Meeting the High Priestess

The Great Temple of Gond was a huge, imposing building made out of huge slabs of cold stone. It looked more like a castle than a place of worship. Golden statues of former priests gazed accusingly from its ramparts, and the clerics and primals guarding its entrance looked fierce and were armed. It wasn't the only temple in Akn-Reibar, but its size and influence meant it was commonly known simply as "the Temple", as if the other gods had no worth.

Eilwy and Lelana had no problems entering the Temple's massive, echoing hall, and were escorted by a nervous primal to the High Priestess's personal chamber.

The primal had every reason to be nervous, as Eilwy knew. Clarissa was the youngest High Priestess in the Temple's history, and had gained her power through ruthless ambition. She did not suffer fools gladly. Today, the High Priestess was sat behind her ornate wooden desk in a red robe tied around her waist with a thin rope cord. At just thirty summers old, the High Priestess was slender and beautiful, with short dark brown hair and pale, smooth skin. Her face was delicate, almost elfin. And if perhaps her eyes were a little sharp, her nose a little thin, well, no one would dare mention such things.

Clarissa got straight to the point.

"I don't see Jomath the White, Black Reaver. You promised to deliver her, but I don't see her."

"I couldn't find her," Eilwy lied. "She must not have gone to Fandorn Forest."

Clarissa clicked her tongue in annoyance, and sat back in her great chair. She evaluated the enchantress. Eilwy looked a little different, she thought to herself. Slightly smaller somehow? And she was clearly lying. Had something happened to the Black Reaver in Fandorn Forest? Something shameful, perhaps? She made a mental note to find out. But still.... Eilwy had been useful in the past, and was a vital player in the ritual she had planned. This failure was no reason for their work together to end. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm disappointed," she said finally. "You failed me, Black Reaver. But so be it. We will need to find another witch or wizard to complete the ritual now, since you cannot do it alone. Now leave me; I have other concerns to deal with."

She went back to her papers dismissively, but Eilwy didn't leave. Eventually Clarissa looked up again. "Yes, well? What is it?"

"On the way here I rescued this primal from an orc. She said you're having difficulty with a wizard called Deprecia. I think she may be our solution."

Primal Lelana gave a short curtsey as Clarissa gave her a cold look for the first time.

"Deprecia is an annoyance, for sure" Clarissa said at last, leaning back in her chair again. "And it shames the Temple that some of our sisters are **** to work in her brothels, against their will, to the amusement of our enemies. But is she truly powerful enough to be a part of the ritual? I regard her as a lucky upstart, not a mage of power like you."

Eilwy shrugged. "There's only one way to find out. And this way you might get to kill two ogres with one bolt. You get rid of a rival, and we get to complete our ritual. If it works it will be a fine outcome."

"If it works," Clarissa repeated. But Eilwy was right - this could indeed be a neat solution. She nodded. "Very well. Take this Primal as support."

"Me?" said Lelana uncertainly. "High Priestess, I'm not sure I..."

"You will do as I command," Clarissa said. "You'll provide the Black Reaver with whatever assistance she needs in tackling Deprecia. Then both of you will bring the bitch back here so she can help us with our ritual." Clarissa's eyes gleamed. "She will quite enjoy her starring role, I think. I know I will enjoy watching her!"

"Consider it done!" Eilwy said with a curt bow, and set off with Lelana reluctantly in tow.

But the task was far from done. In fact, it was to prove difficult indeed - as we shall see.