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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1414390" data-attributes="member: 15043">And when things returned to more serious matters...Of Ghosts and Their IlkIt was with some apprehension later that night that Siabrey saw Lucius and Pellaron sitting on the far end of the camp, wrapped up in an intense discussion.Oh no... they’re plotting, part of her giggled.  The idea of Pellaron involved in a prank intrigued her mind to no end... So the paladin isn’t as straight laced as well thought...  She walked towards the two, and to her chagrin, saw that ten books from Lucius’ bags were scattered about their squatting forms.No... they’re trying to find something, she sighed.  I thought I had that paladin broken in... I guess not...  Part of her was still amazed that despite what had happened through the preceding months, Lucius still had the collection of history books they had originally set out with from Holstean... in the same saddlebag even.“Whatcha looking up?” she asked, giving Luke a kiss on the cheek.  He smiled quickly before leaning back down and pouring over the book in front of him, his voice muffled as he spoke away from her.“We’re trying to find the location of a battlefield.  Kardatic, to be exact.  The battle where the Hextor followers were driven back to the Temple some five centuries ago.”“You mean the one on the tapestry?” Siabrey asked, remembering the crude drawings.  Lucius nodded.“We can’t decide where it is,” Pellaron began, “the official records offer more information about the derry-do and heroic deeds instead of where it happened.  Its quite confusing.”  Tess by this point had wandered over as well.“Why is the location of the battlefield important?” Siabrey asked, then she casted a look towards Shaun and Elenya, who were cuddling close like they had been for the previous week since the Hextor incident.  Her mind came up with a plot, and she decided to bluntly ask.  “Does the rogue want to see if there’s any valuables there?”“Um...no,” Pellaron tossed out with a voice sounded offended that the fighter would think he’d ever think of doing such a thing.  “I’m concerned because above such a large battlefield, there will be residual magic for years... centuries... not to mention the spirits that haven’t found a home yet...”“Oh,” Siabrye recoiled at the last part, “We definitely want to keep away from any ghosts that would want to steal our souls or something like that...”“Oh... not all of these ghosts would be bad,” Pellaron hurriedly corrected, “many good warriors fell that day, just as many thralls of demons did.  Indeed, the souls of the good that fell that day might prove allies... but there were many more dead evil beings at the end of that day.  That and the boneworms...”“Boneworms?” Tess asked.  For once, there was a monster she had not hear or sung about, and she was curious.“Boneworms are...” Pellaron paused, shuddering, “they’re the remnants of clerics... good and bad, affected by the bone fire disease.  The worms can be a hundred feet long, made entirely of the cleric’s bones.  In addition to that,” he leaned close to the others, his voice falling to a hush, “they say the clerics still chant... calling in vain on their gods for deliverance from the torture of being in the worm.  If one is struck by the bone worm, one can get the bone fire disease.  When you die, your bones join the boneworm...”Tess shuddered, and Siabrey’s eyes were wide.“The travellers reports I’ve seen say there’s at least two boneworms in the battlefield, though considering the size of the field, there could easily more,” Lucius said quietly.  “But no one can remember exactly where they were when they saw the worm... they were to busy fleeing for their lives...”“Um, where’s this battlefield?  Lets stay as FAR from it as possible,” Tess said quickly.  “That’s the problem,” Lucius interjected, gesturing towards the books.  “We can’t find where it is!  And it was a huge battle, so we could concievably be in the middle of the battlefield right now!”Siabrey shivered noticeably at that thought, and looked around warily.  Tess did so as well, and then looked up into the night sky.“Do the descriptions give any evidence of stars... constellations, anything?” she asked, hoping for one certain answer.“No,” Pellaron said, his voice ringing in annoyance, “because stupid bards...” he stopped suddenly in mid-sentence, his face going beet red.  “Um... no offense to present company intended,” he added quickly, “tended to focus on the more sellable points of the ‘blood angry sun’ and other things that are stupidly inane.”Tess nodded to Pellaron, “No offense taken.  Can you two get even a guesstimate of where the battlefield is though?”“No...” Lucius said, quietly, turning back to his book again, “we’ll keep looking though.”The party obtained little sleep that night, and rode into the next day on adrenaline, all eyes searching for a long line of white on the horizon, ears straining to hear distant chants.  The day went by at an agonizing crawl, and by nightfall, the party was rather hopeful that the battlefield, indeed if it was around, may be behind them.As the party went to sleep, Tess sat on a small rock nearby and stared into the flames, trying to figure out how to properly and gently dissuade the paladin... and how to keep the meddlesome Siabrey out of it.I need to talk to him alone... perhaps while the other are mounting up?  Or maybe talk to Lucius... have him try and keep her out of this...Her mind was suddenly brought back to the present as the fire flared up, rising nearly 20 feet into the air, before dying back down to normal size.“Holy s**t!” was the first thing that escaped her mouth.  She’d already been tense after the “battlefield” stories of yesterday, and finally, her nerves began to frizz.  Her yell, coupled with the bright flash of the flames, woke the party. Confusion reigned for several minutes, until it was collectively decided that the party should ride as far as possible.A full hour later, Tess noticed she was feeling drained, and that Elenya and Lucius especially were lolling in their saddles.  She realized that Grumki, as well was looking worn.  All the spellcasters would need their rest.  Reluctantly, she called halt, and the party made camp again some miles away.  Within 20 minutes, the fire flared up again, and then died down.The party responded by putting the non-spellcasters on watch, while those sleeping moved their beds far enough away from the fire that they wouldn’t be hurt should it flame three or four times as big as it had been.Two hours into the second watch, Siabrey was staring into the flames with a concerned look.  She’d spent the first hour staring at them in fear, waiting for them to flare and turn into some kind of fiery demon.  After they disappointed her expectations, she began staring into them, lost in thought.... about the happenings of the last two months, her actually finding a love, of fighting demons instead of sandhogs...A brilliant flash echoed in her eyes, as the campfire grew into a thirty foot pillar of flame, a loud roar issuing from its nascent core.  It did not widen, but as the pyre slowly lowered back to the ground, in the center of it floated the form of a man.He had a slightly bluish glow, and seemed to be partially transparent.  His body was elderly, but fit, most notably he lacked hands on either arm.  He was clad in what appeared to be finely wrought platemail, inscribed with runes, which shimmered and danced in the light as his form did.  As she looked up, she finally saw his face;  a kindly face, surrounded by a mane of greyish white hair, and deep gray eyes... eyes she was quite familiar with.“Dingalas?”  she asked, a mixture of wonder and fear coloring her voice.  The figure nodded slowly, a smile crossing its lips.“Yes... its me!” the voice of an old man echoed in her head.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other party members slowly standing, trying to come to terms with this as well...”What... what are you doing here?” Shaun asked.  He did not know the old man as well as the girls did, thoguh from the short time he knew him he liked the codger.  Siabrey and Tess both seemed to regard him as a grandfather or old uncle, and he’d seen the terrible pain on their faces when they’d found out he was dead... and now, their faces were painted with wonder, and fear...“Oh, you... you were the new guy.  The handsome one... yes!  I remember you!” the voice said in his head as well.  “I’m here on a mission from... from... Hieroneous... yes.  You see, Hieroneous and Tarantor share the same plane, and sometimes they swap messengers in important situations.  I was busy minding my own business two of your days ago when...”“What’s your message?” Siabrey asked, gently cutting Dingalas off.  She remembered how in life he could get easily sidetracked, and it appeared as if the trait had followed him in death.  The ghost mouthed an “Oh!” and nodded quickly.”Yes... yes yes... my message!  Well I was sent here to remind you that the gods are watching!  And I know...” he pointed at Shaun and Elenya, “you two went through a particularly hard time.  Hieroneous has taken special interest in this... um... what was the word the archon told me to use?  Hmmm,” the ghost paused for several seconds, before holding his hand up in rememberence, “ah, yes... matter.   In this matter.  And he has taken personal affront to Graz’zt’s attempts to manipulate the Church of Hieroneous, as well as those of his allies Tarantor and Pelor.  So... he has declared a vendetta against Graz’zt until the matter is settled.”“Um... a what?  Huh... how?” Pellaron managed to sputter out, as the party collectively looked at each other.  This extends far beyond ourselves and Lucius’ mother...”Oh... you might wonder why I was sent instead of a trumpet archon or someone as puffed up.  Well, I know you all... and He thought you would be less afraid and more listening if a dead old man gave the message, instead of a 20 foot pillar of fire or a giant angel of doom.”The party nodded blankly, the concepts that had been spoken slowly sinking into their heads.  Dingalas happily continued uninterrupted.“How did you become a... um... ghost?” Tess asked slowly.“I died,” Dingalas said with a smile, then chuckled weakly at his own weak humor.  “No, really I did.  Then they deemed my soul useful for this purpose so I was sent back.  I had trouble opening the gate to come here... if my failed flareups scared you I do apologize.  My dear wife was trying to tell me something at the same time as...”“Wife?”“Oh yes yes,” the old ghost nodded with a smile, “I didn’t know, but just two days after we marched out, she died in Irulas of a heart attack of some sort.  To think of it!   She was the first person I greeted up here!  But anyway, I died when the orcs overran the army... I was stubborn when alive, and I stayed with the rearguard... about half of the army got away...  I tried standing toe to toe with a bugbear... it didn’t quite work,”  he lowered his armor, and his pale flesh showed a massive rent from shoulder to hip, shattered ribs, lascerated lungs, and a heart rent in two clearly visible.“Gahh!” Siabrey said instinctively, shielding her face.  “Put the armor back on Dingalas!”“Oh... I’m sorry,” he apologized.  “I forgot you might be touchy about such things... being alive still and all.  I think its rather neat.  I can put my hand in and feel my heart inside my body...”“Um, Dingalas?” Tess interrupted to the relief of the entire party, “these orcs and bugbears... where are they now?”“By Obash!” he said cheerfully.  “They tried to march into the desert after you, but they didn’t bother with proper clothing.. so half of them died!  They now rest on the edge near Obash, bartering for goods to be sent in.”“Obash, but thats where...” her voice began to crack.  Quin!”Your brother?” Dingalas asked softly, before turning his head and looking gently into her eyes.  “He’s fine.  Quite a strange thing happened with him.  They said his soul was attacked by some weak yugoloths or something on its way to the Strength Fields of Kord.  The Ferryman easily beat them away... but no sooner had he arrived at the Strength Fields than he was carried back to this life.  Hieroneous priests had recalled him!”“Really?!” Tess jumped up, her face filled with joy as tears began to streak.  Quin!  He’s alive!  He’s safe!  “Please, Dingalas, tell me this is true!”“By the rent across my chest its true,” the ghost smiled.  “Well, that was all the messages I was supposed to tell you, and my time here is short.  I’m not as well trained at plane hopping as some of the other, more experienced messengers... so pardon my... uh...um... brevity.  Yes yes.. thats the word.  I must bid you goodbye and godspeed... and remember, no matter how dark things become... you are not alone...”   As the last words left his lips, his form seemed to melt, flowing and cascading back into the heat of hte fire, until finally the party was left with the crackling of flames, and their memories reflected in its orange glow...</blockquote>

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