Ryghor's Morning Offering: Blood, Steel and Fire

Rygorh moves to a quiet corner where he can concentrate, pulling a small bronze brazier with fiery runes carved about it and setting it on the floor then placing a small piece of tinder inside it. Placing a pouch that smells of sulfur in front of it on the floor, along with a miniature long sword and holding his holy symbol in his hand, he begins to chant low and rhythmically. Then in a deep and somber voice he intones, "Oh, Great Mistress of Fire, War, Chaos and Trickery, hear your humble servant's plea." He then thrusts his holy symbol forward and a small glowing hot ember flies from the symbol clenched in his hand into the brazier creating a single dancing flame. Again Rygor chants low and barely audible; the flame and Rygorh swaying with the rhythm of the chant while placing the tip of the miniature sword in the flame. As this is done, the runes on the outside of the brazier begin to glow as if living fire and seem to sway with the chant as well. After a moment or two Rygorh removes the miniature sword from the flame and pricks his finger with the tip of the white hot blade then squeezing a drop of blood from his finger onto the blade all the while chanting. A slight sizzle is heard above the sound of Rygorh's voice, and he places the miniature sword back into the flame. "Oh, Mighty Mistress accept this offering of blood and steel given freely by your servant," Rygorh intones again. Then as he takes a pinch of sulfur from the pouch and sprinkles it on the flame which turns white and smokeless. He says, "Mistress, I beg you to burn me with your fire, gird me for battle that I may defeat your enemies and mine." He then stands erect, and arms stretched forward, hands cupped downward over the flames, and with the same rhythmic pattern he begins naming the divines spells he wishes for the day ending "that Chaos may reign" and then beginning the litany of spells again repeating the pattern as he stands swaying to the rhythm. As he chants his litany over and over again the white flame begins stretching upward toward his outstretched hands. Giving off no heat, the tendrils of white flame begin licking his fingertips then as if having a life of its own starts to wrap around his hand like a python and ride up his arms until his entire body seems encased within this heatless smokeless white flame. As he chants his voice suddenly reaches a crescendo and seems to change to that of a powerful and strong but unmistakable female voice that ends the litany "that our enemies all will be destroyed in the chaos of war." As the final note of the chant ends the flame is suddenly quenched and the brazier returns to normal.

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