The End is Nigh!
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Apr 12, 2019 at 06:54:00 PM
Dearly devoted,
As we enter the final 2 hours of this most glorious dedication to Leshavit, we have splendiferous news! The tithes collected from our loyal congregation have unlocked yet another stretch-goal!
Once again we want to thank all of our backers from the very bottom of our hearts for the trust and support you've placed in us - we've been absolutely thrilled to see both returning backers and brand new players join this campaign and the future of this game seems brighter than Fancyhat's plate armour after Eric's given it a darn good spit polish!
Now the celebrations can soon commence (it's no coincidence we scheduled the Kick Starter to end on a Friday evening here in the UK - wishful thinking paid off ;). One guy who sure knows how to party is Brother Daniel! We present for your enjoyment a story Featuring the Mad Monk, and a pub. What more could you ask for?
The First Moonstone
Eric had always been an enthusiastic and motivated squire. He always wanted to better himself, improve his skills and impress the Baron at every possible opportunity. He also had always been determined to complete a noble and difficult quest to prove himself as superior to the other squires, so he had been listening to everyone and anyone who might point him in even the vague direction of something important. On this particular night he had been sitting through the Quack’s rambling advice to seek out the Brother for more information. Even the mad doctor had only dared whisper the words ‘The First’ under his breath. Eric didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but it sounded impressive. He left Quack to his drink, which now seemed to be pouring out of the bottom of his trousers, and set off in search of this mad preacher.
In spite of his often public displays of lunacy, it turned out that Brother Daniel was, in fact, quite hard to track down when you wanted him. He seemed able to disappear completely from view, appearing many miles away in a neighbouring town next to someone who he would immediately start preaching at. In actual fact, Eric quite enjoyed hearing Brother Daniel’s speeches, although he had never seen his face. They were often impossible to understand, as he seemed to be able to speak every language in Tauber, plus some that even Graddock hadn’t heard of before. Eventually Eric tracked him down to Weaselton, although even then he almost missed him. An odd looking gnome performing tricks in the main square had whispered to him whilst he apparently picked his pocket, telling him to seek Daniel at the World’s End public house, in room 42. The giggling jongler, then laughed manically and rolled all the way down the street whilst chattering away in some throaty dialect.
Eric nervously entered the pub that evening, with one hand on his trusty wooden sword and the other on his money pouch. There was an interesting variety of clientele spread haphazardly around the dark, dank main room. The gnome had beaten him there and seemed to be deep in conversation with a huge giant of a man. They sat near the fire, which appeared to be green at first glance, but when he looked back, it was a normal orangey glow. At the bar sat a comely middle-aged woman with bright eyes and a matronly look, she was joined by younger lady in a feathery cloak. Eric, ever polite, tipped his hat to the two women who both smiled back knowingly, as if they had expected him to arrive at that precise moment. In the opposite corner from the fire sat three figures, who Eric couldn’t entirely make out. One appeared to have horns, but his cowl covered his face, another was sitting in a hunched position whispering to a tiny fellow with a beautifully carved bow at his feet. Then Eric looked again, were they feet? Of course they were feet, everyone has feet. Behind the bar was the most stunning looking young women Eric had ever seen, her beautiful auburn hair cascaded gently down one shoulder and her slender frame had a certain strength in it that he wouldn’t have expected to see. He took a deep breath whilst trying to look confident approaching the bar.
“I’m here to see….” Eric began, but his voice tailed off as the entire pub fell silent.
“He knows you’re here and we know why” said the gorgeous lady behind the bar. She smiled at him and lent forward over the bar, then looked at something just behind him and raised one perfect eyebrow.
“You seek The First”, said a gentle, lilting voice from behind him. He spun round quickly but all he could see was an empty space with a couple of bright pink petals floating to the ground. His heart was beating quicker than ever before now. All his battlefield experience and determination could not prepare him for this. It seemed as if the entire pub was now staring at him and the cold chill running down his spine had reached his knees which began to knock together disproportionately loudly.
“Follow me” whispered the lilting voice again. He slowly turned to see a half-naked figure draped across a wooden chair next to the bar. His breath caught in his chest again and he had to blink a few times. Did his eyes deceive him? No this was one of the Fae. In a pub! This quest was taking yet another strange turn. “Follow me”, the lithe faerie repeated. Eric’s legs now seemed to move by themselves and he was being drawn towards a door in the corner, which he hadn’t even noticed when he had first entered. He followed closely behind the faerie, who appeared to emit a pinkish glow, which was particularly useful as there didn’t seem to be any lamps in the corridors. They walked for several minutes along endless dark corridors. Not once did Eric even consider that he was no longer in the pub, as the corridors were clearly longer than the tiny building he had entered. It was only when they reached a round door at the end of the hall, which was surrounded by vines and flowers that Eric realised that something wasn’t quite right.
The faerie stopped and turned to Eric.
“Brother Daniel will see you now. But before you go in I have a few words of warning for you. Firstly, Brother Daniel is incapable of lying and the truth he speaks is unquestionable. Secondly, don’t ask too many questions, and lastly, whatever you do, do not ask what he is drinking”. She floated over Eric’s head and disappeared behind him.
“You can do this, you can do this, you are brave, you are important”, Eric said these words out loud to try and make himself feel better before he gripped the door handle cautiously. The door swung open before he had a chance to turn the handle and he was thrown into the room.
“Come in then, or not, whichever suits you, or me?” shouted a voice from a high backed chair on the far side of the room.
“Are you Brother Daniel?” Replied Eric, trying to make himself seem bigger than he was.
“Of course I am. Or am I? I might be but I might not be too. I don’t really remember sometimes, head is a bit foggy, or is it hazy? No I think it’s foggy, or maybe misty. Possibly rainy, definitely sunny, but no rainbows, hate rainbows”. Eric didn’t quite know what to make of this answer. He decided that he had come this far and he could not bring himself to give up on his quest when he had finally made some progress. Keeping his hand on his sword he walked carefully over to the chair and sat down on a small stool opposite. He finally saw the man face-to-face that he’d been seeking for the last week and Brother Daniel wasn’t quite what he had expected. He wore a dirty, brown monastic habit and a bright green party hat. His grey wispy beard and hair stood out at odd angles, giving him the look of a lunatic. But the most striking feature was his eyes. They were grey, but showed a wisdom beyond anything Eric had seen before. The knowledge behind those eyes made the librarian look like an imbecile. There was an ancient looking bronze bell sat on a small table next to an inexplicable drink in a pewter tankard. The drink looked like beer but smelled like wine and steamed like tea.
He took a deep breath again. “Do you know why I’m here?”
Brother Daniel turned his head away from the fire in front of them and looked Eric directly in the eye. He frowned, then began to chuckle. “You seek that which cannot be sought, the first and the last, the most important and the most insignificant, the brightest and the dimmest. Your quest will take you to the end of the world and the beginning. Those who control all of us smile favourably down on you, whilst a few of them frown also. You are seen as essential by some and a waste by others. The almighty beings who choose the sun laugh with you and the followers of the moon scream with anger. Any questions? Any answers? Any commands? Any ideas? No, I didn’t think so, or believe as such. Do you know where to start or where to end? What do you seek or search for? Tell me and I will answer in the only way I can, by asking more questions and seeking more clues, whilst hiding everything in riddles.” He laughed hysterically but before Eric could interrupt or ask any more questions the mad monk jumped up from his seat, grabbed the bell and began to ring it loudly whilst dancing round the chair. Eric was simply terrified now and was quite frozen to his chair.
“What you seek cannot be found, you must search beneath the ground” sang the crazy prophet.
“Begin your search in the ancient wood, she will stop you if she could.
The circle of stones holds the key, the rogues may help you for a fee.
The fae will fight with tooth and claw, do not forget to ask the fauns.
Although your quest may end in death, free ice cream for every breath!
The three watch your every move, they take your prize should you prove,
If you please them your life is free, anger and they eat your knees.
Go now boy this is your fate, and don’t forget to close the gate!”
He danced and spun quicker and quicker around the chair whilst repeating his song over and over again. His movements accelerated until he became a blur, until the room crackled with a loud pop and the comical words “The End is Nigh” echoed around the now exhausted squire. As the noise disappeared Eric looked around him. Brother Daniel had completely disappeared, but it was not only him who had gone. The fire, both chairs, the pub and the entire village had simply been removed from existence. He stood alone in a blank clearing breathing heavily. A small note floated down onto the floor in front of him. On one side was written the song Brother Daniel had sung and the other was simply the words “The First Moonstone”.
The young squire picked up his belongings and set off. His fate was no longer in his hands, it never had been but only The Brother knew that truth.
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To be continued....
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Until next time, grab your bells and party hat, and lift an inexplicable drink with us this evening!
-Goblin King Games
