The Adventures of the Knights of Spellforge Keep- UPDATED 6/6
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Dr Midnight
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Okay, for YOU, Horacio, I'm going to try to hammer out another chunk before I turn in for the night. How long are you going to be up?
Dr Midnight
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Raelin stormed out of the castle, into the light rain that was beginning to fall over Verbobonc. Kyler followed. Kizzlorn was the last. She stood at the end of the drawbridge and called out into the night. “Rael? Kyler? Please don’t just leave like that…” She finally found them beneath the willow tree behind the Keep, standing near the graves of their parents. She ran towards them. “Please, please don’t be angry. I just thought you deserved to know.”
Raelin was between weeping and screaming. His face was red and wrung with hurt. The rain ran down his hair and into his eyes. “That… you… That wasn’t right, Kizzlorn. All that talk of forgiveness. You trapped me. That was cunning. And cruel.”
“You brought up the topic of ‘forgiveness’, Raelin,” she said, not unkindly.
“I know.” He sniffled.
Kyler was being very quiet. He was clearly very bothered, but to his credit, he’d stood up and left the dining room without any show of the violence he felt his heart calling him to. He stood and let the cowl hide his face, saying nothing, feeling too much. Raelin had said he'd forgive, and fled out of rage. Kyler had said he'd kill for revenge, and fled out of self control. Both had broken their boasts.
Kizz continued. “Raelin. I didn’t mean to make you feel trapped, but I had something to tell you, and I wanted to feel sure you wouldn’t attack Jamison for it. It was important to make sure he was protected. He’s not evil. He’s…”
Raelin waved her off. “That’s not important. What bothers me is that you waited this long. Five days we’ve been here, and in all this time, I’ve eaten with this man, shaken his hand, called him friend. Neither you nor he told me about this part of his past that WE HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW!” He was now shouting in his despair. “You keep these things from us, you worship Boccob, and you travel with liches and fiends, defending them against us. Backing up their claim to this castle… this STUPID castle… over US. I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore.” He stopped and wept as the rain fell on him.
Kizzlorn felt awful. “Please, can we go inside and discuss this?”
“No. We’re leaving. I can’t stay here tonight.”
“Nor can I,” Kyler said with a broken voice.
“Stay,” Kizzlorn said. “Please.”
“No. Tell Dartan and the others we’ve left. They’ll catch up, I’m sure.” He turned to go.
“Rael,” Kizz sobbed. He turned, and she held her arms up, uncertainly. He stepped into them and hugged her. She hugged back.
“We’ll love you always, little Kizz,” he said. “We’ll be back someday.”
She hugged Kyler and stood watching the two brothers walk into the woods. Within a minute the rain swallowed them up, and they were gone. She folded her arms together and walked inside, not knowing what she was feeling.
Inside, things were better. The fire warmed her, and the situation was far less dramatic. Dartan was sitting and drinking from a mug of mead. He didn’t seem too bothered by the goings-on. His sons were attempting to comfort Jamison with blessings of Pelor. Edge stood in the shadows. Kizz knew he’d be ready to leap out and protect Jamison from harm should Dartan lunge for his sword. Not that he would… would he?
“Dartan,” Kizz sniffled. “They’re leaving. They wanted you to know.”
“Damn.” He stood from the table. “I thought I was in for a warm bed tonight. Up, you two zealots.” His sons stood and readied their things to leave. Dartan shouldered his backpack and said “Jamison.” Jamison stood, not knowing what to expect. He eyed the fallen paladin carefully. “Kizzlorn’s right. It’s not for me to stand judge over you. You’re a careless little sot, but when not under the influence of evil artifacts, you’ve always had a good heart in the right place. It was wrong of me to have you killed. So. I’ve said my piece.”
Jamison smiled. “Thanks, Dartan.”
“Just keep your nose clean, Crow, and you’ll be just fine.” The two old friends, who’d become bitter enemies, now stood facing each other. Jamison extended his hand. Dartan shook it. He walked out, and his sons followed, and The Order of Valor was gone from Spellforge Keep.
Jamison sat back down in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew. I had no idea just how much a handshake from Dartan would mean to me.”
Kizzlorn picked up her wine glass and drank a large draught from it. “What did it mean to you?”
He thought. ”Redemption. Maybe if Dartan can forgive me, I can begin to forgive myself. I’m not such a bad person.”
“No one who knows you thinks that.”
“Except me. I never really talk about it, but the guilt I feel sometimes gets so big it’s about to swallow me. Who’d know it would take something as small and impossible as a handshake from Dartan the Godless to give me the absolution I needed?"
Oaken slipped out into the forest to summon an animal companion. Vek retired to his dungeon. Grumbar went to play with rolling pins and bread dough in the kitchen. Edge went up to bed. Kizzlorn and Jamison sat in the dining room for hours, drinking wine in front of the fire and talking of old, good times, with their familiars curled on their laps.
MORE TO COME…
Raelin was between weeping and screaming. His face was red and wrung with hurt. The rain ran down his hair and into his eyes. “That… you… That wasn’t right, Kizzlorn. All that talk of forgiveness. You trapped me. That was cunning. And cruel.”
“You brought up the topic of ‘forgiveness’, Raelin,” she said, not unkindly.
“I know.” He sniffled.
Kyler was being very quiet. He was clearly very bothered, but to his credit, he’d stood up and left the dining room without any show of the violence he felt his heart calling him to. He stood and let the cowl hide his face, saying nothing, feeling too much. Raelin had said he'd forgive, and fled out of rage. Kyler had said he'd kill for revenge, and fled out of self control. Both had broken their boasts.
Kizz continued. “Raelin. I didn’t mean to make you feel trapped, but I had something to tell you, and I wanted to feel sure you wouldn’t attack Jamison for it. It was important to make sure he was protected. He’s not evil. He’s…”
Raelin waved her off. “That’s not important. What bothers me is that you waited this long. Five days we’ve been here, and in all this time, I’ve eaten with this man, shaken his hand, called him friend. Neither you nor he told me about this part of his past that WE HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW!” He was now shouting in his despair. “You keep these things from us, you worship Boccob, and you travel with liches and fiends, defending them against us. Backing up their claim to this castle… this STUPID castle… over US. I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore.” He stopped and wept as the rain fell on him.
Kizzlorn felt awful. “Please, can we go inside and discuss this?”
“No. We’re leaving. I can’t stay here tonight.”
“Nor can I,” Kyler said with a broken voice.
“Stay,” Kizzlorn said. “Please.”
“No. Tell Dartan and the others we’ve left. They’ll catch up, I’m sure.” He turned to go.
“Rael,” Kizz sobbed. He turned, and she held her arms up, uncertainly. He stepped into them and hugged her. She hugged back.
“We’ll love you always, little Kizz,” he said. “We’ll be back someday.”
She hugged Kyler and stood watching the two brothers walk into the woods. Within a minute the rain swallowed them up, and they were gone. She folded her arms together and walked inside, not knowing what she was feeling.
Inside, things were better. The fire warmed her, and the situation was far less dramatic. Dartan was sitting and drinking from a mug of mead. He didn’t seem too bothered by the goings-on. His sons were attempting to comfort Jamison with blessings of Pelor. Edge stood in the shadows. Kizz knew he’d be ready to leap out and protect Jamison from harm should Dartan lunge for his sword. Not that he would… would he?
“Dartan,” Kizz sniffled. “They’re leaving. They wanted you to know.”
“Damn.” He stood from the table. “I thought I was in for a warm bed tonight. Up, you two zealots.” His sons stood and readied their things to leave. Dartan shouldered his backpack and said “Jamison.” Jamison stood, not knowing what to expect. He eyed the fallen paladin carefully. “Kizzlorn’s right. It’s not for me to stand judge over you. You’re a careless little sot, but when not under the influence of evil artifacts, you’ve always had a good heart in the right place. It was wrong of me to have you killed. So. I’ve said my piece.”
Jamison smiled. “Thanks, Dartan.”
“Just keep your nose clean, Crow, and you’ll be just fine.” The two old friends, who’d become bitter enemies, now stood facing each other. Jamison extended his hand. Dartan shook it. He walked out, and his sons followed, and The Order of Valor was gone from Spellforge Keep.
Jamison sat back down in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew. I had no idea just how much a handshake from Dartan would mean to me.”
Kizzlorn picked up her wine glass and drank a large draught from it. “What did it mean to you?”
He thought. ”Redemption. Maybe if Dartan can forgive me, I can begin to forgive myself. I’m not such a bad person.”
“No one who knows you thinks that.”
“Except me. I never really talk about it, but the guilt I feel sometimes gets so big it’s about to swallow me. Who’d know it would take something as small and impossible as a handshake from Dartan the Godless to give me the absolution I needed?"
Oaken slipped out into the forest to summon an animal companion. Vek retired to his dungeon. Grumbar went to play with rolling pins and bread dough in the kitchen. Edge went up to bed. Kizzlorn and Jamison sat in the dining room for hours, drinking wine in front of the fire and talking of old, good times, with their familiars curled on their laps.
MORE TO COME…
Last edited:
Lela
First Post
Dr Midnight said:
Well, he's in a room while he's outside. And walking out of where?
But the rest, is well, amazing. Even Grumbar going in to play with pins and bread dough was wonderful. It seems like you're giving the other characters (i.e. not Vek) a chance to shine here and they are doing wonderfully. Wow, Doc, I love it.
Metus
First Post
Hmmmm. I think Raelin overreacted. Either that or he's a wussy boy. In any case, whilst I'm not overly fond of Jamison, I'm sure if those two come back looking for trouble Vek can kick them into another plane of existence. So here's to that. And here's to my new vorpal sword! ::raises glass::
Dr Midnight
Explorer
No no, "he'd" left the room. It's just telling in flashback what he did when he learned. I've added some clarify-ey stuff to the paragraph.Lela said:
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