IMPETITUS, TEMPLAR OF THE BLUE FLAME
Impetitus Caseo the Third found himself floating in the dark void of space. Millions of distant stars flickered all around him. His consciousness shaped the energy that was his soul, and the body that he remembered formed beneath him. His memories were coming back like he was waking up from a deep sleep. He had died. He had been here before. This was his fifth time. He could recall each death vividly. But something was different. He felt his memories slipping away. No, it was more than that. He began to realize with a cold terror that who he was, Impetitus Caseo the Third, was fading away. Like a cube of ice in a glass of water. Was this his last and final death?
“Bring me back,” he pleaded to the void.
“Why?” A voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere.
He was speechless. Never before had he communed directly with Caeriggnas, his god. It was always this floating, a feeling of what was expected of him, and eventually a return to the mortal realm. For nearly a decade, he served. He spread his lord’s message, fought in wars, and faithfully served the Church of the Blue Flame.
“That is true, Impetitus Caseo the Third. You did me good service as a Templar of the Blue Flame. Without the fear of permanent death, you excelled in your skills. Improved upon your power and spread my message across the world. Through war and through peace, you were my beacon to the masses. But, when I gave you a specific task. You have failed me,” the voice said cooly within his mind.
“Give me another chance. I will bring you your Chalice.”
“You know the price for failure,” the voice said.
There was a bright flash of blinding light. When Impetitus could see again, he was lying naked in a temple room. A fresh pair of white cotton clothes were folded before him. He rose and dressed as he had done before. He was allowed back. The cool stone floor was a welcome sensation, especially when oblivion was the alternative. He was in the Chamber of Returning in the Church of the Blue Flame in Adventure Port. Acolytes moved quietly throughout the room to place fresh sets of clothes for returning adventurers. Numerous flashes of light marked the arrival of others. He needed gear to travel back into the Wastelands to find the cursed goblins. And the Chalice.
He exited the domed circular temple and outside into the Garden of the Favored. This was a wide lush field with well-tended flowers, trees, and fountains. There were many stone benches for the Returning to sit. Death could be traumatizing, and for some, when they come back may need a moment to sit and reflect. The massive garden connected four other temples to the other gods. In front of the temple to Viaiter, goddess of roads and luck, was where Impetitus found Verene. The mage thief, also dressed in a simple white cotton garment, was sitting on a bench rubbing her neck.
“Are you ready?” Impetitus asked deeply.
Verene scowled at the templar with anger and fury in her eyes. The desire for treasure was lost, and now, it was replaced with vengeance.
“This has gotten personal. I don’t care about the reward. We will need to get a party together,” Verene said flatly.
The mage thief rose and began to walk out of the Garden of the Favored. Impetitus quickly followed. They traveled past the other churches and temples. Past beautiful flowers and the recently returned adventurers were sitting quietly on benches or on the lush grass. They sat reflecting and gaining the strength to move on.
The two left the gardens and entered the merchant quarter of the city. Verene walked past the shops selling weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. It was bustling, as the Wastelands were immense and numerous ruins filled with treasure. Business here has been perfect. Verene walked into a square building with intricate stone pillars. The words etched along the front read, “Adventurer’s Bank.”
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Inside the bank, it had polished wooden floors and was a sweeping open space held up by stone and wood columns. There were a dozen polished mahogany tables, each surrounded by well-cushioned chairs where attendants met with customers to manage their accounts. On the far side were numerous teller windows behind heavy iron grates. Behind the tellers were where the Vaults were. An enormous amount of coins from all denominations and currencies passed through the hands of the tellers every day. The two heavily armored and armed Sentinel guards greeted Impetitus and Verene as they entered. The guards carried formidable halberds and requested guests to leave their weapons with an attendant. The Sentinels were all physical specimens and were mainly half-orc, human, and dwarf. They were all Favored by Numaron, the Deity of Coin and Knowledge. The tellers were their acolytes, and the attendants were their clerics.
“Ahh, Verene! Welcome. I see you have recently returned,” a dwarf with a thick red beard and waxed mustache said in greeting.
“Chane, I would like to access my vault,” Verene said, ignoring the pleasantries.
“At once! Please have a seat. I will get you set up in just a moment. Does your friend here have an account as well?”
“Master Dwarf,” Impetitus said with a slight nod, “I have an account here through the Church of the Blue Flame. My name is Impetitus Caseo the Third.”
“Very good, just a moment,” Chane responded.
The dwarven attendant rubbed their thick hands together. Nearly every finger was adorned with an impressive gemmed ring. A thick tome materialized on the desk and kicked up some dust. The cleric of Numaron focused his energy on the massive ledger, and it began to glow. It swung open, and the pages fluttered and then stopped. Running a finger through the countless rows of names, he nodded, speaking softly to himself to memorize the details. He did the process a second time.
“I found you both. You can come with me,” Chane said and motioned for a Sentinel to accompany them.
They walked to a heavy metal door set in the stone wall. This was a stark contrast to the polished wood in the rest of the bank. The dwarf inserted a heavy key, and the door opened. Chane led the two into a hallway lit by magical torches. The walls were well polished and lined with private rooms. The two came to a heavy iron gate where another Sentinel was stationed. The large armored half-orc opened the heavy gate to admit them. The four descended into the vaults. This was Impetitus’s first time, and he was amazed at how deep and far the tunnels went.
“How did they build all of this?” The templar wondered.
“This is a dimensional pocket built by Numaron,” Chane explained.
“Wha… How?” Impetitus stuttered as he looked back from where they came from in confusion. Verene shook her head in annoyance.
“The heavy metal door was a portal,” the dwarf answered patiently.
The money cleric stopped at another steel door. “Verene, this is your personal vault,” he said. It opened to a small chamber with several chests filled with gems and coins on the floor. There was also a rack for weapons, robes, and light armor. Verene entered and closed the door behind her.
“Come with me,” Chane beckoned to the templar.
The two, followed by the watchful Sentinel, continued deeper into the dimensional vault and passed countless doors. Finally, they came upon a larger door with the markings of the Blue Flame upon it. The door opened into a wide chamber, and in it was an elderly priestess.
“Templar, I have been expecting you,” the old lady said.
She led Impetitus to a suit of armor and a longsword. The old lady assisted Impetitus with putting on the padding, followed by the mail, and then strapped on the metal plates. Finally, she gingerly placed the visored helmet over his glorious blonde hair.
“By the Blue Flame,” she said, and he responded in kind.
Impetitus left the chamber and followed the dwarf back to Verene’s vault. The mage thief was equipped in black leather armor over a dark brown padded shirt. She wore a black hood, and by her side was another double-edged sword with a narrow blade similar to the one she had before.
“Let’s head over the docks and recruit some members,” Verene said.