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[Arcalian]

Three steps down into the fallen temple, and the temperature dropped another twenty degrees. Everyone winced, and Viconia cursed in Drow. She remembered the trip to Vaasa all too well.

The corridor was cold and the darkness filled it. But it was not silent; the wail of more shadow wolves could be heard, and their was an echoey sound of wind in a tunnel, though they could feel no breath of air on their faces.

They opened a door and were beset by skeletons that, by their prowess at arms, identified themselves as skeletal warriors. This brutal pair were backed up by a trio of shade wolves. Anomen seemed to have grown in power; the shade wolves were destroyed by his Turning. But the skels pressed on, and Adrian and Korgan were hard beset by them, until Viconia and Anomen weighed in on the fray.

"The darkness powers them." Anomen was almost a formless voice in the darkness. "It makes them stronger than they might otherwise be."

"Brilliant," Edwin sneered, sounding almost like his old self. "An unholy temple will naturally strengthen it's followers. However did the 'All Seeing' Eye of Helm ever miss that?"

"Edwin," Adrian asked in a deceptively mild voice, "Shall I let Anomen knock your teeth out for you?"

"Er...no."

"Then shut up."

Edwin's muttering faded off into silence.

"Wait," Anomen turned, and indeed Adrian could see a faint pulse that looked not unlike weak winter sunlight, gleaming through the darkness.

"What is that?" Jan's voice held no cunning humor, only wonder.

"Something not of the Darkness' designs," Anomen's voice was unusally thoughful and musing. He crossed over to the pulsing light and opened a small coffin, revealing the glowing skeleton of a child.

"I think, Adrian," said Anomen in a soft voice, "That your thought about this being a good temple subverted. This is clearly a messiah or prophetess of whatever good god once ruled here.

"Slain by the dark forces?" Tree's soft voice asked.

"Possibly. I hate to disturb it, but...." Anomen trailed off with an unspoken question.

"I hold no real truck with the concept of so called 'good', Anomen, no offence. But if there is a power here in opposition to the, shall we say current administration, I've no objection to using whatever advantages we can have." Adrian shrugged in the darkness. While he never really examined his own motives that closely in philosophical terms, but he had no patience for the concept of good. Candlekeep had taught him that the closest thing to good in this miserable world was loyalty to those who treated you well--in his case, Gorion and Imoen. Anything beyond that was nothing more than rationalization, and a desire to be able to sleep at night without being stabbed in the back.

Anomen did not argue the point; he simply gathered up the child's bones and put them in his backpack. The area around the party brightened a little, improving everyone's mood.

More shadows waited them in the next room, including a stronger one that seemed to be wearing leather armor, that mumbled something about a "consort. The fight was not long, but a gash in Tree's leg made her feel weak.

On the corpse of the speaking shadow, Jan found a key. It opened a door in the darkness, and Jan was much surprised when a halfling in chainmail fell into his arms.

"Fentan," said Anomen and Korgan together.

The halfing's normally florid face was pale and drawn, making the red curls of her hair seem alien and strange. Her eyes opened, and she regarded them with fear and exhaustion.

"In Arvoreen's name, I tell thee; this place is Death."

[Arcalian]

Jarran: I must say, I admire the, ah, straightforward way you keep your party in line. Luckily I have little trouble with mine.

Adrian: *looks astonished* Little trouble, brother? Romancing Jaheira, Anomen and Mazzy, and oh yes the magic-hating Valygar is dating our little sister, and you say little trouble? I am wondering what you would find to be big trouble! But I thank you nonetheless.

Ooooooh, nice line.

*bows*

[Laufey]

"Brilliant," Edwin sneered, sounding almost like his old self. "An unholy temple will naturally strengthen it's followers. However did the 'All Seeing' Eye of Helm ever miss that?"

"Edwin," Adrian asked in a deceptively mild voice, "Shall I let Anomen knock your teeth out for you?"

"Er...no."

"Then shut up."

Edwin's muttering faded off into silence.

Eddie and his big mouth again.

"I hold no real truck with the concept of so called 'good', Anomen, no offence. But if there is a power here in opposition to the, shall we say current administration, I've no objection to using whatever advantages we can have." Adrian shrugged in the darkness. While he never really examined his own motives that closely in philosophical terms, but he had no patience for the concept of good. Candlekeep had taught him that the closest thing to good in this miserable world was loyalty to those who treated you well--in his case, Gorion and Imoen. Anything beyond that was nothing more than rationalization, and a desire to be able to sleep at night without being stabbed in the back.

That's very cold...but it is certainly consistent with Adrian's character.

On the corpse of the speaking shadow, Jan found a key. It opened a door in the darkness, and Jan was much surprised when a halfling in chainmail fell into his arms.

"Fentan," said Anomen and Korgan together.

The halfing's normally florid face was pale and drawn, making the red curls of her hair seem alien and strange. Her eyes opened, and she regarded them with fear and exhaustion.

"In Arvoreen's name, I tell thee; this place is Death."

Talk about dramatic entrance!

[Weyoun]

"The darkness powers them." Anomen was almost a formless voice in the darkness. "It makes them stronger than they might otherwise be."

Great... Any more tricks up the sleeve?

"Brilliant," Edwin sneered, sounding almost like his old self. "An unholy temple will naturally strengthen it's followers. However did the 'All Seeing' Eye of Helm ever miss that?"

"Edwin," Adrian asked in a deceptively mild voice, "Shall I let Anomen knock your teeth out for you?"

LOL! The new Employee loyalty song?

On the corpse of the speaking shadow, Jan found a key. It opened a door in the darkness, and Jan was much surprised when a halfling in chainmail fell into his arms.

"Fentan," said Anomen and Korgan together.

The halfing's normally florid face was pale and drawn, making the red curls of her hair seem alien and strange. Her eyes opened, and she regarded them with fear and exhaustion.

"In Arvoreen's name, I tell thee; this place is Death."

And she be right...

Great stuff,
---Weyoun

[Arcalian]

Interesting thoughts... I feel like I should have something to say, but I don't. I suppose I can't really say someone 'should' be good, as that's circular reasoning already.

This is Adrian's reasoning, not my own. Be assured, I have a more optimistic view than this.