Okay, so what's Marie's setup for this paladin freeing affair?
Marie, lovely Marshal X, and the heart-locket are in one of Liberton's many comfy studies with her puzzling over it with encouraging pep-talks from the marshal. Once she hits hour five then Syala will also come over to provide her own encouragement and be present for any necessary healing when Maleas is released.
Strength of Light is there, offering his support and guidance. As it winds on Syala appears, as Marie is lost in the puzzle. Sh watches without comment until at last - there! That should do it! It's opening!
"Aha!" Marie says in triumph as the last part clicks satisfyingly into place and the locket opens!
A flash and a nude man lies there, on the floor and twitching again, again and again. Syala is by him in a moment, entire body oddly indistinct as details begin to reappear - the hints of a face and arms, of muscles.
Oh of course he'd be naked. "I'll be back in a second with clothes," Marie says, vanishing and reappearing a moment later with a nice fluffy white dressing gown.
Easily enough done.
"He'll need some time," Syala warns, "Give him time and space as he comes back to us."
"Maybe put him to bed somewhere then?" Marie suggests. "There's no rush in that case."
Syala does so as Strength of Light says, "There's some muscle in that one, some will to fight. It's buried deep in who knows how much abuse, but it's there. We'll have to get him back into the swing of it."
"Anyone that Malcanthet hated enough to lock away in one of these is someone worth knowing," Marie agrees. "Hope he wakes up soon."
Good work, Marie. Good work.
Strength of Light helped a lot too! But Marie is good with puzzles, even tricky ones like that. She prays back to Syala with her own pleasure at a job well done. And a note of bemusement that they ended up with a naked person even when Alicia wasn't around.
The answer is that Alicia's tastes are contagious, Marie.
Alicia would be sad if she heard that, but Marie isn't telling!
It's a few hours until Maleas stirs. He rests in a bed in a private room, ample sunshine and light from open windows. It's airy and open, the cool breeze bringing the scent of wildflowers within. Marie can see him now - a strong figure, humanish on a glance, but with narrow eyes and six fingered hands. He has brown hair and pale skin, as if he hasn't seen the sun in some time.
"...ah?" A soft noise as he slowly stirs at last.
"Welcome back to the land of the living," Marie says, looking up from the cats cradle she'd been making between her fingers, relaxing them and pulling the string off as she stands up from a chair by that window. "My name's Marielle, and you're in Sylica. Do you know where that is?" He might've been in there since before Alicia ascended after all.
"...I'm..." A murmur.
Maleas stops. He rests his head in his hand, "I don't know what it is or where that is," he confesses, "I'm free?"
"You're free," Marie confirms with a gentle smile, looking every bit the radiant and reassuring presence of a high tier celestial being as she approaches his bed. "Sylica is a divine realm of several newly risen goddesses, it's a part of Ysgard. Tell me, how did you come to fall into Malcanthet's clutches?"
"I..." A rest back, "I fell in love with the wrong woman, how else? Her beauty hid a corrupted heart."
"Ohhh," Marie says with a look of dawning comprehension that undercuts the reassuring presence a bit but probably humanises her. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope it doesn't put you off love entirely but I can see how that would be traumatic. Are you hungry or thirsty?"
"I could kill for a drink and a meal," Maleas agrees, "It's been so long since I've had anything to eat or drink."
"I'll be back in a minute then," Marie goes and sees herself out rather than just teleporting away and back so that he has a little bit of time with his thoughts. So it's closer to five minutes when Marie returns, the tulani proxy carrying a tray with a plate of steak, vegetables, and roasted potatoes and a big tankard of weak ale. That's surely the sort of hearty meal an adventurer held captive for a long time could appreciate, right?
By the way he tears into it, yes.
After eating most of it with a singleminded determination, "Do you know how long I've been held?" he asks.
Time for a belated knowledge check on who this guy is.
Marie takes 10 for 59 on planes (because tiefling) and religion (because paladin).
Meleas vanished about 500 years ago or so, give or take a decade. A paladin who did a fair deal of good, but his career beyond the Prime came to a sudden halt when he vanished. Not unusual.
What god/paladin order did he belong to?
"The last records we could find of you were from five hundred years ago," Marie admits. "Sylica's only been around for twenty years, so your ignorance there isn't surprising."
Faerinaal.
"Then I have a lot to catch up on. What has happened?" He asks right away.
"Hmm... well some good news first?" Marie smiles as she pulls a chair over beside the bed and sits down. "You were connected with the Court of Stars, weren't you? Well the Lost Children of Androlynne were rescued. I actually helped a little bit with that, along with those who would later ascend to become the goddesses of Sylica. That was a bit over twenty years ago, and quite a few new deities of righteousness arose around that time. Alicia, my patron, Syala, those two are the primary goddesses here, but Antenora and Jessica recently rose as well. Seira and Amaryl are another pair that helped with Androlynne and later ascended to their own realm, the Cauldron."
"Six total?" An open question, "I had not thought...that many? I didn't ever imagine that," he says, "Stars above." Sitting up, "They rescued the lost children, too? I had though to look into that crusade."
"There's a few others I didn't mention. Kascha, and... no I think Sulia was around before you vanished," Marie says. "It's been a busy time, but the forces of evil are busy too even if they don't have new champions on quite the same level. Creation still needs brave warriors like you in it, make no mistake."
"Where is this Sylica?" Your newfound friend asks, "Is it close to Arborea?"
"Yes," Marie nods. "It's a part of Ysgard so there's lots of portals to Arborea around and you can get a boat on the Oceanus to reach Aquallor easily from here."
"I will need to go there. I'd have little else," he admits openly, "Not after all this time."
Makes sense, it's what Marie would do as well. "I'm sure there are people there who remember you. The tales of mortal heroes are often told in the heavens," she says encouragingly. She'd heard of Alicia even before she got the familiar job after all. "We can provide for you to make the journey, or ask Faerinaal to send you an escort in advance if you like?"
"I'd like to make it...alone," A decision made, he sits up, "Thank you for everything, Lady Marielle."
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Marie smiles, getting up. "Wait here another minute? I'll get you some things for the journey."
Leaving she comes back shortly afterwards carrying some sturdy clothes in Maleas's size with boots on top, which she puts down at the foot of the bed, along with a bag. "There's some gold in the bag, not a fortune for an adventurer but it'll get you started - you should get yourself equipped from the shops here in Sylica before you venture into Ysgard since you'll definitely end up in a fight. I've included a map to the nearest portal to Arborea as well. I'll wait outside for you to change and I can show you out of the palace here."
It is all taken. "Thank you," Maleas says, then bows. "I've only known you but a few hours, but you are a woman of class and grace."
"Oh you!" Marie laughs gaily before she gives him some privacy to change. "Usually it takes more than a few hours for the facade to drop."
"My lady," Maleas calls, "It is no facade with you. You are a noblewoman of great refinement in heart, even if you are not in title."
"Keep talking like that and you'll have all the other eladrin swooning for you over in Arborea," Marie smiles at him before she closes the door and waits for him to come out after dressing.
Once done Maleas emerges, "May my fortunes be so bold and blessed!"
"That's the spirit," Marie cheers, leading him through Liberton's halls and out into Mercia, the city at the heart of Sylica. "There's armouries and other useful shops down that way," she points down a street leading away from the plaza outside the palace, all sorts of people coming and going around them.
It is indeed busy, people of all kinds about. The noises of city life and movement is everywhere, all under the backdrop of the Opal Mountain in the far horizon. Maleas takes it all in, before, "So lively," he says, "This is Sylica?"
"Yes. It used to be called Triel's Furnace, it was a gauntlet set up for the brave of Ysgard to pit themselves against for an unknown reward. Alicia and Syala were the first to ever defeat it, and they made it into what you see now," Marie explains with some pride on behalf of her goddess.
"The Furnace?" Maleas turns, a look, "I thought that was impossible to defeat. I heard and read stories of it, and all said that no one could manage it. That even the stars themselves would fight against any who made it that far."
"Oh, you're well learned, most people died in the desert long before getting that far," Marie compliments him. "Apparently it was quite an ordeal, with dragons and all sorts to fight while dying of thirst and exposure."
"Incredible," Maleas agrees, "However was it won? No one I heard of even know how to win it, should you survive long enough."
He's really into this story! Shame Marie wasn't around for it. "I'm not sure I could do the tale true justice, but it was a trial of perseverance and strength with a lot of fighting against the stars at the end, but the final challenge was simply to master the furnace. And that's what led to the verdant and lively place you see before you; the desert made to bloom."
"Tell me then, do the bards here sing of that story?" Maleas asks, "I would spare the time to hear it, if they are."
It's a shame Syala never stuck around after he woke up, she could really wow him with a firsthand account. "There's a few actually. Try asking for A Cold Furnace's Comfort. It's a bit embellished for the romance but it's my favourite to listen to," Marie recommends.
"A lovely name." Maleas considers, "The only thing that may make it lovelier is if you came with me, Marielle." He smiles then, "I'd like to treat you for your kindness."
Good to know he's not scared of otherworldly beautiful women after his experiences! "Treat me with the money I just gave you?" she asks with an impish smile. "Just so you know, I am married."
Maleas doesn't miss a beat, "Then I'll extend an invitation to husband as well. He must be a lucky man."
Okay seriously guy take a hint. "She," Marie corrects. "But this is where we must part ways. Good fortune in your journey and give my love to Queen Morwel when you reach the Court of Stars."
A nod to that, accepted without complaint. "Thank you again," He offers, gone.
Alas poor Marielle, your undoing is your suitors, smitten by your beauty.
Marie waves him off and wishes him luck before she returns inside, praying back to Antenora about how the nurse fantasy is a common one.
As Marie goes back, meanwhile...
Ready to switch back to Alicia?
Yep.
New topic then.