Welcome to Hoth's Fantasy musing and stories.

And so as another day draws to an end I walk past the guards of Alu-darТGallion, weary with the dayТs tasks and battles behind me.

As I look down at myself I see that I am again covered in gore and the sticky remains of the heathenistic elves of Elf City. Their persistence in not recognizing our Lord Vorgen as sole ruler and Liege Lord of their lands is heroic, but a waste, as our forces continue to kill them to extract the tithes and respect due our Lord. Some day I hope to convert them to ways of Braialla and to bring them on bended knee to VorgenТs High Halls for all to see and to stop this useless bloodshed of what might be a needed elven ally. But that day is not today.

The citadel and the city look particular beautiful in the late evening leading into night. The sunset over the walls illuminates the stained glass of the cathedral in a 1000 colors of the spectrum. The city ... My city ... My city ...

Yes it has finally set in fully. My city. My people. My family. They are mine as I am theirs. We share our labors, our pains, and our challenges. We also share our victories and our collective happiness. The house is I and I am it. Collectively we are House Lok-ri. No one elf without the other. No one servant useless or needless, all are required to make our way into the future and to create a path to glory on this shard.

The moment passes and the sun begins to fade into the horizon. I walk to the baths to clean my self both physically and spiritual. VorgenТs servants are there to assist me and cleanse my armor while I see to my physical cleansing. The waters are hot and steam rises from them but I care not and immerse myself to clean away sweat, grit, and the grisly fluids of battle. The heat once a source of pure pain and agony is now comforting to me as I try to forget the screams of the dead and dieing.

I allow myself to relax and pray of thanks springs to mind. A prayer to Braialla taught to me by my mother. I repeat it in my mind over and over as the heated waters do their workЕЕЕ.

SuddenlyЕquietly the sounds of the citadel begin to fade ... My eyes sightlessly gazing at the ripples of the bath waters now focus and see the small disturbances in the waters surface begin to slow ... The ripples begin to freeze in place in intricate circular patterns. To mind comes a voice ... Familiar Е powerful Еconfident ...soothing.

Hoth Е Hoth ... Hoth Healing Rays Е for that is what I named you Е I am pleased with your progress my servant Е I am please with your choices to follow me and my bidding Е Follow the house Е serve your fellow elfЕ to bring order to chaos Е To show the lesser their place as I have decreed my servant Е But there is more for you to do Е You have not used the gifts I have given you to their fullest Е You could be so much more ... for me Е for the house Е for the nation Е I have this night set in motion events that will remedy this Е Be prepared and open your mind to what I bringЕ and what will comeЕ.

Hoth ...

In a flash, all is as it should be and with a start I cry out to the servants. УWhat was that !?Ф УDid you hear it !?Ф УDid you see time frozen !? У

The servants quickly enter the room and they of course have seen or heard nothing strange. I quickly regain my composure and redress in my now clean war garb. Braialla has visited me again only this time in a waking dream. I must to the cathedral and prepare myself. Prepare myself for what? I will have to see what Braialla has in store.

It is a short walk to the cathedral and once there I sit in font of the portrait of Lok-ri the mighty in battle. I must open my mind for what may come. Open my mind Е

As I sit and contemplate what Braialla my have meant a voice cries out in the winds a voice cries out for a summons to the cathedral. A voice cries out for a summons to me.

CreatorЕ of the Lord Knights Е

I cast the spell that opens the portal through the spaces of our shard. He accepts my summons and after a short space of time passes he appears to walk from nothingness into the wide-open space of our beautify cathedral.

He is dressed all in robes of off white trimmed in fine dark blue satin. He appears to be young but his eyes tell a story of having seen and endured much. Perhaps much more then his young frame would otherwise tell.

We stare at each other for several moments Е and finally I speak. УHail Creator and well met.Ф УI have answered your call for summons to our fair city.Ф УIs there anything else I can do for you?Ф

Creator Е Creator Е

As he stands before me a feeling of daja'vu comes over me. And the warm touch to my soul that I know comes from Braialla begins to play inside me Е

Is this the person I must open my mind too? Is this what Braialla had in store for me this night? It must be Е for I feel here presence Е not directly but as a person knows when someone has entered their home and is just outside their chamber Е She is here Е now

Open my mind.

Oh Hoth open your eyes. He is not a man at all but a women Е You tired old fool you hardly know what is happening around you. Open your mind Е and see the truth, and make a start by seeing that Creators care worn face is that of a women troubled.

She speaks and asks of my jewelry and I respond. УWhy yes sir Е ahhh Е mame Е ahh miss ЕCreator this is all that I posses. It has served me well Е I think?Ф

She smiles at me and at last I see the women under the hood. She tells me that while what I possess is indeed good I must prepare far more effectively to be ready for battle. She then begins to examine all of my battle dress in great detail.

УNo no, this will never doЕ hmmЕ How many battles have you been in? Е tsk tsk this is all wrong you must die very quickly when confronted with maigcks Е Oh my you wear this in public Priest? Hmp I will indeed need to aid you.Ф

And so she beckons to the bursar and reaches into her storage compartment and pulls forth a shieldЕ some scepters Е ringsЕ and armor.

УNow Hoth put these on and lets see how you fair against evil magicksФ

I dress in this new equipment and suddenly I feel protected from magical energies that would do me harm. Amazing! For the first time I feel that I might stand a chance in battle with wild magicks flying all over.

УThank you Creator these gifts are indeed a blessing from Braialla as are you for offering them to me.Ф

Creator smiles here approval having seen all of the new gear in place and properly adjusted.

УMuch better priest, that is a start, but I still need to see your style in healing.Ф УCome show me how you heal in a battle situation.Ф

УVery well miss У I respond and then assume my normal stance of trying to become the smallest target behind the biggest shield and cast my pray of mending spell. It provides its usual result and I am please that it has worked for my audience.

УWell that was nice Hoth, but you know you can do much better then that.Ф

УExcuse me miss Creator Е what do you mean? Е I am a pretty good priest by all accounts of my battle friends and they do not complain of my skills. In fact they praise me for being the best!Ф

At this point the warm feeling inside me fades to cold. I look down at the ground and my mid whirls nice Е nice Е I have healed hundreds in battle Е my spells are perfect Е I am far better then niceЕ.

Then it hits me. The brightness and warmth of the cathedral begins to fade to dark hotness and a sudden pain shoots the length of my body.

УOPEN Your Mind Е Hoth Е OpenЕ your ... mindЕФ

УAahhhhhФ I let out a pained cry and begin to look into Creators eyes.

Open your mind.

УI am sorry miss Е I had forgotten my place for a moment Е But now I am again listening Е Please show me what you mean. Is there a better way for me to cast these spells?Ф

Creator gazes on me with a concerned look УAre you all right now priest? You look as if you just suffered some kind of painfull spell. May I show you more?Ф

УAye miss aye.Ф УIt has passed and I now am ready to listen openly to what you will show me and act on it.Ф

What follows is noting less then miraculous and a personal revelation in the healing arts. Creator shows me all of the proper stances and healing tricks that any healer could possibly want or need. I see my skills increasing to new heights as we train. One night together and I can already double the output of my heals. One night together and I can defend myself from magicks and evil sending. One night of enlightenment and I feel a new priest a new elf a new servant of the house.

We train far into the evening and long into the night. I have so many questions that she hardly has time to answer the first before the next springs from my lips. And then at last no longer able to concentrate I fall to the floor in a deep slumber.

In my dreams I see a beautiful woman surrounded in light. УOpen your mind HothЕ Open your mind."

hoth@stormbringer.net

Updated Feb 2006
Copy write Scott Lindquist