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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imhotepthewise" data-source="post: 536551" data-attributes="member: 976">I'm not sure if it is complete enough, but simple is best.Paladin's holy mountGargantuan fire beetleCrippled rogueFlooded mineDiaryIntelligent GreatswordThe grey steed had served his master for many years.  The steed had found it difficult to leave the Paladin's body, but there was no longer any hope.  They were too far from anyone to help the warrior or help his holy mount from helping him.  The horse was feeling the call to return from whence it came.  It travelled south many days, avoiding encounters, until it passed along a trail through a thick copse of trees where it was caught unawares by a human rogue dropping onto its back from above.  The rogue, adept at riding, was able to keep the saddle as the wiley mount attempted to throw or scrape the rogue off on passing trees.  Plunging into an open area, they ran headlong into a into an open abandoned mineshaft and fall scores of feet to splash into a deep pool below.  Each is unhurt.  There is a large raft tied nearby, and the rogue helps the near panicked mount onto the top of it.  Breathing hard, they both eye each other warily.  The mount knows the rogue is a horseman, and has been chafed sorely by his saddle which he cannot remove.  The rogue removes the saddle and tends the mounts wounds with ointment from the paladin's saddlebags.  The mount notices the rogue's silence and the fact he has no ears.  When he is done, the rogue picks up the sheathed greatsword to move it aside.  The sword speaks to him, startling him.  They have a long conversation about how the mount came to be riderless and how the rogue came to be minus tongue and ears, making him mute and deaf. The sword told the rogue that as long as he held it, the sword would allow him to speak to anyone telepathically, including the mount.  It will also protect him from fire damage.  The mount and sword encourage the rogue to help them get out of the complex and return to the family of the paladin.  The rogue goes through the saddlebags more carefully and finds a diary with information that will allow him to find the paladin's family.The adventurer's have entered a cave complex with flooded passages around its perimeter.  Within the perimeter of dry caves, the party has continually fled from a gargantuan fire beetle.The adventurer's encounter the rogue, mount, and sword on the raft.  The sword allows the rogue to communicate with the party.The beetle cannot harm anyone on the raft unless it comes close enoughThe rogue could be convinced to surrender the sword to a capable fighter to allow them to defeat the beetle.The family of the paladin will be grateful for the return of the sword and diary, and to know where the body lies.The body of the paladin is armored with magical plate mail.The mount will be glad to be free of the saddle and cave complex.</blockquote>

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