choose your own adventure, episode 4

You draw on the power of your bond with Heartwarden, and the sword’s blade flares with blue light, filling you with speed, and you hurtle forward like an arrow, the world blurring around you.

The urvaalg looks up from the helpless orc just in time for you to bring Heartwarden around in a vicious backhand. The glowing blade slams into the creature’s face with a burst of black blood, and the urvaalg topples backwards and starts thrashing like a landed fish, albeit an eight hundred pound fish with talons and fangs.

You skid to a stop and turn twenty yards further down the forest road, the power of your speed carrying you that far. You prepare for a killing blow on the urvaalg, but there’s no need. Ulacht heaves himself to his feet, howling an imprecation in orcish, and brings his massive club down upon the urvaalg’s skull.

The resultant mess is considerable.

You hurry forward and kneel besides the wounded orc. The gashes and his chest and belly are very bad, but you are a Swordbearer. Again you draw on the sword’s power, and blue light flares around your fingers as you summon healing energy. The orc shudders and goes limp as the gashes turn into ugly black scars against his green skin. He’s going to be on his back for a week or more, but he’s not going to die.

You get to your feet, exhausted, and find the orcs and Father Linus staring at you.

“It seems that the Lord is indeed merciful,” says Linus, voice quiet, “to have sent you when he did.”

“Aye,” rumbles Ulacht, gesturing for his men to help the wounded orc. He sounds furious, but you realize he is angry at himself. “And Ulacht is almost slain in the woods like some callow stripling! He should know better than to shout in the trees.”

Both the human priest and the orcish headman look embarrassed, and you think you can nudge them towards working together to find whatever has kidnapped their respective villages’ children.

“But will you accept,” you say, “that neither one of you is to blame? That something is preying upon both your villages and kidnapping your children?”

Ulacht and Linus share a look.

“This urvaalg, perhaps?” said Linus. “I have not heard of one coming this far south for years.”

Ulacht growls. “Nay, Father. The children disappeared without a trace. An urvaalg would have left pieces of them everywhere.”

The headman has a point. But there are lots of other things in the wild that kidnap victims and take them alive back to their lairs…and none of them are things you particularly want to meet. But you are a Knight of the Order of the Soulblade, and it is your duty.

“Then you will help me,” you say, “to find whatever has done this? For I am bound by duty and law to do so…but aid would be welcome.”

“As you say,” says Linus.

Ulacht nods, grunts, and picks a bit of urvaalg skull off his club. “You come to Rzoldur, sir knight, and all Ulacht’s kinsfolk will speak with you.”

“Or come to Victrix,” says Linus, “and my flock will speak to you of what they have seen. Little enough as it is.”

“Who is lord of Victrix?” you say.

Ulacht and Linus share a look.

“Sir Hamus,” says Linus, “may God preserve him.”

Ulacht scowls. “Bloated lecher that he is.”

Linus winces. “Sir Hamus has grown somewhat…indolent of late, true, but I am sure he means well.”

“Does Victrix have one of the Magistri?” you ask. A Magistrius, skilled in magic, might know more about whatever dangers dwell nearby…and his magic might prove useful.

“We do,” says Linus, “the Magistrius Richard, though he is a touch…eccentric.”

You need to find out what is happening here…and you need to choose a starting point for an investigation.

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