Wherein Lothar Runs Afoul of a Hippie

by Floyd Fiftynames,

Licensed Bard

Above the church in the little town that Ajanni discovered that night, the symbol of Regius had been obscured with pitch, and Lothar was feeling the need to repay his faith for the generosity of revelation he had received in the presence of Raina and Father Fhaerris, so he took down the symbol, took it to the smithee, and brought it back cleaned and polished by his own hand. 

It was to his dismay then, to discover his efforts were not appreciated by Baldwin, the spiritual master and de facto leader of the town. The barbarian studied the visage of this man, his charming smile, his easy grace, but his wickedness was not in his features or his gait. It was in his hands, soft like a prince's - lacking evidence of a day's work. There were no scars, no callouses. There was hardly dirt beneath his fingernails. Whatever this man had, he had not come to it honestly. 

Still, our brawny hero felt this man deserved the benefit of the doubt, no matter how unsavory he was. He had seen Riordan adorn himself in finery through the power of magic, and so knew that things were not always just as they seemed. Even as he could sense the wickedness beneath, Lothar could not bring Baldwin low on mere suspicion. 

So when hard proof was presented, and the enormity of Baldwin's crimes made plain, Lothar thought he would take great satisfaction in destroying him. Unfortunately, it was not to be that day, and so it was that Lothar was introduced to an enemy of longer term.

FF