strictlysupreme Chapter 50: A Tristramic Tale
Chapter 50: A Tristramic Tale
The half-elf Ellis served the Karatu fried noodles to Seras, who took a delicious slurp and then said to Ronan:
"Mr. Jonas, I heard that you single-handedly wiped out an entire gnoll den and saved many people."
"Who said that?" Ronan asked, surprised that the news had spread so quickly in just half a day.
Seras said, "Five dwarves came here at noon, and they told the other adventurers about your deeds."
"Oh, by the way, the five dwarves also gave you a name—Steel Sword Ronan."
Upon hearing this, Ronan thought to himself that he was already a person of some renown within Baldur's Gate.
"I really didn't expect you to improve so quickly," Seras said. "I can hardly believe that just over six months ago, you were still a novice adventurer."
Ronan thought to himself that Seras, as an indigenous person, was actually progressing quite quickly.
More than half a year ago, she was a level 1 paladin, but now she has actually leveled up 2 times and become a level 3 paladin.
It's important to know that most indigenous professionals level up very slowly.
Because they cannot gain experience points by killing monsters, they need to rely on long-term training and timely review after killing monsters to improve their physical fitness and skill proficiency.
Just like the monk Ramir and the priest Cuthbert of Woking, they went on adventures for many years before finally reaching the threshold of becoming professionals.
Thinking of those two people, Ronan looked back and saw that they weren't there, so he guessed that they had gone to do a mission.
The reason why Seras has leveled up in such a short time is most likely because of Serene.
Perhaps Selenne has already set her sights on Seras and intends to groom him as God's Chosen.
"Serene is pretty quick," Ronan thought to himself.
In this world, paladins are the profession most likely to be targeted by the gods.
To the gods of good, paladins who have taken the three common oaths of dedication, the oath of the ancients, and the oath of honor are undoubtedly the best candidates to serve them in the material world, carry out their divine pronouncements, and help them spread their faith.
For those gods of the evil faction, they also need holy warriors who are loyal to them.
Paladins do not necessarily have to take the three common oaths of dedication, the oath of the ancients, or the oath of honor to gain power.
Ultimately, paladins are a profession that derives their power from keeping their oaths.
Their vows can take many forms.
Some paladins, by swearing an oath of loyalty to a particular lord, gain the power of law by upholding that oath.
The reason why some paladins of kingdoms suddenly unleash extraordinary power when leading the king to break out of an siege or protecting the monarch amidst tens of thousands of swords and spears is because they sacrificed their lives to keep their oaths, thereby gaining powerful Lawful Force.
It is said that in Kalinshan, on the continent of Faerûn, there is a group of paladins who have sworn the "Oath of the Giant Nobles".
They revere the power of the elemental planes and obtain power from the lords of the four planes of earth, wind, water, and fire by forging the "Oath of the Giant Spirit Nobles," enabling them to display elemental power that is both magnificent and destructive in their attacks.
Paladins of evil gods can also gain the power of law as long as they swear an oath of loyalty to their gods.
Moreover, the gods will also grant this paladin power, making him even stronger.
"You seem to have made great progress as well," Ronan asked tentatively.
He was also very interested in the past of Therath, a drow who was both a follower of Serenne and a paladin.
Moreover, Serene can be considered a truly good person in the Dungeons & Dragons world, and he is not worried that inquiring about the affairs of a Serene follower will provoke Serene's retaliation.
As long as you don't believe in Serene and don't get involved in the struggle between the twin sisters Serene and Shar, nothing will happen.
"You could tell?" Seras looked at Ronan, seemingly quite surprised that Ronan had noticed her improvement.
Ronan said, "Of course, I am a sorcerer, and I have the sensitivity that comes from my bloodline. I can sense that you are much stronger than before."
Ronan's charisma naturally makes it easy for him to gain the trust of others.
Moreover, after working on two missions with Ronan, Seras felt that Ronan was not a follower of Shar.
Only when facing the followers of Shar would Seras hesitate to reveal his faith.
Because she feared provoking the judge of the night to murder her.
Thinking it over, Seras reached into her clothes and took out a silver pendant.
She didn't show it off fully; she only let Ronan see it within his line of sight.
Ronan saw that the pendant was a pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars.
This is precisely the emblem of Serene.
"Because I have come to believe in Our Lady of the Silver," Seras said.
Serene has many titles. To non-believers, most people call her "Maiden of the Moon"; to believers, she is respectfully called "Our Lady of the Silver".
Seras put the pendant back in its place and continued, "I only recently learned that the reason I was able to leave my family and escape the Underdark was because of the Silver Mother's help."
"You may have heard that, under the influence of the Spider Goddess Rose, the various families of the Underdark spend their days scheming against each other."
"In the dark realm ruled by women, the younger sister gains higher status and greater power by killing her older sister."
"The daughter takes control of a family by killing the matriarch and thus gaining that position."
Rose, on the other hand, derives pleasure from the fighting between sisters and between mothers and daughters.
"When I was a child, after I learned about this, I resisted it from the bottom of my heart."
"Later, it was my father, the family's martial arts master, whom I now know is also a follower of Serene, who risked his life to help me escape the Underdark."
Ronan thought to himself, "This sounds so much like the story of Drizzt the Ranger from the North."
However, the story of Drizzt, the legendary drow elf, has spread to every corner of the Forgotten Realms.
It's not surprising that Seras and his father had heard this story and unconsciously imitated it.
"So when did you become a believer in the Moon Maiden?" Ronan asked. "I remember you never mentioned Serene when we met before."
"It was when I passed through the Mansion of Sorrows," Seras replied. "There, I met another drow elf, her name was Viconia."
"She invited me into the Mansion of Sorrow. At first, we had a pleasant conversation, but later, she gradually steered the conversation toward... that evil god."
"That night, I returned home and saw Serene in my dream. From Serene, I learned about my past with my father."