Eternal
Year 70
As the years go by, you know that day is coming soon that you won’t and shouldn’t keep Tulla sheltered from the surface too much longer. Granted you’ll still be with her when that day comes, but having been to the surface every once in a while to keep apprised of the situation, Delerg still isn’t exactly the friendliest place.
Victor dumped so much into the campaign to conquer Delerg he’s been trying to get the most out of it by rebuilding Sinkhole into a proper town (Calling it Triumph). Apparently he’s also decided to make more plans to develop the area namely by chopping down the jungle to the south and to the east. This has been slow going though especially to the east which you know full well just how hostile the jungle flora and fauna get in that direction. (Oddly he hasn’t decided to expand north which is just as well since he’d probably call for the temple’s ruins to be dug up or built over, or something similar and you’d have to deal with his troops more directly.) As a result of all this redevelopment he’s not only got the pitiful remains of the enslaved Delergites working day and night, but he’s also imported many of his subjects from Quala to do work as well. A lot of these seem to be prisoners of varying types. Some are genuine criminals like murderers and thieves. Most though just couldn’t pay their taxes and it was either this or as a conscript to serve on one of the war fronts that Victor is engaged in with other Quala warlords.
Amusingly you’re no longer on the “wanted list.” An eternal captain by the name of Brom that runs the military garrison in Triumph claims he killed you during the final battle for Delerg. (In fact that’s how he got his current promotion) You’re not exactly sure how he “proved” this, but you’re guessing he just threw a black cloak on some dead body, destroyed the face to the point of recognition and made everything up.
Naturally he brags quite a bit about doing it. You’re not sure what’s funnier, the fact that he’s lying about it, or the fact that he managed to fool everyone into believing his lie (Including Victor, apparently).
In any event, it doesn’t bother you since it makes life easier without some angry warlord trying to hunt you down. Besides you’ve got enough on your mind just looking after Tulla.
“Come on, get your head out of those books, its time for your training.” You say to Tulla.
“But we train all the time! Can’t I just finish this one book?” Tulla whines.
“No! We have to keep to a schedule. Now let’s get to it.”
Tulla puts away her book in defeat and leaves the library to head to the training room. It’s been more of an effort to get her to do her training lately.
“Why do I have to train so hard? You never let me go up to the surface anyway.” Tulla says.
“And you won’t be going up to the surface until I’m confident that you can take care of yourself. I know you think I’m just being mean, but trust me what I’m doing is going to ensure your survival. I won’t always be around, you know.”
Tulla doesn’t reply to your remark she just picks up her wooden sword and gets into the fighting stance you’ve been teaching her. You and her spar for a few moments and fortunately despite her less than enthusiastic desire to be here, she does not slack off and proves to be absorbing everything you’ve been teaching her all these years.
“Good. Glad to see you’re taking this seriously. Now let’s try something new.” You say and change up your style. You tell Tulla to pay attention.
An hour later you and her are taking a break. Though it’s mainly for you. Every damn bone in your body aches and the ravages of time never let you forget that your earlier years of near perpetual combat have taken their toll.
“Are you okay uncle?” Tulla asks in concern.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just old war wounds acting up as usual. We’ll pick up training again in a few minutes.”
While you lay prone recovering, Tulla decides to be inquisitive as usual.
“Uncle, did you train as hard as this when you were my age?” Tulla asks.
“Heh heh…I was trained harder than you at an even younger age.” You chuckle.
“Was it the shadows who trained you so hard?”
“Not at first. It was some sadistic svelk bitch that called herself Mistress. She trained me up until I was twelve, and then I was transferred over to the shadows.”
“Oh. So is that when you learned magic?”
“Yeah I learned it eventually. Never really liked using it though.”
“I would like to use magic like a shadow! I’ve read you could turn yourself in invisible, make yourself really fast or even walk like a spider on a ceiling!”
“Yeah some of it was pretty handy I guess. Haven’t been able to use any in years though.
“Because Dendrin doesn’t like you anymore?”
“Not exactly…but something like that…yes.”
You’ve explained a little bit about Dendrin to Tulla in the past, you don’t think she fully understands all of it, but you do know that she spends a lot of time reading the old tomes about shadow history and such. Which is why she’s been getting increasingly more curious about him and the shadows in general. She probably would like to hear a more personal view of the organization.
A view you don’t even want to get into anytime soon. So you try to change the subject.
“Alright, we’ve rested enough, let’s get back to it.” You say getting off the floor.
Just as you’re about to begin, Tulla makes a statement.
“It’s a shame you and Dendrin don’t get along anymore. If you did, you could teach me shadow magic and it would help me survive better.”
You say nothing and just tell her to focus on defending herself. Tulla complies, but she’s not the one that’s preoccupied, you are. The remark she’s just made is going to be the first step in a long series of questions and problems. You know she’s going to eventually ask why can’t she become a shadow. They already intrigue her the more she reads the books.
What are you going to do? Tell her she can’t read anymore? Put further restrictions on her? The whole point of this is to make her independent and avoid sheltering her.
You dwell on this for the rest of day and until you manage to fall asleep…
Nothing happens. You fully expected Dendrin to visit and give some sort of “sagely” advice and most likely try to convince you to let Tulla become a shadow, but he doesn’t.
Weeks go by while you’re still struggling with this decision and you still get no visit from Dendrin. This is one of the rare times you’d actually wish he’d show up and try to convince you just so you’d have a compass of doing the exact opposite. Of course maybe he doesn’t care. He did say he was bored of the shadows for centuries after all.
In the end this isn’t up to him. This decision is on you. Tulla’s interest in the shadows is only going to increase and you’re going to have to let her find her own way or nip it in the bud now. The problem is despite all your own prejudices against Dendrin and the shadow religion in general, you’d be a complete hypocrite if you didn’t admit that the training did provide you with the means of surviving this long. The shadow magic also helped in that endeavor. Even Tulla made that connection.
Tulla already shows much promise combat wise. If she could cast magic, she’d probably become very powerful indeed.
As the years go by, you know that day is coming soon that you won’t and shouldn’t keep Tulla sheltered from the surface too much longer. Granted you’ll still be with her when that day comes, but having been to the surface every once in a while to keep apprised of the situation, Delerg still isn’t exactly the friendliest place.
Victor dumped so much into the campaign to conquer Delerg he’s been trying to get the most out of it by rebuilding Sinkhole into a proper town (Calling it Triumph). Apparently he’s also decided to make more plans to develop the area namely by chopping down the jungle to the south and to the east. This has been slow going though especially to the east which you know full well just how hostile the jungle flora and fauna get in that direction. (Oddly he hasn’t decided to expand north which is just as well since he’d probably call for the temple’s ruins to be dug up or built over, or something similar and you’d have to deal with his troops more directly.) As a result of all this redevelopment he’s not only got the pitiful remains of the enslaved Delergites working day and night, but he’s also imported many of his subjects from Quala to do work as well. A lot of these seem to be prisoners of varying types. Some are genuine criminals like murderers and thieves. Most though just couldn’t pay their taxes and it was either this or as a conscript to serve on one of the war fronts that Victor is engaged in with other Quala warlords.
Amusingly you’re no longer on the “wanted list.” An eternal captain by the name of Brom that runs the military garrison in Triumph claims he killed you during the final battle for Delerg. (In fact that’s how he got his current promotion) You’re not exactly sure how he “proved” this, but you’re guessing he just threw a black cloak on some dead body, destroyed the face to the point of recognition and made everything up.
Naturally he brags quite a bit about doing it. You’re not sure what’s funnier, the fact that he’s lying about it, or the fact that he managed to fool everyone into believing his lie (Including Victor, apparently).
In any event, it doesn’t bother you since it makes life easier without some angry warlord trying to hunt you down. Besides you’ve got enough on your mind just looking after Tulla.
“Come on, get your head out of those books, its time for your training.” You say to Tulla.
“But we train all the time! Can’t I just finish this one book?” Tulla whines.
“No! We have to keep to a schedule. Now let’s get to it.”
Tulla puts away her book in defeat and leaves the library to head to the training room. It’s been more of an effort to get her to do her training lately.
“Why do I have to train so hard? You never let me go up to the surface anyway.” Tulla says.
“And you won’t be going up to the surface until I’m confident that you can take care of yourself. I know you think I’m just being mean, but trust me what I’m doing is going to ensure your survival. I won’t always be around, you know.”
Tulla doesn’t reply to your remark she just picks up her wooden sword and gets into the fighting stance you’ve been teaching her. You and her spar for a few moments and fortunately despite her less than enthusiastic desire to be here, she does not slack off and proves to be absorbing everything you’ve been teaching her all these years.
“Good. Glad to see you’re taking this seriously. Now let’s try something new.” You say and change up your style. You tell Tulla to pay attention.
An hour later you and her are taking a break. Though it’s mainly for you. Every damn bone in your body aches and the ravages of time never let you forget that your earlier years of near perpetual combat have taken their toll.
“Are you okay uncle?” Tulla asks in concern.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just old war wounds acting up as usual. We’ll pick up training again in a few minutes.”
While you lay prone recovering, Tulla decides to be inquisitive as usual.
“Uncle, did you train as hard as this when you were my age?” Tulla asks.
“Heh heh…I was trained harder than you at an even younger age.” You chuckle.
“Was it the shadows who trained you so hard?”
“Not at first. It was some sadistic svelk bitch that called herself Mistress. She trained me up until I was twelve, and then I was transferred over to the shadows.”
“Oh. So is that when you learned magic?”
“Yeah I learned it eventually. Never really liked using it though.”
“I would like to use magic like a shadow! I’ve read you could turn yourself in invisible, make yourself really fast or even walk like a spider on a ceiling!”
“Yeah some of it was pretty handy I guess. Haven’t been able to use any in years though.
“Because Dendrin doesn’t like you anymore?”
“Not exactly…but something like that…yes.”
You’ve explained a little bit about Dendrin to Tulla in the past, you don’t think she fully understands all of it, but you do know that she spends a lot of time reading the old tomes about shadow history and such. Which is why she’s been getting increasingly more curious about him and the shadows in general. She probably would like to hear a more personal view of the organization.
A view you don’t even want to get into anytime soon. So you try to change the subject.
“Alright, we’ve rested enough, let’s get back to it.” You say getting off the floor.
Just as you’re about to begin, Tulla makes a statement.
“It’s a shame you and Dendrin don’t get along anymore. If you did, you could teach me shadow magic and it would help me survive better.”
You say nothing and just tell her to focus on defending herself. Tulla complies, but she’s not the one that’s preoccupied, you are. The remark she’s just made is going to be the first step in a long series of questions and problems. You know she’s going to eventually ask why can’t she become a shadow. They already intrigue her the more she reads the books.
What are you going to do? Tell her she can’t read anymore? Put further restrictions on her? The whole point of this is to make her independent and avoid sheltering her.
You dwell on this for the rest of day and until you manage to fall asleep…
Nothing happens. You fully expected Dendrin to visit and give some sort of “sagely” advice and most likely try to convince you to let Tulla become a shadow, but he doesn’t.
Weeks go by while you’re still struggling with this decision and you still get no visit from Dendrin. This is one of the rare times you’d actually wish he’d show up and try to convince you just so you’d have a compass of doing the exact opposite. Of course maybe he doesn’t care. He did say he was bored of the shadows for centuries after all.
In the end this isn’t up to him. This decision is on you. Tulla’s interest in the shadows is only going to increase and you’re going to have to let her find her own way or nip it in the bud now. The problem is despite all your own prejudices against Dendrin and the shadow religion in general, you’d be a complete hypocrite if you didn’t admit that the training did provide you with the means of surviving this long. The shadow magic also helped in that endeavor. Even Tulla made that connection.
Tulla already shows much promise combat wise. If she could cast magic, she’d probably become very powerful indeed.