Journal of Arcadius

Of Purpose and Sacrifice

Truly, Ragnarr is of great heart. Given the loss of the staff, bold steps were called for. Little would I have imagined how bold. Ragnarr sought help from those of the planes beyond, those in service to Lord Pelor.

A service was asked of him - to claim a bit of water from a certain pool, a pool on the Plane of Mist.

At great expense we procured magic items needful for such a journey from the mage in Izmir. He is a man of prudence and judgment, if not generosity. Upon arrival at the Plane of Mist, we were almost immediately confronted by a powerful being that was at least a lord, if not the lord, of the plane.

It told us we were unwelcome.

After much unfruitful conversation, it demanded service from us in return for refraining from attack. Ragnarr, showing a sense of duty worthy of my homeland, took on all six services himself. May none ever doubt his courage and character.

I pray that the mist lord is not hostile to our greater cause.

It turned out that the pool was a great distance away, hundreds of miles. In return for getting us gone from his plane more quickly, the mist lord transported us the greater part of the way.

Unfortunately, the pool turned out to be alive and sentient, or at least controlled by a being that was such. It resisted all efforts to remove part of itself. Finally, Ragnarr made yet another sacrifice. The pool told him he could have part of it, if he gave part of himself - a finger. He did so, at the price of swift and sudden agony.

A true servant of Pelor is he.

My memories of the next stage are, for some unknown reason, hazy, but we have made our way back. I believe at some point we were drinking with Orcs and visiting one of their shamans. I trust in faith that the results be worthy of our spent gold and Ragnarr's great sacrifices.

Praise and glory to Lord Pelor.

*A*