CH. 4: Temple of Baerin

[HorizonsDream]

Echo finds a semi quiet spot in which she makes herself comfortable before she begins writing for the Pharise. Naturally, she begins from the very beginning of when she met him, and tries to describe in great detail all that had happened within the past few days while she was traveling with the pilgrimage.

[JadedDM]

Echo spends the rest of the day chronicling the expedition and writing missives for the pharise. It's quite late at night by the time she finishes, her hand cramped from all that writing.

[HorizonsDream]

Echo stretches for a moment, then heads to where Hollidan has had his tent as of late and peaks inside to make sure it isn't being used. Every once in awhile, she rubs at her writing hand as if trying to rub the cramping out.

[JadedDM]

As they are indoors, nobody is using tents tonight, but just have their sleeping bags laid out on the ground. Echo finds Hollidan sitting on his, eating some kind of food from a bowl. Leonor and Sofia are sitting with him, also eating.

[HorizonsDream]

"Is there any of that left?" Echo asks as she walks up on the group.

[JadedDM]

"Yes, the pharise made a new batch a short time ago," Hollidan says. "It's over by the statue."

[HorizonsDream]

"Thanks," Echo says. She walks over to the statue in question and grabs herself a bowl like the others so that she can eat. Once she has her food, she walks back over to the group, sits down, and begins eating. "So what is the plan now that the shield has been found?" she asks. "Are some of these people going to go home?"

[JadedDM]

"There's some debate about that," Hollidan says. "Some of us feel that we should restore the temple and get it up and running again. However, it's really out of the way and currently the only way to reach it is passing through that gnomish community, who didn't seem to relish the idea of strangers in the first place. So others think we should take the shield and build a new temple somewhere more convenient."

[HorizonsDream]

"It isn't exactly a pilgrimage if a new temple is built somewhere more convenient," Echo points out. "Though, it does make a lot more sense to build a new temple somewhere else."

[JadedDM]

"Well, that's the crux of the debate," Hollidan says. "I suppose it mostly depends on how cooperative the gnomes prove to be, or whether we can find an alternate path up here. For the time being, though, we won't be going anywhere for awhile."

[HorizonsDream]

"Well, I know what I'll be doing," Echo says. "But what are the rest of you going to do?"

[JadedDM]

"I guess that depends on whether we stay or go somewhere else," Hollidan replies. He shakes his head. "Unlike with you, this isn't some temporary job we agreed to take for gold. We're not all going to pack up and leave as soon as we're able."

[HorizonsDream]

"Wait a minute," Echo says, looking up to Hollidan. "You almost seem...mad at me for taking this on as a job."

[JadedDM]

"I'm not mad, just annoyed that you keep asking that question," Hollidan says. "You keep acting like this is all a sham, that we somehow fooled or tricked these people into this pilgrimage and now that we found the shield, they can finally go home and be safe, and we will no longer be putting them in any danger. But as I and the others keep trying to tell you, they came here voluntarily. This is a matter of faith for them, for all of us."

[HorizonsDream]

"It isn't a sham. The shield is real. It isn't as if I haven't seen it now. I just don't understand what these people are going to do when they see it. I see a shield, an useful object that was used by a great person within your faith. Do you pray in front of it to reaffirm your faith? Do you ask for a blessing? Before we were...or rather I was attacked, the three of you that were with me just kind of stared at it."