The First Land Herald/449-02-30

Article Number: 85

Dateline: 449-02-30

O-PI-SEKH CHANTS ERUPT AS CHEPISO ESCAPES HOUNDS OF RUTILOR In a shocking turn of events, Chepiso, a former high-ranking member of the Hounds of Rutilor, has been sighted alive after a public execution witnessed by many in the Crossing Town Square. The circumstances surrounding his return are uncertain, leaving citizens shaken and the Hounds in disarray. Recently, a citizen of Shard reported seeing an ironwood wagon bearing the insignia of the Hounds of Rutilor rumble to a halt before the revered Temple of Light in Shard. Two Hounds emerged, dragging a bloodied and emaciated man from the back of the wagon before a crowd of citizens gathered on the street, who recognized the prisoner despite his disheveled state, and began chanting his name: "Che-pi-so." A commotion erupted as Chepiso, in a desperate bid for freedom, attacked his captors, sinking his teeth into one guard's hand, headbutting another, and smashing the skull of a Hound with the manacles that bound his hands. The crowd erupted in a cacophony of shouts. Among the chaos, the chants morphed into a new name: "O-pi-sekh." The meaning of the name, and why the crowd began chanting it at that moment, remains unknown. Despite the outburst, the tide turned swiftly. A half-dozen Hounds encircled Chepiso and smashed a steel mace into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. The Hounds wasted no time, seizing their prisoner and dragging his body into the temple, leaving a bloody smear on the ground. A Cleric attempted to protest the desecration of the temple but was shoved into a nearby alcove. Inside the Grand Hall, the spectacle continued. Witnesses reported a wounded Hound rinsing his bloodied hand in the temple's holy fountain, turning the sacred water a horrifying red. Two others hauled Chepiso deeper into the temple, vanishing into the shadows of the Alcove of Rutilor. The details of what transpired within the alcove remain shrouded in mystery. What is known is that the Hounds returned to the Grand Hall without their prisoner, but their bodies were later found lifeless within the very hall they had defiled. Chepiso was seen escaping the temple into the throng outside. Court Mage Miskton Ramahk, who led a party to cleanse the temple in the aftermath of the events, expressed his gratitude to those who helped. "I am immensely grateful for all of the people who came out to assist with the cleaning of the Temple of Light after it was desecrated by the Hounds of Rutilor," he said. "Not only have the Hounds shown flagrant disrespect, they have also failed in their custody of Chepiso. He has proven himself to be dangerous, and I encourage anyone who spots him to report the sighting to the local authorities." Mother Jaelia Evensong, another participant in the temple cleansing, offered a Clerical perspective. "Horrible actions and crimes desecrated the Altar of Rutilor, supposedly in His name. These are not the actions of Justice, be it divine or civil. The blood, wrath and destruction in Rutilor's sacred space has begun its cleansing by the community coming together and finding common cause." Days later, a scarred and barely recognizable figure believed to be Chepiso spoke with a group of adventurers outside Shard's east gate. He identified himself as a former Hound who broke his oath to Rutilor when the Hounds did not go far enough. The man spoke further of a "toll taken" and a "sacrifice made" and claimed to have died at the Temple of Light, only to be brought back to life by Trothfang. He soon left to meditate on "the Hunt." Golameth War'Child, who was among the party that encountered the man outside the gate, believes his embrace of Trothfang signifies a dangerous shift. "If he has truly embraced Trothfang, those who spat at him should be afraid. The Hunt is all that matters now to him." The exact details of Chepiso's ordeal within the Temple, the nature of his transformation, and the meaning behind the chanted name "Opisekh" remain unclear. One thing is certain: Chepiso is not the same man who entered the Temple of Light, and his return portends a dark future. Stay safe out there, Illiya Assistant Reporter for the First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Chepiso Cleric Crossing Hounds of Rutilor Ilithi Opisekh Paladin Rutilor Shard Temple of Light Trothfang Zoluren

Author(s): Illiya