Teo Deum Abducto

[TentacleTherapist]

Your liege was a jerk, to be honest. He hired jerks to help him lead his lands and armies, and they hired more jerks. What this meant, in the end, was the little guys like you had it hard.


It was on one such day, during a forced march with full gear (not to anywhere in particular of course, just because), that things got... weird. You felt a sudden wrenching in your gut, like when one of your seniors lands a heavy blow to your stomach while sparring, and then a feeling like insects crawling across your skin.


Then it subsides almost as suddenly and you are dropped out of the air sideways. It's only a couple feet to the ground so it doesn't injure you, but it hurts and messes up your perfectly straightened armor. You hear yelling, and the sounds of battle, and notice that you are in what looks like a throne room of some sort.


A very young man, probably not older than 16, stands worriedly at the side of a wooden throne as the double doors to the room break down and armed men start barging in. Yelling can be heard.


"They've broken into the throne room!"


"Fight to the doors! Protect lord Xiao!"


The man near the throne meets eyes with you and adds his voice to the yelling "Warrior! Protect me! Drive them off!"


You can almost feel his words, they shake you with a charisma you never thought possible. It nags at you, at the back of your mind, to do as he says.

 

[Simmeh]

What. That is the first and loudest thought in Teodor's head. Not really a question so much of a statement of complete bewilderment. Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I lying down? Who are all these people?


However, this spat of confusion lasts but a second. The command, given by the man who couldn't have been that much younger than Teo himself, rocked him in a way that can only be felt by those who've had military drill and discipline pounded into them.


Teodor immediately leaps to his feat and snaps into a ready position, his pike set forward and his body between the throne and the door. It was a bit different - normally there was a man on either side of him also brandishing a pike - but some things are just intuition and reflex.


"What comes, sir?"

 

[TentacleTherapist]

You feel... powerful all of a sudden, like you could do anything. "Just... Just kill them!" Xiao shouts to you, and you comply.


Four men wearing jerkins charge at you with scimitars. You set your pike and the one leading the pack impales himself on it. Have they never seen a weapon like this before? You pull your weapon out and step back, swinging horizontally and cutting down two more. Blood seems to suddenly cover every surface, including you, and the last man aborts his charge and tried to escape through the doors.


The yells from before seem to have been from other soldiers who have made their way to the throne room, and the fourth man is cut down while trying to escape. The soldiers look in to see you standing in a pool of gore. Their shocked faces look to Xiao, then back to you. Finally, an elderly looking soldier wearing elaborate armor bullies his way through the gawking troops clogging the doorways.


"Lord Xiao Yan!" he kneels "We have forced the attackers to rout! Shall we pursue them?"


Xiao immediately puts on a false mask of lordly indifference. "No, leave them be, we have proven our worth this day and driven back our greatest foe. Let them wallow in their failure."


The soldier nods before pushing his way back through the rubbernecking troops. The strength that filled your body suddenly drains away, the surety of purpose is gone. It's just you, bodies, blood, and Xiao Yan. "Come, warrior, we should have words."

 

[Simmeh]

"Yes, milord," replies Teodor. A thought hits him, Strange, that. Why did I call him 'milord'? I don't know who he is, and he's certainly not my lord... what in the name of all good things is going on here?

 

[TentacleTherapist]

It doesn't take long for the two of you to be alone, the soldiers starting the post-battle cleanup. Xiao Yan snaps his fingers and pale purple flame consumes the bodies thoroughly. He snaps his fingers again and the blood on you catches ablaze. It is hot, but your armor doesn't heat up, and the flames don't burn you, the blood merely boils away.


"Well" Xiao says "the day is won, and you are the hero of the battle. You personally saved me from attackers, and all it took for you to appear was to destroy the last gift that my father gave to me. You are powerful enough to cut down two men with one stroke. So tell me... who are you?"


That feeling of pressure at the back of your head is gone. You don't feel like you have to do what this Xiao Yan says. Was it the heat of the moment? Did he say summoned? Who are you? No, you remember that. You remember your father, and brother, and your liege. What's this feeling of unease?


You pass out and immediately regain consciousness. From the pain you would guess that you fell on your head. It also feels like you've been run over by a carriage or two. Xiao is standing over you with a look of worry on his face. "Is... is that normal for you?"


=====


You have Exhaustion 2


=====

 

[Simmeh]

"No, milord, none of this is normal for me. I'm a simple soldier in the service of Lord Esel of Dypfjord. I was on a forced march and then... I was here. I don't know where I am, or, begging your pardon milord, who anyone here is. I just know that I am feeling quite tired at the moment."

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"I... well... yeah. Thank you for saving me. That all seemed like it would be pretty exhausting." He reaches a hand down to help you up "I'll try and answer any questions you have, but for now you should probably rest. I'd also feel better if you were close at hand, so you can stay in one of the spare rooms behind the throne room. Other than that, the important stuff is that I am the leader of the Xiao clan which is the smallest clan in the region, and we are under attack by our neighbors. There shouldn't be any problems for a while after this battle though."

 

[Simmeh]

"Rest would be good..." ...but where am I? I don't know if I recognize the family name Xiao...


<History skill check to see if I know anything about my whereabouts or who this young man may be based on the name "Xiao">

 

[TentacleTherapist]

The name is definitely consistent with the Shou of the far east, but no matter how much you wrack your brain you can't remember anyone of note with that family name. Is it a new family? Or is the clan really that small? You can be sure that the Shou don't have warring clans, last you checked they had united under an emperor.


Xiao Yan helps you up and then points to a curtain at the back of the stage his throne occupies. "Through there to the left are my personal quarters, and to the right are the unused concubine and wife quarters. Feel free to pick any of those to rest in." He sighs "I have political things to do, mostly diplomacy in the aftermath of the attack and I'm sure that would bore a mighty warrior of your stature."

 

[Simmeh]

That explains some things, though a great many are left... but I guess those will have to wait. This man obviously has some measure of authority here and expects me to serve him. Best acquiesce for now, and work on getting home after... by God I am tired...





"Yes, milord," says Teo, as graciously and lucidly as he can, before trudging past the curtain. Finding the women's quarters on the right, he enters the very first room he comes across, doffs his equipment, strips out of his armour and clothes, and falls into the pallet awaiting him

 

[TentacleTherapist]

The bed is wonderfully crafted, with beddings of silk and down. It's a league above anything you've ever experienced before, and you quickly lose yourself to the soft embrace of sleep.


You wake up face down in a pillow and shirtless as soft hand massage your back. It feels like there is some substance being rubbed into your tired muscles, like an oil or balm. Regardless, from the distance throne room you can barely hear an argument.


"...lan Clan... ...posterous... ...vention..."


"Oh, are you awake? My name is Xiao Xun Er. My brother spoke of you, and asked me to help relieve some of your tiredness. I hope I didn't wake you."


This seems... strange, but you do feel refreshed. Whatever she's been doing, coupled with the sleep, has washed away your fatigue.


=====


You lose 1 Exhaustion from a long rest.


You lose 1 Exhaustion through unknown means.


=====

 

[Simmeh]

Though startled, Teo controls himself enough to not leap from his bed. He instead rolls over to look at his... visitor.


"Don't... don't worry about it, milady. I feel very refreshed thankyou..."


Teo pauses for a moment to consider his next course of action.


"Begging your pardon, milady, but I'm still very confused about this whole thing. I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to be doing right now, on top of all the other very many bewildering things that have happened to me today."

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"I'll apologize on brother Yan's behalf for that, his father Xiao Zhan's untimely demise has forced him into power and aroused the ambitions of our neighbors. It seems like he implicitly trusts you, probably considering you the providence of his late father. He's usually much more untrusting, but he's been spread very thin lately.


She sighs, concern written across her face.


"We can't force you to stay if you don't want. If you do want to help, though, brother Yan needs a competent right-hand man. If a favorable agreement can't be reached, we'll likely face even more attackers in the near future and... well, we don't want that."

 

[Simmeh]

"I don't know if I have anywhere to go, milady. I have some idea of where I am, and it's very far from home. I doubt I have the means to return at this moment. I'm still trying to figure out how I got here, though it must have been some sort of powerful magic. If I knew what it was your brother did to bring me here, I'd have a better idea of my next steps should be."

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"I only know that in the personal effects that brother Yan inherited, there were several technique scrolls and some higher level monster cores, but I've never heard of monster cores causing teleportation and I've never seen technique scrolls that consume themselves on use. It is definitely unusual."

 

[Simmeh]

"I see. I will have to ask him about it... I should get dressed and go see him... if you could...?"

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"If I could...? Would you like me to dress you? No, you must want me to leave. Ah, yes, I know some traders that act like that. You truly aren't from around here then. I'm sure we'll see eachother often, and I wish you good health."


She nods resolutely and saunters out of your room. You can hear the arguing in the distance getting more and more heated.

 

[Simmeh]

Teo gets up as soon as Xun is out of the room. Quickly dressing himself, he retraces his steps from a few hours ago and hesitantly enters the throne room.

 

[TentacleTherapist]

Xiao Yan stands in front of his throne, clearly incensed. Before him stands a beautiful young woman with an elderly retainer. Xiao Yan is yelling. "Have you no shame Nalan Yanran!? Does the honor of our grandparents mean nothing to you?! To break off an arranged marriage without the blessing of our elders is an affront and an insult to our alliance of old!"


"You are a fool, a weakling, and a cripple Xiao Yan, and I refuse to be bound to a man weaker than me. Your lands are falling apart, enemies stand poised at every border, who would want to become accomplice to that from a deal they had no say in?" Her voice is loud, but not quite outraged... more disgusted with Xiao Yan. She sees you enter "And who is this? The foreign warrior you paid to fight your battles? The 'genius' Xiao Yan is nothing but a worthless cripple now, forced to use others to accomplish anything. This is most evident, and it's my hope that you won't continue to drag yourself through the mud like this. Back off, break the marriage, and I'll leave you to your fate."

 

[Simmeh]

"Beg your pardon, milord, I didn't mean to interrupt."

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"I..." Xiao Yan pauses for a moment, looking to Nalan Yanran, then to you. He sits back down on his throne, and leans back. "No, I wouldn't want to marry such a tactless woman anyways, I'll break the marriage off officially..."


"Good!" she says "I'm glad you are finally seeing reason."


"SILENCE!" The room echoes with Xiao Yan's yell. "I will break the marriage off in two years time, on that day I will fight you and shame you in front of your entire clan, and you will be cast out. I won't lose, but if you win you can have what you want, I don't care. Consider this an official challenge to duel, and get out."


She is left shocked for several seconds, her face flushes with rage, and she stomps out.


Xiao Yan sighs. "My father made this look so easy."


The two of you are alone now.

 

[Simmeh]

"I apologize if I gave offense, milord. I am now rested, so I am ready to hear a full explanation as to how I found myself here, and what I can do to help you.

 

[TentacleTherapist]

"It didn't really matter, she was going to use any excuse to try and break it off. A 'cripple' leading a clan is just asking for us to get taken advantage of... but yes, I owe you an explanation of as much as I can give."


He stops slouching in his throne to give you a proper explanation. "The Xiao clan is the smallest clan in the Jia Ma Empire, one of many loose confederations of clans that reside to the south of the spine of the world. There is currently a large amount of internal strife in the various empires because of a rogue clan leader trying to gather an army to retake the forgotten lands north of the spine. As such, the Xiao Clan is being assaulted on all sides by other clans we once called allies. When my father died, he left to me a scroll of great power that he said would summon a great ally in a time of need. That's you. But my own weakness reflects badly on the clan, and so I want for us to get even stronger. To that effect, I think that we should set out to train in a dungeon before any other clans attack. If you need anything, our armory, cores, and technique scrolls will be freely available to you, even though we currently have a poor selection."

 

[Simmeh]

"I... see. What sort of prank must the gods of played to choose me as your champion? I'm but a lowly Illuskan footman. Regardless, I'll do my best to help you. I obviously cannot get home right now, so I may as well be useful while I'm here. I'll take a look at your armory, thankyou milord."

 

[TentacleTherapist]

He leads you from the throne room, into the clan holdings proper. The main estate leads out into a courtyard surrounded with various buildings and a somewhat damaged outer wall. You also see the sun for the first time in a while, having spent most of your time in the internals of the largest building.


Xiao Yan leads you to one of the smaller buildings and then down a flight of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, the building suddenly opens up and you see walls lined with pegs for holding weapons and armor, and innumerable shelves covered with boxes and stacked scrolls. It seems like about half of the space is unfilled, there is clearly less equipment than should be here.


As you look over the armor, you notice how... light it all seems. There's only a couple heavier pieces of armor like breastplates, but a significant portion that looks no better than particularly heavy clothing. The weapons are similarly strange; there are only weapons that could be considered sidearms at best, like shortswords, sabres, and scimitar, and absolutely no ranged weapons. The small, almost jewelry-box like boxes and stacked scrolls also seem startling out of place for an armory.