[ We find Alcinoe in a large cave with a solar swinging it's greatsword towards her head with amazing speed! Session Start! ] * Alcinoe 's eyes widen at that; there's one thing she wasn't expecting. She lowers her torch and quickly kneels, bowing her head. Hopefully the sword goes over her. Gyah. [ The sword passes through the space Alcinoe's head had occupied a heartbeat before. ] * Alcinoe gets to her feet once the angel's finished his swing, looking up to him. [ "Well done, Alcinoe. Your wisdom has spared you condiserable discomfort." Tebryn gapes at the Solar. "You try to kill her!" he cries. The solar shakes his head and says, "No, that will come later." ] * Alcinoe doesn't laugh, but she almost wants to. "It'll be all right, Tebryn." [ "It may. In any even, Alcinoe, I am here to test you and..." he eyes Tebryn. "And you're undead." The solar brings his sword up over his head, seeming eager to chop Tebryn in half! ] * Alcinoe moves, stepping between Tebryn and the solar. She spreads her arms. "Don't!" [ The Solar brings his sword down towards Tebryn! ] * Alcinoe realizes he's not going to listen and could very well go through her, so she turns and takes the few steps back, grabbing the drow and shoving him out of the way. [ The sword stops just short of Alcinoe. "Very good. Now, Tebryn, would you be so good as to go into the chamber to your right? You should be safe there while I test Alcinoe further." ] * Alcinoe blinks. The sword didn't hit. She glances at the solar, then looks to Tebryn. [ Tebryn is still staring aghast at the Solar. ] * Alcinoe doesn't look much better, but she walks over, reaching down to help Tebryn to his feet. [ Tebryn is helped to his feet. The solar sheathes his sword. ] Do what he says, okay? [ "Alcinoe Kinder, why are you here?" ] * Alcinoe turns to look to the solar. She swallows. "To help him." She gestures at the drow, who's probably still staring. "Because he deserves a second chance." [ "A vampire? A drow? These things are evil, Alcinoe. Why does one deserve a second chance?" ] * Alcinoe falters for a moment at that. "Because..." She takes a breath. "Because they don't haveta stay that way. If everyone, and everythin', stayed the way it all started, there'd be no hope for anyone. That's not the way things are." [ About now, Tebryn comes to his senses, jumps to his feet, and scampers off. ] [ The solar nods. "That will do." He turns and walks towards the room with the pool. ] * Alcinoe blinks as she watches him walk off, then asks hesitantly, "Am Ah s'posed ta follow?" [ The Solar does not answer. ] * Alcinoe hesitates a moment longer, then walks after him. [ The Solar reaches the dimly radiant pool and stands by it, waiting for Alcinoe to get close to him. He speaks again, saying "Next I should 'test your strength', but I believe you've shown enough aptitude there already. Quite a battlepriest you are." ] * Alcinoe nods at that, not sure what to say. [ "There is still one hurdle for you to overcome, however." He gestures towards the pool. "The pool is supposed to emit 'a blinding radiance that soothes the spirit'. Does this look like a blinding radiance, Alcinoe?" ] * Alcinoe looks down to the pool, then she shakes her head. "No." [ "When the pool was created, Mara powered it with her own divine life. However, the initial infusion has been used up over the centuries, leaving the pool impotent." ] * Alcinoe nods, still looking at the pool. [ The Solar is silent, evidently waiting for that to sink in. ] Well... then how do Ah fix it? [ "The pool is powered by life. If you are to give life to Tebryn, you must sacrifice some of your own. "] * Alcinoe doesn't flinch at that. She just looks down at the pool for a long moment. Fine. How's it done? [ "Wade into the pool and will your life into it. You will know how once you are there." ] * Alcinoe glances up at the solar, then she nods. She sets her weapons, shield, and pack down, then she gets to her feet and walks forward, stepping into the pool. [ Nothing happens. ] * Alcinoe keeps going until she's about waist deep. She puts her hands into the pool, closes her eyes, and prays. [ Alci feels the option to send out her life just sort of appear in her mind. ] * Alcinoe selects yes with her little blinking minds eye cursor! Or she decides to do it by force of will. [ Alci feels the life rushing out of her! Before long, her consciousness fade and she collapses into the pool. ] * Alcinoe blacks out, splashing into the pool. And maybe drowns, but she can't tell anymore. [ Alcinoe awakens sometime later, lying on the floor of the room with the pool. Tebryn is there near her. He smiles when she wakes up, and he doesn't have fangs anymore. The pool is shedding a bright, but not quite blinding, radiance. ] [ "You feel better?" Asks Tebryn. ] * Alcinoe looks at Tebryn blearily, then groans. "Not really." [ "Oh." He sounds a little sad. ] * Alcinoe smiles a little. She moves, arms unsteadily pushing herself to a sitting position. "But good enough. Ah see yer doin' better." [ "I feel great! I have pulse! And breath!" He exhales to demonstrate; Alci can see his breath. ] * Alcinoe laughs weakly. "That's great. Yer gonna get cold, though." She looks around. Is the solar anywhere? [ The solar is gone. "Had nice chat with strange violent winged man, too. He say name is 'Timeus'." ] * Alcinoe chuckles. "'e was an angel. What'd he say?" She looks around for her weapons and pack, slowly putting them back on. [ "He say you make good daladin. Or something like that." ] A... paladin? [ "Yes, that word. What is?" ] * Alcinoe blinks, then she shakes her head with another laugh. "Testin'... right." She climbs to her feet, unsteadily. "Uh..." A holy warrior. Like the hand of a god. [ "Oh. Well, good for you, then?" ] Yeah. Uh, don't mind me. Still in shock and kinda... feel kinda weak. [ "I help you back to home, then. I need place to stay, but I manage that. Still know good songs." ] Uh, could try ta... convince 'em ta put ya up fer a while, if ya want. [ He shrugs. "Maybe." He grins. "But you do much already, yes?" ] * Alcinoe starts walking. Or trying to. She stumbles under the weight of her own armor, but she manages to catch herself and stay standing. "What's that got ta do with anythin'?" [ "Do not know," he says, getting up and following. "Seem strange you do so much." ] * Alcinoe doesn't ask for help. She just keeps slowly making her way out of the cave, stopping every once in a while. It's part of doin' the right thing. Not easy, and a lotta work, but it's worth it. [ "Perhaps I carry armor for you?" ] * Alcinoe blinks, looking to him. "Ya sure?" [ He shrugs. "It seem heavy for you." ] Right now it is, but... all right. * Alcinoe stops and starts pulling off the armor. Not her clothes, just the armor. It ends up clanking on the floor in heavy metal chunks. [ He picks up the chunks and tries to find places to put them, but the cuirass won't fit in his leather pack, and there's too many individual pieces for him to carry. He frowns at this. ] [ He eventually manages to collect everything into a pile, and he sets off with that in his arms. "Is heavy," he notes for the record. ] * Alcinoe laughs a little. She stumbles after him. "Hold still." [ He stops moving. ] [ He shivers a little, making the armor rattle. "Is... always this cold on surface?" ] Up here, yeah. It's warmer in the canyon. [ "Oh." ] * Alcinoe stops, too, and presses a hand to the drow's forehead. She says a prayer under his breath, followed quickly by another one. [ "Ah! Much lighter, now." ] [ "Thank you." And he starts walking again. ] * Alcinoe shakes her head with a small smile. "Yer welcome." She heads after him. [ And so they trudged back to the Flying Couches home, which was, thankfully, an uneventful journey. ] [ Session End! ]