>>5735435The Fallen Paladin, who you suppose must know the Old Infiltrator in her now-abandoned human identity, seems shaken by the revelation that she is one of your kind. In spite of this, and in spite of his bitterness towards you for your role in his ecclesiastical demotion, he still shows concern for her and (albeit somewhat less personally) for Halle. Neither complain too loudly, but you know the cross-town travel has done little to help them, and they are in no shape to journey much further—let alone to help you in your mission to come.
“I would offer to heal you, but…”
He trails off, and you infer the rest: no longer a Paladin of the Holy order of Hawksong, he lacks their powers. Unlike the Dark Gods, who give their children guidance and direction but expect you to largely forge your own strength, the Gods of Light dole out favours to their favoured few… And what they giveth, they seem to also taketh away from those who fail to live up to their hypocritical and weak-willed philosophy of ‘goodness’. Typical.
“Will the others help us?” you ask Fallen Paladin Ewald.
He shakes his head, and quickly glances to Halle, and then back to you.
“Some of the others ‘KNOW know’ as well,” he says. “When I returned from our duel to pass along your… Offer… Those who knew your secret, and that I’d been sent to stop you, were quick to make clear that Prince Long Wang is NOT to be allowed access or aid of the Holy Order’s brothers. Inside, the leadership—sans myself, obviously—are debating what action to take even now… Whether to expose and arrest you, to slay you, or what other action to take. They await only Prince Rufos—TECHNICALLY the closest thing to a Paladin king we have—to make their determination. The only trouble is the damned schemer is nowhere to be found!”
All this is… Troubling news.
What will you do?
>Approach the Paladins at the door, beseeching their aid against a common threat>Put yourself at the Paladins’ mercy, if they will hear your case and heal your allies>Forget this—tell Sir Ewald of the coming mutagenic plague, and get HIS aid>Find Ekaterine, and have her wield some of her inherited authority over these pious peons>It seems that you must find Rufos rather urgently after all… Leave the females with Ewald and go to him>Storm the Paladins' complex, to earn their respect and fellowship or else to destroy them here and now>Write-in 