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Forbidden Temple of the Great Falls

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Urist strolled out to the wagon, observing the statue as he went. "Nice work, 'at thing 'ere is.

Continuing on, he got to there and opened the bottle of liquid he had found, deciding to figure out if it was good to drink.

Uncorking the bottle and sniffing it, he immediately decided it wasn't, and re-corked it. Could b' useful.
 
"Let's not get so hasty" Zato stood at the sound of the crossbows being set into place.
"We're all friends here. Please excuse Swiftbeak, he's a little rough around the edges, but he means no harm." Zato attempted to give the beast a bottle of the brew he brought.
"Come, I brought drinks for all! Dohohohoho!"
 
Puzzled by the old monk's carefree mood considering the situation at hand, the Hellguards still aiming at Swiftbeak slowly lowered their weapons, many accepting brother Zato's offer, for his skills as a brewer were widely famed amongst the members of the order.
 
Vanessa was laughing hard at the whole scean. She then walked over to the gryphon "looks like someones hungry I have some raw meat in the wagon that Iam sure you can have if you want."
She was happy again to hopefully be a cook again.
 
Swiftbeak may have taken offence at the 'rough around the edges' mark, but considered the absence of bolts ripping through his body he was in no position to complain. In fact, he nodded once at Zato. "Do you have a bucket I may drink out of?"

He then turned to Vanessa, to answer: "Perhaps you would be so kind as to bring it to... Brother Zato, where are we gathering to drink?"
 
Vanessa nodded and found a nice big peace of meat. She walked over to zato and gave him the meat. She then washed her hands. she walked back over saying "may I join. you"?
 
The blind man stood there, holding a large piece of raw meat.
"huh... what is this? Mary, what am I holding?" he asked, unsure of what it was. It felt.... squicky. By the goddess, he would have to wash after this was over.
 
The small girl looked up at the blind monk, as she did so her nose wrinkled up slightly and she titled her head to the side in confusion.

"...It's a big piece of salted meat Mister Zato."
 
"Salted... meat? Oh wait, it must be for Swiftbeak! Silly me." he turned towards Mr. Feathers and offered it.
"Here you go, now eat up while I fetch that bucket for your drink......Swiftbeak?" he asked to the duck.
"Quack"
 
Swiftbeak approached Zato, and by now even he was seeing the mirth in the situation. He delicately pinched his beak around the thickest section of the meat and lifted it out of the blind monk's hands, setting it on the ground at his feet before summarily devouring it quickly and messily, and licking his beak afterwards.

"I should warn you that I have not partaken in alcohol since my curse. I cannot anticipate its effect on me."
 
"Nonsense, I've tested alcohol on other animals, and it always has the same effect." Zato said as he pulled a bucket off of the wagon, then produced a bottle filled with his signature spirits.
"Of course, if you aren't an alcoholic, I would understand".
 
Vanessa had been laughing Saying "should have expected that from a blind monk". She stood by Zato and said "This will be my first time in trying Alcohal ".
 
"Oh? Here you go, then." Zato handed the girl a bottle of honey sweetened mead.
"Be careful though, it's strong stuff." he warned, before asking Swiftbeak again whether he would also like to try drinking.
 
Vanessa took the bottle of huney saying "thank you". She took a sip and it tasted good. "This stuff is good" she said taking anther sip. She nodded her head at his warning.
 
"Sir Morr, I would like to accompany you to the commander." weibel Belatia, earning her an approving nod from Morr, before he turned his gaze to sister Vanessa.

"Sister Vanessa, if you wish to assist, I suggest you help the preparation of the night meal, though you might know it as 'dinner', if I recall it right." His eyes coming to rest upon sir Swiftbeak, he asked "Sir Swiftbeak, if your hunger has been sated, I would ask you where you wish to sleep this night. I can have a tent erected for you, but know that I would personally prefer to have you with us in the barracks, though impractical it may appear, your safety may be compromised, as the reaction of many a resident Hellguard here has shown. Of course, the choice remains with you, what shall it be?"
 
Vanessa jumped up and putting the drink aside she went right to work. She started chopping vegetables to cooked in the skillet along with some seasoned meat. She got the meat ready to cook. she then went to get fire wood to start a fire.
 
The gryphon dipped his head down and took a tentative lap at the bucket. His new form lacked the variety of tastebuds that humans enjoy, and the drink to him was little different than water; cautiously, he continued. He was interrupted by Morr, and addressed his concerns before getting too terribly drunk.

"I do not want to make anyone uncomfortable, but I respect your wishes above all else; I will sleep in the barracks, if you can find room for me."

He at once returned to his drink, lapping with more vigor but eventually pulling his tongue away and eyeing the bucket with frustration. "Too small..."

Something clicks, and he lowers his entire beak over the bucket, closing it and lodging his curved beaktip firmly into the wood. It then took only a cursory toss of his head back to send the entirety of the bucket's contents sliding down his throat, and spattering to the ground around him. It took a few minutes, but he began to walk somewhat unsteadily towards the keep, much slower than usual, and even then he occasionally puts a leg forward before the other three are ready, making him stumble.
 
Urist tiredly looked out over the group, decided he required a drink, and walked to Zato.

"'Ey, toss m' summat, I needs m' a better drink 'an mud an' water."
 
"Oh. Here, Urist." Zato handed the man a bottle of his mead. There were so many to serve, he might run out soon....
After handing the bottle away, he took a sip for himself, savoring it. It was strange, really. He had gotten so used to his own brews, most other things just didn't compare now. He would need to keep watch over whatever the party had left, lest they run out too soon, and they would indeed run out before the trip was over, at this rate.
 
Staring at the drunk gryphon for a moment, Morr spoke "I will have soldat Surnem watch over you for now. Brother Zato, I shall grant you soldat Herdpack as guide. Sister Vanessa, I suggest you rather help in the barracks, the kitchen as well as the dining area is to be found there. I am now going to discuss with the commander, weibel Belatia, follow me."

Turning around, Morr made for the barracks, the biggest building, probably also the sturdiest one, it included, as said, the kitchen, dining area and the sleeping quarters. Besides it stood the hospice, close together but still seperate, where currently sister Elia and the resident doctor were caring for soldat Selene.

Entering, Morr reached the dining area, farther from which the entrance to the kitchen was visible. Walking up a flight of stairs, sir Swiftbeak would need to be careful when scaling these, he reached the sleeping area where, as one of the resident Hellguards had told him, the commander's quarters were, oddly enough, also located.
Coming to a stop at a reinforced door, Morr knocked thrice, before the commander's voice intoned from behind the entrance to allow him to enter.

"I must apologize for the lack of manners I expressed earlier, I am commander Kurze, Conrad Kurze, and again I must thank you for saving private Selene." the commander, sitting behind a desk, a pair of chairs standing before it, greeted them.

"Hail thus, commander Kurze, I am Morr, this is Belatia, my weibel." Morr gestured to weibel Belatia, before resuming "Your thanks are not needed, goodness demanded and of course we, or rather sir Swiftbeak, who truly deserves most of your adoration, accepted. I merely had Elia take care of her during the travel." Morr answered.

"She will pull through, she's a tough one, but I'm quite worried about the implications. She was attacked by a possessed madman, I understand?"

Recounting the happenings, Morr answered that they could only assume so.

Nodding, eyes darkening in expected worry, commander Kurze gestured for Morr and weibel Belatia to sit on the chairs "Disturbing. We priden ourselves to have held this land under close watch. But mayhaps, this would explain some earlier occurrences. We found several bodies, messengers sent from Pikewall, who had, apparently, tried to reach this outpost. A patrol found them, half buried, the digging apparently having been interrupted by said patrol's arrival. On them, we found a message written by Pikewall's mayor, mister Valdor, in which he asked us to investigate a cult that was terrorizing the town. I sent private Selene to contact the other outposts, send reeinforcements with which I would have ordered a search, just to be certain, as the mayor's choice of words was... disturbing, to say the least." he lowered his gaze in shame "I was careless and private Selene had to pay the price for that. I should have sent several, a group, but I only sent her."

Looking up again, the commander continued "This attack however proves that this 'cult' is hostile and most certainly involved in demonic worship, this we cannot allow to stand. Tomorrow, I will have a group of ten ready to contact the other outposts. Your aim is Pikewall as well, yes?"

Morr nodded.

"Right then. I have a total of about fifty able-bodied men under my command, leaving fourty as soon as I send the messengers. I am sorry, but I will only be able to grant you twenty, Wolfram's orders stand, this outpost must be ready to defend itself, a purpose which I already endanger by allowing you half of my remaining forces. You understand, yes?"

Nodding again, Morr answered "I certainly do, this cult must be halted before its actions endanger the entire town. We shall resume our journey tomorrow in the morning at the fastest pace, you will have your men ready by then?"

For the first time, something like a smile, patronizing, found its way onto the commander's face "I will. Now, I suggest you have your men prepare for dinner, after that I will have one of my own assign you and your men the beds. We shall resume our discussion tomorrow, till then, a fine day to you, sir Morr, sergeant Belatia."

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The night was approaching, the first Hellguards began to arrive in the barrack's dining area, while those assigned to cooking began their work in the kitchen, food would be served soon.
 
"Hm" Zato thought to himself again. Indeed, it had been a long day, and Swiftbeak was this close to a mishap with the guards. He would also need to figure out what to do with Mary.... for now, it would be best to take care of her as normal, yes.
"Mary, would you like to get something to eat?" he asked.
 
The young girl looked up at the monk, her stick now stowed away at her belt she shuffled over to him.

"Yes please Mister Zato, I... didn't really have much in the barrel, and I couldn't borrow a lot..."

As if to press upon this point a small gurgling noise could be heard emanating from her tiny frame. A red tinge entered her face and her little hand tugged on the blind man's sleeve.

"Are we allowed to now?"
 
"Yes, I think we are" Zato replied.

He asked Herpack to guide the two to the dining hall; after some discussion, they were soon on their way to get a meal.

However, Zato couldn't shake the feeling that it was extremely awkward bringing a child into a military barrack. Though, he usually dealt with problems on the fly, especially recently, and there was a whole thirty seconds left for him to prepare.
 
Vanessa worked with the kitchen staff of the barracks. She felt she stood out among the staff. She soon had dinner ready and set up . she.looked at the dinning hall as it filled up. "Just in time" she said to herself. She quickly started serving the people as they came to eat.
 
Valetni frowned.

His stomach had just reminded him, in a rather audible way, that he was still human and that he had not eaten for some time. His injury had robbed him of a considerable portion of mass, and the once formidable looking brother had found himself crippled and enfeebled.

He scowled, finished his speculation about the subject, before putting down the journal, leaving it open for a few moments to allow it to dry. Once enough time had passed, he closed the small leather bound book, unlocked his trunk, placed the journal inside, and before re-locking it, removed a second, near identical looking but blank on the inside journal. He also removed a clear liquid in a bottle along with a sponge tipped quill. Valetni had discovered, quite by accident, a form of unreadable ink. He wasn't sure exactly how the process worked, but he knew the affects. What he wrote with the clear covered liquid could only be read by filtering sunlight through a specific transparent stone. It was a pain in the ass to write with, and many inhabitants of the temple had remarked how out of character it had been for him to suddenly take up reading and writing in his journals outside the lake. He had deflected any questions about the contents by telling them he had been writing his life works, something a considerable number of monks ended up doing when they felt they were not long for this world.

He took the viewing stone, as he called it, from a pouch inside his robes. He always made sure that his robes ended up back at his room. While most of the monk's robes were interchangeable enough, with only slight customization to allow for size, Valetni had taken the customization of his robes to a whole nother level. For one thing, he had added a reinforced layer of leather about eight inches wide at around knee level, to allow for comfort when he spent many a day kneeling down scrubbing. Additional leather patches had been added at the elbows as well. On the inside, he had added dozens of pockets, loops, and other points of attachment allowed him to attach so much equipment necessary for his work that he nearly jangled when he walked on some days.

His mind back on the journal, Valetni considered it. He had not written in it in quite some time, not before the accident really. While his observations and records of his years of questionable research into the anatomy of man had been written in plain ink, and merely locked away, he felt that what he wrote in here must never, ever, be glimpsed by the eyes of another. He had only one of these journals at a time, and when one was filled, he would re-read it time and time again until he had memorized everything within, and was capable of rewriting it entirely from memory. Once that occurred, after both the original and re-written version had been confirmed to be nearly identical, he would burn them both, and start a new one.

For this, was Valetni's diary.

This was where he had written down his most secret thoughts, his most darkest desires, and his most daring dreams. From these pages, the diagram's and evolution of thought from which the gas protection apparatus had been created, had sprung. In these pages, he had voiced his plots for revenge, his plans in his eternal war with Vernasus, tragically cut short. Within these pages, Valetni had plotted treason, had imagined untold scenarios of every kind, had planned great feats of engineering, and made horribly accurate observations, brutal truths about himself that he could only admit on these crisp, white pages. More than anything else in the world, he cherished this.

So he left it laying on the bedside table, took up his cane, and hobbled down to get something to eat, he slipped a hand into the pocket containing the viewing stone, running a finger along its rough edges, and secure in the knowledge that only he held the key to unlocking the secrets it contained.
 
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