Bad Juju
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Bad Juju
It started rather innocently enough. First, there was the discovery that little Wrryl had killed Merwys' father's dog. The child cried many tears of apology when confronted, and claimed the dog had become feral and violent with him. It was genuine enough, though Merwys, clever girl she was, never played with Wrryl again.
Eventually, Wrryl and Merwys grew up and aged well, Wrryl becoming a very ambitious young warrior, and Merwys, clever girl she was, became a Blackbird, the shamans at a loss to contain her strange enthusiasm for self-defense, even as she had many souls. In that time, Wrryl and Merwys had much to do, fighting against the nomad raiders for glory, and keeping a watchful eye at home.
Eventually, there were no more nomads to fight for a time, and Wrryl had earned much glory, so it was time for him to retire and make a family. Such a man who had won such glory of course took an equally fine wife, much to the displeasure of the wife's father, who was very upset at his daughter's marriage to the lower-born Wrryl. It was around this time that Merwys was called to the area to investigate suspicions of misconduct.
And then, at the dawn one day, the father of the wife, the father's wife, and all of the father's sons were found dead, throats slashed from ear to ear in silence, and their skins needlessly flayed. A murder far beyond mere passions or even raging hate, but something intrinsically wrong. Investigations were performed, a half-exile found with a bloodied carving knife hidden within his clothes and a long history of abuse by the father of the wife. Merwys, who investigated, was praised for her swift capture. She stayed behind anyway.
After a time, Wrryl had grown to some prominence and power, his family taking the father's place as land chief of a few good plots. Another man was found killed, throat cut, and skin flayed. Immediately, Merwys threw her suspicions onto Wrryl, whose many connections and good standing left her seeming the fool. A different man was caught and executed for the grievous misdeed, and Merwys was shamed. She stayed behind anyway.
After a time again, Wrryl had many sons, and was being considered for a place in the province chief's advisors. One of his enemies was found dead, throat cut, and skin flayed. Merwys held her tongue, and silently shadowed Wrryl for many nights. Eventually, in the dead of night nearly a quarter-moon through the investigation, Merwys watched as Wrryl stole into the dark, clutching the bloodied knife. When, the next day, a different enemy of Wrryl was found to have the same knife, Merwys declared what she had seen. As Wrryl was a powerful man, her word alone would not be enough, even as a Blackbird, but she sent word to Valleyhome, to the highest spiritual advisor, to confirm her suspicions.
As the Spirit Advisor was brought into the room with Wrryl, all who saw claim he shivered uncontrollably, though it was unseasonably warm. As soon as the advisor met eyes with Wrryl, he broke into a fit. "There are not enough! There are none!" he cried, ranting and pointing, and as he continued to shout and gesticulate, it was as though a veil was pulled from the face of Wrryl, and all could see what the highest shaman meant.
Long had it been known that some were born with too many souls. With such a plethora of spirits and souls in the world, it was only natural that there would be more than enough to go around. But until then, nobody had ever considered that a person could be born with none.
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Hello psycho~
