Kevin's Watch

[ooc] sorry for any delay on my part. Please allow me to backtrack a little in my narrative. [/ooc]

The battle done, Renard gives a heavy sigh of relief and chuckles thorugh gasps of breath. "Splendid, all! You were magnificent." However a glance over at the farmstead in flames and ruin brings him to a sombre mood.
After the many questions about the attack on the farm, fro his newfound companions, Renard asks the group, "Alas I was not aware of any hooded figure who perhaps started this whole tragedy, but a different question might be asked: 'Why would anyone find it necessary to use such power to do this in the first place?" --- glancing over at the old farmer --- Is there something important about this farm?---" then a slow glance over at Areal "--Or someone on this farm?

Renard lets the question hang if no one offers an immediate suggestion.

Then, as a smile once agian returns to his face, to the farmer he remarks, "But no truer words have been spoken, good sir. Indeed the comforts of a warm inn are needed presently."

Tänya:

"Is there anyone here who needs healing before going to the church and seeking the help of the clerics? Renard?

With a slight, humble bow"Ah, dear flower of nature, I would consider it a most kindly gift to receive such attentions from you."
Tänya:

She offers her arm once again to the bard, and she winks at him as a golden light suffuses his touch while she mumbles a few words under her breath. With a sideways glance, she said, "It is not much, as your wounds are more serious than minor, but it is all I can do for now and will offer a slight relief. Should you desire the same later, as of now I can offer this once more.

"With such a promise, I will certainly hold the possibility of recieveing future grievous wounds with less trepidation." And returns her smile on their way back to the inn.

"Oh! Thanks to the blessing of Solaris I have found you!"
The man is a tall muscular man. He wears golden armor with the holy symbol of Solaris on his breast plate. A shield is on his left arm and a long sword is fastened on his belt.
He has white brillant hair and grey eyes. He's good looking man indeed.
In some way he reminds you of Arael.

"Are you all voluntarily answering the call of the gods?" he asked smiling to the group.

Tänya:

as the man in golden armor approaches and addresses them, Tänya lightly touches her own wooden symbol. Then releasing Renard's hold on her arm, she lowers her hood so the laurelin leaves on her brow glow in the moonlight. Striding towards the man with her staff raised above her head in her left arm, she grasps it in the middle so it tilts at a 45° angle above her and stops 5 feet away, with her legs slightly apart.

"I answer."

Momentarily taken aback by the seemingly continuous flow of strange events, Renard watches Tänya commit herself to the words of the priest of Solaris, and continues to wonder about how much trouble he has a tendancy to get in when he goes on impulse. He logically contemplates all the pros and cons of throwing himself in to such a 'pledge' for about 1/12th of a second---
"As do I."
A somewhat sheepish grin comes over his lips as he looks arond at the others.
"Who am I to deny the gods?...."
<bigger charming smile>

....

Raising a sardonic eyebrow, the half-elf asked, "And what call would that be stranger?"

Hurrying to catch up with the others and tell them of his discovery about the animals, Thonunian hears the tall man's question.

Ah, crud... I was hoping that they would just forget about me... the gods are watching you... That was certainly a messenger of one of the gods... if I refuse or show my reluctance, I might be punished sometime later...

Trying to look relatively calm, he says, "Yes, I was contacted too, and I will help."

Thonunian:

Trying to look relatively calm, he says, "Yes, I was contacted too, and I will help."

("contacted too"?, wonders Renard...)
A slight look of confusion only lasts but a moment on Renard's face as the notion of 'coincidence' and 'fate' taking stabs at 'free will' and 'choice', bring a comforting grin to him.
After a moment of thought, a song crosses Renard's mind and then passes across his lips:

There are those who think that life
Has nothing left to chance
With a host of holy horrors
To direct our aimless dance

A planet of playthings
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
The stars arent aligned ---
Or the gods are malign
Blame is better to give than receive

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path thats clear
I will choose free will.

"...whatever it may be, let us be guided by it and it's contradiction."

And somewhere he finds mirth in his own words to bring out warm laugh.

[ooc]
*jumping up and down*
...a bard with excellent musical taste...
[/ooc]

Mephiston wrote: "Are you all voluntarily answering the call of the gods?" he asked smiling tot he group.

Atrus shrugs. "I follow the breeze and the whim of my sword. For the time, it seems to have aligned with these fellows as well. But it may not always."

[ooc]I appreciated Renard song! [/ooc]

"Very well, i think you all will be confused... who called me? which god? you are asking i suppose..."
The man says

"Follow me and you will have the answers, the rest can wait... we have more important things to do. First of all we have to go to the old ruins near the village. There the evil dwells and we have to destroy it in order to purify those lands from the touch of the darkness... I will support you in many ways. I'm powerful and of course i have the light on my side! Solaris will help us! Trust me and the glory will be ours!"
He says. then he moves heading east, toward the old runs you all never seen.

Follow me and you will have the answers, the rest can wait...

Relaxing by a fire with warm company for some wine and song 'can wait'?... <shrug> "So be it, Learned of Solaris." Then withdrawing a fine pewter flask, he removes the cap. "But at least while we follow and learn more we can toast ourselves and that road which our feet find themselves upon."
And Renards passes the flask to Tänya and urges all to take a sip <it is a nice, demure elvin wine.>

Bowing toward the human bard who showed excellent taste in both song and drink, Tänya relished her first refreshment after battle then passed the flask on to Thonunian and followed after the man.

Tänya's eye widened as the old stone circle came into view. Pursing her lips, she whistled the song of the nightingale into the night. An answering whinny responded from up ahead, and she visibly relaxed.

[ooc]gah...I'm a fool.
I need to remember we have skill checks for a reason...[/ooc]

[When the man starts explaining why we have been brought to the stone circle, do Sense Motive please]

Thonunian looks at the man leading them to the circle (Before we actually leave town!). "If we are to clear an area of evil, we shall probably receive harm. Since we have just come from a battle, and if you truly serve Solaris as you claim, you should be willing to let us stop at the temple and have our wound healed. We were going to wait until tomorrow, but with another fight coming..."

At some point on the walk he says the following to everyone except the man leading them, whether that requires merely speaking quieter, or talking to all five of them individually. "Those undead beasts we fought were purposefully animated by means of a spell cast on black opals inside each of their bodies. I thought it would be best to leave them there until we can be sure that they will not curse us."

Mephiston wrote:"Follow me and you will have the answers, the rest can wait... we have more important things to do. First of all we have to go to the old ruins near the village. There the evil dwells and we have to destroy it in order to purify those lands from the touch of the darkness... I will support you in many ways. I'm powerful and of course i have the light on my side! Solaris will help us! Trust me and the glory will be ours!"
He says. then he moves heading east, toward the old runs you all never seen.

"Good, evil. It's mostly the same. Both result in battle. And in battle, there comes wealth and glory." He looks to the Winged man.

"I follow only for the former. What sort of wealth can expect in these 'ruins'?"

"I know that you are distrustful... but you must trust me. I will heal you once we will be in the old ruins... The evil is there! we can't wait!"

He said nervously.

"We can't bother the poor clerics of solaris during the night! Are you all with me?"

Tänya's eyes opened wide. She shifted her gaze between the man and her quarterstaff, which once again started burning in her hand, as it did when she received the sending on her journey to Pan Town. If she only knew what it meant!!

But, she perceived enough to go no further with this man, for now. At least until she was back to full strength herself. The Kind One had sent a warning regarding him, and she did not trust him at all!

Relinquishing Renard's hold on her arm, she made a decision. Leaving the party behind, she ran as fast as she could on her own towards the stone circle. She needed to get to Solana, before anything else possibly did...!

[spot, listen, and search checks once Tänya arrives in the circle, if there is time, and if something is happening to Solana, handle animal as well, please]

Tänya wrote:Tänya's eyes opened wide. She shifted her gaze between the man and her quarterstaff, which once again started burning in her hand, as it did when she received the sending on her journey to Pan Town. If she only knew what it meant!!

But, she perceived enough to go no further with this man, for now. At least until she was back to full strength herself. The Kind One had sent a warning regarding him, and she did not trust him at all!

Seeing Tänya's reaction, Thonunian looks surprised and considers what they had just heard.

[ooc]Sense Motive check on both what the man has already said and on his response please. If there is something to be worried about, I want Thonunian to know about it.[/ooc]

"So, man of Solaris. I can well understand not wanting to disturb the clerics, but if you can heal us, I would like it if you would do so before we get to where there may be a battle."

Atrus scratched his week old beard thoughtfully.

"Sorry, mate. I only work for cash up front. Unless you've got payment now, I'll wait till morning. After all, free nights at taverns don't happen every day."

"in the name of Solaris! you are bothering me! i will give you all the support when we will reach the old ruins! you can leave the party when you want, but do you care the will of the gods i represent?"
he glances at Thonunian severely

Mephiston wrote:"in the name of Solaris! you are bothering me! i will give you all the support when we will reach the old ruins! you can leave the party when you want, but do you care the will of the gods i represent?"
he glances at Thonunian severely

This man does not seem at all like a follower of Solaris. I thought they were supposed to be helpful and peaceful, not arrogant!

Putting his hand on the handle of his sword, Thonunian declares, "I'm not going any farther with you until you explain what is at the ruins and why you don't even seem like a normal follower of Solaris, let alone a cleric! I'm tempted to think that you are a worshiper of a different god disguised as one of Solaris' followers in order to make us less suspicious!"

"ihihihhi that is really fun! Yes yes fun indeed!!!!"
Balpur says.

"You, young elf... you should keep your mouth close! My friends! he's fool! don't listen his words! follow me to bring the justice!"

The goblin seems interested in helping this man... is it because he knows him and wants him to succeed, or does he merely want to get to where he can fight some more?

[ooc]Sense Motive on Balpur as well.[/ooc]

Thonunian holds his ground and glares at both the old warrior and Balpur.