"You misunderstand my lady. It is not the Twilight Dragon who wishes to escape, but whomever is trying to free him. I believe they think they can control him or some such nonsense. As to how I came by this information, that seems a strange question considering the fact that I was able to get you all to my home without problem and without you realizing what the purpose was. My information network is vast. And I make it my business to study all things ancient in this world. After all, a history that is forgotten yields much power to those who know it, and much danger to those who remain ignorant."

"No doubt your network is vast, but if what you say is true, there is a significant difference between leading a small band of desperate escapees through the woods and finding out the secrets of those who can free gods. The ability to do one, does not say anything about the other."

"But those comments also, lead to one of my questions - if this thing locked ITSELF away, as you said, than what do you expect it to do when liberated? Might it not simply lock itself back in? Or is there reason to fear that these others might be able to control it?"

"And since you brought up the issue of how easy it has been to lead us around - that is hardly a statement about our strength. So, simply put, why us? If this is so important, would it not be wise to bend your full resources to the task?"

When he finished the Heironymus poured himself another glass of juice and claimed another pastry. There were many questions to ask, although he suspected most would remain unanswered.

"If I were to send forth all of the power at my command against an unknown power that is attempting to free an ancient god, the result would likely be one of two things. Either my force would be annihilated, since I thus far have little information about the culprit behind the breaking of the seals, or we would be stalemated, resulting in a large loss of resources on both sides and a great deal of collateral damage to those who remain ignorant to the danger on their doorstep. I believe you would call them innocents."

The Master motions with his hand and a servant approaches from the edge of the room to refill his glass.

"As to my choice of agents... each of you has the potential to become much more than you are. You, for instance Heironymus... Did you ever wonder why you were taken from your homeland? What if it was because you were destined to fulfill a purpose? What it is was this purpose? Would you refuse your destiny, despite the belief that destiny is controlled only by the gods? It may be easy to lead you around as you are now. But that is because you currently lack the wider view of things. This I will help you achieve should you choose to assist me."

He looks again to the remainder of the group.

"You have been chosen. By powers that are beyond even me. I am simply their messenger. Of those powers, I will not speak, so do not ask. Refuse your destiny if you will, but know that in doing so, you may have condemned the mortals of this world to death. I do not know what the Twilight Dragon will do if he is freed. I doubt our foes have the capability of controlling it, but as they remain a mystery, it is not outside the realm of possibility. Even if they cannot control it, from what I have read of our world's vast history, there is equal possibility that it will be a force for good and law as for destruction and chaos. Do any of you wish to play the odds? I, for one do not."

He downs his freshly refilled drink in a single gulp and then stands.

"Many great events have happened in our past to shape the world we now live in. The sun was banished from the sky, gates to other planes were sealed shut by the very being that's release we now face... and that same being destroyed the world, giving birth to the Age of Rising Shadows. I will leave you now, as I have other business to attend to."

He calmly places his napkin on the table before him.

"By midday I hope you have decided to work with me, for if not, I will be watching. Should you run to my enemy even by accident and reveal that I am on to his plans, your punishment for the betrayal will be swift. Of this, if nothing else, you can be certain. Now I have answered all that I am currently willing so, I bid you good morning."

He turns and walks calmly off the terrace, through the glass doors by which the majority of you entered.

As the man at the head of the table spoke of Heironymus' mysterious and sudden arrival in this world, a knot formed in the cleric's stomach. That mystery had continued to hang over his head, only momentarily forgotten while more immediate needs pressed. He had wondered if this individual had played a role in his arrival - and now it seemed to be confirmed. Or, at least, those he served knew of it.

He hated being a puppet. Even of his own god. He served from devotion, not because he must. Free will was a part of the equation. He CHOSE to serve. He could CHOOSE not to. That is what made his service meaningful. But again the puppet strings tugged. And he hated it.

And calling it destiny did not help. Heironymus believed in many things, but destiny was not among them. You made your own destiny. Even the gods could not completely determine fate. He didn't believe his thoughts were blasphemous, just a statement of fact. His own god had to contend with the counter wishes of other divine forces. Life could be influenced by all such powerful forces, but not determined. So don't feed him any crap about destiny!

All of these thoughts raced through the clerics mind as the speaker walked out. They were all reflections of arguments he had had with himself many times previously. When their host had left, Heironymus broke the silence. "Well, that was extremely helpful!" Without a doubt everyone at the table could feel the sarcasm in the statement as he made no attempt to hide his disgust.

"So," he said, looking around the table, "we are to save the world. It sounds like an honorable task, if we had any clue just what in the Moons is being asked of us. Just think, this group of mysteriously talented people gets to decide if they want to save the world from a mysterious threat, using some yet mysterious method all based on the word of a mysterious man in service to yet more mysterous forces. I don't know about you, but I feel very informed by that little speech!"

The angered cleric spat out the last words. He started to reach for his drink again, but paused just as he was about to drink and fired off one more line. "And the mysterious source is good with threats as well - should you somehow say something, about what you don't know about, to someone whose identity you don't know, there will be trouble!"

He leaned back in his chair, finished his sip, and muttered,"unbelievable!" under his breath. Ever since he had arrived in this land he been buffeted by one unknown force after another. It was getting very old. But what was there to do? For now he would sit back and let the others around the table speak. His outburst certainly let them know how he was feeling. But it didn't say anything about the decision that surely lay ahead.

"Well, for someone who says so much, he told us very little, didn't he? If for no other reason than to solve ancient mysteries, I'm half tempted to work with Vorlance."

Quarlin helps himself to another helping of fruit juice, and gauges the reaction of the companions, new and old, to see what they may have to add. Then, he begins to speak again after a moment of thought.

"I had done much researching during the latter portion of my adolescence when strange changes, other than the norm for my race, began to manifest. Powers that few of my kind have, and they had to study many tomes, whereas the same abilities just came naturally to me."

"The most ancient of secrets in my race's history are guarded rather closely, and as my research progressed,I found I had to delve deeper into our historical chronicles, until finally, I was made to stop. Reasons where sited like 'This area of the library is reserved for the emperor's academically accredited scholars and researchers.' or 'Many of the books, tomes, and chronicles must be rewritten, reconditioned, or preserved before they can be made available to the public.'
Now, you may ask, 'Why am I telling you this?' Because, I have a theory based on a legend or myth of the world's history that I came across."

"A few journals I've read mention a mysterious race of beings, though the name of the race was either omitted or left out for some reason, that is believed to be the first race created by the gods. It is said that they are vain and greedy, and the authors of the journals judge them as evil for what it is they are believed to be guilty of. It is said that this race brought about the first major disaster on this world, the eternal eclipse. It was meant to wipe out all other beings created after them. Now, the one responsible for another of this world's disasters is about to be awakened. I can't help but think that anyone that wishes to unleash this beast, also wishes for the extermination of life. However there is very little evidence to support my theory other than the reported nature of the race written about in the journals."

Quarlin wipes his mouth and rises from his seat and says,"I think that I will avail myself of a book from Vorlance's library. For him to have knowledge of dragons, there must be a book on them somewhere. I will return before our next meeting, if you will excuse me."

(ooc:What Quarlin is looking for in the library, is books and/or articles on ancient past disasters and when dragons, specifically the twilight dragon, were involved in ANY way.)

In one of his rare moments of insight the half-orc stops eating for a moment and adds his two cents to the ongoing discussion. "Did anyone else happen to notice that he also made it clear we have no idea the intentions of this foe that no one knows?" Changing his voice, mockingly he quoted their host, "There is equal possibility that it will be a force for good and law as for destruction and chaos." Shaking his head he took another bite of the meats set before him and continued again, "So which are we to be? Chaos or Law, Good or Evil? I dunno about the rest of ya, but I prefer to stay out of such affairs of morality... morals tend to slow ya down in my world..."

Taking a drink from his glass he adds further, "But, I am curious as to what potential he sees in this mismatched group and what power he thinks he knows we'll gain through this. I think I'll stick with it, even if only just to make some coin before going back to my normal work."

Quarlin’s input was fairly intriguing. She found history very interesting, but could never sit still long enough to learn much. She watched him without comment as he left the terrace.

The continuous din of eating stopped suddenly as the half orc swallowed and began to speak, "Did anyone else happen to notice that he also made it clear we have no idea the intentions of this foe that no one knows?" Cynicism dripped from his voice as he quoted Vorlance, "There is equal possibility that it will be a force for good and law as for destruction and chaos."

For a moment, Raina thought he was going to go back to his meal, but after taking a bit of meat he shook his head and continued on, "So which are we to be? Chaos or Law, Good or Evil? I dunno about the rest of ya, but I prefer to stay out of such affairs of morality... morals tend to slow ya down in my world.
"But, I am curious as to what potential he sees in this mismatched group and what power he thinks he knows we'll gain through this. I think I'll stick with it, even if only just to make some coin before going back to my normal work."

Raina looked up at the half orc. Profound, but it lacked a few elements.

“Well, by your logic, if you do not wish to meddle in the affairs of morality, wouldn’t it make sense to prevent such an unstable element from being released into the world? Doing so doesn’t require us to be good, evil, lawful or chaotic. If unleashed, it would strain morality at every turn, forcing its unpredictable ethics upon us all,” she frowned, “Or at least that’s what I understood from the conversation.
Regardless, I am with you. It happens to fit into my plans for the moment, and it’ll feel good to be doing something productive. I hope that Quarlin can shed a bit more light on this after he finishes in the library.”

She was in no hurry to leave the fresh air. Raina stood up and walked over to the railing to enjoy the view. She attempted to imagine an invisible foe thowing a fit and destroying the beauty that stretched out from the mansion. Somehow, the image wouldn’t form fully, but hazy screams echoed through her mind.

The other members of the group spoke in their turn. It seemed likely that most would sign up for this mystery mission. The cleric admitted to himself he probably would as well, but more because he felt he was being given little choice than out of any real sense that it was the right thing to do. At this point he had no evidence that his host was the "good guy."

"If our host is to be believed, it would seem that this Twilight Dragon will be an ethical wildcard. I am more curious about the alignment of those trying to release this beast - and of those whould have us stop this plan. Destroying the world is a motivation that works well in old tales, but few would actually wish to do it. Even those who are evil would not wish to destroy everything, for what then would they rule? No, while the beast may be a wildcard who could destroy the world, those who would release him have a goal for this world. They must think they can control it."

"And all of that assumes there was some truth in what our dear host has said. But as his words are what we have to go on, I believe Quarlin has the correct idea. We need information. I would wish it to be information free of our host, but as all we have to draw on at the moment is his own library, I guess we should make due with that we have."

Feeling as though he had made more than enough speeches for the day, the cleric grabbed a piece of fruit and headed for the door. "I think I shall also head to the library and see if there is anything of use to be learned."

(As stated, Heironymus will head to the library. In particular he will be looking for ancient stories that might link to the tale told by their host. He will also keep his eye out for some link between the stuff he read the previous night and any stories about this new/old threat.)

The morning passes as Heironymus and Quarlin seek to verify their theories in the libraries of Master Vorlace. The rest of the group wanders the house and grounds, seeking to get a better feel for their mysterious host.

The house is definitely grand, as is everything in it. Yet the Master himself is garbed rather plainly by comparison. You didn't notice any gaudiness in his jewelry or really anything about him.

While exploring the house you do indeed find a great number of bookshelves, carrying books that cover a vast array of subjects. Magic, the Planes and History seem to be the primary focus. Despite this you do notice that there are many books missing from the collection. Books that are referred to in other tomes that the Master must have... likely he has a personal library elsewhere in the manor.

You do however find an exquisite trophy hall. On pedestals encased in glass as hard as steel you see labels such as Horn of Blasting, carved from a Gelugon's horn and Cornilith, the shield of the Archon Furiel. Over a dozen such pieces are displayed in a very organized fashion throughout the room; including an ornate silver spear, a coiled whip whose heat you can feel even through the glass, and many more.

You also notice that, though you explore for several hours, none of you happen upon the suite of the master himself.

When noon comes around the servants notify each of you that the time for the midday meal is near. They ask each of you if you wish to clean up for the meal, and if not they invite you to the terrace once again.

When you arrive back at the terrace Master Vorlace is seated comfortably at the table. He stands as you enter, waving his hand to the seats near him.

"Greetings once again my friends. Please have a seat and the meal will begin shortly."

As you all sit down he nods to the butler who was standing off to the side near one of the doors. "I trust you have all come to a decision?"

"Sir", a servant interrupted Quarlin's study,"The mid-day meal is about to begin. If you wish to wash up please do so. The master will be out on the terrace shortly, I Believe."

Quarlin gives the servant a beleaguered smirk and SLAPS the book shut causing a cloud of dust to jet into the air, consequently causing both the servant and himself to cough a bit and says, "Yes, might as well end this exercise in futility and wash myself of this book dust."

"Sorry you didn't find what you were looking for, sir. Well, when ever you are ready...."

Quarlin did a splash and dry job of washing his hands and headed to the terrace to take his former seat and said,"Well, that was about a waste of time! All I found out is that dragons lived long ago and a great disaster killed all but one off. The info surrounding the disaster or the time period it took place in were very vague. It would seem that Lord Master Vorlance isn't only keeping verbal information from us, but the literary good stuff as well. He had to learn his history from somewhere."

Only as he finished that last sentence, did he notice that not only he wasn't paying close enough attention, but Vorlance was already present and just heard every thing he said. Feeling a bit sheepish, he took his seat as directed.

Once all were seated Vorlance began to speak.

"Greetings once again my friends. Please have a seat and the meal will begin shortly."
As you all sit down he nods to the butler who was standing off to the side near one of the doors. "I trust you have all come to a decision?"
Quarlin was the first to speak to this question,"It would seem as if I have some pretty heavy stakes in this already, plus the chance to learn some seriously ancient history is a little too tempting for me not to accept."

After about an hour of wandering the grounds, getting some fresh air and working off some of the calories he had taken on at their morning meeting, Gronz headed back into the mansion and took a look around, half exploring and half looking for loose objects that would be small enough to pocket and not be missed to terribly much. (If he believes he is not being watched and that an object won't be missed right away he'll pocket it and then try to get it to his pack in the bedroom he had slept in. The actual value of the object is of little importance to him, just that he feels entitled to whatever he can get his hands on. If nothing seems plausible then he'll abandon this course of action and continue wandering for the time being.)

When the servant informs him that the next meal will soon begin the half-orc chooses to pass on washing up and instead heads directly to the terrace (only after dropping off anything he may have picked up) for their meal and meeting. Taking a seat he grunts as the self proclaimed heretic makes a fool of himself and then answers the question himself, "I'm up for the challenge, its not like I have anything better going on anyway."

As the group reassembled for lunch, Heironymus was not much happier than he had been when he left breakfast. The situation he found himself in was ridiculous. He was expected to commit himself to a mission about which he knew almost nothing. He didn’t even have anything but the admittedly untrustworthy word of one man that there was even a problem. And yet, if he committed he would almost assuredly not be allowed to leave later once he had learned the plan. But if he refused and walked out now, he had been warned that there would be punishment if he talked to the wrong person – and he didn’t even know what would be the wrong thing to say or who might be the wrong people to say it to.

So the cleric felt trapped. He wanted to just walk away, but he doubted he would really be allowed to do so. So he as he sat down to eat he was fairly resigned to this new campaign, whatever it might be.

Did he think the world was truly in danger? Who knew? Possibly. Such things were actually pretty unlikely, but if history and myth were to be believed at all it was possible. But who really knew? For all he knew they were going to be used to overthrow a ruler somewhere.

So as he sat down to eat the cleric resolved to sit back and listen. He would hear if anyone else had anything to say. He would enjoy the good food. But he would simply listen. In the end if a decision was demanded he assumed he would probably agree, not because he believed in this mission, but because he felt he had little choice. But before doing so, he would some very basic questions: “Can you give us any reason to believe you? Is there any shred of evidence that this tale of global destruction is true? I’m not asking for all of your secret plans, but simply a reason, any reason, to believe any of this.”

Presumably, whatever the answer, he would feel compelled to answer. But he remained in a foul mood.

**I will be away from a computer until Sunday night, so no further posts are likely until then.

After tearing her eyes away from the beautiful vista beyond, Raina spent the rest of her morning in quiet contemplation while roaming the house. She had lingered in the trophy room, her fingers itching to touch the beautiful objects encased in glass. Poor manners if you smudge the glass, Raina. Even more so if these were to be mysteriously removed.
At noon she and the rest of the group were summoned back to the terrace. Raina neglected to change out of her previous attire, having grown slight fond of the swishing noise her skirts made. It had been nice not to worry about her position within a building, nor of who might see her since there were so few in the manor. She took her place in the same chair that she had breakfasted in a few hours ago.

Quarlin was the first to voice his opinion. He understood the dangers that Vorlance was presenting, but it was knowledge above all else that had finalized his decision. Interesting. The half orc, much like herself, had spoken of the challenge of such a task and having ‘nothing better to do’.

Raina stared at the man who had last spoke, who seemed oblivious to the fact that Vorlance had already covered his question at breakfast. The conviction of an unknown force was etched across his face. She wished she knew where he had come from, or perhaps what had given him such fervor and mistrust.

Don’t we all.
She pursed her lips before speaking, “ I thought we had already spoke on this. No matter how many assurances either us or Master Vorlance provides, t hat alone will not grant us the trust that any of us are looking for. I wish not to believe you, Master Vorlance, because the prospect of the world as we know it being destroyed is beyond horrifying. But it is because of this possibility that I am willing to assist you in stopping it. Plus,” she attempted to put a little light heartedness into her tone, although it came out sounding a bit sarcastic, “I’m sure it will take me to new and exciting places.”

She leaned a little closer to Vorlance before continuing in a lower tone, “But please know, if you hood wink us into doing some diabolical work for you, rest assured balance will be restored, one way or another.”

(OOC: Gronz picked up 3 small bloodstones in his explorations. They have been listed on his character sheet. Information discovered by both Heironymus and Quarlin were sent to their respective players to do with as they will.)
Master Vorlace begins by answering the subtle threat of Raina in hushed tones (see the PM Celeste), then turns to the Heironymus.

"As I have told you, there is no assurance I can give that would earn your trust. Many of the facts surrounding current circumstances could be harmful if they fell upon the wrong ears. Beyond that, I must admit that there is a great deal that I have not yet been able to uncover myself. That is the first part of what I have in mind for you all. Though if you do not wish to participate, fell free to leave after the meal. For once you agree, you will have set yourself on a path you cannot turn away from."

He takes a sip of his deep crimson wine and looks to the rest of the group, meeting the eyes of each, and gauging the sincerity of each.

(Assuming either Heironymus agrees, or leaves, he continues)
"Thank you for joining my cause my friends. Before I continue, I must tell you that much of what I am about to say should not be spoken to anyone outside of our alliance. If whomever is doing this gets even a hint of our attempts to stop them, it could severly damage our ability to do so. Now, on to your mission..."

The Master looks to the side, at the person you knew to be the butler.

"Corvin, would you mind ordering the staff to bring the remainder of the meal, and leave it here on the terrace. They should then retire to the servant's wing for the afternoon."

"Of course my Lord. Will my services be required further?"

"Yes, they will. When you are done, please return here. Your aura will be most helpful in clearing up some of our trust issues."

"Yes sir."

Corvin turns and leaves the room with no further comment.

"To business. The reason I have not told you much of our endeaver is truthfully because I know rather little myself. That fact alone disturbs be greatly given the breadth of my network. I do know that there is a group working to free the creature known as the Twilight Dragon. History says that dragons were once the rulers of men, elves and all mortals. They drew worship from the gods, and so the gods cursed them. A divine plague ravaged their race, destroying all but three. These three prayed to their father, an ancient diety whose name I have not yet uncovered. With the knowledge he granted them they poured all of their wisdom into a large gem, the size of the average man's head. They appointed the wisest of them to be its guardian. Two of the three gave their lives so that the third could become something more, though the legends are a bit vague as to what. Whatever it was, it managed to survive the wrath of the gods."

He stops only a moment to take a few bites of his food and a sip of his wine.

"There is a long gap in history, but somehow this last dragon was transformed once again, into a true deity; the creature we know as the Twilight Dragon. It is believed that ine a single day he both saved, then destroyed the world as it was, though the details are admitedly vague. The end result is that the Twilight Dragon sealed itself away somewhere, so that it could never reap such havoc on the world again. It seems even this being didn't trust its own power, nor its ability to control it. That, my friends, is the danger we face. If this being is released, perhaps it will be benevolent when it awakes. But even so, it seems only a matter of time before it loses control once again, and destroys all we know and have come to love in this world. But then, perhaps when it wakes it will take wing, and begins its destruction immmediately, saving us all the time and trouble of finding a way to destroy it after the fact."

Corvin comes in once again receiving a welcoming nod from Vorlace. He walks across the terrace and stands silent and attentive, just behind and to the right of the Master.

"You my friends, are our first line of defense. But at the moment, we don't know where the battle is to be fought. My agents have managed to discover the hideaway of a cult that we belief worships this creature. Though such cults seem to be rather fractured, and do not generally communicate much between each other, currently they are our best lead for information. You much go to their hideout and attempt to find any information at all regarding the Twilight Dragon itself, the seals that bind it, or any activities or people that are endeavoring to release said creature. I can provide you with whatever mundane equipment you require, as well as some traveling funds to help you on your way. You will find a pouch of gold in each of your rooms."

His eyes wander to Gronz.

"You, my friend, have already taken a portion of your share. It has been subtracted from what I have given. Shall we discuss the details?"

Master Vorlace goes on to describe a cave-like temple, carved into the side of a mountain, in the Demonspine Mountain range. The mountains are just under a week's journey to the north. From there it will likely take about two more days of hiking and climbing to reach the temple itself. He says that he will watch over you as much as he is able.

(OOC: You can use this next week to ask questions of Vorlace, make your preperations for departure, or whatever else you deem necessary. He will not allow access to his personal library but he will provide several individual books in which he found parts of the story he just related to you. The money pouches you find each have 500 gold pieces in them (except for Gronze who has 350). This gold has been added to your character sheets.)

"It is true, there is little that you could do to earn our complete trust. And yet, there are many things that could be offered that might at least give us a reason to lean one way or the other." After a moments pause, the cleric continued, "But even so, I will join and see if you prove worthy of our trust."

After the mans's speech about the quest for the cult Heironymus will again sit back and let others ask questions first if they have any. At some point if the conversation lags he will ask about the cult.

"The word 'cult' carries a lot of negative weight. What do we know about these worshippers of the Twilight Dragon? My question stems from the variable nature of the Dragon itself - if the dragon is such a chaotic creature, yet also lawful at the same time, what does that say about it's servants? Do you have in mind that we go to this cult and politely ask questions? Or are we to go in and let the blood flow? Shedding blood is never my first choice, and only acceptable against certain foes under certain circumstances. From your description, the worshippers of this beast seem at least as likely to be good as evil. Who or what are they?"

**At some point he will ask about further sources of information. I assume at this point the various books will be made available to them. Heironymus will certainly read anything given to him - taking time to look closely at the author of each piece.