A Matter of Faith - part II

Aug 11, 2025 8:28 pm

Thea

Boudica and Miyana
Thea smiles thinly when Boudica acknowledges her idea. She picks up her hairbrush and starts working her hair as she asks the next question on her mind:
"Who is this Moryana you spoke of? You said she could talk with mice??"

Aug 11, 2025 10:30 pm

Realizing she had not explained, she replies, "Moryana is a girl we saved from some hags in the forest. They were raising her and, eventually, they planned to transform her into one of their kind. We destroyed the hags and brought her back here and set her up with a Traladaran family. She needs to learn what it means to live among humans, having been raised by fey."

She looks to Miyana and adds, "it occurred to me that, perhaps, we did not fully kill one of the hag women and the murder of the child was her revenge upon us, trying to sow discord and strife among our people. And if there is another hag we do not know of, perhaps she is also responsible for some of the other travails we have encountered. Indeed, I might even suspect Moryana, but she was with us the entire time when the child was slain."

Thea

Aug 12, 2025 4:12 am

Thea

"If you suspect Moryana, then maybe she set us off on a wild goose chase. You said she has been raised by Hags, so she probably knew tales about the creature Sirila was talking about from before"
she sighed softly to herself "I never realized adventuring would be so...complicated. I thought it would be more me stabbing bad people with my sword...."

Aug 12, 2025 6:30 am

WhiteDwarf Inactive for 19 days

Boudica nods in agreement. She says, " indeed. Our first adventure was straightforward in just the way you mean, and I miss it. But we don’t get to decide the world that meets us when we walk out our door every morning. Our choice is what to do when we find it there, waiting for us."

Aug 12, 2025 12:55 pm

Will rejoins his companions. Spiritual thoughts whirling around in war-minded head, as perhaps our fightery fellow offers little more than further complication.

The spirit spoke with me. The beast men are gathering in the woodlands. An army must be gathered to defend the realm. I am considering posting a bulletin soliciting persons at arms to help investigate.

Will bows kindly to Thea. Glad you joined us.

Thea

Aug 12, 2025 5:28 pm

Thea

*********

You gather the next morning over another plain, and cold, breakfast. Will joined up with the rest of you, and his warning drew Thea's attention:

"what spirit?" She seems a bit cautious "And do you mean goblins? I remember someone from the archeological society telling me that the mythical Beastmen were nothing but goblins and hobgoblins... Maybe that is why we are seeing more attacks along he Duke's road?'

Darius Guillroy

Aug 12, 2025 5:31 pm

WhiteDwarf Inactive for 19 days

Speaking of the ' archeological society' , the man who sits over a bowl of porridge at the corner of the room looks oddly familiar. He tries eating as fast as he can, while keeping his head low and his eyes on his bowl.

Aug 12, 2025 7:43 pm

WanderOne Inactive for 20 days

I dunno if you’ve ever heard of a messianic secret, Will replies to Thea.

Truth is, Thea, I am Halav. Or, he’s me. Both are true, I think. Anyway, I’ve been given a divine purpose. There are beast men gathering, and I need to gather forces together to face them, before it’s too late.

I’m sure it sounds outlandish, right? But, well…my friends and I also fought against evil witches who used magic against us, and are pondering the possibility of a man being framed by a doppelgänger. So there’s also all of that.

I dunno that I should include all that on the bulletin, though.

Last edited August 12, 2025 7:45 pm

Aug 12, 2025 11:55 pm

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3c/01/91/3c0191fa0132070fc71b256d7c9168a2.jpg

Arrived Barns informs all, "I would fear that a mythological creature known only as evil 'Nosferatu' may be afoot for such happenings. They are said to be quite dangerous and difficult to discern. The strange situation here is something right up there alley to be behind."

Last edited August 12, 2025 11:59 pm

Aug 13, 2025 1:26 am

WhtKnt Inactive for 19 days

Boudica enters the room and looks over to see none other than Darius Guillroy! She alerts her companions to pay attention and approaches him. She stands on the far side of his table, arms crossed, and speak, her voice stern and commanding.

"Darius Guillroy! I spoke to the members of the Archaeological Society in Specularum and do you know what they told me? They told me that you are NOT a member! And when I described how you behaved when you hired us to help you find the tomb, they were appalled! You, sir, are nothing more than a liar and a grave robber, coming to Traladaran land to steal our historical artifacts under false pretenses, for your own profit! You scoundrel, I would strike you down were it not frowned upon by my Faith! How dare you show your face! Why are you here?"

Miyana Dradov

Aug 13, 2025 2:06 am

"It is not frowned upon by my faith," Miyana suggests casually, glancing meaningfully in Darius' direction.

Thea

Aug 13, 2025 5:00 am

Thea

Somehow, Thea managed to keep a straight face. She heard stories like this before. It was a common folk-illness, born from the old tales that the mythical King would return one day. Poor Will was hardly the first man in history claiming to be Halav...

She looked towards the others, expecting at least one of them to call this madness out. Surely there were trained professionals who could help him, and they certainly shouldn't be indulging him.

But Miyana and Boudica were already gone, off to talk with that stranger..

She suppressed a sigh, rolled her eyes faintly, then turned back to Will. She offered him a small, nervous smile, and then took a slight step back.

And then another.

Jorgen

Aug 13, 2025 5:02 am

Jorgen

"what's 'Nosfeeatu'?"

The ever vigilant warrior was always interested in hearing about new threats to worry about. He looked at Barns with piercing gaze as he waited for him to answer.

Darius Guillroy

Aug 13, 2025 5:22 am

WanderOne Inactive for 20 days

Darius froze for a heartbeat, then slowly lifted his head, his lips curving into a charming smile.

"Good morning to you too."

He didn’t bother to deny or confirm a single accusation, knowing there was no point to it . "I’m merely here to eat breakfast," he went on "but if I recall correctly, you and your friends are the ones who walked away from that tomb with a rather beautiful sword, while I left with nothing. One might say you were the grave robbers, not me."

He shrugged lightly . "Still, I’m willing to forgive you for leaving me empty-handed." He gave a short nod at the empty bench in front of him "Care to sit? I’ve got another business venture we could discuss, if you’re interested."

Aug 13, 2025 5:24 am

"It is a Traladaran superstition. They say that these are the dead who rise again to prey upon the living. That they feed only on blood. Living in secret, Indistinguishable from ordinary men. To capture one is something that I seek to do, but is incredibly difficult. I would say."

He add on, "They may change shape to hide themselves."

Last edited August 13, 2025 5:29 am

Aug 14, 2025 1:08 am

WhtKnt Inactive for 19 days

Boudica narrows her eyes and scowls at Darius. She says, "What trouble are you up to now?"

Miyana Dradov

Aug 14, 2025 3:31 am

"It isn't grave robbing if the item is gifted to you," Miyana shoots back. And in Will's deluded state, he might actually think that the damned sword belongs to him!

Jorgen

Aug 14, 2025 3:52 am

Jorgen

"Bloody hell with all those 'Traladaran superstitions!!!' - each one of them is worse then the last! Shapeshifting murderers, undead that prey on the living, rabid werewolves in the woods...". Jorgen finally snaps. He could go on and on, but Barns got the drift of it "Great. So now I need to worry whether anyone I meet is secretly a blood-drinking monstrosity???

Darius Guillroy

Aug 14, 2025 4:12 am

WhtKnt Inactive for 19 days

"'Gifted', of course.." Darius doesn't buy Miyana's story, probably because he would be trying to sell her the same one if she ever accused him of grave robbing.

"Anyways, I've been thinking a lot about Mistamere castle lately. You know, the old haunted ruins way up north? There had to be a reason they built it there, so far away from any major settlement. It got me thinking....maybe it was there to protect something valuable?'. He looks at both women, to check their reaction "so I did some research. I believe there is an old mine there, abondoned during the Traladaran Dark Age. If we could find it....I'll be rich beyond my wildest dreams!!!". He stops to correct himself. "We. I mean 'we'"

Miyana Dradov

Aug 14, 2025 4:30 am