The Story

    It was in the 15 Deoch, in the year of Ceannlaidir, that a young baker woman named Damara approached me in secret after mass one double-moon. She resided in the shire of Undine beneath the cruel yoke of Loures. It seemed that her only child, a girl, named Taillte had come up missing. She spoke in a hushed whisper as she recounted the awful details.
 
    It was early in the morning when she went to fetch her daughter from the shadow of sleep to attend to her chores. Taillte was usually an early riser and it seemed strange to her mother that she would have to rouse her but up she went into the child’s bedroom. Upon arriving, to her horror, all that she found was a golden signet ring that bore the crest of the royal family of Loures. She thought to immediately alert authorities but stayed herself.
 
    Damara thought to herself that after all the problems and movements toward rebellion and war that perhaps she ought to try to correct things herself. She was going to approach her own church, that of the God Cail, but then thought better of it. Since the discovery of the monastery, the monks had become rather powerful and were more united. She was worried that it would just push them to violent action and after hearing of me through some of my fellowship, she thought that I would be the best suited for the job. Fiosachd, being the Lord of luck and wit, would hold her secrets and stealthily return her daughter home.
 
    After hearing the whole story, my heart was moved to assist this poor woman who had even stepped against her religion to find her child. I sent word throughout Temuair that I sought heroes to assist me in my quest.
 
    Within my church I found those who would be available to assist these young Aislings. Brother Ashen, I knew he would be within the library in Loures researching and I sent them there to see if he had found any evidence to support the kidnapping claim. He had not seen anyone enter or leave the palace while he was there.

    Being clever, Brother Ashen sent our adventurers to Brother Jayer whom I had sent to Undine to comfort Damara. Damara had confided in him that her daughter had been complaining of horrid nightmares involving pictures of a terrible war that killed everyone she cared for and loved. While he was there he scoured the bedroom of the girl in search for further clues. He found nothing, not even the mysterious signet ring.

    Brother Jayer sent them to his mentor Lady Felicity whom he knew was praying in Ceannlaidir’s temple. As they arrived there, Felicity told them that she had no information, but if they liked she could throw bones to read the omens. After they returned with the skulls of three different creatures, Felicity interpreted the meaning to be that the god Ceannlaidir was calling the girl forth toHim.

    The clever adventurers headed straight away to the temple of veils in Mileth where they found the young girl transfixed by Ceannlaidir’s avatar. Taillte slowly awoke from a trance-like state. The presence of aislings in the room broke Ceannlaidir's spell on her. She handed them a family heirloom and sent them back to me.

    When I returned to Undine and handed the heirlooms to Damara, she knew her daughter had been found and she was overjoyed. The priesthood of Fiosachd were so delighted with the way things turned out they dumped piles of gifts and gold into my lap to give to the adventurers who had helped to find precious Taillte.
 
      After Taillte was safe at home, My fellow priests and I heard the rest of the story which I happily imparted to the seekers. Taillte was having visions of war which were sent to her by Lord Ceannlaidir. After the uprising, the war god had hoped for a monumental battle. When things calmed, he thought he could stir the people into fighting by making the child look as though she has been kidnapped. If Damara had reported the “crime”, it might have worked. I’d like to think that Fiosachd whispered in her ear that there might be a better way.

    What about the ring? As the ring was never found, we now know it was merely an illusion placed by the God of war to incite Damara to anger. Perhaps the great God Ceannlaidir will try his trickery again one day and in the mind of my adventurers, they can’t wait to foil him again!

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