3. Vertus Dahl - Faithful of Kossuth

Vertus Dahl - Faithful of Kossuth

  • DM

    Vertus knelt on the hard stone floor of the Preceptory of the Disciples of the Phoenix, the warm air of the evening blowing gently through the stone hall as he knelt before a great brazier a huge iconic image of a dark, blackened phoenix raised up in front of him on a great white plinth. He glanced up ending his long reverie and prayer head bowed, flanked in his heavy red robes between two great braziers, burning with a magical fire.

    Looking up at the image of the phoenix he saw the tendrils of flame permanently pulsing around the wings and body of the bird, fixed in an expression of agony, or was that rebirth or exultation and issuing a divine call from its ever-renewing soul to the heavens.

    It was the gift and creation of the high priest of The Brazier , as the common folk called it, the high and most holy temple of Kossuth in the realms just across the city right in the centre.

    The Disciples of the Phoenix was accepted in the wisdom of the mind of the zulkirs, and many of the senior priests - and the Order themselves were happy to maintain a polite distance from some of the more tyrannical and fanatical devotees of Kossuth.

    Rising and bowing low at the waist to the icon of the phoenix Vertus heard the liturgy of the monks starting up in the main hall of the Preceptory and he heard the clank and booming wooden noise of the great wooden doors closing as gold and red armoured and blessed knights of the Order of the Cleansing flame humbly adopted the simple duty of securing the doors before each of the 5 sessions of prayer each day.

    In a few hours it would be highsun, the morning prayers for the monks having just commenced, and the monks shall come to him as usual in the Aesthetic and humble manner they always did, but with the questioning and insightful insights they sought on the aspects of the firelord as accompanied the righteous and renewing aspect of fire that the Disciples rigorously adhered to.

    Vertus turned from the main altar of the Preceptory, and walked off silently his simple shoes shuffling across the immaculate white stoned floor, bowing in reverence to a senior priest and his entourage of two knights who were about to receive a sanctification of fire prior to another crusade across the water.

    He turned and watched a moment as both knights knelt, reversed their blades point upward to the vaulted ceiling before uttering words in ignan their blades leaping into flame at first and then an aura of positive energy the bane of all undead. The priest smiled and with his hands extended toward each warded them with a shimmering aura of protection. Calling forth words of power the priest extended his red armoured fingers toward both knights immolating them in fire, to which they remained utterly untouched. The Knights raising the burning blades of their swords to their lips almost like a duellist keeping them their as they chanted softly in the manner of the Order.

    Vertus smiled, pleased with the beauty of the ritual, and headed for the hospital of the temple where the diseases of the city met so often with a perfect cure as adherants, friends and family joined the ranks of the church and climbed the terraces to show their devotion, even though in the preceptory of the phoenix the blessings and healings were given freely to all. Donations flooded in from the thayan populace.

    Highsun would be his last act as under-priest to the preceptory, the braziers had informed him that soon he must go and spread the example of the aspect of the disciples of the phoenix to wherever thay had been in the past. West, and north he was told beyond the river and vales. He turned to inspect a wounded monk who had injured his leg in an agricultural accident and smiled as his prayers were answered, putting his hand upon the young mans shoulder in comfort. The man was only a season or so younger than him.

    The challenge of the young, soon all of them must prove themselves in their own way, it is inevitable… It is the will of the Firelord.

    Vertus moved among the injured for a moment closing his eyes in thanks as he saw the tendrils of flame in the corner of his perception as the power of kossuth channelled through his body into those he tended to. Turning for the door back to the altar hall, he glanced at the brazier lit beside the simple hospital door, and in his minds eye he could see the fire looking back at him as always. The cycle of the life of the fire, spark, blaze extinguish, on forever... the ring of fire The Annulus Conflagrus - his eyes were drawn back to the heart of the brazier; the ring of fire forming as he observed the will of his lord come to mind once more. He smiled and closed his eyes in silent thanks of the small sign of approval, and stroking his short black beard he turned the iron handle of the door only the sound of the closing door and the flickering of the flame remaining of his passing.


  • Reviewed - XP Pending.