Here we go again, time to meet another Hero-like character. Yes I
know the story is getting somewhat sillier, but this is how it happened in
the game. The drama will increase as we move on, don't worry.
*************************************************************
Sethor didn't notice the lizard-like creature stand up in front of him.
"Pardon sire, you look lost, do you need help?"
Sethor looked up, and nearly jumped out of his skin. In front of him was a creature barely three feet in height, with a long reptilian snout.
"No. err. I'm fine." Sethor looked at him for a few more seconds. "What do you want?"
"Just to help a nonbeliever find a religion. I know a temple you could stay at; the clerics there will fix you up real good, maybe take you away from the bottle that put you in this gutter in the first place."
"But."
"I won't hear it, now stand!"
Sethor stood, looking down at the Kobold, entirely perplexed by its actions. The Kobold reached for Sethor's hand, grabbed the edge of a finger, and started to pull him forward. Sethor felt compelled to follow him.
"The High Priest will be so happy I found a soul to save! Albeit I was surprised when he said he wanted me to find a guttersnipe he could 'usher into a new life'. Things are looking so up! Maybe I will be promoted to be an actual Cleric now!"
The optimistic Kobold was worse than Relevon.
"Wait a minute. Usher into a new life?"
"Don't worry, I was told to tell you it won't hurt a bit!"
"Told by whom?"
"The High Priest of Nerull."
"You're a priest of Nerull? What do you mean not hurt? What do you mean by usher!?"
"Oh boy, I get to help usher somebody!"
"Now wait a minute I didn't say I."
"You don't need to say anything other then thank you. This is so exciting!"
Sethor was led by the hand through the streets of Gilleston, tuning out the chatter of the Kobold. Maybe this was the lead he needed! If nothing else the Temple of Nerull would know if his wife was scheduled for sacrifice at any of the other temples. Moments later Sethor stood in front of the Temple, watching the Kobold enter and not return for nearly twenty minutes. Sethor noticed a slight glow of fire from the Merchants District but paid no heed, instead watching the blackness of the entrance; waiting for the Kobold to come back. He came running.
"Sir! All my fellow priests have disappeared! I don't know where they all went!"
Sethor walked quickly into the temple. The Kobold was right, nothing remained of any of the Clerics except their empty sleeping cells and a recently abandoned altar. The Ceremonial Candles and daggers remained on their pedestal, waiting for the sacrifice that was promised to Nerull. Sethor turned back to the Kobold, motioning for him to come forward.
"Come here little one. I think something has happened to your fellow priests. Did they ever tell you what to do should somebody attack the temple?"
"They said to hide in the Catacombs. They were modified from the Tombs built for the council members underneath the city. The High Priest said they would be the best place to lay an ambush and slaughter our enemies."
"I think that may be where they are now. If I help you find them, do you think you can convince your high Priest to help me?"
The Kobold looked at him and grinned.
"So you agree to be ushered into a new life."
Sethor sighed.
"NO. I want to know if he has knowledge of the other temples sacrifices and tell me if one of them has my wife!"
The Kobold looked hurt, and scraped his long talon toes across the floor.
"I guess he may. . . I really wanted to help somebody though."
"You know how to fight?"
The Kobold looked up, his eyes full of fire. He jumped up onto the altar and raided the sacrificial tray, arming himself with the long serrated knife.
"I guess you do."
*****************
Sethor nearly slammed his head against the wall on multiple occasions. The Kobold had no idea where the Catacombs entrance was, and his running commentary and vicious snarling at flickering shadows was getting annoying. There was no way to find the mechanical trapdoor, every nook and cranny was dark.
"Enough already! How would you not know where the Catacomb entrance is?"
"All I was told was to look towards Nerull should the temple be invaded."
"I guess that's as close as you could get to shoving your head between your legs and."
Then Sethor got an idea.
"Quiet pipsqueak, I need silence for this to work."
The Kobold watched as Sethor stood erect and cleared his voice. Pore had never seen magic before and he was sure that this friendly man was going to perform some. He hoped it didn't involve fire or hurting anyone.
Sethor started singing slowly, practically speaking each syllable in exact detail. He turned towards the door, determined that he would start his examination there. The air from his mouth became tinged with a light blue, highlighting each dust particle that the air traveled across. The air reached the door and seemed to strike against it, dissipating. There was no visible change. Sethor slowly moved his head as he sang, sending the blue streams of air across the room, touching each object with an aura visible only to him. The air flitted towards two candles, and Sethor nearly stopped singing as they created a halo of energy around them, a halo representative of the magic they contained. Sethor continued to sing, directing the magical aura against the walls, pillars, anything that might contain magic. Suddenly his breath hit a statue of Nerull that was hidden in an alcove to the side of the temple. The blue air crawled its way across the stand the statue stood on, outlining what looked to be an opening of some sort. The blue outline swiftly became indigo, and then a light violet. This was what he was looking for.
Sethor stopped singing and went over to the two magic candles that he saw earlier. They both kept their aura, which had been turned black by the Necromantic Magic which created them. Sethor decided not to touch the candles, instead he walked towards the statue.
"Ready to go little fella?"
The Kobold gave a menacing growl and moved towards the statue, waving the ceremonial dagger into the air. Sethor turned back towards the door. If his wife was still out there she would want him to help the gods first, as they would provide. Sethor made a bitter face. Maybe the gods would provide, but they also would take; hopefully he could take what he wanted from the High Priest before it was too late.
Sethor didn't notice the lizard-like creature stand up in front of him.
"Pardon sire, you look lost, do you need help?"
Sethor looked up, and nearly jumped out of his skin. In front of him was a creature barely three feet in height, with a long reptilian snout.
"No. err. I'm fine." Sethor looked at him for a few more seconds. "What do you want?"
"Just to help a nonbeliever find a religion. I know a temple you could stay at; the clerics there will fix you up real good, maybe take you away from the bottle that put you in this gutter in the first place."
"But."
"I won't hear it, now stand!"
Sethor stood, looking down at the Kobold, entirely perplexed by its actions. The Kobold reached for Sethor's hand, grabbed the edge of a finger, and started to pull him forward. Sethor felt compelled to follow him.
"The High Priest will be so happy I found a soul to save! Albeit I was surprised when he said he wanted me to find a guttersnipe he could 'usher into a new life'. Things are looking so up! Maybe I will be promoted to be an actual Cleric now!"
The optimistic Kobold was worse than Relevon.
"Wait a minute. Usher into a new life?"
"Don't worry, I was told to tell you it won't hurt a bit!"
"Told by whom?"
"The High Priest of Nerull."
"You're a priest of Nerull? What do you mean not hurt? What do you mean by usher!?"
"Oh boy, I get to help usher somebody!"
"Now wait a minute I didn't say I."
"You don't need to say anything other then thank you. This is so exciting!"
Sethor was led by the hand through the streets of Gilleston, tuning out the chatter of the Kobold. Maybe this was the lead he needed! If nothing else the Temple of Nerull would know if his wife was scheduled for sacrifice at any of the other temples. Moments later Sethor stood in front of the Temple, watching the Kobold enter and not return for nearly twenty minutes. Sethor noticed a slight glow of fire from the Merchants District but paid no heed, instead watching the blackness of the entrance; waiting for the Kobold to come back. He came running.
"Sir! All my fellow priests have disappeared! I don't know where they all went!"
Sethor walked quickly into the temple. The Kobold was right, nothing remained of any of the Clerics except their empty sleeping cells and a recently abandoned altar. The Ceremonial Candles and daggers remained on their pedestal, waiting for the sacrifice that was promised to Nerull. Sethor turned back to the Kobold, motioning for him to come forward.
"Come here little one. I think something has happened to your fellow priests. Did they ever tell you what to do should somebody attack the temple?"
"They said to hide in the Catacombs. They were modified from the Tombs built for the council members underneath the city. The High Priest said they would be the best place to lay an ambush and slaughter our enemies."
"I think that may be where they are now. If I help you find them, do you think you can convince your high Priest to help me?"
The Kobold looked at him and grinned.
"So you agree to be ushered into a new life."
Sethor sighed.
"NO. I want to know if he has knowledge of the other temples sacrifices and tell me if one of them has my wife!"
The Kobold looked hurt, and scraped his long talon toes across the floor.
"I guess he may. . . I really wanted to help somebody though."
"You know how to fight?"
The Kobold looked up, his eyes full of fire. He jumped up onto the altar and raided the sacrificial tray, arming himself with the long serrated knife.
"I guess you do."
*****************
Sethor nearly slammed his head against the wall on multiple occasions. The Kobold had no idea where the Catacombs entrance was, and his running commentary and vicious snarling at flickering shadows was getting annoying. There was no way to find the mechanical trapdoor, every nook and cranny was dark.
"Enough already! How would you not know where the Catacomb entrance is?"
"All I was told was to look towards Nerull should the temple be invaded."
"I guess that's as close as you could get to shoving your head between your legs and."
Then Sethor got an idea.
"Quiet pipsqueak, I need silence for this to work."
The Kobold watched as Sethor stood erect and cleared his voice. Pore had never seen magic before and he was sure that this friendly man was going to perform some. He hoped it didn't involve fire or hurting anyone.
Sethor started singing slowly, practically speaking each syllable in exact detail. He turned towards the door, determined that he would start his examination there. The air from his mouth became tinged with a light blue, highlighting each dust particle that the air traveled across. The air reached the door and seemed to strike against it, dissipating. There was no visible change. Sethor slowly moved his head as he sang, sending the blue streams of air across the room, touching each object with an aura visible only to him. The air flitted towards two candles, and Sethor nearly stopped singing as they created a halo of energy around them, a halo representative of the magic they contained. Sethor continued to sing, directing the magical aura against the walls, pillars, anything that might contain magic. Suddenly his breath hit a statue of Nerull that was hidden in an alcove to the side of the temple. The blue air crawled its way across the stand the statue stood on, outlining what looked to be an opening of some sort. The blue outline swiftly became indigo, and then a light violet. This was what he was looking for.
Sethor stopped singing and went over to the two magic candles that he saw earlier. They both kept their aura, which had been turned black by the Necromantic Magic which created them. Sethor decided not to touch the candles, instead he walked towards the statue.
"Ready to go little fella?"
The Kobold gave a menacing growl and moved towards the statue, waving the ceremonial dagger into the air. Sethor turned back towards the door. If his wife was still out there she would want him to help the gods first, as they would provide. Sethor made a bitter face. Maybe the gods would provide, but they also would take; hopefully he could take what he wanted from the High Priest before it was too late.