From: srnix@citron.ucsb.edu (Nix)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: Banner continues, with help from Azzar and Zephyr
Message-ID: <4953@ucsbcsl.ucsb.edu>
Date: 4 Jun 92 03:25:51 GMT

Characters: Colin, Azzar, Anthril, and others at the table

  As the madness takes Banner, Lady Azzar calms him with a spell. He eases back
into his chair, calm once again. Anthril arrives and places a comforting arm
around the ranger's shoulder. Meanwhile, Colin Silvertree stands and speaks
out against the gods meddling with mortal lives and asks the group if any will
aid in the destruction of Loviatar's following.

  "Colin." Banner looks up wearily, "Please listen to the rest. I would gladly
welcome your aid and those around us, but you must know more. The gods indeed
have come to walk among us and that was the purpose of her followers. They have
summoned Loviatar to the Realms! I know only that her following acquired old
magic from the wastes of Anarauch and used this to aid the summoning." Banner
turns to his table and waves for the elven girl to approach, "After slaying
the first woman in their torture room, their laughter made me crazed. Then,
one motioned at me calling upon the name of Loviatar. I have faught the snow
worm and been burned by its red-hot back, it was the most pain I had ever felt.
It was the same pain that I felt when this woman called upon the Mistress. I
was overcome and fell." The girl reaches the table and Banner stands, pulling
a chair and seating her, "This is Zephyr, chosen of the School of Arts in
Silverymoon. She can tell you more of what happened after I was taken." Zephyr
looks at Banner with an ashamed face.

  "I ran. I'm so sorry, I was so frightened."

  "I know, thats behind us. Please tell these people what you know about the
Scholia."

  Zephyr turns to the group at the table, "I ran when Banner screamed and fell.
There was so much blood and all the poor children... lying there. I ran through
the tunnels to get away, I didnt know where I was going. Then I hit something
that I didnt see. As I fell back, a man in teacher's robes appeared before me
and stopped my fall. He quickly told me to be silent and lead me away from
Banner and the ugly women. When we reached a small cave, he took me through
a hidden passage into the Scholia's secret water spring. He was Palomis, one
of the teachers of magic at the Scholia. He had escaped through his powers of
invisibility and had been aiding the students when he could. With his help,
we spied on the followers of Loviatar. They had taken the Scholia to sacrifice
its students and teachers to summon Loviatar to the Realms. We also found
Banner." Zephyr stops, looking at Banner. He simply nods.

  "We found Banner in one of the teachers bedrooms. He was tied and being
lashed by a man and two women. They also had brands. Palomis and I went back
to the secret spring. He told me that he could rescue Banner, but Banner and I
had to leave the Scholia. He made me promise that I would go with Banner and
tell the Queen about the evil in the Scholia. Palomis was going to stay and
help where he could. We went back to the room that Banner was in when the
followers were in some ceremony. Palomis found Banner's clothes and gear and
gave him a healing potion that had been secured from the Scholia. Banner wanted
to stay and fight, but Palomis made him take me back to Silverymoon. We
escaped."

  "The followers of Loviatar are cruel, but they arent trackers." Banner 
interjects, "They were too busy summoning their goddess to notice that we had
left for some time. Then, it was too late to find us. We made it back to
Silverymoon and told her Highness. She held council and it was discovered that
the priesthood of Ilmatur had prophesized Loviatar's coming. Silverymoon does
not have a high temple to Ilmatur but it is know to be popular worship in
the lands of Bloodstone, as I'm sure you know, Azzar. It became my... our
duty to speak with the high priests of Ilmatur on behalf of my Queen and seek
their aid in destroying Loviatar. We were magically teleported to Bloodstone
village. We spoke to their leader Gareth Dragonsbane and were granted an
audience with the high priest Kane of Ilmatur. Kane told the audience of the
writings of Ilmatur's priesthood. It was written that the avatar of Ilmatur
would defeat the Mistress of Pain when she arrived upon Toril. He would have
the power to succeed because he would be immune to Loviatar's greatest power,
to inflict pain equal to the worst that the victim had ever suffered. Ilmatur
is the god of endurance and his avatar thrives on pain, in fact lives on it."

  Banner glances over his shoulder to his table, where the cloak-rapped figure
still sits motionless. 

*****************************************************************************

Steve Nix (srnix@citron.ucsb.edu)