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.
