5) Brother James and the Eye Tyrant

[Jandolar]

I look, what do I see?

The Cult of Personality.

I'm every person.
You need to be!

Yeah I totally sang that out loud.

[Jandolar]

As Opyeen settles down and looks into the keyhole there comes a shouted HEY! What the hell do you think you're doing!? The two orcs that the mage can see standing in the hallway beyond jump at the yelled question. Uh, we was just awaitin for a minute bafor goin on our patrol. Needs to rest so's that we can be alert. From what Opyeen can see the hallway beyond is a T junction just outside the door. It's laid out like the rest of the hallways in that it's 10' wide.

Into his line of sight comes two humans (it's a large keyhole) wearing blackened and battered plate armor. Each carries a shield slung on his back and a longsword in a scabbard. Both are filthy as can be seen by the torch that one carries (Opyeen your dark vision is thrown off by the torch light). From what the resident mage can gather they are either mercenaries or just very dirty.. or both.

The smaller of the two speaks to the orcs. Get your filthy asses down south and finish the sweep. If you haven't found the damn key yet then keep looking and kill anything that doesn't have the tyrants symbol on it. Damn you lazy worthless things get going!! He aims a kick at one of them and the orcs back off and head south muttering amongst each other. The larger human laughs Hehe. They'll never find it, even if they do they'll have no idea what it really is or what it's worth. He digs into his pouch and pulls a packet from which he begins stuffing his pipe. The other perks up as the pipe is lit.Hey? When did you get that? The other....Oh this? he takes a long draw on it and smiles a bit. I picked this up a few days ago. Pffffffff He exhales a cloud of blue smoke and his eyes glass over. Want a quick hit? The other takes the pipe and takes a similar hit.

Rykken perks up as he smells the smoke and recognizes it as an exotic smoke weed from the desert lands far to the south. It is an intoxicant (think marijuana) used in brothels and pipe houses of the wealthy. From what he recalls from Ol Prydwyn some more advanced and aged mages use a similar smoke week to "free the mind" so that they can attune to the incantations.

In short order the two humans are well into being stoned.

The smaller of the two comments Paul... man, what I wouldn't give to have that key..... the damn beholder has promised the dragons hoard for it and when I get it I'm going to buy myself a tavern somewhere and live off the drunks and whores. You?

The other takes his pipe back and pulls on it. Daryn I'm gunna buy the two best bitches in this town for a week. If I survive it I'm going north to find some land and become a king. Ha! I'll have peasant women doing whatever I tell them to! And alot! I'll have the greatest castle ever known....

Paul again. You think ol' many eyes can take that dragon?

Daryn. One on one? Nope... won't happen but hes got that damned dead dwarf to help him. And he's got us, I figure that's enough.

[Hywaywolf]

oypeen steps back and whispers to the others telling them what he saw and heard. "shall we portal over and kill them quick while they are stoned?"

[Woe]

"Because we focus on the mouse, we miss the snake. They sound to be pretty easy targets right now, and in their state of mind more likely to talk. If we can capture them alive, we may learn more about Talpyn and the dragon than we know now."

[Hywaywolf]

"That is a wise suggestion. Will you be willing to kill them after they talk? They are disciples of an evil creature. I'd rather kill them honorably in battle than kill them in cold blood afterward. And I especially don't want to let them go and have to fight them again."

[Woe]

"They are associated with evil. We will give them the opportunity to redeem their souls or honor or whatever they believe in before they attend to the afterlife. Though I don't know your beliefs, brother elf, I believe the Helmites call this the sacrament of penance."

In other words, association with a beholder and a wight is enough for Ravoneth. But the death would be clean and honorable, with the sinner having a short opportunity to 'make right with the world' first.

[Hywaywolf]

(sounds good to me. After watching Ravoneth give away thousands of gold pieces Oypeen was afraid she would want to set them free - living that is. Thats why I just wanted to kill them in combat.)

[Woe]

Aah. I'm still working a bit on Ravoneth's ethos because I haven't played a monk in ages and remembering bits as I go. Talpyn/Kallas was a bit different because Ravoneth (and me!) had no idea who either person was. She effectively walked into the middle of a bar fight and was friends with neither side. Once it's a known evil, I think she's ok with penance then death.

Now as for all that gold, we are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving.

[LibraryLass]

"I don't know how I feel about killing prisoners... maybe we can play upon the very vices they speak of and sway them to our side? Having moles in this cult could come in very handy."

[dymondy2k]

Or we could teleport them back to the inn and have some friends call the local guard to deal with them. To die in battle is honorable.. to die while tied up.. not so much, regardless of your sins..