Snippet #2672668

Nigel took a moment to think on his words as Vigil's words, though painfully blunt, did ring true. He perhaps thought it fair, even though it may tarnish the crown, to tell the full truth as far as he knew it. He looks out at everyone, takes a breath and tries to confess clearly, "the pool, at the heart of the cursed southeastern continent... there my mother's group fought among each other. Though she is Cecilia Mordaine, she was known then as Flannery Haozweld, and her number two, Hamza Zead, the 'bloody axe' of legend, decided that the two of them were the only ones to deserve immortality, the other two, including Balor, were to be removed... the other was a man my age, a petty thief with big dreams named Berg who... it seems Balor and he were deeply intertwined... he was killed by Hamza, split across the chest by his axe, and Balor was thought dead, her eye gouged out, stomach split open, and held under in the pool of life... I suppose Hamza did not think the final part through properly... but then again, he was a murderer, not big on thinking. Balor... as we see her as now, brutally killed Hamza in retaliation, but spared my mother for some reason..."

Nigel rubs his forehead and nervously takes a glass of ale, a strange thing considering he wasn't a drinker. This fact was not lost as he scrunched his face as he drank. He then takes a moment, holding up a finger signaling that he has one more thing to say. "What happened to the pool afterwards, I cannot say for certain, perhaps it is still there, sitting amidst the jungle, or perhaps it is all within the girl known as Gabrielle. What I do know is that Balor has decided after all these years to come here, that she took over my land, that she's using the miracle child and her Exalted, and that, somehow, your people are involved in this, Vigil."

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In the castle, Balor looked at Jonathan's work with her one good eye. She had started to question his genius, it is true, but this... it seemed spontaneous yet sound. Joy was only satisfied that Jonathan seemed less gloomy, even if he did ignore her for the most part.

Balor paused for a moment, noticing something, then pointed it out. "I as-sume Gab-ri-elle will fill one point... then Fort-i-tude... and Mercy... but," she says as she points at each with with a long sharp nail, then holds out two fingers indicating two empty points. "I will re-quire two more Ex-al-ted for these as well?"

She steps out and looks it over again, confirming her suspicion. Regardless, her mood as well seems to have lightened, even if it didn't show upon her face... the air felt less tense as it did moments ago. After pondering it over, she looked to Jonathan. "You have done well... you have giv-en me some hope... but Joy here... is cor-rect... you need sleep. You are weary, and you have earned it," her tone was strangely soft for once, almost kind, as far as voice allowed it to be.