The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Rishall Callahan: LXXXVIII

"L..look. I think this is long overdue.. I uh.. Realize." His voice was.. A tad bit deeper, just normal. He still looked and even acted like a young girl, with black hair reaching just past his ears lightly curled on their ends. Markos had elven features that stood prominently in a unique way. "The other day.. I was very rude to you and I will admit to you I was having a bad day, and uh there's something you should know about me." Know things? Rishall was skeptical however his curiosity peaked.

"Go on." Rishall offered, the cultist looked scared but nodded.

"I am.. Insane." That much he had put together. "While it's a fact I run away from.. It's an undeniable truth I am forced to embrace.. I am crazy, and.. A danger to society and a danger to myself."

"I got that much already." Rishall replied.

"Well.. in that case, can you tell that right now I'm not?" Markos pleaded. "Not very insane, I'm.. Fixed.. A tad.."

"I don't know.. I don't know you well enough but... I don't know what's changed besides your eye color." He brought a hand up to his chin but realized Markos was still holding his hands above his head. "Drop those." He instructed, he was sure as of that moment Markos was semi stable it seemed. Markos pointed at the necklace on his chest.

"I don't have long before this thing bursts into flames.. And I go.. Back to normal.. A Darmor.." A what? Markos looked sympathetic. "Just listen, I came to your shop looking for books because I. I.. need knowledge." He looked distraught and Rishall swore he saw.. Smoke. "Tell me, do you really think someone who's.. Willing to toss a necklace on to cu- Agh! Do you really think I'm in this insanity business for the long haul? Rishall I want to cure myself." His voice began to crack apart sounding rather broken and saddened. "I want.. To.. have a life.. Be allowed to live, breath, and die. Of my own mind." Rishall certainly saw smoke now, smoke rising from the necklace as it seemed to be consumed. The cultist clutched his head in pain and he swore he saw tears in Markos's eyes. "I-I don't want to be like this forever!" Markos's voice trembled and shook in fear.

"Srica drong." Rishall extended a hand to the silver metal feeling power flow from his grasp into the pendant a mystical golden aura took over it and the device began to simmer in smoke.

"AGHH!" It was then the cultist cried out in pain his hands clutched his head like he was desperate to stop some kind of headache. Eventually it seemed to slightly suside and the half-elf stood once again this time however the green eyes looked muddy, no more like sea green but a horrific mix of green and several other colors. "I-I can't do that unless I know how to get out of.. This." Markos pointed to his head and then heart. "I know I wasn't kind. But I'm begging you Rishall.. I need knowledge and information.. I need a way to escape what is here.." Something in his heart broke a little. On the ground wasn't the deranged cultist he expected. It wasn't chaos incarnate or the same man who had threatened to bring about an apocalypse. It was... a child. A twenty year old boy who had seen so many horrific things, and most likely never chose the path of his life. "Every caveat or way I've found so far has been temporary.. Imperfect.. If he.. He sees what I plan or.. She hears me.. I'm.. she will stop at nothing to ensure I stay like this."

"You say this.. Thing cures you? It's keeping you sane?" Rishall held up a hand, the tears on the cultists eyes were enough to sway him. "Takes away your insanity.. Curious." He picked up the necklace's metal medallion and studied it, casting a silent spell to reveal magic, he found.. Odd powers. One side of the coin resembles a long stick at a forty five degree angle with branches leaching from it. On the other side he recognized a symbol similar to that of a star but at odd curved angles with the lines overlapping. Inside the star's center was a small circle pierced by an inflamed torch. He was unsure if it was an eye or indeed a flame. "This is.. Odd magic.." he admitted feeling waves of slimy alien forces wash over him. Spells he'd never seen weaved together. "I casted a spell to make it hold just a little bit more.. I don't know how much I can help you.. I don't have many books on the far realms.. I sold you what little I think I do have. So much of it is.. Alien to me." Rishall sadly shrugged.

"Do you want.. One of these necklaces to study?" Markos suggested. Rishall quickly held out his hand letting the cultist give it to him. "To be honest.. I hate wearing them.. I'm- I'm.. insane one moment and sane the next.. Every cell in my brain seems to die, everything that is me.. Dies. When I put on the necklace it feels like I'm being tossed into the basement of a house I live in. I can hear it all.. But do nothing. When it comes off, the feeling returns, and someone else walks away with my body.." Rishall didn't know how to answer but he took the necklace.

"Thank you.. I guess I was too late in my advice to not look into the far realms.."

"About fifteen years too late.. In age.." Rishall felt flabbergasted, that long?

"That.. long?" He asked curiously. Markos nodded as a tortured expression was on his face. "First thing I can tell you is.." He took the necklace, a curious looking thing, runes he'd never actually seen before studying the sides he noticed something odd. "This side.. Gives off a mystical pulse.." He pointed to the branch-like symbol. "It's very faint.. But I used my own power to make it longer.. I'm curious about the enchantment though, it's.. It's strange." He had never seen such a unique weave of magic in a single thing. The artifact itself was in no way imbued or empowered.. It was simply.. The actual design. No one attempted to enchant it, no one had made it magical in the forging process, he speculated if the symbol was drawn on paper it would still hold that magic. "You know of the schools of magic. Well this is a strange mixture of several schools.. There are elements of conjuration, abduration, there is enchantment despite this metal not being enchanted itself. I've never seen a spell so complex.." Markos stood there like he knew everything being said but had nothing in response. "I will help you Markos.. So long as you enter my shop wearing that." He pointed at the necklace. "I will aid you.. We will cure your insanity.."

"Thank you.." Markos whispered, pulling the necklace off of his neck he saw pain shoot through the head of the boy as he cringed in response to its removal, Markos turned around, unceremoniously. "Thank you.." he said even quieter now. Rishall didn't know what to say, with such an unexpected visit. "I.. have to go.. It won't be long until they realize I'm gone.." he pointed behind him in the direction of TrollSkull manor. Rishall nodded. He leaned over the curb staring as the cultist palmed a small red flask with a heart shaped bead bouncing in it.. His hands were clenched around the potion and a page from a book. Rishall wanted to call out and ask about it, but decided against it.

"You will have a life.. We will at least try." He held a hand to his chin and bid Markos a farewell. "You're welcome.." He thought. With purple and green eyes.. The switch of sanity and insanity. "Amanodel."