The consequences will be varied... You will not be able to realize them right away...

In an **** state, you imagine all kinds of nonsense... As if you are looking from the outside at your own ****, bloody body, which lies on a wooden floor... Then, you leave the building and look towards the forest. It seems to you that some mysterious creature is looking at you from the forest... As if there were many animal eyes flickering with orange light... You feel an inexplicable feeling... The feeling that help may come to you from the forest... You just need to agree to this... However, you feel also anxiety and fear... This mysterious forest creature (or maybe there are several similar creatures?) may be an even more dangerous threat to you than everything that you have already encountered... Therefore, you strain your will... You turn away from the forest... You enter again inside the building... Delusional visions disappear and you again fall into the darkness of unconsciousness...

What is happening in reality?

Your **** body lies among pools of blood and wooden debris on the wooden floor of the first floor of the village headman's house. Next to your body lie two corpses of armored warriors.

A minute later, five warriors wearing steel chain mail, barbute helmets and loaded crossbows in their hands enter the doorway. This group carefully inspects the entire first floor for a couple of minutes. These warriors then ascend to the second floor.

Soon, indignant exclamations are heard on the second floor. The voice of the person, who is shouting something irritably, is practically indistinguishable from the voice of Duke Caelan Lamitrin.

If you were conscious, you would hear the following phrases: “Idiots! Stupid boobies! Fucking shit eaters! Because of your sluggishness, the precious life of your lord was endangered!”

Soon another person enters the headman's house. This is a tall knight who is dressed in plate armor made of blued steel. His luxurious black cloak is held in place by an elegant silver fibula, which is shaped like a small figurine of an angry bear. In one hand the knight holds his bascinet helmet. In his other hand he holds his longsword. This knight appears to be a young human male, around 30 years old. His light brown hair falls to shoulder level. He has a small mustache and goatee, and his nose is slightly hooked (perhaps the consequences of some old fight). His dark brown eyes scan the room intently.

Duke Caelan descends to the first floor, accompanied by five warriors.

The Duke is very pale. If you look closely at his face, you can notice a slight nervous tic. Probably recent events have greatly affected his well-being...

When the Duke appears, the knight in plate armor made of blued steel quickly drops to one knee and says in his loud, slightly hoarse voice: “How immensely glad I am, Your Grace! Our prayers have been answered! What happiness! Our beloved Duke Caelan miraculously escaped danger and triumphantly emerged victorious from the confrontation with his enemies!

With a high level of attention, you can notice the slightly humorous tone in which these words were spoken.

Caelan looks at the knight and grumpily says: “Exactly! I had to show miracles of courage, ingenuity and intelligence! Where were you, Sir Vincent, while they were trying to kill me!? First the dirty orcs wanted to kill me! Then the vile traitors from my own guard tried to kill me! And what did you do to protect me, your suzerain, Sir Vincent Roneveld! Where were you and your people?!”

Vincent smiles almost imperceptibly and says: “You are absolutely right, my lord! There is no forgiveness for me! I and my mounted crossbowmen were sent by your order to patrol the south-eastern border... But I delayed a little in your secluded mansion in order to give orders for the delivery of supplies and patrols around the mansion... Because of this delay, I was able to gather part of my people who did not have time to leave... And we managed to gallop on our horses to this small village of Garon's Ford... But, you are right, I should have sensed the danger in my heart long before all these tragic events began..."

The Duke mutters something indistinctly: “Ah... Well, yes... I remember... I gave you orders regarding the south-eastern border...”

Vincent continues: “You made a very bold statement back then in response to my concerns! You courageously said, “Vincent! You're a boring guy! You'll probably get paranoid soon! Give me a rest! The warriors under the command of Captain Lev are quite sufficient for my protection!” When you uttered these majestic phrases, I realized that you are the true embodiment of fearlessness and courageous disregard for danger!”

The Duke looks at one of the corpses on the floor of the room with a mixture of fear and disgust. This corpse belongs to the one who during his lifetime was called Captain Lev...

Caelan says: “Captain Lev... Vile traitor! Stinky creature! But this is obviously a large-scale conspiracy... The conspirators weakened border security and the conspirators used the attack of the orcs... We urgently need to expose the rest of the conspirators! We must execute them! Get up already, Vincent!”

The knight rises from one knee. He slowly approaches the Duke and says: “I respectfully dare to remind you of the warnings of His Eminence the Archbishop Arnimont...”

The Duke waves his hand irritably: “I remember... He told me many times that I should stop my extravagant amusements... But I need to have fun somehow!? However, there is some truth in the archbishop’s words... Until we eradicate the conspiracy, I will have to give up many of my usual entertainments..."

Vincent points to your **** body and asks the Duke, “Dare I ask you, my lord, about this half-orc commoner... Was he among the traitors who attacked you or was he helping the villagers protect you?”

Duke Caelan winces with displeasure. He probably finds the mere mention of your person unpleasant.

Duke Caelan replies: “This is an ordinary dirty commoner... Nothing remarkable... He, like the rest of the commoners of this stinking village, tried to protect my noble person to the best of his pitiful strength... However, this is quite logical: the duty of such commoners to protect their noble overlord is not sparing strength, health and life... If you are so interested in such specimens, then you can take this half-orc for yourself, Vincent..."

Vincent bows respectfully to the Duke and says: “Thank you, my lord... I, as your confidant in the field of intelligence and investigations, will soon have to communicate with many people from this village... Let this half-orc be among these persons...”

Vincent then gives orders to his warriors: “Send a messenger to Castle Ravenkeep! Let them send additional detachments of mounted warriors to this village. Also let them strengthen patrols on the eastern border. Now we are organizing an escort for the Duke to his capital! I demand that everyone be extra vigilant! We will also take several important witnesses to Ravenkeep: the headman of this village, a couple of surviving traitors, several militiamen and this wounded half-orc... Are my orders clear to everyone?”

One of the warriors asks: “Are you sure, sir? This half-orc will most likely die on the way... He looks badly wounded..."

Vincent replies: “Explain the situation to our field physician. Let him bind up this half-orc's wounds."

The Duke and Sir Vincent leave the headman's house. In the courtyard you can see many warriors in similar steel chain mail. Apparently these are soldiers from Sir Vincent's detachment. There are about 40 of these warriors. They examine the bodies. There really are a lot of corpses around. The warriors find only two surviving armored warriors. Several warriors bring the headman of this village. They hold his hands tightly.

The village head only mutters in fear: “It’s not my fault... Forgive me... I don’t understand anything... Please... Where are you taking me?...”

On the outskirts of the village, the warriors mount their horses. The Duke gets into one of the covered wagons that were taken from the locals. Your body, the bodies of the two wounded and disarmed traitors, and the village chief are placed in a second covered wagon. One of the warriors treats your wounds. It manages to stop your bleeding and stabilize your physical condition. The carts, accompanied by an escort of mounted warriors, are sent to the central part of the duchy of Forest Reach. To the capital of the duchy - to the sparsely populated and inaccessible castle of Ravenkeep...

While the carts are traveling along narrow and bumpy forest roads, you periodically wake up. But this state can hardly be called wakefulness. You seem to be delirious.

You utter incoherent phrases and fall back into unconsciousness.

Sometimes you eat and drink what they give you. But you don’t even remember what it was...

You spend most of the trip in an **** state...

After three days of travel, the carts reach their destination.

Your body is pulled out of the cart and carried somewhere... You poorly understand the events taking place. Minute glimpses of consciousness are replaced by new periods of oblivion.

Among the orders that, after arriving in Ravenkeep, Sir Vincent gave to his soldiers and which you did not hear, was this order: “Each of the witnesses and suspects is to be placed in a separate isolated cell in the castle dungeon! Give food and drink to prisoners three times a day! We need living and sane sources of information..."

So, the next day after arriving at Ravenkeep Castle, you wake up in a small dark chamber with stone walls... You have little idea where you are. You feel pain in the place where you had the little finger of your left hand. Now there is a bandaged stump there. The remaining piece of your right ear has healed and is covered with dried blood. Chest pain due to a broken rib is felt quite strongly. But it’s not as painful as before.

You are lying on a wooden bed and you are looking around the small space of the cell. You notice only a small table on which you can place a plate of food. You also see a powerful wooden door, which is covered with iron.

You lie on the bed for several hours. You're just looking at the stone ceiling.

Suddenly the door creaks. You would like to jump out of bed, but you cannot afford to be so quick. Chest pain doesn't allow you to do that.

You slowly get up and sit on the bed.

Two tall human warriors in steel chain mail enter your cell. You see small clubs on their belts.

One of them says: “Come with us now, half-orc. Sir Vincent will interrogate you. And don’t even try to do any stupid shit!”