The Dark on Thalos: Not Harmonium Barkle
Listen up cutters, for the dark of a well known story. But the chant I'll tell is different from the grail that the Harmonium is selling. You see, I knew Thalos, and he knew me. You see Thalos never meant to start this revolutionary movement in Sigil. Let me turn down the howl. It all started in a cozy little sipper called the Dirken Firken. It was in the Clerk's Ward. This place was nice, mostly high ups and their bits, you know? Well, Thalos was new to the cage, a prime and a total lemon. But he found a good job at the Dirken Firken, and Slurg the half-orc bar keep served the finest Arborean ale in the catch. The ale reminded the Fairie boy of home so he stayed there until he could sort this whole Sigil thing out. A few nights after he flashed into the cage, Thalos was propositioned by a male vampire named Gunther. Gunther was a high up who earned a lucrative business selling "medical supplies" throughout the Lower Planes. Naturally, Thalos refused his advances, but lacking the tact so necessary to survival in the city of doors, Thalos managed to seriously offend Gunther. Some say Gunther was foamed, others say he was just ful angry. Whatever the reasons, the outcome was disastrous for Thalos. And for Sigil. You see Gunther went on a frenetic killing spree. Most of the victims were just ful scrubbed. The murder scenes were horrific. At every scene, Gunther left the message "IN THE NAME OF THALOS!" The Hardheads were noticeably nervous. Soon patrols were beefed up. Then came the notes. Thalos would receive notes with the dark of the next murder..Thalos would of course rush to the scene to prevent the tragedy. Alas arriving just in time to meet some Hardhead inquisitor. The hardheads began snooping around the Anthill, scragging anyone that would talk. Soon they began to get descriptions of a Prime that arrived in Sigil just days before the murders began. The howl went out. Everyone in the cage could earn jink if they turned Thalos. Thalos went into hiding in the cellar of the Dirken Firken, protected by Slurg. His only friend. The next day, the first bomb went off. Some berk in the lower ward ran into the middle of a Harmonium patrol screaming,"In the Name of Thalos!" Then BOOM! Several Hardheads were killed in the attack. For the next several days the attacks continued. A bookstore in the Lady's ward. A Bariaur stall in the great bazaar. Another Hardhead patrol. And then Gunther would attack. During one attack he snatched the daughter of a high-up from the ladies ward and draped her entrails over the fence outside of Harmonium headquarters. Chaos reigned over the city. The factol of the hardheads declared marshal law and the city was paralysed. Hardheads on every corner scragged every elf that walked by. Some say that the Lady could not tolerate anymore chaos. Some say that it was just the excuse that the hardheads needed to crack down on the great bazaar and the Indeps that lived and worked there. Either way, the knights of the posts were finding it hard to operate under these conditions. The Harmonium assured them that the pressure would ease if a certain Thalos could be found. The dark in the hive was that the knights had hired a scribe of the dead book to take care of Thalos. This Thalos thing was bad for business. Thalos sat baffled in the darkness below the Dirken Firken. And that where I met him. My friend Slurg had sent for me.
Listen up cutters, for the dark of a well known story. But the chant I'll tell is different from the grail that the Harmonium is selling. You see, I knew Thalos, and he knew me. You see Thalos never meant to start this revolutionary movement in Sigil. Let me turn down the howl.
It all started in a cozy little sipper called the Dirken Firken. It was in the Clerk's Ward. This place was nice, mostly high ups and their bits, you know? Well, Thalos was new to the cage, a prime and a total lemon. But he found a good job at the Dirken Firken, and Slurg the half-orc bar keep served the finest Arborean ale in the catch. The ale reminded the Fairie boy of home so he stayed there until he could sort this whole Sigil thing out.
A few nights after he flashed into the cage, Thalos was propositioned by a male vampire named Gunther. Gunther was a high up who earned a lucrative business selling "medical supplies" throughout the Lower Planes. Naturally, Thalos refused his advances, but lacking the tact so necessary to survival in the city of doors, Thalos managed to seriously offend Gunther.
Some say Gunther was foamed, others say he was just ful angry. Whatever the reasons, the outcome was disastrous for Thalos. And for Sigil. You see Gunther went on a frenetic killing spree. Most of the victims were just ful scrubbed. The murder scenes were horrific. At every scene, Gunther left the message "IN THE NAME OF THALOS!"
The Hardheads were noticeably nervous. Soon patrols were beefed up. Then came the notes. Thalos would receive notes with the dark of the next murder..Thalos would of course rush to the scene to prevent the tragedy. Alas arriving just in time to meet some Hardhead inquisitor. The hardheads began snooping around the Anthill, scragging anyone that would talk. Soon they began to get descriptions of a Prime that arrived in Sigil just days before the murders began. The howl went out. Everyone in the cage could earn jink if they turned Thalos.
Thalos went into hiding in the cellar of the Dirken Firken, protected by Slurg. His only friend. The next day, the first bomb went off. Some berk in the lower ward ran into the middle of a Harmonium patrol screaming,"In the Name of Thalos!" Then BOOM!
Several Hardheads were killed in the attack. For the next several days the attacks continued. A bookstore in the Lady's ward. A Bariaur stall in the great bazaar. Another Hardhead patrol. And then Gunther would attack. During one attack he snatched the daughter of a high-up from the ladies ward and draped her entrails over the fence outside of Harmonium headquarters.
Chaos reigned over the city. The factol of the hardheads declared marshal law and the city was paralysed. Hardheads on every corner scragged every elf that walked by. Some say that the Lady could not tolerate anymore chaos. Some say that it was just the excuse that the hardheads needed to crack down on the great bazaar and the Indeps that lived and worked there.
Either way, the knights of the posts were finding it hard to operate under these conditions. The Harmonium assured them that the pressure would ease if a certain Thalos could be found. The dark in the hive was that the knights had hired a scribe of the dead book to take care of Thalos. This Thalos thing was bad for business.
Thalos sat baffled in the darkness below the Dirken Firken. And that where I met him. My friend Slurg had sent for me.
Part II
I had just flashed into the Cage, my first week back after a long stay out of town. I spent my days in the Great Bazaar and my nights in the Temple of Hermes. I had earned a reputation of being the one of the few Indeps that had still had some backbone. I was a basher type. Dark is, I earned a pile of jink making sure that the Harmonium didn't scrag certain high up cutters. I'd earned a living beating the best. That's why Slurg thought I could help Thalos. He knew I hated the Hardheads. What Indep bariaur didn't? At the Temple I had met a Priestess of Hermes. Her name was Adrianna Thomopolis. She was nice enough, but a prime and another lemon. 'A peel in progress,' I'd often say. I thought she was a human, but she insisted she was "Greek", whatever that is. I knew she was a Sensate from the moment we met. There was something about the way she savoured a simple handshake. The way she would sniff at even the slightest breezes, searching from the lightest scents that might hang there. The way she would listen intently to every word said to her by strangers. To her, The City of Doors was a fantastic sensory feast; a gift from her power. I knew she was touchy-feely. Even if she didn't know it yet. She was tall, dark and very outspoken. But what I liked about her most was her devotion to our Lord Hermes. She was bathing in his beauty. And I was jealous. I let Adrianna in on the dark on Thalos. I figured that I could keep her out of the dead book for a few days longer if she stayed near me. We went to The Dirken Firken. At first I thought Thalos of Aradon was an addle coved mandy. Despite his circumstances he was intent on proving his innocence. He just kept pacing the floor in Slurg's cellar pontificating on duty, honour chivalry and the like. Those words that have little meaning in the Cage. He was worried about things like reputation and his family name. I was more worried about the pinchers and poachers. Thalos didn't fear those things. 'This Harvey has swagger,' I told Adrianna. She smiled and agreed. We appreciated swagger. As only servants of Hermes can. We didn't have any idea what to do.The entire city was locked down. Marshal law was vehemently enforced. Roving Hardhead patrols would scrub anyone caught out after anti peak. Indeps in the Great Bazaar were being rounded up, many never to return. Rumours spread that they were being laisted for their darks. Other sods said that they were cutting the knees on every Elf they found. But the bombings continued. The more the Harmonium cracked down, the more the bombings escalated. The grail in the anthill was that Thalos had started a revolution, and that he was some high up in the Revolutionary League. His followers were mesmerised. Finally, a leader that gave the Hardheads the laugh. Every day his power grew. The real story was far less glamorous: Thalos was a lemon Harvey, ranting and raving in the cellar of the Dirken Firken. Our situation seemed pale. That's when the next letter arrived from Gunther. It was an invitation. It seemed some doddering high up Guvner on the Chessboard was throwing a masquerade ball. Gunther would be attending. So would we. ...to be continued...
I had just flashed into the Cage, my first week back after a long stay out of town. I spent my days in the Great Bazaar and my nights in the Temple of Hermes. I had earned a reputation of being the one of the few Indeps that had still had some backbone. I was a basher type. Dark is, I earned a pile of jink making sure that the Harmonium didn't scrag certain high up cutters. I'd earned a living beating the best. That's why Slurg thought I could help Thalos. He knew I hated the Hardheads. What Indep bariaur didn't?
At the Temple I had met a Priestess of Hermes. Her name was Adrianna Thomopolis. She was nice enough, but a prime and another lemon. 'A peel in progress,' I'd often say. I thought she was a human, but she insisted she was "Greek", whatever that is. I knew she was a Sensate from the moment we met. There was something about the way she savoured a simple handshake. The way she would sniff at even the slightest breezes, searching from the lightest scents that might hang there. The way she would listen intently to every word said to her by strangers. To her, The City of Doors was a fantastic sensory feast; a gift from her power. I knew she was touchy-feely. Even if she didn't know it yet. She was tall, dark and very outspoken. But what I liked about her most was her devotion to our Lord Hermes. She was bathing in his beauty. And I was jealous.
I let Adrianna in on the dark on Thalos. I figured that I could keep her out of the dead book for a few days longer if she stayed near me. We went to The Dirken Firken. At first I thought Thalos of Aradon was an addle coved mandy. Despite his circumstances he was intent on proving his innocence. He just kept pacing the floor in Slurg's cellar pontificating on duty, honour chivalry and the like. Those words that have little meaning in the Cage. He was worried about things like reputation and his family name. I was more worried about the pinchers and poachers. Thalos didn't fear those things. 'This Harvey has swagger,' I told Adrianna. She smiled and agreed. We appreciated swagger. As only servants of Hermes can.
We didn't have any idea what to do.The entire city was locked down. Marshal law was vehemently enforced. Roving Hardhead patrols would scrub anyone caught out after anti peak. Indeps in the Great Bazaar were being rounded up, many never to return. Rumours spread that they were being laisted for their darks. Other sods said that they were cutting the knees on every Elf they found. But the bombings continued. The more the Harmonium cracked down, the more the bombings escalated. The grail in the anthill was that Thalos had started a revolution, and that he was some high up in the Revolutionary League. His followers were mesmerised. Finally, a leader that gave the Hardheads the laugh. Every day his power grew. The real story was far less glamorous: Thalos was a lemon Harvey, ranting and raving in the cellar of the Dirken Firken. Our situation seemed pale. That's when the next letter arrived from Gunther. It was an invitation. It seemed some doddering high up Guvner on the Chessboard was throwing a masquerade ball. Gunther would be attending. So would we.
...to be continued...
Ascension
My friends, I have seen the future of my brotherhood of travellers, and it is indeed a great one. Allow me to explain.... It was during one of my trips to the Astral Plane to commune with my god, when I was told by him to go into the plane and wait for a sign. Being of the utmost faith, I dutifully grabbed my things and left. About two hours or so of drifting, I noticed that the energy had started to become tumultuous. I immediately started to head back to the safety of my kip when the tempest hit me like a goristro fist. I was tossed about in all directions, concentrating on getting home and keeping my sanity, not necessarily in that order. I was unable to return to my way home then, but now I realise that the storm was only for my benefit, for although my brain-box was rattled about, I saw the greatest sight of them all.... Standing in the Astral, amid whirling stars and colour pools, was Celestian himself! He stood there with the cannon in one hand and his traveller's stick in the other. On his forehead was out holy symbol, and energy surged all around him. Through the colour pools, you could see the places where worshippers existed, and energy flowed from them like the River Oceanus was opened to him. And from that energy, he fashioned objects of power and grew stronger, and it was then that I finally understood what was happening -- our god, Celestian, was ascending to a greater god! I do not know how I returned to my house, but I tell you what I saw was true! Celestian, Our God who Watches Over Us, is ascending to his rightful place in the multiverse, and from this ascension, our power and brotherhood will grow as well! Behold the power of Celestian!
My friends, I have seen the future of my brotherhood of travellers, and it is indeed a great one. Allow me to explain....
It was during one of my trips to the Astral Plane to commune with my god, when I was told by him to go into the plane and wait for a sign. Being of the utmost faith, I dutifully grabbed my things and left. About two hours or so of drifting, I noticed that the energy had started to become tumultuous. I immediately started to head back to the safety of my kip when the tempest hit me like a goristro fist. I was tossed about in all directions, concentrating on getting home and keeping my sanity, not necessarily in that order. I was unable to return to my way home then, but now I realise that the storm was only for my benefit, for although my brain-box was rattled about, I saw the greatest sight of them all....
Standing in the Astral, amid whirling stars and colour pools, was Celestian himself! He stood there with the cannon in one hand and his traveller's stick in the other. On his forehead was out holy symbol, and energy surged all around him. Through the colour pools, you could see the places where worshippers existed, and energy flowed from them like the River Oceanus was opened to him. And from that energy, he fashioned objects of power and grew stronger, and it was then that I finally understood what was happening -- our god, Celestian, was ascending to a greater god!
I do not know how I returned to my house, but I tell you what I saw was true! Celestian, Our God who Watches Over Us, is ascending to his rightful place in the multiverse, and from this ascension, our power and brotherhood will grow as well! Behold the power of Celestian!