Curse of the Shadowmage - Mark Anthony [91]
"I have long known that the thirteen shadevari were ancient beings. But according to this"-Morhion ran a finger over a faded page of runes-"the shadevari are older than the world itself. They are creatures of the dim chaos that existed before the gods forged Toril, in the time before time, before light and dark were separate entities. Instead of a world, as there is now, there existed only a misty realm of shadows, and the shadevari were lords of that realm. Then came the gods-though from where, no one knows-and they separated the shadows into light and dark, and set the world Toril spinning between the two."
Carefully, Morhion turned a brittle page. "For eons, the shadevari prowled the face of Toril, wreaking havoc and seeking ways to shatter the creation of the gods. Their only desire was to find a way to break the world and meld light and dark into shadowy chaos once more. Finally, the god Azuth, the High One, found a way to banish the shadevari. Beyond the edges of the world, he created the illusion of a realm of shadows, and the shade vari were drawn to the image. Once within, the shade vari realized that the illusion in truth masked a prison. Too late they discovered the trick, and Azuth locked the prison with a key forged of shadows by the god Gond, Wonderbringer. Then, with all his might, Azuth hurled the key into the cosmos, sending it spinning among stars so that it would be lost forever."
"Something tells me that this cheerful little bedtime story isn't over yet," Ferret said, scratching his chin.
"Something tells you rightly," Morhion replied. "For a long age, the shadevari remained sealed in their prison. In time they were forgotten. However, as fate would have it, one day the key that Azuth threw into the void entered the world once more."
"The Shadowstar," Mari breathed in amazement.
Morhion nodded. "Indeed. What seemed a shooting star to the wandering minstrel Verraketh was in truth the key Azuth had used to imprison the shadevari. The Shadowstar gave the shadevari a small window on the world. Though still imprisoned, through it they were able to exert some influence. As the medallion transformed Verraketh into the Shadowking, the shadevari spoke to him, making him their slave, until at last he vowed that, when he was powerful enough, he would use the Shadowstar to free the shadevari from their prison. Then the thirteen would seek to destroy Toril once and for all. Fortunately, Talek Talembar defeated his father, Verraketh, before this could come to pass, so the shadevari remained sealed in their prison beyond the edges of the world."
"Wait a minute," Ferret protested. "We killed one shade-var in the Fields of the Dead two years ago. Now three more are after us. That means at least four of the shade-var have been freed from their prison. And while they're nasty creatures-and I'll grant you, I'm no expert on theol-gy they really don't strike me as godlike beings."
"You are correct, Ferret," Morhion agreed. Dusk had fallen. Firelight played mysteriously across the mage's angular visage. "However, from what I have learned, I would conjecture that the creatures that have pursued us now and in the past are merely avatars of the shade-var-limited, corporeal effigies conjured by the Shadow-star to work the will of the shadevari on Toril. They are shadows of shadows, if you will. The real shadevari are not corporeal at all, but are beings of pure chaos. And they are vastly more powerful than the creatures we have faced."
"Oh, lovely," Ferret said without enthusiasm. Mari shook her head, her forehead wrinkled in puzzle-ment. "That doesn't make sense, Morhion. If all you've said is true, then when Caledan's metamorphosis is complete and he becomes a shadowking, he'll be able to use the Shadowstar to free the shadevari from their prison."
"That is so."