Allisa Ilyara - Redemption

[crimsonrain15]

Its nearly been a year since I fell, and not a day goes by when I don't think of that fateful moment. My cations condemned them, perhaps one day I will find my redemption. Until then, Helm's work must be done, and the Sword Coast needs His protection. I will be His shield, carry His sword, and bear this burden. I head now for Baldur's Gate, clearing what undead and bandits from the Tradeway as I make my way south.

As I made my way through the farmlands, the city gates came into view. I stared at them for a long moment while I considered my next actions. Travelers along the way had told me of bandits south of the Gate, and before I know it, my feet are taking me across Wyrm's Crossing. Those Flaming Fist mercenaries watch me and make me wonder if they had ever seen an elf in armor before.

Across the bridge, I drop my bag by a wagon and take a seat on a bale of hay. I immediately begin honing my blade in preparation of the coming hunt. A song my mother would sing while she worked pushes its way to my lips and I begin to hum. I look up from my work for a moment to take notice of a young woman walking my way. She keeps looking at something in her hand, then noticing me, walks over to the nearby fire and examines her object closer.

It seems she was ripped off in the Gate, given a fake jewel possibly for some work she performed. Regardless, she throws it into some nearby bushes and introduces herself as Bathsheba. I stand and offer her my hand, giving her my own name in return. We talk for a moment about the bandits to the south and the Temple of Helm inside Baldur's Gate when a friendly hermit joins our conversation. Edmund, he calls himself, and his precious hound is named Elmer. He was such a well mannered animal, We talk for some time about crossing the bridge back to the Gate, but instead, I take my leave and head south along the Tradeway looking for the bandits.

[crimsonrain15]

While making my way north again towards the Friendly Arm Inn, I ran into Bathsheba once more. She traveled with a friend, a girl named Meshana. After changing introductions, I asked them where they were heading. South, they said, with no clear destination. I told them about some gnoll raids along the road near Candlekeep, and offered to take them with me during my investigation. Excited, they followed me to the gnolls' hideout nearby.

Inside, we worked our way through the gnolls, slowly clearing the complex until I was so injured I couldn't think straight. Forward I moved, despite my injuries, cutting through gnoll after gnoll until we reached what looked like a small chapel. I could hear Bathsheba speaking to me, but the words were garbled in my head. While searching the room, an unseen force struck me from behind and knocked me unconscious. When I regained control over myself, I found myself outside a small hidden room within the chapel. We quickly locked ourselves inside and recovered from our injuries.

I lead the ladies through the caves, cutting down any gnolls in our way. Down we go, deeper into the caves. We fight our way through the caves, finding odd rooms everywhere we go. Together, we come to the conclusion that humans had settled this cave before the gnolls took it over. Then we faced the biggest gnoll of all. He went down pretty easy, a clean cut across the throat. We found an old storage room nearby filled with spoiled supplies.

We found another tunnel leading down, so down we went. We figured it was too late to turn back now, gnolls out on raids most likely had returned and would trap us. We caught several groups unaware, quickly cutting them down, and on we went. Down some more, constantly pushing forward, until we found the travelers taken from the road to Candlekeep. Stacked on top of one another in a corner, Bathsheba couldn't bring herself to look at the corpses. We tossed out theories of why the people were brought here to just lay untouched at the bottom of the cave, but they were only theories.

Startled and confused, we continued the search. We found several rooms indicating that this was at one point an Ilmateri outpost. Why they built in so far underground, however, was beyond me. Then we found it, a giant troll gnawing on the travelers' bodies. We struck it down, but without fire or acid, we could not wholly vanquish the creature. Then, a sudden green light shot from Bathsheba and struck the beast down, melting it to nothingness. Not wanting to press her for answers, I suggested we press forward and look for a way out. An army of gnolls and a cave troll vanquished, I was happy with this ending. The roads would be much safer and I could only hope these creatures would think twice before attacking again.

Then we saw it. A small bridge spanned a cavern that was deeper than any hole I had ever seen straddled by two ominous pillars. Bathsheba drank what she called an invisibility potion and sneaked across to scout. We heard her running back, calling out to her. A beholder, she informed us. Meshana immediately shut down, refusing to cross the bridge, and then a black cloud of smoke came up from the abyss and engulfed us. I felt what seemed like a blade graze by my arm, so I struck back. My sword bit something, and then another, and before long, I had slain several unseen creatures. I could hear Meshana nearby working her way through the haze as well.

When the smoke cleared, only blood remained of the creatures they had slain. Meshana still refused to cross, but with a little convincing from Bathsheba and myself, she reluctantly tagged along, at a very long distance. Across the bridge, I stared face to eye with a beholder. This was the first one I had seen in person, and it looked much smaller than what I had expected. It didn't attack, but I kept my sword at the ready. I tried to speak with it, send it away.

When I turned to say something to Bathsheba, I felt its teeth sink into my shield. I drove my sword down its throat and watched it fall to the floor. I looked through the treasure the creature horded away, allowing the others to take what they needed. As we tried to leave, another cloud of black smoke drifted up from the abyss and covered us. More tiny creatures appeared and more out of instinct and training, I fought back, slowly driving them away. As the smoke dissipated, a second beholder appeared and attacked. The last thing it saw, was my sword driven through its eye.

Exhausted, we hurried up the tunnel we hoped led out of the caves. Thankfully, it did, after a long climb. We met the salty air of the Sea of Swords, and Meshana quickly set up a small camp while Bathsheba caught her breath. We sat around the fire for some time talking, before they decided to head back to Baldur's Gate. I decided to go south to locate the hideout of some goblins.

[crimsonrain15]

I met several goblins on the road, but their lair continued to elude me. Satisfied with my patrol for the moment, I returned to Baldur's Gate. I stopped at the East Gate to ask the guards if there has been much trouble. We exchanged tales of our day, neither story overly exciting, and after we finished, I entered the city to replenish my supplies. With my supplies restored, I made my way back to the eastern farmlands until something caught my eye.

The symbol of Helm adorned a woman's cloak. She was a large woman, larger than most men I have met even, and she studied the board near the East Gate. Interested in this woman, I asked her if she found anything interesting on the notice board. We intorduced ourselves while joking about a burglar offering his services on the board. Sveta then offered to show me the Temple of Helm.

Sveta led me through the city. My elven heritage must have intrigued her as she asked many questions based around it. We discussed my mentor and my training as well. The Flaming Fist still stare, perhaps they view me as those in Athkatla had. I smiled politely and moved on until we stood outside the temple. I followed her inside, past the pews, past he priest, and to the base of a statue of the Vigilant One. She said a prayer to the memory of my mentor, Elwin, and I said my own in silence. Sveta then offered to discuss matters of the Coast with me.

She led me upstairs to a small barracks. As I made myself comfortable, Sveta tossed a map of the Western Heartlands on the table before me. She explained to me the movements of the undead, recent attacks on Candlekeep, Wayfork, and Kheldrivver. She told me of the actions she and her allies have taken against these threats as well. I offered my blade against the undead. I thought that would be what the Watcher would want. A monk named Mi-Le interrupted our discussion long enough to offer his own help against the enemies of the Coast, as long as he brought no harm to any living creatures. Sveta brought the meeting to a close, explained that she had important matters to tend too. She asked me to walk with her.

We made our way out of the temple and out of the city. Along the way, she had asked me if I had considered joining another Order of Helm's faithful. Truthfully, I had not, but if I am with others with similar goals and beliefs, my mission should be more successful. I accepted her invitation into the Everwatch Knights, and then, I realized we stood next to a stage. It reminded me of the theatre in Waterdeep. It's been several years since my last show, but I knew what Sveta had planned. She explained to me the rules of the initiation, the Test, while I took up my shield and planted my feet on a tile near the back of the arena.

Sveta donned her antlered helm and checked her shield. Everything about her was intimidating. I used all my training to maintain her pace, keeping mostly on the defensive. Her speed surprised me, but it was her sheer power that defeated me. I went for an opening in her guard, clearly a feint, but I managed to land a good blow to her thigh. Moments later, I was looking up at her from the place her shield sent me reeling towards. She extended a hand and helped me to my feet, telling me that I should rise quickly in the ranks of the Everwatch Knights with my skills.

I followed her back to the Tradeway, but when she turned north, I turned south. I walked along the farmlands for a time until I was outside the East Gate once more. I stood there for a while contemplating the day when an odd man walked up on me. We spoke for a moment, where we exchanged names. It was what Ken said to me that really made me think. "It seems you can take the paladin out of the temple, but you can't take the temple out of the paladin." Perhaps there is hope for me after all.