Chapter 1

[Eris]

Yilmaz nods a Cauley's reassurance: "Very well, we will stay at the inn then." He then turns to Loren with a faint smile: "Let's get some good night's sleep and visit the church first thing in the morning, my friend. This old man needs some rest right now."

"It would be better to do the reconsecration by the light of Sol, rather than his light reflected from Queen Luna. Much better." Loren muses, "Yes, let's wait until the morrow."

[Tamerlaine]

After supper, the party retires to their room on the 2nd story. The night passes without incident and after a quick breafast you travel the short distance to the hill overlooking the village. A modest sized chapel sits atop the hill, with walls of white stone and the fixtures one would associate with the god Sol. As you finally approach the chapel, one does not see any evidence of a fire from the outside. As you step inside however, the damage is plain for all to see. The pews are charred and the great tapestries against the walls have been burned beyond recovery. The glass of oculus in the center of the dome above is shattered. The altar seems to be the focus of the fire and there is a body resting on top, its burnt form frozen in a pose of extreme anguish. A scrap of cloth reveals the vestments of a priest of Sol. In the back there is a solid thick door of oak carved with all manner of symbols relating to Sol. It is locked.

[Eris]

After supper, the party retires to their room on the 2nd story. The night passes without incident and after a quick breafast you travel the short distance to the hill overlooking the village.

Brother Loren is up at first light to meditate and pray. He knows he has a solemn task to preform this morning and wants to be "right" with Sol before he does it. Afterwards, he eats a light breakfast saying little to the rest of the company.

A modest sized chapel sits atop the hill, with walls of white stone and the fixtures one would associate with the god Sol. As you finally approach the chapel, one does not see any evidence of a fire from the outside. As you step inside however, the damage is plain for all to see. The pews are charred and the great tapestries against the walls have been burned beyond recovery. The glass of oculus in the center of the dome above is shattered. The altar seems to be the focus of the fire and there is a body resting on top, its burnt form frozen in a pose of extreme anguish. A scrap of cloth reveals the vestments of a priest of Sol. In the back there is a solid thick door of oak carved with all manner of symbols relating to Sol. It is locked.

Brother Loren, holds up an amulet from under his surplus with one hand and holds out his mace in the other. On the amulet is the "Circle of Sol"...a golden disc with runes surrounding it. The mace also has runes carved into its wooden haft and molded into the hard iron head. Light catches the gold of the amulet and the gold leaf deeply inset in the head of the mace making them glow in the morning sun.

In a strong clear voice, Loren prays, "Father Sol, drive away the shadows which entered your holy place. Give peace and justice to your holy servant who left this world to sit at your feet. If it be your will, empower my humble self, my shield and my mace to right the wrong done here. By the Circle of Light, by the crucible of heat, by the All Knowing Eye I pray, Great Father Sol!"

Holding his pose for a few seconds the disc and mace seem to pulse with light. Finally, Loren lowers his arms, "His servant is now at peace and the evil of man is banished from His place."

[Tamerlaine]

Gormlaith is ill at ease in the chapel yet remains quiet as Lore utters his benediction. "What is the custom here? You bury 'em?" she asks when its all over. "I'll help you. Then we get going."

[Wouter]

Yilmaz and Asil keep a respectful distance while brother Loren performs his ritual of the last rites, hat in hand. After Loren has finished, Yilmaz silently moves up to the altar and takes a good look at the body on top. Is there anything he notices in particular, besides the marks of the burning?

[Eris]

Gormlaith is ill at ease in the chapel yet remains quiet as Lore utters his benediction. "What is the custom here? You bury 'em?" she asks when its all over. "I'll help you. Then we get going."

"Yes, we bury them."Loren says, "The graveyard should be just behind or beside the chapel. I am going to wrap his body in that ruined tapestry on the wall there."

Loren pulls the tapestry down and wraps the remains of the dead churchman.

"There should be shovels in a store room. The rectory should be behind that door for a chapel this small. There wouldn't be a separate house."says Loren, "Out the back door is where the store room should be located."

[Wouter]

Yilmaz nods at Asil: "You heard the man, go get us some shovels!" and Asil hurries his way through the chapel to the back door, into the storage room to search for them.

[Tamerlaine]

Upon his initial inspection, Yilmaz notes a small chain half hidden by the priest's burnt vestments. It's a long necklace and an iron key is attached to it.

Gormlaith figures there's nothing in the chapel for her and knows the work she has to do. She leaves quietly, rolling her shoulders and flexing her neck as she heads out to the graveyard. Cauley follows close behind and with the shovels provided by Asil, the two get to work. The barbarian woman's strength and stamina is impressive as she makes short work at the earth. It isn't long when there's a proper hole dug deep and wide enough for a man to be buried.

[Wouter]

While Loren is getting the tapestry to wrap the body in, Yilmaz will carefully remove the necklace with the iron key from the body and pocket it. He does not tell anyone he did so, not even Asil.

[Eris]

After wrapping the burned remains carefully, Loren lifts the load in his arms and heads for the closed door.

"Can you open this door for me Yilmaz?" asks Loren, "I think it will be a shorter trip going this way."

If the door is locked and Yilmaz can't open it, Loren will go back out the front with the body and around to the grave.

After placing the body in the grave, Loren will say a prayer over it and toss in a handful of dirt. He will take up a shovel and help fill in the grave afterwards.

"I don't think I even know this poor Brother's name." Loren says brushing dirt off his hands, "I'll find out and put a marker on his grave once we've dealt with his murderers."