| At last I found my Xun’riia, but not the way I wanted. She was in the dungeon, lying on the floor, filthy, bedraggled and mumbling incoherently. Something was terribly wrong. I noticed her eyes kept changing, I had seen this condition before, that concerned me greatly. Once I had got her calmed and coherent, I then got her cleaned up. She stank worse than the average human, almost to the level of an orc. She could not remember a thing from the time I left till the time I found her. All she would say was some vague reference to searching in the mountains.
Once cleaned and refreshed, I set about finding out what was going on in Xun’riia’s head. Using my powers of sorcery, I entered her mind and saw things that perturbed me greatly. Somehow despite the protections I had given her and despite the fact she could not access the blackrock blade that started all this, she had become possessed. Possessed by something that called itself the Guardian. Fortunately whatever it was did not have a total hold on her. I brought her back to reality, told her that she had dozed so that she would know nothing of what I had found out. I then considered my next move.
This blackrock somehow still had a hold on her. Why? I have handled blackrock many times with no ill effect. I know for a fact Vierna actually carries a lump of it everywhere she goes to humour that guard dog of hers Lann’al, who reckons it is some sort of charm. So why is Xun’riia the only one effected so terribly? Could the answer lie not in the blackrock itself but due to the process of melding it with valorite metal, some sort of unseen reaction was triggered? I had to find out and at the same time ensure no further harm would come to my soulmate. I advised Xun’riia not to leave the house unless I accompanied her. We then made up for lost time.
For several days, she obeyed my instructions. Then I returned late one evening and she was gone. Vith it, here we go again. After a brief search I found her wandering the deserted streets of the yellow town. When I saw her I was angry. I called, she turned and I was shocked! The eyes were not her eyes, the voice was not her voice, and the hatred showing on her face was the type she reserved for our enemies. Then she attacked me! Had I not known that she was acting this way against her will, she would be dead now. As it was I had to temper my powers just enough to protect me and stun her, too much power and I would have killed her. Soon she lay unconscious and so I struggled to pick her up and carry her back to my home. When she came round she remembered nothing, but I was still angry so I lashed out several times. She took it meekly and with resignation.
Ah Faeryl you have made a grave error of judgement. By entering her mind, I had unwittingly strengthened whatever possessed her. I am now at loss as to what to do. I dare not enter her mind again in case I lose Xun’riia totally to whatever holds her. On the other hand I cannot challenge an entity of which I have no knowledge. Dear Lloth what am I do to? As I pondered the conundrum, I realised the dilemma I faced. To find out what had happened and to combat what effects Xun’riia, I would need to raise a yochlol. The dangers that presents are immense. Am I high enough in Lloth’s favour to get away with it or will I anger her to the point that I forfeit my life? The alternate and simplest solution would be to end her life and in doing so send back the entity to whence it came.
I locked Xun’riia in a dungeon cell for her own protection. As I made slow and heavy steps towards my room, one thought haunted me. My dear Divine Mother, Queen of Spiders are you punishing me or testing me? What is it you want me to do? What solution do you favour? |