( Below is a complex retelling of two events that occurred in-game over two days. These two events, while on separate days, were canonically coinciding. They will help pave the way toward the Sanctum as a whole and provide opportunities for more growth. Before I begin with this story and piece, its creation would not be possible without the aid and participation of people such as @zalilirah, and @vyvienne. Credit for participation and help also belongs to Varethuun, Catori, Skormosh, Ryo, and Zavryn who took part(s) in this but don't have tumblrs for me to mention. Credit also goes to @sanguinesorceress for helping me brainstorm how to get this down in a (hopefully) semi-articulate manner. Without those peoples help and participation in the events, stories like this wouldn't be possible. So thank you for enabling my writing.)
How does one write events down on what occurred not through just your eyes but the sets of half a dozen others simultaneously without making it sound insane or chaotically inconvenient at the least? The Sanguine, my gift created to bind those willing to share to my mind, to let me hear, see, and feel, as they do, can be as much a blessing for me and them as it can sometimes be an inconvenient curse. Emotions make things hard sometimes for those connected to not share, for their emotions to not sometimes overlap or bleed into the Sanguine, especially when they are at extreme peaks or gut-wrenching lows. Part of me still finds myself confused about the last few days as I process what happened and learned and I cut through what is truly my feelings and that of those connected or who participated.
Nevertheless, I write now to both understand what occurred and to perhaps find some hidden truth amongst the details that I have managed to overlook.
This past weekend a set of operations was put into place to sabotage my brother, Ammaelin's, efforts in his war with us and in hopes, also rescue Nezzok from his capture from our last failed assault. During this operation, my own would be underway some distance away from my old home and his current estate, distraction entirely, to give Zali time without the concern of him capturing or killing her and those aiding her. As events were planned, it was a success, but in its success, I have far more questions than I had before it even began.
The Bloodcrest Estate, my childhood home, rests in the Ghostlands, a place once called The Black Forest. As far as for Noble House Estates, it wasn't the largest or most impressive, but what was our calling was the placement of a Holy Font that sat upon Leylines in the area. It was this very font that I thought I had destroyed years ago, making sure Ammaelin would not be able to use it for himself again, and as two-parts declaration I cut myself away from him and spit in his eye.
During my recent death, Krownos, my father, was released from Prison by Zalilirah, Nezzok, and my followers of The Sanctum as they believed he was the only one who could properly resurrect me. They weren't wrong, but during work to collect the needed materials to revitalize me, he must have traveled home to Ammaelin and reconstructed the Font, relighting it in turn and restoring our family heritage. As to why, I'm not certain, but this would have deeply empowered my brother.
And it did, but still. My resurrection came as intended and in sensing some sort of betrayal, Nezzok and Zalilirah absconded away with my body until I fully regained consciousness, denying him the opportunity to consume my body and take what I was, or had been rather, before my death. I can only applaud their diligence, but in this, I failed to realize what Krownos had done to me. I'll come back to this point later.
Back to this Font. Its explanation of revitalization is key to Zalilirahs efforts as it was this font that was keeping Nezzok's form muted and shackled. A holy font directly over an Undead Troll must have been incredibly painful for him, while also making sure he was never able to have any proper level of strength to fight back, let alone escape. Zalilirahs efforts here were two fold and thankfully Vyvienne was available for the work as she was able to sap and draw out enough of its strength that Zali could implant a trinket I created that sealed its destruction, allowing it to break and for Nezzok to be freed. This all sounds wonderful in theory and storytelling, but truth be told, I'm not entirely sure this wasn't according to someone else's plan as well. Krownos's plan.
He appeared at the end of their work, withered as if severely aged, clothes sagging, a walking stick needed. It was an almost comical sight to see him so far fallen, only it was... off. I recall seeing through Varethuuns eyes as he slammed his head into the stonework, cracking his skull. He killed him. There is no question.
During this time, the team I led for Distraction was working just as intended. We had set off alarms in the area south of the Sanctum of the Sun and Ammaelin came running with all his Holy Vigor and anger as I knew he would. Combat came stampeding in with him and in a matter of moments of realization on who had set off the alarm, we were fighting, The Sanctum vs Ammaelin. My people did as wonderfully as expected, Skormosh even managed to make one man soil himself before he was killed and when the numbers faltered, some took the knee, swearing themselves and the remainder fled as we fought Ammaelin as a group.
What I can't explain was the events occurring during our fight. Last time, he so thoroughly trounced my Inner Sanctum. To the point, it instilled such a deep fear that some of my own absolutely refused to get involved in another fight with him. The last fight was a cataclysmic effort that shames me for not anticipating, but, this... This was different.
Ammaelin struggled, STRUGGLED, to even hit me. I don't think I recall a single blow actually landing. The level of vindication I feel now though in seeing why he made it a point to lock me out of the failed ambush feels justified. Something began to happen though during this fight that may have had much to do with it, but a blessing all the same. Ammaelins resilience waned and soon he weakened and I began to feel empowered. He hit the knee as Pahnd (played by Varethuun), Catori, Skormosh, and Tamaku (played by Nezzok/Zali) waled on his form.
I can only explain what came next through the eyes of those who watched as it's all akin to a drunken blur from my own.
The magical font was destroyed and Krownos somehow rose from the stone flooring. A guard nearby died as his life was ripped from him, devoured on the spot, and revitalizing my father. I remember Varethuuns anger and bitterness at his leech-like abilities and whether he will admit it or not, I believe I sensed something akin to fear at the realization as to how powerful this truly made the old man.
I also remember seeing myself from Tamaku, a young troll Nezzok has taken to teach the ways of Venomancy too, coursing with a black, electrical energy that arced across my form in random stitching. I see myself through his eyes, looking nearly drunk with power as I staggered and Skormosh condescending to Ammaelin about his loss and failure.
The viewpoint of Catori or Pahnd, maybe? Whoever it was, they saw Tamaku spear Skormosh clear just in time for my frame to unleash a massive outlash of power that I was unable to control. The ground around my feet pitted and glassed and a lance of energy came free that sculpted the nearby mountain peak, boring clear through it. I remember hearing Varethuuns' thoughts about having seen it, thinking we must have been fighting still.
I ended up blacking out at some point shortly after...
Now I have more questions than ever.
Krownos has devoured all of my brother's forces, what was left, and destroyed our home. I haven't a clue as to why he did any of it beyond some game that only he knows the rules of. Ammaelin disappeared during my explosive outlet with no signs as to where he's gone or where he's going. There weren't even footsteps leaving the scene!
How the hell has he just disappeared with no physical or magical traces?! Where has my father gone and why?!
And my biggest question of all is why did I not realize what was going on with me and their hands in it? My body is having trouble acclimating to this spike of released energy and going over my old journals and entries, I come to realize that this power I feel isn't new, it's just been found. Ammaelin and my father, I'm sure of it, locked it away when I was resurrected with that god-damned fonts relighting!
I need to figure this all out, as chaotic as my thoughts are, I am enthusiastic for the future. I have regained a part of me that I was not aware I had lost and my Sanctum has no holy host to stand in its way no longer.
.... with hindsight i'm not surprised but i lowkey didn't necessarily expect people to be raging racists in my low stakes comfort cozy game my time at sandrock. but turns out there are racists everywhere and there is no exception. misogyny too. and idk not even in a lowkey way. tell me why i read slurs about catori on reddit just now
