[Steppes] Playing Persona

[David Ruff]

My name is Ulrich of Carolingia, I was born in a small
village. My father was a craftsman and my mother a
village healer. Both were killed when i was a young
boy one night in a village raid. My mother gave her
very life to ensure i would escape that night. I
roamed the country side not trusting men and living on
the land as best i could when a bad winter hit. I
searched for shelter when i came across a band of
merchants. They took me as one of there own in trade
for cleaning up and doing chores. I was with them for
one season when the band was attacked, the young men
were taken prisoner including myself, the older men
slaughtered, the women, well, we shall not speak of
their fates. I found myself in a strange land some
time later. I was sold to a man who promiced me that
if i worked hard, i would live, if i didn't i would
die. He spoke with a funny accent in my tongue. I
tried learning the language, i could understand a
little, but mostly i could not, i worked hard though,
for his whip was not something i wanted to test a
second time. One night he woke me, he said to pack my
bedding and to make haste, we were going on a journey.
Many days and nights we traveled, in my travel there i
was given a weapon called a crossbow. I was taught how
to use it and told only to use it when told to do so.
We arrived to a field surronded by trees on one side
at night, but when the sun came up i stood staring at
many people. Some in armor, some with swords and
others with mere farming tools like my father used to
make. Across the land i could see pavilions and more
men, they were to far to see anything of detail
however. I was told to help doing various things,
every once in awhile screams and metal ringing could
be heard all around us. The next day the men started
gathering thier weapons and i was told to stay put and
to shoot any englishman that showed his face. A man on
a horse rode by, it surely was a magnificent sight to
behold, not not like the other men on horses, his
horse was draped in red and yellow tabards and he
weilded a sword like no other i had ever seen.

I remember the battle crys and screams of terror that
day, they were not like the day before, this day the
air smelled of blood and death. That was the day my
master did not return. I made my way into the forrest
to hide for my life near a castle i would later know
as Sterling castle, i did not want to fight, i did not
want to die. Two moons later i emerged in the cover of
darkness and made my way to where the great battle had
taken place, i took what i could carry and made off
into the night to get away from this place. Days
pasted when i stumbled upon a band of merchants and
sold what i did not need, they were fair and did not
taunt me like the others i had come across. I followed
them over the lands to a place called london. During
the journey they fed me and were happy to take my
money for food and water and exchange work for the
same when i did not have any coins left. With them i
stayed and learned the language, learned to shoot my
crossbow and after a time they started putting me
against others in tests of skill with the crossbow.

I am retired this year from competition, I am learning
to make the weapons i shoot and starting to make my
own living from it. How i miss the thrill and
excitement of competition, perhaps i will return next
year, but for now am enjoying learning to make
crossbows.




Lord Ulrich of Carolingia


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"Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return." - Leonardo da Vinci