"Then we will entrust it to a elven priest of the light. One that walks with the gods of the light. For it's sacred power only works with those pure of heart. Sir Lionel has not spoke of such activity with the splinter group, but if that becomes the mission at hand then we will do what is needed."
In response to the cleric's query Zoe lives in the Tower. I can show you where it is but her calendar is known only to herself.
Athola does what Gabriel asked her to do when presenting the shard, before wrapping it up and tucking it away from view, "As I am honoured to carry this weapon, I would like to have it in a proper sheathe, than to wrapped it up like this. Who trustworthy should I see on obtaining a sheath for this sword, Shard of Light?"
The next morning when the adventuring party meets for breakfast, "I say to make sure the tree is looked after and in good hands, is to have the intended person to hold the tree bare handed to see if the person is worthy to keep the tree safe."
Athola can easily get a shethe made for the weapon. They got plenty of leatheworkers in town that can make one to your specifications. Of course if you want something decorative and/or made of steel or silver that will take a few days to craft and you'll have to pay money.
Athola thinks through the night about the sheathe, "Gabriel, seeing we in rather in a rush to prevent Chemosh ruling the world. I will have a leather sheathe quickly made. Would you accompany me to safe guard the Shard of Light, while leather worker makes the sheathe."
"Of course. With Dark knights in the area one can not be too careful."
"Then it is settled, we will give the tree to an Elven Cleric of the Light.
Yes, Terevalis, I will go with you to see Mistress Zoe now".
Alathea will nod to the rest of her companions and set off with the Elven Wizard.
As they walk to the Tower the wizard will ask And what business might a cleric of Zivilyn have with the Mistress of the Tower?
"The friction between the Legion and the Wizards of High Sorcery is the purpose of this visit. I wish to propose a truce between these factions, there are enough dangers in this world for both factions to deal with without combatting each other".
The friction is caused by renegade activity which the Orders cannot tolerate. he replies as they walk to the Tower.
Anyway eventually you arrive at the Tower of Khurman Tor, the lighthouse turned wizards tower. You are let into the lobby of the tower where Zoe appears to be grinding some root in a mortar and pedestal probably for some potion material. She is a red haired woman with with a light build dressed in a red robe. Her left hand appears normal but her right hand is a metallic hand crafted out of copper by the looks of it. Also around her neck is a withered humanoid hand kept on a chain.
She turns a glace up at Terevalis and says, "Ah Terevalis you're back. And you've brought someone with you I see."
She takes a glance the medallion of faith around the neck of Alathea and says, "And a cleric of all people."
She turns a look to Alathea, "So what can I do for you today madame? Are you in need of a master of the arcane arts?"
Mistress Zoe, this is Alathea of Solace, priestess of Zivilyn and envoy from the Legion of Steel. he says with a small laugh.
Zoe twinges when she hears the "Legion of Steel" mentioned. She then says "Now that is quite unusual. I didn't know that the Legion of Steel employed clerics in their ranks. I think I know why you are here. This is concerning my attempts to turn members of your order to the true path of magic is it not?"
Alathea shakes her head, "No Mistress of the Tower of Khurman Tor, Terevalis' assistance is all that I believe we require on our quest.
I am here on official business on behalf of the Legion of Steel.
I have heard that you attempted to use enchantment magic to lure members of the Legion away from their duties and to become students of the Towers of High Sorcery.
I agree that the return of the Towers is a good thing, the balance of the Three is certainly commendable and the Gods of Light and Dark could certainly learn something of balance from their examples. However, the magic of the Heart and Sorcery are powers in this now changed world which will not go away.
I seek to meet with you to propose a truce between the Towers and the Legion of Steel. The Legion has structures in place which guide Sorcerers so that their magic is not used haphazardly. The regulation of Wizards may be the business of the Towers but the regulation of the Legion will be provided by their own.
With the enemies all about us, we should have a truce with each other".
The Legion is hardly in any position to play a moral high ground. They have no problem reading the thoughts of those who enter into the city. replies the Black Robe.
"Well as I said, the morality does not bother me, it is the practical interaction between our two factions that interests me. I am sure our factions can find numerous ways to benefit one another. A meeting between the heads of the Order and our Centurions I think is in order to avoid unpleasantness in the future and to create guidelines for recruitment which does not run afoul of one another".
By our traditions and by the lawful decree of the Gods of Magic, ambient magic is an anathema and those who practice it are renegades.
Zoe listens to Alathea's words and then says in response, "I only did what was required of my station miss Alathea of Solace. The Order of High Sorcery needs new recruits and the Legion of Steel has been taking all the potential candidates for their own, increasing the spread of Sorcery rather than giving its members the option to follow the true art. There is little I can do politically as the Khan of this City is a Sorcerer himself and favours the will of the Legion. My hand was forced in this matter as my quota of new recruits have nearly run dry and the Order is putting a lot of pressure on me to increase our numbers. Only by the help of Terevalis was I able to get some new candidates and even then it is far less than what is needed."
"And you can make that plea through this act of Diplomacy Mistress Zoe, ask for equal ability to recruit for your own cause.
A dialogue between the Order and the Legion even if it does not resolve the matter is at least worth considering.
Terevalis, all Traditions must change. Paladine and Takhisis were once the most powerful Deities of the Pantheon, one is dead the other Mortal. Things change. Adaptation is the key to survival.
Would you contact the heads of your Order to arrange such a meeting?"
The last time that that Heads of the Order were summoned before a council not their own was at the time of Belindas Pilofioro, the last Kingpriest. That meeting is what led to the Lost Battles. says the wizard.
Zoe says to Alathea "I do not think I can convince the Council to be involved in such a negotiation. Still as I am the head wizard of this jurisdiction I am willing to negotiate on their behalf with the Legion. Still there must be a change in the attitudes of the Legion if they wish to have an peaceful co-existence with the Orders of High Sorcery. Such concerns I hope can be addressed during a meeting with your leaders."
I demand the right to represent the interests of the Black Robes at this meeting, being the only other Tested wizard here in the town. he says calmly.
Zoe nods to Terevalis, "Of course Terevalis. I would be welcoming to have another Wizard by my side during these negotiations. Should we also involve the Knights of Solamnia as well or should we just restrict attendance to just the Orders and the Legion?"
From what I understand the Knights are allowing wizards into their ranks as Kingfishers, but they must wear the White Robes. Many followers of primal sorcery have left rather than undergo an epiphany to the White Robes and take the Test. The knights might be allies in the meeting.
Zoe nods to Terevalis, "It is a wise choice then. Besides having a third party to mediate the negoiations would be a prudent measure."
Zoe looks to Alathea, "Terevalis and myself agree to meet with your leaders Alathea and negoitiate, so long as the Knights of Solamnia are also involved in the mediation process. Is that agreeable to you Alathea of Solace?"
The Black Robe will nod in agreement.
Alathea smiles, "Yes, that is agreeable. Perhaps if agreement can be met here, our solidarity can be an example to others in both the the Legion and your Order.
Know that I do agree Renegades should be brought to heel so that their power does not cause chaos and destruction but the Legion has substantial restrictions on how it utilizes magic. Still, perhaps they can benefit from your suggestions".
With that said, Alathea will seek out the Centurion to inform him of the meeting and the involvement of the Knights in the process.
While Alathea is off at the wizard's tower, Gabriel goes to report to Sir Lionel in his office. Sir Lionel says to Sir Barca:
"Greetings Sir Barca. I hope all is well with you today after a good night's rest. As for why I have called you here, there is some dire news that has been forwarded to be by Sir Aldreth Auchuran in Port Balfor. He suspects that the Knights of Darkhaven have a new patron among the Gods of Darkness. He has yet to confirm which God is now backing the order but if the Dark Knights there are receiving divine support then it could be a threat to our efforts in this region. In a weeks time a ship called the Levenbolt will be leaving port. I ask that you be on board and ride the ship to Port Balfor. There in the slums, seek a man that goes by the name Daven Coldblade. This is the alias that Sir Aldreth is acting under. Contact him directly and get further information on what he has discovered and follow what orders he gives. I have given some information to my counterpart in the Legion, but have not revealed the identity of the contact for security reasons. I expect your discretion when it comes to divulging such information to anyone outside this room. Is this acceptable to your Sir Barca?"
"What do you wish me to find out? Which god they are gaining support from or are you asking me to assault their forces there?"
Sir Lionel says, "Heavens no! It would take a military campaign to defeat the Knights of Darkhaven and I do not expect you to fight an entire war by yourself Sir Barca. What I would like you to do is to talk to Sir Aldreth and find out any plans the Dark Knights are currently up to. If it is plausible to disrupt their plans in some way then do so. Otherwise merely gather what information you can and see that it is sent back to the Knights of Solamnia for analysis."
As for Alathea she heads back to the Legion Stronghold and is quickly ushered in to meet Centurion Rayhan in his office. He says to her:
"Ah welcome back Legion Captain Alathea. How was your meeting with the Wizard of Khurman Tor? Is she willing to engage in a peace conference with the Legion of Steel?"
"I will do so Sir Lionel, but why does your agent not send word? Do you fear the worst? I am assuming information you have gained has been through letter. I will send one with what I find. Do we have a code I should write the letter in? I would expect sensitive information to be coded."
Sir Lionel says, "I do fear the worst Sir Barca as Sir Aldreth's last communication included a request for assistance and that he would be going into deep cover to further investigate what he's learned so far about the Dark Knight operations. It perhaps it too dangerous for him to communicate at this time hence we will have to contact him in person to update our intelligence on the situation. Unfortunately as Port Balfor is firmly under the control of the Dark Knights it is difficult to get communication safely out of the town without the risk of interception. It may be safer to send a message through the city of Flotsam rather than smuggle it out of Port Balfor."
"I will do my best to find out what is going on there. One of the legion members that travels with me is Alathea of Solace. She is a powerful cleric. Perhaps I will be able to relay a message with here divine power when the time comes. We will be here a few more days. Is there anything you need of me while here?"
Alathea smiles at Centurion Rayhan, "Yes. Mistres Zoe is willing to meet with the Legion here in the city. One of my companions, the elf Wizard will also be in attendance representing the Wizards. The agreement will only be binding for this area though as she doubts the Masters of her Conclave will agree to any restrictions. However, if a truce works here, IU do not see why it could not be repeated in other areas where the Legion and the Orders of High Sorcery intersect across Ansalon".
Sir Lionel nods to Gabriel and says, "So long as a message can be sent without compromising Sir Aldreth Auchuran's cover or being intercepted by the Dark Knights you may use whatever method is prudent. In the meantime, you can use this week to deal with any errands you need to run and prepare for your mission. Still if you wish to be of use in this time, we could always use a skilled knight such as yourself teach some swordplay to the young Legionnare recruits. Centurion Shahir could use an extra pair of hands in his training regiment. Eventually the warriors here will have to cross swords with the Dark Knights, the Minotaurs or other threats and the better trained they are, the more skilled they will be in the field."
Centurian Rayhan says, "At least if a peace can be created here in Ak-Khurman it can be a start to a more diplomatic relationship between the Legion and the Wizards. We can ill afford to fight a war on two fronts when our true enemies seek to conquer that we wish to protect. Your elf wizard friend is also welcome to attend the proceedings. Still I must bring Centurian Zakwan into this negoiation and while I will try to guide him to comprimise, he will not be easy to convince into a truce."
Jor, you are out in the city one evening heading back towards the Inn after visiting one of the other Taverns in the city. Soon after passing by a more upscale multi-floored townhouse there is a loud thump from behind him. Taking a look back Jor sees a man lying face first in the dirt of the street his face embedded into the ground as though he had fallen some distance and his weight displacing the dirt of the street. The man appears to be a fairer skinned pudgy looking man dressed fine clothes that appear to be foreign to this region. Jor can easily see that there is a dagger sticking out of his back through the area of his heart. The man has CLEARLY been murdered. Make me a perception check.
He is ready to begin the Council when necessary
Is that 4 days for the sword then?
Raising his eyebrowns upon seeing such an attemp done in a clear daylight, the dagger still on the back of dead person. Possibility to spend his free-time doing something more interesting than just running around town looking for taverns, Jor looks around to see if there might still be something to see
Jor is alert and attentive and indeed spots on a second story balcony a figure, dressed in grey robes with a grey headscarf that only leaves the eyes visible. He looks down at the body and then turns a glace toward Jor giving him a beady eyed expression.
Jor also spots from two nearby alleyways two more of the grey robed individuals who appear to be observing the scene from the street level. In addition behind one of them on street level is a fourth figure dressed in a full body Burka, likewise in the same grey color.
The men draw scimitars and emerge from the alleyways. The man on top of the 2nd story balcony draws his scimitar and leaps down assassin creed style and lands down on the ground next to the body of the man he just murdered. Jor is now surrounded on 3 sides. The head Assassin says in accented common to Jor, "You are unfortunate traveller. None can see our work and live to tell about it. Here in the Dark we dance in Torghan's avenging light."
The burka dressed individual does not come out to engage but instead stays in the alleyway observing the situation.
Jor sighs as he taps on his legs and looks at the three of them "I see... and I should be scared? I admit, 3 vs 1 is not really a nice thing" as a bit concerned look appears on his face as he steps slowly back, leaning against nearby wall to prevent them from attacking his back "but... do not assume that I am so easy plus since you already did draw your weapons, you are free meal for me then" as a small smirk appears on Jors face and drawing his two-handed sword
"pff.. should have bought better armor while ago. First thing I do after I get out of this: protection for your body!" Jor cursing mentally as he kept eyes on assassins