Once Trillia has explained a little about what occurred while he was gone, Nameless says that Naxaliyen mind-probed him and learned what the Key did, and then left with it. He is next memory was being back in Trillia’s chamber with the others, though he now retrospectively remembers what occurred during the battle. Though unaware of it at the time, he now recalls it as if he had been a silent spectator throughout it. Nameless doesn’t mention the fact that the rest of his memories, to the best of his knowledge, have now been restored.
“Naxaliyen’s not a problem any more,” says Six, indicating the mind flayer’s battered corpse, “But since that mind flayer wizard got away, do you want to go back and take him out for safety’s sake?” Though Six’s metal face cannot grin, the expression is clear in his voice. “And revenge, of course.”
“Yes!” says Korm emphatically, just having emerged from the
rejuvenation cocoon without any holes in his skull, “I like this whole ‘
teleport and decapitate aberrations’ strategy.”
Luna gives a feral grin and says, “I would have said
teleport and
flame strike, but I think it’s a damn good idea.”
“Me too,” says Gareth, and for once Nameless agrees with him. “Yes,” says the alienist, “I think that is definitely worth doing.”
The only person who doesn’t seem that enthused with the prospect is Trillia. “Do you really think that’s necessary? With Naxaliyen dead, I doubt that one—who seemed like a follower to him—will try something.” A little reluctantly, she adds, “Though admittedly it can
teleport, it seems.”
“Yes,” says Nameless, “And if we can
scry them they can
scry us.”
Trillia sighs and says, “Honestly, I’d rather not go back there. We all got out alive this time and I’d rather not push our luck. We did recover a number of valuable things and I learned some useful information. Some of the things on that mimic-wagon will keep me busy for a while. Still, since going there in the first place was my idea, if you do want to return I’ll come along and help.”
The discussion is interrupted by the entrance of her steward Glauster, with an unexpected visitor. It is Bodo, and he excitedly hurries up to and greets the group. “Hi, Gareth! I haven’t seen you in days! Hello, Luna! Nameless - oooh, what happened to you? You look like




!”
Gareth smacks him on the back of the head and says, “Be polite,” drawing an aggrieved “Ow! I was just being concerned - he really does look like




!” Bodo quickly sidesteps the next smack.
Glauster, who has been trying vainly to speak over Bodo, looks at Trillia and says, “This boy said he had a message from the Archierophant for Gareth, so I let him in. Is that all right?”
“Yes, Glauster, that’s fine.”
“A message?” asks Gareth.
“Yes. The Archierophant was going to send you a message and since a lot of people there know that I know you and I was on a break, they decided to send me.” Bodo beams and adds, “Which is great. I haven’t seen you in days, and the rest of you in ages! Plus I get to miss a couple of classes!”
Gareth looks disapproving at the latter information. “So what is the message?”
“The Archierophant wants to know heard you’d come looking for her yesterday and wanted to know what it was for. She’ll be there today between 3 and 4 if you want to meet her.” Bodo plops down on a couch. “So, what
is going on? What happened to Nameless? And can I get some food. I’m hungry!”
A couple of the others chuckle at the obstreperous boy, and Trillia opens her mouth to ask Glauster for some refreshments, but Gareth forestalls her. “You need to go back to the Cathedral now. Trillia, could Glauster take him back there, if you don’t mind?”
The expression on Glauster’s face says that he definitely does, but it pales next to Bodo’s cry of anguish. “Gareth! I told you I’m on a break and I haven’t seen you guys in so long. Come on!”
“No,” says Gareth sternly, ignoring Bodo’s continued arguments. Trillia shrugs and tells Glauster to do the needful.
As the steward leads his mournful charge away, Six suddenly says, “Bodo - I’ll walk you to the door,” and follows the two out. Once they are out of the door, he asks quietly, “Bodo - do you know someone called Thurik Davandi?”
Bodo scratches his head. “He’s one of the city councilors, right? A gnome. I don’t really know anything specific about him. Why?”
“I just need a little information about him. Do you think you could do some checking for me?” Six extends a hand and a silver piece suddenly appears in it.
Bodo grins broadly, his earlier glumness gone. “Sure. Anything in particular you want to know?”
“No. Anything you can find out.” Six chuckles. “Maybe you could write a report on him for something at school.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think about it. There’s this one boring class about civics, where I could use it for Sharn politics.” Bodo looks a little more excited. “Anyone else you could use a report on?”
“Let’s just start with this one, shall we?”
“Sure, Six. No problem. See you soon. And put in a good word for me with Gareth and get him to let me hang out with you guys again. I‘m being good with school but this is way more fun.”
“I’ll try,” says Six, thinking,
Unfortunately, not a chance of it happening.
The big warforged heads back to the others, just in time for the start of an argument between, as usual, Gareth and Nameless. The latter, on asking where the Key is, has been informed that Gareth picked it up. And when he asks Gareth to return it, the paladin refuses, saying that Nameless is too risky a person to carry it, since he’s already lost it twice, once via mugging and now to the mind flayer. Nameless responds that Gareth’s hardly any safer, bringing up his mugging and kidnapping in Grayflood and the fact that Nameless can escape magically as Gareth cannot. Which is then followed by mutual statements of a lack of trust in the other, Gareth saying that Nameless might be mind-controlled to use the Key, which the others cannot, while Nameless says he fears that Gareth might hand it over to the Archierophant.
Korm and Six reluctantly join in and try to persuade Gareth to let one of them carry it as a compromise, while Luna glowers at the two and mutters something about them being a serious pain in the ass and being tempted to
flame strike both of them. Trillia simply watches, grins and shakes her head.
As is usually the case, the argument goes nowhere and the group settles for Gareth temporarily carrying the Key. The group then heads out, to take care of various tasks, one of them being getting the ill effects of Nameless’s interrogation by Naxaliyen taken care of.
Though Gareth offers to speak to the Archierophant in that regard, Nameless says he’d rather just visit the Jorasco enclave in Dragon Towers and pay. He does so, quickly ending up in front of a dragonmarked halfling healer.
The healer asks Nameless how he obtained his condition, since customers asking for a
restoration are rare. Nameless evades the question, simply saying, “I’ve just had a very rough day and would rather not talk about it.”
“Very well,” says the halfling, seemingly unperturbed by the lack of information. “This’ll only take a few seconds.” He places a hand on Nameless’s shoulder and concentrates, and the watchers see the dragonmark on his arm turn darker in color, giving off a surge of heat that Nameless can feel. The alienist also feels a warmth envelop his body momentarily, and when it passes, he feels substantially more healthy. He thanks the healer, hands over the payment and leaves.
Nameless and Gareth then proceed to the Cathedral, where they meet Ythana Morr in her office. She inquires about their situation and asks Gareth why he needed the scrolls. Gareth explains in some detail about their visit to Yarkuun Draal, which the Archierophant isn’t really aware of.
She seems quite concerned about the temporary loss of the Key, but doesn’t say much about it besides mentioning that they need to take much better care of it. Then she looks at Nameless. “I presume you are not ready to hand it over to my safekeeping?”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” replies Nameless calmly.
Ythana holds his gaze and then says, “At least you are honest.” The tone of voice says that it is only a minor saving grace. Turning to Gareth, she adds, “As I have said before, it is your choice, but it is a great responsibility. Remember that I am here to aid you.”
“Speaking of which,” she continues, “I have a proposition for you. Your position here, as a Karrnathi, as someone who is not truly a member of our congregation, but also as a valuable member of the Church, is a nebulous one. Would you consider becoming a templar of the Flame?”
Gareth is momentarily surprised, but quickly responds that while the offer honors him, he is not sure how it would impact his personal choices and the work he needs to do, as well as his plan to join House Deneith.
While not apparently displeased at the news, Ythana says that if he is to be a member of the Deneith Blade mark (the mercenary branch), then it is difficult to see how he could serve as a templar as well. Gareth explains that he presumes he would end up in the Defender’s Guild (protective services to individuals) and has been informed that he will have certain freedoms, due to his religious affiliation. The Archierophant says that then the offer from her remains open, and he should consider it and let her know what she thinks.
She also asks Nameless if he and the other Angels would be willing to work with Gareth if she finds an assignment for him. “After all,” she says, “People with your group’s unique talents are in very short supply, even in Sharn.”
“That would definitely be possible,” replies Nameless, “As long as we’re not busy with some other situation.”
“Very well. Incidentally, Gareth, you should stop by Coldflame Keep sometime. I think you‘ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Gareth says he will do so and asks where he can make a donation to the Cathedral. Ythana tells him to do so to the priest on duty at this time. Gareth also asks about Bodo’s education, saying that he fears Bodo might be getting too much free rein. Ythana reassures him that’s unlikely to be the case, considering the severity of the Master of Novices, who deals with such matters.
With that, she dismisses the two. On the way out, Gareth donates 250 galifars to a pleased priest, and then heads off to Carosten Park with Nameless.
Korm and Luna are already there, having headed there from the Jorasco enclave. Surr’kal meets them, eager to know what happened during the rescue attempt. He appears very relieved at the recovery of Nameless and the Key, politely adding that the group really needs to work out what to do with it and that he is eagerly awaiting Gurr’khan’s return.
Six, meanwhile, is back in the Deathsgate district, looking for a good taxidermist. He finds a shop not far from Trillia’s home, which apparently caters to the adventurers of the Deathsgate Guild (according to a plaque on the door). The quality of the work, as evidenced by the trophies that line the walls, is quite good and Six asks the owner and primary taxidermist how much he’d charge to mount a mind flayer.
The man stares at Six for a moment and then says, “Okay, who sent you? Are you from the Sharn Inquisitive? Is this a joke?”
Six reassures him that’s not the case, and when convinced of the warforged’s veracity, the taxidermist is very excited. He doesn’t hide the fact that nobody he knows of has got to stuff a mind flayer, and it will be a significant benefit for him professionally to have done so. The eventual price he sets is a hundred galifars, with a full refund if anything goes wrong, and the chance to buy the damaged mind flayer. Though a little suspicious about the last bit, Six says he will speak to his companions and return.
Once the Angels reconvene and are on their way back to Trillia’s, they find a huge hubbub and commotion everywhere. Rumors are flying around about an assassination attempt on King Boranel and Queen Aurala during the latter’s visit to Wroat. By the time they reach Trillia’s, the adventurers have heard many stories, ranging from the death of both monarchs and the declaration of war on Karrnath, which sent the assassins (Gareth’s obvious accent draws dirty looks from those relating this story), to different stories that each say one is dead and Aundair and Breland are going to war, to the more positive one that both are fine.
Within a couple of hours, official heralds are speaking at skybridge junctions, proclaiming that the monarchs are both fine and reminding people to stay calm. They promise that official details about the affair will be available early the next day.
Despite the reassurances, Gareth still picks up a few dirty looks on the way to Coldflame Keep that evening, some for being Karrnathi and some for wearing the symbols of the Flame and presumably being Thranish in origin.
When he reaches Coldflame Keep, Gareth finds numerous workmen moving around and renovation work in progress. Mazin Tana greets Gareth and thanks him, saying that the Archierophant sent a substantial amount of money for improving the place, which must have happened due to Gareth’s advocacy. He soon has reason for further thanks, as Gareth provides him with another donation of 250 galifars towards the temple.
When Gareth asks about him, Mazin says that Cedric is away. There has always been a hermit priest of the Silver Flame guarding the white obelisk called Warden Tower, which stands among the mausoleums and crypts of the so-called City of the Dead, where the people of Sharn used to be entombed in the cliffs to the north (whereas they are commonly cremated now). Cedric knows the current Warden, a priestess called Gaia, and has gone up to visit her. He will be staying the night there and should be back the next day.
When Gareth returns and tells the others, Nameless grins and says, “Staying the night? Knowing Cedric, I can’t imagine why!”