TEMPLE OF SUNG
[ZONE 2] [TOP]
FIRST VISIT (Nago alive):
CURE or BLESS:
The priest stared at them. His eyes much like guttering candle flames, he leaned against the wall of the temple for support. "I cannot help you, not now. Not until I can get some sleep," he murmured. "Sleep..."
TALK:
Locklear asked to see the high priestess.
"She can't see you." Turning, they noticed another, hawkish looking priest half-hidden in the shadows of the colonnade, his eyes rimmed red. He rubbed vigorously at his face before rising to stand next to his fellow priest. "Mariah and I just put her abed about half an hour ago. She awoke screaming this morning."
The two priests exchanged a significant look, but the meaning of it was lost on Locklear. "Is she ill?" he interrupted.
"No, no." the taller priest said with assurance. "It is only a symptom of things that have been going on here for a short while. It will pass."
"You sound very certain, Kellan," the other priest said angrily.
"None of us has slept well in weeks. Our healer is so exhausted that he may not even bind so much as a finger pricked on a spindle! There is something evil at work here."
Bemused, Locklear looked to Kellan. "Why would someone be trying to keep you from sleeping? Who could do it?"
Both priests shrugged. "The purpose is beyond us, but we know that whomever is responsible is a magician and very close by," the shorter priest replied. "I have also sensed in his dream sendings that he has others with him, soldiers perhaps. I don't actually believe he means to communicate with us, but instead with someone far away. Either way, I don't believe any of us shall have an hour's rest until he is dead or we've discovered what he wants."
REVISIT (Nago dead):
Kellan greeted them.
"You look a little more lively than the last time we met," Locklear said. "Have you gotten a bit of rest?"
"The first I've had in a while," the priest admitted. "As I suspected, the dreams plague us no more. I've even heard our healer is once more on his feet. Our high priestess is still tired as yet, but I assume she will be back about her duties in no time. Things return to normal as by the will of Sung..."
Gorath hissed through his teeth at the bowing priest. "Like all priests, you credit those who watch and not those who do."
Snapping abruptly upright, a hurt look glowered in Kellan's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"He means," Owyn interjected, "that we found the person responsible for the dream sendings. There was a moredhel magician and we took care of the problem."
Sensing that the boy might go too far in his glory hounding, Locklear seized Owyn's arm in a tight grip. "Please forgive my companions for their outbursts. They have been on the road for quite some time and have forgotten their manners."
"No apology is necessary," the priest said, removing Locklear's grip on Owyn's arm. "They are quite proper in asking acknowledgement. How may I reward you?"
"Do you have any spells I might learn?" Owyn interjected. Seeing the anger flaring in the seigneur's eyes, he quickly amended, "If there are other magicians like them, it might be prudent for us to be better prepared to meet the challenge."
Kellan nodded. "I have one such spell I can teach you that will allow you to protect yourselves. If the others will stay here?"
Fuming, Locklear nodded his reluctant assent, taking a seat next to the reflection pool, motioning for Gorath to do likewise. Wordlessly, both sat down and prepared for a long wait.
After several hours Owyn returned, a light smile flickering on his lips, but in the intervening time, Locklear's anger had not abated. Thanking the priest as graciously as he could, Locklear turned and stormed from the temple's courtyard, his charges following quickly behind him.
FIRST VISIT (if Nago already dead):
Locklear asked to see the high priestess.
"She can't see you." Turning, they noticed another, hawkish looking priest half-hidden in the shadows of the colonnade, his eyes rimmed red. He rubbed vigorously at his face before rising to stand next to his fellow priest. "Mariah and I just put her abed about half an hour ago. She awoke screaming this morning."
The two priests exchanged a significant look, but the meaning of it was lost on Locklear. "Is she ill?" he interrupted.
"No, no." the taller priest said with assurance. "It is only a symptom of things that have been going on here for a short while. It will pass."
"You sound very certain, Kellan," the other priest said angrily.
"None of us has slept well in weeks. Our healer is so exhausted that he may not even bind so much as a finger pricked on a spindle! There is something evil at work here."
Bemused, Locklear looked to Kellan. "Why would someone be trying to keep you from sleeping? Who could do it?"
Both priests shrugged. "The purpose is beyond us, but we know that whomever is responsible is a magician and very close by," the shorter priest replied. "I have also sensed in his dream sendings that he has others with him, soldiers perhaps. I don't actually believe he means to communicate with us, but instead with someone far away. Either way, I don't believe any of us shall have an hour's rest until he is dead or we've discovered what he wants."
Seeing that Locklear had suddenly grown silent, the priests asked what was the matter. Quickly Locklear explained about their encounter with the moredhel spellcaster Nago and the fact that he was very probably the cause of their previous distress.
"But this is wonderful news," Kellan said, clapping his hands. Things will improve here once we have all gotten our sleep. Perhaps our healer is already rested. He might be able to bind your wounds if you were injured."
"We shall also see you rewarded," the other priest insisted, despite Locklear's persistent shaking of his head.
"Do you have any spells I might learn?" Owyn interjected. Seeing the anger flaring in the seigneur's eyes, he quickly amended, "If there are other magicians like them, it might be prudent for us to be better prepared to meet the challenge."
Kellan nodded. "I have one such spell I can teach you that will allow you to protect yourselves. If the others will stay here?"
Locklear nodded his reluctant assent, taking a seat next to the reflection pool, motioning for Gorath to do likewise. Wordlessly, both sat down and prepared for a long wait, chatting wearily with the other priest of Sung.
After several hours Owyn returned, a light smile flickering on his lips. "A wonderful spell," he whispered in Locklear's ear. "I can't wait to try it out in practice."
"Don't be too eager," Locklear shot back. "I'm not quite in the mood to run across another moredhel any time soon."
Thanking the priests for their kind reward, Locklear turned and escorted his companions out of the courtyard.
SUBSEQUENTLY:
Fire was everywhere in the Temple.
In braziers, in pits, in censers; flame seemed to the principle decoration in many of the chambers they were led through on the way to the high priestess. Though by all rights Prandur was the proper god of fire, Locklear mused that Sung could easily claim a right to it by the way her priests and priestesses adorned her temple.
At last they were admitted to a large circular chamber ringed by flaming torches and in which the high priestess was kneeling at an altar of flawless white marble. Rising, she turned to face her guests and dismissed the acolytes who had brought them.
"High priestess," Locklear said with a respectful bow. "We have been on the road for many days and merely wished to express our homage to the goddess. We are in need of whatever luck we might find and whatever wisdom."
A faint look of distress appeared in the woman's green eyes. In reply she said nothing, keeping her gaze fixed intently on Locklear's face.
"Have we given offense?" Locklear asked. "Transgressed in some way?"
Again the priestess said nothing, but touched a hand to her lips and then to her ear, giving the sign that she was mute. Understanding, Locklear bowed again to her and begged forgiveness. "We shall trouble you no further."