Mourning Dawn
Boann: *her eyes are red and swollen with sobbing, a mask of
Boann: grief is her tear streaked face*
Boann: *her steps even but weak, she tries in vain to pull
Boann: herself to her full height*
Boann: *surveying the presense of the curious, or mocking, she
Boann: breaths deeply*
Boann: *for the first time she lifts her eyes to those gathered
Boann: proudly*
Boann: I don’t know why any of you are here. At one time, I
Boann: wouldn’t even care.
Boann: Those of you who know me or of me realize I am not known
Boann: to be soft hearted.
Boann: It is also true that I am known to be devouted almost
Boann: fanatically to Sgrios.
Boann: Guilt as charged!
Boann: If He willed it, I would slay every one of you.
Boann: But now….
Boann: I need you alive so that your hearts might ache the
Boann: better.
Boann: This sun, whether you like it or not, I am going to talk
Boann: about memories.
Boann: Maybe I am talking about memories because I have no
Boann: recent positive thoughts.
Boann: Maybe I am talking on the past because there is no future.
Boann: *sighs*
Boann: Let’s just do this thing..
Boann: *crumples to a kneel on the stone*
Elphame: *bows her head in reverence*
KonradCurze: *bows head slowly*
WolfsMoon: *Bows her head, folding her hands*
Nyphe: *Eyes Bo and lowers head*
Krios: *bows head, closes eyes*
MrBlack: *lowers head*
Elphame: Dark and brooding father, we seek your presense. Steal
Elphame: away the warmth from our sparks and allow us the chill
Elphame: of your touch, if but for a moment.
Elphame: Remind us why you are due our respect and why those who
Elphame: do not know you quake and fear at the expression of
Elphame: your holy name.
Elphame: Collect onto you that which is yours, Dark One.
Elphame: Ia Uggae.
Boann: Ia Sgrios.
Boann: *stands*
Boann: I remember when I was first pulled through the castle into
Boann: this temple.
Boann: I say pulled, because I don’t remember ever consciously
Boann: deciding to arrive here.
Boann: I only know I set out in the direction of this
Boann: lonely castle, because I couldn’t imagine a better
Boann: place for me.
Boann: I was alone.
Boann: I felt there wasn’t a soul anywhere like mine.
Boann: I reveled in my control in all I looked upon.
Boann: The blazing fire…
Boann: The very ground beneath my feet obeyed my faintest
Boann: whim.
Boann: I was mistress of my realm, and if I chose, I could bring
Boann: creatures to their death, howling before me.
Boann: I would laugh and their pleas and cries. Each life I
Boann: took made me feel all the more alive.
Boann: Yet I was unhappy.
Elphame: I could never forget the whispers…
Elphame: There was noone to ask.
Elphame: Try as I might, not a single mundane would tell me
Elphame: about this being that had me entranced.
Elphame: Their fearful looks intoxicated me.
Elphame: I could perceive slight shudders when I even said
Elphame: the name of the abomination. Sgrios…
Boann: It was so dark.
Boann: I could hardly see my staff in my hand.
Boann: The air was thick with the scent of rot.
Boann: My stomache was churning, but I could not bring myself to
Boann: run.
Boann: I was a powerful wizard!
Elphame: I don’t know who told me.
Elphame: They said it was in here.
Elphame: I walked about in a daze.
Elphame: I was terrified.
Elphame: The Aislings who would speak of it, only said that it
Elphame: was nothing I wanted.
Elphame: The slate outside had dozens of requests. Where is
Elphame: it? Can somebody show me?
Boann: I didn’t even see them.
Boann: I was nearly on top of her when she said my name.
Elphame: My hands were shaking when I found the
Elphame: hidden entrance.
Elphame: It looked empty…
Elphame: There was a sudden movement in the back.
Boann: Tradition.
Boann: Study.
Boann: and then Study more.
Elphame: I never saw his face.
Elphame: Welcome…
Elphame: Welcome…
Boann: All in black, they surrounded me.
Boann: There was nowhere to run.
Elphame: He read me a poem.
Elphame: The gentle depth of his voice…
Elphame: haunting..
Boann: Family.
Boann: Defend.
Boann: Protect.
Boann: Teach.
Elphame: Answers.
Elphame: Home.
Elphame: Tradition.
Boann: I learned so much.
Boann: I was given tomes of scrawled letters.
Boann: Madness.
Elphame: There is one way having many paths.
Elphame: All can be correct.
Elphame: Chaos.
Boann: *her voices sounds far away* We are family here.
Elphame: You don’t betray family.
Boann: Dim sparks can be made bright in the darkness.
Elphame: Teach them.
Boann: Guide them.
Elphame: Outside they cannot know us.
Boann: Outside they cannot understand.
Boann: *takes a very deep breath*
Boann: …
Boann: Beloved of death, allies and curious onlookers, we gather
Boann: here in the pitch of the former Sgrios temple to
Boann: celebrate a passing.
Boann: It is said that death is the king of this world.
Boann: Tis His park where He breeds life to feed Him.
Boann: Cries of pain are music for His banquet.
Boann: I understand how many can see my God that way.
Boann: That proves to me that they do not know him.
Boann: They speak out of fear for that which they cannot
Boann: understand.
Boann: It took many deochs.
Boann: When I became kindred of the dubhaimid, I began to
Boann: feel these walls as a kind of womb.
Boann: When I needed solace among family, I could return here.
Boann: The walls are dotted with swirling black fabric.
Boann: It swished as the figures moved.
Boann: We would recognize voices in those days..
Boann: There were no faces to recall.
Boann: I could hide here from the light that soon became
Boann: oppresive.
Boann: All the voices and noise outside were shushed as
Boann: I entered the castle.
Boann: Quiet.
Boann: Eventually the figures faded away.
Boann: The whispered voices and laughter fled from the hall.
Boann: Like a forgotten child I was so sure they would
Boann: return.
Boann: I waited and waited.
Boann: Until I faded away too.
Boann: I had to come back.
Boann: I had to come.
Boann: I knew that by now they had to have returned.
Boann: But it was empty.
Boann: I wondered…
Boann: Did they hide?
Boann: From temple to temple I sought them.
Boann: Lifting every black brim and peering at the
Boann: faces. Searching.
Boann: Searching for what?
Boann: I saw pair after pair of cold, dead eyes.
Boann: The sparks had gone out and lay in ashen Aisling shaped
Boann: urns.
Boann: They were all dead.
Boann: I recognized a few names and tried to find them.
Boann: They spoke, and gave masses… but only took me a second
Boann: to realize the truth.
Boann: They were dead too.
Boann: It is also said, that is not dead which can eternal lie,
Boann: yet with strange aeons, even death may die. And so
Boann: we are here.
Boann: As the druids have told us, the power of a god lies in
Boann: the hearts of his followers.
Boann: As the followers fade and fail, so to does the god fade.
Boann: In the few moons I have spent here, I have yet to see
Boann: more than a pair of those still devoted. And even
Boann: they fade.
Boann: As I was taught, all that lives ncessarily dies.
Boann: It is so with all things.
Boann: Love.
Boann: Work.
Boann: And also it seems, death.
Boann: So this eve, let us gather ourselves in grief.
Boann: Great Sgrios is dying, if not dead already.
Elphame: *weeps softly*
Boann: Tell me I am wrong. Show me evidence of my lies!
Boann: Display for me the cold power that used to breed fear
Boann: in the hearts of aisling kind!
Boann: Surround me with Succubii and let me blood for
Boann: their pleasure!
Boann! Do it!
Boann! I dare you!
Boann: *becomes quiet*
Boann: Do it before my heart cracks…
Boann: and I choke to death on my own tears.
Boann: Who are we here?
Boann: What are we doing here?
Boann: Every Sgrian I know vowed to protect our home.
Boann: We swore to stay strong in the face of the filth and
Boann: corruption that plagues the outsiders.
Boann: We are not as them!
Boann: We are Sgrians!
Boann: With no fear in our hearts, we threw ourselves
Boann: into death… LAUGHING!
Boann: Again and again we died and loved and killed.
Boann: Be quiet now!
Boann: Search your sparks, let me help you remember…
Boann: There was a time…
Boann: You were alone…
Boann: You sheltered yourself in the darkness.
Boann: And unknown power pulled at you.
Boann: Maybe you never hunted.
Boann: Maybe that was all you did.
Boann: Some of kill, some of us die.
Boann: In time you began to realize there was one thing
Boann: greater than you.
Boann: Something had a power you would never attain.
Boann: Something waited…
Boann: In the dark for you..
Boann: And no matter how fast you ran, it would catch you.
Boann: No money
Boann: No friend
Boann: No political imagine power would snatch you from it
Boann: When it wanted you.
Boann! *yells sharply* Look into the eyes of death!
Boann: Peasant or burgess, you will die!
Boann: He will take you as it pleases Him to do so.
Boann: And I ask you this…
Boann! Cowards!
Boann: Do you walk into that forever night as family or
Boann: as a stranger?
Boann: Be sure to greet Him…
Boann: Before He greets you.
Boann: We are Sgrians!
Raina: ia.
Boann: We act like we are better than others
Boann: because we ARE BETTER!
Boann: We look down at the weak and shivering sods!
Boann: I go to death as His bride!
Boann: I go to my grave like I wait for my lover.
Boann: How do you go?!
Boann: Do you scream?
Boann: Do you cry?
Boann: Sgrians are welcomed as kin because we are family.
Boann: I am the beloved child of death?
Boann: Who is strong enough to call me sister?
Boann: Who among you can I call kin?
Elphame: I am kin to the dubhaimid. I call you sister.
Boann: Are we alone? Who is family here?
Boann: In your silence even, I can feel a slight wave of
Boann: familiarity.
Boann: I feel a dark spark shining quietly within.
Boann: Is there truely one here who is kin?
Boann: Show yourself.
Boann: If you are not family, by Sgrios you soon will be.
Boann: Ia Sgrios! Dark father gather yours. Let us sweep the
Boann: lambs like vultures and crows.
Boann: If there is yet sparks who would honor Him, Sgrios
Boann: shall live.
Boann: Sgrios take us here. Be drunk on our blood!
Boann: As we leave the sacred halls of the dead, let us
Boann: find others who are like us.
Boann: If they false wear our necklace, let it choke them
Boann: to death.
Boann: Let dark fire consume you, brothers and sisters.
Boann: Gather to us those who belong here.
Boann: Tear them from their bright shrines and pull them
Boann: under with you.
Boann: We don’t have to bring them back. We might yet become
Boann: them.
Boann: Elph… pray for death.
Elphame: *takes a breath* My shadowy stygian lord, look about
Elphame: you.
Elphame: See those gathered here. You need not look down upon
Elphame: us, Sgrios, for we are bedded with you in the underworld
Elphame: even now.
Elphame: Choose from among us your messengers, and grant us
Elphame: the power to return you to your ebony throne.
Elphame: Remind us of your ways, so that the floors are once
Elphame: again painted in blood.
Elphame: Come to us lord Sgrios, Ia Uggae.
Boann: Ia. Ia Sgrios.
Krios: Ia Sgrios!
Boann: Sgrios be with us, take His blessings now.
Nyphe: Ia Sgrios! In the name of War ia Sgrios!