Welcome to Cove

Ludvig entered the Tavern in Cove on his evening stroll. He found Hoagie and Flina there and one other he did not recognize. The guards openly several times called him a churchie and displayed mockery towards the church. At the same time with Ludvig a stranger had entered the tavern.

It was no surprise the discussion between Ludvig and the guards heated up. The stranger who was present started to speak and he spoke of strange things stopping the discussion which would have possibly ended in a confrontation. The stranger was calm all the time as he shared his views of the Avatarian Church. The stranger spoke of the Oblivion...he spoke of everything decaying in the end and of what would come after? Would ANYTHING come after? The words of the stranger burned inside Ludvig as he listened to his heretic words. How did he dare? Mock the avatar and his church! The people representing it and bringing good to the land!

Something shifted inside Ludvig...something he remembered...Something he had come across on his travels to Lycaeum long ago when he was a small boy. The word Oblivion...what was it? He had read about it somewhere. An old man had shown a book to him where he had read about it. After all these years after the stranger had mentioned the word "Oblivion" Ludvig did not know how to react. As if he had forgotten something? Something important? Was there a black hole in his memory?

The guards departed quickly heading towards Yew, Ludvig overheard their plans. The stranger remained. Questioning my faith towards the Avatarian Church. He asked me why I blindly believed in something I had never seen? All the knowledge and all the questions he shot at me were merciless...empowering! I do not know why I did it, but I did. Inside my robes my hands clutched a black book with a skull on its cover.  The book I had found in the desert east of the Compassion shrine. I had never mentioned anyone what had happened during my journey to the eight shrines of virtue, and suddenly I had this urge to tell the stranger what had happened. That in the heat of the desert, thirsty and wretched I had heard a voice. There near some old ruins, I had found the book. Like a madman I had crept to the den of the scorpions not paying attention to their doings, this voice inside my head, telling me to go further and driving me towards an unknown goal.

I told the stranger this...To my astonishment he replied that the book once belonged to an old man. My heart and mind were racing...I felt myself choking. I opened the book and read the words, "Uus Corp" on its first page. I looked to the stranger but he was already at the door. His last words before he left were, "Next time you go to the forest, slay a deer and utter the words...you will see what happens. Then he left the tavern vanishing to the darkening autumn.

My gaze remained at the door after he had left. I looked down and saw the book. I opened the book and carefully studied it for the first time. First time I dared to study it! And then...it hit me...It was the same book...same book that old man had shown me all those years ago in Lycaeum...

Quickly I shoved it under my robes and ran out of the tavern towards the church.


(Ludvig's journey to eight shrines of virtue).
http://cove.fantasyworld.nl/forum/index.php/topic,9079.0.html (http://cove.fantasyworld.nl/forum/index.php/topic,9079.0.html)

[OOC: Great story! Heretical thoughts eh eh?!  ;D]

[OOC]Good reading! Looking forward into next parts :)[/OOC]