The Windhovers' Call

Edit: I forgot to mention he grabbed the silver candlesticks upstairs. 

1d100 roll on DM-generated weather table:16

• 1 – 50: Normal conditions for the season (party reaches destination in the expected amount of time)
• 51 – 65: Slightly abnormal conditions for the season (second roll needed)
• 66 – 79: Inclement weather  (second roll needed)
• 80 – 90: Storm  (second roll needed)
• 91 - 00: Powerful storm  (second roll needed)

Sailing from the Isle of Woe to Jast is roughly a ten-hour journey. I'm assuming all of you will take a long rest, but please confirm. Also, if you spend anytime reading the book that Frandal took from the library, let me know how many minutes/hours you spend doing so. Thanks!

Frandal will take a long rest as well as studiyng the studder leather for an hour. The rest of the time he wil read the book. 4 hours meditating and 1 with the stuuded leather leaves him 5 hours of reading. He will eat and drink while reading if that’s ok.

The time you spend in the book allows you to learn the following:The original inhabitants of Syndaris were humans, beginning roughly three hundred years ago. The very first people in the areas were monks, who established a monastery on the island of Fyth, which is a small island in the southern part of the Bay of Fyth. That monastery is now empty, nothing more than a desolate ruin. The first people on the main island were fisherman. There was no unifying form of government on the island, each little town ruled itself with and protected itself with a small militia. There are some ancient ruins on Syndaris, but no one really knows how old they are or who built them. These ruins are located in the following places (as shown on map of Syndaris in campaign notes): (1) East of Feldpool, (2) Near the Wyr River on the northern side of the Corvus Mountains, and (3) On the tiny island of Grimshard, north of the Isle of Woe.

The history of the Windhovers is covered in detail as follows:

THE DEFEAT of RAHZZUR

• Just over two centuries ago, when Syndaris was home only to humans, a fearsome evil appeared in the land. Creating destruction and sorrow and subduing the Syndarian people, this evil traveled from village to village and slew any who dared to resist. The cambion Rahzzur was that fearsome evil, and in the span of a few weeks he and his fiendish entourage laid waste to nearly every corner of Syndaris. Homes and fields were razed, the sky was filled with ash and smoke, and rivers ran with the blood of those who had died in battle. Towns were nearly emptied of life, for the survivors had fled to the hills and mountains, hoping they might find respite from the inconceivable horror they had endured.

  
  

  But not all Syndarians fled. A small but valiant remnant clung together and vowed to defeat Rahzzur. They were the final hope for freeing Syndaris from the cambion’s reign that was fast approaching—Talisten, the devout cleric; Findric, the clever wizard; Azalor, the elusive druid; and Kubrithani, the mighty paladin. On Harvest Eve, these four heroes and those they led gathered solemnly at the edge of Feldpool and prepared for their final assault on Rahzzur, who lurked in the castle ruins that lay to the east.  

  
  

  Sharing a meager meal that final night, they silently gazed into the small fire around which they sat. Druid, cleric, paladin, and wizard alike reached out to their respective deities, beseeching them to intervene on behalf of good people who were meaninglessly suffering from Rahzzur’s corrupt whim. The four suspected that the dread in their hearts would make sleep an impossibility. Yet sleep they did, and the next morning they learned that, inexplicably, they had shared precisely the same dream. All had dreamed that as they sat and gazed into the fire, a female face, regal and wise, appeared within the flames and uttered these words:

  
  

  From the ashes of this fire, let Talisten take fair Aeris.

      Though he alone will carry it, all four will share its power.

      Certain of the outcome you will enter evil’s bower

      And free your land and people from this dire hour.

  
  

  To the ashes of this fire, you shall then return fair Aeris.

      Eat and drink and raise your songs around the fire’s light.

      Drink and dance and sing with joy, O victors of the fight!

      And let fair Aeris in the flames smolder ever bright!

  
  

  So Talisten withdrew from the ashes an object about the size of a child’s fist. It was a translucent, roughly-hewn piece of stone that gleamed with muted blue light. That Aeris was magical was obvious. With a strip of leather Talisten fastened the stone to the handle of his mace; then the four heroes and their small band of loyal followers set out to meet Rahzzur.

  
  

  At fall of evening, Talisten, Findric, Azalor, and Kubrithani entered the ruins and waged their final war on the cambion. The Giver of Aeris had spoken truthfully in the heroes’ dreams. For the four heroes and their band of followers stood weary but tall and victorious. Strewn about them were the vanquished and defeated.  Syndaris, at last, was saved.

  
  
  

  THE FRAGMENTS of AERIS

  The band of warriors returned to their camp by Feldpool that night; joyfully they ate, drank, talked, and laughed. The paladin, however, celebrated little. He was quiet and consumed with thought and care.   

  
  

  As commanded in their previous night’s dream, Talisten had placed Aeris in the fire. The stone glowed brightly as the men nodded off to sleep a few hours before dawn. And once again, the voice in the fire spoke to the four heroes in their dreams.

  
  

  A portion of Aeris’s magic each of you may wield,

  If with purity of heart you swear this land to shield.

  
  

  Within the fire’s ashes lie five fragments of the stone,

  Four shall be for heroes, the fifth shall be for none.

  Five fragments and four heroes, three promises so deep,

  Ere you wield this bit of magic commit these vows to keep.

  
  

  Wield only the one you are given; content with that you must be.

  For the power of one is sufficient; seek not to be one above three.

  
  

  Wield it as fair champions of Syndarian life and land,

  Never for gold or glory or another’s heart to command.

  
  

  Passing the stone to another is a choice that must come to all.

  Vow only to someone faithful, who’ll swear to the Windhover call.

  
  

  Any fragment of Aeris gained by force or deceit

  Will assuredly cause death and its bearer to meet.

  To rejoin what’s been shattered is to all men forbidden;

  This fire and last fragment will to all men’s eyes stay hidden.

  
  

  Now from the fire’s ashes, take up your fragment of stone.

  Four shall be for Windhovers, the fifth shall be for none.

  
  

  In the morning, the heroes discovered, once again, their dreams to be the same as well as true. Five fragments of Aeris could be seen among the ashes. Each hero, understanding the vows and duties that would be upon him, picked up a piece of the magical stone. The first wielders of the fragments of Aeris were established, and the names of those four heroes stand atop the history of Windhovers that exist to this day, over two hundred years later.

  
  

  Unexpected to all, however, was how soon one of those four would surrender his title of Windhover to another. Just a few hours later, as the party was traveling south to Cawdor, Kubrithani abruptly called for a break in their journey. He wished to say something important to his friends who had fought so valiantly at his side. “Earlier today I took up a fragment of Aeris and thereby took up the responsibility of being an overseer and protector of Syndaris. How great is that honor! How great is that honor!”

  
  

  Echoes of agreement could be heard from the men who had fought alongside the paladin. Kubrithani was silent for a bit. He looked at the men and women gathered round him and in their eyes saw the respect and admiration they held for him.

  
  

  “That honor, however, cannot be mine. It must pass on to another. I pray that all of you understand that I must surrender this fragment of Aeris. I am certain my duty lies elsewhere. The one I serve has chosen another path for me.”

  
  

  Findric spoke. “Kubrithani, you are certain? Please stay and prevent our grief.”

  
  

  “Impossible, Findric. I know what I must do. And, if I understand the vow that is upon me, I must merely give this piece of stone to someone worthy, someone faithful, someone who will be a champion for this realm.”

  
  

  “True,” replied Talisten.

  
  

  Kubrithani spoke. “Everal, you are that one. Will you accept, young one?”

  
  

  Amid laughter and congratulations, Everal was jostled toward the paladin. Shy and at a loss for words, Everal stood before the warrior he so loved and sought to emulate.

  
  

  “Here, lad. Take this. You will do great things!” Kubrithani said.

  
  

  Everal smiled. “I fear my greatness is but half of yours…but I accept.”

  
  

  Kubrithani then said his farewells and spurred his horse to the north. His destination was his alone, and he told no one what it might be.

  
  

  Kubrithani, although thankful for the victory he and his friends had won, was stung by the

  manner in which divine aid had been given. For it seemed to the paladin that Talisten had been the one to find favor. It was the cleric’s prayer, not the paladin’s, that had secured Aeris. Kubrithani wondered if his devotion to his god had been inadequate. He was vexed by the notion that he had fallen short, that his fealty to a life of righteousness was in some way flawed. His pride blinded him from seeing that an answer to Talisten’s prayer might also be an answer to his own prayer. To wield a fragment of Aeris, thought Kubrithani, would be to remind himself constantly that on the eve of the most significant battle of his life, when the fate of so many were at stake, his surrender to the divine will of his god was insufficiently sincere. And so, Kubrithani, hiding doubt and jealousy in his heart, refused to wield the fragment of Aeris.

  
  

  Young Everal, therefore, became the next Windhover. After fastening the magical piece of stone to the pommel of his sword, he joined the other Windhovers in hunting down the scattered remnants of Rahzzur’s army.  Armed with the fragments of Aeris and the conviction of their newly-taken oath, the Windhovers led the work of restoring the former peace and prosperity of the land. A new age had dawned in Syndaris.

  
  

  KUBRITHANI’S FALL

  Kubrithani was mired in his regret immediately. In his prideful haste, he had forsaken a profound opportunity to fulfill his role as paladin. With the power of a fragment of Aeris, he could have done tremendous good in the name of his god. He reasoned that any good he might seek to do now would be less, in measure, than the good he might have done as a Windhover.  Furthermore, he had spoken false words to his friends that day. His god had revealed no other path for him. Rather than bearing a fragment of Aeris, the paladin now bore shame and pangs of regret. To what end could he commit his days now?

  
  

  For many weeks he could conceive no answer to that question. Then, suddenly, he shook off his solitude and gloom, for an idea had taken form in his mind. The idea was straightforward and simple and, in Kubrithani’s estimation, it would allow him to correct his grievous mistake.  He would confess in earnest his errors and make his appeal to Everal. Surely, Everal would look upon him with empathy, forgive him of his folly, and willingly give the fragment of Aeris. Everal would remember that the original intent of the voice in the fire was to make the paladin a Windhover.

  
  

  Hearing that Everal was in the east, Kubrithani set out to find him. A fortnight later in the Nilling Hills, the mighty paladin humbled himself before the young Windhover. Kubrithani kept nothing secret—he laid bare his jealousy, his pride, and his dishonesty. Wielding the fragment of Aeris, he explained, would allow him to bury his mistakes and pursue his intended good.

  
  

  Everal listened to Kubrithani’s plea with compassion. “Kubrithani, you ask a hard thing,” said Everal. “Allow me to discuss this with the other Windhovers. It would be wise for me to know their thoughts.”

  
  

  “Everal, the fragment is yours to give as you will. No counsel from the others is required.” Kubrithani spoke with urgency.

  
  

  “Required, no. Desired, yes. Kubrithani, you must understand that I seek to do only what is best. If all agree, then I will surrender the fragment of Aeris to you. Grant me time to seek out the others. That is all I ask.”

  
  

  “What is best? Is it not best to give the fragment of Aeris to the one to whom it was first intended? Do you not see that it should be mine? Yes, I squandered it. And I am sorry. Are you too unkind to help me in undoing my mistake?”

  
  

  In these words, Everal sensed a slight change in the direction of their discourse. “I have forgotten nothing, Kubrithani. I recall distinctly what I heard that day: That honor, however, cannot be mine. It must pass on to another. Those were your words, were they not?”

  
  

  Kubrithani’s anger awakened, but he held his tongue.

  
  

  Everal continued. “You must be patient, Kubrithani. I will meet with Talisten and the others. Then I will come to you and tell you of our decision.”

  
  

  Kubrithani’s anger deepened. Why did Everal highlight the name of Talisten? He could have

  chosen to say I will meet with the others. He chose, however, to say I will meet with Talisten and the others. Talisten! The one who was granted the privilege of wielding Aeris in its full power. And now, from the mouth of Everal, more proof of the cleric’s favor.

  
  

  “Do the Windhovers answer to Talisten then?”

  
  

  Everal ignored the question. “This fragment of Aeris was surrendered in haste once, Kubrithani. We must be sure never to do so again.”

  
  

  “You mock me, boy.” Kubrithani’s anger erupted, and the sharp clash of swords rang out through the hills. The paladin was reckless in his rage. He had no intent of being merciful or sparing life. A few minutes later the paladin’s fury subsided, and he looked upon Everal who was now kneeling weaponless before him and gasping for breath. He bled severely from a frightening gash over his eye, and his sword arm hung limp at his side. “Remarkable fool, take it by force and you gain only your death,” said Everal. “You know as well as I do how the voice in the fire warned against taking the fragment by force.”

  
  

  Kubrithani looked upon the bit of stone on the pommel of Everal’s sword. It glinted faintly in the day’s waning light. He smiled at the irony that now encompassed him. Just a few feet away lay the thing that was simultaneously his greatest desire and his greatest regret. Seizing it would neither fulfill the former nor appease the latter. “I am lost,” lamented Kubrithani.

  
  

  Kubrithani realized at that moment precisely what his errant pursuit of a lesser thing had done. Not only had that pursuit prevented him from gaining hold of the lesser thing, it caused him to lose his grasp on a greater thing. Not only was Kubrithani no longer a Windhover, he was no longer a paladin. Hopelessness and meaninglessness simultaneously overwhelmed Kubrithani. He dropped his sword and shield at his feet and walked away.

  
  
  

  EPILOGUE

  Everal lived, but his wounds were of such severity that he could no longer fulfill the duties of a Windhover. The fourth fragment of Aeris was therefore passed on to another. What became of Kubrithani is a matter of stories and legends, for he was never again seen after that day. Some say he drowned himself in Tyran Lake and his ghost continues to haunt the surrounding area, especially a certain hilltop that has become known as Kubrithani’s Lament. Others say he dumped his armor into the sea as he sailed to the monastery on Fyth where he lived out his days in prayer and penitence. Still others claim that Kubrithani immediately secured passage on a ship to distant lands where his mistakes were unknown and he was free to begin life anew. 

Does Frandal learn something about the studded leather when he studied, try it? .

Studded leather +1

Thanks! Frandal will not use it until he speks with the other Windhovers.

The time you spend in the book allows you to learn the following:The original inhabitants of Syndaris were humans, beginning roughly three hundred years ago. The very first people in the areas were monks, who established a monastery on the island of Fyth, which is a small island in the southern part of the Bay of Fyth. That monastery is now empty, nothing more than a desolate ruin. The first people on the main island were fisherman. There was no unifying form of government on the island, each little town ruled itself with and protected itself with a small militia. There are some ancient ruins on Syndaris, but no one really knows how old they are or who built them. These ruins are located in the following places (as shown on map of Syndaris in campaign notes): (1) East of Feldpool, (2) Near the Wyr River on the northern side of the Corvus Mountains, and (3) On the tiny island of Grimshard, north of the Isle of Woe.

The history of the Windhovers is covered in detail as follows:

THE DEFEAT of RAHZZUR

• Just over two centuries ago, when Syndaris was home only to humans, a fearsome evil appeared in the land. Creating destruction and sorrow and subduing the Syndarian people, this evil traveled from village to village and slew any who dared to resist. The cambion Rahzzur was that fearsome evil, and in the span of a few weeks he and his fiendish entourage laid waste to nearly every corner of Syndaris. Homes and fields were razed, the sky was filled with ash and smoke, and rivers ran with the blood of those who had died in battle. Towns were nearly emptied of life, for the survivors had fled to the hills and mountains, hoping they might find respite from the inconceivable horror they had endured.

  
  

  But not all Syndarians fled. A small but valiant remnant clung together and vowed to defeat Rahzzur. They were the final hope for freeing Syndaris from the cambion’s reign that was fast approaching—Talisten, the devout cleric; Findric, the clever wizard; Azalor, the elusive druid; and Kubrithani, the mighty paladin. On Harvest Eve, these four heroes and those they led gathered solemnly at the edge of Feldpool and prepared for their final assault on Rahzzur, who lurked in the castle ruins that lay to the east.  

  
  

  Sharing a meager meal that final night, they silently gazed into the small fire around which they sat. Druid, cleric, paladin, and wizard alike reached out to their respective deities, beseeching them to intervene on behalf of good people who were meaninglessly suffering from Rahzzur’s corrupt whim. The four suspected that the dread in their hearts would make sleep an impossibility. Yet sleep they did, and the next morning they learned that, inexplicably, they had shared precisely the same dream. All had dreamed that as they sat and gazed into the fire, a female face, regal and wise, appeared within the flames and uttered these words:

  
  

  From the ashes of this fire, let Talisten take fair Aeris.

      Though he alone will carry it, all four will share its power.

      Certain of the outcome you will enter evil’s bower

      And free your land and people from this dire hour.

  
  

  To the ashes of this fire, you shall then return fair Aeris.

      Eat and drink and raise your songs around the fire’s light.

      Drink and dance and sing with joy, O victors of the fight!

      And let fair Aeris in the flames smolder ever bright!

  
  

  So Talisten withdrew from the ashes an object about the size of a child’s fist. It was a translucent, roughly-hewn piece of stone that gleamed with muted blue light. That Aeris was magical was obvious. With a strip of leather Talisten fastened the stone to the handle of his mace; then the four heroes and their small band of loyal followers set out to meet Rahzzur.

  
  

  At fall of evening, Talisten, Findric, Azalor, and Kubrithani entered the ruins and waged their final war on the cambion. The Giver of Aeris had spoken truthfully in the heroes’ dreams. For the four heroes and their band of followers stood weary but tall and victorious. Strewn about them were the vanquished and defeated.  Syndaris, at last, was saved.

  
  
  

  THE FRAGMENTS of AERIS

  The band of warriors returned to their camp by Feldpool that night; joyfully they ate, drank, talked, and laughed. The paladin, however, celebrated little. He was quiet and consumed with thought and care.   

  
  

  As commanded in their previous night’s dream, Talisten had placed Aeris in the fire. The stone glowed brightly as the men nodded off to sleep a few hours before dawn. And once again, the voice in the fire spoke to the four heroes in their dreams.

  
  

  A portion of Aeris’s magic each of you may wield,

  If with purity of heart you swear this land to shield.

  
  

  Within the fire’s ashes lie five fragments of the stone,

  Four shall be for heroes, the fifth shall be for none.

  Five fragments and four heroes, three promises so deep,

  Ere you wield this bit of magic commit these vows to keep.

  
  

  Wield only the one you are given; content with that you must be.

  For the power of one is sufficient; seek not to be one above three.

  
  

  Wield it as fair champions of Syndarian life and land,

  Never for gold or glory or another’s heart to command.

  
  

  Passing the stone to another is a choice that must come to all.

  Vow only to someone faithful, who’ll swear to the Windhover call.

  
  

  Any fragment of Aeris gained by force or deceit

  Will assuredly cause death and its bearer to meet.

  To rejoin what’s been shattered is to all men forbidden;

  This fire and last fragment will to all men’s eyes stay hidden.

  
  

  Now from the fire’s ashes, take up your fragment of stone.

  Four shall be for Windhovers, the fifth shall be for none.

  
  

  In the morning, the heroes discovered, once again, their dreams to be the same as well as true. Five fragments of Aeris could be seen among the ashes. Each hero, understanding the vows and duties that would be upon him, picked up a piece of the magical stone. The first wielders of the fragments of Aeris were established, and the names of those four heroes stand atop the history of Windhovers that exist to this day, over two hundred years later.

  
  

  Unexpected to all, however, was how soon one of those four would surrender his title of Windhover to another. Just a few hours later, as the party was traveling south to Cawdor, Kubrithani abruptly called for a break in their journey. He wished to say something important to his friends who had fought so valiantly at his side. “Earlier today I took up a fragment of Aeris and thereby took up the responsibility of being an overseer and protector of Syndaris. How great is that honor! How great is that honor!”

  
  

  Echoes of agreement could be heard from the men who had fought alongside the paladin. Kubrithani was silent for a bit. He looked at the men and women gathered round him and in their eyes saw the respect and admiration they held for him.

  
  

  “That honor, however, cannot be mine. It must pass on to another. I pray that all of you understand that I must surrender this fragment of Aeris. I am certain my duty lies elsewhere. The one I serve has chosen another path for me.”

  
  

  Findric spoke. “Kubrithani, you are certain? Please stay and prevent our grief.”

  
  

  “Impossible, Findric. I know what I must do. And, if I understand the vow that is upon me, I must merely give this piece of stone to someone worthy, someone faithful, someone who will be a champion for this realm.”

  
  

  “True,” replied Talisten.

  
  

  Kubrithani spoke. “Everal, you are that one. Will you accept, young one?”

  
  

  Amid laughter and congratulations, Everal was jostled toward the paladin. Shy and at a loss for words, Everal stood before the warrior he so loved and sought to emulate.

  
  

  “Here, lad. Take this. You will do great things!” Kubrithani said.

  
  

  Everal smiled. “I fear my greatness is but half of yours…but I accept.”

  
  

  Kubrithani then said his farewells and spurred his horse to the north. His destination was his alone, and he told no one what it might be.

  
  

  Kubrithani, although thankful for the victory he and his friends had won, was stung by the

  manner in which divine aid had been given. For it seemed to the paladin that Talisten had been the one to find favor. It was the cleric’s prayer, not the paladin’s, that had secured Aeris. Kubrithani wondered if his devotion to his god had been inadequate. He was vexed by the notion that he had fallen short, that his fealty to a life of righteousness was in some way flawed. His pride blinded him from seeing that an answer to Talisten’s prayer might also be an answer to his own prayer. To wield a fragment of Aeris, thought Kubrithani, would be to remind himself constantly that on the eve of the most significant battle of his life, when the fate of so many were at stake, his surrender to the divine will of his god was insufficiently sincere. And so, Kubrithani, hiding doubt and jealousy in his heart, refused to wield the fragment of Aeris.

  
  

  Young Everal, therefore, became the next Windhover. After fastening the magical piece of stone to the pommel of his sword, he joined the other Windhovers in hunting down the scattered remnants of Rahzzur’s army.  Armed with the fragments of Aeris and the conviction of their newly-taken oath, the Windhovers led the work of restoring the former peace and prosperity of the land. A new age had dawned in Syndaris.

  
  

  KUBRITHANI’S FALL

  Kubrithani was mired in his regret immediately. In his prideful haste, he had forsaken a profound opportunity to fulfill his role as paladin. With the power of a fragment of Aeris, he could have done tremendous good in the name of his god. He reasoned that any good he might seek to do now would be less, in measure, than the good he might have done as a Windhover.  Furthermore, he had spoken false words to his friends that day. His god had revealed no other path for him. Rather than bearing a fragment of Aeris, the paladin now bore shame and pangs of regret. To what end could he commit his days now?

  
  

  For many weeks he could conceive no answer to that question. Then, suddenly, he shook off his solitude and gloom, for an idea had taken form in his mind. The idea was straightforward and simple and, in Kubrithani’s estimation, it would allow him to correct his grievous mistake.  He would confess in earnest his errors and make his appeal to Everal. Surely, Everal would look upon him with empathy, forgive him of his folly, and willingly give the fragment of Aeris. Everal would remember that the original intent of the voice in the fire was to make the paladin a Windhover.

  
  

  Hearing that Everal was in the east, Kubrithani set out to find him. A fortnight later in the Nilling Hills, the mighty paladin humbled himself before the young Windhover. Kubrithani kept nothing secret—he laid bare his jealousy, his pride, and his dishonesty. Wielding the fragment of Aeris, he explained, would allow him to bury his mistakes and pursue his intended good.

  
  

  Everal listened to Kubrithani’s plea with compassion. “Kubrithani, you ask a hard thing,” said Everal. “Allow me to discuss this with the other Windhovers. It would be wise for me to know their thoughts.”

  
  

  “Everal, the fragment is yours to give as you will. No counsel from the others is required.” Kubrithani spoke with urgency.

  
  

  “Required, no. Desired, yes. Kubrithani, you must understand that I seek to do only what is best. If all agree, then I will surrender the fragment of Aeris to you. Grant me time to seek out the others. That is all I ask.”

  
  

  “What is best? Is it not best to give the fragment of Aeris to the one to whom it was first intended? Do you not see that it should be mine? Yes, I squandered it. And I am sorry. Are you too unkind to help me in undoing my mistake?”

  
  

  In these words, Everal sensed a slight change in the direction of their discourse. “I have forgotten nothing, Kubrithani. I recall distinctly what I heard that day: That honor, however, cannot be mine. It must pass on to another. Those were your words, were they not?”

  
  

  Kubrithani’s anger awakened, but he held his tongue.

  
  

  Everal continued. “You must be patient, Kubrithani. I will meet with Talisten and the others. Then I will come to you and tell you of our decision.”

  
  

  Kubrithani’s anger deepened. Why did Everal highlight the name of Talisten? He could have

  chosen to say I will meet with the others. He chose, however, to say I will meet with Talisten and the others. Talisten! The one who was granted the privilege of wielding Aeris in its full power. And now, from the mouth of Everal, more proof of the cleric’s favor.

  
  

  “Do the Windhovers answer to Talisten then?”

  
  

  Everal ignored the question. “This fragment of Aeris was surrendered in haste once, Kubrithani. We must be sure never to do so again.”

  
  

  “You mock me, boy.” Kubrithani’s anger erupted, and the sharp clash of swords rang out through the hills. The paladin was reckless in his rage. He had no intent of being merciful or sparing life. A few minutes later the paladin’s fury subsided, and he looked upon Everal who was now kneeling weaponless before him and gasping for breath. He bled severely from a frightening gash over his eye, and his sword arm hung limp at his side. “Remarkable fool, take it by force and you gain only your death,” said Everal. “You know as well as I do how the voice in the fire warned against taking the fragment by force.”

  
  

  Kubrithani looked upon the bit of stone on the pommel of Everal’s sword. It glinted faintly in the day’s waning light. He smiled at the irony that now encompassed him. Just a few feet away lay the thing that was simultaneously his greatest desire and his greatest regret. Seizing it would neither fulfill the former nor appease the latter. “I am lost,” lamented Kubrithani.

  
  

  Kubrithani realized at that moment precisely what his errant pursuit of a lesser thing had done. Not only had that pursuit prevented him from gaining hold of the lesser thing, it caused him to lose his grasp on a greater thing. Not only was Kubrithani no longer a Windhover, he was no longer a paladin. Hopelessness and meaninglessness simultaneously overwhelmed Kubrithani. He dropped his sword and shield at his feet and walked away.

  
  
  

  EPILOGUE

  Everal lived, but his wounds were of such severity that he could no longer fulfill the duties of a Windhover. The fourth fragment of Aeris was therefore passed on to another. What became of Kubrithani is a matter of stories and legends, for he was never again seen after that day. Some say he drowned himself in Tyran Lake and his ghost continues to haunt the surrounding area, especially a certain hilltop that has become known as Kubrithani’s Lament. Others say he dumped his armor into the sea as he sailed to the monastery on Fyth where he lived out his days in prayer and penitence. Still others claim that Kubrithani immediately secured passage on a ship to distant lands where his mistakes were unknown and he was free to begin life anew. 

I'm not sure which item(s) Kurt is wanting Xellos to look at, so I guess just a general Arcana check? If they are of the +1 variety would a roll be required since we "knew" they were magical back in the armory? Just asking if I need to make additional checks.

Arcana on whichever item Kurt wants me to see first. 22

If any of these are needed: Insight 19, History 15, Religion 19

Whenever we have a moment of downtime again, Xellos will try and figure out the yellow potions once more so I'll make another arcana roll at that appropriate time.

Good point. Every item--whether weapon or armor--has a magical bonus of +1.  But we can just play this out as if the sorcerer figured that out, I guess. :)