The Weeping



The Weeping is a Blessed of tremendous power. It is believed by many to be unique, but it is not. It appears that there may be a number of these creatures, though they will never be found within hundreds of miles of each other. It is unknown whether they communicate with each other in any way.

Description
The Weeping is tall, thin, with long, sharp and somehow beautiful features, and somewhat resembles an Aelth in basic form. It has hard alabaster white skin which is covered in deep slashes and rents which constantly trickle a thick, dark blood. They are eyeless, and their empty eye sockets also constantly weep venomous blood. Were one to peer closely into its rents or eye sockets, one would see that it appears to be filled with a writhing mass of countless tiny red/black worms.

Like the Blood of the Gods, a Weeping's blood can grant great power to those who are exposed to it. Unlike the Gods' Blood, the Weeping's tears have seemingly been purified of the Blood's corruption, and apparently will not destroy or transform those who partake of it. However, those who do taste the Weeping's blood are forever subject to the will of that Weeping. They partake in some of its power, but knowingly or unknowingly, they are subject to its mental influence.

The Weeping are very smart, and very powerful. Most Weeping were created when the Blood of the Gods was newly fallen, and they were the among the first beings of power to arise from that fall. Thus, when one meets a Weeping, assume it is very old, and terribly cunning. It will speak in riddles, and they have been known to deal and bargain with people for power. It can feed mortals some of its blood and grant them power, butthereafter the Weeping will always exert a subtle but inexorable influence over that person for as long as they both live.

They are usually found seemingly wandering alone in the worst of the blasted wastelands, the areas that were too damaged in the wars of the Gods and their subsequent fall to sustain much normal life. However each one likely  has a vast web of telepathic influence over many people - especially mages hungry for power without the risk of corruption - all over the world. Their actual goals are usually very long reaching and opaque.

Rumors and Reactions
There are scholars of many races who beliieve that the Weeping were formed from Aelth who were felled by the Blood of the Gods, and that Aelth who are corrupted by the Blood sometimes arise as a Weeping. The  Aelth as a rule not only deny this fervently, but they may refuse to even acknowledge to a member of another race that the Weeping exist.

Note however that the Aelth will often stalk a Weeping endlessly and tirelessly, even obsessively. Aelth who learn of the whereabouts of a Weeping often seem willing to do anything and everything in their power to find it and destroy it. While engaged in such a quest, most Aelth will absolutely refuse to admit what they are doing or why they are doing it, and will even claim not to see or be aware of the creature they are stalking and fighting, to deny even that they are fighting anything, while they battle it to the death.

When a Weeping is destroyed, the powers that it granted will fade, slowly but inexorably, over the following weeks.

A Meeting
A long vertical stone chimney, smooth walls, leading deep into the ground. At the bottom is a spherical chamber, the bottom third of which is filled with a thin pool of  viscous red liquid so dark it is almost black, which radiates a faint purple glow that illuminates nothing but the pool itself. Hovering above it is a humanoid in hooded light saffron robes, sitting it a lotus position in mid air. The robes are stained with the creature's blood, which also glows faintly. Her blood occasionally drips into the pool, the only sound in the chamber. The chamber has a single other entrance, a hidden door leading to a narrow ledge high on the wall, facing the back of the floating figure. A group of adventurers enters the chamber, tensely and silently. The figure turns smoothly in the air and pulls back it's hood to reveal the rent and eyeless face of a Weeping. The creature's split and bleeding lips turn gently up in a small, sad smile. It's mouth never opens, but each intruder hears its beautiful and hypnotic voice directly in hismind, each in their native language.

"Welcome, children. You are weary.Take ease. Be warmed. Be one, and at peace." She beckons, and the four hardened treasure-seekers feel their eyes start to close, their attention wandering and their bodies relaxing, while in each, deep the core of their beings wails first in fear, then in despair, and then finally in ecstasy.

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