Chapter 1717. Iron Pot Stewed Goose
Dacus, Takia, and his two siblings were perched on the hillside outside the village, surveying the chaotic scene before them. He had a vague premonition that something would happen later in the night, so he decided to conserve his energy rather than let them go into the village for fun.
Lying on the saddle and yawning out of boredom, he even felt like eating goose stewed in an iron pot. He wondered how to cook goose, and then he wondered if there was something wrong with his mind. Was he too deeply influenced, assimilated? Or was it just his nature?
In the afternoon, the team of Black Ark pirates was still guarding Daquus's side. Seeing the two Avignon saviors lowering their heads, the pirates pulled their heads up fiercely, gouged their eyes, and forced them to accept everything.
Dacius glanced at the two knights again. He had originally considered bringing them over to duel with the peasants. If the peasants dared to win, they would still be enslaved. If the knights won, their faith would likely collapse, and the Lady of the Lake would no longer favor them.
Maybe you'd even see the goddess possessed, angrily rebuking Darkius. Then, like stirring up a hornet's nest, the nearby knights, receiving divine oracles in their dreams, would come to siege him. With luck, the War Maiden and her Lionheart Knights would also arrive, and before boarding the ship, perhaps a dramatic scene of the Druzic Cold Ones Dread Knights versus the Bretonnian Knights could unfold.
He was a pure joy, but Dacus had a feeling something was amiss. He looked up at the twin moons in the sky, feeling no urge to recite a poem.
Dacun fell into deep thought. "Any action must have a motive. Burning the village now is revenge for having a lance pointed at my nose. And what about dinner tonight? Is the food I cooked so easy to eat? The question is, am I ready to face this crazy woman?"
Why was Dacus so reluctant to interact with her? Because she was a real jerk. While there were a thousand Harleys in a thousand people's eyes, Dacus believed that once those thousand people got to know her, they would all say she was a jerk.
"The problem is, there's no benefit in angering her, it's only a momentary relief. I might have to go to Athel Loren Forest again sometime. After all, the avatar of Vaal is still there, and if I remember correctly, her champion Alaros is there too. And that five-thousand-year-old man of Asur, Aris Anar, the 'Shadow King', is not someone I can afford to offend right now. I wouldn't be able to stop him halfway back at sea. This isn't just for fun, it's courting death. As for that magical genius? He's my age, right?"
"Molayg Hegge said my fate is unpredictable. Perhaps I should talk to her?"
Dacius began to ask, "Franais, what god do you believe in?"
Franais hesitated for a long time and said uncertainly: "Kane, the God of Bloody Hands?"
"Ryan, what about you?"
"Kane?"
Darkeus sighed and said, "The fire of Asuryan! Alisa, I guess you should believe in Hecate, the goddess of magic."
Alyssa was expecting Dacus to ask her, but she didn't expect Dacus to say it directly and affirmatively.
"Yes, my lord."
Darkus looked at the Black Ark Pirate Captain and asked, "Where are you?"
"My lord, I believe in Matheran, the Lord of the Abyss."
"Well, that's as expected," Darkus nodded, then asked each Black Ark pirate to state their beliefs. Nine believed in Matheran, and one believed in Cain.
Every race in this world has its own god.
For example, the greenskins believe in Gorkhorn, the ogres who can't get enough of eating believe in the Big Glutton, and the Skaven believe in the Horned Rat. Yes, yes!
The Bretonnian knight class worshipped the Lady of the Lake, and some Bordello knights worshipped both the Lady of the Lake and Mannarn. As for the peasant class, they generally worshipped folk deities from the south, and the knights disliked the peasants' worship of the Lady of the Lake, though they still accepted money for their donations.
The foundation of the empire is steel, gunpowder and faith. This faith is Sigmar, who founded the empire and is the patron saint of the empire.
Aside from Sigmar, the Empire's main faiths fall into three main categories: Old Gods, Folk Gods, and Regional Gods. Ulric, Tal, Rhea, Manarn, and Morr are among the Old Gods, representing War, Nature, Fertility, the Sea, and Death, respectively. Folk Gods, brought from the southern city-states through trade and exchange, include Verena, Myrmidia, Thalia, and Ranod, patrons of wisdom, military strategy, mercy, and cunning, respectively. Regional Gods are generally river deities, with the lesser-known god of wine also present.
There are also some cultists hidden within the empire who believe in Slaanesh, the god of love and art, and Tzeentch, the god of wisdom and knowledge. The very name they use conveys positive energy.
Elven culture is steeped in mysticism and magic. Elves believe their gods are constantly watching over them and are part of them. An elf considers their every action and thought to be mysterious in some way, so everything they do is somehow connected to their gods.
The elven gods are the faith of all elves, whether it is the Asur who lives in the toilet seat of Ulthuan, the Druzil who lives in the bitter cold land of Naggaroth, or the Asrai who squat on the tree of Athel Loren.
Of course, the elves experienced a special period. The great Phoenix King, now the Witch King, His Majesty Malekith, and his mother, Morathi, once secretly organized a Cult of Pleasure, dedicated to Slaanesh, the god of love and art. Anathara, matriarch of the Hellbane family, was once a key member of the Cult of Pleasure, even reaching the level of an elder. Otherwise, how could she and Morathi have been close friends for six thousand years?
However, long ago, before the Elves split, this cult was utterly destroyed by Morathi's son, a classic example of filial piety. Now, the two close friends: Morathi professes to worship Asati, goddess of desire, while Anathara worships Hecate, goddess of magic. As for their secret beliefs, Darkhus, not blessed by Khorne, god of courage and glory, dared not ask his clan mother.
There are twenty-two elven gods, divided into the Kadai and Sesarai pantheons—the gods of heaven and earth, the remnants of the previous cycle. Morayg Heg, who blessed Darkeus, has many titles, such as "Soul Keeper," "Prophecy Weaver," and "Old Woman." She maintains a strict neutral stance, avoiding both sides. Of course, neither side will provoke her, either. She's the typical acquaintance, but not a close friend.
The Asur of Ulthuan worshipped the Kada'i pantheon, headed by Asuryan, the autistic and riddle-telling god, the creator, followed by Vaul, the forge god, Aisha, the mother goddess, Kurnos, the hunt god, Hoeth, the lord of wisdom, Lilith, the pure maiden, and so on. The Asur treated Khaine with caution, offering small sacrifices before battle, but Khaine ignored them, as the offerings were too few.
The Druzil who live in Naggaroth believe in the Sessarai pantheon, headed by Cain the Manic, followed by Ers Haiai, the Pale Queen, Anes Lema, the Goddess of the Wild Hunt, Hecate, the Goddess of Magic, Radlily, the Goddess of the Mist, Dracula, the Queen of Vengeance, and so on.
The official faith of Druzil is Khaine. Malekith proclaimed himself Khaine's Chosen, claiming to be Khaine's incarnation. This wasn't true; it was merely a political synecdoche to achieve unity with the Orthodox Church. In reality, he was Asuryan's Chosen. Khaine's Chosen is someone else, no, another Asur. That guy should have been born by now, around the same age as Darkius. Fate is so unpredictable.
The Cult of Khaine's headquarters is located in Har Ganthe, one of the five major port cities of Naggaroth. It is ruled by Khaine's bride, the madwoman Hellebron, a cute pink-haired woman who has lived for over 6,000 years. Tularis, the chief executioner of the Cult of Khaine, is also there.
Kain, known as the "Blood Hand God" and the "Lord of Murder," is the elven deity of violence, war, cruelty, bloodshed, destruction, and murder. He is the Lord of Murder, the ruthless embodiment of evil. Why do Druzy worship Kain? Because this manic maniac is truly powerful. He grants every wish! If you pray sincerely, your wish will be answered! Offer a blood sacrifice before battle to please Kain, and if he's satisfied, he'll grant you the Blessing of Slaughter.
But it had to be a blood sacrifice, no matter whose blood it was. Dacuus remembered a time when Tularis was on an expedition to the Nehekhara Desert, fighting against a skeleton. Cain refused to take it, and in the end, he had no choice but to sacrifice half of the Druzil. After winning the battle, Tularis simply took a boat and fled without even looking back.
Therefore, serving in the Duruzi was a rather daunting experience. Often, casualties in battles with the Asur were higher than those on the enemy side, as advancing meant a narrow escape, while retreating meant no escape. Sometimes, soldiers would barely report to their centurion for reinforcements before the battle was over, and the entire centurion would be implicated and sacrificed to Kane. Often, deaths were inexplicable, leaving no recourse.
But there was no way around it. The Druzic commoners were no better off than the Bretonnian peasantry. While it wasn't as rare as only three men ascending to the nobility every thousand years, it was still a very small number. At least there was a way out. They either served in the military or sailed, or they became street urchins or joined the City Watch through connections. Incidentally, nepotism was rampant among the Druzic upper echelons. That crazy woman, Hellebron, had a father who was a close friend of Malekith. The father of Young Master Nukel, husband of Anathara, matriarch of House Hellbane, was also a close friend of Malekith, though he died during the Sundering.
Clar Karond, the southerner's city and home of Darkus, is different. It boasts the iconic Tower of Doom, where sorceresses practice their magic. The Dark Sorcery Monastery, a prestigious institution in Druzil's magical training program, is located in the northern border fortress of Grond, Morathi's home. The two cities, one in the south and the other in the north, often communicate remotely through video chats using magic balls.
The Tower of Destruction is filled with all kinds of beasts, making it a paradise for beast tamers. This city also has many sailors and pirates, after all, Druzy's shipyard is here.
Therefore, the city's dominant faiths are Hecate, the goddess of magic; Anes-Lema, the goddess of the wild hunt; and Maselan, the lord of the abyss. The Cult of Khaine has somewhat declined, taking a back seat. The cult's members look forward to the arrival of powerful individuals to offer sacrifices, satisfying their urge to satiate their desires. After all, theory and practice must be fully integrated. The most anticipated event of the year is the fun at Death's Midnight. Before any fun begins, they must carefully prepare their plates. They dare not venture into the aristocratic district, believing that going there would only invite amusement and result in a beating.
As for the faith of the Druzian nobility, don't ask; it's Kane. Even when they're not fighting, they still pay a high price for Asur and offer it to Kane. Regardless of whether they believe it genuinely or not, they must put in the effort. Of course, some crazy people truly believe it.
The lower-class civilians and grassroots soldiers of Druzil basically believe in Cain. Some beliefs are based on their professions. For example, some black guards of Naggarond believe in Edrezer, the Lord of Blades, some fire sorcerers believe in Addaus, the god of fire, dark riders believe in Nisu, the gatekeeper of the ultimate gate, and witch elves and Cain assassins definitely believe in Cain.
Of course, most Druki also worship Ers-Hai, the Pale Queen, as this deity can protect their souls from being devoured and manipulated by Slaanesh after death. There's no rule that one can only worship one; in short, Druki beliefs are very utilitarian.
As for the Asrai of Athel Loren, they are led by Kurnos, God of the Hunt, and Aisha, the Mother Goddess. After all, their avatars are there. Therefore, at the depths of winter, Kurnos's avatar willingly enters the funeral pyre, only to be reborn with a thunderous resurgence at the dawn of spring. Every year on the eve of the spring equinox, the Wild Riders choose a young prince to bear the mantle of Kurnos's avatar for the coming year. This chosen one is guided to the Tree of Time and granted the protection and blessing of Aisha's avatar. There, she uses the flesh and blood of the chosen one and the soul of Kurnos to recreate her deceased husband and perform the miracle of rebirth.
Q: How many male nobles are there in Asrai?
The Asrai believe in everything, adhering to both the Kadai and Setharai pantheons. They choose their beliefs based on their needs. Blacksmiths who work with Deth worship Vaul, the god of the forge, the Eternal Guard worships Edrezer, the Blade Masters and War Dancers worship Loik, the Deceiver, and the warriors of Pine Crag choose to worship Aneth Lema, Kurnos's enemy.
Daxus suddenly recalled a story from his past life: At the end of time, when Ulthuan was sinking, someone asked an Asur what he believed in. The Asur held his head high and proudly replied, "I have no faith at all. I am a staunch atheist!"
This joke is actually not funny at all, and these elves and gods all have a common habit, which is that I know everything, but I say nothing.
The thought of dealing with these things made Darkusguya's head spin. He said to the Black Ark pirate captain, "Go, go to the village and get as many pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, geese, and the like as you can. Do you recognize these things?"
"Sir, I know you!"
"Okay, I'm going to have goose stewed in an iron pot tomorrow, and you're going to have some too."
The difference between a champion and God's Choice is that the champion gets the most likes, while God's Choice is the one that God thinks is great.
This chapter was hard to write, and the next one will be even harder.
_(:з」∠)_