New place, same old scenario!

[Torben]

As rain lashed down and thunder rolled across the darkened skies above Boldhome a slight figure, wrapped in a thoroughly soaked fur skin cloak, staggered towards the closed front gates of the Humakti Temple. The austere building, built many years ago in the design of a military barracks complex, looked drab and grey, almost foreboding to any passers-by, but it was the determined focus of the person now moving towards it.

"Open the gates....in the name of the Gods, open the gates", cried out young Torben Dungshuvler - for, indeed, it was he - as his fists beat repeatedly on the hardwood.

After a few minutes the sound of heavy bolts scraping were heard, followed by the unmistakable Krrr-klick as a key was turned in a large lock....both doors then swung smoothly open and two guards, dressed in armour and with broadswords drawn, emerged to stare at the youth standing before them who.....promptly fainted and collapsed to the floor.

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A short while later, beside a bed in the small hospital wing of the Humakti Temple, a small group of soldiers gathered around a tall Officer who was attempting to glean an ounce of sense from the wild eyed youth who lay ranting & raving on the bed in front of him, clearly suffering from either a winter fever or some form of madness.

"Who are you boy? Why did you come to our temple? Are you in some form of trouble"?

"Torben....Torben.......Dungshuvler.....and it's been terrible.....awful....total nightmare.......had to get away.....hundreds of them...everywhere I turned...arrrghhhhh", shaking his head from side to side the hapless Torben seemed to be trying to empty his mind of the torment that was plaguing him. "Only choice in the end was to run.......get away.....burn the thing on the way.......doesn't matter where I end up....anywhere but there...."

"He looks in a bad way Sir, especially that nasty looking rash all over his chin and cheeks, should I send for one of the Chalana Arroy Healers?", spoke up one of the soldiers.

"No, not yet. Let me try and speak with him a little longer, he looks as if he may be calming down a little. Pass me a wet cloth and a goblet of wine and we'll see if a mopped brow and a stiff drink will help him".

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Two hours had passed, having benefitted greatly from a fresh set of dry clothes, several goblets of wine, a large bowl of meat broth & vegetables a much calmer and relaxed Torben Dungshuvler sat, clutching a chunk of bread, at a table in the Humakti mess hall.

"Well, I'm glad to see you've improved so much", said the Officer, "We were worried for you a few hours ago, almost had one of my men rush out for one of the Blessed Mother's Healers".

"Thank the Gods you didn't, bunch of lunatics that lot are! Did you hear that they threw me out of their temple a little while ago when all I did was ask them about joining a Cult, I grazed my knees and everything and these are the people who are supposed to look after others"!

"No, I hadn't heard of that but best leave that for a different occasion, what I'm keen to learn now is what in Lightbringers name happened to you earlier, what brought you to our temple? You were raving about being surrounded by hundreds, having to burn something or other? It sounds like you've been through a great deal young man, fought yourself out of a tight spot, triumphed alone against the odds....were you assaulting hordes of undead ? All pretty impressive and music to the ears of us Humakti as we love brave warriors and hero types, such folk are the bread and butter of our cult and if you're looking to make a name for yourself in the City you could do no better than to sign up with us, become a member of the Humakt Cult"!

"CULT.....Cult you say.....oh dear gods....don't tell me I've arrived at another cult.......aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh", the wild look returned to Torben's eyes as he tossed his bread aside and desperately began to look for a means of escape, his shoulders heaving and deep gulps of air were drawn into his lungs.

"Steady young fellow, steady", the Officer grasped him firmly and returned him to his seat. "Just take your time, tell me what happened, you're safe here, trust me".

"No, you don't understand it's a Cult I was fleeing from, that Lhankor Mhy bunch and it was the beards and scrolls I was referring to, hundreds of them, everywhere you look and they gave me...they gave me....this great big bushy black one and said I had to wear it.......Oh gods I can still feel the thing now, rubbing on my chin, itching...forever itching.....they're obsessed you know, obsessed with beards! As for the scrolls don't even talk to me about those.....shudder.....read them, stack them, list them, store them, file them......scrolls on anything you could think of, or don't want to think of actually......and they only made me a lay member, despite my great magic / power abilities.....and it's the lay members at the bottom of the heap who get the job of scroll clerks!! So, I had to run you see, and burn that evil beard thing after I'd escaped", Torben pointed to his face "Plus, do you see this?! I mean you can't miss it can you! Beard rash, all over my face and chin, it was more than any decent person could put up with".

"Ah.....so it wasn't hordes of undead then, or ranks of Broo or tribes of Scorpion folk....sigh....ok, well never mind, you're young and look reasonable fit, plus I do sense that aura of power about you that you mentioned, indeed one may say that the 'force is strong with you, young Dungshuvler', if there were such a saying.....which there isn't so I don't know why I said it but, anyway, you get my point and as one of the Rune Lord's here I'm convinced enough to sign you up as an Initiate with immediate effect! You need have no fear about compulsory beards here, nor being surrounded by scrolls or books at the Temple of Humakt we focus on plain, good old physical prowess and you get weapon training completely free of charge. How does all that sound"?

"Actually, not bad now you come to detail it all like that.....hmmmmhh......so, free training, I can be an Initiate and definitely NO BEARDS right"?

"Yep, no beards, false or fake, unless by personal choice".

"Okey dokey......where do I sign"?!!

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One hour later.......

"So let me get this right.......what you're saying is that I can't have a shag.....as in can't have one ever.......forever ever...right, not even a sniff of the 'old slap & tickle business'. Plus should I get killed on cult business or by mishap while out on a social day trip, in my own time and due to no fault of my own UNLIKE any other Cult in the whole City I don't qualify for resurrection......on top of all that I'll be breaking more rules if I wander on down to Grumbold's shop or Erinestra's or, indeed, any other shop in the City and seek to buy myself a nice new outfit that is anything other than a plain old tunic and set of trousers! If that's not all draconian enough I'm aslo not allowed to get drunk as that's against the rules and should I even dare to tell a little white lie saying I didn't get drunk, if I actually did, then that's breaking the rules too......AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Erik]

My dear Torben,

If I might offer a quick word of advice, I really don't think that you qualify as a member of the cult of Babeester Gor, so you might want to give the Avenging Daughter's shrine a miss in your search for enlightenment.

Good luck!

Erik