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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 3960298" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p><strong>After the Great Conflicts</strong></p><p></p><p>Gorel is a tropical island, almost entirely covered by thick jungle. On the coast, there is a place where a temple is built on an uprising above the sea. This temple- to Galador- is not along the lines of most Galadorian temples. There are no idols. There <em>are</em> fire pits. Some exploration might reveal other small things that all add up to one conclusion. </p><p></p><p><em>Heretics.</em></p><p></p><p>These aren’t orthodox Galadorians, oh no. Well, it depends on who you ask; if you ask Alcar- the sect’s founder- he will tell you that, in a <em>commune</em>, he asked if he was a heretic, and he was told “no”. </p><p></p><p>But if you ask an inquisitor about things like that, they will shrug and point out that intermediaries are speaking for Galador, so in questions that require judgment, the answer may not always strictly speaking be as Galador Himself would answer it. </p><p></p><p>To which Alcar might reply that men who think they know God’s mind better than the angels that actually talk to Him ought to shut the hell up before he <em>fire storms</em> them. Because Alcar is kind of like that. Talk too much smack about his people and he will throw down.</p><p></p><p>Or, on the other hand, threaten his temple- say, by infesting the waters with demonic influence (perhaps by being a demon prince with lots of demon servants)- and you are likely to get him to throw down. </p><p></p><p>Dagon has long been an adversary to Alcar and his temple. In his absence- while he has been adventuring with the rest of the party- Dagon, demon prince of water, has moved in next door (so to speak) to the temple. And water demons- <em>Probably hezrou,</em> thinks Alcar- have been causing problems. </p><p></p><p>Well, no demon prince can stand long against the party that took down the Arrows of Law. It is almost anticlimactic; the party storms the watery lair of Dagon, and the demon falls in mere moments. Lester and Orbius together tear the material form of Dagon apart with their incredible magical prowess. The hezrou and other lackey monsters are incinerated by a <em>meteor swarm</em>. </p><p></p><p>It is amazing to realize that taking out a demon prince has become a routine sort of affair for our heroes, but thinking back on it, there have been multiple other instances like this. They once randomly decided to track down and kill Lithos, the legendary black dragon of the Swamp of Lithos. And there was the time they killed the pit fiend of the Stinking Pit and rescued the phoenix egg- though, granted, that may not have been the greatest idea in the long run, since it led to Lucifer’s return and the overthrow of Asmodeus. Alcar shakes his head. The important thing is, his people are safe. </p><p></p><p>The party returns to his temple to tell them what he has done. He also tells them that he has changed gods, and he releases his retainers from his service. “Any who wish to follow my new god are welcome,” he tells them somberly. “But I will not hold it against anyone who wishes to remain a follower of the Light. However...” He hesitates for a moment. “It remains to be seen how tenable of a choice that is,” he says at last. </p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>That night, at the Temple of Elemental Good- damaged, but with plenty of intact buildings and places to party- there is, in fact, a party. It’s a celebration, and everyone has a great time. As usual, when Lester is involved, there are groupies. This is not a bad thing, to most of our heroes. A good time is had by all. </p><p></p><p>While they are there, they meet a traveler, who happened upon the valley that the Temple rests in quite by accident: a tabaxi named Bahgerah. He, apparently, is associated with Hobbes, a tabaxi leader and one of Lester’s old adventuring buddies. After some small talk, Bahgerah expresses an interest in joining the party, at least for a while.</p><p></p><p>Our heroes shrug. Why not? A quick look-over confirms that he’s not unspeakably evil or anything, and most of them have worked with tabaxi a time or two in the past. </p><p></p><p>The party continues the next day, and lasts all through the night. The Temple of Elemental Good knows how to throw a bash. There is a huge amount of wine and beer (thank goodness, as Sybele and Thrush are all much larger than normal) (Wankerman doesn’t generally drink), and more than enough food for everyone.</p><p></p><p>The next morning, most of our heroes return to the town of Var. It is growing, day by day, under the just rulership of God-King Malford the Magnificent. Malford is, of course, liege to Lillamere, and (in theory) lord of all of western and northern Dorhaus. Of course, an empty claim to so many empty miles might well be disputed sometime, but Malford has proven quite able in disputation. One of the favorite haunts of our heroes is a fairly upper-class tavern and inn called the Three Rubies. The Three Rubies is a known hang-out of some of Lester’s adventurer groupies, and for someone as wealthy as the party members all are, the prices are no obstacle. Thrush and Sybele, on the other hand, are nowhere to be seen; they are beginning the political maneuvers necessary to take over the Empire, and Chakar has gone to Belmondo’s Lighthouse, in search of another old ally of the party: Belmondo the Enhanced. Belmondo is a dwarven inventor who specializes in prosthetics, including the strange magical device that functions as a prosthetic for him.</p><p></p><p>At the lighthouse- a very impressive edifice, with a masterful beacon at the top- Chakar reports over the telepathic link that bonds them, <em>Nothing. He’s not here.</em></p><p></p><p><em>Well, where is he, I wonder,</em> muses Lillamere.</p><p></p><p><em>Master Control has him,</em> predicts Alcar. <em>Hold on, I’ll find out.</em> At the bar, he casts <em>commune</em>, and Bless- his new god, lord of lost causes and hopeless quests- answers. </p><p></p><p><em>Is Belmondo on the prime material plane?</em> <strong>Yes.</strong></p><p><em>Is he under the direct control of Master Control?</em> <strong>Yes?</strong></p><p><em>Is he within 100 miles of Dorhaus?</em> <strong>No.</strong></p><p><em>1000?</em> <strong>Yes.</strong></p><p><em>Do we need protection against radiation?</em> <strong>Yes.</strong></p><p><em>Must we pass clockwork horrors to get to where he is?</em> <strong>Yes.</strong></p><p></p><p>Alcar grimaces. <em>I was right, </em>he thinks. <em>Master Control.</em></p><p></p><p>He has a few more questions, but the only pertinent one is whether or not they can <em>teleport</em> to somewhere near Belmondo. And the answer is <em>yes.</em></p><p></p><p>“We need to rescue him,” Alcar tells the others, reporting what he learned telepathically. </p><p></p><p>“I agree,” nods Lillamere. “What kind of strategy do we need to use?” </p><p></p><p>“<em>Shatter,</em>” suggests Alcar. </p><p></p><p>Blaze pipes up, “I can do that.”</p><p></p><p>“Good. Cast upon their crystals, it will pretty much take out a horror.” The angel of lost causes grins fiercely. “Let’s get him out of there, wherever ‘there’ is!”</p><p></p><p>But before our heroes rise to leave, a figure enters. He is wearing fancy livery; it takes our heroes a moment before Orbius tells them telepathically, <em> That’s the garb of a messenger of Kembrin, that fire elemental lord of the crimsonkindl that sent emissaries to us once before.</em></p><p></p><p>The messenger approaches, hesitates, and bows. “Hello, great ones,” he intones. “I am here to congratulate you on your victory over your foes, as well as over Pasha Amhari Ifroobil.” He presents a box to them.</p><p></p><p>“What is this?” demands Blaze. “What’s inside of it?”</p><p></p><p>“Uh, I don’t know- I am just a messenger,” the lad replies uncertainly. </p><p></p><p>“He’s not going to mess with us,” Baron Lillamere drawls. Lillamere is a tall, stately elf. Though effete, he is extraordinarily handsome. Sadly, he is slightly gloomy: he and his lover, Hyliss, have just broken up. He looks the box over magically for a few moments. Then he shrugs. “Nothing that I can see that looks dangerous.”</p><p></p><p>Bahgerah sniffs at it. “No radiation,” he reports.</p><p></p><p>“You can smell radiation?” exclaims Gerontius. “Zat is a worthwhile talent that you ‘ave. It will probably prove most useful!”</p><p></p><p>Alcar opens the box. It is full of gems. </p><p></p><p>“It’s a thank you for taking out that efreeti pasha,” JJ remarks. “Hurray!”</p><p></p><p>“Weren’t we about to go take care of something important?” yawns Lillamere. </p><p></p><p>The messenger is abashed. </p><p></p><p>”Tell your master thanks,” Bahgerah purrs. The messenger nods and leaves. </p><p></p><p><em>You guys want to come pick me up before you go?</em> Chakar requests over the link.</p><p></p><p><em>I think I’ll join you too,</em> Sybele tells them mentally. <em>It’s pretty boring here- just my honey and a bunch of military guys talking.</em> </p><p></p><p><em>Fair enough,</em> answers Gerontius wryly. <em>The more, the merrier.</em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> The rescue of Belmondo!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 3960298, member: 1210"] [b]After the Great Conflicts[/b] Gorel is a tropical island, almost entirely covered by thick jungle. On the coast, there is a place where a temple is built on an uprising above the sea. This temple- to Galador- is not along the lines of most Galadorian temples. There are no idols. There [i]are[/i] fire pits. Some exploration might reveal other small things that all add up to one conclusion. [i]Heretics.[/i] These aren’t orthodox Galadorians, oh no. Well, it depends on who you ask; if you ask Alcar- the sect’s founder- he will tell you that, in a [i]commune[/i], he asked if he was a heretic, and he was told “no”. But if you ask an inquisitor about things like that, they will shrug and point out that intermediaries are speaking for Galador, so in questions that require judgment, the answer may not always strictly speaking be as Galador Himself would answer it. To which Alcar might reply that men who think they know God’s mind better than the angels that actually talk to Him ought to shut the hell up before he [i]fire storms[/i] them. Because Alcar is kind of like that. Talk too much smack about his people and he will throw down. Or, on the other hand, threaten his temple- say, by infesting the waters with demonic influence (perhaps by being a demon prince with lots of demon servants)- and you are likely to get him to throw down. Dagon has long been an adversary to Alcar and his temple. In his absence- while he has been adventuring with the rest of the party- Dagon, demon prince of water, has moved in next door (so to speak) to the temple. And water demons- [i]Probably hezrou,[/i] thinks Alcar- have been causing problems. Well, no demon prince can stand long against the party that took down the Arrows of Law. It is almost anticlimactic; the party storms the watery lair of Dagon, and the demon falls in mere moments. Lester and Orbius together tear the material form of Dagon apart with their incredible magical prowess. The hezrou and other lackey monsters are incinerated by a [i]meteor swarm[/i]. It is amazing to realize that taking out a demon prince has become a routine sort of affair for our heroes, but thinking back on it, there have been multiple other instances like this. They once randomly decided to track down and kill Lithos, the legendary black dragon of the Swamp of Lithos. And there was the time they killed the pit fiend of the Stinking Pit and rescued the phoenix egg- though, granted, that may not have been the greatest idea in the long run, since it led to Lucifer’s return and the overthrow of Asmodeus. Alcar shakes his head. The important thing is, his people are safe. The party returns to his temple to tell them what he has done. He also tells them that he has changed gods, and he releases his retainers from his service. “Any who wish to follow my new god are welcome,” he tells them somberly. “But I will not hold it against anyone who wishes to remain a follower of the Light. However...” He hesitates for a moment. “It remains to be seen how tenable of a choice that is,” he says at last. *** That night, at the Temple of Elemental Good- damaged, but with plenty of intact buildings and places to party- there is, in fact, a party. It’s a celebration, and everyone has a great time. As usual, when Lester is involved, there are groupies. This is not a bad thing, to most of our heroes. A good time is had by all. While they are there, they meet a traveler, who happened upon the valley that the Temple rests in quite by accident: a tabaxi named Bahgerah. He, apparently, is associated with Hobbes, a tabaxi leader and one of Lester’s old adventuring buddies. After some small talk, Bahgerah expresses an interest in joining the party, at least for a while. Our heroes shrug. Why not? A quick look-over confirms that he’s not unspeakably evil or anything, and most of them have worked with tabaxi a time or two in the past. The party continues the next day, and lasts all through the night. The Temple of Elemental Good knows how to throw a bash. There is a huge amount of wine and beer (thank goodness, as Sybele and Thrush are all much larger than normal) (Wankerman doesn’t generally drink), and more than enough food for everyone. The next morning, most of our heroes return to the town of Var. It is growing, day by day, under the just rulership of God-King Malford the Magnificent. Malford is, of course, liege to Lillamere, and (in theory) lord of all of western and northern Dorhaus. Of course, an empty claim to so many empty miles might well be disputed sometime, but Malford has proven quite able in disputation. One of the favorite haunts of our heroes is a fairly upper-class tavern and inn called the Three Rubies. The Three Rubies is a known hang-out of some of Lester’s adventurer groupies, and for someone as wealthy as the party members all are, the prices are no obstacle. Thrush and Sybele, on the other hand, are nowhere to be seen; they are beginning the political maneuvers necessary to take over the Empire, and Chakar has gone to Belmondo’s Lighthouse, in search of another old ally of the party: Belmondo the Enhanced. Belmondo is a dwarven inventor who specializes in prosthetics, including the strange magical device that functions as a prosthetic for him. At the lighthouse- a very impressive edifice, with a masterful beacon at the top- Chakar reports over the telepathic link that bonds them, [i]Nothing. He’s not here.[/i] [i]Well, where is he, I wonder,[/i] muses Lillamere. [i]Master Control has him,[/i] predicts Alcar. [i]Hold on, I’ll find out.[/i] At the bar, he casts [i]commune[/i], and Bless- his new god, lord of lost causes and hopeless quests- answers. [i]Is Belmondo on the prime material plane?[/i] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]Is he under the direct control of Master Control?[/i] [b]Yes?[/b] [i]Is he within 100 miles of Dorhaus?[/i] [b]No.[/b] [i]1000?[/i] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]Do we need protection against radiation?[/i] [b]Yes.[/b] [i]Must we pass clockwork horrors to get to where he is?[/i] [b]Yes.[/b] Alcar grimaces. [i]I was right, [/i]he thinks. [i]Master Control.[/i] He has a few more questions, but the only pertinent one is whether or not they can [i]teleport[/i] to somewhere near Belmondo. And the answer is [i]yes.[/i] “We need to rescue him,” Alcar tells the others, reporting what he learned telepathically. “I agree,” nods Lillamere. “What kind of strategy do we need to use?” “[i]Shatter,[/i]” suggests Alcar. Blaze pipes up, “I can do that.” “Good. Cast upon their crystals, it will pretty much take out a horror.” The angel of lost causes grins fiercely. “Let’s get him out of there, wherever ‘there’ is!” But before our heroes rise to leave, a figure enters. He is wearing fancy livery; it takes our heroes a moment before Orbius tells them telepathically, [i] That’s the garb of a messenger of Kembrin, that fire elemental lord of the crimsonkindl that sent emissaries to us once before.[/i] The messenger approaches, hesitates, and bows. “Hello, great ones,” he intones. “I am here to congratulate you on your victory over your foes, as well as over Pasha Amhari Ifroobil.” He presents a box to them. “What is this?” demands Blaze. “What’s inside of it?” “Uh, I don’t know- I am just a messenger,” the lad replies uncertainly. “He’s not going to mess with us,” Baron Lillamere drawls. Lillamere is a tall, stately elf. Though effete, he is extraordinarily handsome. Sadly, he is slightly gloomy: he and his lover, Hyliss, have just broken up. He looks the box over magically for a few moments. Then he shrugs. “Nothing that I can see that looks dangerous.” Bahgerah sniffs at it. “No radiation,” he reports. “You can smell radiation?” exclaims Gerontius. “Zat is a worthwhile talent that you ‘ave. It will probably prove most useful!” Alcar opens the box. It is full of gems. “It’s a thank you for taking out that efreeti pasha,” JJ remarks. “Hurray!” “Weren’t we about to go take care of something important?” yawns Lillamere. The messenger is abashed. ”Tell your master thanks,” Bahgerah purrs. The messenger nods and leaves. [i]You guys want to come pick me up before you go?[/i] Chakar requests over the link. [i]I think I’ll join you too,[/i] Sybele tells them mentally. [i]It’s pretty boring here- just my honey and a bunch of military guys talking.[/i] [i]Fair enough,[/i] answers Gerontius wryly. [i]The more, the merrier.[/i] [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] The rescue of Belmondo! [/QUOTE]
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