The Schemes Of Man and Machine.

The 3 Trials of the Long Haired Priest

In a time before machines, grand cities and even the Adament; There were gods.  Gods that granted life, purpose and happiness to all the races of the world. Tunbrik was a peaceful place were the gods provided for thier creations and all was well. That is until the long haired priest was sent on a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage that was to bring him to 3 temples each on the hardest to traverse landscapes. Liersett temple lay buried in stone and minerals, Gurdain sit atop a snowy mountain and Djose in a watery pit.

As the long haired priest set off on his journey he was given 3 gifts from a blond haired woman. She gifted him Alhowa String a single strand is powerful enough to tie down a roc, a plump prize goose sure to make a tasty meal and a single gold piece. She left only one more thing with the long haired priest. A single word the Long haired priest presumed to be her name- Tyr.

He began heading north through the tundera and found his way up the mountain until he found himself face to face with an icy wall. It's frozen might withstood all the long haired priest attacks and thus he was made to retreat. At the base of the mountain he found a disgruntled dwarf. Like most dwarves and even, if not more so, the disgruntled variety lived in solitude in a small forge at the base of this icy mountain. With the need for better tools high on the long haired priests list he asked the dwarf to forge him something to help. The dwarf refused having much work to do already and left the long haired priest.

Not one to give up so easily the long haired priest devised a plan. Every night the long haired priest called upon the might of his god to lift stones and make noise throughout the night and each night his god obliged. For weeks the mountain valleys nights were filled with hideous loud sounds that kept the entire valley awake. After a few weeks the priest happened by the dwarf again. Unable to rest the dwarf was even more stressed and asked to priest if he could help. The priest pulled out the goose and said " would a warm meal and a soft pillow do you good noble dwarf?" That night a stew was made from the goose and the feathers into a luxurious pillow. The dwarf no longer heard the hideous sounds and slept throughout the night. In the morning the dwarf rushed to the long haired priest camp and thanked him profusely for his timely gift. He gifted the priest with a ice pick and wished him the best. With the new tool in hand the long haired priest set up the mountain.  He bashed against the wall with his tool and the dwarven craft made short work of the wall. The long haired priest journeyed further up and up all the way to the top.  While there he found a temple of stone and gold and pray before its alter.

Gurdain visit now done the long haired priest set out to Liersett even further north then Gurdain.

He traveled far beyond his country and found himself in the warring lands of the orcs and goblins. By the grace of his god or the speed of his boots he made his way to the temple of Liersett. It lay buried under stones of sulphur and black ash. Abandoned long ago the heavy oak temple doors were shut tight with no other option he returned to his camp. When he awoke the long haired priest heard the sound of metal against wood. He followed the sound and found an orcish tree cutter doing his job. His axe blunt from use and a tree felled by the might of the orc. The orc turned the pink skinned ready to attack only to find a poor weary long haired priest armed with nothing more then a dwarven pickaxe.

The orc instead of attacking asked why the priest was here to which the priest replied "I am on a pilgrimage to the temple here."
The orc asked why then is he in the forest and not the temple. The priest explained further and eventually the long haired priest was brought back to the orcs home. There he saw the side of the warring race that few have. The are strong but caring to their own. Not unlike his own race. For the next few weeks the long haired priest stayed with the orcs. He taught them to pray, to read his language and how to survive against the enemy. Even then he was no closer to opening that temple door. That's when his eyes fell on the orcish wood cutters axe. Freshly sharpened by a kindly well rested dwarf a few hundred miles from here. The orc was hesitant to relinquish his axe to the priest but after all he's done for the village and the shiny gold piece that was offered how could he refuse? With the gold lost and the axe gained the priest set to work on the door. Within a few moments the door was felled by the priests hands and the second leg of his pilgrimage was over.

Last was the temple of Djose. The long haired priest journeyed once more and waved a fond farewell the wealthy orcish woodcutter. His journey to those proved difficult and he was captured by a race of elves with skin like shadow. The elves forced the priest to battle the dreaded spiders they worshiped and were none too happy when the long haired priest proved victorious. They locked the poor priest up with the promise he would be dumped into the mind flayer nest by the morning. Quickly he devised a way to escape. Utilising the silver thread he was able to keep the priest wrapped and wrangled one of the passing giant spiders. The force of the angry arachnid pulled free the long haired priest cage and the scared priest was free from his bonds but on a adventure he had not planned to take. Eventually the spider calmed down and rested while the priest got his bearings. He waved good bye the useful spider and proceeded to the underground temple of Djose and braced for the unexpected homecoming.