In short order Apollo proved himself to be less disciplined and orderly of mind than those he replaced. He made a name for himself quicky, although less by martial prowess than by disrobing at every opportunity and remaining naked until he was threatened.
With that sort of behavior dogging them, the party journeyed across Eastrun from Shu towards the Pillars of Heaven. Apollo also made a name for himself with his contrary and craven ways. Nonetheless, after casting lots one adventure, he chose a necklace that could store spells as his share of the loot. This he eventually traded to a hedge wizard and kindred spirit known as Bloodstone the Mad in exchange for conferring repeated Stoneskin ability. He was pronounced a fool by the party and roundly condemned for the trade, especially by Mai the bard.
Weeks later, the party ambushed some giants who had descended from the clouds to tending to herds of wooly mammoths -- called margons in the local tongue. After defeating those giants that they saw, the party determined to go up into the clouds in an effort to see what was there. One of the party members, having carried a pouch of "magical beans" planted one in the hopes of getting a beanstalk, but only succeeding in bringing forth a magical being who was in the form of a child with mischief in his eyes. This "child" eventually grew a stalk for the party but not before causing all manner of problems and challenges to occur. One of those was a font of green fluid which was determined by Mai to be equivalent to a potion of longevity.
Afraid to use it, most of the party ignored the great pool left behind, except Apollo. He immediately emptied the bag of holding he traded of all its party treasure and filled it instead with the produce of the fountain. Much like his earlier trade, Apollo was widely criticized by those who thought him wasting their time and putting the party's loot in danger. His craven ways continued when they were set upon by more still more giants seeking revenge for the first. Apollo hid until combat was over. The party then ascended the stalk to a cloud fortress, defeated the minions of the giants and explored it thoroughly. They eventually discovered that the fortress was actually a vessel of sorts, run by a coterie of Gnomes on behalf of the Giants. Manipulating the controls of the fortress, the party found themselves in an alternate plane of existence with its own brand of troubles.
When their troubles there had at last ended, they arrived back in Westrun. Almost immediately they were tricked into fighting a family of innocent elves by three witch sisters who wanted the family dead. At the end of this debacle and for his reward, Apollo was turned into a mouse. It was his companion, Father Patrick who took Apollo to see Ulric the Patriarch in Peakshadow. The Patriarch was able to restore Apollo to his human form, but not able to ease the growing doubt in Apollo's mind that he was actually a mouse, and not a man.
Making a donation of a giant map obtained from the flying fortress, and a huge store of longevity from his bag of holding, Apollo presented himself to the Patriarch in a desire to change his ways. The Patriarch oversaw his conversion toward law and goodness and recommended him, the former craven, for Paladinhood.
As it happened a Lord Exemplar of the Ruskin was in Peakshadow and accepted him as an probationary Chevalier of the Holy Order of the Sword and Rose, pending the fulfillment of 7 challenges put to him by the Champions and Exemplars theresworn. His next adventures were attempts to fulfill his challenges as best as he was able, but they are tales for another time.
Weeks later, the party ambushed some giants who had descended from the clouds to tending to herds of wooly mammoths -- called margons in the local tongue. After defeating those giants that they saw, the party determined to go up into the clouds in an effort to see what was there. One of the party members, having carried a pouch of "magical beans" planted one in the hopes of getting a beanstalk, but only succeeding in bringing forth a magical being who was in the form of a child with mischief in his eyes. This "child" eventually grew a stalk for the party but not before causing all manner of problems and challenges to occur. One of those was a font of green fluid which was determined by Mai to be equivalent to a potion of longevity.
Afraid to use it, most of the party ignored the great pool left behind, except Apollo. He immediately emptied the bag of holding he traded of all its party treasure and filled it instead with the produce of the fountain. Much like his earlier trade, Apollo was widely criticized by those who thought him wasting their time and putting the party's loot in danger. His craven ways continued when they were set upon by more still more giants seeking revenge for the first. Apollo hid until combat was over. The party then ascended the stalk to a cloud fortress, defeated the minions of the giants and explored it thoroughly. They eventually discovered that the fortress was actually a vessel of sorts, run by a coterie of Gnomes on behalf of the Giants. Manipulating the controls of the fortress, the party found themselves in an alternate plane of existence with its own brand of troubles.
When their troubles there had at last ended, they arrived back in Westrun. Almost immediately they were tricked into fighting a family of innocent elves by three witch sisters who wanted the family dead. At the end of this debacle and for his reward, Apollo was turned into a mouse. It was his companion, Father Patrick who took Apollo to see Ulric the Patriarch in Peakshadow. The Patriarch was able to restore Apollo to his human form, but not able to ease the growing doubt in Apollo's mind that he was actually a mouse, and not a man.
Making a donation of a giant map obtained from the flying fortress, and a huge store of longevity from his bag of holding, Apollo presented himself to the Patriarch in a desire to change his ways. The Patriarch oversaw his conversion toward law and goodness and recommended him, the former craven, for Paladinhood.
As it happened a Lord Exemplar of the Ruskin was in Peakshadow and accepted him as an probationary Chevalier of the Holy Order of the Sword and Rose, pending the fulfillment of 7 challenges put to him by the Champions and Exemplars theresworn. His next adventures were attempts to fulfill his challenges as best as he was able, but they are tales for another time.
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