A Holy Pilgrimage [Roland Dagorian]

[Hrothgar]

*A finely written parchment lies on the table in the quarters of Roland Dagorian*

Salve Squire Dagorian

Your long service to the Avatari Church has not gone unnoticed. The church administration has decided to grant you the title of Templar but before you may join the ranks of the Avatari Templars you must go on a sacred pilgrimage to prove your loyalty and service to the Avatar.

Your pilgrimage shall be divided into three seperate rites of passage and you must pass each of them before you may return to the church. The first will be a rite of strength, the second will be a rite of wisdom and the third shall be a rite of belief.

Attached to this note are seperate letters explaining each of the rites. Examine these well before you begin your journey.

Bona fortuna.

±

*The letter is sealed with the holy symbol of the Avatari Order*

[Hrothgar]

The Rite of Strength

The initial chapter of your pilgrimage will be to lead a squad of Coves finest soldiers to the depths of the dungeon known simply as Doom. This unholy place reaks with the rotting flesh of dead corpses and struggles with an infestation of undead creatures. You must go there and purge the dungeon, display your holy zeal and drive the demons deeper into the ground.

Bona fortuna

[Hrothgar]

The Rite of Wisdom

The second chapter of your pilgrimage will involve sharing your wisdom with those less fortunate, you must travel to Lost Lands and visit two cities there Delucia and Papua. These two societies are filled with infidels who deny the faith of the Avatar and would rather succumb to anarchy. Go there and introduce the Avatarian faith to these infidels by force if neccessary. Take with you a squad of soldiers from the army barracks and if available some members of the church.

Bona fortuna

[Hrothgar]

The Rite of Belief

For the third and final chapter of your holy pilgrimage you are to prove your faith to the holy lord and travel to the far away lands of Ilshenar. Before you step through the gate make sure you carry nothing in your inventory and no clothing on your body save for a pair of pants. When in Ilshenar you may choose one shrine as the entry to the lands but from there you must visit each shrine of the land on foot and pay heed to the Avatar. When in front of a shrine you shall kneel and beg for forgiveness and blessing from the Avatar relating to the shrine before you.

Bona fortuna

[Garak Nightchill]

*Roland reads the parchment and makes the sign of the Ankh before composing a reply*


I shall complete this pilgrimage or die in the attempt.  Deus Vult!

The undead and demons of Doom shall be smote.  The heathens of Delucia and Papua shall hear the glorious truth of our Faith.  Should they reject our words, then we shall preach with fire and steel!  I shall complete my pilgrimage to the Shrines of Ilshenar or my rotting bones shall proclaim my unworthiness to serve Avatar.

In Nomini Deus,

Roland Dagorian
Templi Squire

[Garak Nightchill]

The Rite of Strength

When: Tuesday 28th November
Where: Dungeon Doom

Led by: Roland Dagorian, Templi Squire

Attended by:

Vince Valentine, Grenadier Sergeant
Raiden Morana, Grenadier Corporal
Tiberius Kane, Regular Guardsman
Snudrud, Watchman
Smudrud, Guardsman Recruit

To the Fathers of the Church,

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

Last night, I led the above Guardsmen to Doom, to undertake the Rite of Strength.  Alas, we were found wanting.  We made our way through that hateful city, Umbra, to the Dungeon of Doom, slaying those that opposed our presence.

The endless skulls and oppressive gloom let us know we had reached our objective.  Doom.  We entered, barely able to see through the oppressive darkness.  At first, all went well.  The early attacks were easily repulsed and the undead fell before us.  But then we encountered stronger foes.  Due to those, and sheer overwhelming numbers, we were overrun.  We attempted to regroup but the Guardian's servants were too numerous.  Alas, we were forced to retreat. 

Tonight I shall be undertaking the Rite of Wisdom, but if Avatar wills it, I shall return to Doom, with a larger company and more preparation. 

I have further ill news to report.  The two goblins survived.  Indeed, it may well have been their presence that angered Avatar, causing our defeat.  Mayhaps we would have found Avatar's favour had we burned the two foul-smelling creatures prior to departing?  I shall meditate further on it.

In Nomini Deus,

Roland Dagorian
Templi Squire 

[Hrothgar]

Your failure in this has not gone unnoticed, wether it be these two foul creatures you depended on to aid you i do not know. However despite your inability to purge the bowels of Doom you did enter the dungeon and showed considerable zeal towards your ambitions and for that the church applauds you and marks your Rite of Strength as success.

Do not fail the church again Squire.


Signed-

Father Lucien Mekhet.

[Garak Nightchill]

The Rite of Wisdom

When: Wednesday 29th November
Where: The Lost Lands

Led by: Roland Dagorian, Templi Squire

Attended by:

Raiden Morano, Grenadier Corporal
Hoagie, Officer Cadet
Eve, Watchman
Xander Laedon, Guardsman Recruit
Perrin, Commoner
Mela, Scout Corporal (Attended Mass only)


Father Mekhet,

I shall heed thy words most carefully, and do mine utmost not to fail the Church again.

Prior to the pilgrimage to the lost lands, Bishop Destain held a small Mass, to instill the proper religious fervour into my fellow Pilgrims. 

Thus inspired, we travelled to Papua by way of the teleporter in Moonglow.  Distasteful though this was, we soon found ourselves in Papua.  And we preached the Avatarian faith to those there.  Many hid from us, the streets seemed deserted.  Nevertheless, we discovered a crowd of them hiding on a balcony and did most sternly instruct them in our Faith.



Our work done, we marched south to Delucia.  On the way we encountered several creatures of the Guardian, and dealt with them accordingly.  We also encountered a woman.  Alas, she refused to acknowledge the truth of Avatar's Everlasting Love so I was forced to strike her down.  After a long road of travel through the humid jungle, we eventually reached Delucia.  I instructed the Guardsmen and the commoner to go around the city and convert the citizenry.




Word reached me in the town that there was a wytch who dwelled there.  I sought to learn more and left the the others at the bank to further spread the word.  When I returned I learned that the wytch had visited them.  This wytch claimed to be a Warlock of Minax and attacked Corporal Morana, but was soon struck down for his heathenous and insolent ways.  Praise!

Having encountered a wytch, and the townsfolks' stubborn refusal to embrace Our Faith, I regretfully concluded that words were insufficient.  With Corporal Morana's aid, a smithy was burned, as was a garden doubtless containing wytchery herbs.  Having thus introduced the Delucians to the Avatarian Faith with fire and steel, we returned to Cove.



In Nomini Deus,

Roland Dagorian
Templi Squire

[Garak Nightchill]

Rite of Belief

Having thus completed the first two Rites, I left mine armour and weapons in Cove and embarked upon the Rite of Belief.  Carrying no possessions and wearing nought but a pair of trousers, I prayed Avatar would judge me worthy. 

I chose to enter the lands of Ilshenar by way of the moongate located at the Shrine of Compassion.  Incanting the Holy Mantra passed down to us by Avatar, I then prayed for forgiveness for the sin of hatred, entreating Avatar to help me slay His enemies with nought but love for them in mine heart.

I then marched southwards.  Unarmed and unarmoured, I was forced to flee the creatures who assailed me.  Many were the wounds I bore, but eventually I reached an abandoned tavern and drank from the trough outside.  Many foul fairies doth dwell here, but I journeyed past them.  To the Shrine of Spirituality.



Having prayed for forgiveness for my sins of the flesh, 'twas but an uneventful journey to the Shrine of Sacrifice.  I prayed thus there and followed the mountains north.  I encountered a band of brigands, alas I was unarmed and thus unable to smite them!  I reached the village of Lakeshire and found it swarming with the vile Meer.  From there to the Shrine of Justice was a most perilous journey, fraught with many dangers.  But I made it and prayed thus at the Shrine. 

From there to the Shrine of Honesty took me close to the Jukan-held city of Mistas.  Even the Shrine of Honesty was plagued with gazers.  Eventually I was successful in lingering long enough to beg forgiveness for any dishonest acts I have committed.  I thought the journey to the Shrine of Humility would be safer, alas many Jukans doth dwell in the jungle separating the shrines.

Wounded yet further, knocked unconscious several times, I made it through, my feet bleeding and bruised.  Having prayed for forgiveness for the Sin of Pride, I thus headed east north-est towards the Shrine of Honour. 



Having thus prayed at the Shrine of Honour, I headed further north, and encountered a most blasphemous building!  A tavern, blood-soaked and seeped in evil doth ominously lie there.  I nay lingered.

En route to the Shrine of Valour I encountered the work of Brigands.  A farmhouse, with a blood-soaked floor, lay abandoned, it's hard-working and mayhaps Avatar-fearing occupents slain.  A most foul business.



At the Shrine of Valour, the last on my Holy Pilgrimage, was nearby and I prayed there, asking forgiveness for any acts of cowardice that may stain my past. 

Bleeding, shivering, but having thus survived the last of the Rites, I stepped through the Moongate and returned thus to Britannia. 



In Nomini Deus,

Roland Dagorian
Templi Squire