The Chalice of Judgement
And lo, in the great war against the Hag, as her armies marched from the depth of the forests in the north upon the people of Teutonia, it came to pass that the monastery of Kriegendlos was besieged. On every side the beasts and the demented assaulted the Great Mother’s children, seeking to draw them from the path and into darkness. And the monks made bloody war against her forces, and the streams and clearings of the forest ran red with the blood of the fallen, and many skins were shed in the glory of Sithis and in defiance of the wood witches’ will. At this great test there were those amongst the monks who faltered, who doubted the power of Sithis, and who thought to yield. Darkness and death fell about the monastery like a shroud, and many thought to yield in the face of the numberless armies of the Hag.
When all seemed lost, there came from amongst the monks one chosen of Sithis, and his name was Brother Himbault. He who was true of faith, and mighty in his skills of war and his thirst for the blood of the unworthy. The venom of Sithis shone in his eyes, and with his staff and her power he slew the followers of the Hag on every side.
Now Brother Himbault came amongst the monks, the embattled and weary children of the Snake Mother, and he called them to a great assembly. He challenged them to show their worth in her eyes, to not suffer the unworthy, but to take what was rightfully theirs and reclaim the land of Sithis from the jaws of defeat. He led the monks in prayer to Sithis, and as he spoke he took a chalice, and entered in to it the blood of the fallen and the venom of Her serpents. He called on Sithis to enter the chalice with her power, to judge the worthy from the unworthy and to prepare those true of heart for battle. He challenged her fathful to drink of the cup, to test their faith and devotion and be judged.
And as the monks drank of the chalice, and Sithis weighed their worth and cast her judgment upon them. Those who had faltered, who offered false praise while doubting in their hearts, were struck down, had wounds laid upon them, poison burned in their veins and fear gripped their hearts. These were set upon by the brothers and their bodies cast out into the forest to die alone, their bones picked clean by carrion. But those who drank of the venomed chalice and were true, who stood fast in her sight, lived by her commandments with faith in their hearts and would let nothing deter them from proving their worth, these Sithis blessed, some with gifts of Iron will to defy the magicks of the Hag, some with Paladins’ armour to fend off the corruption of her fiends, and others with immunity to the claws and clubs of her worshipers.
And so the monastery was cleansed of all weakness and doubt, and fortified with the power of Sithis, Brother Himbault led her faithful against the forces of the Hag, and the fled before the brothers, and the children of Sithis were victorious.
The chalice was placed in the holiest shrine of the monastery as a reminder of her blessings and the judgement that awaits each of us as we shed our skin and begin another cycle of rebirth. The Chalice was guarded against the time when the children of Sithis would have cause once more to call forth Her judgment, to purge the untrue and fortify Her faithful.
Praise Be To Sithis!
