Dragon's Egg - Act IV

[Philster401]

He took a rabbit and started to prepare it while he was preparing it he decided to start a conversation with Baldhart.

"I have had to do this quite a few times. You have to be able to do these things when you work alone, but I first learned how to when I was punished when I was younger." He stated then he wondered though home much of his past he should divulge he had a feeling that she would probably try and kill him if she knew he was once part of the inquisition.

"I have to say I can honestly understand how those children feel growing up with no parents I can only remember flashes of my parents every once and a while. They were killed by the inquisition when I was two." He said.

" The reason why I was in this area was because I thought the drows might have had information on the inquisition when I saw the fire and came to this house and heard from those two squires that the Drows were in the mountain/(hills) I went as quickly as I possibly could to catch up and question them." He stated taking a breath.

"That's why I was angry when you killed them before any of them being able to give an answer. Sorry I started to go on ramble the point is I can prepare the rabbit are we going to make a stew or what I have fresh carrots and potatoes if thats what you want." He explained.
.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"In the future, I'll keep in mind there's a use in questioning the enemy. I was afraid if I lied about sparing the drow, you'd try to hold me to it. As long as we have an understanding, we likely won't be taking prisoners, I'll try to give the enemy some time to speak."

Fresh veggies?

"Oh! Yes, we could definitely make a stew. The only thing we're missing is water—only we're not, in fact!"

I turn to Keit, "Hey, Keit. Don't you have a spell to take the water out of the air?"

I tell Zoran, "I think I've seen her do it, and my mom's a druid so I know it's drinkable. Mother always used her Pure Water spell for tea."

 

[Philster401]

"Thanks, also you know what we could also use for water is the snow around us. We could fill the pot with snow and it would melt into water can't we?" He asks.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"You'll think different if you drink water from the Pure Water spell. Snow's good for washing up, though." I show Zoran the ring on my finger. "I gave this to the kids so they wouldn't freeze in the tunnels—had 'em take turns wearing it. It simply protects one from the cold. Don't know if it would do any good against an ice spell, but I bathed in the ocean with this on and felt fine. Almost got eaten by fish demons, though. And a time before, I did end up in the maw of a huge six-legged amphibious beast.

"Maybe I shouldn't abuse a magic ring to take baths. Anyway, we keep our share of magic things we find in battle. My necklace is supposed to deflect arrows. Of course, the one time I was shot, I let someone else wear it. Now that I've sword off armor—and I tend to rush into fights—I guess the necklace is considered mine.

"The witch had a ring. Maybe lightning, or flight…? Masama can maybe figure it out. He's a monk too, but one who went through proper monk training. Meditation, which I lack patience for. My sparring partner who became a nun at 16 did all that spiritual stuff. I only trained with her because monks fight better than the top bare-knuckle brawlers on my mountain. I didn't expect to become a nun, though I made my first nun's vow to devote myself fully to Brynhild. I needed to commit that much to train with her master. He said my third vow would make it official, and five days ago, I found out how true that statement was."

 

[Philster401]

"Ok then, we will try the pure water spell, and that ring you have sound very handy especially in this weather. By the way you mentioned a ring that the witch has. Do we know if it is cursed or maybe the ring she had was how she was able to turn into that spider witch thing. Either way no one should where it until we know what it does," he said.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"I suspect her staff made her into a spider. I'm sure she used that ring, too, but yeah… I don't want that Taint blackening my blood. I trust Masama will know if the ring's cursed."

 

[Philster401]

When he finished dicing the rabbit into small cubes he put them in the pot, took out potatoes and carrots, cut them up and put them in the pot. Then he pulled some of the correct herbs and sprinkled them into the stew.

"You keep mentioning three vows would you mind telling me about them?" He asked.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Well… okay, I'm not shy.

"First vow was, as I said, to fully devote to Brynhild. I'm luckier than most. Like you—you say you were around people claiming to act in the name of a good god while doing an evil thing. You don't need to convince me that happens. Brynhild's name is not twisted so much, perhaps because only women can worship Her. I'm not saying women are more honest than men. I mean many leadership positions are only given to men, and if you want to call upon a god to win over the masses, you call upon a god that entire families follow. Brynhild is the one deity who is not followed by fathers and sons, and few parents encourage daughters to follow Her path, as opposed to Freya's.

"Anyway, I had seen Nissa in a dream the night before I was asked to make that vow. I didn't know she was real—for seven years, I never truly knew for certain. Seemed likely a figment of my imagination, but her message was beautiful from Day One. I did believe my dreams of her to be a message from Brynhild."

I slice the rabbit a bit to make sure it's cooked through.

"So… the second vow isn't silence, you may have guessed. Should I go on?"

 

[Philster401]

"Yes please, if you wish," he said.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"I made the second vow on the same day.

"A little background: Mother wanted me to marry. My uncle is a chieftain with no heirs, which means the Eisenbergs who've held the peak of the Iron Mountain for 800 years… that ends with Uncle Wolfgang, unless he marries one of the twin bastards' moms.

"But Mother wanted me to take the throne since I'm the only one of my generation born an Eisenberg, regardless of what my uncle does for his out-of-wedlock sons. I cannot rule because women do not become chieftains, but I can marry into the position. I didn't want that, so when I was told of the three most common nun's vows—poverty, silence and chastity—it was an easy choice. I own little gold but will inherit 10 acres on the peak, despite my family's lack of a male heir. And silence… I'll admit I'm a blabbermouth.

"So I vowed to never to lie with a man. I was 16, just a girl who didn't want to marry for political reasons, and the closest I came to love was a pre-teen crush on an older boy. If that could have ever been a first kiss or walking hand-in-hand, the chance of it ended, as far as he was concerned, when I grew taller than him. Seven years later, no regret. The drow had cards depicting sex acts. I think after seeing that, I regret even less. So… less than zero regret.

"Anyway, my sparring partner Hanako said the third vow would seal the deal. I thought it was an arbitrary number, a silly superstition, but I followed the rules as I understood 'em and stopped at vow number two. I wanted to wear a breastplate and carry a great sword, so being a true monk—or nun, as Hanako preferred to be called—was not the path I took. I trained in the ways of my father, and I finally purchased that armor in Arendal about a week ago. I even had it with me when I went to bathe in the ocean."

I place the kettle of water over the flame.

"I told you how bathing with the ring on went already, right? I made the third vow when the fish demons came."

 

[Philster401]

"Yes you did. Wait did you said you can never lie to men, so basically you are half a Paladin already but what I don't understand is why you choose to become a full monk then if you just bought something you couldn't use if you became a monk." He said honestly. (I guess that's a bit obvious that he is speaking honestly but I think it fits, honestly.)

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

After listening silently to Baldhart's explanation of her vows -- a fascinating subject, that -- Zoran's response urges me to speak. "She said she'd never lie with a man, not that she'd never lie to one. Chastity, not honesty." Though she very well could have taken a vow of honesty, come to think of it.

 

[Philster401]

"Oops I completely miss understood that and that explanation make much more sense now that I understand that, thank you, Cadell." He said ( oops I completely miss read that last post thanks for clearing that up.)

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I nod. "Glad I could help."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Oh… no, not a vow of honesty. It's hard to trick enemies if I make a vow like that. Ah, but don't worry. You're not the first to misinterpret that vow." I laugh in spite of the memory this conjures.

"Anyway, I wasn't about to take Hanako's third vow. I didn't want to be a nun, and I thought fighting without weapons would be silly. It wasn't until I found myself naked and under attack that I wished I fought Hanako's way. I hastily slipped on something so armor wouldn't chafe, and I grabbed my two-hander. Only got in one kill before a huge creature from the sea rammed its large body into the docks. I had to drop my sword to get onto solid ground. Batos killed the beast's rider, but he was submerged in water, no match for fish demons.

"There I was, unarmed, my new bronze plate just hanging uselessly on my body, and I'm looking at Batos floating on the waves in bloody water. Liadan wanted to save him, so with no weapon, I thought it was all my arms were good for. I was in a panic, barely able to support Liadan's weight as I lowered the rope with her tied to it. Fish demons entered a cave where children were in hiding, and there was Nissa, naked and flying in to the rescue.

"So I made the vow I wouldn't make seven years ago. I told Brynhild I'm lucky to have a strong body, and it's all I need to serve her. No more relying on steel. And I prayed that that was good enough for Batos, for the children. I felt Her touch after I said my silent prayer. Getting Liadan to Batos and lifting them both up, that came easy. I got in the fray and killed seven of those damn demons with my bare hands.

"I follow no order, but I felt Brynhild's touch and She sent Nissa to me the day I trained with the monks. So here I am, Brynhild's only nun. I think it was Her plan for me all along."

I take a look at the pitiful line-up of pails, kettles, teapots, vases, and only one actual bowl. Using a spade, I divvy up the stew into the mismatched bowl and bowl substitutes.

"Stew's ready."

 

[Philster401]

Before Zoran started eating he look through the rubble of the house to see if he could find anything useful, like silverware and actual bowls. (I don't know if I can just say he found some and shared them with everyone o r what but I am going to say for now that he did then if someone tells me I can not I will change post.)

He came back with enough silverware and bowls for everyone along with a few other things (maybe).

"I don't know what everyone else thinks but I think we should try and catch up to that caravan before night fall. Should we take a consensus of what everyone thinks we should do. There are three options we can head towards caravan then ask the people around the caravan if they recognize the blade or book, we could try and decipher the book and blade then head out or try and decipher knife and the book and head out in the morning." He says then takes out the cloth out and unraveled the blade.
He thought to himself I am sure I have seen this symbol before...

...but I still can't remember where.

"Nissa do you wish to see this blade? Either way I think you might have better luck finding information out about it if we decide to stay or go."

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

"Well, if nothing else we can examine the book and the knife while we eat, which you seem to already be doing."

I accept a dish of stew from Baldhart, and blow on it before taking a few bites. I glance at Cadell. "Coud I have a look at the book you took? I want to see what I can make of it, if anything."

He nods and hands me the book before getting his own stew. I flip to the first page, staring at the unfamiliar script.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

"Ahh… I'll see what I can figure out while I'm eating."

Baldhart looks at the knife while chowing down on food…

…but says, "F--- this. Let's eat, then go after the caravan."

I tell Zoran, "If I can't figure anything out while I eat, let me hold the knife while on Batos' back. He goes his own way, so I need only focus on the knife."

 

[Philster401]

The after everyone finished eating he washed the bowls and spoons. Then he put them in his back pack and decided to find out what they were going to do next seeing how no one actually gave him an answer about what they were going to do next. He said, "so what next?"

 

[Keitsumah]

Keitsumah

I keep grimly silent when Baldhart speaks to me, giving her a worried glance, but then the Paladin soon comes and distracts the barbarian, so I am free to do as i wish while they speak. Cadell and Liadan soon join us, and after the meal is finished I eat with the others -although i pick around the meat before tossing the tidbits to Batos.

"Could you sing that song again, old freind?" I ask him. "The one you sang when you were a pup and I was a child. Surely you remember?"

Batos

I hear other wolves howl back in response, but none in response to my challenge. With a snort, I pad back in the direction of the group and lay down next to Keitsumah. The bits of stew she tosses to me are nice, but I prefer the taste of blood and flesh from a good kill. Maybe later after this is over with I can hunt again.

When she asks if I will sing, My ears go sideways in embarrassment. I can't believe she remembers that song. It's rather silly -one I made up on a hot summer day after we'd cooled off in a stream.

Still, i growl an assent when she reaches out to rub my head, then shake myself and open my jaws just enough to let a low howl fill the room. The notes quickly change, intermingle, flowing randomly one into the other in an almost chaotic rythm. Yet as the song continues, a pattern can be discerned.