A Mixed Start
"Stop running Frieg stop, You've got nowhere to run," Nathaniel yelled, as he levelled his crossbow at the old book seller huddled in the corner clutching a package wrapped in rags. "We know what you and the other are up to, we know what you've been trying to do in this city and the evil that you have been practicing, if you surrender now I will give you a quick death and commend your soul to Sigmar."
Dammit where was the rest of his party when he needed them? He could hear the distant sounds of battle, they were probably dealing with the other cultists.
"My Lord Jethelech foresaw this, he has a plan for you apprentice" the bookkeeper muttered, "now kill me!" he exclaimed and he sprung forward, unnaturally quickly and aggressively. Reflexively Nathaniel shot him. He crumpled up immediately and that was it, the book seller moved no more.
I've killed before, thought Nathaniel, but then why was he shaking so much? That bookkeeper had unnerved him, what had he muttered about him? What was he protecting that was worth dying for?
Nathaniel slowly picked up the package and started peeling the rags off. As the last layer fell off he stopped suddenly, and time itself seemed to slow down as he stared at the package. It was a book, a book that he had thought long lost when the veiled library of Eastpine Vale burned, a very ordinary looking book which in the common tongue was called "Doctrines of the Purple Hand". He had been thinking about this book for some time, this forbidden tome that promised a way to control rather than be controlled by dark magic. Up to now he had resisted all impulses to track it down, it was illegal, he had been warned against any contact with books of this nature.
What was he to do with it? He could hardly hand it in or he may be put on trial himself! He knew that this tome could change his life, within a short time he could become more powerful than his mentor, even more powerful than the great wizards of Mirror Keep, and yes he could control it, he would not succumb to the greedy ambitions that these cultists had fallen to, he would be different from them, more noble, he might even be able to use this power for good!
But no, it is chaos and he had been taught that all chaos power corrupts its user eventually, that your very soul is at stake, would he be able to protect his soul? Perhaps not. Oh what to do, and he had to decide quickly, the sound of battle had stopped and the others would be joining him shortly.
He made his decision.
His old alley instincts took over and he slipped the book under his cloak. He deferred. Maybe he would take a peak at the contents, after all just a small look wouldn't harm him and he could always get rid of it later…
His thoughts were quickly interrupted.
"Are you alive umgi?" cried Nathaniel's dwarf friend Holgar, covered in blood and grime screeching round the corner faster than any dwarf had any right to move, checking to see if he was intact, Nathaniel just stared back, he too was covered in the bookkeeper's blood. Holgar continued, "I think we got all of them, did you find what they were protecting?"
"Stop running Frieg stop, You've got nowhere to run," Nathaniel yelled, as he levelled his crossbow at the old book seller huddled in the corner clutching a package wrapped in rags. "We know what you and the other are up to, we know what you've been trying to do in this city and the evil that you have been practicing, if you surrender now I will give you a quick death and commend your soul to Sigmar."
Dammit where was the rest of his party when he needed them? He could hear the distant sounds of battle, they were probably dealing with the other cultists.
"My Lord Jethelech foresaw this, he has a plan for you apprentice" the bookkeeper muttered, "now kill me!" he exclaimed and he sprung forward, unnaturally quickly and aggressively. Reflexively Nathaniel shot him. He crumpled up immediately and that was it, the book seller moved no more.
I've killed before, thought Nathaniel, but then why was he shaking so much? That bookkeeper had unnerved him, what had he muttered about him? What was he protecting that was worth dying for?
Nathaniel slowly picked up the package and started peeling the rags off. As the last layer fell off he stopped suddenly, and time itself seemed to slow down as he stared at the package. It was a book, a book that he had thought long lost when the veiled library of Eastpine Vale burned, a very ordinary looking book which in the common tongue was called "Doctrines of the Purple Hand". He had been thinking about this book for some time, this forbidden tome that promised a way to control rather than be controlled by dark magic. Up to now he had resisted all impulses to track it down, it was illegal, he had been warned against any contact with books of this nature.
What was he to do with it? He could hardly hand it in or he may be put on trial himself! He knew that this tome could change his life, within a short time he could become more powerful than his mentor, even more powerful than the great wizards of Mirror Keep, and yes he could control it, he would not succumb to the greedy ambitions that these cultists had fallen to, he would be different from them, more noble, he might even be able to use this power for good!
But no, it is chaos and he had been taught that all chaos power corrupts its user eventually, that your very soul is at stake, would he be able to protect his soul? Perhaps not. Oh what to do, and he had to decide quickly, the sound of battle had stopped and the others would be joining him shortly.
He made his decision.
His old alley instincts took over and he slipped the book under his cloak. He deferred. Maybe he would take a peak at the contents, after all just a small look wouldn't harm him and he could always get rid of it later…
His thoughts were quickly interrupted.
"Are you alive umgi?" cried Nathaniel's dwarf friend Holgar, covered in blood and grime screeching round the corner faster than any dwarf had any right to move, checking to see if he was intact, Nathaniel just stared back, he too was covered in the bookkeeper's blood. Holgar continued, "I think we got all of them, did you find what they were protecting?"
A brief pause, and then the answer from Nathaniel: 'No, No I didn't, maybe next time..."
***
Niiiice!
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