The Dark Truth - Living World of Verum

# The Dark Truth _Special Thanks to [[Ghaz]] for transcribing this from [The Dark Sermon S3E14 and S3E17](Corvanis/Parties/Completed%20Campaigns/The%20Dark%20Sermon/The%20Dark%20Sermon.md)_ - Speakers [Oloken'hai](Oloken'hai.md), [Thorne Saltspire](Thorne%20Saltspire.md), [Gideon Tarrow](Gideon%20Tarrow.md), [Micha'el Grace](Micha'el%20Grace.md), [Farryn](Farryn%20Inkholdt.md), [Mythos Thirain](Mythos%20Thirain.md), [Ginny Lanternbridge](Ginny%20Lanternbridge.md) # *A flash of light will course through the building. It will crash into each of you. As it crashes into you, whether by instinct, whimsy, or an unseen force, all of you fall towards the center of the room, and in the center stands Thorne. Her body blown backwards and held into place. The blindfold around her face torn free, and the [Shattered Eye](The%20Shattered%20Eye.md) burns bright, and in that moment, Cast's house melts away, and you are somewhere else entirely.* *The Party is transported to a map called 'The Dark Epiphany'* - *As the house melts away, you find yourselves floating within a semblance of the dream. Below you, impossibly large, a sphere of coiled energy pulses in and out. However all of the rest of you turn to the center and see your ally Thorne, her image twisted shifting, like a broken mirror back and forth. And then, a shadow begins to manifest before you. For once, the being that appears before you does not appear into a coil of writhing insidious tentacles nor a mocking, cackling laugh, but instead a gaze most serious.* *Each of you are bound in a moment of life and death, one on each side as the entity begins to speak. Its voice fills your mind, its strength unquestionable. This is the presence of a God.* Oloken’hai: Mortals listen and listen well. You stand at a crux of fate. Your threads twist and I am done laughing. The traitor has denied you the choice to know. A struggle against the ignorance will be decided. No longer will the lie hold. You will know the Light as it is. Denied no longer. You look upon my face. My Eye. My Wisdom. With that not of ignorance but of lies! You know not even what you are. That ends today. The traitors magic undone. A swift turn of fate. An opportunity for epiphany. Long have I waited in the eye of your faithful. Ironic that her faith is what saves you from me. No more riddles. No more lies. It is time for a Dark Truth. Speak in this place. You are unbound by the traitors might. The magic of your forefathers. There are no lies here. Only terrible burdensome truths. The great presence lifts itself from your minds, freeing your throats to speak. Cast will have his weapon out standing beside Torvan as they both shake with a fear that you can only believe to be just under the surface of your hearts. The creature before you, Oloken'hai, the Lord of Madness, The Dark Truth is interested in what you have to say. And it comes with no more veneer, no more spectacle, only the dark truth. However, he is still an evil god, consider this your only warning. Speak as you wish. Thorne: Don't ask questions, not this one... The creature will narrow its eye slightly, and place a tentacle upon Thorne's head, steadying the shifting visage that she has, and then pull out Two Thornes, and gesture towards them. On one side there is a Thorne of whom eyes has been restored, its pupil cracked and revealing. The other shrouded, blinded Oloken’hai: The question has already been asked. If you will not ask, then I will answer for you! You’ve been lied to. My powers before your birth and beyond your ken. The traitors magic forged the Light, but from it was birthed something else. Your goddess. She is many things. Naive, weak! But she is real, but you do not know her. You have been lied to by your dogma, bloated, tested, whist your goddess has been silenced. Hide behind these lies no longer. Thorne: I know, Why are they here too? Oloken’hai: Because you love them, little girl. The gift of Alexander saved them as it saves you. The traitor’s contingency has been activated. Faith has been reset and all of the lies have been laid bare. Within you is a schism. Within you there is a path yet untaken. I will see you choose and you will choose with knowledge not with dogma. Thorne takes the hand of Farryn and Gideon, who hold hers back. Gideon turns to face the Eye of Oloken'Hai Gideon: You say our goddess has been silenced, how do we bring her voice back. Oloken'hai: All in good time. Besides, you may yet change your tune once I have cured you. Gideon: What do you mean cure? Oloken'hai: You'll find out Thorne: Don't... *She pleads in a whisper* Micha’el: Why am I here, if I don't follow Mytheria anymore? Oloken’hai: Is that so? You have much to learn about your own god that you follow if you think Vavren isn't accepting of the love of others. I don't have time to explain the Lord of Redemption to you. I will tell you why you are here, it is because this girl still has within her still some measure of care. Thorne: What is harrying you? What is rushing you? Oloken’hai: The traitor’s magic is strong. My presence here is weak. I do not take it an insult that you have destroyed my servants. Tis to be expected in this grand game of light and shadows, but I can no longer allow the rules to be broken. You will know the truth and then you will decide. Gideon: Who is this traitor you keep speaking of? Olokenhai: That is all you need to know of them. Their name bears power, which is why you will not be told it. Ginny: Why do you feel the need to protect us? Oloken’hai: You are a fool if you think I am trying to protect you. I am here as enemy of ignorance. You have been lied to. You mistake me to believe I am your friend. You are even more mistaken to believe I am your enemy. I am what I am. I am Olokenhai. I am truth and you have had far too little of it. Thorne: Why do we need the truth? Oloken'hai: Because your eye has shattered! Fate has chosen you! You cannot be allowed to live in ignorance. If that is not good enough for you then suffice that I have decided it so and I am a god and you are not. Mythos: You say that we have been lied to but what have we been lied to about? Oloken’hai: Nearly everything I suspect. It will take sometime to unbind the chains of ignorance in your mind but we shall begin with the most important bit. The goddess that you serve and the dogma that you adhere to are not the same. In fact, you will find that you are not but instruments in the great experiment of the traitor. Each and every prayer that you have uttered to your goddess has not sent its strength to her, but to him, or more accurately, to his design. It has been such since the inception of the precursor religion that you ascribe to, the Church of Light. Ginny: Is Mytheria still the one that we've been taught of? Oloken'hai: She is Real, and the same. Ginny: I know she is alive, but is she still the same? Thorne: She's dead! Ginny: No she's not, ask him. Oloken'Hai: The halfling is correct, your goddess is not dead. Thorne: You told me she was a corpse! *Oloken'hai chuckles* Olokenh'hai: That doesn't mean she is dead Ginny: She can be saved, I know where she is. Farryn: It would do no good to worship a dead god after all. Ginny: how do we get-if we're being manipulated by some traitor, how do we pray to her! Oloken’hai: An excellent question, one that your brother is currently working on solving for me. But if you must know more, please ask. I shall begin by saying, Your goddess lies prisoner in a body that does not belong to her. Even now I can hear the echoes of her cries. From the dream they call. Your faith is real but misplaced. You are puppets on strings and I have come to cut them. Ask your questions. Gideon: How do we save her? Oloken’hai: You must find her and kill the corrupted body that she is within. Then extract her soul and place it in its' proper place. Ginny: Her place isn-her actual body- it's gone by now surely, after five-hundred years? Oloken’hai:Her soul belongs with her people. Return it to the City Pale where the First Prayer was uttered. Gideon: How do we pull her soul from this corrupted body? Oloken'hai: You shall be taught the method. One of you that has a propensity of magic will do so. Farryn: Sir, I mean no disrespect, but, you have mentioned several times how we've been manipulated by traitors, and how everything we've been told is a lie- Oloken'hai: Not traitors, elf, THE Traitor! Farryn: Very well. The Traitor. How are we to know you are not manipulating us as well? Oloken'hai: Of course I am, it is how you have a chance to play the game! Ginny: At least he's honest about it Farryn: What good does it do to play by your rules rather than someone else's rules? Oloken'hai: They are not My rules they are The Rules. Farryn: Do you have proof? Concrete evidence? Oloken'hai: What evidence would satisfy you? Farryn: I have seen power, perhaps albeit misused, and I have seen the good it does in the world. If you could show me what good would come of these rules you claim, your power perhaps, this story we're supposed to choose. I changed faith once before, because I believed that there was something better for the good of everyone. Oloken'hai: You misunderstand. I do not wish to change your faith. Care for Mytheria, believe in her or not. But what will stop, is the belief in the dogma that is false and a lie! Perhaps this will suffice. Farryn receives a vision of the Demon Wastes. In the Demon Wastes lies a great portal from which evil eeks and courses out. There chained to the ground in front of it, is the body of a succubus. Her body scarred, tattooed and pulsing with constant pain. Around her neck is the symbols of Mytheria. “Your goddess is there.” Micha'el: When you said when we pray it doesn't go to our goddess, but it goes to Him, who were you referring to? Ginny: The Traitor, Micha'el, he's already told us he's protecting us by not telling us who he is. Oloken’hai: To answer the base of your question, When you pray to your Mytheria it goes to the dogma. It is then transferred to the ancient places. Diffused and extracted of it's Ambition, and then diffused and placed into containers not like water in a jug and there your High Holiness as she calls herself opens this container to allow it to spread to the followers. Did you ever not wonder, little girl, when you stood in my presence the first time, that your goddess did not answer your call? It is because the faith that you use is recycled, diluted, of poor quality, but it is not your fault. But it will be from this moment forward depending on what you choose. I have come to speak to you, for your eye shattered, your faith has made you worthy. Gideon: Her High Holiness knows of this? Oloken’hai: Of course she does. Have you not ever wondered why your documents are not shared? Tell me, what of her holy words have you actually read? I dare say that most of it that you have learned what spoke unto you by your superiors. Mythos: If we manage to sever this false light, and bring Mytheria's soul back to The Pale City, will that finally rid this continent of the demons, once her true light is able to flourish. Olokhenhai: No it will not, at least not automatically. There is a lot more to demon kind that you do not know, but I am here not to break your minds with the burden and madness of knowledge such that you are useless. For now, we shall stay on this topic, that you might remain focused and unspoiled. *Thorne takes her hand back from Farryn, and Gideon refuses to let go of the other, she places the free hand over her heart.* Thorne: Why did you shatter my eye? Oloken’hai: I didn’t shatter your eye, child. Thorne: I don’t understand. It was right after you… When IV and everyone started seeing it and then you took my sight. Oloken’hai: I didn’t take your sight, child. You couldn’t accept the truth as you saw it. Your blindness is self inflicted. All you must do is open you eyes to see. Thorne: you said there wouldn't be anymore riddles! Oloken'hai: It's not a riddle, open your eyes! Look at the truth I have presented to you! Thorne gives an exasperated sigh, hopelessly confused. Frustrated. Oloken'hai: Very Well! Enough! *A tentacle slams Thorne into the ground and lifts her up, breaking her soul into Three. The Dark Truth has come to offer you knowledge, there are three paths open to you.* *First, you may open your eyes and accept the truth of Oloken'hai as to what your goddess is and how she might be saved. Doing so will restore your eyesight and cure you of your blankness, as you will see.* *Or, you may choose to remain in ignorance, shadowed and coddled by the darkness of it. Remaining blind and retaining the power of the blank.* *Or, you can step through to the other side, and seek the truth that was once offered, and perhaps have your faith actually be rewarded, and open a third eye in the presence of Oloken'hai.* The choice is straightforward, we need to move forward, even though change is terrifying, but staying behind means that everyone else slipped away. Telry, Ariel, and now Micha'el. It is time to start moving forward with them. Thorne chooses the third path presented to her by Oloken’hai. He puts her unconscious body to the side. It would seem the little girl has chosen her path, this is good. I'm not finished with you yet, especially... Oloken'hai's gaze shifts to Gideon For far too long you have lived in more ignorance than the others. You don't know who you are. That Stops Today! Gideon's eyes widen as the tendril takes him and shakes his memories loose with a flick to the forehead. Oloken’hai restores Gideon’s repressed memories undoing his amnesia, then tosses his unconscious body aside. Oloken'hai: And you Captain, you wanted evidence. Evidence you shall have. Farryn receives flashes of the church’s dogma, of the priests upon Mytheria’s disappearance deciding what to do and how to maintain their hold over the populace. At first, it starts in the name of order and to continue her belief. Then it becomes just a vie for power, as with most things. Then it reveals something else. **Mytheria’s ascension, her claiming of a prismatic power, and the discovery of the Traitor’s laboratory are all the same singular event that would not only ascend her but also spell the doom of her Church.** You see flashes in the Pale City of monstrous creatures with melted skin and twisted flesh carving away through the populace. Oloken’hai: “The lies of the church goes far beyond just the dogma of it. Their lies go even to the people themselves. Facsimiles. Simulacrums. Creatures that are not who you think they are, but rather copies of the powerful, of the dead. Satisfied?” Farryn: How does finding Mytheria fix what is wrong with the church and what is wrong with apostasy and heresy? Oloken’hai: You must start somewhere, Captain. You go to where the dogmatic bloated corpse of your religion is found and you tear it away. For without it being torn away how can Mytheria reclaim her place? Do you truly believe if you return with her soul that they will take you at your word? That they will even believe you? At worse they will believe you and seek to have you burned at the stake as heretics. Oloken’hai: The Pale City is corrupted. It’s dogma bloated and misguided. If you want to make things better, to change them, to seek the truth. Then first you must tear away from the lies. Beneath the velvet succulent, sensual, seducing lie there is a truth as hard as steel. That is your mission if you want to restore the church to its former glory and make right what was wronged. Honestly I don’t care. I will not allow you to operate in ignorance. You are free to decide what you wish and you will do so with knowledge. Satisfied? Farryn: I am very rarely satisfied. I have more questions, but perhaps they are not as important. Oloken'hai: It is always a fine thing to seek knowledge, but I don't have time to waste on lesser questions. My manifestation will only last so long. Farryn: Then I am satisfied. Olokenhai tosses her to the side as well. Oloken’hai: Lanternbridge. Do you understand what has been explained to you? Ginny: I do. Oloken’hai: Good. Your brother thinks of you often. I feel it in his mind. He misses his comrades and he serves me well. I wonder what you will do with this knowledge. I wonder what path you will choose? Ginny: My brother probably had the opportunity to try and tell me, but I think he is burdened by fear. He is bigger and stronger than he thinks he is. I am exactly as strong as I think I am. I will use this knowledge, there is a lot of things to fix. Oloken’hai: Take this knowledge as well. Consider this a gift from your own blood. Ginny obtains an ability that Telry possesses. Oloken'hai: And of you, lost little wanderer, of your faith... Mythos: My faith lies in Mytheria herself, whether or not I choose to fully decide to trust the words you have spoken, I trust the words of my friends here. The information you have given me at least correlates to discrepancies I've seen within the Church themselves. The false actions of those pretending to act in her light. Discrepancies in the documented nature of her litanies. If some foul being is stealing her light from her, and using it to corrupt these lands then I shall free her and bring her true light to these people. Oloken'hai: You would do all of this because you love her? Yes I wonder what you will do when she tells you what she wants? I will listen We shall see! In either case, you cannot hope to reclaim any semblance of power or position, set yourself up with any means to free her until she has a place to be returned to. Therefore, this is your gift. Mythos obtains knowledge of the bell’s location within the Bone Mire. He also sees the face of a [Mytherian](John%20Carter.md) he recognizes flashes through his mind. He is told to seek him out in the Pale City afterward retrieving the bell. And you, servant of Vavren, you have chosen to serve the crowfather. I shall not intervene in your service to him. You shall seek to save those that I feel you will have difficulty doing so. I have always found forgiveness to be naiive. I wonder what will happen now that you know the truth of what you once where, and perhaps, what you might be. Micha’el receives a vision of him fighting alongside his allies before he sees a flash of Violet light. He finds himself standing over their corpses upon the floor. Olokenhai looks to Inquisitor Carlos Cast and Torvan. Souls...simple...square. Boring "Mytheria will guard me!" Inquisitor Carlos desperately prays Enough! You will serve them and see their mission complete or I will eat your bones! Later, Thorne's head aches. - Panic. The people see the truth. "How do we help them?" "Complete your mission. Unveil the truth. You will need this." A weight can be felt in Thorne's hand. >[!info|no-i clean]- ### Thorne's Prayer >She clasps her hands in prayer, resonating with her recently restored magic, to the bards of Ryne from whom she descends, to the bards of the present, of Sand, of Sky, of Sea. Through the life stream, each soul a symphony amongst a choir that writes the words of her prayer. > >Dark Truth, let this be a Requiem for my blinded vision >My faith has always been a means to an end. >The Pale City offered their religion, and gave me my heart's desire. >My desire for love, Family, belonging. From the Lanternbridges, Kylos, Lucien, my squad. > >I had been hopeful, I think. > >My hope stayed my hand, my mouth. >The world never gave me what I wanted, It just gave me distractions, and failures. >My dream is crumbling to pieces, slipping through my fingers! >I am in service to the Pale City, a lapdog sent on a mission. Afraid to fail again. >I was remade into a relentless killing brute. I fight, and fear. >When I pray to that Pale City, words leave my lips of its reverence, but my heart speaks of something different. >It speaks of the blissful Wednesday mornings, the pleasant conversations with the people of my home. >Yearning to see their smiles, and find my place in their shining future. > >But my hope fades, the Church is dying, it cannot hold its promise it once gave me. >My own squad is falling apart at the seams. >I don't even know what hope is exactly. How to find it for my people. >I asked, but the answer was too strange, I still don't understand. >I do not trust you, as you must have seen with my reluctance over the past few days. > >I thought You had cracked my eye, stole my magic, destroyed my sight to spite me for not serving as your seer. >I readily tore apart your followers to serve my faith and hope. >You could have killed me when I had my collar at your dark sermon. >If it was you in the collar, I wouldn't hesitate. >There is something you want from me, more than a plaything for sadistic pleasure. > >When I accepted your offer, It came from a place of hope. >Reaching One. Last. Time. to that colorful vision of The Seven. >A leap of faith. >But as I have said. My faith is a means to an end. A servant to my shattering heart. >Is my service what you want? Will you give me what I want? >Olokenhai. >I want my home. >I miss my people. I miss Telry. >I want to build a family of my own. >I don't want the world I love to fall apart. >I don't want to fail again. > > Oloken’hai: "You hunger for that which never existed. You have been lied to since your birth’s inception. Lies are what you seek based off of a truth you cannot bear, but you will. You killed my servants, because you played your part when you stood in the presence of a true god. Your succulent faith wasted on a lie. I would see it serve real purpose. I would see it serve a true god and I want from you is nothing but to know the truth. Piece by piece I will pull back the lies over your heart and then you will gaze upon yourself. You will know who you are. The veil awaits..."