(The Temple Golem: Great Hall)

Inside the main hall the Monitor Golem stirs from its static stance next to the main doors and chimes. Standing on three short clay legs, its main body consists of a large faceted glass body, with each of its two main facets the size of a medium dog facing forwards and backwards and surrounded by eight smaller facets the size of very large dinner plates. Two arms extend from the right and left sides of the construct, the hands consisting of many fingers and two opposable thumbs. Its head is probably the most bizarre portion of its body. A pale blue orb of energy floats above the body where the head should be and floating and swirling about it are numerable stones. The construct turns towards the basement stairs and the facets upon its body change. The insides of the glass body (which are normally dark), begin to glow with an eerie whitish blue fog, at the center green points of light materialize then float to the surface of the constructs front main facet. These lights shape themselves into letters, spelling out in old Kessimirian. "Welcome Beromar, it is good to see you again." As these letters materialize and the bulky construct finishes repositioning, Laena Moonwing sees a stranger walk calmly through one of the far left doors which leads to the catacombs below. He stands tall and looks slightly unhealthy, his clothes looking aged and only a little faded. The man smiles upon seeing the construct.... Back to top

Meanwhile, elsewhere.....

After his conversation with Eranya, Ariados wanders to a window balcony. There he stands, lost to the world staring out into the faint distance to which they all must travel, and as his confused and tumultuous thoughts turn to home and Soludra, a single tear forms and drips down his stubbled cheek... ******* After being left apparently alone in the basement sitting room Milinda decides to go and take Darshan (her Noble Steed) out for a ride around the grounds just to see what is in the sounding area and to stretch Darshan's legs while she tries to absorb all that has happened to her and her companions. Back to top

(Beromar, Eranya, and Laena: Great Hall)

The stranger speaks in a weird Kessimerian dialect to the golem in which neither Eranya who is following right behind him nor Laena can easily recognize ".... hello ... ......, .... .... . .... time..." The stranger walks into the room, crosses it, and with a fluid movement snags one of the stones out of the air. "I ....... now .... ...... ... ...... back .. normal, ...... .. ....... back .. .... old ...... .... ..?" ...The construct stands there motionless, the light above its torso whirring softly. "....., .......... .. .... ... .. ... bored..." He turns and walks through the front door, nodding and winking to the silent figure of Laena standing next to the door. The golem's movement snapped Laena out of her easy reverie and her hands went to her swords, but thought the better of it here. Wasn't Morganu a goodly--or "non-threatening"-- god? If so, all the "nasties" should have been purged. And then the rune-looking things in the golem changed as it as being spoken to! She stared in amazement at it and the strange man, whom Eranya was following, blinking abashedly at the wink she'd received. Just when you think you've gotten a handle on everything... "Eh, you'll forgive me if I can't give you such a... greeting? I'm afraid I didn't see you arrive." Laena had been by the main door quite a bit... The stranger quirks a smile. "Why, my dear lady, that's because I never left..." He makes a small noise that might be a laugh and walks out into the afternoon sunshine. "Ahhhhh...." He stops just outside the door and spreads his arms wide with his palms upward, seeming almost as if he is trying to absorb every bit of light that is hitting him. At this point curiosity quickly overtook surprise and she was half-tempted to reach out and touch him to make sure he was real. That anything could survive this place's desecration was a wonder! Rilmir, giving up trying to sleep, opened one eye as he sprawled lazily in the sunshine to regard this stranger. The brindled wolf rose languidly. He stretched out his back, digging his toenails into the ground, tail thumping against Laena's trousers before setting to sniffing the strange man's robes. He seemed friendly enough, but she waited for her final judgement until her wolf companion made his. "Eh, well, I am Laena, and that is Rilmir's way of making his introductions." Eranya smiles a bit at the startled look on Laena's face. She motions at the stranger, who is currently enjoying what's left of the sunshine. "This is Beromar. He says he was a long-term "guest" within the temple. I found him in the basement with the Paladin. Apparently she and the Mage freed him. Milinda seems to be ok with him; I can't see any reason for objection. Besides he said he'd give us his opinion on the fence." The Druid glances to the west, where the sun is nearing the horizon. "Would you care to join us? I'm not sure how much we would be able to get done before dark, but I'd rather not leave the hole there when darkness falls. I don't want to wake up to some nasty surprise; I don't suppose you've seen anything of the daenhu?" Eranya walks towards Beromar, stopping a few paces off to his right. She seems somewhat loathe to breaking his moment of peace, and speaks softly. "If you're ready? I don't mean to interrupt, but you're free now, you'll have many more evenings like this to enjoy... Gloamingtide is near, and I'd like to have something in place before dark..." Back to top