Search Posts
Daelk: Gunnar instantly feels the man's pain. He could never imagine how it must feel to be responsible for taking the life of a friend. He puts his arm around Daelk in Jorn's body and says "Easy... I'm so sorry this has happened. But you know something? As a true Desnan, Calder is now in her realm. You mustn't worry for him, he's now in the Sevenfold Cynosure. It's a faraway palace, and everyone who has visited it describes it as a perfect dream." Smiling, he says "Now, that doesn't sound so bad, does it? Now it's your turn to find some peace. It happened, yes. But you didn't mean it to happen. Now it's time to forgive yourself."
Daelk: Gunnar says "There's magic to make you not feel the pain. Still, as Corrin here says, other options are being discussed. You don't have to worry, you're safe and in good hands. For now, rest. Are you hungry? I can have some food brought over." He then continues "I believe you are a builder, correct? Can you tell me a bit about your work?"
At the manor: Gunnar breathes relaxed as the man goes to sleep. Then the mayor comes ask about specifics. He just says "Well, the short version is that he may or may not be a person of interest for the cult of Urgathoa. This fact could also bring the attention from the cult of Pharasma." He scratches his chin and says "If Zeldana's interpretation is correct, they will go to great lengths to lay hands on him. The quicker we can resolve this situation, the better."
Gunnar forces himself to be diplomatic "Well, Zeldana, the path you've chosen is yours alone. By itself, it does not regard any god or another. You can pledge yourself to a faith like any other person." He rubs his temples, trying to come up with a way to say what he wants to say. He says "You are obviously very bright, much more than Abstalar and I could ever be together. Now think of a barber-surgeon. Despite all their knowledge and experience, there is still much that they fail to treat, and there is still a lot of uncertainty. And that is things that they can touch and see! Now, with matters of divinity...", he looks up as if he could see the stars despite the daylight and the roof over their heads. He continues "There's much we can't see, rationalize or even fathom." Looking back at Zeldana, he says "Which is how the word faith comes about. It's about trust, and taking the leap. Which is why you see that the most powerful cardinals are not necessarily great calculators." Assuming his practiced friendly posture, he says "I can see that you're desperate to know every intricacy of the divine politics. I can assure you, you don't. But I've also witnessed your power, and I am convinced you have a real shot of someday getting there. Maybe just... don't try to take a step larger than your legs."
Gunnar says to Zeldana "Well, that's a gamble at best. You know, there is little precedent to such things and the best we can hope for is what we come up with our knowledge of how things work. I would say let's do it and leave it at Desna's hand, but I am sure you will scold me for thinking like this."
Gunnar says "All we can do now is speculate. I do wonder what the best way to deal with this is. If what you say is true, then if this soul finds closure, it'd be enough for it to back to the Boneyard. I'm not sure how to do this right now, but we may have to just talk to him. We could put him to work, so his mind gets busy as we slowly feed him information."
Gunnar feels perplexed, but still says "So, he was resurrected in Jorn's body, to keep on living the terrors from his life? This seems off. I've heard of people who, when unable to face reality, start believing something else entirely. They create an entire different world in their heads where the terrible things they have to face aren't true. It may well be that this is the case, and he lives again so he can, perhaps be healed of this pain." Gunnar also wants to convey that he wants to help Zeldana heal from Jorn's death as well, but he can't find the words. He feels this needs to happen even if they manage to bring him back.
Gunnar says "Sure, let me get on that." He isn't a fan of bandaging the man's eyes, it's an affront to his freedom. However, he can't come up with a better plan. Before he does so, he says "There is a spell to help him with taking the news. It only lasts for up half a minute, but it could help with the shock. By the time the spell expires, he could have absorbed the news, so the emotion won't be as strong."
After saying that, the priest explains to the man "You've hit your head pretty hard. Let me put a bandage over that to help you recover. It should also help with the pain a bit.", then goes on to delicately wrap some bandage around the man's head, covering his eyes.
Gunnar thinks about Zeldana's words. He does not understand how the mechanisms of Harrowing work, but he does know that he would be completely lost if he could not access his divine magic anymore. He does see how this would hurt him, and how lost and alone he would feel. He simply says "I understand." However, he cannot accept her position and says "But you're wrong. First, your friends are not helpless. Second... I don't know how your magic works, but whatever is its source, the fact that you can thread fate is a clear indication that your connection is still there, you... no, we just need to strengthen it. Finally, a very important choice you must make to ensure the well-being of your friends is to choose life. And I urge you to."
Gunnar is entirely confused by Zeldana's words. He isn't really sure how to respond. He ends up saying "Zel... this is not on you. It's not. Evriani's actions are on her. It's not your job to fix it." After scratching his head, he continues "And I am positive the way to do the most good is to continue... to do it... here... on our plane."
Gunnar quickly gets up and rushes to the man and checks for his condition.
A bit disappointed on how this discussion is going, Gunnar gathers his courage and gets up from his kneeling position and says looking straight at Zeldana "He'll be fine. Now, there are two matters in discussion here. The first one is about Jorn's resurrection, or more pragmatically, the finger. I don't see another way but convincing him of going through the procedure, because doing so without his consent crosses a line. If you are willing to do that, are you sure you are the woman that Jorn wants to meet when he comes back to life? One who would stop at nothing to achieve what she wants, no matter who she tramples over?" His voice shows anger. Then he says "The other matter regards the position of the faiths. There is a distinction between the will of the gods and the actions of the people who comprise the respective temples. We can only hope to discuss the latter. Now the matter at hand is that the existence of this man represents a threat to wherever he is. The right thing to do... The only right thing to do, is to keep him on the move until more is revealed. I will not entertain the idea of harming this man for the sole reason that he represents a risk, and I am willing to do make this trek with him across the Great Beyond. If you do not feel you are up to this task, I will not think less of you."
Gunnar takes a moment to swallow his pride. Zeldana's word hurt him, and he doesn't pretend they don't. However, he is certain her words are born from grief more than reason, so he makes an extra effort not to give in to his most basic feelings. He replies drily "It is not my place to question the motives nor the detailed workings of the gods. Nor is it yours. You, yourself, said that this can only be some larger workings of gods. Even if this man's luck does not come directly from Desna's involvement, it is doubtful she is not aware of the situation. We may seek her favor by working under her teachings, and if we act in her domain, then the goddess herself may be able to impact this." He does not mention Zeldana's implications from before again, hoping she will forget about them.
Gunnar sighs thinking it's no use discussing the details of divine love. In fact, he's sure he'd lose such discussion. Instead he just says "I am not advocating against the resurrection of Jorn. However, I am not sure what you are implying with regards to this man here." He stops himself from speaking from emotion.
Gunnar sits stunned at Zeldana's words. He had been so preoccupied with the thoughts of the six Sandpoint faiths that he had completely missed the possibility of this issue affecting other faiths as well. He finally feels the eyes on him, even those from Father Zantus. He gets up from his seat and considers his words. In fact Zeldana's provocation went completely over his head. He was focused more on how he missed the divine politics and had to be schooled by a grieving woman. "Perhaps it's the grief that gave her an edge.", he tells himself. He says "You raise an interesting issue, Zeldana." He catches himself before he speaks more like a politician, as he once promised to never fall for that trap. He continues "First, I must remind you all of my place here. Abstalar has given me the task to speak for the interests of the town's faith, and I am not make this decision, only advise on it." He pinches his hip thinking "Stop dancing around the issue, get to it." He sighs and says "Let me be more direct. It is our opinion that this soul has been incredibly lucky to be given a body, even if that may imply some conflicts between some faiths. As a matter of fact, we sense that this is potentially Desna's hand, as luck is one of her primary domains. Whatever is decided on this matter should not disregard this fact. It is doubtful that Desna would do something to benefit the Pallid Princess, which means that something bigger could be in play here." He looks around the room fishing for some reaction then continues "Of the other Sandpoint faiths, Abadar would be in favor of having two people instead of one, for the economic benefits. Also, Erastil's favor of the community would certainly benefit from Jorn's return, for his value to this town. Gozreh and Shelyn are perhaps the faiths that are most indifferent to this issue. Sarenrae's healing aspect would perhaps find preference that this community heals from the loss of a dear friend, although her preference for the good could also favor the return of a good warrior to town." Gunnar holds his forehead briefly as if recovering from a great ordeal. He says "Having said that, Zeldana's revelation when joined with our considerations, leads me to only one conclusion. This man should be safely removed from Sandpoint, and should be put under protection. I believe this conveniently fits into one of Desna's domains, namely travel. This man should not stay in one place for long, at least until the inner workings of his luck are unraveled. And I believe he should be accompanied by qualified people, those who understand the situation, and are capable of defending him and themselves. I believe it should be we, who are in possession of the resurrection rod, and have a stake in this man." He stands upright and with a stern face says "This brings me to my final point. The finger. To some of us... this matter is entirely settled since the finger itself can be regenerated with magic. However, as per the last meeting went, the man is able and allowed to say no to this. I believe a particular point of the last meeting can be raised, the one the ancient Taldans called quid pro quo. The matter becomes simple when one sees that something can and should be offered in exchange for this man's agreement." Addressing Not-Jorn, Gunnar says "Will you agree with a procedure with the following conditions? First, the costs for the regeneration of your finger are fully covered. Second, the finger operation removal is done under a pain suppressing spell, I can cast this spell myself. Third, you receive 100 gold pieces for your trouble. Mind you, this is more money in one place than most people see in their entire life times." He lets his words weigh down, then says "I remind you that I am proposing to guard your life while representatives of two faiths hunt you down."
Gunnar's jaw hangs ajar as he sees Zeldana soaking wet. He instinctively asks "Are you ok?" and avoids happening what happened. At least for now. He curses himself for not having prepared a spell to dry her. He even wonders if such a spell is in his capabilities.
After they enter, the young priest sits down but has to make an effort to not roll his eyes at all the pomp. He feels these rituals serve no purpose but to coddle the elders' own feelings of importance. He observes the scene unfolding and feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He does note an odd reaction from the man in the room after he speaks words in a tone that is much different from before.
He is afraid of what Zeldana might say. He knows he, himself, would not say nice things if he were soaking wet, and thinks he should maybe have talked to her before entering the town hall again. Deciding to interrupt her train of thoughts, Gunnar stands up to match her and says "Before you go on with your revelations, there's a bit of formality that I must address. Father Zantus has entrusted me with representing the temple's... view on this matter." Hoping he caught the tension before it builds up, he says "I only ask, Zeldana, for the sake of civilized discussion as was requested by the mayor, that I may present my... our... standing on the matter." He sits back down, and breathes in.
With F. Zantus: Gunnar is happy to see his mentor agreeing with him. He is then surprised to hear Abstalar saying he should lead the spiritual discussion. Stunned and without words, he simply says "Thank you. Yes, I can represent us." The thing about adding opinions from other faiths gives him a bit of trouble, so he starts to think about it. How can he add such opinions? Also, what other deities is Abstalar thinking of? What would the church of Sarenrae think? He should at least consider the other 5 churches of the Sandpoint cathedral. He says "So, the church of Abadar, being all rigid and all, would think it preposterous that someone's soul was placed in someone else's body. But I think no one is advocating for killing the man anymore. Still, having two people instead of one would be economically agreeable. I think. Erastil's beliefs are towards community, and the community would definitely benefit from Jorn's return. That's something, I guess." He peeks at his mentor to see his reaction then continues "I don't think Gozreh is concerned with these matters. About Sarenrae, I am a bit on the fence. Her healing aspect would ask for spiritual healing as well as physical one, and that includes accepting Jorn's fate. But it seems this a discussion for afterwards, not pertaining to the meeting." He pauses to consider his own words. Finally he says "Shelyn would be horrified by the attitude from Notjorn, in fact. But I can't otherwise think of a position for her believers." He looks at Abstalar fishing for some reaction.
With F. Zantus: Gunnar takes the flask from his mentor, but sniffs it before drinking from it. He ponders the man's words. Finally he says "I worry about Zel. Her words and action are guided by grief. It is painful to see. It may seem just a finger to her, but to me it seems like much more, like she is throwing the man's own autonomy to the wind to get what she wants." Feeling he is having trouble expressing himself, he says "The mayor made it clear that she wants her to be the one to make the decision, but I feel we have a say in this. I find it hard to remove the man's finger for this purpose without his consent." Taking another sip and handing Zantus his flask back, Gunnar says "There's also the issue of the man's role in society. I think there's little precedent to what happened and there should be an investigation...". He stopped himself from saying the man needs to be studied.
Gunnar stays surprisingly calm as the mayor calls for attention. In fact, he expected it would have come sooner. He already knew of the attitudes of those who are born into power and never knew a life without it. Any claim to that power is met with reprisal, and the reminder of who holds that power. Even if that regards a single finger. However, the young priest is not against her intervention. Especially after Zeldana talks about power. To him, it showcases the very need for institutions and the seemingly pointless power of mayors, kings and queens. As Zel said, power is indeed only a tool, without allegiance, faith or even ethics. And its use by those who do not consider its moral implications is at the core of the discussion of good versus evil. However, he isn't sure how to address this to the group afterwards. He thinks of the group because, even being relatively a stranger to them, Gunnar feels he has a responsibility to them. Zel is dealing with grief and it shows. He feels she needs support, and there may come the time where she needs to accept that Jorn is gone. The resurrection rod actually makes this more difficult. Still, for now, Gunnar feels he needs to do everything in his reach to help bring him back. As they exit the room, he interjects and says "If you don't mind, I'd like to confer with Father Zantus. This will be a religious discussion, so I'm not sure you'd want to sit in, but any who feel like it, is welcome to join." He looks at no one in particular as he speaks. In reality, he wishes all will join and stay silent during his talk, but he thinks Notjorn will agree to the plan before that happens.
Gunnar says "Abstalar, I didn't say anything in there because I am not sure my line of thought is sound. I have gone through Desna's teachings in my mind over and over trying to come up with a reasonable position on all of this." He suddenly feels very uncomfortable in his clothes and twists and shifts. He says "One thing struck me. Whatever soul got pulled into that body is, without a doubt, one very lucky soul. And that is one of Desna's teachings. Should we not take that into account? To mess with that man and his luck would go against what we believe in." Gunnar also thinks, but does not say, that the finger plan is grasping at straws in his opinion, and going through with it is an attempt at their moral standards.
Gunnar is still pondering in his thoughts when a sword is drawn. He raises his head with his eyes wide and says "Wait!" Breathing heavily, his mind races thinking of what to say. To buy time, he says "Before we go from being in the right to slicing someone who has done, so far, nothing wrong, there is..." He pauses to breathe a bit and to calm himself down. "There are some matters to discuss. Matters that pertain to divine... discussion. I ask that we have an hour recess.", says the priest. He looks at the drunkard and says "I wish you no harm. But I do recommend you donate a finger. It will do wonders to buy the goodwill of your" he looks at all the others present and finishes "captors."
Gunnar holds his breath after Zeldana spoke. He isn't sure what to think. At first glance, both are right and he can't really conclude whose side to defend. And this is all assuming that her finger plan would work, which he isn't so sure of. Rather than tackling the moral dilemma, the young cleric tries deflecting his thoughts to something more technical. He tries to remember if there is precedent to this attempt.
Gunnar, the young Desnan priest who was once Father Zantus' apprentice, looks at people talking and is very confused. Souls and gods' businesses was complicated, indeed. Yet he put himself through the study and felt some responsibility to speak. He could not follow Zeldana's logic. Considering Jorn's soul was already bound to a body, casting a resurrect spell on a piece of his original body would not necessarily yank the soul from the current body. However, he starts to doubt himself and thinks maybe he's not as knowledgeable as he thinks. Zeldana has already proven very versatile and clever. He looks at Father Zantus hoping for some wisdom, but says "We've acquired the rod with great difficulty. Surely it is worth a try." He is not sure what he means by 'it'.
Gunnar, who has been developing a slight discomfort in high places, takes a step back and says "Well, that solves this particular mystery. It's... a bit more peaceful than I imagined." He pauses to recollect himself then says "It is indeed, one of the wonders of travelling. Being scared of nothing scary, you see... I suppose this is one of Desna's surprises. But, I wonder why this passage exists. Is anyone here a good tracker?"
Gunnar recoils from the dust in the alcove. After a while, he peeks into the secret passage he found and says "Hmmm, it's dark in there." He takes a pebble on the floor and lights it up and throws it in. He says "There's another alcove further down, but... I don't want any surprises. Anyone care to join me?" He also searches the passage for traps.
Gunnar extends his hand as if to touch Loxley's shoulder, but he figures they are not this close yet. Instead, he points to the demon's head on the floor and says "If we look at the result of what you did, only good things came of it. It was scary, yes, but right now I can only be thankful for your action." Trying to be more helpful, he says "Maybe it'll do us all some good to make fun of this demon a little bit. I mean, I always heard that demons were supposed to be chaos in flesh, but this one is more like a headless chicken!" He looks around and says "Hey, maybe it had a big stash of coins, come let's check!" After casting Detect Magic and concentrating for a bit, he starts searching the demon for any worthwhile items.
Gunnar is extremely nervous as he can't move and can only watch as things unfold. Completely scared that this was the demon's work, he starts sweating. He is glad the weapon sent by his goddess continues to work and can see that some of his new allies get slowly free, first Yeda then Corrin. He tries to smile, but his mind can't muster the strength. Finally, in a very swift movement, the creature's head lops off its shoulders and fall on the ground. Not long after, his summoned weapon vanishes into thin air, just as it appeared. Then Loxley starts to go freeing all the others, one by one. When he is finally free, Gunnar coughs, he doesn't know why. He also scratches his shoulder, as a spot was itching very badly. He says "By Desna, I didn't know you were so powerful Loxley. Remind me not to get on your bad side."
|
