[h3][center] Eidolon Plains - Faraway Paradise [/center][/h3]

Deep within the Duskwall, survivors huddled together for the illusion of safety. They had no herds, no steeds and no weapons except for one broken spear. From the old stories, the north was described as a place of promise and wonder. Some people merely found their band, while others choose to the journey to find escape from conflict or injustice. 

They marched forward seeking paradise, knowing that they would only find the shroud. Intruders did not need to rely upon deception within the eternal dark, and there attacks were constant. Some where brash enough to demand tribute, but the only tribute where those who fought off the monster. They knew they could never win, but they could distract it long enough for the others to escape. Food was scarce, and yet it was shared anyways with the healthiest choosing to eat last. They had learned that lighting fires was a beacon to the intruders, but found warmth in each other. 

A young women, who was practicing to become a storyteller, started to one day clasp her hands together and ask for the ancestor's strength to find paradise. Diana was charisma, and her stories where a source of hope in these dark times. She had originally done it in private, and had never intended her it to spread, but she was happy that others found something from her little ritual. 

Eventually, everyone had said the ritual except for one. Gerard had carried the spear that his father had once wielded long after it had been broken. He thought it was rather silly. The ancestors had left this world for whatever was after, and they couldn't hear or offer aid even if they wished it so. Gerard once muttered to himself about how people did asked for the ancestor's help were fools, but Diana walked behind and said that they were fools with hope.

Then members of the still numerous crowd begin to disappearing one by one. A mere blink and the person walking ahead would be gone. Diana was the first to disappear, and the crowd reacted with uncertain panic. As more and more disappeared, they begin to instinctively huddled closer together. Gerald waving his broken branch outwards towards the unseen adversity. And yet more and more people disappeared. 

It happened so far, and suddenly Gerald was alone. Confusion and anger radiated from him, except that he had nowhere to direct it. He cried out skyward, "Whoever stole away my people, reveal yourself" 

As commanded, a person appeared before him, an Eidolon dressed in the traditional furs. Gerard's emotion boiled over and he began to laugh, "You possess the form of the Eidolon, but I know that you are not."

The strange spirit replied [color=#C59401]"The truth of your words depends upon perspective. What is an Eidolon?"[/color]

He tried to explain, yet his words kept failing him. He pushed past that, "Why did you take my band? Why was I left behind?" 

[color=#C59401]"They asked. You did not."[/color] he replied. His tone even and neutral as if he was simply repeating a fact. 

He was stunned, his emotions manifested as a flurry of questions, "And so if I asked, you would take me to them? Are you some spirit of wishes? How do I know that is not some trick and that they are all dead. I have heard the shroud described as paradise." 

Arvum calmly answered the questions, [color=#C59401]"Yes. If you asked, I would take you. No. I am not a spirit of wishes, my true nature is different. I must admit that I might not have intervened had I not need. You must understand that I am powerful, but I am not without limits. Nor am I without equals, I could easily scour the intruders from the plains and yet it would likely only provoke a greater response from their creator. They are alive, and they were each given the choice to return to where they were. The shroud is another matter, but should I have wished that to be your faith, all I would have needed to do is not intervene." [/color]

He attempted to process this information, but how could he when he didn't know how true his words were. "How do I not know that you are diverting us with lies to hide away the daylight from us?" 

The spirit pointed north and asked, "That was the direction you would have headed towards?" and the man hesitantly nodded. Suddenly, he was within Arvum's arms and they begin to walk in that direction. However he was walking far faster than Eidolon should be able, and the only reason that he could tell is because he saw that landmarks would appear and quickly disappear. He could not feel the strangest emotions, but something else. Something familiar. It reminded him of the sacred grounds, and what it felt like to run his hands along the strange golden grass that grew there. Quickly, they appeared before three winged intruders, eidolon corpses strewn about them. 

Gerald froze, and yet the the spirit seemed to have no fear of them. They lunged towards him, and he merely looked at them and their wings failed them causing them to tumble to the ground. When it took small steps towards them, it was intruders who ran away. Gerald asked, "Why are we here." 

Arvum waved his hand, and suddenly two knifes appeared in his hand and he outstretched one towards him. He flinched, until he realized that he was handing him the handle. "Do you want to fight. You think I am scared of you and your illusions now." 

He turned around, and grabbed something behind him that wasn't there before. It was a rawhide by a stack of them. There was also two clay pots, one filled with water and the other blood. It took a second realization, and after he saw the spirit preform the funeral rights for one of the fallen, he began to do so as well. The feel of their dead corpses and the gleam of their hearts was unmistakable, this was no illusion. 

Once they finished their task, he had only one question, "Why?" 

[color=#C59401]"I am one of the great forces which roam the world, our works grander than your current imagination. I seek to preserve life and permit it to flourish. For reasons I myself do not truly understand, I believe that mortals are vital to achieve my ends." [/color] he said. 

"Reveal to me your true form and nature, and mayhap I should believe you." he insisted. 

[color=#C59401] "I warn the experience is unpleasant to mortals. I would advise against it." [/color] he said. And yet, he did. And so Arvum revealed his true form and the man's breath was taken from him. He found himself falling to one knee. He looked deeply into his featureless face, and began to see the stories that he had the storytellers repeat from generation's past. However, he saw them as they were and not as they were told. He begged forgiveness even as he felt he was going to collapse from exhaustion. As he returned to his disguise to allow the eidolon to recover. 

"Why did you leave?" he muttered. 

Arvum replied [color=#C59401]"I am a spirit of many things, but the core of my essence is cultivation -- growth. Had I remained, I would have provided shelter but that shelter would have covered you from the sun and limited how far into the sky you could have grown. There are some which perished due to that, while others flourished. My choice had consequences, and yet any other choice I would have made would have also had consequence. My power means my choices have far greater consequences, for good or for ill. I can not make them lightly, yet I must still make them. Inaction itself is a choice." [/color] 

He still muttered, "I do not truly understand, but I trust you. Perhaps I am a fool, but I would be a fool with hope. With nothing else but a broken spear, I can claim that. I do not care what your conditions are, I ask that you take me to paradise." 

Arvum nodded, [color=#C59401] "You will not need a spear, broke or otherwise. I ask first that you hand it to me." [/color] There was a long pause and he grabbed his broken spear and held it close to him. The spirit continued, [color=#C59401] "Where you words empty before?" [/color] 

Still recovering from the god's presence, he replied, "It was my fathers. I value it." 

He expected the spirit to become angry at defiance, or maybe amusement by his stupid mortal sentimentality, but instead he nodded in agreement, [color=#C59401]"If you value you it, then I shall value it. It will be treated well." [/color] 

He hesitantly handled the broken spear to him, and he took and held it high. The broken wood regrew from nothing and the pole of the spear had been fully repaired, however it still lacked the pointed end of a spear. He then handed it back. 

Gerald was confused even further, "You said that I didn't need a spear." 

The spirit replied [color=#C59401]"It is now a staff. The island has predators upon it, but present them this staff and they shall become docile unless provoked. I have appointed Diana as leader of all Eidolon upon the island, obey her rule and the rule of her successors for as long it is wise and just. Attempt to the best of your ability to live in peace with yourself and all that lives upon or below the island. Strive to better yourself and your community. Know that the island's depths hold danger and that you are not to tread deep below its ground lightly. Hold none in higher regard than my creator, the creator of all the powerful forces of the world, however you may otherwise give reverence as you please. " [/color] he said. 

Gerald knew his answer immediately, but was paused by weight of the conversation, he closed his eyes, "I accept your conditions. I ask that I be taken to this island precious to you, my ancestor and creation of the most high one." 

When he opened his eyes again, he was upon the island and he saw his fellow Eidolon making preparations. Diana walked over to him, and they had a long conversation about his encounter with the greater force of cultivation. 

[hider= Story] 
A group of survivors without any real supplies is walking through the Duskwall, slowly being picked off. However this only caused them to rely more upon each other. Diana, a person who wanted to be a story-teller, starts praying to ancestors for strength to find paradise. Others copy her, all except one, Gerald. Gerald carries the broken spear his father owned, and isn't big into superstition. 

Everyone starts disappear, and Gerald asks the person responsible to appear. And so Arvum appears as an Eidolon. Gerald immediately knows that he isn't an Eidolon, and they have a long talk. Gerald doesn't trust Arvum, and so Arvum shows them that there group was relatively close to walking into the feeding grounds of three bat vertan. Arvum scares them off, but Gerald isn't convinced. Arvum helps perform the funeral rites of the victims of the intruders, and he starts to gain his trust. He asks to see his true form, and after being asked if he was sure, reveals his true form. Gerald has a spirit revelation and realizes that he is Avros. 

They talk about Arvum's motivation and Gerald agrees to what conditions that Arvum might impose to serve him. Arvum asks for his spear, and he is reluctant but hands it to him after saying he would value it. Arvum turns it to a staff that can quell wild animals and hands it back to him.

He tells him the rules to live on the island: I have appointed Diana as leader of all Eidolon upon the island, obey her rule and the rule of her successors for as long it is wise and just. Attempt to the best of your ability to live in peace with yourself and all that lives upon or below the island. Strive to better yourself and your community. Know that the island's depths hold danger and that you are not to tread deep below its ground lightly. Hold none in higher regard than my creator, the creator of all the powerful forces of the world, however you may otherwise give reverence as you please. 
[/hider]

[hider=Vigor]
[color=#C59401] Arvum [/color] 
No Change 

-0 Created Gerald's Staff (Discounted by Cultivation): When this staff is presented to animal, the animal becomes mildly more amiable to sapients and slightly less aggressive. 
[/hider]