7.5a - Attunement to the Endless Court

Anneleigh returned to the outpost and found Donal.  He was surrounded by Dame Volya and the others who had made it back from the field.

“Dame Volya has told me what happened out there.  I want to believe it can’t be, and yet I can deny it no longer.  He was a hard man to love, and yet we all did.  He served Sanctum and the Vigil as a hero, but now they must declare him a sworn enemy.  I don’t know where that leaves me or the rest of his men....”

Donal trailed off; the shock finally getting the better of him.  Anneleigh let his thoughts wander for a moment before speaking.

 

“Carwin has asked me to send word to Sanctum, as soon as possible, to prepare them for a possible strike.” She looked to those who had gathered to hear instructions.  To her surprise they now looked to her as their leader.  Anneleigh walked to stand beside Dame Volya.   “You have always been the Marshal’s right hand.  You should be in command until Cyril decides.   Could you send a contingent back to warn Sanctum my behalf?” She turned to see the death rift that still loomed in the sky at the heart of Stillmoor.  “I must stay here, and close this rift before history repeats itself.” 

Dame Volya nodded and led a few of her soldiers away.

Elsewhere in the camp, Anneleigh could see the hive of activity and joined a small cluster of soldiers and scholars to get her next instructions.  They watched her approach.

“Anneleigh,” said one of the scholars, “Good, You’ve arrived!  Let’s get straight to the business at hand.” He shook his head as if to clear his displeasure.  “With some speed and a lot of luck, we will still reach our goal before the Endless create the rift they are seeking.”

“There is already a rift open, Sir.” Anneleigh said, hoping she did not sound disrespectful.

“That is holding the tear open, but the Endless Court thinks they can create a rift strong enough to tear down the ward.  They are focusing enough death energy in the Eye of Regulos to transform the rift there into a vortex powerful enough to do it too.”

“We can’t let that happen!” Anneleigh said with alarm.  “I can close it, but can the living survive in the Eye of Regulos?”

 “The Eye of Regulos will drain your life force faster than a Port Scion harlot, my friend.” said a young soldier as he approached the group.

The scholars looked displeased.  “Alvric, your language around guests and civilians is near enough to get you reported.”

Alvric only chuckled.  “They wear special talismans to protect them from the extreme concentration of death magic in the Eye.  Without one, you will surely die.”

Anneleigh nodded.  “Can you make one for me?”

"I might be able to fashion one for you.   The Endless Cultists who foolishly attack Thalin Tor have donated several to our stocks,” he chuckled, “but in order to make the Shade Talisman work, it will have to be attuned to your soul.  Unfortunately, the only way to do this is to use the Endless Court’s own attunement platforms.”

He handed her the medallion.  “After you’ve activated the talisman, you’ll have to remain in place until the process is complete.”

Anneleigh nodded and accepted the token.  As she walked closer to the edge of the Eye, she could see and feel the death energy emitted by the rift.  Locating the nearest platform, she held the talisman tightly in her hand.  At first nothing happened but as she waited first the platform, and then the air itself became red hot.  Standing on the platform was nearly unbearable, but the heat from the medallion in her hand was even more painful.  Gritting her teeth and holding tightly to the trinket, Anneleigh managed to keep endure the heat while the light formed a cylinder around her and began to pulse.  Slowly the light faded and, after the platform had returned to cool stone, she knew it was safe to step off.

She opened her hand and gasped.  The medallion had become so hot in her hand that the ridges of its rounded edge were burned into her palm.    

Smarting from the pain, Anneleigh returned to Alvric.  “I believe the experiment was successful.” She said between breaths of cool air she blew onto her palm.

“Good!” Alvric exclaimed, “Very good.  Now that you have a working Shade Talisma, you should be able to survive inside the Eye of Regulos.”  He walked with her as she returned to the scholars. 

“She’s ready.” He said with pleasure to the group before turning quickly and leaving again.

“Strange man,” Anneleigh though, but turned her attention to the group.  “What do I need to do to close the rift?”

“The endless Court is using stolen Ethian technology to concentrate their death energy on a single point.” said a bearded man who looked more like a professor than a soldier.  “If these power Foci are not destroyed, the rift will be torn wide open, ripping apart the Ward and leaving Telara at the mercy of Regulos.  With the foci destroyed, the rift itself should close easily"