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[howandwhy99]

Rose looked at Kayla and Dierdre "See, I told you he could fly"

Kayla jumped up and rushed over to Ben. Seeing that he appeared unconscious she then called for Darius. "Darius I need your assistance." She then looked at Rose and asked, "Was he unconscious the last time he was flying?"

Rose: “No he was very angry actually and promising fire and vengeance on the gnoll...fire, vengeance, hell, eternal pain...something like that I can't remember exactly

Darius trotted over on his horse to the wagon and saw Ben. He looks him for a moment, then began to pray and see if Thor would give him insight as to why this was happening. He received no answer. He called Dram over to attempt to rouse the priest.

Ben awoke with a start his eyeballs spinning around at the others staring at him on what he believed was the wagon bed.

Ben: "Ahh.. yes, well. It seems like I've blacked out again. I heard more voices like the dreams we all had back in the water cave. Only these were not dreams. These spoke.... whoooaah!"

Ben noticed he was aloft and tried putting a foot on the ground only succeeding in spinning to the roadway below. Pushing himself up he hung his head sheepishly.

"Well, I was trying to keep this from you all. It seems though I cannot any longer. The truth is...I have been cursed. Cursed by what may be an evil god. Or perhaps it's a demon." he said looking frightful. "It is why my parents sent me to stay with the Fathers in Sylverton Abbey in the first place."

"Well, you don't need to know all that. What is important is that the curse has returned. I think it may have been in part to what we found in the caves below Quesquaton. What I called the Godnail. What I believe may be the missing piece from a God. Whether benevolent or malevolent I do not know. All I know is the time I spent studying with Father Hetrick did not lead to further revelation in the faith. Instead, my mind twitches more than ever. Like a muscle after a long day's travel."

"After returning to Outpost Xavier is when I first noticed another event. The floating. It started accompanied with a number of nightmares. I awoke in terror only to find myself 'above' the blanket. There were many nights with changed bedsheets after that."

"I am sorry now that I tried to hide this fact as long as I have. I fear I may be putting us all at risk. Undoubtedly the County is better off with me not as head of the temple in Keep Margrave. It is why I agreed to travel with you to the Dwarven Kingdoms in the first place and abandon Margrave to its own cruel fate."

Rose: "Why do you think that it's evil simply to have the ability to fly without a giant eagle?"

Ben: "Well the voice in the cave was very evil. It spoke to me in my head using a language I did not understand. It tried to climb inside me. I cannot see any positive side to that."

"Also it is similar to other such vices. I feel urgings that I must strive to control. They usually come in the night. I must be stern lest I am tempted to lift myself up and float to the heavens or... somewhere else. I am not ready to leave this place yet. So I fight and struggle against this ascension."

"Then there was the rat we believed was Elion and I spoke to it, but only later did I realize it was not aloud. It was verminous and we later learned not truly Elion, but might have been part of the attack."

"And just now I heard an evil voice telling me to release the sheets from the chest in our newfound cloak-hole. It said something like: 'you will surely die in the Castle Adlerweg if you do not release me immediately! I made the blue man drop me! I must be released!'"

"Only it sounded much worse. Surely this is an evil curse."

Darius: “Perhaps the head of my order can assist you somehow, my friend.”

Rose: “So if you knew about this then why did you deny what happened with the Gnoll some days ago?”

Dram: "Father Ben, you are my friend and have healed my wounds, and I thank you for that, so please do not take what I'm going to say the wrong way. Have you considered the worship of Thor? He would smite these demons from your head! A curse on a cleric of his? Not likely! Your God has left you, which is surely why you float. Thor's iron will is my anchor. Let him be yours! But, apart from the evil voices and the floating, is there any other harm that this curse may cause you or your comrades?”

Ben: "Well uh... um... er no. I guess not. But the wrath of these evil beings may be brought upon all near me, not just myself. It is a risk you need to know."

"And I do venerate the Goodly God Thor. His importance is made even more relevant in this time of war. But I still revere other Gods as well and strive to learn what is holy in all things. Given that this door was open before I ever became a Brother I do not think the curse of divine fault. Maybe I should sequester myself though? For the good of all?"

Darius: "I hardly find that needed, Father Ben. However, perhaps it would be best to remain unarmed until as such time as you need your weapon again?"

Dalin: Agreeing with Darius, "In fact, I think the opposite is true. Rather than being sequestered, one of us should be certain to watch over you at all times, to be sure you bring no harm to yourself or others and also to note anything you might say or do when overcome by one of these spells. The more information we have about them, the better."

Ben: Handing his flail over "A sound idea. I will keep the sling just in case. It is poor defensively in case of... By the by, I would like to be of some aid if we are attacked."

"I do think it is unwise to enter the Adlerweg Keep. Now Livinia and her sons lie within she may have called an alarm. The gnolls mentioned their troll leaders having taken over the keep and his having a friend 'we would not want to wake'. The deer-birds spoke clearly in the common tongue too. And I suspect they are wild creatures working with the trolls as lookouts. Our presence is already known."

Dalin: "While I do not doubt there are dangers within the Keep, can we truly take the chance of Dram's brother being in there?"

Reluctantly, Father Ben gave in. He would go with them into the Keep, but he asked for his flail to be returned to him if there was trouble within. Dram and Dalin had moved off to one side to talk. Kayla and Deidre were busily storing the chest back in the cloakhole. In truth, Father Ben’s revelation had set off a number of different conversations around the stalled wagon train. An hour after his departure Miklesh finally arrived back from the other caravan. The team was on its way again.