IC II Toes In The Water

[Zman]

Mary

Looking mournful, "He chose me for a life on the road, but Hulburg was fated to be my destination. It is here He chose me to bear his child, a child of the Cudgel and his divine grace."

Spoiler

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Yay! Second IC thread!

[achinca]

Miriam looks at Mary with a confused look on her face. "Wait sister. Are you telling that St. Cuthbert himself was your teacher and he left you with child? Your son is a demigod? I am a little confused because I was told that the Gods do not mix with the mortal races and procreate. Did you really meet The Cudgel himself?'

Miriam's eyes are wide open as she is trying to make sense of the story that Mary is telling her.

[Zman]

Mary

She pauses for a second, choosing her words carefully, "It was the will of Saint Cuthbert that i was with child. Though I traveled with a saint of a man, he was just a simple man, pure as a mere man could be. He was Calric, rescuer of the Mace that Never Forgets, lost Relic of the Church. Maybe you've heard of him....I hope he yet lves." there is a look of fondness and loneliness in her eyes.

[achinca]

Miriam turns white as all the blood is drained from her face. She grabs on a horse's mane to prevent from falling. Her heart is beating really fast, she starts to sweat and has problem breathing.

She opens her mouth but no words come out. Instead, silent tears fall down her cheeks.

With a broken, barely audible voice she asks 'Did ... Did ... did you say his name was .... Ca .... Cal .... Calric?

She stops as she faces another panic attack.

"Ca... Cal .. Calric is the fa ... fa ... ther? What did he look like?"

She looks around for a place to sit as she is about to pass out if she stays standing up.

[Zman]

Mary

Feeding off of the woman's despair, Mary speaks, barely audible, "His...his...it was his will...Calric said it was his will. Calric knew, he always knew...". Her voice grow more destraught as she speaks becoming quieter and quieter.

When Miriam asks what he looked like, the woman can't speak, she only offers the amulet from around her neck. When opened there is a stong looking young man, "Just like him..." she barely squeaks out.

Mary helps Miriam sit on an old weathered bench, barely holding it together herself in the stunned silence of old memories.

[Zman]

Moral's Armory

The two young women, carrying armfuls of equipment enter the Armory of Moral. A stout Dwarf with a shaggy black beard streaked with grey stands behind the counter. Looking at the mixed goods they are carrying and sighs, "Salvage?."

As you look around the shop, you can see many suits of armor, none of which are below the finest quality. The centerpiece of the shot is a glistening suit of the lightest metal Chainmail. It gleams with a tint that piques your arcane senses.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Wanting to be honest, Natalia quickly nods and says, "Worth something...right?" before stepping back and letting Mithril take over.

[Athedia]

Mithril placed the heavy armful down on the counter and sorted through it as she talked. "My family deals in clothing and fabrics, I can tell you for sure that these are more than salvage. Some are even the finest crafted orcish armor I have seen. But let's make a deal, I think I have a skill that may benefit you. Do you know all the magic that lies within the armor in store?" While talking her brow furrowed as if she knew there was something she was forgetting.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Looking at Mithril more closely, Natalia notices something missing. "Whiskers?" she asks her friend quietly.

[achinca]

Miriam looks at the pendant and screms 'NOOOOOOOOOOOO".

She turns whiter than before and if it was not for the stable wall behind her she would have fallen down. She let Mary helps her to the bench as she puts her face into her hands and start sobbing. She cries and cries.

When the sobs finally subside, in a weak, low quiet voice, she asks 'Ca.. Cal .... He was my teacher too .... He always knew right..... He was so wise ... He always told hoe little I knew .... Tell me Mary, tell me about your quest for The Mace that Never Forgets .... tell me Mary .... how old were you when you met Calric? How did you meet him?'. She looks at the ground motionless as she speaks.

The tone of a voice is monotone like anyone who has had their life gutted and losing all their reference framework to their life. Her mind is in whirlpool and she is not sure what is happening to her.

[Cavelcade]

Kurt nods in agreement with Valen's comment as he then gets to work on his axe. "It is better than how they used to let us recover after the training halls. These little bruises will fade much more quickly."

[Zman]

Moral

Looking distrust fly at the girls, "Aye, salvage. I can smell the blood. Name your price, I'll see if they are worth it to me.. As the girls eye the armor, "Don't get any ideas I know the magics on that there armor, and it's worth more than your life....which the wards are there to ensure. Don't get any ideas..."

Spoiler

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Using the appraise roll and the general rules I used befor, total the value and multiply it by 52% for how much he will give you. You can describe the haggling if you wish.

[Athedia]

"What's he doing this time?" Mithril reached behind her to grab Whisker's by his scruff, but when her hand met empty air she froze. Slowly turning and scanning the shop she examined the interior for signs of the weasel. Figuring he must have stayed with Kurt and Shiny she started to turn back to the dwarf when a sudden wave of fear swept over her bringing her to her knees. But as soon as she had hit the floor the fear was replaced with a calmness, a peace she had never felt before.

She felt all her troubles melt away, Linwood was safe, the orphanage was built, Miriam had found hope, Shiny had found his truth, Kurt and Valen where safe and old, and Natalia had a small workshop filled with inventions she hadd made. She leaned against the counter these images playing in her head, this was pure peace.

Those who saw her only saw her give a small cry as she toppled and then lay against the counter smiling, eyes staring into the distance.

Spoiler

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EDIT: I am playing empathic link up extremely in this one, just because of the situation.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Mithril!" Natalia's quick reflexes allow her to catch Mithril and gently lower her to the floor. Panicked, she waves a hand in front of her face. "You okay? What happened? Poison, a spell?" She'd been with her most of the day; she feels fine.

If Mithril doesn't respond, or if she's not lucid, Natalia gently brushes her loose auburn hair behind her ear. Then, about to cry, she turns to the dwarf and says, "...Please! Help! Know what happened?" The whole time, Natalia tries to snap Mithril out of it.

[Athedia]

Mithril started to come to, head still reeling from the experience. She saw Natalia begging the dwarf for help, and managed to grab her arm."Whiskers...something happened"

[Zman]

Mary

Weeping, the woman does her best to tell her story. She finishes healing the horses as she spoke, the routine spells acting as a comfort to her.
"I was young, maybe 12...13 he found me...he saved me....he took me in...he taught me everything...I was pathetic...he made me something. We traveled for a few years before word was given to him that a relic of Saint Cuthbert. The Mace that Never Forgets...a glorious weapon. Even Calric found himself too impure to hold it... We wrest it away from a dark Labyrinth to the north. Vile creatures... Life into death. A powerful sorceress lich..... I still have nightmares to this day....but Calric wasn't afraid. I remember it clearly,I stood there with my mark of the Cudgel held aloft, pouring my heart and soul into it...but, but it wasn't enough. Calric stood there with no fear, he turned the lich away long enough for me to grab the mace....I still remember the voice, it said I was not yet worthy... We survived with our life. We traveled until we chose to rest here, in Hulburg for a time. It was here I was...I was.... ". Her tears start to flow..."I was blessed by Saint Culbert. It was then that I last say him, some 17 summers ago."

Spoiler

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She is curing a moderate, then light wounds on the horses.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia turns back and manages to ask, "Okay? Where? Good or bad?" She supports Mithril, helping her upright, ready to bolt out of the shop.

[Zman]

Moral

"Miss, you alright? Do I need to call for a healer?" as the dwarf comes hurrying over to check on Mithil.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Missing familiar," Natalia says to Moral in a rushed voice. "Sense him where?" she asks Mithril, kneeling next to her.

[Zman]

Moral

Standing upright at the mention of a familiar, "Bah! mages. Magic doesn't put coin in. U pocket."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia stand up, the expression on her face suddenly going flat. "Mages are...brilliant." Helping Mithril stand upright, she takes the gear and says, "Find Whiskers," as they leave the store.

[Athedia]

Mithril tried to focus. If Whisker's where seperated from her he would head somewhere he recognized. He never went into unfamiliar buildings without her, the last time he had there had been a dog inside and he had barely gotten away. Her head was still foggy from his emotions, the shared feelings to strong to fully ignore.

On the other side of the square she saw the only familiar building. "Boccob, we would go there to pray." She braced herself on Natalia, the strength had started to return to her legs but the arm supporting her helped calm the panic that threatened to overtake her.

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Find him," Natalia says as they enter the temple, trying to quell her friend's fear,
"Promise."

[achinca]

We traveled until we chose to rest here, in Hulburg for a time. It was here I was...I was.... "[/B]. Her tears start to flow..."I was blessed by Saint Culbert. It was then that I last say him, some 17 summers ago."

As Mary starts to sobs, Miriam starts crying again, her voice full of pain and despair.
'Mary, Calric was my teacher too. Our stories are similar. I was a young pathetic maid in a church of St. Cuthbert, abandoned by her own farming family. I knew nothing. He taught me every thing..... He told me about the search for the Mace That Never Forget. He told me the story about the sorceress lich. But he told me that the apprentice was a young man that perished. He never mentioned you. He said that was his biggest failure. He never mentioned fathering a child. He told me that I was his soul mate.'

She stops as the pain is too strong. She takes deep breath to try to recompose herself but it results in more tears. Finally, after a lot of efforts, she says 'Where is your son? Can I see him? He looks just like him but younger.'

She stops again and gathers what ever little strength and courage she has left. 'Mary, I need to ask you a very private question. Did he deflower you? If yes, how long before you ended up in Hulburg. He did deflower me. He was my first and only. I wanted to wait for our wedding night but he said it would be better if I had some experience. He knew everything as he kept reminding me that I am a simple farm girl who knows nothing. Not long after taking my maidenhood, he died.'

She finally stops exhausted. Her life is unraveling in front of her eyes. could it be that Calric, the man she adored more than everything was not that he portrayed to be. He never mentioned Mary. He never mentioned his son. What is the truth she wonders?

[Zman]

Mary

With all of the information presented to her it appears to be more than Mary can process, "Dead...dead....DEAD..." she sobs. "You?? But, Calric.....Calric would never...Ca...." irratically jumping from topic to topic in an attempt to process what is happening around her, "My son.... he is... is... off fighting.....the Ogres... I may never see him again..."

Spoiler

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Que another possible side quest?!

[achinca]

Miriam is taken back by Mary's reaction. "Well, on his dying breath he told me to take his shield, his mace and his holy symbol and go do good in the realm. He told me to leave him there and I left him because he trained me to obey to him because he knew so much. I never looked back. I cried and cried. I trusted him with everything.'

The whirlwind continues for Miriam. She has no idea what is true or not anymore. So many holes suddenly in her past, in her history. Has she been living a lie?

What is your son name? I cannot promise for my group but once we secure Linwood, I will go find him and make him safe, if St. Cuth.....'

She stops in mid-sentence as she suddenly asks herself the question 'Why would St. Cuthbert let her live that lie? Why would he allow Calric to abandon his son and mate? Why would he allow Calric to do such things?'

That crisis of faith suddenly hit her very hard in the stomach. PHysical pain is now adding to the emotional damages.

[Zman]

Temple of Boccob

As Mithril and Natalia enter the temple of Boccob they are met by a woman of advancing years. She has raven black hair and is advancing in years. Garbed in navy silken robes she posses a beauty and power of presence rarely seen, let alone on someone past their prime and no bigger than a child. Atop her left shoulda sits a wall rodent...Whiskers, his fur the purest white.

As she opens her mouth a sound comparable to first birdsong of spring escapes, "Greetings and welcome, I am Theurge Avaralynn, High Priestess of Boccob in Hulburg."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia only partially hears the priestess' statement, focusing at the mustelid perched on her shoulder. Relief quickly gives way to a flash of frustrated anger.

"Whiskers?!"

Natalia does not intend to offend Avaralynn, and she quickly steps aside to let Mithril get Whiskers and chew him out.

[Zman]

Mary

Barely able to speak, all Mary could get out was, "Calric...I named him Calric...after his father...". The rest is lost to weeping.

[Athedia]

Mithril paid little heed to the priestess, scooping Whiskers off her shoulder and collapsing onto the ground with him in her arms. Curled up so she cuddled him whispering "Boccob bless, you're safe. Boccob bless, Boccob bless."