Consorting|Darkthrone | New Morilanta

[Kender Bard]

Looking a bit nervous, one of the acolytes of the church approached Nissar. "Mistress Rajani bids you to visit her in her inner sanctum," he mumbled, bobbing to him.

[tuo]

Nissar looks down at the acolyte before nodding. "I shall be there shortly." He smoothly rose and made his way to Rajani's inner sanctum.

[Kender Bard]

Rajani was kneeling near her altar, but her gaze was unfocused - she was thinking hard. Once Nissar came to her room she smiled and rose. "I'm glad you came," she spoke softly. "Nissar, I must know what you plan to do with that book. Surely you are not going to keep it hidden forever. I know the spirit cautioned to use it wisely, but that does not mean not using it at all."

[tuo]

Nissar nods in understanding. "I have been giving that much thought. I have been busy securing other sources of power..but for now I believe it is time to make use of it. Right now however, the only suitable target should be somebody in the Anarlina royal family."

[Kender Bard]

Rajani cocked her head in thought. "Do we want to kill them or subjugate them?" she inquired. "Bearing in mind that the King cannot be slain through our book, though he doesn't know that I'm sure."

[tuo]

Nissar smirked. "Killing them would be far more simple..though subjugating them would have greater rewards. The problem however, if we start killing them that would give the remainder more reasons to defy us.."

[Kender Bard]

"So we're not to outright kill them...?" Rajani asked. She thinks that's the case, but she's not entirely sure.

[tuo]

Nissar smiles evilly. "Why not just ask who you wish to die so that I may think of the effects such a thing may have."

[Kender Bard]

"High Priestess Snowflake," Rajani replied curtly. She didn't hold animosity to the woman on a personal level, but her religion and her status demanded it.

[tuo]

Nissar frowns in thought. "Would you be willing to risk your life to kill the High Priestess of Love?" He asks while pulling out the book and holds it up but does not hold it out to her as he waits for her response.

[Kender Bard]

Rajani drummed her fingers as she mulled over the question. It had deeper meaning than Nissar might have intended - deep theological value.

After searching her mental bible for a long while, she finally answered, "Yes. I would. I would not risk your life though. For that, I would only be willing to bet to annihilate Anarlina completely. But for this and myself? Yes."

[tuo]

Nissar kept a neutral face through her answer and lowered the book to her. "And what of the heir? Using this book to destroy part of the so called balance that spirit spoke of may carry direct risk to you or the child."

[Kender Bard]

Rajani squirmed at that. It had been weighing heavily on her mind. On one hand, by being a priestess of Evil, no life is really sacred - it is all tainted, and if she killed herself and her unborn child in the process, then it was just a fortunate, but natural thing. She would be spared pain and suffering in the future, and she would shield her child from the agony of life.

...but on the other hand, instincts that harked back to before even the War spoke to her, and urged her to think of her child, and protect it fiercely.

"I.. I don't know," she murmured, feeling embarrassingly weak. Resolving herself, she responded, "Well, you could always make more." But the piercing pain in her heart took the fire out of her words, and they came out feebly. She didn't want to think of that possibility.

[tuo]

Nissar nodded and held the book out to her. "If you are sure, then I have no reason to stop you. However..I have heard rumors that there are some weddings occurring among the royal family of Anarlina..if you decide to stay the knife at Snowflake's throat, you might still be able to kill another near her and cast a shadow of reality over such a union."

[Kender Bard]

Rajani accepted the book but now held it like a dangerous creature, uncertain. "What do you mean?" she asked, looking up. "What do you suggest?"