Post by Velania Kalugina on May 8, 2023 11:19:30 GMT
A writeup of both Minas Ithil and Minas Morgul (writeup by Kavel)
Following on from the events in Human Touch (writeups by Dwirhian, Kavel, Marto)
[Content Note: references to sex, religion, death]
I awoke before dawn to the last whispers of moonlight. An’Ahkrim’s cabin was warm as ever, and the night air carried the soft dusty trace of lavender from beside the bed. He was sleeping beside me and I gently turned to watch him, drinking in his beauty and his perfection.
Occasionally, his rest was fitful and troubled, and I could guess at the nature of the dreams he had – I did not like to push him to talk about it unwillingly. But tonight, he slept peacefully.
Earlier tonight, I had arrived at the cabin almost in a trance, and greeted him with a renewed intensity that caught him by surprise. I did not explain myself till hours later, when we were finally sated and had relaxed in each other’s arms.
Then, beneath a canopy of fireflies and silver motes of light sparring in the air, I had spoken to him about the calling I received to travel into the Sunset Spines, to the hidden tower of Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon, and my experiences of my two visits there. I told him I had found a moment of healing, and he kissed me deeply and held me close until sleep came to both of us.
The Hallow spell is no light undertaking. It requires a full day of prayer, enhanced by songs and incantations and chanting, heightened by large amounts of herbs and incense. It is hard work, and parts are very intense. But also full of joy and peace. The Friends of the Moon did me the greatest honour by inviting me to conduct the ceremony with Arave’i, Tahiri and Amandine to cleanse and sanctify the Tower of the Moon.
The version I had studied was a stunning work of literature, written centuries ago by three prophets of Selûne. I used what I could, but adapted it to be non-denominational. Selûne, Eilistraee, Sehanine Moonbow, Corellon, Shar… we called to all gods of the moon as one. Perhaps my spirit will always be Selûne’s, but my heart belongs to the moon. And my version came from the heart.
Some scholars describe Hallowing as an act of power, of celestial strength, a ward against enemies. To see it from that perspective alone is to miss the beauty of the experience. I can only describe it as a celebration of love. Of being present, of accepting, of connecting.
Together, we built that connection with joy and tears and love, and we set it within the ancient stones of the Tower of the Moon.
People came and went during the day of ceremony. We did not speak of the lich Tabhak, or the two times we had battled him, or his final defeat and the destruction of his phylactery. We spoke instead of our own stories, of the history of the Friends, and the future of the Tower. We prayed and sang, and shared, and ate as a family.
I noted Itzal leaning playfully into Lujas, the handsome 6’7 Drow with eyes of midnight and cute curly hair. The two had been flirting since they raced to scale the walls of the tower. Not only had Itzal won in style, but they had brought me back from the brink by cleansing me of a terrifying paralysis in the battle. I smiled to see Itzal in their element. They deserved joy.
Elias and Amandine were also drawn together by passion and desire. The beautiful, divinely tattooed Drow woman in the starlight shawl had coyly approached Elias to reassure them that children of Shar were welcome here too. Her greeting lit a spark between them that smouldered all day and all night.
Next time I looked up from my place in the service, both couples had left the room.
I felt aching sadness for Derthaad, who was still reeling from the fight. His incredible prowess in our first battle against Tabhak had stirred furious hatred, and the second time around, the lich smote the life from him in revenge. When I knelt by his body and called his spirit back to this realm, he had been speaking tearfully with the love of his life, who now waited for him in the beyond. His pain triggered parts of me I sometimes wish to suppress – but it is more important to be present than to be always happy. I gave him my love and prayed that in some way, Yasinn’s love could be present in the Tower too.
I was truly grateful to have my brother Kavel here. He had exasperated me earlier by admitting he tried to draw Je’Sathriel’s sword from the portal – only prompting Elias to attempt the same foolishness… twice! Kavel still had that giddy, faraway look in his eyes as he dreamed of Nathalie. I couldn’t wait to meet her. At a moment in the ceremony, I caught sight of him wrestling with the adolescent white dragon Caiaphas, excitedly talking through the final moments of battle as he had dragged me to safety and then defeated Tabhak. I chuckled fondly, struggling to keep my place in the text.
I had to power through my exhaustion for the final hour of the ceremony, when everyone came together again. The service ended with all voices raised in song, with the glorious silver light of the moon bursting through clouds of swirling incense smoke, bathing us in her love.
As the ceremony ended, the moon spoke to me through my heart, and I turned to Elias, who was staring back at me intensely. A whisper of certainty came upon both of us. I was of Selûne, Elias was of Shar, and that meant we were both closely connected. I looked at them and knew them. Not their beauty. Not their legendary fighting skills. Not their mirth or mischief. But who they were. Who we were to each other. We knew. We knew.
Prompted by love, they opened their arms to me, and we held each other close, wordlessly, with tears in our eyes.
So much can happen in such a short span. A year ago, almost to the day, I had fought bitterly, in the name of Selûne, against servants of Shar. I had considered the Heralds my mortal enemies. I had despised their faith – I had had the arrogance to believe that mine was simply right and theirs was simply wrong.
Now I understood better the complexity of that relationship. Shar and Selûne were sisters, and their connection difficult, yet deep and lasting. An’Ahkrim was still a child of Shar, just as I was a child of Selûne. That was not a division – it was a connection.
It was complicated. But beautiful. And I would not change it for anything in the world. It was a challenge we would have to navigate together. And I felt at peace with that.
The murmur of a dream stirred him, and An’Ahkrim’s eyelids half-opened. I studied his perfect face and my gaze traced the curve of the crescent moon on his forehead. I pressed myself closer to him and laid my cheek on his muscular shoulder. He drew me in tighter, and then his breathing slowed, as he fell back into restful sleep.
We had been guided to each other. It felt right. We belonged together.
I closed my eyes and drifted on his warmth.
Lyrics from “Because the Night” (Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith)
Continues immediately in Ithiliôn
Following on from the events in Human Touch (writeups by Dwirhian, Kavel, Marto)
[Content Note: references to sex, religion, death]
Take me now baby here as I am
Pull me close, try and understand
Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe
Love is a banquet on which we feed
I awoke before dawn to the last whispers of moonlight. An’Ahkrim’s cabin was warm as ever, and the night air carried the soft dusty trace of lavender from beside the bed. He was sleeping beside me and I gently turned to watch him, drinking in his beauty and his perfection.
Occasionally, his rest was fitful and troubled, and I could guess at the nature of the dreams he had – I did not like to push him to talk about it unwillingly. But tonight, he slept peacefully.
Earlier tonight, I had arrived at the cabin almost in a trance, and greeted him with a renewed intensity that caught him by surprise. I did not explain myself till hours later, when we were finally sated and had relaxed in each other’s arms.
Then, beneath a canopy of fireflies and silver motes of light sparring in the air, I had spoken to him about the calling I received to travel into the Sunset Spines, to the hidden tower of Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Moon, and my experiences of my two visits there. I told him I had found a moment of healing, and he kissed me deeply and held me close until sleep came to both of us.
* * *
The Hallow spell is no light undertaking. It requires a full day of prayer, enhanced by songs and incantations and chanting, heightened by large amounts of herbs and incense. It is hard work, and parts are very intense. But also full of joy and peace. The Friends of the Moon did me the greatest honour by inviting me to conduct the ceremony with Arave’i, Tahiri and Amandine to cleanse and sanctify the Tower of the Moon.
The version I had studied was a stunning work of literature, written centuries ago by three prophets of Selûne. I used what I could, but adapted it to be non-denominational. Selûne, Eilistraee, Sehanine Moonbow, Corellon, Shar… we called to all gods of the moon as one. Perhaps my spirit will always be Selûne’s, but my heart belongs to the moon. And my version came from the heart.
Some scholars describe Hallowing as an act of power, of celestial strength, a ward against enemies. To see it from that perspective alone is to miss the beauty of the experience. I can only describe it as a celebration of love. Of being present, of accepting, of connecting.
Together, we built that connection with joy and tears and love, and we set it within the ancient stones of the Tower of the Moon.
* * *
People came and went during the day of ceremony. We did not speak of the lich Tabhak, or the two times we had battled him, or his final defeat and the destruction of his phylactery. We spoke instead of our own stories, of the history of the Friends, and the future of the Tower. We prayed and sang, and shared, and ate as a family.
I noted Itzal leaning playfully into Lujas, the handsome 6’7 Drow with eyes of midnight and cute curly hair. The two had been flirting since they raced to scale the walls of the tower. Not only had Itzal won in style, but they had brought me back from the brink by cleansing me of a terrifying paralysis in the battle. I smiled to see Itzal in their element. They deserved joy.
Elias and Amandine were also drawn together by passion and desire. The beautiful, divinely tattooed Drow woman in the starlight shawl had coyly approached Elias to reassure them that children of Shar were welcome here too. Her greeting lit a spark between them that smouldered all day and all night.
Next time I looked up from my place in the service, both couples had left the room.
I felt aching sadness for Derthaad, who was still reeling from the fight. His incredible prowess in our first battle against Tabhak had stirred furious hatred, and the second time around, the lich smote the life from him in revenge. When I knelt by his body and called his spirit back to this realm, he had been speaking tearfully with the love of his life, who now waited for him in the beyond. His pain triggered parts of me I sometimes wish to suppress – but it is more important to be present than to be always happy. I gave him my love and prayed that in some way, Yasinn’s love could be present in the Tower too.
I was truly grateful to have my brother Kavel here. He had exasperated me earlier by admitting he tried to draw Je’Sathriel’s sword from the portal – only prompting Elias to attempt the same foolishness… twice! Kavel still had that giddy, faraway look in his eyes as he dreamed of Nathalie. I couldn’t wait to meet her. At a moment in the ceremony, I caught sight of him wrestling with the adolescent white dragon Caiaphas, excitedly talking through the final moments of battle as he had dragged me to safety and then defeated Tabhak. I chuckled fondly, struggling to keep my place in the text.
I had to power through my exhaustion for the final hour of the ceremony, when everyone came together again. The service ended with all voices raised in song, with the glorious silver light of the moon bursting through clouds of swirling incense smoke, bathing us in her love.
As the ceremony ended, the moon spoke to me through my heart, and I turned to Elias, who was staring back at me intensely. A whisper of certainty came upon both of us. I was of Selûne, Elias was of Shar, and that meant we were both closely connected. I looked at them and knew them. Not their beauty. Not their legendary fighting skills. Not their mirth or mischief. But who they were. Who we were to each other. We knew. We knew.
Prompted by love, they opened their arms to me, and we held each other close, wordlessly, with tears in our eyes.
* * *
So much can happen in such a short span. A year ago, almost to the day, I had fought bitterly, in the name of Selûne, against servants of Shar. I had considered the Heralds my mortal enemies. I had despised their faith – I had had the arrogance to believe that mine was simply right and theirs was simply wrong.
Now I understood better the complexity of that relationship. Shar and Selûne were sisters, and their connection difficult, yet deep and lasting. An’Ahkrim was still a child of Shar, just as I was a child of Selûne. That was not a division – it was a connection.
It was complicated. But beautiful. And I would not change it for anything in the world. It was a challenge we would have to navigate together. And I felt at peace with that.
The murmur of a dream stirred him, and An’Ahkrim’s eyelids half-opened. I studied his perfect face and my gaze traced the curve of the crescent moon on his forehead. I pressed myself closer to him and laid my cheek on his muscular shoulder. He drew me in tighter, and then his breathing slowed, as he fell back into restful sleep.
We had been guided to each other. It felt right. We belonged together.
I closed my eyes and drifted on his warmth.
Lyrics from “Because the Night” (Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith)
Continues immediately in Ithiliôn
