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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 185476" data-attributes="member: 41">Interlude—A Loss, a Council and a Pardon.Indy rushes down the stairs and out into the noonday crowd, which has gathered at a cautious distance from the crumpled bodies of Kyreel and her illithid victim.   For the first time in this life, Indy breathes a sincere prayer to the Goddess Ishlok—asking Her to spare the life of his companion.  The fact that his prayer is primarily motivated by his selfish desire not to be left companionless in this world does not seem to deter the Mother, because as the last beseeching vowel is leaving his lips, Kyreel stirs.“Indy,” she breathes.“I’m here!  Goddess be praised, you’re . . .” Indy finishes his sentence with a high-pitched yelp as he notices the mind-flayer’s tentacles twitch.Kyreel rolls away from the thing as Indy drives his spear into its bulbous and pulpy head.“I’m well enough, thank you for asking,” Kyreel says as she cures herself as best she can.  “Let us see to Evaleigh.”“Gods and Shards!  My lady-love!  I must fly to her side Kyreel, to be embraced as the conquering hero!  Surely we can be united!”Before Kyreel can protest, and attempt to hold Indy to his bargain, the diminutive rogue charges back into the lord’s tower, pushing thorough the crowds gathering around the door.  Indy leaps over the bleeding bodies of his recent foes and dashes to Evaliegh’s side!“Oh, Joy, thy name is Love, and Love thy name is Evaliegh,” Indy says to himself as he regards the beautiful and blank-faced Lady who slumps where she was last seen.  And Evaliegh thy name is mind-wiped.  Nothing Indy can do is able to attract the attention of the Lady of Ratik.  She breathes and blinks and that is all.Indy races downstairs, tears streaming from his face.  “Oh, Kyreel!” he squeaks.  “Whatever shall I do?  My Lady has had the better part of her taken by this . . .” he motions toward the mind-flayer corpse “this fiend!”“Raped?” Kyreel asks.“No, worse!  Her mind is gone.  Whatever shall I do?”Kyreel attempts to heal the Lady, but cannot return the spark of intelligence to her eyes.  The clerics of Pelor can do no better, and despite their true status as heroes in Marner, Indy and Kyreel are downcast.Kyreel determines that it is time to end her charade, and reveals to Sherrill her true form.  Over the next few days, Lady Sherrill takes Kyreel into her confidence, and the wise Paladin of Ishlok lovingly guides the trembling hand of the newly-made Lady of Ratik, easing her worries and pleasing her greatly.Within a week, an announcement is made that the Ratik Five are to be given a complete pardon for all crimes known and unknown within the lands of Ratik.Vindicated at last, Indy holds a finally tearful meeting with his cell of bardic revolutionaries, and formally disbands the revolution.  He explains that he has moved on, and they should do the same. “Now,” he thinks to himself, “there is nothing standing in between Evaliegh and I, or our hopes of marriage.  Save of course, for the whole completely without a conscious mind thing”.  Indy paces in the night, half-heartedly threatening female passersby with his jewel-studded cane.  “But her healthy return is beyond me.  Thelbar would know what to do, and if not, he could find someone who might.  It’s time to go back through that portal."</blockquote>

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