Kendra's Prologue

[Daos]

As Kendra leaned over to help Marik drink the tea, the staff slipped from her lap a bit and tapped the young man's side. Suddenly, the image of the old wooden staff melted away, revealing a beautiful blue crystal staff with a bladed cap with a blue gem on the top.

Soft blue light was emitted from the crystal staff, flooding the entire room. Kendra heard something crash and Gimak shout, "By the gods!"

When the light cleared, Marik was sitting up, his skin back to its normal hue and the sweat gone from his brow. He looked fine, if not a little confused. Gimak had dropped the kettle on the floor and was now standing in a puddle of steaming water.

The blue crystal staff cackled with energy in Kendra's hands a few moments, filling her with a warmth she had never known before. Then, without warning, the staff transformed back into its old, mundane wooden form.

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The Blue Crystal Staff employs six charges to cast Cure Disease. It has fourteen charges remaining.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra's eyes were about as wide as saucers as she stared down at the staff in complete awe. She was unsure if she should be holding it, or if she should throw it to the ground and run away screaming.

Naturally, she was unsure on what to say for that matter. She looked between the equally shocked Gimak and the confused Marik at least half a dozen times. "....What just happened?" she finally asked, her voice just above a whisper.

[Daos]

Gimak dropped to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't believe it...he did it. The lad did it! He found proof! Surely, this be the work of the gods--the real gods."

Marik looked around, trying to take in his surroundings. "Kendra? Gimak? When...when did I get back here?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Uh..." Kendra stammered. She was distracted by the fact that Gimak was nearly crying on the floor, which was not a sight she was accustomed to. "Gimak said you wandered into town last night with a high fever and babbling nonsense," she explained. "You had this staff with you. When I found you, you were talking about the night having teeth or something along those lines, then to told me I was the chosen one and that this staff was my destiny," she explained.

That was the most she knew for sure. The rest she was a little unsure of. The staff did heal Marik. She saw it with her very eyes, but if that was the case then did that mean that the true Gods were back? She didn't completely understand, but who was she to go against the Gods' wishes?

"Gimak, you need to compose yourself. If the true Gods are really here, then...well we need to keep this quiet for now I think."

[Daos]

"The night..," Marik whispered, and then he shuddered suddenly as if very cold. "I...I don't remember much. It all seemed like a terrible nightmare, half-forgotten."

The old dwarf composed himself, wiping at his eyes with his long beard. "Yes, yes. You are right. I just got a little overwhelmed at the sight...a true miracle! Nobody has seen magical healing in over three hundred years, after all, lass!"

[HorizonsDream]

"...I've never seen it before," Kendra stated. After all, she was nothing more than a young pup compared to most of the group, especially when it came to Gimak.

Taking a deep breath, Kendra decided to place the staff off to the side for the moment. She placed it so it was leaning up against the wall, and she turned to look Marik over. "It really did heal you," she said in awe. "That is just...unbelievable. Do you remember...anything? Most importantly though, are you okay?"

[Daos]

Marik attempted to stand up, and seemed to do so without any real trouble. "A little tired, I guess. I don't think I've eaten anything in awhile, but it's hard to remember. There was...a swamp. I remember trudging through a swamp, carrying that staff. Someone had...made me promise to bring it back home. That it was very important." He frowned. "I can't remember who said that though, or why."

[HorizonsDream]

"And you don't remember where you got it from?" Kendra asked. This was all very strange to her. She wanted answers, and that was everything she didn't have. Maybe the others would know what to do. Until then though, they would have to keep the staff hidden for the most part. Admittedly, the staff did a good job of hiding itself.

"Maybe when the others get back we can ask them what to do?" she offered. "We can just...tell them the story, and then move on from there. Until then, we just need to make sure the goblins in town don't learn about this."

[Daos]

Marik shook his head. "I feel like there's something else...something I'm forgetting, but...it's something I want to forget, too. Something horrible."

Gimak frowned. "Must have been the fever. Boiled the poor lad's brain. Maybe the memories will come back to him, in time."

Marik's back suddenly straightened in surprise. "Wait, what? Goblins? Did you say Goblins? Here in Solace?"

[HorizonsDream]

"A lot has changed," Kendra admitted to Marik. "The goblins are usually guards for the Holy Seekers that have nearly taken over Solace," she explained. "They harass most of us constantly. For example, even before I came over here this morning I had three of them trying to look up my skirt," she said, obviously annoyed and angry over this fact.

[Daos]

Marik shook his head in disbelief. "I can only imagine what will happen when Barlemus returns. If he returns, I mean," he corrected himself.

Rubbing his chin, he then slyly looked Kendra up and down. "But to be fair to the goblins, that is a nice dress. Look at you, all grown up. I see you finally grew some breasts," he joked, clearly back to his old self after all.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra gave him one of those dry, annoyed looks as she crossed her arms over her chest. Deep down she was actually very glad that he had noticed her. "You haven't changed a bit," Kendra said.

Sure, Kendra was going to act all mad upon seeing him, but clearly she wasn't really mad at him at all. She couldn't hide her true emotions very well, and Marik probably knew that well. "But," she started, walking up to him and letting her arms drop to her side. "It's good to see you," she added before hugging him. Clearly, she had missed him, just as she missed all of her friends.

[Daos]

Marik froze up a moment at the sudden hug, but after a moment of getting his bearings, he put his arms around her and hugged back. He still smelled faintly of marshlands.

Gimak cleared his throat awkwardly, causing Marik to quickly withdraw from her. The dwarf tugged at his own beard and said, "Marik, what can you remember about what happened?"

The rogue frowned and sat back down on the bed. "I decided to not stray too far--stay here in Abanasinia. I checked out Haven and Gateway, hoping to learn something." He snorted derisively. "Those Seekers don't know anything at all. Charlatans, all of them."

He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, trying to think. "I headed farther out...visiting Goodbay and Zardene. I also saw Long Ridge and North Keep. But still, nothing. I was a little sad to see how far the Seeker faith had spread, though.

After North Keep, I stuck to the coast. Made my way to Crossing. Then south to Tantallon." His eyes lit up, as if remembering something. "Tantallon, right...I heard rumors there about old ruins from before the Cataclysm--before the Gods left. It was in a swamp to the south. I headed there..."

"And?" the dwarf prompted.

Marik looked strained, then quickly shook his head. "N-No...I can't remember. After that, all I remember is darkness...and terror. Somehow I found that staff, and I came back here. A gentle, sweet woman's voice told me to bring it back. Or maybe I just hallucinated that whole thing, I don't know," he admitted, shrugging.

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra looked to Gimak, silently wondering what his thoughts were on all of this. While Marik's trip might be the key to understanding all of this, she doubted that they would get too much more out of him today. After all, he just recovered from this ordeal. His memories were going to be foggy.

"What is all this nonsense about me being the chosen one?" Kendra finally asked. "Or do you not remember telling me that?"

[Daos]

Gimak tugged at his beard. "There was a goddess known as Mesalax among my people. The humans oft called her Mishakal. She was described as a gentle woman and was usually associated with the color blue. I wonder...could this staff be an artifact of Mesalax?"

Marik listened to Gimak's musings and shrugged. He turned back to Kendra and said, "I don't really remember anything else. I don't even remember how I got back here."

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Gimak makes a Religion check (1d20): 16. Success.