The old man nods. I understand. It must have been a horrible thing to be possessed. It just shows how important it is that we defeat Gothul. Now, as I understand it, the plan is to open gates to the underworld and push Gothul in, or something?
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The old man nods. I understand. It must have been a horrible thing to be possessed. It just shows how important it is that we defeat Gothul. Now, as I understand it, the plan is to open gates to the underworld and push Gothul in, or something?
Orin
Orin nods "Indeed. Open a gate to Imshaeroth's realm, push him through, fingers crossed. If the god of death cannot unmake Gothul, who can?"
Orin pauses just a moment, watching the priest out of the corner of his eyes.
"Excpet, maybe, who- or whatever made Imshaeroth and the others."
Lycar
The old man shrugs. Who knows what created such ancient beings as the Gods, they are older than the world itself. He thinks for a moment. Aren't you worried that Gothul will just exit his host as the host is pushed in?
Draven shook his head.
"We will use magic to bind him to his host first."
Orin
Orin sighs "Thanks for reminding me. Now I'll have to get drunk just to forget about that again."
"Serioulsy, I may be a so-called 'noble' but I don't have enough inhuman blood in my to really be any good at magic. If Lady Ismal says, that they can somehow prevent him from escaping with magic, I will have to take her word for that."
Orin falls silent again and broods a bit.
"So... what are people supposed to do when they are dead? I mean, our time in life is limited. But what about death? How are we going to spend eternity without going insane from sheer boredom?"
Lycar
Draven sighed.
"We won't. If even a God will go insane after a couple millenia trapped in an obelisk, surely it won't take nearly as long for us to lose it."
He looked down at the sandy earth.
"I never used to fear death..."
There is a way out, you know, says the old man from behind his blank mask. The crushing emptiness of the Underworld is your default destination, as Imshaeroth grabs souls and whisks them to the Underworld. But there are ways out. Certain other Gods, such as Veldaera, he says gesturing towards the wolf mask worn by his sickly companion, can take your soul too, if you will give it to them freely. We can take your soul to a paradise of beauty and pleasure.
You mean enslave them in death, says Ruchion, coming up from behind you. Don't try and push your beliefs on them, Grek og Mer.
The Mokai priests tense, but you are all interupted by shouts from the sailors. Looking up, you see two dragons spiralling down. Gadirir, the blue dragon, and Khael'an, the copper, land with thumps on the sand next to the ship.
Looking up at the two Dragons as they began their descent, Draven felt obligated to remind both the monk and the priest of his position.
"You know Ruchion, Grek, I had been a lifelong follower of Cilnara."
He looked to the Mokai priest.
"And I expected to awake in her embrace when I died, but I awoke charred and naked in Goramesh instead."
He strode towards the Dragons, finishing his thought by speaking over his shoulder.
"Now I'm inclined to believe that NO god deserves my praise."
Looking towards Khael'an and Gadarir, he increased his pace to greet them, bowing.
"My Lords, we are glad of your arrival. What news?"
Orin
Orin watches the appearance of the two big scalies with seeming impassion.
Instead he speaks to Ruchion "Ah but Ruchion, this is a seller's market. It is my soul after all and I only want the best possibly afterlife for me, myself and I. Those three of us are really not going to settle for anything less."
Then he asks the masked priest "I am intrigued and desire to learn more. What does eternity hold for those who choose to give themselves to Veldaera willingly?"
Lycar
Khael'an nods in greeting to Draven, but Gadirir snorts dispassionately.
My clan will arrive soon, says Khael'an.
As will mine, growls Gadirir. They are coming as fast as they can. Now what's the plan? Shall we break in to the city and crush this feeble God?
Ruchion shakes his head sadly. I won't stop you listening to this man, Orin, but I will warn you that they lie. Their supposed paradise is just a prison.
Grek waits patiently as Ruchion walks back to the other priests of Imshaeroth. We lie? he says vehemently to Ruchion's back, although not too loud. It is they who have the God of Lies serving them. He looks back at Orin. The Kael Vorn live in a paradise realm with all their worshippers. It is a beautiful place, of verdant forest and green grass, and happy towns where everyone lives peacefully. There is no death, no disease, no toil, for the forests create food in abundance. I haven't been there myself, but I know others who have and been raised. It was so wonderful that some of them were upset we'd brought them back to life.
"Know them personally or rather: Know people who know people?" Orin inquires with a sweet, innocent smile.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzy_G
Lycar
I've met them myself, says the man, I've seen the old High Priests resurrect people. Not often though, after all, they've earned their place in paradise. But sometimes particular people are really needed, so they have been resurrected.
Orin
"Okay... what is it you guys believe in then? You know, about life, the universe and all the rest?"
Lycar
You think the old man smiles in amusement, though it's difficult due to the creepy blank mask. That's a pretty big question, isn't it? Can you be more specific than asking me what I believe about "life, the universe and all the rest"? I think we'd be here all day.
Orin
"Coming to think of it, rather tell me about that paradise you mentioned? So nobody does have to struggle anymore to make a living? How does that even work if you are dead?"
SpoilerAssuming that his answer amounts to something akin 'it is paradise, all peopel just live on happily ever after' Orin goes on like that:
####
Orin nods slowly "Just as I though. Just another hell with fancy window dressing. Goramesh at least is honest about being a bleak place of desperation."
"Answer me this then, priest, what worth is an afterlife that holds nothing worth living, or evn existing for? What worth is it to face day and day and day and day after day of eternity with nothing to look foreward to? Our mortal lives my be a valley of miser for most, but at least we can count a tiny litlle triumph each day we manage to see! Every hardship that befalls us is at least a chance to prevail and feel good about ourselves, because we actually accomplished something! But that 'paradise' of yours? What it is good for? What is it other then just another way to make you wish, pray, hope, despair for oblivion? To end your endless torment of yet another 'perfect' day to come? How is this any better then Imshaeroth's endless rainy day or Goramesh's endless opressive regime? How? How?! Answer me that, I dare you!!! "
Orin works himself into something but short of a frenzy, forcing his words onto the priest.
SpoilerFascinate DC [roll0], Sugestion (answer me, dammit!) DC 18
"Or is it just that you never, ever, thought this thru? How long did the people who got resurrected stay there? Long enough for the euphoria and false sense of happyness to wear off? No? didn't think so. Did you ever think this through? Or did you keep finding excuses not to think about it? because, deep inside, you know how dreadfully appaling the answer would be? And yet you stand before me, firm in your believe, because that is the only thing that keeps you distracted enough from what you know to be true, deep inside, to be true, the only thing that keeps you from going insane right now!"
"I dare you! Look into my eyes and tell me it's not true!"
Lycar
Well, says the priest, food just grows by itself, so no-one has to work to grow it. Everything's done for people, and there is no disease or pain.
Orin nods slowly "Just as I though. Just another hell with fancy window dressing. Goramesh at least is honest about being a bleak place of desperation."
"Answer me this then, priest, what worth is an afterlife that holds nothing worth living, or evn existing for? What worth is it to face day and day and day and day after day of eternity with nothing to look foreward to? Our mortal lives my be a valley of miser for most, but at least we can count a tiny litlle triumph each day we manage to see! Every hardship that befalls us is at least a chance to prevail and feel good about ourselves, because we actually accomplished something! But that 'paradise' of yours? What it is good for? What is it other then just another way to make you wish, pray, hope, despair for oblivion? To end your endless torment of yet another 'perfect' day to come? How is this any better then Imshaeroth's endless rainy day or Goramesh's endless opressive regime? How? How?! Answer me that, I dare you!!! "
Orin works himself into something but short of a frenzy, forcing his words onto the priest.
"Or is it just that you never, ever, thought this thru? How long did the people who got resurrected stay there? Long enough for the euphoria and false sense of happyness to wear off? No? didn't think so. Did you ever think this through? Or did you keep finding excuses not to think about it? because, deep inside, you know how dreadfully appaling the answer would be? And yet you stand before me, firm in your believe, because that is the only thing that keeps you distracted enough from what you know to be true, deep inside, to be true, the only thing that keeps you from going insane right now!"
"I dare you! Look into my eyes and tell me it's not true!"
It is paradise, says the old man firmly, focusing completely on Orin, you are worried that you'll find it boring and pointless? What a weak argument! If you find it boring, you can simply join the Legion of Souls, the army of the Kael Vorn, and wage war on the demons of other planes. Or you could spend your time learning, or writing poetry, or do art. You say that we need hardship, but you don't understand hardship! He seems quite angry now. What hardship have you really enjoyed, Davethran? While your nation was fat and decadent, we laboured and slaved for your amusement! Our children fed your God, our slaves satisfied your perverted pleasures, our peasants toiled to feed your obese nobles! You do not understand suffering, it's just something you've seen, you try and justify it's worth so you don't feel so bad about being a scion of an oppressive caste! You tell yourself the fact those not nobles like you suffer so much is a good thing, because then you don't have to help them!
Orin laughs a short, mirthless laugh "You actually believe it, don't you."Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzy_G
Orin fixes his eyes on the priest and goes on "It is true, as a so-called 'noble scion' I never had to worry about where my next meal would come from. it is true, I never had to worry about money. It is true that concubines fought for the priviledge to... But it is also true that Vellan Zere ended the Illithid scourge! Do you you deny this ?! No, because of all the terrible things he did to accomplish the goal, despite the abhoorent price we all had to pay for it, he did end the terror of the Illithids!"
"But is it not also true that the price was steep indeed? Untold thousands of lives sacrificed for the demon's endles hunger, centuries of war to conquer more land, more warm bodies for the sacrifices, more slaves to toil and please our so-called elite. But at the same tame it is true that, yes, I do know about suffering! Don't you dare tell me otherwise! Is a child not suffering that has to watch helplessly as his mother is dragged off to a terrible fate? Is it not suffering to realize that all your life will ever be is being a tool, a pawn, an instrument, fit to be used and abused as your tormentors see fit? Is it any less true that knowing, knowing just how far from what thing ought to be your life actually is, any less dreadfull then facing the knives of Gothul's priests?"
"Don't you dare tell me I don't know suffering!"
Orin breathes heavily, fists clenched tightly, barely controlling himself right now. But he takes a deep breath and calms down a bit.
"All I know is that maybe, just maybe you, I and the others here today may, just may manage to end at least one horror today. But how many others does this leave behind... how many archmages, high priests and gods are left to turn our very existance into a nightmare. And we can't even hope to wake up out of it ever, for even death does not hold sweet release, but only endless repetition."
"You harp about how in the afterlife we could look foreward to fighting evils, learn lore and... "
Orin raises his arms in an exasperated gesture "Don't you see? It's the same damn thing we already do right now, right here, in life! Nothing changes! We are still going to drag our immortal saves through eternity! If Imshaeroth should have the mercy to end Gothul, I shall envy him!"
"... but I can't blame you. It is too great, too horribly great a crushing fact to contemplate. If I ever could asl for a favour, it would be to make death mean an end, oblivion. For at least knowing eternal peace awaits us at the end is comforting."
Lycar
The old man snarls. So, you say you were suffering because you know other people suffering? That your life in your palace was as miserable as a Mokai peasant who toiled for years and then was carried off for sacrifice? What a weak excuse!
He turns around, and marches off. I will not discuss this with you anymore!
His fellow Mokai priests follow him, muttering to each other.
Orin
"You think you are so much better?! Hubris! Nothing but hubris and self-delusion! What do you think you are in the eyes of the gods but usefull fools and tools!"
"You won't discuss this with me?! I wont discuss this with you anymore! You don't want to see, don't want to have your beuatifull dreams shattered. Fine then. You live your dream... just live your dream..."
Orin glares after the priests as they walk off.
As soon as they are out of earshot, Orin suddenly relaxes again and turns to Draven and Sumner.
"That was fun. Too bad dragons usually don't just turn around and walk off in a huff if you challenge them like that. Oh well. How long has it been since Lady Ismal and Khaleff took off?"
Lycar
Draven shook his head to Gadarir.
"Not exactly, no... We've come to the conclusion that it will be best to decide how to attack once we have more information about the way things are in the city. Ismal and Kaleff have gone ahead, undetected, to gather what information they can. When we hear back from them, I think we'll have enough information for form a solid plan. About how much longer before the clans arrive?"
My clan should be here in 2 or 3 hours, I think, says Gadirir.
Probably a bit longer for mine, says Khael'an.
Sumner Kesh
Sumner listens with half an ear to Orin's tindertwig arguments, but it was hard for him to care; whatever decisions that would determine where his soul went when he died...those had been made long ago. All there was now was to do what he could with his new lease on youth.
He sighs, sifting a bit of the fine black sand between his fingers. It was all momentary diversions on the road to the grave, anyways.