Lord Channis Lauros Journal

An alternative solution for the dilemma

We all knew the ritual concerning the initiation of Sir Sigard could not be performed without an altar, but it seemed Malek had found a solution in our absence. There is another altar, the tomb of the ancient champion known as the Knight of Abraxxas, inside the Silver Lake. We should maintain this in secret if we want to succeed in our endeavor. Right now, I trust no one.

When the battle against the gargantuan psionic worm came to an end, we all decided it would be safer to prevent growing of the dark seed inside the chest of the priest of the sun, to let the priest rest for a couple of days inside the chapel of Moradin. It seems the priest has become immune to compulsions so it is possible he is completely unaffected by the geas spells. However, he will know after a couple of days and let us know so we can communicate with the druids. I hope we could bring our friend back to his normal form without harm.

Preparations for the ritual

After long discussions outside the desecrated temple, the party decided it would be best to go directly to the tomb of the Knight of Abraxxas, hidden beneath the surface of the Silver Lake. So the group chosen to go was conformed of:

- Ibizar
- Malek
- Bahmut
- Canrith
- Addon
- Channis
- Sir Varen
- Sir Siggard
- Father Angus
- Brother Alesco

We decided to bring Brother Alesco with us, as a way to show our appreciation for saving Sir Siggard’s life. Alesco quickly agreed and seemed to be very happy. We also decided to bring with us no squires and no other member outside the mentioned above, for security reasons.

When we arrived to the temple, the doors were closed but Father Angus prayed to Abraxxas in order to grant us secure passage. We entered the tomb and found it just the way we left it. With the image of a nasty undead behind the doors, the two iron golems flanking the altar and the support for the Axe of Abraxxas above the altar. The dome was supported for several columns and we could hear the whisperings of the water outside the tomb.

Brother Angus claimed he needed another two days in meditation in order to be ready for the ritual. Meanwhile, some of us remained guarding the tomb for possible intrusions and Malek teleported to diverse destinations in order to obtain two more relics: the Coin of Abraxxas and the Axe of Abraxxas, located in the church of Good and the Temple of Life in Vazud respectively. He returned after two days safe and sound and everything was ready to begin with the ceremony.

The initiation

It is still not clear to me if this was the right thing to do, because we are sure now Abraxxas was not a God embracing goodness or evilness. I personally think Abraxxas is more like a force of some sort, speaking to his followers in the form of a God, yet he seems to be the leader of the first pantheon.

Father Angus dressed himself with clerical attire in order to perform the ceremony. He seemed incredibly weak, probably due to the lack of food and water during five consecutive days. He started praying to Abraxxas in a very special manner, “Oh most holy father, please grant me the knowledge necessary to speak in your name”.

It seemed the words spoken in the ritual had to be an exact duplicate of the phrases spoken between Abraxxas himself and his first knight, more than four thousand years ago. From this moment on, Father Angus seemed to speak with a loud grave voice, not the one we were used to listen from the cleric.

Sir Siggard kneeled before the old man with his face showing expectancy, humility and profound respect. As the priest spoke, we all sensed the cave flooded with a great power of some sort, but I couldn’t assure it was divine. We saw lights from time to time surrounding Father Angus and Sir Siggard as a sign we were waking up something from a very long and deep slumber. I’m not a man who frightens so easily, but there was a moment during the ritual I doubted we were doing the right thing.

Father Angus words described Abraxxas as a god beyond gods, beyond good and evil, even beyond neutrality. This God does not believe in balance, he believes in being loyal to your own nature. Good or evil is not inherent for humans, so this god claims goodness or evilness is not for us to decide. He claims we are confused by the gods themselves who taint us to choose a side. For Abraxxas, humans should have no side as long as we remain loyal to our own nature. Whether humans chose goodness or evilness, they are only compelled to accept the consequences of their own actions. Abraxxas teachings show that if humans do not take responsibility for what they do, they are betraying their own nature and such behavior deserve punishment.

My thoughts were flying high as the ceremony progressed. Sir Siggard seemed to be in some sort of trance that was not to be interrupted. However, in the climax of the situation, Ibizar grabbed his war hammer and charged to the altar with clear intention to destroy it. A quick glance was enough to realize he was in some sort of trance, without complete control of his actions. Nobody was fast enough to react. Fortunately, Ibizar seemed to be strong enough to resist such powerful magic. We all knew what was this all about. The binding spell on him was finally active. Ibizar fell to the ground screaming in agony. Nevertheless the mighty dwarven warrior successfully resisted the incantation. The ritual came to an end and Sir Siggard the Welldoer was no more. Long live the Knight of Abraxxas.