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[Arcalian]

As he had with Jan before, Adrian led the party in Anomen's wake. Anomen was not running quite as fast as Jan had been that day, partly because of his platemail. But also, Adrian reflected, because Anomen feared it was already too late.

But it was not so. The party was fair winded when they reached the Delyrn estate. The house guard tried to block all the party, save Anomen himself. But they simply bulled past him.

Moira Delryn was not dead, but she was gravely wounded. There were slashes on her legs and arms, and her face was bruised. Her dress was red with blood.

"Agh, boy," Cor Delryn all but snarled. "Ye come only to see your sister die. Useless, as always."

"What on earth are you babbling about now?" Anomen snapped, in no mood for his father's foolishness. "Why did you not call a priest?"

"No priest can save her, surely you can see that boy?"

Anomen stared at his father a long moment, but instead of answering, he turned and began to cast spells over his sister's battered body.

"Boy," said Cor, growing truly angry now, "Do not waste your own pathetic spells. You lack the potential to--"

Adrian clamped one hand around the old man's throat. Not hard enough to deny him breath, but hard enough to silence him.

Anomen finished his first spell, and some of his sister's wounds closed. He began casting anew, and her wounds all sealed into scars. A third time, and some color returned to her face. A fourth spell, and she was merely unconscious, and weak.

"She has lost some blood," said Anomen, weary himself from his spellcasting labor. "She will need food to fully recover."

They could've gone into the kitchens, but it saved time for Jan to give her food from her own rations. She was still asleep, but Anomen gently prodded her awake.

"Brother? W-what..."

"Hush, dear sister. Take the food. You have been sore wounded. I arrived only just in time."

She ate the salted meat and the handful of magically preserved grapes that Jan gave her. Then Anomen supported her over to the fountain, where she began to drink.

Adrian let go of Cor. He stared at his son disbeleivingly. "How could you ever achieve such power?"

Anomen turned and glared at his father with ice cold eyes. "So help me Helm, father, if you do not silence yourself this moment, I will break your knees."

"Oooooh, is that a threat?" Cor sneered, reaching for the belt looped around his waist.

"Yes," Anomen said simply, and raised his hammer.

For a long moment Cor stared at his son, hand still in the act of pulling his belt free. But his face began to pale as he truly saw his son for the first time, and he somewhat shamefacedly stuffed his belt back around his trousers.

----

"Who did this to you, sister?" Anomen asked her. "Was it our dear father?" These last two words were spoken with such anger that Cor recoiled in the corner.

"No, brother...." Moira hung her head and breathed heavily, still feeling her fresh-healed wounds. "It was two men. They pretended to be burglars, but they spoke amongst themselves about how much Farrahd had paid them.

Anomen sighed and closed his eyes, nodding slowly. "The Farrahds. It figures."

"Longtime family rivals, I assume?" Adrian asked quietly. It was the first time he'd spoken since their arrival.

"Aye!" Cor spat from the corner of the room. "Now ye can seek vengeance and prove yourself a worthy son!"

Anomen whirled and stalked towards his father in a mighty rage. "SHUT UP YOU OLD FOOL!" He bore down on his father and grabbed his arms in gauntleted hands. "This is as much your fault as the Farrahds! Were it not for your wasting the family fortune on drink we'd have guards enough to prevent this madness!" He took a series of breaths, gaining a measure of control, then went on. "I will take out the Farrahds, yes. But for Moira, and myself. Not for you. YOU deserve death at their hands. If you and Saerk Farrahd were to slay eachother, the world would be a better place! But of course, you lack both the courage and brains to even make the attempt!" He shoved his father against the wall. The old man slid down, whimpering feebly.

In that moment, as Anomen's burning rage focused on destroying the Farrahds, he felt the powers of Helm threatening to withdraw from him. Go then, he snarled in his mind. I have not failed you; you have failed me. You failed the good members of the Order, and you failed my sister. Go! Look upon me no longer, you are not a worthy god at all!

There was true surprise from Helm, but no anger. A gradual sadness there was instead, and then the god faded from his mind. His powers as a priest faded away, he could feel them go.

But there was something left. Yes....something. A red knight, and behind this vagule feminine figure was a power greater still. A power, Anomen felt, that could understand that justice and vengance--yes, vengeance by force of arms--were as important as duty. And the red knight was trying to tell him something...

He cocked his head, listening. The others could sense a change in him. They did not see his powers fade, but all of them saw him change in some indescribable way. And to Jan, the new air about him was some what familiar, somehow. the Gnome nodded approvingly.

Anomen barely noticed. He shivered and turned to Adrian. "I am afraid I am now Fallen, Adrian. I am not a priest, not at this moment. Merely a man with a hammer. I hope I will remain useful to you."

"Of course, Anomen," Adrian said, clasping the ex-Helmite by the shoulder. "And if Tree is right, you will find your new faith soon."

"Perhaps so. In any case I have a boon to ask of you."

"Name it," said Adrian, thinking more and more of a similiar situation he'd seen Edwin in, not so long ago. Behind him, he could hear the Thayvian draw breath as he also remembered.

"I will destroy the Farrahds in due course, but in the meantime it is not safe for Moira here. We need to take her somewhere safe. I would send her to our mother's family, but I do not trust dear father here to arrange that. So, might we take her to your Keep?"

"Of course. I had a mind to check on it anyway," Adrian agreed at once.

Anomen spat at his father as they left. The old man stared blankly at him.

"That old rivvil needs to die," Viconia whispered to Adrian as Anomen stormed ahead, carrying his sister in his arms.

"You're right, my dear. But not quite yet. I need time to arrange it that will draw attention away from us. And besides, I doubt that even now Anomen is prepared to kill him, or allow his death. We will need to be discreet. We must see to his sister first."

"Anomen," Moira murmured, "You should not have turned against Helm for me."

"He failed us, sister," Anomen answered firmly, carrying his sister out of the Government district. "Us, and many others. But things will turn out for the best....I have....faith in that. You shall see."

Adrian's party left Athkatla in short order.

[Arcalian]

So I haven't played Ano yet, but is Moira still being alive your change? (In any case, I like it)

Yes, that and the fact that that Anomen loses his powers. That never happens in the game. Nor does he ever stop worshipping Helm. Alignment and wisdom scores can be altered though, depending on what path he takes (I know I'm probably telling you something you arleady know, forgive my babbling).

[Laufey]

Moira Delryn was not dead, but she was gravely wounded. There were slashes on her legs and arms, and her face was bruised. Her dress was red with blood.

"Agh, boy," Cor Delryn all but snarled. "Ye come only to see your sister die. Useless, as always."

Look who's talking.

"What on earth are you babbling about now?" Anomen snapped, in no mood for his father's foolishness. "Why did you not call a priest?"

"No priest can save her, surely you can see that boy?"

Talk about pessimistic. Even if he doesn't trust Anomen, surely he should know what priests in general can achieve?

"She has lost some blood," said Anomen, weary himself from his spellcasting labor. "She will need food to fully recover."

They could've gone into the kitchens, but it saved time for Jan to give her food from her own rations. She was still asleep, but Anomen gently prodded her awake.

"Brother? W-what..."

"Hush, dear sister. Take the food. You have been sore wounded. I arrived only just in time."

Awwww!

Anomen whirled and stalked towards his father in a mighty rage. "SHUT UP YOU OLD FOOL!" He bore down on his father and grabbed his arms in gauntleted hands. "This is as much your fault as the Farrahds! Were it not for your wasting the family fortune on drink we'd have guards enough to prevent this madness!" He took a series of breaths, gaining a measure of control, then went on. "I will take out the Farrahds, yes. But for Moira, and myself. Not for you. YOU deserve death at their hands. If you and Saerk Farrahd were to slay eachother, the world would be a better place! But of course, you lack both the courage and brains to even make the attempt!" He shoved his father against the wall. The old man slid down, whimpering feebly.

In that moment, as Anomen's burning rage focused on destroying the Farrahds, he felt the powers of Helm threatening to withdraw from him. Go then, he snarled in his mind. I have not failed you; you have failed me. You failed the good members of the Order, and you failed my sister. Go! Look upon me no longer, you are not a worthy god at all!

There was true surprise from Helm, but no anger. A gradual sadness there was instead, and then the god faded from his mind. His powers as a priest faded away, he could feel them go.

So, that's how it goes. I hope Ano will find his balance eventually - but I can see that in an evil party, it'll be better if he follows another god than Helm.

Anomen barely noticed. He shivered and turned to Adrian. "I am afraid I am now Fallen, Adrian. I am not a priest, not at this moment. Merely a man with a hammer. I hope I will remain useful to you."

*sniffs* I still remember writing the Falling of Whisper's Anomen.

"He failed us, sister," Anomen answered firmly, carrying his sister out of the Government district. "Us, and many others. But things will turn out for the best....I have....faith in that. You shall see."

I hope so...

[Arcalian]

Talk about pessimistic. Even if he doesn't trust Anomen, surely he should know what priests in general can achieve?

You may have picked up on the fact that I think Cor's INT and WIS are both rather low. And he'll get what's coming to him.

I hope so...

Hey, this is me, remember? I left him bereft of a god for all of one post.....

[Weyoun]

"Agh, boy," Cor Delryn all but snarled. "Ye come only to see your sister die. Useless, as always."

Nrgghhh, I hate that bastard.

"Hush, dear sister. Take the food. You have been sore wounded. I arrived only just in time."

She ate the salted meat and the handful of magically preserved grapes that Jan gave her. Then Anomen supported her over to the fountain, where she began to drink.

Adrian let go of Cor. He stared at his son disbeleivingly. "How could you ever achieve such power?"

Anomen turned and glared at his father with ice cold eyes. "So help me Helm, father, if you do not silence yourself this moment, I will break your knees."

Go for it, man!

For a long moment Cor stared at his son, hand still in the act of pulling his belt free. But his face began to pale as he truly saw his son for the first time, and he somewhat shamefacedly stuffed his belt back around his trousers.

Aw, no neckbreaking?

Anomen whirled and stalked towards his father in a mighty rage. "SHUT UP YOU OLD FOOL!" He bore down on his father and grabbed his arms in gauntleted hands. "This is as much your fault as the Farrahds! Were it not for your wasting the family fortune on drink we'd have guards enough to prevent this madness!" He took a series of breaths, gaining a measure of control, then went on. "I will take out the Farrahds, yes. But for Moira, and myself. Not for you. YOU deserve death at their hands. If you and Saerk Farrahd were to slay eachother, the world would be a better place! But of course, you lack both the courage and brains to even make the attempt!" He shoved his father against the wall. The old man slid down, whimpering feebly.

Well done!

"You're right, my dear. But not quite yet. I need time to arrange it that will draw attention away from us. And besides, I doubt that even now Anomen is prepared to kill him, or allow his death. We will need to be discreet. We must see to his sister first."

"Anomen," Moira murmured, "You should not have turned against Helm for me."

"He failed us, sister," Anomen answered firmly, carrying his sister out of the Government district. "Us, and many others. But things will turn out for the best....I have....faith in that. You shall see."

Adrian's party left Athkatla in short order.

Good story!
---Weyoun