Delving the Frostfell Epilogue (Naomi)

From Toosigma

Title	Delving the Frostfell - Epilogue
Author	Philip Mann - Naomi
Campaign	Convergent Threads
Session	Intersession
Posted
Game Date

I rushed home to the Eyrie and was greeted by all as I have been in the past; all, that is, except Kayli and Cald. None of the others took notice of the absence however, and when I asked where they were none understood who I could be talking about. Right away, I knew this was the same work that had caused the Kalishtar temple to vanish from the collective memory of the neighborhood where it had been, and I also knew who was responsible: Lorisryn.

Going to our room I found it missing any trace of my Love, and was just a horrible mockery of the welcoming place it had been. The only trace of her existence at all was the ear cuff I had made. When I approached it, a fiery message floating above it. It warned me to stay clear of their business and then faded as if it had never been. Emotions flooded the whole of my being.

Anger...terror...sadness...loss... From the depths of my being I could hear the feral voice within chiding me for such a personal connection with Kayli. It told me that it was her fault as much as mine, and her loss was nothing if it kept me free. Behind it, I could hear an evil heart beating in its dark pit.

NO! I mentally screamed back. I will NEVER turn from my Love!

Oh?, it scoffed. When you must save yourself, you will leave her bloodied corpse in your trail as you always have.

I fumed, partly because I could sense it was telling the truth of my past. I am not that woman anymore!

Oh, but you are still that killer, that angel of Death and Destruction...

SHUT-UP!

The voice erupted in horrible laughter.

I am in control, I insisted. I am...

You have always been in control lovely girl, it snickered. You have always plied your trade willingly and brutally.

I am not my past...

Everyone is their past, and even your precious Love cannot change that. You serve only yourself, and it is time you admitted it.

Never.

You will, the voice stated. You will and Kayli will finally see you for who you really are. It then broke into a fit of horrible laughter again as it faded from my consciousness.

I felt drained, but I knew that I could not rest until I had brought my Love safely home. At first I looked for Luca, to ask her advice since she always seemed to know more than me. Instead, I found that she had taken an unexpected and indefinite leave of absence from the theater. I could not tell whether she had fled or was taken, but I sensed that it was the former.

I sought the Kalishtar who had been harmed by Lorisryn before but found none. My only leads told me that I had to go to Adar if I could find it. I knew only that it was on the southeast of Sarlona, and that the Riedrans who I already suspected to be in league with Lorisryn were to be avoided. Still, I had hope that the Kalishtar there would be able to tell me how to find Kayli and Cald, and mayhap how to defeat those who have taken them from me. To get there, however, I knew of only one person I trusted to ask: Maerin. As I still sought information, I left my request under his door at the inn on my way out into the dark:

Maerin,

You have not been involved much in my life outside of adventuring, but I am sure you are aware of how important Kayli and my whole family is to me. Before, any threats that we faced would have been an annoyance or, at worst, threat to my safety and the self-selected group that adventures with me, you included. I never considered that Kayli and my family might truly worry in light of such danger, or how consuming that worry could be; now I see how selfish that was. My dual life was a farce; a travesty that I gleefully ignored because I wanted to believe that my adventurer life was something I assumed only when I departed for the world, and something that I left on a hook as an unneeded cloak when I came home.

I was wrong to think that I could somehow keep my family insulated from my travels, but now I must bear the weight of this oversight and take the fight to those who would harm the people I care most about. Lorisryn and those in league with him have taken Kayli and Cald. As well, they have threatened harm to them if I do not stay out of their way. Everything I have been doing and every personal goal is of no concern until all who have been taken are safe.

I did not expect to be adventuring with you when we first met. Indeed, I did not expect to talk to you beyond that day. Now, half a year later, we have been across Eberron and returned with a somewhat better understanding of one another. You know that I will never abandon those who mean so much to me.

I know that I have no right to expect you to help me get Kayli and Cald back, but I am asking. This will not be a quest for some obscure artifact that could as well remain hidden for another era, nor will there be any promise of compensation. In fact, I imagine this to be more dangerous and more costly than any adventure that has come before. If you do not wish to accompany me on what promises to be very perilous journey, then I thank you for all you have done. If I have not warned you away, then we must depart very soon for Adar where I think we will find more help if only for information.

Fate keep you,

Naomi

I was elated when the very next day I received his reply, delivered in the same fashion as I had sent mine:

Naomi,

My quest for the artifact has been central to my presence in this part of the world. It has been my sole reason for traveling here, and our progress towards it has given me hope that the future need not be as bleak and violence-torn as the past has been. I have grown to realize, however, that there is a mysterious and important link between you and Shalel en Tanath.

Without this link, my desire would be to ensure the safety of your family. However, as you are so central to my original purpose, I am proud to help you in ensuring the safety of your family, and my friends, without denying my duty to my people.

I will set aside my quest in the hopes of rescuing your family, and will offer all the assistance that I can.

-Maerin

This meant a great deal to me, but I would be remiss if I did not inform Hero about what was going on. I did not believe that he would be as welcome to endangering himself, so I simply sent him a note informing him that I was leaving:

Hero,

Kayli and Cald have been taken by Lorisryn, and I am going to go find them. I will be leaving for Adar as soon as I can secure transportation.

Fate keep you.

Naomi

As I expected, I heard no response from Hero indicating his inclination...