Shaun Pelor

Shawn Pelor   Shaun Pelor   Shawn was born and raised in Haifalls. His actual family name is Silverton. The Silverton family is technically upper class, but among the lowest parts of the upper class. However, even though his family was at the bottom of the upper class, his family’s status was enough to get him in to the city guard.   Shawn was a natural at being a guard, he believed strongly in the law and that all citizens deserved justice. Shawn took his duties very seriously, much more serious than most guards. Shawn would seek justice for a city beggar with the same sense of urgency as he would for a nobleman. This did get Sawn into some minor trouble from time to time when, in matters that concerned the law, a nobleman was in the wrong and a citizen of lesser class was in the right. The only real consequence was being told by the captain of the city guard to try to show nobleman special treatment, which was a suggestion that Shawn ignored. Shawn being a by the books lawful person would gladly arrest a noblemen who assaulted a beggar even though it would of course lead to trouble for Shawn. Shawn’s dedication to the law over time lead to him become quite good at solving crimes. Where most guards couldn’t be bothered to look into a theft or murder unless it involved someone of importance, Shawn would investigate all crimes with great zealotry. This of course got Shawn into more trouble as he had no qualms roughing up a nobleman or a beggar in order to get information about any crime.   However, his results didn’t go unnoticed. Time after time Shawn kept solving crimes. He successfully stopped a band of thieves that had been stealing from merchants in town. He stopped a group of vandals that had been defacing statues of the king. He stopped a planar salt dealer that was selling salts that kept making citizens go missing. The more crime he stopped it seemed the more attention he got. The captain of the city guard took notice of Shawn’s success. Most guards in Haifalls are only concerned with keeping the King’s peace and dealing with what is right there in front of them. The hard stuff, crimes that are not easily solved or that force you to get your hands dirty, that sort of stuff, most guards tried to avoid. The captain of the guard had much use for a man of Shawn’s determination and zealotry for the law. The captain of the guard started bringing Shawn some cases that he himself had been trying to solve. Shawn eagerly tackled every case the captain brought him. Shawn was able to figure out who had been embezzling gold from the city bank. Shawn also was able to determine three different citizens who had hired hit men to kill people for them. The hitmen had long left Hiafalls, but the people that hired them didn’t get away. For Shawn’s success the captain of the guard had Shawn promoted to his second in command. This is where things got interesting.   Shawn’s success at solving crimes made him famous in Haifalls. He was known as the man who always finds justice. It would be a real challenge to commit a crime and Shawn not find out exactly who did it. Well, some people cannot resist a good challenge. There was one individual who kept stealing fine jewelry from various merchants, nothing new, but this individual was rather good at leaving behind zero clues to how they were stealing the jewelry. The jewelry would simply be missing and a note left in the jewelry’s place that would say things such as, “better luck next time Shawn”. There was also another individual, a much worse individual, who instead of taking jewelry was taking lives. It started small at first, just a poor beggar that had been stabbed and bleed to death, not totally out of the ordinary for Haifalls. A week later there was a poor commoner killed, also stabbed, but this time there was a note on the body. The note said, “I’m disappointed in you Shawn. I gave you a whole week and you figured out nothing. Perhaps before next week you will do better”. Another week went by and then another dead body was found. This time the body was that of a merchant, not a rich merchant, but not poor either and this body appeared to have been strangled to death. There was a note on this body too, it said, “Another week, another dead person Shawn, but this one is a little less disposable than the last wouldn’t you say?”. By this time the jewelry thief seemed to be upping their game as well. The jewelry thief started robbing more high valued jewelry from more high value places such as noblewomen’s jewelry boxes. The jewelry thief also kept leaving notes taunting Shawn, saying, “perhaps the great Shawn isn’t so great after all”. Shawn wasn’t sure if the murders and theft were related or not, but he knew one thing both crimes keep rising in what social class they effected. Another week had passed and again another body was found and again another note. This time it was a nobleman, a rich nobleman, and this time with an arrow in his back. The note said, “Oh no Shawn, things are starting to get serious now. Important people are now dying. I hope you aren’t getting into too much trouble with your superiors. I wonder what the captain of the guard is thinking about you?” Shawn started to get more in more desperate. He started shaking down all the known thieves and other low lives in town, but learned nothing. He threatened and beat the less savory noblemen that he could get away with threatening and beating, but still learned nothing. More weeks passed and more jewelry was stolen, more people killed, and more notes.   Eventually things hit a breaking point when during a ball at the king’s palace a high ranking nobleman who served the king dropped dead in the middle of the ball, the man had been poisoned. Also, it was discovered later after the ball that several high ranking noblewomen had their jewelry stollen right off their necks. One of those noblewomen was the king’s daughter. This sent a panic through the elite of of Haifalls, especially the king who’s own daughter had been robbed. In the king’s panic he had the captain of the guard summon his best guard, the famous Shawn, to find and stop who was behind these criminal acts. The king bestowed upon Shawn a prestigious rank that only Shawn was given, the rank of the king’s grand inquisitor. The king explained to Shawn that as the king’s grand inquisitor he has the king’s permission to apprehend, interrogate, and torture anyone and everyone that Shawn needs to in order to find and stop all criminals, especially those thought of as a threat to the crown of Haifalls.   This is where things took a very dark turn of Shawn. He had roughed up people before in pursuit of information, but nothing like actual torture. Shawn took to his new position with even more zealotry as he had before as a city guard. That night he immediately had several ball guest and servants rounded up. He started torturing them one at a time in various ways such as, prying off fingernails, stretching people on a wheel of retribution, covering their heads in cloth and pouring buckets of water over their faces. All the while making the prisoners who were waiting interrogation sit and watch the torture that was taking place so they would know what was coming their way if they didn’t cooperate. Shawn discovered many things that night. Many people confessed to all sorts of things such as cheating on their spouses, stealing small amounts food of noblemen’s plates, and even spying on the king for other lords from other towns. However, Shawn was no closer to learning who had been stealing jewelry and who had been killing people. The next day after the ball Shawn humbly informed the king of all he had learned and all that he had failed to learn. The king was disappointed that Shawn had failed to learn who the thief and who the killer was, but he was most delighted at all the other information that Shawn had learned, especially catching a spy. The king told Shawn to continue his work and to report everything that Shawn discovered. Days passed, more torture, more confessions, more information for the king, but no closer to discovering the thief or the killer. Finally a week had passed, by this time the royal family was in constant extreme protection. The number of guards in the palace had tripled and all formal gatherings had been canceled. On the week anniversary of the ball Shawn stayed by the king’s side all day and night assuming the king would be the primary target for either the thief or more concerning the murderer. However, surprisingly, nothing happened. The king requested that Shawn get back to his duties of gathering information in order to find the perpetrators of the ball thefts and murder. Shawn tortured more people, gather more information. Another week passed and nothing. No new jewelry theft or murder, at least not in a high level of society and no notes. Still another week passed, more torture, more information for the king, but no theft and no murder. Eventually a month had passed and still no new theft or murder. By this point Shawn had gathered all sorts of information for the king, from the highest noblemen to the lowest beggar, the king knew everything about everyone.   Now Shawn was no longer known as the man who always finds justice. Now Shawn had more ominous descriptions given to him by the people of Haifalls. Shawn the scary or more simply scary Shawn was a common nickname given to him. Shawn the sinister, Shawn the sadist, and spooky Shawn were other nicknames given to him by the people of Haifalls. It was even said for a while that Haifalls is called the city of mercy because that is what Shawn makes people scream and cry out for.   Eventually one day Shawn was about to start torturing a citizen to gather information for the king. The man was tied to a chair with a bag over his head. The man in the chair pissed himself. There was a puddle of piss on the floor under his chair and slow flowed out to the side. Shawn actually caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the man’s piss puddle. This caused Shawn to give pause and stare at his own reflection in the man’s piss. Shawn stared for what must have felt like an eternity for the man in the chair. Shawn looked all around the room at the various torture instruments. Memories of all the torture Shawn had inflicted filled his head and he looked down at his hands, those hands of his that had done such terrible things in the name of justice. Shawn came to the realization that he had become a monster. That in his mad quest for justice he had become no better, and in some ways worse, than those he had wished to bring justice upon. Shawn untied the man in the chair and removed the bag from his head. Shawn unlocked the door to the room and told the man he was free to go. The man, voice shaking, said, “thank you… thank you so much for your mercy.” Shawn went to the captain of the guard’s house in Haifalls. Shawn told the captain of the guard that he formally resigned from his job as grand inquisitor. The captain said to Shawn, “Shawn, I don’t think anyone gets to resign from a position given to them directly by the king.” Shawn told the captain of the guard, “I can’t be the king’s mad man anymore. I wanted to be a man of justice, a man that made the world a better and safer place for everyone. Now I am the one who makes the world a worse place, a place that people live in fear. I have become something to be hated, no longer seen as a person but instead a monster. The work I have been doing, it isn’t justice, it is barbarism in the guise of justice, and I won’t do it anymore.” The captain of the guard looked down at the ground in shame. He told Shawn that he understood. He asked Shawn what was he going to do. Shawn smiled slightly and said, “I don’t know, maybe farming.” The captain of the guard laughed and said, “you a farmer”? Shawn said, “Why not? Dirt washes off easier than blood does. I want to do something good with my hands instead of harming someone. Maybe, that thing could be helping to feed people.” The captain of the guard told Shawn that he would have to leave Haifalls for he honestly didn’t know how the king would react once he learned that his grand inquisitor had decided to resign. The captain of the guard told Shawn that he very much doubted the king would receive news of Shawn’s resignation well as the king had grown accustom to all the information Shawn had gotten so good at gathering for him. The captain of the guard said to Shawn, “so you want do something good with your hands? Maybe farming? Hmm… how would you feel about becoming a follower of Pelor?” Shawn said, “Pelor!? Isn’t he some god of justice or something? You know like Heironeous? No offense to the church of Heironeous, they do good things for people and all, but I have had enough of justice in my life and do not wish to be with people who worship a god of justice.” The captain of the guard said, “it is true Heironeous is a god of justice, but Pelor is not Heironeous. While it is true that Pelor is an adversary of all that is evil, he is not a god of justice. He is the creator of many good things and a supporter of those in need. He is associated with good, healing, strength, and the sun. Clerics of Pelor heal the sick and injured, and help the needy. It is true that clerics of Pelor do destroy evil and the undead, but they are taught to remember that excessive attention to things of evil can blind one to the truly import things: compassion and goodness. Also, did I mention that clerics of Pelor bless crops?” Shawn laughed and asked how the captain of the guard knew so much about Pelor. The captain of the guard said, “funny you should ask Shawn, as the answer leads to my proposal for a new life for you.” The captain of the guard explained that he has a cousin that is a high ranking member of the church of Pelor and that every year the captain of the guard gets together with his cousin at the captain’s personal villa outside of town in the country to celebrate the fall festival with all of his family including his cousin. The captain of the guard said to Shawn, “come with me Shawn, I’m actually leaving for my personal villa tonight. It is about a day’s ride from the city. We should arrive there just before everyone else shows up to celebrate the fall festival. I can introduce you to my cousin and I’m sure he will happily accept you into the church of Pelor. He has been hounding members of my family for years to join the church, hell he even tries to convince my own son to join the church of Pelor. It is a win win, I get to have my cousin’s desire for new membership fulfilled for a while and you get to start a new life. A better life where you can help people instead of harming them. I fear the king will have you imprisoned or worse killed. I don’t want that for you Shawn. You are the best guard I ever had, you deserve better than that. The church of Pelor will train you and they will send you all over the place blessing crops and healing people. Your travels will take you plenty far from Haifalls and who knows maybe after a year or two things will have calmed down in Haifalls and I will have been able to smooth things over with the king for you.” Shawn said, “well I don’t suppose I really have much of a choice.” The captain of the guard said, “you really don’t Shawn, you really don’t.”   That night Shawn rode with the captain of the guard and some of his fellow guards to the captain’s private villa. By mid morning they had arrived at the captain’s private villa. The villa was a nice place. There was a simple but effective wall the surrounded the property for protection. Inside the walls servants tended to small field in which various crops grew. The captain’s manor was at the far end of the property, past the field of crops, and circled by a small grove of trees. The manor itself was fairly large with multiple rooms for guest to stay in, a large dining hall, and a large kitchen. Next to the manor was several smaller houses that the various servants lived in. Upon arriving at the manor the captain of the guard, Shawn, and the guards that had accompanied them were greeted by the captain’s wife and his teenage son. The captain hugged is son and kissed his wife. The captain then turned to Shawn and invited Shawn to dismount his horse and approach the captain’s family. The captain of the guard told his family that he would explain more later, but for now know that this is Shawn and he will be joining us for the fall festival. Shawn greeted the captain’s family and then was shown to a room that he would be staying in while he was a guest at the captain’s private villa. In Shawn’s room Shawn said to the captain of the guard, “I had no idea your job paid so well.” The captain of the guard told Shawn, “the position does pay well, but in actuality it is really my family relation to the king and his friendship that affords me such luxuries. I’m technically related to the King by marriage, and not really closely related, but that relation did lead to me having to attend many social gatherings that he was also at. My family’s social status and relation to the king is what got me the job of captain of the guard in the first place. Over the years of working for the king and attending many a social gathering with him we did form a friendship. I told the king that I didn’t like my family living in the city where I am captain of the guard. Being captain of the guard, I am well aware of all the crime that takes place in Haifalls and how dangerous that place is. Also, my position puts my family at risk. Imagine the power a person could have who holds the captain of the guard’s family hostage. The king understood my feelings and very generously offered to have a private villa constructed for me so that my family could live in safety and comfort. The villa and all the servants that come with it are provided by the generosity of the king. Also, the king prefers I spend my time worrying about the safety of his family rather than having to worry about my own.” Shawn told the captain, “you are risking too much to bring me here.” The captain of the guard said, “why do you think we left at night”, with a smile on his face. The captain went on to say, “don’t worry, the servants of my villa never leave, they have a good life here and are practically like family with my wife and son. The servants won’t go running to the king to tell him anything, and honestly why should they, the captain of the guard having his best man over to celebrate the fall festival is not some betrayal of the king. Tomorrow if you just happen to get persuaded by my cousin to join the church of Pelor, well that is not my fault, it isn’t unheard of for a man to find religion and decide to dedicate himself to that religion.” Shawn asked the captain of the guard, “why are you doing all this for me?” The captain of the guard answered, “you are a good man Shawn. You did more to stop crime and bring justice to the city of Haifalls than any guard I have ever had under my command. Things in Haifalls got out of hand and in the king’s desperation, and honestly your own desperation, you got thrust into a terrible position of being turned into a man you were never meant to be. I know in your heart Shawn that you are a good man, and if anyone deserves a second change in life it is you. You are a good man and the church of Pelor will help you to remember that. The church will also train you up real nice and make you a man who can heal and bless crops. You have already seen on your way through my villa, I am a man who has crops and a family. If there is anyone in the world who could use a friend that can heal people and bless crops it is me”. Shawn replied, “what about your cousin? Can’t he do that for you?” The captain said, “what can I say, I’m a man who likes to hedge his bets. For now clean yourself up and take a rest for this evening the fall festival begins”.   Shawn being tired from his journey did sleep for a few hours. He woke up just as the sun was setting. Outside the window to his room he heard music playing and people talking, he knew the festival had begun. Shawn cleaned himself up as best as he could and made is way out of his room and outside to the festival. The servants had strung up decorations through the trees that were around the manor and had taken several tables and chairs outside for guest to sit and eat. Several fires and torches were setup for lighting and cooking. Some of the servants were playing various instruments while other servants were dancing, talking, and laughing. It seemed the servants were as much guest of the festival as they were there to work. Shawn saw the guards that had accompanied them on the journey were enjoying the festival with the captain’s servants playing various games such as axe throwing, dice, and bobbing for apples. Shawn heard the voice of the captain yell, “over here Shawn.” Shawn turned to see the captain of the guard sitting at a table drinking ale with a large man with a large belly. The man laughed loudly and deeply while he chugged large amounts of ale. Shawn joined them at their table. The captain of the guard introduced Shawn to the large man, “this is my cousin I was telling you about Shawn.” Shawn shook the man’s hand and said, “nice to meet you”. The rest of that night Shawn enjoyed feasting and dining with the captain of the guard and his cousin. The captain of the guard explained everything to his cousin and his cousin agreed to take Shawn in as a new member of the church of Pelor. The next morning Shawn left with the captain of the guard’s cousin. On their way out the captain of the guard’s cousin preformed a blessing on the villa’s field of crops and they both made their way to the church of Pelor.   Shawn spent the better part of a year learning the ways of Pelor. The training was rigorous enough to send many people who wished to dedicate themselves to Pelor back to wherever they had come from. Shawn was determined though. He studied the ways of Pelor day and night with much dedication. His determination and dedication impressed many of the higher ranking members of the church. Of all the new members of the church of Pelor Shawn was the most focused, dedicated, and devote. Shawn’s dedication to the ways of Pelor was matched only by his guilt that he carried with him for his actions as the king’s grand inquisitor. Shawn truly believed that perhaps if he could learn all that the church of Pelor could teach him then he would have the means necessary to possibly makeup for all the harm he had done to others. It was Shawn’s guilt that caused him to outshine all the other new members of the church of Pelor. Shawn’s guilt gave him a sense of purpose that could not be matched by any other new aspiring member of the church of Pelor. Members of the church of Pelor are apt to use sun metaphors, analogies, and puns. Shawn was often referred to as the shiniest student by higher ranking members of the church, but any praise given to Shawn glanced off him like sunlight on a mirror for his guilt of his past prevented him from feeling any sense of pride or accomplishment. Shawn prayed to Pelor every day and pledged his life in service to the church of Pelor and Pelor himself for Shawn truly wished to make the world a better place and to atone for all the harm he had caused. Shawn’s prayers and dedication did eventually pay off.   The first thing Shawn actually healed was a spider. Shawn was sitting outside eating his lunch when another student of Pelor walked by and smiled and waved at Shawn saying, “good day Shawn. Oh watch out Shawn a spider!” The student took of her hat and swatted the spider that had be crawling around on a rock next to Shawn. The student walked off and Shawn picked up the spider and stared at it in the palm of his hand. The spider wasn’t quite dead yet, it laid on its back with its legs twitching. Shawn said, “by Pelor I would heal you if I could, for all the harm I have done I wish to never see another living thing harmed again, not even a spider”. At this very moment a cloud moved away from the sun letting a beam of sunlight shine upon Shawn and much to Shawn’s amazement the spider’s legs stopped twitching and it flipped itself right side up then jumped from Shawn’s hand to the ground and scurried into the bushes. This act hadn’t gone unnoticed. Several members of the church witnessed the healing of the spider including the master cleric of healing. “Pelor himself has shined upon you”, said the master cleric. “It seems Pelor has heard your words and has decided to bless you with the gift of healing. Allow me to continue to serve Pelor by helping you hone your new found gift and perhaps even discover more gifts bestowed upon you by Pelor”, the master cleric went on to say. At a miraculous pace Shawn learned how to preform healing spells under the teachings of the master cleric of healing. Besides healing Shawn did also learn fairly well how to cast other useful spells that would aid those in need such as creating water, purifying food and drink, and of course blessing crops. The high ranking members of the church were pleased with Shawn’s rapid success in learning to be cleric. The master cleric of healing said to Shawn, “you truly are a natural at this, honestly Shawn I have heard a little about your past life and I was surprised you didn’t wish to become a Paladin, but being a cleric seems to be your true calling.” Shawn replied, “I wish to live a life as opposite as I can to my old life. A Paladin is far to close to being what I was before. I do not wish to dispense justice or wrath of any kind”. The master cleric of healing then said, “oh but Shawn you do realize as a servant of Pelor you are called to destroy evil and of course the undead.” Shawn responded with a sigh, “yes I know that, but as Pelor said we are not to give excessive attention to things of evil as they can blind us to what is truly important, compassion and goodness”. The master cleric of healing in turn responded, “that is very true Shawn, however, while we are not to give evil our excessive attention to evil, we cannot ignore it either. Shawn, if you see evil in the world you are called to destroy it, you cannot look the other way and pretend it isn’t happening. I know that you already are competent with melee fighting from your time as a city guard, but as a cleric you must also learn the offensive spells in order to be able to fight evil. I know that you do not wish to cause any more harm in the world Shawn and that you only wish to heal, but to truly serve Pelor you must be willing to stop those that do evil for if you don’t then you are causing as much harm as those who practice evil by not stopping it. One thing you can feel at ease about Shawn is any spells designed to stop the undead, for you cannot kill what is already dead.” With reservation and reluctance Shawn did study the offensive spells that the church of Pelor taught, but only in service to Pelor. In his heart Shawn hoped to never have to use such spells or wield a weapon for that matter. Shawn did complete his cleric training and was given a necklace with the symbol of Pelor on it. This was Shawn’s holy relic and symbol of his service to Pelor so that all that he met would know that he was a member of the church of Pelor. Shawn currently holds the fastest completion time of any student of Pelor.   Upon Shawn’s completion of training he was given simple instructions by the church. He was to go out into the world and spread Pelor’s goodness. The more specific instructions were already taught to him during his training. Shawn was to help and all peoples he met who were in need, be it healing or blessings. Shawn was to never ask for payment or reward of any kind, but he also was not to outright refuse any payment or reward as the church also didn’t want to be seen as rude or condensing to others. Shawn was to report to a church of Pelor at least four times a year to see if the church had any specific need of him. When Shawn reported to the church he was also to give the church any and all gold or other rewards he had been given by the people of the world for his service if any rewards had been given to Shawn. Shawn was not outright forbidden from spending some or all of any rewards on himself in his travels. It was acceptable for example for Shawn to purchase a room at an inn for the night while traveling. Shawn also was allowed to work an odd job from time to time in his travels if he found himself in a position of needing coin so long at the odd job wasn’t in line with the obligations he had to Pelor to spread goodness such as healing people. Shawn could split and stack wood for coin for example. Another example is that Shawn could work at a bakery to help make pies to be sold to people for an enjoyable dessert, but he could never cast the spell create food and water for someone and expect payment. It is ok for a cleric of Pelor to have valuables and spend those valuables on himself, but anytime Shawn entered a church of Pelor he was to leave all valuables in his possession to the church. Lastly, and most worrisome for Shawn, as a cleric of Pelor he had to stop any and all evil he encountered in his travels, and always destroy the undead should he ever encounter any undead.   Shawn was given the most basic of cleric gear by the church of Pelor and sent on his way down the road to spread Pelor’s goodness. Shawn thought about going to see his old friend the captain of the guard, if he just happen to be at his private villa, but Shawn decided it was probably too soon and too dangerous for both him and his old friend to be seen at the captain’s villa and to be close to Haifalls in general. Instead Shawn decided to head to the northwest towards the small hamlet of Willowbrook. From Willowbrook Shawn figured he would swing south toward the Ironwood forest then continue on to Greed’s end. From Greed’s end he would have to go through the Mistmoor river then on to Wyeheath. From Wyeheath he would be able to travel to Ponton Vale. Shawn heard that the orcs who lived at Ponton Vale have direct contact with Pelor, this intrigued Shawn so he figured he would head there for his first journey out into the world to spread Pelor’s goodness. On his way to Willowbrook Shawn happened upon another traveling cleric, but this cleric was not a servant of Pelor. “Hello there! My name is Sam, Sam Heironeous”, said Sam. “Hello, my name is Shawn Sil…, umm sorry, my name is Shawn Pelor”, said Shawn. “You must be a new member of the church of Pelor, I didn’t know followers of Pelor adopted his last name like us followers of Heironeous”, said Sam. “They don’t normally”, said Shawn, “but you are correct this is my first journey to spread the goodness of Pelor”. “Your first journey, well I can’t let a fellow cleric travel alone”, exclaimed Sam. “You worship Pelor, I worship Heironeous, and you know from the legends that Pelor is often seen with Heironeous, they are like brothers”, said Sam. “I have heard that”, said Shawn. “Hey, they call you guys sun bros right”, asked Sam. Shawn replied, “yes, colloquially we are sometimes called sun bros or sun sisters.” Sam then asked, “well what do you say my sun bro, wanna join me for some jolly cooperation”? Shawn smiled and said, “that sounds great Sam.”   All the way down the road to Willowbrook Sam sang songs in praise to Heironeous as well as some songs in praise to Pelor and songs of Heironeous and Pelor joining together to fight various evil gods. Shawn was extremely impressed by Sam’s singing, Sam’s voice was far better than any bard Shawn had ever heard in Hiafalls, even better than that bard that sang at the king’s ball. Shawn quickly shut the memories about that night at the king’s ball out of his mind and instead focused on the lyrics to Sam’s songs. When Sam and Shawn arrived in Willowbrook they were immediately greeted by and surrounded by many halfling children who all cheered Sam’s name excitedly. “I take it you have been here before Sam”, said Shawn. Sam explained that an outbreak of filth fever had spread through Willowbrook last year and that Sam had healed all the sick in town. “Ya and then Sam sang songs around a great big camp fire in the middle of town while everyone danced and had fun!”, a child exclaimed. “Sam is the best!”, all the children shouted. Upon reaching the center of Willowbrook Sam and Shawn were greeted by a very old halfling elder who seemed to be the one in charge of Willowbrook. The old halfling had a terrible case of red ache in his left foot. His feet also appeared to be covered in some soft of fecal matter that the old halfling had recently stepped in. Sam with zero hesitation got on one knee and placed his hand on the halflings red, swollen, feces covered foot and heal it while saying a quick prayer to Heironeous. Shawn was amazed to see such compassion and disregard for one’s own cleanliness in seeing Sam heal that disgusting foot. “I’d like you to meet someone”, Sam said, “this is Shawn, Shawn is a cleric of Pelor. You know what that means, free crop blessings! Go on sun bro do your thing”, Sam said while winking. The old halfling said, “follow me to our town garden”. Shawn swore that old halfling was practically skipping on his newly healed foot. It was if his foot was that of a young man’s foot, Sam seemed to be an extremely good healer. At the garden Shawn said a blessing of Pelor and it did seem that the sun shined a little brighter for a bit. It was also seen that a single plant sprout had popped out of the ground. “Thank you!”, the old halfling said, “our garden will surly produce much food for us this year. Come please stay the rest of the day and night with us in our small hamlet. Get warm food in your bellies and sleep in a comfortable room before you continue on with your journey”. Shawn and Sam stayed a whole day and night at Willowbrook. That evening Sam sang songs while children laughed and played, and adults talked and drank ale. These sounds were so much better than the screams of the torture chamber in Haifalls, this was a much better life that Shawn had now.   Shawn and Sam continued in their journey together. In the ironwood forest Shawn and Sam healed a dwarf and an elf who had been crushed under a recently timbered tree. Sam complemented Shawn on his healing prowess saying, “you are almost as good as me”, with a wink. At Greed’s end Shawn and Sam together healed a fisherman who had suffered a most terrible fishing accident. The fisherman had been standing between two of his friends when both friends had swung their fishing rods back behind themselves to cast out their lines. The poor man had managed to get both of his friends’ fishing hooks hooked into his eyes, one hook in each eye. Shawn healed one eye while Sam healed the other. The fisherman was extremely grateful to have his sight restored and the hooks out of his eyes. Shortly after there was another terrible fishing accident. This time a different fisherman happened to get hooked in another terrible way. This fisherman happened to be urinating behind two of his friends who were fishing. As the fisherman’s two friends swung their rods behind themselves to cast their lines, they each managed to hook one of their friend’s testicles. That is two hooks total, one in each testicle. Shawn and Sam again together healed this poor fisherman as well, though at range without any laying on hands. Again, Shawn and Sam’s healing skill worked wonders and this fisherman was also overjoyed to no longer have hooks in his testicles and to have his testicles fully healed. Shawn and Sam were invited to the Humble Fisherman, the town’s only tavern, where they were treated to food and ale. Also, again Sam sang songs in a voice that would turn any bard green with envy. Shawn and Sam were also given free lodging by the grateful townsfolk. Shawn had grown fond of Sam and consider him a true friend. Sam made Shawn feel comfortable, like a brother he had known all his life. This journey that Shawn was on was so much easier with Sam. Sam had traveled the road many times and been to many a town. Just being in company with Sam made all the towns folk instantly trust Shawn and accept him in with open arms. Sam made Shawn feel like a real cleric, which he was of course, but this being his first journey he was worried if he would be up to the task of being a cleric. Thanks to Sam being a cleric not only was easy, it felt natural. For a moment Shawn actually forgot all about Haifalls and simply lived in the moment.   Shawn and Sam made their way to the Mistmoor river. The Mistmoor river was a couple hundred feet across. On the bank of the river Sam spotted an old dilapidated raft that looked like it had not been used in years. Sam was always an optimistic sort of fellow, he said, “see Shawn, Pelor and Heironeous provide.” Shawn was worried such and old run down raft would not be able to float them across, but he didn’t want to seem doubtful after Sam and exclaimed that their gods had provided them with the raft. Shawn and Sam hopped on the raft and attempted to paddle across using their hands as paddles. The raft held up surprisingly well, but all the while Shawn and Sam were paddling across the river they were being carried downstream. They were a mere twenty feet from the other shore when the raft carried by the current crashed into a large rock that jutted out of the river. Shawn was flung from the raft and struck his head hard against the rock. Shawn remembered seeing Sam still on the raft yelling at Shawn to see if he was ok just before he blacked out while floating downstream. The next thing Shawn knew he was coughing and spitting up water while laying on the bank of the river. Sam stood over him saying, “thought I lost you there”. Shawn sat up to see that they had reached the other side of the Mistmoor river and that Sam had saved Shawn’s life. Shawn could see the drag marks in the mud leading out of the water and to where he sat. Shawn looked up and Sam and said, “you saved my life! I am forever in your debt”. Sam said, “think nothing of it, anything for my sun bro. You know Heironeous would save Pelor if Pelor was ever in trouble”, Sam said in a kinda cocky my god is better than yours sorta way, but also in a joking way. Shawn laughed a little then coughed a lot. Sam helped Shawn to his feet and both of them started making their way towards Wyeheath.   At Wyeheath Shawn and Sam went around healing the various sick people they found, nothing serious, just your standard sicknesses that can set into poor beggars who have to live in the streets. Shawn and Sam stayed the night in separate rooms at one of the local taverns. The next day Shawn had breakfast with Sam in the tavern before he set off to the Ponton Vale. “You’ll like Ponton Shawn, they are a bunch of Pelor loving farmers”, said Sam. Shawn replied, “I’ve heard that the orcs there have a more faded human like skin complexion as a result of their direct contact with Pelor. Also, I’ve heard that Pelor himself descends from the ether and blesses the farmers with his holy light, granting the farmers the ability to speak with their crops”. Sam said, “that would be quite a sight to behold”, in a skeptical tone. “I hope you get to see that Shawn”, Sam said sincerely. “Thank you Sam”, said Shawn, “not just for your kind words but for everything. This journey has been so much easier with you guiding me. Honestly, I would be dead if not for you. I do feel like I have found a brother in you.” Sam chuckled, “well you probably wouldn’t have tried taking a rickety old raft down the river if it wasn’t for me, but ya Shawn I’d call you my sun bro any day.” Shawn ask, “what are you going to do now?” Sam replied, “I’m going to hang around Wyeheath for a while. I’ll journey around the area outside town as well, but I won’t get too far away from Wyeheath, not more than a day’s journey from Wyeheath at most. Before I left Haifalls I learned at the church of Heironeous that my oldest friend Brom had been summoned by the King of Wyeheath for an important quest. Brom hadn’t returned to the Haifalls yet from a previous quest the church has sent him on so I knew it would be a while before Brom made his way to Wyeheath. Our trip down here was a bit more of a round about approach to get to Wyeheath, I imagine that Brom will be showing up here any day now. Also, I like to hang round Wyeheath a little longer than I stay at other towns, see there is this guard here that I think takes his job a little too seriously. One time this guard shot a kid with a crossbow for just stealing a banana”. “By Pelor! What a monster!”, Shawn exclaimed. Sam continued, “I know I know, crazy huh, say what you will about Haifalls, it has crime sure, but no one goes around shooting children with crossbows in Haifalls. Anyways I stick around here a little longer than other towns just to try to be more available in case some poor kid gets shot. Oh and don’t worry I healed the kid, he doesn’t have any long term damage from the crossbow bolt, but the kid is terrified of bananas now.” Shawn said, “that is terrible, but I have no right to judge this guard. I told you all about my past life on our journey here. You know I’m in no position to judge. Have you ever meet this guard?” Sam responded, “na I never met the guy, he is some guy with mommy or daddy issues, maybe both, and a bit of the whole not as good as his brother issues. At least that is what I have been told.” Shawn said, “he sounds like a real piece of work, but again who am I to judge. This is why I follow Pelor now, he is concerned with only goodness. In my experience the law and goodness are not one and the same”. Sam said, “well you gotta be able to determine when the law is no longer good. Heironeous calls people to be lawful and good, but good is more important than lawful. You just gotta know when the law is no longer good.” Shawn replied, “that wasn’t always easy for me Sam. I’m sorry I’m not trying to disagree with you.” Sam responded, “no worries Shawn, you just let big brother Sam take care worrying about what is right and wrong. Heironeous will guide me. You just go on and keep blessing them crops for Pelor.” Shawn smiled at Sam and said, “that sounds good to me. I hope to see you again.” Sam responded, “ya my sun bro, Ponton is not far from here. Tell you what, when you are done in Ponton head on back down to Wyeheath. Also, when I am done here in Wyeheath I’ll head on up to Ponton. See that way one of us will just head to the others location, for all I know we might end up meeting in the middle. I’d like for you to meet Brom if possible. Brom is a great guy, plus then there can be two people telling you how Heironeous is better than Pelor.” “That sounds good”, said Shawn.   Shawn made is way to Ponton Vale. Shawn reached Ponton Vale and did observe that the orcs there were in fact pale. The orcs of Ponton Vale recognized his Pelor necklace instantly and were very accommodating to him. Shawn did also observe the orcs of Ponton Vale speaking to their crops, though Shawn himself didn’t hear any voices come out of the crops. Much to Shawn’s surprise he was never requested to bless the crops. The orcs explained to him that Pelor himself blesses the crops and they have no need of a Pelor cleric for their crops. Shawn did however cure several orcs of planters warts. The orcs of Ponton Vale spent days teaching Shawn about their history and how only orcs of their bloodline are allowed to witness Pelor descending from the ether to bless their crops. Shawn did come to believe that these orcs are truly some of Pelor’s chosen people. Eventually three whole weeks had passed and Shawn became slightly worried about his friend Sam. Shawn knew he had stayed a long time with these orcs, in fact longer than Shawn had originally intended. Shawn decided to make his way back to Wyeheath to see if he could find his friend Sam. That is when Shawn happened upon a man with a cart and a dead body in it on its way to Hiafalls, and not just any dead body, Sam’s dead body. Shawn probably wouldn’t have noticed who’s body was in the cart except just by chance Shawn happened to be looking when the wind blew and the sheet that had been covering Sam’s face got blown back revealing the awful truth to Shawn, that his friend Sam was dead. Shawn stopped the man with the cart and explained that he knew this dead man and demanded to know what happened to him. The man with the cart told Shawn how a priest in an orc town that raises pigs was paid by a paladin who in turn paid him to take Sam’s body back to the church of Heironous in Haifalls. Also, the man with a cart mentioned that there was some big spectacle where the paladin kept dropping Sam’s body in pig shit over and over trying to get him to the church in that town, but that is besides the point. Shawn asked the man if he know how Sam died. The man explained that rumor has it the midnight tree killed Sam and that the man had a letter he was to deliver to the church of Heironous in Haifalls that explains what happened to Sam. The man held up the letter. “Give me that!”, said Shawn as he snatched the letter from the man’s hand. Shawn opened the letter and read how the midnight tree had killed Sam, also in the letter it warned that some hags or something were probably going to kill lumbermen at the orc pig shit town, but Shawn’s eye glossed over that part since it didn’t directly talk about Sam. “The midnight tree, that doesn’t make any sense. They have never killed a religious person before. No, something doesn’t add up here.”, Shawn said to himself. Shawn now looked directly at the man with the cart and said, “I’m going to make sure you get to Haifalls. This is my friend Sam and I will do everything in my power to ensure that his body makes it back to the final resting place it belongs.” The man said, “oh that would be much appreciated, the journey is far and the roads can be dangerous. I will take any help I can get.” Shawn said, “good then it is agreed we will travel together. I will make sure you get Sam’s body to the church of Heroneous and then I’m going to track down Sam’s killer.” The man said, “ I didn’t catch your name sir.” Shawn looked down the road and said, “my name’s Shawn, Shawn Pelor, but once we get Sam’s body back to the church, well, then I think it is time Shawn the scary made his reappearance in Haifalls”.