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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 704506" data-attributes="member: 1674">Southwards- part 1Kelemis Durn was looking better than he had a month earlier, after his resurrections. Still, every time he smiled it looked as if it would take him a lot of effore to do so and there was the faint hint of his muscles turning to fat.After weeks of waiting, in which Torn had become a full fledged member of the scaled ones and memorized a list of contact people in most major cities of Ghelspad, they were finally informed that the Vigilantes had succeeded in unveiling the secrets of the tome, and so they were once again summoned into the sunroom in the Hall of Command.He told them that their worst fear had been confirmed: With the proper rituals, the servants of the Witch Queen could indeed access and use the power contained in the Amphora. He paused, and once he was certain that they all understood the terrible implications, he continued:" Unfortunately, the book doesn't tell us how to destroy the damned thing. The only thing it does is mentioning a ritual powerful enough to destroy a god-created artifact.""This means that the priesthood of Chardun might hold this secret, and by far the nearest man who might have the answer we require is Archfiend Fiarun at Castle Durn in Lageni. That means you would have to take a long journey through hostile territory but given the threat that the Serpent Amphora poses as long as it exists, it has to be done."."Of course we would be honored to work for you again", Niklas said, "but why do you trust us with this mission?"."Isn't that obvious?", the commander of the Vigilantes answered:" Unfortuntely I have to be wary even of my own men and women. You, however, have repeatedly been in the position to gain posession of the Amphora. Yet, you never once did that, but instead brought it here and later even risked your own life protecting it, and even saving my life. You are the only ones who have proven to me that you are absolutely trustworthy."They talked a little longer. Kelemis didn't know how they should approach the archfiend- but surely he would remember that all divine people should remain united against the titans and help them, no matter what other differences they had, wouldn't he? And yes, he knew that they came from the country that had been raped by Lageni over and over again, and if he could think of better people to send, he would do so, but they were the ones he would trust with such a mission.On the next morning, the five friends were back on their horses and horserat, riding southwest through Vesh towards Denev's Aquifer. Days went by as they rode past fields and orchards, and every night they arrived at some village where they could stay in an inn. Here, far away from the scars and taint of the Titanswar, they could almost forget about the bad state their world was in.One afternoon, as they reached a small village in the heartlands which looked just like any other they had passed through on their journey, a bearded, suntanned farmer stepped into their way. There was a kid next to him, who seemed to be the farmer's son. He was wringing his widebrimmed hat in his hands, obviously uncomfortable to approach what he considered a knight and his retinue:" Good sir knight, I am sorry that I stop you like this, but there is something I have to ask you.".Jan nodded and getured for the farmer to continue, who gestured towards Swift Jane and then burst out:" Are those animals dangerous? And is this one tame? What are they?"Seeing that it was about his mount, Ben leaned forward in his saddle, resting his body on the pommel and said:" This is called horserat, and, yes, even though this one is tame, they are indeed fierce creatures, so you should better not mess with it."."Thank you", the farmer answered:" You see, eight days ago, we found the terribly mutilated body of an old, lonely farmer in his field. It looked like giant creatures had torn parts out of his body. We were worried whether a werewolf or another spawn of Belsameth had killed him, since even though we have a small shrine in her honor here in our village, we have hardly made any sacrifices for her. So, we killed a lamb in her name and burnt precious incense, and since nothing bad has happened again, we felt safe again."However, last evening my son here told me that he had seen creatures just like the one here. At first we didn't believe him, thinking he must have imagined it, but now that I see them with my own eyes, I am afraid that those "horserats" as you call them might strike again. Could you plese help us? The nearest soldiers are days from here."."Give us a second to discuss this, please", Trepat said, and they went back to the shade of the tree, and as some villagers, who had been fed the details by the farmer watched them, they huddled together."Do you think what I am thinking?", he said, once he was certain that no one was listening to him.Niklas and Torn nodded while Ben began brushing Swift Jane's fur. Jan said:" Yes, those people are lucky that there are no werewolves here but merely horserats!"Torn shook his head:" I don't think that that is what Trepat meant. And apart from that, for farmers like those people here, it doesn't make that much of a difference: Whether they are attacked by werewolves or horserat, the effect is the same: they get killed."Anyway, when we brought the Serpent Amphora to Lave last year, we were attacked by Slitheren here in the heartlands. Then we found their horserats and after Ben had chosen one for himself- Swift Jane over there, he had released the others. I would bet that those are the same horserats that killed the farmer.".Ben nodded:" I had thought that once they are set free they would stay away from humans... Unless they have children to feed and defend of course!"."Alright then", Niklas said, "let's go to the farm then and see if we can take care of the mess we created!"</blockquote>

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