Tsaimath
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Interlude: Holiday Chapter 2023
🕑 Added 2023-12-25 17:00:14 +0000 UTCDouse the flame, children, this is the Pale Lady’s night. No fire shall burn tonight, nothing to disturb Her, nothing but memories and tales of magic. Tonight, we honour Her, as she watches over us from the dark, standing between us and the things out there. She is a denizen of the night, shunning the Sun so she can do Her grim duty.
Back, when the world was young, countless monsters were wandering through the night. Vicious and hungry, they hunted our ancestors, tearing apart anyone venturing out of the camp at night and sometimes they even attacked the camps, killing everyone they could get their hands on. They despised the light and hid from it, burying into the Earth or vanishing into the shadows, making it impossible for our ancestors to hunt them in the light of day. They were vicious monsters and they knew how to make the best of their situation and play to their strengths. Given enough time, they would have killed all of our ancestors and none of us would be here if that had happened.
Something needed to change, our ancestors needed to take the initiative, but how? They couldn’t see in the dark and the monsters knew how to avoid the light of a fire. They needed something else, something that would allow them to hunt the monsters in the dark, in their element.
It was the Pale Lady who made that change. She stepped away from the light, embracing the darkness and making Her home in the shadows, in the deep places where no light could ever reach. She protected our ancestors in the Darkness and taught them how to fight, how to fight and survive, regardless of circumstances.
Some claim She was the first Daughter of the Night, one of the crimson-eyed travellers, but no, She was not. She is no mere Daughter, She is the Pale Lady, the Mother of the Night, Guardian in the Darkness and Bringer of the Arcane. It is to Her that we give our thanks this night, to the Mother who guides us in the Night, to the Crone, who taught us to stand on our own and to the Maiden, encouraging us all to stand together. For the three are one, and it was only by standing as one that our ancestors could survive the dark days after the world had Shattered.
Tonight, we remember Her and honour Her by embracing the darkness, just like She has embraced the darkness. Thanks to Her, we can protect us in the night. To this day, the first lessons on the Arcane Path have been scribed by Her hand, it is Her words that guide those precious first steps. You all have seen Her working, the guiding tablets and some of you have read them, allowing them to take the first steps and learn arcane magic.
Or maybe you have taken a different path. Maybe you have been chosen to work with the guarding hounds, protecting our people with your own canine companion. She brought the first hound in from the night, travelled with the hound and taught it to help our people. After the first hound, there were many more, taught by Her and those following in her footsteps. Remember them, the first pack that She protected, joining their strength to that of humanity and giving us our loyal friends. They track for us, they help us to hunt and they listen for trouble as you guard our communities. Tonight, we thank them for their tireless efforts and, if you can, reward them with some extra treats and cuddles. Remember, they are our best friends, our loyal companions and they should be treated with all the dignity they deserve.
We remember the Hound, for she watches over our camp in the night.
Tonight, we remember Her, we honour Her sacrifice, for She has forsaken the light of the day to watch over us during the darkness of the night. Tonight, we honour Her and Her daughters, who still watch over us. They are out there, hunting the monsters of the night and making sure that they don’t make sport of us.
She is the Mother and the Daughters of the Night are born from Her magic, tirelessly stalking through the night, so we can peacefully sleep in our beds. Some of you might have seen them. To this day, the crimson-eyed Daughters stalk the night, only venturing into our cities when the need is great or when their prey is hiding amongst us. There are horrors out there, monsters that seek to feast on our flesh and it was from those monsters that the Pale Lady took the first of Her Daughters. She took the monster and remade it, taking the shell but discarding the mind, forging the body into something new. The monster died that night and from the ashes, the first of the Daughters rose. Shunning the day, just like her Mother, she was tasked to travel through the night, to seek out the shadows and the many things that hide within them. To seek them out, to find them and in the darkness bind them. So they may never venture out again and make sport of the good people that live during the day.
That was the First Daughter of the Night, the first of the Crimson Eyed Stalkers. And to this day, she is doing her duty and during this night, we thank her for her vigil, just like we thank her Mother.
We remember the Stalker, for she hunts those that prey on us in the night.
Tonight, we remember Her as we read the lessons Her second daughter has left for us in the Shrine. Her lessons help us when the Mother’s lessons are too complex, when a gentle touch is needed. Where the Crone can be uncaring, almost cruel, and the Mother a hard taskmistress to prepare us for a difficult world beyond our fires, the Maiden listens with a kind ear and guides with a gentle hand. But that’s not all she does.
Each night, the Maiden of the Moon watches over us in the darkness, doing her best to give us just that little extra light. Hers is a gentle light and without her, we would only have the distant stars. Month after month, she travels across the sky, labouring to give us as much light in the dark as she can, only resting for three nights each month. Hers is a tiring task, an endless labour, but she performs it without complaint.
We remember the Maiden, for she gives us light in the dark.
Tonight, we remember Her and honour those who follow after her. We spoke of the Hound, we spoke of the Crimson-Eyed Stalker, we spoke of the Maiden of the Moon. And now, we speak of the unseen one, the one we rarely notice, the one many see as the least of them. The clever racoon, setting their traps in the night, warning us from approaching danger and often impairing them before they can ever get to us and do us harm. Their traps are never seen, cleverly hidden in the shadows or only visible in the minds of their targets and yet, they are always there. Helping the Crimson-Eyed Stalker as she hunts her prey, making it so the prey cannot escape her tireless hunt.
We remember the clever racoon, and thank them for the traps they lay for those who would do us mischief.
Tonight, we remember Her and honour Her sacrifice. A long time ago, the dragon started to stir. Burrowing up from underground, it tried to bury the world in frozen fire. Fearlessly, the Pale Lady stepped into the darkness and there, deep in the shadows, deep in the freezing, eternal cold, she faced off with the Dragon. There, in the deep darkness, where no light will ever reach, she bound the dragon with chains of Ice. As the Dragon strains against the chains, She reinforces them, tirelessly toiling away in Her fight against the beast.
We remember Her and thank her, for it is only thanks to Her strength and the strength of Her continued sacrifice that we can live here. For without Her, the dragon would undoubtedly rage across the world, bringing with it death and corruption, taking back the night and making us fear it once more. Just like we did before She came along, giving us the strength and tools to face the night. Dauntless, just like she faced the night, with hope in our hearts and magic in our souls. Just like she taught us.
Never forget the Pale Lady, never forget the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone.
Comments
Edward Ravenbear
In a great story, that has to be one of the best chapters. If that is the distance future. There is a certain someone not mentioned.
Hauke Sattler
Would love to see Sam's reaction when Hecate show her this campfire story in a dream.
