Veiled Intentions

[sweetlikesplenda]

His left hand no longer shook as he left the temple of Helm. The realization there was no going back to before the incident happened finally settled in his mind. The sun was cresting the walls of Baldur's Gate, a new day washing out the stains of the last. The clerics of Helm, though saddened by the events that had been unfolded to them, were forgiving and comforting in this time of grief. Both he and the paladins of Helm had been deceived by the Drow. Aaron and Thard had been mislead to act to disrupt a Drow raiding party, and the Paladins of Helm mislead by a Drow acting as their guide to lead them to the spot the incident occurred at. The high priest of the temple bid the Knight and Squire of the Order of the Silver Rose to rest and recover from the event in the forest, there was little more to do.

Breathing in the crisp morning air, bathing himself in the warm light of the sun as it spread throughout the city, Aaron slowly exhaled, pondering. A moment later the knight slowly made his way towards the city gates. . .

The previous day

Members of The Order of the Silver Rose had just emerged from the depths of the crypt within the Fields of Dead on a patrol. Making a sweep towards the Thundar's Ride, the group came upon an unusual sight. A vampire standing over the crumpled figure of a person, blood splattered around the body. Turning to face the new comers, the vampire crouched low, waiting for the Silver Rose members to approach. Aaron leading the charge rushed forward, Lazarus flanking him, while Thard shoot several arrows into the body of the vile undead. Springing at Aaron's throat, the vampire lept with claws reaching, grasping for his throat. Several arrows sank into the body of the vampire, the lust for blood driving the creature on to continue its assault. Screams rang into the air as a deft swing from Aaron's blade, enchanted with holy fire, removed the vampires hand. Lazarus' sword struck into the side of the vampire forcing it to wreath backwards. With a final swing of the Knight's blade, Aaron removed its head, the body crumpling to the ground.

Kneeling before the seemingly near death figure, the trio checked for signs of bites and how harmed the person truly was. Coughing and bleeding greatly, the man that lie on the ground requested he be taken to the crypt to tend his wounds. All signs seemed to point to a trap, and was obvious to the Knight. Still, Aaron ordered that the man be taken to the crypt, if it was indeed a trap, he wanted to trip it rather then another passer-by be taken by surprise. Sheathing his blade Aaron and aided the man in walking, the group making their way through the undead back to the crypt.

Once inside they moved quickly to a adjacent room from the entrance, and sat the man on a bench. The figure rose and, with great difficulty, moved to the back of the small room they stopped in, placing several items on the ground. The items began to emit a haunting glow, a radiance that could blocked all from entering the back of the room. Drawing his blade again, Aaron demanded to know what the man's intentions were. Slowly, and with seeming great difficulty, the figure removed his hood, revealing himself to be a Drow.

Weapons were readied, to which Aaron raised his hand to calm them, he wanted to hear what the Drow was after. The Drow spun a story of a Drow raiding party that would slay many humans, if not stopped. The Drow spoke of revenge against these Drow, that he would aid the members of the Silver Rose to reach these raiding party in time to stop further blood shed. Using all his power of deduction and skill in sensing a lie, Aaron found no obvious lie in the man's tale. To prove his words, the Drow removed a knife from his pocket, and with two strikes cut into his own wrist, allowing them to bleed. The blood swirled in the room, showing within it a vision of a wooded area. There they saw a Drow, a lone scout. The vision also showed an attack on a caravan, a Drow party cutting down the caravan.
There was little time to consider, little time to make a choice. It was then or never. Either slay the Drow and allow that it could be a trap, or accept its words and what it had shown them and act to stop this raiding party. Aaron and Thard agreed to be magically transported to the Drow scout, to remove the one before taking on the rest of the raiding party. Lazarus remained behind in case of treachery. The magic swiftly transported the two to their destination.

It was an odd sensation, unnatural. All was dark, when suddenly the two burst forth into light. It was a gruesome sight, and greatly painful. The Two men burst forth from within the bodies of two of the Drow in the a grouping of Drow. Covered in gore and finding themselves surrounded by other Drow who were standing in shock at what had occurred, Aaron and Thard did their best to ready themselves against this new foe. The remaining Drow were quick to act and began to fall on the two after just a moment. One Drow, the lone scout they saw in the blood vision, fled, teleporting away in her magics. The remaining several Drow were soon put down, by the two knights.

Looking around quickly for any remaining foes, Aaron, with his keen abilities to recognize magics soon found a illusion slowly fading from the bodies of the Drow they had slain. It was a sickening sight, and one that shook Aaron greatly. At his feet were no longer the bodies of a Drow raiding party, but the bodies of young paladins bearing the symbol of Helm. The two had been tricked. Recovering from the bodies of the slain men were orders and a journal. The orders were for these paladins to remove a cult bent on inflicting great pain on others, the journal from one of the members of the cult. The two knights were tricked into killing the paladins, the paladins had been tricked by their scout, a Drow in disguise, to lead them to the spot and casting an illusion spell on them so they would be killed.

The walk to the temple district of Baldur's Gate was a long and quiet one. Neither Thard nor Aaron spoke much as they walked. The two entered the temple of Helm to deliver the news, and show them the letter and journal fragment they recovered, as well as identification and holy symbols of each of the slain paladins.

Aaron claimed the responsibility for the mistake, for being duped. He was the commanding officer, he was the one who chose to move on the tale of the raiding party. Slumping down at the alter to Helm, Aaron prayed. He prayed for forgiveness for his error, for his folly. Tears streaked his face as the high priest came up behind him. placing a hand gently on his shoulder, comforting him, he implored Aaron to not allow this to destroy him, nor rack his soul. Hours later Aaron emerged from the temple district, just as the sun was cresting the walls of the city. . .

[DM Narshe]