Eril — 0195 Transcript Of Examination Of Berra Jarangsdottir

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Context

After a Heroquest, it is required to ensure a Hero is not a danger to the temple, and to learn from them any secrets or mysteries that have been hitherto unrevealed. The pressing nature of the examination in the absence of the majority of the Regiment required the unusual step of calling on the Acting High Sword to act as a scribe. His complaisant agreement is but one measure of his fine personality.

Events

A transcript of examination. Questioned is Berra Jarangsdottir, Initiate of Humakt, Warrior under the blade of D’Val, Acting High Sword of Humakt, once of Duck Point. Present: Eril, Sword of Humakt. Iron Lord, name not given, Black Sword of Humakt. D’Val, Acting High Sword of Humakt, as scribe. Eril leads questioning.

~ Jarang’s Daughter. You were involved in a highly unusual Heroquest of late. Speak of it, if you please.

~ Yes, Lord. I was pulled into a Heroquest. I was an Initiate of Yanafil Tarnils. I was in Boldhome, in the Lunar Invasion. I was a Lunar, to my shame.

~ There is no shame in being honourable in difficult circumstances. Tell of what you found and did, if you would.

~ I was a Lunar soldier, as part of a patrol. I was chasing a man who greatly resembled High Sword Eril, of this Temple, in the Middle World. Um.

~ Continue, please.

~ I failed to catch him. I was fast, but he had magic, I think. He was in full armour, but so was I. His armour was expensive, and he had fine tattoos on his face. He got away. We woke up.

~ Is this all?

~ For that part, yes. But it happened again. Does my Lord require the details of the waking world?

~ Require? No. Say what you believe pertinent please, Initiate.

Questioned takes time to think. ~ Some bits, then. Irillo Saiciae had been pulled into a Heroquest to play Eril Sambar Humakti. You, my Lord.

~ I am well aware of my name, thank you, Initiate.

Questioned is given water, and indicates time required for thinking. ~ I can remember nothing of the motivations or plans of the Lunar. Then there was another scene, by the gate. I was a guard, stopping smugglers. I was happy doing it, believing things that I shall not speak here, Lord, but now know to be wrong. There was a wagon I searched that called to me, like Ernalda calling to Orlanth. I had to search it. The rest of my patrol distracted me, and the wagon left. That was that scene.

~ It is appropriate to forget those things, but only after you have examined them thoroughly. Please go on.

~ Uh, about the motivations?

~ No.

~ Right. We went to Wilmskirk. On the way there was an attack by bandits. It was in the Middle World. It was not a great challenge. In Wilmskirk, the Heroquest required that Lord Eril buy thralls. I found myself as one. I was a prisoner of war. I fought against my bonds, my captor, the buyer, and a Lunar patrol.

Questioned signs contentment. ~ I still got sold, but I wounded two people and Lord Eril had to pay extra.

Questioner signs <redacted word>. ~ Struggle against bondage is fitting. So is tempered behaviour in <redacted> Initiates.

~ Then we went to the Tula where Lord Eril had lived as a youth. Should I name that, Lord?

~ Perhaps.

~ Yeth. It may have bearing on future re-enactmentss of eventss.

~ As the Acting High Sword says, Initiate.

~ He was a noble of the Cinder Fox Clan. He had been caught in a Heroquest when he was younger and it had left a fragment of the Upland Marsh behind. He wasn’t culpable – no blame should be on him for that, Lord.

~ I am sure. And so?

~ He had used it as a hiding place. We fought our way through. I was a warrior, a Praxian. There were ghouls, but we had a ritual of morale around us. And there were many, many zombies. We fled them. A lot of those playing the thralls died. And then we were by a barn, and we fought a ghost. Lord Eril said it had been a year, and it attacked him. We destroyed it, and found the relics. Should I name them?

~ No need. They form an appendix.

Questioned signs puzzlement.

~ The litht will be added to the report.

Questioned bows to Acting High Sword. ~ My thanks. We returned to Boldhome. There was … I was a Eurmalite. It was horrible. I would have hurt people for money – but not honestly, like a guard taking a wage. And then Humakt was…

~ Take what time you need.

~ He was tortured. In front of me. And I didn’t care. I … I was laughing. The pain didn’t matter. Because it was my enemy. Lord, can this Heroquest never be acted, only recorded? It’s not a thing that people should to do. Anyone in that scene shouldn’t be there.

~ Was that all?

~ All for the Heroquest, Lord. But we found the Priest who had been running it. A demon of Darkness. It sat inside Irillo until he managed to throw it out, and others could attack it, and then it took solid form when I challenged it.

~ It was defeated, then?

~ Yes, Lord. I should maybe have struck it in Irillo’s body and had him healed, but I… that would have caused harm to a friend. It would not have been honourable, no matter how sound.

Questioner pauses. ~ Anything else?

~ Nothing, Lord.

Questioner addresses Acting High Sword. ~ Given the subject matter, and the evident moral difficulty in acting such a play, I move that this transcript be closed on the ending of this period of examination. I believe the Initiate has nothing more to add. There are some obvious redactions to be made in the Wilmskirk matter, but nothing more.

Questioned bows to Acting High Sword.

Further transcript not required.