Lo suddenly finds himself alive and well. He is lying on a couch of richly brocaded fabric in what is obviously a Magnificent Mansion. His peers are about him.
"You know," says Robert, looking up from polishing his bastard sword, "Maybe we should recap why we are here..."
Suddenly you hear harp music. The room becomes wavy, and dissolves into a scene from the past...from Gehenna.
***
Robert shakes his head as Kadlian departs.
"You sure you want to go and adventure with his group, Niko?" he comments. "At least we look after our own. I'm going to go and grab Occa's portable hole before they go and take off or something."
Niko shrugs. "They just need some seasoning...it's not like Salaam came down here to help us either, ya know."
"Or Orlon, either," admits the warrior. "I'm a bit upset with those two, too."
He sets off after Kadlian.
Gonzo checks his haversack space, and sees that he could carry about 1200 coins in it.
Emm searches the room for any hidden doors or panels. As he does so, he is also monitoring the wall and floor for traps.
He finds none.
Niko starts collecting the diamonds and jewelry and stuffs them in his backpack and then helps pour 1200 pp into Gonzo's haversack.
"While we're waiting, anybody able to heal a poor soul with acid burns?" Emm inquires.
Niko shakes his head. "Sorry. Never had a talent for that sort of stuff."
Niko looks around for any other exits from this area, besides the one they came in through.
There is a set of double doors.
Niko shrugs and uses his magical helm to try and listen on the other side of the doors.
As he puts his head to the doors, they open.
Revealed is an enormous chamber, whose dimensions cannot be fully gauged, as they are lost in darkness.
Before you, a solitary figure stands in a pool of light, facing you. He is perhaps 100' away.
You recognise him to be the arcanadaemon who took Salaam, when you were exploring Billian's stronghold.
"Truce," Lord Vrith says, holding up a hand. "Let us talk."
"Truce, absolutely," agrees Emm.
"Oh-oh," says Robert, returning with a portable hole.
Vrith ignores Robert.
"Your position is precarious," the arcanadaemon rumbles in his deep bass voice. "If I were so inclined I could end all of your lives with a single gesture. But that would serve no purpose, would it? And I do not kill without a purpose. So, why are you here? To free the arch mage Occa? To rescue the paladin? To regain the Sceptre of the Gods? I may be inclined to guide you in the right direction, given sufficient inducement."
Gilstrock doesn't speak to the arcanadaemon, but he does whisper to his companions, "I betcha a silver anything he says is a lie."
Niko glances at Robert. "I assume the others are on their way, right?"
Robert shakes his head.
Niko rolls his eyes upward and mutters something about "kids not being able to lie properly these days."
Gonzo fades into the shadows and listens.
Niko raises an eyebrow. "My pappy told me never to make no deals with the devil...much less a daemon...but let's say we're interested in all the above...what's your asking price?"
The arcanadaemon smiles.
"As a token of my good will, I will tell you first off that I no longer have either the soul of Occa or the Sceptre. But, I know where the soul is. As for the Sceptre, I sold that to the arch mage Razamataz over a month ago."
"So where's Occa's soul then?"
"Which brings me to my asking price. In exchange for the soul of the paladin, you must slay Razamataz."
Gilstrock blurts out, "Well, hell, deal!"
Vrith smiles.
"Very good," he says. "In return I shall free the paladin, and perhaps find a few baubles around here to further reward you. As a first instalment of your reward, I will tell you the location of Occa's soul.
"His soul is in Nirvana. It is now in the possession of a modron, a Tertian, who hates chaos with a passion. The name I know him by is Glanthraxus. He enjoys acquiring the souls of powerful chaotics and then subjecting them to the rule of Law. That, as you may imagine, is an insufferable torture to those of that ilk, and they often go insane."
"Well, that shouldn't be too bad for Occa...sometimes I think he's already insane."
Gilstrock then realizes that he's spoken a little bit too rashly in agreeing to do Vrith's bidding, and whispers to his companions. "We don't like Ratsass, right?"
"Right," mutters Robert.
"I'm a little fuzzy on this Razamataz...the name sounds familiar, but I don't think I know him. What's your beef with him?"
Niko recalls that Razamataz is the accomplice of Lord Billian, a powerful lord in Casablanca who initiated the pirate raids that led Niko to lose his ship, as well as the dragon assaults along the west coast, in order to fund his crusade to free Casablanca from the overlordship of Mestom. Niko met him in Casablanca last fall when the party met Billian. It was Razamataz who provided the initial transportation to Hell when the party went there to rescue Salaam.
Razamataz is an arch mage, and you sensed some tension between him and Billian. It was obvious that Razamataz has his own agenda.
Vrith answers, "My beef with him is thus. For all of the years that I have lived, seldom have I taken an interest in the affairs of the Prime. I have my strongholds here in Gehenna and in a few other of the lower planes, I dabble in the arcane magics, and I collect and sell the souls of interesting individuals. That is enough for me. Six hundred years ago a mage from the Prime named Gargaragoth came close to bringing me into his power. I was able to overpower him and was able to imprison him. I paid no more heed to the affairs of that plane until a few years ago when Razamataz succeeded in summoning me and putting me at his command. I was placed as a guard in that temple where we first met and I acquired the soul of that cleric of Thoth, but he would also summon me for other menial tasks as well. As a lord in my own right, I hated him but I was powerless.
"Several months ago I learned that the Sceptre of the Gods had been found, and at just about the same time the soul of Occa came into my possession. I realised that the Sceptre was something that Razamataz would lust for, and that if I could possess it then I could use it as a bargaining tool to obtain my freedom. I worked my magics and placed the soul of Gargaragoth into the body of Occa, offering him his freedom if he could procure the Sceptre for me. This he did. I then offered the Sceptre to Razamataz in exchange for my freedom from his thralldom, and he accepted as I knew he would.
"But it is not enough," Vrith concludes, "I am free, but Razamataz must be punished. Before he freed me he made me promise that neither I or my servants or thralls would attack him, knowing that I am a daemon of my word. However, you are not my servants or thralls, so you are not bound by my promise. Kill him for me, and bring his severed head back to me, and you shall be rewarded."
"Is it ok to bring him back imprisoned instead of dead?"
"You must kill him, for I cannot."
"I never did like that archmage," Emm declares. "I have no problem with the deal you offer. Is there any assistance you can give me to carry out this task of elimination, without violating your word? Also, if I kill him, I wouldn't want him returned to life at a later date, or even an earlier date, looking for revenge. Any advice?"
"Razamataz has several strongholds and secret lairs. I do not know where he could be found at any given time. Start by going back to Billian," suggests Vrith. "Bring the severed head to me. With it I can then retrieve his soul."
"In any case, we need more information about this modron and what kind of powers and forces he can marshal against us. I doubt he's anything of a pushover."
"He is not, though I have never battled any of their kind," Vrith says, then elaborates, "The race of modrons are lawful but otherwise neutral. They believe in absolute balance and absolute order. Because of their bureaucracy they tend to react slowly; one must always clear one's actions with a superior. But they are a powerful race nevertheless, and once set on a plan will follow it through to its well formulated conclusion. Modrons are immune to illusions and magics that affect the mind. Emotion based spells like fear also have no effect on them. Undead cannot harm them. Hierarch modrons have spell-like powers. A tertian like Glanthraxus has the powers of a high priest as well as those of an arch mage. You may want to attempt to retrieve the soul of your friend by persuasion or through purchase before trying to gain it through violence."
The arcanadaemon concludes, "Your friends await you. Collect your treasure and go. But remember the deal that we have made," he adds with a significant glance at Gilstrock. He then adds, "And tell your friends that they are fools if they think to take their dead back to the Prime with them, to resurrect them there."
Although the tall blond warrior normally feels most at home when in as cold of weather as possible, he finds rather unsettling the chill which runs down his spine as the daemon gives him that significant glance.
"Er," Gilstrock says, "what's foolish about resurrecting the dead guys back on the Prime? I mean, I'm just a warrior guy, so I don't really know these things, but I thought that our clerics, you know, worked better back there."
"The souls of the dead will remain here," Vrith replies.
"I guess that means we should resurrect them here...probably their souls are stuck on this plane."
Vrith nods.
"Not to point out the obvious, but our normal means of getting here is either dead or has his soul held in captivity. I guess we'll just rely upon our own resources."
"The soul of Gargaragoth I have imprisoned again. He broke his word to me and so sealed his doom. The soul of the Occa clone is free on this plane. As a further token of my good will I may be able to manipulate matters to return it to a living body, but only if you ask politely."
"Would you please return the soul of the Occa clone to a human body that isn't mine?" Emm asks politely.
"Consider it done," Vrith replies, then adds, "In return you should demand his aid in dealing with Razamataz."
"Wow! Good advice from a daemon! Who would have known! Of course, makes me wonder just how good it is..."
"Would you like to join your paladin friend, elf?" Vrith asks Niko with a slight edge to his voice. "My advice is my bond. And my goodwill is all that is keeping you alive at this time."
With that, the doors close, and you are alone with the treasure again.
Robert, shaking his head, opens up the portable hole, and you spend the next while shovelling the coins and goodies into it.
When that is done, you seal it up and rejoin the others.
***
You hear more harp music as the scene dissolves and you find yourselves back in Occa's Magnificent Mansion.
"What happened?" Lo asks, feeling all achy and pained.
"Wow," he mutters as the scene leaves his mind and eyes. "Errr, perhaps I can train so I can live longer next time and since I am oath bound to aid Occa, I am willing to help retrieve his soul from the modron," Lo adds. "My suggestion is to retrieve Occa's soul first and then go kill this Razamataz as Occa's power will definitely help us!"
"Wake up, you goof ball!" says Robert, "Occa's right there!"
He points to Occa...or at least to his clone.
"That is not the real Occa, but a clone, no offense, sir," he says. "Seemingly the real Occa's soul is held captive on the plane of Nirvana. Am I the only one who saw the vision?"
Darian shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. "No, I saw it too." Darian looks over at Robert, Gil, Gonzo and Emm. "You guys left a bit out of the conversation you told us. I didn't realize that Vrith had explained so much of what went on.
"Lo, don't worry about Robert. He likes to intentionally misunderstand people."
"I'm not being intentional," Robert snaps at Darian, "Lo's never met the real Occa. He made his vow to the clone."
"Good point, och, I am confused, no clones where I come from except for a sheep named Dolly," he says with a smirk."And perhaps a few mutants with some weird ass powers," he says with a shake of his head.
"That is fine, thank you Darian," he replies, his accent noticeably gone since his resurrection. "I have an oath to Occa so I can get back to my proper place and time. This medieval bullshit doesn't please me, but I will do what I can to stick it out."
Darian looks confused. "Medieval bullshit? I don't understand."
"I come from a world far away from here, where we do not use swords and armor to solve our battles. It seems I had some form of amnesia when I first came here and did what I could be instinct, after my 'death'", he says with a tight lipped smirk, "I began to recall who I really am and how I got here, I just hope and pray that Occa can do what I think he can and return me to my right place and time," he replies.
"No swords or armor? So, how do you kill off demons and the like?"
"Pistols and body armor, the finest the NYPD offers," he replies.
"I don't know what pistols or the NYPD is, but I'm wearing body armor, so I don't understand your complaint."
"Forget it," he says with a shake of his head, "and the body armor was about an inch think and weighed about five pounds, while yours is quite thick and seems to weigh a hell of a lot!"
"So, what's the plan?" he asks.
"We should probably explore this place a little and figure out the lay of the land. Maybe use this place as a base, if things look safe."
"Where are we exactly?" he asks.
"That place in hell, again."
"Oh joy," he says with a frown. "I take it there is no way for me to be up to optimal performance down here, eh?"
"I thought you needed training as a monk. Is that no longer true?"
"Yes, I guess that would be this world's equivalent. I was an officer in the New York Police Department, Special Investigative Unit regarding aliens, mutants, and other undesirables," he says. "I was checking out an energy anomaly in Central Park and after a bright flash of light, I found myself in ripped clothes on some farm. Grabbing a new set of clothes, I walked for days and found myself in Sandas, realizing I was in some God forsaken medieval setting, I remembered back to my training in Japan and little else, it is what you people call a monk style, but I sure as hell ain't celibate and I love to eat!" he says with a wide smile. "Once I was 'killed', it seemed to all come back to me as I am explaining it now."
Orlon interjects, "We are back on the Prime material Plane if my sensors are working right".
"If that is the case, training would benefit me and the group at this time," Lo replies.
"Agreed," says Robert. "We're a smaller party now. Less bench strength. We need everyone in top form so they can pull their weight. It's all about pride, and passion," he adds, starting to sound like an MBNA manager on one of their motivational tirades. He stops suddenly and blushes. "Sorry about that. Kind of slipped out."
"No problem, so I am ready. I believe all I need is the right teacher and some cash, eh?" he asks.
Darian cocks his head. "How is that possible, Orlon?"
"I just feel like I am in tune with my deity, which I couldn't do the last time I was in Hell, here at this place," Orlon answers.
"Oh."
You exit the Mansion. Outside, it is a sunny spring morning. Lo recognises the scene from when he looked through the doorway of the outhouse in Hell. You stand on the parapet of the tower.
Orlon casts 'flame strike' on the wall of the tower. A pillar of flame roars down out of the heavens, singing Gilstrock's Miami Vice stubble. Then, the high priest settles down, his back against the wall of the tower, facing the sun, and has a pleasant nap.
The rest of you take it easy, enjoying the sun and the fresh air. For once, it seems, you can relax. Down in the valley you see people moving about the town and its environs, attending to their daily tasks.
After some hours Orlon awakens, and prays. He keeps at it for over an hour, before finally announcing that Thor has given him flame strike again...proving for once and for all that you are again on a plane where he can access his deity.
It is mid afternoon.
Emm spends this time perusing the book he collected earlier and working on some of the excercises it recommends.
He soon realises that a month of continuous, uninterrupted study is required in order to gain any benefit from the book.
Occa says, "Maybe we should go down to the town, get a hotel room as a base. Then Lo can train while we explore this place. What do you all think? Even if we can't find another monk here, he can train himself."
"Or, if there isn't anyone in town, we can clear one of these towers first and make it our base of operations."
"Sounds good to me."
"Can any of the group train Lo or does he need more specialized training?"
"I can train you," offers Robert, sounding a lot like a certain gnome years ago in Frank's campaign, "For a big fat fee."
"I have no cash other than what we have accrued since I have joined the group. If that is not enough, I will give you from my share until the debt is paid," he offers, eager to be at peak fighting condition.
"Ten thousand gold pieces would cover it," Robert says to the monk.
"You have been touching yourself WAY too much, Bob!" Lo says as he rejects his offer. "Thanks for the offer, Occa, I will follow your lead and town sounds good!"
Occa chuckles. "Let's head into town and see if there is anyone else there."
As Occa speaks the green door opens and a man steps out onto the battlement.
He is approaching middle age, fit but not heavily muscled. Still, you can tell by his bearing that he was - or perhaps still is - a warrior. His hair is dark, thinning and flecked with grey, likewise his goatee. His expression is severe, his lips thin. He wears a loose cotton blouse and dark tight breeches. He carries a mug of steaming tea.
Apart from a slight narrowing of his eyes, he shows no surprise at finding you here.
"Good afternoon," he says carefully, regarding you all, "What brings you to my tower?"
Occa says, "Good afternoon. We did not know this was your tower, we believed it owned by another. May I ask, who you are?"
"I am Godfrey," he replies, "Once known as Godfrey Goodbody, then as Godfrey Badbody, but now just as Godfrey Neutralbody. And you?"
"I've heard your name somewhere before. Whom did you used to adventure with?"
"Hmmm...there were many. Razamataz, Rockchin, Strepp, Leslie and Stiff to name a few," he answers.
"I know you," says Robert, "We killed you a few years ago in hell, along with Rockchin."
Godfrey regards Robert.
"You are right," he says, and glances at Orlon, "And the cleric was there as well. Thank you."
"For killing you?" Robert asks, surprised.
"Yes. After Razamataz wished me back I decided to turn away from evil. If you had not killed me then that would probably not have happened."
Darian looks at Robert and Orlon. "Does that mean he's not an enemy?"
Orlon takes Darian aside. "It just means that we have had a run in with him in the past. Time will tell if he is our enemy or not."
"Not necessarily," says Robert, resting his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. He turns to Godfrey. "I am Robert, that is Orlon, Occa, Darian, Gonzo, Emm, Jesse, Lo Wang and Gilstrock."
Godfrey nods.
"You came through the portal from hell?" he asks.
"Yes. How come Raz's method of getting to hell stops right outside your access to Hell?"
Godfrey smiles.
"Probably because he used to own this tower," he replies.
After listening to Mister Neutralbody, Lo pipes up, "Well met, my name is Lo Wang, seems you are quite the warrior, I am a monk in need of training, what would it cost me, if you would be interested in training me?"
Godfrey shakes his head.
"I am a warrior, not a monk."
He turns back to Occa.
"I assume 'the other' that you seek is Razamataz?" he asks, "He is in Atlantia, engaging in the plots and machinations that arch mages are so fond of. I have not seen him since midwinter, when he passed through here on the way from Casablanca. If you wish to go after him then there is another portal in the dungeon at the bottom of this tower which would transport you to that city. However, the catacomb is full of monsters and evil, and I alone do not have the resources to clear it, so I keep it sealed up."
"Are you here alone?" asks Robert, looking about.
"With my servant," Godfrey replies, then hesitates. "How uncivil of me," he says apologetically, then turns to the doorway and shouts, "John! More tea! We have guests!"
"Where is this place?"
Godfrey waves his hand.
"This is Tazm's Tower," he replies. "Down there is the thorp of St Asaph. This all lies within the Kingdom of Cat Skill. Do you know where that is?"
"Nope, sure don't," says Occa. "Where?"
"The Small Kingdoms region," he says, "In the northeast part of Amrica. To the north is wilderness, a few miles east of here is the Hudson River and the kingdom of Hampton. Far to the south is Saltar, and to the west are Kludar and Nolthen, where war rages."
Darian shakes his head. "I've only ever heard of Saltar. You wouldn't happen to have a map handy that might show us where we are in relation to Sandas and Casablanca?"
"I am sorry."
Darian shrugs. "Oh well."
"Also, do you mind if we poke around Raz's tower to see if he left any information before heading into the dungeon to go to Atlantia?"
"I do mind," he replies, "This is my home now. Razamataz moved out of here over a year ago. You may, though," he says after a pause, "Poke around the dungeon, though. In fact, I would greatly appreciate that."
"Raz is in Atlantia? Where's that?"
"That is the capitol of Saltar. Some hundreds of miles south of here."
"What's he doing there? Do you know? Have you heard any news from Saltar?"
"There is civil war in Saltar, since the old Emperor was assassinated last year. Razamataz has hooked himself up with one of the pretenders, Lord Clarvis of Arble. In return for finding and giving Clarvis a certain artifact which I understand to be very important to the Empire, Claris has made him court arch-mage. A very important position for Razamataz...especially if Clarvis ascends to the Imperial Throne."
Darian glances at Occa.
Occa says, "Don't worry. We can take care of that."
"As far as your dungeon goes, if that's the way to get to the portal, then that's what we have to do. You wouldn't happen to have a map of it, would you?"
"I do not, I'm afraid."
"How long have you been in the tower?"
"Just about a year," Godfrey replies, casting a pained glance at Orlon and Robert. "After I was killed in Hell my soul wandered aimlessly about that plane for what seemed to be an eternity. It pains me to even think about that time. Then, Razamataz wished me back to life and rescued me. I owe him a tremendous debt."
Darian gives Occa another glance. "You understand that we oppose him, right? He has been causing a lot of trouble for Nlad and us. We've got two lost souls and an artifact that he stole to repay him for."
Robert scratches his head and looks at Darian.
"What trouble has he been causing Nlad?" he asks the elf. "I know he's been a pain in the neck for us and Valdar for years, what with the dragons and pirates and all. But I don't think he's responsible for Occa's and Zanax's souls going missing. That was the daemon Vrith's work. Now, we're doing Vrith's bidding to get those souls back."
"I was talking about his association with Mestom and how they are attacking Nlad. To be fair, we don't really know how involved he is with that, but it's an awfully strange coincidence considering Raz's other distractions for us."
"I thought Razamataz was with Billian, who was plotting against Mestom," answers Robert.
"I thought he wasn't working with Billian anymore."
"I meant previously."
Darian chuckles. "Okay."
"As for the artifact, going by what both Vrith and Godfrey say, Razamataz bought it from Vrith in exchange for his freedom. It might be stolen goods, but the real thief was Vrith."
"True, but didn't Vrith steal it because he knew that Raz wanted it?"
"Yeah, but not at Razamataz's bidding. He stole it because he wanted to buy his freedom."
"Are we sure that Raz didn't tell him that he could buy his freedom with the artifact?"
"I guess not," admits Robert. "Though he did imply that he learned of the Sceptre of his own accord. Should we go back to Vrith for clarification?" he asks with a grin.
Darian shakes his head. "Let's just put it this way. Raz is up to no good and we know it. He can probably rationalize all his choices to make them all sound pretty reasonable, but we know he's not on the side of right."
Godfrey watches the exchange, his eyes moving from Darian to Robert.
"Razamataz is on the side of Razamataz," he comments. "He is neither good or evil. He will use whatever tools or methods are available to him to achieve his ends."
Occa shrugs. "You seem like a nice guy, Godfrey. Obviously honorable. It would be a pity to kill you. Anyway, let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"Indeed. It would be a pity to have to kill you as well," Godfrey replies, then continues, "If you are doing the bidding of a daemon then you are tainted with evil by association alone, regardless of your good motives," he comments, then shrugs. "Not that it matters to me. But, as I said, I owe Razamataz my life, and if he calls me to his side to defend him against you, then I will answer that call."
"Understood."
Turning to Occa, Lo says, "Perhaps a visit to town before we clear out the dungeon would be a good idea, so I cam finally train!"
"How long will you need?" Emm asks.
"Truly, I don't know.. I have experienced many things since coming to this world, so I am not sure how long it will take to integrate everything," he replies. "I am a quick study though," he adds with a smile.
"Well, while you are learning, I need about a month to work on the exercises in this book," he replies.
Occa says, "I don't like the idea of taking a break, but if we have to do so, then we have to do so. I guess I could also take Lo on a trip around through the magical pools as well."
"Magic pools?" he inquires.
"Yes. They will help you go up some levels and not be so stupid."
Occa shrugs.
"What the hell am I so stupid about?" Lo growls at Occa.
Occa looks over at neutral guy and says, "Want to rent out the tower? We could set up a base here, they could train, a couple of us could do some exploring and you would have some company as well."
"It's not for rent, but you are welcome as my guests," Godfrey replies, "Especially if you are going to clear the dungeon."
"Great! Let's check out town and then we can settle in here for a bit depending on what we find."
On that note Godfrey motions you into the tower. You enter a landing, and follow him down a long, convoluted, winding flight of stairs. Every so often there is a landing, with several doors opening off of it. He opens some of these doors, revealing bedrooms, and indicates that you are to sleep in them.
Each of you takes a bedroom.
After getting unpacked and making yourselves comfortable you assemble again in a dining room near the bottom of the tower. John, Godfrey's manservant, serves you a dinner of roast venison, baked onions, potatoes and winter squash, washed down with ample quantities of the local ale. For dessert there is a treacle pudding. The food is simple but wholesome, the cooking excellent.
Afterwards Godfrey leads you into an adjoining living room for liqueurs. After some prodding by Robert, he tells you something about himself.
"I was born and raised in Strabath, in the Kingdom of Nlad. I was but a teenager when I was recruited by Rockchin the Preserver to join a party that he led with a mage named Stiff and a ranger named Leslie. They were battling giants in the North, and a paladin in their party had been killed, so they needed a replacement. I was happy to go with them, as they had offered me all of the dead man's equipment and magic...
"I gained in skills quickly, for King Snurre's halls were filled with evil and treasure. After that we traveled into the Great White North for a time. Then, it was to Oerth where we explored White Plume Mountain. Finally, we returned to the North, and headed south down the coast. At this point we met up with another group of adventurers led by Razamataz, who joined us. That was in late 1345.
"We continued south, and eventually arrived back at Snurre's halls. From there we entered the underworld, on the trail of the drow led by Eclavdra, who had been behind the uprising of the giants. We got as far as a large cavern controlled by a lich before the group splintered. The friction between Stiff and Leslie on the one hand and Rockchin and Razamataz on the other had been getting steadily worse. Finally, Rockchin and Razamataz decided to strike out on their own, and I accompanied them. We left the Underdark, returned to the surface, and headed into the eastern lands. That was in June 1346.
"We passed through the Barony of Barry, then traveled to Derextar. There we crossed the Mississippi River and followed the Great Western Road east. When we came to Nolthen we tarried for awhile. That land is littered with many ruins filled with monsters and riches. Rockchin particularly liked the people there; but they are evil and ultimately Thor stripped him of his clerichood.
"Eventually we continued east, passing through Kludar and into this region. Razamataz liked this area, and took this old tower as his. Rockchin was unhappy, though, and so we followed him south, while he searched for some direction in his life.
"He found that at a shrine dedicated to Set, just within the northern border of Saltar. He became a cleric of Set, and rapidly gained powers. By 1358 he was a very powerful high priest, Razamataz was an arch mage...and I was a great warrior. Set saw some potential in Rockchin, and took him to hell. We accompanied him. Set made Rockchin into an arch devil, and Rockchin set up his own stronghold where we also lived. From there, he plotted his revenge on Stiff.
"By 1369 the trap was set and Stiff took the bait. However, in the final battle we were defeated and killed. My soul was set adrift in hell, but Razamataz, unknown to the rest of us, had prepared a secret sanctum for his soul should he be killed...in the gem inset in the pommel of a magic sword. Ironically enough, it was Stiff's party who took Razamataz's soul back to the Prime when they found the sword. From there, his soul moved into a body that he had prepared for just such an occasion.
"As I mentioned earlier, Razamataz wished me back to life just over a year ago."
Godfrey sips his liqueur.
Eventually you retire to your rooms for the night.