Chapter 296: Reliquary (1/2)
Mike made sure to keep his hood pulled down low as he followed the strange menagerie of floating dirt cubes. It was probably a little too late to avoid attracting too much attention, but he figured that it was better than doing nothing.
The guards at the cathedral's entrance were watching him with a combination of confusion and fear, which wasn't too surprising considering their inexperience. Apparently, the people assigned to the main entrances were trainee paladins, at least as far as he could tell with Appraise. It was doubtful if they'd ever seen anything like this.
He set his captives down and walked over to stand in front of them. ”Well, I'm here.”
The guards exchanged glances before asking him to wait while one of them located their supervisor. Mike was left to awkwardly stand around while he did so. Thankfully, Selene's skill had left the four inquisitors unconscious.
[I guess I could have given them a little more time to get ready. Really, though, how hard is it to let the guards know that we're coming?]
Finally, after a few minutes, a group of paladins marched out of the cathedral and took up positions around his prisoners. The same grim looking, female knight that had taken custody of the other traitors, was in the lead.
It didn't take long for them to restrain their new batch of captives and carry them inside once he'd freed them from the cubes, and in short order he was once again left alone with a pair of confused looking guards. No one expressly stated it, but he was effectively bid to wait until another representative could come out to meet him.
[I'm a little disappointed by their lack of hospitality. You'd think the person who saved them from a grisly coup would be treated a little better. Then again, I did kind of extort their equivalent of a pope, so maybe that's to be expected.]
He waited another ten minutes or so before a second group of people showed up. The Pontifex was out in front, flanked by four paladins. A group of acolytes were following behind, carrying three large and ornately decorated chests on miniature palanquins. Judging from the number of religious symbols emblazoned on each of them, he guessed that they contained something along the lines of holy relics.
”I see you still choose to appear in disguise. Is it your wish to keep your identity a secret at this time?” Alaine asked as she descended the small staircase towards him.
”Let's just say I want to avoid any undue attention.” He replied.
The Pontifex glanced around at the small crowd of passersby that had started to gather to watch the proceedings, and muttered dryly, ”Indeed…Very well, we shall accommodate.”
She turned and motioned to the acolytes, who proceeded to bring the chests forward. ”For your efforts in protecting the sanctity of the Church of Aminatrea, we have chosen three of our most sacred relics to bestow upon your and your master, the Hero of Almir. It is our hope that they may aid you in travels.”
The bearers lined up and deposited their litters on the ground in front of him, before opening them with a great sense of ceremony.
The first of the three contained a small leather sack, which was distinctly ordinary apart from its obvious age. As he stepped for to examine it, the Pontifex offered an explanation. ”The Knucklebones of Saint Guispard. Although blind from birth, he followed the light of the goddess for all of his long years, relying on it to guide him through life. For his devotion, he was granted to the power to perform miracles, and many legends have been told of his exploits. These bones retain a small portion of his blessed foresight and can provide guidance in uncertain times.”
He picked the bag up and opened it, reveal a handful of polished bones that had been carved with a variety or runes. Those he could see with a casual glance suggested that they dealt primarily in abstract concepts such as fortune, danger, and the like. To be on the safe side, he used Appraise on them.
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The Knucklebones of Saint Guispard
Magic Relic (Tier 2, Rank 3)
Crafted from the remains of the legendary traveling saint, these bones can provide skilled users with insights about the near future. When thrown into an appropriate vessel, a user can read the layout of the bones to foretell on some specific event or answer a specific question. As with all methods of precognizance, such insights are limited in scope, and subject to the Haze of Destiny.
Individuals of the Oracle bloodline receive a system correction when using this item.
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[So, a relic is somehow its own kind of item according to the System? Even though it seems to function just the same as any other magic item? Anyway, I bet Sera cold put it to use. I wonder if they are aware of her identity, or merely selected it based on usefulness.]
He moved on to the next chest, which contained a scrap of cloth that had been sealed between two panes of glass.
”The Sacred Banner of Talingland, said to have been carried by paladins of order since its inception. It was lost during the Siege of Batai, and this piece is the only known fragment still in existence. While its power has faded over time, a portion of its divine aura yet remains.”
This time, Appraise worked without him having to pick it up.
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Fragment of the Banner of Talingland
Magic Relic (Tier 3, Rank 2)
This piece of cloth was once part of the banner created by Archangel Coriethinel, and gifted to the Order of the Sun, a now defunct knightly order that arose near the beginning of the Third Age. It passed into the hands of the Church of Aminatrea following the former's dissolution in the face of political pressure, and was frequently carried into battle by their paladins. During the Siege of Batai, its bearer was slain and the majority of the artifact was destroyed when the Archlich unleased his Desolation Swarm.
When carried prominently, this relic serves to inspire and protect those who are ideologically aligned with the carrier. Provides minor bonus to Willpower, Endurance, and all resistance skills for all allies who are capable of seeing it. A Tier 3 or higher Divine Mage, dedicated to Aminatrea, can pray upon the relic to release what remains of its divinity, momentarily creating a Tier 5 barrier of protection in an area 30 meters around the user. Doing so will expend the remainder of its stored energy and reduce it to non-magical cloth.
Item has been downgraded from Tier 4, Rank 2 due to its current condition.
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