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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 4974431" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #492] Back in the Air Walk[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>"Come back into the shelter," Ledare gestured. "You'll freeze to death out there." She fixed Morier with a concerned look, but snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes, obscuring her vision. She rubbed them away and looked again at Morier, who was staring at her in disbelief. He hadn't moved.</p><p></p><p>"Feln, get him in here!" she nudged the half-ogre next to her. It was a soft command, but delivered with all the firmness and expectation of one accustomed to compliance. And for a moment, Morier was overcome with a warm rush of relief, not realizing until now the extent to which responsibility for issuing commands and making decisions had weighed on him.</p><p></p><p>Feln rose and covered the distance between them in a single stride. His long arms stretched out and picked Morier up by the armpits, hoisting him into the makeshift shelter like a parent might do with a stubborn child. Once the albino was out of the direct wind, Feln let him go, but Morier did not release his own hold. Instead, gripping the ogre's meaty arms in his own he embraced his friend vigorously.</p><p></p><p>"You are losing it," Feln snorted, awkwardly patting Morier on the back as the embrace lingered. At last Morier stepped back, looking at Ledare and Feln for a long moment.</p><p></p><p>He recognized the surroundings of the test of air in the Grove of Renewal and could sense exaclty why he had been taken back to this moment. He had relived it in his mind nearly every day since it happened. This was the moment, intentional or not, that he had accepted the weight of this entire quest being placed onto his shoulders. He wondered what would have become of Feln or Ledare if they had stayed with him, and he wondered what would have happened if they had stood next to him while the water guardian who lay just beyond the doorway on the other side of this test had explained about Dridana's heart and body. Would the three have shared 'the pull', or would they each have been given their own information that may have made the trip easier, possibly even leading to their ultimate survival? He had played out a dozen scenarios in his mind, always wondering how each would have changed the path...</p><p></p><p>And now it seemed, he had a chance to find out.</p><p></p><p>The cold bit hungrily into his flesh, snapping him back to the present moment and Morier made his decision. The fates had gotten him here, that much he knew for sure, and changing any part of the timeline that had gotten him here could be disastrous. He knew that it had been hard enough to get Ledare and Feln to leave him here the first time around, and trying to explain his current state of mind to them would surely lead them to believe that he had lost control of his mental faculties. And it would be harder still to get them to leave him under those conditions.</p><p></p><p>"I have a plan, and the plan is only big enough for one person," he shouted over the driving winds. Remorse made the words taste like ash in his mouth. "I have enough draughts of healing to sustain myself, but it's only enough for one person. If the two of you go back, I am sure that I can succeed here. Please... go!" Then, heartbroken, Morier pulled his collar stiff around his neck and turned his back to his two companions.</p><p></p><p>He remembered of course, that the argument would not end there - Ledare rarely made any decision without first debating its merits from every side - but for the moment he could no longer face them. He wanted to tell them everything, he wanted them to know that he had seen their futures, and he wanted to be able to save them from those fates more than he could stand to think. It was even more difficult knowing that with Dridana's heart and the powers that accompanied it he may well have the power to save them all and bring them through the test alive, but he feared the results of doing so. The Threnody who spoke of the Cavern of the Self spoke of it as another test, which meant that there was likely a 'right answer', and Morier braced himself to give what he thought would be that answer. </p><p></p><p>He wasn't sure what he would do if changing the past was actually the right answer and he convinced Feln and Ledare to leave as they had before. Doubt swirled around him like the snow as he waited for the argument he knew would continue, hoping he had the wherewithal to hold his stalwart position. And hoping even harder that doing so was the right thing to do.</p><p></p><p>"There's no way I'm leaving you alone on this mountain," Ledare told at last and the eldritch warrior almost sighed with relief. He half-turned to look at her. </p><p></p><p>"Someone needs to succeed," Morier said, remembering this argument from the first time they'd had it. "Not all of us."</p><p></p><p>"You're right. Someone needs to survive this. But how does leave you alone here on this mountainside help anyone survive?" the Janissary asked. </p><p></p><p>"I can use spells to boost my constitution and my healing draughts will ward off frostbite, and maybe Garn-Zanuth will have a hand in my survival. But I cannot keep two of us alive... or three. Staying here is certain death for you and Feln," Morier countered. "I don't have-"</p><p></p><p>"I won't be a burden and I don't expect you to waste your spells on me," Ledare interrupted, her eyes pleading. "Morier, you especially know how many friends I have already lost. I just can't do it." The statement ripped through to his heart for he felt that pain more acutely than she would ever know.</p><p></p><p>Feln joined the argument, "Do you honestly think you would be more likely to survive if you were alone?" He regarded Morier with ice chip blue eyes, the expression on his face suggesting that he expected the elf to say no.</p><p></p><p>"Yes," the eldritch warrior said instead. "I do." Ledare shook her head stubbornly at that.</p><p></p><p>"And what makes you so certain?" she challenged. "Why does our staying with you make you more likely to fail?" Morier shook his head, feeling his certainty wavering.</p><p></p><p>"I don't believe that I will survive only if you leave, I believe that I can survive if I have only myself to look out for," he sighed and held out his hands in a pleading gesture. "I cannot make you leave, but I cannot aid in your survival if you choose to stay. The Guardian said that ONE of us needs to complete the Renewal, not all of us. I can make it, and would rather have you waiting for me at the end than try to decide how best to honor your frozen corpses on this side."</p><p></p><p>Morier hoped his companioms would engage him in the discussion just one more time. His mind had changed, and he wanted them to make him act before it changed yet again. He certainly thought he now had the means to help Feln and Ledare survive with him, and had these been the circumstances when he first encountered this test, he would have done exactly what he was suddenly intent on doing: changing the past. The results of that action, like so many other things it seemed would be left for another to decide. 'The Cavern of the Self' it was called, and he was going to do what his "self" was screaming at him to do, not what he thought was expected of him.</p><p></p><p>Morier opened his mouth then and changed the course of history. He was beside them, crouching in the snow, the story of the past spilling forth. And accompanying it - a strong sense of release, an unburdoning that he had not anticipated when he'd suddenly made this choice. He began with their decision to turn back and allow him to go on alone, ignoring the denial plainly visible on their faces. He talked about the desperation he had felt, fearing failure, and the frantic plea for help which had ultimately saved his life. He paused to catch his breath and observed the uncertain glance which passed between them. Not to be deterred, he pushed on, describing his audience with the Water Guardian and the charge he had been given: to reunite the goddess Dridana's heart and body in the place beyond the Green. And here he slowed, choosing carefully his words to describe the first gift bestowed upon him to aid in that quest: the Pull. At that revelation, Feln shifted closer for a better vantage point and regarded Morier's head critically. After a moment, he settled back once more in silence. Ledare was equally perplexed. She had listened intently to Morier's story, struggling to process it all, but decided she could no longer sit back as the elements took hold of her friend's reason. </p><p></p><p>"Stop," she insisted, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just stop. This is quite a story you have concocted to get us to leave you here, Morier, and you may very well believe it.."</p><p></p><p>In response, Morier held up a staying hand and very slowly and purposefully removed his chain shirt. All at once the three companions were bathed in the brilliant radiance of a glowing gemstone embedded in his chest. The gold-green light of the forest floor in summer pushed back the harsh darkness, and limned the trio's half-frozen faces.</p><p></p><p>Ledare thought for sure that she was freezing to death. They had spent too long talking and now she was dying, awash in a swirling sensation of brilliance which made her dizzy. She began to fall but Morier reached out to steady her. At his touch the healing powers vested in the gemstone coursed into her body. Suddenly she felt gloriously warm and alive once more as the power filled her by degree. She gaped, incredulously, at Morier.</p><p></p><p>"We're staying with you," she said and her words seemed to shatter the stillness of that revelatory moment.</p><p></p><p>"Holy trollsh*t!" Feln bellowed. "What is that?!" Morier's hand went protectively to his chest.</p><p></p><p>"It's... I... I don't exactly know. A souvenir from the Astral plane," he attempted with a weak smile. "There is so much more I have to tell you." </p><p></p><p>But it was clear that the story would take longer than the surrounding elements would allow them. Ledare was already looking cold again, and Feln's sallow skin was taking on an alarming blueish tint. It was time to take the next step. He could fill them in on all of the particulars once they had returned to the Termlane Forest. That's where he would be reunited with... and here his mind faltered. No, that wasn't right. Ledare and Feln would be with him. Well, the gods would decide where this new path would lead. He hoped they would be merciful. Abruptly, Morier stood up. But Feln's protest halted him.</p><p></p><p>"Wait. If what you say is true, then all these things that you have done, these favors that you have received were because of the choices you made along the way." The half-ogre's lips were frozen and rubbery. Morier reached out and instantly relieved his friend's unspoken pain. A large smile washed across Feln's face, only to disappear as his mind returned again to their present prediciment. "How do we know that things won't change if you alter your course now?"</p><p></p><p>Ledare nodded slowly. "He's right. If this is all true," she gestured unnecessarily toward his chest, which Morier had modestly covered once more, "how do we know that changing your actions won't destroy the chances of success?" </p><p></p><p>Inch by inch, the coldness began to surround Morier's heart again. This was not what he had expected. But Ledare was smiling at him.</p><p></p><p>"Morier! You've made the right choices. You've gone so far! And, whatever you have done, you have been granted favor by the gods! I knew you would be invaluable to us. You are on the only path we know for certain can succeed."</p><p></p><p>He shook his head sadly. "I have thought of all this before," he told them. "But there are things you should know..."</p><p></p><p>Feln stopped him once more. "Don't tell us." And suddenly Morier felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. Except that it was immeasurably heavier this time. Crushingly so.</p><p></p><p>Ledare stood, and her voice assumed that familiar commanding tone. "We must go back through the portal. You must go on. We will meet again, Morier. Have faith." Her arms encircled him in a warm embrace, in spite of the chill in his soul. Feln followed with a bone-crushing grip. And then they turned to leave, making their way through the knee-deep snow toward the dolmen that led back the way they'd come.</p><p></p><p>Morier watched their progress, giving stern consideration once again to the situation in front of him. He couldn't predict an outcome. Nothing had prepared him for the decision he was about to make, but he knew for sure that the circumstances had changed since the first time this scene unfolded, and now he had options. </p><p></p><p>In a moment, he had set the plan in motion. Using the power of the Heart, he activated a quick spell that would open the door closed to most except the most powerful Druids, hoping that the power he now held could alter the course of events... wondering if he should.</p><p></p><p>A mere moment later, the once blinding snowsqualls had diminsihed to flurries and the winds stalled. Ledare and Feln, as though in lockstep, stopped abruptly just short of the portal and looked skyward... and then back at Morier. "Morier," Ledare fumbled, "you... did you... you can't.... are you.... you shouldn't..."</p><p></p><p>"It's too late. It's done. It would be pointless for you to turn back now. You may as well come and sit down with me and watch the snow melt." He smiled, knowing that Ledare would have more to say, but it seemed to him a fairly straightforward argument. They hesitantly turned and began back toward the makeshift shelter they had helped construct before they left.</p><p></p><p>"I fear you've made a grave mistake," Ledare scolded as they settled back down "You've come so far toward our goal, living with the sequence of events as the Gods intended, why alter them now?"</p><p></p><p>"For several reasons, not the least of which is that I'm not entirely convinced that the events playing out before us are real. A cadre of Buommans asked me to step through a door in the Astral plane into the Cavern of the Self, and I haven't the slightest notion what impact any of this has on events there in the Astral, or for that matter back on the Material plane." Morier told them with a wry smile on his face and a rare lightness in his heart. "But what I do know is that every night before I fall asleep, I lie in wonder at what might have happened if I hadn't convinced the two of you to leave me alone on this snowy mountaintop when it happened the first time. This time I know that Dridana has imbued me with the power to take the first step toward finding out. If just one of us made it through here the first time and that gave us the power and ability to get where we are now, what if three of us had made it?"</p><p></p><p>"Then events would play out all wrong," a voice snarled from behind the snow wall. The three companions turned toward the source of the sound, just in time to see Morier stride into view. Only it wasn't really Morier - not the Morier they knew, anyway. His features were hard and a finger length scar ran along his right cheek from nose to jaw. He wore his hair held back in a long pony tail that writhed and whipped behind him as if in a strong gale. But his eyes were the strangest thing; they were featureless orbs the color of a springtime sky before a thunderstorm. His clothing and gear were largely the same as Morier's although he wore gauntlets that Karak had claimed from some hoard or other and he carried Ravager sheathed across his back.</p><p></p><p>The impostor stepped up and faced Morier. His fists were balled up at his sides and tiny sparks crackled and jumped over them as he studied his doppelganger.</p><p></p><p>"What you've done already may well have ruined things in ways you can't imagine," the Not-Morier said. "And I can't let you upset things any more than you already have."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 4974431, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #492] Back in the Air Walk[/PLAIN][/b] "Come back into the shelter," Ledare gestured. "You'll freeze to death out there." She fixed Morier with a concerned look, but snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes, obscuring her vision. She rubbed them away and looked again at Morier, who was staring at her in disbelief. He hadn't moved. "Feln, get him in here!" she nudged the half-ogre next to her. It was a soft command, but delivered with all the firmness and expectation of one accustomed to compliance. And for a moment, Morier was overcome with a warm rush of relief, not realizing until now the extent to which responsibility for issuing commands and making decisions had weighed on him. Feln rose and covered the distance between them in a single stride. His long arms stretched out and picked Morier up by the armpits, hoisting him into the makeshift shelter like a parent might do with a stubborn child. Once the albino was out of the direct wind, Feln let him go, but Morier did not release his own hold. Instead, gripping the ogre's meaty arms in his own he embraced his friend vigorously. "You are losing it," Feln snorted, awkwardly patting Morier on the back as the embrace lingered. At last Morier stepped back, looking at Ledare and Feln for a long moment. He recognized the surroundings of the test of air in the Grove of Renewal and could sense exaclty why he had been taken back to this moment. He had relived it in his mind nearly every day since it happened. This was the moment, intentional or not, that he had accepted the weight of this entire quest being placed onto his shoulders. He wondered what would have become of Feln or Ledare if they had stayed with him, and he wondered what would have happened if they had stood next to him while the water guardian who lay just beyond the doorway on the other side of this test had explained about Dridana's heart and body. Would the three have shared 'the pull', or would they each have been given their own information that may have made the trip easier, possibly even leading to their ultimate survival? He had played out a dozen scenarios in his mind, always wondering how each would have changed the path... And now it seemed, he had a chance to find out. The cold bit hungrily into his flesh, snapping him back to the present moment and Morier made his decision. The fates had gotten him here, that much he knew for sure, and changing any part of the timeline that had gotten him here could be disastrous. He knew that it had been hard enough to get Ledare and Feln to leave him here the first time around, and trying to explain his current state of mind to them would surely lead them to believe that he had lost control of his mental faculties. And it would be harder still to get them to leave him under those conditions. "I have a plan, and the plan is only big enough for one person," he shouted over the driving winds. Remorse made the words taste like ash in his mouth. "I have enough draughts of healing to sustain myself, but it's only enough for one person. If the two of you go back, I am sure that I can succeed here. Please... go!" Then, heartbroken, Morier pulled his collar stiff around his neck and turned his back to his two companions. He remembered of course, that the argument would not end there - Ledare rarely made any decision without first debating its merits from every side - but for the moment he could no longer face them. He wanted to tell them everything, he wanted them to know that he had seen their futures, and he wanted to be able to save them from those fates more than he could stand to think. It was even more difficult knowing that with Dridana's heart and the powers that accompanied it he may well have the power to save them all and bring them through the test alive, but he feared the results of doing so. The Threnody who spoke of the Cavern of the Self spoke of it as another test, which meant that there was likely a 'right answer', and Morier braced himself to give what he thought would be that answer. He wasn't sure what he would do if changing the past was actually the right answer and he convinced Feln and Ledare to leave as they had before. Doubt swirled around him like the snow as he waited for the argument he knew would continue, hoping he had the wherewithal to hold his stalwart position. And hoping even harder that doing so was the right thing to do. "There's no way I'm leaving you alone on this mountain," Ledare told at last and the eldritch warrior almost sighed with relief. He half-turned to look at her. "Someone needs to succeed," Morier said, remembering this argument from the first time they'd had it. "Not all of us." "You're right. Someone needs to survive this. But how does leave you alone here on this mountainside help anyone survive?" the Janissary asked. "I can use spells to boost my constitution and my healing draughts will ward off frostbite, and maybe Garn-Zanuth will have a hand in my survival. But I cannot keep two of us alive... or three. Staying here is certain death for you and Feln," Morier countered. "I don't have-" "I won't be a burden and I don't expect you to waste your spells on me," Ledare interrupted, her eyes pleading. "Morier, you especially know how many friends I have already lost. I just can't do it." The statement ripped through to his heart for he felt that pain more acutely than she would ever know. Feln joined the argument, "Do you honestly think you would be more likely to survive if you were alone?" He regarded Morier with ice chip blue eyes, the expression on his face suggesting that he expected the elf to say no. "Yes," the eldritch warrior said instead. "I do." Ledare shook her head stubbornly at that. "And what makes you so certain?" she challenged. "Why does our staying with you make you more likely to fail?" Morier shook his head, feeling his certainty wavering. "I don't believe that I will survive only if you leave, I believe that I can survive if I have only myself to look out for," he sighed and held out his hands in a pleading gesture. "I cannot make you leave, but I cannot aid in your survival if you choose to stay. The Guardian said that ONE of us needs to complete the Renewal, not all of us. I can make it, and would rather have you waiting for me at the end than try to decide how best to honor your frozen corpses on this side." Morier hoped his companioms would engage him in the discussion just one more time. His mind had changed, and he wanted them to make him act before it changed yet again. He certainly thought he now had the means to help Feln and Ledare survive with him, and had these been the circumstances when he first encountered this test, he would have done exactly what he was suddenly intent on doing: changing the past. The results of that action, like so many other things it seemed would be left for another to decide. 'The Cavern of the Self' it was called, and he was going to do what his "self" was screaming at him to do, not what he thought was expected of him. Morier opened his mouth then and changed the course of history. He was beside them, crouching in the snow, the story of the past spilling forth. And accompanying it - a strong sense of release, an unburdoning that he had not anticipated when he'd suddenly made this choice. He began with their decision to turn back and allow him to go on alone, ignoring the denial plainly visible on their faces. He talked about the desperation he had felt, fearing failure, and the frantic plea for help which had ultimately saved his life. He paused to catch his breath and observed the uncertain glance which passed between them. Not to be deterred, he pushed on, describing his audience with the Water Guardian and the charge he had been given: to reunite the goddess Dridana's heart and body in the place beyond the Green. And here he slowed, choosing carefully his words to describe the first gift bestowed upon him to aid in that quest: the Pull. At that revelation, Feln shifted closer for a better vantage point and regarded Morier's head critically. After a moment, he settled back once more in silence. Ledare was equally perplexed. She had listened intently to Morier's story, struggling to process it all, but decided she could no longer sit back as the elements took hold of her friend's reason. "Stop," she insisted, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just stop. This is quite a story you have concocted to get us to leave you here, Morier, and you may very well believe it.." In response, Morier held up a staying hand and very slowly and purposefully removed his chain shirt. All at once the three companions were bathed in the brilliant radiance of a glowing gemstone embedded in his chest. The gold-green light of the forest floor in summer pushed back the harsh darkness, and limned the trio's half-frozen faces. Ledare thought for sure that she was freezing to death. They had spent too long talking and now she was dying, awash in a swirling sensation of brilliance which made her dizzy. She began to fall but Morier reached out to steady her. At his touch the healing powers vested in the gemstone coursed into her body. Suddenly she felt gloriously warm and alive once more as the power filled her by degree. She gaped, incredulously, at Morier. "We're staying with you," she said and her words seemed to shatter the stillness of that revelatory moment. "Holy trollsh*t!" Feln bellowed. "What is that?!" Morier's hand went protectively to his chest. "It's... I... I don't exactly know. A souvenir from the Astral plane," he attempted with a weak smile. "There is so much more I have to tell you." But it was clear that the story would take longer than the surrounding elements would allow them. Ledare was already looking cold again, and Feln's sallow skin was taking on an alarming blueish tint. It was time to take the next step. He could fill them in on all of the particulars once they had returned to the Termlane Forest. That's where he would be reunited with... and here his mind faltered. No, that wasn't right. Ledare and Feln would be with him. Well, the gods would decide where this new path would lead. He hoped they would be merciful. Abruptly, Morier stood up. But Feln's protest halted him. "Wait. If what you say is true, then all these things that you have done, these favors that you have received were because of the choices you made along the way." The half-ogre's lips were frozen and rubbery. Morier reached out and instantly relieved his friend's unspoken pain. A large smile washed across Feln's face, only to disappear as his mind returned again to their present prediciment. "How do we know that things won't change if you alter your course now?" Ledare nodded slowly. "He's right. If this is all true," she gestured unnecessarily toward his chest, which Morier had modestly covered once more, "how do we know that changing your actions won't destroy the chances of success?" Inch by inch, the coldness began to surround Morier's heart again. This was not what he had expected. But Ledare was smiling at him. "Morier! You've made the right choices. You've gone so far! And, whatever you have done, you have been granted favor by the gods! I knew you would be invaluable to us. You are on the only path we know for certain can succeed." He shook his head sadly. "I have thought of all this before," he told them. "But there are things you should know..." Feln stopped him once more. "Don't tell us." And suddenly Morier felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders. Except that it was immeasurably heavier this time. Crushingly so. Ledare stood, and her voice assumed that familiar commanding tone. "We must go back through the portal. You must go on. We will meet again, Morier. Have faith." Her arms encircled him in a warm embrace, in spite of the chill in his soul. Feln followed with a bone-crushing grip. And then they turned to leave, making their way through the knee-deep snow toward the dolmen that led back the way they'd come. Morier watched their progress, giving stern consideration once again to the situation in front of him. He couldn't predict an outcome. Nothing had prepared him for the decision he was about to make, but he knew for sure that the circumstances had changed since the first time this scene unfolded, and now he had options. In a moment, he had set the plan in motion. Using the power of the Heart, he activated a quick spell that would open the door closed to most except the most powerful Druids, hoping that the power he now held could alter the course of events... wondering if he should. A mere moment later, the once blinding snowsqualls had diminsihed to flurries and the winds stalled. Ledare and Feln, as though in lockstep, stopped abruptly just short of the portal and looked skyward... and then back at Morier. "Morier," Ledare fumbled, "you... did you... you can't.... are you.... you shouldn't..." "It's too late. It's done. It would be pointless for you to turn back now. You may as well come and sit down with me and watch the snow melt." He smiled, knowing that Ledare would have more to say, but it seemed to him a fairly straightforward argument. They hesitantly turned and began back toward the makeshift shelter they had helped construct before they left. "I fear you've made a grave mistake," Ledare scolded as they settled back down "You've come so far toward our goal, living with the sequence of events as the Gods intended, why alter them now?" "For several reasons, not the least of which is that I'm not entirely convinced that the events playing out before us are real. A cadre of Buommans asked me to step through a door in the Astral plane into the Cavern of the Self, and I haven't the slightest notion what impact any of this has on events there in the Astral, or for that matter back on the Material plane." Morier told them with a wry smile on his face and a rare lightness in his heart. "But what I do know is that every night before I fall asleep, I lie in wonder at what might have happened if I hadn't convinced the two of you to leave me alone on this snowy mountaintop when it happened the first time. This time I know that Dridana has imbued me with the power to take the first step toward finding out. If just one of us made it through here the first time and that gave us the power and ability to get where we are now, what if three of us had made it?" "Then events would play out all wrong," a voice snarled from behind the snow wall. The three companions turned toward the source of the sound, just in time to see Morier stride into view. Only it wasn't really Morier - not the Morier they knew, anyway. His features were hard and a finger length scar ran along his right cheek from nose to jaw. He wore his hair held back in a long pony tail that writhed and whipped behind him as if in a strong gale. But his eyes were the strangest thing; they were featureless orbs the color of a springtime sky before a thunderstorm. His clothing and gear were largely the same as Morier's although he wore gauntlets that Karak had claimed from some hoard or other and he carried Ravager sheathed across his back. The impostor stepped up and faced Morier. His fists were balled up at his sides and tiny sparks crackled and jumped over them as he studied his doppelganger. "What you've done already may well have ruined things in ways you can't imagine," the Not-Morier said. "And I can't let you upset things any more than you already have." [/QUOTE]
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Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions (final update posted 02.14.10)
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