Thomas tries to find information about Deep Ones in the library.
I keep telling you, this isn't some craaaazy religion I've made up on the spot. This is
Taloisism, the dominant relgion up and down the whole of the Storm Coast, and even into parts of Udan. Which is not to say that it is as dominant as, say, Catholicism was in medieval europe- plenty of people are not Taloisists. But most people are, and the general background of the religion should be well known to anyone in the civilized world.
The Deep Ones (
AKA the Great Beasts), then, are the boogeymen of Taloisism. Once the entire world was darkness and water, and the Deep Ones ruled, and mankind suffered. Then the Bright One (God) created the sun, and banished the Deep Ones with its light. Then some craaaazy shit happened, and nowadays the Sun is actually the sun MKII, after the first was destroyed by Deep Ones and treacherous humans, then turned into the land. The Moon is a fake sun created by the Deep Ones to lure humans into the darkness of the night, when they are strong. The stars are fragments of the First Sun, and falling stars/meteorites are fragments of the Second Sun, and therefore deemed holy.
The Deep Ones are currently sealed away in the darkest depths of the world, from whence they are trying to escape. The Deep Ones come in many different shapes and sizes; sea serpents, kraken, leviathans, dragons, that sort of thing. Great Beasts, you know?. Some Deep Ones are said to have eaten fragments of the First Sun, giving them a portion of its power (ex. a Dragon's firebreath).
This is general knowledge; most anyone in the Storm Coast or surrounding areas should know about this, vaguely. Further research into the Deep Ones reveals the following:
-In the town now known as Vale, there is a story told that many years ago, the Lord of the castle found a dormant Deep One underground. It is said that when he found it, the Deep Ones spoke to him, and offered him great power if he would leave their brother in peace. It is said that the Lord accepted, and that he lived to be 144 years old, and could strike men down just by looking at them. The local Taloisist Church was not amused when they heard this, and ever since then, they have searched for this Deep One, in order that they may destroy it, to prevent them from returning to the surface.
-Some theologians have hypothesised that the Bright One was himself a Deep One, who turned against his brethren for reasons unknown.
-It is known that dolphins and whales are the descendants of men who would not leave the sea when the Bright One created the land. Some theologians suggest that they serve the Deep Ones, and that their song is a means of communicating with them in their dark abysses. From this arises the theory that the Deep Ones communicate through music.
-Some people suggest that the Hacturi are as to Humans as the Moon is to the Sun- a fake copy, created by the Deep Ones to subvert Humanity.
-A ridiculously long list of named Deep Ones. Too many consonants and apostrophes.
The excavation continues.
[4] The workmen dig away without trouble. The dungeons grow. No more skeletons yet, though. (The current skeleton is left to sit in a storage room somewhere).
Thomas begins to practice his magic (specifically, control) in secret.
[2] You light yourself on fire. Fortunately you manage to extinguish the flames before they do too much damage, and only end up with a few light burns.
Return to the capital wih my regiment. Leave the scouts in the area to let the nobles know they are being watched.
You do so. The nobles are watched.