantaneous one, it would have been far easier the body they were working with was whole….but with time and determination the corpse is returned to a livable state and the spirit of the first brother returns to his body. It is made apparent by the gasping breath that the brother releases just as he is brought back to life but he is not immediately back to his senses, he is instead confused and disoriented. He is also not teeming with energy, the resurrection process has not seemed to have immediately restored his stamina. The male passes out, probably for the best considering he is currently strapped to a table in an unfamiliar setting that lacked the warmth and comfort of an actual bedroom. After a tired exhale, Kailani looks to the next brother and states, “We still have one left...and I hope this process with be...slightly less draining.” It would still not be any easy feat. “Spirits willing.”

Zahrani looks from one compatriot to the other, before glowing eyes return once more to the heavens. The first brother had been successfully resurrected, and now it is time to call upon the other paladin of Arkhen. The second sibling seems reluctant, almost wary, his silhouette approaching the group with a cautious, crouched air. A male voice echoes through the chamber. “What is this?” the cat-woman’s spirit picks up the young man’s skepticism. She calls out, with a gentle warm voice, “It is alright, my friend. You and your brother are needed in the mortal realm once again.” The man’s breath (for lack of a better term) is shaking, and shallow. “Wh...why me? Why us? Surely someone...better...” The man’s guilt slows his feet. He blames himself for falling into the trap set by the necromancer that took their bodies, but Zahrani holds a hand out, “Why not you? Your brother is returned...will you not join him and live to fight another day?” The shaky breath continues, almost on the edge of sobbing. The man’s spirit approaches his remains, and his voice echoes, “It does not feel right...after my negligence cost us our lives...but, if it means I can see my brother again...do as you will with me.” The man’s remorse hovers over him like a black shadow, but he does not leave. He awaits the opportunity to return to his mortal coil when it is ready.

The sweat beads on Ralindes brow, her throat strained from the effort of recitation. Her body felt as if it had been drained, sucked dry of energy, her heart pounding as her chest burned, muscles straining just to stay up. She could feel the brothers pain, his remorse, his guilt, his unsurety. She felt it just as clear as she felt her own- but her resolution would not waver. This was the right thing to do. She needed absolite confidence in that fact. Bolstering her courage and swallowing her doubt, she fought through the fatigue to bring him back. To set his body right so that his soul may inhabit it and reunite with his brother once more. She would not fail them.

The male voice that echoes through the chamber seem to be filled with nothing but doubt. Why them? What had the brothers done to be more worthy of resurrection than any other citizen in the lands? This was a doubt that Kailani shared, but she would not vocalize them. One thing that she was confident in, since they began this process there was no turning back and leaving the job half-finished. It would mean that the first brother they have already brought back would suffer needlessly if they were to dissuade the more hesitant of the two to remain dead. So Kailani would continue to work in tandem with their resident carnomancer to heal and mend the damaged body of the brother so that Ralinde and Zahrani could help to guide his spirit back to where it belonged. It would be an exhausting task, especially after they had just done this with the first brother a very short time ago. As soon as Rhaevyn and Kailani manage to mend the damaged flesh sufficiently, the spirit of the second brother takes the opportunity to take it’s place back in his mortal body. So long as nothing goes awry, the man’s eyes will shoot open, revealing that signs of life and showing that they were successful. Yet, he is not instantly claimed by sleep like his brother. Exhausted as he might be, the grief that he was feeling in his death is overwhelming now that he is back amongst the living. The moment his eyes shoot open, he releases a wailing cry as an expression of this grief. The group will have to console him, hopefully before he disturbs his brother’s slumber. Given the volume of his crying, it would not take long…

As the second brother reenters his body, Zahrani feels a sense of relief. The panther exhales, a stream of glowing fog exiting her feline maw, as if she were standing out in the cold. The amber light fades, and any other errant spirits summoned by her beacon are ushered away. A relieved smile disappears quickly, her eyes widening at the sudden cry of despair from the second brother. Taking care not to obstruct the others as they worked, the woman approaches the wailing man, placing a black-furred hand on his chest and wrapping her other arm around his head. She leans in, resting her forehead against his, her body muffling the sound of his cries and allowing her guildmates to see to the other brother, should he awaken. The paladin does not attempt to silence the devotee of Arkhen, instead allowing him to let it all out. Seconds later, his howling reduces to a quiet sob, while Rani whispers calmly and reassuringly to him, “It’s...so good to see you again...It’s going to be okay...I know it hurts...It is safe to grieve here, my friend...” It seems the paladin has a knack for being a comforting presence, both around children and adults. But this was a new experience for her as well; an open act of defiance against death itself. The male paladin clumsily lifts one of his hands, enclosing it over the feline’s paw on his chest and giving it a firm squeeze, as if he were testing to see if any of this was truly real. Doubt is a constant voice in the back of the mind, but there is also faith and assurance to keep it at bay for now.

Rallinde stumbles at the release of the ritual. So exhausted is she that her vision swims darkly and leaves her reeling. For a moment, the brothers screaming drives her forward, seeking to comfort him. Zahrani has taken a station there though, giving the brother a chance to come to terms with his new fate. The moral and ethical implications of what they've done are so staggering as to give the paladin another wave of vertigo. She decides to collapse against the wall and take a pull of her waterskin. "Welcome back," she toasts. But what's next? What is this all really for? What grand task or mission or quest is meant for these two, she has to wonder. What do Kailani and Zahrani intend beyond bringing them back?

The truth was, Kailani had not really put that much thought into what, if anything, she intended past bringing them back. All the druid was aware of was that, in the heat of the moment, she and Zahrani had the choice to fully exterminate the lives of these two brothers….or they could try an alternative solution. Her short term goals are far more simplistic. With Zahrani comforting the brother they resurrected last, Kai sets her blue-eyed gaze on the first brother that was brought back to life. He was definitely stirring from his slumber due to his brother's initial screams. The druid does not have the same soothing way that Zahrani does, but she tries to offer some amount of assurance by placing a hand on the man's shoulder and issuing a faint smile. "Everything will be okay." Her words are now directed to everyone in the room, "I am sure we are all exhausted from our efforts, so I think it is time for us all to rest and recover. I will see these two escorted to a more comfortable room and then make sure they have food and drink made available to them." Now she is speaking to the two men, "You two are welcome to stay as long as it takes for you both to recover. When you are ready to leave, no one will stop you." After Ralinde and Zahrani take their leave, Kai will do just as she promised before retiring to her own room for some rest. She was not usually keen on staying indoors, but this time she would be forced to make an exception.

Zahrani watches as the two walking miracles are escorted to more comfortable chambers. The panther woman stands motionless, her mind reeling. What would come of this? she wonders to herself. Consciously, she knows that the right person resurrected could do as much theoretical harm or good as the right person who was naturally born. Still, this could mean more work for the guild, if word gets out of their success (or heresy, depending on who hears about it). Heaving a deep sigh, she turns to the other women and says, "When we are all rested, and while the brothers are cloistered in recovery, we should discuss what happens next." As for the feline, she needed a tall glass of water, followed by a stiff drink and a good night's sleep.

Ralinde had mixed feelings about what just happened. Had they defied the will of the gods? Had they twisted fate, haf they helped the few at the cost of the many? She took a drink to clear her head and went to rest as well. She would speak to the brothers later, when they are well. She had many questions for them, and many things to speak of to a fellow follower of Arkhen, a rarity such as it was. Their mental health would be her priority. It can't be easy, coming back from the dead, considering one of them woke up screaming. Only after she was sure they were well could she proceed further. With thoughts towards the future, Ralinde slept, dreaming of better days to come.