Despite Alaric's fierce threats, he ultimately chose to temporarily cooperate with them.
It was hardly surprising that the priests of Lathander did not turn against them immediately, for the adventurers in this gorge were an eclectic mix, including followers of some far from righteous deities. If Alaric were to insist on taking action against Priest Bane right away, it would risk alienating other believers and potentially fracture the unity among the adventurers at a critical moment—an unwise course of action.
Moreover, this area was near Castle Santeel, a stronghold of the Bane Church. While it was easy enough to eliminate a priest of Bane, provoking a significant intervention from his church would yield far greater consequences. Without definitive confirmation that the artifact was indeed in their possession, Alaric had no desire to openly confront Bane's followers; such a conflict would not serve his interests.
Though Lathander and Bane harbored profound animosity towards one another, Alaric and Finn remained wary of each other, united only by their common goal of eliminating the vampires. Thus, they had no choice but to collaborate for the time being.
As for the potential for betrayal once the artifact was secured, that was an entirely different matter: with the artifact in hand, they could swiftly flee, free from the consequences of offending the Church of Bane. Alaric did not disguise his intentions; after all, any notion of an unbreakable alliance between the Dawnbringer and the Dark Lord would likely make even the priests themselves feel nauseated.
For the sake of their mutual goal, they had chosen a temporary coexistence. Nevertheless, Alaric exhibited profound distrust towards their group. As they journeyed onwards, they maintained a significant distance from Alaric and his companions, refusing to heed his commands.
However, the subsequent leg of their journey proved relatively uneventful. With Alaric's arrival, their collective strength had notably increased. The vampires refrained from further attempts to intercept them, likely opting to concentrate their forces for a decisive battle against the Lathander followers in their long-established lair.
Yet, with nightfall approaching, the absence of vampire assaults did not lead the adventurers to lower their guard. Rather than hastening their pace, they sought refuge in a defensible hollow, choosing to rest for the night before continuing their quest. Alaric organized the watch and defensive assignments for their encampment, generously allowing Lynn and the others a designated area to recuperate.
It must be said that the Lathander priest had shown remarkable generosity. His willingness to accommodate Priest Bane indicated that he was indeed considering the larger picture.
However, Lynn and Finn were too preoccupied with their thoughts to offer thanks. As night descended, they convened to deliberate the origins of these vampires.
During the daylight encounters, the vampires revealed a crucial piece of information: they were serving a powerful entity and sought its blessings. Yet, the identity of this entity eluded Lynn's understanding.
Unless the vampires were deliberately lying, the being they served must possess formidable strength and hold a grudge against Lathander. Such deities were not uncommon, for Lathander's position among the righteous gods often placed him at odds with a multitude of evil deities. Pinpointing the exact identity of their adversary was a challenging task. Nevertheless, Lynn had ruled out the possibility that they were followers of the Abyssal lords, significantly narrowing the field of suspects.
Now, it was a matter of calculating the likely foes.
"Who are the enemies of the Dawnbringer? Apart from the Dark Lord, the other two of the Three Gods of Death are also in conflict with him. Additionally, there are the Destroyer and the Goddess of the Night… but are there others?"
"There is also the Lord of the Withered Depths, the god of caves. His following on the surface is minimal, so these vampires cannot possibly be his devotees," Finn replied, demonstrating a better grasp of the deities than Lynn. "Are you suggesting that these vampires are backed by an immensely powerful being, and that this long-lost artifact could be tied to a conflict between this being and the Dawnbringer?"
"Yes, I suspect it may be one of the Three Gods of Death. Although the Night Goddess and the Lord of Storms are formidable, the Night Goddess has more pressing enemies, while the Lord of Storms does not seem the type to invest a century in pursuing a single goal."
Indeed, the Night Goddess Shar had little interest in quarreling with Lathander over trifles; her ambitions were far grander. As for the Lord of Storms, Talos, his impulsive nature would lead him to a more direct approach than spending years searching for a singular treasure.
"You make valid points. However, Dagger Valley is the domain of the Church of the Dark Lord. We need not resort to subterfuge with the vampires, as the church can operate openly. Moreover, the Lord of Murder and the Lord of Bones are allies of our master; they could easily collaborate with him on any plans they have, making such a covert approach rather peculiar."
"Perhaps they intend to keep their plans hidden from the Dark Lord?" Lynn replied, his knowledge of Bhaal and Myrkul limited. He was more familiar with the Lord of the Dark Sun, Shar, who should not yet have been born. "If that is the case, we may be embroiled in an extraordinary affair. We initially came here to deal with mere bandits, and now we find ourselves entangled with the gods."
"Gods are ever-present," Finn remarked softly, before offering a contradictory perspective. "However, I believe you may be overanalyzing the situation. The alliance among the Three Gods is quite solid; when it comes to countering the Dawnbringer, they are in complete agreement. There is no reason for them to conceal anything from our master over a mere artifact; he is not so petty."
"So, you believe the Three Gods of Death are not behind this? Then who could it be?"
"I have an immature theory: have you considered that you might be making a significant error? Why do you assume they are serving some powerful deity? It is entirely possible that this is false; they may not be beholden to any formidable entity at all."
"But they cannot be demons or devils—otherwise, they would not have approached me in that manner."
"Is it not possible that they are entirely unaligned?" Finn proposed. "I am not suggesting they are lying; they are likely speaking the truth. Yet, it is conceivable that they are not followers of a powerful god, but rather adherents of a religion without a god at its core."
"What religion could that possibly be?"
"What about the Cult of the Dragon?" Finn immediately identified the topic.