Songseers

High in the temples carved into the Cliffs of Torr, the Songseers of the Otaru conduct their dark divinations, their corrupted voices blending ancient elven harmonies with the screech of predatory birds. These mystic seers, transformed alongside their people during the First Black Fire War, now serve as both prophets and living testimonies to the enduring power of Te Nesavatar's influence.

Unlike the common Otaru, whose transformation manifested primarily in physical changes, the Songseers underwent a deeper corruption that altered their very ability to perceive reality. Their eyes, developed to simultaneously view multiple planes of existence, share an unsettling similarity with those of the Eyes of Tezra, suggesting a connection that neither group openly acknowledges.

The Songseers maintain their primary temples in the highest reaches of the Cliffs of Torr, where toxic mists from the Great Poison Lake concentrate most heavily. These temple chambers, carved with non-euclidean geometries that echo those found in the Maze of Tezra, serve as focal points for their prophetic rituals and ceremonies of transformation.

Their method of selecting future Songseers involves exposing potential candidates to concentrated doses of the toxic mists that drift south from the Great Poison Lake. Those who survive often develop mutations that enhance their precognitive abilities, though at the cost of further divorcing them from their original elven nature.

The order maintains secret communications with the Eyes of Tezra through specialized chambers where reality has been intentionally weakened. These meetings often focus on comparing visions of possible futures, particularly those concerning the approaching Second Black Fire War. The similarity in their methods of perception creates a natural, if disturbing, affinity between the two groups.

In their role as spiritual leaders of the Otaru, the Songseers oversee rituals that blend their ancestral light magic with the corrupting energies of their transformation. These ceremonies often produce spectacular displays that leave lasting changes in local weather patterns while slowly altering the very nature of reality around the Zendaron Coast.

Their training involves mastering the art of interpreting flight patterns through crystal orbs similar to those used by the Eyes of Tezra. This practice, which they claim descends from ancient elven divination techniques, has grown increasingly accurate as reality becomes more unstable around the Cliffs of Torr.

The Songseers' prophecies often manifest through what they call "shadow songs" - corrupted versions of ancient elven hymns that carry echoes of possible futures within their discordant harmonies. Ships that venture too close to their temples during these performances report crews experiencing shared visions that drive them to madness or mutation.

Recent collaborations with Blackspire Citadel's researchers have focused on understanding the connection between physical transformation and enhanced perception. The Songseers see in the Bloodclaw Warband's industrial-mystical experiments parallels to their own continuing evolution.

Their influence extends beyond mere prophecy into active manipulation of Otaru society. The selection of the High Feather involves complex rituals where Songseers interpret signs and portents, effectively guiding their people's leadership through their visions of possible futures.

The order maintains extensive records of their visions, written in scripts that blend elven calligraphy with symbols borrowed from the Eyes of Tezra. These texts, kept in chambers deep within the Cliffs of Torr, are said to physically change as prophecies fulfill or alter, their contents shifting like the toxic mists that surround their temples.

Younger generations of Songseers have begun manifesting more extreme mutations, developing crystalline growths similar to those seen in modified Bloodclaw warriors. These physical changes appear to enhance their prophetic abilities while further binding them to the corrupting influences that transformed their race.

Their relationship with the dying light elves of Thiandalune remains complex. The Songseers lead raids against their former homeland, seeking artifacts and texts that might help them understand their transformation, while their very presence serves as a dark reminder of what betrayal of the light can bring.

As signs of the Second Black Fire War multiply, the Songseers' visions have grown both more frequent and more disturbing. They speak of convergences between industrial corruption and mystical transformation, seeing in the Bloodclaw's experiments echoes of their own people's fall from grace.

The order's mastery of wind magic has evolved alongside their transformation, incorporating elements of industrial pollution and toxic mists into their workings. These spells often leave lasting changes in those affected, suggesting the Songseers have learned to weaponize the very forces that changed them.

Deep within their temples, the Songseers conduct experiments combining their prophetic abilities with salvaged Shadim teleportation magic. These attempts to pierce the veil between realities have produced results that interest even the Eyes of Tezra, though the full scope of their discoveries remains closely guarded.

The Songseers' influence in regional politics grows as various factions seek advantage in the approaching conflict. Their ability to perceive multiple possible futures makes them valuable allies, though dealing with them often requires accepting some degree of corruption as price for their insights.

Their ceremonies increasingly incorporate elements of Dead God worship, particularly focusing on entities transformed or consumed during the First Black Fire War. These rituals suggest the Songseers see in these fallen deities reflections of their own transformation from beings of light to creatures of shadow.

As reality grows more unstable around the Zendaron Coast, the Songseers' power appears to be growing. Their prophecies manifest with greater frequency and accuracy, while their ability to manipulate the forces that transformed them increases. Some whisper that they are evolving into something beyond even what Te Nesavatar intended.

In the highest temples of the Cliffs of Torr, where toxic mists swirl and reality bends, the Songseers continue their dark evolution. Whether they will serve as harbingers of the Second Black Fire War or find some path to redemption through their prophetic gifts remains to be seen, though their visions increasingly suggest the former.

Type

Religious, Archidiaconate