The Crux of the Matter

[Rystil Arden]

"I could have the mirror show it, or I could have Eve bring in Envy so you can see her punishment, but you are right that I don't think either of them will convince you, so there seems no point. To someone who is set and determined not to believe, it is supremely difficult to prove anything, even a clear truth. Why, I hear there are crazy people in our world who don't even believe in the gods. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not very religious, but not believing in the gods...well, with all the evidence, that's pretty silly."

"Yeah, sure--you can talk to her before she dies again, but I can't guarantee that it will work twice--heck, I can't guarantee it will work once! If I was lying, I would just tell you that it will work for sure and then refuse to do it until after you brought me Elpis, now wouldn't I?"

 

[Velmont]

"No, there would be some way for me to beleive you, it is just I would wish that it come from someone who is neutral in all that. Someone from which either your faith or mine matter much. I know one who fill that, but the problem, it is the only person who can bring that judge is presently capture in your soulstone. Gundar, if he cares anything about that discussion, it is probably to make sure that tower doesn't break the fabric of his creation.

If you want, I'll take your pact, but the deal will be I'll follow Gundar judgement. Hogarth can create a zone where none of us would lie. He can also asks his God if an action will be favorable or not for an objective.

I'll swear under your pack that I am ready to forfeit my soul if I do any action against you until I've heard Gundar's word on this matter and we have stated the term of this negotiation under a zone of truth. In exchange you try to bring back Hogarth to life and finish our negotiation. This pact become not valid if you attempt anything against me until the end of the negotiation, if you don't try to bring Hogarth back to life.

In other word, I put my soul into garantee so you can free Hogarth and he can tell us Gundar's judgement in this matter. Would that sounds fair to you?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"I'm not picky as to what soul I hold as collateral, so those terms are acceptable. A Zone of Truth? Heck sure, be my guest. The devil is in the details, though. I want your soul forfeit if anyone takes an action against the Crux, and that includes your friend up there. Also, as you're probably aware, I have to release his soul before I can try to bring him back, and I might fail. I refuse to be put into a position where I am not holding a soul, as you have proven to me by your words that thanks to Raise Dead and afterlifes, you don't care too much about having people die. Thus, we need a contingency for if I try and fail. Once I release the soul to Gundar, I can't get it back, so you're going to have to either offer to die and let me trap your soul if I can't bring back the Cleric, or you're going to have to take the pact to bring me Elpis if I can't bring back the Cleric. You see why I have to include those, right?"

 

[Velmont]

Rinaldo take a moment to think about it. "Fine, if you fail to bring back Hogarth, you can capture my soul. Also, if Vanitri do an action before the pact is finish, I forfeit my soul. The pact will end if you break your part of this bargain, once you capture my soul if you fail to bring Hogarth back or once we come to an agreement."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Done--let me conjure up the contract for you--would you like a drink while you wait?"

*She invites Rinaldo to a comfortable waiting room while she conjures up the contract, then she brings it to him to read. It is written in Old Medibarian, but fortunately he can read that.*

"Make sure you understand all of the terms before you sign--in blood please. The pact is only binding if you enter it willingly and are not magically coerced through Enchantments, but since I'm barred from that school of magic, that won't matter anyway. The key clauses are here, here, and here. As you can see, If you or any of your allies takes an action against me, mine, or the Crux, your soul is forfeit to me. If I try to bring back the Cleric and fail, you forfeit your soul to me as well. If I don't try to bring back the Cleric, the pact ends, and once we are both satisfied that we have reached an agreement involving Elpis, the pact ends," she points to a line for him to sign and offers a pen and a pin to prick a drop of blood so he can sign in blood.

 

[Velmont]

"Just add if you or any person under your command, with or without your order, tries anything against me or my allies, the pact end." asks Rinaldo.

In what I am putting myself... thinks Rinaldo. If Sin agree to that last close, he will sign the contract.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Very well, if by 'tries anything' you mean 'attacks'. Can't be too literal--you could consider 'tries anything' to be talking to you," Sin leaves and returns with the clause added in, and Rinaldo signs in blood, "It is done...Good. This is much cleaner than holding onto the soul of the Cleric anyway. Did you bring the body? I need it in order to reverse the temporal flows."

 

[Velmont]

"No, I havn't. I'll have to go take it. And also, explain the pact we did with Vanitri, I wouldn't want him to break it without knowing he is breaking it." Rinaldo go back to the top of the tower if Sin has no objection and explain to Vanitri the whole discussion.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Sin has no objections to this, so Rinaldo makes it back to the top easily to explain the discussion with Vanitri.*

 

[Velmont]

Rinaldo explains the situation to Vanitri. Once that done, he felt silent and await Vanitri reaction.