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[Ranewen]

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Ranewen navigated her boat towards what appeared to be an old worn dock of a human settlement. She tied her boat to the dock and began to wander through the ruins, although no one remained her heart warmed to see the attempt. It had been quite a long time since the frozen waste was livable. She made her way towards the mountain, noting a few small bushes the humans must have planted on the mountain. She smiled, and made a silent prayer to thank the plants for not giving up the struggle to survive in such a waste, and to encourage them to grow and spread. She looked towards the mountain pass, the bushes most likely drew their hope from the nearby shrine. She walked through the pass and towards a small marble building, taking a moment to study it. The Honesty shrine was at one time much more beautiful, native plants growing around it, beautiful snowflowers blooming even on the coldest days. All this was before the Empire, of course.

Ranewen entered the shrine and kneeled down before the Honesty ankh, thinking back to the ancient wars. However long ago, she could still remember clearly how they ripped the trees from their roots, how they burned and destroyed. She would never forget Nature's pain during those dark times. None of the elves were certain when the thick dark energy began to surge inside of a cave used as a tomb at the time, it slowly crept up and consumed poor individuals, capturing their souls and corrupting their minds. The elves had experience calming souls that clung to the world, bound to a purpose or memories. However, none of them were prepared for the thousands of armed skeletons that charged from the cave one dark day long ago. There were few survivors, the settlements were quickly overcome. Those who did escape to Moonglow told of a leader of the undead, a skeletal figure dressed in thick dark robes that had control over the wicked army. And, of the terrible black relic in its arms, deep purple mist drifting off its surface. The elves named the relic Morcuma'Oma, and soon realized it was the true leader of the damned, corrupting all it was capable of. And the race of undead it created, a poor mockery of life bound to bones or ether, called itself the Dazu'la.

Ranewen sighed and left the shrine and exited the mountain pass to head north. The taint in the cave was never fully cleansed, even after the war was won and hundreds of priests gathered to try and purify the darkness once and for all. The cave was renamed deceit, after the trickery and lies of the black relic that bound poor souls to the world. During the war she was mostly a scout, and now she returned to the frozen waste to investigate the ruins on the northern end of the isle. The elves watched as the darkness rose again in recent times, the Morcuma'Oma returned with a host once more. They planned to return and join the war if the cult became a powerful empire, fortunately it never reached such a strength, both the relic and the host disappearing.

A chill ran down Ranewen's spine as she came to the edge of the northern ruins, wind howling as it passed through. Some of the walls and pillars still had readable runes on them. She despised their language, it was wicked in every way it sounded. She headed a bit further north, noticing a cluster of buildings seemingly not in disrepair. The sharp stone architecture showed little sign of wear, and piles of bones lined the walls around the outside of some of the buildings. She began to sneak around carefully, taking note of all her surroundings. A temple stood, the runes on it glowing darkly. An estate also stood, appearing to be well cared for. Something was different though, the howling of tormented souls couldn't be heard as it often was in the past. She made her way north, towards the most ancient surviving structure, ornate black stone barely visible from the snow and ice clinging to it. It was silent, the trapped souls had left. A terrible realization came over Ranewen, perhaps the Cult existed, moving from under their watchful eye.

Quickly, she ran back towards the southern end of the isle to her boat, she had to inform the priests so proper rituals could be prepared. She felt pity for the undead, tricked into being bound to a realm. And once again, she would fight the corruption and bring the souls back to nature so they may move on.