Lightbringer, by Raven Blackmane

Story name: Lightbringer
Author: Raven Blackmane
Date: Summer 705 CR¹

Overview

Raven, High Priestess of Metamor Keep, prays to the gods to solve a weather crisis.

+ Story info (Spoilers!)

Summary

An endless storm is wrecking the crops outside Metamor Keep. Raven hin'Elric, the Lightbringer and High Priestess of Metamor Keep, prays before her altar, summoning Dvalin, the Lightbringer god of weather. He tells Raven that he is not the cause of the storms; the nymphs are enacting revenge for the felling of a two-hundred-year-old oak tree, home of a dryad. He tasks her with restoring the tree and appeasing them.

From her storeroom, and from Pascal, she acquires her ceremonial items and performs a ceremony to appease the tree's dryad Nyi, who accepts her offering. As Raven returns to Metamor Keep, the clouds part above her.

Characters

Main Characters:

• Raven: The Lightbringer of the Keep. She is the intermediary between mortal affairs and the Lothanasi gods. She takes her job quite seriously, and seems rather distant from most residents of the Keep.

Supporting:

• Dvalin: The Lothanasi god of weather.
• Nyi: A dryad who lived in a two-hundred-year old tree, recently felled by a farmer.

Minor characters:

• Pascal: The Keep alchemist. Raven requests some growth serum from her.

Locations

• The banks of the Vyaldi River have a special kind of earth, used in Raven's offering.

Points of Interest

• This is the first mention of the Lightbringer religion. Dvalin is the only god referred to by name, although there are clearly many more.
• The other items used in Raven's offering are incense, ceremonial powders, an oak leaf, growth serum, and her twin-cross amulet (the symbol of the Lightbringers).

Behind the Scenes

• In the original story submission, Raven included some notes on the Lightbringer faith:
  • Lightbringers have served Metamor Keep for 1500 years.
  • The role is passed on from the current Lightbringer to their daughter; if they have no daughters, then to their son; if no son, then to a chosen girl.
  • All of Raven's family died during the Battle of the Three Gates, including her father Elric, the previous Lightbringer.

Pawns of the Gods
Stories	For Knowledge's Sake · Lightbringer · Tail of a Young Wolf · Fetish · Ward · En Lieu
	The Lessons Trilogy	Lessoned · Hard Lessons · Lessons of Solitude
	Lethe · For I Am Lost · Passing Notes · Clearing Away · The Winter Assault · Misericardia · Koinonia · A Pawn Advances · Lessons of Faith · Dances
Major Characters	Christopher · Wanderer · Raven · Lurene

The Starchild Prophecy
Stories	Lightbringer · Rites of Ascendancy · A Cold Day in Hell · A Road into Darkness · Signs and Portents · In the Absence of Martyrs · A Presence of Thieves
Major Characters	Raven · Merai · Daria · Tessariel

Footnotes

1. The tree was cut down "this spring", but the crops have not yet failed.