Into the Squall (storyline)/Representatives Speech

Representative's Speech

On the 16th day of Lumnea, in the year 5126, several representatives gathered to discuss the encroaching storm system that had blanketed most of Elanith. As they were deliberating the source, a single figure appeared before them, and this is what she had to say...

I greet you, worthy adventurers of Elanthia, and all others who present themselves to me tonight.

I demand your attention. Silence! And behold!

When I speak, I do so on the authority of my Mistress, the Grand Inquisitor Lady Luari Maivaldius, praise her name.

Praise to Our Lady, the Grand Inquisitor. May her strength and wisdom guide us as we proceed here tonight.

I am bidden by Our Lady to address recent events that have transpired tangential to your home here in Elanthia. All will become clear.

Let us define a few basics. This includes an explanation for your kin who now appear in a dazed, fugue state before you.

Our home is not your home. Nor is our home typically reachable by common means.

We come from a world known as Nyessem. To your perception and by your definitions, this is a land outside of this plane of existence. But, to us, Nyessem is the glorious home of the Inquisitor, her retinue, and her people.

How, then, am I standing before you? And what does Our Lady the Inquisitor wish me to convey in this historic meeting?

First, I hereby acknowledge the return of your brothers and sisters who accidentally found their way to Nyessem, our home, ahead of schedule.

You see examples of them before you tonight. Those carrying on, like they've lost pieces of themselves.

This condition is likely temporary, although Our Lady's gifts impact everyone differently, so I cannot express with absolute certainty what happens next to them.

The fact remains: these individuals were unworthy. Their sickness is merely a symptom of a weakness that, through no fault of their own, is now exceedingly clear to Our Lady.

That being said, Our Lady bids me to express her most sincere condolences to the families of those impacted. It was not Our Lady's intention for these individuals to find their way to us, although their service *has* been invaluable.

Ahead of this revelation, it was Our Lady's intention to prepare a grander introduction for you to us and to our world. But the fact of the public nature of this sickness, and that of the disruptive storms that currently churn atop your waters, has expedited our timetable, necessitating our meeting tonight and the invitation I am about to extend.

So, with that being said, I now offer a proclamation by the Inquisitor, Our Lady, Luari Maivaldius, praise her name. Behold her words.

Elanthian adventurers. You are formally summoned to join The Inquisitor in a collaboration between powerful beings.

The Inquisitor, Lady Luari Maivaldius, praise her name, now unveils an exciting power which, through her benevolence and wisdom, she is prepared to share with the people of Elanthia.

This power has helped us find you. And now it will help our peoples reach new heights together.

Because, while others before you have proved unworthy, their sacrifices have given us the data we need to reach a singular conclusion: *you*, the most powerful adventurers upon Elanthia, *are* worthy.

Our Lady the Inquisitor possesses a remarkable gift, the ability to shape the very essence of life itself. Wood and stone, water and wind, magic and mind. She can take the building blocks of life and manipulate them.

This gift, distilled and channeled through a series of remarkable artifacts, is what she now offers to you. But only as an exchange.

A gift, indeed, for a gift.

The active distillation of these powers into a form usable by adventurers such as yourself is currently underway. But Our Lady the Inquisitor needs test subjects to further refine this work, to fully ensure her gifts are correctly attuned to the people of Elanthia, to your needs, your spirits, your minds.

Because each body is difficult. Each spirit is different. Behold, their synthesis.

• A tall robed figure extends an arm out before her, palm raised upward. Atop her palm, the image of a silver orb flickers to life. She leans her head back slightly, showcasing the flickering silver orb to the crowd.

The Orb of Visiccitude. Each is empowered with fragments of Our Lady's grace, and in total they represent the duality of form and our very nature.

Body and spirit. Good and evil. Shadow and light. Reason and passion. Innumerous societies across different worlds have attempted to form philosophical and religious traditions that explore the idea that our nature is defined by interdependent, opposing forces. Although we may hold a greater affinity with one aspect, ultimately our being is composed of both.

While many of the meticulous details I will spare for now, know that when imbued with thread-like artifacts that Our Lady the Inquisitor can weave, together with these orbs, the adventurers of Elanthia will be able to manifest wondrous powers rivaling the potency of anything even the greatest of your mages or sorcerers could hope to produce.

• A tall robed figure's extended hand trembles, and the illusory silver orb floating above her palm vanishes.

In return, we hope to gain a relationship with you, the strongest, bravest, most worthy in Elanthia, to begin a permanent connection between our peoples and to perfect Our Lady's work with your help.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Therefore, in just three nights' time, the way will open. To Nyessem, our home.

At that time, Our Lady the Grand Inquisitor, Luari Maivaldius, praise her name, will open the way to our home, accessible across Elanthia.

At that time, our magical blocks will be dispelled, allowing you to proceed to Brayern Isle. This waystation of stone and flora exists as our foothold in Elanthia, centered amid the churning storms whose turmoil has been noted.

From there, and with the help of many like myself, you will be guided beyond Elanthia itself and to Nyessem, our plane of existence. Our great home.

There, the nature of the partnership Our Lady the Inquisitor hopes to establish will become clear.

This invitation is extended to all Elanthian adventurers. The way will be opened. And Our Lady the Inquisitor will welcome your contributions, your tenacity, and your strength as we build an enduring partnership.

So speaks Our Lady the Inquisitor, Luari Maivaldius, praise her name. In three nights' time, the way will open across Elanthia, and the relationship between our people will officially begin.

Our Lady awaits you in Nyessem, our home.

• A tall robed figure lowers her head. As she does, her form flickers. After a moment, she is no longer there.