01.003b - "Bismark & the priest of Helm"

Before finding a spot to lay down and rest for the night, Bismark walked over and finds the priest that they rescued and starts talking to him. Squinting as he neared him, Bismark stopped, pulling the medallion out of his pocket again. Looking back and forth between it and the priest, he clutched it tight as he walked over to talk to him. “You’re... a priest of Helm?” Bismark asked.

The cleric looked exhausted, drained from the stress of keeping everyone calm during the siege on the sanctuary and the healing he provided to the heroes once the enemy and the dragon had left. The half-elf, with very strong human characteristics, identified himself as Eadyan Falconmoon. "Aye, I am a follower of The Vigilant One."

Bismark Continued, “I have to tell you something. My old teacher was a follower of Helm. Before I left Baldur's Gate, he gave me this medallion and blessed me, praying that Helm would protect me.” Bismark opened his hand and showed him the medallion.“Now, I had never really been much of a follower of any deity, but i guess out of superstition or sentiment I held on to this thing."

“Well today, when we were defending this keep from the kobolds and drakes, I ran forward to kill the acolyte that I thought was the leader of the group. As he fell, the drake was leaping over him and tore into me pretty bad. I went down. I was dying, and I blacked out. After I blacked out though, I had this vision of Helm - well, I can only assume it was him, as he was huge, heavily armored and had this symbol emblazoned on several places." Bismark held up the medallion again.

"He reached down and picked me back up to me feet and said “You will be my guard and protector for these people. You will be their shield”, and then as quick as a dragon on gold, I was awake again, laying in the keep in the middle of that fight."

“I should be dead, but Helm protected me in that fight today. I know it, and he has called me to be an instrument of his here in Faerun. So then we saved your sanctuary, and I was shocked to see the door open and you be standing there in your garb. So... priest of Helm… I ask you to teach me his ways, and I dedicate my shield, my sword, and myself to his service here today.”

Bismark knelt in front of Eadyan, who placed his hand on his head and corrected him. "Guardians do not kneel when there are enemies about. ALWAYS be vigilant, my son." Pulling Bismark to his feet, he looked him up and down. "The only thing I can teach you is to look within yourself." He paused, a expression on his face, "Be prepared to protect those who can not protect themselves and to be there to heal your fellow warriors in battle, so that they may continue to fight for those weaker than they. Tell me, did your teacher ever tell you about Watchers of the Fallen? The fellowship of battlefield healers who felt the call of Helm... I believe I may have some journals written about and by them . . ."

back on his feet, Bismark listened to the priest's charge. "He never mentioned the watchers of the fallen. My mentor was past his prime fighting years when he taught me, and so might have known of them in his past, but it never came up. He primarily taught me to handle the blade and shield, but maybe there was more to him than I knew. I would be quite interested in seeing those journals, sir."

Able piped up from across the courtyard, "A toast to Helm!", gesturing emphatically with the sloshing remnants of the Eau du Ditch. "May he steal the free will of many more rubes this day! Hang on, hang on." Able staggered to his feet, his left foot seeming to have a mind of it's own. "Where's Rainbow Prettyface? He needs to see this."

Blak turned to Able, telling him "I think he went into the keep to wind down."

"Thanks" Able replied, staggering towards Leofinas' room.