Blood Brothers

Cy 4822, Mar 23^rd – Valadain and Illeum in the sewers

Illeum Runesabre leads his half brother, Valadain Raikos down into the relative safety of the sewers beneath the citadel of Gran Breton. The former steward of Bretonia talks quietly to the man who was once an enemy…a man who shares a common father.

            “I feel your pain, Valadain, don’t think I don’t. It took me years to come to terms with my heritage but for you it will feel as though your whole existence has been a lie. Malkar the emperor is not Malkar the god. Now is not the time, however, to grieve for what is lost…if lost it is.

            “The survival of Bretonia’s power base is in our hands, if we don’t extricate them then all is lost. That is our primary objective. Many of your friends, great men, and great sorcerers swing from the gallows the Templars erected. Any dissenters were immediately put to death in a night that Bretonians will ever forget…as if the world needed a tyrant at this time!

            “It occurred to me that perhaps Muziel was correct to spirit away Sarrik Ramadius and the elven queen Illythar…perhaps he had some insight into the future? If we can make Van Saul we will have a fighting chance, though with a god laying traps in our path it could get tricky along the way. I have sent word to King Archibald of Rosen – a good friend of mine – he has diverted troops to aid our plight in the hills. If Malkar catches us here then we will have nowhere to hide.

            “I have summoned some more distasteful companions to help us during the night…I am aware of your righteousness, Valadain, but needs must when the devil drives! My vampiric friends are discreet if nothing else.

            “Which brings me to your particular problem – I speak of course of the great dilemma you face. The very fact that you can still cast means that Malkar has not given up on you yet…when that happens you will not be able to cast anything, though you are his disciple I have seen fallen priests before. Once they lose the faith they become shadows of their former glories, they are mistrusted, shunned and generally victimised for the rest of their lives. It is not a fate I would wish upon you.

            “But do not despair. There are other avenues for you to explore should you face Malkar’s excommunication…a man of your experience will be welcomed into any of the fields of magic…I would be only too willing to avail you of the teachings of Necromancy. You only need to ask!

            “You have many friends in Bretonia, Valadain, and amongst them you can count a master of any of the Nine Arts…it is something you must consider…and soon! Once Malkar realises what we are up to then your fate will be sealed…my only hope is that he doesn’t come for you personally. His insanity knows no bounds at present!

            “Historically men such as you have thrived; Cedron and Yakamoto are two men who turned their back on their gods and they went on to far greater achievements outside the restrictions of faith. There is ever hope…

            “When the dust settles on this there will be a question left unanswered…I hear some of these Bretonians uttering it even now. That question? When is Sarrik returning? When are the people going to rise up against this tyrant god? This exodus will merely polarise the people’s attitude and strengthen their resolve to remove Malkar. After all, wherever they settle they will be within reach of a Malkar temple…imagine their fear? Malkar has not just gone mad, he has made enemies of half of Grayhawk in the process!

            “There is a part of me that yearns for a release from his grip. It occurs to me that sometimes a problem must be faced head on…should you decide to turn back here and now I know a back way into the throne room. Naturally I would not ask this of you lightly…just say the word, Valadain, and I will join you in his murder. My profession is biased against his religion so I am hardly unbiased but I saw the truth in the valley of our father…Malkar crossed the line that day. Despite Nature’s calming hand at the end he had perpetrated abhorrent violence…and enjoyed it!

            “I am far from pure, Valadain, my hands are stained with the blood of many, but there is not a devil alive or dead that could do what Malkar did that day. He delved deep into his darker side and that shadow has never left him…”

            Illeum hands you a small cloth. Within the folds Valadain can discern two shortbow arrows.

            “I made these myself. Should it come to it they are your only hope against Malkar. If you take him on hand to hand he will beat you, his mastery of the sword is incredible…the arrows are therefore your only hope. The heads are infused with Rootvile…if they hit him he will die…trust me…more importantly trust your instinct to survive.”