Who's Next?
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Are we waiting for the Sunmaster to call on someone else?
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Ty if you want a character to volunteer, Bartok will. If you want the Sunmaster to pick the order that works for me as well.
Mark
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
It's an open floor. Anyone can go whenever they want.
Confessions: Farron, Bartok, and Pensive
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
(OOC - I haven't gotten any of the emails between Farron's last turn and this one. I believe the game mailing lists are being filtered out by my work email, although not completely. In Mark's game, if he includes my work address ([removed by editor]) separate from the game mailing list I can get the emails no problem. That would probably work here, too. I hate to add the inconvenience, but otherwise I'll just have to catch up when the emails are updated on sakeriver. I haven't had time when at home to check email in weeks. /OOC)
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
OOC: I'm having the WORST time writing up a confession...
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Forwarding the last few emails for karl.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Farron's heart skipped a beat as the Sunmaster pulls him down by his side. He half expected to be struck down at that moment. The ceremony makes him nervous. He was never particularly religious, though he could not doubt anymore that the beings others worshipped were beings of great power. He hears the Sunmaster's confession, as well as his plea for strength. He wonders at the faith of this man even as he remembers Cadfael. Cadfael, valiant to the end, and in the end discarded. His heart skips another beat as he realizes he is perilously close to thinking things that Pelor might find blasphemous. He was quickly running out of hope of ever getting off his knees again alive.
As the Sunmaster ends his confession Farron sees him smile at Sa'id, but rather than begin his own confession, his friend simply bows his head and sobs. What was it about Sa'id that this Pelor would fill with such strong feelings of devotion while Farron only felt fear? Well, it would probably be the last straw, him speaking out of turn, but somewhere inside he must have know it was speak now, or never find the strength. He begins so abruptly that the break in the silence startles him, even though it was he that broke it. The words come out almost of their own will, and he feels almost like he is listening to someone else speak.
"My name is Farron Uphill. I'm 23 years old. In that time I have seen a lot of the world and heard many stories of the gods and their dealings among men. Beyond the stories I know nothing. I don't dis-believe, but I have not worshipped, and I have no faith in rewards beyond this island. I, too, am afraid to die. I'm sure my life matters no more to Pelor, than any of the other lives lost on this island, and probably even less than some. But it matters to me. I don't want to die, but I don't want to live in fear, either, but I do, or at least I have for many days now. I'm afraid of the darkness that has awakened in the heart of my homeland. I'm afraid of the terrible creatures it has at its command. I'm afraid of its power because I have felt it. I've heard it in my heart, offering -" dare he say it? Surely Pelor already knew, and if He didn't kill him for it here and now, the others surely would after. They'd never trust his loyalty again if they knew. How could they? "I've heard it offering reward for betrayal of our party when we were back in the mountain. Of course, I didn't betray my friends. I didn't. But I've felt that darkness again, and I can't shut it up." Farron stops and turns his face to his shoulder, unable to bear the eyes of the others. After a minute he continues.
"All that is good has been laid waste and scattered across this island. Nothing good has come of this being's rise. I know there is no reward from it worth having so now it only speaks to me of despair. For that I have no counter attack. My home is gone. My family dead or scattered. I want to hope that the darkness can be beaten, but I fear I have nothing to give. You who follow gods have strength of faith, at least. If there is any hope, it lies with you. I want to do my part, but the closer I've come to you who feel divine strength, the less worthy I feel. What can I give when so many better than I have already fallen?" Done, Farron slumps back on his heels and awaits his fate.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Karl, you rock.
From: Mark
Subject: Bartok speaks
When Farron is done Bartok steps forward and speaks in halfling.
"I am Bartok of the Kalama, called Stonegrip by my tribe. Until the darkness came the there was nothing I feared. I respected the jungle. I respected the swamp dragon. I respected the mountain. But fear? I did not fear. I had contempt: contempt for the weak humans who lived behind the walls of their cities, contempt for how soft they are, contempt for their easy life." Bartok hesitates for a second before he goes on. "I do resent how my tribe has treated me. I have always felt like an outsider, even among my own people. They liked the forest but I preferred the mountain. I would climb its cliffs and find its secret ways. I heard the others talk behind my back about how much time I spent on the mountain."
"I resented it when they named Melani as the First Scout instead of me. I felt that she got that position because of her family, not her skill and I hated her for that. Now she is likely dead, defending the humans I despised. That she despised. Why did she die for them? There is a part of me that wants my people to pay for how I was treated. Now I think it might have been the evil of the mountain, that all my time there has had an effect on me. I ask the Lady of the Root and Branch as well as this Pelor of yours for his blessing. I ask that my anger be taken away."
msquared
From: Scott
Subject: Pensive Confesses
It is the first time in months that Pensive has felt utterly, completely...still. The old man's song fills his head with brightness and warmth, and then the itching of the Shadow and the press of men's emotions just...dissolves. The release is so sudden, Pensive wobbles and has to steady himself by putting his hand on the floor.
It is the stillness of the Mossground. Not silence, exactly-- but a quiet that fills his ears rather than emptying them. He doesn't breathe-- does he even need to? And when he does, just to see that he can, he breathes in the air of Bannock's Ire and the smell of home. Woodfires, and spice and sweetness from Rigor's garden, and sweat from the boys and girls in the exercise yard. He can taste the glacier behind the mountain, and the ice that lay there all year round, and the coldness of the runoff pool where he'd learned to swim.
Home.
And teasing all along those smells and tastes is the feel of the wind. A river wind. Mountain and river, monk and elf. Stone and Blood.
"I am Elf of the Gnomes of Little Grelling, Pensive of the Path of Blood and Stone, and Weeping Thistle of the Low Elves. I am Asha Eradu, in the language of the High Elves. I am Pensive, and I named myself on the Mossground when I was nine years old, thirty-six years ago." Pensive doesn't know what language he's speaking. It sounds to him like a harmony of gnomish and low elvish and Common. But thinking on it, he couldn't define what language the others who had spoken had used. Here, we all know one another. Here, the borders between us, the borders of culture and language, are gone. Here, we can be brothers and compatriots with no reservations because we must all expose our weaknesses.
Pensive continues, "I have felt the Shadow that dwells in Kessel. I have shared its dreams of murder, and felt the burning of its maw in my own mouth. I know the lust that it thrusts outward from itself. I fear...I fear it shall devour my mind before it devours my soul. I fear that I am too weak to turn aside from the temptation. This morning, it pressed upon me, trying to drown me in my own bile. And I could not tell you now if it was the Shadow, or if it was myself that desired my death."
"Blood and Stone, abide in me. Flesh be Stone, Blood be Stone."
Scott's Rallying Call
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Mike.
Raja (?).
Matt.
Bob.
Don't let the game die here...
Confessions: Garyth and Osred
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
There's a long pause after Pensive finishes. Garyth realizes that he has to speak. When he'd told the Sunmaster that he would give his confession, he'd expected that it would happen in private, where it couldn't do any harm. But to back out now would be just as much an admission of weakness as just to speak. And he does want to speak, Garyth realizes. The burden of silent worry and doubt has been wearing him down, and he wants to let it go.
He lets out a long sigh, then speaks. "My name is Garyth tel'Ardan." He pauses, unsure of what to say next. The words come slowly at first. "A few days ago I saw an army routed by an image of the demon, when victory was nearly theirs and would have saved my home. The soldiers broke and ran and tripped over their own feet in their fear. I know that fear, because I felt a shadow of it when we first met Mission's mistress, here at the trading post a few weeks ago. I had always thought myself a brave man, but I ran like a child from that woman, my terror was so blind. I don't know how I will be able to stand before the demon, if I can't even face his minion."
Oddly, his voice seems more sure now than before, and the words come more easily. "But more than that, even if I find the courage to stand, I doubt I have the strength or skill that this task needs. I'm young--my twenty-first birthday is next month. I don't know of anyone else as young as me that was made captain and given command, and the past few days have made me realize that I'm not ready for it. If times were different, I would have room for mistakes and miscalculations, but times are what they are. Every error costs a life, and I have made many errors." In his mind, he can still hear the screams of the townspeople as they fell beneath the halfling arrows, or as they were crushed by the fleeing mass of their own neighbors. "We lost dozens of people on the road to the forest. I was in command--every one of those lives was my responsibility."
"I don't know if the gods can make me a better soldier, but I have no other hope remaining. I know my own strength is not enough." Garyth swallows and closes his eyes. "I put myself in Pelor's hands now, to place me on what path he sees fit. I pray that he gives me the strength to walk it, wherever it leads."
From: Jake
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Osred clears his throat. "I am Osred, servant of Hieroneus," he booms, his voice rolling richly over the group. I have striven to do right and protect the weak since the Lord lifted me from the cesspool of moral filth I'd wallowed in most of my life. I..." here he pauses for a moment, the oratory quality of his voice faltering. When he resumes speaking he seems smaller, somehow. "I have not always succeeded. In fighting the servants of the demon, I have taken joy in the glory of battle, not just to honor Hieroneus, but also for myself." His voice deepens, carrying clearly to everyone's ears, louder than it needs to be, in truth. "I have been proud, too sure of myself and not just of the Lord. I have wanted to see the blood of his halfling servants on my blade, not just as tribute to Hieroneus, but for myself, to avenge my men and my wounded pride. In perfect service to my god there is no room for the demon's will to grapple with my own, but going down that path, doing battle for my own glory, taking pride in abilities that are mine only through Hieroneus' grace--that the demon can use. He could could twist me until I served him in all but name. In the light of Pelor I rededicate myself to Hieroneus. Just as my Lord serves yours, Sunmaster, lending his strong right arm where it may serve, so I will serve you in fighting this evil, lending you strength where I may, and accepting strength from you in return."
Confessions: Rennik
Subject: Re: The sunmaster's confession
Rennik listens to the others, his own feelings a twisted mess inside his head. There has been no clarity or focus since the day of the wereboar attack on his village, and he had left no room for introspection since that time.
He was driven by the rage held barely in check, and the quest to perfect his body for a stand against the demon boar he swore to destroy. He had never thought to look for weaknesses of mind, gaps in the armor that could be exploited. Not until the Sunmaster's words.
And he found himself lacking.
"I am Rennik of the Chorrdath." He stood, coming just about to the height of those seated and kneeling around him. "I left my home on a quest for vengeance. I abandoned my village and family to seek out the demon boar that destroyed my life and future, and to see it cleaved before my axe. This has driven me these past several years, at first a white hot anger and now a smoldering ember."
"I have not stopped to think of weakness since that time - not weakness of mind. The elves strengthened my body and reflexes, and cooled my passions. The forest honed my skill and axe arm. My fears of not being equal to destroying the demon boar are gone, especially after killing its spawn here in this inn. But weakness of body is not what we have to fear, if this holy man speaks truth."
"My anger is my strength. To abandon that would be to cripple myself in battle. I know this. But my anger is not an opening, for it is directed against the evil and against the demon that threatens to finish the job its servant only started - destroying my home and tribe. My anger is pure, and will guide my blade. It is not my anger that worries me."
"I have been too long a puppet of fate. I have had no control over the events of my life, being pushed this way and that. My destiny was to be chief of the Chorrdath - until the day the demon boar attacked. It killed my betrothed and wounded my best friend - who later turned into its demon spawn and killed many more of my people before escaping."
"I had no choice but to leave and pursue these two servents of darkness, abandoning my home to unknown fates. I had no choice but to track these creatures these last years, learning of the ways to kill them from the lore of the elves. I had no choice but to fall in with humans to accomplish my goals. I had no choice but to kill my best friend and kinsman to save him and the world from the monster he had become. I have had no choices. I have been at the will of fate. I have been helpless."
"And I know wonder if this is not the will of the demon - that I pursue this vengeance to the heart of the mountain itself. That I come to him willingly and with hatred in my heart, so that he may grant my wish of revenge - and steal my mind at the point when it is most vulnerable, when the purpose that has driven me these long years is gone."
"I have sometimes thought about what will happen when I accomplish my goal, and I have found only emptiness and a lack of will to go on. My sense of duty tells me I must return to my village, but there is no warmth for me there. My sense of glory tells me to unite the tribes into a great nation, but I have seen the product of such a halfling nation and it was corrupt. My will stops at the mountain. After I kill the demon boar, I have no purpose."
"These companions of mine have become friends, and all of our homes are threatened. I will fight to destroy the demon to save our lands, for that is what is good and honorable and according to the will of the Goddess Mielikki. But I am afraid that such a powerful evil could corrupt my anger with th helplessness and guilt I still feel over the inability to save my betrothed, my friend, and my village."
"I have a symbol of the Lady's grace and strength in my wolf companion Tichenor. I would gladly accept any strength your god of light and warmth can offer."
With that, Rennik kneels and allows others to speak.
Confessions: Kasen and Sa'id
Subject: Kasen's confession
Kasen nods to the others who have spoken before him. "My name is Kasen, I am a squire of the Order of the White Hart. Well, maybe I'm not any more." He draws the large two handed sword from his back, and lays it within the circle. "I stole this sword when my master was killed. It is his sword. I told myself that I did it to keep it out of Elise's hands, but that was just an excuse. The truth is, I wanted it for myself. I wanted it because it is a symbol of everything that I want to become. It is the weapon of a true Paladin."
"I am unworthy to carry it. I am unworthy to join you men on this crusade against the demon."
He shifts uncomfortably. "And there has been lust in my heart. I- I have seen Elise in embrace with the head of my order. I saw them together, and greater than my disgust at my lord's betrayal of his vows, was the lust in my own heart for her. I hate her. I hate her. But I lust for her as well. And in this too I am unworthy."
"Can Helm forgive these things? His eye is all seeing and his justice is sure. I do not believe he can forgive my weakness."
[I just need a turn from Raja]
From: Raja
Subject: Sa'id's confession
Sa'id, still sobbing quietly, looks up. The room is silent, but he can still feel the supernatural presence. Everyone was looking at him. They had mostly spoken of fear, inadequacy, asking for the strength to complete the task or to overcome their anxiety. This was different. He takes several deep breaths
"My name is Sa'id ibn Shukri," he begins, speaking slowly. "I am twenty-two years old. I was born and raised in Jaffa, on an island far to the west of Huss. My father owned and operated a funeral parlour, preparing bodies for burial. My mother died when I was thirteen, and my father -- I..." He pauses. "I was with my mother when she died. I did not call for my father. Our relationship was... never the same. I left home at sixteen and have not spoken to him since then."
"What I did between then and the beginning of this madness is not relevant. I have had..."
Another pause.
"...dreams."
Sa'id swallows, hard. He can feel Pelor's gaze upon him.
"I dreamt of power, the power to create unlife from death. Of commanding an army of the very abominations we have been battling. Of..." his voice breaks, and another sob wracks his frame. "Of killing you. All of you. Before our task is done, afterward, I don't know. It almost doesn't matter. I am terrified that Melancthnagesh will darken my thoughts even further, nudge me over the precipice... but I am even more terrified that he won't need to, that... I will jump off myself."
He turns, looks at the Sunmaster. "It might be best if I did not accompany you. It might be best if Pelor himself burned me with his holy fire here and now, to spare all of you from what might happen."
From: Jake
Subject: Re: Sa'id's confession
Great turn, Raja.
The Sunmaster Comforts
Subject: The Sunmaster comforts...
After the last man speaks, Sunmaster Fellus lets the room grow quiet. But instead of unease, the men feel only peace. Finally, when he does speak, his voice is filled with emotion. "Thank you all, for opening yourselves like this. It is not easy. But now each of us is aware, not only of the secret worries of his companion, but also of the trust that has been given in sharing them. Secret things hold power over us. But once spoken, they lose much of their potency. Pelor has heard your words, and your appeals for aid. So to have all those beings who wish to see the demon caged once more. Your words have not been in vain."
The Sunmaster lowers his head, and begins praying in a strange tongue. Though the men around him do not understand his words, there is something in their cadence and tone that is very comforting. When he finishes, he extinguishes the candle in front of him. "We will leave on the morrow. Make what preparations you need to."
Robert clears his throat. "Forgive me, m'lord, but I don't understand. You blew in here like the wind. Why not just fly to the mountain right now and be done?"
Fellus smiles at him, "I could. But once I got there, the demon's servants would simply run me through. Age has taken much of my former strength, I'm afraid. And the prayer that I must use once I arrive is taxing in the extreme. No, for this to work, I will need all of you by my side, to protect me. I have no prayers that would move us all to the temple together. Sadly, I must walk my aged bones through that damnable jungle."
Kasen scratches his chin, and uncomfortable look on his face. "Elise will know you've left the city. She knew when the wizards and I had, and used magic to try and kill us. It is possible that she will attempt to ambush us along the way, or if she lacks the men with her for that, she will go to the temple to bolster its defenses."
Rennik growls. "Good. I hope to see her there." He clutches the haft of his newly repaired axe until his knuckles are white.
[prep for the journey. Spell lists and whatnot. Also, you may attempt to forage supplies from Gully's, though of course his supplies are mostly all gone. Let me know what you are trying to find.]
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Yeah, this is actually the best time to do this.
So, I need all the PC's to level up here, except for Kasen and Bartok. The benefits of having been on board since the beginning... :)
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
:(
4th level with a bunch of 7th levels. Children among men.
Mark
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Bartok is 4th?
Hmmmmm.... I'd thought he was fifth. Go ahead and level him up to fifth, Mark, even though he hasn't done anything yet. 4th is just too low for the stuff that is coming.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
So, the burning question:
Animate Dead?
;)
Quick Question From Pensive
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
OOC: Ty, I updated Pensive's sheet on sakeriver, except for the HP. If you want, I'll roll it, or you can do so. I added 3 skill points to Tumble, and 2 to Move Silently. (Mike, the sheet doesn't take the 'Synergy' column into account when tabulating Skill values...)
OOC2: Pensive will search for food and healing kits; he'll ask Gully for permission, and pay a bit extra for whatever he takes. He'll take three days worth of food, if he can find it.
Pensive finds a quiet moment to approach the Sunmaster. "Sir," he says, bowing his head a bit. "I was given this token by a woman from the village-- it has the feeling of something very holy within it. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it."
The Sunmaster Reassures Farron and Sa'id
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Farron keeps his face toward the floor while the rest of the men speak in turn. Only Sa'id's words give him pause. How could it be that he held such dark thoughts, yet he had spoken in the holy chamber and not been consumed. Pelor must be much more forgiving than he had thought. More forgiving? or more desperate? Again with the blasphemous thoughts.
He chances a glance around the circle, expecting accusing stares but finding none. Everyone, to a man was looking at the floor, no one looking at Farron; No one aghast at his weakness nor his lack of faith. The realization of it hits him at the same time a feeling of peace overtakes him. It had been so long since he felt at peace. He realizes with a start that the darkness is gone from around his heart, not as if stripped away by an external force, but as if the fire from within his very own heart had rekindled and made his soul an uncomfortable place for darkness to dwell.
The Sunmaster finishes the ritual with a prayer, strange to Farron's ears, but comforting nonetheless. Then, he dismisses the group, each to make his own preparations for the journey to come.
As the group disperses, Farron approaches the Sunmaster. "Sir, um, . . . Your Holiness," he begins. "I do not understand what has changed. My head still feels the doubt it felt before, and the unworthiness, too. But my heart, now, could not bear the thought of not joining you on this quest. I know the dangers we face - I've been there before, yet, strangely I feel relieved by the thought of going with you to the mountain. The despair I have felt recently is gone, but I fear its return. How can I keep it from taking hold of my heart again?"
OOC - Farron will listen to the Sunmaster's reply. He will then help assemble any supplies necessary for the trip to the mountain.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Fellus grabs Farron's hand and holds it gently. "Only one thing has changed, my friend. Your companions know that you suffer as they do, and they will be there to help you should you need it. You need no longer be ashamed. When the demon spoke to you before, and asked you to betray them, you kept this hidden from them out of shame. Now, you can speak openly to them. If the demon tempts you, you can admit this to your friends and let their strength aid you. I know, I know, it seems like a very small thing. But I promise you, it is of vital importance."
The Sunmaster keeps Farron's hand, and pulls Sa'id over to him as well. He says in a quiet voice, "You two will feel the dangers we face more than the others. You are mages, trained to open your minds to all things arcane. It does not surprise me that you have already felt the weight of the demon's gaze heavy on you. But I will be with you. Please, please tell me if you are tempted again. I promise that the three of us together are stronger than the demon's will. I swear it."
After Farron and Sa'id move away, Pensive approaches holding his necklace. The Sunmaster listens to him, then looks the item over carefully. "One can certainly feel the gaze of something upon this item. I see you have felt it too. Something ancient watches over the one that holds it. I would say it is a powerful talisman, though the design is unfamiliar to me. But when I hold it, I smell leaves and grass, and fresh soil. One of the elven gods, perhaps? Who gave it to you?"
Pensive tells Fellus of the conversation with Elvira. The Sunmaster nods, a serious look on his face. "It is no small matter, that. She has laid an obligation on you, and the God that watches this item is aware of it. I see that you feel that too."
From: Ty
Subject: roll your own HP
If you plan to try and cheat at this late date in our game, I won't stop you. :)
Does everyone have an updated version of their character on Sakeriver?
From: Mark
Subject: Re: roll your own HP
I sent you the hit point roll from the Irony dice roller. A measly 1. :)
I have updated Bartoks skills and such.
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Bartok waits until the humans have finished talking before he approaches the Sunmaster. He bows. "Man of the human gods, you have shown me that our people are not that much different. We all have the same worries, the same fears. Again I promise you, on my life, you will reach the moutain."
Bartok makes the symbol of fealty and bows again.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
"It is no small matter, that. She has laid an obligation on you, and the God that watches this item is aware of it. I see that you feel that too."
Pensive nods. "I did not expect to love these people so easily. This is so different from the path that I thought I was meant to walk. I thought...well, anyway." He shakes his head.
"I will gather some supplies for you."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
"Please, please tell me if you are tempted again."
Again.
What if I never stopped being tempted? What if I'm -still- tempted?
Sa'id realizes, then, that the power he'd dreamt of is already within his grasp. He had only to reach out and take it... a night or two spent collating notes and recollections of their battles with undead over the past weeks would do it. The secret to creating them would not escape his intellect.
The necromancer wants to run to his books. Instead, he lurks in the periphery of the room, waiting for an opportunity to address the Sunmaster again. The halfling scout, Bartok, bows before the Sunmaster and they exchange some words. As the two separate, Sa'id approaches Fellus again.
"Sunmaster," he says quietly, "I must speak with you alone. It does not have to be now."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
"Now is an excellent time, while the others prepare for the coming journey. Let us go to one of the private rooms for a few moments."
Fellus leads Sa'id to one of the rooms in the back. "Speak, friend."
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
OOC: Mellon.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
Sa'id speaks softly despite their privacy. "I have sometimes what you might describe as revelations if the context were religious. Things become clear in a flash of insight." He takes a deep breath. "I had one such realization just now. The power I described in my dream, that I know a part of me craves... the power to create undead..." he trails off.
"As a child in my father's house I viewed the dead as deserving of reverence. As an investigator for the coroner's office in Haifa on my home island my view was the same. My study of necromancy grew from this reverence, and the creation of undead defiles it. I wished, initially, to understand the process. Somehow that has grown into desire to harness it and twist it to my own purposes, whatever those may be."
"The power is now within my grasp, should I but reach out and take it. Other incantations I once struggled with are becoming clearer as well. With a little study, and the proper supplies... wouldn't two dozen zombies be helpful in getting through the jungle?"
"But you see, that is pride talking. I assume I am ready, I assume I can succeed, and most of all I assume... I assume that I will not be corrupted even further by using the power I once abhorred." Sa'id digs about in his pack, pulling out a scroll case. He pops the case open and tugs the rolled papers from it. These he presents to the Sunmaster.
"My notes," he says. "My notes about the undead, speculations about how they function, how they might be created. Please, you must help me summon the strength to burn them."
From: Ty
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
The Sunmaster nods slowly, his face thoughtful. "You are a very strong young man, Sa'id. I keep seeing what Cadfael must have seen in you."
He sits back, one hand rubbing an arthritic wrist as he speaks, "Power. Power is what creates and destroys great men. The desire for it makes them achieve what others do not, and then once gained, the use of it often destroys them. You are on the precipice now. You have seen the first inklings of true power, and you are frightened. I understand this. I am not without power myself, and the temptation to misuse it is sometimes almost overwhelming.
"Great men can attain power, but it is the exceptional man that finds a way to hold power without its corrupting influence. The fact that you sit there, clutching the keys to a corrupt form of power, ready to put it to the flame, shows you to be an exceptional man. You don't need my help. The moment you spoke your thoughts out loud, you robbed those temptations of their ability to hold you in thrall. You know such works would be an evil for you, and you have faced that truth openly. Such corruption only works when it is allowed to fester in hiding.
"Burn those notes, Sa'id, if you know that to be the right thing to do. But do not believe that it is I that saved you. You saved yourself. I am just honored that you chose to speak to me of this first."
Fellus rises slowly back to his feet. "I find that my greatest regret in going to face what is certainly my doom, is that I will not be here to see you become the man you are turning into. I should like very much to watch you grow. I think it will be into something special."
He gestures to the door, "Should we return to the others? Gully has a nice fire burning right now..."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: The Sunmaster comforts...
"I only hope," Sa'id replies, fighting back tears, "that I will one day be able to help someone, lend strength, be a worthy guide, as you and Cadfael have done for me."
"But it isn't enough to simply throw these notes into the fire. Even that is too passive." He nods, seemingly to himself. "Yes, altogether too passive." The necromancer murmurs a few quiet words [Prestidigitation], and when snaps his fingers, a spark leaps from between them to the bone-dry papers in his other hand. The light instantly and begin to burn, the acrid smoke rising in soft wisps.
"Now I can throw them in the fire," he says. "Now that I have started the process, I can let Gully's fire complete it." Sa'id grins suddenly. "If I didn't, I suppose I'd burn my hands." He opens the door for the priest with his free hand, and then walks slowly to the fire, carefully shielding the burning papers so that the fire doesn't go out. He ignores the strange looks of his comrades. Extending an arm, he holds the papers over the fire, then releases his grip. They drift downward, the flames licking up at them almost lazily.
Sa'id breathes a sigh of relief. "I did it," he murmurs to himself. "I have taken a step back from the cliff."
OOC: My character sheet on Sakeriver isn't up to date yet. I'll try to have that done by the weekend.
Scrounging Results
Subject: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
From: Mark
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
I think I am ready to go.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
I don't need anything from you, Ty. I haven't updated my sheet, though. I will try to do it this weekend.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
I just need to know if I was able to find food enough for Pensive and for the Sunmaster for 3 days or so. And if he found/bought any healing supplies.
I'm good to go then.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Yeah, as long as we have enough food to get there and back, I'm good to go.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Pensive finds no healing supplies of any kind, but he and Gully are able to scrounge up enough food for a week.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
And back?
From: Mark
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
We have the SunMaster and Osred, right. They can both create food, right? Rennick can hunt.
Hell Bartok could probably supply some foraging. The halflings are out there two. They might be able to supply us with some food.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Nah, I'm expecting you to send in the eagles to pick up our exhausted unconscious bodies from the side of the mountain after we fix the demon prison. :)
From: Raja
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
:P
Yes, "and back." I can't speak for others, but Sa'id certainly intends to return from the mountain.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Garyth will want to do some scrounging as well. Food will be his top priority, followed by arrows and crossbow bolts. If there's a bow to replace the one he gave to Rennik, so much the better. (Or did he already replace that one? I can't remember.)
Garyth's sheet is all set, as well.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Garyth replaced that bow a while ago. It isn't a nice masterwork one like he gave to Rennik, but it's functional.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Cool. What about rope? Garyth had rope at the start of the campaign, but it got left behind on the way out of the mountain the first time. If he hasn't replaced that in the interim, he'd look for some now. If he has, then just food and ammunition.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: anyone need anything from me before we move on?
Gully is able to find him another 50' feet of rope. He can take as much or as little of it as he likes. Bartok also carries rope with him.