Céann 1

Faint chanting. Horrible odors. Rippling water and falling stone, skittering atop shining ice that contains. . . something. And in the everpresent ethereal mist, half-lobster kuo-toa abominations that are determined to protect the Sea king's prize.

Galthia tries to lift one of the monsters' dropped chains but grunts as he realizes exactly how heavy the weapon is. The metal clanks dully as it bounces from the ice, and the githzerai readies himself to charge the first enemy who appears. A shimmer. . . and lobster legs drum a tattoo upon the ice as the monster appears and braces itself to snap Nolin in two. Galthia charges and the kuo-toa guardian flings its chain at the monk's bobbing head.

Galthia leans to the side and continues his charge, hearing the chain whistle past his ear. "Leap for its head," he thinks to the others. "It's the weak spot." In demonstration, Galthia launches himself nimbly onto one massive claw and smashes his fist into the kuo-toa's chin as hard as he can. Carried by the momentum, the monk hits the ice and unfortunately keeps moving. He slides into the dark water of the Glass Pool and surfaces with an embarrassed sputter.

His attack was successful, though. The creature sways for a few seconds, stunned, and with a clacking wheeze collapses to the ice unconscious. Mara charges it with her lance, easily puncturing the shell, and even Nolin takes an ineffectual swing from where he lies on the ice. The misshapen giant Grgl throws his head back to growl a challenge before smashing his club across the kuo-toa's backbone. Vertebrae snap, and a bloody mess litters the ice next to Nolin.

Grgl turns to Mara. "Killed it for you, Mistress."

Mara smiles, her polished armor reflecting faint light onto Grgl's ugly face. "Thank you. What a kind gift."

"There's still more," warns Agar as he prepares a dimensional anchor. "Don't relax just yet. From the water behind him, a massive water elemental summoned by Velendo rises silently from the dark pool.

"There!"

The last monster phases in, but the Defenders launch their attacks before it has a chance to get its bearings. Agar starts with a dimensional anchor that misses completely.

Likewise, Velendo's searing light also misses the monster, arrowing instead into Priggle's back. The svirfneblin's innate magical resistance disperses the spell's energy without harm, but Priggle turns to look mournfully at Velendo.

"You know, if you don't want me here, you can just tell me to go away. Everyone else does. But no, you have to try to kill me." He shakes his head sadly. "It's a sad day when someone you think of as a friend tries to incinerate you. I should have expected it, I suppose." He sighs before looking back at the monster.

Velendo is taken aback. "Priggle, I didn't mean to. . . Oh, never mind. I'll apologize afterwards. Eyes front."

Priggle glances at him suspiciously. "Hummph." There is no need for the svirfneblin to attack, though. The water elemental hits the creature, as does Stone Bear, Mara and Tao. It drops dead before it has a chance to launch its attack.

"Agar, are we clear?"

The halfling gazes deep into the ethereal. "We're clear. There's one creature left, but it's solidly unconscious or dead. I'll keep an eye on it. Let's get this ice broken up."

The Defenders circle the ice, drawing in the dwarven troops to create a safe perimeter while Stone Bear, Galthia and Priggle smash away at the ice. They feel naked and exposed in their tactical position; somewhere out in the darkness of the Plaza is an embodiment of Blibdoolpoolp, and no one especially wants to face Her.

The insecurity is heightened when, suddenly, all around the edge of the pool hundreds of kuo-toa step into the range of the party's 60' darkvision. Then all step back, disappearing from magical vision. Then they step forward again and appear, and step back and disappear, again and again and again. A rhythmic chant echoes across the ice.

Agar shivers. "That creepy. What are they doing?"

"Let's find out." Malachite strides forward along the remains of the narrow bridge, accompanied with the more intimidating of the Defenders. He is met by a knot of kuo-toa carrying a squirming baby fingerling on high above their heads. The fingerling wears the Crown of Tides, which looks ludicrous upon his slimy little head.

Nolin listens to the spokesfish, then translates for the others. "He says that this is the new Sea King, divinely chosen by the Goddess Herself." Diplomatically, Nolin and the others pay the small infant tribute by bowing respectfully. The fingerling stares at them unblinkingly. Nolin continues, "They recognize that we are here as agents of change. We may continue our excavation of the ice. In return, we have certain traditional items of the King, and we are required to give them up. In return, they offer us a gift of thanks for making the exchange."

Malachite blinks. "So, they're buying us off if we give them back their things and stop attacking?"

"Pretty much."

Velendo lets out a long breath of air. "Good thing, too. I'm almost out of spells. I can't guarantee that I'll survive another battle. Let's give them the damn things and take what they give us, shatter the ice and get the heck out of here."

The exchange is made; ceremoniously, the kuo-toa spokesfish brings forward an ornate chest. He hands it to Malachite, who returns a scepter and a shield taken from Blel-Plibbit. The royal fingerling continues to stare at the group as if searing their appearance into its tiny brain. Surreptitiously, Stone Bear slips the two fingerlings left in his pockets back into the pool. Finally the kuo-toa royal entourage withdraws, but the kuo-toa circling the Glass Pool continue to step in and out of the water.

"Can we get them to stop that?" asks Tao, annoyed. Nolin shrugs.

"Some sort of religious observance marking the passing of a King. Hey, what's in the chest?"

Malachite opens it, and stares. "Hundreds of gems." He empties them into a bag of holding, where they mix with aging pieces of beef jerky and other emergency supplies. "Priggle, how are we doing over there?"

"Almost there!" yells Priggle from deep within the block of ice. His pick has combined with Galthia's unnaturally effective blows to shear off large sections of ice. "If there's anything in here, we should be able to. . ."

Water geysers out of the hole, and Priggle's voice is abruptly cut off as he is thrown violently upwards.

"Free!"

An ancient crone rises from the ice on legs of twisting water. She shakes her head as if clearing away the detritus of centuries, and droplets of water fly off in a spray of rainbow radiance. "Who are you? Who am I?" Her voice is shaky, but it is strong – the inexorable strength of tides and waves. With a flick of her hand, walls of water rise up around the pool, and time itself seems to slow to a crawl.

She pauses, as if listening to something beyond the hearing of the Defenders.

"I know who you are. The tides have whispered their tales to me." She turns to Mara. "Did you truly plummet from air to sky, through a boat? How remarkable." She turns to Nolin. "You once called the water into the throat of a woman named Clith, and kissed its sister on the shores of an island. The ocean hasn't forgotten."

Mara replies humbly, eyes downcast. "Yes, my lady." Nolin echoes her statement. Even as they watch, the crone's eyes shift like a storm at sea, and her watery body begins to grow younger.

"I am called Céann, daughter of Queen Olhydra herself, caller of brine. I am finally free of the winter's curse that bound me, and now..." Her voice exults. "I dance through the oceans again. You made this possible, for while it had been foreseen that you would pass this way, freeing me was not an inevitable certainty. Once again, you have become a kerngrun, and you can choose.

Shall I prophesize for you?"

Nolin groans, but Velendo nods seriously. "Yes, please. We freed you at the behest of your sister, but we would value your wisdom." Céann cocks her head, listening to something that no one else can hear. The last of her age has fallen from her, and she is now beautiful beyond measure.

"Than I shall. The world is dark with fear and hopelessness, for it is a time of terrible change, and you are a part of all of it. You have spoken to my sister who told you of my plight. Like her, I will prophesize for you three times, and answer a question. I can bring healing rest to the wounded, cures for a suffering land, options for those who have lost hope. I can bring words of hope, so that you may seize a victory that may soon be denied to you. Let us see...

"First, words of the past, and of a people whose fate you have touched. You have met Kellharin the Guardian. He has passed in the time with no magic, and the Ebon Door is now unguarded. The ghouls know of this, perhaps foresaw it, but their attention is still concentrated elsewhere. If the dwarves can be warned, there is still time to replace him, for his line is ended and a new one may be built.

"And further on, those caverns will ring with light and the sound of metal, and a fire that has never been known before to the new inhabitants. The same may be said of the Kingdom of Silversoul, or the ancient city of Mrid. The dwarves who have faded from the world may be reborn, taking new breath, shaking the foundations of the earth – but only if you choose. The way is strange, even when it opens.

"Now, words of the present. You do not know it, but your people are starting to die. Forests are wilting, children sickening, animals passing into the world of spirits; it starts above, and will pass only slowly into this world of caverns. This is because the Goddess has fallen, and through her death as many things are worsened as they are improved. Aeos did not remember that even the most wicked have responsibilities suited to them, and those responsibilities must be fulfilled. Over the next month that will become uniquely clear to those that can read the signs.

"I will tell you the simple cure, though. The sickness can not be removed by traditional clerical magic, but it can be burned away by the searing flame of faith. Tell this to your people as soon as you can, and lives will be saved. I can not tell you if those lives may make a difference, but I like to believe they can.

"And then, words of that which is yet to come. The White Kingdom is crippled compared to what it was, but it is an injury anticipated and engineered for a greater purpose. The weak have been purged. The strong survive and change. The storm still rages for a short time more; when it fades, the doors may be opened and the feast of the victor soon consumed. This is a meal of the Celebrant, and the food will be fought over viciously, a foolish school of fish jockeying for the finest scrap of worm-laden hook. Who can bite through the line and swallow the worm, hook and all? The Ivory King can, that is certain, but that is an event that the world shudders to consider. His mind is hidden by the breath of his mother, but he is foul beyond reckoning, and greater power would not favor the people you love.

"It is good to remember: his mother chose not to give birth to him, for even she saw what he might become. And tell me, what would the Goddess of the Crawling Darkness find abhorrent, hmm?

"So perhaps you will make choices, and those choices will echo forwards to reshape and heal the world, alone or inescapably bound together, one to another. Fair and the foul may look alike in the darkness, so think beyond the shape, and remember that responsibility can be a punishment as well as a gift.

"Finally, take heart. There is a Balance, but it has tipped towards you. In Imbindarla's death there was destruction, and there will be plague – but many thousands more would have been consumed by the creatures that you have destroyed. Temples will fall, but millions more people will rediscover true faith. In your quest there is both physical and spiritual danger, but you have struck fear in the unbeating heart of one who was always fearless, and now he struggles to complete his plan before you arrive."

Malachite smacks one fist into his other hand, and he turns his head upwards. Tears of joy dance in his eyes, and his face is twisted into a rare smile of triumph and hope. It is a delight to behold.

One by one, Céann turns towards individual Defenders. "Galthia, I am pleased to see that my sister's gift gave you pleasure. You have a decision before you that I do not envy.

"Stone Bear, you are wrong when you believe that you have descended into hell. You soon will, though, and you will see what your ancestors have seen when they offended the spirits of their ancestors. Draw on their wisdom, but do not trust to all advice. Everyone has their own causes, and some are darker than others.

"Agar, you..." She swallows. "You will need to be strong, and wise. The challenge of a marriage is not a physical challenge, and yet it can kill all the same.

"Tao, you have a harder choice than any. The world has changed, but your Goddess has been blamed by some who preferred things as they were. Your religion will soon be under attack, and you will need the Knights of the Horn united to weather the tide. Soon you will feel in your heart the wilt of the Al'Quith, and when that time comes you must balance your friends, your family, your Goddess and your home – and make a decision that serves all best."

Around the edge of the pool, living forms of water fountain outwards. Beyond the walls of water, faint screams can be heard. "What's that?" asks Velendo, startled.

"The beginning of revenge. Now, you have also struck a blow against the pretender Blibdoolpoolp, She who dared imprison me and still reap my wisdom against my will. You have punished, so I will reward. What would you have, that is in my power to give? I can answer any one question that you like. You know them as well as I, but my time here is not long."

She smiles radiantly. "The choice of question is never easy, for it says much of the questioner. While you consider, I have a second gift that is within my power to grant. I may transport each of you somewhere there is water that you have been before, but nowhere else. I may bring you to your homes, if you wish to turn back. Many would not blame you. I can not bring you someplace that you have never seen with your own eyes, or the sight of your own heart." she looks at Stone Bear. "I can also look forward and grant you a gift that will return you home when you need to go. You merely must decide."

Mara considers. "So, we can use your gift to return to wherever we want, whenever we want? We can use it to get out of here when our task is done?"

Céann nods. "So long as your destination contains flowing water. My gift will fade in time, but it should last until you finish your quest, for any who survive."

Nolin spreads his hands while his friends mentally confer about Céann's question. "Thank you, Lady. This is kindness."

"No more than you have shown me. My time here grows short, and there are much destruction that still awaits." Another wave of huge water elementals clamber from the pool, splashing into the plaza outside. "Have you decided?"

Malachite nods. "We have."