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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3519542" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>It was another day before Semeion woke up from his magical rest. Once Semeion regained consciousness and it was determined that there wasn’t anything lasting that was wrong with him, the acolytes underneath Brandt’s authority explained that the sleep which the party had been put under was a magical one. Ischarus’ and Charis wounds were not as life threatening as Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds and thus they didn’t have a great need to be kept asleep for as long a period of time. Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds were described as being life threatening, and thus they were kept in a magical slumber for a longer period of time. The magical sleep allowed their bodies to remain still and not risk further injury from the typical movements of normal sleep. Furthermore, the first few days after magical healing were usually the most painful, and by keeping the injured asleep for the days of the most pain they were actually spared some agony.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Ischarus remained in the recovery room during the remaining days of Semeion’s and Rhema’s bed rest. There was little else that could be done anyway. In no uncertain terms could a portion of the foursome dream of challenging whatever the true force was that had given Ophee her power. In fact, they weren’t even sure that the foursome could challenge Ophee even if they were all together. She hadn’t seemed quite so powerful on the way to Eberdeen, and she certainly didn’t appear to have that kind of power when they were traveling through Quehalost. Something had happened to her since they returned.</p><p></p><p>Brandt returned to the party on Semeion’s last day of bed rest. The master of the acolytes came into the room still using a wooden staff as a sort of cane. His injuries had been healed and his skin no longer appeared to have once been badly singed and cracked. However, his age slowed his body’s ability to recover from the stress of the injuries and the stress of the rapid magical healing. Even Semeion, the last of the party to wake from the magical slumber, was now further along in his recovery than Brandt. Of course, the fact that Brandt refused to accept the orders of bed rest may have delayed his recovery as well.</p><p></p><p>Brandt didn’t pause for pleasantries as he entered into the room. <span style="color: Lime">“We’ve discovered something interesting in our examination of Ophee.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked back to Brandt with a bit of surprise. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Ophee is here?”</span> He stood up quickly and reached for the hilt of his sword. <span style="color: LightBlue">“We were made to believe that she had escaped. Why were we not told about the truth?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt chuckled as he watched Ischarus’ reaction to the news. <span style="color: Lime">“Because we knew how you would react. The truth is, we’ve been surprised by what we’ve found.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus wasn’t convinced. He drew his sword and inch out of the scabbard and then pushed it back in the whole way. The leather on the hilt of his sword would need to be replaced, but the blade itself was still quite functional.</p><p></p><p>Charis ignored Ischarus’ swordplay and turned back to Brandt. <span style="color: Orange">“What have you found? Can you confirm that there is more to Ophee than what we originally thought?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled, and the expression on his face told the party that there was more truth in Charis’ question than she knew. <span style="color: Lime">“Actually, less.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema and Charis exchanged confused glances before Charis replied. <span style="color: Orange">“Less, Brandt? That’s rather cryptic. Just what do you mean by that?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt’s smiled opened into a full faced grin. <span style="color: Lime">“When she woke up, she didn’t remember a thing past a certain point. She remembered all the time that we spent casting spells in preparation. She could describe the layout and planning of the party to intricate detail. She was able to describe the inside of the barn and even the plans for escape if they had been needed. But the last thing that she remembers is me telling you that it was noon. According to her mind, she woke up here at the temple immediately after I told Semeion to speak.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion looked displeased. <span style="color: Plum">“And this isn’t some kind of ploy?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt chuckled again. <span style="color: Lime">“Actually, Ophee has been quite helpful in doing our evaluation. Since she doesn’t remember anything from a few seconds before the command of the Whetting One was given, she still sees herself as our ally. We’ve given her little reason to think that we consider her anything less.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion continued to look displeased as Brandt spoke. <span style="color: Plum">“You mean to tell me that you aren’t treating her as a hostile captive? She tried to kill you, Brandt! She wanted you dead!”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head and countered her husband’s protective assertion. <span style="color: Orange">“Either that, or have you not told her about the role that she has played? If she doesn’t remember, have you kept the truth from her?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt put out his hands in a reassuring gesture. <span style="color: Lime">“We have done nothing of the sort. We couldn’t very well bring all of us back without bringing her back as well. When we got her back here, we discovered that she wasn’t dead. So, we began to treat her wounds. We were honor bound to help and try to save her life. Once she was healed, we treated her as a captive in spite of the fact that she bitterly complained about not having done anything to deserve her captivity. Eventually we discovered that her claims about not understanding why she was imprisoned had some merit. We examined her both with and without magic, and we discovered that she lacked the memories of the fight. Since then, we have loosened security around her, although we still keep her under watch. And she does know what happened, although she continues to have no recollection of those events.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion’s eyes drifted to a position that told Brandt he was deep in thought. Rhema didn’t see Semeion’s expression and she asked continued the conversation. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Is it possible to see her, Brandt?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt lifted up a finger to Rhema in order to indicate that he was waiting for something. He turned back to Semeion and waited for him to complete his thought. <span style="color: Lime">“Semeion, what are you thinking about?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to shake the memories free. <span style="color: Plum">“Now that I think about it, Ophee did change when the Whetting One command was given. Just out of curiosity, have you tried the command again with her?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“We did, and there was no effect.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled as if a secret had just been unlocked in his mind. <span style="color: Plum">“Just like Darkbringer. In fact, this is almost exactly like Darkbringer.”</span> Excitement poured into his tone, and it was clear he was no longer interested in making sure that Ophee was treated like the enemy.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus replied to Semeion. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Darkbringer? You mean the way that she gave you the information?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded vigorously and pointed to Ischarus. <span style="color: Plum">“Exactly! Remember how I said that during my interrogation with Darkbringer she seemed to give me the impression that she didn’t realize she was doing it?”</span></p><p></p><p>The party nodded as they remembered. Semeion continued to speak. <span style="color: Plum">“Well, it would make sense that two people involved in the same plot would react the same way. Think about it. The wizard in Eberdeen led us back to Darkbringer, who reacted strangely when we used the Phoenix command. Darkbringer gave us another command, and this command for the Whetting One gave us a similar strange reaction out of Ophee. It makes sense.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt was following Semeion’s line of reasoning. <span style="color: Lime">“It sounds almost like there is some kind of mind control going on. In fact, it sounds like some kind of suggestion. It is as if people are being brainwashed or hypnotized to perform a certain set of actions upon receiving a code word.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema shook her head from side to side. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Wait a minute. If Ophee was the Whetting One, and it seems like she was, then was there a deeper meaning as to why we had to wait three days before speaking the name? Think about it. If the name ‘Whetting One’ was the command word, then we were completely wrong in our assessment of why we couldn’t say it? It wasn’t that the command would be countered at all. It was because this way the creator of the command could guarantee that the effect would go off as planned. Ophee wasn’t with us when we first heard about the name. In fact, Ophee didn’t come to us until after we had put the command into effect by the statue.”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt concurred. <span style="color: Lime">“Of course she didn’t. If what you all are saying is true, then my guess is that the arcane sensor that we saw at the statue belonged to whoever it was that was putting the command into Ophee’s mind. Our speaking the name by the statue wasn’t to call the Whetting One; it was the originator’s way of seeing that we agreed to not speak the name again until the third day.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis continued the thought. <span style="color: Orange">“And, by making sure that we didn’t speak the name until the appropriate time the wizard in Eberdeen knew that the Whetting One command wouldn’t draw suspicion. If we had spoken the word to Ophee and happened to be here in Fingerdale, innocent people would’ve been hurt and there would have been an investigation. But, a dilapidated old barn catching fire in the middle of a dry abandoned field wouldn’t have even drawn attention, much less suspicion. We helped to set our own trap, you know?”</span></p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded, and Ischarus was quick to correct Charis. <span style="color: LightBlue">“We don’t know for certain that it was the wizard in Eberdeen, though.”</span></p><p></p><p>As if on cue, a firm knock sounded at the door. Brandt motioned for one of his acolytes to open it. Another temple acolyte stepped through the door and bowed humbly before Brandt.</p><p></p><p>Brandt bowed lightly and spoke to the acolyte. <span style="color: Lime">“Theirin, do you have news about the means of mind control over Ophee?”</span></p><p></p><p>Theirin returned to an upright position. <span style="color: Lime">“Master Brandt, does the plant known as Arum Dracunculus mean anything to you?”</span></p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>It was another day before Semeion woke up from his magical rest. Once Semeion regained consciousness and it was determined that there wasn’t anything lasting that was wrong with him, the acolytes underneath Brandt’s authority explained that the sleep which the party had been put under was a magical one. Ischarus’ and Charis wounds were not as life threatening as Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds and thus they didn’t have a great need to be kept asleep for as long a period of time. Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds were described as being life threatening, and thus they were kept in a magical slumber for a longer period of time. The magical sleep allowed their bodies to remain still and not risk further injury from the typical movements of normal sleep. Furthermore, the first few days after magical healing were usually the most painful, and by keeping the injured asleep for the days of the most pain they were actually spared some agony.</p><p></p><p>Charis and Ischarus remained in the recovery room during the remaining days of Semeion’s and Rhema’s bed rest. There was little else that could be done anyway. In no uncertain terms could a portion of the foursome dream of challenging whatever the true force was that had given Ophee her power. In fact, they weren’t even sure that the foursome could challenge Ophee even if they were all together. She hadn’t seemed quite so powerful on the way to Eberdeen, and she certainly didn’t appear to have that kind of power when they were traveling through Quehalost. Something had happened to her since they returned.</p><p></p><p>Brandt returned to the party on Semeion’s last day of bed rest. The master of the acolytes came into the room still using a wooden staff as a sort of cane. His injuries had been healed and his skin no longer appeared to have once been badly singed and cracked. However, his age slowed his body’s ability to recover from the stress of the injuries and the stress of the rapid magical healing. Even Semeion, the last of the party to wake from the magical slumber, was now further along in his recovery than Brandt. Of course, the fact that Brandt refused to accept the orders of bed rest may have delayed his recovery as well.</p><p></p><p>Brandt didn’t pause for pleasantries as he entered into the room. “We’ve discovered something interesting in our examination of Ophee.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked back to Brandt with a bit of surprise. “Ophee is here?” He stood up quickly and reached for the hilt of his sword. “We were made to believe that she had escaped. Why were we not told about the truth?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt chuckled as he watched Ischarus’ reaction to the news. “Because we knew how you would react. The truth is, we’ve been surprised by what we’ve found.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus wasn’t convinced. He drew his sword and inch out of the scabbard and then pushed it back in the whole way. The leather on the hilt of his sword would need to be replaced, but the blade itself was still quite functional.</p><p></p><p>Charis ignored Ischarus’ swordplay and turned back to Brandt. “What have you found? Can you confirm that there is more to Ophee than what we originally thought?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt smiled, and the expression on his face told the party that there was more truth in Charis’ question than she knew. “Actually, less.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema and Charis exchanged confused glances before Charis replied. “Less, Brandt? That’s rather cryptic. Just what do you mean by that?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt’s smiled opened into a full faced grin. “When she woke up, she didn’t remember a thing past a certain point. She remembered all the time that we spent casting spells in preparation. She could describe the layout and planning of the party to intricate detail. She was able to describe the inside of the barn and even the plans for escape if they had been needed. But the last thing that she remembers is me telling you that it was noon. According to her mind, she woke up here at the temple immediately after I told Semeion to speak.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion looked displeased. “And this isn’t some kind of ploy?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt chuckled again. “Actually, Ophee has been quite helpful in doing our evaluation. Since she doesn’t remember anything from a few seconds before the command of the Whetting One was given, she still sees herself as our ally. We’ve given her little reason to think that we consider her anything less.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion continued to look displeased as Brandt spoke. “You mean to tell me that you aren’t treating her as a hostile captive? She tried to kill you, Brandt! She wanted you dead!”</p><p></p><p>Charis shook her head and countered her husband’s protective assertion. “Either that, or have you not told her about the role that she has played? If she doesn’t remember, have you kept the truth from her?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt put out his hands in a reassuring gesture. “We have done nothing of the sort. We couldn’t very well bring all of us back without bringing her back as well. When we got her back here, we discovered that she wasn’t dead. So, we began to treat her wounds. We were honor bound to help and try to save her life. Once she was healed, we treated her as a captive in spite of the fact that she bitterly complained about not having done anything to deserve her captivity. Eventually we discovered that her claims about not understanding why she was imprisoned had some merit. We examined her both with and without magic, and we discovered that she lacked the memories of the fight. Since then, we have loosened security around her, although we still keep her under watch. And she does know what happened, although she continues to have no recollection of those events.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion’s eyes drifted to a position that told Brandt he was deep in thought. Rhema didn’t see Semeion’s expression and she asked continued the conversation. “Is it possible to see her, Brandt?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt lifted up a finger to Rhema in order to indicate that he was waiting for something. He turned back to Semeion and waited for him to complete his thought. “Semeion, what are you thinking about?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to shake the memories free. “Now that I think about it, Ophee did change when the Whetting One command was given. Just out of curiosity, have you tried the command again with her?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded. “We did, and there was no effect.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled as if a secret had just been unlocked in his mind. “Just like Darkbringer. In fact, this is almost exactly like Darkbringer.” Excitement poured into his tone, and it was clear he was no longer interested in making sure that Ophee was treated like the enemy.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus replied to Semeion. “Darkbringer? You mean the way that she gave you the information?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded vigorously and pointed to Ischarus. “Exactly! Remember how I said that during my interrogation with Darkbringer she seemed to give me the impression that she didn’t realize she was doing it?”</p><p></p><p>The party nodded as they remembered. Semeion continued to speak. “Well, it would make sense that two people involved in the same plot would react the same way. Think about it. The wizard in Eberdeen led us back to Darkbringer, who reacted strangely when we used the Phoenix command. Darkbringer gave us another command, and this command for the Whetting One gave us a similar strange reaction out of Ophee. It makes sense.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt was following Semeion’s line of reasoning. “It sounds almost like there is some kind of mind control going on. In fact, it sounds like some kind of suggestion. It is as if people are being brainwashed or hypnotized to perform a certain set of actions upon receiving a code word.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema shook her head from side to side. “Wait a minute. If Ophee was the Whetting One, and it seems like she was, then was there a deeper meaning as to why we had to wait three days before speaking the name? Think about it. If the name ‘Whetting One’ was the command word, then we were completely wrong in our assessment of why we couldn’t say it? It wasn’t that the command would be countered at all. It was because this way the creator of the command could guarantee that the effect would go off as planned. Ophee wasn’t with us when we first heard about the name. In fact, Ophee didn’t come to us until after we had put the command into effect by the statue.”</p><p></p><p>Brandt concurred. “Of course she didn’t. If what you all are saying is true, then my guess is that the arcane sensor that we saw at the statue belonged to whoever it was that was putting the command into Ophee’s mind. Our speaking the name by the statue wasn’t to call the Whetting One; it was the originator’s way of seeing that we agreed to not speak the name again until the third day.”</p><p></p><p>Charis continued the thought. “And, by making sure that we didn’t speak the name until the appropriate time the wizard in Eberdeen knew that the Whetting One command wouldn’t draw suspicion. If we had spoken the word to Ophee and happened to be here in Fingerdale, innocent people would’ve been hurt and there would have been an investigation. But, a dilapidated old barn catching fire in the middle of a dry abandoned field wouldn’t have even drawn attention, much less suspicion. We helped to set our own trap, you know?”</p><p></p><p>Brandt nodded, and Ischarus was quick to correct Charis. “We don’t know for certain that it was the wizard in Eberdeen, though.”</p><p></p><p>As if on cue, a firm knock sounded at the door. Brandt motioned for one of his acolytes to open it. Another temple acolyte stepped through the door and bowed humbly before Brandt.</p><p></p><p>Brandt bowed lightly and spoke to the acolyte. “Theirin, do you have news about the means of mind control over Ophee?”</p><p></p><p>Theirin returned to an upright position. “Master Brandt, does the plant known as Arum Dracunculus mean anything to you?”</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3519542, member: 35788"] It was another day before Semeion woke up from his magical rest. Once Semeion regained consciousness and it was determined that there wasn’t anything lasting that was wrong with him, the acolytes underneath Brandt’s authority explained that the sleep which the party had been put under was a magical one. Ischarus’ and Charis wounds were not as life threatening as Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds and thus they didn’t have a great need to be kept asleep for as long a period of time. Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds were described as being life threatening, and thus they were kept in a magical slumber for a longer period of time. The magical sleep allowed their bodies to remain still and not risk further injury from the typical movements of normal sleep. Furthermore, the first few days after magical healing were usually the most painful, and by keeping the injured asleep for the days of the most pain they were actually spared some agony. Charis and Ischarus remained in the recovery room during the remaining days of Semeion’s and Rhema’s bed rest. There was little else that could be done anyway. In no uncertain terms could a portion of the foursome dream of challenging whatever the true force was that had given Ophee her power. In fact, they weren’t even sure that the foursome could challenge Ophee even if they were all together. She hadn’t seemed quite so powerful on the way to Eberdeen, and she certainly didn’t appear to have that kind of power when they were traveling through Quehalost. Something had happened to her since they returned. Brandt returned to the party on Semeion’s last day of bed rest. The master of the acolytes came into the room still using a wooden staff as a sort of cane. His injuries had been healed and his skin no longer appeared to have once been badly singed and cracked. However, his age slowed his body’s ability to recover from the stress of the injuries and the stress of the rapid magical healing. Even Semeion, the last of the party to wake from the magical slumber, was now further along in his recovery than Brandt. Of course, the fact that Brandt refused to accept the orders of bed rest may have delayed his recovery as well. Brandt didn’t pause for pleasantries as he entered into the room. [Color=Lime]“We’ve discovered something interesting in our examination of Ophee.”[/Color] Ischarus looked back to Brandt with a bit of surprise. [Color=LightBlue]“Ophee is here?”[/Color] He stood up quickly and reached for the hilt of his sword. [Color=LightBlue]“We were made to believe that she had escaped. Why were we not told about the truth?”[/Color] Brandt chuckled as he watched Ischarus’ reaction to the news. [Color=Lime]“Because we knew how you would react. The truth is, we’ve been surprised by what we’ve found.”[/Color] Ischarus wasn’t convinced. He drew his sword and inch out of the scabbard and then pushed it back in the whole way. The leather on the hilt of his sword would need to be replaced, but the blade itself was still quite functional. Charis ignored Ischarus’ swordplay and turned back to Brandt. [Color=Orange]“What have you found? Can you confirm that there is more to Ophee than what we originally thought?”[/Color] Brandt smiled, and the expression on his face told the party that there was more truth in Charis’ question than she knew. [Color=Lime]“Actually, less.”[/Color] Rhema and Charis exchanged confused glances before Charis replied. [Color=Orange]“Less, Brandt? That’s rather cryptic. Just what do you mean by that?”[/Color] Brandt’s smiled opened into a full faced grin. [Color=Lime]“When she woke up, she didn’t remember a thing past a certain point. She remembered all the time that we spent casting spells in preparation. She could describe the layout and planning of the party to intricate detail. She was able to describe the inside of the barn and even the plans for escape if they had been needed. But the last thing that she remembers is me telling you that it was noon. According to her mind, she woke up here at the temple immediately after I told Semeion to speak.”[/Color] Semeion looked displeased. [Color=Plum]“And this isn’t some kind of ploy?”[/Color] Brandt chuckled again. [Color=Lime]“Actually, Ophee has been quite helpful in doing our evaluation. Since she doesn’t remember anything from a few seconds before the command of the Whetting One was given, she still sees herself as our ally. We’ve given her little reason to think that we consider her anything less.”[/Color] Semeion continued to look displeased as Brandt spoke. [Color=Plum]“You mean to tell me that you aren’t treating her as a hostile captive? She tried to kill you, Brandt! She wanted you dead!”[/Color] Charis shook her head and countered her husband’s protective assertion. [Color=Orange]“Either that, or have you not told her about the role that she has played? If she doesn’t remember, have you kept the truth from her?”[/Color] Brandt put out his hands in a reassuring gesture. [Color=Lime]“We have done nothing of the sort. We couldn’t very well bring all of us back without bringing her back as well. When we got her back here, we discovered that she wasn’t dead. So, we began to treat her wounds. We were honor bound to help and try to save her life. Once she was healed, we treated her as a captive in spite of the fact that she bitterly complained about not having done anything to deserve her captivity. Eventually we discovered that her claims about not understanding why she was imprisoned had some merit. We examined her both with and without magic, and we discovered that she lacked the memories of the fight. Since then, we have loosened security around her, although we still keep her under watch. And she does know what happened, although she continues to have no recollection of those events.”[/Color] Semeion’s eyes drifted to a position that told Brandt he was deep in thought. Rhema didn’t see Semeion’s expression and she asked continued the conversation. [Color=PaleGreen]“Is it possible to see her, Brandt?”[/Color] Brandt lifted up a finger to Rhema in order to indicate that he was waiting for something. He turned back to Semeion and waited for him to complete his thought. [Color=Lime]“Semeion, what are you thinking about?”[/Color] Semeion shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to shake the memories free. [Color=Plum]“Now that I think about it, Ophee did change when the Whetting One command was given. Just out of curiosity, have you tried the command again with her?”[/Color] Brandt nodded. [Color=Lime]“We did, and there was no effect.”[/Color] Semeion smiled as if a secret had just been unlocked in his mind. [Color=Plum]“Just like Darkbringer. In fact, this is almost exactly like Darkbringer.”[/Color] Excitement poured into his tone, and it was clear he was no longer interested in making sure that Ophee was treated like the enemy. Ischarus replied to Semeion. [Color=LightBlue]“Darkbringer? You mean the way that she gave you the information?”[/Color] Semeion nodded vigorously and pointed to Ischarus. [Color=Plum]“Exactly! Remember how I said that during my interrogation with Darkbringer she seemed to give me the impression that she didn’t realize she was doing it?”[/Color] The party nodded as they remembered. Semeion continued to speak. [Color=Plum]“Well, it would make sense that two people involved in the same plot would react the same way. Think about it. The wizard in Eberdeen led us back to Darkbringer, who reacted strangely when we used the Phoenix command. Darkbringer gave us another command, and this command for the Whetting One gave us a similar strange reaction out of Ophee. It makes sense.”[/Color] Brandt was following Semeion’s line of reasoning. [Color=Lime]“It sounds almost like there is some kind of mind control going on. In fact, it sounds like some kind of suggestion. It is as if people are being brainwashed or hypnotized to perform a certain set of actions upon receiving a code word.”[/Color] Rhema shook her head from side to side. [Color=PaleGreen]“Wait a minute. If Ophee was the Whetting One, and it seems like she was, then was there a deeper meaning as to why we had to wait three days before speaking the name? Think about it. If the name ‘Whetting One’ was the command word, then we were completely wrong in our assessment of why we couldn’t say it? It wasn’t that the command would be countered at all. It was because this way the creator of the command could guarantee that the effect would go off as planned. Ophee wasn’t with us when we first heard about the name. In fact, Ophee didn’t come to us until after we had put the command into effect by the statue.”[/Color] Brandt concurred. [Color=Lime]“Of course she didn’t. If what you all are saying is true, then my guess is that the arcane sensor that we saw at the statue belonged to whoever it was that was putting the command into Ophee’s mind. Our speaking the name by the statue wasn’t to call the Whetting One; it was the originator’s way of seeing that we agreed to not speak the name again until the third day.”[/Color] Charis continued the thought. [Color=Orange]“And, by making sure that we didn’t speak the name until the appropriate time the wizard in Eberdeen knew that the Whetting One command wouldn’t draw suspicion. If we had spoken the word to Ophee and happened to be here in Fingerdale, innocent people would’ve been hurt and there would have been an investigation. But, a dilapidated old barn catching fire in the middle of a dry abandoned field wouldn’t have even drawn attention, much less suspicion. We helped to set our own trap, you know?”[/Color] Brandt nodded, and Ischarus was quick to correct Charis. [Color=LightBlue]“We don’t know for certain that it was the wizard in Eberdeen, though.”[/Color] As if on cue, a firm knock sounded at the door. Brandt motioned for one of his acolytes to open it. Another temple acolyte stepped through the door and bowed humbly before Brandt. Brandt bowed lightly and spoke to the acolyte. [Color=Lime]“Theirin, do you have news about the means of mind control over Ophee?”[/Color] Theirin returned to an upright position. [Color=Lime]“Master Brandt, does the plant known as Arum Dracunculus mean anything to you?”[/Color] [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] It was another day before Semeion woke up from his magical rest. Once Semeion regained consciousness and it was determined that there wasn’t anything lasting that was wrong with him, the acolytes underneath Brandt’s authority explained that the sleep which the party had been put under was a magical one. Ischarus’ and Charis wounds were not as life threatening as Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds and thus they didn’t have a great need to be kept asleep for as long a period of time. Rhema’s and Semeion’s wounds were described as being life threatening, and thus they were kept in a magical slumber for a longer period of time. The magical sleep allowed their bodies to remain still and not risk further injury from the typical movements of normal sleep. Furthermore, the first few days after magical healing were usually the most painful, and by keeping the injured asleep for the days of the most pain they were actually spared some agony. Charis and Ischarus remained in the recovery room during the remaining days of Semeion’s and Rhema’s bed rest. There was little else that could be done anyway. In no uncertain terms could a portion of the foursome dream of challenging whatever the true force was that had given Ophee her power. In fact, they weren’t even sure that the foursome could challenge Ophee even if they were all together. She hadn’t seemed quite so powerful on the way to Eberdeen, and she certainly didn’t appear to have that kind of power when they were traveling through Quehalost. Something had happened to her since they returned. Brandt returned to the party on Semeion’s last day of bed rest. The master of the acolytes came into the room still using a wooden staff as a sort of cane. His injuries had been healed and his skin no longer appeared to have once been badly singed and cracked. However, his age slowed his body’s ability to recover from the stress of the injuries and the stress of the rapid magical healing. Even Semeion, the last of the party to wake from the magical slumber, was now further along in his recovery than Brandt. Of course, the fact that Brandt refused to accept the orders of bed rest may have delayed his recovery as well. Brandt didn’t pause for pleasantries as he entered into the room. “We’ve discovered something interesting in our examination of Ophee.” Ischarus looked back to Brandt with a bit of surprise. “Ophee is here?” He stood up quickly and reached for the hilt of his sword. “We were made to believe that she had escaped. Why were we not told about the truth?” Brandt chuckled as he watched Ischarus’ reaction to the news. “Because we knew how you would react. The truth is, we’ve been surprised by what we’ve found.” Ischarus wasn’t convinced. He drew his sword and inch out of the scabbard and then pushed it back in the whole way. The leather on the hilt of his sword would need to be replaced, but the blade itself was still quite functional. Charis ignored Ischarus’ swordplay and turned back to Brandt. “What have you found? Can you confirm that there is more to Ophee than what we originally thought?” Brandt smiled, and the expression on his face told the party that there was more truth in Charis’ question than she knew. “Actually, less.” Rhema and Charis exchanged confused glances before Charis replied. “Less, Brandt? That’s rather cryptic. Just what do you mean by that?” Brandt’s smiled opened into a full faced grin. “When she woke up, she didn’t remember a thing past a certain point. She remembered all the time that we spent casting spells in preparation. She could describe the layout and planning of the party to intricate detail. She was able to describe the inside of the barn and even the plans for escape if they had been needed. But the last thing that she remembers is me telling you that it was noon. According to her mind, she woke up here at the temple immediately after I told Semeion to speak.” Semeion looked displeased. “And this isn’t some kind of ploy?” Brandt chuckled again. “Actually, Ophee has been quite helpful in doing our evaluation. Since she doesn’t remember anything from a few seconds before the command of the Whetting One was given, she still sees herself as our ally. We’ve given her little reason to think that we consider her anything less.” Semeion continued to look displeased as Brandt spoke. “You mean to tell me that you aren’t treating her as a hostile captive? She tried to kill you, Brandt! She wanted you dead!” Charis shook her head and countered her husband’s protective assertion. “Either that, or have you not told her about the role that she has played? If she doesn’t remember, have you kept the truth from her?” Brandt put out his hands in a reassuring gesture. “We have done nothing of the sort. We couldn’t very well bring all of us back without bringing her back as well. When we got her back here, we discovered that she wasn’t dead. So, we began to treat her wounds. We were honor bound to help and try to save her life. Once she was healed, we treated her as a captive in spite of the fact that she bitterly complained about not having done anything to deserve her captivity. Eventually we discovered that her claims about not understanding why she was imprisoned had some merit. We examined her both with and without magic, and we discovered that she lacked the memories of the fight. Since then, we have loosened security around her, although we still keep her under watch. And she does know what happened, although she continues to have no recollection of those events.” Semeion’s eyes drifted to a position that told Brandt he was deep in thought. Rhema didn’t see Semeion’s expression and she asked continued the conversation. “Is it possible to see her, Brandt?” Brandt lifted up a finger to Rhema in order to indicate that he was waiting for something. He turned back to Semeion and waited for him to complete his thought. “Semeion, what are you thinking about?” Semeion shook his head slowly, as if he were trying to shake the memories free. “Now that I think about it, Ophee did change when the Whetting One command was given. Just out of curiosity, have you tried the command again with her?” Brandt nodded. “We did, and there was no effect.” Semeion smiled as if a secret had just been unlocked in his mind. “Just like Darkbringer. In fact, this is almost exactly like Darkbringer.” Excitement poured into his tone, and it was clear he was no longer interested in making sure that Ophee was treated like the enemy. Ischarus replied to Semeion. “Darkbringer? You mean the way that she gave you the information?” Semeion nodded vigorously and pointed to Ischarus. “Exactly! Remember how I said that during my interrogation with Darkbringer she seemed to give me the impression that she didn’t realize she was doing it?” The party nodded as they remembered. Semeion continued to speak. “Well, it would make sense that two people involved in the same plot would react the same way. Think about it. The wizard in Eberdeen led us back to Darkbringer, who reacted strangely when we used the Phoenix command. Darkbringer gave us another command, and this command for the Whetting One gave us a similar strange reaction out of Ophee. It makes sense.” Brandt was following Semeion’s line of reasoning. “It sounds almost like there is some kind of mind control going on. In fact, it sounds like some kind of suggestion. It is as if people are being brainwashed or hypnotized to perform a certain set of actions upon receiving a code word.” Rhema shook her head from side to side. “Wait a minute. If Ophee was the Whetting One, and it seems like she was, then was there a deeper meaning as to why we had to wait three days before speaking the name? Think about it. If the name ‘Whetting One’ was the command word, then we were completely wrong in our assessment of why we couldn’t say it? It wasn’t that the command would be countered at all. It was because this way the creator of the command could guarantee that the effect would go off as planned. Ophee wasn’t with us when we first heard about the name. In fact, Ophee didn’t come to us until after we had put the command into effect by the statue.” Brandt concurred. “Of course she didn’t. If what you all are saying is true, then my guess is that the arcane sensor that we saw at the statue belonged to whoever it was that was putting the command into Ophee’s mind. Our speaking the name by the statue wasn’t to call the Whetting One; it was the originator’s way of seeing that we agreed to not speak the name again until the third day.” Charis continued the thought. “And, by making sure that we didn’t speak the name until the appropriate time the wizard in Eberdeen knew that the Whetting One command wouldn’t draw suspicion. If we had spoken the word to Ophee and happened to be here in Fingerdale, innocent people would’ve been hurt and there would have been an investigation. But, a dilapidated old barn catching fire in the middle of a dry abandoned field wouldn’t have even drawn attention, much less suspicion. We helped to set our own trap, you know?” Brandt nodded, and Ischarus was quick to correct Charis. “We don’t know for certain that it was the wizard in Eberdeen, though.” As if on cue, a firm knock sounded at the door. Brandt motioned for one of his acolytes to open it. Another temple acolyte stepped through the door and bowed humbly before Brandt. Brandt bowed lightly and spoke to the acolyte. “Theirin, do you have news about the means of mind control over Ophee?” Theirin returned to an upright position. “Master Brandt, does the plant known as Arum Dracunculus mean anything to you?” [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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