Darkness Ended

by Isenara Eiryant

3rd Qindirsday of High Winter, Second Age 1853: The Festival of the Longest Night started with a bang—food piled high, preparations locked in tight. But as we lit the lanterns, a suffocating darkness swallowed everything. No light could cut through it; even those of us used to the dark were half-blind. A deeper shadow clung to the temple of the Winter Queen, like a bruise on the world. I was itching to move, to do something, not just stand around gawking.
Malakar and Talindra rolled in from their trip to the ancient oak, where they’d been celebrating with the sleeping dryad.

Grikz and Malakar tried piercing the temple’s darkness but got nowhere. Malakar mentioned running into two fae sisters—hostile ones—who’d forced him to bolt back for us. Time to act. We hit the hill, but the darkness was a beast—thick, disorienting, like wading through tar. It felt like we were teetering on the edge of the shadow realm itself. My blood was up; I was ready to carve through whatever was waiting.

The fight was a mess—tiny pixies and worse, flitting in and out of the murk. Could barely see them, let alone hit them, but we ground it out and won. Once the chaos settled, we checked the graveyard—now a frozen pond with a figure trapped inside. Malakar called her a spirit of sorrow. While the others debated how to free her, Lady Aria ordered the source of the darkness to be found. I made it to the temple stairs when the area brightened—turns out the group had helped the spirit move on, and she’d lit the place up as thanks. She left a warning too: not everyone in winter’s happy with the new order, and shadow’s got agents stirring trouble. Good to know—means more fights coming.

Down in the temple, we found images of past Longest Nights, but the gifts they should’ve held were stashed elsewhere. Another wing had an icy prison, souls from the long winter locked inside. Something kicked awake in me—Drustanus’s power, maybe—and I started praying. The souls’ pain hit like a wave, but once I leaned into it, it didn’t hurt anymore. Zaelith jumped in, copying my moves, and together we freed every last one. Felt good to just do it, no endless debate.

In the final chamber, we faced a fae with icy claws, in possession of a lantern of Rhodante she’d twisted to suck up light and boost herself. She was the darkness’s root, no question. I focused on the lantern, kept her from claiming full control over it, while the others hammered her back to her realm. The lantern vanished—probably back to its owner—and light flooded in. Well, it would’ve, if it wasn’t still night. Down in the city, folks started relighting lanterns, sparks of life flickering back.

Selestiel returned from scouting Nyxthranis—nothing moving there—so we crashed, exhausted. Woke up to find gifts waiting for each of us who’d fought for the lantern. Whoever left them knew exactly what we’d value—mine’s perfect for our task as soul wardens. No clue who from, possibly Rhodante himself but that would be presumptuous without evidence.

I’d planned to spend time with Zhyrissa, but the darkness threw that out the window. Made it up to her by sneaking into her place at dawn, cooking breakfast, and leaving a gift: a jade lion statue from a magic envelope and custom jewelry for her horns. Writing this now while she’s stirring—smell of food’s probably waking her. Time to wrap this up and get moving again.

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The Expedition
2nd Judicday to 4th Respitesday of Spring's Birth, Second Age 1852

Mystery of the Winter Temple
4th Respitesday to 5th Judicday of Spring's Birth, Second Age 1852

Night of the Dead
5th Vaeraleusday of Spring's Birth, Second Age 1852

The Beginning
5th Amerysday of Spring's Birth, Second Age 1852

Home
5th Respitesday of High Spring, Second Age 1853

Ghosts and Dead Trees
2nd Judicday of Fading Spring, Second Age 1853

Far Afield
5th Respitesday of Fading Spring, Second Age 1853

Dead
3rd Quindirsday of Summer's Dawn, Second Age 1853

Wreckage
1st Judicday of Summer's Twilight, SA 1853

The Truth Revealed
4th Amerysday of Summer's Twilight, SA 1853

Of Ratmen and Skeletons
3rd Brahmarusday of Rising Autumn, Second Age 1853

The Neighbors
1st Judicday of High Autumn, Second Age 1853:

Eglasil, the Moon Elf neighbor
3rd Respitsday of High Autumn, Second Age 1853

Flames and Storms
2nd Respitesday of High Autumn, Second Age 1853

Island Ruins
3rd Seojungsday of Autumn's Edge

Ancient Discoveries
4th Judicsday of Autumns Edge, Second Age 1853

Visitors from across the Sea
3rd Vaeraleusday of Winters Chill, Second Age 1853

Lothithil Estate
5th Seojungsday of Winters Chill, Second Age 1853

Tirion Anor
3rd Brahmarusday of High Winter, Second Age 1853

Darkness Ended
3rd Qindirsday of High Winter, Second Age 1853

Unwelcome Visitors
1st Respitesday of Winter's End, Second Age 1853

War at our Doorstep
3rd Seojungsday of Winter's End, Second Age 1853

Conquest in the Dark
5th Amerysday of Winter's End, Second Age 1853

Terrors Beneath
1st Qindirsday of Spring's Birth, Second Age 1853

Darkness Ended

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