At the Shrine of War
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Smush waves happily to the man with the angry face
"Hallo dere! You alls come tuh help fix duh statchoo?"
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Devlin plods in on horse, and dismounts with a thunk hard on the ground. His expression becomes grim as he sees the damage, and places a hand on the pommel of his blade.
"So who is it that is going die today?", As he looks toward Hammerhand, then with a critical gaze over he snaps his head toward the Half-Orc, which slowly turns into a undeniable death stare.
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The towering slab of a Paladin doesnt seem to budge
"Needs tuh collect for duh new statchoo dat Sogar is gun build"
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Said paladin quickly finds himself prone to verbal, and if things escalate, physical aggression from an incensed Hammerhand who demands in no uncertain terms that the remains of the shrine are left undisturbed.
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The Half-Orc Paladin of Kelemvor, Smushface, has been seen cleaning up all the dust and rock from the statue and putting it all into a neat bag. He whistles happily as he does it.
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_A seemingly dazed Hammerhand was lead into the Peltarch by Sol one evening. Not particularly unusual, if not for word spreading troughout the land of the shrine of Tempus being, for the most part.. gone. The statue, the offering plate, the engraved stones and even the offering plate are simply gone. Strangely enough, a few offerings are still there.
Did something manage to get around Hammer and Saria's guard, assault the shrine and leave nothing but dust, or is it a sign of Tempus displeasure? With the recent lizard and kobold attack on Peltarch, and the growing likelihood of war.. it would be a very bad omen indeed._
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Another blonde, this one delightfully pretty, gives the shrine a wide -wide- bearth upon seeing the barbarian woman standing guard.
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_A Proud looking blonde barbarian approaches at dawn, a laden pack on her shoulders. By noon she had set up camp (hidden so as not to disrupt the view of Tempus's shrine)
Shortly thereafter taking up duties to help Hammerhand care for the place, but more importantly to help him guard against any who come with ill intent_
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After an intense battle with the kobolds south of Peltarch's gate, Marty brings a wooden cup up to the altar of Tempus, filled with hammerhand's blood. After pouring it on the altar she prays out aloud…
MIGHTY TEMPUS! God of my friend Hammerhand and my sister Maya. Recieve the offering of this blood, blood that was shed by your servant Hammerhand as he stood alone to single-handedly fend off the horde that came to defile this shrine.
And recognise not only his blood, but the blood of his comrades who came to recover his body and to retake this shrine. Cast your gaze upon their valour, and despise the filthy monsters that with cowardice and cunning came to defile your shrine and your name. Rise up and aid those who honour you and your servants, and give favour to them in battle. Smite the reptilian filth who encroach upon this place. Smite them with ... rotten luck .. and bad things.
Amen.
not knowing what special gesture she needs to make to finish her prayer, she simply salutes, turns on her heel and marches off, dragging Hammerhand's body by the ankle back to the temple to be raised back to life.
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_Arlan passes by the man and gives him a slight wave
"Hey Sogar"_
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Marty, who was quietly listening to the last sermon, sneers at the helmed figure as he walks off laughing
Who was that arse?
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".. who're you?"
He then smirks.
"Ironic for someone who hides his face to call someone else a coward. Oh well."
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A helmed man approaches out of the forest smelling of foul blood and claps well said… I am back as I see no one is listening to your babbling I should let you continue as you are obviously doing more good for me then harm.. Keep up the good work and i would say practice what you preach... Coward.. Laughs hysterically and walks off See ya arounnnd! continued laughter
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The smooth-tongued and fleet of feet that avoid all strife and never defend their beliefs wreak more harm than the most energetic tyrant, raider, or horde leader
"Talking can go on forever, only making a conflict last even longer. Words are easily twisted, and can be used to corrupt anything. A sword or an arrow is quick, clean and has immediate results.
Wanting to solve conflicts trough battle rather than words is made out to be for savages, but why? Are constant snide remarks and veiled insults that civilised? Is twisting a man's beliefs until he gives in that much greater, that much more honourable? Is coiling and twisting until you can put a dagger into someone's back the mark of a greater man?
Arguing is pointless. Talking and running didn't defeat all the threats to Narfell so far, and it never will. Battle did. Words only offer protection while everyone believes it. It isn't the word of law that keeps people from breaking it, it's the swords of the guards that do it. If not, why do towns have guards?
The bottom line is that those who can't fight and kill will always be at the mercy that can. It doesn't matter if you're devoted to 'good' or 'evil'. If you have the strength, and Tempus' favor, to get your way, you will get your way. Whether you like it or not, that's how the world works. Diplomacy has no other purpose but to learn your allies and enemies strenghts and weaknesses. Trade has no other purpose but to bolster your resources. Politics is dogs snarling at each other because non of them are strong enough to overcome the others. In the end, everything is gained and kept by the sword. And this is how it should be."
And with that, a long series of different sermons ends.
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Consider the consequences of the violence of war, and do not wage war recklessly.
_"Narfell's had its share of wars, and they've usually brought change with them. But they also bring suffering and death with them. No matter how honourably you fight, you will hurt at least someone in the process. That's simply how it is. Like they say, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. But just how many eggs do you need to break? You don't need to smash the entire hen house for your omelet.
War is messy business. Most of of us would prefer peace, but the world won't let us have it that easily. Just like all things, peace is something you have to defend, and fight for.
A true warrior knows how to pick his fights well. He doesn't need to rely on dishonourable, cowardly tactics and tools to win, but he knows how and where to hit to earn the quickest victory. A true warrior doesn't fight like a great axe, cleaving left and right at anything within reach, but he fights like a spear, with focus.
That is the essence of war as Tempus decrees: to never avoid war, but to end it as quickly as possible, and to direct your fury with wisdom and focus."_
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Tempus looks with favor upon those that acquit themselves honorably in battle without resorting to such craven tricks as destroying homes, family, or livestock when a foe is away or attacking from the rear (except when such an attack is launched by a small band against foes of vastly superior numbers).
_"It's all too tempting to hit high and low, and wherever you can, to gain some advantage over your enemy. It's all too tempting to cause much more damage on your enemy than can be repaired. But for what cause? Does it make you a better warrior? No, only a more desperate one. Does it end the war more quickly? No, because your enemy remains .. and the lasting damage will be all the greater. What you destroy, you cannot claim.
It's not stupid to face your enemy head-on, regardless of what some might say. Let them talk about how much more convenient it is to poison a well, or slit an enemy's throat in the dark. Those cowards will not hide forever, and they won't be able to stand before the true warriors. Let the snakes hiss and snap. In the end, what little they can take, the favor of Tempus will let the true warriors take back, and far more.
So it was with the Eastlanders. So it was with the orcs. So it was with the ghouls. So it was with the dracolich. So it will always be._"
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Disparage no foe and respect all, for valor blazes in all regardless of age, sex, or race.
"A true warrior respects those who fight beside him, regardless of who they are. As well, he respects those who he fights against. Trough the favor of Tempus, the weak can be strong and the strong can be weak. Honour is respect, and seperates warriors from assassins, the brave from the cowardly.
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Defend what you believe in, lest it be swept away.
_"If you don't protect what you want to keep, it will be taken away. We take what we want, if we can. Whatever the reason, we all do. A paladin fighting others might try to take their lives because trough it they threaten what he stands for. Or a raider fighting the same people might do it simply because he wants what they own. Different reason, but same results. We take what we can, because we can.
Tempus teaches that we should all learn to defend ourselves and what we want to keep, and do everything He allows to do so. If you back down from doing so, you give it up. Perhaps a single battle does not make a campaign, but many campaigns have been decided in a single battle. And only in hindsight will you know which one that battle was."_
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Remember the dead that fell before you.
_"I am that which lives. I remember that which does not. My mind does not forget my hand or its sword. I am the warrior. I am the champion of life's cause. My mind does not forget my chest or its heart.
Warrior of the past, we honour you.
Warriors of the past, we thank you for your sacrifice. Warriors of the past, we ask that you bless us with your strength.We stand in your place. We guard. We teach. We learn. That which you have given has not been in vain. We stand ready.
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On the sacrifice of heroes, the future is built. Honour the Fallen."_
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_Even with the unrest in Peltarch, Hammer still continues to preach at the shrine – likely for a diminished crowd, if any at all. It hardly seems to matter to Hammer, who would preach to thin air if it came to it. Though, perhaps with the current chaos in the city and the threat looming over it, the words of Tempus are all the more important to hear.
Slay one foe decisively and halt a battle quickly rather than rely upon slow attrition or the senseless dragging on of hostilities.
"It's very tempting to gather as much resources and allies as you can to simply overwhelm your enemy. But so much more would be spent and lost than necessary. How many wars have been fought over one noble insulting another. So many lives lost and so much damage done because two men didn't have the courage to fight their fight themselves, and leave it at that. Everyone is responsible for themselves, no matter what "nobles" or "lawmakers" might say. Your fights are your own, and bringing other people into them will only cause conflicts to grow beyond what is necessary.
In war, attrition involves wearing your enemy down. It can involve sieges aimed at starving an enemy into submission, or it could involve throwing endless numbers at an enemy until he can no longer hold them off. Between persons, families or even towns, it can be feuds. Two "combatants" who keep circling each other, trying to gain some decisive advantage – an advantage that will likely not come. Not only is this cowardly and cruel, as you extend suffering and conflict, and do not have the courage to risk yourself, it's also foolish. Why drain yourself like that when you should strike a decisive blow. Defeating your enemy, destroying his allies and making life miserable for everyone that ever associated with him is unfitting for a warrior, unfitting for men. Tempus favors those who take decisive, focused action. Tear out the throat of your enemy, and let that be the end of it."_
