text: [Themes: Fantasy]
  
  > go down
  She dives down.
  
  Caves (The Latent Waters)
  There's a soft light and a rippling from the surface up above. Southeast takes her back to the Junction and there is a ragged hole in the rock to the northeast. The bottom here is mostly sand and rocks, and nothing grows here.
  
  The water is still.
  
  > Go northeast
  Caves (Where Bubbles Rise)
  There is air above in this larger cave and just a hint of light somewhere ahead.
  The cave curves gently to the left and continues northwest towards the light while south takes her back to the Junction.
  
  A stream of bubbles rises from the pitch-black bottom, meets the girl on its way up, and then explode in a glittering cascade of air around her.
  
  > Go upwards
  Caves (Among the Restless Roots)
  The space she is in is not more then twice Lornedei's length in any direction. The tangle of roots makes the space seem smaller yet. The pale mass of roots stirs restlessly. Below her, the inky water of the river flows past.
  
  > take the red worm
  As you wish.
  Something wraps itself around Lornedei's hand. She pulls her hand away with a shriek.
  
  > put the red worm on the roots
  Lornedei places the red worm on one of the roots. It sniffs the air, surveying the roots for a moment before taking a huge bite out of one. All the roots seem to stir and shudder, trying to avoid the biting pest. After only a few big bites out of the root the red worm seems satisfied. The root's restless movement seizes right away as the worm curls up into a ball. Lornedei picks it up again.
  
  > put the yellow worm on the roots
  She drops the shiny red worm into the old tarnished bronze urn. Something wraps itself around Lornedei's hand. She pulls her hand away with a shriek.
  As you wish.
  A low squeaking makes Lornedei turn around. The sound stops.
  The skinny worm starts biting the moist tangle of roots. One after another get to feel the starved fury of the yellow worm. The roots start to shake violently to get rid of the furiously eating worm. Big pieces of moist wood are torn from the roots. Some disappear down the worm's seemingly bottomless stomach. Most, however, drop in the water.
  
  Eventually, the tree gives in. The roots move aside, revealing a passage south into darkness. Lornedei picks up the worm that oddly enough looks no less skinny now.
  A low squeaking makes Lornedei turn around. The sound stops.
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  
  > go south
  After squeezing herself through the tight passage she is not just dripping wet but also filthy and out of breath.
  
  Slowly, Lornedei looks around this dark clearing. An oppressive gray fog hangs over everything and seems to add weight to the air itself. There is a presence here. Something is waiting among the dark trees. Something sinister.
  The gray mist hides the sun from sight and there is no way to make out which direction is which.
  The clearing is almost perfectly round and thirty or so paces across. It is surrounded by the forbidden forest on all sides.
  A giant black oak stands in solitude in the middle of the clearing. Many of its roots stick out of the ground like snakes arching to suffocate their prey. Steps are cut in the oak to provide an easy way up.
  
  A stone altar stands in the shadow of the big oak. Dry grass and shrubs are still rooted in the dead soil, and more of the deformed bushes grow in a loose circle around the oak and the altar.
  
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  
  The great roots under the giant oak have slid aside revealing a passage.
  A greenish fog seeps out of the darkness between the trees. Lazily it gathers itself until a green pillar of mist is formed. It glides slowly over the dead grass and stops next to Lornedei. It starts to spin. Lornedei moves a strand of hair from her face and puts it behind her ear.
  The beetle squirms its way out of Lornedei's grasp and drops to the ground. It runs off, climbs up on the stone well, climbs back down, crawls through the bushes and seems to inspect the stone house, to finally stop at one of the paths.
  
  > examine the green mist
  A stubby pillar of greenish fog hovers just above ground level. It spins around its own axis like a slow motion whirlwind.
  
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  An old stone well gurgles softly not far from a crumbling stone house. On the other side of the clearing, three paths lead into the forbidden forest.
  
  The roots under the big oak stir restlessly. The shadows beneath them seem to grow momentarily, but when Lornedei Looks at them the movement stops.
  There is a loud buzzing from the rucksack. Suddenly the Beetle comes crawling out and scrambles down to the ground. It spins around.
  
  > enter House
  Hall of Severance (In the House of Penance)
  Lornedei steps through the crumbling opening into a darkness that is not quite total. There is dim light sifting down from the ruined ceiling above. She glances up, perhaps fearing that the whole construction will give up at her intrusion.
  
  But the only thing falling down on her is the weight of history; stories of cruel ignorance, memories that linger. The light catches a glittering thread and Lornedei swipes at the descending spider before it can land on her. With a grimace she steps on it before it can scramble away, burying it in the dry dirt. She looks around, but if there are more spiders here, they keep out of her way.
  The many years have taken its toll on this house. The circular wall tapers slightly towards the ceiling. Above her, a framework of thick beams support several generations worth of spider webs. There is not much left of the roof now. The light from outside leaks in through the holes in the ceiling. It magnifies the presence of fine dry dust that floats lazily in the still air. Long since rotted straw and reeds cover the earthen floor.
  
  A pair of rusty manacles hangs on the wall.
  "Master?"
  
  > search the straw
  Lornedei kicks the rotted remains around with a grimace, holding her breath against the odors rising from the floor. A shriek cuts through the still air and she takes a step back.
  
  Empty sockets in a yellowed and cracked skull stare up at her. She takes another step towards the opening and starts to turn to leave. Something causes her to look back, though, perhaps a sense of shame for disturbing this final resting place. She stares at the human skull peeking out from its shallow grave, and goes to cover it again. Before she can throw a handful of the old straw over it, she stops. There is a sudden glimmering light from within one of the dark holes. There is something inside the skull. She also notices a small pouch in the shallow grave, half buried in the dirt.
  
  > Wear amulet
  As you wish.
  Lornedei looks around, biting her lower lip.
  In the cracked skull is An amulet.
  Lornedei's hand trembles at the touch.
  "So much power!"
  
  [Your holiness has just gone up by five.]
  Lornedei hangs the amulet around her neck. Immediately it flares up and shines brightly. The blinding light fades somewhat and the light becomes soft and steady. Lornedei shivers in delight from the power in the crystal that gives itself to her.
  
  Lornedei's magic just went up by one hundred.
  
  > examine the skull
  The skull shares the shallow grave under straw, dirt and reeds with the rest of the skeleton. Lornedei takes only a quick look at the bones before making sure they are covered. They are of no interest to her.
  
  The skull is cracked, and brutally so it seems. This person, whoever it may have been, was sent to the afterlife with the help of something heavy but blunt, a rock, perhaps a hammer. No doubt it was swung in fury or fear. Lornedei cringes when she sees scattered pieces of bone near the skull. She quickly covers the teeth, hiding them from view while holding a protective hand over her own mouth.
  
  > reach the skull
  Lornedei places a hand lightly on the skull and shuts her eyes. A low sound escapes her tightly closed lips. The final moments of a girl's life spill into her mind. An already pale face turns ash gray and she trembles, tries to pull her hand away, but cannot.
  
  "No! No please." The screams have lost their strength and turned to whispers, gurgling coughing, and inaudible pleading. Now they are only in her mind. She knows there will be no mercy. She tries to turn to the side on the hard ground, tries to spit the teeth out before they choke her, but another blow forces her head the other way. Someone is holding her legs down. She cannot pull them up, bring them together, cannot get rid of the weight. Something else is pushing down on her stomach, a boot, and she cannot turn, barely breathe. Something is holding her hands, but then one comes free. She lifts it to her face. The next thing that breaks are four of her fingers along with her nose, the nose that is underneith the hand.
  
  There are four of them. They take turns with her, sharing the pleasure of beating her with the rock. They take turns using her body, the part of her body that is not yet covered in blood. She cannot see them. What slits might be left to see through have filled with blood. She has no wish to see. She knows it will be over soon, very soon.
  
  There is no salvation, no hope of rescue, but in the end there is no longer any pain. When Anadei's body is used up and is systematically broken up, the way it is told it should be done, she is long gone.
  
  Lornedei reels back from the skull, turns, and staggers away from you. She leans forward and struggles to avoid being sick.
  
  You watch her with clinical curiosity. Can this young and soft girl, in the end, do what you need her to do? Can she banish the evil and then bring back the old ways? The old beliefs? Perhaps even the old rituals could be revived. You must think this over as time moves on. For now, you turn your attention to the task at hand.
  
  Lornedei is watching you. She is pale but composed.
  "Her name was Anadei, daughter of Meredea. She was the last of the light bearers Master. They feared her so much that she was ordered dead." Lornedei laughs dryly and continues with a cynicism very unlike her. "I guess they completed that task, but that is not all they did." She shudders and will not say more on the subject.
  Lornedei's magic just dropped by five.
  
  > Bury skull
  The cracked skull? Think that will grow?
  
  > Dig
  (the pair of manacles)
  Lornedei shakes her head.