Book 2-3 Interludes – Glanrim’s Resurrection – (Kerubiel’s point of view)
 
I am awoken by Drael knocking on my bed chamber door – a first for him…normally he just waits to talk to me over breakfast, but he addresses me as King, (they are all learning) and tells me the hunt for Hargulka was a success ( I guess that could have waited, but maybe he was excited) oh he’s saying there was a tragedy and Glanrim has fallen…shit, I nod solemnly and he points out that he’s trying to keep this discrete. I nod and get dressed.
 
Cora asks me what’s wrong, I quickly tell her, she hugs me and then I head to the council chamber. The council is almost full, Glanrim is there, well I assume it’s his body that is shrouded on top a large white bear, but Akiros is not.
 
Jhod then pulls out some parchment and says he has a will of Glanrim’s, he’d had it prepared since returning and after Ellira’s passing. It states that he wanted to be brought back if we can. Oh, we will bring that old man back, we’re not done with him here. Jhod also reads that he had thought of a way to sway Keegh if needed – says he’ll make clerics of Erastil combat medics in the army. I guess that makes sense, but Finn seems agitated at that suggestion.
 
Jensothi says that the Ironborn militia leaders would like to come to help resurrect him, and he ushers them in to the room.
 
Finn then asks if Glanrim died and honourable death and Drael replies that he fell to a god curse – that Akiros’ blade was the one that ended his life. Finn ponders and says that I guess if he wrote it down then he wants back, but thought dwarves liked dying in combat and shrugs his shoulders.
 
All this talk of god curses, I want more information and ask Jensothi to invite in the rest of the hunting party if they are around. While they are entering, Jesothi questions if we will plan the trip to Restov to visit the cathedral of Erastil again?
 
Kvasir and Tomio then enter and Kvasir asks why we would go to Erastil after he saw his agent strike down Glanrim and that going to Erastil may draw his ire. Jhod gets huffy about this and says he thinks it unlikely.
 
Kvasir reiterates what he saw and wouldn’t pray to the that god if he were us. Jhod comments back that it is probably more the man than the god in this situation. The Ironborns then defend Akiros, and say that Glanrim vouched for him and Kvasir wonders if he still would now. They then talk about the blood rage that could take over Akiros.
 
Loinarv then pipes up and says that Erastil may not be the only choice – in New Stevton there is a cathedral to Gorum the god of war that we could try – I don’t love this idea, going up into the capital of Brevoy so we decide to choose Erastil and Restov.
 
Two of the three Ironborn want to accompany us to make sure we get there safely, we agree, to make them happy, not that I need any protection. We leave Malcom to tend to the militia.
 
I give a rousing speech that Erastil has blessed our country before, as I pet Sorath’s head, and hope he will do so again.
 
As council is breaking, Finn is all anxious and when I ask him what’s wrong, he wonders why no one is giving praise to Sarenrae, since she was the one who helped us last time as he points to Sorath, who turns her head and then yawns at him. I nod and say to him, perhaps if she had a closer cathedral.
 
Jhod offers to travel with us to talk to Keegh in Restov for us and to keep preserving the body. Kasner offers us his wagon but will stay behind this time, Nettie offers to drive.
 
Before we leave, Drael reminds us all to keep this quiet and Finn is confused. He says we shouldn’t have to hide this or try to. Drael says that the country has dealt with enough recently that if we can spare them this heartache.
 
Finn still seems upset by this, like we are lying to the people. To get him to calm down I tell him and Jensothi that if anyone asks why we are leaving, he can tell them, but we will not announce it. This seems fair to Finn and so we all go to pack and will leave first thing in the morning.
 
When I tell Cora that I have to leave in the morning, she is upset that this upcoming end of week we were supposed to go away. She says it’s a place near Oleg’s. I tell her that she should come and then we can start our trip away together once this is all done. She nods and rushes home to pack her stuff and bring it back.
 
The next morning, Tig is knocking on my chamber door, also a new incident, and shouts that Keston needs us around the south side of the exterior of the castle as soon as possible. I can then hear his footsteps run off. Oh brother, what now.
 
Rushing to dress and head to the back of the castle, Keston meets us and shows us to a head – Jhod’s head, buried up to the neck. His face is puffy and bruised and a shovel lays next to him. As we are walking over, he rouses to consciousness and yells for someone to get him out.
 
Keston’s boys jump to it quickly and I ask him why he waited to get him out. He looks a little sheepish and hands me a note that was next to him.
 
Finn then shows up and wonders if Ray J buried Jhod. Oh cousin, I then read the note and it is from Akiros telling us that we should outlaw worship of Erastil in the kingdom and get rid of Jhod. If we do, he may be willing to return. Until then he has headed west to the Kellid tribes people to focus on him. Not something I want to do considering what Erastil did for Sorath.
 
Jhod says he wants breakfast and I quite agree. Finn still certain that Sarenrae was the one that brought back Sorath, I ask him if it’s time we should build a shrine to her soon. And as we were having this conversation, Meridith happened to be walking by and voices her agreement at this idea.
 
Jensothi also shares that to the west of us is where Fort Drelev is and the Kellid people are barbarians. Noted. Once breakfast is done, we make the three-day journey to Restov.
 
We stop one night at Oleg’s and Finn talks to Bruce about being the light in the world or something. Cora puts in a small order of things we will need for our trip away together once we have the general back.
 
The rest of the trip to Restov is uneventful and once we arrive, we discuss heading straight to the cathedral, save for Finn, who says he needs to go the temple of Sarenrae. I tell them that I can sell the magical armour they found on Hargulka’s corpse to help fund the resurrection.
 
I try to get 2500 gold pieces but the armour is smelly and not really useable by most since it was designed for someone over 12 feet tall. In the end I find someone willing to pay 2000. More than I’d ever pay for it. So I take the bag of gold and meet the others.
 
We head inside the cathedral and as the priest comes to talk to us, since Drael was there and knows what happened better, I push him forward to talk. He talks about how we’ve been blessed by Erastil and are looking for another miracle. He also explains how Glanrim fell. The priest says he’ll need to get Keegh and leaves.
 
A few minutes later, the high priest and his loyal mastiff have come to talk to us. When he comes up to us I tell him that we have been blessed once before – patting Sorath’s head, but others are questioning whether Erastil will help us. He replies about the general may be questioning his faith as well.
 
Drael then gets heated at this and tells Keegh to hold his tongue, to which I have to remind him to hold his tongue – we are in Keegh’s house asking for his help after all. We then give the body to Keegh to examine. He pauses when he gets to the neck and seeks clarification that a paladin of Erastil made this wound. Drael nods.
 
He then says he wants to investigate this further so requests we leave the body with him for the night. I agree and we leave.
 
We decide to head to the Running Queen Inn for the night and we splurge for the best that gold can buy while there. We are foreign dignitaries after all and should be pampered a little. Cora and I have a very nice night in a private suite.
 
The next morning, we meet with Keegh, and he has some very disappointing news. He says he can’t perform the spell we are requesting because of the circumstances of the death. Drael says this is troubling news and we leave quickly with Glanrim’s body.
 
We head back to the Running Queen, where Cora is currently having a spa day, and discuss our options. Loinarv says he was asking around last night and there is a university dwarf who Glanrim was in touch with named Saphirebraids that might be able to help us out.
 
Then the Ironborns says somethings that I don’t really listen to. And Loinarv finishes by saying that he talked to Saphirebraids and found out that a high priest of Torag may be able to help us out. Finn is on edge having heard this. Wonder what he’s all bothered about.
 
Loinarv then says that the trip would be risky and take us into Grayhaven. That’s house Garess land and they will not be happy with us having welcomed Taldeth into our country. Also, they would probably recognize me easily having grown up just north of there. My parents made sure I knew many Lords and Ladies from the different houses.
 
The trip would take 6 days there and another 6 back. I can’t do that to Cora, and I think me going puts added risk on the trip. I have a word with Drael and I tell him that I trust him to bring back the general, our friend. He nods.
 
Finn: however, storms off saying he has to go to the temple of Sarenrae. I guess there is more to learn about religion.