[center][h1][color=darkgray]Moren[/color][/h1][/center][hr][hr]
In Ashuru, the Tree of Rebirth was no longer only an object of prayer and fascination, but also of dread and doubt. As many as worshipped it, so many thought a curse must have set in. Was it a wretched poisoning of the land? A punishment of the wicked dead buried beneath? A warning to the living none comprehended?

Mortals found all these explanations and more, even as corpses shambled, attacking the living with mindless ferocity. Even as Wraiths wreaked havoc, the living barely able to ward them off. Prayers were directed at the gods, though few knew who or what to entreat for help.

And so, Moren stood by the Tree in Ashuru, listening and observing. She had come to witness the consequences of her actions, and now, she would address them.

First, she reached into the earth, an extension of her power like filaments questing deep beneath the ground. In its wake, the corpses buried therein began to decompose at an increased rate, flesh putrefying, then eaten away, until even the bones were ground down. Before long, only dust remained on the forest ground beneath the Tree of Reincarnation. The walking dead within the site of the pilgrimage found themselves arrested mid-motion, the spirits within banished unto nothing, the bodies disintegrated to bone ash. However, only the immediate area around the Tree of Rebirth was thus affected; she did not wish to spend however long to destroy all corpses in Ashuru, not when more would accrue with time.

No, this had but been a stopgap measure to mitigate the worst of the undead menace.

Several ur-humans had been fleeing from risen corpses, only to notice them stop in their tracks. Some had been mid-burial when their loved ones' bodies had decayed in front of their eyes. Others had been assailed by unknowable bouts of fear, cold, or weakness, only to be granted blessed respite. The lucky few clustered around the Tree when Moren appeared were the first ur-humans she had chosen to reveal herself to.

[color=darkgray][i]“Mortals.”[/i][/color] An uncomfortably chilly voice rang in their minds, and though it was as gentle as windchimes, the mental contact from something beyond their comprehension was unpleasant. 

The gathering stilled, a collective intake of breath audible in response to her greeting.

“Mama, what’s–” a child no older than tree spoke, pointing at Moren’s figure before they were shushed by their mother. Spooked, the mortals lowered their heads, or even fell to their knees. Some might have screamed had their breaths not been lodged in their throats, bulging eyes directed at her.

After a period of silence, an elder man spoke with the air of someone using to taking lead. His sight was faltering, his back so weak he required the support of a cane. His voice was tired, but he spoke calmly. “Oh, great spirit of the blessed tree, we greet you.” The others cast fearful glances at them, but a few bowed their heads even deeper in agreement. “Have we angered you, great one?”

[color=darkgray]“No.”[/color] The goddess was curt, and the single utterance caused most to flinch. While the pilgrims were quietly relieved not to have it in their heads, her spoken voice did not sound any friendlier.

They could only wonder, had they truly not offended her?

[color=darkgray]“I have come because I must,”[/color] she stated, her gaze staring far beyond. [color=darkgray]“The cycle between life and death flows more freely now, but as a consequence, corpses may raise, and the Wraiths plague you.”[/color]

Silence reigned as she concluded her explanation. The elder man judged this was a permissible opportunity for him to reply, so he did, if with a hint of confusion. “…Thank you, oh spirit. What can we…What must we do?”

The elder shivered as he felt the weight of Moren’s attention settle on him. [color=darkgray]“Burn your dead.”[/color] It was a concise answer, to put it kindly. 

Her form flickered as if she might disappear, and sensing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the elder pleaded, “Wait, please! We have never…we haven’t seen one as powerful as you before. What may we call you? This tree is holy to us, and I believe so must you be, great one, to have done what you did.”

The goddess pursed her lips, for she hadn’t intended to linger, and this old man had found unexpected courage to halt her so. [color=darkgray]“No, I suppose you wouldn’t have…”[/color] She took in the pilgrims, dilapidated and humble. The longer the man she assumed to be their leader spoke to her without consequence, the more they relaxed. Some had started taking curious peeks at her, growing bolder when she proved non-hostile. [color=darkgray]“I am Moren, goddess of death and darkness. I watch over souls in the Afterlife, but the living aren’t unfamiliar to me either.”[/color]

The elder smiled, gratified the risk he had taken had paid off. “Many thanks, oh goddess. How may we worship you? And may we call to you for aid?”

Moren considered this. She hadn’t expected to be worshipped, nor did she desire it. The divinity in her disagreed, but even so, she wasn’t much inclined to it. She could only assume this man had offered to do so in exchange for the possibility of godly intervention. [color=darkgray]“Cherish life. Honour death. Let spirits of the deceased rest in peace. If you seek protection from the undead, you must destroy bodies before they can be overtaken. Fire, circles of salt, and invoking my name or title may help you against Wraiths, who are restless spirits unseen to you – for a time. I may or may not answer prayers, for I have many tasks to see to.”[/color]

Speaking of…she had something in mind to combat the Wraiths.

That, and well. Speaking to ur-humans had been more tiresome than expected. She rather had enough, and so, in the blink of an eye, Moren was gone, leaving behind a reeling group of pilgrims.

[hr][b]Actions:[/b]
Temporarily speeds up the decaying of corpses in an area beneath and around Ashuru's Tree of Reincarnation. Destroys a great deal of the buried bodies, the walking undead, and the Wraiths surrounding the Tree. However, many of the undead and Wraiths which had wandered farther away from the center still remain.

Addresses a group of pilgrims who happen to be around the Tree of Reincarnation at the time of her appearance. She gives some answers before becoming fed up with all the talking.