The silver marker fades behind Tau and Hirana as they reach a moss-covered shrine crouched beneath black pines. Its stone door bears the Yuna crest, crossed by newer silver lines.
The road ends at the threshold. Thin mist coils around the stones, and the silver route on Hirana’s vellum points directly into the sealed doorway.
The Voice Behind the Shrine Door
Tau Heathsburough. Hirana Yuna. You followed the first marker farther than I dared hope.
Hirana Yuna
That voice. You are the missing courier.
The Voice Behind the Shrine Door
I am. But this is not a road, and the shrine is not a refuge. It is a passage opened only by a living oath.
The silver lines flare beneath the crest. Tau’s covered palm throbs as the door answers his presence, though the ancient lock remains unmoved.
The Voice Behind the Shrine Door
Before it opens, answer this: what did the Yuna child promise the village boy when she first saw his eyes?
“I answer the courier's question truthfully. When they accept the answer, I ask my own question: “Do you know anything about a mark with a black crown and silver eye?””
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -1)
Tau Heathsburough
She promised the village boy that she would keep his secret, and return when she could help him safely.
The riddle demands certainty, and Tau answers without embellishment. Fear presses beneath his ribs, but Legendary Willpower holds his voice steady; Courtly Insight catches the question’s hidden weight, while Knightly Etiquette keeps his reply respectful.
The Voice Behind the Shrine Door
Truthfully answered. That was the promise, though the village remembered only the secrecy and forgot the mercy.
The lock turns beneath the silver lines. Tau’s covered palm throbs as the door opens inward, and the mist parts to reveal a narrow chamber lit by pale blue flame.
Tau Heathsburough
Do you know anything about a mark with a black crown and silver eye?
The Voice Behind the Shrine Door
I know it. The mark belongs to a hidden succession pact, older than the present crown. It appears where royal blood and a sworn protector awaken what was buried.
Quest Complete
Identify the place marked by the silver routes
Skill Upgrade: Survival Superb→Legendary