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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1666882" data-attributes="member: 1210">Horbin Gets a Scolding9 pm, 9/27/368 O.L.G., the Angelfire Inn, Angelfire, PeshThere aren’t too many people in the town of Angelfire (Angelfire herself still can’t get over how cool it is that almost everything in town is named after her), but most of them seem to be in the inn tonight.Our heroes perform some heavy feats of drinking.  They smoke some fine halfling weed that puts them into a very friendly and hungry state of mind.  Lester gets an obsequious little dwarven fellow named Baldric stoned, who then heartily encourages his friend (who sits in the corner cloaked and trying not to be noticed) to join the fun.  With the sort of embarrassment that a teenager feels about his parents, Baldric’s friend shoos him away.Intrigued, the L stumbles over to the man, studies him for a moment, and declares, “Well, from your sword and shield and other gear, I’d say you look like an adventurer, probably a fighter or paladin or something... actually, come to think of it, with that big snake on your shield, probably not a paladin.”  He grins.  “That’s okay, paladins don’t usually get along with Angel too well.  But anyway, I’m the Angel of Adventure-“ he flexes his bat wings- “and we’re going adventuring into Bile Mountain tomorrow!  If you wanna come, meet us down here for breakfast at eight!”  Stoned out of his mind, Lester proceeds to wander back over to his table, tripping over a farmer and spilling two drinks with his wings on the way.* The locals don’t seem to mind.***1 am, 9/28/368 O.L.G., in Lester’s roomThe L snores, fully clothed, his front saturated in spilled liquor.  His afro is surprisingly resilient.  The white streak in it- left by Acererak- makes him look unusually dignified.  Orbius giggles and sways on his feet.  He hasn’t been this drunk in- in- since he was- well—ever.  Snicker, snicker, Eye of Boccob. He casts a spell on the Angel of Adventure.  “Gotta look the part,” he burps, then trips over his own feet and lands snoring in the corner.***8 am, the common roomEdmund is in the common room at eight a.m. sharp for breakfast, but of the others only Sir Maxwell and Rex are already up.Still, Edmund knows who they are.  How could he not, being here last night and watching the palpable hero-worship?  He heard the toasts, and everyone has heard stories at least of the L.He isn’t sure he wants to do this, but- what the hell, eh?Still, it’ll be good when they get up.***10 am, the plains northwest of Pesh CityHorbin the MFKG Holy appears with Orbius Visionary in the midst of many Forinthian soldiers and at once they hear the sounds of blades being drawn.“Horbin the Holy,” says Bishop Curmath of Pesh, surprised.  He is in the middle of discussion certain military matters with one of the generals while they walk through the camp, simultaneously inspecting the troops.  He turns fully to face Horbin, wondering what he can possibly want.“We come to you in the name of Galador’s blind son Dexter,” Horbin cries dramatically.  “We seek to destroy a foulness upon the land, and we wish the aid of other good Galadorians!  Tell me, have you heard of Bile Mountain?”Bishop Curmath glances at Orbius, then looks back at Horbin.  “We are here on a mission for the Light,” he says firmly.  “It is rather you who should join us, Horbin.”“I will not stand against you, but I am on a quest for goodness.  We seek the final and complete overthrow of Bile Mountain, a sore of evil on Pesh itself!  Surely you must see the value of this.”“You keep odd company for a man in the Light,” Curmath answers.  He nods.  “Yes, we know of your Chaos-ridden companions- criminals and heretics!”“What!  None of my companions are criminals!”“Lester,” the Bishop says with profound distaste, “has spent time in jail.  Several of your companions are on the run from the law.  How can you say that?  Horbin,” he goes on persuasively, “you are a well-intentioned man- but you walk on the edge of shadow.  You travel with Chaos and Evil both!  You risk the favor of the Light, you risk your very soul.  And now, at a time when sides must be chosen, and Galador has chosen his side- you seek to sway us from out course?  Join us,” he says again.“I serve the Light, but I disagree that we must all take sides.  And I won’t fight Galador- I won’t.  But I think that military power is being used wrongly, and it’s resulting in the death and injury of many innocent people!  I won’t be party to that either!  What we’re trying to do,” and Horbin urges his voice into its most beguiling aspect, “is to stomp out an evil chancre that’s been on Pesh for quite some time!”“And yet,” the Bishop responds, “you were said to have destroyed Bile Mountain before.  In fact, is that not why it is now called Angelfire Mountain?  Why the need to return?  Do you seek to trick our forces into some trap, Horbin?”  He shakes his head.  “You teeter,” he repeats, “on the edge of darkness.  You must come back into the Light or be forsaken.”Angrily, Horbin shakes his head back at Bishop Curmath.  “No, it’s all of you who teeter- you teeter on the edge of evil!  You don’t care about the loss of innocent lives, you only care about your ambitions.”“I care about following the orders passed down to me by Galador, through his trusted servants, who surely are far wiser and able to see far more than I can.  You border on heresy, Horbin!  Beware that you do not go too far!”“Then you will not help us,” Horbin sighs.“This was a waste of time,” Orbius grunts to himself, grabbing Horbin and teleporting them back to the others in the small town of Angelfire.  Orbius’ divinations have continued to point towards some sort of garrison being pivotal in luring the Bile Lords out of their hidden lair.  Our heroes aren’t sure where this garrison is, or whether they need to assume control of it or destroy or what, but they figure they might need some soldiers for it.  Horbin was hoping to lure some of the Forinthians on Pesh away from the war effort and into something, in his view, more constructive.  Law versus Chaos, he thinks angrily.  How dare they put that above good and evil?How dare he tell me I’m on the edge of darkness?!***1 pm, 9/28/368 O.L.G., inside Angelfire Mountain, ascendingOur heroes continue their explorations the next day.  So far nothing has really threatened them on the same level that everything Acererak and Felenga threatened them on.  Hell, when they were here before they were running scared; but they won.  And they’ve grown considerably in power since then; Orbius can even wish now, a feat equaled by few wizards alive.  He is probably not the most powerful wizard on Cydra, but he certainly ranks in the top ten if not the top five... or three.  It’s the same with all of them; from Thrush- the self-declared preeminent swordsman of his age- to Horbin, a cleric of such searing purity that Dexter’s will seems manifest in his every word.  These adventurers are no slouches; they are hard-core, long-term, kick-in-the-door adventurers.  They are world-famous.  They have fought a demilich and won, defeated Angels of the Apocalypse, slain a Prince of Elemental Evil.  In short, they’re starting to get cocky.Their journey up the mountain today began, interestingly enough, with yet another ally- a half-elf monk named Kagera.  She seems intent on proving her mental and physical mastery to herself, and after a brief initial period of wariness and careful questioning, she joined the party easily.They cut their way through some sort of shadow-shifting cloaker thing; they destroy a golem with ease.  The strange arthropod bile monster dies with hardly a chance to act (though it does try to disarm Thrush).Yep, things are going well, and Bile Mountain so far shows no sign of throwing any real resistance their way....*Something along these lines is generally Lester’s modus operandus when it comes to meeting new pcs.  :Rollseyes: (damn I miss that smiley!) Next Time: Bile Mountain throws real resistance the party’s way!!</blockquote>

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