Post by samael on Nov 30, 2012 8:59:09 GMT -5
An excited hush rolls over the crowd gathered at the church of Shal-Tsu, the church being filled to capacity, many of the high priests from around the world sit in attendance today in Lark's temple. The excitement is almost palpable as the rumors have said that today a great announcement and revelation will be made by the Chosen herself before the gathered masses. And then out in front of the altar steps Kari, dressed in high ceremonial robes, accompanied by the high priest of Lark, Hal, and her husband Xaithan.
She raises her hands to bring quiet to the great hall, and begins to speak. "I know a great many of you are excited to hear this announcement I am to make, but first I have a few things to say to the church itself. Undeath, the ultimate reward of our great and powerful Lord, has been from the dawn of time little changing and almost nothing new. Well part of my announcement today is to say that one can not ask for a better reward the promise of eternal unlife. However, I am here today to challenge the faithful, low and high, within this glorious faith. I challenge you to put your minds to work, to put your faith to its ultimate work, in the creation of new, and unique versions of undeath. Even if you do not posses the power to make such a creature yourself, bring the idea to your superior, if they cannot do it they will bring the idea to their superiors, up and so forth even if it requires my own hand. The originator of the idea will be blessed by the church as becoming the first of their own form of that undeath as a reward from the church. Now I do not intend to preach this to the faith as an empty decree, for today I will be attaining that highest of honers, in a new form, created and thought up by me. To inspire you, to bolster you, think outside the box, eternal unlife does not have to mean eternal stagnation. What say you faithful of the most glorious of all the gods?"
As the great temple fills with cheers and applause Kari allows this but for a short time before raising her hands for silence once again. "Do not cheer and applaud for me, but for your God, it is he who grants these gifts, it is he who gives us the power through faith to do these glorious things." As she finishes speaking these words she turns slowly to the altar behind her, as Hal prepares various implements upon the altar, Xaithan brings Kari what look to be spell components and a new robe. Kari takes these things, and her and Hal begin the ritual chants of transformation together, and in perfect unison. The crowd is still, one could hear a pin drop as visible power begins to flood out of Kari and Hal upon the altar and around Kari. A deep darkness swirls around her slowly and thickens until nothing of her can be seen. After a few more minutes of chanting, it stops suddenly after reaching a climax of both arcane and divine words, and the darkness that surrounded Kari and kept her from view, bursts out covering the entire temple cathedral in darkness for a few moments. As the congregation blink and rub their eyes their sight begins to return, and standing before the altar once again is Kari visibly not all that different, but there is a change that the faithful can feel a change that is obvious to all who know of undeath.
And she smiles raising her hands once again to indicate she will speak. "Behold I present to you a new form of undeath, I call it a Vaust. I have made this form of undeath as a praise to my one and only Lord Shal-Tsu, but i present it to you as inspiration. It is a form of undeath that even those not of the priesthood can attain, and is not above anyone, and i will be sending letters with the details of the ritual to all of our temples. While some of you may wish to choose this form, and I am not opposed to it at all. I however ask that those of you with the inclination to do so, the dedication to do so, the *chuckle* heart to do so, follow in my footsteps, create new and beautiful versions of undeath, there is nothing at all wrong with the beautiful form undeath can take already, but what better way to praise your Lord than by praising him with such a gift as this."
"Now I have one more announcement to make to the almighty faithful of Shal-Tsu before i begin today's services. This announcement is to state that I am not yet finished with my examples, to inspire you. In 3 months time I will convene a meeting of the high council of the faithful of Shal-Tsu, comprising of members from all races, and all worlds. This meeting will be to present to me the three beings found worthy, one from each of the great worlds His Lordship rules over. This Worthy being can be of any race, and of any status within the church, they must be found worthy by the High Council, and they must be willing to die. Their soul will of course be embraced by Shal-Tsu in Unlife, but their body will be used to create one of three unique and powerful beings of undeath, with the power to make all creatures of this world, and not of this world, quake in fear of their passing. As I have said there will be one for each of the worlds to spread the glory of Shal-Tsu by their very existence in the worlds. Letters have already been sent to all the churches of our faith, and many of the high priests already know of this plan, however today is the day that all three worlds of faithful hear of their chance to shine. You have three months to shine, to be seen as worthy, before you shall have the chance to shine eternally for the glory of our Lord and Master."
After a bit of applause and cheering, Kari herself conducts the ceremonies and rituals of the days services. All day and night, tirelessly she performs the services of the church for a week straight. All the while reveling in her new found power, and praising her Lord and Master for the wonderful blessing he has given her and his church. Looking fondly ahead to the creation of three 'Mothers', one for each of the worlds.
She raises her hands to bring quiet to the great hall, and begins to speak. "I know a great many of you are excited to hear this announcement I am to make, but first I have a few things to say to the church itself. Undeath, the ultimate reward of our great and powerful Lord, has been from the dawn of time little changing and almost nothing new. Well part of my announcement today is to say that one can not ask for a better reward the promise of eternal unlife. However, I am here today to challenge the faithful, low and high, within this glorious faith. I challenge you to put your minds to work, to put your faith to its ultimate work, in the creation of new, and unique versions of undeath. Even if you do not posses the power to make such a creature yourself, bring the idea to your superior, if they cannot do it they will bring the idea to their superiors, up and so forth even if it requires my own hand. The originator of the idea will be blessed by the church as becoming the first of their own form of that undeath as a reward from the church. Now I do not intend to preach this to the faith as an empty decree, for today I will be attaining that highest of honers, in a new form, created and thought up by me. To inspire you, to bolster you, think outside the box, eternal unlife does not have to mean eternal stagnation. What say you faithful of the most glorious of all the gods?"
As the great temple fills with cheers and applause Kari allows this but for a short time before raising her hands for silence once again. "Do not cheer and applaud for me, but for your God, it is he who grants these gifts, it is he who gives us the power through faith to do these glorious things." As she finishes speaking these words she turns slowly to the altar behind her, as Hal prepares various implements upon the altar, Xaithan brings Kari what look to be spell components and a new robe. Kari takes these things, and her and Hal begin the ritual chants of transformation together, and in perfect unison. The crowd is still, one could hear a pin drop as visible power begins to flood out of Kari and Hal upon the altar and around Kari. A deep darkness swirls around her slowly and thickens until nothing of her can be seen. After a few more minutes of chanting, it stops suddenly after reaching a climax of both arcane and divine words, and the darkness that surrounded Kari and kept her from view, bursts out covering the entire temple cathedral in darkness for a few moments. As the congregation blink and rub their eyes their sight begins to return, and standing before the altar once again is Kari visibly not all that different, but there is a change that the faithful can feel a change that is obvious to all who know of undeath.
And she smiles raising her hands once again to indicate she will speak. "Behold I present to you a new form of undeath, I call it a Vaust. I have made this form of undeath as a praise to my one and only Lord Shal-Tsu, but i present it to you as inspiration. It is a form of undeath that even those not of the priesthood can attain, and is not above anyone, and i will be sending letters with the details of the ritual to all of our temples. While some of you may wish to choose this form, and I am not opposed to it at all. I however ask that those of you with the inclination to do so, the dedication to do so, the *chuckle* heart to do so, follow in my footsteps, create new and beautiful versions of undeath, there is nothing at all wrong with the beautiful form undeath can take already, but what better way to praise your Lord than by praising him with such a gift as this."
"Now I have one more announcement to make to the almighty faithful of Shal-Tsu before i begin today's services. This announcement is to state that I am not yet finished with my examples, to inspire you. In 3 months time I will convene a meeting of the high council of the faithful of Shal-Tsu, comprising of members from all races, and all worlds. This meeting will be to present to me the three beings found worthy, one from each of the great worlds His Lordship rules over. This Worthy being can be of any race, and of any status within the church, they must be found worthy by the High Council, and they must be willing to die. Their soul will of course be embraced by Shal-Tsu in Unlife, but their body will be used to create one of three unique and powerful beings of undeath, with the power to make all creatures of this world, and not of this world, quake in fear of their passing. As I have said there will be one for each of the worlds to spread the glory of Shal-Tsu by their very existence in the worlds. Letters have already been sent to all the churches of our faith, and many of the high priests already know of this plan, however today is the day that all three worlds of faithful hear of their chance to shine. You have three months to shine, to be seen as worthy, before you shall have the chance to shine eternally for the glory of our Lord and Master."
After a bit of applause and cheering, Kari herself conducts the ceremonies and rituals of the days services. All day and night, tirelessly she performs the services of the church for a week straight. All the while reveling in her new found power, and praising her Lord and Master for the wonderful blessing he has given her and his church. Looking fondly ahead to the creation of three 'Mothers', one for each of the worlds.
