Pietro wakes up at the first signs of light. He walks around a bit, before sitting down, starting his morning prayers. As always, his eyes are wide open, and somehow his eyes seem the blackest of black. It is obvious that he is not really here with his thoughts. After fifteen minutes, his eyes get the normal color, and he gets up. "Rhune, can you spare me a minute?" They slowly walk over to the other side of the camp. "I tried to pray for the new prayer I thought of, but I wasn't able to do it yesterday. New prayers take a bit more praying time, time I didn't have yesterday. I have to speak to you about something else though. You remember the charm detection prayer earlier on? It seems that not only Jolenta, Sligh, and Golthar had charm on them, you have one as well."
"Yes I remem.....what? me?" she looks puzzled and confused. "But....how? I was never really near the bishop only Golthar and that woman" she says. "Maybe it is one of the items I am carrying. Could that affect the spell?"
"You are giving off the same emanations as Golthar and his minions. I'm sorry, we will find way to get rid of it. I will check again when I am trying the charm prayer again. You can't do anything about it, don't feel bad about it." Pietro looks in her eyes for a moment, before leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Trying to fight back tears as she wonders if somehow it is all her fault, "Yes sure. Tell the others please." She sits down just running her hands over her belly as thinks about the danger she may be to her friends now.
As that conversation is over, Pietro addresses the group. "Can everybody please listen for a moment?" Pietro stands in the middle of camp, arms raised. "There has been some fear of magical influences, or people who are turncoats. Personally I do not believe in turncoats in this group. Everybody has been through too much to be a traitor. Magical influences though is another thing. I have the use of a prayer which can see mind affecting magics on a person. I already used that prayer in Threshold on the people over there, as well as Golthar and his little group. It seems that Golthar, Sligh, and Jolenta all had a magical influence in their mind. This can be something like a charm person, hypnosis, or some other form of influencing. If you will allow me, I will cast the prayer on the rest of the party. Let me assure you, the prayer does nothing else than detecting a possible influence."
After the speech, Pietro begins with the incantations. "Hermes, All-Seeing, please enlighten me with the ability to see magical and mystical bonds. Part of this group already has been detected for charms, another part hasn't. We need to know!" For a moment, the priest's pupils turn white as an albino, before returning back to their current blue color. He looks at each of the other persons for a short time, Tolik, Stephen, Daegwyn, and finally Antonia.
None of those not involved in the first spell reveal emanations, and amongst the group, only Rhune shows anything. Even she only shows very dim traces, as did those in Threshold. Strange.
"Pietro, does Rhune still have those signs?" asks Ullar. "Rhune, perhaps you have to remove the tube from your body, I've got a feeling that THAT is what is giving this effect."
"That could be. It does have many sigils on it." Rhune replies thinking about things. Then looking at Pietro, "Would that effect your spell?"
"Probably not, you are emanating the same vibrations as Golthar and the other ones. More than a few persons of our group already held the tube as well, trying to investigate it. That is the reason I do not think the tube is radiating the charm. I'm still going for a charm from the bishop, or from somebody associating with him." Pietro ponders for a moment, but remains silent after this comment.
"It is sad, only one person in this group has a charm, just like Golthar and his minions. Rhune is the one with the charm in our group. She does not have a clue about the what and when, she hasn't met the Bishop face to face, have you Rhune? I told Golthar about the charm, and he obviously didn't have a clue either, saying that he was "his own man". When we left him, I could see that there was hint of doubt in his eyes. Personally I cannot do anything about it, I'm not strong enough in my faith to try to dispel it. Does anybody else have any ideas?" Pietro looks around the small band, now counting eleven persons.
"The charm might also emanate from some other magical item - the ring you took from Golthar, or your armor, even." Adds Rhees. "We probably don't want to continue having Pietro commit his energies to detecting charms, but the next time he does so you might want to remove those items to see what happens. In the mean time . . . perhaps someone else should carry the blue tube, just in case we run into Katolik agents who can exercise some sort of control over you." Rhees is clearly uncomfortable making this last suggestion.
"I agree actually. I just find it odd though that Golthar and the lady didn't even search me when they had the chance. Also why does the bishop want me alive is another odd thing, but you are right maybe someone else should carry it for a while. Ullar, I think you should be the one to do so. You were at the meeting in Florence with me." Rhune replies.
Sighing deeply, "I don't want to cause any more trouble for the party. But maybe if we get to Death's Head land soon, we can find someone to remove it." she replies looking around at her friends.
"Naturally, Rhune. We will try the best we can to get rid of the magical influence. Maybe the gnolls have a prayer or spell for that as well. We can only wait and see." Pietro reassuringly tries to calm Rhune's upset mind. Tolik scowls, and almost walks away, but realizes this would look really bad. So he stands and lets himself be examined, albeit begrudgingly.
"It has occurred to me that the magical emanations from Rhune, may be because she is carrying the blue tube. Ullar has been as close to the Bishop as she, I understand from what he has said, but he is not affected. Could the Blue tube have a direct effect on Rhune?" Tag asks. "There is of course a way to test my theory. Rhune perhaps someone else could carry the tube for a while, maybe another elf since if the tube has an effect, it may be less likely to adversely affect one of that race. Then after a day, Pietro can cast his spell again and we can check if it is the tube which is somehow charming Rhune."
"That might be true. Perhaps you are right about elves having some immunity. I do know that we have some protections against charm spells" Rhune replies.
"It's possible, but I doubt it, Tag." Says Rhees. "According to the story Ullar and Rhune related to us, the tube belonged to the gnoll and I doubt he wrested it from the Bishop. I don't think the tube was ever in the hands of either the bishop or his minions - so I don't see how they could have enspelled it. Nevertheless, I think we should take Rhune up on her earlier suggestion - Ullar, would you be comfortable carrying the tube as Rhune suggested?"
"I will be Rhees, and guard it with my life." Ullar says, while looking at the rest of the group to see if they have no objections. "I'll gladly take that task upon me." says Ullar, while storing the tube.
"I suggest another elf or half-elf carry the tube" says Caboto. "It seems elvenkind may be able to resist the charms."
"I disagree. A gnoll was carrying it and I doubt he was charmed, so why would I!" says Ullar, rather defensively.
'Tis just a guess, friend. And it is well known that elves are more resistant to enchantment/charm magic than men" replies Caboto.
"What if the Bishop is following some spell the gnolls had on the tube?" asks Forte. "Just because the Bishop is following the tube doesn't mean he cast the original spell on it."
The look on Rhees' face suggests he feels that is a remote possibility, "That could be, Forte. But if it is, the Bishop could follow the tube regardless of who carried it. It still makes it unlikely that the Bishop has managed to lay a magic on the tube that would cause it to charm it's holder."
"In that case the spell aura detected by Pietro on Rhune will fade, and a similar aura will be detected on the new bearer of the tube. We shall see next time Pietro casts the spell."
"That said, I do not believe this is the case. Recall that both Golthar and the priestess also carried the aura. To me it is more likely that the three, Rhune included, carry the magical traces of a spell cast by the Bishop" Caboto suggests.
"And when would that have happened?" asks Ullar. "Did you encounter the Bishop in any other way than with me, Rhune?" Ullar presses his lips together, somehow this whole discussion makes him feel quite uncomfortable.
"No Ullar. As far as I know the only time I have seen the Bishop was at the meeting. Other than that I don't think I have met him." Rhune replies
"Daegwyn, Ullar, Forte, can you come with me for a second. It is your time to go the operating room." Pietro shows them a rock, which is way to small for them to stand behind. "Please undress yourself to I can see and feel the wounds, it works better that way." A big grin on his face, he continues. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please be witness for today's amazing discovery! Look at these people, they have been in dire circumstances, and have paid the price for it. Once they were beautiful and innocent, today they stand here scarred and dirty. You will see what happens, right after this short commercial break." Pietro walks away, cleaning his hands with water and soap. "Ok Mike, take a good look, the miracle is going to happen. By the way Ullar, catch me if I lose consciousness. Have never channeled so much energy in such a short time. After this, a blue nimbus constantly surrounds the priest's hands, as he tries to heal the three injured men. After the healing is finished, Pietro sags to the ground, only stopped by Ullar. "Be ready to donate a large amount of gold if you guys ever come across a temple of Hermes, or give it to me if we ever depart."
Forte watches Pietro's speech with a slightly dropped jaw, but complies with the command to get undressed. When done, he waits for Pietro's magic.
Before allowing healing to be done, Arkady rubs salt and ashes into the facial wound he received from the troll. "I will keep this mark as a memory of that day" he says with great pride.
The effects of Pietro's first two spells, his stronger healing spells, is amazing and dramatic. Both Forte and Ullar feel nearly as strong as they ever have. Such healing they have never experienced before. The effect of a lesser healing spell on Daegwyn is also quite impressive. Pietro must be in the favor of his gods today. He finishes with lesser, though still quite strong, spells on Arkady and Taglio. Both are much stronger as a result. The party appears in quite a bit better shape than they were, though Arkady, Ullar, Forte, and Daegwyn still bear significant injuries, Caboto and Tolik minor ones.
"Whoa, Pietro, I'm impressed!" is Ullar's exclamation. He rubs his belly, seeing if the wound really vanished, and checking if it's not hurting anymore.
Ullar looks at Forte and Daegwyn and shrugs. Than, in whispering mode: "Does anybody know what a commercial break is? Did Pietro had too much wine or something? He's going mental!"
"Could it be the disruption of shipping routes by a rival's?" wonders Caboto, puzzled. "But what does that have to do with healing?"
"I don't know, perhaps healers can steal each others voices, oh no, that would be a communicational break. Commercial break, commercial break." Ullar raises his shoulders and presents, another, questioning look.
"Commerce will break?" is Ullar's quick response. "He is anti-commerce, and is going to make us commerce-proof. Perhaps that would influence our negotiation abilities. Now we can get a bargain everywhere, with every deal! Thank you Pietro!"
"Maybe it's 'commerce ill'?" offers Forte. "'Commerce ill break'.... He's trying to stop bad commerce!"
"I think you've got it! When one is ill, a priest of Hermes will heal them for coin. Hermes is a patron of merchants, no? The casting of the spell breaks the illness. Hence Commerce Ill Break" exclaims Caboto.
A big smile marks Pietro's face, it is good to relax for just a moment. "I shall explain what a commercial break is. In Athens we always went to music concerts and plays with the other acolytes. Because we did not have a lot of money, we had to go to the cheap ones. Making a show is pretty expensive, so they find a few people who want to give money to the show in exchange for, you guess, a commercial break. In a break, a person who gave money to the show, has a short time to try to make his products well known, so that people will buy his goods after the show. For example, somebody wants to let people know that Ajax is very good cleaning stuff. Ajax is also one of the strongest heroes in Greek history. So a guy dressed as, say Ullar walks on stage dressed as Ajax. Ajax will tell the audience that the Ajax cleaning stuff is even stronger than he is. In the end, the people who sell Ajax hope that they sell more of the stuff after the show, so they make more money. Capice?"
Rhees prays for 4 CLW. After Pietro's little show he approaches those who are still hurt. Tolik comes first in the hopes of restoring his flight abilities, "I can't remove the injuries that intolerance has brought you here and here," Rhees point to his head and heart, "but let's see what can be done about these others, Tolik."
Tolik's injuries have totally healed, but he can tell that the damage to his wing needs some work in order to restore flight, something that Rhees' minor healing magic cannot accomplish. With plenty of rest and exercise, Tolik may be able to regain flight within the week.
Rhees apologizes, "I am sorry, Tolik, we shall have to try again tomorrow, I must marshal my energies to help some of the others as well." Rhees then lays hands on the two most gravely injured party members.
Rhees' spells are quite strong as well, healing Forte's remaining injuries completely. Ullar still bears minor traces of injury, as does Arkady and Caboto and Daegwyn, but nothing more than what regular rest will heal completely within a few days.
Stephen seems eager to travel on, "Golthar will soon gather more minions and be on our trail. If we stay here we will surely be taken by him. I doubt we will be lucky enough to escape him again. We should go as soon as we can." He says urgently.
Arkady stretches and begins to armor up and prepare to leave. "Ready when you are Stephan."
"That wouldn't surprise me either. However, I think we have a problem. Golthar knows were we are heading, since we mentioned Death's Head Country way too often yesterday. Next to that, we need to cross the river someplace to continue our travels. Are you familiar with this area? Do you know if we have to expect something else but this rocky territory? Is there any ferry we can use?" asks Ullar, who's mood is quite better, although he still feels hurt.
Tolik nods his head in agreement. "From listening to Pietro's story, and what everyone else has said, I think we forge ahead. Though Ullar, I think you are right, we are missing something major here. Something obvious... But until we have it, we've got to work with what we have. So the best we can do unless someone puts two and two together is to move forward. If I remember the map correctly, we have another day or two travel ahead, so by the time we arrive we should be near full strength."
"Yeah, you're right. I can think on a horse as well. Perhaps you'd like to join me on Zephyr, since Amibar is no longer here, and you're wing is not completely restored." offers Ullar to Tolik. "I can tell you what I know, and than you can see if there are any links between the stories that I missed!"
Tolik shakes his head. "I think I'll pass. I need the practice at riding. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it though. I hardly ever fall off anymore."
"I think we should go on as well. I do not think they are in any dangers we know of. Golthar is here, he will try to get back at us. Hopefully he has a bit of a monetary problem at the moment, since we again took his wallet." You see that Pietro does not really try to hide a grin. "I do not think that we will ever be friends." The elf is outright laughing now. "Serious now, Hrothgar is not really a problem as well, he was in jail in Threshold. He lost a few men, and his contract is undone since Jolenta is quite dead now."
At the mention of Jolenta's name, Forte shivers a little and then wraps his new blue cloak around himself as tightly as he can.
"How long will it take for us to reach Death's Head country again? I want at least another night before entering that place. Last night I only used my healing prayers, and they are going to the injured party members. I think that after another night we will have gained sufficient strength to move on." Pietro looks around the party, a ragged one it is. There is one thing though that shines through the emotions, injuries and memories of lost friends. The most important thing needed is still there, hope!"
"I agree that we need more time but let's move a bit further and hide first." Rhune adds as she sees that her arm feels better now.
"Could someone prepare some breakfast? I'm starving; seems to me I missed dinner last night!" Ullar calls out to the group. "I've no skills in this matter, so I'd appreciate some help!"
Rhune sets about getting a quick breakfast together for the group.
It's a cold breakfast, and quick, and not particularly good, as Rhune has no real skill in this area, but it appeases the gods of hunger well enough.