Those Under the the Light of the Moon

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Uncle Pervy
 

Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby Uncle Pervy » Wed Feb 26, 2003 11:00 pm

To His Highness, King Charles Domanada.
From your loyal Sage, Alindo the Addled.

Greetings and well meet, your Highness! I hope that my missive finds you I good health and high spirits.

On Your Highness' orders, I have begin to search other lands for information about the Pit Lord, Malachias. In doing so, I have found something... unexpected.

Perhaps you recall the information that our agents have brought us on the shadowy people known as the Dark Sidhe. While awaiting the recopying of a book on the nature of the Last Hell, I perused the shelves of Tanascus Archive of Baron, and came upon the journal of Jeena Farstep.

I am not certain if His Highness would recognize her name, so allow me to recount a little of her history. Jeena is an outworlder who made a name for herself as a roving adventuress some decades ago, when you father was still on the throne and I was a young man. She gained quite the reputation as a wild woman, and quite frankly deserved it; she is suspected of starting a riot in Kohlingen during one of the infamous revels she hosted there. In any event, you may remember when she started a trading coster in Doma City, and was brought to trial by the merchants there for undercutting their prices.

Certainly, her infamous accusations against the ‘greed’ of the other merchants are still quoted by some of the more radical elements in your court even today; I think they went something along the lines of them tripping over their own guts to squeeze every last bent gil from the people. Quite frankly, I think it was rather fortuitous for us that her main warehouses all caught fire and rendered the point moot.

But I ramble on. While waiting on the recopying of ‘The Vicious Ones’, I happened upon her personal journal, hidden in the depths of Baron’s Archives. Apparently, Jeena once lived here, but left suddenly. Her property to be seized as payment for delinquent taxes. I picked the journal up mostly out of curiosity, hoping for an entertaining read to pass the time. What I found was this…


Midsummer 18th, Year of Our Goddess 3457

Well, I guess that damned fairy didn’t lie after all. I’ll admit that I didn’t trust him; who would tell me something so valuable in exchange for a book on Hafazan snakes?

Ah well, he’s more than welcome to it. If he wants to live in the middle of a swamp and try to keep books, who am I to judge? Still, I can’t help but wonder what the little bugger wants with it…

That’s not important right now. He told me to come to the place where the Purah Woods meet the foot of the Urjan Peaks, and search for a pond with a ring of toadstools by it, then wait for midnight during the new moon. Well, I found a pleasant little pool fed by a mountain spring, and set up camp. I was rather surprised to find that it was free of the monsters that usually blanket this area like the plague!

Anyway, on the third night, right when that little fairy said it would, the ring of toadstools began to shimmer with silver light. As I watched, the light gathered in the center, and formed a kind of door. Well, I drew my trusty broadsword and walked over to it.

Inside that door was a forest, a full forest where there should have only been the pond! Well, I knew that this was it, so I grabbed my gear, and walked through the thing.

Immediately, I knew I wasn’t in Za'afiel anymore. I looked up, and saw a full moon shining in the sky. The sounds of the crickets and the other night insects were gone. There was only eerie silence.

The doorway closed behind me without a sound, leaving me stranded in this eerie new place. I almost panicked, but the had fairy assured me that there were other ways out of this place. I trusted him this far, and he hadn’t led me wrong yet…

Anyway, I stopped to regain my bearings, and make a swift entry in my journal. After a quick rest, I’m heading onward.

Midsummer 18th? 19th? Year of Our Goddess 3457

This place is creepy. No two ways about it. I woke up to find that it was still dark, and that the moon hadn’t moved at all. But, the moon wasn’t full anymore! It was in the first quarter!

The moon was the least of my troubles. This forest is going to drive me mad. It’s so… quiet. All that I can hear is a breeze rustling through the leaves, but there isn’t any wind. Sometimes, a wolf howls in the distance. Once in a while, I hear something tittering, just behind me! But when I look, there is nothing there.

I suppose it’s to be expected, though. This is supposed to be the home of the dark fairies, there’s probably a lot worse than this to come. The fairy who told me how to get here said there were three things I had to remember if I wanted to survive. Eat nothing here, drink none of the water, and treat anyone I meet as politely as possible. I intend to remember all of that.

As I traveled onward, I kept my eye on the moon. As I watched, it slowly changed phase. It brightened to full, then slowly waned away only to wax again. Judging from how much ground I cover, I think it takes an hour for it to change from one phase to the next.

The forest is actually kind of pleasant. Everything is a deep, verdant green, and there isn’t much undergrowth to slow me down. The trees are extraordinarily tall, the smallest easily reaching a hundred feet into the air! There are little streams and pools everywhere, but most are small enough to step or jump over. Nary a tree is free of moss, though. Moss seems to be just about everywhere. There are a lot of vines, as well, but they aren’t so ubiquitous as the moss.

Also, little toadstools, brightly colored but muted in the moonlight, seem to be all over the place. I’ve seen them on the ground, growing from the trucks of the trees, and even nestled in the crooks of branches. They don’t cover everything, for I seldom see more than a small clump on a tree or on a given patch of ground. Still, it’s hard to find a place free from toadstools.

Midsummer 19th, I'm fairly sure. Year of Our Goddess 3457

Even though I know that it is just a forest, something feels… wrong about it. It has nothing to do with whatever might live here, there’s just an aura around it that puts me off ease. Maybe it’s the shadows in the moonlight, or the way that the leaves whisper with wind that isn’t there, or the eerie silence…

Or maybe it is the inhabitants. I haven’t seen a single natural animal here. That is why the forest is so damned quiet. The only things here are the dark fairies. I can hear them giggling every now and again, or I catch a glimpse of a shadow no larger than my hand from the corner of my eye. Sometimes, I’ll look down in a shallow pool and see a lithe shape or two slipping through the water.

The dark fairies are here, and they are definitely watching me. I think my broadsword is doing most of the work of keeping them away. At least, I hope so…

Midsummer 26th, Year of Our Goddess 3457

I found a road. One minute, I was working my way through the woods, hearing that infernal wolf howl, and the next I stumbled on a road! It wasn’t much of a road, really it’s just a path, about as wide as I am tall, that wends its way through the trees. Still, it is definitely a road.

I started to follow it, just like the fairy told me to. I’ve had to stop and sleep about three times so far, and the night hasn’t changed, nor has the moon moved. I have noticed that after it goes through six cycles, the moon eclipses. I have no idea how that happens, with there being no sun, but it does. What is truly eerie was the last eclipse, when the moon vanished completely!

When that happened, the entire forest was plunged into darkness! I couldn’t see at all! Not even when the moon is new does it get completely dark. I stopped and leaned against a tree, so I wouldn’t trip and break my neck in the darkness.

Then the forest came to life! All around me, the leaves started to rustle, and high-pitched laughter from dozens of throats echoed all around me! I felt motion all around me, though I could not see it. I swear I felt something like gossamer brush against my nose a dozen times, and heard whispering too low for me to make out!

After what felt like a lifetime, the eclipse ended and the forest grew still once more under the waning moon. I was badly shaken, to say the least, and had to wait a few minutes for my heart to quit hammering in my chest and for my breathing to return to normal!

I kept traveling, though, and had to stop once more to sleep. I am glad I had the foresight to bring my own food and water with me. After I started walking again, and the moon went through three more phases; I found it.

The road led me to a clearing, and in the middle of this clearing set a castle. It looked like a combination of a fortress and a cathedral, made of onyx and marble. The castle was shaped of flowing lines and gentle arcs; not a single angle or straight line to be found. A central spire, twisted like an old beech tree, reached up to the top of the surrounding forest canopy.

It seemed to be a part of the forest. The foundations flowed into the land as smoothly as a hill does, and moss covered large portions of it. Vines and creepers wended their way around it, completing the picture. A still pond ran along the eastern side of the castle, filled with algae and lily pads. I knew that this was the castle that the surrounding land took its name from: this was Dartmoor.

I had to take a minute to regain my resolve before pressing on. Dartmoor looked like a part of the surrounding land, as if it were grown from onyx and alabaster instead of built. Still, it felt as imposing and unnatural as any fortress. Still, I pressed on and walked to the front doors.

The doors were made of thick rowan wood, and carved with an elaborate pattern. Looking at that pattern, I saw the suggestions of several shapes. At first, I could see what looked like fairies at play. Then the pattern began to look like the interior of a cavernous chamber strewn with equipment used in vile experiments. Then I saw creatures that should not be, unholy creations of a dark, twisted mind. All these shapes within the same pattern…

I shook my head and opened the doors, wincing as they swung open with a loud creak. Beyond them lie a massive hall, its floor a checkerboard of onyx and alabaster tiles. The onyx walls were free of tapestries; instead they were covered with friezes like the ones outside. Moonlight poured in through elaborately pained windows. Twin stairways curled up to a second floor balcony, one carved of marble and the other of moonstone. Flanking the inside of each stairway were statues of nude fairies, one male and one female, both kneeling and each twice my size. Beside the marble staircase case was an ebony statue, while one of alabaster stands near the moonstone stairway.

I approached the ebony statue, entranced by its flawlessness. The fairy was down on one knee, looking upward with an awed expression. One hand was pressed against its breast, as if she were swearing fealty. But what true enraptured me were its wings, for they were translucent! I held my hand up to the delicate wing, and saw my hand through it! Yet I touched the wing, and felt that it was truly stone!

Booted footsteps started to echo from the left! I froze, and stepped away from the statue. A door only a few yards away from me swungs open, and a black-cloaked figure emerged.

I nearly melted when I laid eyes up him. By the Gabrien Crown, but he was handsome! His hair was like spun snow, and his face seemed to glow with a cold radiance. His eyes were ice blue, and seemed to bore into my soul! A little smile tugged at the edges of his lips. He walked toward me with such effortless grace, all clad in black silks. Yet his eyes drew me more than anything, his glare making my knees weak! An aura of cold... menace enveloped him; I was torn between the urge to throw myself at him like a bride on her wedding night, and the urge to run.

Instead, I stood gaping like a fool as he approached with his silk-smooth walk. “Welcome,” he said, his voice dulcet and beautiful. I still don’t know how I could remain on my feet, so weak were my knees! “It’s rare that I receive visitors to my home.”

I fought to say something, anything! But my tongue didn’t want to cooperate. “Come now,” he spoke, “There’s no reason to linger here. I was preparing to dine. Join me.”

I could only gasp out a strained, “Thank you,” and fall into step behind him. I noticed that his steps no longer make the slightest sound! I also noticed a sword at his side, a two-handed blade that was without a sheath. He led me through a corridor, decorated much as the hall was. Then he took me through a modest-looking door to the side, which opened to a grand dining hall.

A huge painting dominated the far wall. It was a painting of hundreds of fairies clashing in a wooded glen. Dozens of tiny melees played out with perfect skill, each fairy an individual figure instead of a faceless soldier. A modest feast was lain out along the surprisingly common-looking feast table. Roast turkey and potatoes, stuffed salmon, a dozen exotic vegetables I had never seen before, and more were spread out before me, the smells dueling for my nose’s attention after days of trail rations. I was grateful that my stomach didn’t rumble in front of my host!

But then the fairy’s words came to me. “I am honored that you would invite me to feast with you, milord,” I said, working to keep my voice steady, “But I can’t accept it. I was told not to eat anything in Dartmoor.”

The black-robed man looked at me with his piercing eyes, and smiled ever so slightly. “I assure you that my table bears no curse. You may dine here free of worry. Now have a seat, and enjoy.”

Well, I couldn’t exactly resist and offend, could I? As wary as I felt, the allure of real food was too much to turn away, and I didn’t think he was lying to me. So I sat down near the head of the table, where he took his seat, and began to dine.

Back when the King of Gabriel invited me to dine at his table after the War, I wowed his whole court with my impeecable manners. I’m equally at home in a king’s court or a drunken revel, but I felt so graceless here! Compared to my host, I was like a wild beast. True, part of it came from getting a real meal, one of the tastiest I’ve ever had, but still I felt like a little kid. He ate with calm precision, not spilling a drop or a crumb, dining neither too fast nor too slow.

“What do you think of my realm?” He asked. I felt a little less unease, with my belly full and all, so I could answer without stammering and sounding like a fool. Still, it’s not hard to get lost in the sharp contour of his face, and the piercing ice-blue of his eyes...

“It is unsettling, milord. They forests are so quiet, save for the titters of the dark fairies.”

“My people were instructed not to harm you,” He replied, not looking at me as he sipped his wine afterwards. “Were you not under my protection, I doubt you would have lived for more than a few hours. My people... enjoy travelers.

He looked at me again, a sidelong glance. “Dartmoor is not a realm for Mortals. My younger sister’s realm is far more hospitable. Maab’s people are much less... playful with travelers.”

He looks away again as he speaks, and smiles just a little as he finishes. I swear that I almost, almost, hear him chuckle! Then he stands. “I must away. You will wait here. I suggest you not wander; it is easy to get lost in Dartmoor.”

And he left. And I waited for him to return. I studied the painting, finding myself being drawn into the story it weaves. Each fairy seemed to have a tale. Each one had its one its own individual features. On carried a strip of cloth in its belt, another wore silk gloves, and so on. Some seemed to revel in the battle; others wanted only to flee.

After a while, the light began to dim as the moon waned past its last quarter. I tried to turn my attention back to the meal, not wanting the food to go to waste. Though it was cold, the feast was still tasty. As the new moon came and plunged the castle into shadow, I just sat back and tried to rest my eyes until the light began to wax again.

When I opened my eyes, the moon was in third quarter once more. The food was gone, as was the black-clad man. I waited some more, until the moon had waned and started to wax again. Finally, my patience snapped. I stood, and walked over to the door, hoping to find the Lord of Dartmoor.

I pushed open the door, and gasped when I saw what lie beyond. When I came in, there was a corridor past these doors, now there was a sitting room! I stepped into it, looking around in a vain hope of finding the hall. No luck. When I turned around to leave the sitting room, the dining room was gone! Now there was a corridor lined with life-sized statues of fairies! Having no choice, I walked down this hall. A set of onyx double doors lay at the end of it, and I opened them.

Beyond was a room totally shrouded in darkness. In the middle of the completely black room was a throne carved of a single massive moonstone! It wasn’t lit in any way, but I could see it as clearly as day. I couldn’t resist; I walked into the room, and approached the empty throne.

I’ve never had a lick of talent at magic, but even I could see that this throne had some kind of magic to it. I never knew that a moonstone could get this large, but something told me that it was natural, not created by any sorcery. I wondered if the throne contained magic of its own, or if it had simply absorbed some from its owner.

For a moment, I was tempted to sit on it... But, something told me that I would not survive the experience. I looked around within the throne room, but I could find no other features but the throne and the doors; not even walls. Unsettled, to say the least, I left and found myself in another dining room.

I would have wandered the hallways of Dartmoor forever, had I not heard a strain of heartrendingly beautiful violin music. The song subtly hooked my soul with a grip stronger than steel. It drew me, my feet moving with a will of their own, yet not of their own will at all. I hardly paid attention to the rooms and halls that I wandered through as I sought that music. It guided me, growing stronger with each room that I passed.

Finally, I found myself in chamber ringed by elaborately paneled windows. I paid them no heed as I feasted my eyes upon the snow-haired violinist standing in the middle of the room.

The Lord of Dartmoor was completely enraptured in his music; his eyes closed and his face calm as he played. His heartrending beauty almost bowled me over with a shock renewed by hours of absence. Had I not been so completely entranced by his music, I would have thrown myself at him, without a second thought!

As he played, other instruments began to join in his melancholy song. Low trumpets began to underscore his plaintive melody, and more instruments joined in at the perfect moment, rending my soul with their perfect, sorrowful notes. Before long, an entire unseen orchestra carried me away with its music! Tears flowed freely from my eyes at the music, and I wanted nothing more than to enjoy it forever.

Then, gradually, the individual instruments of the orchestra began to fall silent, until only his violin was left. Then it too slowly faded away. I fell to my knees, spent by the experience. It took a few minutes for me to recover enough to stand again, and face the lord of Dartmoor. His gaze bored into the very core of my being, and his visage was completely impassive.

“You have betrayed my trust, Jeena Farstep,” he declared calmly. With a single smooth motion, his sword was in hand! The long, double-edged blade held my eyes for a moment. At first, it looked like a plain blade, wrought of silver. But as it passed through the moonlight, a dozen runes and sigils appeared on the surface of the blade!

“You wandered through the halls of Dartmoor, and seen what no Mortal may see. I shall not end your life, though you deserve no less. Instead, I will give you what you came to find. I will reveal the truth to you. Leave, and stray not from the road. My subjects shall not be so merciful this time.”

I fled the castle without hesitation. The doors led to the front hall, and outside. I left as swiftly as I could, and didn’t stray from the trail. My stomach began to growl and ache, and I felt like I hadn’t eaten in days! Still, I didn’t stop. I kept walking, taking care not to stray from the road.

I could hear the dark fairies all around me, laughing and flying by. Still, I stayed on the road, and kept moving forward. Soon, their laughs and whispers started to die away, then the eastern horizon began to brighten! I was home again!

I stopped, utterly exhausted, and pitched my tent. Just as I opened the flap, preparing to sleep like the dead, I saw a dark fairy, crouching in the shadows and leering at me!

My scream must have echoed to the mountaintops. I leaped back, my sword drawn, and my eyes caught sight of another dark fairy, hiding in the shadowy boughs of a tree! As I looked around, I saw more and more of them, watching me from the shadows! Some tittered at me, others whispered, and some just watched.

Surrounded and outnumbered, I ran away from the woods. Yet there was no escape. No matter where I ran, I saw them. Hiding in the shadows no matter where I looked, I saw the lord of Dartmoor’s subjects!

Soon, I collapsed from exhaustion and hunger, and blacked out. I awoke to find myself in one piece, and found myself alone. Painstakingly, I retraced my steps, hoping to find my equipment. It did, but a bear had found it first and took its toll.

With nothing but my blade and my wits, I set off again down the road. Thankfully, it led me to Haroth's Port, some hundredsof miles from where I was. I spent a few weeks at the inn, after hawking one of my rings for money. I began to forget my horrible experiences, until I boarded a ship bound for Gabriel some time later.

The moon was new, and the shadows came alive once again! Everywhere I looked, hiding in the shadows, were dark fairies! I nearly went mad that night, crouching near a fire I set on deck, clutching my sword until morning came.
The next new moon found me in Gabriel, staying at a friend’s house. He thought that I had gone insane, when I fled my room, and relit the fire, then kept vigil by it with my sword in hand. I feel asleep despite myself that time, and praised be that I survived the night!

This was his curse, the truth that the lord of Dartmoor revealed to me. When the new moon rises, the shadows are his. And now I see that. I cannot escape; all I can do is seek a place where there are no shadows...
-The Travels of Jeena Farstep


Soon after, She left her world and came to Gaera. I am not sure, but I would not be surprised if she did so to try to escape her curse. But, this journal does not say. Looking back, it makes me wonder when some of her more outrageous stunts were done during our own new moon. She didn't like to be alone then, she hinted later. Perhaps the revels and whatnot were a way for her to cope?

From what I've read, she seems to have been quite haunted. Very different what I recall seeing in your father's court. There, she was quite fiery and vivacious. Yet with what I read here... She was almost suicidal.

I also cannot help but wonder about the nature of her curse. Was it truly something that the Lord of Dartmoor revealed to her, or was it an illusion that he wove? I don’t think I really want to know the answer to that...

In any event, the Master Scrivener assures me that the recopying is almost done. Unfortunately, I cannot linger long enough for Jeena Farstep’s journal to be recopied as well. I am going to try to convince the Tanascan Archives to let me have it, so that it may be recopied in Doma, then sent back. I shall return shortly, your Majesty, in any case.

Your Loyal Sage, Alindo the Addled.
<p><div style="text-align:center">Image Image Image Image Image ImageImage</div></p>Edited by: [url=http://pub30.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=unclepervy@rpgww60462>Uncle]&nbsp; Image at: 2/26/03 10:04:48 pm

bunnygirle78
 
Posts: 1245
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Re: Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby bunnygirle78 » Fri Feb 28, 2003 8:53 pm

oooo
I like it. <p>Sometimes when I se squirls I feel the urge to kill. . .is that wrong?</p>

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NebulaQueen
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Posts: 2557
Joined: Fri May 31, 2002 6:38 pm

Re: Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby NebulaQueen » Fri Feb 28, 2003 9:03 pm

Great fic.

All the love I sent to you when I read this the other day, NQ <p>---
"I died as mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal.
I died as animal and I was human.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die human,
To soar with angels blessed above.
And when I sacrifice my angel soul
I shall become what no mind ever concieved."
-Rumi Jalaluddin
---
"Er, sir, please keep your daughter away from that, the Drow Hourglass of Death is not a toy..."-Elements of Self RP
---
"JESUS IS NOT A FREAKY JUNGLE TOAD!"-Ultimate KoD</p>

The Hero
 

Re: Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby The Hero » Mon Mar 17, 2003 3:35 pm

Not bad. A pretty good story if I say so myself.


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KingOfDoma
Guess Who It Is?
 
Posts: 2656
Joined: Tue May 07, 2002 7:21 pm
Location: Calgary

Re: Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby KingOfDoma » Fri Mar 21, 2003 7:20 pm

I FINALLY GOT THROUGH IT.

Of all people, you'd think I, the guy whose avatar is the first 4 words of the fic, would just RIFLE through it.

But, it was long enough that I had to print it off to read it.
For some reason, I can't read anything of literary merit that's over 5 pages on a computer for a length of time. I'm probably just weird that way.

But yes, note something in the last paragraph. LITERARY MERIT. Once again, another fine fic produced by Our Pervy. A spelling error here and there, but snap! Who cares about those? It was quite a good little read. (*snicker* Little...) It even reads like some sort of fairy tale that you tell your kid to keep him in line... hey... that might be a good idea. Synopsizing it to turn into some sort of Grimm Fairy Tale? You'd better do it fast, before I do...

Excellent, excellent work, Pervy. This is why you're mod of this forum. You frikkin' deserve it.

"Once upon a time, there was a woman name Jeena Farstep..." <p>--------------------
"The only thing that makes the daily tedium bearable is knowing that I have power over life and death." -Chancellor Usurper, 8BT</p>

Uncle Pervy
 

Re: Those Under the the Light of the Moon

Unread postby Uncle Pervy » Fri Mar 21, 2003 7:56 pm

Chuck, your warm words of praise bring a smile to my soul. ^^

Feel free to do a interpretation if you like. :D

Also, consider the timeline in comparision to Doma's. Jeena was still a moderately young woman when she left Doma. And not quite old upon disappearing. Therefore... >: D


Image <p><div style="text-align:center">Image Image Image Image Image ImageImage</div></p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=pdrydia>pd]&nbsp; Image at: 6/11/05 17:36


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