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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ltclnlbrain" data-source="post: 1562596" data-attributes="member: 12882">I've just been cranking them out lately! The third update in six days.Chapter 17“How many times do your mother and I have to tell you? If you can’t take care of what you find, you shouldn’t bring it home.” Rhys smiled wryly as he mock-lectured Grundar, then called upon the power of Torm to heal the elf’s wounds.“Yes, father,” Grundar replied, matching Rhys’ playful tone. Once his wounds were taken care of, he looked around at the treasures splayed out before him. His eyes settled on the terra cotta dwarf statue. “That must be the statue the mage’s ghost mentioned. Should we break it open to get the axe inside?”“I see no reason to refrain from doing so,” said Terenon. “Rumar, if you’d be so kind?”The paladin sighed deeply but did not protest, hefting Pergium and laying into the thick statue. It was thick and tough, but eventually he shattered through it and left a hole big enough to retrieve the prize within. Inside was a blue greataxe, sparkling with frost.Terenon retrieved the fine weapon and smiled. His good humor quickly faded, though, as he thought about their lost comrade, Berek. It would have been a fine prize for him to wield. The mage looked at the rest of the group and decided that Rumar could best wield the weapon now. "Rumar, the weapon is yours to wield against our future foes. May it grant you decisive victory against evil."Jelani walked over to the shattered remains of the statue. It appeared to have been quite valuable before Rumar had smashed it, but perhaps some minor magics could restore the sculpture to its former beauty. “Hold on a moment, I’m going to try and fix this statue. At the least, it’s a beautiful piece of art, at the most a lost treasure. But it will take a few minutes to fit all of the pieces together.” As he spoke, he knelt, and began piecing the statue together, chanting softly as he did.As Jelani worked his magic, Rumar pondered the axe cautiously, clearly rather surprised by the gift. "I thank you, but I do not believe Pergium would be terribly happy about being completely replaced, nor would the forces that assigned him to me. This axe is a powerful weapon though...perhaps I shall use it only when I face creature's Pergium's powers prove useless against."The sword at his side had begun to vibrate before Rumar had even finished speaking, resulting in a look of slight irritation on the aasimar's face. "Calm yourself, Pergium; one must learn to use all available resources at his disposal. I assure you that I will only wield the axe when absolutely necessary."Sheathing his longsword, Rumar lifted up the axe in one hand and gave it a few experimental swings, only to end up rather red-faced and panting with the exertion. "This is...a rather large weapon, isn't it?" he gasped, letting the axe-head fall back to the floor. "So, not only would I have to limit my use of Pergium--" (an angry buzzing from the sword could be heard once more) "--but I'd also have to stop using my shield? I'm sorry, but I do not believe this is a weapon of my liking.""I'll hold on to for now then," said Grundar, taking the axe.Jelani finished his spells, and the dwarf statue was restored to its former pristine condition He smiled at the paladin’s words to his sword. It seemed that his companion was being bossed around by an inanimate object, and that touched his sense of humor in a very special way. “You shouldn’t speak to swords, or people might start to think you mad,” he teased Rumar in Celestial, grinning broadly.Grundar and the others had put all the treasure in the portable hole, then the group had started to head back down to the prison to deal with the undead creature. Philosten followed closely behind Rhys, shuddering and sobbing.Rumar glared back at Jelani and angry words began to come from his direction. But these words did not issue from the aasmiar, but rather from the longsword in its sheathe. “Ally of Rumar or not, I will never understand why he believes this to be an acceptable place of for me to learn more of mortal nature. Especially with one such as you about--consorting with devils was not something I had planned on!"“Come now,” Rumar said reproachfully, turning his head to look at his sheathed sword. “This is precisely the sort of individual you should watch. Such a person must be guided carefully, lest he stray further from the path of light.”“For a being of such supposed goodness, Pergium, you surely lack in manners,” a rather irritated Jelani snapped at the sword. “As for my ‘association with devils’ as you call it, it does not exist. The subject of a summoning spell is a tool, nothing more. It was my choice of a moment, because evil creatures are more often hardened against the attacks of good than their own kind, and if I faced a good being for some reason, I would most likely summon a celestial being”With that, he stalked away to catch up with Grundar and Terenon at the front of the group.--------------------------------------------------------------------------The adventurers reached the prison to find the undead creature still burbling madly to itself in its singsong voice. Philosten began to shake once he heard its voice again, holding his hands over his head and sobbing quietly. Jelani glared in the direction of the creature’s cell with disgust. “Let us silence this foul creature and be done with it. It grates on my nerves, and is disturbing this poor man to no end.” Following his own advice, he reached into his pack to fish out a flask of holy water.Terenon held up a hand and looked at Allanon and Jelani. “Let’s not give it a chance to fight back. On the count of three launch a fireball at the creature’s cell.” He turned to look at the others, smiling grimly. “I suggest the lot of you back up.”Grundar helped Philosten to the back of the room. “One toasted undead coming up,” he quipped.With a command from Terenon, the mages cast their spells and let their fireballs fly. Jelani's was composed of sonic energy, so the undead's cell was blasted by an enormous ball of sound. The tarp flew off and the grate crumpled from the barrage; the mages could hear the creature screaming from inside. Terenon's ball of flame then engulfed the cell, bringing even more screams. Allanon completed his casting and his fireball sailed at the cell. When it reached the target, it exploded, but a small explosion suddenly engulfed Allanon as well. When the smoke cleared, the sounds of the creature had been silenced; it laid charred and dead in its cell. Allanon was badly burnt, though: his face was blackened, and his clothes and hair smelled of smoke and soot.Terenon looked at Allanon's burns with a mixture of humor and compassion. "You sure you've picked the right vocation for yourself, Allanon? Rhys should be able to take care of those burns."Allanon coughed and patted out some small fires that smoldered on his robes. “Sometimes I do have my doubts,” he said ruefully as Rhys moved over to tend to his wounds.“Wild magic again, eh?” asked Rhys. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that every time I cast a spell. At least you didn’t turn back into a woman.”Terenon shook his head, then moved over to Philosten. The man had finally stopped trembling, though he still looked badly frightened and sick. “My name is Terenon,” he said to the man. “Are you well? I would prefer for you stay with our group for a while, for your own protection as well as ours. If we face combat, stay back and away and let us do our jobs. Once we are done with our tasks, we will take you to some place safe.""To tell the truth," Philosten said shakily, "I am not well. I could use some food and water: the Acolytes were not very kind to me in those regards. Or in any other regards for that matter. I really am in no condition to follow you around, much less fight. I would really like to just go home and recuperate from my ordeal."Terenon looked at the man with concerned eyes. "Food and water are not a problem. Rhys can minister to your health. However, we must press on. You can stay here until we return, you can come with us, which is probably safest, or you can strike out on your own."Rumar had heard enough. He stepped forward, eyes glowing angrily. "From what I've seen,” he said, staring pointedly at Terenon, “you only need to press on because you are so preoccupied with finding more treasure. Returning this man home is a priority I place far higher than any material goods that might be found here--and I certainly shan't tell him he can simply wait here or wander about and hope for the best."Terenon leaned in close to Rumar, a cross look on his face. "You may escort your new friend to town, but I have a promise to keep. I promised to inter the mage’s bones in his crypt, and I intend to do just that. You should also know that Philosten’s face appearing in Silverymoon might alert the dragon’s agents that the Acolytes are no more. Not to mention that this mage’s mouth will spin yarns of such. The death of thousands rests on your moral posturing. Do as you wish.""I would not force one man to sacrifice himself for the potential good of a thousand or even a hundred thousand lives,” replied Rumar. “Such a thing goes against every moral fiber in my body. Furthermore, though you seem to be certain that this is a matter of life and death--""Rumar,” Allanon interrupted, “some of us aren't completely enamored of finding more treasure. We need to press on to make sure Bazim-Gorag and his evil never again walks Toril.""--the first area you went for was the treasure room,” continued Rumar, not missing a beat. “Even when I protested about those locked down in here, you decided said treasure was more important. That you absolutely had to possess whatever might be in there, regardless of the condition of those in here. A strange choice, considering the number of lives your quest seems to hang upon." The paladin gestured broadly towards Philosten as he spoke, looking pointedly at his ragged condition. "I have no doubt that you mean well in the end, yet I find your progress to said goal a tad disturbing. I will continue to aid you, but I will also see this man at least to the exit of these ruins. I will also be taking an equal share of the treasure and doing with it as I see fit; reparations to Philosten and donations to the church seem a more fitting use."Terenon was a man known for his self-control and restraint, but he could not hold back his rising temper. Perhaps it was death that had changed his temperament, but whatever the case, he was angry. "Look you tin-plated, pious, winged half-breed! No one is asking that Philosten sacrifice himself, unless you consider my request for him to sit on his ass in this room a dangerous task! I don't think it is too much to ask in defense of thousands of lives, you bird-brained buffoon. And yes, I am certain he will be a security risk. When this mage starts relaying his story in Silverymoon, the dragon's agents will surely catch word of the Acolytes’ demise. Acessiwal would not hesitate to start the war machine rolling. So why don’t you think the next time you open your big mouth?" The mage stormed off without hearing the rest of the conversation.Rumar watched Terenon storm off with bland eye and visage. "He should learn to control his temper, especially during such an important matter. Perhaps one of you should go after him before he stumbles into something he can't handle once more.”Allanon moved to follow Terenon, but he paused to look back at Rumar. “I did not insist on going after the treasure. I merely stuck with the party. I’m sure Philosten would have been fine for another few minutes.” He turned away as he left the room.Jelani looked at Rumar and shrugged. “While I enjoy the philosophical debates that your presence engenders, Rumar, I’m afraid that I must agree with Terenon on this one. The mage’s return to Silverymoon, or any place with a sizable population for that matter, could easily spell disaster in the long run. Though I feel for his plight, I’m afraid that he must bear this place a bit longer. I understand how you might consider that we’re just looking for treasure, but did you ever think that perhaps that was just a coincidence that the treasury was the first room we encountered?” Shaking his head, Jelani continued. “I understand that patience is considered a virtue to those who follow your path. Might I suggest you practice that now? In the end, it is your decision, and there’s nothing I or anyone else can do to change that, but it is my decision to reserve my aid for those who have care for what we’re doing.” Not really waiting for a response, he followed after Terenon, though without the anger.Philosten watched the argument helplessly. Once the mages had left, he coughed lightly. "Well. I didn't mean to be the cause of such a heated debate. Nesme is just as far away as Silverymoon: if it will help your cause, I can head there instead. And I can stay quiet on the matter of my imprisonment. I will try to keep a low profile; seems I've caused much trouble already just by being here.”“No Philosten,” said Rhys, “you haven't caused any trouble. Our only concern is to see that you are able to rest and recover while keeping your ordeal safe from prying eyes. Some of us forget what you've had to endure these past few weeks.”Grundar looked at the door, then back to the haggard mage and the aasimars. “Philosten, we don't mean to just leave you, but this place needs to be secured as fast as possible and we need to find out as much as we can before the dragon's troops find out that the Acolytes have been destroyed. We are expecting someone the Acolytes hired to arrive here soon. I just hope he's going to turn back once he finds out his employers are dead.""A shame," Rumar said, shaking his head as Grundar followed the mages out the door. "I had hoped that pointing out this man's plight might make them realize the error in their priorities, yet they merely grew angry and defensive. I suppose I shall have to try a different approach. Oh well,” he continued, nodding at Rhys. “At least I am not entirely alone in this matter of moral debate."---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Allanon and Jelani found Terenon standing out in the hall rubbing his neck. His face was flush, so the mage cast a minor spell. A soft mist of water sprayed forth from his hand and Terenon used it to cool off. He turned as his companions approached. "Sorry for losing my temper. It just got to me when he kept implying that we are nothing but money grubbing opportunists. I mean, I died a horrible death trying to save others and that... Sorry, let’s just forget it and move on."Jelani nodded. “It’s really not your fault, he just refuses to see that we are not asking the man to sacrifice his life or well being, we are just simply asking that he delay his return to civilization until we are finished dealing with the immediate threat.” He shook his head sadly, “I don’t understand how people walk through life so ignorant of how the world works.”Terenon nodded in agreement. "The control of my emotions is my responsibility. It is important to me and my decision making that I think objectively. It was embarrassing for me to lose my temper. I can't let him get to me in such ways."Rhys and Rumar emerged from the prison and moved to join the rest of the group. Rumar looked at Terenon for a long moment, then turned to the others. “Philosten will stay in the prison until we are ready to return to Silverymoon. We will then take him with us and ensure his safety.”Terenon nodded. “Fine then. Where to next, Grundar?”The elf smiled. “We’ll stop by to get the sword and armor from those tongue-creeps, then check out the last room on the top level. From there, we find the crypt to inter the mage’s skeleton, and then we face the hydra and the Frog-Lord.”“Let’s get started then,” said Terenon.</blockquote>

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