C4 "White Council"

"White Council"
(WC 2089)

Delyth allowed very little time for Phillip to ponder her seemingly miraculous survival. Perhaps he would have had more, but the trip to Dour Gujhest did not take much time from the outskirts of Hearkndale. She filled the hours by peppering Phillip constantly with questions. Once she had learned about his former Laethecna companion, she expressed unending interest in everything Phillip might know about Chulon. It actually made for some interesting conversation and Phillip didn't mind speaking about it since Chulon had been on his mind since they had parted ways.
Chulon held some surprising secrets that Phillip was anxious to validate with the White Council. Apparently he had once been a mage like Phillip, but not just an ordinary mage. Chulon had once been a member of the ruling elite in Dour Gujhest, a White mage of great power. He said he had voluntarily given up his discipline in magical power because his search for greater power had gotten out of hand.
This was how Chulon had recognized Ethegra. It was Ethegra the White who had convinced Chulon to step away from magic entirely before he succumbed to temptation and turned into a demon. Phillip knew this sort of thing was exceptionally rare, but also standard practice within Dour Gujhest for dealing with one of their number who chased after magical power too greedily. Delyth was curious about it, Phillip thought, because she wanted to hear the assurances that Dour Gujhest was careful to avoid creating demons. Phillip could understand that, a demon being born from a greedy mage was a devastating occurrence. It was sort of like suicide for the person to succumb to it, and the devastation caused was also unfortunate. It was the devastation which worried Phillip the most for Delyth. He was concerned that she too might develop a hatred for the mages because one of their fallen had murdered her husband.
For all of his concerns, though, Phillip had to admit it was encouraging to see Delyth so openly interested in visiting Dour Gujhest. It must certainly have helped that her daughter studied there. Phillip was anxious to meet this Mesyth Petora. Delyth had stated her daughter was in the School of Lesser Elemental Magic, which meant she was not a very powerful mage - either because she was very new to the studies or because she simply did not have a strong enough connection to the stream of magic. Mages worked hard to cultivate their connection to magical power, it was a focus of their discipline. Perhaps that was the real problem, Phillip mused, their focus on becoming more connected to the power; perhaps it was inevitable that a mage would get bitten by temptation.
It was in the midst of their conversations that Delyth revealed something to Phillip which he had not yet considered. Spending so much time worrying about the sudden rise in demons had blinded him to the fact that the Eclosei were dealing with a similar problem brought on directly by the rise of demonic activity. Many of the towns which had been attacked were now protected by minions who were created in response to demonic threats. The Eclosei were very concerned about this sudden rise in minions. They worshipped the gods but feared them greatly as well. It was unclear, even to the Eclosei, what a god's intentions would be for his minion, but the physical manifestation of divine power was nothing to be taken lightly. The occasional rise of a minion was one thing, because a minion could be overcome or controlled if necessary, but at terrible cost. The sudden rise of many minions was a problem though. Phillip wondered what might happen if these minions stood together against the armies of men.
Apocalyptic visions of the gods taking over the whole of the known world were quelled, though, because they passed the Rim of Dour Gujhest shortly after Delyth brought it up. Dour Gijhest was an amazing sight to behold. The architecture was defined predominantly by the tall, thin spires that jutted upward into the sky. It made the whole of the central city resemble a ribbon falling to earth from some great height. Many artisans had spent their careers within Dour Gujhest, wreathing their structures in fanciful decorations. Some murals were almost informational, telling stories and parables which related to the lessons to be taught within the walls of the buildings while others were simply exuberant expressions of beauty. The whole city was alive with light and color.
Delyth would eventually need to make her way north of the city to see her daughter. Only two of the six schools of magical study were actually located within the central city. The other four schools were located to the north, south, east and west of the heart of Dour Gujhest. These schools resembled small towns of their own, reflecting the majestic architecture found within the central city, but lacking its scale.
For now, though Phillip thought it best to direct Delyth toward some temporary quarters where she would be able to take some rest. It had been a long day of travel and there was little time or energy left for interviewing the White Council. Aside from that, Phillip would need to make sure that such a meeting could be organized with the council. Though they expected mages like Phillip to make reports upon returning, the White Council was also very busy with the many affairs of Dour Gujhest. Fortunately, Phillip was able to schedule a meeting in the morning of the next day, due mostly to the intriguing question of how Delyth had managed to escape the power of the demon who had taken her. There was also the lingering question of why a demon would bother taking a captive in the first place. Both were strange occurrences that the White Council was eager to better understand. After attending to Delyth's needs, Phillip at last found some rest for himself.

-[ ]-

“I am curious why you have taken no definition for yourself.” The White Mage Kitcau asked Delyth. They had been prodding her occasionally between asking Phillip for details about his dealings since he was last in their presence. The conversation had turned now and was becoming more focused on Delyth and her daughter. The White Mage Sa had already confirmed that Mesyth Petora was a student in her School of Lesser Elemental Magic, and the upper table of the White Council seemed especially interested in this fact.
The lower table of the White Council was mostly uninvolved in discussions like these. Many of them were not even present, attending to other affairs within Dour Gujhest instead of helping out with mundane details like reports of the outside world. A few of the lower table were present, though, sitting casually behind Phillip and Delyth, listening only.
“My husband, Heirzem chose to leave his name behind upon joining the order of Drujon. It was his feeling that taking a name from his Eclosei order might hinder his goals, so he chose to remain without. I choose to honor his decision as well.” The practice of removing one's name when serving under a god was common amongst the Eclosei, nothing of note, but Phillip could sense that there was something about the name given to Delyth's daughters that was driving the inquiry more than a concern about Delyth's lack of a defining designation.
“I wonder why you would name your daughter after Petora.” Sa persisted.
“Petora is the honored god of the temple at Mount Isteray. Mesyth and her sister were orphaned and left at the steps of the temple, so I named them accordingly.” Delyth showed interest in Sa's questions for the first time since they had begun the inquiry. So far, Phillip had noted an incredible concession of patience in her demeanor. He could tell that she was standing before the council simply to appease the ritual of it all, but would much rather be off speaking with her daughter instead. It impressed him that she would spend the time to be forthright and available to the council despite the tragic circumstances that had brought her there. It filled him with a sense of respect and responsibility toward her. He wondered if the White Council realized the coldness with which they presented themselves to this poor woman.
“I wonder if we could allow Delyth to return to her rest or to see her daughter, these questions seem a bit much considering the circumstances.” Phillip interjected, wanting to save her from the tedium of continuing the inquisition.
“It is not your place to-” Sa began, but was immediately interrupted by Viligau who spoke with firmness, “Perhaps your are right. Delyth, we have many questions to ask, but we do not wish to be tiresome. Would you like to take a break? Perhaps travel to see your daughter?”
“I will answer your questions.” Delyth responded kindly, placing a reassuring hand on Phillip's shoulder, “Phillip... is just concerned for my grief over Heirzem's death. I appreciate his consideration.”
Sa took a deep breath and recomposed herself. Ilsodar continued the line of questioning for her, “We are curious why you would honor this god as Petora and not as Smilles. The name Petora is archaic, from a legend about the god's clash with an older and greater deity.”
Delyth smiled in amusement. “Petora was the god's name of power, before his power was taken from him for a sin he committed. The priests of the temple at Mount Isteray still lament their god's chastisement and still honor him in their most reverent ways as Petora. They think of that name as being higher and more worshipful than the name Smilles. I felt that to honor their beliefs and their hopes I should use Petora and not Smilles.”
“You speak of honoring the gods of the Eclosei and you speak of a desire to pay homage to even their deepest beliefs. Why then would you allow your daughter to study here? Many of the priests in the Eclosei, especially those on Mount Isteray, decry the study of magic as being sinful and wrong.” It was Kitcau who spoke this time. It was obvious that he was having some difficulty with the logic of a high-ranking member of the Eclosei allowing their children access to the otherwise forbidden fruits of magic.
Though Delyth could plainly recognize the depth of the White Council's concern, she knew there would be no forthright answer to their inquiry which would allay their suspicions. She herself had encouraged Mesyth to pursue the dream of studying magic, but she did not want the prejudices between the Eclosei and Dour Gujhest to affect her daughter's ability to continue pursuing those dreams. “Mesyth is a very headstrong girl. She wanted to study magic so badly that when she came of age, she ran away from the temple and traveled to Dour Gujhest of her own accord.” It was a measured response and it had the desired effect. She could see the suspicion melt away from their faces as they pondered the answer.
“There is one other matter which intrigues us,” Sa spoke again, “We are told you were stolen from Hearkendale by a demon at the end of its attack. Yet you tell us that this demon no longer exists. I am sure you can understand our curiosity...”
“I have already told Phillip everything that I have to say about this demon. I will say nothing more about it.” Delyth was firm. It was a surprising trait, much like her incredible patience with the process as a whole. Standing before the White Council was a fearful experience. The mages exuded a sense of their incredible power and ability. They cultivated it carefully to inspire honesty in the people they spoke with. Delyth seemed completely unaffected by the show though. Her opinions and decisions were entirely her own, not swayed by their pomp or display.
Sa whispered something to Ilsodar and then sat back in resignation. Viligau made a motion and the other four White Mages nodded in agreement. Then he spoke to Delyth once more, “We appreciate your willingness to speak with us. If you perhaps feel that we should know anything else about the attack on Hearkendale, please let us know. We have provided an escort for you, who will take you to your daughter. He is waiting outside.”
Delyth curtsied politely and left the room to Phillip and his superiors, who still had many questions for him.