The red-haired priest moaned softly and fell backward into Tarana's arms. The essence of the God of Strife entered the huge statue
and an incredible scream burst forth. The cry echoed across all of Scardale and nearly deafened those who stood in the warehouse.
The statue's arms slowly raised and Bane's new avatar clutched the sides of its head and continued to wail, though it still had
no mouth. Sharp spikes, similar to those on Durrock's armor, burst from the arms, chest, legs, and head of the obsidian avatar.
Finally the swirling mists stopped flowing into the room, and the roiling colors inside the statue changed from amber and green to
reddish black.
An evil, leering mouth and a pair of glowing red eves appeared on the statue's face. Bane stopped screaming and looked down
at his hands.
"Hollow," he said in a voice that was unmistakably that of a god. "My world is hollow. My body..."
On the ground, Cyric stared up at the God of Strife in disbelief, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. To have such
power! the hawk-nosed thief thought. No matter the price, one day I will strive with beings like Bane.
Suddenly the Black Lord began to laugh. A frightening, cavernous roar filled the warehouse. "I am a god. At last, I am once
again a god!"
The huge, obsidian avatar of the God of Strife rushed forward, bursting through the front wall of the warehouse as if it were
tearing at frail paper. The Scorpions, save for Cyric, helped Tarana carry Fzoul away from the warehouse before the roof collapsed.
The Zhentilar made it to the street just in time to see Bane reach the edge of the port. A vague greenish amber aura
enshrouded the God of Strife as he stood on the shore of the Dragon Reach and looked out toward Tantras. The fallen god was sure
that nothing could stop him from regaining the Tablet of Fate.
* * * * *
The sudden death or disappearance of all the worshipers of Bhaal who frequented the Dark Harvest - in fact, all the assassins
who lived in Tantras - troubled Tenwealth and the other members of the Council of Torm greatly. The assassins had proven
themselves to be a considerable asset, despite their blasphemous alignment, and the council members, usually united, were now
finding it difficult to locate men willing to rid the city of heretics for a flat fee.
The council had other troubles, too. There had been occasions recently when members had argued that Torm should be made
aware of their efforts to unify the city. But as Tenwealth frequently told the council, the God of Duty had only recently taken the body
of a mortal; he might not understand the unfortunate measures they had to take to convert most of the population or rid the city of
unbelievers. Actually, the council members had stood united in their cause until Tenwealth had recommended that they hire
assassins to deal with citizens too unreasonable to convert or leave.
Then, those council members who had failed to see the true value of Tenwealth's plans were killed, too. The high priest had
ordered those murders with the same zeal he'd felt when he'd plotted the harbormaster's death, as well the demise of several dozen
other intractables. And Tenwealth truly believed he was serving Lord Torm throughout all the bloodshed.
In fact, Tenwealth had just received word that some of his men had taken care of the small sect of Oghma worshipers in town
when the order to appear before Lord Torm arrived. Leaving his room, the high priest walked to the audience hall with a light step and
the knowledge that all he had accomplished over the years had been for the sake of his god. He knew, too, that Torm would
eventually thank him for it. After all, the Tablet of Fate was safely hidden in the temple's vault, and when the city was united behind
the God of Duty, the high priest planned to give the tablet to Torm. His god could then triumphantly return to the Planes, an entire city
of devoted worshipers behind him.
Tenwealth smiled at that thought. But the smile left the platinum-haired man's face as he entered the private chambers of Torm
and found a large group of people gathered there. When he recognized all twelve members of the council, along with many of their
subordinates, Tenwealth's heart skipped a beat. The doors slammed shut behind the high priest just as he noticed a group of five old
men standing in the corner, their eyes burning with anger.
The worshipers of Oghma, Tenwealth thought frantically. The followers of the God of Knowledge are alive! I've been deceived!
The rest of the room was filled with heavily armed guards. Lord Torm himself sat upon his throne, a gray stone gauntlet with its
palm resting parallel to the floor. The golden lion to which the God of Duty had given life the day he spoke to Adon in the garden
prowled back and forth at his feet. Tenwealth had placed the statue there himself after taking it from the abandoned Temple of
Waukeen.
The lion roared, and Torm leaned forward to address his followers. "I hardly know where to begin," the God of Duty growled, his
voice low and burdened with emotion. "My disappointment and my outrage cannot be measured by human standards. If I had learned
of the horrors this council has committed in my name while I was still in the Planes, I would have used my power to burn this temple
to its very foundations."
Tenwealth's entire body began to quake as he wondered how much Torm really knew. He felt an impulse to run, but the high
priest knew that there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.
"For the past three days, the mortal who has served as my avatar has assisted me in a charade," Torm told the assembly of
traitors and pounded the arm of his throne with his gauntleted fist. "While he has sat upon my throne, I have journeyed into the city,
possessing the bodies of a few of my true worshipers and learning first-hand the state of affairs in Tantras." Torm paused and gritted
his teeth. "What I discovered has sickened me to the core. There is no punishment great enough for what this council has done, but
know this: you will be punished."
Tenwealth's legs gave out beneath him and he fell to his knees. The members of the council quickly mimicked his actions. The
Tablet of Fate, Tenwealth thought desperately. He might not know about the tablet yet! There is still a chance to save our holy cause!
"All that we have done has been in your name," the platinum-haired high priest cried. "For your honor, Lord Torm. For your
glory!"
The golden lion roared as Torm leaped from the throne. The god crossed the room in a few running steps, then grabbed
Tenwealth by the throat and yanked him into the air.
"How dare you say that!" the God of Duty screamed. Holding Tenwealth with his left hand, Lord Torm raised his fist to strike the
priest.
A wave of total fear washed over Tenwealth and he blurted out, "We have the Tablet of Fate, Lord Torm!"
Torm stared at the mortal for a moment, then dropped him to the floor. "How could you have the tablet?"
"It was hidden in the vault beneath the temple. On the night of Arrival, when the fireballs split the sky and the one that bore your
holy essence crashed through the temple, I found it. I had no way of knowing what the object was at the time, but-"
"Then I told you the true reason the gods suddenly appeared in Faerun, and you understood the greatness and the power of the
object you held," Torm said, closing his eyes. "What were your plans for the Tablet of Fate, Tenwealth? Were you going to sell it to
the highest bidder? Bane and Myrkul, perhaps?"
"No! Have mercy," Tenwealth begged. "Let us prove our loyalty to you, Lord Torm. All that has happened was done in your
name!"
The god shuddered and looked down at Tenwealth. The high priest lay quivering at the God of Duty's feet. "Stop saying that,"
Torm whispered. "You know nothing about my wishes."
The fallen god clenched his gauntleted hand into a fist, turned his back on the council, and strode to his throne. He sat down
and tried to force his anger away, but couldn't stop quivering with rage. Torm had suddenly recognized the extent of the damage
wrought by Tenwealth and his perverted plan. All this time, when the Realms were torn by chaos and good people suffered, the God
of Duty had possessed the means to make things right, to fulfill his duty to Lord Ao. And his priests had hidden it from him,
supposedly for his own good.
Torm looked out at the frightened priests and awestruck guards, and for the first time, he saw himself through their eyes. I'm just
another petty tyrant to them, the God of Duty realized. I'm nothing but a very powerful despot whom they will do anything to please.
"We were going to give you the tablet when the time was right. We-," Tenwealth wailed.
"Silence!" Torm shouted. "Where is the Tablet of Fate now?"
"In the vault," Tenwealth said softly. "I had an illusion cast over the tablet to disguise it, and mystical wards keep it safe."
The God of Duty stood up again and pointed at Tenwealth. "You and your council will be held until I decide what to do with you,"
Torm growled. "Guards, take-"
A wild-eyed messenger burst into the room. "Lord Torm! There are Zhentish ships on the horizon! They're heading this way!"
The priests all gasped and got off their knees. The messenger stopped moving toward the God of Duty when he saw the golden
lion at his feet. "Go on," Torm said. "What else do you have to report."
The messenger swallowed hard and spoke again, never taking his eyes off the lion. "There is something else crossing the
Dragon Reach, too. A night-black giant, over fifty feet tall. The goliath wears spiked armor, like one of the Black Lord's assassins!"
"Bane!" Torm yelled. The lion roared and leaped to its feet. "He's come for the Tablet of Fate!"
The fallen god was then silent for a moment, and he considered the city's dilemma. After a moment, he said, "Issue a summons
to all of my faithful. I wish them to meet in the outdoor cathedral in one hour."
"We are your faithful!" Tenwealth cried and took a step toward the God of Duty.
Torm looked at his former high priest. "In one hour, each of you will have a chance to prove that." Gesturing to his guards, the
god added, "Take them to the cathedral. Watch them. Then tell the soldiers to prepare to defend the harbor from the Zhentish ships.
The Black Lord will be my responsibility."
The hour passed quickly for the god as he formulated his plan and waited for his faithful to gather in the temple. Soon, he was
standing on a platform, looking out over a throng of priests and fighters. The Council of Torm stood near the stage, chains around
their wrists and ankles.
"There is little time to waste this day," the God of Duty cried. "By now, all of you know that our city will soon face an attack by
Zhentish forces. Lord Bane, God of Strife and Tyranny, conqueror of Scarsdale, approaches the harbor of our city in the form of a
giant warrior." The fallen god paused and listened to the frightened, excited murmuring of the crowd. After a moment, he added, "I
can stop Bane. But to do so, I need the power that only your belief... and your sacrifice can give to me."
The noise from the crowd grew louder, and Torm raised his gauntleted hand to silence them. "My avatar has volunteered to be
the first to offer me his essence." A deep sadness filled the God of Duty's eyes. "You must follow his example, do your duty as
followers of my word, if Tantras is to be saved from destruction."
With those words, Torm plunged his hands into his avatar's chest and pulled out his heart. A torrent of sky-blue energy swirled
around the staggering body of Torm's avatar then engulfed not only the frail, human form, but also the golden lion that raced to
protect its master. When the swirling lights faded, a golden man more than nine feet tall stood before the worshipers of Torm. His
head was that of the mighty lion, and his body crackled with energy.
"Your duty calls you," Torm roared from snarling lips of his new avatar. "There will be no pain. I would not bring suffering to my
faithful. You need only accept your destiny, and you will pass quietly."
In unison, a dozen worshipers cried, "Take us, Lord Torm!"
With expressions of complete bliss, the worshipers fell to the ground. From their gently parted lips, sky-blue mists flowed and
rushed toward the God of Duty. Torm opened his arms and embraced the souls, which lost their individual shapes and became a
large pulsating mass of light. The lion-headed avatar absorbed the energy and started to grow. Soon the cathedral was filled with
corpses, and the fallen god towered over the proceedings, the golden avatar now nearly fifty feet tall. Soul energy flowed toward the
avatar from all across the city as word of the god's need spread. In the temple, Tenwealth and his fellow members of the council were
among those who had not yet surrendered their lives.
"So beautiful," one of the priests wept as he looked up at the golden avatar. "Yet no matter how strongly I wish to join Lord
Torm, he will not accept my life!"
"We were such fools!" Tenwealth cried. "Forgive us, Lord Torm! Accept our sacrifice! Let us prove our loyalty!"
The lion-headed avatar stared down at the council members. He could feel their desire to join him and almost taste the anguish
in their hearts now that they recognized the price of their failure.
Torm closed his eyes and opened his arms. Tenwealth and the rest of the Council of Torm died, and their soul energies rushed
to the avatar's embrace. The God of Duty absorbed the energy, let out a deep, loud roar, and pushed through the back wall of the
temple. Then the lion-headed avatar went off in search of the God of Strife.
* * * * *
At the bow of the Argent, a Zhentish trireme, Cyric stared at a city on the horizon. The thief had not expected to return to
Tantras so quickly, but Bane's orders had been explicit. Slater and a few of the other Zhentilar whom Cyric commanded were given
orders to stay behind in Scardale, but the majority of the thief's men were assigned to the Argent and ordered to follow Bane. Dalzhel,
