Secunday:
You pause at the entrance to the Church of the King and Queen. Arlemis looks a bit nervous. Sendant appears to be looking at the walls.
"Got a list of their paladins on these pillars," Sendant says, pointing. "Cool."
"That's great." Arlemis looks around until he sees one of the priests coming towards them. "Hey, straighten up. We want to impress them."
Sendant looks a bit miffed at that. "I'm a War-priest of the Bright Blade, Arly. I don't have to TRY to impress them --"
"You are Arlemis and the Warpriest Sendant?" asks the priest, a stout, red-faced young woman. "If you'll please come with me."
You follow her through the main chapel and into the living quarters, where most of the devoted make their homes. Sendant sees a lot of people in clean white robes looking at him and his greatsword a bit disdainfully, and straightens his shoulders. Arlemis notices this, but says nothing.
The young acolyte leaves you in a well-furnished room. There are three chairs. Arlemis looks around at the expensive furnishings, and then catches Sendant looking at him with a raised eyebrow, and locks his hands behind his back.
"Thank you for coming." Arlemis jumps. A dignified-looking man, tall, broad shoulders, silver hair, steps into the room. He's wearing the vestments of the King and Queen, and he looks like he has some rank. "Lelenia asked for the two of you to act as witnesses..."
"For..." Arly says.
"Some kind of test," Sendant guesses. He's not entirely unapproving. There are tests in his faith, too. Although maces and greatswords factor heavily into them...
"More of a debriefing," says the man. "I'm Quisitor Malcolm. Please, take your seats." He gestures to two of the chairs, and takes the third for himself.
A moment later Leny arrives. She's in full regalia. She's practically glowing. She's got the Hammer of Fyran at her side, and she looks clean and good and pretty much like she always does.
And the questioning begins...
"And what did the dragon do at that time?"
"Quisitor, at that time, the dragon appeared to see that I had slipped, and attempted to strike me as I lay on the ground. Val... my griffon pulled me away, sir."
"And the dragon then killed your steed?"
"Yes, Quisitor?"
"And why was it necessary for your steed to sacrifice itself for you, Sir Lelenia?"
"Quisitor, as I said, I had tripped on a root... it was dark, from the storm summoned by..."
"And upon seeing that your steed had been slain, did you take your vengeance upon the dragon?"
"Quisitor, I had been rendered unconscious. I only afterward discovered that... Valianar... had died."
"And then?"
"Quisitor, I had no equipment, nor did my comrades. We attempted to..."
"To what?"
"To... return to Twingate, to procure new equipment with which to attack the dragon..."
"To escape, Lelenia?"
"Yes, sir."
"From the dragon who killed your steed?"
"Yes."
"We all did," Arly adds. "And we got captured by the Black Pillar, anyway. It wasn't HER fault!"
Quisitor Malcolm smiles at you. "Thank you, Arlemis. I'll note that."
...
"And at this time, you then agreed to perform a service for the Black Pillar without consulting the Church?"
"It wasn't... Quisitor, the agreement was made in order to avoid a sentence of death from crimes against the Black Pillar, for myself and my friends."
"And so you wished to find a loophole, then, a way to circumvent the legal penalty in that area?"
"No, Quisitor. I was unaware that I was being affected by a Quest. Had I not, I would have..."
"Would have what, Lelenia? Broken your promise to aid the Black Pillar, once you had made it?"
"No, Quisitor. I would have gotten word to Twingate, then continued to help them. The town was under assult from undead. It was the right thing to do."
"Are you saying that you have the authority to determine the proper course of action in an interreligious political situation, Lelenia?"
"...No, Quisitor."
"She got tricked," Sendant says. "They all did. It's not her fault. Getting tricked isn't a crime."
Polite stare, polite nod.
...
"And at this time, having fallen from the ledge, you found the ancient belongings of Fyran?"
"Quisitor, that is correct."
"And your first thoughts, Lelenia?"
"Ah..."
"I just want to know what you were thinking, Sir Knight."
"Respect, Quisitor. Awe."
"I see. So it was respect and awe, then, that made you decide to take Fyran's Hammer for yourself?"
"I... I was in the middle of a fight, Quisitor!"
"And you thought that a holy relic of this church was appropriate to use to destroy, what, you referred to them as elemental guardians?"
"Yes!"
"And that you were the right person to wield this hammer?"
"Yes! Fyran was my hero as a child! Fyran was legendary! He should be a saint! I felt honored to be given the chance to wield his hammer and fight for righteousness."
"And who gave you that chance?"
"What?"
"Sir Lelenia, do you rank yourself on a level with Fyran?"
"What? No!... Quisitor, I do not."
"And you are aware that Fyran is among the foremost among our venerated, our honored."
"Quisitor, I am."
"And you nevertheless judged yourself worthy to wield one of our most sacred relics, to use its magic to further your own abilities."
"I... I wanted to..."
"Wanted to what, Sir Lelenia?"
"I thought it was there for me..."
"What was there for you? The Hammer? You thought that Fyran had died, then and there, a millenium ago, so that you, all these years later, could have something to use in combat?"
"..."
"She used it well," Sendant says quietly. Arlemis nods.
Quisitor Malcolm has a sad smile. "I'm sure that she did. Nevertheless, such behavior... the casual use of a sacred relic... She may have disturbed the body, or affected the magic of the hammer... And after the account I have heard, I believe that I am ready for judgment. Sir Lelenia, you are hereby ordered to relinquish the Hammer of Fyran, and to perform penance for the sin of pridefulness."
Leny looks stricken. She's ghost-white. "I understand. Quisitor, I understand."
"The hammer, Leny." The way he says her name, right then, sort of hits you, and you realize, both of you, that this guy knows her, this is someone who maybe was a teacher or a mentor or... you don't know. But he's holding out his hand.
And Leny gives him the hammer, looks at the two of your wordlessly, and leaves.
You're shown out. Politely.
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