"Myramus is with Pelor now. He's happy."
"He died before his time. Died in a clumsy accident. Do you think that's how he wanted to go? Do you think he wants you left alone? Don't you think he'd rather do great things in Pelor's name than relax in the afterworld, watching you struggle without him?"
Menerous' stern face darkened. He closed his eyes tight. "Damn you. Give me two cards."
The skeleton eagerly held out the cards. "Cut the deck." Menerous' trembling hand moved the top half of the deck to the side. The skeleton placed the bottom half on the top half and shuffled again. He spread the cards. "Draw."
Menerous breathed. He tilted his head back and touched the gleaming sun symbol on his chest. "What I now do, I do in the interest of rescuing a devoted follower of Pelor from the clutches of death." He drew a card and flipped it over quickly.
Comet
"Comet? What is that?" Menerous asked anxiously.
"When next your group confronts a monster or monsters, face them yourself. If you are victorious in combat you shall eat of their power and grow in skill. Sadly, this will not bring your brother back to life- but you have one card yet to draw." The skeleton's voice oozed with feigned sympathy. Menerous grabbed another card, flipped it, and threw it down.
Ruin
He stood looking at the card as he felt his belt lighten. His pouches, moneysacks, jewelbags all deflated silently. He looked at the skeleton.
"You have lost all of your wealth. Any land you own is blighted and worthless. Such a shame. Myramus will continue to languish in the next world while you are here, penniless and alone." the skeleton chuckled to itself.
"He's not alone," Kyla said. She put a hand on his shoulder. Menerous blinked often, his eyes red. He knew what she meant, and he appreciated the sentiment, but the buildup of hope and the agony of having hope torn down with the turn of a card was too much.
Jettok stepped forward and sneered at the skeleton. "A vile and deceptive game, run by a vile and deceptive destroyer of dreams. You sicken me. I'll take two cards."
The skeleton reshuffled the deck. "Cut the deck." Jettok did just that. He drew his first card from the spread.
Moon
"You have gained one wish. Use it wisely."
Jettok smiled and nodded nonchalantly. He drew his second card.
Gem
Immediately the dwarf whooped with surprise as he almost fell backwards. His backpack was now heavier. In it he found dozens of gem-encrusted pieces of gold jewelry. "These have to be at least 2,000 gold pieces each!" he exclaimed delightedly, letting them run between his fingers.
The skeleton seemed disappointed in the dwarf's good luck. "Congratulations," it said. "Who else desires wealth and power? One brave draw of the cards and who knows which of your dreams may be fulfilled."
The group turned to walk away for the second time.
"Katya."
Katya stopped.
"You lust in your heart for what the cards can give you. You are fighting the urge to play. Why fight?"
Kyla stepped back and put an arm in front of Katya, pushing her towards the stairs. "She's not playing."
"Katya, when will you be free of your sister's control? All your life she's treated you like a child, protected you, coddled you. You're a grown woman now. You can make your own decisions."
"Don't listen, Katya." Kyla looked very worried, as her sister's face burned with intense thought.
"Yes, Katya, don't listen. Don't hang around in taverns. Don't talk to that boy. Don't do anything without big sister's advice. Don't enjoy yourself. Don't think for yourself. Come, Katya. Draw a card." The cards shuffled in the thing's skeletal hands. The ruffling card noise rang like sweet music in Kat's ears, beckoning her forward.
Katya's mouth opened, and at length, she spoke. "This choice, I make..." She glared at her sister with feverish spite. "...on my own." She then turned and walked away from the altar, towards the stairs. "Come on, we're going." The party gladly followed, ignoring the skeleton's calls. They walked up to the next level.
This level boasted nothing save for the rising column of purple stone. The dark shapes behind the swirling pearlescent shining seemed vaguely humanoid. The party climbed to the sixth level. It was the same. At the seventh level, things got more interesting.
Curving around the multicolored stone, the iron outer wall of this area was covered in tapestries 12 feet high and 3 feet wide. Each showed a single figure- either a male or a female, and usually, but not always, human- wandering alone in some terrible location. One showed an underground maze, another a blasted, lifeless plain, still another a dark and twisted forest, and a fourth a sinister city street. In each, an impression of danger loomed, as shadows took menacing shapes and dark corners hid some lurking threat.*
At the far end of the room, a small shrine could be seen, consisting of a black stone slab upon which rested a small wooden box that looked like a tiny coffin and a simple tallow candle. Upon the slab was written the following words in large, commanding leters:*
The enemies of the Dark God shall die lost, alone, and unmourned. Their powerless souls shall feed him, extinguished like the meaningless flame of an unneeded candle.
They opened the wooden box. In it was a half-dozen tallow candles, flint, and a snuffer. Kyla suggested "The inscription mentions a candle. Perhaps lighting a candle here will produce some effect." After thinking about it for a moment, they all decided that that's exactly what they did not want to do. They left.
The next level was a quarter of the tower- the column was gone now, and two walls met in the center at a right angle. Each wall bore a large inverted black ziggurat. The only furnishings were a triangular table with two chairs. A platter sits on the table made of steel, with a carved demon on one side looking greedily down at it, as if at its contents- except that the platter held nothing. An iron door was in each wall.
Vek spotted something carved into the floor. "What's this?" He and Katya leaned in to look at it- and it detonated. Concentric rings of yellowish green energy spread through the area, and in an instant, they were gone. "What was that? It felt... NO!" Vek yelled as Katya drew her weapon and lunged at Toddek. She hit him hard.
Dartan's new bodyguard grunted, choked back his rage, and said "A traitor! Well, now we shall see what spoils evil reaps for you!" He cut her with his sword. She was just standing there. He raised his arm to swing again, and the downward cut was caught before it struck Kyla. KLING! Kyla's sickle had blocked the blow.
Kyla stood, glowering at Toddek. She said "You will notice, of course, that my sister has been struck mad by some sort of trap. That is why she attacked you." Toddek moved to argue that he had a right to defend himself, but silenced when he saw the look on Kyla's stern face. She would not be argued with when it came to her sister's well-being.
They bound Kyla so that she couldn't hurt herself or others. Her eyes twitched and her tongue stuttered inside her mouth as her mind churned in a broth of insanity. "Uh... Gahaugh... Baking pan... I see you there. OGRES?! Chrzzzz..."
Kyla examined her and said "She can be put back to her right mind, but I haven't the magic to do it. It would take..." she brightened and yelled. "A wish! Jettok, your wish could bring her back! It's our only option right now. You have to do it!"
The dwarf's face darkened. "I..."
"Jet, you HAVE to wish her better, there's no other choice. Any of us would do it for you. Why wouldn't you-"
The dwarf stepped forward. "I wish Katya were unaffected by that trap." Katya's eyes cleared and she seemed to come around. She whimpered meekly for her binds to be removed. Jettok then turned angrily to Kyla. "I would give that wish and more to save any one of you. However, I don't like being told that I HAVE to do something with what is mine. Jettok Taklin takes no orders."
Kyla looked up at him, surprised. "I didn't mean... Jettok, I..."
Jettok smiled. "It's all right my dear. Come, let us move on, and forget this brief folly. Now... which door?"
Next time: Out of the Temple, into the Temple
*-from Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil by Monte Cook
!!! 
