Action thread: Corporal play-in

[MetroMagic]

The Corporal's latest Ghoul spawn had just accomplished its grisly mission. He had just moved again to a new city, unwanted in the previous one like so many before. The underside of the newest one was like home to him, unfamiliar in its particular warren of alleys and sewers, but familiar in its beggars hiding behind the trash bins of well stocked inn kitchens and its roving bands of ill-washed thugs taking what they could find from unwary passers-by before disappearing into shadows. His first target was the band that was snatching young girls off the street in twos and threes, and selling them to the slave trade.

The Corporal couldn't understand why parents allowed their teens, and younger, to walk unprotected, trusting to numbers for safety; they just made a conveniently larger target for the gangs. The children reminded him of his own daughters, their faces dim in his memory from so long ago but still the brightest spot in the long years of darkness.

It was easy enough to capture a few of the thugs and create his special friends from them, who turned on their gangs and ripped them apart, then dying again alongside the remains of the rest of the evil crews. Within a week his work in this city was almost done; the slave trade slowed to a trickle and the professional slavers moved on to another city because business was so poor, and street crime was cut off. As usual, by now the local constabulary was looking for a monster whose description was uncomfortably close to his own, to account for a string of disappearances and deaths among the city's lowlife. A few would not have been missed, and a few more would not have been lamented, but when all of them disappeared in a week's time and the bulk of them turned up dead, the local authorities were pressed into action by fearful citizens. They didn't know they had nothing to fear from him.

The alley behind the Temple of Wee Jas had been his sanctuary, his usual place of hiding; he often sought them out in a new city. With the temple's sympathies and understandings about the value of Law and Death, which were also his two main interests, they were worthy of the donations he left quietly in the collections box, taken from the pockets of his evil and lawless victims. He couldn't return the coins and other treasure to the rightful victims; he didn't know who they were, and they would not have wanted a visit from him even if he did. The Temple was the next best thing, and so in the last week their collections had swelled to hundreds of gold pieces, and gems and jewelry of no real use to him had found their way into the box as well. Of course this had been noticed, but by that time his work was done and he was ready to leave.

It was twilight on the ninth day, the third three. All things in threes, so the saying went, and so it was the day to leave. A single bright cloud hung in the sky as the sun slipped behind the distant hills beyond the city walls. The Corporal had just begun gathering his few things and considering which road out of town to take, planning to jump the wall and cut back to the road out of sight, soon after the Watch closed the gates. The temple door to the alley opened and a figure in a Priest's robe came out carrying a sack of trash, walking to the bin. The Corporal melted back into the shadows, gathering the dusk around him like a blanket of darkness, dark gray against black.

The Priest looked right at him, hiding in the darkness, and opened the trash sack. Inside the sack, jewels sparkled in the fading light, glinting in deep reds and purples like the sky overhead. These are from you. Wee Jas thanks you.

The Priest gestured toward the temple. I am given the task of rewarding you for your help in restoring Law to this city. You have done more in a week than we have been able to do in a year. I have watched you; you know how to use Death to favor Law, and favor Wee Jas with treasure from it. Few understand this, but you are a treasure that Wee Jas understands, even if the mortal laws in this city do not.

The Corporal had his methods to know the truth from people, often terrorizing it from them; he knew its signs. The Priest spoke truth, a message of understanding that awoke feelings in the Corporal that he thought long dead along with everything else about him. He was being honored.

Will you accept the help that Wee Jas has to offer? I am to offer you gifts from Wee Jas that few are permitted to receive, to help you in your work. I can see plainly that you are on your way from here, and will not detain you long, but will you come inside to privacy, please, and allow me to give you these gifts?

Turning toward the door, the Priest said over his shoulder, You need not speak if you wish to remain silent. I will take it for your assent to receive the help of Wee Jas' gifts if you will but come inside to the altar, where I have already made preparations. There is no one here but you and me. I have sent home the rest of the staff, and locked the front door to keep us private. You may lock this door behind us; here is the key for your hand. Then you may lock me in after we are done so that you know I cannot get out until you are gone. I know you can kill me where I stand; you are far more powerful than I in your ability to kill, but I sense I have nothing to fear from you. I swear by the Sacred Law of Wee Jas that I will not harm you and that only help will come to you by my hands this night. Will you trust me and come in, to accept it? I would serve you out here and not ask you to come in except for the possibility of prying eyes, and because the things I need to give your gifts are within.

The Corporal can feel the honor and bravery radiating from this man, who is putting his life at risk to follow Wee Jas' instructions. By the Corporal's standards, the Priest must be one of the worthiest men in the city... and the Priest is safe from the Corporal's Hunger, at least for tonight, because the eating has been bountiful this week.

An interesting turn of events, quite unexpected!

The Priest goes in and then stops to wait, holding the door open for The Corporal to enter; he holds out the key to the back door for The Corporal to take.

[lgallindo]

The Priest goes in and then stops to wait, holding the door open for The Corporal to enter; he holds out the key to the back door for The Corporal to take.

After a small gasp of suprise, I step out of the shadowy corner looking at the priest. I slowly grab the key and take a look in the surroundings, to make sure that nothing will interfere in whathever gift Wee Jas is going to bestow on me. I take the lead and say: Let's move on, honored priest.

I'm going in and closing the door behind us.

[MetroMagic]

The Priest follows The Corporal down the rear hallway as the door lock clicks shut behind them, passing storage rooms, a small kitchen, a privy to the city sewers, and more storage.

I suppose the key was symbolic in a sense; the door lock has a safety spring so we are now secure, he says, but you have the key to unlock it and let yourself out as you choose. My name is Τάξη as given me by Wee Jas.

They emerge from the rear door of the sanctuary into the spacious front room of the temple. It is a perfect octagon at its edge. Seats are arranged concentrically in a large perfect octagon at the outside, containing a smaller one, containing another, and so on, with eight single seats arranged innermost and an octagonal altar at the exact center. Hanging above the altar is the temple's prize possession, a huge Modronic timepiece, always perfectly accurate, its rotating, beautiful geometric parts gleaming within a red transparent case that is decorated to look like a flaming red skull.

The Prime Temple in Sigil is favored to be strongly allied with Modron, the Priest says, and so we are favored here with one of their beautiful Clocks. He points up at it proudly. Its Magic is a Force of Law; can you not feel it? Focusing on the Clock, the Corporal realizes that indeed, he does sense something; a feeling of orderliness permeates the room. Not a speck of dust can be seen anywhere. The chairs stand in perfect symmetry around the altar. High windows and mirrors in the dome overhead let in the remaining light from the sky, but the mirrors distribute it evenly in a shadowless sunset glow throughout.

The Priest brings the Corporal to the altar and, opening a small section outward seats the Corporal inside the circle of polished white stone, his breath now at a slow, even pace, in, out, and now keeping his silence as the sky and the room darken. The Corporal, of course, is not breathing at all, and no moon disturbs the descent of night.  Then the Priest begins.

Creature of Night, be welcome before Wee Jas, thou art Orderer of Death to give Law where Chaos reigned. I name you its Hero.

The Priest begins a series of rhythmic chants, reading from a thick book richly bound in leather and edged in gold, already set open on a stand in the altar. Wisps of Magic trail from its pages like glowing, smoky tendrils in the darkness. He sings praises of Wee Jas and of the mission to bring Order to all worlds, and then, prescribed greetings and preliminaries complete, he begins to inscribe geometric runes on the altar around the Corporal, chanting over each one. Among them are runes that stand for Honor, for Heroism, for succor to the allies of Wee Jas, for abandonment of Fear, for receiving the Power that turns back Darkness, for giving of Life, for giving of Death.

The Priest pours from a flask of Water shining with its own Light onto the lines of the runes; they are not washed away but take on its glow as he continues his chants, his voice deepening, reverberating in the chamber, as he invokes the Magic of Wee Jas to instill these gifts. At first the Corporal almost feels the prickle of Holiness from it, like a Turning, but that sensation never reaches pain; instead it begins curiously muted, and then changes...

...changes as the Priest's chanting reaches a crescendo:

I name you Ήρωας του Θανάτου

and the glowing Runes flow from the altar into the Corporal, the prickling turns sweet, then to ecstasy, as the divine Magic, the Holiness of Wee Jas pours into him, driving back the Darkness and filling him with Light.

Timelessness. The Divine Presence of Wee Jas. The fiery red skull. The beatific face of the Priest.

Time passes again. The Corporal, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, felt full of Light when the Gifting finished, but he can feel the Darkness eating at the Light now, only at its edges yet, but he knows, he knows from the spreading Hunger, that it will be upon him again. Not as soon, not nearly so, but it will come.

Moonrise finally has come, and a pale wash lights the Priest's face, still beatific. His voice is soft. Ήρωας του Θανάτου, how do you feel? I researched your situation very carefully, but only you and Wee Jas can know.

Wee Jas has made you a Paladin, and Named you, and so you have a wellspring of Positive Energy within you, a Divine Gift. Such a schism between Light and Darkness could have ruined you but by the Magic of Wee Jas, I also Healed you at the same time, specifically targeted to fusing the two different parts of your being into a whole so that Light is safely a part of you, as much a part as the Darkness of your Undeath. You can no longer be Turned because Light is within you; it cannot be used against you. However, I fear that the evil Priests who command Darkness will still be able to Command you through that Darkness, just as they did before, though you will be able to resist much more strongly; they will have to succeed in controlling your Paladin nature as well as your Undeath.

As all Paladins may do, you may Lay on Hands to bequeath the Life of Positive Energy to others and heal them, but you can only do so while Light overbalances Darkness within you. My poor ability to grant Light to a Paladin, my own weakness of course, not a weakness in Wee Jas!, suffices for the living to bring them a full measure of Light until they spend it in the day's activities. For you, however, your own inner Darkness will consume the Light. You will not experience Hunger for weeks at a time, perhaps, but when it eats enough of the Light and you are left only with the trickle you receive every day, then you will Hunger again. When you Eat, and the Darkness is satisfied by that means, you will have the abundance of Light again for a time after. So how you balance these two very different gifts is a matter in your keeping, as your wisdom and honor dictate.

Those around you will sense the Blessings of Wee Jas upon allies and the Curses upon enemies, just as any Paladin radiates. And perhaps a suitable mount will be attracted to you as to other Paladins; no case such as yours has occurred in archives I could find, so I have no certainty to offer.

The moon is setting, and so night will end soon. But I have one more gift to give. You need more Light within you; perhaps no amount can slake the Darkness fully, and your nature can only tolerate so much, but my research suggested more could be done than I could do; perhaps twice as much, perhaps more.

The Prime Temple in Sigil is also favored with the friendship of a LightMage in the city. When I discussed your case with them, the ArchPriest directed me to send you to them, for them to complete the Gifts from Wee Jas by requesting her aid for you. It is the business of Wee Jas to know about Death and we know that she has helped others in Undeath before by giving them access to Light. If the Prime Temple requests it, the ArchPriest is certain that this LightMage will help you; she owes the ArchPriest many favors because she has used our Prime Temple as a neutral meeting place with an Eryines acquaintance of hers, annually, since she was a little girl.

Since you planned to leave this city anyway, I will send you to the City of Doors to complete these Gifts. I must caution you, I fear that the Darkness otherwise would overcome the Light now in you and much of the benefit will be lost, though not all of it of course, because the Magic of Wee Jas is in you forever. You are much the stronger and so I cannot force you to go, if you instead leave this city for another, on the roads from here. But I urge you to answer the summons of the Prime ArchPriest.

And on all roads you take, you now carry the Magic of Wee Jas to aid you in the work you do. You have already been doing the work of Wee Jas through Death to create Order. You have even been tithing to Wee Jas, more than amply. You even attend the temple more regularly than most, even...

The Priest allows a small smile... if it is only from the rear of the building.

My small role was only to grant you what was rightfully yours, in the eyes of Wee Jas, earned by your own actions over many years.

Your duties as a Paladin of Wee Jas are, quite simply, to continue doing as you have done, thereby doing honor to your Name, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, and the name of Wee Jas. Of course, if you wish to advance your skills beyond that of a beginning Paladin, you may come to any Temple for further instruction, but I leave that too to your wisdom and honor to decide.

[lgallindo]

I suppose the key was symbolic in a sense; the door lock has a safety spring so we are now secure, he says, but you have the key to unlock it and let yourself out as you choose. My name is Τάξη as given me by Wee Jas.

(Thinking) What a exquisite name... Perhaps it means something in the church hierarchies?

Wee Jas has made you a Paladin, and Named you, and so you have a wellspring of Positive Energy within you, a Divine Gift. Such a schism between Light and Darkness could have ruined you but by the Magic of Wee Jas, I also Healed you at the same time, specifically targeted to fusing the two different parts of your being into a whole so that Light is safely a part of you, as much a part as the Darkness of your Undeath. You can no longer be Turned because Light is within you; it cannot be used against you. However, I fear that the evil Priests who command Darkness will still be able to Command you through that Darkness, just as they did before, though you will be able to resist much more strongly; they will have to succeed in controlling your Paladin nature as well as your Undeath.

(Gasp)

As all Paladins may do, you may Lay on Hands to bequeath the Life of Positive Energy to others and heal them, but you can only do so while Light overbalances Darkness within you. My poor ability to grant Light to a Paladin, my own weakness of course, not a weakness in Wee Jas!, suffices for the living to bring them a full measure of Light until they spend it in the day's activities. For you, however, your own inner Darkness will consume the Light. You will not experience Hunger for weeks at a time, perhaps, but when it eats enough of the Light and you are left only with the trickle you receive every day, then you will Hunger again. When you Eat, and the Darkness is satisfied by that means, you will have the abundance of Light again for a time after. So how you balance these two very different gifts is a matter in your keeping, as your wisdom and honor dictate.

(If ghouls could cry, there would be a tear escaping now)

The Prime Temple in Sigil is also favored with the friendship of a LightMage in the city. When I discussed your case with them, the ArchPriest directed me to send you to them, for them to complete the Gifts from Wee Jas by requesting her aid for you. It is the business of Wee Jas to know about Death and we know that she has helped others in Undeath before by giving them access to Light. If the Prime Temple requests it, the ArchPriest is certain that this LightMage will help you; she owes the ArchPriest many favors because she has used our Prime Temple as a neutral meeting place with an Eryines acquaintance of hers, annually, since she was a little girl.

Since you planned to leave this city anyway, I will send you to the City of Doors to complete these Gifts. I must caution you, I fear that the Darkness otherwise would overcome the Light now in you and much of the benefit will be lost, though not all of it of course, because the Magic of Wee Jas is in you forever. You are much the stronger and so I cannot force you to go, if you instead leave this city for another, on the roads from here. But I urge you to answer the summons of the Prime ArchPriest.

I bow myself in front of him, almost falling to my knees. It has been many years since anyone, including myself, considered my actions correct, let alone the actions of a holy warrior! I think 'the forms must be obeyed, soldier', and say without looking: "I am most honored by your gifts this night, and I will not fail Wee Jas."

Standing up and regaining composure, I pause a moment to think. Too much information. Last time I was in Sigil I was a foot soldier, without time to study even the main places of the city. But the Prime Temple should be easy enough to spot... And what to expect of this LightMage? He consorts with Erinyes, not the most pleasant king of women. I ask "And what be the name of this LightMage?".

After the answer... "I will need some help getting to Sigil".

(Thinking)
Perhaps now is the time. The City of Doors is a place where information is easy to find, if you have the right coin. Plenty of mages and mercenaries, some willing to take on a quest of vengeance for a price. But... I never really stood up to the Emperor, always counted on dumb luck. I need more than a brief smile from the goddess, I need a grin from death itself.

[MetroMagic]

The Priest's beatific happiness grows to exultation when The Corporal pledges not to fail Wee Jas; he was certain before of The Corporal's honor and commitment, else he would not have Named him as a Paladin. Yet it was still glorious to hear The Corporal confirm that commitment. And upon The Corporal's question about the LightMage, the Priest nods to himself, and a little tension goes out of him; he apparently trusted that The Corporal would answer the ArchPriest's summons, but was still relieved when The Corporal acknowledged that as well.

I am sorry but the ArchPriest did not mention the name of the LightMage, he says to The Corporal. I only know that she must trust the mage in service to Wee Jas. else she would not risk a new Paladin in the mage's hands. The ArchPriest is a very cautious woman, a careful planner; she has the very challenging task to balance our alliances and keep our position in Sigil secure. I see from your reaction that you have some familiarity with the City of Doors.

I myself spent some time at the Prime as an assisting Priest years ago, before my assignment here, so I have some familiarity with the city. It is a difficult city at best, for those with strong beliefs; even beyond the many churches and temples, its Factions pull in every direction and their Factols, all powerful leaders, are forces in their own right. The ArchPriest did mention that the LightMage was of the Free League, so the mage owes no Faction or church alliance by principle, and may help us as she chooses. At least we are spared the complication of owing favors beyond the mage's own interests.

You may trust the ArchPriest's judgment in this matter. I am sure the LightMage will do what she can to help you, whatever that may be.

I am glad to be here, and leave such matters in the ArchPriest's capable hands. And by the wisdom and grace of Wee Jas, I now realize that I was honored by my assignment here so that I could be the one to bring you your Gifts. It is not every day that a new Paladin is recognized, and even rarer for one such as yourself, who earns such honor through such tragedy.

The Priest favors The Corporal with another smile and, well aware of The Corporal's propensity for casting his eyes down or away, the Priest anticipates him and tilts his own head so that he looks deeply into The Corporal's eyes.

I thank you for accepting the Gifts of Wee Jas, thereby honoring me as the giver.

After a moment the Priest breaks the intense gaze, giving The Corporal the privacy of his thoughts.

As to aiding you in reaching Sigil, I planned to send you there myself after the Lighting Ceremony was complete and you accepted your charge.

The Priest guides The Corporal back to the center of the altar and seats him again. He sets a large, thin crystal bowl on the altar, and pours some Water from the flask into it. Then he takes a tuning fork from a gold-trimmed soft pouch at his belt. The fork takes on a deep silvery shine in the wash of moonlight and the Light from the Water in the bowl. The Corporal recognizes that deep silvery color: Mithril.

The Priest says, When I nod, cup both hands around the bowl at the same time, and you shall be sent there, by the Magic of Wee Jas.

The Priest settles The Corporal's pack and other belongings securely in The Corporal's lap, to keep his hands free for the bowl.

The Priest taps the tines of the fork gently against the altar and then holds the base of the fork against the bowl gently between two fingers. The bowl begins to hum and then chime, as the Priest adds Water very slowly, until the bowl rings with resonance. Concentric circles dance from the center of the Water, then as the Priest chants softly, his voice coming in tune with the bowl's pure single note, the dancing circles in the water turn to standing waves.

In that moment the Priest nods. The Corporal's hands cup the bowl. The single note sings into him, and a blindingly intense thrill jolts through his hands into him as the bowl seems to expand in his view; he is falling into the center of the circles of Water; he is beneath the Water in a crystal world; he is sitting at an altar in a darkened room. There is no moonlight, no Priest, only a word lingering soft in his memory of the church: Faretheewell.

A woman's voice behind him, strong, sure, brings him back to his senses. Ήρωας του Θανάτου. It is well that you have answered my summons to come to the Prime. I am Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης, ArchPriest of Prime, in service to Wee Jas.

The Corporal's eyes function as well in darkness as most other's in light; she is a human, tall, perhaps 50 years old by her look, dark hair closely framing a chiseled face, in a rich red high-collared robe heavily embroidered with gold and closed with clasps of ruby. A gold collar of eight broad links drapes her neck, and ends in a pendant of ruby, a skull in flame ornately carved from a single large piece. A bulky man stands at her right, broad red gauntleted armor gleaming with its own light in the darkness, immaculate; a two-handed sword is at his back.

She continues, warm but businesslike, This is my Weapons Master, and Keeper of the Armory. He shall outfit you, as befits a Paladin of Wee Jas, and then one of our Acolytes will show you the way to where you must go. Haste is not in order, nor is there time to linger. I do not desire for you to experience your Hunger while you are in Prime.

The ArchPriest spreads her arms in a wide, open palm gesture.

I welcome you to the service of Wee Jas, Ήρωας του Θανάτου on behalf of all servants in Prime. We are always honored by the presence of a Paladin.

The she gathers herself, and returns to the businesslike tone. Once the LightMage performs her service, we will evaluate her report of your situation and establish proper conditions for your safe return here, if your path leads you to us again. Know that you are always welcome, however, whatever your condition. You will not be sent away. I have contingency plans to deal with circumstances that may arise should you return to us in a dangerous condition, that will assure the stewardship of all; stewardship for you at Prime is equally my responsibility as is that for all others here.

She gestures for The Corporal to stand. The Weapons Master, a huge man with severe eyes but a warm smile, nods silently to her as if acknowledging her implied dismissal. A darkened archway leads to stairs descending through the stone tiled floor; he inclines his head in that direction.

The ArchPriest pauses for a moment before turning to go. If you have any matters that you would like to discuss with me, please make an appointment with my Secretary. I will schedule time for you before you leave, if you need it. That will give you the opportunity to organize your thoughts before we meet. The Weapons Master will guide you back to her if you so require. He nods again, and she leaves through another archway, sweeping quickly up a flight of stairs.

As soon as she is out of sight, the Weapons Master grins. Our Lady is the essence of efficient order. She sets an example for all of us. Welcome, Ήρωας του Θανάτου. I'm told you're a man of action. I think you're going to enjoy this part of your visit.

[lgallindo]

As soon as she is out of sight, the Weapons Master grins. Our Lady is the essence of efficient order. She sets an example for all of us. Welcome, Ήρωας του Θανάτου. I'm told you're a man of action. I think you're going to enjoy this part of your visit.

Before the ArchPriest leaves, I give her a small but clear reverence, making sure I understood her ways - efficiency first.

After she's out of sight, I look to the Weapons Master in the eyes, give him a smug grin, and motion to the stairs. Show me what you've got.

While we proceed, I carefully ask him about the temple and his work, trying to be friendly. If he answer in a friendly way, I ask him what he knows about the ArchPriest, of the LightMage and of Erinyes ( the character still isn't comfortable with the idea of demons in temples).

[MetroMagic]

The ArchPriest? She appreciates the order of our well-run organization, of course, as do all in service to Wee Jas. Even more so at Prime. The Weapons Master gives The Corporal a side-long glance, checking for agreement.

As to the LightMage, I don't know much of her personally beyond the formal investigation. I met her briefly as part of the ArchMage's Council to evaluate the safety of Prime with respect to any threats she might represent. Her name at that time was Star Feather, as a child, and now she is Dr. Star Feather. She took her Doctorate at The Great Atlantean University and Library, in the Astral Plane, where she is a professor. She comes from a respectable family. Her father, Dr. Vita Feather, and her mother, Dr. Corona Feather, are both Department Chairs at the University. The ArchPriest has known the father professionally for some time, and thinks well of them.

One of our warrior priests, Ordo, knows Dr. Feather fairly well. However, he is away on an errand and is not expected till the day after tomorrow.

As to the results of the investigation, Dr. Feather is banned from the interior of Prime unless we have sufficient prior notice to put away our Clocks from Modron. She seems to have some temporary deleterious effect on them that clears up when she is gone, which should not be possible. The Modron have refused to comment on it; they did not even acknowledge our question, in the manner of someone who dispenses with the uncreditable. You are instructed not to invite Dr. Feather inside here without making an appointment, and you should have a good reason to inconvenience Prime when you do. We have determined that if she stays at the bottom of the steps leading inside, there is no problem. Of course when she and the Eryines visit together, they come inside, but that is only once per year, and it was freely offered by Ordo, in part to be responsible for a young child, and in part to obligate her to us. Both purposes were judged successful by the ArchPriest; Ordo was commended.

As to the Eryines, she is a Lawful creature by nature, and so she is welcome here, so long as she does not pose a threat to anyone in the stewardship of the ArchPriest. Eryines are honorable; they hold to the letter of their word. They are not Demons, who can never be trusted no matter what assurances they offer; they are Devils and would suffer greatly at the hands of their own kind if they were to break a bargain and risk the reputation of all.

The Weapons Master and the Corporal reach a wide pair of heavy, locked iron-bound doors. He unlocks one and invites the Corporal inside.

Armor and weapons of all shapes and sizes are neatly hung throughout the large hall. Gleaming metal is everywhere; each piece is immaculate, in perfect repair, and highly polished.

Find things that fit you and seem well balanced in your hands. We'll start with size and heft, then move on to the particular properties of Magic of Wee Jas that are appropriate to your station as a Paladin.

The Weapons Master waves around the room, then points at two other doors. These are mundane; those have the Magic of Wee Jas. In the room to the left the items are also Aligned. You will not go in those yet; they are dangerous without proper supervision. Try what is in here first. Take your time; we have thirty-two minutes before the ArchPriest would be ready to receive you again. He consults a timepiece as he speaks, a glowing red skull design in a perfect sphere filled with geometric shapes. It seems like a miniature version of the large Modronic Clock the Corporal saw in the first church.

Looking around the room, the Corporal begins to browse. Virtually everything is decorated with the Holy Symbol of Wee Jas, and has geometric, octagonal designs on it.

(click to show/hide)

Armor, weapons. What would you like as a Paladin? Also, as you probably figured out, take L1 in Paladin for free; your history earned it. See

http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/SRD:Paladin

Briefly, +1 to Base Attack Bonus. +2 to FORT. Detect Evil. Aura of Good, which I play stronger, as a blessing of +2 to AC, +2 to Attack, +2 to all Saves, for allies in 10' radius. Everyone around you can feel the warmth of its blessing.

Two other class features work ONLY when your Light is stronger than your Darkness:
Smite Evil 1 time per day
Lay on Hands, HP=L times CHA bonus (I play that this starts at L1, not L2; of course it's tiny HP at L1)

The Paladin L1 is after the L comments we discussed earlier: apothecary, ghoul. Those were history; this seems to be future direction for someone who wants to raise and lead an army!

[lgallindo]

The ArchPriest? She appreciates the order of our well-run organization, of course, as do all in service to Wee Jas. Even more so at Prime. The Weapons Master gives The Corporal a side-long glance, checking for agreement.

I nod, in openly agreement. Devotion to order is why I'm in here, after all.

As to the LightMage, I don't know much of her personally beyond the formal investigation... She took her Doctorate at The Great Atlantean University and Library, in the Astral Plane, where she is a professor. She comes from a respectable family. Her father, Dr. Vita Feather, and her mother, Dr. Corona Feather, are both Department Chairs at the University.One of our warrior priests, Ordo, knows Dr. Feather fairly well. However, he is away on an errand and is not expected till the day after tomorrow.

Good, it sounds like someone experienced and smart. May I visit the University? Anyway, I am really relieved the ArchPriest is confident about this Feather family. I commit the names to memory and smile at the Weapons Master.

She seems to have some temporary deleterious effect on them that clears up when she is gone, which should not be possible. The Modron have refused to comment on it; they did not even acknowledge our question, in the manner of someone who dispenses with the uncreditable.

I look curious about this, but answer: Understood. Our meeting ground should be elsewhere.
Arcane Knowledge check: Do I know of any magical aura capable of affecting clocks, time dilation or contraction perhaps? Planar Knowledge check: Modron artifacts have known weaknesses?

As to the Eryines, she is a Lawful creature by nature, and so she is welcome here, so long as she does not pose a threat to anyone in the stewardship of the ArchPriest. Eryines are honorable; they hold to the letter of their word.

The letter of the law is not the spirit of the law. I'm not fully comfortable with this yet, but I will not let him notice that, so I remain silent. Armor and weapons...

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Armor:
I put in his equipment list a Darkleaf banded mail from Eberron. Wee Jas can make it a Darkleaf Full Plate +5, can't she?
What are the odds of a Animated Heavy Shield with some enhacement bonus?

Weapons:
Are we playing Wee Jas as strict Lawful Neutral, or she may gave Good leanings? If Good leaning, I wan't a Holy Avenger!
Secondary weapon: a Frost Brand Greatsword with Icy Burst for the minty flavor. Tertiary weapon: Biggest crossbow available, magical if possible.

[MetroMagic]

The Weapons Master watches attentively as the Corporal wheels around in the center of the room, eyeing the equipment, and then immediately walks over to the collection of plate mail in the heavy armor section, on one of the eight walls in the room and begins fingering the material of the banded mail and plate mail suits. All are metal; none look like the dark-colored, highly polished wood the Corporal is wearing, but then a deep bronze one catches his eye as the closest to his color scheme. It feels surprisingly light, much lighter than he expected, though still heavier than his own.

Try on a few for size and feel, the Weapons Master tells him. The Corporal quickly sheds his own armor with a brief, expert assist from the Weapons Master, pulls down the upper pieces of one of the plate mail suits, and shrugs into them. The Weapons Master studies him for a moment. Swing your arms, he commands. Nope, not too tight in the shoulders, trim-looking if it was just for show, I'll concede that, but not enough freedom to swing well. Try this one. He lifts the first one off, re-hangs it, and helps the Corporal into the next one on the wall. Swing. Ah, that's it. Your taste runs to plate mail, is it? Good. Now some weapons. The Corporal starts to take off the plate, but the Weapons Master stops him. Leave it on, he orders. You'll need to choose a weapon that feels comfortable swinging it while wearing plate mail. Banded, like  you were wearing, and plate... they fight a little differently, as you'll find out. No sense in beginning with a mismatch. Remember to get yourself a sparring partner before you need your equipment in a real fight, he warns. I would train you myself, but you're on a timetable. We need to finish in here before going to the inner rooms with gear holding the Magic of Wee Jas. He consults his timepiece again, and they press on.

The Weapons Master leads the Corporal back to the center of the room to view all of the long walls of weapons at once, and after a few moments, the Corporal goes toward the wall of swords, in the section holding greatswords. He takes down one, swings, puts it back, tries two more, now realizing that these may not be final choices. The first one felt heavy in the tip, and the second seemed too short for the length of armor cladding his arms as he wrapped both hands around the greatsword's big hilt. The third was balanced nicely and gave excellent reach. The hilt was long, giving comfortable room to hold it, but not too long for quickness of swing. The Weapons Master grins at him. Ah. All things in threes, I guess. Except in here: eights. Nice balance, easy, quick swing. I can see you like it. Good. He takes the sword and hangs it up again. I know just the one, pointing at the left-hand door. Its size and balance are much like this and the grip is almost exactly the same. I've tested all of these weapons personally, otherwise they wouldn't be hanging here.

Back at the center of the room, the Corporal hesitates, looking around for a distance weapon. There are few: a section of throwing hammers and axes, a small assortment of javelins and spears, and a larger section of bows of various types, not nearly the size of the assortment of hand-to-hand weapons, but still adequate. The Weapons Master's personal stamp on the room has become obvious. The Corporal hesitates again, then moves off toward the crossbows. The Weapons Master's face darkens momentarily, then clears. He shakes himself a bit. Well, there's no harm in carrying a crossbow, much the wiser choice to have the option... even though a Paladin, especially, is expected to close with his opponent rather than taking the safe way out. I always prefer the charge, myself, so I can cut my opponent to ribbons in a trice instead of wearing him down like a pincushion, but sometimes they are cowardly and run. Then you have to pin them in place first. Go ahead, choose one; it's best to have one. The Corporal had stopped in his tracks, not wanting to offend the Weapons Master, or seem cowardly, but the Weapons Master gives a short bark of laughter, scans the wall and takes a crossbow from it, and sights along it. True as the day I hung it up. Try this one, it's a Quickload. A mechanical military marvel. He smiles at his own poetic turn of phrase.

Light and flexible, not stiff at all, with a sturdy loading crank that turns like lightning. The Corporal finds it very pleasing indeed.

Good: Armor. Sword. Bow. Let's move on to the Aligned room, I think, for a Paladin. The Weapons Master leads the way to the left-hand door and unlocks it. You'll want to stay away from the right-hand side of the room; you'll feel it. Especially the far right corner, those weapons won't like you and you won't like them: Chaos and Evil mixed. We keep a few of them for practice sessions, and because some have special properties. The Corporal sees a collection of weapons in the far right corner in a matte black finish, beautifully sculpted, with wicked sawblade teeth along their seemingly straight edges... hundreds of tiny razor corners on each blade, ripping tools instead of slicing. On a big broadsword, he can make out that the decorative markings running down the center of the double-edged sawblade are a pattern of spiders. Best not to go into that corner. Turning his attention to the left, he sees the Weapons Master is already at the far left wall of the octagonal room, at the diagonally opposite corner of the room directly across from the matte black weapons, lifting down a glittering greatsword, inspecting it. It seems to be made of solid gold, without other ornamentation. Octagon patterns run the entire length of the blade, and the grip is octagonal rather than cylindrical. The Corporal hurries over to him.

Ah, here it is. Almost identical hilt grip, same length in the hilt, same length in the blade. An even broader blade but with the Magic of Wee Jas, lighter overall. So it has the same balance as the one that fit you in the outer room, but a quicker swing. And the octagonal grip holds better in your hands than a rounded one, it won't slip. Perfect; try this! The Corporal locks his hands around the hilt, and the blade pulses in his hands, blazing into Light! He swings, leaving an arc of afterimage hanging in the air. The sword feels like a feather in his hands; he could swing it all day without tiring.

A Paladin's sword, the Weapons Master says. It is as strong as your Faith. We like it that way. Especially the ArchPriest, she likes the wisdom of the Gift; it's the incentive from Wee Jas for you to grow your Faith through worthy deeds. This goes with you. Now for the armor.

The Weapons Master leads the Corporal to a suit with a complex of interlocking pieces. In deep burnished brass, it looks much like the one outside. The Corporal pushes back disappointment; it didn't seem to compare to his own armor. Then the Weapons Master steps past it, to two suits of gold, with the same complexity of interlocking pieces, one larger, one smaller. They too have no other ornamentation except for the Holy Symbol of Wee Jas on front and rear, the Flaming Skull with an octagon inscribed around it. The Weapons Master turns the smaller one this way and that, showing off the features.Now this is Paladin's armor! We don't have that many Paladins, so there isn't much call for it. You truly are Blessed by Wee Jas that we have one on hand. Mithril-reinforced, you see? You could use this for jousting, it's stronger than steel, but with the Magic of Wee Jas in it to eliminate the weight, it isn't too heavy for fighting. It even has protected Potion holders in the gauntlets for quick handling, two on each side, since mailed fingers don't open bottle stoppers easily. The Weapons Master helps him don the suit, making expert adjustments in the straps. It settles onto the Corporal perfectly, and seems to weigh nothing. The bulk of the shape is there to contend with when swinging a weapon, but he doesn't feel slowed at all.

Greatsword. Paladin's armor. An excellent crossbow, for emergencies. I think that is everything, and we have finished exactly on time. The Weapons Master ushers the Corporal from the inner room and the outer one, locking doors behind them. A young man in a tabard, red trimmed with a Flaming Skull inside an octagon on the front, is waiting for them. The Weapons Master briefly introduces them: Ήρωας του Θανάτου, the Secretary to the ArchPriest. Secretary, I request an appointment on the ArchPriest's calendar at her soonest convenience. The Secretary nods and hurries off, wasting no time in conversation but pointing at the Weapons Master and at the Corporal and then holding up six fingers as he goes. The Corporal can see the octagon and skull on the back of the tabard too. The Weapons Master smiles at the efficiency. Six minutes. We have three to walk to her study, and you'll have three more to order your thoughts to ask her what questions you have before we go in. By custom she will have her Council present to send off a churchmember on a mission, so I will attend with you.

The sound of the Secretary scurrying ahead of them fades into the distance, and the rest of the walk up flights of stairs and along halls is in silence, the Weapons Master giving time to the Corporal to reflect and organize. It is clear that the Corporal is expected to be well prepared and to the point. Three minutes later, they pause outside a door of rich dark wood. The Weapons Master consults his timepiece and holds up three fingers.

[MetroMagic]

(click to show/hide)

Masterwork Crossbow +1, Quickload allows two shots just like a regular bow.

Holy Avenger Greatsword +1/+1 per Paladin Level (currently +1/+1 for you). Sheds Positive Energy as Light.

Full Plate: +1 AC and all Saves, by Magic. +9 AC as Mithril-Reinforced Jousting Armor. Weightless; weight penalty, armor check penalty, and DEX limit do not apply but Arcane Spell Failure does. See:

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Armor_Construction_Rules_%283.5e_Variant_Rule%29

[lgallindo]

OOC: I'd like to point that my character is resisting the urge to smile like a little girl in love and hug the Weapons Master.


For the first time in years, I have been treated like a man, and become again a soldier. And a holy soldier, no less! Must calm down... Settle and think... The moment to plan ahead is now...

!
!!
!!!
Too anxious to think!

Well... Is too early to ask her for any help with my personal issues. Let's focus on the mission ahead. I'm just getting in, quickly thanking for the warm welcome and equipment, and asking away what my mission is, and what to expect of this LightMage. All I need is some time to finish my potions to keep the carrion stench away.

OOC: I have 3 infusions per day plus 2 bonus infusions. The three regular infusions are used to make Delay Poison potions. The other two are saved for emergencies.

OCC: It's largely irrelevant to the complete history, but if my character has any clue on which effects could cause the Modron clock to go bananas or about general weaknesses of modron artifacts, I'm using this to try to impress the ArchPriest and later the LightMage.
Arcane Knowledge check result:

Rolled 1d20+17 : 1 + 17, total 18

Planar Knowledge check result:

Rolled 1d20+9 : 10 + 9, total 19

The sound of the Secretary scurrying ahead of them fades into the distance, and the rest of the walk up flights of stairs and along halls is in silence, the Weapons Master giving time to the Corporal to reflect and organize. It is clear that the Corporal is expected to be well prepared and to the point. Three minutes later, they pause outside a door of rich dark wood. The Weapons Master consults his timepiece and holds up three fingers.

[MetroMagic]

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Planar and Arcane Knowledge check results: You recognized the references, and do know a fair amount about them: All Modron products are perfect; by extension their Artifacts are unstoppable. As the dominant, geometric race of The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, or simply Nirvana, the Outer Plane of pure Law, they can't make them any other way.

In the few minutes before the appointed time, the Weapons Master helps the Corporal into his new gold armor; hangs the golden sword at his hip; places the matching octagonal gold shield that hung with the armor, also decorated with skull and circumscribed octagon, in its holder on his back; clips the crossbow behind his other shoulder; and efficiently packs his old belongings into the red leather duffel case trimmed with gold that was the carrying case for the gold armor. The Weapons Master clicks the case flaps closed on their catches, then tightens a strap around the case. The case starts to shrink as the Weapons Master continues to draw the strap,  and in short order is about the size of a small pouch. The Weapons Master grins at him, winds the suddenly diminutive strap around and around, and slides what is now a small red case into a larger gold pouch on the belt of the armor.

The Weapons Master inspects the Corporal with a professionally critical eye. Good; you are presentable to the ArchPriest.

A moment before the three minute mark, the Secretary scurries back into the anteroom, pauses at his desk to consult a clipboard and make a notation, glancing up at the Weapons Master and the Corporal with a nod to confirm their appointment. He rapped once on the door of the Archpriest's study, and at her affirmation swung the door open to admit them, announcing them on the way in.

The study is paneled in a dark marble, reflecting the rosy morning light streaming through the eight high, octogram windows looking down onto the city spires of Sigil. One of the windows looks down directly past the temple spire, the soft red glow from the Skull still visible against the growing light in the sky. Sounds from the early morning bustle in the street below are a faint background to the conversation that has just paused when the Corporal enters.



The ArchPriest is seated behind a large dark marble desk, the top a large rectangle with the corners trimmed to make eight edges. A short, thin human stands gazing intently down onto the street scene below; he is wearing muddy boots and a dark, nondescript cloak with the suggestion of a hilt underneath, and is the first person the Corporal has seen in the building, even in passing, who is not wearing the holy symbols of Wee Jas. The Weapons Master exclaims, Ordo! and rushes to shake the hand of the third person in the room, just under six and a half feet tall; spare and muscular, without an ounce of fat; perfectly symmetrical features; and his blue eyes and brown hair have a slightly metallic sheen. He is wearing a spotless black coat embroidered with eight skulls in ruby-colored thread, with a high, straight collar decorated with three pins, a book, a skull, and a tiny sword cut from ruby. A ruby-hilted sword hangs from his black polished belt. He also has a green phoenix tattooed on the back of his sword hand.

The pins come into focus, and after a moment, the Corporal recalls the symbols from church literature he has seen: Wizard and Cleric, both common for Wee Jas. The ArchPriest herself wears both of those. The third pin was much more rare: a Ruby Knight Vindicator, the elite strikeforce of the church, said to be the deadliest of fighters. Thinking back, the Corporal realizes with a small shock that the only other one he had ever seen, other than in books, is the one the Weapons Master himself is wearing; he is in the presence of two Ruby Knight Vindicators of Wee Jas.

Not wishing to take time from the meeting, the Weapons Master quickly turns attentively to the ArchPriest. She rises, smiling, and beckons to him to stand close, directly in front of her. Ήρωας του Θανάτου, Paladin of Wee Jas. Now you look as you should. I formally present you to three of the eight in the Council Of Prime of Wee Jas, those present at Prime and able to attend: myself, the Weapons Master, and the Archives Master. If not eight, then all things in threes. Council, do you judge Ήρωας του Θανάτου acceptable as a Paladin of Wee Jas?

The Weapons Master, the Archives Master, and the ArchPriest all bow to each other in assent, and then bow to the Corporal. Turning to the one the Weapons Master addressed as Ordo, she says, Μαγεία της εντολής, you have witnessed acceptance of Ήρωας του Θανάτου by this Council as Paladin of Wee Jas. Then she turns back to the Corporal standing directly before her, reaches over, and pins a tiny gold sword onto the gold fabric collar of the padding lining the armor. The Many Blessings of Wee Jas go with you. He can feel the Magic of Wee Jas settle into him from her Blessing.

Archives Master, I know you have pressing business. You are dismissed. Thank you. The Corporal turns toward the window where the man was standing but he isn't there; looking around, in fact he isn't anywhere in the room, seemingly vanishing silently in the instant of his dismissal.

Μαγεία της εντολής, since you have been so efficient in your previous errand and have returned early, you shall accompany Ήρωας του Θανάτου to the residence of Dr. Feather at Inn Champagne and place him in her care. You shall convey my request to her as ArchPriest of Prime of Wee Jas for her aid on his behalf; he needs further access to Positive Energy to help him keep balance with his Darkness. Also, you are acquainted with her best, and may be able to answer questions about her that he might have, and if she is not in residence you are best suited to judge how to proceed.


Turning her attention back to the Corporal, she says, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, if you have need of information on a return visit, the Assistant Archives Master tends the Library of Prime, where all church documents are kept. He would be your best contact, since the Archives Master is not often available, and has honored you with his time today. She glances at the window where he was standing.

If you have immediate information needs for which I may be of service, questions you may have of me, I will take the necessary time to honor them. Do not hesitate from concern that questions are inefficient; ignorance is inefficient. I am well aware that my staff is very protective of my time. She glances wryly at the Weapons Master. I trust you have your thoughts in order. You may sit... all of you may... while we discuss. By her gestures while talking, the ArchPriest has included the Ruby Knight for the Corporal's questions; if the question is about Dr. Feather, the Corporal gathered that she might defer it to the Ruby Knight to answer instead of her. She motions toward a chair in front of her desk for the Corporal and gestures at the chairs around her study for the others, then settles into the chair behind her desk, waiting for questions the Corporal might have for her or for the Ruby Knight.

[lgallindo]

I do not sit yet. I give a slight but clear bow to each one of the three, straighten up and say:

"Milady Archpriest, dear Ruby Knights, I'd like to say that my spirit is most euforic for the missions the church may have for a paladin, but my efficiency will not be hampered by such euphoria. I will fulfill any geas the church bestow upon me and honor the title of Paladin."

Then I sit. Looking to the Ruby Knight, I ask: "I understand that Dr Star Feather may help in balancing my inner afflictions, and that you trust her. I will take for granted that any deal with her will fair and profitable for me. But I'm a soldier from a small town far away, and not used to doctors - do you have any advice on dealing with doctor Star Feather? Some topic I should not talk about, or something I must pay attention in order to get in her good books?"

To the ArchPriest: "Milady, I gather that Sigil has a complex and intricate existence. I intend to spread the law of the flaming red skull at every opportunity, and wish to cause no political trouble and to avoid any traps. Who are the church allies here in Sigil, and who are the church enemies?"

To the Weapons Master: "It is my will to gather an small army to spread law and order over the lands, and to right a wrong from my distant past. I just wish to thank and promise that I will honor this greatsword - it shall see many battles."

"I shall burden you no more. I strive to be a man of combat and action, after all."

[MetroMagic]

The Archpriest narrows her eyes and smiles at the same time, depths of craftiness passing across her face. Taking your thoughts in Order, of course…

I accept your offer for Geas. I am fully confident in you, but there are many powerful wielders of magic in Sigil who would find a new Paladin to be a tasty morsel and might try to steal away your will. If you carry my Geas as a defense, they will have to overcome it as well as your own will, so the Magic of Wee Jas will serve as a protective shield against unwanted influences. This is well. An excellent suggestion.

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250XP Spot Award for a great idea, and also for a great IC writeup so far – the Corporal really comes across with strong identity :-)

She pauses thoughtfully. You may have found yourself immune to such magic, since the spell as commonly cast of late has the limitation of applicability to a living creature only. That version could not be applied to you. Worse, it is weak, too easily Removed. But… I know of a much, much older version, with deeper power, that can be neither Dispelled, nor Removed. Only Wishes and Deities can do so. And it can be applied to any creature, living or dead, so long as it has conscious will, and, for all its power, the spell is much more quickly cast. So I speak thus:

She rises and places both hands on the Corporal’s helm. Power flows from her, darkly red, washing into him like a flood, filling every cranny near to bursting.

I, by Name Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης, ArchPriest of Prime in service to Wee Jas, charge you by all your names and by Name, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, Paladin of Wee Jas, in Geas first of all to the Service of Wee Jas; second of all you shall keep the Darkness in you at bay, to use the Gifts of Light from Wee Jas to the fullest; third of all you shall harm none other in the Service of Wee Jas; by the Magic of Wee Jas willingly accepted I place this Geas upon you beyond life, beyond Resurrection, until final destruction and reclamation by Wee Jas.

The casting complete, the Corporal feels the Magic of Wee Jas settle in place throughout him, leaving not a particle untouched in body, mind, or spirit.

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3.5 isn’t strong enough to contain the likes of you. See 2nd Ed. PHB Revised, p. 225,

http://search.4shared.com/postDownload/bwZKTZK0/ADD_Players_Handbook_-_Revised.html

and reproduced here:

The ArchPriest sways for a moment, then sits down hard. Her eyes are closed. She breathes heavily a few times, then murmurs, A strong and difficult spell. I could manage in threes… if not in Eights.

There is more to this Gift from the Magic of Wee Jas, by the Geas that I have charged you to do. I will show you. Now, I command you to envision harming me, picture yourself smiting me with your broadsword. You may close your eyes, as mine are, if that aids you. I know your reluctance, but do so, I command it. Ah, the image inevitably forms in your mind because I spoke it, I can picture horror upon your face with my eyes closed, even if your heart is not behind it. Now feel the weakness, brought by the third charge of the Geas that forbids this action. Notice how the weakness fades as you let go of the image of harm to another in Service to Wee Jas. By this means you may sense any who are in Service to Wee Jas, and reject those who claim to be so but are not, whether they are revealed to you as such, or no. Simply bring up the image of you dealing harm to that person, and you will sense the Truth of their Service, or its absence. Our Paladins should be able to sense this simple, important Truth, and now you can do so. I am satisfied.

As the ArchPriest speaks, the image of striking her comes into his mind, of course, simply because she describes it. Sure enough, even as he reacts in horror, the Corporal feels a sudden stab of weakness, like a punch to the gut. It’s quite clear what she means. Besides protecting him from doing harm, she has given him a gift to sense whether someone is truly in Service to Wee Jas, or not, whether they are close by or far. Distance is not relevant to her charge in the Geas; the Magic of Wee Jas will reveal the Truth to him. The Archpriest’s devious mind has depths yet to be reckoned.

The ArchPriest opens her eyes, and, turning to Ordo, continues briskly, Μαγεία της εντολής, you will answer the question about Dr. Feather, first the implied question of your trust in her, and then advice in dealing with her, subjects to speak of, or to avoid.

The big man pauses for a moment, clearly ordering his thoughts. Then he ticks off points on his fingers. First: Trust. A single word, but a complex answer for Star Feather. She is very strongly Aligned; my Divination shows her Aura to be Chaotic and Good, both as strong as I have ever seen for a mortal, and her status as a mortal is debatable. Trust and Chaos are not well compatible. However she values honor greatly, is very careful about undertaking obligations and will never leave them unsatisfied, and is usually true to her word, though she does lie. I first met her when she was five years old and she was lying to her parents, at the very least concealing from them how she was spending her time. We met in a city of ruins known for Undead; the child had gone there to test her magical laboratory inventions in fighting them, which I should add were too potently destructive to use on a Prime Plane; she enjoys dangerous experiments for their own sake, also not well compatible with Trust. However, I can also rely on her Goodness as a counterbalance.

This leads to the second point: Advice. Both specifc, and general. Specifically, I expect that she will want to take Good care of you, and her lifelong familiarity with Undead and her University background of study has removed prejudices others may have. She also feels strong obligation to the Prime of Wee Jas in serving as a meeting place with her Eryines associate, and will respond favorably to a formal request for help by the ArchPriest on your behalf. Generally, about dealing with her as a Doctor, she is a pleasant and interesting person to spend time with; since she is a Doctor of Magic she is learned in her subject and many others, so you must keep her focused… remember that she is very Chaotic.

Third, subjects to speak of: Specifically, I suggest that you tell her everything that she asks you about your condition, without reservation. I realize that some details may be… unpleasant. Do not be concerned about shocking her. Generally, speak to her about knowledge, especially knowedge of magic, always a safe topic with her and sacred to Wee Jas so she will not be surprised of your interest. She is interested in all subjects and every detail; she is a scholar, open, not prideful. Unlike other students at the University, she did not leave her study of First Level Magic until it was complete… until she had learned everything there was to know about every known spell of that type, and invented a few of her own methods.

Fourth, subjects not to speak of: You would not pretend to hold views she might find unworthy, so there is no specific caution needed; your own honor will keep you safe. Generally, since she finds many things exciting, do not distract her with discussions unless you truly want to spend time on them, or you both will lose focus.

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First: Trust. A single word, but a complex answer for Star Feather. She is very strongly Aligned; my Divination shows her Aura to be Chaotic and Good, both as strong as I have ever seen for a mortal, and her status as a mortal is debatable. Trust and Chaos are not well compatible. However she values honor greatly, is very careful about undertaking obligations and will never leave them unsatisfied, and is usually true to her word, though she does lie. I first met her when she was five years old and she was lying to her parents, at the very least concealing from them how she was spending her time. We met in a city of ruins known for Undead; the child had gone there to test her magical laboratory inventions in fighting them, which I should add were too potently destructive to use on a Prime Plane; she enjoys dangerous experiments for their own sake, also not well compatible with Trust. However, I can also rely on her Goodness as a counterbalance.

This leads to the second point: Advice. Both specifc, and general. Specifically, I expect that she will want to take Good care of you, and her lifelong familiarity with Undead and her University background of study has removed prejudices others may have. She also feels strong obligation to the Prime of Wee Jas in serving as a meeting place with her Eryines associate, and will respond favorably to a formal request for help by the ArchPriest on your behalf. Generally, about dealing with her as a Doctor, she is a pleasant and interesting person to spend time with; since she is a Doctor of Magic she is learned in her subject and many others, so you must keep her focused… remember that she is very Chaotic.

Third, subjects to speak of: Specifically, I suggest that you tell her everything that she asks you about your condition, without reservation. I realize that some details may be… unpleasant. Do not be concerned about shocking her. Generally, speak to her about knowledge, especially knowedge of magic, always a safe topic with her and sacred to Wee Jas so she will not be surprised of your interest. She is interested in all subjects and every detail; she is a scholar, open, not prideful. Unlike other students at the University, she did not leave her study of First Level Magic until it was complete… until she had learned everything there was to know about every known spell of that type, and invented a few of her own methods.

Fourth, subjects not to speak of: You would not pretend to hold views she might find unworthy, so there is no specific caution needed; your own honor will keep you safe. Generally, since she finds many things exciting, do not distract her with discussions unless you truly want to spend time on them, or you both will lose focus.

Thank you for your concise, thorough response, Μαγεία της εντολής. To your question of allies and enemies in Sigil politics, I cannot give a response that is both concise and thorough. There are two hundred and five different churches and temples of the Deities beyond, that are represented in Sigil, some representing multiple Deities, many grouped in Pantheons, some not. Within Sigil proper, there is only one Deity, who must not be worshipped or discussed at length, for she does not like it: The Lady of Pain. However, there are fifteen Factions of Belief in Sigil, each with a Factol, that are discussed endlessly. I will name them in Order, so that you will have heard of them at least; most of their names are quite descriptive and will suffice for now: the Athar, the Believers of the Source, the Bleak Cabal, the Doomguard, the Dustmen, the Fated, the Fraternity of Order, the Free League, the Harmonium, the Mercykillers, the Revolutionary League, the Sign of One, the Society of Sensation, the Transcendent Order, the Xaositects. There is a shifting web of alliances among them. I will highlight key Factions.

The Harmonium keep Law. Prime of Wee Jas strongly supports them in this effort. And they choose red as their color, which we share. They are present all over Sigil as the town watch, and Factol Sarin rules from the City Barracks in the Lady’s Ward section of the city. As a Paladin of Wee Jas you can expect the Harmonium to come to your aid at need, and will take your word without question over a law-breaker’s if you catch one. You will hear the Harmonium referred to as “Hardheads” by those not allied with their Faction. The Temple of Heimdall is one of the Harmonium’s allied Deities, and specific to the moment, Star Feather is a Favored of Heimdall. She bears His Touch clearly visible in multiple places; for example He must have tousled her hair, and considering one quite bright location on her… I… ah, can only assume she sat on His Knee multiple times. I have heard her refer to Him as Uncle Heimdall though I am not aware of any blood relationship; I know her parents, Corona and Vita. However, the effect of her status as Heimdall-Touched is that the Harmonium as town watch will never interfere with Star Feather, no matter what she does in Sigil; they will leave her to the Lady of Pain if her actions become excessive.

Wee Jas is one of the formally allied Dieties with the Dustmen; we share their belief in the importance of Death. They are always welcome in, and supported by, Prime. Factol Skall leads the Dustmen in their civic duties at the city Mortuary in The Hive, an otherwise lawless Ward of the city. I would rather some other Ward, but it is the Ward with the most Death so there is an efficiency to Dustmen presence there.

I will also mention Factol Erin Montgomery, who leads the Society of Sensation, the Sensates, at the Civic Festhall, because she is strongly allied with Dr. Feather as a good friend. Also, the Sensates have formal alliance with the Temple of Hanali Celanil. Dr. Feather is not Touched by that Goddess, but does have the Wash of the Evergold upon her, so she too enjoys support from that Temple and furthers their work as an artisan of some repute in Sigil, for her Light Sculptures.

That is her handiwork, a gift. She points to a corner of the octagonal room, where the Corporal sees a stream of octagons, made of nothing but Light in eight different, delicate shades of red, cycling from floor to ceiling and back, tumbling endlessly in a complex of eight interlocking helixes. The Light Sculpture is spectacular, and mesmerizing.

You will pass through the plaza in front of the Civic Festhall on your way to Dr. Feather’s establishment. The Society of Sensates is not on the side of Law; they do not oppose us, nor do they support us. Their focus is elsewhere.

And Dr. Feather herself, if pressed, will identify the Free League as her allied Faction, which of course, has no true Factol though some may claim it. They claim the Great Bazaar in the Market Ward as their headquarters, but they do not truly have one. I think that is enough of a lesson in Sigil politics for one sitting.

And to your third topic, raising an army, righting a wrong, and spreading Law across lands, aided by the Magic of Wee Jas: I will speak for all Eight Members of my Council that we expect no less, and welcome news of your expeditious success.

The ArchPriest picks up a paper from her desk, glances at it, and then hands it to him. I debated sharing this item because I have not had time for proper investigation, to be certain of its origin, purpose, and veracity. However, I would be remiss to leave you ill-informed; take it with those cautions. The Archives Master in his, ah, informational duties, apprises me of efforts to support Law in Sigil and elsewhere, and brought it to my attention as part of his morning report. This flyer was on the public Post in the plaza outside the Civic Festhall. It may have something to do with Dr. Feather, since she is one of three Trading Partners of MetroMagic; she is the Junior Partner.

The flyer reads:

A call for Paladins, Clerics, good-aligned Mages, Psionicists, and Rogues, any and all HEROES! If you feel drawn to do good against slavers, this evil empire sells souls. To succeed in our quest to stop their latest plans, we'll need stealth, careful planning, coordinated attacks and defenses, and more, or you will surely die. Guaranteed to be the deadliest, most desperate, most unpredictable enemy you've ever faced, so come join the fun. Spelljamming experience handy but definitely not required.

Contact:
MetroMagic Trading Company, Lady's Ward near Market Ward, Sigil

The flyer is rather unspecific; there are many evil empires that sell souls. In Sigil the most notorious are Lower Planar. However, Spelljamming would not be relevant to an attack there. I have too little information to recommend a course of action, if any even is required. I will have a report later in the day, whether the flyer truly represents what it says it does, or not. It may be a prank, or a lure through an alley toward a distant Ward in the city; revelers leaving the Civic Festhall are often not of sound judgment, and easy prey.

The ArchPriest reaches a decision. Since you will be across the street at the Inn Champagne, you will alert MetroMagic about this flyer; if it is not legitimate, they will want to take it down before their name becomes involved in lawless activities. Μαγεία της εντολής, you will point out to Ήρωας του Θανάτου the MetroMagic building across from the Inn, accompany him to there, and report back to me of what you learn after you leave him in the Good hands of Dr. Feather.

We have addressed all of your concerns. It is time for all of us to move on to our next activities. Ordo comes over to the ArchPriest’s desk, and she reaches out to touch them both. The Blessings of Wee Jas go with you both. Thank you for your time, you are both dismissed to attend to the  duties I have assigned. The Corporal once again feels the warmth and power of the Blessing course into him.

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Bless for 25 minutes.

See: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Bless

Ordo leads the Corporal out of the study, pausing at the Secretary’s desk to make an appointment to deliver his report on the flyer, and then continuing down the winding stairs, through tall arches, quiet halls, and broad doorways, and out onto the streets of Sigil. He strides down the cobblestones, enough of the crowd parting for a Ruby Knight Vindicator and a gold-clad Paladin that they can make steady progress through the morning foot traffic. Most of the heavily laden market carts are going the same way they are, not impeding their progress.

The Corporal puts nearly all of his attention on Ordo, not to lose him in the crowd, but not so much attention that he misses the occasional grasping hand to bat away. Sigil cutpurses are no different from the many other cities he has visited. It does seem, though, that fewer of them dare to touch someone in golden armor. He hears whispers about Wee Jas and the Hardheads as the ones working in teams warn each other away. Perhaps he should stop and take them… but then he would lose Ordo, who also is batting away hands without slowing, focused on his charge from the ArchPriest. That must be the greater wisdom; stay focused.
 
Suddenly the press of the crowd releases into a huge open expanse of cobblestones in front of them, and Ordo points to the right at a palatial building with broad stone steps: The Civic Festhall, on the plaza that the ArchPriest mentioned. Carts converge into the plaza from all directions toward the Market Ward’s awnings and shops barely visible up the streets on the far side, but Ordo plunges across the plaza, parting the crowd, the Corporal on his heels.

The pace slows in the Market Ward. Carts stop in mid-street to unload. Passers-by stop suddenly in front of them to examine a merchant’s bins and shelves. Still, Ordo keeps churning through the crowd, and finally, ahead on a broad boulevard, the foot traffic begins to thin. Townhouses tower over tall walls, lining both sides of the boulevard. The pedestrians, all walking toward them now, are more finely clad, some as rich merchants, some as liveried house staff from the fine houses ahead. Just before the townhouses begin, Ordo swings to the left, passing underneath the broad awning of an inn with huge glass windows looking out onto the boulevard, and stops at the door, walking to the head of the line waiting to go in. The Corporal, right behind him, hears angry mutters from the queue.

Ordo stoops to talk with a very short barefoot woman at the door, taking names on a clipboard. She is in a brilliantly white apron, embroidered with a large green bottle and a fat popping cork. The same symbols are on the sign over the door, which reads “Inn Champagne”. Inside, the Corporal can see the restaurant is filled with dark wood and mirrors, sparkling gold-trimmed crystal tableware on tables in each window, and diners already crowded in the early morning. Two more floors of windows overlook the restaurant windows on the first floor.

The Corporal overhears the short woman saying to “Holy Knight Ordo” that the mistress is out. Ordo points diagonally across the street at a large, blocky, windowless building with steps leading up to its door, and the woman shakes her head uncertainly, then shrugs, and waves him in that direction. Just then, two equally small, barefoot, aproned waiters carrying trays piled high with muffins, croissants, pies, and cheeses bustle out the front door and across the street toward the stairs. The aroma is intense, and delicious. There is a little surge from the line, but a stern look from the tiny woman with the clipboard cows them back into place. Ordo follows the waiters, motioning for the Corporal to come along.

Ordo and the Corporal follow the upward curve in the street past an alley on their left, and mount the few steps of stairs right behind the waiters. Just before the first waiter’s tray touches the door, it swings open and they go inside, followed by Ordo and the Corporal. The Corporal sees a small, polished gold signplate glittering, just to the right of the door, that reads

MetroMagic Trading Company
Purveyors of Rarities

The waiters bustle across a large room toward the back wall, but come to a quick halt as another tiny woman sitting behind a large, polished wood desk raises a hand. She points at the desk, and they set their trays there, then dodge past Ordo and the Corporal on their way out the door back toward the restaurant. To the left of the desk is an area with comfortable upholstered couches behind a low table, and other seating in different shapes to accommodate different creatures. A crystal carafe and a tray with a few pieces of crystalware, all gold-trimmed, sits on the table. On the right a row of filing cabinets is in an alcove next to her desk, against the side wall of a wide corridor to the far right that leads off out of sight toward the back of the building. Just behind her is a broad expanse of blank oak paneled wall.

The woman primly pushes the papers she was examining into a neat pile next to the large glass ball sitting on a stand near her, and eases up onto the desktop to the side of the trays. She walks across the desk, hand extended, a smile on her face.

{June}Ruby Knight Vindicator Μαγεία της εντολής, what a pleasure! Have you come to answer the flyer?

Ordo takes her tiny hand gently, bending the fingertips down, and places a kiss on the back of her hand. Executive June, your graciousness never ceases to impress. The answer to your question is no, I have not come to answer it. However, I have been sent by ArchPriest Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης to your office on two errands. You have answered the first already. I see a flyer on your desk identical to the one the ArchPriest directed me to verify, so that I could alert you of the misuse of MetroMagic’s good name if it were a prank, or a ruse to lure revelers from the Civic Festhall into an alley. I am to report back to her shortly on particulars: which slaver empire, and where, especially if Lower Planars are involved. In the complexities of Sigil politics, Prime’s involvement has consequences.

But first, I must present Ήρωας του Θανάτου, Paladin of Wee Jas, newly so designated this morning. He is a part of my second charge. As you must sense, he is Undead, and at the same time a wielder of Positive Energy with the Magic of Wee Jas. I am instructed by the ArchPriest to convey her formal request to Dr. Star Feather to give him more Light to balance his Darkness, so that he may more fully serve Wee Jas with Light. The Archpriest is aware that Dr. Feather has performed a similar service before and so it is within her capabilities to meet this request, to honor Dr. Feather’s long relationship with Prime.

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Executive June, your graciousness never ceases to impress. The answer to your question is no, I have not come to answer it. However, I have been sent by ArchPriest Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης to your office on two errands. You have answered the first already. I see a flyer on your desk identical to the one the ArchPriest directed me to verify, so that I could alert you of the misuse of MetroMagic’s good name if it were a prank, or a ruse to lure revelers from the Civic Festhall into an alley. I am to report back to her shortly on particulars: which slaver empire, and where, especially if Lower Planars are involved. In the complexities of Sigil politics, Prime’s involvement has consequences.

But first, I must present Ήρωας του Θανάτου, Paladin of Wee Jas, newly so designated this morning. He is a part of my second charge. As you must sense, he is Undead, and at the same time a wielder of Positive Energy with the Magic of Wee Jas. I am instructed by the ArchPriest to convey her formal request to Dr. Star Feather to give him more Light to balance his Darkness, so that he may more fully serve Wee Jas with Light. The Archpriest is aware that Dr. Feather has performed a similar service before and so it is within her capabilities to meet this request, to honor Dr. Feather’s long relationship with Prime.

June smiles at the kiss on her hand. {June}Ordo. Always gallant, and so precise. If you were my size I would ask you to… She leaves the thought tantalizingly unfinished. {June}Those are two tasks, but what is the third? Paladin Ήρωας του Θανάτου, are you here to answer the flyer, as well as to be attended by the Empress? I see that you are carrying one. I will tell you both that it is the Illithid Empire, and the location is in the Prime Material, not an Outer Plane. These two facts should ease your concern about political entanglements; the Illithid have little interest in Sigil. What is the third fact to ease you? The location is one where slavery is illegal; I’m sure that is one of your concerns.

I request you not to share this information with anyone other than the ArchPriest, until it becomes public knowledge in the course of events. I am sure your Archives Master will also have the dark of it soon, if not already, but he is a rather special case.

Miss Janis Fortune, whom you have met on occasion, is briefing some who responded. I am delivering breakfast to them now. I don’t know that I can ask you to stay, since the briefing is confidential, unless of course, Paladin Ήρωας του Θανάτου will be joining. Ordo, here. You’re looking at your timepiece, you must have an appointment and you can’t stay anyway, otherwise I would invite you to breakfast at the Inn, compliments of the house... Instead, please take this meat pie, and this apple, cinnamon, and raisin pie, mmm, nutmeg and a trace of ginger, lemon, ahh, where was I? Yes, take these two pies back with you to share with Archpriest Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης, along with the compliments of Inn Champagne. We always appreciate the support of Prime; true friends in Sigil are rare and to be cherished.

To free you to leave Paladin Ήρωας του Θανάτου in my care so that you can be about your business, I expect the Empress to be here as soon as she finishes cleaning up an experiment in her laboratory. You know her well enough to know what that means.

Chuckling, June slides back into her chair from the desktop, and touches the Crystal Ball in the stand next to her. Golden light spills from the Ball onto her face and the wall behind her, accompanied by a whirlwind sound punctuated by clatters. The sounds stop, and June quickly says to the Ball, {June}My Lady? Sorry to bother you again so soon, but I will be succinct. Knight Ordo is here with a formal request from Πρώτιστος Πλημμελειοδίκης, as ArchPriest of Prime, for you to aid a new Paladin of Wee Jas, who also happens to be Undead, by giving him more Light. Ordo says you have done something like this before. Paladin Ήρωας του Θανάτου also has one of the fliers Janis distributed but hasn’t said if he is accompanying you. Ordo has an appointment as ever and must leave, and I know you won’t be right back. Do you have a message for them?

Ordo nods at June’s rapid, precise summary, clearly a good candidate to join the temple, and gazes at her appreciatively. Hair in a neat bun. Impeccably dressed. Impossibly cute nose. The Corporal can see it in Ordo’s eyes: If only she were his size…

A voice tinkling like musical bells spills from the Ball, ecstatic and excited. {Star}An Undead Paladin! For more Positive Energy!! Yes, yes, of course! I would do that anyway, but I would love to do it for the ArchPriest. She is such a good friend. A bit stiff sometimes, but… Ordo, you didn’t hear that. He’s right there, isn’t he? Well, I didn’t say anything she doesn’t already know. Please tell them both that I would be delighted to help. And if it pleases the Paladin to join us, a Paladin of Wee Jas would be a wonderful addition and comfort to our company. But I will find something that will help him whether he comes along or not, of course, it’s his free choice. You said Ordo is rushing off to some appointment or other, his usual state. I haven’t seen him in too long. Ordo, if you’ll make an appointment to meet me at Inn Champagne for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or if you’re really busy, a midnight snack, then I will be there whenever that is, at your choice. My treat. It’s the least I can do for this wonderful surprise!! I’ll let you all get about your business. What an interesting experiment!!! June flinches away from the Ball.

The Ball goes dark and silent. Ordo eyes June for a long moment, then splutters with laughter. June shakes her head, leans back in her chair and joins him. Presently June takes up a napkin from one of the trays, hands another to Ordo, and wipes her eyes. Then they both turn to the Corporal.

Ordo says, Ήρωας του Θανάτου, I think you have made your newest friend. Two friends; I should not leave out June, and she is a good friend indeed to have, because it is the Inns Executive that holds the reins. She and her waitstaff at the Inn are the only ones here with the Order to do so. With my charge complete, I am now free to report back to the ArchPriest and then to other appointments. I am confident you will be served well. If Star Feather says she can help you, she can. Don’t be put off by her characterization of experimenting on you. While it may be literal truth, more important is that to her, life itself is an experiment. She is still much the same as the five year old I once knew.

June, you may tell Star that I will meet her at 10:47 in the evening on the fourth night from today, and I will ensure to keep five hours free. Not to disturb your Inn staff at that hour, I offer to dine in her laboratory on the third floor. It won’t be the first time. Since we will be in her laboratory, I also offer to bring with me a Modronic text on geometric casting from the Prime Library. We can read it together; we will have five hours. She will consider that book dessert as well as the main course, and I will consider it a privilege to hear her insights, as well as a justification for my time. The ArchPriest will be well pleased to learn of this; I will seek her permission to give Star a copy in exchange for the promise of a detailed study report. I am off to my ArchPriest. Never keep her waiting.

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Ήρωας του Θανάτου, I think you have made your newest friend. Two friends; I should not leave out June, and she is a good friend indeed to have, because it is the Inns Executive that holds the reins. She and her waitstaff at the Inn are the only ones here with the Order to do so. With my charge complete, I am now free to report back to the ArchPriest and then to other appointments. I am confident you will be served well. If Star Feather says she can help you, she can. Don’t be put off by her characterization of experimenting on you. While it may be literal truth, more important is that to her, life itself is an experiment. She is still much the same as the five year old I once knew.

June, you may tell Star that I will meet her at 10:47 in the evening on the fourth night from today, and I will ensure to keep five hours free. Not to disturb your Inn staff at that hour, I offer to dine in her laboratory on the third floor. It won’t be the first time. Since we will be in her laboratory, I also offer to bring with me a Modronic text on geometric casting from the Prime Library. We can read it together; we will have five hours. She will consider that book dessert as well as the main course, and I will consider it a privilege to hear her insights, as well as a justification for my time. The ArchPriest will be well pleased to learn of this; I will seek her permission to give Star a copy in exchange for the promise of a detailed study report. I am off to my ArchPriest. Never keep her waiting.

Ordo turns to leave, then turns back and picks up the two perfectly browned pies, meat and apple, drinking in the savory smells. He smiles at June, gives a short bow to the Corporal, and steps smartly toward the closed door, which opens just before he touches it. The door closes behind him.

June stares after Ordo for a long moment, mouth quirked, eyes dark in reflection, then deftly hefts a tray into each hand, holding them above her shoulders despite the heavy food on them, and walks toward the blank wall behind her desk. The wall suddenly opens into an archway, with another room beyond a conference room with several people in it.

Conversation is underway but stops.

A very pretty Tiefling woman with a curly tail and spiky, revealing armor sits on a gold-topped crystal stool in front of a large Crystal Ball, with a gold-trimmed crystal mug of ale in her hand. Around the room are a broad Dwarf holding a mug with only ale suds at the bottom, another large Tiefling woman with bat wings, a Pixie bristling with swords sitting on her shoulder, and an elegant weasel-looking creature standing on two legs. A partly filled mug is next to him, too, sitting on the table.

June swings the trays up onto serving tables along the side wall of the room. {June}Breakfast just arrived, along with two of the best from the Prime Temple of Wee Jas, Ruby Knight Vindicator Μαγεία της εντολής, who has just left… Janis, you know Knight Ordo, a long-time friend of the Empress… and Paladin Ήρωας του Θανάτου, who may be staying to join this expedition, or perhaps not. In either case, he is staying at MetroMagic to meet with the Empress when she gets here, but he could join you in the briefing now, rather than staying with me in the anteroom, if he is coming with you.

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CONTINUED ON THE “WITH JANIS” THREAD!!

Post there, next, instead of here!