De Haguns Family/Orpheu/Trial of the Gods (truly, Naked and Afraid)

MERCATOR'S LETTER FOR ORPHEU TO FACE THE TRIAL OF THE GODS

Friends,

There now more even more people here than when I sending letter. I feeling need for to say it again.

All the peoples that not from Yssrgard needing seek trial from the gods. You having need prove yourselves that you strong and brave enough to be real Yssr like us. Some Yssr born, but lots more is made. You will needing go out into wild and wait for something from gods. It will be test. I not knowing what it will be, only gods will be knowing. You will be knowing what the test is when it come. When you finish test, if you alive, you needing bring proof to me that you did test, and I acting as judge for the Aethir to saying if you pass. It will be plain that you pass, because gods not wanting trick us.

I saying this for Orfeu specially: all Perdan kittens that coming here have done test, and they pass. You needing do it most of all of new people. Kittens more weak, and you needing showing for sure that you strong like Yssr.

For you not knowing me, I Germanico Mercator, once king of the Yssr and now duke of Eats-A-Drill and elder of Aethir religion. I talking to the gods for king and peoples. Eros also duke and elder of Aethir. He doing much of same, but he also running adventure-peasants and getting all the magic things for us. That taking much time. He have guild you should join.

I also naked. I naked because I stronger than all of you. I naked because gods show me miracle many many years ago and I knowing that gods not liking clothes. They thinking that it hide our bodies from them and they liking our bodies. Clothes also hiding and protecting us. I not needing protect because I strong and brave. I not having wear clothes since I young noble. If you wanting to be strong and brave like me, and wanting gods love you most, you not wearing clothes either. King Patric wears clothes, and that real shame. I not wearing clothes when I were king and we very strong realm. I thinking we only strong realm now because I still naked and still here and I asking gods to forgive king for wearing clothes.

Not everyone needing be naked, but only be naked if you wanting be strong and brave like me.

Bonog,

Sir Germanico Mercator

Royal of Yssrgard

Duke of Wolve's Den

Margrave of Isadril

Priest of The Way of the Aethir

DE HAGUNS'S LETTER ACCEPTING THE TRIAL

Yssgardians,

I have heard many tales of the Royal Germanico Mercator. Tales of naked giant man that swung his ax - and other things - as he cracked skulls of all his enemies open. Many kittens were killed as they cowered and meowed in fear of his imposing and majestic figure, not knowing which head to face, if the above or the below, I have heard.

I shall do the test, and I shall do it in the proper way.

I shall venture the wilderness, naked.

I wish I could have left the skin of a kitten in Perdan, to die with thar rotten carcass of a lion that never was, when I crossed the border. And I aim to prove it. I will go naked in the wilderness, and come back dressed in the furs of all the animals I have killed to survive, which shall serve as proof of my worthiness as a warrior of Yssrgard. There, in this same wilderness, I shall meditate the wisdom of the Way of the Aethir, and live amongst the animals, to become a wolf amongst them.

This may be the test the gods impose on me, or it may not.

Yet it shall be a test I shall impose on myself, my own trial, to be held amongst the trial of the gods.

Only the gods know what awaits me there, and I shall be honored by whatever they deem to throw at me, and I shall bring proof of it.

I shall leave as a kitten, and return as a wolf.

In Truth I have spoken,

Orpheu de Haguns

Knight of Leibo

DE HAGUNS

A life of sheltered and pampered privilege, raised to be a knight of Perdan without facing any hardships, without ever experiencing the world to begin with. Naïve, hot tempered, inexperienced, too wild to be kept in the chains that the very notion of chivary – a dreamy ideal that had been instilled in him since early childhood as he was trained to become a model knight.

Yet, where did that lead him to?

He had seen the worse of “chivalry”, and had failed at everything he had aimed to achieve so far, but that was not only the fault of others, but also because he lacked the grit and willpower to do so. He was just at fault; he knew it by heart now. He had been too soft, and now needed to become hardened, one of the very reasons he had come to Yssrgard, after hearing of their outstanding feats as warriors.

And now, his trial. A godly, divine challenge to assess the favour of the gods. Germanico Mercator had sent him to fulfill his destiny, all the while exhorting the many advantages and virtues of walking in the nude, and Orpheu felt proud to be addressed by the famous man, whose tales he had heard many times as a child, to scare children into being meek kittens.

So he had vowed to finish the trial of the gods naked, to prove that he was worthy of being recognized by the Aethir as one reborn in Yssrgard! And he would come dressed in all the furs he had acquired while in the wilderness, and should the gods will it, the proof of his trial, of which he was still unaware, but would pray to be enlightened.

In truth, he could very well accomplish the trial clothed and armored, but decided against it, after Mercator’s encouragement. If Orpheu wanted to become stronger in mind and body, he would take the man’s advice and face the wilderness nude – and there was a symbolism deep behind this. By leaving everything he had come from Perdan, he was leaving Perdan behind. He would dress in what he found as he turned into a Wolf, all while meditating on the wisdom of the Aethir – for he had been regaled with tales by skalds while in Isadril, and thought that he could commune with the gods while on his hunt, so he could be enlightened on what was his trial.

The only thing he knew, however, he could not let go of Perdan - his beloved commoner Thea and the child that was growing in her womb. But he would bring them to Yssrgard, so they could be reunited, after those intriguing and cunning perdanese nobles had separated them...

He shook his head, as to cleanse his thoughts. Now was not the time to think of the past, but stay focused on the present, on his task. The future lies ahead.

With him, only a bastard sword, and one he had been given by another warrior when he had heard of his coming trial, and how Orpheu would go into the woods and did not want to carry anything of Perdan with himself.

Orpheu stood naked before the borders of Bethom, a rogueland infamous for its game, hunters and poachers. He was grateful that it was summer, for it would be easier to accomplish his task than if the colds of winter blowing on his lanky tall frame. Yet, at the same time, he wished it was winter, for his achievements would be even more glorious. And after only suffering defeats as a young knight, he did need a victory, as small as it was.

Trees and trees loomed on the horizon, in what seemed like a never-ending forest. Tall trees, ancestral trees, weeping trees, gnarly trees. He had heard that it even bordered the “Great Southern Sea” on its far extreme from where he currently was. The grass was soft, and he took the first step, then the next step, building courage all the way.

Into the woods of Betholm he went.

DE HAGUNS

A day already walking the woods of Betholm, and nothing. Orpheu felt dumb for his choice of weapon to venture naked into the wilderness – why a bastard sword? If he was to hunt, he should have brought a bow, a crossbow, anything that could shoot an arrow and pierce his prey.

To avoid getting lost, at least the bastard sword had its uses, as he was carving “Haguns” by every tree he crossed, so he could keep track of where he had been. It was tiresome, but practice, nonetheless. After all, just as he left Perdan, he had promised to carve his House’s name in the forehead of Aila Storme, the Duchess of Perdan, for the indignity she had caused him – forcing the young knight and his pregnant commoner to be dragged almost naked through the corridors of the ducal palace of Perdan, and then subjecting both to humiliation. So consumed with anger and hate he was, he imagined her face whenever he carved on the bole of a tree. There had been too many so far to count.

So far, he had heard noises in the woods, birds singing, birds shrieking, other animals running through bushes nearby, yet he could do little without a bow and arrows. And he started feeling hungry. He had been without food before, just after being wounded in a skirmish in Mountaban, only to be rescued by farmers that tended to his wounded leg and took him to the perdanese capital aboard a cart full of grains.

Yet now was different, for the woods had game aplenty, but whenever Orpheu approached a small rabbit, the animal scurried away the opposite side before the naked swordsman.

Orpheu had always fancied himself smart and even cunning to a slight degree – nevermind how every small intrigue he had tried in Perdan backfired on him -, but he now felt thoroughly stupid. He slowed his pace through the forest, looking for something, anything that could be edible. He had a basic understanding of botanic, very rudimentary, to at least avoid poisoning if he ever needed to forage for food in the wilderness, but that was mainly from Perdan. He had no idea about what berries and foods were edible in this part of the continent… yet he decided to follow the animals’s ways, for they would not eat something that was poisonous.

The young man hid behind a bush as he spotted a fox across a clearing. The animal had not noticed him and slowly approached a bush filled with red berries, licking it as to try, and then nabbing on the food. After a while, Orpheu jumped from the bush and said a warcry, which spooked the fox thoroughly, running away. Then, he went to the bush and started picking berries… but without any place to keep them, he would have to eat those now, and hope to find more as he ventured deeper into the woods.

What unnerved him, however, was that he had not seen a single soul ever stepping foot into the forest. He looked around and he was alone, save for the animals, leaving the peacefulness of the woods undisturbed so far…

Suddenly, his attention was drawn by something else, as phallic shaped mushrooms dotted the grass, their caps very red, but otherwise unremarkable. Orpheu was… reluctant to try, for they could be poisonous. Still, he was a vigorous young man, what could those little things cause to him? And he knew how some mushrooms could be used to help commune with the gods, and if he was in for a godly trial, he could use all help available to reach out to the Aethir and learn their wisdom.

He decided that the mushrooms were there for a reason, he had come so far for this same reason. A prudent Orpheu of Perdan would not dare it, alas he vowed to change his ways. And so determined he was to see it to the end, for he could only become strong if he was brave, if he took risks. Crouching on the ground, he selected some of the best-looking red mushrooms and cut them to see if there was any blue liquid, or any indication of poison… and there seemed to be none.

So he ate one of them, and a delicious flavor greeted his mouth and tongue, and he felt as if he was in paradise. He needed more, so he ate another one, and then another, and felt as a mixture of sweetness and saltness danced within his mouth. He closed his eyes, satisfied by the delicious flavor the mushrooms had provided.

When he opened them, he could see colours dancing through the woods and he heard voices and noises that had never been there… or had they been, and he did not listen? Blue, red, green colours all mixing together within the trees and bushes, only to part their ways, and come back together once more.

The once proud, cheeky and even stiffy Knight of the Perdan Mines started to feel euphoric as his eyes widened before the secrets of the forest started unfolding before him.