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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 31256" data-attributes="member: 102">Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Session 4, Part 2-Justice, Law, and Morality (or “What do you call 100 Priests of St. Cuthbert chained to the bottom of the ocean?”)The shock of the of the impact sent Bandar flying backwards onto the marble floor.  He knew he was screaming, but he didn’t know if it was from the pain or Strider’s death.  It seemed hopeless: Lathander fighting the monstrosity alone and Aramek fending off the remaining hobgoblin warriors…this was the end.  It was then that Bandar felt hands upon his shoulders…grunting as he forced himself to turn, Bandar found himself staring into the eyes of a gnome.  The man had on white robes and symbol of Pelor was proudly displayed on his breast.  White energy coursed through his hands into washed the some of the pain away from Bandar’s body.  Once the gnome had finished healing him, a kind smile spread across his face.Gnome: “My name is Doctor Noh and we are here to help.”Bandar: “We?”Bandar turned his attention from Dr. Noh and began to see what the priest was talking about.  A male human with simple brown robes stood next to the pair, weaving intricate spells of arcane power while another stronger-looking human man in heavy armor charged into the fray.  The wizard unleashed a flurry of magical energies through the air, dropping most of the resistance with ease as the warrior barreled into the ranks of the armored hobgoblins.  With most of the pressure off, Aramek was able to assist Lathander in the battle with the great behemoth.Dr. Noh: “Stand up and fight, for our assistance does not ensure victory…arise!”With his last words, Dr. Noh drew a small mace from his belt and charged into battle.I won’t loose Strider!Regaining his footing, Bandar concentrated all of his remaining strength into one final wave of power.  With a cry of rage, the dwarf sent of a rippling torrent of psychic energy into the gorilla’s back, burning away fur and flesh.  The beast howled in pain, turning its attention back onto Bandar…a mistake Aramek wasted little time in capitalizing upon and consequently ending the beast’s reign of terror.Bandar heard the hobgoblin leader scream in agony as the human wizard sent a seemingly endless barrage of magical bolts of energy into him.  His knightly companion; unfortunately, was not doing so well.  The armored hobgoblins that had dispatched Strider used a similarly brutal tactic to fight their new adversary.  The discipline that had spawned them was able to overcome whatever training the knight had amassed in the few years of his life.  Although his swordsmanship was incredible to behold, ultimately his life simply bought the remaining members of the party enough time to regroup and mount a counteroffensive.  The hobgoblins also resolved to regroup after watching most of their companions fall to a single relentless spellcaster.  The armored hobgoblins encircled the leader and the warlock who had killed Merkaeytl…his magical affiliations were obvious from the continued healing he provided his master.Dr. Noh dropped a globe of silence to prevent the warlock from providing aid to the leader, while the human wizard continued his magical assault upon the remaining hobgoblins.  It wasn’t long before Aramek and Bandar made mincemeat out of the crippled enemy force.  The warlock attempted an escape, but Aramek’s hatchet put a stop to that dream.  The grizzled dwarven warrior took one last look at the carnage surrounding him before he felt that the immediate threat had ended.  With a small grin, Aramek’s let the warhammer in his hand fall to the ground before collapsing himself.  Dr. Noh was immediately by the warrior’s side, tending to the mortal wounds inflicted upon him.  Bandar, Lathander, and the human wizard called Feresay made sure that every single one of the hobgoblins was dead by ramming swords into all of their skulls.  Once Dr. Noh was certain that Aramek was going to pull through just fine, he went to check up on his knightly companion.  Unfortunately, the divine warrior that had called himself Xoad was beyond any powers the priest of Pelor possessed.The victory that everyone had hoped for did not come as expected.  Instead of the glory such epic battles bring in song, the feeling everyone had in their hearts was one of monumental loss.  The grim task of removing the party’s dead from the Temple was done in silence.  Once all three bodies were outside, Dr. Noh and Lathander began to perform the last rites on the corpses.  Xoad was buried a short walk from the Temple walls.  Lathander was about to burying Merkaeytl and Strider when the catatonic Aramek awoke from his state of reverie.Aramek: “I don’t believe it…they can’t die…”Lathander: “I know this is hard for you Aramek.  It is hard for us all, but they are dead and there is nothing we can do about it now.  Pelor has sent them to a better place.”Aramek: “I don’t accept that!  We should bring ‘em back to Hommlet and figure out a way to fix ‘em.”Feresay: (prophetically) “Their spirts will rejoin the universe and continue the cycle of eternity.”Lathander: (angry) “Be quiet Feresay.”  (more gently to Aramek) “What can we possibly do?  None of us have the power to bring the dead back to life.”Aramek: “Rufus’ll know what to do….I’ll take Strider’s body, the rest of you get Merk’s.”Dr. Noh: “Carrying two dead bodies back all that distance will be taxing…it’s a shame we don’t have a cart.”Giving up on the fact that Aramek might budge on the issue, Lathander decided to be constructive in finding a solution to the problem.Lathander: “Tianden might have one, but more importantly we should tell him that Strider died…he seemed to like Strider a great deal.”A look of distress passed over Aramek’s face, but he said nothing.  Dr. Noh used the time it took to get to Nulb to ask Lathander questions about Tianden and the strange hamlet he lived in.  If Dr. Noh was afraid of the mysterious Tianden, he certainly gave no outward signs.  Predictably, Tianden was seated inside the abandoned store Lathander had found him in the first time.  Only he and Dr. Noh entered the structure, leaving Feresay and Aramek to look over the bodies outside.Tianden: “Lathander…good to see you again.”Lathander: “It is good to see you again as well Tianden.  I only wish the circumstances of my arrival could be more jovial.”Tianden: “What’s wrong?”Lathander: “Both Strider and Merkaeytl perished during our exploration of the Temple.  I am here to ask a favor.  We need a cart to carry the bodies back to Hommlet.  Do you have such a thing?”Tianden: “I am truly sorry about Strider, Lathander.  I do have a cart and a horse to pull it…they are yours.  I only ask a question: ‘Do you have any money?’”Lathander: (confused) “Some…why?”Tianden: “Good, you’ll need it.  I will be joining you on your trip down to Hommlet in order to plead your case to the local priestess of St. Cuthbert.  She will not help your friends easily…it will take some persuasion.”Lathander: “Thank you Tianden…but why would we ask her?  Rufus is the leader of the town after all.”Tianden: “Because Lathander, she is the only one for miles that could do anything to fix this problem…”Lathander: (very confused) “How do you know that for sure?” Tianden: “That is a story for another time.  Now collect your friends and your money so that we can be on our way.”Lathander: “I forgot to mention that we hid the money we acquired near the Temple.  I must go back and get it.”Tianden: “I will wait here with Aramek and your gnomish companion while you go get it then.”It wasn’t long before Lathander and Feresay returned with the hobgoblin plunder.  Aramek and Tianden had already loaded the bodies onto the cart and secured the horse by the time they got back.  Tianden led the horse and the rest of the party down the path towards Hommlet.  As they began to approach the town, the scarred man pulled the hood of his black cloak closer to his face.  He did not allow anyone to stop until the cart and its contents rested in front of the church dedicated to the worship of St. Cuthbert.  Hommlet was a quiet town, with little in the way of daily entertainment so it came as no surprise to anyone that a crowd began to gather around the returning heroes and their slain companions.With some urging from Tianden, Lathander ascended the steps to the church and knocked on the door.  The priest of Pelor was greeted by one of Canoness, acolytes: a man by the name of Derim.  The youngest of the priests, Derim had not been completely absorbed by the dogma of St. Cuthbert yet…consequently his manner was gentle and kind.Lathander: “Could you please ask Canoness Y’dey to come tend to our fallen?”Derim: “Yes, right away!”Derim didn’t even bother to close the door as he bolted back into the church to find the great priestess.  A few minutes later, the familiar cold face of Canoness emerged from the confines of the church.Canoness: “I heard that there was an emergency, Lathander.  What seems to be the problem?”Lathander: “Our friends, Strider and Merkaeytl, have perished in our battle with the Temple.  Is there anything you can do to help us?”Canoness: “You wish St. Cuthbert to bring them back from the realm of the dead?”Lathander had to subdue the shame he felt that he was not a greater conduit of Pelor’s strength when he answered her.Lathander: “Yes.”Canoness: “Have the murders been slain?”Lathander: “Yes, but-“Canoness: “Then justice has been served.”With that the priestess turned on her heel and began to reenter the church.  In desperation Lathander turned towards the shrouded Tianden pleadingly.  He could not see any of the man’s facial expressions as the hood of his cloak was draped over his face.  It was then that a voice broke the silence…Rufus: “These men fought bravely to ensure that the land surrounding our town was safe.  Couldn’t you make an exception?”Lathander hadn’t noticed it before, but the crowd surrounding the cart was huge and all of the town’s leadership was contained within it…Burne, Rufus, Elmo, Jennithar, Yether, and even Jaroo.  The priestess stopped to answer the old warrior.Canoness: “The law does not make exceptions Rufus.”Tianden: “Perhaps the law doesn’t make exceptions, but there are circumstances which have no laws.  Lathander forgot to tell you who he brought back with him from his adventures at the Temple.”Tianden strode forward and ripped the hood from his head, exposing his marred face to the light of the early morning.  A gasp went up from everyone…even Canoness.Tianden: “That’s right Canoness, it’s me.  I’m sure you recognize your handiwork and the man you inflicted it upon: Lareth the Beautiful!”Elmo: “We killed you!”Lathander heard swords being unsheathed and saw many of the town guards begin to approach Tianden.  Instinctively, Lathander interposed himself between the scarred man and the closing mob.Lathander: “No, don’t hurt him!”Lareth: (with a small grin) “Don’t worry Lathander, they can’t hurt me without a trial.  Besides, now that you have captured Lareth the Beautiful, even Canoness’ twisted system of ethics won’t be able to resist your request.  Strider and Merk will be back in no time.”Lathander stood agape while Elmo and the town guard bound Lareth and dragged him off towards the town hall.Canoness: “All of you may go home now.  Lareth will be tried and sentenced shortly.  There is no danger to the town any longer.  Lathander, bring your friends inside the church while I go attend legal matters.Lathander: “My friends will take care of the bodies.  I want to speak at the trial.”Canoness: “Very well.”The old Town Hall was used as a courtroom for the procedure.  Canoness was asked to preside as judge due to her religious affiliations with justice.  Rufus, Burne, and all of the old adventurers were asked to give first hand accounts of Lareth’s activities.  Everyone had something awful to say about Lareth.  Canoness sat impassively, listening to everyone’s testimony.  Once everyone’s accounts of Lareth’s crimes against humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and the natural order (courtesy of Jaroo) was finished Canoness asked Lareth if he had anything to say in his defense.  In response Lareth smiled deeply, allowing his stare to linger on Jaroo before turning to Canoness.Lareth: “I’ll see you in hell witch.”Canoness: “Since Lareth has nothing to say in his defense-“Lathander: “I will speak for him.”Canoness: “Proceed.”Lathander: “I don’t think Lareth should be executed.  I think the man you used to know has changed.  Why else would he have come here knowing that he would executed only to save two people that he hardly even knew?  He has sacrificed himself for others and therefore shown that he is capable of mercy and compassion.  Executing this man is wrong.  He is not the man you know as Lareth…his name is Tianden.”Canoness: “Thank you for offering a dissenting opinion Lathander.  I have weighed what you have said against the evidence provided by Rufus, Burne, Elmo, Jaroo, and Yether.  My judgment is as follows: Lareth is to be hung in spite of his recent altruistic behaviors.  Lareth is to be hung immediately and his body placed in an unmarked grave.”As Lareth was led out of the Town Hall, Lathander bolted to his feet.Lathander: “This is unjust!  Canoness is not impartial to this judgement!  She wants him to die…how can this trial be fair?!”Canoness: “Lathander, I am incapable of bias as I follow St. Cuthbert’s tenets.  His justice is blind.”Speechless, Lathander watched, through the window of the Town Hall, as was they dragged Lareth behind the building and hung him from the nearest tree.  Since there was no way to erect a proper gallows, Lathander had to watch the man strangle to death.  He wasn’t sure how long he had been at the window staring, but Lareth’s body was no longer attached the noose hanging from the tree when he awoke from his contemplation.  The creak of floorboards alerted him that someone else was in the room…turning, he came face to face with Yether.Lathander: (the disgust obvious in his tone) “Why didn’t you say anything?  I thought you were a priest of Pelor.”Yether: “I am sorry Lathander, but I couldn’t forgive him for what he did.  I had to watch my cousin die at his hand.  Could you forgive someone that killed someone close to you?”Lathander: “Don’t presume that you know anything about me!”Flushed, Lathander walked briskly from the Town Hall.  He was determined to exact the price from the sacrifice Lareth had undergone.  Derim informed Lathander that the ritual would take a week, as Canoness would have ask the spirits if they wished to return and then ask for St. Cuthbert’s direct intervention to free them from the world of the dead.  He also informed Lathander of the monetary costs of such an undertaking would be substantial…apparently, Lareth’s life had only bought them the right to resurrect their friends.  It took the entire party’s wealth to pay for the ritual, but no one raised a word of complaint.Everyone occupied themselves during the week of rest.  Vesta offered free rooms to the party during the week, as they were in no position to pay her with all of their wealth invested in the ritual.  Bandar sat in his room brooding, Lathander prayed near the town’s graveyard, Dr. Noh visited the Temple of Pelor, Feresay all but disappeared, and Aramek used his personal funds to buy every available keg of ale from the local elven brewer: Thaenai Sevensong.  Dr. Noh was well received at the temple; Yether even gave him several divine scrolls to aid the party on their continued adventures…he would have given them to Lathander, but the younger priest wouldn’t even speak with him.  Aramek’s agenda only became obvious by the end of the week, when he began telling everyone that he was throwing a party at the Inn of the Welcome Wench…with free ale.The sun rose and fell, bringing forth the hour of Strider’s and Merk’s resurrection.  The entire party waited all day outside the church, most of the members having hardly slept the night before.  Their patience finally paid off when Strider and Merkaeytl walked down the steps of St. Cuthbert’s church and back into their lives.  Lots of hugs were exchanged and laughter seemed to be brimming from everyone’s soul.  Aramek put an end to that; however, when he slugged Strider in the jaw so hard that he fell to the ground.  Everyone was too stunned to react.Aramek: “Don’t ye ever die on me again or I’ll kick yer arse!  Now, everyone explain te Strider and Merk wut’s goin’ on so that we can go party!”Rubbing his face, Strider stood up and watched Aramek walk down the road towards the Inn of the Welcome Wench.  He couldn’t help but smile…I missed you too Aramek…</blockquote>

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