@wovenmidnight
____
Why restrict yourself to one god when you could worship all of them?
That was certainly what the architects of the Stormshore Tabernacle thought. Ashen was not terribly on board with the idea. Some days, it was very difficult to accept some worshippers' requests, but his devotion to his duty was stronger than his hatred of certain gods. The latest incident of that kind was a Lolth follower complaining that her prayer did not have any effect. The Helm cleric had to practice incredible restraint not to answer "You should rather be glad she did not notice you".
Of course, he would have preferred if he were back in Elturel and became one of the many clerics of Helm's Shieldhall, the grandiose place of worship erected to the Watcher. Unfortunately, this was not an option. He was well aware that other Elturian refugees like him were not granted access to Baldur's Gate, and that his work as a cleric alone saved him. He was in no place to choose his fate.
Dressed in his ivory clergy robes and stole, Ashen was reading a theology book when a wizard entered the Tabernacle, asking him courteously where was it that he could worship Mystra. Uncertain of how the young man somehow missed the large statue of her that stood near him, he guided him near the goddess' effigy and started to recite with him:
"Hallowed Lady, Mother Mystra, I speak my faith and devotion into your Weave..."
Pleased with having shown his respects to the mother of all magic, the worshipper was gone as fast as he had entered the building, leaving Ashen once again alone with his thoughts, in the silence of the temple.
It turned out that his current thought, at the moment, was spoken aloud after eyeing the statues surrounding the main altar:
"How amusing that the Great Guard's statue was placed right in front of Mystra's."
The thought would be his alone, for no one was listening, after all.









