I entered the Cathedral of Gods just as afternoon turned into evening. The stone structure seemed a little small to be called a cathedral, and there were no seats or altars—just a semi-circle of towering humanoid statues, all glaring down on me.
Each statue bore an inscription, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what the gods represented. The bespectacled elf with a book in each hand had to be Zeknir, god of sorcerers. The goddess kneeling between a pair of deer had to be Theris, goddess of nature, justice, and purity.
The tallest statue was that of a cloaked human with a skull for a head. He had a lantern in one hand and a sword in the other, and his smile was so wicked that I had to assume that this was the god of necromancy or evil. The inscription read DHOK’KOR, LORD OF DEATH. Close enough.
The award for ferocity went to the statue of a female with a dagger in each hand. She wore simple leather armor, and from the neck down, she looked like a well-proportioned woman. But while the left side of her face was beautiful, the right side bore the form of a ferocious wolf. Her head was thrown back in laughter, and fangs protruded from her upper jaw. The inscription read VENABEL, LADY OF MURDER.
The last statue was that of a dwarf in full plate armor. He had a tower shield in one hand and a broadsword in the other, and his face bore a stern expression. I guessed he was the god of war, but his inscription read EOTHIS, LORD OF HONOR.
I took a second look at each statue, and the more I thought about it, the less happy I was. Venabel appeared to be the closest thing to a god of rogues, but with a sobriquet like LADY OF MURDER, she seemed better suited to assassins. I decided to seek Zell’s advice before making a choice.
⚔
I returned to the Groaning Gorgon and slapped five copper coins onto the counter. “Tell me about gods. Which should I follow?”
Zell whistled. “I charge extra for the big questions. That one will cost you a silver.”
No one in Raven’s Rest seemed willing to negotiate, so I set a silver coin on the bar. Zell fixed me with an inquisitive look.
“Tell me about yourself. Are you willing to harm innocent people to gain wealth and power?”
“Never.”
“That rules out Dhok’kor and Venabel. What about spellcasting? Interested?”
“Not really. I’d like to learn how to cast some spells, but it’s not how I prefer to fight.”
“Do you fight with swords, shields, and heavy armor?”
“I prefer crossbow and dagger. I strike out of the shadows, run away, and then strike again.”
“Then I know exactly which god you should choose.”
“Who?”
Zell rapped her knuckle twice on the bar table. I gritted my teeth and set down another silver piece.
“Kneel before Motiacca, the Lady of the Cloak. I think you’ll find her aligned with your way of thinking.”
“That’s not the half-wolf goddess with the fangs, is it?”
“No. That’s Venabel, and we already ruled her out.” Zell spat on the floor. “Very powerful and very dangerous, even to her own worshippers.”
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“Where is Motiacca? I didn’t see any statue that looked like a cloaked goddess.”
Zell smiled. “Her statue is hidden against the far wall. Like the goddess herself, it’s hard to find unless you know what you’re looking for.”
⚔
Zell was right. A sixth statue stood against the far wall of the Cathedral of the Gods. The goddess wore a cloak that appeared to cover her entire body, but as I looked closer, I made out the strangely-shaped face. I smiled when I saw the vertical pupils and whiskers protruding from the triangular nose. Motiacca, the Cloaked Lady, had the face of a panther. What better deity for El Gato than a cat goddess?
I knelt before the statue and lowered my head.
“My name is Dylan, and I intend to fight the forces of evil through cunning and guile. I ask to be accepted as your follower.”
There was no response at first. I didn’t know what else to say, so I continued kneeling with my head bowed, not moving or making a sound. After nearly a minute, a gust of wind blew through the temple, and a fur-covered hand clasped my shoulder. The goddess spoke in a soft, low-pitched voice.
“I esteem cunning and guile, but if you wish to follow me, you must never engage in necromancy, and you must never harm the innocent unless you have no recourse. Is this clear?”
I looked up and saw Motiacca’s large yellow eyes bearing down on me. Her expression was unfathomable, like that of every cat I’d ever met.
“Very clear,” I said.
“Then I accept you as a follower, Dylan. Take Ebonclaw and slay the wicked in my name.”
When I got to my feet, Motiacca had returned to the form of a cloaked statue. Lying in front of the statue was a dagger in a black sheath. I hooked the sheath to my belt and admired the weapon. Its hilt was bound in leather and the blade was made of a black metal that seemed to absorb what little light shone in the temple.
According to my character sheet, Ebonclaw was a +2 dagger, which meant each strike dealt 3 to 6 points of damage. This wouldn’t impress a sword-wielder, but for a rogue who preferred speed and stealth, it was perfect. I returned Ebonclaw to its sheath.
A message box popped up in my field of view. Its title read WELCOME TO THE SERVICE OF MOTIACCA. SELECT A NEW ABILITY. There were three options:
1. Improved Stealth – when not in combat, become semi-visible in the presence of shadows
2. Dark Vision – see clearly in darkness, fog, and smoke
3. Weapon Specialization – become more skilled with a weapon
Improved Stealth looked helpful, but Dark Vision was a necessity--I couldn’t attack from the shadows if I couldn’t see. I chose the second option, which flashed briefly. Then the message box vanished.
I thought about the letter C and looked through my character sheet:
Dylan, Level 2 follower of Motiacca
XP: 1450 out of 2500, Health: 12 out of 12, Mana: 7 out of 7, Stamina: 13 out of 13
Coin: 8 silver, 17 copper
Weapons: Ebonclaw (+2 Dagger)
Armor: Padded leather
Skills: Stealth – 1, Acrobatics – 1, Locks and Traps – 1, Dagger – 1
Abilities: Dark Vision
Quests: FIND THE MEDALLION OF DARNOK
For a Level 2 Rogue, this wasn't bad at all. In addition to having a proper weapon, I had four excellent skills: Stealth, Acrobatics, Locks and Traps, and Dagger. Now I needed experience and training.
⚔
The skies were dark when I left the Cathedral of the Gods, so I rented a room at the Groaning Gorgon for eight copper. I didn’t know how resting worked in this game, and I certainly wasn’t tired. But when I lay on the bed, a dialog box popped up: REST? Y or N.
I focused on the Y, and a moment later, the darkness in the room disappeared, revealing bright morning sunshine. I stood and stretched my arms, and then strapped on my purse and dagger.
As I entered the tavern’s main room, Zell was serving cornbread and poached eggs to a handful of hung-over patrons. I took a stool at the front, and Zell walked over to me after she finished serving the others.
“Did Motiacca accept you as a follower?”
“She did. Now I’m looking for training. Do you know anyone who trains rogues?”
Zell smiled, then rapped her knuckles on the bar twice. Shaking my head, I set a silver coin on the counter.
Zell pocketed the silver. “Gorlis lives in the southwest. Used to be a regular here until he ran out of coin. Strange, even for a human. Doesn’t talk to anyone but himself. But from what I hear, he was one of the most notorious rogues in Norburne.”
I checked the Local Map, and Gorlis’s house was now clearly marked in the southwest of the village.
“I'll pay him a visit.”