Altared Beginning 3

Danthor made a quick stop at the bank on his way to the Westbridge jeweller. He had an eye out for any stones, jewels, rocks.. any sort of gem that had a strange cut. Danthor turned north as he left the bank, making his way up Main Street. As he drew nearer to Market Square, the smells of Tom's Bakery wafted towards him. He turned his thoughts and his face back toward the jeweller's store, and stepped through the door. He approached the counter, and looked to the rather fragile man behind it. "I'd like to buy all the rare gems you have, good sir." The jeweller snorted in derision as he reached down below the counter. "Aye, and I'd like to be king. I've got some gems for ya, but how'm I to be sure you've got the coin, eh?" Danthor swiftly pulled a large coin pouch from his belt. It was bulging with the shapes of various coins from around the Realm. The jeweller's eyes grew as big as saucers as he reached eagerly for the pouch. "All.. every last gem you have, sir, and this pouch is yours." Danthor leaned in, blocking the dim light, making himself seem larger than normal.

Altared Beginning 2

As Seline's body fell back, what came into view was something like Danthor had never seen before; a three-sided altar, standing at about four feet high and two feet wide at the largest section. Its stone edges were rough from ages of weathering, with three large pockmarks on each side; various other, smaller, pockmarks, obviously causd by time covered its rough surface . Recessed in the top was a large bowl. Around the bowl were inscribed three daggers and three lightning bolts pointing toward it, with a small hole in the center of the bowl. Upon inspecting it closer, Danthor found a hole at the top of each cluster of pockmarks leading in towards the basin. Danthor slowly sat back in amazement at what he saw. "What in the name of Mystra IS it?" Danthor asked of no-one and everyone. Simbul was not so easily distracted from the matter at hand. She took one look down at the unconscious bleeding Seline, and lifted her in the air with a word and a motion and placed her body on a floating disc. Simbul's eyes grew large as she realized she had just cast a spell she had never recited before. Danthor turned his head and very slowly a little smile crawled across his face, and then, just as suddenly was gone. As Danthor and Simbul made their way quickly back to Mystra's priestess, Danthor had but a few moments to sort all of this out. 'This could be some rare artifact, something with which the Keepers could preserve their findings. Or it could also be the destruction that we seek so heartily to prevent. We must be cautious in our advances with this .. thing. Yet, I cannot just ignore it. Those pockmarks seemed to have many different shapes; Some almost looked like stones. I shall see what I can find in the Realms that come close to those shapes, and seek knowledge of this thing from my fellow Keepers. Nothing further must I do until more is known about this thing and its origin.'

Altared Beginning 1

The lights played off the shimmering waterfall as Danthor, Simbul and Seline made their way through the tunnel. As the three approached the edge of the lake, they turned and silently followed it toward the waterfall. The three walked in a single-file line, Danthor in the middle. As Seline stooped to duck under a few loose, crawling vines, she turned her head slightly towards Danthor, a trancelike look upon her face. This was not the serene half-elf that he had come to know so well. This was the face of someone in distress. As Seline rigidly approached the waterfall, Danthor and Simbul turned to exchange a silent glance. Once there, Danthor stood back from the other two, wondering what could possibly be found so deep in the recesses of Mystra's Isle. Danthor leaned in a bit closer, lowering his voice .. "Do you know why she has brought us here?" "I must admit, I am not sure. Though it seems she is about to reveal her purpose," replied Simbul. Danthor nodded, slowly, eyes squinched shut against the moist, almost saturated, air. "Aye, but she does not seem herself." As the two slowly turned their gazes back to Seline, they noticed that she had already made her way through the waterfall and out into a hidden cavern on the other side. The two colleagues strode forward intently, moving as one, curious as to this area previously unknown to Mystra's Chosen. As Danthor stepped quickly after Simbul through the rushing water, he was taken aback at what he saw there. Seline, on all fours, was digging frantically, almost mechanically, at the ground, clawing and ripping up chunks of earth and wood. Her hands had become bloody ribbons by this point, but the distraught half-elf seemed determined to unearth something in this dark, damp place. All the while, Seline continuously muttered "One for you, one for me, and one for Eternity. One for you, one for me, and one for eternity" in a deep feverish voice. Simbul stood passively aside, awaiting the completion of Seline's mysterious task. Shocked, Danthor knelt beside Seline, thinking to aid her in her efforts, until ..looking into her eyes, Danthor senses another's emotions, thoughts and, most of all, fear. Danthor leapt back to Simbul's side, frantically moving towards Seline, then away, towards, then away. Before Danthor could decide on what action to take, Seline sat back, obviously exhausted and bleeding profusely from her hands, and fainted.