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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1804284" data-attributes="member: 1210">Blind FaithWhat could change a man more than being blinded?  And not easily, either- blinded with an axe across the face.  Ouch!  Take a kid- maybe seventeen years old.  He’s got pimples, he’s had no luck with girls, never even had a whore- he’s only had one real friend that lasted, who is with him still; he’s given his soul to Bleak, but he has now pledged himself to Galador.  He speaks with the Voice of God, sometimes; and yet- Yet he’s just a kid, confused, full of raging hormones, unsure of who he is or what he wants to do with his life.  He’s never even really thought about it.Oh, but there’s more, isn’t there?  He isn’t just a kid, not really.  He’s a freak.  He can touch other minds, he can read thoughts and talk in your head; and because of that he is a pariah.  What kid doesn’t have secret thoughts, after all?  And what kid would want those secret thoughts plucked from his mind?  So Dexter never had friends, oh no, not until Malford.As he lies in his bedroll convalescing, Dexter realizes that he’s going to have to do a lot of thinking in the next few days to figure out what the hell he’s doing next.  Because, Son of Galador or not, now he’s living in eternal darkness.***Think of it.  What could affect a culture more profoundly than someone who speaks with the undeniable Voice of God?  Someone who clearly represents the divine, yet is separate- oh, how very separate- from the established church.  Perhaps even someone who, occasionally, will battle with the established church, and will win with God’s aid.  But who would notice, if that Voice nor preached nor heckled?  What difference could such a Voice make, always on the road, always running from hidden dungeon to remote wilderness to citadel of darkness?And what if then, one day, after months of rumor spreading about him like wildfire, that person began to speak to the crowds?  Dexter’s foot was now on the path.***9/12/96 O.L.G., on DorhausThe group traveled again, leaving the foul Temple of Elemental Evil behind, at least for the nonce.  Dexter rode behind Malford, virtually helpless.  The stump of Lochenvare’s leg had been kept clean and tightly wound in cloth; the doughty warrior had been leaning on a stick and had spent considerable time carving a wooden foot to serve him for the time being.  It hurt like blazes, but he could limp along with it, and his pride would not permit him to acknowledge the depths of his pain.  After two days the group was beset by bandits along the way, but repelled them fiercely.  Lochenvare was especially savage with them; he had a lot of anger to work out right then.  Dexter groped at them blindly with his staff, wishing that he could use his mental powers to engage them but not wanting to disturb his priestly training.*  Malford shouted aid to him, but it was clear that Dexter had to spend some time learning to fight blind.Looking over the bodies with a detect magic, Malford grunted.  “There are a couple of items worth keeping,” he announced, and pulled out a magical backpack and some dust.  He kept the backpack of infinite food after identifying it; the dust of sleep went to Lochenvare.  Several days later they were attacked again on the road, but this time by weird flying creatures that looked like a cross between a vicious deer and a bird, with razor-sharp, steel-strong antlers and, most disturbingly, the shadow of a man.  The battle, again, was brutal, and this time Malford was gored almost to death; but Lochenvare’s skill with blades stood the group well, and soon both of the weird creatures were dead and Malford, though bleeding freely from his chest and side, was still standing.***9/17/96 O.L.G., Knurly, DorhausThe small town of Knurly proved fortuitous.  Not only did Lochenvare get a more expertly crafted prosthetic, the high priest, Dillian, proved most receptive to Dexter once he used the Voice.  After a discussion of their current goals, the party decided to continue following Malford’s plan: a journey to the city of Fuzia, the capitol of Thule, to attempt to gain an audience with the King.  The King of Thule had no heir, and Malford and Dexter had once obtained a certain magical pair of coconuts...  High Priest Dillian gladly obtained a boat that would take the group to Fuzia, and provided them all with kocho, big vicious riding birds.  “We leave in the morning,” announced Dexter.That evening, Lady Charlotte went to Dillian’s church to aid the poor and the beggars.  She used her abilities to heal a few of the wounds and one of the diseases of the ragged folk there.  Then she bumped into somebody else, and while she was talking to him, Dexter and Malford showed up.“Rajah!” Malford exclaimed.Next Time: Rajah joins the good guys, our heroes have an audience with the king, and the coconuts come into play!*2e dual class rules... Dex was now a 3rd-level cleric, and needed to attain 6th level before he could use his psion abilities again without forfeiting xp.</blockquote>

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