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Message: <blockquote data-quote="helium3" data-source="post: 4644760" data-attributes="member: 31301">Even Pieter Anzalli seems perplexed by the High Priest of Melora's sudden diversion into the abandoned depths of the temple. Apparently noting the hint of concern and confusion in his companion's disposition, Petra launches into a tale that explains the group's destination."As you know, 63 years ago a cult dedicated to the worship of the Prince of Tyranny led an uprising and seized power within Helen's Reach. Varan Narenkos, hereditary lord at the time, a number of wealthy citizens and some of the clergy of the major temples were able to flee during the chaos.  The rest of the population was enslaved and forced to build a cathedral to the cult's bloodthirsty god.What is not well known is that as the uprising was unfolding, a triumvirate of paladins collected the town's three holy relics and safely placed them within the confines of the Narenkos family vault.Five years later, seizing the opportunity presented by the massive destruction of the Great October Storm of '19, the town was retaken by a force led by Simon Korvus of Coopershold, the surviving clergy and Lord Varan. Over the next year, every single known cultist was hunted down, tried and burned at the stake. The cathedral was unconsecrated and converted into what is now the Temple to the Fallen.When the vault was reopened, the corpses of the paladins were found. With the key to the vault taken to safety on the person of Lord Varran, the paladins had knowingly condemned themselves to a slow death at the hands of thirst and starvation. Shockingly, the Solar Circlet and the Ring of Arr were still within the vault, but the Exarch's Feather was nowhere to be found. What happened to the relic of Melora is unclear. Cultists interrogated on the matter were adamant that they were never able to find any of the relics.As I explained earlier, without a relic of Melora the protection the Middle Reaches enjoys against the most powerful October Storms is gone. Knowing this, an expedition was mounted and Sekolah's Tooth, the holy relic of Melora possessed by the Sea Devils of Shark Reef, was taken as a replacement. It was stolen right from under the wretched creature's noses and there has never been any indication that they knew who had done the deed or where it had gone.To protect the relic and to avoid worrying the townsfolk, Sekolah's Tooth was hidden under a powerful illusion that made it appear to all senses to be the Exarch's Feather. That illusion was to persist indefinitely and could only be dispelled if the tooth was handled by a Sea Devil. The relic's natural affinity for that race would cause it to shed the phantasm that obscured its true nature.I can only assume that since a Sea Devil was involved in the theft, the illusion has been broken. In a small room at the foot of these stairs is a room that contains the original ritual book from which the spell was taken, as well as all the implements, components and focci necessary to cast it again. Our purpose here is to do just that and I shall need your willing assistance."With that, you reach the bottom of the stone steps. The stairs empty into a large, cylindrical room with high ceilings and a single bricked up exit in the wall immediately opposite the entrance to the stairs. A complex ritual diagram is scribed into the floor, the lines colored with cracked and fading paint. A small padlocked iron chest sits against the wall between the two entrances. Petra walks over to the chest, places the lantern on the floor beside it, pulls the same skeleton key from his sash and uses it to unlock the padlock. He opens the chest and begins to root through its contents.Without turning to look at anyone in particular he speaks, "I apologize for hiding the truth from all of you. I felt it was necessary and I hope you can forgive me. Please place the tooth in the center of the diagram."</blockquote>

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