Ment
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Yudeirn, son of Jodok
-- Hey, sleepyhead, wake up!
The moon and stars shone brightly through the window, occasionally obscured by clouds.
-- Conn, are you kidding me? In the middle of the night...
-- So what? It's the perfect time!
-- For what?
-- Oh, brother, just rub your eyes, arm yourself, and follow me.
Conn was quite a fool, but right now he looked serious. Besides, he wasn't smart enough to joke like this...
Very soon, a small squad of Geirteans led by the chief left the settlement.
-- According to the intelligence report, we'll be able to make a profit soon. A caravan is passing through, and you know what? It was a mistake for it to come so close to us!
Everyone laughed merrily; only Yudeirn didn't find it funny. As they crept closer to the road under the cover of darkness, a Geirtean whispered to his brother:
-- If father were alive, we wouldn't be doing this.
-- Father was a good chief. But too prudent, too cautious, -- Conn replied. -- People need a good fight, and more often... What's wrong with that?
-- For a good fight, you have to choose a worthy enemy.
Everyone in the settlement suspected that Jodok had been killed for the title of chief, but no one dared to speak of it openly. Partly because the new chief watched his authority quite zealously, and partly because most people simply didn't care. Except for Jodok's sons: the elder Conn and the younger Yudeirn.
Soon the caravan appeared. The raiders who had better vision in the dark spotted many warriors of various nationalities within it, although Illiniarians predominated. The chief gave the signal and the battle began... However, it ended very quickly. A young Darnian in the caravan's guard noticed the attackers too fast, and Yudeirn's comrades were violently pelted with magic. They had too meager a notion of her abilities and did not know how to counter these deadly techniques. Yudeirn and Conn held out the longest, while the chief cowardly fled when he saw that things were going south. In the end, that same Darnian ruthlessly shot Conn down. With his last strength, Yudeirn tried to get close to her and put her on a spear, but the very first arrow robbed him of the ability to move. "It's all the chief's fault and his whims... He miscalculated the forces and took too few men... He attacks everyone indiscriminately... Now my brother is dead, and I am next..."
To the Geirtean's surprise, he did not become the next.
-- You can leave him alone! -- the elf shouted. -- He is already departing.
Yudeirn looked at her in confusion.
-- What? Where am I departing to? -- the situation seemed absurd. -- You killed my brother! Blood for blood! -- a hail of arrows flew at him and the warrior fell to the ground.
-- I defended myself and others. And your chief killed your brother with his own stupidity, didn't he?
-- No! I mean... What are you even talking about?
The Darnian approached Conn's corpse.
-- No, it seems I overdid it. Our healers won't be able to handle this here... -- she sighed. -- Listen, I'm sorry. You are smarter than those others. You'd better return to your own.
***
Yudeirn returned. What else was he to do—chase the caravan with curses and foam at his mouth? That would have been quite a sight. The chief didn't even look at Yudeirn or Conn, whose remains the younger brother carried on his shoulder. It was as if nothing had happened, and if it had, the chief had nothing to do with it... What an idiot! Yudeirn's father would have had the courage to take responsibility for mistakes.
***
The Geirtean began to be plagued by paranoia more and more often. He was not alone... Perhaps the chief feared revenge for his brother and had set someone to watch him? It was possible. But no, Yudeirn felt that it wasn't that...
One day, unexpectedly, he heard a girl's voice right inside his head:
-- I thought about it and decided that it's better if I reveal myself. I don't want you to accidentally go insane, so perhaps...
-- Dammit! What kind of sorcery is this?! -- Yudeirn shouted, not mentally, but aloud.
-- Nothing much, telepathy. A simple spell. I read your thoughts back then. I want to say once more that I am very sorry. You and your brother were...
-- You killed him!
-- I'm sorry.
Yudeirn caught his breath.
-- Why do you even feel sorry? Have you killed few people in your life?
-- Hardly. It's just that you and your brother seemed to me... I don't know. I'm just sorry.
-- What use is your pity to me?
-- If you put the question that way... Let's do this: if you ever need anything, call me by name. Ilwing.
***
-- Are you a mercenary, Ilwing?
They were sitting in an Illiniarian roadside tavern. Yudeirn could not live normally in the settlement after what happened; he grew tired of everything. Especially after he challenged the chief to a duel and killed him.
-- Yes and no. Although Darnians do not often travel the world, I have to, there's no helping it.
-- And you don't like it?
-- You're right. No matter how good Darnia is, it's better when you have something to compare it to.
-- And where to now?
-- I cannot say, unfortunately... Truly I cannot. Personally, I am more interested in the question of where you are headed.
-- Anywhere. All of Ertenia stretches out around me, for that matter.
-- That's not an answer.
-- As if you answered.
-- Yes, I didn't answer. It's just, if it makes no difference to you where to go, could you do me a favor?
-- You were the one who promised to fulfill mine.
-- I know, I know. And yet.
Yudeirn realized he could not refuse her. And this wasn't some kind of magic like hypnosis. Was it possible that after his brother's death, this Darnian had become the only close person to him?
"She hears everything," -- he stopped himself, and Ilwing smiled. Perhaps she wasn't listening to him at that moment, but she understood something from his face.
-- I was recently in Gaddar and heard about a very interesting expedition. I would very much like to know what is happening there, but I cannot join them myself...
-- You want me to go there?
-- You won't make it on your own. But I can hire you a small boat with a captain; I have the money. You sail -- and find out what they are looking for there. How does that sound?
The idea seemed dubious. But on the other hand, what did Yudeirn have to lose?
-- Fine.
Ilwing looked at him somewhat sadly.
-- Remember, I will always be in your thoughts. Literally.
An awkward pause followed and Yudeirn couldn't help himself: he pulled Ilwing toward him and kissed her on the lips.
-- That's enough, -- the Darnian gently pulled away. -- I know your Barbarian ways, -- she blushed. -- Though you didn't actually want anything like that, my mistake... Here, take this!
Yudeirn saw a ring in the elf's hands.
-- Remember how I stunned you with arrows? This ring will remind you of me. It is enchanted, so it will be harder to immobilize you.
***
The ship was quite small and did not survive the storm. It ran aground, and then a siren penetrated the vessel. Yudeirn won, but the captain and both sailors perished (though one of them had fallen overboard even earlier). And yet their little boat could outpace the expedition's vessel; if so, there was a chance to wait for them on the island. Although it was a very slim chance.
Origin:
Geirt. 2 combat specializations, learning combat skills is twice as cheap. Each unit of endurance adds 7 units of health
Characteristics:
Strength -- 13
Endurance -- 18
Agility -- 18
Perception -- 7
Speed -- 15
Willpower -- 10
Wisdom -- 9
Skills:
Polearm Weapons
1st rank. Removes the penalty when using polearm weapons.
2nd rank. Chance to parry an opponent's strike (accuracy vs accuracy).
3rd rank. In case of a successful deflection, there is a chance (speed*3) to paralyze the opponent.
4th rank. Damage to paralyzed opponents is doubled.
5th rank. Additional attack.
Shield
1st rank. Shield proficiency. Block (agility). Chance of successful block +5%
2nd rank. After deflecting an attack, a counter-strike with the shield is delivered to the enemy, paralyzing them if it hits. Chance of successful block +5%
3rd rank. A successful shield strike deals damage to the enemy equal to the block percentage of the opponent's current health. Chance of successful block +5%
4th rank. Two of the character's companions can take cover behind them. Chance of successful block +5%
5th rank. While the character is not moving, they automatically block ranged weapon attacks. Chance of successful block +5%
6th rank. Chance of successful block +15%
Combat Mastery
Quick Reaction. Each unit of speed additionally gives +2 to evasion (both in melee and ranged combat)
Armor Wearing. Removes the movement speed penalty when using heavy armor and shields
Earth Magic
Strength of the Mountains. The strength of the selected character is set to 25. 10 turns.
Inventory:
Ilwing's ring, trophy heavy armor, trophy large shield ("inheritance" from Jodok's successful campaigns), pike, money, heals.
