A sneeze destroys a magical civilization

Calimport slum.

Temple of Ilmat, the god of suffering.

An old man with bare feet and only a tattered linen robe kneeled in front of the shrine and silently prayed to the god he served.

He looked solemn, not at all ashamed of the tattered clothes on his body and the simple furnishings around him.

It is different from the temples of other gods in Faerûn that are either gorgeous, splendid, or as solid as a fortress.

This temple of the God of Suffering is a hut made of discarded wooden boards, fabrics and miscellaneous things, no different from other shacks around the slums.

But it makes people feel inexplicably calm and warm, as if no matter how difficult or desperate things are in life, it is no big deal.

Obviously, Ilmat's church is not really so poor that it can't even build a decent temple, nor can it afford those luxurious silk robes.

Just the opposite!

His priests, like priests of other gods, possess powerful magical powers.

It's just that the priests of the God of Suffering did not sell these magical skills to rich people at a clear price, and then used them to build and decorate temples, or to satisfy their own desires for enjoyment.

Instead, it is provided free of charge to the poor and orphans who simply cannot afford the expensive cost of divine magic.

Keep them away from illness and pain.

Not only that!

The priests of Ilmat will also spend their only wealth to buy food and distribute it to the poor who cannot afford to eat.

No matter the cost, we raise orphans who have lost their parents and relatives, and protect the souls of children who died due to various reasons.

It can be said that if there is one god in Faerûn who can truly represent "goodness", it must be Ilmat, the god of suffering.

Although some organizations and individuals will ridicule the part of his teachings that encourages followers to bear pain and suffering for others, that kind of selfless and unrewarding act is undoubtedly respected by almost all people of good and neutral alignment.

After half an hour, the old man kneeling in front of the shrine finally slowly opened his eyes and stood up.

The young paladin Ailuolin who was waiting aside immediately approached and asked: "Master Priest! How is it? Has God given us guidance?"

"Yes! The great God of Suffering has been guiding every believer."

The old man, who was called the chief priest, slowly took off an amulet carved from wood from the shrine, feeling the sacred power bestowed on it, and then said: "The young man named Soth has been shrouded in this world. A powerful evil force in this land is targeting him. Your next task is to take this amulet with you to help him resist the temptation from the darkness. The most important thing is to make sure that he does not get sick."

"What? Make sure he doesn't get sick?"

Ailuolin blinked her eyes in confusion, unable to understand the meaning of this sentence.

"In the vision revealed by God about the future, once Soth gets sick, it will cause terrible plagues and disasters, and thousands of people will die. In addition, try to influence him as much as possible, even if you can't take a good path. Path, but also to ensure as much as possible that he will not completely fall into evil.”

After that, the old man handed the amulet in his hand to the young paladin, with an unquestionable seriousness and seriousness in his tone.

"You mean...this is a long-term mission?"

Aerolin carefully took the amulet blessed by God, her face full of excitement and anticipation.

After all, she was only in her early twenties, an age full of yearnings and fantasies about personal heroism and saving the world.

The old man nodded without thinking: "Yes! This is your trial.

During the execution of the mission, please be sure to stick to your beliefs and bottom line, and keep in mind the teachings of the God of Suffering, but you can make certain compromises on other issues.

If you find a follower of Talona, ​​you must be extra careful and vigilant.

The goddess of poison and disease is also seeking and desiring him.

In addition, you will not come to the temple to report from tomorrow.

Stay at home, spend more time with your loved ones, and pack your bags. "

"I understand! Please rest assured that I will definitely complete this mission with flying colors." Ailuolin assured her confidently, patting her chest.

Soon, with excitement, she went to distribute food and clean drinking water to the orphans waiting outside.

This is something Ilmat priests do almost every day.

They will do everything they can to ensure that no child within sight of them goes hungry or cold.

Seeing the young paladin laughing and playing with the children, Agor, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn't help but ask: "Master Priest, Ailuolin is just an apprentice who has just completed basic training.

Are you sure it's a wise choice to let her go on such a dangerous mission alone?

I admit!

She does have enough courage and passion for a just cause.

But her impulsive personality makes her easily tempted and eventually goes astray.

Especially the child named Soth always gives me a wisdom and maturity that is inconsistent with his apparent age.

Who is he?

Why does getting sick cause plagues and disasters?

If he was so dangerous, why didn't we take him to the temple to be purified?

And during the investigation, I found that he had a strong aura of negative energy, which was obviously due to his frequent use of necromancy magic.

Coupled with his attitude of rejecting people thousands of miles away, I don't think he will accept Ai LuoLin to stay with him. "

After hearing these questions, the old man not only did not get angry, but showed a faint smile and answered meaningfully: "God already knows everything and He has his own arrangements."

"Well - I hope so.

I've seen too many young paladins fall in my lifetime.

He even witnessed his former friends becoming dark guards, protecting those slave owners and tyrants.

In Calishite, evil has penetrated deeply into the ground beneath our feet.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot reverse this desperate situation. "

Agor sighed deeply and vented his truest thoughts.

The ubiquitous surveillance and hostility in the city made this young paladin exhausted physically and mentally.

“It is precisely because there is such a powerful and hidden evil that we must step forward to protect and save innocent and kind-hearted low-level civilians.

Do not be discouraged!

I promise that everything you do has meaning.

In addition, you have been too tired recently. Give yourself a break from your responsibilities and spend more time with your wife and children.

The warmth of family can relieve mental fatigue and give you new motivation. "

The old man raised his hand and gently patted the older paladin's shoulder to comfort him.

"Thanks!"

The latter nodded with a wry smile, turned around and slowly walked out of this extremely simple temple.

He did not realize at all that his worry and despair were signs of a wavering faith.

In fact, many paladins have been in embarrassing situations more than once where "lawful" and "good" conflict with each other and they don't know how to choose.

And the [Spell of Entanglement] that controls the entire Calim Port will never let go of any opportunity to make the paladin fall.

If someone notices this and reports it to the "Lord of Symbols", then an action against Agor will begin to brew immediately.

In contrast, Aerolin, who had not experienced much, seemed very happy.

After distributing the food, I even asked the officiant for some advice on how to get along with other people.

Especially the part about necromancy.

Unfortunately, the officiant did not give a direct answer and simply asked her to make her own judgment based on the situation at the time.

In this way, the young and energetic female paladin soon returned home to share the good news with her family.

Zuo Si, who was lying on the hotel bed and sleeping soundly, didn't realize at all that a conspiracy, battle and game surrounding him had quietly begun.

And he himself is at the very center of the storm vortex.

After all, in the continent of Faerûn, the confrontation between good and evil, order and chaos is almost an eternal and unavoidable topic.

It's a pity that Zuo Si is not a native of Faerûn in the traditional sense, and he doesn't agree with the definitions of "good" and "evil".

The most important thing is that he is very disgusted with others interfering and manipulating his own destiny, whether it is gods or [Entangle Talisman].