Editing Midnight RPG - Chapter 16.28 (section)

== Andrew / Durgaz ==

''Durgaz walks in silence for several minutes before responding.''

"I respect your opinion, Kyuad. You are much more knowledgeable than I am, and not only where it concerns magic. To tell the truth, I had not noticed any change in your appearance; if you are any paler than you were before, the difference was not great enough for me to notice. I don't know what condition you might be speaking of, but I doubt it's my concern. I have had only one quarrel with you, and I will not hold that against you, because I know why you did it. I think you made a dangerous mistake, but I might have done the same thing in your position.

"And you may be right about Zal'Kazzir's goals being no more complex than a lust for power. I will say that back in the Spire, he once told me some of his reasons he wished to join us, and his motivation seemed honorable ... but perhaps he was just telling me what he thought I wanted to hear. It makes no difference either way, as any intentions he might or might not have once had have now been overshadowed by his actions."

"You are probably also correct about his ... 'talents' ... being the only hope we have of achieving a non-violent encounter with agents of the Shadow. Though that may be true, I think it is in our best interest to avoid such encounters ... ANY encounters, violent or not ... whenever possible. Certainly not to actively seek them out, as he has done. That is the key to our continued survival. I think the rest of us understand that."

"So I will listen to your judgement. I would like to hear, however, your thoughts on HOW we can ... your words ... 'hold power over him and his actions.' He seems to care very little for our opinion, and as such mere disapproval has so far accomplished nothing. We cannot keep all of our plans from him, or he will have no stake at all in seeing them accomplished. I also think you are forgetting that if he wanted to, he could very easily enslave us all with his magics,and there is very little we could do about it. I don't know anything about sorcery, but I assume that whatever dark power he insists on playing with will only make him stronger and more dangerous, even as it makes him more reckless and susceptible to the Shadow's influence. That is not a good combination."

"I don't care for his creature, either. I do not think it serves Vrolk ... from what I have seen in my visions, he did not much care for it ... but it asks too many questions, and seems to know too much already, for our comfort. I don't know what Zal'Kazzir did when he 'bound' it to him, or 'set it free', or whatever he did. Just another reckless, ego-serving act performed with no thought of the consequences, like everything else he does.

"As for Shadaar ... he is your project. I will not judge him, for as I said before, he did not choose to become what he is; that fate could befall any of us, after all. If you believe you can save him, or at least prevent him from becoming a danger to us, I will fight beside him and show him the same respect I show the rest of you. If you cannot, we will put him out of his misery. I would expect no less, were I in his place."

'''Andrew:''' See, that was exactly what I needed. Kyuad's response is well-reasoned and makes sense, which was what Durgaz needed to hear. The incident at the top of the tower did a lot to curb Durgaz's tendency toward stubbornly sticking to conclusions that he probably reached too hastily in the first place, and he does look to Kyuad as the "smart guy" that he actually trusts. So that will work nicely. Thanks.