Five Year Mission

Prince Farin had saved our lives, at least for now. In exchange for Farin's soul, Perinor had a five year truce. Five years of peace in which we would be allowed to ready a fighting force to beat back the devil army. Tiamat's forces would attack none bearing the Perinor standard and no Perinor soldier would be allowed to take a shot at an emissary of Tiamat. It was either a very clever move demonstrating Farin's faith in his citizens, or a very stupid move, dooming us to five years of paranoia. Personally, I was leaning toward the second opinion.

With the heir dead and the king in his second infancy, the counsel was left with the problem of solving the situation. With the limited resources of the island chain and small population, there was no way Perinor could raise a force large enough to defeat the horde that would reappear in five years. It was decided that members of the Order of the Rampant Dragon would be sent out in ships to seek aid, weapons, and resources in the distant lands across the oceans surrounding the island nation.

General Karthus was tasked with dividing the Order into suitable adventuring parties and readying the ships they would be traveling on. Impressed by our battle with the dragon and by our willingness to reenter the castle even as Tiamat was knocking down the walls, the good general knew immediately who to select for the initial party: Garn, dragonborn warlord; Markas, half-elf paladin of the Raven Queen; Vixi, tiefling warlock; Kalena, human wizard; Travis, human rogue; Kyri, elven ranger; Tavia, human cleric of Kord; and Rhegar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut. The eight of us had already proven to have a complimentary mix of styles and the ability to work together. Karthus was certain we could work out any additional rough edges on the long sails between land masses. Other groups would be sent out as soon as additional vessels and crews could be readied, but the Southern Stream would leave Aurincia in six days time.

I stood on the castle battlements watching the activity in the harbor. The past four days had been spent helping the citizens of Aurincia rebuild their lives, but all I wanted right now was some time to think. My solitude was interrupted when I heard a voice say, "You're just like Merrab, you know. Fighting the fact that you have a destiny even when it's hitting you over the head."

I turned and saw an elderly halfling climbing up the last few steps. Her hair was the color of seagull wings and the light morning breeze ruffled through the rich gold and blue robes of a senior clergy member. I recognized Bishop Jorda instantly and went over to take her arm. She was an old adventuring companion of Merrab's and I had met her on previous trips to Aurincia. Ignoring her comment, I chided her, well in as much as a junior cleric can chide a senior bishop. "If you needed to see me Madam Bishop, you need only to have sent a message. No need to push your knees up those stairs."

Her eyes twinkled as she too looked out over the bustling harbor. "Ah, but then I would not have been able to enjoy this fine sea breeze. Besides you have been avoiding the temple."

I turned my eyes downward and scuffed my foot against the stones. I had been taught to be polite to my elders but Bishop Jorda annoyed me as much as Merrab in one of his moods. They were both all secrets and riddles and twinkles in the eyes. "Is there a reason you're up here? I'm a cleric of Kord because I am the third child of Lucan Windbender and the third son or daughter of a Windbender has always become a cleric of Kord since before Perinor was settled by humans. Kord doesn't have a plan for me. He doesn't even particularly like me! First, he blows my ship off course and then I arrive in the middle of the apocalypse!"

The halfling locked her deep brown eyes onto mine and I was reminded that I was speaking to a bishop of the order and not my mentor. "Just because we are not privy to the greater design, doesn't mean there is no larger plan. Had you arrived on schedule, you would not have met your companions and they would not have fared so well against that dragon that was guarding the castle. Serveral people in the temple of Pelor would have perished if not for your healing touch. And you would have been fighting at the main gates when Tiamat launched her main attack."

Her eyes softened again, and she gripped my shoulder reassuringly. "But none of those things came to pass. And here you are standing on this battlement, ready to set off on tommorrow's tide. I came up here this morning because I have something to give you." The bishop pulled a round bronze disc from one of the pockets in her robe. Reaching up, she removed the holy symbol from my own robes and began working the pin on the back of the disc through the thick fabric. "Bishop Delany was carrying this Symbol of Life when he fell at the front gates." Jorda explained.

The holy symbol was beautifully worked bronze. There was a braided loop where the disc could be strung around the neck cleverly hidden alongside the pin. The holy symbol of Kord, a longsword with a bolt of lightning as the cross guard and held in a fist of strength was worked in lapis and amber. Shocked, words tumbled from my mouth. "Shouldn't it go to his successor then?"

Bishop Jorda smoothed the fabric of my robes where it had wrinkled. "Suna is more of a fighter than a healer. I think it will do you and your companions more good than it would here in the city. I have faith that the Order of the Rampant Dragon will be able to bring us the help we need to save Perinor." She turned and began making her way to the stairs. As she reached the top, she called over her shoulder. "And you had better write to Merrab. The old coot is going to be in a tizzy when he finds out what you landed in. A word from you will calm him down better than anything I can say to him."

She left me then, bright morning sun glinting off my new holy symbol. I was in more shock then when I had found out my profession had been decided generations before I was born.