Chapter 41: Chosen, Chapter 40: A Map to Tomorrow

Zurai

Aidan

The Realms

Fourthday, 4th week of the 7th month, Godless Age 597

Mid-morning

Starchaser village, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan paused as he reached the entrance to the training yard. Inside, a dozen centaurs faced off against each other in pairs. Despite the gender imbalance in the tribe, there were only three women. All of the centaurs were young; none of them appeared to be more than college-aged. As they sparred, Fionn strode around them, correcting errors and giving praise in equal measure. Most of the Starchasers were taller than Aidan, but Fionn towered over them all. He was huge, nine feet tall if he was an inch, and as broad as an ox. Aidan wouldn't be surprised if Fionn weighed a ton and a half. Not much of that was fat, either; there was some, probably inevitable on someone of that size, but the centaur's bare arms and chest rippled with muscles under all the scars.

Fionn spotted Aidan and gestured for him to enter. When he came close enough to speak without having to shout, Aidan greeted the Councillor. "Good morning, Fionn. I came to speak to you about Ceallach Macht, as you requested. Is this a good time? I am afraid I do not know everyone's schedule here yet."

"These are some of my advanced students. They can be trusted not to kill themselves by accident, so I can spare the time." He turned and addressed one of his students, "Cai, you're in charge while I am speaking with Aidan. Do not make a liar of me."

"Yes, Sir!" One of the female centaurs saluted Fionn. "I will only let them mostly kill themselves, Sir!"

A gleaming white-toothed smile appeared in Fionn's salt-and-pepper beard. "See that you do." He turned back to Aidan. "Walk with me."

Aidan fell into step beside Fionn as the giant centaur led him out of the training yard and down the street. The village was not large, so it only took a couple of minutes of walking, even at a human pace, before Fionn pushed his way through the leather straps leading into a small home. Aidan followed, stepping into a room dominated by maps. One stretched across the entire northern wall of the house, and piles of them were stacked against the other walls and scattered across the floor. They seemed to cover nearly every scale, from a map of the village to an atlas of the Mistvale Highlands and bordering regions.

"I don't think I've ever seen this many maps in one place before," Aidan murmured as he looked around the house.

Fionn barked out a laugh. "Please excuse the mess. They are my hobby, both collecting and making. I am fascinated by cartography, the ability to show someone a faraway place without using words or magic, in such a small form. And there are so many different kinds of maps—geographical, topographical, political, maps that show resources, ones that show water flow. You can display an entire region on a sheet of parchment no larger than my hand or chart a city down to the narrowest alley. Now, where did I put it..."

Fionn made his way to a long table that stretched from the eastern wall into the center of the room. He spent a moment searching through a pile of rolled-up parchments, then pulled one out and spread it across the surface. "Ah, here it is—the Valley of Dreams, or at least the best survey I have of it. If you would, Aidan, please do your best to describe both your route through the city and what forces you encountered within."

Aidan picked his way across the cluttered floor to the table, then bent down to examine the map. "Which end is north? No, wait, I see it now." There was no compass rose, merely a small arrow in one corner. "Okay, we were coming from the south, following the river, so... I think this is the hill we started from." He tapped a spot at the edge of the parchment; Fionn marked it with a stick of charcoal. "Our initial plan was to follow one of the avenues straight into the city, but without Brighid along, it seemed wiser to stick to cover. I passed through the wards somewhere around here, then went from building to building—ruin to ruin—along this general route. My memory isn't good enough for better than that, I'm afraid. The first manikin tracked me down somewhere in this area; after that, it's a bit of a haze due to the mental attack." He traced his path through Ceallach Macht as best he could, with Fionn making notes directly on the map.

"The tunnel entrance has to be here, it's the only road that's wide enough, plus it ends right at the base of the hill. The dakhols were on either side of the archway, and the altar chamber is a straight shot from there." He looked up from the map and asked Fionn, "Just what is a dakhol, anyway?"

"Dakhols are bad news. Large, strong, faster than they have any right to be, and cunning, if not particularly smart. That would be bad enough, but they are almost impossible to kill. Their skin seals wounds nigh-instantly, they have multiple redundant organs, and their skin and fur are heavily resistant to fire, acid, and most magic. The most reliable way to kill them to is to pour a barrel full of burning oil down their throat; as you can no doubt imagine, that is easier to say than to do. Distracting them was precisely the correct move, and they were easily distracted, showing that they are not ideal guards. The Taig must not have many other options, which is a shred of good news."

"Taig? Is that what that—" A thin, androgynous humanoid, taunting, tentacle-like vines stretching towards him—Aidan shuddered and forced his mind away from the memories. "The Taig is the creature I saw?"

Fionn rested one enormous hand on Aidan's shoulder and gave him a searching look. "Are you going to be able to handle this? I cannot afford to send you into the city again if you are going to fall to pieces at the most critical time."

"I won't break, sir." Aidan tried to project confidence and determination. "And I need to go. I won't be able to put the memories to rest until I've confronted that thing and seen it die."

Fionn was silent for a time, then squeezed Aidan's shoulder and nodded. "I believe you. Yes, I am reasonably sure that what we face is a Tannath Taig. Most of nature's wonders have a Taig, a sort of guardian spirit; when something defiles one of those places, if the Taig still lives, it changes as well. Instead of immobile guardians, Tannath Taigs are wandering corruptors, driven insane by the destruction of their demesne. Unfortunately, each Taig is as unique as the grove or cascade or valley that birthed it, so there are no universal weaknesses on which we can rely."

"But they can die?"

"Yes. Not quickly, nor easily, but they are not immortal. We hope that destroying the bramble construct you saw will weaken it to the point that the strike team can kill it."

"Then I'll do everything within my power to make it happen, not only for myself but also for the Starchasers. It's hardly a secret that Brighid and I are somewhat closer even than Companions; as far as I'm concerned, her people are my people. I understand that it isn't an easy path to walk, but I sincerely wish to make my home here. May I ask your reasons for abstaining on Councillor Ailis's proposal?" It wasn't the smoothest segue Aidan had ever heard, but Ailis did tell him to be direct.

Fionn laughed. "Did Ailis put you up to that? No matter, no matter. I did not vote against you because I felt it would be a poor reward for the injustice we have shown you and the good faith you have returned. I did not vote for you for a variety of reasons. It was too soon, for one; moving too rapidly will only make your situation with the village more unstable. For two, it is possible that sending Brighid back was more about her and less about us. Sparing your lover moves me less than saving the tribe; a single data point is insufficient to judge your motivations. For three, and perhaps most importantly, I do not know you. Joining the tribe is different from being born to it and requires a far higher standard. You seem a good man, but if that were all it took, there would be more two-footed Starchasers. To earn my vote, you will need to prove that we are stronger with you than without you." He tilted his head and, after a moment, added, "Not militarily, mind. Or, not strictly so. I may be a warrior by trade and choice, but I recognize that strength of arms is not the only strength to be valued."

"Thank you, sir. You have given me much to think about." It wasn't what Aidan wanted to hear because what it boiled down to was, "I need more time," but, at the very least, it seemed unlikely that Fionn would vote against him.

"Good. Do not think too hard, however. Actions reveal the truth. Now then, back to Ceallach Macht..."

Aidan

The Realms

Fourthday, 4th week of the 7th month, Godless Age 597

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Early afternoon

Starchaser village, Mistvale Highlands

Fionn grilled Aidan for hours, extracting every minute detail from his memories. By the time the giant warrior was satisfied, Aidan felt mentally exhausted and desperately needed a nap. Time waited for no man, however, so when he returned to Brighid's home, he ignored the siren call of the bed inside. Instead, he ate a quick lunch with his love, then asked her to take him to Eilwen's home.

"Your mother said that Eilwen has a soft spot for families, so I should bring you along and we can be our, and I quote, 'usual sickly-sweet selves'."

Brighid snickered. "I think I can manage that."

"We're also supposed to compliment her food."

"That will not be a problem, either. Mama Eilwen is the best cook in the village."

"Well, then hopefully this will be a pleasant visit!" Aidan hooked his arm through Brighid's and smiled at her. "Lead on, my lady!"

Aidan

The Realms

Fourthday, 4th week of the 7th month, Godless Age 597

Night

Starchaser village, Mistvale Highlands

"She looks like a sweet old grandmother, but she is a devil in disguise!" Aidan complained from the safety of Brighid's home.

His Companion giggled. "You only say that because Mama Eilwen refused to be distracted from her questions for you."

"I say it because it's true!" Aidan flopped back onto the bed with a groan. "She spent the entire time interrogating and lecturing me about my intentions with you!"

"Not the entire time; she also gave you some pointers." Brighid snickered.

"Oh, lord, I was trying to forget that, thank you ever so much, flame of my heart. I was not prepared for the village grandma to give me tips on how to please my partner in bed. And so graphically! I'm almost surprised that she didn't make it a hands-on lesson."

"Mmm," The flame-haired centaur moaned. "It is a shame she did not. I would not have minded." She carefully lay down next to Aidan, resting her head on his shoulder and pressing her torso against his. Her hand slipped under his tunic and idly stroked across his chest and abdomen. "You should not disregard her advice, Aidan. Eilwen has two Professions, Cook and Courtesan. It is not a stretch to say that she knows more about giving pleasure than anyone in the tribe. And she has the Broodmare Specialization, so she is quite knowledgable about conceiving, bearing, and raising children; there are many valuable lessons you should learn from her if you are to keep your promise to me." She nipped at Aidan's collar for emphasis.

"Oh, that reminds me of something I've meant to ask you." Aidan saw a chance to change the subject and pounced on it. "What exactly is a Profession? I know what the word means by itself, but in this context, it clearly means more than just a person's job or role."

"Professions are sort of like Classes, but for your Skills. They are based on Skill rank, not personal level; you have to reach Apprentice rank in a non-combat, non-magic Skill to gain a Profession. Also, where Classes grant bonuses or penalties to your Vital Attributes, Professions change the effects of Attributes on their associated Skills. Both Classes and Professions open up access to Talents, and they share the same pool of Talent points.

"You can have multiple Professions, but there is a Quest for each past the first, and they grow cumulatively harder. While you do gain additional Talent points, they do not double with the second Profession. Before you ask, no, you cannot just ignore one Profession and put all the points into the other. Just like Classes, Professions are not something you have; they are something you are. Just as you cannot ignore your need to sleep to focus on your need to breathe, you cannot neglect one Profession to benefit another."

Aidan's inner power-gamer sat up and started paying attention. "Hmm, so let's get into Talents then. I am familiar with the term from Earth, but it always seems like things work a little differently in the Realms. In games on Earth, Talents are usually arranged into a kind of flow chart called a Talent Tree. Players would spend one point to activate each node of the tree, which would give a passive effect or activated ability and potentially unlock the ability to pick other nodes further down the line. A lot of the time, people would heavily analyze Talent Trees and plan out their picks long in advance. How does that stack up to the Realms?"

Brighid nodded against his shoulder. "That is very close. Talents here are arranged just like you said, with nodes—individual Talents—giving bonuses which can be passive, active, or even both. There are a couple of differences, however. First, Talent nodes cost a variable amount of points to activate; the cheapest I have access to is two points, and it does not provide a significant bonus. Second, you cannot see nodes until you have everything needed to activate them, except for the Talent points themselves. As an example, my Smith Talent Quality Craft I was not visible until I put points into both Improved Technique I and Heat Retention I. I knew that both Talents would lead to something, but I had no details until I invested in both."

"And both Classes and Professions share Talent points? It must be difficult to balance the needs of one against the other."

"Yes, sometimes. I have been neglecting the Braihan section of my Paladin Talent tree because, until now, Talents that give me bonuses based on the quality and quantity of sex I have did not seem very relevant." Her hand began to drift lower on his belly. "I have developed a sudden interest in the concept, however."

"Whoa, wait. Your Paladin Class has Talents that give you bonuses for having sex?"

"Mm-hmm," Brighid hummed. Her fingers were working at the laces of Aidan's pants. "The Brighaid are deities of passion, and Braihan is the God of sexual pleasure, among other things." Her voice turned husky as she continued, "I have sorely neglected my obligations; as Braihan's Chosen, you have the authority to punish my negligence and the duty to ensure I properly follow His tenets."

Brighid's hand found its target, and any interest Aidan had in continuing the conversation swiftly left him. "Oh, I'll keep you in line, alright."

Zurai

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