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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Old One" data-source="post: 1116416" data-attributes="member: 83">Session 19 (Part Two)So You Want To Be a Living Legend?Quintus paused at the top of the bluff next to the sprawling ruins of the Bishop’s Palace.  “What are we going to do about him?” He sighed as he jabbed a finger at Cragen.  “Too tall for a halfling, too short for a human and twice the girth of the rest of us…he will stick out like a pink pony on market day.”All eyes turned to the stocky dwarf.  It took Cragen a moment to digest the conversation and he responded by pulling his cloak hood low over his face and wrapping the garment tightly about him.  “Garn,” he growled, jerking a thumb at Rosë.  “Jus’ lemme stay in back, behind the biggun ‘ere.”Too tired to come up with a better plan, the sorcerer shrugged and continued on.  As they approached the 2nd Rectory, their temporary quarters on the Cathedral grounds, they heard a tremulous voice, “W-w-w-ho goes there?”They looked up to see the young Acolyte, Viato, standing astride the footpath with a hooded lantern.  “Osirian bless me!” The lad exclaimed.  “You have returned.”“Ahh…young Viato,” Quintus replied.  “We are tired, hungry and dirty.  Would you be so kind as to fire the Caldarium and see to some victuals for us?”The lad nodded and started to turn away, then raised the lantern higher to illuminate the group.  His quick eyes darted from face to face and lingered on Cragen’s hooded visage.  “Master Quintus, where is Brother Lew?”Sextus replied with a grave face and long sigh, “Alas, Brother Lew is lost…”The younger Scipio yelped a bit and jumped involuntarily as his brother elbowed him in the ribs.  “What Sextus meant to say is that Brother Lew is not with us at this time.  He is…uh…on…uh…a secret mission critical to the Light.”The sorcerer’s silver tongue failed him and he stumbled over the fabrication.  Quintus glared daggers at Sextus before turning back to Viato.  The young acolyte had a stunned look on his face.  “Brother Lew? Gone?”Quintus smiled his most sincere smile and cast his arm about the youth’s shoulder.  He felt Viato trembling a bit and softly reassured the lad that Brother Lew was in good hands and that the bath fire wouldn’t start itself.  Viato nodded slightly and cast another long glance at Cragen’s squat form.  Something he saw under the hood caused his eyes to widen momentarily.  Quintus quickly turned the acolyte away from the rest of the group and whispered something into his ear.The youth bobbed his head once and raced away.  The party continued to the Rectory and divested themselves of most of their gear.  Viato returned a short time later with a plate of cold beef, some even colder fish chowder, bread and watery wine.  He mumbled a brief apology about the meanness of the meal, and then withdrew to stoke the warming fire for the bath.  They took care to keep Cragen in the shadows, even guarding the door to the bath while the dwarf washed the worst of the grime away.Quintus motioned them all closer and spoke in hushed tones, “Eat, drink and bath quickly.  Viato will be off to the Abbott the first chance he gets and I am not sure we need to be here when the prelate gets curious.  I have already sent a note to Valyria and Captain Rook via Severus, asking for shelter.  Rowan, see to the mounts and exit through the postern gate.  If anyone asks, you are taking them out to stretch their legs.  The rest of you, clean up quickly, gather your gear and let’s be off as soon as we may.  We will exit through the concealed postern gate and meet Rowan in the warehouse district.”“But we just got here,” groused Rosë.  “I need a keg of hard ale, a soft bed and a softer woman!”Rowan looked at Quintus, eyebrow raised, but Sextus started to nod slowly.  “The Berylian Edicts…”Quintus grunted in affirmation and looked at Cragen. “He is the first dwarf to walk openly in the lands in over 150 winters.  I don’t know which side of this ecclesiastical argument the Abbott is on, but I don’t want to stick around and find out!”(DM's Note: The Berylian Edicts were fomented in the Jewel City of Beryl about 10 winters ago.  They essentially deny the divinity of other aspects of Osirian (ie, Moradin and other aspects venerated by the Elder Races) and make anethma their worship.  There is signficant concern that the Edicts will cause a Schism in the Church of Light.)The others nodded in agreement, except for Rosë.  The barbarian didn’t particularly care about ecclesiastical arguments…he was still thinking about beer.A near silent flutter of wings announced Severus’s arrival.  Quintus plucked a scrap of parchment from the bird’s claws, scanned it and then burned it.  “That’s it then…they are expecting us…so let’s not keep them waiting!”Within ten turns of the minute glass, the party vacated the Cathedral grounds.  Quintus sent Severus aloft to watch their back trail while Rowan quickly removed the horses from the stables.  The sorcerer led the main group through the hidden postern gate on the north wall of the Cathedral enclosure and head for the docks.  Sextus, the last to depart, paused and looked back at the soaring edifice.  ‘I wonder if we are doing the right thing,’ he thought forlornly.Another ten turns of the minute glass later, they were safely ensconced in a cellar under a “Red” faction warehouse.  Lady Andrimia, Captain Rook and Valyria soon joined them.  Introductions were made, tales were told and a keg of ale was broached.“So,” Quintus sighed wearily, looking around the room at the gathered faces, “what in all the hells do we do now?”To Be Continued…Next: Session 20 (Part One) – Is The Third Time a Charm?</blockquote>

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