//------------------------------// // Gathering: Take 8 // Story: Dressed to Steal // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Coco stirred slowly, feeling herself floating somewhere. She couldn't get her eyes open, but had the sense that she was somewhere between darkness and moonlight. Part of her mind said that wasn't logical, but she had a real hard time getting that part of her mind to work right just now. In point of fact, she was having a real hard time getting any part of her mind to work right. She started to struggle to make mind and body work...then gave up. Dreamtime magic worked better when she didn't fight, right? So she wouldn't fight. She'd just float... There you are, Guru's voice echoed gently around her. I've been looking for you. You have? Coco thought back curiously. I didn't know I was lost... You were, Guru confirmed. Lost between physicality and Dreamtime. What you did was very dangerous, very reckless, and bordering on the clinically insane for you to attempt, you realize that right? But...it was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Coco asked hopefully. Guru sighed softly. Very much so. As angry as I am with how reckless it was of you to attempt...I'm very proud of you for succeeding. That's good, Coco agreed happily, if somewhat listlessly. Umm...do you think you could tell me what, exactly, I did? Silence greeted her. You...you don't recall? Guru asked worriedly. I remember making something magical, to balance the Mask, Coco responded uncertainly. I...have no idea what that was about, or why I did it exactly. There was...a lot going on I was only barely following... Guru chuckled softly. I admit, before you succeeded I had no idea what you were doing. Once the artifact was completed, however, the true history of the Mask of Dark Earth was given to me by the Dreamtime Spirits through my Moonstone. I take it that is the story you were hoping for? If it's not too much trouble... Coco agreed, making a conscious effort to keep her thoughts from slurring. Guru laughed for a time, and then his voice changed. It echoed through the...wherever Coco was right now, becoming sound. "In the ancient times, the magic of this land was in perfect balance. The Shining Light was balanced by the Suffocating Dark. Life was balanced by Death. Creation was balanced by Destruction. And this balance was maintained by two artifacts. The Mask of Dark Earth embodied and guided the powers of Darkness, Destruction, and Death. The Staff of Moonfire embodied and guided the powers of Light, Creation, and Life. "The peoples who lived here in those times lived in harmony with nature, and with those magics. As they came to understand and use the magics, they revered the two artifacts and the powers they represented. To ensure such powers were never misused or fell into the wrong hands, twin shamans of each generation were selected to bear the artifacts, marked from birth with an affinity for one or the other. This went on for many turnings of the seasons, and all was well. "But then came the Time of Sundering. The Twin Shamans of Earth and Moon had come of age to court, and a woman had caught the eyes of both brothers. In times past when this had happened, the woman would choose one or the other, and that would be the end of it. But this time, the woman claimed she could not choose. So equal were the two, she declared, that she knew not which she would desire to have as a mate. In truth, she merely enjoyed having men fight over her, and she had been banished from several clans for the chaos she sowed from this predilection. However, the brothers were unaware of this, and began to compete for her affections. "However, the woman's words had a seed of truth to them. The twins were as alike as could be, and were true equals to each other. This had made the balance between the artifacts as perfect as they had ever been...and made it impossible to prove one brother superior to the other through physical expression. Bitterness was planted between the brothers, and it bloomed and grew into a bitter crop as it finally boiled over into a Shaman Duel over the woman. "The duel caused a great deal of damage to the land. Green plains became arid, forests became swamps, and plateaus erupted out of flat lands. Still, the people hoped for a peaceful outcome, for once the Duel was over the two Shamans could easily restore the land. But then the unthinkable happened. In order to overset his brother, the Earth Shaman turned the Mask's power of Destruction...against the Staff of Moonfire. "The Staff shattered. "The eruption of magical energies permanently scarred the land...and slew the Moon Shaman. Realizing he had slain his brother over the woman, the Earth Shaman's grief turned into rage, rage which imbued itself into the Mask and tore at the very fabric of the land's magic...dividing it between Living World and Dreamtime. Unable to wield the Mask anymore, the Shaman cast it aside. "The people made a decision. The Shaman was stripped of his rank, and cursed so that he and all his descendants could not leave this land until the Mask was balanced...whether through finding a way to recreate the Staff, or through destroying the Mask and ending the land's magic for good. To ensure he would have descendants, the former Shaman was cursed with that which he had fought for, and was bound to the woman, who proved to be as ugly inside as she was beautiful on the outside. "Generation followed generation...and the tale was lost. All that was known was that the Mask must be contained. After a time, the legends of the battle between the Shamans turned into a tale of the Mask battling the Moon Spirit...and the descendants of the Earth Shaman took up the Moonstone in an attempt to keep the Mask's power contained...which only increased its wrath. "The wrath of the Mask shaped the magic of the land, and its creatures. Thus does Death walk in everything in this land, seeking vengeance for its brother." As the tale ended, Guru's voice returned to normal. I am the last descendant of the Earth Shaman. I can never repay the debt my ancestors owe to you, for restoring our brother. Does this mean...you're going to take the Mask back? Coco asked hopefully. No, neither Mask nor Staff will bow to me, Guru replied. But worry not. Most of the magic of both infuses the land directly, restoring the balance and repairing the damage people have inflicted. What remains in them will - when used together - act as amplifiers for your existing magic, and allow you to perceive the flow of magic around you. They have chosen you, and will go with you wherever you do. ...oh joy... Coco observed acerbically, startling laughter from Guru.