Palathadric

Now I want to go on a Brickdoctor quest and ask the NPC for his gold just to see this happen.

I would love to host the arena fight, it could be an interesting QM prep, but I might screw you both over too much.

"Ah, yes, 'De'kra' it was. Odd name. Underworld! As far as those monsters are concerned though, one of them told me itself. Strange beasts. I think a couple of those in the hall at present had encounters with them as well. They were just conversing about one "Regret" who seems to be one of them. Apparently they were created by mages long ago to control the world or something. The problem with people doing such things is that they are tinkering with powers outside of their control. I have never seen such an experiment work out the way the original mage intends for it to. That is why we have undead abominations walking the world and monsters such as those. Originally the first mage who dabbled in the necromantic arts desired to bring life to dead loved one, if I'm not mistaken. Well, he did nothing more than animate the corpse. And an animated course is useful for nothing but the attraction of demons. The only man I know who challenged the necromantic arts and attempted to bring life by health was the Miracleworker himself. Brilliant fellow! He knew that magic would never bring life. So studied the arts of health. No worthless animated corpses, he tried to raise the dead so they would be whole in body, mind, and spirit, through the mere healing of the affliction that brought them to death. I have no idea whether he succeeded, but at least he had the right idea, and I believe that God may have looked on such work favorably." As Hybros mentions God creating evil, my face clouds over again. "God created evil. What a preposterous accusation! Foolishness. God did not create evil because evil is against God. God created a perfect world, but evil tries to corrupt it. Why would God want to destroy His most magnificent creation or throw imperfections in it in anyway? Evil is caused by those who hate Him and His creation or those who are foolishly led astray by the former."

Hearing Hybros speak, my face darkens. The moment of weakness is over. "Well, I suppose the dark side attempts to adopt the methods God uses in sending his messengers to earth," I grumble. "As for you and your lot, I have met many. Demons abound in many spheres. There was another one even in Heroica whom I quested with. Little black being who seemed to think he knew a lot about life, but was so confused and deluded it was almost humorous. As far my kind it's hard to say being that we were made to resemble humans so closely. We do not bare the magnificence we used to. Of course, our power is great and in some places members of my kind were even accepted as deities due to their ethereal power, but they had to put down such talk. That is one of the reasons I gave up the power of the elements. There is too much evil there. A while back I met a whole creation of monsters that had been formed of ether. Ah, perverse and corrupt world!" I slam a fist on the table, causing the table to jump.

"Much to be gained indeed, but not if one is not seeking for gain..." I trail off. Speaking to the demon was coming too naturally. What the devil was going on? "I come from nowhere close to hear. Far, far away is the land from which I came. So far that i have next to no recollection of it, but I was sent here for a purpose and it is only in fulfilling that purpose that I will return to my home." I look off, out one of the windows and into the distance as if seeing a vision of a faraway place. "I have searched for that purpose," my voice raises in frustration, almost angry, "but alas, I find no answer. I have rid the world of plagues and saved many a human, but it's as if it's all not enough. For more than four hundred years I wandered this earth and still nothing. I do not even know if any of my own kind remain. I was not the first sent here and I was, from my reckoning at least, not the last either, but I have no idea how long it took the others to fulfill their missions or if they still dwell here somewhere, anywhere..." I trail off again and slump into my seat.

Always good to see people make a return.

"Around," I reply vaguely. "I have traveled to much of our known world. Not that it's been good to or for me." I prepare to spit, but think better of it.

"Going for pest control, eh?" I chuckle.

I don't believe so.

I hand Docken 150 gold and accept the Scroll of Arc Sleep, respecting the Warden's silent, unassuming manner.

Of course.

"Ah, yes, Sir Abel was great. I wish Pretzel could have sided with him...

I shrug. "Is it spreading?" I chuckle. "Glad to hear that. Although Arthur seems disturbed by his mention. Such is life!"

"Damn the demons. Always causing problems around. There are too few ready to stand up against them. Poor woman. Any idea who took over the bank?" "God forbid!" I mutter under my breath. "Possessed! That's no good. Had you no cleric on the team to cleanse her mind? It is a shame, really, that I was not there, perhaps the human side of her could have won out. Mankind has grown too weak to such things though. They need to be stronger mentally to know what's good for them, but they try to open their minds to new knowledge and new whatever else, but they end up opening it to the demons as well. Tsk, tsk!" "I gaze in some horror at the mass of...whatever it is. You know I cured a dragon in Dastan who had a massive parasitic growth on its abdomen. Of course, I imagine dragons have better recovering power than humans. Have you considered amputation? You already did the leg and it doesn't seem to have affected you for the worse." I chuckle lightly.

"Oh..." I pause uncomfortably. "I apologize. No intention of bringing back bad memories. Is that when you first met the princess? You and Arthur both seemed to have met her before..." I trail off again. "Anyway, what I meant to give you is this." I hold out a Phoenix Incense. "They are very rare and can only be purchased from the Fields of Glory, but they're very useful. Since you've seen the destructiveness of a bomb, then you must no that this is similar, only instead of bringing death, it brings life to all those around. They are very valuable and very prized, but keep it with you. It may get you and the princess out of some tight spots...if you ever face any." "Ah, I do know Benji. The other names I can't say sound familiar. Atramor...is that the fellow who used to dress like a bum, but now wears a magnificent uniform?" I chuckle lightly at the odd fellow who I had made more than one purchase from. "By the way, if you ever meet any Rito, they're men with wings, send my greetings to them. I don't know how much the dragons there in Dastan come out these days, but if you ever happen to meet one named Retraga, then do wish her the best from me. I was on a quest to heal her of a deadly parasite sometime ago, you see." "Proggs!" I turn to the archer. "You were at a progg colony. I hope those demons aren't still entertaining plans of taking over Eubric and the world." Sorry, I thought I replied to your post.

"Undead? Not necromancy? A new form of abominable acts. I didn't trust that Trice guy for a moment, even if he said he was a doctor or whatever. Meh! Doctors these days think they can match the healing power of the Deity. Ha! Fools." "Large cave? Huge deranged crab? Ha! It reminds me of an encounter I had some months, actually almost a year ago now, in this vault belonging to the Commerz Bank...Mrs. Ayla Commerz I believe her name was. Anyway, her vault was filled with these huge insects, really massive though. The one called himself the 'Death Progg.' What a fool, I slew him between the eyes, although not before he laid to rest one of the brasher of our company, God rest his soul." "You know, you really shouldn't smoke. It kills faster than old age. Ask any cleric...or doctor for that matter. I've seen the kind of suffering it can cause. I wouldn't trust the words of anyone coming out of that cathedral. They're ignorant. Well, not ignorant, but they're cheats, plain and simple. They're in it for the gold. You pay them, they give you a diagnoses. Sometimes it's terrific, if they think that by giving you such an answer you will reward them more bountifully (as if the prophecy had anything to do with the person giving it), otherwise they'll give you a bad prognosis so that you'll go to there doctor and buy a lot of remedies or suchlike. They're lousy! Don't trust them. You look healthy enough to me, barring the smoking and the leg of course. "I have to admit I'm tremendously impressed the way you get around almost twice as fast on that peg-leg as most people I see walking. Strange, huh?"

The LEGO Movie - Obviously a "must see." ...though I still have yet to see it.

I shift about, uncomfortably. "What am I? What do you mean?" How could he know? Suddenly, his question dawns on me, "Ah, I apologize...I um...misunderstood you. I am a Paladin of the Pretzelian Order. I thought it wise to return to my roots, if you know what I mean, for a while. I have to admit though that even since becoming a Paladin, I've hardly had the chance to use this sword." I tap my trusty blade. "I guess the cross has become my new weapon of choice, eh?" "That's one nasty piece of armour you have there, Warden...erm, 'Em,' was it? Would be interesting to try it on. I would be well-night invincible." I chuckle.

Too true! Too true!

I slip out of the hall for a brief moment and dis-imbue the Amethyst from the Skull Shield given to me by Tarn, and then Sell the Shield for 30 gold. 496-50+30=476 gold.

"Well, that is quite a while. My last two quests were short. You're a Warden then? Or is the shield for someone else?" Cool. Just wanted to confirm.

"Pretzel...Monk Pretzel of the Pretzelian Order. I have been around the hall for quite some time I suppose, but it seems like I've been around for a lot longer. It's hard to tell. I've completed seven quests since returning to the hall after being away for many years. How many quests have you completed?" Are you giving me the Grating Stones or the Gold?

I look in surprise at the gift. "You really are very generous, Tarn. Are you sure you're in the right job class. A fellow like you should be a knight...perhaps a cleric, but I can't really see you being the latter..." I pause for a while. "Tarn, I have something very special for you...a gift that is..." I trail off. "...Have you ever had an experience where you've thrown a bomb and utterly destroyed your enemies?" "Certainly, you have proven yourself to be well worthy of any favours you could ask." "Certainly." I hand the ranger my Fashionable Shield and accept the 100 gold. "Or, instead of the gold, would you like to trade it for those Grating Stones?" "May it serve you well, as it served me." I rub a smidgen or dirt off the shield's rim. It had served me well and it was certainly a good shield. "I don't recall seeing you around the hall before. Have you been around for a while?"

I put up a notice in the hall: Selling: Fashionable Shield (SP:7)-Send offers to Monk Pretzel.

I hand Ammit and the Staff of Ennon back to Arthur, but hold onto the Healing Staff. "It was a pleasure working with you, Arthur. I noticed that you have two of these staves and I wouldn't mind having one myself. How much would you be willing to part with it for?" "You are generous, Tarn. I cannot say that I will be able to use it, but perhaps I will be able to dis-imbue the amethyst. Will you have any use for the Counterstrike Gloves in Dastan? I noticed that you didn't use them much in our quest. How much would you want for them...if you don't intend to hold onto it of course." "Ah, Sarge, it's been a while. That shield has been marvelous, I have to say. How has Conspirator been? It's a wonderful sword, but I never got the chance to use it that much. Where have your quests taken you since the last time we met? Have you seen Erdy since we quested together? It's almost like she's left the hall for good." I shake my head. "So, I trust you've not been attacked by any more crazy, deranged animals, eh?" I chuckle.