Lasarhhtha’s Warning about Guild Secrets

(Shard, Ilithi: 380 Nissa 360)

By my hand, I have been in some skirmishes but nothing, thank Kertigen, like this morning. While it is fresh, I know I must put quill to my journal. It all started when I hear on the gweth, in an otherwise dead silent Shard, Lasarhhtha speaking. I am only a trader, but I know of the Bone Dancer and his words send a chill through me, even on the icy roads:

"Danger, danger, danger. Tsk, tsk."

"Danger to the Guilds, yes. Shard Guild. Shameful these secrets they keep. Bring such danger, they do, yes."

No one seemed to break the silence, so I fearfully greeted the speaker and ask what danger.

He answered, "New is that this danger very real, yes. Watch. Me thinks it is too late, yes. Danger is here in the tower already, it is."

Again, I asked for more details, explaining I was only a trader, but one of good heart. Upon hearing his words, I speed my empty caravan to the tower.

"Then tell Council the Guild is in danger, yes. Heart of good, then you tell. No one defends it. Shame, shame."

Leaving my caravan at Brickwell, thinking only to deliver the message as charged, I hurry to the great tower of Shard and there found some moon mages who said Glywyl had spoken but none seem to have heard Lasarhhtha. Then, the gweth sounded alarm through Sadar’s warning. "Death spirits in the central tower! Gershim’din"

The Bone Dancer echoes in my mind as I plea to know what is going on and how to reach the guild and Council. "Danger! Aiee! Danger in the guild, yes."

Khulkhan left but his friend Melvosis led me to the moon guild leader, Gylwyn in her chamber. Others are gathered, Kurlay, Wyloth, Cytheria. Some mages flickered in and out of RF almost too quickly to count. The mages seem attuned to the fighting downstairs and in the stairwell as Wyloth says confidently that they are winning.

I asked, "Did anyone hear Lasarhhtha but me?" as I curtsied to the Guild Leader Gylwyn.

Cytheria said, "I did not"

Melvosis said, "I heard her the second time Vahl"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn curtsied to me. The respond surprised some of the mages standing there.

I remarked, "I am charged with bringing a warning from Lasarhhtha."

The Guild Leader Gylwyn blinked.

I said, "The Bone Dancer says danger is within the tower."

The Guild Leader Gylwyn asked, "Is it?"

I stammered out my warnings again.

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "The secrets of the guild is just that."

Melvosis peers quizzically at the Guild Leader Gylwyn.

Cytheria asked, "what is our secret then? That the Shard guild stands alone,or has til now?"

Melvosis asked, "Please explain Gylwyn?"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "Lasarhhtha is not entitled to our secrets. He chose another path long ago."

Cytheria said, "there was talk of him the other day from one of the council members at the guild"

Wyloth asked, "Gyl .. do you agree with the council’s attitude?"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn asked, "He seems to be making quite the pest of himself. Whatever shall we do with him?"

Wyloth said, "the creatures downstairs can moongate," Wyloth’s jaw dropped as he absorbed information on the gershim’din invading below us. Fearsome constructs, we note that warriors are beginning to fall.

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "Lasarhhtha, feels free to trouble us in our very safeholds. Lasarhhtha, tests not me but you all. Germish’din are most foul creations."

Kurlay asked, "Does Lasa command them?"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "If the Germish’din are near you can expect Lasarhhtha to come sniffing after them. It is very worrisome. I fear Lasarhhtha is once again up to no good."

Kurlay asked, "Do you know what he seeks here?"

Kedo said, "We appear to be winning the fight though"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "Kurlay, I very much hope I do not."

Kurlay said, "Mentioned secrets of the guild. That is what he was seeking in crossing as well."

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "I would rather not say. Please do not press me on this point."

Wyloth said, "Gylwyn .. nothing stays a secret forever. If you want our trust not saying that"

Melistat said, "Aye, I would tend to agree, if we are to fight what is to come we must know what it is."

Wyloth said, "but if there’s something that affects us .. i want to know about it"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "All things effect us Wyloth."

Wyloth said, "there’s a battle going on which directly affects us and I would like to know why"

The Guild Leader Gylwyn asked, "Should I make so bold as to say and by such a statement confirm him very suspicions?"

I asked, "Is his name one on the obelisk on Taisgath?" but she did not respond to me, and I try not to show disappointment as I had read that Two of the Deceivers names are supposedly on that obelisk, and the Third hidden.

The Guild Leader Gylwyn asked, "If the battle directly effects you, should you not be at the battle then?" and smiled at Wyloth.

Undaunted, he shot back, "shouldn’t you?"

Melistat said, "You sent us all a warning, you drew us into this, now you decide to withhold knowledge…."

The Guild Leader Gylwyn said, "Ah, then in silence shall we best be prepared."

I ask, "What do must you defend against? Or who?"

Nitak asked, "and how to defend?"

Kurlay asked, "What do you fear Glywyn?"

Glywyn left her chamber abruptly, headed south.

Kurlay asked, "That he finds what he’s looking for?"

We went after Glywyn only to lose sight of her and be drawn downstairs to a pitched battle in tower courtyard with such fighters as rallying Archmage Galain, Piextra, Kedo, Norder, Xavier, Sadar.

Although unable to get a look at the creature closely, I observed as Galain sliced at a misshapen germish’din, landing a devastating hit that turns its insides to putrefied jelly with a massive shot to the chest! The creature, surely undead, let out a grating bellow as its fists unclenched and it collapsed into a massive heap of peeling flesh. I shuddered at the sight.

Throughout the corridors, the germish’din warred. I bloodied my own blade, noting that its blessing seemed to help. As I paused, I remembered my promise.

I thought: Lasarhhtha, I have passed your warning along and it caused concern; and sighed, unknowing if I did right or wrong, but as promised. Then I sent another thought along the gweths: Lasarhhtha, it was thought you might … have sent the fiends yourself as a test.

A misshapen germish’din shambled in, growling angrily, as if my thoughts had summoned it!

From out of nothingness, I heard the voice of Lasarhhtha say, "Then all is done, yes", then ask: "If concern is there, then that good. See what danger there is?"

Across from me, Pathyn dropped another invader, the misshapen germish’din collapssing to the ground and snarling in rage, its massive bulk ripping stitches open as it fell.

Lasarhhtha yelled, "This is danger brought on by secrets!"

In hiding, he watched us fight as more germish’din and fighters enter and Sadar said, "Lasarhhtha .. ya know Gylwyn doesn’t like ya"

I heard the voice of Lasarhhtha say, "No one like poor old man, yes."

I said, "I do but, You invite missunderstanding."

From hiding, Lasarhhtha said, "Yes, yes. Good warriors all of you, yes."

Sadar asked, "what do you know about the Germish’din?"

Galain asked, "your the reason for all of this?"

He did not answer immediately except to comment, "Fight well. Defeated those things of flesh with eyes sewn shut," and chortled.

The area cleared, the various mages searched for the Bone Dancer.

A voice wryly said, "Find me you will not, in Refraction Field, yes."

Zoura asked, "Bone dancer, show yourself?"

Old the Bone Dancer may be but no creaking of his skeleton as he moved around us revealed him, nor flickering of power. The warriors shifted uneasily.

Galain asked, "who sent them?"

Lasarhhtha then answered, one slow sentence at a time, as if for emphasis:

"Secrets send them."

"Secrets that the Council holds."

"Secrets bring danger, and mark that, yes."

"Pass on to Council. No Guilds safe."

"Not Tiv."

"Not Kssarh."

"Not Lomtaun."

"Not here."

Zoura said, "seems you are keeping secrets by staying in hiding"

Melistat said, "The Council will not hear your words Lasarhhtha."

Xinphinity said, "come out and parlay Lasarhhtha, you will not be harmed."

Still unseened, Lasarhhtha chuckled and said, "Gylwyn knows. Gylwyn tell."

From the other side of the room, he added, "I am harmless old man, wish to warn them."

Caelia asked, "Gylwyn is gone, perhaps you know where she is?"

Unseen Lasarhhtha responded, "She is gone? Gone to Council, hope I do."

Kvott hisses, "Harmlessssss old man, bring unharmlessssss death with him, no?"

Someone unseen chortled again.

Melistat said, "Precisely Lasarhhtha, which is why the Council refuses to listen to what you have to say."

Xavier asked, "Seek to warn of what?"

Melistat said, "You will need to give them a reason to trust."

I hear the voice of Lasarhhtha say, "Now rest I must."

With that, despite entreaties, the Bone Dancer seemed to go, and with my poor yaks bellowing in the frozen courtyard of the Brickwell Tower, I was forced to hurry off as well. This is all of the tale I know, by my hand, this day.