Your prayers invoke a dark power that meddles with the Survivors' chances of survival. Many told tales of her return, but no one truly knew what fate had befallen the High Priestess of Babylon. Neither the body of Adiris nor those of her followers were ever found. The black fumes of incense rose into the damp air before being wiped off by a cold breeze. Kneeling among her retching followers, Adiris made one last prayer. Her followers and she realised the truth in that cave: they were all infected with the plague. Her foot, which had turned black, was so swollen she could not go any further. They camped in a damp cave, where Adiris lay in a pool of vomit. She traveled north with a few followers, venturing through the cold woodlands of Urashtu, until it was no longer possible to walk. In a desperate attempt to appease the Gods, Adiris banished herself from the city. Hoping to be saved, she kept performing the rituals, offering blessed water and food to her followers.īut no ritual could save her. Ashamed of her condition, she began wearing a veiled headpiece and carried a censer that masked the rancid smell of sick that clang to her skin. Soon, Adiris' followers called her the High Priestess of Babylon.īut her faith was tried when she showed the first signs of infection her cough became a mix of phlegm and blood, her neck erupted in abscesses, and her four-toed foot darkened. Tales of her wealth, beauty, and devotion began to spread across the city as quickly as the disease. A silence fell over the followers, who revered Adiris as their new priestess. Then she offered the bloody part to the Gods, asking them to protect the woman. Without hesitation, Adiris grabbed her sacred blade and swung it at her own foot, severing a toe. Adiris rushed to her and noticed the black blisters covering her feet. The sudden display of luxury intrigued the followers, who were struck already by her youth and beauty.Īs she began reciting the Epic of Creation, a woman at the back swooned and collapsed. She strode to the brick altar and grabbed a ceremonial dagger forged in silver, her ruby ringed fingers wrapping around the blade like claws. The great hall was packed with followers who bowed down as Adiris entered. It was the sign Adiris had been waiting for. The chamber was bare except for the golden statue of a woman, who stood with outstretched hands, her fingers covered in jewels. Sliding through the gap, she reached a crypt hidden under the sanctuary. When she lit the candles, she noticed a narrow opening at the back. The swelling panic had to be contained, even if by a novice.Īnxious before her first ceremony, Adiris visited the priests' sanctuary chamber. Adiris, having assisted many purification rituals, was the only one able to carry on. It did not take long before they became too weak to perform any kind of ritual. Within months, the priests contracted the disease. Cleansings were being performed daily to answer the demand from outside the high temple walls, where a catastrophic plague had resurfaced. The priests were more and more in need of assistance. She worked herself to the bone each day that followed, fulfilling her duties while taking on new ones, as she aided the priests during purification rituals. Her worries lifted, and the resulting bliss made her feel closer to the Gods than ever. Swinging a censer down the great hypo-style hall, she cast thick black fumes that reached the cold towering stone pillars before dissipating. When she came of age, she attended the high-ranking priests during the yearly worshipping of the sea-goat, the God of Water and Creation. At night, she would pray for a sign that would reveal her purpose. She would tend to the gardens, prepare ceremonial meals, and polish ceremonial incense burners. To process her shock and sorrow, she held onto the belief that the Gods had a plan for her. When she was five years old, Adiris, the youngest of a family of seven, was left on the brick-red burning steps of the Temple of Purgation at the centre of Babylon. Additional Lore can be found in Tome 7 - Forsaken: The Maiden Guard.
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