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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 2105515" data-attributes="member: 99">How about a little update to start the weekend off right? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />The group reappeared right at the broken, underground gates of The City of Endless Summer.  Lazarius was afraid to appear any further inside the City because it could well have been that the rising Blood had covered up the location they departed from.  But a brief investigation showed that the Blood had in fact receded out of the hallway entirely.  What that meant was anybody’s guess but nobody was going into the City to follow up on this little mystery.  They began their flight back up the long passage leading to the Foundry.A couple of hours passed with a few of the Orcs starting to lag behind.  Their tremendous endurance was being pushed beyond all normal limits and it was obvious that they couldn’t continue much longer.  Then the passageway opened into the Foundry with the faint afternoon light trickling down through the gap in the ceiling.  By wordless agreement they all exited through the crevice and turned northward, covering the final distance of their long journey.They alighted at the entrance to the cave, hoping beyond hope that no foul creature had inhabited it in their absence.  Luck was with them for once and, one by one, they resumed their humanoid forms and staggered inside.  Magdar had his men light a fire and the group gathered around, sharing out whatever rations they had.Though exhausted, Magdar and the handful of Orcs that remained each thanked the various party members personally for their deliverance.  None wished to discuss the fate that seemed to have been assured for them.  Whether they died in the coming days during the struggle against Bale mattered not.  At least they were not to die atop Bane’s Tomb in Hell.  Magdar himself took the first watch and the others hastily found what comfort could be had in the cold cave and slept the sleep of those who were exhausted now and whose work was far from over.Speaks came to the edge of the cave at first light to find Marcus there already.  The Warrior of St. Cuthbert peered at the far horizon where the sun rose beyond the Fodor Valley and began to shine its light on the lands of both his parents.  In these dark days it seemed that each new sunrise was a gift all its own, and a challenge to try and stem the rising tide of evil that day.Speaks did not interrupt the reverie of the younger man.  He too knew how to appreciate the rising sun in silence.  And he too had much to contemplate about how best to use the day.  At last Marcus turned to him and gave a faint smile and a nod.  “Morning.”Speaks smiled back.  “I need to go see what is happening back at the City.  I’ll probably be gone for at least a couple of hours.  If I’m still gone at sundown, Lazarius should start Teleporting you all back to Hrongar’s Hill.  They are the closest to Bale and his army of Blood.”Marcus frowned, “Be back by sundown.”  He reached out his hand and clasped that of Speaks.  Then the Druid took a couple steps backwards, became an eagle and flew into the air.  Marcus watched him fly southwards and wished him luck.  Now it was time for his prayers.He found a dry spot on a nearby rock and turned so that he was no longer looking directly toward the sun as it continued to bring light to the late winter morning.  He drew out his holy symbol and bowed in supplication, drawing upon the faith that would strengthen his soul and empower his magic.  Never had he had so great a need for both.As he opened his eyes from the final prayers, the day was full of light from more than just the sun.  Before him stood the Shining Lady.  She smiled upon him and he felt the aura of goodness that flowed from her like a wellspring.  And her voice was like that of a mother, stilling fears, dispelling doubts, promising protection.  “Good morning, Shieldbearer.”His voice seemed to catch in his throat but after a moment he managed to croak out, “Good morning, milady,” as he kneeled and bowed before her.  He felt her hand upon his shoulder and heard that voice again.“I am neither your Lord nor your master.  If anybody should be bowing, it should be me.  For now let us at least call ourselves equals.  Agreed?”Marcus rose unsteadily to his feet, looking around and seeing that they were alone outside the cave.  For some reason he was glad of it.  “Very well, milady.”She smiled at him again.  “As always seems to be the case, I have much to tell you and little time in which to do it.  Perhaps a day will come when we will have a chance to speak under better circumstances.  I hold out hope that such a day will come.”Marcus did too but held his tongue.  Thus far every word she had ever spoken to him had held great weight.  He would not risk her having to cut short what she had to say by injecting further babble into the conversation.“Bale now walks the world, trailing behind him those beholden to his Blood.  The time will soon come when he must be stopped.Understand that there can be no war against him.  His very essence is that of destruction and death.  Every wrongful death feeds him as does every act of destruction.  A prolonged war will only make certain his victory.  Even now the war waging in the south feeds him.The Orcs in the Empire have nearly ceased their sacrifices and are starting to act like a normal army.  They no longer are attacking unarmed cities to capture those who can be put to the knife on their altars.  Instead they are digging in, hoping to forestall the Imperial Legions until Bale’s army of Blood can turn their attentions away.  But they are a doomed army.Even now the might of my people, the Celestials, is being turned against them.  And it seems that the forces of Evil are also jealous of Bane’s coup in bringing his brother back to the world.  The dark gods are sending their minions to assail the Orcs as well and reports of Demons and Devils slaughtering them in the night have begun to appear.But the beings of the planes cannot be the primary instrument in defeating Bale.  He is a god, a minor one yet, but still a god.  And like all the gods he wields the Essence that can command those such as I.  If he focuses his will upon us then we will be his tools to be turned upon the mortals we seek to defend.  I’m afraid that it will be up to your people to destroy this evil.The first people affected by Bale’s march will be those of your mother.  But they may not be able to withstand his assault.  They have been beset from many sides, within and without.  Worse yet, sometime yesterday the remaining Legions encamped on their southern borders began a march northwards.  They move quickly across the land and it may not be Bale who destroys the last of the Fodor tribes.These Legions are led by the Macewielder and if they fall upon the warriors of the Fodor then Bale shall have an easy time indeed destroying this world.  It is this sort of unjust killing that feeds him the most.  And he must be struck down before he gains strength.I can offer you one bit of hope against his might:  There exists a weapon that might prove effective against Bale if it is used soon.  It is known as The Bloodstone Blade and it was last known to lie in the lair of The Dark Dragon who lives in the Dragonmount.”That name seemed familiar to Marcus but his expression told her that he could not place it precisely.  She came to his aid once more.“It is the highest peak in the southern part of the Dragontail Mountains.  It rises into the sky above the town of Glynden.”</blockquote>

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