Bordell's Tales, Chapter 2: Broken Sword

[Jdvn1]

As Xavier realizes the enormity of the situation, his eyes turn to the pieces of the sword. He picks up the hilt and looks for the mark of Griffit, if he indeed made this blade. He then picks up the other piece of the sword and fits it with the other piece, as if to remember what the sword looked like when it was whole.

"You know a lot about Gaile and Theor, do you? Let me tell you this--this was Sir Leopol Stone's sword, given to me." He pauses so that now she can assimilate that information. "What has happened in these nations in the past eight months?"

 

[Velmont]

[SBLOCK=OOC]Just to be sure, this sword was Leopol ones. As his squire, you had maintain it many times, but you've never weild it in combat yet, not even in training.[/SBLOCK]

"Many things. All of these have come to me from travellers, some being refuge going west in hope to find a better land... The world as you knew it is now gone. The peace have been broken, and a new threat seems to have appeared, but unlike the invasions that have strike us long ago, this time, it seems to come from the inside." She sits down on the pillow again and take some times to gather her thought. "In the end of fall, Gaile have been attacked by a force of unkown nature. It was sent from Theor. After some skirmish, it has been establish that this force was led by Leopol Stone. It has been such a shock in the court that the king have declared the order of Crian to be traitor, and he launch an assault on the rock. The siege was maintained for three months. The king was unable to reach it from the coast, and they could only blockade all shipment to the stronghold of the order. The tide around the rock have warded it, as even the best coordinate attack was meant to failure as the tide would quit and leave the boat in the sands or come back and wash away teh man marching toward the castle. But the king of Gaile found a way to launch his attack. His court wizard summoned some force that turn the slaty water of the sea into ice. He has maintain it like that for a full day, enough for the artillery to make a breach in the wall and the army to get in. The order surrender to prevent the death of as many innocent as possible. All knights and squires was gathered and burned for what they have done, as it is rumored that they had used the body of there fallen victim to raise the army that attacked Gaile. And so the order is now dead... or should I say almost?" she tells, looking at your reaction. You know she had her answers just by reading your face.

"As the snow as started to melt, Gaile launched his army against Theor to stop the threat of the dark army. It's been now one month that the war finished, and Theor is no more. It is now a new province of Gaile, but the waste of war, and the rumors of the dark magic that have been made in these lands have decimated the country from his people. A few persons only dare to live there, and that's because they have nowhere else to go. The fallen kinight havn't been found yet, nor has been king Theodor, who have let down his country. Now, the king of Gaile control all the peninsula, and also have put his hand on the treasure of the order and of Theor."

Jade stands up and put some water in a small caldron that she puts on the fire. "Do you want some tea? I have a few leaves left."

 

[Jdvn1]

Xavier does not hide the fact that he is a knight of Crian. "And what did you do before you became reclusive? And what happened to the army of undead? I can assure you it was not Sir Leopol Stone who led that army. Who is the fallen knight you refer to?"

He is visible bothered by the story and shakes his head 'no' to the tea. "Just some water please. I'd like to regain my strength and be on my way as soon as possible. Your hospitality has been most generous, but I cannot overstay my welcome."

 

[Velmont]

"Water, fine, we will have to wait to boiled, teh water is not clean enough in the river to drink it directly." She sits down again. "You won't move from here for a few days. You seems pretty weak, and Snow will wan to see you. Snow is the one who brought me the berries that fed you during all these months."

"You seems pretty sure of you that the fallen knight isn't Leopol Stone. As I told you, these information come from the travellers that cross my path, or from Snow. All have the same version, and tells it is Leopol Stone, but rumors can spread and live more longer than the truth. I answered your questions, so before I speak of me, I would like to know more about the man I have taken care for eight month. Who are you? Where come you from? What do you plan to do next, once you have recover... and... how did you get that sword?"

 

[Jdvn1]

"Well, it might be his body." He looks around and figures he does not have much choice but to stay for a while. "I suppose I'll take some tea a little later. Who is this Snow?" Xavier puts the pieces of the sword back on the ground.

"My name is Sir Xavier Bordell, Knight of Crian... apparently the last. I suppose I should not let that be common knowledge, then? Obviously, I am from Gaile, where the Order of Crian used to be. I was squired to Sir Leopol Stone, and was his last squire. Stone, Kriegspire, and Ironshield, and I were sent to Theor to help their kingdom with the attacks they had... well, I figured out the situation. The Royal Wizard, Varence, and Kriegspire were conspiring against Theor and Crian. They were the ones that led the army against Crian, I am sure. I watched as Kriegspire killed the Great Leopol Stone. Maybe Varence made Stone his undead servant, but Varence and Kriegspire were behind it." As Xavier explains this, he grows noticeably angry, though in his weakened condition, he is unable to do anything about it. He pauses to take a breath and calm himself down.

"I do not know what I will do... maybe attempt to find King Theodor. Maybe he will know something about Varence or..." He shakes his head, "I had some visions... I do not know what they mean." He looks back at the sword. <In the vision it stayed together...>

 

[Velmont]

"Snow is an apprentice shaman. He is member of one of the barbarian tribes that live near here. I exchange them some product I bought from travelling merchant that pass here and go to Vallenwood and exchange it to them to the right price, what few merchants do." she answer, as you ask about him. "You will most likely meet him in the next few day, he come here at least twice per week since you've come. He will be here tomorrow at the latest, I have only one berry left to feed you, and he doesn't know yet you are awake... well, maybe he knows, he surprise me many times."

She listen to your story. She nods when you tells that you shouldn't tell you alligeance to the order. "It is bad these days to be a member of the order. Even the name of Crian itself is not as much respected as before."

She finish to listen to your story. "Can you tell me about your vision?"

 

[Jdvn1]

<It would be unlikely that Snow is from the tribe that I met...>

Xavier tells Jade about his visions--the man, the woman, and the sword. Then, the changing landscapes and the tree, and then arriving at the Gailian Royal Palace.

"Just then, I became slightly conscious... I think I heard you and Snow talking. That didn't last long, and I had two more visions." He tells her about the owls and the warriors--Roderick's body burning. He leaves out no detail.

Xavier lets some time pass as he imagines the visions again. Then he looks up, waiting for Jade to explain who she is.

 

[Velmont]

"We will ask Snow when he will arrive about your vision. He is more familiar with such things." she wait a moment and look at you. "You want to know more about me..." she smiles "There a few things I've come here to forget, let's just say I've been a travelling performer who have been performaing for kings, and who got bored of the intrigue of the court, for what remain, it is in my past and will stay there. Now rest, you seems awfully tired." she whispers a few words you can't understand, and feel a slumber gaining on you...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

You awake, and feel the rest and the meal have done some good work. You are tired, but your are recovering. You hear Jade talking with a man. You open your eyes and see a man with some crude clothing made of leather and fur. A few small scares mark his face. The man turn and you see his white eyes with a small black pupil that look strange. "We were talking about you, Xavier." The man stands up and sits just in front of you. Before you tell anything, he speak to you.

"Jade have detailed me your dreams. Dreams are generaly simply your mind that like to let his imagination goes on while you sleep. But some times, spirits or god come to you, and choose what you will see. What you've seen look most likely a message from someone who is asking your help, and he didn't bother to crypt it more than needed for even your mind to understand. No need to be attune to teh dream world.

I can presume a lot of things from those vision you have, but most likely, it was a mixed vision of the present and the futur. I can see many way to read those visions... At the first level, the man and the woman you've seen are easily identified as Crian and Hirina. Crian is the hero of Gaile, one of the greatest athlete and the savior of the peninsula during teh first invasion. Athlete generally perform there feat of speed and strenght half-naked. A bit hedonist, but it is the tradition. The sword and shield have always been the weapon of choice of your order.

Hirina is the dark temptress. The beautifull among the beautifull, she knows how to seduce her prey. She always have surrounded herself with loyal servant. All her servant are ugly, to highlight the contrast with her beauty. She is the god behind both invasion, and her hatred against Crian, the only person who could stop her, must be great. It seems she has found a way to get her vengeance, and when you saw her kill him in teh ice, you've witness the fall of your order, warding themselves on the Rock, the water turned into ice to allow the enemy to siege the fortress.

Your faith seems somehow realted to the four man who seems to have created the fall of your order: Knight Kriegspire, Knight Stone, the wizard Varence and the king of Gaile. How it is related, I don't know.

But for the remaining, it must be about your futur. I don't know."

Jade come beside you two and tells. "I might know about one thing. The sword in your dream can only be the one I've found next to you, that is presently in my chest. You don't seem to know that sword. I must tell I came on this knowledge by chance or by mistake. In a book that date from the first invasion, it was speaking about Crian, his family, his lands, his feats as an athlete, his feat in combat. It was written by someone close to him. In the whole book, only one picture was made, it was the gift Crian had received. A sword and a shield. The sword was identical to teh one you brought, except it wasn't broken. And this gift was coming from the lost dwarven race. If Snow is right, your god tells you that you need to equip yourself for your quest. You need to mend the sword and find the shield that was once to your god. Quite a quest you have here if I am right."

 

[Jdvn1]

Xavier shrugs. "From what I understand, Greffit died too. He was the greatest swordsmith I've ever heard of. At least, he died in the vision. It may have been the future, but it is pretty likely that he died for his connection to Crian." He considers the situation. "Quite a quest. A lot for one man."

 

[Velmont]

"You don't need to be alone. You are not meant to be alone. Your vision showed you walking with birds, and a man of the desert came to your help. They are symbol." answers Snow.

"Greffit is a great blacksmith, but the dwarves was reknown for the craftmanship. I doubt any man have made something equals to there skills, but no dwarves have been seen for generations. Do they still exists, and if yes, where do they hides? I can't tell." adds Jade.