“I see... Do you hope to bring him back?” The frustration has left and Vark’s sweet and sincere tone has returned now that Matthew is speaking more straightforwardly. 

Aiden leans over to Thurston. "My adoptive father always said that talking to my adoptive mother was like having a one-sided conversation, but this getting ridiculous."

For the first time since Vark met him, Matthew hesitates in his reply to his young warlock.

"He isn't gone... merely... scattered. The weave responds to even the mention of his name and I carry a portion of his power within me still."

“So you want to put him back together then. And you have a piece, and I’d think your siblings do too. Are there more pieces beyond that?”

Matthew frowns in distaste when Vark mentions 'putting back together'.

"No, I don't, I..." smug self-assurance returns to Matthew's face, replacing his momentary expression of confusion. "Vark, my boy, you always know just what to say. I'm afraid that I have some urgent business that must be taken care of. Do try not to get yourself killed storming the castle and send my best to Aureaonus!"

With that, the avatar evaporates in a puff of red smoke.

Thurston nods to Aiden.

" Indeed Vark's intentions were honest to bring us here with him, but this Matthew doesn't seems particullary comunicative right now... what was that word he called us again?" 

"He called us servants of Kossuth," Aiden says. "Who is Kossuth? I've never heard the name. Aiden looks down at the shield hanging at his side, with the image of Mjolnir emblazoned across it. "Perhaps another god with a penchant for hammers?"

“Wait! I-“ but his patron is gone, leaving Vark with some answers, but many new questions indeed. Frustration returns to the warlock’s face and his storm blue eyes begin the task of boring holes into the stone at his feet. “He left. We should go back to the inn. I...” he lets out a heavy sigh. “I have to talk to Seid.” 

"No idea but I don't like it...." says Thurston to Aiden in low voice just before Vark talk to them. 

"So, he is gone... did he, at least gave you some answers? " he looks at Vark and grab him by his shoulder. "I am glad that you are ok. And despite the red ray display we didn't free another ancient, weird, human-demon creature this time... didn't we?" he smiles. "Going back to the tavern and grab some drinks sounds like a plan!" 

Quote from stormchaser6 >>

"So you fight for hearth and home." the Sonnlinor elucidates. "For friends and family, because nobody else will. Not just anyone will take such a stand. Not everyone can. A defender's path is a hard one, but for those of us who know it to be their calling, it is undeniable. Moradin would be proud of you for walking this road. He is proud of you. His light burns for all such protectors, they need only reach for it."

 Bründir's stare fixates on Dumdrengi. " 'No one else will'...s'pose it's not wrong. Feels wrong t'say I'm fightin' things this big, with a blade like that, all over a place so small. What's more, a bugbear got my eye, an' there's things comin' that're so much bigger. Moradin better 'ave a damn good plan then." The dwarf stands again and approaches the altar. Dumdrengi seemed to be waiting patiently, if a length of metal could be as such. Memories of a crowned dwarf, his eyes burning with divine radiance, holding Dumdrengi alive with the same life. "Y'know more'n I do, so I just try t'watch out fer me better'n y'did comin' 'ere."

Bründir's hand takes Dumdrengi's hilt, the familiar grip and balance bringing joy and apprehension. Across the guard, a light grows as bright as a lantern. Older memories of supernatural terrors began to rush back as he turned to Hurrig, "Shit..."

"Yes," Aiden says, nodding. "And while we're walking, Vark, fill us in. What did he say? What did he do?"

"Uhm...w-well he..." The half-orc seems flustered and uncertain of exactly how to explain what just happened. "He wanted to see the codex, make sure everything was okay with it. Annnd he... he gave me a reward for finding it." He pushes up one sleeve to show the skin of his right arm now crossed by fissures of the same ruby red, snaking and branching like veins of ore. "But uhm... he let me keep it... the runestone I mean... for now at least. And... well he did tell me some things. He's still trying to free his brother, the purple dragon Arawn, from beneath the imperial palace in Saramei. There's also his sister Talona who I'm pretty sure is the real Morrigan... I saw visions of these dark skinned elves and I think she's one of those. And he told me that the other sibling Bane was a dwarf... but I think he might be a dark one too because I also saw visions of dwarves with the same coloration as those elves and..." He pauses to find his train of thought again. "Anyway yeah they all served The Fifth Dawn God. I'm not really sure who that is but Matthew said he was opposed to the other four dawn gods because he wanted to exist outside the cycle or something like that and so the others tore him apart and killed themselves in the process. He said that when he frees his other siblings then the balance that the Fifth gave will be restored but... he didn't seem to want to put the Fifth back together exactly so... I don't know. I had a bunch more questions but then he said he had to go and just vanished. I don't... I don't think what he wants to do is good though." He looks at Aiden quite earnestly now. "I know the others think I'm just going along with whatever Matthew tells me and... well I don't think he's as bad as they make him out to be but I didn't mean to- I... I don't want to just be a pawn in his plans."

Aiden listens intently as they trudge through the dwarven city streets toward the tavern. What the hell is a dawn god? Dark-skinned elves and dwarves? Purple dragons and Morrigans? This was all raising more questions that he knew what to do with. Vark seemed shaken by the whole experience, as far as Aiden could tell. It had been an insane couple days, but he didn't know these people very well at all. 

Well, he knew Thurston's mind was on ale at the moment. But he could tell the larger man felt real concern for Vark as well.

"Okay," he says slowly after the sorcerer finished speaking. "I hope you know someone much smarter than me. I'm not sure what the dawn gods are. It troubles me that this Matthew has siblings. They way you and the others describe him...as a trickster. Hmm..."

He looks at Vark, then at Thurston. "How much have you shared about our gods?" Looking back to Vark, he continues, "The god we serve, Thor, has a brother. An adopted brother named Loki. Servants of Loki act in much the same way that this Matthew seems to -- evasive, never giving straight answers." He trails off again.

His eyes brighten. "The dwarves have a trickster -- this Abbathor." They certainly had a wise father figure, just like Odin. Maybe they have a Thor, too. "Do you know anyone that knows about the dwarven gods?"

"Hurrig and Bründir would know about their Gods" replies Thurston "I've heard nothing of this Four or Fifth Gods but it sounds to me that this Matthew wants the power of this Fifth God for himself. If they were so connected he could sieze the chance to take his place in the pantheon of Gods. That's what Loki tries to do from time to time" he shrugs. "Vark I think that he definetly sees you as a pawn. First he made you free him... now recover his codex... I have a bad feeling about this. But first things first. We have to deal with the dragonborn sisters and get rid of them... and search for your giant friend..." 

Looking at Aiden's he adds

"Our conversation is going to be longer than I've expected... Hope they have enough ale..." he smiles.

"Go," the Sonnlinor tells Bründir with a laugh. "Go, but come back later for the okriadok."

He stands and watches as the two Dwarves hurry away, before returning to his temple.

By the time Bründir and Hurrig are anywhere near the source of the beam of red light that stretches into the sky, the beacon has faded and they find themselves instead trudging their way back towards the Hammer and Anvil.

Jex had had no taste for meeting a devil, so had chosen to trust the task to Thurston and Aiden, instead he had gone straight to the inn to get a drink and seek out Uglar to make firm their friendship forged on the battlefield yesterday with tales and drink, perhaps to meet his friends too and embed himself in the society with friends he could use should he need them.On the way he makes a brief stop at his wagon to change Thurston's adjusted trousers for a pair of his own, more comfortable ones. He finds Val also in the bar once he arrives and sits by her. "Some big things and some tough decisions to make eh? I'm glad I get to face them with you by my side though." He gives the giant a playful nudge. 

"Seid would know all about this, he's our wizard friend in Sheercleft, very smart. I was already planning on giving him some more things to research. Matthew definitely seems to be this Abbathor, the Rhunki confirmed that. But if you're saying he seems like Loki too... I wonder... well I know his sister is named Talona and she's an elf, but I think she's the same person as the Morrigan too... maybe- maybe they all have a bunch of different names!" He nods to himself as the cogs in his head continue to turn. 

It's only another minute before they have made it back to the tavern. As they rejoin the others at the table, Vark addresses the group with downcast eyes and nervous fidgeting. "Uhm... so Matthew was.. pleased that I retrieved the codex. I... I don't know when he expects me to return it to him. But uhm he d-did answer some of my questions." Vark recounts the same information that he passed along to Thurston and Aiden. Again he pleads his case as well, "I don't... I s-still don't know what his ultimate goal is. But I have a feeling it's something that would be... disruptive. Something that would mess up the natural order of things. And well, I don't think that's necessarily evil but... well it's probably dangerous. I.... w-well before all this I felt like the best way to figure out what he was doing was to get closer to him but..." the pause is pained, as if remembering something traumtic. "I don't think I can get any closer."

Aiden gestures to himself and Thurston. "We couldn't see or here Matthew," he says. "It looked like Vark was talking to nothing until a red light lit up the area." He takes a pull from his ale. "He seemed to be very forthcoming with his answers, though. Not that they did anything but raise new questions, but still."

He looks across the table to Hurrig and Brundir. "Can either of you tell me about the dwarven god Moradin? And the Morndinsamman in general?"

Bründir jumped at the question before his more educated companion could respond, "Short version? Moradin's a great peak, th' Morndinsamman're his kin like smaller peaks, then dwarves're like ev'rything else in a mountain range. Rocks, hills, valleys, they're all 'ere cause of th' Morndinsamman. Kith an' kin, we're cut from th' same."

Hurrig patiently waits as the imagery forms and sets in before contributing, "Like yer gods, we've got ours. Some're greater, some not so much. Moradin's at th' top, like he said. Th' Morndinsamman is all of'em. We can go rounds talkin' of each, but I don' think ev'ryone's got th' time. Why? Did Matthew bring'em up?"

Hurrig continues. "Moradin's th' All-Father. The Soul Forger. He forged th' first dwarves from metals an' gems an' breathed souls into them when he blew on them t' cool them."

"The All Father?" Aiden says, pondering. "That's what we call Odin. He found two trees and gave them life. Ash and Elm, who spawned the race of men...the two are fairly alike. The way that the Rhunki talked about Matthew...er...Abbathor, he seems a lot like Loki. Any warrior-leader types like Thor in the Morndinsammin?"

Hurrig thinks for a moment, then says, "Aye, Thurston 'ere 'as talked about Thor slaying giants. We've got a giant slayer, too. Names Clangeddin Silverbeard. Th' Lord o' th' Twin Axes. Also Gorm Gulthyn, though he's more defensive than wha' I've seen Thurston do.""

"Three parallels..." Aiden says. "Interesting that similar gods exists in vastly different cultures." Circling back to Hurrig's question, he says, "No, Matthew didn't bring them up. It's just they connections between Matthew and Abbathor and Loki, and now the All Fathers, and Thor and Clangeddin. It's interesting."