[Previous session]

After the battle, Pelmark, Corben and Laylah tended the wounded. [See endnotes to last session for details.] The least wounded members of the party rounded up the horses, which had scattered in panic at the presence of undead. When Darra returned from her search of the ruins, she collapsed in tears. Laylah went to bandage and comfort her. Fazia's body had been brought to the surface, which was a new shock to Darra.

The two priests decided that it would be best to burn Fazia's body, to save it from both scavengers and the necromancer. They left her in her armor, which was rather tattered from the battle, but would take her horse and great sword back to Ulfgar's unit. The healthier members of the company built a pyre by breaking up the furniture from the necromancer's study. Corben, Karl and Gorm remained the night here to watch the fire. The rest of the company headed for the tower near which they had camped the previous night, and made a new camp nearby.

Laylah and Darra had bad nightmares that night, as did several of the company. Few had a restful night.

30 Greening: The three vigil-keepers stumbled into camp around dawn. Corben gave orders to stay the day here and rest, then vanished into his tent.

Laylah watched Darra's mood carefully and tried to turn her deep depression into something more constructive. Laylah asked for an explanation of the verbal exchange between Darra and the black-robed man. The man was Darra's father, and a priest of the death-god Shulkor; she hadn't seen him since she was six. Her full name is Caelisch Zudarra Taroq; his is Curazal Taroq. She told Laylah about the sarcophagus she saw, and that there was a temple to Shulkor in the lower levels. In turn, Laylah told Darra about her own childhood: being captured by slavers at age six, receiving the feather from her mother, and being "freed" into indentured servitude in Visala.

During the day, Bran thanked Laylah for taking care of him after the battle. She thanked him for helping defend them all, and kissed his cheek; he flushed. (She felt very good about giving him a better reason for being in shock.)

That morning, Corben and Pelmark tended the worst-wounded members of the company using magical healing rituals. Darra was the last to receive such help. Afterwards, Pelmark told her that they would appreciate more information from her about the necromancer; several of Corben's company were hurt helping her, and he deserved some explanations. Then they left her with her thoughts.

A couple hours later, Darra was able to screw up her courage to tell Pelmark more. She explained that Taroq was her father, and that she had escaped his attempt to sacrifice her. She knew almost nothing of her mother, except that she was dead. Darra was then raised by priests of Tovanira, but left the temple to seek her revenge on her father. This was the first time she had seen him since age six; it was simply "blind luck" that she met Corben. She's not sure what to do next; she wants to find Taroq, but he could go anywhere.

She told Pelmark about the sarcophagus in the ruins, and suggested that they dismantle the shrine, take the books they saw, and burn everything that died. Pelmark gathered a few members of the company to go to the temple to retrieve the books and burn bodies; the shrine and sarcophagus would have to wait. While he prepared for that, Darra went to tell Corben much of what she had told Pelmark.

Laylah joined the party going back to the ruins. While Gorm, Karl and Sokkolf loaded books onto the pack horses, Pelmark, Laylah and Darra went down to the temple. On the way there, they looked at some of the tomb art; one recently-cleaned frieze depicted the creation of a flaming sword as some kind of sacred object. In the demonic shrine, Pelmark tore down the idol, the three of them doused it and the other paraphernalia in oil, and Darra placed wildflowers on every altar-stone. They returned to the surface and helped finish the book-packing. Laylah volunteered to set a torch to the temple room, and did so. They returned to camp.

Back at camp, Darra found a quiet spot to meditate and pray. The hand of her crippled arm itched, and she reflexively clasped at the amulet around her neck--and realized that her fingers worked! After examining her wound, she slept peacefully that night.

1-3 Blooming: The company returned to Theronton. On the journey, Laylah was shocked to see how fast Darra's arm was healing.

Laylah decided that she needed to know more about the gods in order to be a more effective servant, so on the trip back she began to grill Pelmark about priestly lore.

4 Blooming: Pelmark took Laylah to the temple in Theronton to meet his uncle Volan, the priest whom he and Corben had consulted about the ruins. Master Volan took them to his observatory tower to talk. Laylah was ecstatic--she had never been up so high before! She told Volan at length about her visions and other recent experiences, with Pelmark giving more details of the journey to the ruins with the obelisk. Volan promised to contact other priests about cleansing the ruins of Shulkor's taint. They discussed Laylah's plans for the future. She wanted to go south to the Cat Tribe sometime after healing, but needed to learn more about how to serve Rashira, and how to do something besides run when her friends were in trouble. Volan offered to teach her, for as long as she might stay in Theronton.

That afternoon, Laylah told Darra about her visit to the temple. They agreed that they would stay here a while to learn what they could--Laylah about the gods and their ways, Darra about new weapon skills and the Desert Tongue.

Darra, Pelmark and Corben began to go through the papers they retrieved from Taroq's library. [More details next session.]

[Next session]

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