A simple stone shell on the outside, complete with high windows and a slanted slate roof, the chapel looks pretty plain to most. Inside however is a different story. A huge 20' stained glass window in the upper east wall reflects light into the room, its sunburst symbol drawing all the attention from the plain altar that sits directly below it. Several long wooden pews, a sacristy, the poor box, and the square prayer candle holder make up the remainder of this impressive interior.
The priest has a room in the basement where he lives and sometimes houses visiting clerics he can question about the distant happenings in the Borderlands.
If the place is open for prayer in the evening, I will attend. My aim is to give the +1pp, +1gp, +1sp offering that Thirteen hustled.
I will take a candle and kneel at the rail or whatever the formal protocol is. If the minister is present I will introduce myself, otherwise stay for a short while then leave.
Chaplain Abercrombie is present, preparing for his next brimstone and fire sermon. He greets Crabgrass as he enters the impressive building.
“Greetings stranger, and welcome. I am certain I’ve not seen you here before, eh?” He nods towards your arm.
When he sees your offering, he accepts the coins graciously, but when he sees one is platinum, his eyes open a bit wider. “Well, we don’t see that in the collection plate often. Your generous donation will be very appreciated…..ummmm…..what’s the name?”
As apprentice scholar, acolyte and alchemist, he is used to just being called by his surname, Crabgrass, 'acolyte and prestidigitator', giving his rank as low level cleric and mage.
"The giver is not myself but a comrsde for his safe arrival at the Keep. The way is arduous and dangers abound. I was lighting a candle to pray blessing on myself and those eho gave freely. Divine favours should reflect in gratitude ... and repentance, of course."
He adds the last bit figuring any hellfire and damnation preacher is of the old school disciplinarian type rather than his more scientific school of theology.
Best to appease the Keep's elders, particularly with rumours abounding regarding their authencity. He certainly looks very austere. Perhaps Gyb would benefit from his mentoring as the monk is more into meditation and self denial I think.
"I came interested in learning more of the relics and lore uncovered in these regions. The caves and grottoes in particular."
Rida follows Crabgrass in. He kneels and prays, digging out a gold coin and leaving it as an offering after saying a prayer for all those he traveled with.
"So, if you are a fellow man of the cloth, as it were, who or what is it that you serve, friend?"
"My theology borders on the fundamental exegesis of the Word. Pelor, praise be unto Him, has set the cosmos in motion with unerring precision and laws. The governance of dimensions, time and space. My duty to uncover his wondrous deeds and works."
He shows one of his holy symbols, the Pelorian sunburst and compass & ruler. "I care for the science and physics of divine and arcane creations. I'm sorry, I am not much of a pastor or compassionate friar. Widows and orphans aside, I think men should work dutifully with their hands lest temptations overcome them.
What do you say father?"
He tries to steer away from outright theological debates. He actually (as a 1st level minister) knows very little and has only learned the basics of prayer rituals and magics.
He will listen to Abercrombie though has little time for 'hellfire, turn or burn' preachers.
How religious are the Keep residents? Do all follow the faith. Are other known Faiths practised.
Does he have a Font or edifice that produces holy water?
Crabgrass endures Abercrombies stern preaching, but only to get the information he seeks. It seems that most of the Keep’s residents attend the man’s weekly service, possibly afraid to deal with any verbal punishment for missing.
He allows a lesser cleric resident (Opal) to lead a quieter evening service twice a week, worshiping a moon god, but he never tires of admonishing his own flock in sermons of fire and brimstone.
As hard as Crabgrass tries to avoid the topic, Abercrombie tries to steer back to his beliefs and theological theories, prying into personal thoughts without concern. He explains that holy water is available for purchase at 25 gold per vial.
I will spend the evening there, enduring a sermon, even be seen scribbling notes and uttering "Amen brother" at the most preachy of moments.
He makes notes on Opal, his service times and the availability of holy water. On leaving he hands a 'businesd card' to Abercrombie, "I am staying in the tavern but should you need any assistance, not in preaching but more practical ways to appraise relics from the caves, help with wounded adventurers, need counsel over unexplained magics; I would be happy to be at your service."
He doesn't expect any immediate need but the card might generate some future enquiry.
Haldric, with time on his hands while the group ponders the copper egg, makes his way to the lone temple of worship in the Keep. Of course, not exactly his style, he can't help but acknowledge those others that would make an attempt to shepherd the needy into the light. He understands also, from speaking with his friends on the journey to the Caves, that Brother Abecrombie here, likely favors the shepherd's staff versus a kind encouragement to see his will done. Such is life.
In the temple, he offers up 3 gold in tribute out of respect - one for his past transgressions, one for his present doubts, and one for his future mistakes.
Hearing the coins drop in the collection box draws the attention of Chaplain Abercrombie, who steps over to address the generous dwarf.
"Hello Master Dwarf, and thank you for helping our little congregation. I don't remember seeing you around here before. Are you here for a while, or simply passing through? I see by your vestments that you must represent the cloth. Tell me......Who is it that you serve, friend?"
"Greetings and a well met, sir! Indeed, we returned here for a brief visit in town, resting up a day or two before we head back to the Caves and I thought I'd pay respects to this shrine. Dumathoin is my patron - one mighty in our dwarven culture, and one who quite favors order in his own way. Respect and order is how I would sum it up, if I could be so brief. And you sir?"
"Really? You worship the Keeper of Secrets Under the Mountain?"
"Sorry if that's inaccurate. I must admit that my knowledge of the lesser races deities is not perfect." If he meant to insult you with that comment, he doesn't pursue it further.
Instead he looks around the chapel, nodding towards the huge stained glass window. "Well, we pray to St. Cuthbert here, obviously. At least I thought it was obvious."
"Tell me master......I don't think I got your name.......have you or your people ever visited us here at the Keep before?"
"Haldric is my name, good Sir. Haldric Hammerheart. St. Cuthbert, indeed! A noble and wise deity, also, as I have come to understand. And one not to shy away from delivering justice and wisdom with a bit of extra persuasion, eh?" he taps his own hammer as he emphasizes the word. "Nothing wrong with a little persuasion from time to time. Some folks that stray from justice and common sense need a nudge!"
He thinks for a second with a smile and reflects on all the nudging he's done himself over the years. "I digress. The mind wanders as we get older, don't you know. Indeed, my kin have been here at the Keep once before. At it's inception, to be honest. They helped lay the bones of this grand keep and see it set to right. Fine work they did of it, too, if you don't mind me saying. Fine work."
"You clearly are an experienced man of the world to know of the Keeper of Secrets! I'm impressed! The Caves are where our journeys take us - in search of uncovering our own secrets. Anything one should know about the mysteries in these caves?"
Abercrombie seems quite impressed with the conversation so far, nodding and smiling along periodically.
"I agree with your sensibilities completely Haldric, and can concur that none of us are the strong vessels we once were as youngsters." He runs his fingers through what's left of his badly greying hair.
"So you say the Hammerheart clan was responsible for the construction of these very walls and foundations. I am impressed, as this place has stood up to the tests of invasion on more than one occasion already, good sir."
He leads you to a small table with 2 chairs and urges you to sit, pouring fine wine into two vessels from a crystal decanter. "Enjoy if you are so inclined."
Once the Caves of Chaos are mentioned, he sits back and sighs heavily, taking a long drink from his goblet. "I have been here long enough to see many......MANY foolish wannabe adventurers go out to those caves to never return. Even some that do return have injuries or maladies that cant be cured by modern means. I can't say I approve of such recklessness, but then again, the call for adventure has brought a never ending stream of folks here to Kendall Keep for decades, all of them thinking they will make it rich out in those caves."
"To be honest, I can't imagine there being many monsters left to kill out that way, with the thousands of people who tried their hands at wiping them all out over the years. I suppose though, when one faction is killed off or chased away, the next one moves right in, no?"
Haldric sits down and accepts the offered wine graciously. He raises his glass in thanks to his new friend of the faith. A prayer of gratitude to his Patron and then a sip. "Ahh.. this is fine indeed. Very fine. My thanks to you, Good Sir!"
"I can't argue with you on your observations, those infamous Caves have lured many into it's dark passages with the promise of treasure and glory. Ha! Glory is for the young, I daresay! Fortunately, the lust for treasure has never taken hold of me. I can not say the same for most of those who I have met, however...."
He enjoys his wine and conversation and peers over his glass finally considering Abecrombie. "Lust for gold, no. A long lost heirloom of my Kin? That, I'm afraid, is a compulsion I can not seem to let go. Is that the same frailty, do you think, as the lust for treasure? Or is the desire to reclaim an artifact of one's family history something worth the danger and darkness?" His eyes glance to Abecrombie and down again at the confession, seemingly a little worried about the answer he may not want to hear.
Abercrombie seems to enjoy the conversation, filling the glass as often as necessary.
“Indeed! If it is a penance you seek, I can say only this. If the heirloom you speak of is something that would help people, like a horn that produces nourishing food or something like that. Then your quest is a just one.”
“If it is a weapon or item that brings death or destruction along with it however, then I can understand your concerns that your cause may be unjust.”
“Do you wish to share what this clan heirloom might be?”
Haldric looks relieved. "Thank you for your words of wisdom! This artifact is indeed something wrought for benefit. This device is something I have never seen with my own eyes but it has been spoken of in awe for as long as I can recall. It is a device of building - it allows for incredibly rapid and efficient construction to occur. This construction is done in wondrous ways to the benefit of the people the work is designed to serve."
"It is rumored to be in these Caves. Whereabouts in these Caves, or if even these caves are the ones where it rests, who can say? With that knowledge I have been journeying to this fine Keep with a group of stout companions to see the truth of it. They have their own aims and goals, to be sure, but in searching the Caves we are as one."
The old cleric nods along with the proffered information.
"I am glad to hear that your quest was not for an item of mass destruction, friend."
He pours more wine.
"I have only known a few dwarves in my life very well, but they were all suspicious and secretive folk, no offense meant of course. So, I am not surprised that I have never heard of such things before. However, if you say the item was used during the construction of this very edifice, then of that I have little doubt."
"I wish you luck on your search, but one thing you should remember is that there have been hundreds, if not thousands of adventurer types coming to this place for decades. I fear that if the item you seek really was in one of the nearby caves, it may have been discovered and plundered long ago."
"Unless you have done some means of magical scrying? Perhaps your kinsmen are certain in some way that it still remains hidden locally?"
