Fellowship of the Dice

Braedon puts another log on the fire, grabs a drink and then sits with the others. "After tomorrows meeting with the Seer and depending on what comes of it, I feel we should set our focus on the supply run. I'm hearing whispers around town, there are severe worries that some of our crucial stores are running low."

"The supply run is important," Celevan says. "Perhaps more important than we realize. That should be our focus. Falcon's Hollow needs those supplies desperately."

"I"m also starting to think that none of us has what it takes to be magistrate. Oh, we could do the job. Of that I have no doubt. But I don't think we could do that job and protect Falcon's Hollow at the same time. We spend too much time in defense of the town. I'm not sure we can spare the time to be a proper magistrate. It might be best to find a reliable local who can do the job and let it be known that the local has our support and protection."

"Yes," says Dreams. "We should find a reliable local to be magistrate and support them in any confrontation with Kreed. I agree the supply run is important in the short run--once that is done, we may want to look to the long run and see if we can't find any information on how to purify that basin. Maybe there is something in Ulizmilla's notes? But if the Winter God extends his grip to Falcon's Hollow, the only way people may be able to survive is if we can grow crops in winter, for winter here might never end."

Braedon nods in agreement, "I wonder what will come of this visit by the Seer. The church has come along nicely for all its delays, but even if found to be agreeable to the Seer for the deal that was made, what will be the next demand be?" He takes a swig from his mug then wipes his mouth with his forearm.

"Oh, I expect that the Seer will be all sweetness and agreement to start," Celevan opines. "The followers of the winter god want to show how reasonable he is, and how beneficial it is to follow him. The velvet glove first. Only when the people are in his grasp, or firmly out of it, will the iron fist make itself known."

Torias does some improvements on his forge and their house ("Shape Stone" spell) but does not want to help with the temple. It would be not fitting if he, as a cleric of Kilmorph, helped with building a temple to Mulcarn.

"I think I should talk to the people more, and tell them of Kilmorph and that Mulcarn seers might look nice, smell of roses and talk sweet, they are vile and cold on the inside. I might even invent a story of a nice priest who turned out to be a traitor... The supply run is also important. What do we need to do for that?"

Dreams gives Torias an odd look. "I agree that it would be good to dissuade people from the worship of the Winter God, but we should be honest in the process. If we spread lies, that could well only end up serving the Winter God and his allies in the long run." She pauses, then says, "I think we will need to be strategic in how we communicate with people, otherwise we can simply come off as jealous missionaries. I wonder if there are other communities that have made such deals with the Illian Seer or other servants of the Winter God? I wonder how they came out in the long run? We should do some historical research, perhaps do a bit of wandering and see how other communities are fairing.

"We can also persuade people with our deeds, by helping them, as we have been. We should see if we can purify that basin, so the people of this town can grow crops in the winter. Then they will not need to turn to the Winter God for protection."

"I will agree with Dreams on this one. Lying will only do harm in the long run."

"In fact, lying may be what they hope to provoke," Celevan replies. "We have to take the high road and let the people see for themselves what allying with the god of winter would cost them."

Dreams considers. "Now that Vondrella is gone, her church stands empty. Whatever madness she embraced at the end, before then she did many good works, providing charity for the most desperate of Falcon's Hollow's citizens. Perhaps it was all that desperation that drove her to join the Farrellites. In any case, we could take over the church, with Torias and I ministering to people's spiritual needs when we are in town. And we could use some of the wealth we have won to continue to fund the charitable works Vondrella started, perhaps even hiring some of the jobless to carry out the work while we are away. Laurel and Baleson might be able to advise us on who among them might do well at that sort of thing. If we do that well, it could provide a counterweight for the influence of the Winter God. And if the Winter God's cleric is clever, they will create some sort of charitable front before they show their true colors."