Kuldahar

Myllandra draws closer to Zenithral. "What will you do, Zenithral? Many difficult choices lie ahead of you." For some reason the deva sounds weary.

"Firstly, good instincts boy. When there's danger always jump behind someone stronger. I do it frequently. Secondly, I want you to attack the spider. If you can't fight a spider, you have no chance of fighting an Orc. Don't worry, if it bites your hand off, I'll just regrow it for you."

"Hm...Indeed," Zenithral muses. "I believe Halla will be interested in this...I will think on it. But this Pretender, the 'Revered Brother' Poquelin." Zenithral turns to face Mylandra. "We believe him to be the Old Enemy. We slayed Bilewing like he wanted, but we were planning on doing that in the first place, not really an agreement. But he did take Bilewing's heart and ritually prepare it, and Alalla replaced her heart with the dragonheart as a means of gaining power." He pauses "I fear for her, Mylandra...Should I?"

Jermsy looks from the spider to Fergy and back. "That's a bad idea. Why don't you kill it? Wait. I'll just try once." He steps out from behind Fergy just for a moment and flings the dagger like he would a rock.

For a time Myllandra remains totally motionless but for the ripple of her wings. When she speaks it is with hesitation, as though she is unsure she should be speaking of this.

"The Pretender is no 'Revered Brother', and no servant of Ilmater. 'Old Enemy' is not our name for him, but it suits him well. He has long been an adversary to that which is good. I... cannot say more on the matter. Your decisions are yours, and influencing your choices cheats you of the opportunity to do it yourself."

She pauses, and Zenithral sees that her form is fading. "Your friends all face danger from every side. But fear... is a choice."

"Hmm, well, looks like you aren't very good at daggers... That's alright, when we get outside of town I'll give you magic."

Fergy snaps his fingers and the spider disappears. Then he picks up the dagger and gives it back to the boy. The two of them go towards the edge of town then leave it entirely behind them.

"Ok, kid, I'm going to give you magic now. It will only last a few minutes, but while you have this mark on your hand any spell you say will happen. If you see an Orc and say 'Fireball', a fireball will shoot out of your magic hand and hit the Orc."

One prestidigitation to mark Jermsy's hand with an arcane looking rune that isn't actually an arcane rune, and then casting Major Image around them. "Ok, we are ready, try a spell out on that tree. Which do you prefer? Ice, fire, lightning, or something else?" Fergy points at a tree 10 feet away.

Ug grins at the barkeep, "Friends do good raising Ugs ‘spirits!’ he says with a chuckle and nudges Merck, "You see what Ug do there.". Ug raises his mug to his forehead, "Mother would be proud" he salutes to the barkeep, "And it is for mother’s and friends Ug wants potion now. Ug and friends have beaten many enemy, orc kings, ice witches, dragons, and fat yetis." Ug gestures towards a yeti skull that had somehow made itself onto a mantle above the bar top and become adorned with tavern mugs hanging of its horns. The bar crowd beat their fists upon their tables in admiration and thanks. "But what would friends do," Ug asks the crowd, "If you face a enemy stronger than friends?"

Jermsy looks down in awe at the mark on his hand. "You mean I can..." He looks at the tree, points a finger at it, and says "LIGHTNING!"

The crowd's cheers turn to mutterings as they consider Ug's questions. After a moment, Mirek speaks up. "Get more friends!" Voices raise once more in toast to friendship and comradery.

When it dies down, Mirek takes another sip of his drink, then leans towards Ug. "But what could be stronger than our friend Ug?"

Halla storms out of the house, leaving Alalla alone with the weaver birds and Arvid.

Over the next few days the town sees little of the druid. Still, from experience Alalla knows that sometimes Halla just needs some space and time to deal with her emotions. She can't be gone too far or for too long from Kuldahar.

"More Friends!" Ug cheers with the crowd once more, "And with good friends nothing evil can defeat us!" he promises, voice growing louder.

To prove emphasize his point Ug stands and downs his next mug to laughter and applause. Ug teeters slightly but digs down deep to stay up, his barbarian endurance fighting off the dizziness. He bows to the patrons and almost falls over. (Ug uses stones endurance to negate passing out) "But if there was way to protect friends more and be stronger, would not friends do it?"he asks as he sits down again. He turns to Mirek. There is an enemy that Ug has fought that has power Ug does not know," he says solemnly, "but this potion would help Ug feel this power and maybe use against enemy."

Whitcomb is busy filling and passing out more drinks to the patrons, but he hesitates. "You aren't talking about a brew, are you? What is this thing you are going to drink?" The rest of the crowd quiets down to hear Ug's reply.

Ug looks to Mirek, "If mirek were stronger to face yeti and save brother, would Mirek do it?" Ug asks solemnly and then scans the tavern making eye contact with more of the crowd, "Or stop kidnapping of family and friends." Ug turns back to whitcomb ,"This is potion, is named Hunters Bane. In small potion, Ug will fight like enemy. In small potion," Ug emphasizes.

"But...Then why did you ask?" Zenithral says to Mylandra, complaining, but not expecting further response. "Why appear to me and ask, then tell me you can't help me?" Zenithral growls in frustration. Erestor was proving to be a greater source of information than Ilmater's servant herself... He'd consult Alalla in the morning about his father's request. Then he'd tell Halla. Zenithral would help his mother, but he would not help his father... Strange this was...planning out the day while still asleep...

Mirek stares at the far wall for a long moment. "Aye! To save my brother, I would have done anything." He looks around at the others. "We've all lost people to the evils in these mountains." He stands up, a bit wobbly. "If Ug, the bravest of us all, is going to drink this Hunter's Bane, I'll have some too!"

The day after his vision and after Halla leaves, Zenithral tries to find Alalla.

Alalla sighs as Halla departs. "Brilliantly handled, Al," she mutters. Halla was not used to interacting with people, but she is supposed to be.

Al pats Arvid. "Sorry for that, old boy." She stands and collects her glaive, then departs. She had better find Zenithral before he caught the same surprise from Halla that she did.

She finds him looking for her, as it happens, and they head back to the inn for a place to sit and talk.

"You didn't happen to pass Halla, did you?"

Ug slowly shakes his head and sighs. "Friends can do what friends wish, but this potion has danger. " Ug says this as seriously as a drunk Goliath can, "Ug has already seen one good friend leave because of dangerous choice. Ugs shoulders sag in remembering the kindly fisherman. "But village does need warriors, and the choice is for friends to make. But Ug is taking potion so good friends won’t have to.." Ug sits silently for a moment then slaps Mirek on the back. "Choice best made in morning, not in tavern yes?"

Standing up as tall as he can Ug raises a new mug, "Now which friend challenges son of Nancy!?!"

"Ah, there you are,"[/b] Zenithral says to Alalla. "No, I did not. I know where Erestor is, though, and I thought she might like to know. He had a spell cast that allowed him to communicate with me in my dreams." Assuming Alalla is interested in the information, he continues. He's near a city once known as 'The Hand of the Seldarine'. My mother is inside and something is wrong with her. He wishes to help her, but the city's defenses prevent him from entering. With my mixed heritage, I could bypass them, apparently. I certainly wish to help my mother, but this could be the perfect opportunity to take Erestor down." Zenithral tries to read Alalla's expression. "But what do you think?"

A warmpth and tingle is felt from the mark as sparks spin around Jermsy's hand, coalesce, and shoot out to strike the tree. A loud boom splits the air and a dark scorch mark is left on the tree.

"Well Done! You pick up magic better than most! And I've never seen a scorch mark so big on the first try. It's too bad magic is only for old people, because you are quite good at it. Now before your borrowed magic runs out, let's see if we can find any orcs."

They creep slowly through the forest for just a minute before vaguely Orc like sounds are heard coming from all over! "We're surrounded kid! Get your magic ready, as soon as you see them, start blasting them as fast as you can!"

The following battle is 25 minutes of pure childlike bliss. Jermsy is untouchable. Enemies fall by the score, and Fergy only calls an end to it when the piles of orc bodies within the cube of influence begins to fill the cube. Surprisingly, there is little blood. Fergy has Jermsy clean up his mess by snapping his fingers and burning the bodies to ash. The heat is almost uncomfortable before the bodies are gone and the rune on Jermsy's hand fades away.

"Well, we can sleep soundly tonight. The city is safe thanks to you. But your magic is spent, so we need to head back in now. You know, learning divine magic really isn't all that difficult, I'm sure if you do a little studying and prayers you might be able to get Ilmater to grant a few cantrips. It would be much easier than the years of study required to learn arcane magic like a wizard. What do you say Jermsy? Should we go back and study Ilmater together?"

They head back to the temple.