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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1756412" data-attributes="member: 6294">An Unexpected EndingThe acolyte put down his quill, and stared in frustration at the last words - ink still drying - on the page before him."That can't be it!" he protested, "It just ends in the middle!"The monastery's ancient lorekeeper looked up his seat near the warmth of the fire,"Not everything goes as planned, child." His voice is dry and dusty, "The bard Macwood, who wrote these tales, left the Company not long after.  His family called on him, and he went to aid them, in a distant land far from these shores.""But what of the others?  Could one of them not have taken up the tale?""Perhaps, but those were dark days for Galiban." The old man stared into the fire, as if he could see the past in the flames, "They saved the girl, that much I can tell you.  There were other quests, the tales of which were never written down, but the Ebon Court was working all the while.  They wrought a spell of great power, and covered the sun in darkness.  Their armies marched - skeletons and zombies and gnolls, as well as other creatures far more foul - and much of the Duchy fell under their control.""And what of the Company of the Random Encounter?" the youngster persisted, "Surely they stood against this threat?"The old man sighed."Most of the Company fell at the Battle of Brightstone Keep, in the last weeks before the Ebon Court came into the open.""They were killed?" the acolyte's voice broke as he asked the question."That often happens to adventurers, my son.  The dead were the lucky ones: those who did not die became servants of darkness, under the spell of the vampires who ruled the Court.  A few were later redeemed, and fought in the assault on the Ebon Court's stronghold.""Do you know what happened to them?  Who survived, and who fell?"The old man sighed, even deeper this time.  When he answered, his voice was a whisper,"I do."The boy had the sensitivity not to ask, but his hunger to know was clear from his expression, and at last the old man spoke again."Briar left at the same time as Macwood.  It is said she returned to Marikest, and found the sister she had thought was dead, but most of the rest of her life was spent in the wild woods ... her mate was Redhoof the Satyr, and she became a powerful druidess.Twinkle survived the fight at Brightstone Keep.  She was redeemed, but her time as the vampire's pawn left her much changed ... the shadows had embraced her.  She fought at the final battle, but has not been seen since.""Did many die at Brightstone Keep?""The only other survivors of that day were Mantreus and the two clerics: Sirdros and the Padre." The lorekeeper answered, "The existence of some of the others did not end that day, but they could never be said to have truly 'lived', again."The boy swallowed, his eyes wide and shocked,"And those three?""Mantreus' sorcerous powers grew wild and uncontrollable.  He was lost in a storm of chaos-magic, torn from this world and thrown into the infinite planes.  Perhaps he survived: strange things happened around that one.Sirdros was redeemed from the vampires' dominion, and fought at the final battle.  He was the light of Pelor on that dark field, and the vampires did all they could to destroy him.  They succeeded, but were destroyed themselves.  He rests now with his God."The old man fell silent, staring once more into the fire.  The young acolyte waited, but the silence went unbroken, and at last he shifted in his seat, and spoke,"What of the Padre?""What?" the Lorekeeper started from his reverie, "Oh ... the Padre." He paused, as if searching for the right words, "He never found the men who killed his father, but he found peace, and a new family, and he was content."When it became clear the older man would say no more, the acolyte gathered up his quill and ink and walked quietly to the door.  Reaching it, he turned back,"The Grace of St Cuthbert be with you, Lorekeeper.""And with you, my son." The old man did not turn from the fire as the boy walked away.  He stared on into the flames, remembering dark times and brave comrades, and the many years that had passed him since.And he was content.</blockquote>

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