Medmaev Walked!
(350 Dolefaren 375)
It has been a few anlaen, but I still have not rested well. You ask why? Well then…
Earlier today the bardic guild gave the performance of their lives, as a number have aptly described it. The matter may be a small one in the face of the whole war, but our warrior-singers have just faced down a threat as grave as the dragon priests themselves once presented.With the permission of Guildleader Silvyrfrost, and the aid of the Songsworn Tasdrean and Saecihlia (pardon me if I didn’t get the second name right- It was one of those beautiful but hard to say names) a trap was set for the rogue Songsworn Medmaev.
Medmaev was still decidedly angry that the two Songsworn had escaped from him before- so they were the bait for the trap. Tasdrean permitted himself to be kidnapped while a pair of rangers tracked him, and others followed either physically or by familiar. The moon mage Odiin shifted a moonbeam to where Tasdrean was being held prisonner and opened a gate to him. A couple of large groups of us rushed through the gate to rescue him, and to deal with Medmaev and the device he had built from the bones of other Songsworn he had slain.
We met remarkably little resistance from Medmaev’s thugs, and there were only a very few blue-cloaked men there from Yalleck- whom Medmaev had been working with to try to destroy the bards. Medmaev himself was not so easily put down, but with skilled rangers sniping him, myself calling down holy fire, and a clearing full of angry bards, he did not last much longer than his people did. He was without favor: He will never be able to harm his former guildmates again. No one mourned as his meteor crossed the sky.
His belongings were claimed by Shavay and Linett. Among them were the rags that had served him as a robe, two rings, and the knife he had used for his diabolical ‘surgeries’ on living Songsworn before he permitted them to die. These were later given to Silvyrfrost for safekeeping.
In his cave after the battle we found a scene of horror: A casket with the skeleton of a former S’kra Mur Songsworn and a device made from the bones of the other Songswornd that had died there. Had this device been completed, the entire bardic guild would have been paralyzed by fear generated by the said device so Medmaev’s thugs could finish them off.
As it was, the device could not be allowed to stand. I passed out a number of maces I had bought and blessed to see if perhaps physical force could be brought to bear, but no one could bring himself to further desecrate the bones of the fallen warriors. So the device was dragged out of the cave while we were still puzzling over how to destroy it.
Finally, one of the bards suggested simply singing every single enchante that was known among the whole group. Several sang Hodierna’s Lilt, while others sang Eillie’s Cry or Desert Maelstrom or Caress of the Sun. Soon cracks began to form in the device, then pieces fell off. Finally, it just split in two, sending bone flying every which where as the souls of the trapped Songsworn flew free and crossed the Starry Road at last. There was not a single dry eye among our bards as their fallen sought their well-earned peace.
Suddenly the ground itself began shaking and crumbling. Odiin cast another moongate and got us out of there. A couple of people had gotten left behind and we had to go back and drag them out too.
After that, we journeyed north. Tasdrean chose to stay at the Rest of Ages inn in Leth Deriel. Everyone else continued north to give an account of what happened to Silvyrfrost. They were still deep in discussion when I left.
Whatever else happens, at least our warrior-poets will always have their music.
By my hand, Ryeka Wolfsdaughter