Second Son of a Second Son: Timotheus' Prayers

Ciaran

First Post
I play Timotheus Smith, a noble’s newly-recognized bastard, in el-remmen’s Second Son of a Second Son campaign. Though no priest, he has a strong (if simple) faith in Nephthys, patron of warriors and goddess of courage. As he is scarcely literate, I will be recording his prayers to Nephthys here in lieu of a written journal.
 

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Ciaran

First Post
9 Sek 637 (morning)

Blessed Nephthys, Lady of Courage, thank you for guiding me here. I thought I might spend the rest of my life as a guard and a soldier. And then, when my lord father made me a noble last year, I thought I might get stuck hanging about around the Gate, being a courtier or something. But now, now I finally have the chance for adventure!

I wish I could have gotten here on my own merit, not because my lord father decided to sleep around twenty-six years ago. I’d rather be famous only for my deeds, not for my blood, but if this is the price to join a real adventuring band and be a hero of the realm, I’ll take it. I hope I live up to grandpa Argus’ example. Is he in Your kingdom, Nephthys? Is he watching? I hope I make him proud.

Anyway, I pray Bes to give me luck, and, uh, I pray Isis to please let these guys not be asses and crazies and what not. And Nephthys, please help my friend Telémakhos grow a spine. He’ll never earn his dad’s respect until he can stand up for himself in a fight. I mean, he may never earn his dad’s respect at any rate, because his dad is such a prick. But at least he could try.

Sounds like we’re about to dock. So, uh, Hail Nephthys!
 
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Ciaran

First Post
9 Sek 637 (evening)

Blessed Nephthys, give me strength, because this is no band of adventurers. I’ve met them, I’ve talked to them, I’ve eaten and drank and signed that damned charter with them, and we are so not ready to go fight monsters together.

From what my new companions have told me, none of them have ever been in a real battle, not even the knight-priestess of Anhur. Well, they’ve all said so except the watch-mage, who won’t say anything at all about anything, unless he’s complaining about something. Goddess, that man is such a prick; I do not ever want to put my life in his hands. Or anyone else’s life, for that matter.

Anyway, other than ‘Bleys the Aubergine’ – and what kind of name is that, anyway? – I think the others are okay people, even if they don’t have any fighting experience. I actually really like Markos, which surprises me because he’s a noble and a wizard, but it turns out that he got kidnapped as a kid and raised by pirates, and so he got raised as a commoner, just like me. He curses and drinks and plays cards like a sailor, too. It’s good to have another drinking buddy.

It’s kind of weird having a couple of war-priests with us. I mean… they’re so quiet. I have no idea what they’re thinking. But at least they’re not coming on all judgmental, telling everyone what to do and how to act. I’d still rather have had a priestess of Isis, or one of Your own priests, but if these two can fight and heal and do magic and all that, then I’ll be happy enough to have ‘em.

Anyway, it looks like we won’t be able to make any plans until tomorrow, because Bleys won’t discuss anything just because Markos and I had a few drinks. Please, Nephthys, give me the strength not to beat him bloody the next time he acts like a prick, what with him being a watch-mage and a brother-in-arms and all. Amen.
 

Ciaran

First Post
10 Sek 637 (late morning)

Blessed Nephthys, thank you again for this opportunity. I’ve never slept in such a comfortable bed all my life, or eaten such a great spread. The Tenbrooks are really laying it on thick; I haven’t drunk this much good wine even at Pyla, and that’s where they make the stuff. And we’ve got free room and board and stabling for months, and even our own steward to handle the money and business! I don’t care if it’s all just politics, Lady. This is living well, and I like it.

Anyway, Lady Nephthys, and Isis and Fallon too, I wish good will on this inn and everyone in it. They’re doing right by us, so let us do right by them. Amen.
 

Ciaran

First Post
10 Sek 637 (evening)

Blessed Nephthys, it looks like we have a plan, sort of, even if it’s really just a plan to wait a while and then try and come up with a plan again. Oh Goddess, these guys talk more than a bunch of fishwives on the Day of Stories. If the building caught fire they’d have to have a meeting to discuss which exit to leave by.

It was good to hear Victoria say that I should run the show in battle. It turns out I have a reputation. Who knew? Well, except for You, of course. Anyway, it sounds like she doesn’t share her family’s hate for our family, which is a damned good thing in my opinion. She’s trained as a knight, so if I can count on her in a fight, we might do okay.

Not that we’re necessarily going to be doing any fighting. Telémakhos is really excited by the idea of not doing any kind of fighting ever, and Markos and Bleys agree with him. I mean, we’re supposed to be heroes of Thricia, protecting the common people and defeating monsters and enemies, and these guys want us to do what, negotiate? Get involved in House politics? I dunno about them, Lady Nephthys, but that’s not why I’m here. As long as I have anything to say about it, we’re going to fight.

Anyway, it looks like our liege House, Barhyte, wants us to go loot some old barbarian tombs out in the Disputed Territories. I guess that we could test our steel against whatever’s living down there, and maybe bring back some loot, which I guess is what Barhyte wants. But like I’ve told everyone, I’d rather do something that would actually help people. Whatever’s lurking under those Kingstones is a hundred miles past the border, and I doubt it’s a threat to anyone.

Personally, Lady Nephthys, I’d rather go back to Chalkour and start clearing out hobgoblins. But I guess that even with a couple of mages and a couple of priests, and maybe a couple of mercenaries to boot, we still don’t have the numbers or the combat experience to handle a full-blown troop of hobs. Especially since it looks like our magic men are no great shakes in the magic department. Except maybe for Bleys, because he won’t say what he can do – no surprise there. He can breathe fire and fart lightning for all I know.

Anyway, Telémakhos heard some rumors about pirate trouble around Tribunisport on Black Thread Isle, which apparently involves House politics and us wandering around talking to people, so of course he’s all over it. I guess he’s right when he says that it would make good practice, though. If we get into a fight, it probably won’t be as deadly as if we tackled some real danger in the wilderness, and it’ll give us more time to train. And let’s be honest, Lady; I don’t know what I’d do if Telie dies on my watch. I’ve had too many friends die on me already.

Speaking of training, we all sparred at Anhur’s temple today – except for Bleys, naturally – and I think we may do OK when it comes down to battle. Telémakhos is getting better, and both Victoria and Laarus know how to fight, even if they’ve never really been in a life-or-death situation. I do feel a little weird to be trooped in with them, since I know that Anhur and Ra aren’t Your favorite other gods. But I do feel better having them at my back.

Well, we leave tomorrow morning, Lady, so I’d best get some sleep. I pray Ptah to give us safe passage to New Harbinger, and Isis to help us choose the right adventure once we get there. And I pray your favor, Lady Nephthys, always.
 
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Gold Roger

First Post
So, will Second Son of a Second Son slowly take control of the storyhour forum, thread by thread?

Anyway, a very nice idea and at a few points already pretty funny to read.
 

el-remmen

Moderator Emeritus
Gold Roger said:
So, will Second Son of a Second Son slowly take control of the storyhour forum, thread by thread?

Well, there will be at least three! :D

I am nearly done with writing up the second session and the third session is this Sunday. I will probably post the first installment of the over-arching Second Son of a Second Son story hour in about a week's time.
 


Tony Vargas

Legend
Cairan, this is such a cool concept, I hope you can keep it up. It'll be interesting to read the story hour, and also get to see into the mind of one of the characters this way.
 

Ciaran

First Post
11 Sek 637 (evening)

Blessed Nephthys, we’re finally on our way. It took us a while to get out of Sluetelot; Victoria hadn’t bought any rations and she sent Euleria to buy ‘em at the market. And she’s not the only one who wasn’t really ready to go. I can’t believe that no one thought to buy any tents. Thank Shu for good weather! The Oreithales are never this warm at this time of year. I just hope it doesn’t rain at least until we get to New Harbinger. It’s supposed to be another good-sized town, so we should be able to finish picking up supplies.

I convinced the group to take the Shore Road and not the safer High Road, Goddess, and it was the same debate all over again. Even though we’re at least an even match for the Shore Road bandits we’ve heard about, Telémakhos would rather take the safe route than maybe clear out some outlaws or monsters and make the road safe for travelers again, and the mages didn’t seem too keen on it either. At least Victoria and Laarus agreed with me, which makes sense, them being priests and all.

I hope we’ll get to test our mettle on the road. Better sooner than later, and better outdoors than in some dank old hole where there’s no place to fall back to if we get in over our heads.
 

Ciaran

First Post
12 Sek 637 (evening)

Hail, blessed Lady. Traveling south has been pretty nice. The weather’s warm and clear, and it’s nice to ride by the sea. And since I’m in front and Bleys is in back, I don’t have to see or hear him for most of the day.

Oh, and speaking of the sea, we ran into some fishermen earlier, by the side of the road. Telémakhos did a little trading with them to pick up some fish and rumors. Apparently there’s not just bandits on the road, but also lizard men and frog men and some kind of sea monsters too. I’m not worried, though; I don’t think any of those things can outride us on horseback, so we should be fine if we get in over our heads.

Lady Nephthys, I’m itching for action. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for all my life, and it’s about as adventurous and exciting as a trip to the market. Am I being selfish, Lady? I don’t want to put my friends and my companions in danger; I just want a chance for glory. But I guess there’s no rush; we’ll get that chance sooner or later. I just hope it’s sooner.

Anyway, Lady, please guide us and give us strength. And may Isis watch over my friends, at least until we reach New Harbinger. We’ll see what happens from there. Amen.
 

Ciaran

First Post
13 Sek 637 (afternoon)

Blessed Nephthys, I’m trying to make the right choices, I really am. I pushed for the Shore Road because that’s where the bandits were supposed to be. So why were they on the High Road? Just bad luck?

At least it looks like the Swanns will catch ‘em. It’s too bad they didn’t want our help. I’d rather that we tracked down those bandits rather than playing messenger for the Swanns. I almost hope their boss is in trouble so’s we can rescue him or something. At least then we’d be doing something worth our while
 

Ciaran

First Post
13 Sek 637 (evening)

Oh, blessed Nephthys. I think I may have made a mistake.

Yeah, Sir Quintus got captured by lizardmen, I know. Sure, they may kill him if we don’t hurry up and track him down. And I bet Anhur and Ra really want us to do the rescue right now. But if we do go and charge into the swamp by ourselves in the middle of the night, it’s a sure bet that someone else is going to get killed. I should never have suggested it. I should never have agreed with Victoria about it.

What if Telie gets killed? What if Markos gets killed? I owe them more than I owe some knight I’ve never met. I wish we’d gone to the Gosprey keep for reinforcements, or at least rested up and tackled it in the morning.

Sorry, Lady. I got a thick head sometimes. I just hope this whole stubborn reckless fighting thing doesn’t get anyone hurt. Please, Lady Nephthys, and Isis and Fallon too, watch over my companions and protect them from harm. Oh, and Ptah guide our horses, and Bes give us luck. We’ll need all the luck we can get.
 


Ciaran

First Post
14 Sek 637 (afternoon)

Blessed Nephthys, what are we still doing here? Now that we know Sir Quintus is still alive and we’re all rested, we should either go in and rescue him or go out and get reinforcements. Just standing around here waiting is a damn fool waste of time. I can’t believe T.K. wants us to just sit here and listen to the guy scream. Sometimes I wonder if he gives a damn about people at all. If he wasn’t my friend...

I dunno what the lizards are trying to pull, either. We can hear Sir Quintus howlin’ and hollerin’ from all the way out here, so why pretend he’s not there? How dumb do they think we are? I’d call for a charge right now if it wasn’t so dangerous; ruined or not, this is still a big old fort, and who knows how many lizards are all piled up in there? T.K. and Markos aren’t up for it, and Victoria said she’d rather die than surrender, ever.

Wow. What the hells is that about, anyway? Goddess, I like Victoria and all, but that is some crazy sh*t right there. I mean, Anhur’s the god of war, not the god of half-wit berserkers, right? I mean, if that’s what she wants to do, I can’t stop her, but I’m not gonna let everyone else get dragged down with her in a fight we can’t win, either. I hate to say it, but if it comes right down to it, we may just have to leave her behind.

Yeah. So. Anyway, I pray to Anhur and Nephthys for strength and glory in battle, and to Fallon for – hey! Laarus, wait! What the hell?! Wait for me!

Damn it!
 
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BlackCat

Explorer
Great work with this, Ciaran. I really like the way you've framed this in the form of prayers. It lends a great deal of insight into the inner workings of a simple man that may yet prove to be a very complicated one.

More, please!

J
 

Ciaran

First Post
14 Sek 637 (evening)

Blessed Nephthys. Thank you for watching over us this afternoon. I was pretty worried there for a while, but everything turned out fine. Well, except for Victoria. The lizards say that she’ll be fine, and I guess they got no reason to lie. But it’s pretty horrible, a grown woman messed up like that. I hope she’ll be okay.

Oh, and speaking of lizards, it looks like these lizards aren’t really monsters after all. I feel kind of bad about the one we killed. Are they really people, Lady? Do they go to the Heavens if they’ve been good, or do they have their own place? Maybe they have, I don’t know, swamps of holy water or something. Whatever; I’m in no rush to get there to find out.

Anyway, I guess this turned out to be some political thing. T.K. must be happy that this is another one of his pirate smuggler plots that he’s all into. I figure that if that thing in Tribunisport is half as exciting as this, he’ll drop the whole thing faster than you can say ‘lucky sevens’. Of course, I’m still voting for the Kingstones.

I guess that’s it. Thanks for your strength, Lady, and my thanks to Anhur for the victory. Amen.
 

Ciaran

First Post
15 Sek 637 (evening)

Blessed Nephthys, thank you for healing our companion Victoria. I was pretty worried about her, but she seems close to her old self already. Oh, and thanks to Fallon and Isis too. May they both give her their healing so that she’s back to normal. It would be pretty bad for her if she’ll always be a bit loose in the head. I hope I don’t ever end up like that, Bes protect me.

Still, even with her brains gone to mush, Victoria’s a real good fighter. She took Markos down without breaking a sweat, though I guess that’s no surprise, since he’s got all the muscle of a piece of cheese. Speaking of which, Lady, please pray Fallon’s aid for Markos as well. He was acting pretty crazy. I don’t know where all that anger came from, but I’m hoping it’s just because he also breathed in some of that yellow stuff. With any luck, they’ll both get better.

I guess we’re gonna be here for another day or two, Lady, and that’s fine by me. I mean, when you’re walking through the swamp in the middle of the night with boots full of mud, that’s not much fun, but now that we’re kinda warm and kinda dry, this is really a pretty fine place, with the blue sky and the frogs croaking and all the water and the shrubs and trees spreading out everywhere. And ruins like this place are totally tops; it’s like when we were kids back home, running around the standing stones and pretending we were Harbinger and Sorlorn and Briareus the Bold. Only it’s real this time, and we are heroes, or at least we’re going to be.

Do you think this place goes back that far, Lady? Maybe it’s got some of those old dungeons and cellars and suchlike underneath it, like under that pit in the middle. Maybe there’s treasure down there. But I guess that it would be kind of rude to poke around in the lizards’ place… and it’s all full of yellow stuff anyway. I may be brave, Lady, but I ain’t stupid.

Anyway, thank you, Lady, for your blessings. Please watch over us. Amen.
 
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