3 - 127: The Third Piece

[K Man]

Krysta, Caelith, Girud, Mordrock, Galdren, and Garor - As Garor and the mighty giant Girud work on the screaming obelisks, the noise becomes even more forceful. The howling demons held back by the single spirit of the undaunted paladin scream as they see fresh mortal flesh.

None get past the spirit though...

Even as he speaks, Karn does not lose concentration. Each demon collapses to the floor, usually with one blow. He strikes here, cuts a gullet open there, all while wielding a longsword in one hand and a large shield in the other. His blade is beyond finely crafted, looking as though hand-made by the gods themselves. It seems to twist and turn in his hands, delivering the most lethal blows possible...perhaps it has an intelligence of its own?



"I know of 'The Master'..I have felt his evil grasp the heart of the land..."

Karn runs a devil through as it tries to claw for you.

"It is news that he seeks the shard. I knew not of their power but if this act of pulling my shrine into hell is the extent to which the hell-spawn is willing to go, then they must surely mean something. "

Karn takes but a second to cast empty, incorporeal eyes over Krysta. A devil tries to capitalize on the opportunity but finds Karn a greater warrior than expected and finds his blade sharper than imaginable. In one swift move, the devil is severed from its lower half and tumbles down the infinite slope and under the heels of millions of more devils waiting the same fate...



"Your helped is not needed here, I will keep these hellspawn from overrunning this portion of the temple."

"However, you must find a way to restore the balance..."

Just then, Girud, Garor, Adelia and Mordrock make headway on smashing the obelisk. The cool air returns, only for a moment and the dull roar of the devilish planes subsides. It is a moment of peace in the world of hell.

You begin to piece it together...the obelisks, the devils, the innocents. To undo the pulling into hell, one must free its grasp on this place. Restore balance...



"To find the shard, return to the previous room and seek the center of the temple. You will find it there - a part of my sarcophagus."

"Brother Hingar." The paladin stands and bows. "Take you and your men with them. Lend your blades and your courage in this fight. Show them the way..."

Karn returns to fighting, all but done dispensing information and advice for your trip through hell. It will take but another minute to break the other shard in this chamber, with yet another at the far end amidst some moving figures...

You just hope you have enough time before the Apocalypse Clock chimes...

{One obelisk destroyed per round. Two left in this room.}

{Anyone else want to ask Karn something?}

125 out of 200 Restoration points earned.

COUNTDOWN - 01:13 Hours to Apocalypse Clock Chime...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yuri and Romar - As you garner the attention of not only the original pries to find you, but the dozens of others that gather about to hear your tale, you can't help but feel a sense of embelishment on your tale. The shadowy form of Gfarlex, the dead and self-mutilated body of Maycera...all the tales come to vivid life as more and more priest circle around you, absorbing it all.

When completed, your tale leaves the audience in awe. Murmurs among the crowd begin to stir, like a low-lying swarm until they increase in intensity to where you can hear them.

"It would seem to fit...I believe them."

"They do not have a sense of evil about them...though one is a vampire."

"Divination will reveal their story as false..."

It appears the crowd is of mixed belief and reaction to your tale. Eventually the same cleric that uncovered you originally steps forward, he calms the crowd and shouts so that he can be heard.



"Now now now...we mustn't judge too fast. If any of our faiths have taught us anything, it's that patience is well rewarded. We will take them to the council and the council will decide their validity."

He turns around and ushers you towards the giant temple complex, the same one you slew Daniel in hours ago....

***

{I'm essentially going to paraphrase to save time}

You're led before a council of clerics, again seated in the same semi-circle design that has become prevalent throughout the Hidden City. Good on one side, evil on the other, and neutral adjudicating in between. You're led through a series of tests. Zone of Truths, divination spells...all manner of cleric and divine methods are used to determine what has happened here.

All lead to the same conclusion - you're heroes.

The more the clerics dig, the more they find that you did indeed save this city with your wit and dedication. The clerics are continually impressed by your actions as they watch them in crystal balls and hear you speak the words.

The council adjourns, only for a short moment, while leaving you in the center of the great complex. They return, take their seats and a lead neutral cleric addresses you both formally.

"Yuri Brottor and Romar Belamor...the Hidden City and every cleric here would like to extend infinite thanks to you for your action today..." The cleric seems to choke on that word, unsure of what to use with a time-twisting demon.

"In return, we request that you relay your true desires to us so that we may fulfill them - a show of gratitude."

The council waits patiently for your words...
__________________________________________________________________________________________

[GeneralMHB]

Yuri contemplates what his desires are mentally.....

Freedom from this vampiristic grip, my humanity back again....

He then finally speeks up, his voice in a pleading tone.

You may already know of my being. Yes, I am a vampire. I take no pride in it. I did so to save the lives of a few and possibly spy on "The Master" himself. Instead, I now run from him. Forced to feed on the living for my eternal life. For months, I have sustained myself on the blood of animals to keep myself from feeding on mortals. Already I have killed three and I do not wish to kill anymore. The powers that were granted before me are not worth lives slain. It is with a pleading heart that I ask of some relief from this torment burdened upon me by one vampire named Hirsuthe. I am willing to undertake any steps necessary to rid me of it, even if it means eternal peace. I humbly await your reply.

He awaits his response.

[Japic]

Finish off the other obelisks in the room before moving on to the next place. A few rounds isn't going to cost us much in the long haul.

"Come, let us restore the balance and go home. I've seen enough of hell for one lifetime."

[Fangor the Fierce]

Krysta points at the obelisks, saying, "Destroy those wrethed things. We must hurry, for I know not how much time we have left." She then glances at the further obelisk, and the moving figures. She grabs her bow, pointing in that direction. "Mordrock. What is it that you see over there, moving?" she asks him in Goblin.

Mordrock, quickly sensing trouble, grabs his own bow, and moves to hide and peer into the distance, trying to see what is over there. "Perhaps its Imp thingy. Forgot his name..." he replies, thinking aloud as well.

"Show yourself!" Krysta calls out, hoping that whatever is there reveals itself quickly.

If it is safe, they will continue with their destruction of the obelisks, and then head to the place where the shard lies. Same thing as before, having Mordrock listen first at the doorway, then entering with weapons drawn....

[BluSpecs]

Garor keeps with the smashing and follows the other once the room is free of the screams....

[Jevva]

Galdren waits patiently by the door to the shard for his companions to finish destroying the hated obelisks, then, stands by as Mordrock listens at the door.

[VemuKhaham]

Romar waits patiently until Yuri has been addressed in full, hoping with the whole of his hearth that Yuri will find the relief he craves but not through eternal piece. The clerics have found themselves understanding and capable of judging them, if only for their advanced means of divination magic. If they are only half as advanced in other kinds of, say, restorative magic, Romar keeps his hopes up that Yuri might soon be returned to the man that he once was, and Romar would never have to face the terrifying dilemma that he nearly had to face this very day, a few hours ago.

When Yuri has been answered, Romar too speaks, but not before he bows low before the council out of respect.

"Like Yuri, I have had my own reasons to come here, though maybe none of them as noble as his."

Before Romar speaks of his chase into the swamps and his need for a way to enter them, he brings up something entirely different.

"I do believe, good priests of the council. During my childhood I have been raised as a faithful believer, yet never did I realize the strength and wisdom that come with the perseverance of believing in the gods above.

Maybe it were the hardships that I have endured on my travels, but ever since I left my homeland near Carealal after its destruction, I have felt the presence of true faith come to me. Though at times since then my dedication has withered, never did it disappear wholly, and now that I stand in this place of worship and see how grand it is, it is stronger than ever.

As such, I would be overjoyed and honored if I would be accepted into the ranks of the Hidden City as a follower of Fahrlanghn, for he has been the guide on my travels that I have been inspired by. I know little of your ways, and can't remain here for long, so I feel rude for even asking, but is there some way for me to mean more to my god than I do now, to be able to protect and preserve his faith, perhaps by becoming a servant of this city?"

Romar waits before mentioning anything else he seeks.