by Eric Ugland
I wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. The man nodded once, his eyes brimming with tears, and then left the tavern.
I just sat there, most of my food gone, holding a massive sword. Seriously, the thing was like, practically six feet long. Beautiful too. The hilt was wrapped in a supple leather with a big ol’ pommel, and the sheath was a strange red leather I’d never seen before. Everything about it was just super cool. Except that I had no where to put it. I mean, sure, I could slide it into my bag of holding, but that meant the entire town would know I had ta bag of holding. I figured that would be better kept a secret.
Thankfully, just as I realized more than one of the ladies in the room were making serious eyes at me, Nikolai came out of a door in the back and whistled. He made a sharp gesture, indicating I should already be following him, and then turned around.
I gave a half-hearted wave to the gathered townsfolk, and followed Nikolai on the double.
He led me to a small room with an even smaller table and three chairs. Cleeve sat in one of them; the other two were empty. Three mugs took up most of the table, all filled with a foamy liquid, either beer or mead. Either one good with me.
Cleeve pointed at the seat directly across from him, and though I expected Nikolai to join us, he merely shut the door and leaned against it, his arms crossed over his chest.
I sat.
“You are a mighty strange man,” Cleeve said.
“Thanks?” I replied.
“Take it however you like, for ’tis a truth. These past few days I have spent many an hour trying to figure you out, trying to understand who you are. All I have is that you are…different.”
“Hell man, I’ve spent my whole life trying to figure me out.’
“And you have no answers?”
“Not yet.”
“See, that is the thing,” Cleeve said, pointing at me, “you do not say, ‘no.’ You choose, ‘not yet’. Hopeful. You do not shy away from violence. Even if it is extreme and brutal. You make a choice to defend those you believe are innocent. These are uncommon traits in this land.”
“Really? Doesn’t seem that way to me.”
“I gave you a job,” Cleeve replied, “But I expected you might die. I chose to hire you, not give you anything.”
“You trained me.”
“Because I wanted you to protect my goods and my people.”
I frowned, taking a moment to think over my life. Which was easy because, at that point, it was only a few weeks long.
“I’ve had good luck with innkeepers,” I finally said. “But I’ve barely scratched the surface of this world. I don’t know the people here.”
“It is a hard world,” Cleeve said. “Violent. People do not live long here. They protect their own and rarely go beyond that. You had no reason to do what you did in the ruins—”
“Wait a minute — I had to complete the quest.”
“You did, but I refer to when you followed the young man into the dungeon below. You could have walked away at that point, left the young man to his own devices.”
“Dude had no idea what he was doing! He was what, under control of the aschenfucker thing.”
“Agachnern,” Nikolai offered from behind.
“Bless you,” I said, but no one else got the joke. “Yeah, that thing.”
“You had no idea, at the time, that the creature was controlling the man. You just went after him. I want to know why.”
I leaned back in my chair, looking from Cleeve to Nikolai and back.
“No offense,”I said, “but why the fuck does it matter why I did it?”
“Because I am curious.”
My hackles were raised. Why did he want to know — what was he curious about? And why did it matter why I did anything?
I took a deep breath and let it out nice and slow, doing my best to release my paranoia with the air. My original self, he was a creature of fear and paranoia. I often acted in a way I thought might protect me, just in case. That hadn’t worked out well. Here, I had the means mostly to protect myself from essentially anything that might serve to hurt me. Maybe it was time to trust.
“Ah hell, man, it just seemed like the right thing to do,” I said, swallowing my attitude. “Dude seemed in over his head, and he seemed like he was going somewhere he shouldn’t. There hadn’t been a single thing good in the whole castle. No way was it going to start in the basement.
“You didn’t think about a reward?” Cleeve asked.
“He tried to deny the reward,” Nikolai said. “Owen had to offer a little advice.”
“Bad idea to refuse a gift,” Cleeve said with a nod.
“Look, man,” I said, trying to get both men in view so they’d understand I was talking to them both, “there’s too many rules for this fucking world. Why? What does it matter if I accept the gift or not?”
“In the same manner you are given a quest, there are those who offer the reward. If they are unable to give the reward, they will suffer. As you must fulfill certain parameters to be successful, so must this father fill his. At a guess, this man promised something to the gods if they would bring his daughters back. The gods, hearing this, made the quest.”
“So he had to give me the sword because he said he would?”
“Likely.”
“So,” I pointed to Nikolai, “how did he get the quest? Did a god just wing it on down to him?”
“The man found me in the tavern in the morning,” Nikolai said.
“So he—”
“You are becoming mired down again,” Cleeve said. “The world works in a certain way because the gods deem it so. You may question it, but the questions will never have concrete answers. It is better if you merely accept the manner in which the world works, and figure out how to best operate within it.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s something I can ever fully do. I’ve always tried to understand things. I need to figure out how they work.”
Cleeve rubbed his this beard, and ever so slightly raised an eyebrow in Nikolai’s direction.
“Has your opinion changed?” Cleeve asked.
Nikolai scratched his chin. He looked at his nails, then at me.
“He is a bit of an idiot,” he said. “You know this, right?”
Cleeve just smiled as an answer.
“Hey,” I said.
“But other than that,” Nikolai said, “he fits the criteria you set.”
“Ah,” Cleeve replied, “but notice how you have yet to answer the question. How do you feel about him?”
“Couldn’t this have been done when I was out there eating?” I asked.
“Dye,” Nikolai said, “I do not think—”
“I asked you. I want an answer.”
“It does not matter what I think—”
“It will.”
There was a hard silence between the men, as if Cleeve had just said something intense. But I had no idea what that could possibly have been.
Nikolai stepped to the table, reached over me and grabbed his mug. He took a deep pull, then looked over at Cleeve.
“Yes,” Nikolai finally said. “I have changed my position on him.”
“Capital,” Cleeve said with a clap.
“I think I’m missing something,” I said.
“Always are,” Nikolai quipped.
“Well,” Cleeve said, pulling out a piece of paper and smoothing it out on the table. “I am preparing to adopt you as my heir, Montana of no house at all. That is, of course, if you would like to be a Duke in the near future.”
Part Two
Heir Today, Pawn Tomorrow
“Uh,” I said, looking at the caravan leader, “I would not. Can’t say that’s anywhere on my list of future plans.”
He blinked at me, then looked over at Nikolai and grinned. “I love this man!”
Nikolai grumbled something I couldn’t hear, but returned the smile to his boss. “Sure.”
“This attitude is why I need you,” Cleeve said. “Othe
rs might see the opportunity as a means to get ahead, to push their own agenda. But you, you will only see it as a burden.”
“Not selling it,” I said. “Kinda making me want it even less than I just did.”
“It is not something I would wish upon anyone I truly loved—”
“Great.”
“But there is a vast importance to it.”
“Then,” I replied, “and I mean no offense here, someone else should really do it.”
“Ah, but you are the one.”
“I’m really not.”
“Let me explain everything to you.”
“Is that wise?” Nikolai interrupted.
“He will need to know at some point,” Cleeve said.
“Do you think a back room in this shithole tavern in the middle of a backwater town is the place to reveal your secret?”
“Yes,” Cleeve replied with a slight smile. “The man who runs this tavern is an old friend, and this room is built for purposes such as this.”
“So,” I interrupted, “this is starting to feel a lot like you want me in like, a position of power and leadership. And those aren’t even among my weaker skills. They’re in the giant list of skills I haven’t even looked at yet.”
“They are skills you will develop. The best leaders are those who do not desire power, but instead, understand the sacrifices we must make when power is thrust upon us.”
This was going to be a giant mess. But it certainly appeared as if I had no say in the matter. I grabbed one of the mugs on the tiny table and took a great big pull. It was warm, and that made me sad.
“What I am about to tell you,” Cleeve said, apparently deciding I’d accepted his offer, “is only known by four individuals in the Empire. You will become the fifth.”
“Guys,” I said, “I—”
“Shut your mouth and listen, whelp,” Nikolai barked, his face impassive.
Cleeve just grinned.
“There are a few things the whelp should answer before you speak,” Nikolai said.
“Nikolai, we don’t have time for this,” Cleeve said. “We are running short as is.”
“He is not human.”
“I’m not what now?” I asked.
Cleeve frowned.
“He is Fallen.”
“What is that?” Cleeve asked.
“I have yet to encounter any such as him.”
A moment passed, and Nikolai looked at Cleeve. Cleeve looked at me. I looked at Cleeve.
Finally I pulled my character sheet, which is where I saw how many points I still needed to distribute.
Montana - Lvl 10 Nothing
Traits
Race: Fallen
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 280 lbs
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Blonde
Renown: 0 - No one even knows you exist.
Statistics
HP: 299
STAM: n/a
MP: 352
Armor: +24 (Chain Mail)
Active Effects: None
Attributes
Strength: 55
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 19
Constitution: 53
Wisdom: 13
Intelligence: 13
Charisma: 19
Luck: 27
Unassigned points: 36
Skills
Riding - improvised (Lvl 1): You can now ride improvised devices. +5% to handling.
Falling (Lvl 1): You can flail through the air with the best of them. Watch for the sudden stop at the end.
Animal Handling (Lvl 5): You can calm down a domesticated animal, keep a mount from getting spooked, intuit an animal’s intentions, or, if you’re really lucky, tame a wild beast.
Investigate (LVL 1): Now when you don’t know, try and figure it out! Investigate (LVL 1): Now when you don’t know, try and figure it out! +5% to find the hidden, +5% passive perception.
Harvesting (Lvl 5): You can pick plants, you can grab fruit, you can cut neat things out of creatures you slaughter. That’ll save the world, right? At Level 5, you are able to harvest common elements with no penalties. +10% successful gathering chance.
Swords (Lvl 4): You can swing sharp objects and likely not hurt yourself. +7% damage. +7% skill.
Spears (Lvl 4): Remember, the pointy end goes towards the enemy. +8% damage. +8% skill.
Unarmed Combat (Lvl 9): You can strike with the fist or the foot, and must register your hands as lethal weapons. -13% stamina drain. +13% damage.
Axes (Lvl 9): You can chop down limbs of trees or men. Or monsters. +12% damage, +12% skill.
Large Weapon Throwing (Lvl 11): Take that massive weapon and throw it away! +13% accuracy, +13% damage.
Warhammers (Lvl 5): Everything IS a nail. +9% damage, -9% stamina drain.
Light Armor (Lvl 3): A little bit of leather goes a long way. +7% dmg reduction, -7% movement penalty.
Heavy Armor (Lvl 1): Metal protects better, but gets in the way a bit. +5% dmg reduction, -5% movement penalty.
Stealth (Lvl 1): Be sneaky! Move around in silence! Tip-toe up to giants and dragons. You’re totally going to start stealing stuff now, aren’t you? +10% harder to detect.
Jump (Lvl 1): You can leap, skip, perhaps even hop. Perhaps with enough practice, you’ll be able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. But let’s not hold our breath. +1% to distance, +1% to height.
Improvised Weaponry (Lvl 1): You can make a weapon out of anything. Say, a dwarf stabbed to a chair. +5% dmg when using made up things as weapons.
Swimming (Lvl 9): You can move through water without drowning. +9% movement speed in water.
Abilities
The Sword of My Enemy is My Sword: You’ve found that, in a pinch, every weapon will do. +1% dmg for each new weapon used in a combat.
Iron Will: Stamina no longer applies to you. What a beast you are.
Make An Entrance: You really know how to enter a room! Once per day, you may use your ability to make a grand entrance such that those on the other side of the portal are stunned!
Feats
None
Boons
Powerful Build (Mister Paul) - You are bigger than you look. For all strength roles, you are counted as one size category larger than you actually are.
Regeneration (Mister Paul) - Outside of combat, your body will repair rather quickly. Given enough time, it’s possible you will heal from nearly any wound.
Gift of Gab (Mister Paul) - Should you encounter a language you do not understand, as long as you hear at least three words of it, you will understand it, and speak it, perfectly.
Indicium
None
Relationships
Rumib Pass (destroyed) - Liked
Languages
Goblin
Imperial Common
Mahrduhmese
Spells
Lifeform Identification (Lvl 1) (costs 1 mana): Identify uncommon or lower lifeforms.
Basic Object Identification (Lvl 1) (costs 1 mana): Identify any non-magical common or lower item.
Heal Other (Lvl 1) (costs 100 mana): Through the use of magic you are able to heal another through touch. Heal 50 Hp.
Humus (Lvl 1) (costs 10 mana): This spell gathers dirt and organic materials, moisture, and bacterial ingredients within one mile/level of the caster and places the mixture anywhere the caster wishes within range. This is humus, the black, enriched soil excellent for growing plants in pots or gardening. Of course, the mage may use it however he wishes, but it is usually for growing things in pots and window boxes. If no such materials are within one mile/level, the spell has no effect.
Yep. There it was, right under my stupid name. Fallen. How long had it been there? Was it something Mister Paul did? It did explain why so many people had asked me about it.
“Wait, you guys don’t know what that is?”
“I have yet to encounter one,” Cleeve said.
“Well, shit.”
Silence invaded the roo
m.
“Yeah, so that’s me. Fallen.”
“A side effect of coming here?”
“I guess, yeah. I mean, I had a choice of races, and, I guess—”
“You chose Fallen?”
“It was chosen for me, more or less.”
“Such a strange thing.”
“Yeah,” I said, having serious reservations about saying anything about the real process. Were there rules about that?
“And you want me to mentor this idiot?” Nikolai piped up.
“I do,” Cleeve said. “And to do it well. Much depends on you—”
“Because you saddle me with a fool.”
“Love the attitude there, Nik,” I said.
He glared daggers at me.
“Since you’re going to be my mentor, why don’t you tell me how to spend my ability points?” I asked.
Nikolai sighed, long and hard, in Cleeve’s direction. Then he asked, “How many do you have?”
“Thirty-six.”
Both men blinked at me.
“How many levels did you gain today?” Cleeve asked.
“Six.”
“The agachnern,” Nikolai said with a nod.
I nodded.
“Six levels and you received 36 points?” Cleeve asked.
“Correct,” I said.
“You see why this must happen now, Nikolai?” Cleeve asked my less-than-happy mentor.
Nikolai nodded, resigned to his fate.
“Montana,” Cleeve said, “I need you to listen carefully to what I say. The Emperor will die soon—”
“I—”
“Did he not tell you to listen?” Nikolai barked.
I held up my hand, chagrined.
“In the War for Okobalt Fields,” Cleeve started, “the Emperor was mortally wounded during an attempted assassination by a traitor. Four people were in the tent when the coward struck, and it was I who slew the traitor. In that moment, the Emperor barely clung to life, his wound clearly fatal. The High Magus stood with us, and he asked if I was willing to save the Emperor. I had no choice but to agree. The Magus wove a complicated spell which nearly killed the Magus. But it tied the Emperor’s life to mine, and my life to his. My life force is used to keep the Emperor alive. But when he dies, I too, will die. For this, for my sacrifice, the Emperor gave my family a chance. I was given a dukedom in the lands.”
