The Quest of Sibyl the Divine

From Nikolai Savvy:

I was delighted when I received an invitation to a feast at the Hungry Halfling Tavern in Rivendell. Upon my arrival I noticed a lot of well-known Britannians were already engaged in conversation and laughter. There was Zaknafein of the Apostles of the Avatar, several Knights of Rivendell, some Dragons such as Daedric Dragon, Gargish Dragon, and Xena Dragon, Aesculapius of the Monks of Sosaria, Keuldan Vraal of the Tiger Knights Battalion, Caramon and Maya Majere of the Sunset Knights, Perianwyr Stormcrow of the Serpents Cross Tavern, and many more. I was looking forward to enjoying the luscious food, bountiful wine, and intimate conversation with some of the finest citizens of Britannia. Instead, I heard the divinations of a prophetess, witnessed a murder, took part in a manhunt, and observed a trial which erupted into chaos.

Everything was progressing as normal until a mysterious lady in white appeared. She claimed to be Sibyl the Divine, a prophetess who had journeyed to our world to deliver a revelation which would save us from the moral decadence plaguing our land. Her basic beliefs were that order and chaos are in balance; chaos appears to be growing only because the order is condensing together; and at the end of time, an ultimate order shall be formed. It is this from which she claimed to be descended. She told us that we must find the order by following the Universal Virtues, by looking at individual situations and deciding which choices will best benefit society. While this sounded interesting, many of us were still skeptical if she was truly bringing a divine message.

One guest was being particularly insolent to the prophetess. Galen Dracos took it upon himself to disrespect all of her beliefs. Suddenly, Kalsha the Dark, a rather quiet guest at the feast, started attacking Galen. A well-placed lightning bolt quickly dispatched Galen. Kalsha then swiftly escaped from the scene before we fully grasped what had happened. Even though Kalsha had rid Sibyl of a nuisance, she insisted that we find the murderer and bring her back to Rivendell so she could stand trial. Soon, someone resurrected Galen, who demanded that we seek vengeance for him.

We searched the area for clues which might point to Kalsha's location, but all we could find was a bale of hay. After much debate, we decided to check the nearby stables. We had made the right decision, for at the stables was a packhorse owned by Kalsha. A search of its pack revealed some ore and tongs, so our next step was to check the adjacent Britain Blacksmith Guild. After the building was found free of evidence, we began to question the people working at the forge. Tinkerbell told us that he had seen Kalsha earlier, and that she had left a bag containing a book. The book contained a letter from Webb the tavern keeper, who thanked Kalsha for ridding his bar of a rambunctious patron. Webb told her to seek him out if she ever found herself in trouble. We then made our way to Webb's tavern, the Cat's Lair in Britain. There we found the murderer Kalsha, at which point a group of volunteers escorted her back to Rivendell.

We all gathered around the fountain to put the murderer on trial. Sibyl the Divine insisted that she be tried by her Universal Virtues, which involved asking ourselves which decision would be best for society. The general consensus was that Kalsha posed no future threat, and perhaps was even an asset to society. The vote was for mercy, and the prophetess decreed that Kalsha the Dark was innocent of any wrong doing. Suddenly, Kalsha attacked Sibyl with a purple potion. The crowd started to panic, wondering what was going on. Then it appeared that an internal explosion ripped through Sibyl's body, killing herself, Kalsha, and a bystander. After the tumultuous crowd quieted down, the ghost of the prophetess began to speak. She told us that her time in this world was over. She could no longer stay because the Universal Virtues had led to the wrong decision. The spirit wished us good luck in finding our own truths, and then she disappeared, never to be seen again.

The people at the feast were very confused about these unexpected events, so a discussion of the virtues was started in hope that it would lead to some understanding of what all of this might mean. Although most agreed following the virtues seems a good thing to do, the virtues cannot always provide a clear path to the truth. Sometimes it's best to follow your heart. With that thought in mind, the people said their farewells and each went on their own way.