The youngest son of a famous human noble.

You are a young human nobleman, about 19 years old. Your situation is far from the most disastrous possible - you are the youngest son of one of the influential barons, whose estates are located in the western part of the human state called the Triune Kingdom of Kuzos.

Of course, the position of the youngest of the baron's three sons is far from the most pleasant. Your older brothers have taken many opportunities to show their superiority over you. Moreover, if you are objective, you will have to admit that your own behavior more than once gave grounds for harsh treatment by your father or your brothers. You were a skinny, awkward and rather lazy young man. Your head, which is covered with thick and beautiful brown hair, could very often be seen in roadside taverns, at city festivals or in crowded bazaars. And it was very rare to see you training with weapons, hunting, or in your father's library. Diligence and determination were clearly not qualities of your character...

Among other things, it should be noted the influence of your appearance on the perception of your personality by those around you. Your skinny, lanky figure, your funny upturned miniature nose, your hairless youthful face and the naive look of your light brown eyes - all these features of your appearance, which were combined with your stupid behavior, also did not inspire respect for your person.

Regarding your current place of residence, it can be said that you currently reside in one of the fortified estates of your noble father. This estate is called "Hawk Hill" and is located three days' journey east of the large walled city of Enrelum.

Your father was a heroic figure who fought for the kingdom. During his life, your father, Baron Radu Monok, managed to take part in many wars: he more than once fought with the nomadic tribes of the steppe orcs who tried to ruin the western provinces of the kingdom near the fortress city of Enrelum; he participated in punitive campaigns against tribes of swamp trolls who attacked the northern settlements of the Triune Kingdom of Kuzos; he fought in bloody sea battles against the wicked sorcerers of the City-state of Bokra. As a result of many successful military campaigns, your father was rewarded with several rich estates from his suzerain (the acrotarch of the province of Detasperia, who rules the fortress city of Enrelum).

However, recently your father has begun to lead a more secluded lifestyle. He retired to his small estate in the hilly countryside.

While your older brother Doran the second born had taken his place in the Kings army, while your eldest brother Anton had remained at home as heir. However strange things had begun happening recently, when your elder brother had came back from a hunting trip into the eastern mountains (he, at the invitation of some influential nobleman, went hunting in the remote Plateau region of the Howling Mountains, which is located in the north of the kingdom).

Your father Baron Radu Monok had never been a particularly friendly or loving towards you, however since his return your brother had been acting strangely. And as a result your father had been treating you very differently, at first you had been thinking that he was simply mellowing with age. And then other odd events had started to happen, horrible gruesome things that you found disturbing.

First one of your fathers old Knights had vanished, the next day your brother Anton had began acting aloof. A few days later a body had been found in a burned stable, no one had known who it could be other than the missing Knight. Yet the body was not wearing armor or anything, meanwhile within the castle Anton had began acting more like his old self. Still something seemed off about him still, oddly your father had summonsed you in the middle of the night. To the top of the tallest tower, you had arrived to find him pacing around in full armor with his old sword belted on.

“What is going on father?” You asked as he turns to stare at you hard, studying your face like he thinks that you might be someone else.

“Do you remember where ol' Dundrum use to take you fishing as a boy?” He asked, answering your question with one of his own.

“Errr...” It wasn't something that you had thought about in years, although it was a fond memory from your childhood. “Below the bend in the river, by the waterfall flowing down from Menkar's ford.”

“Yes... yes that's right.” Radu nodded his head slightly, looking almost grateful at you for answering his question.

Suddenly Radu's expression became stern and almost gloomy again. He looked at you and the determining look in your father's dark brown eyes seemed to pierce your consciousness.

The father lightly stroked the palm of his left hand (he had an old burn in this place, which was received during one of the naval battles with the bokranian mercenaries). You remember that such a gesture usually indicates the **** seriousness of the problems being discussed.

Then Radu said slowly: “Before I continue our conversation... Everything that we discuss during this conversation you must not tell anyone. No chatting with servants, no stories to pretty maids, no communication on this topic in roadside taverns! Do you understand me, Stefan? You're going to have to be responsible and stop acting like a clueless dunce! Is that clear to you, Stefan?”

You nodded frantically.

This was clearly not enough for my father. He continued to look demandingly into your eyes.

You said, stuttering slightly: “Well... I... I promise you, father... I won’t spill the beans... I swear to keep our conversation a secret...”

Only after this promise of yours did your father continue speaking.

“Have you noticed that Anton has been acting differently lately?” - he asked, while your mind was at a loss as to what the reasons for your father’s strange behavior were.

“He's been even more of an ass than normal... I just figured it was because he was nervous about his coming wedding to Lady Anna.” Anton and his lady had only just recently finalized their marriage plans, Anna'a father was a kindly noble lord of modest lands.

“Perhaps... he loves his lady very much. And yet he has not spoken so much a a single word about her... or their up coming marriage since his return.” Your father grunted, looking off of the castle as it stretched out below him. “So perhaps not. I would like for you to keep a close eye on him, let me know if he says or does anything strange or out of the normal. If he can't remember people he has known his whole life, or things that you know he would never forget.”

“Do you think he's ill father?” You ask feeling oddly concerned for your older brother, Anton had always kind of been your idle as a boy growing up. More than that really... you hated to admit it even to yourself, but you had felt a forbidden desire for him. Not that you would ever admit that to anyone, especially to your own war hero father.

“Ill... no I do not think that at all.”