Guillaume: Counsel With Father Zanthus

I knocked at the wooden doors to father zanthus administrative quarters. it was a mottled door made from a majestic sycamore that leads to the main office of the head cleric of the church at the sandpoint cathedral. the knock was not muted given the material which must have sent the knock out to a few corridors away. it was the same door that father tobyn had taken me into a few years ago when i arrived in town and i needed to get started in my mission. i remember it like it was yesterday. the good old days.

there was no response? i knocked again but this time i turned the knob and gently pushed the frame in. i was relieved to find it unlocked. "father?! i am glad you are here. i need your opinion on .. ". i was to eager for council that i already began my questions and failing to observe that father zanthus was sitted deep in prayer at a pew facing a small altar.

i quickly took a sit beside him and apologized for disturbing his daily commune. i gave him time to finish his prayers which gave me ample time to take notice of the mini altar carved out of bur oak. it was an exact copy of the real altar outside (at the cathedral) and it did not bear any specific symbol of a diety. it sat with a lone alit candle in the middle. i supposed the generic altar was testament of the town elder's vision of unification of all of the churches in town. the mini altar was probably setup so that the head priest would have his or her personal space.

"what bothers you my child" father zanthus suddenly spoke but his eyes remained shut.

"oh nothing. i was just wondering about a few things. i apologize for disturbing your prayers" i began. it was after all my purpose for coming here. i needed his advice on what i should do to be free from kythan (or what he represented). free to do my mission for corellon. it was question of doing my duty to the state as opposed to my duty to my god. but now that kythan has abruptly decided to disappear under
mysterious circumstances. i was bit confused.

"no disturbance. what things, guillaume?" he assured me.

i then recounted what has happened taking particular emphasis on the impending attack to the town. "the citizens of the town must be warned. we are battling forces here that our beyond ourselves." i made special mention of tsuto's journal, bugbears, quasits, and succubis.

"what must we do to prepare father?" i had my elbows to my knees and my hands were covering my face as if everything that i just spoke about blinded me. i feel overwelmed.

father zanthus sat beside me in silence. i think he was allowing me to calm down before he spoke.

"i am not really a scholar of fey religion," the old priest started. "but from what i know, corellon larethian is often referred to as "the protector and preserver of my life" by an elf in peril, reflecting his role as overseer and guardian of the elven people; his people.

"while other deities may reflect the joy, delights and accomplishments of the elves, Corellon stands as an ever-vigilant watcher over them. only when it is time for them to pass from the worlds he helped create does he renounce his watchfulness to Sehanine.

"the people of sandpoint are your people now guillaume," father zanthus continued. "it was the grace of corellon who led you here some years ago for you to serve as protector and preserver of their lives.

"kythan may have left abruptly. to where, we do not know but that would be where his path took him. but your path lies here. as avandra has led all your friend's paths here.

the old priest did not say more so i thanked him and proceeded to my own quarters to prepare.

as i was preparing my things for the journey i was once more to take with my companions, i uttered a short prayer to my diety.

"hei-corollon shar-shelevu. corellon, may your grace grant me the wisdom to find my own path."