Dinner Party - Beranhond's Story

Beranhond was surprised at the variety of journey's that his companions had taken. Darvin's story hadn't surprised him too much as, sadly, much of the evidence of his last few years remained scattered around The Lady Narath.
Talathel's journey of renewal was uplifting and reminded him of a fervor that had wandered away along with the voices of the Gods.
Nym's story of finding peace, and perhaps a bit of reprieve from the darkness that had followed her, gave him a bit of hope as well. Yet, all too soon he felt it was time for his turn to share his story.
"Well." He said clearing his throat."I can fill in a few gaps that the rest of you don't remember..."

Beranhond stepped away from the attack, the swing of the sword missing him, and he slipped aesahaettr deftly between the guard's ribs.
"Darvin, Johan, we need to advance." He yelled to the two who were fighting rear guard. A sudden blurry shape charged forward from where Johan had once stood.
"What the..." He said, blocking another strike with his shield. Darvin stepped forward and attacked with his swords, disarming one of the guards.
"Well done Darvin!" Beranhond said encouragingly. "We just might win this yet and see what is hidden..."
Beranhond's words were cut off as a large black shape moved down the stairs started chanting.
"Retreat, get out of here!" Beranhond yelled, shoving another guard aside with his shield and then starting to move back toward the entrance.
Before he could move too far toward the exist the chanting stopped and the room filled with darkness and a sharp shock of pain ran through Beranhond's body. He dropped the ground screaming and saw that the other two were also collapsing to the ground in pain.
Beranhond raised up his symbol of Narath, hoping to shield the attack, or at least to minimize some of the pain.
Eth... the darkness is making it's move. Came Narath's voice into his head. He pushed up the symbol again the waves of pain emanating from the darkness. The symbol cracked and broke, and a flash of light exploded out from the light.
Eth, I'm buying you a few moments of escape by distracting the darkness. Return to Baldur's Gate and get the Paladins out of the region... all those relying on divine powers are likely to fall under the sway of the rising darkness. A shimmering wall of light emerged from the broken holy symbol, and Beranhond quickly ran over grabbing Darvin and Johan and dragging them to safety.
The ride back unlike any experience that he had experienced. Darvin and Johan rode as in shock, before Johan suddenly peeled off and rode off in silent, unresponsive to Beranhond's calls.
Beranhond returned Darvin to the Lady Narath, leaving him in the same unresponsive stupor that had overtaken him since Candlekeep.

"At that point, I knew that I needed to find Ceilith. Yet, I was completely unprepared for what was to have occurred. I made my way to the front and found the Tormish Paladins over confidently involved in an assault on the forces of darkness. I assisted them as much as I could, but..." Beranhond swallowed. "My divine powers had failed me and I could cast no spells, call on no abilities, and serve no divine healing. The paladins too suffered similarly. In fact, as the battle went on more and more of the forces turned sides, becoming zombie's and ghosts and ghouls, until Ceilith and I stood at the rearguard, a few paladin's who had once had training as soldiers and warriors the only remnant of the expeditionary force." Beranhond took a heavy sip of the wine. "I thought we might have a chance to escape, but a massive dark shape burst through the line and slammed Ceilith to the ground." He looked down at the oaken table. "I managed to fight off the shape for a moment and to hoist Ceilith up onto a horse. We escaped, along with a few of the paladins, to south of the battlefield. When we stopped and I checked Ceilith's wounds I found that it was beyond my non-magical aid.

"It's alright Eth.." She said coughing up blood. "I'm going to go and join the fight in heaven at Torm's sides."Her hands going up to his face. "I adored every moment I had with you even if I could never understand why you fought against contentment with every fiber of your being.
Beranhond couldn't hold back his smile. "Oh stop... I wasn't that bad." He say ruefully.
"Yes you were." She said before coughing again. "But, when I die, make sure I'm dead... I don't want to come back as one of them. I know what I'm asking you might be morbid, but please, take me back to Tantras and bury me in my family's plot.
Beranhond eyes shot open. "I can't..."
"Please..." She said coughing. "Even if it's just my head. I don't want to come back as one of them." She looked up into his eyes one final time. "Fight the good fight Ethelred. I'll give your parents your best..." she said before sliding into death.

"After her death, I followed her wishes, building a pyre and burning her ashes before leaving Baldur's Gate and returning to Tantras and her ancestral land. I held a small funeral with her family and then attempted to give my report to the Tormish command." He fiddled with his fork, trying not to dwell on the memories.  "Yet, although they politely listened to my report on the destruction of the druids, the vunerabilities of divine energy, and the rise of the darkness they seemed not interested. Apparently since my previous visit a new faction had arisen that decided to refocus on the war with Thay. The incidents out west were deemed unimportant and I was politely thanked but summarily dismissed."
"I returned to my family's land, tilling the land for a season as I reflected on the new reality of the world. Although I prayed and sought conversation with Narath she was absent. Word soon flooded into the Citadel that Gods and Goddesses across the world were seemingly absent from the world. It was at that moment that I realized that I was once again needed out west. My journey back was smooth..."
"Really, smooth?" Evelaen interjected. "That's how you are describing us meeting?" She rolled her eyes. "Beranhond can tell an epic story quite well, but I fear he will mangle the story of our meeting with a lot of unnecessary 'thee's and 'thou's." She laughed heartely. "I don't want it sounding like something that came out of a chivalrous court. So, let them ask their questions and then I'll finish up the story of our journey."