Menaria's night was full of nightmares, though she hadn't cried out during 
her sleep, she had awaken several times.  When dawn finally came, she gave up on 
attempting to sleep any longer.  What little she had wasn't much to go on.  So 
as everyone else got their stuff together, she meditated and did her morning 
prayers asking for guidance and strength from the goddess.  After that she joins 
the others for breakfast. Mostly picking at the food and hardly eating any.

    Tanda eyes the condition of the town. "I'll give you three guesses where all 
the tax money goes," she said, "and the first two don't count."

    After checking that Dunnstacht is well-settled and that the stableman has 
not suffered any unfortunate loss of limbs or life, Lannstucht sets to her 
breakfast with a self-satisfied sort of air, happy enough in the knowledge of an 
excellent performance and a better deal with the innkeeper. Although, looking 
around this morning, she doesn't feel quite as pleased about her skill in 
bargaining.

    Korg wanders down with the rest in the morning, eating the stew with no real 
commentary on it; food, plain and simple, and besides he's not quite awake yet.  
As always though, he has his sword across his back... perhaps somewhat 
incongruous while sitting to breakfast, but there's a reason stools don't have 
backs, he figures.

    Segev's eyes shift about the empty room, though he never moves his head with 
them, thus maintaining the appearance that he is concentrating solely on his 
stew. "Now would, perhaps, be a good time and this a good place to have a 
private conversation."

    He looks up, finally, and regards his fellow travelers, noting but not 
commenting on Menaria's wan appearance. "Perhaps we should start with 
introductions, Miss...?" he asks of Katrina, his habitually quiet tones pitched 
not to carry even in this empty room.

    Glim awakens, goes through his morning habits, checks on his mules and 
wagon, then gets some breakfast. He listens intently to whatever Katrina has to 
share about the events that brought her here.

    Nodding slowly and keeping her voice equally low, the woman replies. "I am 
Katrina Reynard, once a student of Delundir's. He insisted I train what magical 
apitude I have, though I've always preferred physical battle to arcane study."

    "Yesterday morning I awoke to the sound of Paia keening on the windowsill of 
my room in the school. I followed her to the head mage's room and found Delundir 
on his bed, naked and tied spread-eagle with the dagger in his chest. The 
killing was obviously ritualistic, especially the mutilations and removal of his 
private parts."
 
    The woman shrugs, looking angry. "When I find who did this, I will kill 
them. Delundir was a good man, and a good teacher."

    The hawk mantles, its broadcast thoughts echoing Katrina's sentiments and 
inner rage.

    "It seems we have a rash of ritualistic killings in these parts," Glim 
comments. "That'd be the third we've run across in just a few days, counting the 
tale that kobold paladin had to tell. Was the dagger use marked with any trade 
markings or other ensignia?"

    Segev listens impassively to Katrina's account. With no change of expression 
nor tone, he asks, "Have you any knowledge of why such a ritual would be 
performed on your master?"

    "Well," Tanda said sarcastically, "it might just have something to do with 
the fact that her master knew something about this spear our friend of the 
tentacle-covered smile covets so highly."

    Korg notes Katrina's name though, and bites back a thought, only quietly 
muttering "well, that doesn't rule out a crime of passion..." after the 
description of the mutiliation of the body, in specific the removal of genitals.

    Segev lets out an exasperated breath. "Of course, Tanda, Glim, it is clear 
it's related. I was hoping to find out what Katrina here knew or believed before 
she knew what we expected to hear. You two are far too trusting. Or is it just 
too naïve? Do let's try to keep knowledge of our expedition within our group, 
shall we? It would hardly do to let our quarry, who or whatever they may be, 
know we are on their trail."

    He takes a short breath to calm himself, regaining his normal aplomb after a 
brief look of disgust (whether directed at the others for blurting out, or 
himself for letting his control slip even that little bit, is unclear). "I am 
sorry, Katrina. You were saying...?"

    "I have heard nothing of any such spear. Paia might have." She glances up at 
the bird, who ruffles her feathers.
 
    .oO(If he did, such knowledge was not shared with me, that I know of.)
 
    Katrina slips the dagger from her pack carefully, so as not to reveal it to 
the room at large, and hands it to Segev. It is a twin to the one the group 
holds. "Ananzi and I would know if you were not to be trusted. More importantly, 
Paia would know. May we join you? It might be better if we all traveled as a 
group."

    Segev accepts the dagger, being careful to touch only the hilt, and not the 
blade, especially avoiding any blood- or other stains on the weapon. "...I can't 
belive I didn't do this sooner. I would like the other dagger, as well, please."

    When that one is taken out, hopefully with similar care to that shown by 
Katrina, he places them both on the table. Muttering a few arcane phrases 
(easilly recognized by those who would know as a Detect Magic spell), and 
touching both of his eyelids with his left index fingertip, he examines the 
blades carefully.

    "..." Segev looks up from the daggers. "This is curious." 

    He rises, and goes and talks to the bartender in low tones. She seems 
annoyed, especially at first, telling him it's "None o' yer bizness!" A few 
quiet words and an exasperated sigh from the bartender later, Segev pays for a 
drink and returns to the table.

    "I'll have to try again tomorrow. Sorry for the delay."

    As the party gets ready to leave, they are surprised to see three men, all 
human, ride into the village dragging a bound and shackled half-orc behind them.  
The three men are wearing very shiny full plate armor, complete with shields.  
They come to a stop near the village well.

    "Crusaders," the gate guard grumbles, shaking his head.  "They're worse than 
adventurers."

    "Ladies and gentlemen," the apparent leader proclaims, "it has come to our 
attention that your village has been hounded by the most heinous of bandits.  
And we, the Crusaders for the One True God, have caught him. This half-orc, this 
abomination to the world created for man alone, is the bandit!  Where is your 
lord, so that we may get him to authorize this beast's public execution?"

    "I am no bandit!" the half-orc retorts.

    "I will be the judge of that," remarks a dark-skinned elf who appears out of 
the crowd.  He is remarkably well-dressed, despite his small stature, but his 
presense is that of one comfortable with being in-charge.  His silver hair whips 
by on a wind that seems to come out of nowhere around him.  "I am Baron 
Shi'uarra, and your Church holds no sway here.  Show me your proof that this is, 
indeed, a bandit as you claim, and he will be dealt with by our laws.  
Otherwise, let him go."

    "These people live under the tyranny of an *ELF*?" the one Crusader comments 
to his comrades.  "By the One True God, this cannot be!"

    The Crusaders draw their weapons, appearing ready to attack the Baron at 
their leader's signal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Mythology Lesson #7
Nyysan's Nature and Deeds

    Nyysan is the goddess of the home and hearth.  Her domain is the family, and 
every home has a small alter near the central fireplace with which to offer 
prayers and sacrifices.

    Nyysan doesn't ask for much from her worshippers.  She has no official 
priests or priestesses, although clerics do sometimes take up the call in her 
name.  She teaches that, while all families may have their good times and their 
bad times, blood will always be thicker than water, and that families are to 
stick together, regardless.

    Because of her stance, she holds no ill towards her brother Hextor.  She 
refuses to take sides any arguements between the deities, prefering to try and 
mediate between them.  Because of this, she is recognized as the patron deity of 
judges, referees, mediators, and arbitrators.

Golma's Nature and Deeds

    Golma was once the god of life.  As the god of life, he taught that all life 
is precious, to be cherished and celebrated, and wherever possible created.

    Then he was killed.  Through the actions of his mother, Hassann, he was 
brought back to life, but the taste of death changed him.  Death, he teaches, is 
a normal part of life, and should not be feared.  Some say it was he who 
convinced Navor to end the War of the Elves by stripping all elves of their 
immortality.

    He often manifests in one of three forms.  The first is that of a skeletal 
figure draped in black robes and carrying a scythe, his favored weapon.  The 
second is that of a tall, handsome cloud giant.  The third manifestation is that 
of a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman of indeterminate race wearing loose-fitting 
white robes, his/her eyes glowing bright white.

    Golma's responsibilities are to judge the souls of the dead, balancing their 
actions against their goals, and sending the souls to their punishments or 
rewards.  He also often holds souls in stasis, should he sense that a 
resurrection spell be cast to return them to life.  It is his right to reject 
any soul whose death, he states, was not yet time.  Sometimes he will send those 
souls back to their original bodies, other times he will send them to Hannass 
for reincarnation.

    Golma's realm is one of the few that is accessible from the Material Plane.  
Dead Island, the floating volcanic island in the northern sea, has a cave there 
which is a permanent connection to Golma's realm.

    Upon descending into Golma's realm, either via death or by the passage on 
Dead Island, the average person comes across a wide plain with a sun that sits 
low on the horizon but never shifts.  A castle sits in the center of the plain, 
with one road entering it from the front, and two exiting the castle from the 
rear.  Crossing over the drawbridge into the castle, one is met by the harpy 
Ricnalis, who announces the visitor's presense.  The deceased are then brought 
before Golma's court, where he reads off the actions and intentions of the 
deceased.  The virtuous are sent to a grove via the northern road, where the 
heroes of legend are said to forever retell their stories of heroism.  Those who 
led neither virtuous or villainous lives are sent to wander the plains 
aimlessly.  And those who led villainous lives are sent to the land of Ylcor, 
where they are to be punished by various means for all eternity.

    Golma doesn't care for the undead, and teaches that the undead are an 
abomination, a break in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.  While he is 
willing to tolerate skeletons and zombies to a point (because the soul has 
already left the body when these are made), intelligent undead are anethema to 
him.  Clerics of Golma are encouraged to destroy any intelligent undead they 
come across, freeing the souls trapped in the body.

    Golma was once married to Ricnalis, but they annulled their marriage by 
mutual consent upon their daughter Su'kal's birth.