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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gfunk" data-source="post: 1455891" data-attributes="member: 1813">A Happy Ending (Finally!) “Let me kill the bastard! He deserves it for all the grief he’s put us through!” Rusty menacingly brandished his waraxe above Kaurophon’s now visible but unconscious body. Kiko was dragging Grimm’s corpse from the edge of the plasma pillar back to the top of the spiral staircase while Truhl and Jules ascended from below. “No. Kaurophon deceived us all for days just so that he could slay each of us in the final Test. If he subject him to the same fate, how are we better them him?” The dwarf looked at Caine quizzically, becoming suddenly uneasy about the Apostle’s fiery eye and the smoke streaming from it. “Are ye sure yer sensibilities haven’t been scrambled laddie? Are ye alright in the head? Don’t feel evil or nuthin’ right?” Caine paused and sighed deeply. Unfortunately, he had become used to the luxury of people assuming that he was an agent of weal after seeing the nimbus of light that surrounded him. Now, however, he would be forever suspect due to his smoking eye. He wondered if death would have been a kinder fate. “I am fine Rusty. It’s just that I have been touched by evil and am . . . uneasy with the experience. But let us return quickly to Cauldron. We have been gone long and I am eager to see that our friends are safe.” Nodding, Rusty yanked a scroll from Kaurophon’s belt pouch, “Well I guess yer mercy ain’t totally bad. If we threw Karuophon into the plasma, we never would have recovered this!” The cleric triumphantly held up a plane shift scroll, the party’s ticket to a quick return home. ----------------------------------------------------- After stuffing Grimm and Kaurophon into the bag of holding, Rusty began to cast the spell as he, Caine, Kiko, and Truhl linked hands in a circle. The desolate landscape of Occipitus slowly faded away, until it was replaced by the lush jungle vegetation surrounding Cauldron. Since plane shifting was notoriously erratic, meaning they could be several hundred miles from their intended destination, the party piled into the bag of holding before Jules teleported them directly to the Church of Tyr. After saving the town of Red Gorge from annihilation, preventing a war between two cities, and venturing into the Abyss itself to save their beloved home, the heroes had returned to Cauldron. ----------------------------------------------------- Jenya warily regarded the bodies strewn out in front of her. She examined them closely and noticed that neither Ajax nor Alec Tercival was among them. In addition she did not recognize the smallish ogre who apparently died from severe burns or severe frost bite, Jenya couldn’t tell which. Furthermore, there was a decidedly demonic looking humanoid who was still groaning. The high priestess knelt beside him and could see that despite his injures he was still very much alive, “Caine, this one appears to still be breathing.” The Apostle stood next to her, “Justice, we have many, many things to discuss.” ----------------------------------------------------- Along with Rusty and Kiko, Caine explained everything to Jenya, starting with their mission to Red Gorge to prevent war with Cauldron, their attempted recovery of Alec Tercival and climactic battle with the Glabrezu, and concluded with their journey through Occipitus highlighting the Tests of Judgment, Resolve, and Sacrifice. “I see. Well that explains why your eye is smoking at least.” “Alec mentioned something about the Sign of the Smoking Eye and how we needed to save all of ye. Were ye in trouble, did anything happen while we were gone?” Jenya regarded the dwarf with a quizzical look, “No, there have been no problems on the scale that you mention. Cauldron has certainly not been in mortal peril as far as I could tell. Unfortunately, I can tell you that things have gotten worse with the government. Although the merchant Mavuu was able to provide a writ clearly stating Alec Tercival’s repudiation of his challenge to Cauldron’s leaders, the half-orc guards still roam the streets. And what is even worse is the disappearance of the Lord Mayor and his replacement by his assistant.” Pausing to sip some water, the Justice continued, “And what’s more, something strange is going on with the Church of Kelemvor. As you may recall, they had a reasonably large temple before you all departed, but they have made several new additions expanding it considerably. In fact, it has even blocked out the sun where it used to shine on the Shrine of Lathander. A Paladin of the Morninglord, who runs the Shrine, has been very vociferous in his complaints but thus far to no avail." Caine responded, “I wonder if this is an isolated incident or a larger change in philosophy in the Church’s tenets. Outside you may also have noticed an individual by the name of Truhl, he is actually an assassin in the Kelemvorite’s employ! I had hoped to return him to the Church in Cauldron so that he may be re-indoctrinated into Kelemvor’s true faith, but I now have my doubts.” The group continued to talk into the night for several hours more until they retired to their separate chambers. Jenya promised to raise Grimm, Tilly, and Wathros free of charge – it was the least she could do for all the help they had rendered to the city. ----------------------------------------------------- Caine, once at ease walking through the streets of Cauldron, was distressed at the reaction he was eliciting from the populace. Seeing his fiery, smoking eye, many children began crying while bystanders literally turned tail and walked briskly in the opposite direction. The sheer number of half-orc militia patrolling the streets (or looking for trouble in the Apostle’s estimation) simply added to the climate of fear. Unfortunately, his companion, the assassin Truhl, seemed to revel in the fear that his friend generated. After a brisk walk, the pair approached the gates to the newly completed Church of Kelemvor. Caine agreed wholeheartedly with Jenya in that it was an impressive structure. The pair knocked at the heavy steel doors after walking past the now abandoned Shrine of Lathander cloaked fully in the shadow of the massive building. An acolyte led them in, his fear of Caine’s eye allayed by the Apostle’s aura of calm, “How may I be of assistance?” “We seek to speak to High Priestess Embril Aloustinai please.” “Apologies good sir, but the Priestess is still in the capitol. The acting head of the Church is Ike Iverson, I will request an audience for you. A moment if you please.” A few moments later, they were approached by a squat, balding man with a perpetual scowl on his face, “What do you want? Is somebody dead? Need a eulogy and funeral? Well? Speak up, I don’t have all day!” “High Priest Iverson, I apologize for taking time out of your busy schedule. I am Caine, and with me is my friend Truhl Stockman. We actually met rather far from here, but he is a professed follower of Kelemvor. Unfortunately, I believe that his own Clerics have corrupted the teachings of the Judge of the Dead as he is a trained assassin. I hoped that you could re-indoctrinate him with the true tenets of your faith.” Normally, Iverson would have uttered a litany of curses and left these two morons high and dry. But something about Caine’s demeanor gave him pause. He felt calmer and more relaxed then usual and actually felt like hearing the Apostle out. “I see. However, we do not practice brain washing here. I will allow Mr. Stockman to stay with us for a few days to evaluate if he really wants to change his path in life. Come back then and I will render my decision to you.” “I thank you and,” Caine removed a parcel from his robes and handed it to Iverson, “I have no use for money, so I would like to make this donation to your Church. That and the magic items I have given to Truhl are given in good faith to Kelemvor. Thank you for your time High Priest. Truhl, I will see you in a few days.” ----------------------------------------------------- Later that day, Rusty and Caine stood alone in the woods some distance from Cauldron, “Are ye sure this is such a good idea Caine?” “Trust me, Rusty. As I said, no jail in Cauldron can possibly hold Kaurophon. Even if he were bound and gagged, he could still manifest many powerful magical abilities to bring harm to his captors. Besides, I think the current rulers of the city would waste little time in executing him.” Rusty sighed and unbuckled his pack. He removed a vial of holy water and a bag of powdered silver. Carefully, he drew a circle and splashed the holy water into the middle of it. He then began to pray to Mystra, his patron and goddess of the Weave. After a few minutes, the circle of power began to glow, “Lady of the Weave, in my time of need, I ask that ye send me a celestial for aid. I wish for the Avoral named Halalaa from the Blessed Fields of Elysium.” The circle of power glowed with power for several moments until Halalaa appeared, “My saviors, it warms my heart to see you again. I thank you once again for my liberation from the Cathedral of Feathers. It would please me greatly to assist you if it is within my power.” Caine bowed with respect, “Halalaa, we have passed the three Tests of Adimarchus and Occipitus will slowly but surely regain its former celestial splendor. Unfortunately, we have had a traitor in our midst,” the Apostle gestured to the bound and gagged but still unconscious Kaurophon, “I’m afraid I must apologize to you and the other celestials who warned me of his nature.” “In any case,” Rusty interjected, not wishing to waste the Avoral’s time, “we wish no further harm on Kaurophon. The poor bastard was born evil, it wasn’t his choice. If we turn him over to Cauldron, they’ll surely put him to death.” Halalaa nodded, “Be assured my friends that we will retain him in Elysium for as long as it takes. It is not unprecedented for fiends to turn from evil, but the process is long and painful. However, you have my promise that no harm will come to him. And . . . thank you for sparing his life. Slaying him would have been easy and convenient, I am humbled by your mercy.” Grabbing the half-fiend by his shoulders, Halalaa hoisted him into the circle and both disappeared. Rusty and Caine turned and returned to Cauldron. Soon, Jenya would raise their friends and, for the first time in as long as they could remember, celebration was in order – both for lost friends and new allies.</blockquote>

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