Adventures in New Ganthar III

[dantiesilva]

Before Gunn leaves Rosalind tries to pull him aside, and if not possible speaks before as few people as possible. Mr. Gunn as Natalie said, that casket is from my homeland from a time before my people cremated the deceased. If I may have it back please ,
I wish to contact my people and have them come retrieve it. One could say it's a part of our history, and thus valuable however keep in mind so is Theo's sword, and the chalice that belongs to the arbiter. she says trying to make it clear without outright saying that something was different about this coffin and its contents.

[esorscher]

Before Gunn leaves Rosalind tries to pull him aside, and if not possible speaks before as few people as possible. Mr. Gunn as Natalie said, that casket is from my homeland from a time before my people cremated the deceased. If I may have it back please ,
I wish to contact my people and have them come retrieve it. One could say it's a part of our history, and thus valuable however keep in mind so is Theo's sword, and the chalice that belongs to the arbiter. she says trying to make it clear without outright saying that something was different about this coffin and its contents.

"I will see to it that the casket and its contents are made a part of your trust, and once you make the arrangements, returned to your homeland."

[gallagher]

Theo catches the eye of Rauthus, and bows his head down, before unslinging his haversack and removing the corpse of Asoryala. He picked her lifeless form up and carried her, as if she were sleeping. We have a great loss to mourn. If you need me, you know where to find me, Theo said briefly to excuse himself. He then motions to Rauthus to lead the way and open doors, as they walked out in silence.

[ilinares]

Lydia slumps to the ground, shaking her head wearily.

"I need to report to the Council, check what has been happening while I've been away. But I might just sit here a minute first. It's been a long, hard night."

Arbiter Lothrain studies Theo for a moment in silence, then says softly, "We all have our losses to deal with. And duty will call us soon enough. For now, my place is back at the Temple, at least until Chancellor Rithelm grants my request for an audience.

"Duty. It is like a mountain on our shoulders, weighing us down. We bear it because we must, because our gods command that we endure it - however much we want to curl in a ball and weep. But there are days when I fear it might crush us."

On that somber note, he takes his leave of you, stumbling wearily back towards the Temple of Relath.

Natalia watches him leave, her expression unreadable. Once he has gone, she nods a respectful farewell to each of you.

"Whatever our differences, we have accomplished something together this night. The death of Shroud is no small thing. I congratulate you.

"But I must attend to my own matters now. Shroud violated my temple, slew my servants, and I can only guess at the damage he has caused.

"Still, if the Malturites are making their move, it engages my interests as much as yours. My usefulness in a war is limited - the gods know I am no soldier - but if my services are useful, you know where to find me. I'm sure we can agree a very reasonable fee."

So saying, she turns to leave.

Spoiler: Gunn and Perseus

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Natalia says nothing aloud, but as she walks away she mentally replies, "I will join you later, Thomas. I need to make sure my temple is secure, and honestly, I need to get some sleep. Between our evening together and this business with Shroud... Well, I find I need to rest."

The return to your office is a long walk, long enough to give time for thought. It seems you have been caught up in events not of your choosing for a long time. Free now, however briefly, from the impetus of your allies and the machinations of your enemies, you cannot help but wonder how your own affairs have suffered for your absence.

It is to some extent a relief to find your office untouched. It is not so many days, after all, since your old premises were burned down while you were away. Lora greets you with a wide smile, her whole face lighting up at the sight of you.

"Good morning, Mr Gunn. And welcome home.

"Do you want to take a moment to get settled in? There's a stack of reports for you, letters from both sides of the business, and a couple of parcels. But I've rearranged your appointments for the day in case you needed to rest, and I'll take care of the routine stuff, but there's still plenty that needs your attention.

"Shall I order breakfast?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Out of time for now, will edit to add other people's posts when time permits.

[Timble]

Yara collapses next to Lydia.
"Ugh, I know how you feel."
Yaras construct scooped her up, their mental link directing it to her room at the temple.
"I need to rest and restore my power. I'll see you all later."
(If the old construct has expired, manifests a new one. The special 1/day construct.)


Hesa turns to follow her. "I've got business at the temple, I'll need to send some messages. I doubt Vaust is in any state to still demand his duel."

(At the Temple)
Yara settles in to bed, but there was still something she had to do. Something that had worried her for a while.
Giving instructions to her psicrystal, she bids the construct to obey it. She sends them to Moat Lane, to the butchers shop that was the last lead she had on the missing boy. Before it leaves, she lessens some of the mental restrictions she had placed on the crystal, it would need to show some initiative of it's own as she slept.
(Thinking of playing the psicrystal as an actual intelligent being rather than just a tool)

Hesa asks for another use of sending, buying it if he has to. He once again contacts the high priest.
Hesa reporting. Yara alive. Energy separate, for now. Warning New Ganthar may be invaded. Maltur cult encouraging war here, may fall into trap. Recommend caution.

[esorscher]

Gunn is relieved to see his business unharmed. "As always, Lora, I appreciate your foresight and consideration. You are truly irreplaceable." His stomach gurgles loudly at the idea of breakfast, and he hears an even louder groan coming from Perseus's belly. "Breakfast would be great--coffee, especially. I'll look at the reports and mail in my office, thanks." He heads into his chambers and refreshes himself in his washing basin, changes his clothes, and feeling like a new man sits down at his desk to peruse the stack of papers. He opens the mail before looking at the reports. The contents might change his immediate plans, but he has plans nonetheless.

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Theo

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Carrying Asoryala’s body, you and Rauthus make your way solemnly to the Temple of Charis.

In the entrance hall, there is a sobering scene: bodies of Templars lying side by side, in two long lines down each side of the chamber. In all, a dozen bodies - a heavy blow to an organisation already reeling from its recent schism.

Several priests are moving through the room, saying prayers over the dead, and a few knots of grieving family members have formed around particular bodies. But your appearance, and the nature of your burden, quiets most of the voices and draws a number of eyes.

Brother Micah steps out of the worship hall, hand going involuntarily to his mouth at the sight of Asoryala’s remains. He meets your gaze wordlessly, shock and grief painted on his expression.

Spoiler: Hesa

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You pay a cleric to relay your Sending, and the response is swift in coming.

[/i]Received and understood. Malturite involvement was anticipated, and works to our advantage.

Previous orders rescinded.

New orders: the serpent and the flood. ETA 36 hours.[/I]

You recognise the code words used: “the serpent”, meaning destabilise an enemy’s political and/or military command infrastructure, and “the flood”, meaning undermine an enemy’s defences against an invasion by sea. And you have until tomorrow at nightfall to accomplish it.

The cleric is looking at you askance. He may not be privy to the military codes of a foreign power, but he seems to recognise there is something untoward about the message he has been asked to relay.

Spoiler: Yara

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Once you have found somewhere to rest, you send your psicrystal on a semi-autonomous mission to Moat Lane.

The butcher’s shop is open for business, and your psicrystal soon spots the proprietor. The description you were given of him was of a “big man,” with a “face like a pig,” who “looks like his hair fell off and stuck to his chin.” The description, if anything, fails to do justice to the reality: the man is built like a former wrestler who has since descended to slovenly obesity, with small beady eyes, an oversized nose flattened by some long-ago blow, and cauliflower ears. He is all but bald, his corona of remaining hair in disarray, but his mouth and cheeks are hidden behind a prodigious, brushlike beard. Two hands like shovels, and similarly filthy, handle the carcass of a sheep with casual strength, and he handles a cleaver with surprising dexterity.

The shop is empty - you have to wonder how desperate or suicidal someone must be to buy meat from so filthy a store - and there is ample opportunity to sneak inside. Your psicrystal even watches long enough to catch a glimpse of the tattoo that was described to you, slightly faded and partially covered by the short sleeve of the man’s shirt: a chimera, wreathed in flame.

[dantiesilva]

As Mr. Gunn reassures Rosalind that the remains of one of her people would be kept safe and secure with her trust until she was able to get someone to come and retrieve it she bows her head in thanks to Mr. Gunn. "Thank you so much Mr. Gunn, and like before, please take half of what would be considered my share to donate to your foundation to better the poor district." the woman says kindly, knowing all to well that building homes and such would not be cheap, and that he would need as much funding as possible.

As all get ready to depart and say their peace Sister Rosalind nods towards Natalia, "In this endeavor I can agree. However after today I doubt you will see myself at your doors again unless we are all once more called upon in the defense of the people of New Ganther." Sister Rosalind replies to the devil worshiper, making it clear in matters of emergency she would trust who her allies brought with her, but she herself would not seek the woman out herself as they shared very little in common. Better to not make deals when you can not read the fine print.

"Lydia if you wish I will accompany you until our paths split this way we both know each other made it most of the way home." Sister Rosalind offers, being tired as well, however still having a little bit of strength left if they were attacked on the way back home.

Spoiler: On the way to the temple

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Alone with nothing but the open sky and her thoughts the priestess of the Lovers wonders about all that has transpired thus far, as well as the very odd placement of the temple of the Betrayer. It all seemed to coincidental to her that the portal Shroud used was so close to the temple of the Betrayer in the shadow plane, the same place another temple stood on the material no less. Add in the message about the first vampire ever created that fell when he held the way for the Betrayer to flee being inside Shroud's sanctuary. It was like he had seen it first hand.

Then there was the matters of upgrading the temple, which she had spoken with Mr. Gunn about briefly before all of this chaos had occurred. He had asked if it could become a place of learning which she had agreed to, however it would cost a lot of money to expand the Hospice in such a way to include a class room for people to learn basic skills in, never mind people willing to teach them. She could easily teach rudematery sewing, ,as well as course on healing as it was her specialty, however other skills experts would have to be brought in.

Then there was what she had seen in the crystal balls, the dwarven armada as well as the ships from New Ganther fighting out on the open sea. So much had to be done, and yet she was only one person, it seemed like she hardly spent any time at her own temple anylonger, doing that which she was meant to do. Helping the people, yet was not stopping all these threats to them also not important in keeping them safe and alive? Could she turn her back on Theo and the others if they asked her to join them again? Or if the prince asked her to sit in as a diplomat once more? What would happen if she returned to her simple life? If she failed Pacem would bring peace by force, something she could not allow. Yet the more she tried to fight it, it seemed the further away from peace she truly became. The truth of the matter was, the simple kind woman that only a few weeks ago was happy to mind her own business and take care of those in the poor quarters and be left alone had been swept up into the larger world and at times she was starting to feel as if she was losing herself. It was only the small signs of faith the Lover's sent to her that reminded her each day that she was carrying out their will, however if she was following their will and Pacem was thinking of marching to war, whos will were they following back home?"

[Timble]

Spoiler: Hesa

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Hesa nods at the communication, secretly manifesting Conceal Thoughts.
"Thank you," he tells the priest. "If anyone asks, I'll be at the docks searching for leads on the cult of Maltur. If we don't hunt down the serpents now, they will flood us with their numbers."
He speaks in a casual tone, pretending that nothing major had occurred.
With those words, he leaves for the docks, to gauge New Ganthars fleet and defences.

Spoiler: Psicrystal and Construct

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The Psicrystal left the construct around the corner. While highly noticeable, the target had no reason to connect it to him if word spread. The construct stood as still as a statue, waiting for commands.

Inside, the psicrystal started to search the building, starting with layout, entrances and windows. It looks for any obvious details such as letters, desks, containers and locked doors.

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Gunn

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You start by picking out the stack of letters Lora has marked “for approval,” flicking through the routine incoming post and the responses Lora has drafted for your signature. These are the lifeblood of legal practice: the steady flow of queries and responses that keep matters ticking over. Nothing here requires your immediate attention, and Lora’s replies are perfectly adequate.

As you reach for your pen, the door opens and a delicious aroma reaches you, fresh coffee, crisp bacon and fried eggs, the sort of meal you need to recover from a long night. Lora smiles at your expression, setting the tray within reach but well away from the papers you are working on. Before she leaves, she moves your outgoing post tray and filing tray where you can reach them without leaving your desk, and hands a mug of coffee to Perseus.

Alone again, you finish checking Lora's work and move on to the matters she has marked “for your attention.”

There are three letters relating to new matters, and two detailing significant developments in existing cases:

• The widow of a guard who died fighting the vrock demon when Ambassador Thuril was ambushed came to see you a week ago about his estate. As the guard had no assets to speak of and only his wage from the Crown, you had offered to help seek a bereavement award from the Watch and Guard Widows and Orphans Fund, and check his pay was up to date, but there was little else to be done. The widow now writes that she left out an important detail: her late husband was the estranged son of Lord Urgnot, who died six months ago leaving his substantial estate to his housekeeper in a hastily signed deathbed will. Lord Urgnot had been in ill health for many years, and suffered from paranoid delusions, during which time the housekeeper was his sole carer and confidante.
• There is a letter from a longstanding client of yours, the owner of a courier business named Wix. Wix’s own letter is brief, but encloses a substantial letter from a lawyer acting for one of his employees. Seemingly the employee was attacked on a delivery to a distant village, captured and tortured by a band of goblins, losing his arm before a wandering adventurer happened across them and rescued him. He is suing Wix for, inter alia, sending him into a life threatening situation; failing to provide adequate training; and not employing guards or taking other precautions which a reasonable employer would have taken. He seeks compensation to cover the cost of a regeneration spell, a course of counselling for the mental effects of the torture he underwent, and financial compensation for lasting psychological damage, pain and distress, and future loss of earnings since he claims he can never work again.
• A dwarf trader wants to sue the Crown after he was attacked by a mob, and his shop burned down, blaming the Crown for the recent interracial tensions and claiming the Guard knowingly allowed the attack to happen.
• The captain of a merchant ship protests the recent conscription of his crew and confiscation of his vessel, and wants to know what can be done about it.
• Finally there is a report connected to a boundary dispute on which you are instructed. Your agent has uncovered historical architect’s plans dating from the construction of the properties, showing the original intended boundary line. The new evidence supports your opponent's case and is highly detrimental to your client.

Spoiler: Yara

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The shopfront is small, perhaps eight feet square, and every available space is taken up with displays of meat varying in its freshness. There are two grubby windows, and a door behind the main counter leading via a small corridor to a cold room full of hanging carcasses, a foul-smelling and overflowing privy, and a five-foot-square box room that doubles up as both office and kitchen.

A search of the last reveals nothing of interest beyond a stack of threatening letters from creditors, and a letter apparently from the landlord threatening eviction.

There are no obvious exits, trapdoors or anything of that nature.

You begin to suspect anything incriminating that might exist is not kept on the premises.

Spoiler: Hesa

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The cleric seems unconvinced by your dissembling - you are after all a warrior, not a spy - but short of violent action there is little you can do about that.

Making your way to the docks, you take your time picking out from the chaos those matters which stand out to your warrior's instincts. You observe a number of signs that point to military preparations. Several ships, of a mercantile design, are being overhauled and repainted, flying the national flag, their crews drilling in basic combat tactics on the deck. A pair of ballistae have been erected on towers to either side of the bay, their field of fire extending out to sea. A number of individuals in naval uniform, with decorations suggestive of rank, are busy inspecting the work being carried out. Supplies of ammunition, oil and weaponry are being delivered to a stockpile by the harbour as you watch.

Still, for all that, the dock itself is unlikely to repel a concerted invasion. The number of military vessels is small, even taking the current conversion works into account; there is no evidence of a barrier, be that in terrain or artifice, to slow or prevent vessels entering the waters around the dock; and with the traders and houses pressing up close to the harbour wall, space to station defending soldiers is severely lacking. The ballistae could cause real damage, and appear to have a good range and field of fire; but with just two of them, their rate of fire would be simply too slow to be decisive. In any case, if the invading force has dragons as it appears, they would make short work of such installations.

Spoiler: Rosalind

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Lydia is glad to accept your offer, and together you make your way through the city as the sun starts its weary climb over the horizon. The road seems longer than when last you traveled it, and Lydia for her part does nothing to initiate a conversation. You sense that after fighting Shroud's forces in the dead of night, a sleepless sojourn through an alien sphere of reality, and the tension of traps, fallen angels, and nightmare monstrosities, she simply lacks the energy for witty repartee.

There comes a moment when you must part, each to your own destination, and she stops to offer you a half-hearted smile.

“Sorry I haven't been much company, Sister, or much help for that matter. The things you fight… I can do little to make a difference there, I fear. And if a war is coming, I guess I'll have my hands full before long.

“Take care of yourself. And don't forget about Krom - I know it seems like a long time ago now, but he's not one to let something he wants slip through his fingers.”

She waits to see if you have anything to add, then when you have said your piece, she bids you farewell and trudges off towards the Vanguard headquarters.

Your journey from there to the Gleaming Rose is one of introspection. The streets are quiet, with the populace just beginning to stir; and however unruly the district in which you set up your place of work and worship, the sun’s scrutiny and your own reputation keep you from being molested en route.

At length, you find yourself before your own doorway, if it is lawful to call it yours; you may have forsaken worldly possessions long ago, but the instinct to regard a place as home is not so easily quelled.

The building within matches the streets without: empty beds and quiet conversation, a couple of long term patients sleeping undisturbed beneath the healers’ watchful gaze. Marglean is not here at the moment - you recall she is not due to be on shift this morning - and Elizabeth is the healer in charge. You spot Pran in the inner sanctum, knelt in prayer.

[Timble]

Spoiler: Hesa

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Two ballistae and a small fleet, Not much he could sabotage but not much of a threat to the attacking fleet. Still he had his orders.
Looking to the ballistae, he considered destroying them. But getting to both sides of the bay without being stopped would be difficult, and he wouldn't have much time. Too early and they could replace the siege engines, too late and he could get one. But perhaps he would only need to get one...
As for the ships, a conscripted fleet should be easy to ruin with rumors. And the old owners are going to be furious. He begins to search for merchant buildings and bars, seeking the owners of the ships. They might have some information he could talk from them.

Spoiler: Yara

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The Psicrystal kept it's search thorough, but it seemed there was nothing to be found. But there was another way...
Using it's telepathic link to Yara, it rouses her and makes it's request. Returning outside to get a view of the butcher, it channels Yara's power straight into his mind.

Spoiler: Dominate

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DC 20 Will or dominated for 14 days
This will lower the PP gained from rest

If the butcher was successfully dominated, Yara instructs him to obey the psicrystal before returning to sleep.
The psicrystal orders him inside.
What did you do to the boy? it projects.

[gallagher]

Theo asks the preacher where best to lay Asoryala. And is Niall around? He should be told that Asoryala gave her life tonight. He said, somberly. After the interchange, Theo told Micah that anyone seeking him can be directed to his office, and walked there to pray in solitude before reviewing what went over that night.

If nobody comes to Theo's door, Theo searches for a list of the Temple's staff, and who might replace Asoryala. She will be missed, but the Temple must continue to remain vigilant while it mournes the loss of a great woman.

[dantiesilva]

"There is nothing to be sorry about Lydia, we all have our talents where we shine. Mine revolve around helping and healing others, the fact that undead are harmed by that which heals the living is only second to my duty of healing. As I have said undead in my religion are not unnatural, though they are frowned upon if they are not performing the task the Mother originally created them for. It is why the church of Berun and my own do not work that closely together, the undead were made by the mother to protect man from the horrors of the world. However when the Betrayer rebelled and stole the secret of creation and taught it to others they were no longer bound by the Will of the Mother. And a war only happens when no one is willing to listen anymore. It is something I have been warned about and why I am trying so hard to create peace here. After all look at the poor district before I came, there was no such thing as a safe place, now the temple and hospice I serve the Lovers will in, all manners of people come inside and for the most part remain nonviolent and if not friendly, respectful to one another." she says kindly, though it is clear she is just as tired as her traveling companion.

"I would say the same to you, in truth it is one of the reasons I asked you to accompany me as far as we have gone together. I know in a battle I will be able to keep him at bay, even in this state. You however are weak after last nights affairs, I do not say this as an insult, but a warning. You denied him what he wanted, while I have no doubt he will try to come for me, it will be when I am at my weakest, and the enemies we share are no longer in his way. Krom may be an enemy, but he knows there is another coming for him, he will not waste his strength I believe until that is resolved." the priestess of the Lover's explains to Lydia showing that she knew Krom was still a very real threat, but at this point not one she believed she herself needed to worry about.

As Sister Rosalind walks in she takes note of the situation inside, and walks over to Elizabeth who was the most experienced person on at the moment. "Good morning Elizabeth, sorry I have not been here as of late. I hope you and the others have been able to manage on your own and that Pran is learning what he can from each of you." she states noticing her pupil in prayer at the moment. "I will be heading to bed very shortly, we have dealt with a very large threat to the poor quarters, however I was barely able to sleep because of it. But first is there anyone or anything that needs my direct attention?" the priestess asks, and if told no she makes her way to the inner sanctum where she kneels next to Pran in prayer. Listening and waiting for him to finish.

Once acknowledge she gives her apprentice a weak, and tired smile. "It seems every time I have a lesson to teach you something is calling me away, this time in the middle of the night. Myself and a group of other faiths were up late last night, a lich, an undead spellcaster named Shroud tried to become a god. Together we were able to put a stop to him, however while doing so the story of the first vampire the Mother created to protect humanity was found, as well as what happened after he fell and became imprisoned. What I am trying to say is the Lovers give us all gifts, however if we choose to squander and abuse those gifts we will eventually have to suffer for our crimes. I have been a very bad teacher as of late, and it is something I hope I will be able to change given what transpired last night. Once I am done sleeping I will start teaching you more on the faith of the Lovers as I believe Marglean and the others have no doubt taught you very well when it comes to the skills of a healer." the red haired priestess says before covering her mouth to yawn.

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Theo

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Micah leads you through to the inner sanctum, and sets up a bier on which to lay Asoryala. For a moment, he stands in silence, head bowed respectfully.

“Blessed Sentinel, look in favour on Your servant Asoryala, slain in the path of Your service. Take her into Your care, I pray, that she might serve You in the highest duty for all eternity. So be it.”

He turns to you, shaking his head. “That happened while she was alive? That's awful. I can't imagine what that must have been like to witness, let alone experience.

“Niall? I haven't seen him. No doubt he'll turn up at some point, probably sooner than we would like.”

Eventually you make your way to your office. Your search turns up the report Asoryala made for you when you took office, setting out with meticulous care the key figures within the Temple. The first and last such report she made for you.

Spoiler: Link to that report

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http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22736250&postcount=1004

Unfortunately, there seems to be no mention of anyone - except perhaps the librarian - who might take over from Asoryala. It seems that, unlike other priests, she made no effort to train a successor - perhaps expecting, not unreasonably, that her death was yet many decades if not centuries away.

Which leaves you to find someone gifted in arcane magic deserving of high responsibility within your Temple. No easy task - and a niche area where candidates are likely to be few and far between.

A knock on your door, and Ember peers in at you. She looks exhausted; you doubt she has slept at all. She enters as soon as you signal her to do so, standing unsteadily to attention before you.

“Praise Charis that you came back to us safely,” she says with feeling. “Though I hear Asoryala was killed. That's terrible. I know I said my share of bad things about her, but I wouldn't wish that on her.

“Father, I'm here to report on the battle after you left. I'll keep it brief: all hostile undead were killed or routed. But our Templars took a real beating. We lost twelve in all, out of a fighting force of twenty one. Five Acolytes, seven full Templars.

“The good news, if I can call it that after watching so many friends die, is that the most experienced Templars survived, which gives us something solid to rebuild on. But with seven Templars - that's including me and Rauthus - we won't be able to do something like last night again. We can defend the Temple, maybe send out individuals or pairs on missions, but as a unit, we're done. For now, anyway.”

She stands rigidly at attention, looking like even getting through that report in a professional manner was a trial for her.

[esorscher]

--Law--

Gunn calls his Associate and Junior Associate Lawyers into his office. While he waits for them to arrive, he takes a few bites of breakfast. It is delicious, satiating, and life-affirming.

Percival and Benjamin soon arrive. "Have a seat," Gunn says with a gesture to two chairs. The two lawyers nod and sit down. Gunn goes through the cases in order. "You two haven't worked for me for very long, and I'm sure you could handle these cases well on your own, but it being the first assignments I'm giving you, I'm going to give you some instruction on how I want it handled. I'm sure you'll do fine."

"The Urgnot Widow: interview the housekeeper, find out who if there are any witnesses. If there are, find out if they're telling the truth. Find out if there's any written record of his delusions, doctor's called, that sort of thing. Use your judgment: if we have a case, we'll pursue it.

"Wix: Get a copy of the contract the courier service uses and find out what the message contained. I don't want this case to go to court, a one-armed man is pretty sympathetic. We'll settle if we need to, but from the sound of things it doesn't sound like they're case is too strong.

"This dwarven trader case--we're not going to take it. Staff it out to one of the paralegals. Same for the conscription case.

"Here's where it gets a little tricky. I told you when I hired you, our goal is to win cases, not win points. This land-use case. Obviously, our client should lose. But that wouldn't be very good for her or for us, would it? Find out who else has a copy of the ancient property records. Find out if there's any record of an amendment to the original agreement. Try and reach a settlement."

"Are we going to disclose the architect's plans?" Percival Mason asks.

Gunn shakes his head. "Like I said, we're here to win cases, not points. If and when it comes up, we'll blame it on a paralegal--a fictional one--and say we already fired him. Is that a problem for you?"

Percival looks at his counterpart, Benjamin Matlock. They both answer in the negative.

"Good," Gunn says. "Any questions?" There are a few clarifying questions, the answer to which is typically: use your best judgment. "I hired both of you because you have a reputation for tenacity and creative application of the law. This is your first real test at this firm. I'll expect reports on the cases as they develop. If you need anything, let me know. I'm confident you'll do well."

They nod, thank Gunn, and leave to begin working on the cases.

--Economics--

Once the lawyers leave, Gunn calls Lora and his CFO, Connor Coyne, into the office. He takes a few more bites of breakfast--it is slightly cooler now, but still tasty. "We've got a new influx of cash to take care of," he says, standing and emptying his satchel onto the table in his office. Gold and art overflows onto the floor, as do a dozen (more or less) magic items. Gunn sorts through them, placing the Bracers of Armor +5, Ring of Positive Protection, Headband of Intellect, Runestaff of Power, Eternal Wand of Benign Transposition, and Pearl of Power atop the heap of gold and art. The Ring of Protection +3 and Amulet of Natural Armor +2 he places on his desk instead, as he does with the Metal Box, Casket, and Helm--and also the Lens and the Tome, as well as the other books he took from Shroud's library. The +3 Greatsword also goes onto the heap. The crystal balls he puts on his desk, glancing at the images to see if they have changed. Both Coyne and Lora have the same reaction--widening eyes, gasping, and other expressions of shock and surprise, and Gunn quickly tells the story of Shroud's defeat, giving credit to Perseus, and their raid on his stronghold. "You'll sell these," he says to Coyne, gesturing to the pile on the table, "And split the proceeds four ways. I'll help you find buyers for the art--I know a few people who would be interested and pay top-dollar prices. Lora: Theo and Yara will be coming for their shares. Connor, we'll put Rosalind's share in her trust, with half of it going into our Poor Quarter Restoration fund."

"You'll sell these," he says to Coyne, gesturing to the pile on the table, "And split the proceeds four ways. I'll help you find buyers for the art--I know a few people who would be interested and pay top-dollar prices. Lora: Theo and Yara will be coming for their shares. Connor, we'll put Rosalind's share in her trust, with half of it going into our Poor Quarter Restoration fund.

"Then, Lora, I want you to start buying up as much of the food on the island as possible, and make arrangements for storing and guarding it within the city walls. War is coming, and we can expect a blockade. There's a great opportunity for profit here."

"Isn't that a bit... unethical, boss?" Lora asks.

"Someone's going to make the profit," Gunn says, "And we'll be distributing food at it's usual price to our people--to the residents of the Poor Quarter. We'll only be charging blockade rates to the people who can afford them: the rich, the middle-class. And we'll use the proceeds to fund the Poor Quarter Restoration." Lora nods, understanding.

"I'll set aside 2 thousand gold for this investment," Gunn says. "That's what, 200 thousand pounds of wheat? That ought to feed about 20 thousand people for a year--should be plenty for our purposes. Set aside another 4 thousand for salted meat, pickled vegetables, that sort of thing, another 4 thousand for storage and protection. Once the siege starts, we'll have the market cornered. As the countryside burns and refugees flock to the city, we'll have increased demand and control over the supply. We'll distribute it at cost to our neighborhoods, and charge as much as we can to the bourgeoisie and nobility." Lora takes down the instructions, and smiles.

"For once, it won't be the poor who suffer in war--well, at least it won't only be the poor."

Gunn nods. "Thank you both," he says, dismissing them. He puts the Tome, the Lens, Casket, Helm, Metal Box, and the crystal balls back into his satchel. As Lora leaves, he calls after her. "One more thing," he says. He puts the Ring of Protection +3 onto his finger, replacing the Ring of Protection +2, which he hands to Perseus. Perseus trades it for the Ring of Protection +1, which Gunn hands to Lora, along with the Amulet of Natural Armor +2. "Just in case."

--Crime--

Then, Gunn calls in Snakehands Larry. By this time his breakfast is mostly cold, but he finishes it anyway. "The time has come for us to deal with Garrote. Gather up ten of our best men--enforcers, not our security--and you'll accompany me into his territory. We'll make some noise, attract attention, and once he shows himself--well, just leave that part to me."

"You got it, boss," Larry says. Soon, Gunn, Perseus, Larry, and ten enforcers, start heading for Mandrake territory. Before leaving, Gunn brings the Helm, Casket, and Metal Box to his on-staff Warlock for identification.

[gallagher]

I would hope that he arrived before he was needed. We serve Charis. We are supposed to see farther, plan better, be at the ready. And each time our foe has had something hidden in their sleeves that we werent prepared for. Each time it has cost us dearly. I fear to think who is next.

He listens patiently to Ember explain the situation with their soldiers. I hate to say this again, but we need Niall back. He has a significant portion of our fighting force. He is a seasoned warrior. But surely, he is holding out until we are crippled, only to return with the last swords left to defend the temple. He said as much to me before; he intended to "show the people who really defends them."

He pauses again before he reveals his plan. Ember, I need you to have a page deliver a message for me to Lieutenant Ilyen. I would have her at my office at her earliest convenience. Have a second one sent to Gunn bearing the same sentiment. Have the pages go in a pair and deliver one after the other and return. no side trips. He finishes, and when Ember leaves he turns to the window to contemplate the hour, and the tasks he had before him.

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Theo

Show

Ember reluctantly nods her agreement, her expression showing her reluctance to work with Niall again. When you ask her to send out pages, she takes her leave. You can only hope she is sensible enough to get some sleep now she has filed her report.

In her absence, Ofred brings in a tray carrying a steaming mug of coffee. “Can I bring you some breakfast, Father?” he asks as he hands over the hot beverage. Under his arm is a stack of letters and reports, which he lays on your desk - the usual bureaucracy of a Lawful temple at work.

It is just under an hour before Ilyen arrives, giving you time to make some inroads into the correspondence if you feel so inclined.

Presently Ofred reappears, escorting Ilyen into the room. The former leaves you alone, while Ilyen greets you warmly.

“Well met, Theo. I hear your battle with the lich Shroud was a resounding success? Congratulations.”

Spoiler: Rosalind

Show

There are no pressing cases; indeed, there is a sense of the calm before a storm about the hospice, the patients from previous disasters now discharged, and only a handful of minor cases to treat.

As you join Pran he is praying softly but aloud, allowing you to hear the last few words:

“... To know what You would have me do, and the courage to do it. Watch over our patients, current, past and future; and help Sister Rosalind to…”

His eyes open, as he hears your footsteps, and he glances your way. At the sight of you, he grins broadly, bounding to his feet with excitement.

“Sister Rosalind! You're back!”

He listens with wide-eyed wonder to the account of your adventures. Finally, as it becomes clear how tired you are, he gives you a broad grin.

“I'd like that. But get some sleep first. I'll still be here.”

He makes his way through to the hospice, ready to start the day's work.

Spoiler: Gunn

Show

After dealing with the business of the day, you make plans to leave for the Docks, knowing the bulk of the Mandrake operation takes place there. It is a large, obvious foray into enemy territory, one which is designed to provoke.

Just before you leave, you receive a note from two pages, stating that Theo requests your presence. Well, he may have to wait.

You find yourself back outside the warehouse where you first met Garotte, days which seem like years ago, in many ways in another life. Knowing now what you didn't then, you are able to pick out three nearby traders who are fronts for the Mandrakes’ smuggled goods; and you spot a woman posing as a prostitute who, in reality, is a contact for the Mandrake assassins.

There is legitimate business here mixed up with crime, and you note the harbour is full of naval officers and militia. The buildup you glimpsed in this morning's correspondence is in evidence here, signs pointing to the war to come. Yet, for your present purposes, what matters is the surfeit of witnesses and innocent bystanders, to say nothing of potential involvement by the armed forces.

Whatever you do may require a degree of care, after all.

[esorscher]

Gunn leads his cadre of enforcers to one of the three traders who works as a front for the Mandrakes. "Good afternoon," he says to the person behind the counter. "I have a business proposition to discuss with the owner. Is that you?"

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Gunn

Show

The man behind the counter - a slight, weasel-featured figure with greying hair, dressed in a faded green tunic that would have been fashionable three years ago - eyes you and your entourage with some suspicion.

"Whatever you've got to say, you can say it to me," he says. You notice the left side of his mouth doesn't move when he speaks, causing his words to slur slightly. "But most people who want to talk business don't bring their goons to back them up."

[esorscher]

Gunn smirks, ignoring the man's comment. "Your life will remain unchanged. You will continue to operate your business as you have. Only instead of making your contributions to the Mandrakes, you will make them to me."

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Hesa

Show

Two ballistae and a small fleet, Not much he could sabotage but not much of a threat to the attacking fleet. Still he had his orders.
Looking to the ballistae, he considered destroying them. But getting to both sides of the bay without being stopped would be difficult, and he wouldn't have much time. Too early and they could replace the siege engines, too late and he could get one. But perhaps he would only need to get one...
As for the ships, a conscripted fleet should be easy to ruin with rumors. And the old owners are going to be furious. He begins to search for merchant buildings and bars, seeking the owners of the ships. They might have some information he could talk from them.

It takes half an hour of legwork, but you find a bar in which several merchants are trying to drown their sorrows and console one another over the loss of their ships and crews.

"It's robbery, is what it is!" one man, already well into his cups, declares loudly.

"Easy, Walt," one of his marginally more sober companions. "You never know who might be listening. 'Sides, they paid us for the ships."

"It's not the ships, though what they paid for that were a joke. No, it's the men. It's one thing for you, you were going to call it a day soon anyway. But for me, having to find a new crew, train them, risk losing them a second time to this war - and all while my suppliers are breathing down my neck. Too long before I see another copper piece. I'll be in debtor's prison before the month is out, you see if I'm not."

The second man glances at his other companion, the expression on his face one of long-suffering entreaty. "Mac, won't you talk some sense into this drunken fool?"

"How?" the man who presumably must be Mac replies. "He's right. He's always run his business on the cusp of bankruptcy - this latest disaster will probably tip him over. But I will say this: I've written to my lawyer, and I suggest you do the same. This abuse of honest men trying to earn a living isn't right, and if it's legal, it damn well ought not to be."

Spoiler: Yara

Show

The Psicrystal kept it's search thorough, but it seemed there was nothing to be found. But there was another way...
Using it's telepathic link to Yara, it rouses her and makes it's request. Returning outside to get a view of the butcher, it channels Yara's power straight into his mind.

Spoiler: Dominate

Show

DC 20 Will or dominated for 14 days
This will lower the PP gained from rest

If the butcher was successfully dominated, Yara instructs him to obey the psicrystal before returning to sleep.
The psicrystal orders him inside.
What did you do to the boy? it projects.

Controlling Syndar's mind is laughably easy, and combining such dominance with the psicrystal's telepathy means an answer is swift in coming.

"Took him to the Master. He will make the glorious sacrifice. His body will be the door through which an unholy champion of Maltur enters this plane."

It is clear Syndar lacks the intelligence to speak like this normally: he is repeating what someone else has told him, probably repeatedly.

[dantiesilva]

Before making her way to join Pran she looks at her lead nurse on duty. "I would like you to seek out Mr. Gunn please, we will be needing to buy medical supplies in a rather large order. Let him know this and I am sure he will know what to do and how much to give you." the priestess of the Lovers says, knowing full and well if war did happen medical supplies and food would be as precious as gold, and it would be best kept where people would not kill each other over it.

Once finished she listens to Prans prayer and smiles softly to her young apprentice. "I am glad to be back as well Pran, though the Lovers are much more distant then the other gods. For example a message from Kirest could be a single ray of light on an otherwise stormy day. Or a small burst of energy for someone who is dying. For them to directly speak to us the chance of killing us is very real. It is the difference between the creator gods, and those who came after. I for example was knocked out when Charis went to speak with Theo, but no one was killed by her going to speak with him. If the Lovers did the same it would only harm people. We must learn to look for the signs of their will and try to interpret their will. Even the more powerful magics which allow us to directly speak with servants of Kirest and Torae are dangerous." Sister Rosalind says, both as warning as well as to comfort the boy. "Know that so long as you are doing everything you can to maintain the balance then you are carrying out their will. If The harvest is good for a few years in a row then the land will become barren and unable to support life. It could also simply be what used to be called a normal harvest but because the people are used to so much it is no longer enough for them. Just as with a bad harvest people will die due to other means. It is why learning the arts of a healer is important. Knowing that magic is a tool, and not something that is meant to fix all problems is very important." she explains to Pran, letting him know why she was having him study with the nurses who while did not possess magic were able to keep people alive with ease.

"Thank you Pran for being such a good and understanding student. Though do you know where my own mentor went? I have something he needs to return to our homeland." she explains looking around as she had not noticed him outside.

[gallagher]

I wish I could celebrate the success, but we truly paid for our victory. Asoryala has joined Charis in eternal vigil. Theo said briefly, without giving away much of his grief. We lost many others in the fight, but Asoryala fell right in front of me. And so close to the finish line. It has not been easy. You may have seen mourners on your way in. He says blankly.

Still, I didnt come to regale you with stories. Work needs to be done. The Knights have worked closely with the Temple of Charis since it's inception. I need to hear about the successes of your recruits. We lost many Templars and we are short on hands at the ready. Niall left the temple with a portion of our strength, and I am working on bridging our divide. Even if he becomes my best friend five minutes from now, we face a greater enemy and need more swords ready.

I do not intend on ordaining new clerics to promote them into Templars. What I was wondering is if you would like to move as much of your base of operations into my Temple for the time being. We work more closely and in tandem to maximize our effectiveness. Many of the Knights will continue to do their traditional duties, but others would join my Templars as a special force. Ember would be my officer in charge of coordination, so that I can delegate responsibilities where other duties take me. With our combined resources, we could train more people, and do so more effectively. What do you say?

[Timble]

Spoiler: Psicrystal

Show

The boy was to be sacrificed... In a way it was good. He was probably still alive. No Malturian champion had surfaced... yet.
Who is the Master? What is the Master?
Where can he be found?
Where did you take the boy? What path did you take? Would he have been moved?
Where is the sacrifice to take place?
How many Malturites are in the city? Where do they gather? Who are the most important?
What are your people planning?
The psicrystal had only been instructed to find the boy, but it decided to widen it's questioning. Yara was interested in this group, and should the butcher not know where the boy was, the broader questioning would make things easier.

Spoiler: Hesa

Show

Hesa buys a drink and slumps into a nearby table. He drinks slowly and grumbles softly and mostly incomprehensibly.
When the man who was likely Mac finished, he slammed his cup down loudly.
"Heh, I see some more honest men have been @#$@ed around by the crown. Barkeep, a round of drinks for these men. They're in the same boat I'm in, which is no boat at all!" he declared. Hopefully that had got their attention.

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Gunn

Show

The man looks slowly around the room, taking in your cadre of armed men. Leaning closer, he says in an urgent whisper:

“Are you crazy? You think the Mandrakes will stand for this? Look, maybe you're used to taking whatever you've got the muscle to hold. The Mandrakes don't work like that. You go against them, you don't get roughed up in the street. People you care about start to die.

“I tell you where to jump, maybe you smack me around a bit. Sure, that scares me. But if I agree to what you want… I have children, grandchildren. I have people I love. I'm not about to make them pay the price for my sake.

“And when the word gets back of what you're trying to do… Are you ready to fight an enemy you never see? Who ruthlessly hunts down those around you? Never able to feel safe, even in your own home, in case you're murdered in your sleep? You really want that? Because make no mistake, that's what you're setting yourself up for.”

Spoiler: Rosalind

Show

Pran nods thoughtfully. “So if they can't affect the world in the same way other gods can, maybe that's why most people would rather worship the other gods. We're lucky, aren't we? We see the Lovers at work, because they work through us, through the magic they give us. Most people don't have that. So maybe they pray to a god who is more likely to answer?

“Oh, your mentor? That old priest who brought your friend back from the dead? He left. He wrote a letter for you first, though.”

Rising, stretching cramped legs, he makes his way to a table in the corner where there is a half-eaten sandwich, a tattered book, and an envelope. He takes a bite of the sandwich, then wipes his fingers on his robe and passes the envelope to you.

It is unmistakably Brother William's handwriting on the envelope, your own name staring back at you.

Spoiler: The letter

Show

[I]My dear Rosalind

I hope you will forgive my abrupt departure. Truth be told, I had already stayed longer than I should.

The Lovers tell me you will return victorious from your battle with this lich. With such reassurance, I have to make haste back home. We talked about my fears and troubles; well, I now fear my voice has been too long absent, that others have been arguing their case while I cannot speak against them.

I leave this island in your hands, trusting in the Lovers and in your capacity to discern and perform Their will. They have raised you up, Rosalind, for all your humility. They have it in mind to use you for some holy purpose. What that might be, They alone know. But I see the qualities in you that They do, and I can see for myself the wisdom of Their choice.

Beware the Betrayer. Others might focus on Maltur, on His influence on this world - and indeed, we can see the growing dominion of the Lord of Boundless War daily. But remember: Maltur is a rabid dog. He fights wherever and whatever He can. The Betrayer is the one holding His leash. It would not surprise me if He was using Maltur to distract attention from His true schemes.

May the gods we serve bless and guide you, uphold you in the struggle ahead, and work through you to bring Their peace to your troubled land.

Yours in Their service

William.

Spoiler: Theo

Show

Ilyen nods thoughtfully, not agreeing yet but acknowledging the force of your argument.

“Sorry to hear about your losses. I wondered why Ofred brought me round the back way. And I know what it's like to lose good men and women in battle. Even when you know the cause was righteous, it is a bitter pill to swallow.

“Your advice to widen recruitment has paid off. I now have a force of fifty, ten of whom are now knights, the rest competent armsmen who have taken less restrictive vows. On the whole, we have greater numbers, but individually our members are less capable.

“Combining our forces makes a lot of sense, tactically. The problem I have is that many of my knights serve Relath. We were founded to serve both faiths. Setting up shop in one temple feels like playing favourites.

“You're friends with the Arbiter, right? If he gave this his blessing, I would be much more comfortable. And I think that goes for my knights too.”

Spoiler: Yara

Show

Your psicrystal continues its interrogation, confident in its control of the subject. Unfortunately, you are limited by Syndar's less than comprehensive knowledge of these matters.

“The Master is the voice of Maltur! He teaches us strength, to seize what is ours by right. The strong prosper and the weak are crushed: that is the way it should be, and everything else is a lie.

“What is he? A man blessed by demons and by Maltur Himself. He dwells in a hidden temple beneath our streets, which only the chosen can find. It is there that the boy will be found.

“We are legion. We exist in cells, knowing only a dozen others. The Master receives word from other cells, other Malturites - not like the weak followers of Darla, but true disciples of War. You will never find us all.”

Spoiler: Hesa

Show

The men turn to look at you. Walt seems quite willing to embrace you as a brother in suffering, laughing excessively at your joke and clapping you on the shoulder, but the man whose name you do not yet know seems more cautious.

Still, it is Mac who speaks first.

“It's true, the Crown took our ships and our men in the name of some war they see coming. Must be Kharheim again - I knew talk of peace was too good to be true - but damned if I care. It's no excuse to steal a man's livelihood from under him.

“Still, life goes on. You'd do well to remember that, my friend, before you follow Walt into drinking away your compensation. Invest that money sensibly, and this could be turned around. After all, war is good for business. As long as it's the right business.”

[esorscher]

Gunn shrugs. "If you can afford to pay two masters, that's your business." Then his expression and demeanor change entirely, menacingly, and he glowers, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. This will end when you hand over your books, and your coffers, and I take what I'm owed. You can choose how quickly that end comes, though." (Intimidate: (1d20+24)[41])

[dantiesilva]

"In its simplest terms yes, Kirest creates all life, and Torea is Death itself, most people fear death and do not wish to understand life itself. All they care about is that they are alive and what they will do to stay that way. It is very few who realize the gift of life we have been given. It is why we do not discriminate on who we serve, all we ask within these walls is that no violence is allowed. Everyone was created for a reason, if they choose to embrace that and become the best they can however is ultimately up to them. Add in things like war and contracts, mercy, healing, knowledge are all much simpler concepts to follow then life and death it makes it the worship of the Lovers very rare outside of Pacem. Though others like me do try to bring the word of the Lovers to all the lands that are willing to listen."

"Father William," Sister Rosalind corrects, "And yes, he is old. It is because of that he is one of the wisest people I have ever meet. And you say he left a note, thank you. I will read it before going to sleep. Thank you Pran, and don't overwork yourself, I have a feeling we will soon be very busy, and before that happens I wish to make sure this hospice is as secure and safe as possible." she says thinking about asking Mr. Gunn to buy the land around the Gleaming Rose so she could expand it as well as find a druid to create the courtyard.

Taking her leave the very tired priestess of the Lovers makes her way to the simple room she called her own and laid down on the straw mattress. Opening the letter she slowly began reading what her mentor had to say. As she finishes the letter she folds it back up and places it in the straw for safe keeping. When she awoke she had a great deal of work to do, and one of those things was going with Pran to the temple which was a reflection of the temple of the Betrayer in the plane of Shadows. If what her mentor said was true, making sure that this place was not indeed a front and fake temple was of importance. She also needed to contact her homeland, and ask for a retrieval team to come and recover the bones of Saint Rosalind. She had a funny feeling however that in the end what she was seeking would be found deep within the poor district, or close to the temple the daughter slept.

Theo would be to distracted to help her, and Yara and Hesa had their own problems to deal with if the entire armada of Fenorax was coming. Mr. Gunn and Perseus would be no doubt caught up in his legal affairs with the war coming crime would be on the rise. And the dwarves were on their way as well, though how far away they were she could not say. However she could not get distracted by Malture, Krom would no doubt attack Dargun once he landed and the dog would be biting his own tail throwing New Ganther and the dwarven kingdom of Kharheim into war if they were not already for what she had seen in the crystal ball. But what did the Betrayer gain from this war besides people being distracted? As much as she hated the idea she had a feeling she would be seeing Natalie sooner then she would like trying to find information about the Betrayer.

With all these thoughts whirling around in her mind the red haired priestess of the lovers fell asleep, resting on the thoughts of what was to come.

[gallagher]

I see no reason why he wouldn't approve. Maybe we could organize something that the three of us can do together. More the merrier. Theo says. Normally he would be jovial about it, but the toll of death still weighed heavy. Let me know what he says. Did your Knights come across anything suspicious while the lich was being corralled and destroyed? I saw many enemies flee the field of battle.

[Timble]

So, it wouldn't be able to locate the Malturites based on Syndar's knowledge. Still, he would be useful. The psicrystal still had a few questions.
What route did you take the boy and where did you leave him?
Who is part of your cell and who do you answer to within your cell?
Who in your cell knows where to find the Master or knows of one who does?
Do you know of anyone who has been to the temple?


(I'll update Hesa tomorrow. I don't have much time today)

[ilinares]

Spoiler: Gunn

Show

Blanching, the man makes no further objection. He hurries to open his coffers, handing over his ledger and hastening out of your way.

The coffers hold a total of just over 500gp. From the ledger it seems this business, which trades in imported luxuries, turns over around 7,000gp a year. The profit is about 300gp a year, with most of the costs being on the purchase of stock, rent for the premises, and taxes. One figure - 1,000gp for “contingency insurance,” far in excess of what you would expect for insuring a business like this - catches your eye. The payee is listed as “Eternity Holdings and Investments.”

Spoiler: Theo

Show

Ilyen looks slightly taken aback. “Me? Oh. All right, I guess I could talk with him about that.”

She listens to your question and thinks back. “We had our share of fighting. Several ghouls, a vampire or two. The usual banditry and gang nonsense. Nothing we couldn't handle.”

There is a knock at the door, and Acolyte Pel pokes his head in, expression apologetic.

“Father, Brother Micah said to fetch you. Niall just turned up - and he's mad as anything.”

Spoiler: Rosalind

Show

Sleep proves elusive as you think through the challenges before you. Try though you might, you still cannot see the Betrayer's plan, and that gives cause for concern.

Still, you finally fall asleep, and enter a fitful, dreaming state. It seems as though you are in a foot race, with thousands of faceless competitors on each side, pressing in on you, buffeting you along. The path is steep, and the ground keeps shifting beneath you; whenever you look up, the finish line is further away than it was before.

Abruptly, the scene fades, and you find yourself in the Temple of the Lovers where you first trained. Two immense statues dominate the hall: one white, masculine, the other black and feminine, but both abstract, suggesting gender and identity without being recognisably human.

Then the statues move, each extending a hand toward you. You are overwhelmed by sensation, frozen to your core and warmed to your soul, wracked with pain and elated with bliss, lost in darkness and suddenly seeing with excruciating clarity.

The experience continues unabated, and your surroundings change, but there is no sensation that you have moved - indeed, in some sense it seems that you have become the centre of all reality, which reshapes itself around you.

You are now standing before a mighty fortress, black as night and full of majesty and power. The plain before it is filled with soldiers, a mix of the obviously undead and those who to all intents and purposes appear mortal. And they are charging headlong towards a precipice, where one world seems to mark the very limits of the world. Beyond it, a yawning void beckons, an entitled plummet into the infinite night.

The focus of their motion is a bridge, if it can be properly described as such: for it extends into the darkness beyond, and your eyes cannot focus upon the far side of it. On the bridge stands a single figure, a swordsman, fighting with consummate skill and single-handedly holding off the host.

As you look upon him, you briefly see a different image: a metal box inscribed with writing, twin to the one you encountered in Shroud's lair.

The figure fights on for what seems like hours, bodies piling before him, although in truth it may only be minutes. Several of the attackers have wings, but none seek to fly above the void, or over his head; you sense that they cannot, that there is more to this bridge - to this void - than the merely physical.

At last, the great gate of the fortress opens, and the entire army falls supplicant to its knees. The solitary figure on the bridge reacts just as instantaneously, as though he knew this moment would come: he strikes the bridge itself, all his strength behind the blow, and flees to the far end and out of sight even as the bridge collapses beneath his feet.

The vision changes again. Time passes, an aeon, as you are tormented and uplifted by the forces pouring through you. It feels like your flesh must fail, like the power coursing through you must inevitably be your undoing; then you sense new power entering your sinews, power to accept, to endure, what no mortal can otherwise bear.

You stand now at a crossroads, a nexus of many paths - tunnels walled by rippling purple-blue fluid, through which lightning flashes. A figure stands before you, a woman whose cloak is the night itself. A goddess you have seen before. Charis.

She raises a hand, and the tunnels reshape themselves, a new passage forming before Her. She steps through, to stand upon the self-same plain where you were moments before. It is empty now, the fortress closed. You realise that the bridge is behind you - that the route Charis followed links seemlessly with that broken edifice.

Somehow, Charis turns and sees you.

“What have we here? A pilgrim, adrift from her time. Speak, pilgrim: what brings you hither?”

The voice is no less potent than when you heard it last - but you find it no longer has any power over you. Not here. Not as you are now. Your holy rapture recedes slightly, freeing you to speak, to move.