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| - You are once again perched above the Council Chamber of the Tenebrous Council itself. As before, the chamber is well-illuminated with a grey light emanating from the torches on the walls. In fact, it may be more brightly lit than last time. The masked man wanders around the circle, clockwise, placing his hand on the top of each of their heads. When he gets to the goliath, he lifts the goliath's head up and stares into his eyes for a long period. The goliath whispers, "I serve only you, my Lord. Please let me serve." The masked man nods, and proceeds around the circle.
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| abstract
| - You are once again perched above the Council Chamber of the Tenebrous Council itself. As before, the chamber is well-illuminated with a grey light emanating from the torches on the walls. In fact, it may be more brightly lit than last time. Standing at attention against the chamber walls are numerous shadow genies wearing the garb of the security branch. The councillors look as if they'd rather be milling about the chamber in fear and confusion, but they instead sit timorously in their seats. One of them, a large goliath, speaks. "Hah! It was all just tricks and theater! Those heralds, heralded nothing! They seek to claim what is not theirs by right. We must seek them out and kill them for their presumption. And the traitor who revealed our secret to them as well!" The council stirs, a faint hope appearing in their faces. The councillor Lirilim starts to speak, but is interrupted by a bright grey light stabbing down from the top of the chamber's dome, illuminating a circle in the middle of the floor. Two forms mist into existence from the shadows outside the circle. The one on the left you recognize as Gilean Vel. The one on the right is the messenger from Lirilim's garden, still dressed in his definitive harness. In unison, they kneel, clutch their fists to their hearts, bow, and declaim the unhearable words. "Those who serve our lord, kneel, and welcome your return to his service!" Before the council even has a chance to react, there is a large crashing sound. Looking around, you see that the guards have all knelt at exactly the same time. Lirilim is almost as fast, as are some of the others. A few linger very briefly, but all kneel. As they do, black flames of shadow erupt in a globe from the center of the spotlight. Within them, you see the same masked Birxal nobleman as before. The globe of flames vanishes and he scans the council all kneeling around him. He motions to Gilean Vel who kneels in the vacant spot to the right of the Council president. The masked man wanders around the circle, clockwise, placing his hand on the top of each of their heads. When he gets to the goliath, he lifts the goliath's head up and stares into his eyes for a long period. The goliath whispers, "I serve only you, my Lord. Please let me serve." The masked man nods, and proceeds around the circle. At the third person from the goliath he stops again, and lifts up the face of the senior member of the Operations Branch. The two glare at each other, then suddenly, the masked man stabs her with a dagger, and continues to hold her gaze as it becomes more and more vacant. When she has degenerated into complete idiocy, he hurls her bodily back from the council, motioning to his armored herald. The herald rises, and kneels again in the naked spot. The guards rush forward to drag the ex-council-woman away. The masked man looks up briefly at the guards pausing in his progress around the circle. They pause as they haul the ex-council-woman's body away, then bow, and resume their task with leering, malicious grins on their faces. Eventually, he ends his travels standing in front of Lirilim. He raises her up, and motions to the guards. As they converge upon her, he stares deeply into her eyes. She begins to quake, while the faces of the rest of the councillors collapse into fearful relief. Then the guards abruptly change course, dividing into two groups, that surround the Council Secretary and President and force them flat against the floor with their bootheels, before beheading each of them. As the masked man watches the executions dispassionately, Lirilim disrobes, trembling, then steps free of the pile of her clothing. The masked man takes her hand as if the pair of them were lovers entering a ballroom, then leads her across the blood-covered tiles to the chamber doors, which open silently before them, and close thunderously behind.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)