Strife in Sokara - A solo game for Brother Shatterstone

[Jarval]

"The bandits have been a problem ever since the war." Velimir replies. "With both sides preoccupied by the other, the patrols on the roads grew fewer and further between, and so men of few morals took to robbing travelers. In some parts of the country, even small patrols of the New Sokaran army now fear for their safety."

"But I've heard enough to know where these places are." Ged adds. "We'll be steering well clear of them." Even with this reassurance, Hestia still looks troubled by the prospect of highwaymen.

"As for the goblins and their kin, their recent boldness is something new." Velimir continues. "As the lands have become more civilised, they have retreated further and further back into the wilderness. Until now, at least."

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

A reassured Brystasia looks upon Ged, “I wasn’t to worried about it, but maybe that’s just me being foolish, but it seems to me we have little say in the matter… To help people and to promote our causes we will simply need to be brave these concerns.”

Turning back towards Velimir Brystasia looks understanding of their plight, “In my own forest home we had similar issues, though on a far less severe level, wood was being harvest faster than it could natural be replaced… This cause many a creature to seek new homes, sometimes they where at peace with their new neighbors but not always… When conflict arose the weaker creature was forced to move from it’s original home or from it’s replacement home… So maybe the question is who’s forcing the goblins from their homes?”

 

[Jarval]

"Hmm, that's an interesting perspective on the matter. I hadn't considered that possibility..." Velimir frowns thoughtfully.

"Maybe we can find some clue while we travel?" Hestia suggests. "The people who live in the towns and villages might have heard more than us in the city."

"Not a bad idea, but we're doing nothing risky, do you hear?" Ged says firmly. Hestia sticks her tongue out at her ward, but nods in response to Ged's stern look. "We can do better works by helping people rather than getting ourselves killed."

"I agree, your safety should be the prime concern in all you do." Velimir agrees. "But anything that you might just happen to hear, well, it can't hurt to listen, now can it?"

"You've never heard a bad bagpiper play, have you?" Ged replies deadpan, then grins.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia laughs lightly while her turquoise blue eyes twinkle with laughter, “True, Aymara’s Halls attach far better caliber of musicians than that.” Her humor leaves her face as she gives Ged an appreciative grin, “Your constant worry is charming, but be will be careful, okay? Though, to be honest, if these small towns are anything like Marlock City then I imagine that half the population will be more than will to share everything going on in their town with me.”

 

[Jarval]

"Fear not, I'm sure we can manage to discourage any of your admirers who get too enthusiastic." Ged smiles in return. "And I do apologise if I worry overly, but it is my job to protect Hestia. I will try to refrain from applying too much of the same concern to you as well."

"You don't need to worry quite so much about me, either." Hestia says insistently. Ged rolls his eyes, but another slight smile twitches the corners of his mouth.

After a few minutes longer, the group finds itself outside the modest building that houses the Healing Hall in Marlock City. The white flowers hanging down from the baskets to either side of the door give off a pleasing scent into the cool evening air, doing much to remove the lingering horror of the events in the theater. Even so, the dark blood staining the armour, clothes and weapons of the companions is in stark contrast with the pure, clean appearance of the temple of Morwyn.

Ged pushes the door open and steps inside, holding it open for the rest to follow. Inside, Edward and another novice stare open-mouthed at the blood-spattered warriors who have just entered the hall.

"I'll tell the Holy Mother you're here!" Edward grabs his friend by the arm and dashes off along the hallway. A few moments of distant, but clearly excitable, conversation can be heard from the study at the far end of the hallway, then Edward, his friend, and Holy Mother Asha return.

"Dear Gods! What happened?" Mother Asha exclaims.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia gives Hestia a behave yourself look and smile and then gives Ged a warm smile as her turquoise blue sparkle in friendship, “I think I would prefer that you do worry about me…” Unable to control herself her smile turns teasing, “Though maybe not quite as much as you do her.”

Inside the Hall Brystasia jerks in surprise at Mother Asha reaction but she quickly composes herself after some amount of embarrassment. After some reassurances she tells Mother Asha their tale.

 

[Jarval]

Mother Asha listens intently to Brystasia's recounting of the afternoon's events, not speaking until the Aesthete has finished her tale.

"This sounds far more serious that I feared. Combined with the contents of the book..." Mother Asha stops, and gestures for the group to follow her through to her study. She closes the door once everyone has entered, and takes her seat behind the table.

"It is better if what I have to say goes no further than we in this room, and your respective superiors, at least for now. I fear that we have a very serious problem on our hands." Mother Asha takes the book retrieved from the theater out from the pocket of her robes, and places it on the table.

"This is a journal. Something easy enough to dismiss, were it not written in Abyssal. The author has done much to mask the meaning of his or her words beyond the language, but from what has been read so far, we think it likely that we have a follower of Evil loose in the city. The references to the 'Ebon Maw' lead us to belive it may be a worshiper of Thellos..." Mother Asha looks directly at the group.

"Does the name Thellos carry any meaning for any of you? Knowledge of the corrupt gods is kept away from the common man, lest it draw him away from the light, but I fear you all must know of the true nature of our world."

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Brystasia blushes lightly in embarrassment while turning in the direction of the Obedient Brothers, “Only a little, Mother Asha, Brother Velimir informed me of his dark existence earlier when we where still in the Compass but besides that I know next to nothing.”

 

[Jarval]

Mother Asha nods at Brystasia's words, smiling slightly.

"There is no shame in not knowing of the Dark Lord and the Three Brothers. It is lore that few possess, and those of pure heart find troubling. I am sorry that I must burden you with it."

Mother Asha goes on to quickly inform the group of the nature of the evil gods. Velimir nods at much of what she says, apparently well aware of these facts, but both Ged and Hestia look shocked.

"Much of what I have said will be unsettling for you, and I do apologise for that, but you cannot be left ignorant of the foes you may face." Mother Asha shakes her head sadly. "I fear that I may have given you all a potent enemy, but I will do all I can to protect you. The Church of Morwyn owes you a great deal, as I suspect may the whole city."


(OoC: You can now assume that Brystasia knows the Myth of Four Pillars of Evil on page 207 of Book of the Righteous, as well as basic information on the representations, purpose, and doctrines of the evil faiths.)

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Bryastasia Purelove: Half-Nymph/Female (Gestalt:Holy Warrior/Rogue)

Though she didn’t say anything about the pure of heart comment, she firmly believed that no one needed to protect her, Brystasia couldn’t help but fill violated and disgusted over what she heard.

Brystasia nodded in discomfort as Mother Asha finished her words, she couldn’t help but fill dirty and private embarrassment over her own naivety. Forced to speak her troubled thoughts enter her soft voice, “Mother Asha, I appreciate your honesty and I hope that we did indeed do a service to the city, and this great church, but I fear that with a task left unfinished that we will have to fight this battle again since the writer of that filth has escaped us.”