# Second Son of a Second Son: Timotheus' Prayers



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

I play Timotheus Smith, a noble’s newly-recognized bastard, in el-remmen’s Second Son of a Second Son campaign.  Though no priest, he has a strong (if simple) faith in Nephthys, patron of warriors and goddess of courage.  As he is scarcely literate, I will be recording his prayers to Nephthys here in lieu of a written journal.


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

*9 Sek 637 (morning)*

Blessed Nephthys, Lady of Courage, thank you for guiding me here.  I thought I might spend the rest of my life as a guard and a soldier.  And then, when my lord father made me a noble last year, I thought I might get stuck hanging about around the Gate, being a courtier or something.  But now, now I finally have the chance for adventure!

I wish I could have gotten here on my own merit, not because my lord father decided to sleep around twenty-six years ago.  I’d rather be famous only for my deeds, not for my blood, but if this is the price to join a real adventuring band and be a hero of the realm, I’ll take it.  I hope I live up to grandpa Argus’ example.  Is he in Your kingdom, Nephthys?  Is he watching?  I hope I make him proud.

Anyway, I pray Bes to give me luck, and, uh, I pray Isis to please let these guys not be asses and crazies and what not.  And Nephthys, please help my friend Telémakhos grow a spine.  He’ll never earn his dad’s respect until he can stand up for himself in a fight.  I mean, he may never earn his dad’s respect at any rate, because his dad is such a prick.  But at least he could try.

Sounds like we’re about to dock.  So, uh, Hail Nephthys!


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

*9 Sek 637 (late afternoon)*

C’mon, Bes!  Gimme another six!


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

*9 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Nephthys, give me strength, because this is no band of adventurers.  I’ve met them, I’ve talked to them, I’ve eaten and drank and signed that damned charter with them, and we are _so _not ready to go fight monsters together.

From what my new companions have told me, none of them have ever been in a real battle, not even the knight-priestess of Anhur.  Well, they’ve all said so except the watch-mage, who won’t say anything at all about anything, unless he’s complaining about something.  Goddess, that man is such a prick; I do not ever want to put my life in his hands.  Or anyone else’s life, for that matter.

Anyway, other than ‘Bleys the Aubergine’ – and what kind of name is that, anyway? – I think the others are okay people, even if they don’t have any fighting experience.  I actually really like Markos, which surprises me because he’s a noble and a wizard, but it turns out that he got kidnapped as a kid and raised by pirates, and so he got raised as a commoner, just like me.  He curses and drinks and plays cards like a sailor, too.  It’s good to have another drinking buddy.

It’s kind of weird having a couple of war-priests with us.  I mean… they’re so _quiet_.  I have no idea what they’re thinking.  But at least they’re not coming on all judgmental, telling everyone what to do and how to act.  I’d still rather have had a priestess of Isis, or one of Your own priests, but if these two can fight and heal and do magic and all that, then I’ll be happy enough to have ‘em.

Anyway, it looks like we won’t be able to make any plans until tomorrow, because Bleys won’t discuss anything just because Markos and I had a few drinks.  Please, Nephthys, give me the strength not to beat him bloody the next time he acts like a prick, what with him being a watch-mage and a brother-in-arms and all.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

*10 Sek 637 (late morning)*

Blessed Nephthys, thank you again for this opportunity.  I’ve never slept in such a comfortable bed all my life, or eaten such a great spread.  The Tenbrooks are really laying it on thick; I haven’t drunk this much good wine even at Pyla, and that’s where they make the stuff.  And we’ve got free room and board and stabling for months, and even our own steward to handle the money and business!  I don’t care if it’s all just politics, Lady.  This is living well, and I like it.

Anyway, Lady Nephthys, and Isis and Fallon too, I wish good will on this inn and everyone in it.  They’re doing right by us, so let us do right by them.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 16, 2007)

*10 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Nephthys, it looks like we have a plan, sort of, even if it’s really just a plan to wait a while and then try and come up with a plan again.  Oh Goddess, these guys talk more than a bunch of fishwives on the Day of Stories.  If the building caught fire they’d have to have a meeting to discuss which exit to leave by.

It was good to hear Victoria say that I should run the show in battle.  It turns out I have a reputation.  Who knew?  Well, except for You, of course.  Anyway, it sounds like she doesn’t share her family’s hate for our family, which is a damned good thing in my opinion.  She’s trained as a knight, so if I can count on her in a fight, we might do okay.

Not that we’re necessarily going to be doing any fighting.  Telémakhos is really excited by the idea of not doing any kind of fighting ever, and Markos and Bleys agree with him.  I mean, we’re supposed to be heroes of Thricia, protecting the common people and defeating monsters and enemies, and these guys want us to do what, negotiate?  Get involved in House politics?  I dunno about them, Lady Nephthys, but that’s not why I’m here.  As long as I have anything to say about it, we’re going to fight.

Anyway, it looks like our liege House, Barhyte, wants us to go loot some old barbarian tombs out in the Disputed Territories.  I guess that we could test our steel against whatever’s living down there, and maybe bring back some loot, which I guess is what Barhyte wants.  But like I’ve told everyone, I’d rather do something that would actually help people.  Whatever’s lurking under those Kingstones is a hundred miles past the border, and I doubt it’s a threat to anyone.

Personally, Lady Nephthys, I’d rather go back to Chalkour and start clearing out hobgoblins.  But I guess that even with a couple of mages and a couple of priests, and maybe a couple of mercenaries to boot, we still don’t have the numbers or the combat experience to handle a full-blown troop of hobs.  Especially since it looks like our magic men are no great shakes in the magic department.  Except maybe for Bleys, because he won’t say what he can do – no surprise there.  He can breathe fire and fart lightning for all I know.

Anyway, Telémakhos heard some rumors about pirate trouble around Tribunisport on Black Thread Isle, which apparently involves House politics and us wandering around talking to people, so of course he’s all over it.  I guess he’s right when he says that it would make good practice, though.  If we get into a fight, it probably won’t be as deadly as if we tackled some real danger in the wilderness, and it’ll give us more time to train.  And let’s be honest, Lady; I don’t know what I’d do if Telie dies on my watch.  I’ve had too many friends die on me already.

Speaking of training, we all sparred at Anhur’s temple today – except for Bleys, naturally – and I think we may do OK when it comes down to battle.  Telémakhos is getting better, and both Victoria and Laarus know how to fight, even if they’ve never really been in a life-or-death situation.  I do feel a little weird to be trooped in with them, since I know that Anhur and Ra aren’t Your favorite other gods.  But I do feel better having them at my back.

Well, we leave tomorrow morning, Lady, so I’d best get some sleep.  I pray Ptah to give us safe passage to New Harbinger, and Isis to help us choose the right adventure once we get there.  And I pray your favor, Lady Nephthys, always.


----------



## Shieldhaven (Feb 16, 2007)

This is a really cool "journal" concept, and I'll definitely keep reading!

Haven


----------



## Gold Roger (Feb 17, 2007)

So, will Second Son of a Second Son slowly take control of the storyhour forum, thread by thread?

Anyway, a very nice idea and at a few points already pretty funny to read.


----------



## el-remmen (Feb 17, 2007)

Gold Roger said:
			
		

> So, will Second Son of a Second Son slowly take control of the storyhour forum, thread by thread?




Well, there will be at least three! 

I am nearly done with writing up the second session and the third session is this Sunday.  I will probably post the first installment of the over-arching Second Son of a Second Son story hour in about a week's time.


----------



## el-remmen (Feb 17, 2007)

I just wanted to add a link to Second Son of a Second Son: Bleys' Journal for an alternate point of view of these days.

I am really looking forward to seeing things through the PCs' eyes.


----------



## Tony Vargas (Feb 21, 2007)

Cairan, this is such a cool concept, I hope you can keep it up.    It'll be interesting to read the story hour, and also get to see into the mind of one of the characters this way.


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 23, 2007)

*11 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Nephthys, we’re finally on our way.  It took us a while to get out of Sluetelot; Victoria hadn’t bought any rations and she sent Euleria to buy ‘em at the market.  And she’s not the only one who wasn’t really ready to go.  I can’t believe that no one thought to buy any tents.  Thank Shu for good weather!  The Oreithales are never this warm at this time of year.  I just hope it doesn’t rain at least until we get to New Harbinger.  It’s supposed to be another good-sized town, so we should be able to finish picking up supplies.

I convinced the group to take the Shore Road and not the safer High Road, Goddess, and it was the same debate all over again.  Even though we’re at least an even match for the Shore Road bandits we’ve heard about, Telémakhos would rather take the safe route than maybe clear out some outlaws or monsters and make the road safe for travelers again, and the mages didn’t seem too keen on it either.  At least Victoria and Laarus agreed with me, which makes sense, them being priests and all.

I hope we’ll get to test our mettle on the road.  Better sooner than later, and better outdoors than in some dank old hole where there’s no place to fall back to if we get in over our heads.


----------



## Ciaran (Feb 23, 2007)

*12 Sek 637 (evening)*

Hail, blessed Lady.  Traveling south has been pretty nice.  The weather’s warm and clear, and it’s nice to ride by the sea.  And since I’m in front and Bleys is in back, I don’t have to see or hear him for most of the day.

Oh, and speaking of the sea, we ran into some fishermen earlier, by the side of the road.  Telémakhos did a little trading with them to pick up some fish and rumors.  Apparently there’s not just bandits on the road, but also lizard men and frog men and some kind of sea monsters too.  I’m not worried, though; I don’t think any of those things can outride us on horseback, so we should be fine if we get in over our heads.

Lady Nephthys, I’m itching for action.  I feel like I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for all my life, and it’s about as adventurous and exciting as a trip to the market.  Am I being selfish, Lady?  I don’t want to put my friends and my companions in danger; I just want a chance for glory.  But I guess there’s no rush; we’ll get that chance sooner or later.  I just hope it’s sooner.

Anyway, Lady, please guide us and give us strength.  And may Isis watch over my friends, at least until we reach New Harbinger.  We’ll see what happens from there.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (Mar 2, 2007)

*13 Sek 637 (afternoon)*

Blessed Nephthys, I’m trying to make the right choices, I really am.  I pushed for the Shore Road because that’s where the bandits were supposed to be.  So why were they on the High Road?  Just bad luck?

At least it looks like the Swanns will catch ‘em.  It’s too bad they didn’t want our help.  I’d rather that we tracked down those bandits rather than playing messenger for the Swanns.  I almost hope their boss is in trouble so’s we can rescue him or something.  At least then we’d be doing something worth our while


----------



## Ciaran (Mar 2, 2007)

*13 Sek 637 (evening)*

Oh, blessed Nephthys.  I think I may have made a mistake.

Yeah, Sir Quintus got captured by lizardmen, I know.  Sure, they may kill him if we don’t hurry up and track him down.  And I bet Anhur and Ra really want us to do the rescue right now.  But if we _do _go and charge into the swamp by ourselves in the middle of the night, it’s a sure bet that someone else is going to get killed.  I should never have suggested it.  I should never have agreed with Victoria about it.

What if Telie gets killed?  What if Markos gets killed?  I owe them more than I owe some knight I’ve never met.  I wish we’d gone to the Gosprey keep for reinforcements, or at least rested up and tackled it in the morning.

Sorry, Lady.  I got a thick head sometimes.  I just hope this whole stubborn reckless fighting thing doesn’t get anyone hurt.  Please, Lady Nephthys, and Isis and Fallon too, watch over my companions and protect them from harm.  Oh, and Ptah guide our horses, and Bes give us luck.  We’ll need all the luck we can get.


----------



## Dawn (Mar 5, 2007)

This provides great insight into the SH.  Great writing and excellent perspective.  Keep it up!


----------



## Ciaran (Mar 14, 2007)

*14 Sek 637 (afternoon)*

Blessed Nephthys, what are we still doing here?  Now that we know Sir Quintus is still alive and we’re all rested, we should either go in and rescue him or go out and get reinforcements.  Just standing around here waiting is a damn fool waste of time.  I can’t believe T.K. wants us to just sit here and listen to the guy scream.  Sometimes I wonder if he gives a damn about people at all.  If he wasn’t my friend...

I dunno what the lizards are trying to pull, either.  We can hear Sir Quintus howlin’ and hollerin’ from all the way out here, so why pretend he’s not there?  How dumb do they think we are?  I’d call for a charge right now if it wasn’t so dangerous; ruined or not, this is still a big old fort, and who knows how many lizards are all piled up in there?  T.K. and Markos aren’t up for it, and Victoria said she’d rather die than surrender, _ever_.

Wow.  What the hells is that about, anyway?  Goddess, I like Victoria and all, but that is some crazy sh*t right there.  I mean, Anhur’s the god of war, not the god of half-wit berserkers, right?  I mean, if that’s what she wants to do, I can’t stop her, but I’m not gonna let everyone else get dragged down with her in a fight we can’t win, either.  I hate to say it, but if it comes right down to it, we may just have to leave her behind.

Yeah.  So.  Anyway, I pray to Anhur and Nephthys for strength and glory in battle, and to Fallon for – hey!  Laarus, wait!  What the hell?!  Wait for me!

Damn it!


----------



## BlackCat (Mar 22, 2007)

Great work with this, Ciaran. I really like the way you've framed this in the form of prayers. It lends a great deal of insight into the inner workings of a simple man that may yet prove to be a very complicated one.

More, please!

J


----------



## Ciaran (Apr 9, 2007)

*14 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Nephthys.  Thank you for watching over us this afternoon.  I was pretty worried there for a while, but everything turned out fine.  Well, except for Victoria.  The lizards say that she’ll be fine, and I guess they got no reason to lie.  But it’s pretty horrible, a grown woman messed up like that. I hope she’ll be okay.

Oh, and speaking of lizards, it looks like these lizards aren’t really monsters after all.  I feel kind of bad about the one we killed.  Are they really people, Lady?  Do they go to the Heavens if they’ve been good, or do they have their own place?  Maybe they have, I don’t know, swamps of holy water or something.  Whatever; I’m in no rush to get there to find out.

Anyway, I guess this turned out to be some political thing.  T.K. must be happy that this is another one of his pirate smuggler plots that he’s all into.  I figure that if that thing in Tribunisport is half as exciting as this, he’ll drop the whole thing faster than you can say ‘lucky sevens’.  Of course, I’m still voting for the Kingstones.

I guess that’s it.  Thanks for your strength, Lady, and my thanks to Anhur for the victory.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (Apr 18, 2007)

*15 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Nephthys, thank you for healing our companion Victoria.  I was pretty worried about her, but she seems close to her old self already.  Oh, and thanks to Fallon and Isis too.  May they both give her their healing so that she’s back to normal.  It would be pretty bad for her if she’ll always be a bit loose in the head.  I hope I don’t ever end up like that, Bes protect me.

Still, even with her brains gone to mush, Victoria’s a real good fighter.  She took Markos down without breaking a sweat, though I guess that’s no surprise, since he’s got all the muscle of a piece of cheese.  Speaking of which, Lady, please pray Fallon’s aid for Markos as well.  He was acting pretty crazy.  I don’t know where all that anger came from, but I’m hoping it’s just because he also breathed in some of that yellow stuff.  With any luck, they’ll both get better.

I guess we’re gonna be here for another day or two, Lady, and that’s fine by me.  I mean, when you’re walking through the swamp in the middle of the night with boots full of mud, that’s not much fun, but now that we’re kinda warm and kinda dry, this is really a pretty fine place, with the blue sky and the frogs croaking and all the water and the shrubs and trees spreading out everywhere.  And ruins like this place are totally tops; it’s like when we were kids back home, running around the standing stones and pretending we were Harbinger and Sorlorn and Briareus the Bold.  Only it’s real this time, and we are heroes, or at least we’re going to be.

Do you think this place goes back that far, Lady?  Maybe it’s got some of those old dungeons and cellars and suchlike underneath it, like under that pit in the middle.  Maybe there’s treasure down there.  But I guess that it would be kind of rude to poke around in the lizards’ place… and it’s all full of yellow stuff anyway.  I may be brave, Lady, but I ain’t stupid.

Anyway, thank you, Lady, for your blessings.  Please watch over us.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (Apr 27, 2007)

*17 Sek 637 (morning)*

Hail, Blessed Lady.  We’re finally getting out of the lizardman fort, and Sir Quintus is with us, so the lizards were as good as their word.  Please watch over us and help us get out of the swamp, and maybe send us a couple of real monsters to kill, or maybe some bandits or something.


----------



## Ciaran (Apr 27, 2007)

*17 Sek 637 (evening)*

Lady Nephthys, thank you for guiding us safely back to civilization.  It’s always nice to see a new town, and I look forward to exploring the place.  I guess I’m surprised at how big New Harbinger is.  The fort’s certainly a lot bigger than I thought.  I doubt they’re in more danger here from the Rubes than we are from the hobs.  Maybe they’re just showing off because they have the money.  That’s another reason for us to go to the King Stones, and to go and clear out the mines at Aerothen, too.  I hope that T.K. and I can persuade the others to give that a go.  I figure that a few adventures before then will stiffen his spine a bit, and anyway, I’m sure he’ll want to help make things better for the folks back home.

Speaking of persuading the others, I know you’re the goddess of friendship, so I pray you, please help us out with a little bit of it.  I thought that Markos was just a little crazy from the yellow stuff… no, I hoped that was it, but it looks like I was wrong.  He’s back to normal, and he still won’t stop arguing with everyone all the time over stupid sh*t.  I hoped that the beat-down Victoria gave him would knock some sense into him, but nothing's changed.

On the subject of crazy kids, this is where my foster brother’s family lives.  Heydricus, that is, not Ryle, who doesn’t really count, since I wasn’t really part of the household back when he was around.  Anyway, I figure I should meet them and tell them how things are going.  Which is pretty good, really; Heydricus is settled down some, but he’s still a handful.  The kid’s got spunk, though, which is good.  He should really make something of himself someday, assuming he doesn’t break his neck in some damn fool stunt.  He’s also a good influence on Felix; it’s good to see something that’ll pull that kid out of a book and out from behind his mother’s skirt.

Yeah.  If the Swanns are anything like the kid, this could actually be a fun stopover.  Hells, I’ll take anything other than the political snoozefest that T.K. is looking for.  Anyway, we’re at the inn.  May your thoughts be with us, Lady Nephthys, in all our doings.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (May 4, 2007)

*Comments from the author*

_After re-reading my last few entries, I went back and edited them to be a little less irreverent.  I've been working hard on maintaining Timotheus' colloquial tone and occasionally foul mouth in play, and it's spilled over more heavily into his prayers than I'd originally intended.  It's a new experience -- and a challenge -- to try and maintain two distinct 'voices' for a single character.

Expect more entries soon.  Bleys has surged ahead in his diarizing -- Timotheus must catch up!_


----------



## Ciaran (May 4, 2007)

*17 Sek 637 (late night)*

Blessed Nephthys, it looks like things are finally going our way.  Dunlevey’s a treasure; I thank you for sending us someone who’s not just a good fighter, but who could actually be a friend.  This hasn’t been the first time I’ve fought with people I didn’t like on my side, but all the rest the same, I’d rather have a band of brothers than a…  well, a band of cousins who’ve always got to be a Gods-damned pain in the ass.

Isis, you’re the goddess of silver, right?  Please send a little our way; I hate being broke and I hate being in debt.  Or is it Geb?  Or maybe Bes, or Bast?  I dunno.  Anyway, whoever’s looking out for us, give us a bit of cash to do it with and we’ll go do good works in your name.  Okay?  Please.  Anyway, uh, hail the gods, and hail Nephthys.  Amen.


----------



## Ciaran (May 17, 2007)

*19 Sek 637 (evening)*

Blessed Bes, why do you hate me?  Everything was going so well a couple of days ago.  And now we’ve fired Dunlevey _and _we’re going off on this stupid pirate spying business instead of doing some proper adventuring at the Kingstones.  And odds are, now we’re never gonna be able to hire another decent mercenary for years, if ever.  Not that this gang would understand that.  None of ‘em have ever had to work for a living.  They don’t understand that being a mercenary’s all about reputation, and that’s all about working for people with a good reputation.  And hiring folks and firing them a week later ‘cause you changed your mind, then ditching ‘em in some other town with nothing to add to their reputation except a couple of silvers, _even after_ you just came into a big stash of cash, well, that’s not gonna do our rep any good.

I wonder if Telie even understands what he’s done?  I thought he was just being a prick.  I mean, now he has his own man who takes orders from him, so he gets to be the only one.  And he has a whole pile of silvers now, and he says taking on a couple men is too expensive?  Come on!  But even after a few stints on the Lethe roads, I don’t think he really gets what it means to earn your own bread based on what you can do and what you’ve done, not an allowance from your rich old dad.  Not like he was paying any attention anyway; he never did much on the road other drink and sing and try and get into every guardswoman’s chainmail panties.  And I guess Markos doesn’t get it either; maybe being a pirate isn’t the same as being a guard.  And if those two don’t get it, the other three don’t stand a chance.  Probably never will, either.  I can’t imagine any of ‘em having to earn their own bread.  Odds are they’d starve.

I could have argued with ‘em about it, gods know, but what would be the point?  They were willing to ditch some good men and skimp on our odds of survival just to save a few silvers.  Even if I’d convinced ‘em, sooner or later they would have found some crippled excuse why they just _had _to get rid of the men so’s we could go off and do something on our own, and then they’d be surprised that the good ones wouldn’t hire back on with us after.  Better we lose ‘em after a week and look like clueless novices, than we hang onto ‘em for months before blowing them off in some backwater somewhere.  Dunlevey likes me and Falco doesn’t talk, so I doubt they’ll make a big deal in the merc dives.  But if we screwed a crew out of a job when they could’ve spent those months under some reputable employer, word of that would never die, and we’d be stuck with the lazies and the crazies and the just plain stupid ‘till the end of days.

Dunno what to do about it now, though.  Lady Isis, Lady Nephthys, please give me some ideas on this thing.  I’ll keep my mouth shut in the meantime.  No point getting in another damn argument with this mule-headed crew.  When I figure out what to do, I’ll do it my own self.  I’m gonna make this work, keep these guys safe and make Thricia safer, even if I have to fight ‘em every step of the way.  I pray you’ll help us, great ones.  Grant us your favors and your blessings, and maybe a lick or two of good sense.  Hail Nephthys, and Isis, and Anhur, and all the rest.  Amen.


----------



## el-remmen (Jun 20, 2007)

Has Tim quit praying?


----------

