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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2109430" data-attributes="member: 5203">Ties That BindAnd now, part two.You may have noted Kyle's absence in the last adventure; since I play Kyle, and I wasn't there, that just makes sense.&nbsp; But our DM allowed me the chance to make up the XP lost by writing a short side jaunt for Kyle, which is what this story is.&nbsp; Just to be clear, none of the events in this particular story were played out in any way - it's all pure fiction.&nbsp; Fiction that becomes important to the character much further down the line, but fiction.----------------------------------&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Meet me down in the cellar after dark.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle nearly lost his grip on his knife as the serving girl behind him whispered into his ear as she leaned past him to fill his glass.&nbsp; He quickly glanced around to see if anyone had overheard, but neither Autumn to his right nor Tolly to his left seemed aware of it.&nbsp; The serving girl herself was gone, off to continue her duties.&nbsp; But as she came round the table and offered the pitcher of wine to Arrie, she caught Kyle’s eyes with a long look.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He desperately hoped that he wasn’t flushed.&nbsp; He hadn’t expected to receive such an invitation, especially not in the middle of dinner with Lord Zanich and Lady Auror.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Are you all right?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle almost jumped out of his chair.&nbsp; He turned to look at Autumn, who was staring at him.&nbsp; “I’m fine, why do you ask?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Your thumb,” she said, her eyes glancing down to Kyle’s plate.&nbsp; “It’s bleeding.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle looked at his plate, and saw that a few bright splotches of blood had scattered onto the white plate.&nbsp; He turned his thumb over and saw a long, but shallow cut.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Oh, that,” he said.&nbsp; “I, um, must have slipped.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly glanced at the minor injury.&nbsp; “Kyle, if I may?”&nbsp; He reached over and touched Kyle’s hand, sending a tiny spark of divine energy into him.&nbsp; The cut immediately sealed itself.&nbsp; “No reason to continue bleeding on our host’s table,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle looked around the table, flashing an awkward smile.&nbsp; Most of the people around the table hadn’t even noticed the incident, or had gone back to their own meals or conversations.&nbsp; Arrie gave him a slight wink, and Lord Zanich called for a new plate for him.&nbsp; Lady Auror’s continual frown of disapproval seemed to deepen.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He saw the young woman several more times that evening, as she went back and forth from the kitchens bringing food and drink.&nbsp; She was about his age, perhaps a bit younger, with auburn hair tied back neatly.&nbsp; She dressed modestly, and seemed to be energetic in her duties.&nbsp; More than once, her blue eyes caught his as she went by; each time they did, Kyle heard the same phrase echo in his mind.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Meet me down in the cellar after dark.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Of course, he should refuse.&nbsp; He shouldn’t even be near the cellars until they left the Verahannen estates.&nbsp; Perhaps, under different circumstances, he might have thought differently, but this was the home of two of his adventuring companions, his friends.&nbsp; Spending his evening coupling with one of their servants might not go over well.&nbsp; Besides, he thought, there are other considerations, other reasons why such an act would be wrong.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Despite himself, however, the thought kept popping into his head.&nbsp; Sometimes he thought it was a kind of curse, the way his mind would keep picking at a situation until he’d seen every possible interpretation or consequence.&nbsp; His instructors had called it a sign of his remarkable intellect; he found it worse than a conscience.&nbsp; At least a conscience only came up with two alternatives; right or wrong.&nbsp; His ‘intellect’ could spin off dozens of possibilities if he let it.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The first thing he thought was that there was something odd about the request.&nbsp; Not that he’d received it in the first place – he’d had his fair share of propositions from women at taverns or barn dances.&nbsp; But the manner was odd.&nbsp; Though the whispered message held a certain urgency, a kind of intensity to it, it wasn’t the right kind of intensity.&nbsp; Some of the subtleties were missing; she hadn’t pressed her breasts into his shoulder when she whispered to him, she hadn’t once winked or pursed her lips when catching his gaze.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle shook his head slightly.&nbsp; He was grasping at straws.&nbsp; The right thing to do would still be to ignore the request.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; By this time dinner had ended, and they were being led upstairs to their rooms.&nbsp; After a moment of banter with Lanara, Kyle was shown to his chambers.&nbsp; The room was probably small by the castle’s standards, but still larger than he was used to, and for the first time in months he had no roommate to share it with.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle settled into the small desk, lighting an oil lamp and cracking open one of his hefty books, the one he kept notes in about future projects or theories on magical item design.&nbsp; AS his pen scratched out a few ideas on a blank page, he started to think about how long the serving girl would wait downstairs before realizing he wasn’t going to show up.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At that thought, the pen stopped moving.&nbsp; Kyle had spend plenty of his time talking with people who worked for other lords in other castles.&nbsp; The help, he knew, were notorious gossips, and rumors spread like wildfire.&nbsp; And he knew from talking with Autumn that the lords and ladies of those castles heard far more of these rumors that their staff realized.&nbsp; While the woman at dinner hadn’t seemed the vindictive type, it was impossible to tell from just a single sentence and a few exchanged looks.&nbsp; What if she felt angry at an apparent rejection?&nbsp; What if she’d bragged to her friends about spending the night with one of the guests?&nbsp; She might say it happened anyway, just to cover herself, or make up an even more outlandish story.&nbsp; Stories that might reach Auror’s ears; stories that would then end up being told to…
*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle glanced about the dark cellar.&nbsp; He’d brought no light, so as to escape the notice of the castle’s guards or servants, but before leaving his room he’d cast a spell on himself that mimicked the darkvision ability of the dwarves, allowing him to see plainly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He’d made up his mind; he would meet this woman, explain to her that while he was flattered by her offer he couldn’t accept it because he was a guest here, and then depart.&nbsp; While by no means a perfect plan, it was the best he could do on short notice.&nbsp; He didn’t dare mention anything about the girl to anyone else; the news might get out, and Kyle doubted that Lady Auror was one who took kindly to ‘the help’ consorting with her guests, even when she saw the guests as not much better than the help in the first place.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Finally, he spotted her waiting behind a pile of flour sacks.&nbsp; She was holding a single candle in a tin holder, whistling a quiet tune.&nbsp; When he came into the light, she smiled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Thank you for coming,” she said, nodding.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle held up his hand, about to launch into his prepared speech.&nbsp; Instead, she grabbed his hand and began pulling.&nbsp; “Please, come this way.”&nbsp; She began leading him toward the stairs that led outside.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Wait a minute,” he said, pulling away slightly, “What is…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Forgive the haste, but my husband will be home soon.&nbsp; We must get back to our house before then.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle gaped.&nbsp; Was this woman really bringing him into her own home with her own husband on the way?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I have to say, I was excited to hear you were finally here,” she said.&nbsp; “We’ve been so worried about you.”&nbsp; By this time they were up the stairs and out on the castle grounds, walking toward the outer gate and the cluster of homes surrounding the estate.&nbsp; The girl waved at passers-by as she led Kyle by the hand.&nbsp; Kyle, now too confused to protest, went along with her.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; They arrived at a simple wooden house near the western edge of the village.&nbsp; She went inside, and pulled out a chair for Kyle at the table.&nbsp; Cautiously, Kyle sat down.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I must say, you’re taller than I expected, but I’d recognize those eyes and that chin anywhere,” she said with a wink.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I… well… um… who are you?” he stammered.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The woman laughed.&nbsp; “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry!&nbsp; In my hurry to get you here I forgot to introduce myself!”&nbsp; She held out a hand.&nbsp; “My name’s Elsie.&nbsp; Elsie Goodson.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What?” Kyle said, not sure he heard her right.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At that moment, the door opened and a man strode in.&nbsp; He was a half-head shorter than Kyle, but had the same broad-shouldered build.&nbsp; His wavy black hair was flecked with sawdust, and his blue-gray eyes took in the scene with some measure of bewilderment.&nbsp; Kyle stood up suddenly, not knowing what to expect.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Elsie jumped up.&nbsp; “Surprise, dear!&nbsp; Your long-lost brother’s here at last!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The man looked Kyle up and down.&nbsp; “Elsie, buttercup, this isn’t my brother.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It isn’t?” she asked.&nbsp; “But Kevin, he looks so much like you.&nbsp; And I heard one of the guards mention that his family name is Goodson, too.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Is that so?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle looked at the two of them.&nbsp; “Well, it’s true I’m a Goodson, but my two brothers are named Angar and Bryant, not Kevin.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin turned to Elsie.&nbsp; “Did you ask this man his name?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, no.&nbsp; When I found out, I didn’t really have time.&nbsp; I wanted to surprise you.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin turned to Kyle.&nbsp; “Can I have your name, sir?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s Kyle.&nbsp; Kyle Goodson.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Elsie’s face fell as Kyle gave his name.&nbsp; “Your brother’s name is Nicholas.”&nbsp; She looked as if she were about to cry.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin put his arm around her shoulders.&nbsp; “It’s all right, buttercup.&nbsp; You meant no harm.&nbsp; You just let your heart get ahead of you again.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Elsie put her arms around him.&nbsp; “I’m sorry, dear.&nbsp; I just know you’ve been worried.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; After they embraced, Kevin turned to Kyle and extended his hand.&nbsp; “I’m sorry for the trouble, Kyle,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not at all,” said Kyle, taking the offered hand.&nbsp; He was relieved that the situation hadn’t been what he feared at all.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin’s grasp on Kyle’s hand held for a moment, and an odd look came over his face.&nbsp; “Come to think of it, Elsie’s right.&nbsp; You do look an awful lot like me.&nbsp; And you say your name’s Goodson, too?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s right.”&nbsp; Kyle was beginning to notice the similarities as well.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Who’s your mother and father?” Kevin asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My father’s Rufus Goodson, and my mother Anjele.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin smiled.&nbsp; He looked at Elsie.&nbsp; “Well, buttercup, you may not have found my brother, but you did manage to dig up a cousin.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle’s eyebrow arched.&nbsp; “How so?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “My father was Seamus Goodson.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle smiled.&nbsp; His father’s father, Andrew Goodson, had had four boys of his own.&nbsp; One of his father’s older brothers was named Seamus.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, I’ll be,” said Kyle.&nbsp; “And here just this evening I was telling one of my friends that I never expected to see any of my family again.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The three sat down and exchanged stories.&nbsp; Seamus had come to Merlion years ago, along with two children; his son Kevin, and his sister Annia.&nbsp; The year after moving here, Seamus also took in a young boy named Nicholas, whose parents had been killed in a fire.&nbsp; He raised the boy as his own son, and Kevin considered him as much a brother as if they were related.&nbsp; Nicholas even took the family name as his own.&nbsp; While Kevin had become a lumberjack and settled in Merlion with his wife Elsie, Nicholas and Annia has sought their fortunes elsewhere.&nbsp; Annia ended up going back to Targeth and worked as a seamstress, and Nicholas became a merchant, who mostly plied his trade in northern Tlaxan.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That’s why Elsie here assumed you were Nicholas,” Kevin explained.&nbsp; “Nicholas has done well for himself, so he wouldn’t be out of place as a guest of the lord and lady.&nbsp; Plus you look a lot like me.&nbsp; Of course, the real Nicholas looks nothing like me, because he was adopted; I think that Elsie was just so excited when she saw you that she didn’t remember that little detail.&nbsp; She’s never met Nicholas before.”For his part, Kyle told Kevin and Elsie about how his mother Anjele had died of plague, and how after losing the farm the next year his father Rufus took he and his four siblings and split them up to give them a fighting chance at survival.&nbsp; Kyle told them about ending up at Targeth’s famous school; they both stared incredulously when he told them he was a wizard.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And I always thought that the Goodson family had manual labor etched into their bones and blood forever,” Kevin whistled.&nbsp; “Now I’ll have something to tell the boys tomorrow.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “There’s not much to tell, really,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “I’m just an ordinary man, like yourself.&nbsp; Besides, as wizards go I’m not much to brag about.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, I don’t think the boys are going to care much.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I was wondering something, though,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “When I first got here, and Elsie thought I was Nicholas, she said something about you being worried about him.&nbsp; Why is that?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin and Elsie looked at each other before Kevin answered.&nbsp; “Though I don’t see much of Nicholas and Annia, we keep in touch by letters.&nbsp; About a month ago I got a letter from Nicholas saying that he wanted to visit, and was trying to work out a trade route that would bring him close.&nbsp; Three weeks after that he sent another letter saying he’d made a deal, and the first chance he’d have to come here was on the first of Columbad.&nbsp; He said his route would take him to Balnad’s Ford around then.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin leveled Kyle with an intense stare.&nbsp; “Balnad’s Ford is a three-day ride north of here.&nbsp; He’s past due, and we’ve had no word.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle nodded in agreement; tomorrow was the ninth of Columbad.&nbsp; “And it’s not like a Goodson to be late,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not if we can help it.&nbsp; Now, overall, this is pretty safe country around here, and Nicholas knows what he’s doing.&nbsp; I’d love to go up to the Ford myself to check into it, but neither of us can leave that long.&nbsp; There’s just too much work for me, and the lady of the castle doesn’t take kindly to her help skipping out for a week.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can imagine,” said Kyle, knowing full well what Lady Auror’s disposition was like.&nbsp; “Well, tell you what.&nbsp; Why don’t I run up there and check it out for you?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Oh, we couldn’t ask that.&nbsp; We know you’re a guest of the lord and lady.&nbsp; It wouldn’t be…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nonsense,” said Kyle.&nbsp; “You’re family.&nbsp; Probably about the only family I’ll ever get to meet in my life.&nbsp; And I can get there and back faster than you; I’m a wizard, remember?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin and Elsie looked at each other again.&nbsp; “It would put your mind at ease, dear,” Elsie said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin scratched his chin.&nbsp; “Well, I don’t have much to cover your expenses, but it’s a short trip…”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You let me worry about the expenses.&nbsp; I can take care of myself.”&nbsp; Kyle grinned.&nbsp; “We have a deal?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin grinned.&nbsp; “Deal.”&nbsp; He extended a callused hand and gave Kyle a firm handshake.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle slept at Kevin and Elsie’s home that night, spreading out a few blankets on the floor in the main room.&nbsp; It was far too late in the evening to be entering the castle, and Kyle didn’t feel like explaining how he got out in the first place.&nbsp; When he arose the next morning, he went to tell his companions about his newly discovered kin in town, and to let them know about his trip to Balnad’s Ford.&nbsp; He discovered that his companions had left without him that morning.&nbsp; There had been reports of goblins attacking a caravan that they were on their way to investigate, and they couldn’t wait for him.&nbsp; Once he got the news, Kyle returned to his room and wrote out a letter:&nbsp;Friends,&nbsp;Gone off on a personal errand for a friend here.&nbsp; I expect to be back in three days at the outside.&nbsp; Should you decide to move on before I return, leave word at the castle and I’ll catch up with you.&nbsp; Make sure to take my horse, Matilda, with you if you leave.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Yours,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He slipped the letter under Autumn’s door, where she’d be sure to see it, and then went out of the castle.&nbsp; He walked until he was just outside the edge of the village surrounding the castle, and then sat down and began to cast a spell.&nbsp; After several minutes, a vaporous, translucent form of a horse materialized.&nbsp; Just as Kyle was about to mount the apparition, he heard a rough voice behind him.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You weren’t leaving without me, were you?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle smiled.&nbsp; “Of course not, Violet.&nbsp; I was just letting you sleep in.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sure, sure.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He’s been slightly surprised to hear his familiar.&nbsp; Though the raven was gifted with the ability to speak, she rarely did so except when she was alone with Kyle.&nbsp; Violet said that she thought the others were too unnerved by a talking bird.&nbsp; She also said that she didn’t want to be bothered by their endless requests for advice.&nbsp; “It’s bad enough that Eritan priest keeps waiting for me to molt so he can decorate his cloak,” she would often say.&nbsp; “I don’t want him to get the idea that I’ll be handing out pearls of wisdom from the Goddess.”**&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Violet flapped her wings and landed on Kyle’s shoulder.&nbsp; She cawed at the horse-like thing under them.&nbsp; “You really planning on riding that thing?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Violet, it’s just a phantom steed.&nbsp; Perfectly harmless.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s wrong with Matilda?” she asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nothing, but this steed can go much faster than a normal horse.&nbsp; Balnad’s Ford is normally a three-day ride; this way I can do it in one, and not have to worry about camping on the roadside alone.&nbsp; Plus, I get there and back faster so the others aren’t waiting for me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I thought you told them not to wait in that letter,” Violet said, pecking at a bug that had landed on Kyle’s back.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yes, but you know them.&nbsp; Autumn would probably make them all sit around twiddling their thumbs until I got back, then chew me out for not waiting and bringing everyone along.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, why not wait for them?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Because I don’t think it takes eight battle-hardened adventurers to run up to the next town and ask if a particular merchant has been seen recently.”&nbsp; Kyle willed the phantom steed to turn around and face the road north.&nbsp; “Now, any more questions, or can we be on our way?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Fine, fine,” Violet croaked.&nbsp; “But if we see any dead animals on the side of the road, you have to stop, okay?&nbsp; I’m getting tired of bugs and seeds.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’ll be sure to remember that, Violet.&nbsp; Now, hang on.”*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle ended up having to summon a second steed before he made it to Balnad’s Ford late that day.&nbsp; Exhausted from the long ride, he found an inn and paid for a room, deciding to take up his search for Nicholas Goodson in the morning.&nbsp; His sleep was only marred by Violet complaining that they’d found no carrion on the trip into town.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; His inquiries the next morning produced fast results.&nbsp; Several townspeople had seen the man that Kyle described to them.&nbsp; He had arrived in Balnad’s Ford on the second, and spent a day there with his goods until the buyer arrived and paid him.&nbsp; He then went south on the fourth; the locals assumed that he was heading to Castle Verahannen to ply his trade.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Too bad he didn’t stick around another day,” one old shopkeeper said.&nbsp; “He’d of had himself an opportunity right here.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What do you mean?” asked Kyle.&nbsp; Violet sat calmly on his shoulder, watching a spider crawl down the wall.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, the day after he left, a group of fellows came into town asking after him.&nbsp; Said they had business with master Goodson.&nbsp; Well, we told them that he’d gone south the day before, and they packed off after him that very afternoon.&nbsp; Probably at the castle with him right now.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle didn’t mention that he’d just come from Castle Verahannen.&nbsp; The hairs on the back of his neck stood up; Nicholas should have been at the castle three days ago, from the sound of it.&nbsp; He didn’t like the sound of these men asking after him.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Did Nicholas act at all like he was on guard or defensive while he was in town?” Kyle asked.&nbsp; “As if he was expecting trouble?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No, can’t say as he was,” the old-timer drawled.&nbsp; “He wore a short sword, but that’s not that irregular for a traveling merchant.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “And what about these men asking about him?&nbsp; Were they at all threatening?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nope, they was all real polite.&nbsp; Course, there were eight of ‘em, which could be a bit unnerving, but they wasn’t armed with nothing but these funny knives.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Funny how?” asked Kyle.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, they were sort of curved, like a scythe, and the blade was… hold on, I’ll show you.”&nbsp; The man picked up a slate board he kept at the counter to tally up sales, and a stub of chalk.&nbsp; He quickly sketched the knife he’d seen.&nbsp; “Mind you,” he said as he worked, “I only saw one of those guys with these, stuck in his belt.&nbsp; Seemed a bit small to be much of a threat.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The old man held up the board for Kyle to see.&nbsp; His eyes widened for just a moment, then he mumbled a word of thanks to the shopkeeper and dashed outside.&nbsp; He went around the corner and immediately began sketching the symbols in the dirt to summon another phantom steed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What is it?” cawed Violet.&nbsp; “What’s wrong?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That knife the old man described,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “I’ve seen one like it before.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You have?&nbsp; What kind of weapon is it?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s not a weapon, Violet, it’s a tool.&nbsp; I saw it at the Tower, during our studies in basic necromancy.&nbsp; We were examining corpses to learn how magic is used to reanimate them as undead.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What does that have to do with a knife?” Violet asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That blade is a disemboweling knife,” Kyle said grimly.*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle rode hard for three full hours.&nbsp; He estimated that Nicholas had had a good day’s head-start, but that the eight men would have ridden hard to catch up to him.&nbsp; When he got close to where he thought they might have spotted him, he slowed down and rode at a normal pace, looking around for anything unusual.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; After nearly an hour of searching, Violet turned her head.&nbsp; “You smell that?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Smell what?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Something died nearby.”&nbsp; She tilted her head slightly.&nbsp; “Off that way somewhere.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle dismounted from his magical steed, a lump rising in his throat.&nbsp; He quickly muttered the words to a couple of protective spells, and then walked off the road into the brush in the direction Violet had indicated.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The raven’s sense of smell directed him several yards into the brush.&nbsp; As he walked, he began to notice signs that he wasn’t the only one to have come this way recently.&nbsp; Broken branches and old footprints attested to the recent passage of a small group of people.&nbsp; Kyle was no ranger, but he could guess it was about eight or nine men.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eventually they came upon a ruined building, a squat stone house that looked as if it had been abandoned decades ago.&nbsp; Remarkably, it was still mostly intact.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “In there?” Kyle asked.&nbsp; Violet cawed her confirmation.&nbsp; Kyle moved forward, hoping he wouldn’t see what he expected.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As he walked into the doorway, he saw both exactly what he expected, and much he hadn’t.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Swarms of flies buzzed about the room.&nbsp; In the center of the floor a body lay sprawled naked, coated with dried blood and viscera.&nbsp; The body lay in the middle of a circle inscribed with magical runes.&nbsp; Even from the doorway, Kyle could see the body had been mutilated, and there were signs that small predators had been there as well to take morsels.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Slowly, Kyle unshouldered his pack and dug out a smokestick.&nbsp; He lit it and tossed it into the room, filling the space with thick smoke that drove away the flies as well as the putrid stench.&nbsp; Then Kyle moved into the room, and knelt next to the body.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The body was obviously that of Nicholas.&nbsp; Curly brown hair covered his head, though it was now matted with blood.&nbsp; Kyle traced a finger along the man’s jawline, feeling the scar that Kevin said Nicholas had gotten as a young man in a fight over a woman.&nbsp; Nicholas’ eyes had been cut out of his head.&nbsp; Quickly examining the body, Kyle saw that other important parts were also missing; the heart, the kidneys, and the testicles.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “They got all the best parts,” Violet grumbled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Now is not the time,” Kyle growled.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sorry.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle turned Nicholas’ head to the side.&nbsp; He saw that a pair of iron nails had been hammered into his ears and into his brain.&nbsp; This was probably what had killed him – and Kyle suspected it was probably the last thing they did.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Why go to all this trouble to rob a merchant?” asked Violet, as Kyle examined the glyphs surrounding the body.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It wasn’t a robbery.&nbsp; See?”&nbsp; Kyle pointed down to Nicholas’ right hand, where he still wore a large gold signet ring.&nbsp; “Thieves would have taken that.”&nbsp; Kyle then pointed to the circle around them.&nbsp; “You see these runes?&nbsp; They’re meant to block the spirit from the Shadow Plane at the time of death, and dissolve its energy.&nbsp; They weren’t just trying to kill the man, they were trying to destroy his soul.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Violet shivered.&nbsp; “That’s horrible.&nbsp; Did it work?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can’t say for sure.&nbsp; Obviously, the men who did this thought it would.”&nbsp; Kyle frowned.&nbsp; “But why?&nbsp; I could understand a merchant having enemies, but Nicholas didn’t seem important enough to warrant… this.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hey, what’s that symbol for on the wall?” Violet asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle turned to look.&nbsp; A large symbol was painted on the wall in blood, presumably Nicholas’.&nbsp; Kyle hadn’t seen it before because it was on the inside of the wall with the doorway.&nbsp; Slowly, he stood up.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t know,” he said.&nbsp; “I’ve never seen a symbol like that before.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The crude symbol on the wall resembled a pair of four-fingered claws, almost like a bird’s talons.&nbsp; The first digits were touching each other at the bottom, while the middle talons arched over and nearly touched.&nbsp; The third digits also arched toward each other, but there was a larger gap, and between the ends of the pointed digits was a word Kyle didn’t recognize, though he alphabet used was Draconic.&nbsp; As he studied the symbol, Kyle got an impression that there was supposed to be something else in the middle of the symbol, in the space between the middle digits.&nbsp; He found the gruesome symbol strangely fascinating.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It must mean something,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “I should write this down.”&nbsp; Kyle fished his notebook out of his pack and sat cross-legged on the floor, copying the symbol.&nbsp; He found it was surprisingly easy to replicate the symbol, even the complex script at the very top.&nbsp; Kyle also copied the symbols in the circle for good measure, as well as describing how he’d found the body.&nbsp; When he finished, Kyle pulled the signet ring off of Nicholas’ finger, then retrieved his pack and walked a short distance away.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What now?” Violet asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Now, I burn the body,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “Then we go back to Balnad’s Ford to see if anyone else knows anything about these eight men.&nbsp; After that…” Kyle sighed.&nbsp; “We go back to the castle and deliver this to Kevin.”&nbsp; He held up the signet ring.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What do you think happened here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I don’t know.&nbsp; It looks like some sort of cult, maybe a sect of Fiel.&nbsp; Nicholas must have run into them at some point in the past, and they made him a target.&nbsp; Maybe that talon symbol on the wall is the cult’s symbol.&nbsp; Fiel’s totem is a spider – maybe that symbol is supposed to be eight legs, not two sets of four claws like I thought.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “You going to tell the others?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle thought for a moment.&nbsp; “Not yet.&nbsp; Like I said before, we don’t need more delays on the way to Noxolt.&nbsp; Besides, the trail of these men is cold, and as unfortunate as it is, it’s probably an isolated incident.&nbsp; When we get to the capital, maybe I can get access to a library and see if I can do some research on that symbol on the wall.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Violet was strangely silent as Kyle summoned magical fire to incinerate the corpse and all evidence of the horrific scene inside.&nbsp; She remained silent all the way back to town.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s the matter, Violet?” Kyle asked as they came upon Balnad’s Ford once again.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nothing,” said Violet.&nbsp; “I was just thinking about finding that man.&nbsp; If what you say is true, about them destroying souls, then I’d hate to have people like that after me.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I agree with you,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “But I’m sure we have nothing to worry about.”--------------------------------------* As to those &quot;other reasons&quot;: by this stage in the game Kyle and Autumn had been spending a great deal of time together, and were beginning to explore the possibility there was a romantic potential between them.&nbsp; So at the time this story takes place, they are sort of 'dating'.&nbsp; However, Autumn and Kyle wanted to keep the whole thing secret from the others (partly so that if things didn't work out, they could break it off and not cause a stir, but Autumn also had her own, private reasons for secrecy).&nbsp; In order to simulate the subterfuge, Autumn's player Erica and myself agreed not to reveal our little subplot to the other players, conducting most of it through private email.&nbsp; Thus you'll see little direct evidence of the relationship in the Story Hour for a while.&nbsp; Eventually we let everyone in on it (most had figured it out anyway), and you start seeing more obvious signs of the relationship in the story.** The raven is Erito's totem animal, and it's considered a sign of status among the priesthood to have a cloak made of raven feathers.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2109430, member: 5203"] [b]Ties That Bind[/b] And now, part two. You may have noted Kyle's absence in the last adventure; since I play Kyle, and I wasn't there, that just makes sense. But our DM allowed me the chance to make up the XP lost by writing a short side jaunt for Kyle, which is what this story is. Just to be clear, none of the events in this particular story were played out in any way - it's all pure fiction. Fiction that becomes important to the character much further down the line, but fiction. ---------------------------------- “Meet me down in the cellar after dark.” Kyle nearly lost his grip on his knife as the serving girl behind him whispered into his ear as she leaned past him to fill his glass. He quickly glanced around to see if anyone had overheard, but neither Autumn to his right nor Tolly to his left seemed aware of it. The serving girl herself was gone, off to continue her duties. But as she came round the table and offered the pitcher of wine to Arrie, she caught Kyle’s eyes with a long look. He desperately hoped that he wasn’t flushed. He hadn’t expected to receive such an invitation, especially not in the middle of dinner with Lord Zanich and Lady Auror. “Are you all right?” Kyle almost jumped out of his chair. He turned to look at Autumn, who was staring at him. “I’m fine, why do you ask?” “Your thumb,” she said, her eyes glancing down to Kyle’s plate. “It’s bleeding.” Kyle looked at his plate, and saw that a few bright splotches of blood had scattered onto the white plate. He turned his thumb over and saw a long, but shallow cut. “Oh, that,” he said. “I, um, must have slipped.” Tolly glanced at the minor injury. “Kyle, if I may?” He reached over and touched Kyle’s hand, sending a tiny spark of divine energy into him. The cut immediately sealed itself. “No reason to continue bleeding on our host’s table,” he said. Kyle looked around the table, flashing an awkward smile. Most of the people around the table hadn’t even noticed the incident, or had gone back to their own meals or conversations. Arrie gave him a slight wink, and Lord Zanich called for a new plate for him. Lady Auror’s continual frown of disapproval seemed to deepen. He saw the young woman several more times that evening, as she went back and forth from the kitchens bringing food and drink. She was about his age, perhaps a bit younger, with auburn hair tied back neatly. She dressed modestly, and seemed to be energetic in her duties. More than once, her blue eyes caught his as she went by; each time they did, Kyle heard the same phrase echo in his mind. “Meet me down in the cellar after dark.” Of course, he should refuse. He shouldn’t even be near the cellars until they left the Verahannen estates. Perhaps, under different circumstances, he might have thought differently, but this was the home of two of his adventuring companions, his friends. Spending his evening coupling with one of their servants might not go over well. Besides, he thought, there are other considerations, other reasons why such an act would be wrong.* Despite himself, however, the thought kept popping into his head. Sometimes he thought it was a kind of curse, the way his mind would keep picking at a situation until he’d seen every possible interpretation or consequence. His instructors had called it a sign of his remarkable intellect; he found it worse than a conscience. At least a conscience only came up with two alternatives; right or wrong. His ‘intellect’ could spin off dozens of possibilities if he let it. The first thing he thought was that there was something odd about the request. Not that he’d received it in the first place – he’d had his fair share of propositions from women at taverns or barn dances. But the manner was odd. Though the whispered message held a certain urgency, a kind of intensity to it, it wasn’t the right kind of intensity. Some of the subtleties were missing; she hadn’t pressed her breasts into his shoulder when she whispered to him, she hadn’t once winked or pursed her lips when catching his gaze. Kyle shook his head slightly. He was grasping at straws. The right thing to do would still be to ignore the request. By this time dinner had ended, and they were being led upstairs to their rooms. After a moment of banter with Lanara, Kyle was shown to his chambers. The room was probably small by the castle’s standards, but still larger than he was used to, and for the first time in months he had no roommate to share it with. Kyle settled into the small desk, lighting an oil lamp and cracking open one of his hefty books, the one he kept notes in about future projects or theories on magical item design. AS his pen scratched out a few ideas on a blank page, he started to think about how long the serving girl would wait downstairs before realizing he wasn’t going to show up. At that thought, the pen stopped moving. Kyle had spend plenty of his time talking with people who worked for other lords in other castles. The help, he knew, were notorious gossips, and rumors spread like wildfire. And he knew from talking with Autumn that the lords and ladies of those castles heard far more of these rumors that their staff realized. While the woman at dinner hadn’t seemed the vindictive type, it was impossible to tell from just a single sentence and a few exchanged looks. What if she felt angry at an apparent rejection? What if she’d bragged to her friends about spending the night with one of the guests? She might say it happened anyway, just to cover herself, or make up an even more outlandish story. Stories that might reach Auror’s ears; stories that would then end up being told to… [CENTER] * * *[/CENTER] Kyle glanced about the dark cellar. He’d brought no light, so as to escape the notice of the castle’s guards or servants, but before leaving his room he’d cast a spell on himself that mimicked the darkvision ability of the dwarves, allowing him to see plainly. He’d made up his mind; he would meet this woman, explain to her that while he was flattered by her offer he couldn’t accept it because he was a guest here, and then depart. While by no means a perfect plan, it was the best he could do on short notice. He didn’t dare mention anything about the girl to anyone else; the news might get out, and Kyle doubted that Lady Auror was one who took kindly to ‘the help’ consorting with her guests, even when she saw the guests as not much better than the help in the first place. Finally, he spotted her waiting behind a pile of flour sacks. She was holding a single candle in a tin holder, whistling a quiet tune. When he came into the light, she smiled. “Thank you for coming,” she said, nodding. Kyle held up his hand, about to launch into his prepared speech. Instead, she grabbed his hand and began pulling. “Please, come this way.” She began leading him toward the stairs that led outside. “Wait a minute,” he said, pulling away slightly, “What is…” “Forgive the haste, but my husband will be home soon. We must get back to our house before then.” Kyle gaped. Was this woman really bringing him into her own home with her own husband on the way? “I have to say, I was excited to hear you were finally here,” she said. “We’ve been so worried about you.” By this time they were up the stairs and out on the castle grounds, walking toward the outer gate and the cluster of homes surrounding the estate. The girl waved at passers-by as she led Kyle by the hand. Kyle, now too confused to protest, went along with her. They arrived at a simple wooden house near the western edge of the village. She went inside, and pulled out a chair for Kyle at the table. Cautiously, Kyle sat down. “I must say, you’re taller than I expected, but I’d recognize those eyes and that chin anywhere,” she said with a wink. “I… well… um… who are you?” he stammered. The woman laughed. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry! In my hurry to get you here I forgot to introduce myself!” She held out a hand. “My name’s Elsie. Elsie Goodson.” “What?” Kyle said, not sure he heard her right. At that moment, the door opened and a man strode in. He was a half-head shorter than Kyle, but had the same broad-shouldered build. His wavy black hair was flecked with sawdust, and his blue-gray eyes took in the scene with some measure of bewilderment. Kyle stood up suddenly, not knowing what to expect. Elsie jumped up. “Surprise, dear! Your long-lost brother’s here at last!” The man looked Kyle up and down. “Elsie, buttercup, this isn’t my brother.” “It isn’t?” she asked. “But Kevin, he looks so much like you. And I heard one of the guards mention that his family name is Goodson, too.” “Is that so?” Kyle looked at the two of them. “Well, it’s true I’m a Goodson, but my two brothers are named Angar and Bryant, not Kevin.” Kevin turned to Elsie. “Did you ask this man his name?” “Well, no. When I found out, I didn’t really have time. I wanted to surprise you.” Kevin turned to Kyle. “Can I have your name, sir?” “It’s Kyle. Kyle Goodson.” Elsie’s face fell as Kyle gave his name. “Your brother’s name is Nicholas.” She looked as if she were about to cry. Kevin put his arm around her shoulders. “It’s all right, buttercup. You meant no harm. You just let your heart get ahead of you again.” Elsie put her arms around him. “I’m sorry, dear. I just know you’ve been worried.” After they embraced, Kevin turned to Kyle and extended his hand. “I’m sorry for the trouble, Kyle,” he said. “Not at all,” said Kyle, taking the offered hand. He was relieved that the situation hadn’t been what he feared at all. Kevin’s grasp on Kyle’s hand held for a moment, and an odd look came over his face. “Come to think of it, Elsie’s right. You do look an awful lot like me. And you say your name’s Goodson, too?” “That’s right.” Kyle was beginning to notice the similarities as well. “Who’s your mother and father?” Kevin asked. “My father’s Rufus Goodson, and my mother Anjele.” Kevin smiled. He looked at Elsie. “Well, buttercup, you may not have found my brother, but you did manage to dig up a cousin.” Kyle’s eyebrow arched. “How so?” “My father was Seamus Goodson.” Kyle smiled. His father’s father, Andrew Goodson, had had four boys of his own. One of his father’s older brothers was named Seamus. “Well, I’ll be,” said Kyle. “And here just this evening I was telling one of my friends that I never expected to see any of my family again.” The three sat down and exchanged stories. Seamus had come to Merlion years ago, along with two children; his son Kevin, and his sister Annia. The year after moving here, Seamus also took in a young boy named Nicholas, whose parents had been killed in a fire. He raised the boy as his own son, and Kevin considered him as much a brother as if they were related. Nicholas even took the family name as his own. While Kevin had become a lumberjack and settled in Merlion with his wife Elsie, Nicholas and Annia has sought their fortunes elsewhere. Annia ended up going back to Targeth and worked as a seamstress, and Nicholas became a merchant, who mostly plied his trade in northern Tlaxan. “That’s why Elsie here assumed you were Nicholas,” Kevin explained. “Nicholas has done well for himself, so he wouldn’t be out of place as a guest of the lord and lady. Plus you look a lot like me. Of course, the real Nicholas looks nothing like me, because he was adopted; I think that Elsie was just so excited when she saw you that she didn’t remember that little detail. She’s never met Nicholas before.” For his part, Kyle told Kevin and Elsie about how his mother Anjele had died of plague, and how after losing the farm the next year his father Rufus took he and his four siblings and split them up to give them a fighting chance at survival. Kyle told them about ending up at Targeth’s famous school; they both stared incredulously when he told them he was a wizard. “And I always thought that the Goodson family had manual labor etched into their bones and blood forever,” Kevin whistled. “Now I’ll have something to tell the boys tomorrow.” “There’s not much to tell, really,” Kyle said. “I’m just an ordinary man, like yourself. Besides, as wizards go I’m not much to brag about.” “Well, I don’t think the boys are going to care much.” “I was wondering something, though,” Kyle said. “When I first got here, and Elsie thought I was Nicholas, she said something about you being worried about him. Why is that?” Kevin and Elsie looked at each other before Kevin answered. “Though I don’t see much of Nicholas and Annia, we keep in touch by letters. About a month ago I got a letter from Nicholas saying that he wanted to visit, and was trying to work out a trade route that would bring him close. Three weeks after that he sent another letter saying he’d made a deal, and the first chance he’d have to come here was on the first of Columbad. He said his route would take him to Balnad’s Ford around then.” Kevin leveled Kyle with an intense stare. “Balnad’s Ford is a three-day ride north of here. He’s past due, and we’ve had no word.” Kyle nodded in agreement; tomorrow was the ninth of Columbad. “And it’s not like a Goodson to be late,” he said. “Not if we can help it. Now, overall, this is pretty safe country around here, and Nicholas knows what he’s doing. I’d love to go up to the Ford myself to check into it, but neither of us can leave that long. There’s just too much work for me, and the lady of the castle doesn’t take kindly to her help skipping out for a week.” “I can imagine,” said Kyle, knowing full well what Lady Auror’s disposition was like. “Well, tell you what. Why don’t I run up there and check it out for you?” “Oh, we couldn’t ask that. We know you’re a guest of the lord and lady. It wouldn’t be…” “Nonsense,” said Kyle. “You’re family. Probably about the only family I’ll ever get to meet in my life. And I can get there and back faster than you; I’m a wizard, remember?” Kevin and Elsie looked at each other again. “It would put your mind at ease, dear,” Elsie said. Kevin scratched his chin. “Well, I don’t have much to cover your expenses, but it’s a short trip…” “You let me worry about the expenses. I can take care of myself.” Kyle grinned. “We have a deal?” Kevin grinned. “Deal.” He extended a callused hand and gave Kyle a firm handshake. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Kyle slept at Kevin and Elsie’s home that night, spreading out a few blankets on the floor in the main room. It was far too late in the evening to be entering the castle, and Kyle didn’t feel like explaining how he got out in the first place. When he arose the next morning, he went to tell his companions about his newly discovered kin in town, and to let them know about his trip to Balnad’s Ford. He discovered that his companions had left without him that morning. There had been reports of goblins attacking a caravan that they were on their way to investigate, and they couldn’t wait for him. Once he got the news, Kyle returned to his room and wrote out a letter: [FONT=Georgia]Friends, Gone off on a personal errand for a friend here. I expect to be back in three days at the outside. Should you decide to move on before I return, leave word at the castle and I’ll catch up with you. Make sure to take my horse, Matilda, with you if you leave. Yours, Kyle [/FONT] He slipped the letter under Autumn’s door, where she’d be sure to see it, and then went out of the castle. He walked until he was just outside the edge of the village surrounding the castle, and then sat down and began to cast a spell. After several minutes, a vaporous, translucent form of a horse materialized. Just as Kyle was about to mount the apparition, he heard a rough voice behind him. “You weren’t leaving without me, were you?” Kyle smiled. “Of course not, Violet. I was just letting you sleep in.” “Sure, sure.” He’s been slightly surprised to hear his familiar. Though the raven was gifted with the ability to speak, she rarely did so except when she was alone with Kyle. Violet said that she thought the others were too unnerved by a talking bird. She also said that she didn’t want to be bothered by their endless requests for advice. “It’s bad enough that Eritan priest keeps waiting for me to molt so he can decorate his cloak,” she would often say. “I don’t want him to get the idea that I’ll be handing out pearls of wisdom from the Goddess.”** Violet flapped her wings and landed on Kyle’s shoulder. She cawed at the horse-like thing under them. “You really planning on riding that thing?” “Violet, it’s just a phantom steed. Perfectly harmless.” “What’s wrong with Matilda?” she asked. “Nothing, but this steed can go much faster than a normal horse. Balnad’s Ford is normally a three-day ride; this way I can do it in one, and not have to worry about camping on the roadside alone. Plus, I get there and back faster so the others aren’t waiting for me.” “I thought you told them not to wait in that letter,” Violet said, pecking at a bug that had landed on Kyle’s back. “Yes, but you know them. Autumn would probably make them all sit around twiddling their thumbs until I got back, then chew me out for not waiting and bringing everyone along.” “Well, why not wait for them?” “Because I don’t think it takes eight battle-hardened adventurers to run up to the next town and ask if a particular merchant has been seen recently.” Kyle willed the phantom steed to turn around and face the road north. “Now, any more questions, or can we be on our way?” “Fine, fine,” Violet croaked. “But if we see any dead animals on the side of the road, you have to stop, okay? I’m getting tired of bugs and seeds.” “I’ll be sure to remember that, Violet. Now, hang on.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Kyle ended up having to summon a second steed before he made it to Balnad’s Ford late that day. Exhausted from the long ride, he found an inn and paid for a room, deciding to take up his search for Nicholas Goodson in the morning. His sleep was only marred by Violet complaining that they’d found no carrion on the trip into town. His inquiries the next morning produced fast results. Several townspeople had seen the man that Kyle described to them. He had arrived in Balnad’s Ford on the second, and spent a day there with his goods until the buyer arrived and paid him. He then went south on the fourth; the locals assumed that he was heading to Castle Verahannen to ply his trade. “Too bad he didn’t stick around another day,” one old shopkeeper said. “He’d of had himself an opportunity right here.” “What do you mean?” asked Kyle. Violet sat calmly on his shoulder, watching a spider crawl down the wall. “Well, the day after he left, a group of fellows came into town asking after him. Said they had business with master Goodson. Well, we told them that he’d gone south the day before, and they packed off after him that very afternoon. Probably at the castle with him right now.” Kyle didn’t mention that he’d just come from Castle Verahannen. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up; Nicholas should have been at the castle three days ago, from the sound of it. He didn’t like the sound of these men asking after him. “Did Nicholas act at all like he was on guard or defensive while he was in town?” Kyle asked. “As if he was expecting trouble?” “No, can’t say as he was,” the old-timer drawled. “He wore a short sword, but that’s not that irregular for a traveling merchant.” “And what about these men asking about him? Were they at all threatening?” “Nope, they was all real polite. Course, there were eight of ‘em, which could be a bit unnerving, but they wasn’t armed with nothing but these funny knives.” “Funny how?” asked Kyle. “Well, they were sort of curved, like a scythe, and the blade was… hold on, I’ll show you.” The man picked up a slate board he kept at the counter to tally up sales, and a stub of chalk. He quickly sketched the knife he’d seen. “Mind you,” he said as he worked, “I only saw one of those guys with these, stuck in his belt. Seemed a bit small to be much of a threat.” The old man held up the board for Kyle to see. His eyes widened for just a moment, then he mumbled a word of thanks to the shopkeeper and dashed outside. He went around the corner and immediately began sketching the symbols in the dirt to summon another phantom steed. “What is it?” cawed Violet. “What’s wrong?” “That knife the old man described,” Kyle said. “I’ve seen one like it before.” “You have? What kind of weapon is it?” “It’s not a weapon, Violet, it’s a tool. I saw it at the Tower, during our studies in basic necromancy. We were examining corpses to learn how magic is used to reanimate them as undead.” “What does that have to do with a knife?” Violet asked. “That blade is a disemboweling knife,” Kyle said grimly. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Kyle rode hard for three full hours. He estimated that Nicholas had had a good day’s head-start, but that the eight men would have ridden hard to catch up to him. When he got close to where he thought they might have spotted him, he slowed down and rode at a normal pace, looking around for anything unusual. After nearly an hour of searching, Violet turned her head. “You smell that?” “Smell what?” “Something died nearby.” She tilted her head slightly. “Off that way somewhere.” Kyle dismounted from his magical steed, a lump rising in his throat. He quickly muttered the words to a couple of protective spells, and then walked off the road into the brush in the direction Violet had indicated. The raven’s sense of smell directed him several yards into the brush. As he walked, he began to notice signs that he wasn’t the only one to have come this way recently. Broken branches and old footprints attested to the recent passage of a small group of people. Kyle was no ranger, but he could guess it was about eight or nine men. Eventually they came upon a ruined building, a squat stone house that looked as if it had been abandoned decades ago. Remarkably, it was still mostly intact. “In there?” Kyle asked. Violet cawed her confirmation. Kyle moved forward, hoping he wouldn’t see what he expected. As he walked into the doorway, he saw both exactly what he expected, and much he hadn’t. Swarms of flies buzzed about the room. In the center of the floor a body lay sprawled naked, coated with dried blood and viscera. The body lay in the middle of a circle inscribed with magical runes. Even from the doorway, Kyle could see the body had been mutilated, and there were signs that small predators had been there as well to take morsels. Slowly, Kyle unshouldered his pack and dug out a smokestick. He lit it and tossed it into the room, filling the space with thick smoke that drove away the flies as well as the putrid stench. Then Kyle moved into the room, and knelt next to the body. The body was obviously that of Nicholas. Curly brown hair covered his head, though it was now matted with blood. Kyle traced a finger along the man’s jawline, feeling the scar that Kevin said Nicholas had gotten as a young man in a fight over a woman. Nicholas’ eyes had been cut out of his head. Quickly examining the body, Kyle saw that other important parts were also missing; the heart, the kidneys, and the testicles. “They got all the best parts,” Violet grumbled. “Now is not the time,” Kyle growled. “Sorry.” Kyle turned Nicholas’ head to the side. He saw that a pair of iron nails had been hammered into his ears and into his brain. This was probably what had killed him – and Kyle suspected it was probably the last thing they did. “Why go to all this trouble to rob a merchant?” asked Violet, as Kyle examined the glyphs surrounding the body. “It wasn’t a robbery. See?” Kyle pointed down to Nicholas’ right hand, where he still wore a large gold signet ring. “Thieves would have taken that.” Kyle then pointed to the circle around them. “You see these runes? They’re meant to block the spirit from the Shadow Plane at the time of death, and dissolve its energy. They weren’t just trying to kill the man, they were trying to destroy his soul.” Violet shivered. “That’s horrible. Did it work?” “I can’t say for sure. Obviously, the men who did this thought it would.” Kyle frowned. “But why? I could understand a merchant having enemies, but Nicholas didn’t seem important enough to warrant… this.” “Hey, what’s that symbol for on the wall?” Violet asked. Kyle turned to look. A large symbol was painted on the wall in blood, presumably Nicholas’. Kyle hadn’t seen it before because it was on the inside of the wall with the doorway. Slowly, he stood up. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never seen a symbol like that before.” The crude symbol on the wall resembled a pair of four-fingered claws, almost like a bird’s talons. The first digits were touching each other at the bottom, while the middle talons arched over and nearly touched. The third digits also arched toward each other, but there was a larger gap, and between the ends of the pointed digits was a word Kyle didn’t recognize, though he alphabet used was Draconic. As he studied the symbol, Kyle got an impression that there was supposed to be something else in the middle of the symbol, in the space between the middle digits. He found the gruesome symbol strangely fascinating. “It must mean something,” Kyle said. “I should write this down.” Kyle fished his notebook out of his pack and sat cross-legged on the floor, copying the symbol. He found it was surprisingly easy to replicate the symbol, even the complex script at the very top. Kyle also copied the symbols in the circle for good measure, as well as describing how he’d found the body. When he finished, Kyle pulled the signet ring off of Nicholas’ finger, then retrieved his pack and walked a short distance away. “What now?” Violet asked. “Now, I burn the body,” Kyle said. “Then we go back to Balnad’s Ford to see if anyone else knows anything about these eight men. After that…” Kyle sighed. “We go back to the castle and deliver this to Kevin.” He held up the signet ring. “What do you think happened here?” “I don’t know. It looks like some sort of cult, maybe a sect of Fiel. Nicholas must have run into them at some point in the past, and they made him a target. Maybe that talon symbol on the wall is the cult’s symbol. Fiel’s totem is a spider – maybe that symbol is supposed to be eight legs, not two sets of four claws like I thought.” “You going to tell the others?” Kyle thought for a moment. “Not yet. Like I said before, we don’t need more delays on the way to Noxolt. Besides, the trail of these men is cold, and as unfortunate as it is, it’s probably an isolated incident. When we get to the capital, maybe I can get access to a library and see if I can do some research on that symbol on the wall.” Violet was strangely silent as Kyle summoned magical fire to incinerate the corpse and all evidence of the horrific scene inside. She remained silent all the way back to town. “What’s the matter, Violet?” Kyle asked as they came upon Balnad’s Ford once again. “Nothing,” said Violet. “I was just thinking about finding that man. If what you say is true, about them destroying souls, then I’d hate to have people like that after me.” “I agree with you,” Kyle said. “But I’m sure we have nothing to worry about.” -------------------------------------- * As to those "other reasons": by this stage in the game Kyle and Autumn had been spending a great deal of time together, and were beginning to explore the possibility there was a romantic potential between them. So at the time this story takes place, they are sort of 'dating'. However, Autumn and Kyle wanted to keep the whole thing secret from the others (partly so that if things didn't work out, they could break it off and not cause a stir, but Autumn also had her own, private reasons for secrecy). In order to simulate the subterfuge, Autumn's player Erica and myself agreed not to reveal our little subplot to the other players, conducting most of it through private email. Thus you'll see little direct evidence of the relationship in the Story Hour for a while. Eventually we let everyone in on it (most had figured it out anyway), and you start seeing more obvious signs of the relationship in the story. ** The raven is Erito's totem animal, and it's considered a sign of status among the priesthood to have a cloak made of raven feathers. [/QUOTE]

Verification