Gabrielle doesn’t even bother talking to the guards at the toll booth who block the passage further northeast. The black-haired green-eyed elf just starts spelling up preparing for a fight.

Gabrielle starts casting a spell.

Gabrielle caresses the ground and several sticks transform into snakes.

Boa appears before you.

Viper appears before you.

Amphisbaena appears before you.

Boa appears before you.

Isaiah looked over the snakes. The boa and the viper appeared like normal snakes. The former being a big thick snake, and that latter being a smaller poisonous snake. Isaiah’s player had no idea what an Amphisbaena was. Apparently it is a snake that has a head at both ends. Weird.

Gabrielle says in an eerily soothing voice: “Never pay these gate guards. They are from Tonovi a city whose motto is the only good elf is a slave. They even have an auction block in the town square where elves are sold to the highest bidder.”

Isaiah nods.

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “How terrible, I hope the place burns.”

Gabrielle agrees.

Gabrielle starts casting a spell.

From above, the gods grant power to Gabrielle as her god strikes guard with divine lightning from the clouds.

Guard hits snake.

Guard misses snake.

Snake misses guard.

Snake misses guard.

Snake misses guard.

Gabrielle starts casting a spell.

From above, the gods grant power to Gabrielle as her god strikes guard with divine lightning from the clouds.

Guard drops dead before you.

Guard hits snake.

Gabrielle starts casting a spell.

From above, the gods grant power to Gabrielle as her god strikes guard with divine lightning from the clouds.

Guard misses Gabrielle.

Snake misses guard.

Snake misses guard.

Snake misses guard.

Guard hits snake.

Gabrielle starts casting a spell.

From above, the gods grant power to Gabrielle as her god strikes guard with divine lightning from the clouds.

Guard drops dead before you.

Snake drops dead before you.

The two elves left the tollbooth. Now that the guards were dispatched they were able to take the exit to the northeast without impediment. They passed a few patrolling guards. Isaiah peered northeast along the road and it looked like some of the guards were fighting an elven ranger along the road. Before Isaiah could say anything Gabrielle led him north along the road to Tonovi and they went a little bit before arriving at the temple of Lovaitar. About the time that they made it to the temple of Loviatar the snakes following them around had turned back into sticks. The temple of Loviatar was a little bit disturbing. It looked like a place of worship with high ceilings and pews for followers to kneel in prayer. There was an altar on a raised part of the room and against the walls were instruments of torture. There were whips, bamboo canes and a rack with straps for securing and stretching arms and legs. A human knight was also present in the temple when the two elves arrived.

The whole idea about losing an eye and returning it of course flew in the face of what was possible in the real world. Considering this was a game, there could at least be a mechanic built into the system for something like this. Because there was not, Isaiah’s player was completely baffled that to be presented with a situation like this. The whole thing was improv roleplay. The fact that Goldeneyes was tortured and maimed like this was sickening. Nevertheless, Isaiah trying to play his role as a peacemaker was exciting. His goal was to bring peace and harmony and unity to the elven players in these murderous lands. Ech, harmony might be the wrong word for his motto. That half-elf was a jerk who just killed people he met for the first time.

There was a moment of silence while the two elves stood in the temple of torture with the female human knight. Isaiah was caught up in the past few minutes. He was kicking himself for not attacking the guards along with Gabrielle. Humans supporting a regime that normalized enslavement of an entire race deserved the worst kind of punishment. There were his cousin elven rangers fighting the very same regime along the dagger road. He wanted to go back and help them by fighting alongside them. However, his thoughts were interrupted.

An armored female human says in a stern tone: “Greetings High Priestess.”

An armored female human bows deeply.

Gabrielle says in an eerily soothing tone: “Greeting Lady Lusell.”

Gabrielle curtseys.

(Isaiah’s player quickly typed ‘recognize human as lusell’ because reading speech from unrecognized players was annoying to read. Seeing himself getting addressed snapped his attention back from where it has been wandering about.)

Lusell says in a stern tone: “This elf you bring is Isaiah?”

Gabrielle nods.

Isaiah says elegantly with elven poise: “Greeting Knight Lusell. I am Isaiah.”

Lusell says with a stern tone: “The high priestess says you wished to speak with me.”

Lusell looks you over.

(Isaiah felt really nervous about this, like Lusell was sizing him up to see if he’d be an easy kill. Considering his gear she was likely to come to that conclusion, he mused in his head.)

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “Yes, it is because of my cousin Goldeneyes.”

Lusell scowls.

Lusell says with a stern voice: “Goldeneye. A nasty beast of an elf.”

Isaiah clears his throat.

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “I wish for him to have his eye back.”

Lusell says with a stern voice: “And what do I get?”

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “I can ask him to leave you alone.”

Lusell says with a stern voice: “He did not agree to this meeting?”

Isaiah shakes his head.

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “No, I asked him and he said I would be wasting my time and likely end up being attacked.”

Lusell smirks.

Lusell speaks sternly: “How like that bastard Goldeneye.”

Lusell speaks sternly: “I would have liked his word, but what good is the word of a savage anyway? I’ll agree to the possibility of a truce in exchange for returning the eye.”

(Isaiah couldn’t believe it. He was sure that someone being the evil anti-paladin would want to rub it in every elf’s face that she maimed another elf. She was taking the risk for a chance of peace? Maybe she was more afraid of Goldeneyes than he thought.)

Isaiah holds out a hand to shake.

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “Allright, I will deliver his eye along with your missive for peace.”

Lusell shakes your hand.

Lusell smirks.

Lusell takes an eye in a jar out from between her breasts.

Lusell hands you the jar.

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “Er… thank you.”

Lusell says sternly: “Have fun with that.”

(Isaiah didn’t want to hang around the temple of Loviatar and could take a hint that it was time to leave.)

Isaiah speaks elegantly with elven poise: “I will give this back to my cousin and we’ll see if we can find a healer to help him. Thank you for being reasonable Lady Lusell.”

Lusell nods.

Isaiah waves.

Gabrielle waves to you.

Gabrielle says with an eerily soothing voice: “Take care of yourself cousin.”