Dorcha Reannán a. Chadul

(Dark Star of Chadul)

What drew me to Castle Dubhaim that day, I will never know. A soft whisper brushed back my hair, as I walked down the shore of the Isle of Man. Oh how tranquil I felt. This was not the first time I had heard that gentle whisper. I heard it but a double moon before, while attending to business in Mileth. But the whisper begged of me to continue, and continue I did. To Rucesion I campaigned, and all the while the whispers grew louder, caressing my hearing, and I followed it to the very Isle of Man.

The whispers continued, as the seas upon the shore,so gentle to the hearing, they told me all would be well! I had no power to deny this calling but nea would I ever wish to.

They took me from the vision of light, and lead me through the Isle of Man, into the very depths and darkness of the castle Dubhaim.

I spent days it seemed searching for the whispers that beckoned, wandering throughout ancient hallways and deep underground caverns. I know not if I really saw horrors I have never seen before or dreamt of them, strangely, with no terror. At this time I felt no fear at all and knew I was safe from harm....the gentle whispers came of the light.

Time seemed to pass yet then not pass at all. I do remember, in a haze, entering a cavern and collapsing into a slumber deep. When I finally roused and looked around I saw the cavern was filled with many relics from another time. Among these relics were many parchments some fragmented and some seemingly intact. I gathered up as much parchment as would fit in my pack yet took nothing else........but the whisper that had been my companion thus far would have it no other way.

I continued to search for my release and was almost without hope when, in the silence I heard the faintest sound of voices. Faint with relief, thirst and hunger I followed the sound as it grew in turn faint then louder. At this time I feel I did faint and have no memory but that of the sweet, sweet taste of water on my throat and the touch of gentle hands as I was carried.

It has taken many years to transcribe these parchments and will no doubt take many more to finish. At this time we have only those of the unknown scholar transcribed. But the whispers continue with a gentle pressure and I know in my heart this is our task.

"The days of Hy-Brasyl are gone and never to return. Therefore to fight for the light is pointless and will achieve nothing. Truly what was Dannan thinking, what did she hope to achieve? I thought in the beginning there was a chance that I could learn from her but nae.....I find I have learnt nothing. Years of my life wasted...and for what I ask you? More knowledge and wisdom is to be surely gained at the feet of Chadul......"

At this point in the parchments, there is a rather large gap in time, those before seemed to date somewhere prior to Danaan 1980, and it doesn’t seem as if any writing is done until Danaan 1985.

My God Chadul had become aware that in order to gain dominion over all living things he must, at all costs, procreate and produce a child. His Dark Star. This he has attempted many times before and failed dismally. However it has come to him that if it is done right he will not fail again. He sent me searching for the one who will birth the child. A difficult task I can assure you for the mother must be ógh ainnir (a virgin maiden), untainted in mind and thought.

After many years of fruitless searching I was successful in a land far from here, I found the ógh ainnir and returned with her to Chadul. Her exact whereabouts and the nature of her own birth I will not disclose. On a night when the moons disappeared from the sky and the howls of the Dubhaim could be heard throughout the lands, Chadul and the ógh ainnir were joined in the act of procreation.

Time passed and the infant was birthed deep, deep in the bowels of the earth, in a chamber prepared for the purpose. When I say the infant was birthed, it was not a natural process at all. As a reward for my loyal services I was allowed to wield the knife that removed the child from the ógh ainnir. I was also allowed take her heart and then her soul at the very moment of death ( my purposes for which I will not disclose at this writing). The babe, a girl child was then fed with droplets of the ógh ainnirs’ blood. Chadul then completed the ceremony alone and without witnesses so I cannot tell what else was done in that time to make this child the Dark Star.

Later Chadul told me that he had hoped for a male child but had seen immediately that a girl child would suit his purposes even better. It had been foreseen that a male child would rise and promise his people the return of peace and the days of Hy-brasyl. This child would become known as the man Dorch Tenes It was a simple feat for Chadul to send dreams to plague the young man throughout his youth. His sleep was filled with visions of a woman like no other he had ever seen, he burned with desire for his dream and knew that even if he never found her there would be...could be, no other for him. Such was the power of Chadul.

In the meantime the infant grew from childhood to adolescence to womanhood under my watchful eyes and the eyes of Drachmere, an old wizard crone who knew her place at the Master’s feet. The Dark Star, loyal to her father, learnt her lessons of evil well. She was, after all, her father’s daughter. She learnt quickly and naturally the crafts of wizardry and was either born with the power to control the creatures of the Dubhaim or it was a gift Chadul bestowed upon her. I will admit there were times when as a child she used her powers to gain her own ends. Many a time Drachmere was out of favour with Chadul for the lack of control she had over the lass. Especially when the child overran the realm with hordes of Dubhaim. Despite that she was quiet in nature and kept her thoughts close to herself. She was truly a beauty beyond compare in any the worlds. Her hair as black as the darkest velvet night, pale flawless skin, and lips of deep

blood red. Mortals need only look upon her once to be lost and to willingly give up their

souls forever.

In the summer of Dannan 2420, Chadul felt the time had come and Tenes was bought into his presence. My God then kept him in a state of trance for several moons. While in that trance, his mind echoed and echoed with whispers "I am you God, and it is only through me that you can return peace to these lands." Tenes mind was filled with many visions but the one that brought relief was the vision of the one he desired above all, the maiden of his life-long dreams.

Chadul sent for his daughter and bade her care for Tenes " Let him see no other face but yours in the time he is here." As Tenes vision began to clear, and he saw that his dreams had become a reality, he did not question but praised it as a miracle that his love was now with him. She gently bathed him and ministered to his needs, playing the role of a caring woman touched with love superbly. He was euphoric when Chadul offered her to him in marriage, and saw her special talents and her control of the Dubhaim as

a great gift towards bringing about the peace he so desperately desired.

My God rewarded me yet again for my faithful service and it was I that performed the ceremony to wed the Dark Star to Tenes. As always this Star of Darkness was beyond compare. Yet, on that day her eyes glowed with a dark light as if knowing that upon her womanhood she would know and feel her full strength and power. Oh how I envied her, to gain a power that I had worked years to achieve. Mind you, my power strengthens as each day goes by and my time will come. Within days of the ceremony Tenes and Dubhreal, as she is now known, returned to Piet. The old crone Drachmere accompanied them as Dubhreals’ faithful servant.

It was in this time that the Dark star shone bright. It was she who fought alongside Tenes in battle harnessing the powers of the Dubhaim and creating havoc and destruction. No man, woman or beast could look upon her and refuse her if she so chose. It was she who brought the Lords to the table and convinced them of the League of Darkness and later, the eventual signing of the Pact of Anaman. Such was the power of the Dark star.

What is left of the scholar in me must now tell you that Chadul never once intended that Tenes’ fight for peace be a success...not for Tenes at any rate. Nae the success was for Chadul and for his daughter.......and of course for me. Oh yes, of course for years there was some peace attained for Tenes and the lands of Temuir....but at what cost? Tenes rule with his wife, Lady Dubhreal, was not without accomplishment! There were many deaths and many souls claimed which was exactly what Chadul desired. What better way to begin the mortals’ descent into darkness is there, than to encourage wars, destruction devastation and greed!

"Foolish mortals cannot envisage the way things truly were! But nea, they sing of the glories and the triumphs of their leaders and themselves in battle. Fools, they truly are, to think that the Dark Star is dead. Nea she rests with her father in his realm and watches....as their plans come to fruition. My God has proven he is well able to bide his time and is prepared to wait for his dominion over all living things. All Dannan achieved was to teach him patience."

Such is the power of Chadul, My God.