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Kingmaker: Stormvale
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<blockquote data-quote="atraiyu47" data-source="post: 6059274" data-attributes="member: 41365"><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Stolen Land: Part <span style="font-size: 12px">2</span></span></strong></p><p></p><p>[h=2]<span style="font-size: 18px"><strong>Meric</strong></span>[/h] </p><p></p><p>Meric could at last see Oleg’s off in the distance. He was eager to conclude their business here quickly so that they could immediately ride south for the keep controlled by this ‘Stag Lord’. This man was all that stood between Meric and a kingdom and nothing would stop him now.</p><p></p><p></p><p> That was when the sending came upon him. Words projected into his mind by a distant spellcaster. He vaguely recognized it as originating from a priest from the temple of Pelor in Restov whom he had met once or twice. The message caused his blood to run cold.</p><p></p><p></p><p> <strong>Merric it’s Brook</strong></p><p><strong>Please return home</strong></p><p><strong>Everyone is dead except me</strong></p><p><strong>I’m so scared please hurry</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p> His sister Brook was the only member of his family whom he still had any contact with since his father had cast him out. Could this be a trick? An enemy trying to draw him out into the open? He thought of Brook, and decided he had to risk it. He made his reply quietly as to not draw the attention of the others.</p><p></p><p></p><p> <strong>On my way</strong></p><p><strong>Be calm</strong></p><p><strong>we will have vengeance</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p></p><p> He considered whether or not he could trust his new companions enough to ask for their help in this matter. They were formidable, and he didn’t know what dangers he faced on his return to Restov. He didn’t need to tell them everything. Just that he had received a sending and that his sister was in danger. He hoped they would not press him for more information.</p><p></p><p></p><p> They did not. They rode swiftly to Restov after a brief stop at the trading post to return the Leveton’s goods and leave their two prisoners under guard. It was the longest ride of Meric’s life.</p><p></p><p></p><p> His family’s was a modest home outside the walls of the city. Even now it bothered him that his childhood was spent here in hiding instead of ruling from the finest palaces in all of Golarion. As they approached the door, Meric could see his father in his mind, standing at the entrancing screaming for him to leave before his ‘taint’ infected his other children. His father was a stupid man.</p><p></p><p></p><p> It was late, and the house seemed dark. The whole trip Meric had hoped this was some kind of trick. That when he arrived he would find everyone alive and well going about their normal routines. But the house was so dark. He opened the door and cast light on his sword. He had done his best to hide his spell casting from the group, but it had not taken them long to figure out that he was no fighter. There was no point in keeping up pretenses now.</p><p></p><p></p><p> He found no trace of any of his family. “Meric. Over here.” Siv called out to him. As he approached her she looked down at the floor. Meric could see the stain of dried blood covering a large area. Too much for a person to spare and survive. “There are others.” Siv spoke softly. Meric looked across the room and saw two more dried puddles of blood, one for each his father, mother and brother.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Asta looked as though she was going to be sick. Meric’s blood burned like hellfire.</p><p></p><p></p><p> “Where is your sister?” Dante added as tactfully as he could. Meric had almost forgotten. “She’s probably still at the temple of Pelor. We should go quickly.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> Brook was sitting in one of the front pews, sobbing uncontrollably when he arrived. He embraced her, and the two of them sat in silence holding each other. Dante, Siv and Asta all waited at the rear of the temple. Eventually Brook gained enough composure to speak.</p><p></p><p></p><p> “I had snuck out during the night. When I returned…they were all dead. Blood was everywhere.” Meric struggled to contain his rage but did for his sister’s sake. She continued. “I fled immediately. I didn’t even call the city watch. Whoever killed them must have intended to kill me as well. I ran straight here and contacted you.” Smart girl. If Cheliax had sent assassins, their orders were surely to kill the entire family. Meric knew his name was surely on their list as well. He had so many questions, but he couldn’t burden her with them all of them now.</p><p></p><p></p><p> “Who moved their bodies? We went to the house and they were gone.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> “The high priest of the temple here, the one who sent the sending. I had to tell him what happened in order for him to send the message. After he was done he asked me who our family worshipped and made arrangements to have their bodies brought to a shrine of Aroden that still exists in the city. He didn’t tell anyone I was here.” Brook’s lip began to quiver. “I thought that’s where Mother and Father would want to be brought. I was too afraid to go see them.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> “You were right not to. You did everything right Brook. None of this is your fault. Let’s go to the shrine now. We won’t be able to stay for the burial, but we should go see them.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> He hardly recognized his father. It had been years since he had seen him, and he had grown old and fat. His Mother hadn’t changed a bit. His younger brother Nikolai was the hardest to see. He was only twelve and had grown so much since Meric had last seen him. Each had their throat slit. It was clearly the work of a professional assassin.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Asta stepped forward and asked the question that he knew would come sooner or later. “Who would want your family dead? Do you have enemies Meric?”</p><p></p><p></p><p> He and Brook looked in each other’s eyes, pondering the same question without saying a word. Their entire lives there was one rule. Do not tell ANYONE who you really are. It had been drilled into them since they were small. Neither was sure now was the time to break that rule.</p><p></p><p></p><p> “I can’t say with certainty who did this. We should investigate near the house. Someone might have seen something.” He hadn’t really answered her question, but she did not press him on it. For that he was grateful.</p><p></p><p></p><p> It did not surprise Meric greatly when their inquiries yielded nothing but people who claimed to have seen nothing. He was about to give up when Siv approached.</p><p></p><p></p><p> “There is a small boy over there who hasn’t taken his eyes off us since we arrived and started asking questions. In my experience, children usually notice when something is out of place.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> It was better than any lead Meric had gotten. “Let’s see what we can glean from this boy.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> The boy did not feel talkative. Asta, Siv and Dante tried everything including bribing him with candy, but he said not a word. Meric grew tired of this. The boy was clearly traumatized by what he saw. Even if he began to talk, he might burst into tears while recalling the incident. Meric cast a Charm spell on him.</p><p></p><p></p><p> This did not escape either Asta’s or Siv’s notice.</p><p></p><p></p><p> The boy began talking. He had seen a man leaving the house that night. He wore red, and carried two curved blades that he said ‘looked like teeth’. A chill came over Meric who looked at his companions. From Asta’s expression, it seemed she came to the same conclusion he did. This was far worse than he feared. Why in the nine hells would his cousin contract the Red Mantis? It was like using a trebuchet to kill a mouse.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Meric purchased a horse for Brook along with a bed roll and some other provisions she would need. He was afraid to let her out of his sight. She would have to travel with them. The Mantis were relentless. Once you were marked they did not stop until you were dead. And even then, they kept tabs on you. Should you be restored to life by magical means, they returned to deliver you back into death’s arms. For the first time in his adult life, Meric was genuinely afraid. As they made their way back to the Greenbelt, Meric knew he had to come clean with the others. Their lives were in enormous jeopardy by helping him. They rode at a slow pace all packed together so they could hear him speak.</p><p> </p><p>“My real name is not Thorn. It’s Thrune.” By their reactions, Siv and Asta immediately grasped what this meant. Dante seemed not to. “My grandfather was Almeric Thrune, the leader of house Thrune of Cheliax. After the death of Aroden, Celiax fell into disarray. There was thirty years of civil war and chaos. Over the years, my grandfather had been making alliances amongst the other houses and eventually gained enough support to claim the throne. There was peace in Cheliax for the first time in decades. But it did not last long. His sister Abrogail was an infernalist. She conspired with devils and with their help, launch an all-out assault on my grandfather and his allies. They were no match for infernal armies and magic. My grandfather was forced to flee and go into hiding. He came to Brevoy and changed his name to Thorn.</p><p></p><p></p><p> Asta looked at Meric’s sigil. It was a wagon wheel with thorns growing through it. She suddenly understood it’s significance. “So let’s get this straight…you’re the rightful king of Cheliax?”</p><p></p><p> </p><p>Suddenly Dante grasped the magnitude of what was happening and his jaw fell slack. Brook looked concerned. As if this secret that she had kept her whole life was now loose and could kill her at any moment.</p><p></p><p> </p><p>Meric nodded in response to Asta. “My cousin must have found us. She must consider us a threat to the legitimacy of her rule. The assassin…you should all know that I believe he was Red Mantis. We are in enormous danger. They have spies everywhere and will not stop until Brook and I are dead. I would understand if you did not want to travel with us anymore.”</p><p></p><p> </p><p>Asta pondered this for a moment before asking a question. “Just to be clear, your side of the family, doesn’t support using devils right?”</p><p></p><p> </p><p>“We despise them. I want nothing more than to see them driven from my homeland.”</p><p></p><p></p><p> The rest of the ride was mostly silent.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="atraiyu47, post: 6059274, member: 41365"] [B][SIZE=3]Stolen Land: Part [SIZE=3]2[/SIZE][/SIZE][/B] [h=2][SIZE=5][B]Meric[/B][/SIZE][/h] Meric could at last see Oleg’s off in the distance. He was eager to conclude their business here quickly so that they could immediately ride south for the keep controlled by this ‘Stag Lord’. This man was all that stood between Meric and a kingdom and nothing would stop him now. That was when the sending came upon him. Words projected into his mind by a distant spellcaster. He vaguely recognized it as originating from a priest from the temple of Pelor in Restov whom he had met once or twice. The message caused his blood to run cold. [B]Merric it’s Brook[/B] [B]Please return home[/B] [B]Everyone is dead except me[/B] [B]I’m so scared please hurry [/B] His sister Brook was the only member of his family whom he still had any contact with since his father had cast him out. Could this be a trick? An enemy trying to draw him out into the open? He thought of Brook, and decided he had to risk it. He made his reply quietly as to not draw the attention of the others. [B]On my way[/B] [B]Be calm[/B] [B]we will have vengeance [/B] He considered whether or not he could trust his new companions enough to ask for their help in this matter. They were formidable, and he didn’t know what dangers he faced on his return to Restov. He didn’t need to tell them everything. Just that he had received a sending and that his sister was in danger. He hoped they would not press him for more information. They did not. They rode swiftly to Restov after a brief stop at the trading post to return the Leveton’s goods and leave their two prisoners under guard. It was the longest ride of Meric’s life. His family’s was a modest home outside the walls of the city. Even now it bothered him that his childhood was spent here in hiding instead of ruling from the finest palaces in all of Golarion. As they approached the door, Meric could see his father in his mind, standing at the entrancing screaming for him to leave before his ‘taint’ infected his other children. His father was a stupid man. It was late, and the house seemed dark. The whole trip Meric had hoped this was some kind of trick. That when he arrived he would find everyone alive and well going about their normal routines. But the house was so dark. He opened the door and cast light on his sword. He had done his best to hide his spell casting from the group, but it had not taken them long to figure out that he was no fighter. There was no point in keeping up pretenses now. He found no trace of any of his family. “Meric. Over here.” Siv called out to him. As he approached her she looked down at the floor. Meric could see the stain of dried blood covering a large area. Too much for a person to spare and survive. “There are others.” Siv spoke softly. Meric looked across the room and saw two more dried puddles of blood, one for each his father, mother and brother. Asta looked as though she was going to be sick. Meric’s blood burned like hellfire. “Where is your sister?” Dante added as tactfully as he could. Meric had almost forgotten. “She’s probably still at the temple of Pelor. We should go quickly.” Brook was sitting in one of the front pews, sobbing uncontrollably when he arrived. He embraced her, and the two of them sat in silence holding each other. Dante, Siv and Asta all waited at the rear of the temple. Eventually Brook gained enough composure to speak. “I had snuck out during the night. When I returned…they were all dead. Blood was everywhere.” Meric struggled to contain his rage but did for his sister’s sake. She continued. “I fled immediately. I didn’t even call the city watch. Whoever killed them must have intended to kill me as well. I ran straight here and contacted you.” Smart girl. If Cheliax had sent assassins, their orders were surely to kill the entire family. Meric knew his name was surely on their list as well. He had so many questions, but he couldn’t burden her with them all of them now. “Who moved their bodies? We went to the house and they were gone.” “The high priest of the temple here, the one who sent the sending. I had to tell him what happened in order for him to send the message. After he was done he asked me who our family worshipped and made arrangements to have their bodies brought to a shrine of Aroden that still exists in the city. He didn’t tell anyone I was here.” Brook’s lip began to quiver. “I thought that’s where Mother and Father would want to be brought. I was too afraid to go see them.” “You were right not to. You did everything right Brook. None of this is your fault. Let’s go to the shrine now. We won’t be able to stay for the burial, but we should go see them.” He hardly recognized his father. It had been years since he had seen him, and he had grown old and fat. His Mother hadn’t changed a bit. His younger brother Nikolai was the hardest to see. He was only twelve and had grown so much since Meric had last seen him. Each had their throat slit. It was clearly the work of a professional assassin. Asta stepped forward and asked the question that he knew would come sooner or later. “Who would want your family dead? Do you have enemies Meric?” He and Brook looked in each other’s eyes, pondering the same question without saying a word. Their entire lives there was one rule. Do not tell ANYONE who you really are. It had been drilled into them since they were small. Neither was sure now was the time to break that rule. “I can’t say with certainty who did this. We should investigate near the house. Someone might have seen something.” He hadn’t really answered her question, but she did not press him on it. For that he was grateful. It did not surprise Meric greatly when their inquiries yielded nothing but people who claimed to have seen nothing. He was about to give up when Siv approached. “There is a small boy over there who hasn’t taken his eyes off us since we arrived and started asking questions. In my experience, children usually notice when something is out of place.” It was better than any lead Meric had gotten. “Let’s see what we can glean from this boy.” The boy did not feel talkative. Asta, Siv and Dante tried everything including bribing him with candy, but he said not a word. Meric grew tired of this. The boy was clearly traumatized by what he saw. Even if he began to talk, he might burst into tears while recalling the incident. Meric cast a Charm spell on him. This did not escape either Asta’s or Siv’s notice. The boy began talking. He had seen a man leaving the house that night. He wore red, and carried two curved blades that he said ‘looked like teeth’. A chill came over Meric who looked at his companions. From Asta’s expression, it seemed she came to the same conclusion he did. This was far worse than he feared. Why in the nine hells would his cousin contract the Red Mantis? It was like using a trebuchet to kill a mouse. Meric purchased a horse for Brook along with a bed roll and some other provisions she would need. He was afraid to let her out of his sight. She would have to travel with them. The Mantis were relentless. Once you were marked they did not stop until you were dead. And even then, they kept tabs on you. Should you be restored to life by magical means, they returned to deliver you back into death’s arms. For the first time in his adult life, Meric was genuinely afraid. As they made their way back to the Greenbelt, Meric knew he had to come clean with the others. Their lives were in enormous jeopardy by helping him. They rode at a slow pace all packed together so they could hear him speak. “My real name is not Thorn. It’s Thrune.” By their reactions, Siv and Asta immediately grasped what this meant. Dante seemed not to. “My grandfather was Almeric Thrune, the leader of house Thrune of Cheliax. After the death of Aroden, Celiax fell into disarray. There was thirty years of civil war and chaos. Over the years, my grandfather had been making alliances amongst the other houses and eventually gained enough support to claim the throne. There was peace in Cheliax for the first time in decades. But it did not last long. His sister Abrogail was an infernalist. She conspired with devils and with their help, launch an all-out assault on my grandfather and his allies. They were no match for infernal armies and magic. My grandfather was forced to flee and go into hiding. He came to Brevoy and changed his name to Thorn. Asta looked at Meric’s sigil. It was a wagon wheel with thorns growing through it. She suddenly understood it’s significance. “So let’s get this straight…you’re the rightful king of Cheliax?” Suddenly Dante grasped the magnitude of what was happening and his jaw fell slack. Brook looked concerned. As if this secret that she had kept her whole life was now loose and could kill her at any moment. Meric nodded in response to Asta. “My cousin must have found us. She must consider us a threat to the legitimacy of her rule. The assassin…you should all know that I believe he was Red Mantis. We are in enormous danger. They have spies everywhere and will not stop until Brook and I are dead. I would understand if you did not want to travel with us anymore.” Asta pondered this for a moment before asking a question. “Just to be clear, your side of the family, doesn’t support using devils right?” “We despise them. I want nothing more than to see them driven from my homeland.” The rest of the ride was mostly silent. [/QUOTE]
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