Notes

Kedar: Orbyn
You are Orbyn, a male human Paladin in Feycrest, the capitol city of the kingdom of Kense. You are sent by the king to investigate reports of a disturbance in the nearby mountains.
Created: Jan 20th 2021 at 9:18PM
Updated: Jan 21st 2021 at 9:49PM
Actions: 344

Kedar is a world of dragons, demons, and monsters. These dark creatures constantly war for control of the land, leaving the few human kingdoms in the shadow of a dark and powerful force. But now, the kingdoms of man are fighting back, slowly assembling an army to reclaim their world.

You are Orbyn, a male human Paladin in Feycrest, the capitol city of the kingdom of Kense. You are sent by the king to investigate reports of a disturbance in the nearby mountains. Along the way, you rescue a young merchant caravan that has been attacked by giant spiders. After dispatching the beasts you return the survivors to the nearby town of Gruz.

> You say "Only a short distance from the location of the disappearances now."
The sky turns dark as you ride your horse over the steep mountainside towards the cave.

> You march on up the steep path, reaching the intended destination.
Ahead of you, the cave opens up into a huge, natural cavern. The dozen men with you quickly move forward, readying their weapons and entering the cavern.
"Stay back!"

> You say "Let's not be hasty, we don't know what could be waiting for us in the dark. Someone ready a torch and light the way. "
You take one last look behind you as your torch is passed from hand to hand. All of a sudden, a red mist appears over the cave entrance, rising up and obscuring your sight.
"Cover your faces!"
"Blast! What in the blazes is this foul smog?!" Says one of the men. "It's like being caught in a sea of blood."
Instinctively, you start to cover your nose and mouth with your hands and turn away from the smog.
"I think some got in my eyes!" One of the other men shouts.
"Cover your face!"
Suddenly, a burst of energy flies overhead and slams into one of the men next to you. He disappears instantly, turned to ash.

> You say "We're under attack! Shields up or take cover! Archers return fire!"
The men nearest you cover themselves with shields, which absorb some of the blast. The smog continues to get thicker the further the cave goes, and you hear a ringing in your ears.

> You say "We're going to suffocate down here. Retreat back to the mouth of the cave!"
Several of the men, scared out of their minds by the smog, protest and insist on staying.
"What?! We're not suffocating to death, are we? We can't leave!" one says.

> You say "Whatever fired at us wants us to follow it deeper into this smog! We need to fight on our own terms! We aren't finished yet! "
The men reluctantly agree, and you are forced to convince them in person.
"Alright men, we're not going down without a fight! By the Emperor! We're not going down!"
Orbyn and his men retreat back to the mouth of the cavern where the smog is less dense. This is the nearest exit.
You and the rest of your platoon follow, reaching the exit with half of your men, but it quickly becomes apparent that fighting through the smog is impossible.

> You say "Perhaps we can ambush whatever is hiding in there? "
"Cowardly dogs! This is your king, isn't it? Come on out and show yourself! We know you're in there!" One of the men shouts down into the darkness.

> You say "I don't think that is going to work. We need to hide and wait, surround and attack it when it comes out of the cave."
"Good idea, captain. Form a circular ambush pattern."
Orbyn takes the lead, surrounding the cave with your men behind you. The cave is dark, but slowly, your eyes adjust to the conditions.
As dusk descends, the red smog dissipates and something is heard clattering in the cave. A creature jumps down from the ledge and stands at about half your height. It's ears perk up and it begins to look at the men intently, sniffing the air.

> You say "Charge!!"
The dog-like being opens its mouth and lets out a burst of flames, engulfing two men in a matter of seconds.
"Get behind it! Use your shields damn-it!"
The archers release a prepared volley at the Hell-Hound before your other men close in. You rush into the fray, chopping one of the beast's forelegs and stabbing it directly through the ribs. The creature yelps and whimpers before collapsing on the ground.

> You decapitate the fallen beast, to use as a trophy and proof of victory.
You raise your blade up high and swing down, severing the head of the dead Hell-Hound. You catch the other men staring at you.

> You say "What are you gawping at? We're not done here yet. There may be survivors in the cave."
"We're not done?! But the beast is dead!" One of the men shouts.

> You say "This beast is dead, but we need to make sure the area is secure and safe for travellers."
"Sir, of course. We'll take care of the survivors."
Orbyn orders his men to begin searching the cave, and to slay any beast or demon hiding inside.
Hell-Hounds are rarely lone and are often used as guards by more sapient demonic beings.
The Hell-Hounds' bark is as fearsome as their fire.
The fight with the Hell-Hound took it's toll, ashes are all that remains of three knights.
"Captain, we found survivors in there." One of the men says to you.
The cave is dark, and you can barely make out a group of three figures.

> You say "Are you sure? It could be some form of illusion, a trap? "
"I'm certain. We have the body of a demonlord here, not that you'd know that from looking at us." One of the men laughs.
You step back.

> You say "Impressive. Show me the way to the survivors, I'll speak with them."
The men lead you deep inside the cave, where you see a large fire and a pile of animal skulls. You see several other figures sitting around the cave, wrapped in furs and stained with blood.

> You say "Hello there. We were sent to investigate the disappearances and secure the area. You must be very shaken, can you all walk? "
"We can walk, human." One of the men says. "It's just been a shock to see so many of our fellows dead. Who are you?

> You say "I am Orbyn, a Paladin of Feycrest, of the Kindgom of Kense. These are my men. Who are you?"
"I am Karat, son of Ardan."
"I am Warrick, son of Jir."
"I am Roldolf, son of Bran."
You look at the group of survivors.

> You say "Karat, you are the one who addressed me before, how did you find yourself in this situation? What is a Rakshasa such as yourself doing here? "
"Rak shas?" Karat asks, confused. "I'm a demon, not a rak shasa. Demon's are much different."

> You say "LADS YOU LEFT A DEMON HERE! "
"Alright, alright! I'll explain later. We need to get going." One of your men says.
You begin to head out of the cave, but Karat stops you.
"One moment."

> You say "Do not order me, demon."
Karat pulls out a picture of a man who looks nearly exactly like the Black Emperor, just older.

> You say "What is the meaning of this?"
"You're the demon, aren't you? I've heard of your kind, I thought your kind enjoyed playing jokes.

> You say "Men, restrain this fool."
Your men draw their weapons, and Karat laughs.
"You mortals think you're so amusing threatening demons. If you only knew the power you were threatening, you'd be begging for your lives."

> You say "My men have already crushed one Demonlord and your Hell-Hound is nothing more than a trophy now."
"So you've killed one demon? impressive."
Roldolf moves forward, drawing his sword.

> Wait for Karat to react to Roldolf, feint a lower stab and then target Karat's exposed arms.


Karat laughs.
"Ah Roldolf, you always did want to kill me, didn't you? But how do you know that I haven't just taken a new form?"

> You decapitate Karat whilst he is talking.
You leap into the air, drawing your blade back in an horizontal swing as you fly towards Karat's head.
The rak shasa's head flies into the air as his body collapses to the ground.

> You say "He wasn't a demon after all?"
"No." You confirm. "Now we must make haste, before the next in command comes to inspect the bodies and try to organize this chaos."
The group nods, and begins heading out.

> You say "Why did you draw your sword?"
"Just felt like drawing it." Roldolf answers.
You nod, and continue on.

> You say "Will Rudolf and Warrick be returning with us or departing by themselves? We have some spare supplies you can take with you."
"No." Warrick says. "I'm staying here. If you want to see hell, seek out the demon lord who betrayed the Emperor. I will be looking after his successor."

> You say "That's an odd thing to say, Warrick."
"I'm not saying I'm going to like it, but duty calls."
You frown.

> You say "And you, Rudolf?"
Rudolf sighs.
"I don't know. I feel like I've lost everyone and everything. I'm not sure what I'll do."
You nod, having no response.

> You say "You're free to accompany us back to Feycrest."
"No. I want to be on my own for awhile. Seems like I'm always bringing people into this group, and then they all leave eventually. I need to just... think.

> You say "Very well, gentlemen. We must make haste now, we bid you farewell and I wish you fortune & favour from the Gods. "
The group says their farewells and sets off. You travel for several hours when you notice a strange hum coming from the ground in front of you.

> You say "This is a familiar sensation. Keep low, boys, and prepare yourselves for a surprise. "
When you raise up the group finds itself surrounded by dozens of undead creatures. They are rotting, maggot ridden creatures that have seen better days.
"I was right. I guess they left these things behind."

> You cast a massive Turn Undead spell using Paladin's divine Emblem and order your men to watch each other's backs.
You hit the undead with your magic, but find that they are very resistant to it.
The air is suddenly filled with bolts and arrows as the undead are peppered by gunfire.

> You say "Everyone get down! "
The undead are quickly cut down by bullets, axes, swords, and brutal hand to hand combat.
"We made quick work of those undead fools, but we've got another nasty surprise waiting for us."
"A Lich?" One of the men asks. "How is that possible? Aren't they just stories?"

> You say "You could say the same about the fallen undead that lay before us."
You notice one of the men shudder at the thought of the undead. This causes you to frown. Most men in this world have far more stomach for battle than this one does.

> You say "You must be new to this platoon, right? It's a miracle you've survived this far. We've encountered a Lich once before, their power is insignificant compared to the power of my God."
He shakes his head and says "I wasn't aware there were any left. Not since the Great Lich Lord was defeated three centuries ago."

> You say "Whatever created them back then must have had another go at it."
"Or perhaps it's just very lucky." One of the men adds.
You are about to continue conversing with the man, when you hear a scream from the nearby woods and all eyes turn towards it.

> You say "That sounded like a young maiden. Quickly now, let's investigate!"
The men are hesitant, but follow you into the woods. After a few minutes you find the girl, apparently unharmed, but panicked. She's breathless from running and crying.

> You say "Are you alright, lady? It's okay, we mean you no harm, we were just fighting some undead in the open up there, you're safe with us."
Her breathing continues to worsen "You... You can't be real. They said you were coming, that's why they let me go. But I had to make sure. They're planning to kill you too!

> You say "Whom do you speak of? Were you being held the cave with Rudolf and Warrick? "
She nods and tells you her name is Alison and that she was exploring the cave with her brother. She tells you that while her brother distracted the two bandits they snuck off and are currently hiding in some nearby bushes.

> You say "Ah, so it's bandits that pursue you now. My lady you have just slain far worse than mere brigands. And only two of them? They would be fools to attack you.
Get behind our shields and accompany us back to town."
She's still shaking, but seems to have calmed down a bit. She stands up beside Alison and we begin our march back to town.
By the time we arrive it is nearly nightfall.

> You say "I suppose you lack the necessary funds to stay at the nearby inn, have some of the trinkets we looted, this should be acceptable payment there for a night's stay and a meal. We will be staying at the barracks, I hope to see you well-rested by the 'morrow. "
She's in shock and simply nods.
You take her to her room and say that she should rest there.
The next day you are seen off at the gates, and notice several soldiers watching you from their posts.

> You greet the soldiers before heading to the Inn where the girl is.
At the Inn, you see an elderly couple sitting at a table a few feet away from you. The woman looks up and stares at you for a moment before going back to her needlepoint.

> You ignore the elderly couple and knock on the girl's door.
You knock on the door and hear a "Who's there?" in reply.

> You say "It's you, the Paladin Captain who brought you to this inn. Your name is Orbyn by the way, and your name is?
"
A moment later the door opens.
You see a young woman, though it seems that she hasn't grown past the age of sixteen. She looks frightened and you can tell she has been crying.

> You say "I am sorry about your brother. The only solace I can offer is that the Demons that resided in that cave are dead now and those Bandits won't survive long out there on their own. "
She nods.

> You say "Your name, my lady? "
Before you can complete the question, she is already looking away from you with her head turned down.

> You say "I don't mean to pry, how would you like me to address you? "
She looks back up and gives a single nod.

> You say "Your countenance reminds me of my niece, would you like to meet her? She loves meeting new people. "
She gives another nod.
You lead her to where you had seen your niece playing before but she had vanished.
You find her busily digging around in the dirt.

> You say "Holly! You're a bit old to be playing around in muck, surely? This won't help you find a respectable suitor. "
Holly looks up at you and gives a cheerful smile.
It's the same smile she gave you yesterday. The one that made you feel uneasy and distracted.

> You say "Holly, I'd like you to meet this girl, we found her in the forest on the outskirts of the mountains, she lost her brother and is still very shaken by the awful experience. I was hoping that you could keep her company, maybe lift her spirits. Alas, she won't tell me her name, but I have other duties to attend to today. "
Holly nods at your request.
"I'll meet you guys back at the Inn, my father will be there soon, I must tend to him."

> You say "As expected, your smile brightens everyone's day, Holly. Don't forget to clean all that mud off yourself though."
Holly smiles and nods, waving back at you as she runs through the door.

> You say "I hope to see you and Holly again some time this evening, lady. Perhaps you will feel more at ease talking to Holly for now."
She nods, smiling a bit and seems to be concentrating on the door as she steps through it.
You turn to leave when you hear a forceful voice shout "Stop!"

> You say "Pardon?"
You turn to see a well-dressed man with a goatee loading a bolt-action rifle.
He grabs a dagger that was hanging by his side and stabs it into your chest.
The fretful maiden runs inside with Holly, screaming all the way and closing the door behind her. The dagger almost pierced your plate armour it was driven with such force, but it merely dented it. You pull out the blade from your chest and swing your fist at the wizard.
He staggers back and steadies himself with his rifle, firing a shot through the air.
The shot completely misses as you are too close to him. You lunge and strike his eye socket with your armoured fist. He falls to the ground and screams in agony. You leap on top of him and break his neck with your knees.
The wizard gurgles helplessly as he realises he had already drawn his last breath. With his dying breath he calls out to you.
"Emperor, I'm sorry... the Emperor..."
You raise him up and stare at his dead body.

> You say "An Assassin? "
You scan the nearby area but see no one, the girl had closed the door. You walk over to your brother's abode to check if the girl and Holly are alright.

> You say "Hello, in there! Are you alright? It's safe, the rogue is dead. "
You hear a voice cry out "Blimey, you're big! Don't hurt me, I'll surrender!"
You open the door and see a young man, dressed in fine clothing, clutching his arm.

> You say "What are you doing in my brother's house, sir? Where is Holly and the maiden?"
The man pauses, and then says "I am Fredrick. I am a traveller and I was captured by the wicked witch Gwen earlier this year. She made me one of her...

> You say "Very funny. Are you looking to be Holly's suitor?"
He pauses again and says "Well, I would have agreed to anything at that point. She insisted that I was travelling for my health, despite the fact I had a lot of abscesses and... "

> You say "Oh just shut up and let me speak to Holly."
He stays silent and you turn to face him. He gives you a quick grin and walks into the dining room, calling out "Good luck! Don't hurt me!"

> You say "You just watch your mouth and I may oblige."
You open the door to the dining room and find yourself staring down the barrel of a pistol. You take a deep breath and step inside.
"Drop the weapon immediately or you will be killed," the girl says.

> You say "Kirk's pistol. Why are you aiming at me girl, put that away. "
She slowly lowers the pistol and grins.
"You really think you could take me on?" she asks, "I'm older than you by a few decades."
"Put that away, girl, you look no more than sixteen years old. You certainly perked up. Can you tell me your name now?"
The girl replies "My name is Sonja. Holly is just over there." She points to the corner of the dining room, where a flame aura is illuminating the darkness.

> You grab the pistol off of Sonja and place it back in your brother's cabinet.
Sonja looks up at you, her eyes widening.
"You're not Orbyn!" she says.

> You say "What are you talking about? I am Orbyn, the very same man who found you in the forest and accompanied you here to safety... well, relative safety. "
Sonja is shaking her head.
"You are not him. He was a tall, dark, and handsome man. And you're nothing like him."

> You look at yourself in the mirror.

"Hmm, I do not understand. I am, without a doubt, the very same man! Have you been drinking, girl? "
Sonja begins backing away once again.

> You say "Calm down. Perhaps the stress is playing havoc with your memories. I've always had this face."
Sonja steps back, leveling her pistol at you once again.
"I'm sorry. I cannot be calm. That fiend is outside, trying to kill me.

> You say "That man, the assassin outside, is dead. I killed him. You need not worry about him- unless..."
Sonja's smile fades.
"Unless what?" she asks.
You do not want to say. You did not want to admit it to yourself, and you do not want to admit it to Sonja.

> You walk out and look for the man who called you big.
Sonja is still standing by the door. When she sees you, her eyes widen once again and her grip on the pistol becomes white-knuckled.

> You whilst looking over to Sonja, point to the dead corpse of the wizard that attacked you.
Sonja appears to be in a state of shock, her face ashen. She begins taking slow, deep breaths and running her free hand along the side of her head, over her ear and then over her upper lip.

> You say "You see? Dead. Please at least stop pointing that at me, I am Orbyn. What is Holly doing? "
Holly is standing in the center of the room, her head lowered.
"I'm sorry, Orby. I just can't shake this feeling. Something's wrong."

> You say "I know. Terrible way to start the day. Holly, who was that man who opened the door to me? "
"I don't know. He didn't say who he was, just that he was here to help. Then he asked me to open the door, and..."

> You say "I thought he was your friend!"
"He was... I think he was. He came in to the room, and he gave me this ring. It's magical, see? Whenever I wear it, I turn into a doe."

> You say "Ah, I see. It was a trickster. Great. "
Sonja puts the pistol back in its holster and composes herself.

> You say "Thanks, Sonja. I'm only looking out for you and Holly's well-being. I am sure you realise now that I am Orbyn?"
"Orby!" Sonja laughs. "I suppose it is a common enough name."
"It's just what Holly calls me."
The man who gave Holly a 'magic' ring appears behind Orbyn. He looks at each of you in turn, smiling.
"Hello again, Holly, Orby. I was just informing the guards about your encounter with the wizard."

> You say "Who are you? Why did you lie to me about a witch? "
Holly's eyes grow wide.
"He was lying! He's a monster!"
"Is not!" the man replies, offended by your characterization of him.

> You say "Not a time for jokes, was it? I guess you didn't know who I was. Well, I am Holly's Uncle, and I demand to know why you entered my brother's house and gave Holly a 'magic' ring!"
"Because I'm Orby's friend, of course!"
"Why were you in Kirk's house?"
The man sputters for a moment, trying to sentence construct a coherent argument.

> You say "You weren't trying to steal anything, were you? Strip your clothes now!"
"What?! No! I was just..."
"Strip, or I'll have you whipped."
The man slowly disrobes in front of the three of you. Holly blushes and looks away. Sonja stares with an uninterested expression.
"W-wait! I'm not gay!"
"Then what were you trying to steal?"
"Nothing! I swear! I just wanted to look at the contents of that safe, that's all!"

> You say "Oh, you just wanted to 'look' at the safe?"
"Well...yes!"
"Strip."
The man is so frustrated he starts to tear his hair out in frustration.
"I...I can't! She's going to kill us!"

> You say "Enough of the lies. Strip."
The man kicks his boots off with a sigh, then slowly peels off his clothes. He's clearly used to this by now.
"Please, stop! I'm not doing anything else!"

> You say "Get on your knees."
"Yes, sir."
Orbyn drops to his knees before you.
"Now...can I have my clothes back?"
"Hmmm...if I give you your clothes, will you leave this place?"

> You check his clothing and assorted items for stolen goods and then search his body.
You remove the wooden ring box from his clothing and open it, finding several rings. You close it after asking Holly to place the fake magic Ring back into the box.

> You remove your gauntlet and place a finger in his mouth to check if he's hiding anything in there.
He sputters and coughs as you push your finger into his mouth. You can feel something lodged under his tongue.
"No, nothing." he says through his coughs.
"Spit it out."
The man spits out a small heirloom of Kirk's. You catch it and examine it. It's a bronze ring, with a dragon engraved on the inside.

> You say "Do you know what this is?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, it's an heirloom, a signet ring. It's probably very old. Maybe as old as the kingdom of Kensech. Worth far more than that petty piece of pewter you gave to Holly."
Give the heirloom back to Holly and hand over the man's belongings back to him.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you!"

> You say "You're lucky that I'm not a degenerate. Go now and don't let me catch you trying to steal from anyone else in these lands."
The man gets dressed and nods, pulling out a few more bronze coins from his pocket. He throws them to you as he rushes off.

> You say farewell to Sonja and Holly. Drag the Wizard's corpse to the guards to explain the event.
You drag the lifeless body to the guards, explaining the situation.
They agree to investigate the assassin on your behalf and inform you that Elves have been sighted in the nearby forests, and that you should probably go quickly to see the Lord of Feycrest to discuss what happened with the cave, as well as this new problem. You nod and run off to the nearest coach, leaving the guards to their grim duty.
You arrive at the Lord of the manors, where you are forced to wait in a small waiting room for several minutes.
...
You're still waiting.

> You pray.
Your hands clasp together as you bow your head.
Suddenly, a young girl enters the room. She has long, dirty blond hair and light grey eyes. She quietly whispers a quick prayer for forgiveness before looking at you.

> You say "What burdens you, fair damsel? "
For a moment, the girl looks at you with curiosity, though she immediately shifts her gaze to the corner of the room.

> You say "No matter. Hopefully I won't be waiting here long. "
"I'm sure you won't." She replies, in a monotone voice.
She sits down in a chair across from you, and stares at you blankly.
An official approaches you and tells you that you may see the Lord now. You nod and head up the stairs.
You enter a large room filled with people speaking in hushed tones. A massive man stands on a raised platform, his hands on his broad hips.

> You say "Those are some child-bearing hips, sir!"
The Lord of the Manor smiles, then gives a booming laugh. You cringe as you realize you've spoken out loud. The man shakes his head with a chuckle, then turns towards you and bows deeply.

> You say "It's an honour, my lord. The disturbance I was sent to investigate on behalf of the King was a success, there were demons hiding in the cave and capturing travellers for God knows what purpose. They are no longer a problem, and I have the Hell-Hound head to prove it."
You hold out the large package to him. He smiles, and thanks you with a nod before looking at the package.
"Ah yes, the head of that foul beast!" He grins.

> You say "I didn't take the head of the Demon lord, but I am sure this suffices. I was told that there were sightings of Elves in the nearby woodlands. "
"That there were." He nods. "Though I sent a few of my best to make sure there were no survivors. Quite sad really, they'll rot in the forests with all the other misanthropes."

> You say "It's a shame the Elves can't be reasoned with. "
The lord sighs.

> You say "That's all I have to say, my Lord. I shall await here and listen in on the proceedings for a while. "
As you settle down into your seat, an old man approaches. He is attired in fine clothing of red and gold.

> You say "Greetings, sir. "
He grins.
"A very happy new year to you, traveller! So nice to see you! May I ask where you're from?"
He speaks with a light, but friendly demeanor.
As you are replying to the old man. The young girl with long, dirty blond hair and light grey eyes enters the room to speak to the Lord. The girl seems to be holding a large, cube-shaped block of wood. The old man sees you, and waves the girl down to speak to him.
You answer his question.

> You say "I am one of the local captains, a Paladin, I live in Feycrest. "
He smiles, then waves the girl over to you.

> You say "Doesn't she want to speak to the Lord?"
He laughs.
"She wanted to speak to you, but I convinced her that you wouldn't be able to resist talking to the Lord instead."
With this, he waves the girl forward.

> You say "I see... "
As you glance at the girl, the old man begins to speak.
"This is my daughter, Catheryn."
You look at her, and try to mask your surprise.

> You say "You must be very proud. "
Her eyes widen in surprise.
"I'm not that proud," he laughs.
As he speaks, you look from him to the girl and back again. He stands, and approaches you.

> You say "We can talk in the lobby, if you'd prefer? "
He nods, and the three of you leave the room.
You are always taken aback when you see the lobby; it is more like a small palace than the entrance to a military base.

> You say "What's this about then?"
He starts to pace in front of you as he speaks.
The old man inquires "Are you married, sir?"
You start at his question.
"No, I don't believe I am."
"Would you like to be?"
"Huh?"
He grins.
"My daughter here has heard of your exploits and is rather captivated. I was surprised, she's always been so fussy and dismissive." The old man says.
"What are you on about?"
"She would like to marry, and have children. I thought perhaps an alliance between our two families would be a good idea, but I must be reassured of you both bonding as a pair before I give my blessing completely."

> You examine the girl closely.

The girl seems to be about your age and height. Her hair is dirty blond, but it is beginning to gray. There are laugh lines around her eyes and gentle curves of her face.

> You say "Why don't you have a husband already? "

She pouts at you, but you see a faint smile.
"I don't believe any of the Lords would agree to me."
Your heart sinks as you try to think of what to say.