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To Identify Or Not To Identify, What Good Are Gods Anyway?

From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

OOC: Ty, how deep is the water Mission and Cadfael are standing in? Where are the party members located in the tunnel? I have this image of Cadfael and Misison being near the rockpile, but I'm not sure. . .

"Or we could just ask him," Mission grunts at the mages. "Like this: Cadfael, what is that ring you wear, and what does it have to do with my son?"

He could break Cadfael's arms now. The madness of the last few days whorls about in Mission's mind. He could snap the priest's arms like branches. Priest of Sand and Shadow. . . hiding what he knew about Promise. Concealing the truth. Him and his sand taken god, Pelor, keeping Promise away from him. Away from the Path.

Blood be stone. Mission calms himself with a few deep breaths. He would not let his feet stray from the Path.



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

Farron gives the glove over to Sa'id and watches with some tension for what might happen.



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

At Sa'id's request, Farron will retrieve the remaining (?) identify scroll from his pack and (assuming Cadfael doesn't make a confession making "identify" unnecessary) he will cast "Identify" on the ring.

(OOC - I'm pretty sure Farron has at least one scroll left. Also he could just cast "identify" without using the scroll, but he'd need 15 minutes to do it and I'm assuming the group is rather too impatient for that at this point).



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

"I don't trust him to know what it is, Mission. Nor do I trust him to tell us the truth if he does. I DO, however, trust Farron's magic." He pauses. "I understand your desire to hear it from him, but there is no reason these two things can't happen at once." Sa'id's focus shifts to Cadfael. "If, instead of speaking the words of common language, you cast a spell of any kind, you will feel flames born of MY wrath, and not that of your god -- if Mission doesn't beat me to it." His tone doesn't change, and the words are spoken matter-of-factly, out of simple necessity.



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

"Cadfael, did you order that code red??"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want the truth!"

"You want the truth?? You cant HANDLE the truth!"



From: Karl

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

At Sa'id's new words, Farron will continue locating the scroll to cast "Identify" on Cadfael's ring. Unless someone stops him, that is what he will be doing until it is done.



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

Cadfael laughs ruefully, "More than one God works through this ring, Sa'id. They hold as much love for you as you do for them and they do not fear your pitiful fire."

"Cast Sa'id's spell for him if you must, Farron, but Gods do not like mortals prying into their affairs and it will be your eyes that suffer, not mine nor Sa'id's."

He tries to speak Sa'id's name as a curse each time he utters it but he seems to deflate as he speaks and by the end he is mumbling to the water once more.

"I am tired, Mission. I am worn and I am weary and there is still so much to do. The Gods have taken everything of mine, why should time be any different? This ring is the key to Promise and has bound our fates as one. You need look no further than the man you hold to see how your son suffers. Set our feet on a path, Mission. Light cannot harm a stone and naught but blood can change blood. Release me and save your son or take this ring and doom him, I cannot make that choice."

Cadfael suddenly tries to surge to his feet, and raises his head to cry out to the darkness.

"Do you hear me? I will not choose, Pelor! I deny you! I would renounce you if it would release me from your hand. You would strip me of your presence and still keep me bound to you? Give me your justice! Let these men choose, it should not have fallen to me. Let them suffer, let them writhe in loss, let them burn. That is my choice, let them bear the burden of their love. It is not my child, it is not my homeland to protect and it is not my people that chose damnation. I do not care what befalls any of them."

Tears suddenly burst from his eyes and he falls heavily back into Mission, "Why am I taunted with choices and haunted with sights of Hell? Why force these visions upon me? Though they torment me less than the holiness I have lost. I would release the ring to you if I could, Mission, I would send you on your way with my blessings and never think of you again. But if you try and take it I will kill you and relish in the act, though I would not guide the blade. Now hurry up and choose for me, at least Pelor never kept me waiting."



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

Sa'id moves still closer to Cadfael, and Mission can see clearly the pity in the wizard's eyes. "What have the gods done to you?" he murmurs.. "They have taken what was whole and good and left a dessicated shell of a man."

"At least now you understand the gods as I do; why men should seek to be rid of their meddling influence. They play their games and mortals hurt and die. And for what? For the betterment of one god against another?" Sa'id sighs. "Would that they did not exist; the world would be the better for it."

"I could touch your ring and not die. You know this. Kor Garesh cannot influence my mind through the ring as long as I am protected by the magics I have wrought; such are the laws of the universe, by which even your precious gods are bound. You know too that if I could I would read the identification scoll myself. Hate me if you must, if it will make you feel whole again, but what the gods do for you I do for myself. If the craft of wizards shows anything, it is that mortals do not need the gods." He pauses. "...except to deal with the meddlings of other gods. For this purpose - and this purpose ALONE - I will tolerate your Pelor, more so than even you."

He turns to Farron. "I am still curious as to the exact nature of the ring, but it may not be safe to cast spells unprotected. Divine magics are immune to even temporary dispelling; unless you have a spell of protection, it may be unwise to cast Identify. I trust your judgment in either case. What do you think of the ring? Can we safely leave it on him until Promise is recovered?"



From: Dan

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

Cadfael meets Sa'id's look blankly, he is clearly waiting for Mission's response. Although, when Sa'id mentions his protection from Kor Garesh amusement splashes across Cadfael's face and he looks at Sa'id as if he is missing something obvious. Slowly his face slumps and his head sinks back down to his chest and he quietly waits for Mission to act.



From: Scott

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

The Path is not straight, nor is it soft. And what it calls him to release or bind for Promise's sake, he will do. Can he trust Cadfael and his Pathless god? Flesh be stone, he has little choice that he can see.

"I'm going to let Cadfael go," he says. "Slowly."

And he does. But he keeps two fingers pressed against the pulse in Cadfael's throat. Just in case.

"Don't move. Just talk to us. Explain." He grins. "Use small words so that I can catch your meaning. Where is my boy?"

If Cadfael moves, Mission will use Stonetap to stun him.



From: Raja

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

OOC: I would just like to commend Dan and Scott on their excellent RP since we resumed. I'm really enjoying reading the messages, guys. :)



From: Ty

Subject: Re: The Hole; more strife

Karl, is Farron still identifying after Sa'id's warning?