The Rediscovery of the Gwhynndahris Vinyards

Metaphysical / Paranormal event

So began the second Somnambulistic Prophecy with the second utterance spoken upon the Confluence floor:   "Through the weald of winding weird Beyond the stillness of the blackened sea Pour forth from that cup of desolate and wanton desire and fertilize the terroir with the spirit of the damned Draw forth, and drink deep with the Child O' this world Birthed from devastation Nurtured in solitude And matured in sorrow For they will not know the way And the path is lined with sharp stones and brambles Set to tear away the flesh And break the bones of tomorrow. Bring the Child home to meet their sibling and their sire For they are one and the same And within their line shall be the second key."

Following the shock and awe that followed the Somnambulist's words, the young Volrishtad, Ethelinda Loveridge who was on trial for theft from the Commanage fields took advantage of the confusion and made her escape from the Confluence, shifting from one shadow to another unseen by all but one. The youngest daughter of one of the more prominent farmers of the Commanage, Gildeh Jacobson just happened to be standing near the door when Ethelinda reappeared and ran out. Gildeh, unaware of the Volrishtad abilities gave chase out into the setting sun of late afternoon. Seeing she was not alone, the young Volrishtad ran harder, but could not keep pace ahead of the sturdy farmgirl who was closing the distance quickly. The chase went on for some time, both the young girls racing and dodging as fast as they could, one out of duty, and the other out of desperation. As darkness fell, Ethelinda found herself in her element and used her ability to manipulate shadow to hide and evade, but Gildeh was determined and did not give up. Through the night this game of cat and mouse carried on until Ethelinda finally made her way to a nearby reservoir, stopping cautiously to catch her breath and drink. Gildeh, stubborn and determined as ever saw her in the distance and managed to close the distance, catching her quarry off guard and tackled her, both the girls tumbling into the reservoir in a violent struggle. Unbeknownst to both of them, a silent and invisible observer was watching nearby, the strange creature from the Arven Islands who had taken to call itself simply, "I". While they struggled, the observer puzzled over not only what they were, but the nature and purpose behind their behavior.   The struggle took a terrible turn, as Gildeh's superior strength began to overwhelm Ethelinda, but the Volrishtad girl was terrified of the justice that awaited her, and as an act of final desperation she manifested a knife out of the shadows and plunged it into her attacker's side deep. Gildeh let go, grasping her side and quickly began to sink as Ethelinda started to escape, but realizing what she had done, she turned back and dragged the injured Ongommu Tae to shore. Panicked and afraid, she desperately tried to staunch the flow of blood from the wound, but it was to no avail. She sat there, weeping black tears and begging Gildeh to hold on. "I", seeing this display was intrigued, and overcome by curiosity it stepped forward into view. Ethelinda was stunned by the appearance and could do nothing as the creature reached down and used its large hand to cover the wound, and then lift the still form of the young girl up into its arms. "I" began walking southward silently. Ethelinda shook away the shock and, thinking of what awaited her in the Commanage, began to follow timidly.   The journey took days, the strange creature barely ever stopping except to dip its feet into water and to take up fistfuls of herbs from time to time, using them as a poultice upon the wound. Ethelinda could swear the creature was aware of her, but could not place how, intent on following anyway. She was wracked with guilt and terrified. Eventually, the creature came to the water's edge, black and still. This far out from the Commonage there were no settlements, and as the creature stepped into the shallows of the water, Ethelinda stepped into view and called out for the creature to wait, crying out her concerns for what the waters would do to Gildeh. Her mind suddenly lit up with images and sounds, jumbled and confusing, and the girl collapsed, overwhelmed by the invasion on her psyche. "I", even more confused than before, paused and hefted the Volrishtad up as well, seeking to learn more about these creatures. It turned once more and began a slow trek across the shallows that led to the Arven Island Archipelago.   The Arven Islands had grown lush and fertile since the Blight, but the energy that now polluted the waters had twisted the life there, causing rampant mutations that were dangerous and unstable. "I" knew of only one location in the islands that held any semblance to the settlement of the Ongommu Tae which it had only recently discovered. A crumbling and overgrown vineyard that it had stumbled upon during its wanderings provided a safe place and shelter for both of the girls. It laid them down there, and watched over them, gently probing each of their minds for information, learning all it could.   When the girls awoke, at the psychic urging of the creature, "I", they were terrified. The translucent humanoid with no face standing over them seemed like a nightmare come to life, and the two girls drew up and clung to one another. "I" held out a hand, doing its best to show it meant no harm, and then, carefully so as not to flood them as he did before with Ethelinda, began to try once more to communicate with them. It sent them images of the journey there and its intentions driven by innocent curiosity to learn about the girls and what they are. "I" also had questions about the occurrence of the Somnambulist, which it had pulled form their memories. After several attempts at presenting the questions, the girls began to calm themselves, realizing they were in no immediate danger.   Over the following days, much was learned and shared, and oddly, a bond began to form between them as the girls were opened up not only to "I"'s consciousness, but the consciousness of one another as well. The question of the Somnambulist continued to hover at the edge of all of this, as Gildeh tried to make sense of it while she recovered. She could make no sense of it, and had no idea beyond stories and myths who the Seanachaisians were. While "I" and Gildeh puzzled over that mystery, Ethelinda opted to explore the ruins in which they sheltered. The grounds were sprawling, and at one time must have been breathtakingly elegant and beautiful. She found countless broken and forgotten items and tools that seemed foreign and strange, each one of the delicate and yet, somehow perfect for the task they were meant for. The deeper into the ruin she went, the more she found until finally, she discovered the only locked door in the structure. A huge, wooden door barred with a shining, metal lock and only a tiny gap beneath it that showed there anything at all lay behind it. She could smell something rich and sweet within, but could find no way to open it...but she was of the People of Vol, and there are few things that can truly keep them out of a place they wish to enter. She made her way back to the two and informed them of what she had found, the mental form of communication now becoming easier to utilize, and seeing as how Gildeh had recovered significantly, and "I" was, as always, curious, it was decided that they would use Ethelinda's unique abilities to see what lay beyond.   They made their way to the locked door and, peering through the gap below, Ethelinda moved through the shadows to the interior. Within, her eyes made out all manner of strange devices and vats, and the entire room was filled with the sweet smell of fine wines, more robust and fragrant that any she had ever encountered before. It was overwhelming, consuming, and now that she was here, all that she could think of. She ignored the mental calls of "I" and the verbal concerns of Gildeh and sought the source of the smell, eventually making her way to a large vat filled with a deep, dark liquid. She drank deep, and was intoxicated almost immediately, but the wine was tainted, as all things are, and she was driven by it to consume even more. Cup after cup she drank, and Gildeh and "I" could hear her struggle and vomit within as she consumed more and more. The two of them together worked to force the door which gave out under their efforts, shattering inward where they found Ethelinda on the floor, face and clothes stained bright red and still trying to reach for the vat despite being unable to stand. Gildeh and "I" agreed that this was a dangerous thing to keep around, and once they made sure Ethelinda was unharmed, dragged the large container outside with the intention of dumping the contents out. As they moved to do this, Ethelinda came running from within, crying out in dismay and stumbling, still under the effects of the tainted wine. She caught the edge of the vat and went careening into "I", both of them going down hard in a crumpled pile as the vat tipped completely onto them, severely injuring them both. Ethelinda's legs were broken and her head had sustained a severe cut from the shattering wood of the vat, and "I", in a slow attempt to catch the girl, had been pinned beneath all of it. The two of them lay there, covered in blood and tainted elven wine that saturated the soil around them. Gildeh struggled and screamed in frustration, trying to lift the vat from them, and as she did, "I" reached out and could feel Ethelinda's life slipping away. It was a strange experience for them, having never experienced the concept of death in anything but plants and small animals. "I" held on to the Volrishtad's vitality and spirit with its mind as firmly as it could, some part of it not wanting to lose this companion, but despite its best efforts, and the efforts of Gildah to pull them free, Ethelinda passed from life held there in "I"'s arms. Some part of her mingled with "I" in the process, and "I" began to understand, in a simple and childlike way the concept of loss and sorrow, things that filled "I" with a confusing sensation that even its curiosity could not full grasp hold of. By the time Gildeh had pulled the vat from them, Ethelinda was dead. "I" was stained with a deep red color that seemed to be slowly infusing with their normally translucent form, and as Gildeh wept, "I" understood why. "I" also began to fear for its remaining companion, and even more so, the concept of being alone. "I" wanted to tell Gildeh to run, to return home to her people, but the idea of returning to the solitude it once knew was unpleasant now. The only solution "I" could think of, was that "I" needed to become "We".   "I" considered this as Gildeh mourned over the next few days, and in the end, "I" tasked Gildeh with returning Ethelinda's body to her people, as she would have wanted. While there was some protest, Gildeh agreed and did just that, following the path through the shallows the "I" laid out for her in her mind to safely carry the remains of Ethelinda home. Once alone, following some base internal instinct, "I" began to split, physically, into two. The process took some time, but as it went, the red stain was drawn into the new form, and the new creature that eventually pulled away was not "I", but "We", and retained all the memories of "I", and they were no longer alone.   Gildeh, upon returning to the Commonage days later, was met with a multitude of questions, all of which she did her best to answer. Ethelinda's body was returned to her tribe with the tale of what happened and a newfound respect between the two peoples. Word spread throughout the Commonage and the Tribes of Vol as well, and both could not help but wonder what the repercussions of the events that took place following the the utterance of the Somnambulist, would be.