The members of House Tanisius where gathered in the church of Mitra for congregation.
This was not their church per se, as their struggle to re-establish a foothold following the pictish pillagings and burnings six moons ago, had not yet allowed for such a bold move to be made.
They had come far though. In large part due to their Lady Annastasyia´s refusal to let the legacy die out as well as the surviving members´ tenacity. During the past months their numbers had even grown as unknown decendants of the family had emerged and even, though under protest from older family members, new people had been adopted into the fold.
And now transformed, from a loose affiliation with only a few members spread thinly across Aquilonia, into an organized house in search of a place to call home and establish a place of worship for the one true god; Mitra.
Thus was the rumor and this is what caught the ear of a battle-forged Aquilonian, whom himself lacked a place to belong. And so he had convinced the priest in charge of the mass, to let him speak before the assempled members of House Tanisius (and whom else may be attending the ritual).
Priest of Mitra: "... and may Mitra´s Light shine upon you!"
Assembly: "Mitra´s Light shine upon you"
The gathering, thinking mass to be over slowly begin to collect themselves but is stopped in it´s steps by the priest.
Priest of Mitra: "This mass is over but before you go, people of House Tanisius, I would appreciate a few more moments of your time"
Their curiosity thus awakened the family members remained. Those not from the house resumed their previous paths and left the church quietly. The priest waited for them the clear out before going on.
Priest of Mitra: "A few days ago, I was approached by a stranger. He introduced himself as Menenius Numerius Triarius, and was asking questions about you. He simply told him that if he wanted answers he should go and ask you. He was quite persistent though and rather than having him sit outside my door a second night *the priest grins slightly*, I decided to indulge him, if just for the purpose of learning who this person was. I didn´t give him much new information though. Mostly I just confirmed, and in a few instances denied, the hear-say he had apparently picked up. After a few hours of incessant questions on his part I had finally become weary of the game and asked him outright what his bussiness was. His reply was short and to the point: introduce me to them. And so through this route he has chosen to approach you and I present for your judgement and evaluation, Menenius Numerius Triarius"
A figure emerged from back of the church clad in metal armor, a shield on his arm and a sword at his side. His helmet removed presenting a free view of his face; bald head, a not-so-well-trimmed moustache and signs of battle in the form of a few scars. A guess would place him around thirty summers of age. Most noteworthy though was the determination in his eyes.
He moved slowly forward, his eyes meeting with those of the priest as he passed him.
Menenius: "Heh, you actually do me too much credit, Father. I have yet to earn the name Triarius in earnest"
He changes his focus to the assembled house members
Menenius: "But I hope to be able to prove myself through devotion to a worthy cause. A cause like forging a new place in this world according to the teachings of Mitra"
Priest of Mitra: "A goal more worthy would be hard to find, but THAT I have a hard time believing. You are obviously a fighting man, yet you speak not just like a believer but like a man of the clergy. There´s writing on the wall over there"
The priest points towards one of the sayings from the Holy Scriptures embedded on the stone surface of the church: Invisitatus Concursationis Cavere
Priest of Mitra: "And I submit to you that these circumstances are indeed strange"
Menenius: "A lesser man would be busy looking for his sword-arm by now. But of course no-one in this room is a ´lesser man´ and given the audience, your statement does deserve an answer. It is simple really and... personal in nature. You see, years ago in Tarantia, where I grew up, the city was struggling under the oppression of the now dead tyrant whose name I will not speak. The streets that time where not too unlike a battleground and ample of opportunities for a young boy to find trouble.
Trouble and I found each other plenty of times in those days but through strenght, skill, companions and a fair bit of luck I managed to not only survive but also hold the line against our rivals. Sometimes with a broken bone or a dead friend and sometimes both"
Menenius uses a moment to collect himself. The wounds of past life still causing some grievance
Menenius: "It was a rotten way of living, but the only one I knew. The exact details about how is not important right now, but know that a priestess of Mitra called Kinia helped me... heh heh, well more excactly ´pulled´ me away from it
The man laughs a bit at his own joke
Menenius: "Anyway she showed me that there is another way to use my talents besides petty theft and the pointless plotting of the street gangs. She opened my eyes to how you can make a difference, save for the straight and narrow path to hearts of every miserable lowlife one could find. It took me some time to realize the greatness of this gift. The gift of being given a purpose.
After about a year under the guidance of Kinia and spending time honing my skills for... what? I did not know yet. So I set out from Tarantia and traveled the lenght of Aquilonia and meeting many new people, both friends and foes along the way. I earned my living and traveled by selling my service to merchant caravans and need for punching meat between themselves and the brigands of the wilds. Time and again I proved my worth to them as I held the line"
Menenius smiles at the memory
Menenius: "It was a good time. But now we come to the time in my story where I find my purpose; on one of my journeys I found myself in Zingara, to the west. A good land ruled by rotten and decadent nobillity too caught up in their rivalries to give a rat´s ass about their subjects. Much more akin to the street gangs I had left behind long ago, then either would ever admit.
At the time I traveled through it´s northern border I was beset by a score of wild men and forced to flee to a nearby village. There was no refuge to be found there though as I learned that my animalistic assailants where only part of a war group of Picts laying siege to the small community. Having no real options I added my sword to that of the defenders and when the mindless brutes threw themselves at the hastily erected defenses we held the line. Albeit at great cost to the locals.
It was there amid the burnt crops, toppled farm houses and dismembered corpses, that my purpose outlined itself to me: to guard my way of life and defend any bastion of that way using my god given skill and experience in a way that matters.
Now, why choose House Tanisius you might ask? And thus we arive at the answer to your question: the priestess of Mitra, helped me find my way and my purpose. For that I shall be ever grateful. And if my story cannot compel you, then maybe a soldiers debt to another is convincing enough? You are right Father, I am no man of the cloth, and hardly a devoted follower BUT, in my opinion, I owe something to the priestess Kinia and by extension to the church of Mitra. To combine my new-found purpose with a repayment of that debt seems only natural to me.
And if you will let me, I will pledge myself to this house and it´s goals. To fulfil a purpose, to honor a debt and to find a home. Accept me and together againt pictish hordes, outlaws, rogue nobles and lesser men we WILL hold the line.
What say you?"
Character Name: Menenius Numerius Triarius
Character Race: Aquilonian
Character Age: Around 30
Character Class: Guardian
Character Profession skills: undecided as of yet
Real life age: 28
Timezone: GMT+1
Subject: An unusual mass 
Tue May 13, 2008 6:39 pm