The Gods give warning

(Crossing, Zoluren: 185 Uthmor 359)

Baresh recognized the young elven cleric who walked in the door. Unlike her last visit, though, she was tensed, ready for something to happen.

"I’ll take a hot cider this time, Baresh," she said with a smile that did not cover that something was bothering her.

"This you have to hear, Baresh. A few nights ago I was hunting rock guardians with Teilnsar when something very odd happened. First I felt the hand of Damaris on me- yes, the Panther-Lord himself.

"Moments later, the light dimmed, as if a cloud had passed over the moon. Then the Panther came. Some have questioned whether this was a war mage’s familiar. I will tell you now, it wasn’t.

"Anyway, I was in combat at the time, but as soon as I freed myself, I knelt before the Panther.

"He started speaking to me in my mind. First he asked who I served. I said him. Which is apt enough, really: my father told me once he had reason to believe Damaris was his father.

"Then he asked if I was willing to sacrifice all for him. I nodded. then he said, ‘be my messenger.’

"It took me some little while to get over the surprise at that command. But then I asked what message he would have me bear.

He said this: "Warn all your kind to remember the gods they serve and seek their favor. Hard times lie ahead, Child, and time is short." Then he got up, started to walk away, looked over his shoulder once- and was gone.

"Since then I have learned that other clerics have been approached with identical messages. Baresh- if something is going to happen that the gods feel it necessary to seek out their clerics in the field to give warning, then I fear that nothing less than war is coming our way."

With that, the cleric drained her cider, left a few silver on the counter, and went on her way- perhaps to spread her message to others.