Opened by Overseer Zomactelonyvarix, with the following untitled poem:
The sermon proper, as it was delivered by High Priestess Gustha:Beneath the veil where shadows creep,
A dream did stir within my sleep.
A voice not sound, a light not seen,
Did cast its threads through night's sheen.
The stars did weep, their lustre pale,
As winds of Fate began their wail.
A secret path was woven there,
Of threads too strange for thought to bear.
"What hand," I asked, "would weave my plight,
And turn the day to endless night?
What gaze unseen, what nameless will,
Could bid the storm and time stand still?"
The dream grew vast, the void unbound,
A watcher lurked, yet none was found.
Its eye did pierce, Its whispers claimed,
Yet no true form could e'er be named.
I woke in dread, my breath a sigh,
The vision burned inside my mind.
A gift, a curse, a name unknown,
Yet within, Its seed was sown.
End of sermon. After it, the High Priestess then engaged questions and doubts from those present. All attendees were then invited to a feast in the Main Hall of Fort Risencrantz, where they shared stories and dreams.I'd like to start by thanking all who showed up to our temple today. I have prepared a sermon for those who do not yet know the Stranger. An introduction, if you will.
There are many gods to whom Humanity pays reverence. That being said, the Wyrd believes The Stranger, while not a god in Its own right, seeks to -communicate- with us. Its language is vast, but disproportionate to our understanding. But those who are Touched have had fleeting contact with It. Inspiration; the sudden urge to explore where you were told not to; and, yes, even what some would describe as mad obsession. Ideas that seem to come from nowhere when one wakes to an eureka moment!
During the lost era, humanity forgot much. The old ways, ancient rights and rituals, arcane disciplines. The Stranger bore witness to this. And, for a time, grew more withdrawn. Humans were unable to hear It. Not in such a time when all but survival would be a luxury. Now, after the the era of Reconciliation, in the era of Renewal, we may once again begin to seek to understand The Stranger.
I feel it is important to say, The Stranger is an entity of Extraplanar origin. We do not worship It. We, the Wyrd Cabal, instead seek to commune with and understand It. If we ask it questions, will it answer? Can it -hear- us or only -see- us? Is Its sight -persistent- or, like us, does It only get glimpses?
Through time It has been given many names, as It has never revealed a proper name that we know of in the past. It has, however, been given many interpretive names: The All-Seeing Eye, The Guardian of Secrets, The Keeper of Prophecy, The Whispered One. To name a few.
Its Domains are: Arcane Magic, Secrets, Knowledge and Madness. None of the human gods govern these domains. Perhaps you've noticed that there is a Valar of magic, but not a human god of magic. Why is that? We hope The Stranger Itself can help us answer that question over time.
Meanwhile, as Its Herald and High Priestess, I'll attempt to answer -your- questions now.