Author: Ulfineas

Finn had no love for the rain. He certainly understood its value and believed it to be a gift of The Light. But in the moment, his rusty chain mail and soggy boots outweighed his appreciation for the life-giving water falling from the sky. Such were his ruminations as he and his friends came upon a cart stuck in the mud on the road back to Ecklemore. 

From behind the cart came the inevitable plea for assistance. Finn must have done an admirable job of hiding his displeasure. Truth be told, the last thing he wanted to do in that moment was wallow in a mud puddle trying to free a heavy cart laden with who knew what. It also occurred to Finn that this might be a clever ruse for an ambush on unsuspecting wayfarers. Mercifully, no such thing was the case. Once the cart was unfettered, the kindly old driver—Dr. Glockenskart, purveyor of a miracle elixir— even bestowed one of his magic potions on Finn as a thank-you for his selfless act of assistance. 

And so, a few days of soggy travel after leaving Devon, the trio found themselves slowly drying out by the hearth at the Wolf and Barrel. With room and board secured for the evening, and the prospect of some strong ale and hot food on the horizon, Finn and his friends turned their attention to a discussion of their next move in the hunt for the remaining hand of The Watch. What they didn’t realize, as they discussed their plans, was that someone was listening to every word they said…

Soggy again, and this time smelling like rotting fish, Finn thought to himself “that’s not at all how I expected the evening to go”. Mere hours after checking in to the Wolf and Barrel, where the believed they would rest for the night; Finn, Daphne, and Araxis found themselves standing in a dank cellar between the corpses of the creature that they had followed down there, and the beast that burst from its chest, their pockets filled with a treasure trove of gems, vestments, potions, and spell scrolls…

Washing away the day, Finn thought that he should perhaps feel guilty for the spoils he had earned. Instead, he exhaled deeply, appreciating the fresh hot water that rained over him.

Finn wasn’t entirely sure why, but he felt as though he could barely contain his excitement for returning to Delta. It had been months since the trio had first ventured to the bustling city, and the passage of time had served to guild Finn’s remembrance of the towering belfries, the throngs of people, and the vibrancy of this cosmopolitan center. On top of that, there was something intangibly special about Delta for Finn—perhaps this was where his relationship with Daphne and Araxis was galvanized once and for all. Regardless of the reason, Finn was beaming as the domes of the temples hove into view on the horizon. Walking through the streets however, on their way to find lodging for the night, Finn couldn’t help but feel that the city was somehow smaller than he remembered. 

After a night’s rest, the trio set out for the map shop they had found so long ago, in search of fresh leads for their quest. Within moments; however, progress was halted by a series of commotions and setbacks that forced Finn to question much of his world view, and particularly his opinion of Delta. In fact, by the time Finn and his friends reached the map shop, Finn was seething with anger and he barely noticed that the map shop was shuttered and inaccessible. He vaguely recalled a note on the door stating “Norman would be proud…”, and he ambled listlessly behind Daphne and Araxis as they worked their way back to the Guildhalls in search of the dwarf, Reagnus. There too, the trio were met with a dead end, and it was decided that the best course of action might be to visit Norman’s Village in a box once more. 

While Finn looked forward to seeing Ivy again, what he really wanted was to be out of Delta, even if Norman’s box was still there. Unfortunately, not even Ivy could raise Finn’s dejected mood and he found himself blindly hacking and slashing at what appeared to innocent mechanical clocks. Blinded by rage, it wasn’t until Finn and his friends were surrounded by shattered gears and cracked sprockets that Finn noticed they had destroyed all of the mechanical sentinels. Their violence was rewarded with an amulet that Finn thought Daphne might like. Ironically, the amulet which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse for Daphne, as it seemed to make her stronger, and sick at the same time—how apropos Finn thought, an item that seemed to be fair, but on closer inspection turns out to be foul. 

Feeling that they had unfinished business in Norman’s Village, the trio decided to make one more stop before leaving, and they worked their way back to The Beginning. It was here that they came face to face with an Umber Hulk—a creature the likes of which they had never faced before (at least not that they could remember). At first, Finn fed his rage and stood, toe to toe with the beast, smiting it with fire and thunder. But as the battle continued, Finn’s rage was replaced by another emotion. Behind him, Daphne peppered the creature with crossbow bolts, and beside him Araxis whipped it with all the elements of the Earth. It was then that Finn realized he wasn’t fighting Darkness, he was protecting the Light, and his rage gave way to a sense of peace and serenity as he fought to shield his friends from harm. 

It was Daphne who dealt the final blow to the creature. In doing so, Norman’s Village rewarded them, once more, with information that might help Finn complete his quest. Once again, Finn was filled with an inexplicable sense of excitement. He had witnessed Darkness in the world, and now understood the Light all the more. With a reminder of all the clues the trio had uncovered through all of their adventures, Finn was sure they were one step closer to finding The Watch, and snuffing out Darkness once and for all. Finn couldn’t wait to get back to Delta, and he looked forward to what lay beyond.   

The stay at the Happenstance temple had been a welcome respite from the travails of the road for Finn, and he had embraced the opportunity to refocus and contemplate his faith in the security that the temple afforded. That’s not to say that the stay was without adventure. There were some exciting moments, and much valuable information about their current quest had been gained. Even in the moments of quiet, Tobias was often just around the corner, ready to drag Finn into another unexplored wing of the temple. 

Nonetheless, Finn felt the call to the road again, as he assumed Daphne and Araxis did as well. Finn began to remember why he had set forth from Ulther in the first place; “to shelter the Light and stand against the wickedness that would swallow it.” With new information about The Watch’s connection to the Leaf of Light, Finn was ready to set forth with a renewed sense of purpose, and an appetite for adventure. Appreciation was offered, goodbyes were said, and the trio set off.

And then Finn got walloped by a Gnoll. 

Daphne had sensed the creature first. She managed to pinpoint its location, knocked an arrow, and hit the malevolent creature. She quickly relayed the information to Finn and Araxis, who readied themselves for battle. Perhaps the days of rest had left Finn a little less sharp than normal, or perhaps he was distracted by the beauty of the day. Whatever the reason, Finn took a blow from the Gnoll that left him within a hair’s breadth of becoming one with The Light. Finn wasn’t exactly sure what happened next, but he had to assume that Daphne and Araxis succeeded where he had failed, and managed to defeat the violent creature. 

In retrospect, Finn did not have a very good recollection of anything that occurred over the next few days. He assumed that the trio was making their way back to Wayfair and the University, to follow up on leads they had attained in Happenstance. He also assumed that if they had encountered any trouble, Daphne and Araxis had handled it. Finn was recovering slowly from the walloping, and did not begin to feel fully like himself until arriving in town. 

Once in Wayfair, the trio split up, each with a job to do. Daphne made her way to the market, intent on procuring items that might be of assistance on future adventures, using the spoils of previous adventures. Araxis went to the library archives, intent on following up on leads from the library archives of Happenstance. Finn made his way to the Temple district, to secure lodging and pay his respects to the Temple Elders. Not long after, he met up with Araxis once again and was asked to aid in a small bit of landscaping—a task Araxis had agreed to in exchange for some translation work. It wasn’t the height of adventure, but after the walloping Finn had just taken, it seemed to be the right pace of action for him. 

While not overly taxing, the landscaping was fraught with its own unique perils—bees, which were annoying, and spores, which Finn was allergic to. The real peril; however, was the quandary Finn found himself in when he unearthed a chest beneath the foliage he had just pruned. Clearly, it did not belong to him. But he felt that perhaps Daphne had been wearing off on him, as Finn couldn’t seem to leave without knowing the contents of the chest. Eventually, he decided to bring the chest back to the University and present it to the professor for whom he had done the landscaping. 

It had occurred to Finn that recovering the chest was the point of the landscaping in the first place. It later occurred to Finn (with Daphne’s help), that perhaps the landscaping wasn’t for the professor at all, and was just a rouse to procure the chest illicitly. Mercifully, both scenarios turned out to be false. When presented with the chest, the professor assured Finn she had never seen it before, and had no use for the dirty old box. 

Finn was properly chuffed. He felt that he had obtained loot from an adventure, the way Daphne might. But he was also relieved he hadn’t needed to resort to grave robbing or any other nefarious actions. His elation was quickly dashed; however, when upon opening the dirty old chest a rank and putrid odor filled the room. Finn quickly realized that he had probably dug up the remains of a long-lost pet. Finn handed the box to Daphne in shame—perhaps a little hastily. Disgusted by the odor, but intrigued by what else the chest might contain, Daphne dug through the putrefaction to revel a wondrous wand, which she handed back to Finn.  

Araxis and Daphne had each secured their own wondrous items for the journey ahead. After much consideration and research Daphne had purchased for herself a sword of warning. Araxis, desirous of keeping her feet dry in the swamps whereto the trio was headed, was able to haggle for a ring that would allow her to walk across water as if it were solid ground. And so, with rest, and provisions for the road, Finn felt sharp and ready for the work ahead.

As was often the case after a few hours in the saddle, Finn’s mind began to drift back the Temple of Ulther. It was the only home he had ever known until setting forth on this journey of discovery so long ago. Finn liked to think that he had grown and matured along the road, but truth be told, he still craved adventure and had no qualms about rushing headlong into a fight—if he thought he was serving The Light. Nevertheless, as the Temple of Devotion rose in the distance and the angel winged sentinels guarding the gates came into view, Finn was immediately at peace. He looked forward to the sanctuary and relished the opportunity to spend a few days in quiet contemplation of The Light. He was sure Araxis would appreciate the incredible records that Temples of Devotion were known to keep. And despite trusting Daphne with his life, he secretly hoped she wouldn’t get into too much trouble here. After all, he was responsible for their conduct.

Upon entering the courtyard of the temple, Finn and the rest of the trio were greeted by a kindly old Paladin who had clearly spent all of his years devoted to the tenets of his faith; treating others with fairness, letting honorable deeds be an example to others, and doing as much good as possible, all while while causing the least amount of harm. He welcomed them heartily, offered them food and lodging, and even pointed them in the direction of the archives, so that they could begin their research for Professor Morgandon. 

Now, it’s not that Finn wasn’t grateful for the incredible hospitality offered by the old paladin. Truth be told, the old man reminded Finn very much of his own master at Ulther. So much so, that Finn felt as though the long road travelled had brought him right back home. He was; however, having some trouble paying attention to the old man, for over his shoulder, peeking out from behind a wall of the temple, was a precocious young lad who was introduced as Tobias. 

Tobias was a young paladin of nine or ten, and it was immediately clear that Tobias was smitten with Finn. Unlike Ulther, the Temple of Happenstance was relatively small by comparison. As such, Tobias did not have any peers his age. Moreover, true to their name, most of the paladin’s at the temple were utterly devoted to a study of The Light. This came at the cost of the physical training that usually went along with the order. It was also much to the chagrin of Tobias, who wanted nothing more than to slay a dragon and discover treasure. When he first saw Finn, fresh from a journey of adventures, Tobias knew exactly what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. And if Finn was being honest, he saw a younger version of himself in Tobias. In reality, Finn was smitten with the young lad. 

It wasn’t long before Tobias was leading Finn and Daphne around the temple, showing them the common rooms, but also going out of his way to point out the “forbidden” areas of the temple where he was sure monsters lurked, and treasures were buried. The tour was fairly comprehensive, and easily filled the hours between their arrival and dinner. While no monsters were disturbed, or treasures uncovered, there were some interesting architectural designs in the temple that Finn and Daphne both agreed might warrant some further investigation. 

The temple truly was a place of peace and quiet contemplation for Finn. That was, until breakfast the next day, when he discovered a hand written note:

“I went scouting to look for cool adventures. I want to fight monsters on my own. 

Ps we can share the gold

Pps tell Daphne”

Finn was struck with terror. He knew he had been a bad influence on Tobias, as well as he knew it was his responsibility to save the young lad from whatever trouble he found himself in. Finn’s terror was abated when both Daphne and Araxis said they would help to find Tobias. The trio had shared so much that Finn should have expected they would have his back now. Still, he was grateful for their help and he knew that the three of them together would have no trouble returning the young man home, safe and sound. 

It had been three days and nights of travel since Finn and his companions had left Wayfair. And yet, Finn still found that the distance that they had put between themselves and the University had not been enough to forget the horrors of the archives. The ordeals in the many rooms of the archives had galvanized his relationship with Daphne and Araxis. He’d long considered Daphne a little sister and had adopted Araxis as a mentor from whom he could learn. And these thoughts were distilled to crystal clarity within the archives. For Finn, where there was good, beauty, love, and laughter in the world he would stand against the wickedness that would swallow it. That is how he justified what had happened. Nonetheless, he had awoken in a cold sweat every night since Wayfair, haunted by the innocent whose life he helped to snuff out. 

That is why, when the trio came upon a lonely looking Inne along the side of the road, Finn was keen to shelter for the night. He was looking forward to an evening of song and laughter. He was profoundly aware that when you let the Light die in your own heart, you can’t preserve it in the world, and there had certainly been a dimming about his heart. Finn tied his steed, Light Bringer, to the hitching post and made his way into the shelter. He was immediately enveloped by the warm glow of a crackling fire, and suffused by the intoxicating smells of the cauldron bubbling over the coals. It reminded him of the night so long ago at the Ribbon at Arms, when he first met Araxis and Daphne and set out on this unlikeliest of journeys. 

On this particular evening, however, the three travelers were greeted by a curious owl, a cat, and the host of Tuesday House. Certainly, Finn had read much about the various creatures of the material plane, and had encountered a fair number of them already. He also know that the Light worked in mysterious ways, that all creature had Light and Dark within them, and that by harnessing The Light, one could accomplish miracles. Through prayer and meditation Finn was learning how to harness The Light in truly magical ways, and he had certainly witnessed miracles and incredible feats performed by both Daphne and Araxis. Nonetheless, coming face to face with anthropomorphic creatures was unusual enough to set Finn aback for a moment. It wasn’t long; however, before the small group was gathered around the fire sharing stories of adventure and daring. Finn shared an exceptionally scintillating tale of the oath of silence he had once pledged, but he had to admit that Daphne and Araxis were tough acts to follow. 

As a reward for their tales, and incredible skill at solving word puzzles, Finn, Daphne, and Araxis were granted access to the Inne’s garden. Crossing the threshold to the garden was like crossing the threshold into another world altogether—like an echo of the material plane where the sky was alight with the faded colors of the setting, or perhaps rising, sun, dusky and low in the sky. The trio began to explore the garden and were almost immediately faced with a puzzle to solve—three keys needed to be found to unlock the secrets of the garden. Daphne quickly set to work, and within moments had found a literal key hiding amongst the beautiful foliage. Finn was taken with the setting. He sensed Light and good in all of the surroundings, particularly the birdsong dancing on the breeze. Within moments he was humming along with the birds, but it was a few minutes before he realized that he too had found the right key. Ever wise and patient, Araxis allowed the situation to unfold in front of her, before taking action. Harnessing her own Ki, Araxis molded the Earth to her will and soon enough three keys had been found.  

Within moments, the tree before which the trio was standing was alive. At first Finn was only able to catch a passing glimpse of a furtive creature dashing here, or a mischievous creature causing a ruckus over there, but before long the three were beset with the most magical beasts Finn had ever beheld. A brace of blue Fairy Dragons rooted through purses and rucksacks, nuzzled necks, and ultimately bilked Finn and Daphne out of a few coppers before disappearing….

Leaving the Inne the next morning, Finn felt refreshed and invigorated. He had slept through the night for the first time in recent days, but it was more than that. When he was called to The Light he’d sworn an oath to kindle the Light. Through acts of mercy, kindness, and forgiveness, he would kindle the light of hope in the world, and beat back despair. What he’d come to realize in the garden, in the presence of Fairy Dragons, and his new family, was that they had in turn kindled the Light within him. Their kindness had beaten back his despair and renewed his hope in the world. Finn turned to catch one last glimpse of the Inne as the trio set off down the road, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when he noticed it wasn’t standing where it had been just a moment ago.  

After the events of the last day, Finn wasn’t sure why he wanted to return to the Temple. Perhaps it was because he just couldn’t remember much more than feeling cold, and then feeling soggy. Nonetheless, there was a compulsion that seemed to call him to the location, despite the foreboding sense of evil that seemed to permeate the ruin. 

After a brief walk through the sand and heat, the trio found themselves once again on the threshold of the great old building, and this time Finn was wise enough to keep his senses in check, despite the pressure that seemed to be pressing him from all sides. Daphne sent her rook, Theo, soaring over the ruin to relay any information it could discern. Finn was amazed at her ability to commune with the majestic animal, and longed to hone skills like that someday. 

With a vague sense of the building layout, Finn pushed his way through the front door into the cavernous nave of the Temple. It had clearly been avoided for some time, as a layer of sand covered all. In front of Finn stretched a row of dusty pews facing an alter upon which sat a wooden chest. Intrigued by what the chest might contain, and hoping to find some ancient scriptures or religious artifacts, Finn made his way to the front of the great room. 

As soon as Finn was close enough to get a good look at the chest, he found that he had been walloped by what appeared to be a giant tongue. A wave of emotions flooded the paladin as he reeled backwards. He was embarrassed that he had been blindsided by a giant tongue, he was angry at himself for embroiling his friends in a mess of his creation, and he was fearful that some harm may come to them as a result of his impetuousness. He was also surprised when, a moment later, Daphne and Araxis both sprung to his aid and started peppering the tongue with bolts, darts, and a flurry of unarmed strikes. Joining in, Finn sliced at the tongue with his longsword, and hacked with his axe. It was a well-choreographed ballet of ferocity, and before long, the trio had vanquished the tongue, suffering only a minor slathering of saliva. 

Looking at Daphne and Araxis, Finn felt a deep kinship with his travel companions, the likes of which he had not shared with anyone other than his closest friends at the Temple of Ulther. Without a word, it was understood that they would forge ahead through the ruins, confident that between the three of them, they could handle whatever evil they encountered. 

They cleared the hulk of the old building room by room with the only real trouble they encountered, after the tongue, coming in the form of two undead skeletons. The first skeleton took both Finn and Daphne by surprise. Again, this was something Finn had read about, but never encountered in the flesh. Out of a hasty fear both he and Daphne set upon the bones and dispatched it quickly. The second skeleton did not surprise the group nearly as much, and with an opportunity to be rational, Finn attempted to communicate with the creature. Sadly, it seemed the only thing the apparition cared for was release, and so Finn dispatched of it also. 

The trio work its way through one side of the crumbling building, and then the other. They came across one room furnished with a dusty chest and a mysterious looking credenza. Daphne began to examine the chest, but Finn was drawn to the credenza. After some investigation, he was able to access a hidden panel of sorts, and removed from the credenza a silver book. He sensed a magic about the item, but was loathe to attune to it in such a place as this. Despite the evil aura about the building, Finn decided he would keep the book, and remove it from the temple. He did not think it held the answers he was looking for, but at the very least he would return it to another temple along his journey, to allow further study of it by his brothers and sisters. 

While Finn was pondering the silver book he had just found, Daphne had been enraptured by a treasure of her own. The trunk had produced a few gemstones, and Daphne was happy to share her spoils with Finn and Araxis. Finn declined the sardonyx that was offered him. He felt bad enough taking the book from the temple and didn’t want to risk tempting The Light by being avaricious. Daphne returned her treasure to her backpack, but Finn sensed an excitement about her that wasn’t quite explained by three semi-precious gemstones-valuable as they may be. 

The last room explored by the trio was almost missed entirely. Finn had not noticed that a rug aslant on the floor might be hiding something. Ever the wise and sage elf however, Araxis peeled back the rug to reveal a trap door. Once more, Finn was reminded of how much he had to learn from her. The door itself led to the smallest and dankest of rooms, with nothing in it but a book of necromancy and an impending sense of evil, the likes of which Finn had never sensed before. He could not leave the room fast enough, nor the temple for that matter. 

Although he had arrived with the hopes of finding answers to questions he wasn’t sure he’d asked, he left with naught but a silver book and some mildewed holy water. Nonetheless, he felt enlightened, and that he had experienced something valuable and necessary. He was content to continue the journey to the university with his new-found friends, and after two more nights in the desert the trio found themselves amidst the foothills on the outskirts of Wayfair. Finn looked forward to what might happen next, provided he didn’t spend any more time as a cactus.