Ah, yes, of course you can ask her about those things. Some of those may require roll for additional informations. Mostly personal questions.
***
'So... Lilian.' you mutter, taking warhammer from one of weapon racks. Not many people liking shadows would use something like this, but there are certain advantages for those that do. Mostly that not many people expect strike of warhammer in forehead right from dark place. Dagger? Yes. Any other kind of smaller blade or sword? Hell yes, people usually stab each other in dark places. But not warhammers. 'Care to tell me more about yourself? I mean, we have some time.'
She looks at you, as she stabs air with dagger few times. 'Oh, of course.' she pauses for a moment. 'Well, I'm from Sakram, but I think I already told you. I work... worked there as scribe. Sort of.'
You rise your eyebrow. 'Sort of?'
'You see... I was rewriting books and scrolls for my mentor. He was teaching me how to read and write, back in time.' she smiles and nods to her memories. 'But few years ago, his eyes started to fail him. So... I decided to stay with him and help with his job. Simple story.' she nods to you, but you see how her expression darkens a bit.
'I see.' you nods. 'So... you said that those bastards outside murdered your mentor. Can I ask why? I don't see why bunch of thughs would want to kill old scribe.' you speak carefuly, tring to not make her cry again. She looks at floor for a while and sighs.
'My mentor old friend visited us night before my master death. He gave him something and asked to store something for him. I heard he died soon after that.' she shakes her head. 'Next day they came to shop and...' she quickly looks away, sobbing. You wait a while, but she don't speak again.
'I'm sorry.' you mutter again. 'Can you at least tell me something about those thugs? They work for someone, right?'
She turns to you, her eyes are still watery. But you see spark of anger in those when you mention them. 'Yes. For man called Astan, but most of folks from town call him Blacksmith. Mostly because he was blacksmith before he created his gang.' she spits on the cave floor. 'His gang is one of stronger in downtown. As for him... he is ruthless, dangerous man that would slit his own mother throat if it could give him some more power.'
You nods as she speaks. It wouldn't be first time when you heard or meet that type of man. It is suprising how many of lowborn people behave like machines when they get some power from themselves. 'How big is that gang?'
'I think... around fifty people? Maybe more.' she think for a while. 'Yes, I think something around that. Not many enough to rule downtown, but enough to matter there.'
Fifty... dangerous amount of people. But big enough to send around 10 people to hunt down some girl? No, unless... she have something they want.
'By the way. Do you know what was that thing your master had? It... may be important.' your short pause is enough to make her look at you for a while. 'Well, I only ask, of course.' you try to sound as
convincing as is possible.
But after she looks at you for another while, she shakes her head. 'I have no idea. Had no chance to look at it.' she speaks quickly. Too quickly to hide her lie. 'They probably think I have it, but my master hide is somewhere.'
You nods as she speaks. Prehaps later you will have a chance to find out. There are other questions...
'Well... then I suppose you don't want to get back there?' she looks at you, like at idiot for asking that question.
'Of course that I don't want to get back there! I have enough problems right now and I don't feel like getting into hands of Blacksmith.' she mutters to you, shaking her head.
'Well, but do you even know what you
want to do?' you rise your eyebrow again, taking leather armor from armor stand. Yes, it will be good enough.
She open her mouth, but don't speak. It seems that she either realized that she don't even have place to go, right now. 'I... I don't know. I can't come back, I just can't.' she mutter again, leaning on the statue.
'Well... you can think about that later, after we get hell out of here. In meantime, can you tell me a bit more about Sakram itself?'
'Huh.' she looks at you and grins 'You really don't know about anything, right?'
You glower at her, but nods after a while. 'It isn't damn funny.'
'Yeah, I think I would feel the same if I were you.' she start playing with her new knive as she speaks. 'Well, not much to tell about Sakram. Small city on trade route, like many others. Around five thousand people. Barely enough to call it city.' she shakes her head. 'I love it, but I will be honest with you - it is a shithole. Since end of war, route is almost destroyed. Barely few people want to travel through that part of it, while you can travel newly created road at the west. It takes more time to travel, but you don't risk destroing your carts. Or bandits, those sometimes happend there too.'
'Wait, you said something about war.' as you finish your sentence, she looks at you, shocked.
'Damn it, how much time you was there?' she shakes her head. 'I speak about Great War?' she looks at you again, but you shrugs. 'Come on! You had to heard about war between Partian and Werigs.'
When she says Werigs, you remember one of your memories... you served in their army. With Borad. You remember that. But she keeps speaking.
'And of course, Masked Lord forces.' you feel like someone would start ringing a bell in your head when she says "Masked Lord". You know she speaks about someone you know. Too well, prehaps.
'Masked Lord?' your voice is weak. You must hear it. She looks at you again.
'Damn it, you never heard about the Masked Lord? Come on, you had to hear about Azkaran, the Masked Lord and his Generals. Even kids from there heard legends... well, not enough time passed since then to call those legends, but I quess we can call those stories.'
You ignore her as she speaks. Azkaran. Azkaran. Azkaran. That name resounds in your mind like mantra. Your name. But not your real name. This is how they called you, before all of this happend. You remember now... at least part of it.
(Unlocked - Memory about Azkaran - you remember how with help of your followeres, later called your Generals, you took City and ruled it. Gathering more and more power and money, you quickly formed your own army and started fighting with weakened by war kingdoms, Partian and Werigs. With your own experience and tactical talent, help of your generals and many other people, you managed to create force big enough to possibly win that war. At the end, you meet with kings of both kingdoms on battlefield. Both of them knew it was last chance to destroy enemy. And you knew it was your chance to become a king yourself. Maybe even someone more powerful.
But at the end, you failed. During battle, you fought with most powerful people from both sides, alone and trapped. Did you... died? Did you truly died during that day on battlefield, trapped inside maelstorm of fire and thunder, killing both kings before you finaly succumbed to your wounds?)
When you finally come back to your senses, Lilian looks at you, worried. You shake your head, looking at her. Everything feel... fuzzy.
'You look pale... are you sure you don't need to drink. Or eat?" she sound worried, but you only raise your hand.
'Tell me... tell me more about that war. Who won during last battle. What happend. Please, tell me.' your voice is shaken, as your mind. But you must know.
'I don't know too much outside of stories... but, Masked Lord forces won, of course. After he killed both kings, he succumbed to his wounds and burned to ashes. I mean, he fought with those two in duel. All of them died. But Masked Lord Generals led their forces to victory.' you suddenly smile to yourself... in your mind. So you won after all. Your tactic of taking out kings succeeded. 'Few months later, war finally ended.'
'But... what happend to those generals? And kingdoms. Those still exist, right?' she looks at you even more worried.
'Of course... they were forced to give large part of their lands to Generals that created their own... well, lands. Peace treaty and other things happends. Usuall stuff after war.' she shrugs. 'Generals are now called Lords. And what happend to them... well, most of them have their own lands now. Group of... three, maybe four created their own fleet and sailed at the west, looking for something, nobody know what. Only one came back, on single ship. Really, I don't remember much of that stuff now.'
You nods... but there is one more thing you must know.
'Tell me... how much time passed since end of the war?' you ask, silently. Waiting for her answer seems to be an eternity.
'Right now...' she thinks for a while.
'It will be around fifteen years.'
***
You may find roll thing in "convincing" word. I will place rolls for certain things in links like that, so you can always see results. I will post character sheet and a little bit more about leveling and skill system soon.