Role

Chapter 6

It was an utterly strange day when Aelarion was approached by the dark-elf
conjurer, Chakos. The encounter marked an unexpected turn in his pursuit of
justice. Chakos came to him with a proposition that raised both caution and a
glimmer of hope within Aelarion's heart.

The dark-elf sought a secret from Aelarion, offering not just an exchange of
secrets but the liberation of a svirfneblin Magistrate's soul, free of the
debt binding him to shadow. Aelarion sensed treachery beneath the offer but
glimpsed an opening for the Light buried within the shadows of deceit.

Despite the potential for betrayal, Aelarion accepted the invitation,
insisting upon a meeting at the steps leading to the goddess Azorinne's
shrine. The holy place was the perfect site to share his story of hope and
redemption. Fortified by faith, Aelarion decided to lay bare a tale from his
past, one he had never shared with a soul before that day.

He told of man of his youth, one with a wicked soul but a promise of seeking
redemption. Aelarion told the equally evil Chakros of how he let that man
live, not once but three times. He told him of the last time he saw that man,
covered in the blood of his cousins as he slashed a murderous path through
Darsylon.

It was a story of failure. The weight of those lives weighed on Aelarion
still. But it was also a story of the Light's unceasing endeavor to cleanse
even the darkest of souls. One he hoped Chakos would take to heart.

At story's end, Aelarion braced himself for the betrayal that was sure to
follow. The dark-elf had gathered what he wanted. He had learned his secret.
And now Aelarion waited for the disappointment that was to come.

Surprisingly, Chakos honored his end of the bargain, promising to release the
svirfneblin from the shackles of debt. Moreover, he disclosed the whereabouts
of Bal'talon, the sacred sword stolen from Aelarion's possession and concealed
within the dark recesses of the Morian church.

Reclaiming the blade was a bittersweet victory for Aelarion. As he held
Bal'talon once more, he was reminded of his past failures, both in battle and
elsewhere. But amid these reflections, he couldn't shake the unusual nature of
Chakos. Despite Chakos's apparent zealotry for the dark god Morius, there
seemed a flicker of something else. The dark-elf had shown an unexpected hint
of honesty and compassion, perhaps even a trace of mercy and honor.

Exiting the shadowed confines of the Morian church, Aelarion walked slowly
through the peace of the graveyard, the strangeness his encounter with Chakos
etched into his thoughts. Contemplating the curious dark-elf, he dared to
consider the possibility redemption even for those lost in the deepest abyss
of darkness. Perhaps even those furthest from the Light, may still find their
way to the path of redemption. Perhaps there was reason to hope for Chakos.