Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

OOC: The poems may be found in books that have recently surfaced around Baldur's Gate.

I've made this poem based on some events that happened recently. It is a bit cryptic. And it will serve a purpose later on.

This poem is one of several that can be found in the book "Poems of a Myrkulite - Vol II" that may soon be found in places across the Sword Coast.

The journey was as long and as harsh as she remembered as every stepped reeked with the sour smell of sewer water and trash. Through soft steps and gentle prayers Batibat slowly traversed her way through the ancient crypts in attempts to find her once beloved refuge of the past. . . For many hours she traced back her memory taking turn after turn of the maze that thwarted her venture. As she sought after her divine sight for guidance of the great maze soon enough the dreadful smell of piss and manure slowly morphed into the sweet aroma of flesh and bone.

The tight corridors of the crypts slowly ebbed outward as the dimmed lights of the great necropolis dawned in the horizon. Stunned by it's beauty and tired from the journey of traveling, Batibat's brisk step turned to a slow walk as all the memories of her past work on the ancient city slowly flowed back into her mind. As she walked the streets of the great under-city she looked upon everything as she made her way towards her destination. Her heavy nostalgia quickly gave way to an old feeling of determination as she oversaw the many broken buildings and crumbled walls of the great under-city.

"There is still much work to be done. . ."

As she made her way towards the central part of the great city she stopped and raised her head to bare witness to her former refuge, the Temple of All-Seeing Eyes. With a brisk step and a head held high she slowly opened the door to the temple breathing in the strong scent of the dead that lied within. With the nostalgia heavy on her shoulder and the wariness of her long travel it took her time to walk down the halls of the great temple and sit upon her once glorious throne. She smiled as she did, happy to see everything had come back into place.



And with one single word, she continued the saga. . .

"Rise."

As she spoke the dreaded words of the damned, did servants of dead answer her call and rise from ashes as skeletal knights and servants.

"Ring the Bell."

A ghastly apparition slowly turned at the order and walked up the tower stairs towards the church bell within the high tower of the Temple. With a light tug of the tattered rope the church bell chimed. .

The city was silent until the smoothing sound of a soft church bell rang emitting a calming chime around the Undercity tonight. The bell's rhythm was slow and soft but as it rang did the voices of the dead moan and wail in symphony to it's chime, and so did the Undercity come to life once again.

The doors to the temple of All-Seeing Eyes open once more as small division of bone-guards slowly march their way in escorting two walkers in their step. The bone-guards soon enough position themselves in a protective formation around the temple standing idle as a Batibat takes her step towards the throne in the center of the great temple. With a soft plop onto the throne Batibat's head lifts to address the other mortal in the room as her skeletal guards shift their vision with a crack and creek of their heads towards the individual in question.

The women steps forward with light steps towards the High Priestess Batibat and after introductions light chatter and silent whispers and exchanged between the two.

The under-city seems rather lively tonight as the sound of mundane tools upon dirt and stone cascades through-out the ruined city. Small bands of undead laborers seem to be busy at work shoveling rubble from the roads and moving collapsed cobble-stone walls from walk-ways and collapsed side-paths. Other undead are rather busy monitoring the work being done more as wardens against the many hostile gelatinous cubes, phase spiders and wraiths that cause trouble for the laborers. Deep within the heart of the city a small twinkling light slowly motions solmly through-out the city streets as the dancing lights slowly darken and brighten again into new colors pallets. A menacing patrol of Skeletal Knight's on Bone Horseback ride along the streets escorting a small hin who seems to survey the work of the collective effort of the undead. Like a hive-mind the dead seem to work in unison with not a single soul out of place of the many cogs that turn the wheel of reconstruction.

Another cave-mist night would loom through-out the ruined necropolis of the Under-City. Aside from the sound of the usual hammer and nail mixed with the a symphony of moaning undead, the city is rather quiet as the lights upon the many halls and streets hue of dim and dull lights that would barely keep the city streets a-lit for any mere mortal. The bliss of sooth and silence is however broken soon enough, as the church bell within the center of the city rings it's ever-dreary chime causing some of the undead laborers around the city to make their way towards it's inviting call. The chime of church bell could only mean one thing at such an hour. . . A old visitor has taken steps within the city and has called forth a meeting with the All-Seeing Eye within. As the doors to the temple open to welcome the new guest the head of a hin sitting upon a small make-shift throne would lift to meet her as a visiting army of undead would march into the temple taking up a defensive position around both their master and the High Priestess within.





Light-toned words soon hum about the temple walls as the two mortals conversed in hushed speech-craft. The temple seemed rather lively as the two undead armies converged within neither hostile nor friendly towards one another just yet. The meeting took up some time as many hours had gone by, each hour speaking of new questions and and given answers. The undead laborers outside of the temple with eyes looming into the halls from the temple doors waited, listening with anticipation to the agreements ahead.

Only after many hours did the chatter within the temple halls finally cease as the temple bell is soon rung again and the undead within the city moan in cheers to the recent occurrences.

A large division of undead soon leaves the temple in earnest alongside a small hin of whom they would encircle defensively. Soon enough the patrol would venture forward into the city and make their round as usual with a gleeful pep to their step. As now within the temple another voice echo's commands of reformation to the undead still within temple as they also would make ranks and walk into the cities streets aiding in the control of the hostile undead still lurking the streets.

Omodaious. A Fierce and loyal undead Lieutenant of the Lich Queen now roams the Undercity. Animating the bones of all that fall upon him and gaining control of all the dead that roam aimlessly. Putting them to work patroling, defending and cleaning up the undercity. He could be seen assisting Batibat with any task she deed necessary.

Business seems to be picking up within the Temple of All-Seeing Eyes as the temple bell chimes marking another new visitor to it's sacred grounds. Within the temple a large amount of negative energy churns with the hum and whispers of darker deeds dance around it's cobblestone foundations. After a while the temple doors open once more as the dead gather to take witness to these new events and their high priestess arrives through a mirrored dimensional passage-way near her throne to greet the new visitor.



The air around the temple would seem quite bi-polar as it presence of two great powers collide in understanding and speech-craft seemingly over something more then might and magic but instead over an item of great power. . .

Non the less the back and forth between the hin and the masked man would go on for quite some time ending in a conclusion of traded promises and traded powers.



A portal door would open as the departure of the masked figure marked the end of the meeting and out through another portal the beginning of another as the High Exarch and the High Priestess would share words and wisdoms on the recent occurrences.


___________________________________________

// Thank you DM Anansi, for the mini event. //

Omodaious would be busy at work over the last few days. A standing army would now Garrison the undercity all under the control of the Lich Queen as he would command them. He would have them stand at attention waiting for Batibat to give him the word.

Another silent night upon the Under-city. The silence within the sacred streets would only give way to the many undead workers who worked in silence of their daunting task of moving rubble and mundane repairs to the ruined streets and buildings. Dim magical lights would give off an artificial showcasing of street lambs and other light sources within usable homes and buildings. All the while, skeletal knights baring armor engraved with the symbol of the beholder take patrols around the streets. The bone-loyal hive-mind would continue their operations same as any other day without hesitation to complete the many task before them.

Soon enough, the chime of a church bell would ring upon the city.

Ding. . .

Dong. . .

Ding. . .

The chime of the bell would give away the arrival of something new to the city once again. As a small caravan is soon enough mushed past the entrance gate and into the city, entirely guarded by a small patrol of skeletal legionaries. A skeletal horse slowly carts a wagon deeper into the city following a small hin and a two larger pure black armored men. The caravan would take some time as it is wheeled slowly towards the temple of All-Seeing Eyes throughout the streets of the Under-city and stopping at the entrance of the temple itself. As the doors of the temple open slowly with a loud screech of metal grinding on metal, the church bell would finally end it's chime as silence took to the city once again.

As the hin and the two men took stride into the temple they were followed by two zombies who hauled a coffin along with their stride. The coffin itself made a terrible noise as it was dragged along the floor and brought towards the center of the temple where it would lay in full display for all to see.

Batibat would stand from her make-shift throne as it is brought forth.

"Unveil the offering. . ."

As commanded the seal to the coffin is lifted up and carefully laid to the side by the two zombies.

Within the coffin would lie an elven man who looked down on his luck. With nothing but a beaten up and bloody shirt and makeshift shorts to his name, the elven man would seem apprehended by his arms, legs and mouth as he struggles to free himself at every given moment.

Finally as he is unveiled Batibat would seem hesitant but pleased by the sight and take steps forward with a small rustic dagger in hand.

"All those with who bare vision to witness this day, vision as one of many who are All-Seeing lend me thy'n ear."

"Today marks a day that we give thanks to one of the many who watch and witness our daunting task for a greater future."

"It is customary that we show our thanks to the lords above who guide us in our time, and bring forth to them their feast of their dogma to be pleased with our presence here."

"Today we are giving thanks to he who of which this sacred temple was founded."

"We owe him and many others our thanks and our servitude for their vision, and for that they must reap."

"For we are those who Witness, For we are those who Judge, For we are those who Die."

Finally Batibat takes a small step towards the tied up man in the battered wooden coffin muttering and chanting with every step closer. . .

Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal, Bhaal awaits thee, Bhaal embraces thee, none escape Bhaal. . .

After a long pause the knife is held high and plunged into the elven peasent's heart giving forth a cry of pain and struggle as the crimson color painted the wooden coffin. . .

And silence was all that was left.