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#Post#: 1719--------------------------------------------------
Lady Aludra Nos
By: guest5 Date: March 27, 2017, 9:24 am
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Basic Information
Name: Aludra Nos
Rank/title: Dark Priestess of The Temple of the Bleeding Heart.
Age: 70
Race: Skeus-Koth (Nos Night elf)
Place of Birth: The Temple of the Bleeding Heart...Draynes.
As the tenebrous, dark veil of night slowly falls over the
huddle of motley tents encamped just beyond the Chaosgate, a
hooded figure silently ghosts through the velveteen shadows.
Distancing themselves from the welcoming bright light and
alcohol fuelled merriment offered by the tavern they continued
into the darkness of the make shift settlement, passing by the
glow and company of a burning fire pit onwards to the ‘temple of
Skeus’. Lingering a moment at the entrance, the spicy aroma of
burning incense drifted upon the cold evening air tantalized his
sensitive nostrils while the soft sound of bare feet gracefully
moving across the tent floor teased his highly receptive ears as
the Skeus-Koth pulled back the canvas door of her abode.
“Captain Liekos” Aludra Nos greets the young man with a
questioning smile as her pale green eyes search the gloom behind
him, peering curiously into the night. “Ahhh but you wish to
have that promised conversation, to learn more about this woman
you came upon in the forest merely hours ago…” Before the
captain could answer Aludra she had beckoned him enter the tent,
turning swiftly upon her heels and walked nimbly towards the
cloth draped low altar. A slender grey skinned hand gestured
lazily towards a snowy fur cover seat while the priestess
replenished the horn cup she had been drinking from, a rich,
honeyed liquid, deep crimson and scented with berries mingled
with the lingering smell of ritual burning now fill the air.
“Please take a seat…” Aludra encouraged in a soft but almost
commanding voice as she invited her visitor to share in the
blood coloured mead. “This is my sanctuary…perhaps a little
small and sparingly furnished but destiny brought me here in
hast and great sorrow…” Aludra paused for a moment, deep in
reflection, the tragic events of the recent past briefly
reflected painfully in her olive orbs. “Yet it serves well
enough…a place where I can shut myself away from the world,
relax and be alone with my thoughts when I wish it…or welcome
those seeking knowledge or blessing from our lady Skeus…”
The high priestess settled herself down upon the fur covered
bed, arranging the glosser folds of her long, flowing gown
before curling her legs to tuck her bare feet under the fabric.
“So you are curious about my past, of course you are for why
else would you be here?” A mischievous smile plays across the
thin, taunt line of the Skeus-Koth’s dark lips as she hands over
a tumbler of intoxicating liquor. “Then allow me to enlighten
you with the long tale of how I came to be in the woods not far
from this accursed gateway used by these foul demon spawn…”
Aludra raised her drinking vessel slowly to her ebony painted
lips sampling the heady sweetness as she closed her eyes and
thought back the many years of her life. “As you already know my
name is Aludra…it is tradition from those of the Nos or ‘night’
in the common tongue Skeus-Koth clan to name their children
after stars…I have been told that if I had been born a male then
the woman that borne me would have named me Sirius…but I
wandered from the path already, forgive me. It is also custom
among my people to bestow upon those born out of wedlock,
bastards if you will the surname of Nos, for many this is a
burden, a mark of shame but for me it was more a freedom not to
find myself tethered to a family in which I was obviously not
welcome…but again I have run away with myself…” Aludra
apologised, shaking her head as she peered into the depths of
her cup.
“At first glance Skeus-Koth may not seem as numerous in
population as our ‘fairer but feebler’ cousins but scratch the
surface, stumbled upon our hidden settlements and cities and you
will soon realise that the few of my kin that choose to dwell
over ground are just the tip of the dark iceberg my friend. My
blood kin are a smaller, even more reclusive clan of Skeus-Koth
but that does not make them any less cultured or enduring. My
place of birth should have been among the cavernous, crystal
encrusted city of Loor Kav deep and hidden within the bowels of
the earth yet fate decided that I should be born upon the stone
steps of the ‘Temple of the Bleeding Heart’, one of Skeus’ three
‘great temples’ as the light of dawn bled across the grey spring
skies. I took my first breath, a frail, blood smeared babe,
greeted the emerging morning on Lady Skeus’ most blessed of
days, the celebration of her The Awakening to the most dark and
precious pleasure…the shedding of blood. My birth upon such a
blessed day was seen by the devout as a sign, a gift from the
goddess herself and therefore only fitting that I should be
‘adopted’ by the temple as raised among them. The woman who gave
birth to me did not seem to care about my fate, a wretched, weak
creature twisted by failed ambition, greed and betrayal she was
a stranger to me. A mind slowly broken by her forced confinement
within the sanctuary of the temple and a jealous bitterness
towards myself for her falling of status eventually seal her
doom” Aludra mused coldly, no hint of sorrow in her voice as her
long fingers that were tipped with painted dark nails briefly
caressed the silver ‘bleeding heart’ necklace that adorned her
neck. “When the time came, I did not mourn her passing from this
realm as it was by my own hand that she died” Aludra said
calmly, pale green eyes watching the younger man’s reaction to
her confession with a guarded interest.
“The members of the temple cared for me, educated me and
schooled me in religious lore but it wasn’t until at the age of
nine when I took a ritual bone knife, slashing deep and true
into the grey flesh, spilling rich, scarlet blood upon the
temple floor showing all gathered that without a doubt I was
among the chosen to become a priestess of the highest order…”
Aludra’s green eyes seemed to glint almost mischievously in the
flickering candle flames that rose from the wax dripped skulls
and strings of dry, weathered bones bone draped chandelier at
the centre of her tent. “I had stolen the knife from the altar
that morning…” she continued quietly. “Troubled with dreams the
night before of blood, hatred and my death. And yet among it all
I was unafraid, comforted in these dark visions by a woman’s
voice telling me to trust in Skeus…to protect myself, sacrifice
my mother and I would take my first step upon the bloodied path
towards the goddess”.
Aludra nodded towards the bottle of mead, granting Captain
Liekos permission to refill his vessel should he wish to before
she continued with her tale. She sipped at her own cup, watching
the dancing flames casting shadows that twisted and crawled
across the canvas walls of the tent. A man of frailer
disposition might have Aludra’s words unnerving but he seemed
almost comfortable within her company.
“I continued to be educated and serve in the temple until
reaching womanhood it was deemed necessary that I should spend a
little time in the world beyond the sanctum of the temple. Once
bestowed with the blessing of a ‘shadow priestess’ it was not
uncommon for a dark sister to be leave the temple and serve,
guide and protect a noble family. A ‘high’ priestess or priest
are not only especially ‘touched’ by the faith and possessing
greater knowledge of religious practices but they are also
skilled in another area to aid them and my chosen talent was
that of healing. You maybe think this is a strange skill for one
such as myself…” Aludra’s gave a little chuckle before carrying
on with her explanation. “Despite all our faith and devotion
even those that dwelt among the temple walls suffered sickness
from time to time. Many rituals can cause discomfort or injury
and those faithful seeking physical healing and well as
spiritual need to be tended to…so the temple had several who
knew the healing arts. But it wasn’t until I met a Den male
named Valen Revven that I finally found my true vocation. As I
had said earlier it was believed time that I ventured out into
the surrounding world to better educate me. Accompanied by a
temple guard another Skeus-Koth named Suran Kree who would be my
guide and protector I spend many years among various of my kin’s
cities expanding my knowledge and immersing myself in culture
and social graces but it was while staying for a few months in a
city of the Den before finally returning to the temple that
Valen entered my life”
The priestess let a brief smile play across her painted lips as
she rose and filled her beaker of mead, thoughts drifting to the
man before with a sigh she returned to her chair. “Ahhh but you
have met Valen already…he and the young Lord Dree will soon be
back at The Temple of the Bleeding Heart, he will send word when
they are safe. Valen Revven was a peddler of medicine and
tonics, he knew the art of healing and a devotee of Skeus yet he
seems lost, without true direction or purpose in his life. Yet
there was something, a connection between us almost instantly
for he was very pleasurable upon the gaze in an older, rugged
way and very good company both in conversation and more
intimately. And by the time Suran and myself started our journey
back to the temple we found ourselves with Valen Revven
following not too far behind. It took many months, hard toll,
humiliation and suffering for Valen to prove his worthiness but
in time he was accepted into the temple. He took the position of
understudy to our elderly head healer, later taking his place
and even surpassing him in his knowledge and skill. We did not
deny our shared dark passions for each other although a
priestess of Skeus rarely binds herself to one lover
exclusively...and yet for a den he was able to keep my interest
in only him. Valen was a very willing teacher, we enjoyed our
lessons together and I confess my most favoured position allowed
me to gain knowledge of the more shady, deadlier aspects of the
healing arts including poisons and a little blood magic”.
“The years passed by until finally my presence and talents were
personally called upon by the Nos Skeus-Koth named Lord Rankas
Dree. A small family, considered by the many older, more
established Houses quite a lowly noble but Lord Dree had seemly
come from nowhere and steadily over time and with brave, loyal
serve to the power in the lands had slowly gained status and
land. Lord Dree dwelt several days ride, his home cut into the
rocks of the far North coast, high windswept cliffs towering
above the ragging seas below. Lord Dree visited the temple with
his close family, wife, two young daughters and an older in age
but lesser ranking priestess. I knew from the moment Silva Arren
cast her gaze upon me that an unexplained hatred harboured
within her heart towards me. Lord Dree’s wife seemed indifferent
but the lord seemed totally fascinated by me, perhaps because
besides himself I was the only Nos Skeus-Koth and I admit he was
the first of my blood kin I had encountered in all my 50 years
upon the earth…but it is getting late and my words could easily
drag on far into the night…so I will cut this tale shorter than
I first intended and you shall learn over the passage of time
should you wish to remain in my company more about myself. Lord
Dree after days of trying to get me on my own cornered me in my
chamber on the last evening before he was to depart demanding
that I should return with him as priestess to the House of Dree.
As I remember he earned a kiss from my knife blade for such an
unwelcome intrusion into my private chambers but my defiant
actions only seemed to confirm to him that I must depart with
him. Although it would mean leaving the temple and Valen behind
and no doubt earn even more hatred from Silva Arren this is what
I had been educated towards, a position of status and power
within a noble house. And Lord’s Dree’s words were extremely
compelling and much later as we talked long into the night, a
wine fuelled confession regarding his true feeling towards
myself finally convinced me to agree”.
Aludra put down her cup, hand shaking slightly as she seemed to
need to steady her nerves, memories of her years spent within
the House of Dree’s home stirring her emotions. “Of course, my
status and closeness with Lord Dree embittered Silva Arren, she
did her very best to turn people against me, even tried to
poison me once…” the priestess laughed out loud, despite her
sadness and lost she still found such a remembrance amusing. “I
knew my poisons too well to be fooled by one such as her…another
vision from the goddess warned me of her plot. I longed to spill
her blood but alas Silva had been Lord Dree wife’s nurse and
educator as well as spiritual guide so I had to bide my
time...although saving the life of the newly born heir, Quell
when even Silva had given up hope finally won Lady Dree’s favour
away from the old, faithless priestess. So, it only grieves me
further that if only I had acted upon my hatred, risked my Lord
Dree’s displeasure and possible banishment from his home but
taken that bitter, jealous old bitch’s life sooner then she
would not have been able to betray the one I held so dear to my
dark heart…that Lord Dree and his family would still be alive
now” Aludra gracefully rose from her chair, carefully smoothing
down her long, flowing skirts and stared deep into Captain’s
Liekos’ eyes. “Silva Arren did more than betray Lord Dree by
faltering in her duty to protect his family at all costs but the
bitch sold him out with precious gems and gold, looted from
their still warm bodies to save her own skin…stupid faithless
fool those foul creatures cannot be trusted…ever…but at least
they allowed her to live longer enough so that it was my blade
that ended her worthless, stinking life…I at least had the
satisfaction and dark pleasure of spilling her blood…and now ALL
that almost ended the bloodline of Dree must pay from their
actions…blood will beget blood and I will avenge their death or
die trying as Silva Arren should have done…by the blood of Skeus
this I swear…”
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