It has been whispered in my ear by another San Elf that Furana has committed suicide, though it is not unthinkable that she died a slow, debilitating and unwanted death caused by a series of physical ailments that tormented her. Chances are, however, that she is still alive, perhaps confined temporarily to a bed in some darkened room, her disfigured body grasping feebly to the last thread of life. Fortunately, I caught up with her before she disappeared. I spoke with her and collected enough information to tell her story. I will refer to her in the present tense, because I am confident she will gather her strength soon and crawl out of her hole into the moonlight, even if only to provoke a scream from someone.
It wasn't long ago that Furana could have been considered darkly beautiful and intriguing, a wicked and sultry black rose among the Sanae. Her long, crimson-streaked black hair, cat-like almond shaped black eyes and tawny skin were known to cast a spell of enchantment over those unfortunate males who would succumb to her intoxicating presence. Fights and arguments often broke out over the tension she brought with her into a room, though she was perhaps even more well known for her sharp tongue. But since High Lord Maloveous Tazanda'ar of Saldaea was last seen in the city of Spur, when Malzor was defeated, she had suddenly become incredibly cruel on the eye, a hideously ugly shadow of a woman.
Her face had changed to the likeness of a discolored and melted candle, and her body creaked with every excruciating movement, causing her prolonged and crippling pain. She began to smell like the rotting fish on the ground of the Saldaean dump, and her voice changed from one of feminine allure to a scratchy and raspy croak. Her body parts began to fall off and had to be sewn back on. I have personally not only witnessed this, but used my sorceress etched silver pin and some dried cow intestine as twine to crudely sew her ears back on, though she lost most of her hearing.
She has endured all of this while people stood back from her, blanched, scoffed at her, or wondered whether whatever disease she had developed was contagious. Secians have giggled amongst themselves (most likely about sparklies, social gatherings at the tree, and other trivial concerns) and blatantly ignored her intense and unendurable suffering. With a snooty turn of their indifferent little faces, they have failed to offer her help or comfort, or seek a cure for her. Was she completely deaf or did she faintly hear the peels of laughter behind her when she walked like a broken-legged spider down the street, grimacing and cursing?
She is a short little wirey-bodied San Elf. Her once silken hair is now a rough tangled mass of knots, a large ugly wart sits on the end of her nose as if seated on a throne, and numerous horrible scars and marks cover the waxy grey and wrinkled skin on her face. Her eyes are dull and have a thin blue coating over them. She told the Tribune, "I irritated Maloveous and he thought to return the favor". I must note, her hair is so tangled and atrocious that I expressed to her that am surprised it does not bite, and she herself was disappointed this was not so. We can't really be sure that there is not something living inside it, however, that doesn't bite.
This curse cast upon Furana was an act of pure cruelty and hatred by the High Lord of Saldaea. It all began with Malzor, the clocktower and the timeless void. Furana, Greolin, Lal and Serrina entered through the swirling torn rift in time. They stood within a timeless void, which was only an infinite swirling grey expanse without sky nor ground. Outside the torn rift, a crowd of onlookers stood before the Gate of Time, a glistening circular moonsilver arch in the center of a rune-inscribed circle drawn on the ground, crackling with power and magickal energy. Malzor was already frozen within his crystal prison like a bug in hardened tree resin.
The group certainly didn't want to remain trapped inside the timeless void, and were understandably concerned for their safety, but curiosity seemed to have had the better of them so there they stayed for a while. They could not leave the Gate of Time nor the timeless void, and were trapped there with the rest of the Spurian adventurers there at the time.
Furana commented wryly, "I have dice. We can play eternally." She seemed hopeful and said in ironic exultation, "Well we won't age. I'll be beautiful forever!"
Greolin is a runemage, and quickly discovered that he could translocate out of the area. Suddenly, he was gone. But Furana decided to stick around, even though she believed she had the ability to translocate herself and her two friends out.
Suddenly, crackling blue energy slammed around the group, and the dark figure of Maloveous formed out of the grey. He stared at the three Spurians who had left the Gate of Time and stepped with careless abandon through the swirling torn rift. Maloveous was filled with hatred, and his malevolent eyes gleamed in the grey nothingness. He said in a calm, cold voice that chilled the group, "Have you left the void? Be honest, if any of you have lied I will destroy you and all you know for changing time".
When the trio admitted that Greolin had escaped, Maloveous moaned and kneeled before them, sending them into confusion. He sighed deeply and seemingly concerned, asked, "A mage? We can only hope he returned to our time. A mage here could go anywhere." Then with a snarl forming on his lips he spat, "This is the path of time fools, you cross in places none, even I, dare risk enter. Even the slightest change could make it so all of us no longer exist. I am here to save you from destroying us all".
Furana could not resist the opportunity to taunt him. She said to Maloveous, "What makes you think I don't want to destroy us all?" Maloveous smirked and said, "You are not a runemage. You are not going anywhere"
After Lal declared that all she wanted was to go home, Maloveous reached out and touched her, and in a shimmer she was gone and the area darkened. Crackling blue tendrils formed around Maloveous, and in the next instant Serrina was gone.
Furana and Maloveous stood, face to face in the timeless void. Lord Maloveous the Muatana-al stood nearly two feet taller than the petite Furana. Maloveous is muscular and darkly handsome, with short glossy black hair and cruel penetrating black eyes. He wore heavy enchanted leather battle mail over black satin pants and a black silk shirt. He was dressed richly and luxuriously, and his fingernails were manicured. No doubt this Muatana-al has spent many hours at his Keep being pampered by servants.
The High Lord paced, and said to Furana, "As for you...what reason do I have, to not destroy you now and leave you here?
Make it good, for my mind is made on your response."
Furana smirked, her crimson lips glistening in the dank void. She replied, "Because we are of two minds and I could help aid you in your ultimate goals." Maloveous considered her remark thoughtfully and then asked, "What can YOU do for ME?"
Furana grimaced and narrowed her eyes. She replied, "What do YOU want done? You have no reason to kill someone who was tempted by the power this place holds. Why everything could change".
Maloveous stared down at her, his eyes regarding her small form as a cat might regard a mouse trapped in a corner underneath its claw. He smirked and said, "Kill the one known as Cynus."
Furana hesitated, and replied, "Cynus?"
Maloveous said, "If you agree to do this, I will return you to your time. If not, I will kill you here." He waited, holding her beneath his dangerous gaze.
Furana hesitated and then said, "Tell me your reason for wanting him to die and I'll consider it."
Maloveous shrugged and said indifferently, "Very well, I shall leave you".
Furana's eyes sparkled and she smiled wickedly. Before he raised his hand to cast a spell upon himself that would whisk him away from the timeless void, she said, "Forever in eternity"
Maloveous smiled thinly and replied, "Forever dead".
Furana growled at Maloveous, but there was nothing she could do because at that moment the Muatana-al gazed into her eyes and immobilized her. When she was free she said, "Forever dead, trapped in this...frozen throughout time watching power escape my grasp. Perhaps I will reconsider".
Maloveous smiled and said, "I knew you would."
Furana spontaneously threw forth her ultimatum once again. She said, "If you tell me why".
Maloveous replied, "My reasons are my own. Be happy I even still wish to free you".
Furana said, "Everything has a price, Maloveous. Even you have to pay yours one day."
Maloveous dark form leered out of the nothingness. He said, "Your questions grate on my nerves".
Furana, unrelenting, replied, "And your attitude on mine". Moments passed by in a silence that was utterly complete. Time stood still, like a stifling blanket over them.
Maloveous said, "Enjoy your eternal grave. You have doomed yourself".
Furana laughed wickedly and said, "May my new God be Taath then and my eternal death a boon to him!" But he was gone.
Outside the timeless void, at the Gate of Time, the group wished to free Furana. They sent her several ESP messages intended to comfort her and lend support, although she could not respond in kind. She was left alone in the nothingness. She yelled, "Maloveous you rotten scum born of sea cow, free me!" She also yelled to the Spurians outside the rift, "I can hear you! I'm alive no matter what that overblown egomaniac thinks!" Furana yelled into the nothingness, "I will show you Maloveous! I will have my revenge upon you!" Only silence and hopelessness surrounded her shouts of vengeance. Then in resignation she said, "Everyone has to pay eventually", and began the task of studying her silvery steel Katari.
Maloveous eventually reappeared, though how much time had passed in the outside world was unknown to Furana. He smiled thinly and said to Furana, "I realized perhaps it is no good to leave you here alive".
Furana looked up at Maloveous, a spark of spitefulness still lodged within her. She smirked and said, "Yes what were you thinking? I'm so much more useful as a sacrifice". She rolled her eyes and scowled. "My death will be a cry of outrage Maloveous. Is that what you wish?"
Maloveous said, "I saved them all. I doubt that very much".
Furana said, "I cannot believe they, a group of strong warriors and heroes, could not defeat him (Malzor)."
Maloveous shrugged and said, "Perhaps they would have".
Furana laughed weakly and said, "I am sure they would have eventually. How kind you must look to them now. What a farce".
Maloveous was indifferent and unmoved, the way only a creature who had lived more than a millennium and killed relentlessly during his lifetime could have been. This San Elf before him was only one of countless victims who have found themselves doomed under his annihilating presence. He said, "You do little to give me any reason to not kill you and leave you dead where no God can find you".
Furana asked, "And why should I? You give me no reason to bow to my knees and grovel before you." Furana spat on the ground in consternation, her Sanene blood boiling. She glared at him and said, "And I would rather die".
Maloveous said, "Very well", and shrugged carelessly.
Furana teased him, smirking, "Should I come closer and make it easier for you? Do you like stalking helpless prey? Trapped like a wounded animal?"
Maloveous became amused and said, "There is little sport in it, aye".
Furana pondered and tilted her head.
Maloveous said, "I wonder..." and chuckled as he thought for a moment, his sculpted face allowing a smile to creep around the corners of his lips.
Furana asked, "The great Maloveous wonders?" She scoffed and laughed wickedly. "There are few who would be very willing to take my place in this void with you." Furana chuckled. "But I would feel a tinge of guilt submitting their pure souls to your wickedness. I wonder too, if you would not have a better time with them, their begging you to help them, save them". Furana smirked again and demanded, "Release them".
Maloveous waited for her to finish her demands and then said, "I believe I have a better solution for one such as you."
Furana said, "Oh really" and smiled thinly. She narrowed her eyes. Long limbed Furana, tawny skin, with coal eyes and a square jaw stood rebelliously before him, refusing to defer to him. Her thick hair cascaded down to the small of her back.
Maloveous said, "You seem to delight in finding ways to taunt others, I think I would enjoy seeing them laugh at you."
Furana said, "You can see that everyday, as I die beneath their blades. See they are like yourself. They like to kill things weaker so they can feel more powerful".
Maloveous then began to murmur softly in the words of magick, and gritted his teeth. The spell he was attempting to cast seemed to have gone awry momentarily. Furana raised an eyebrow and asked, "Having difficulties? So like a man. Won't your magick altar the world in here?" But then the spell was working, and slowly, Furana's skin began to change and become wrinkled. Her eyes began to lose their focus and her hair began to stand out on end. She shuddered, and winced, looking at her skin. She said, "Oh Sa". She knelt and stretched out her hands before her. Maloveous cringed and shuddered as he looked upon her once beautiful form. Indeed, she had become hideously ugly. She sobbed.
Maloveous said, "May you live your life in the laughter of all the children who run screaming from your ugliness. Someday in the future, should you prove a use to me, perhaps I will return you to your original form".
Furana glared at him and he cackled wickedly. She said, "I will watch you squirm underneath my boot heel someday. I vow that." Crackling energy formed around Maloveous as he said, "If so, it will be the ugliest boot I've ever seen". She was thrown back into real time.
That is what happened to Furana Vauje.
Reported by Sarithiya Darklure, as told to her by Furana Vauje