Knock's Argument Of The Forms

Beshaba,

Hail thee, Lady Doom, bringer of ill omen and the one who makes Knock gawk with shock at a croc.

I am unable to tell lately whether my work on the Savage Frontier matters to You at all except to keep you amused. I hate to share such a sad thought with You after all of the work You have done for me, but it is the honest truth of the matter. In the manner of your priests’ instruction, I shall present my argument using The Forms.

**The Basilisk Den**

Argument: You aspire to erase my hard work

Evidence: A massive crowd of petrified animals and people 30 miles west of Hope, then 6 miles south-southwest

Appeal: It was hard to focus on anything when we saw what **Teres** first believed to be statues. A *basilisk*, my love? On these innocent people? The only explanation is clear: you thought the balance we brought by removing the lizardfolk had to be counteracted.

Query: Why am I here, my love, if You simply seek to counteract everything I do?

**The Leech Spitter**

Argument: You mock me

Evidence: Another set of giant leeches

Appeal: I could not have been more clear, Beshaba, how much I *hated* these last time. They almost killed Hector last time, and this time, they almost killed *me.* My attempt to *toll the dead* hardly affected the smallest of them. It was only through the fast work of those gnomes - I can’t remember whether it was **Gimble** or **Bimble** who used all of those *firebolts* - and the quick defense of the barbarian **Ghargh** that I was safe at all.

Query: Is it funny to You to humiliate me?

**Kaijitsu’s Blossom**

Argument: You seek to isolate me from my friends and leave me with no one but You

Evidence: The undead crew of the Kaijitsu’s Blossom, the ruined Shibai ship found 48 miles downriver

Appeal: Okay, I get it. Every patron deity presents challenges for their beloved. But the outing at the ship was so disastrous that I can only place the blame upon you. Each and every member of our seven-person party, other than me and **Astra**, were paralyzed with fear by the mummified captain of the ship. Even she was so afraid of it that she could approach no closer, though her bullets were no less impactful from far away.

So you left it to me to deal with them all. A challenge, to be sure, was what I thought when I first drew your sigil and turned nearly the entire crew away. But then the *guiding bolt* debacle. It was as though you didn’t even want me to defeat the mummy. As though You wanted it to sweep them all away, leaving me alone. Alone with You.

Query: Was Your last laugh at the whole situation to leave not a single item of treasure on the boat?

**The Cave**

Argument: If You can’t have me to Yourself, You seek to kill me

Evidence: An army of skeletons and a giant *fucking* crocodile

Appeal: To beset me with an even-more-powerful group of undead *after* You had removed my ability to Channel your Divinity was needlessly cruel. And I heard You whispering in my ear to give everyone the Eyes of Night. Was it so **Astra** would see the beast? So she, the *only* one who could attack it, would draw it out to destroy us?

We barely escaped the creature’s den with our lives, and those gnomish machines paid the price.

Horrifying to think what could have happened.

Query: Why would you do this to me?

**Summation and Final Assertion**

At every turn, You have seeked to harm or humiliate me or my friends.

**Request**

I will not forget You just because there are others I care about. All I ask is that You remember why I am here: to bring *balance*. I know I cannot make everything perfect. Just please… try not to make it harder. Jealousy does not become You.

Knock