A Tale of Desperation
Background
A young merchant’s daughter, the elven woman named Olienne was on Junderthal’s ship when he came across the island. Something of a seer in her own right, she was susceptible to the call of Ghezresh from the moment her feet hit the soil of Caligos.
She wandered into the caves and was lost in them for several days before coming back to the ship with a new light in her eyes. She found belief, but more than that, she found proof that the Arkati are real. She had never known the calling of any Arkati before this moment and Ghezresh gave her that and bid her return. She was not gone long before she became plagued by visions of the Island and those things that pleased Ghezresh.
In Ta'Loenthra, she commissioned for her robes to be made and went to study everything Ashrim. She learned their hairstyles, their clothing styles, and even studied age-old tombs about their mannerisms. All this to please Ghezresh.
She was ready to return long before Junderthal was and would pace the decks of the Damsel of the Deep, her eyes on the horizon.
Once upon the island, the crew, merchants, and visitors would rarely see her as she was busy communing with Ghezresh and learning his story. He was pleased to see her, dressed as she was, in the traditional manner of the Ashrim he loved and so he named her his first priestess. She would later recruit the clergyman to aid her in spreading his word but always remained in the caves. Once the clergyman was under her wing, she would send him for her food and any other needs she may have.
The first year that Junderthal brought adventurers to the island, Olienne found it easy to get them to dig up the old pieces of Ghezresh’s original temple. What better way to spread his word than to have a holy house dedicated to him? And yet, despite it being his house, she still felt closest to him in the bedrock of Caligos and remained in her beloved caves.
The second year, when Junderthal had come to respect and revere her, she became frustrated when she discovered some disembodied voice was sharing tales and unraveling her carefully laid plans. It was this voice that would sway adventurers and guide them to the old places of betrayal. But she ignored them and continued to collect the power of Ghezresh to her. After all, she wasn’t concerned with a handful of betrayers. No, she had her sights on bringing her Lord’s Salvation to the world.
By the third year, Junderthal had started to call her “Little ‘Lienne” and she appreciated that the endearing term kept her appearing fragile and delicate. She knew that he didn’t understand the larger scope of things. That he didn’t understand how the mechanisms of the Island worked and that the primary goal was to get Ghezresh uncaged from the island. She was briefly jealous of Khlast’s fever, but reassured by the mists, by Him, that her path was much less clouded. She was angry at the lies that the little artist would paint and sent her vassals out to destroy them at every opportunity. But her success of this year empowered her. By creating a portal between the Island and Zul Logoth, Olienne had managed to do something that none had done before! She had cemented Ghezresh not only on the mainland but within the circle of Arkati. She had forced him into the Pantheons!
Ghezresh was pleased with his Ezreshi.
When the Priests of Death stepped foot on the island, Olienne knew that she needed to act. She channeled the blessings that they used to subvert her Savior’s beloved ghosts and attempted to keep them in his domain. But Ghezresh did not care if he lost those souls. He cared about he living and knew from the past that his seat of power could not remain on Caligos. Instead, he charged Olienne with another task. And so, on the fourth year with the aid of adventurers, Olienne cultivated and bred the minions of Ghezresh.
Soon, she knew, they would be leaving Caligos.
Quest: A Tale of Desperation
Olienne, the Ezreshi of Ghezresh, has been feverishly moving through the caves of Caligos Isle to make ready for this year. She will need help, she will need your help, to complete Ghezresh’s transformation.
Visit with the Ezreshi Olienne in the caverns beneath the island and help her to complete Ghezresh’s transformation into the world beyond Caligos Isle.
Bring her your ghezyte-veined sea glass bauble and she will ask you which of two tasks you’d like to take part in.
Be sure to LOOK and ANALYZE all things in her quest, as well as pay careful attention to the instructions she gives you.
After all, when Caligos falls, the Fate of Ghezresh will be in your hands.