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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 3752969" data-attributes="member: 143">All very good questions. The module doesn't talk about re-empowering the temples, but from the context I gathered that creating them was rather more involved than just casting a few spells. Plus there aren't many high-level clerics of Orcus left in Rappan Athuk. As for the vision, even I'm not sure of its source... but it is safe to say that we haven't seen the last of Licinius Varo.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /> * * * * * Chapter 247TWO DOWNAfter the desperate battle against the legion of incorporeal undead, the actual destruction of the temple was rather anti-climactic. Almost all of them had suffered from the life-draining effects of the undead creatures’ touches, but Allera had been able to restore all of them using her wand and rod.  They had brought with them a considerable cache of diamond dust this time, but it was not unlimited, and at the rate that they were using their store of magic items and rare components it was likely that they would again be reliant solely upon their own spell reservoirs before too long.  Still, they did not stint the charges, knowing that an enemy counterattack was very likely. And yet the expected assault did not come.  The spellcasters rested and recovered their magic, while Nelan initiated the ritual that would hallow the temple.  Varo’s notes and the cleric’s own divinations had given him guidance on how to proceed, and so as he completed the day-long ritual he approached the dark altar, and using the power of the Shining Father he purified the unholy font of hot blood.  White light shone around the cleric as the divine grace of his patron filled him, and the liquid in the basin became clear as the taint was siphoned off.  A moment later the basin, as well as the hulking black statue behind it, cracked with a massive sound of rumbling stone, and the transmuted water splashed down the steps of the dais, washing away the layered blood and gore of generations of corrupted sacrifices and terrible rites of worship.  They had agreed before starting that they would spend a bit more time before moving out again, to give Nelan a chance to rest and recover his spells after the demanding effects of the ritual.  Each of them felt the pressure of time, and knew that Orcus would not quietly wait while they destroyed his temples, but they had learned the hard way that rushing forward unprepared was a recipe for disaster.  Before the priest retired to his bedroll, Talen approached him and Allera.  “What is it, knight commander?” the weary priest asked.  Allera started to excuse herself, but Talen gestured for her to stay. “Wait, Allera, this affects you as well.  I need to know if you can protect the entire group against the draining effects of the undead attacks, and the mental attacks that affected us this time.”The two casters exchanged a look.  “Between the two of us, we can prepare enough death wards to protect everyone,” Nelan said.  “At the cost of much of our higher-order reservoirs.”“The spell is potent, but the difficulty is the duration,” Allera said.  “At best, a death ward will last less than fifteen minutes, while Nelan will need a full twenty-four hours to hallow the final temple.”“It is the first few minutes that I am worried about,” Talen said. “You expect another ambush?” the healer asked. “If what Varo and Honoratius said is true, the destruction of these temples greatly weakens Orcus’s power on this plane,” Talen said.  “We might have gained a small advantage of surprise by bypassing the second temple in our initial attack, and coming straight here, but I expect that the demon will gather a strong force to challenge us there.”“That assumes that the demon does not know exactly what you are doing,” Nelan said.  “I have felt... a darkness, a presence, throughout Rappan Athuk.  It is strongest here... or it was, before I hallowed the place.”Talen nodded.  “We can only act on what we know.  Prepare the wards, then; we’ll use them when we arrive at the last temple.  You can do nothing against the mind spells?”Nelan thought for a moment.  “I can grant spell resistance to a number of persons for a few minutes, but only at the cost of my most powerful spells.”“Allera?”“I cannot protect against all spells, but my heroes’ feast will provide protection against fear for twelve hours, and some marginal added resistance to attacks against the mind.”“All right.  Nelan, please protect yourself, and if you can, also Allera, when we get to the temple.  Allera, once Nelan has rested, prepare your feast.  We’re going to want to move quickly, once we’re done.”“Wouldn’t it be better if Nelan granted you and Dar the spell resistance?” Allera asked.  Nelan and I are fairly resistant to mental attacks...”  She trailed off, not willing to insult the knight with the implication of her statement. Talen grimaced; he understood what she meant.  “If something happens to either of us, you two can do something about it... but it doesn’t work the other way around.”  Allera bit her lip, but did not challenge him. “Very well, commander,” the cleric replied.  Talen turned and left them, heading over to where the elves were speaking quietly nearby.  “That man carries a heavy burden,” Nelan commented. “We all do,” Allera said, touching the priest on the shoulder.  The cleric nodded, and sighed.  “Since you are all waiting for me, I suppose I should get some rest,” he said.  Allera helped him with his armor, and then he wrapped himself in his bedroll, and lay down upon the cold stone floor of the temple.  Within seconds, he was fast asleep. Shay watched from the shadows as Talen spoke first to Allera and Nelan, and then to the elves.  He moved with confidence, having overcome his doubts about command.  But Shay would have preferred the man who felt those doubts, who agonized about the responsibility he held for the lives of those who followed him, to the cold figure who had replaced him.  As Talen left the elves and headed toward the corner where he’d left his gear Shay intercepted him.  “Is everything all right?” she asked. “As well as can be expected.  You should get some rest.”“I will.  Talen... there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”For a moment, a flash of uncertainty passed through Talen’s face, but it was quicky mastered.  “Look, Shay, perhaps this isn’t the best time...”“No, this is related to the mission.”  She lifted her hand; in it was a ring of clear crystal.  “I want you to wear this.”“That’s the ring you got off the priestess, right?  You should keep it.  It came in very handy when we faced that demon.”“No, I think you should wear it.  Face it, I’m a lot faster than you, Talen.  I can avoid many situations where I would get tangled up, grappled, or otherwise restrained.  You, on the other hand...”“Fat and slow?” he smiled at her, and for a moment there was a hint of the old Talen in him.  Shay’s heart leapt, but she forced herself to keep the feelings hidden; she had to convince him that she was in the right here, and an appeal to the love they shared would only hinder her argument now. “Well, I could provide a list of situations we’ve been in where you may have needed the ring’s power, but I think we both know it’s the best use of our resources.”He looked at the ring, then at her.  “No.  Maybe you’re right, Shay, but I won’t take a protection from you.  Keep the—”“Something’s going to happen to you,” she blurted out. “What?”“Something is coming.  Something bad.  I... I saw it.”“Look, Shay, I can’t blame you for having bad dreams, not in this place, but...”“I don’t... please, Talen, I can’t explain it, but something terrible is going to happen, very soon.  In the last temple, maybe.  I have had this recurring vision... you are bound, held tight, unable to escape.  If you have the ring, then maybe you can avoid whatever it is.  I don’t know.”  She did break down then, just a little, coming forward into his embrace.  He wrapped his arms around her, tentatively at first, and then finally tightened his grasp.  “Please, maybe it’s silly, but just do this for me... please?”He nodded, and released her.  He took the ring.  “All right.”  He removed the gauntlet from his right hand, and removed the ring there.  “You have to take my ring of protection in exchange, however.”  She nodded, and took it, sliding it onto her finger.  The magic of the ring was such that it adjusted to fit her perfectly, despite the different sizes of their hands.  Talen put on the crystal ring, and replaced his glove.  “I had hoped we would be trading other rings, sometime soon,” he said to her.  She looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears.  “Just... just be careful,” she said.  She turned, and walked away.</blockquote>

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