Suvudu Universe

Part the First
Part the Second

1.

I’m not used to a bath house.   We have personal baths where I come from and see need to congregate at a central location while bathing.  I am called over by a beautiful woman when I enter, dusty and dirty from miles upon miles of hard travel.  I guess these types of women must exist where I grew up but I never saw them. They were only a sliver of a rumor that we boys told each other in laugh filled whispers.

Now?

“Twenty gold and I’ll clean all of you, honey.”  She smiles and purses her lips. “Puff puff.”

I felt a longing and desire wash over me like an ice-cold wave.  I look at this stranger and almost say yes.  She isn’t much older than I and is very comely.  I must admit the temptation almost overcame me.  Since leaving Tantegel Castle, I had seen nothing but the blood and pieces of my enemies.  Humans stayed out of the wilderness, with only the occasional far off caravan as a passing friend. One after another monsters would come after me, sometimes it seemed like I couldn’t take two steps without being attacked.  I’ve gained so much experience in my travels, but I often wonder if I am the same person that left.  I crave something more than the dead flesh and blood that is in my wake.  A softer touch, round and supple and full of life.

I tell her no.  The descendent of Erdrick isn’t going to pay for this.  She stands up, letting her assets show and says “You don’t know what you’re missing.” She leaves in a huff and tries to snag another on the way out.  There is not one taker.  A townie grins at her than at me.

“Don’t worry. She’s been passed around more than a used blanket on a cold night.”  He winks as she has nothing to slam behind her and grunts with frustration.  Steam rolls in from contact with the night air.

I nod as the temptation pours out of me.  Finishing my bath, I spend it trading news with this man.  He asks me of life at the Castle and I tell him what I knew when I left. It has been weeks, I warn him, and surely things have changed.  He doesn’t care and is just hungry for any tidbit I have to offer.  After he leaves,  I get dressed and head back to the inn where I stowed my gear.

2.

After visiting the King, I stopped by the town of Brecconary.  His must be a poor kingdom since I could barely afford the cheapest gear the shop keeper sold with the money he gave me. Or maybe they were just charging me more, knowing I’d need to pay whatever price.  I don’t really know since my faith in humanity is a little less than when I started out.

No one would believe I descended from the great and noble warrior of the past.  Many laughed, a few snickered. Some tried to tell me how foolish I am for saying this.   Heroes came before me to take the mantle of Erdrick and none have returned.

I headed out of Brecconary to see what I could find. An old man told me of a lost dungeon to the north and claimed it was the burial-place of Erdrick himself.  The old man told me a of a grand city where the that vast desert now exists.  One of towering buildings and great walls.  I needed proof I was the heir to Erdrick and I might find it where he once lived.

It took me several days to reach the desert and many more to find the ruins of the once great city.  Wondering around, I found an entrance to an underground labyrinth.   I wondered at the purpose of this great underground maze, this dungeon that the old man had spoken. Was it to keep looters at bay?  Did the city put shops and people down here?  Was this an area relegated to prisoners and the damned? No matter.  I fought my way through two dark levels of bleak walls and cobwebbed filled corners.  A place like this was a haven for monsters, a breeding ground for slimes and bats.

I did prove to myself that I was the heir of the great warrior.  I found his grave, moss covered and hidden.  As I touched the headstone, it lit up with a magical light. Words light up on the tomb and in my mind.

Descendant! My name is Erdrick. Three items were needed to reach the Isle of Dragons which is south of Brecconary. I gathered these items, reached the island, and there defeated a creäture of great evil. Now I have entrusted the three items to three worthy keepers. Their descendants will protect the items until thy quest leads thee to seek them out. When a new evil arises, find the three items, then fight!

I finally knew without truly understanding what the nature of my quest would be. Not just to find the Princess but also to find the heirlooms of my ancestor.

3.

I sit in this inn, relaxed for the first time in weeks.  I didn’t stop by the Castle Tantegel or Brecconary as I headed east.  They didn’t need to know what I had found out.  I will head back when I find proof of who I am.  If not? I’ll still find the Princess.  My heritage doesn’t matter in the end.  I stood by a vast swap near the south of this Continent and know that is my next destination. I hear that monsters of the likes I’ve never seen before inhabit that dreary place.  For now I rest and save up my energy for later.