Letters #49 - Zamorak Hears an Echo

Zamorak Hears an Echo

Two trials in two years, and both were the lord of chaos's favourite kind. The great foes came back as echoes, and the champions signed pacts with powers below. A demon of oaths writes in, and a slayer master counts double.

Hail, followers of darkness. What a year. First the great foes of the world roared back louder than before. Then my brothers let the champions sign pacts with demons. I did not even have to ask.

Zamorak, my students come back from their tasks white as sheets. Beside each great beast of the world now stands a second one, its echo, harder and stranger. They cannot even scratch it unless they carry the orb of that region, and only the true beast drops the orb. Where did these echoes come from?

Vannaka, of the Edgeville dungeon

From the Raging Echo, the fifth of our trials. We let the great foes of the world echo back stronger, and the champions had to master combat itself to meet them. When the trial ended, the echoes stayed.

Two of every monster, Vannaka. Your lists will be twice as long. You used to call it Slaying. I still call it bookkeeping, and now you have double the books.

Lord Zamorak. I keep the oaths of the fire beneath Varlamore. Mortals come to break theirs against me. At two thirds of my strength, and again at one third, I call my Judge across the lava to weigh them. Few pass the weighing. I write to propose terms between us, as one keeper of bargains to another.

Yama, of the lava halls

Yama, I adore your stationery. Scorched edges, a seal of ash. Very professional.

I do not sign terms. I break them. But I will happily watch you weigh the mortals. Keep the Judge busy. I will send you the ones who think they read the small print.

Dark lord, the dwarves of the south send word of a beast that lives in burrows. When the travellers beat it, it leaves a hole and waits for them further down, stronger each time. My miners fear it will dig all the way here.

Nurmof, of the Dwarven Mine

The Doom of Mokhaiotl digs down, Nurmof, never sideways. It wants to be followed, not to visit. Every level deeper, it waits stronger, and the travellers keep jumping in after it.

Your mine is safe. Your miners' curiosity is not.

Zamorak, the travellers who come to my church speak of a new trial, the Demon Pact. They say the champions bound pacts with the powers below, and each pact gave a gift and took a price. I bury the ones who paid. Was this your doing?

Father Aereck, of the church of Lumbridge

I wish. It was a trial of all three of us, and for once my brothers let me choose the theme. A gift with a price is the oldest bargain there is. Every pact the champions signed made them stronger and made them owe.

Six trials now, Father. My brothers still argue over who won each one. I have written my name on all six.

Strength through chaos,

Zamorak

DISCLAIMER: The views of Zamorak do not reflect the views of DoubleU. DoubleU would ban him, but he's a god.