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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 1105" data-attributes="member: 41">11-- Bidding farewell to a life of crimeThe group makes it back to the Phanaton camp, and heals physical wounds and relaxes themselves.  Taran, unfortunately, spends the night sitting in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest, either refusing to see or unable to see his friends and their attempts to ease his suffering.Taran is made of stern stuff, however, and as his body is throwing off the vice-grip of the poison, he spontaneously regresses to a previous lifetime . . .-----It is his incarnation as a general again, although he is much younger this time than in his previous dreams.  He has a sword in his possession -- an intelligent blade that possesses a powerful dislike for evil dragonkind, red dragons in particular.  In this life, Taran was a quiet and tongue-tied youth, but while in his sword's company, he found a ready friend with whom could communicate using his mind, not his stilted speech.  The two would while away hours spent guarding this camp or the other, discussing dragonkind, political thought or the tactics of war.Galathonriel (as that was the sword's name) was the soul of a silver dragon, placed into a weapon that he might continue to oppose his enemies after death.  Many fighters will tell you that their sword is their best friend, or that they trust only their blade.  In Taran's case, this was literally so.It burned at Taran, and hurt him, that Galathonriel could not have a body to fly free, and live the life he so fondly remembered.  Through a series of elaborate adventures, Taran managed to find a way 'between the worlds', and speak with the powerful spirits charged with shepherding the souls of the dead.  A bargain was struck, and Galathonriel was given a new body, and a new life.Somehow, through that process, part of Taran's soul remained with the dragon, and part of a dragon's soul was left in the man.  In this life, as Taran grows in stature, elements of Galathonriel's primal magical gift are bubbling to the surface, reflected in sorcerous abilities.If Galathonriel was still alive when the remnants of Taran's army was dashed upon the rocks of the Ishlokian Imperial Guard, Taran cannot recall.  The Lord of Rethmiir (called The Dragonslayer, called Scion of the Blade), Taran Tar-Ilou was executed as a war criminal by the High Justicar of Her Glorious and Most Radiant Goddess Ishlok, Protector of Her Holy Empire, in the Fall of the year 1122 Founding.He was reborn of whole cloth in Greyhawk city, a world away from his home, charged with a great and terrible purpose.  Galathonriel, it seems, is still with him, integrated into the new whole.-----When Taran awakes, he is still sitting on the floor.  The room is empty, and as he starts to stand a wave of nausea overtakes him, and he kneels on the ground for a moment.  As he does so, memories of the previous night's visions return to him, and he recalls snakes crawling all over him, inside his clothes and under his skin.At that point, a tiny silver triangle-shaped head emerges from his vest pocket.  It is a silver-colored viper.  For a moment, Taran is unsure if he is still hallucinating, but he realizes he can feel the snake's presence in his mind, as if the little creature has burrowed out a nest for itself within his consciousness.  It is an extraordinary sensation, and quite pleasant.  Taran smiles, and wishes for the snake to crawl out onto his arm.  The viper responds instantly, traveling down to Taran's calloused sword-hand, where it coils around his fist."I think I'll call you Galathonriel," Taran says."Be careful," Kyreel says as she enters the small room, "don't drink this all at once."  She hands Taran a conch shell filled with a foul-smelling tea.  "The Phanatons say this will purge you, and by my augury, Ishlok concurred.  I petitioned the Goddess to restore you to a sound mind, and it seems She . . ." Kyreel trails off as she notices Taran's new pet.  She regards the fighter for a moment, searching for signs of further madness.  Seeing none, she shrugs and says, "Keep your snake from eating Indy's toad lest we all are forced to suffer his grief.  Drink this now, and come to your bed."After Taran recuperates, the group feels ready to finish what they started in the temple.  Everyone is enchanted to resist poison and suitable spells are prepared.  Unfortunately for the two remaining snake-priests, their dark God was the looser in the war that produced this sundering.  Their faith is strong, but their spells have evaporated away into the mists of Elemental Air.  They are no match for a group of skilled, prepared adventurers.  They are killed quickly, and the heroes fall to looting their temple.  Much gold is found, along with unique artifacts and record keeping devices."Let's watch our backs," Thelbar cautions, "if Mishkal and Hamm wanted to kill us yesterday," he lifts a handful of strangely shaped gold coins, "they are going to be beside themselves to kill us now.""Fine with me," Taran says, "let 'em try.  And the sooner the better.""Be still, friends," Kyreel says.  "We have led Ragna to believe that we intend peace with her sons," Kyreel says, "and I will not have us betraying ourselves in the name of wealth.  Let us keep our find as quiet as we can, and keep the peace."  It is several days before the Phanaton ship is ready to launch, and the group maintains their patrols, but encounters no further enemies.Ragna determines to name her new ship the Island's Gift, after their adventure on the isle, and with the Phanatons clinging to their places with their feet and tails (and everyone else hanging on for dear life), Ragna gives the order to shove off.  Every sentient in the boat changes their belief that up is down, and suddenly, the Island's Gift is falling away from the Isle of Trepidation, and the party bids a silent farewell to both the sundered island and the Ducal Navigator--the lone being left behind.Ragna proves true to her word, and takes the party to Haven; a sprawling port-city built on three sides of a cube-shaped sundered rock.  The place is strange beyond the heroes' experience, with creatures of all kinds mingling in the streets, drunken sailors fighting and singing (mostly fighting), and a few overworked prostitutes too tired to really argue when rebuffed.Ragna introduces the group to a wizard who, she claims, owes her a favor.  The wizard is dark, mysterious, and altogether unwholesome, but Kyreel manages to restrain her desire to smite him long enough to allow him to cast the spell of transportation that will send the group home.</blockquote>

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