A Tale of Fate and Madness [WIP]

A Fresh End

Robert awoke to a splash of water on his face, it was cold and took his breath away. He gasped and shot up, his head banging atop the roof of a low-hanging carriage. He attempted to rub his head but found his wrists bound together in cuffs and chains. At first, he thought he may have been arrested, that the authorities had sought him out and found him for his crimes but he soon realised this may be a worse fate. He looked around the carriage and so others, of diverse races but all around his age from their appearance. Though, he noted that it is remarkably hard to tell with elves. They all too were bound, some struggling, some with their head hung in resignation. Those who were struggling, also seemingly gagged. Then it dawned on him, slavers. Villainy he'd only heard of existing outside the walls of the gate, of evil men who catch young boys and take them away. This was the first day of the end of Robert's life, or so he thought. He'd soon come to wish he'd have died at Troll Hills.

Robert was taken into slavery, his lack of strength and dexterity made him predictably unsuitable for most manual labour, however, his young body and vitality brought about by his rather lavish upbringing caught the eye of some of the most sinister of people. Robert spent many years of his life in the 'service' of many nobles of Waterdeep, this ranged from menial servitude to entertainment to sexual exploitation. Though the city was seen as a jewel of the northern regions, full of scholars and artisans, it had a rotten underbelly of criminals, degenerates and debauchers and it was an underbelly that Robert saw to the fullest extent. At first, he resisted, as most do but he found this only brought him misery and no closer to escape. He learnt, that no matter how much he begged, pleaded, kicked and screamed no one would come to save him. Many years passed, and Robert got himself into a routine that would keep him alive and as sane as he could manage. He spent his time not 'working' waiting, watching, and learning about all those around him. Then, when he was called upon for his 'services' he spent it in a state of half-consciousness. As this routine continued he began to hear whispers in his mind, of secrets and prophecy. At first, he ignored it, accepting that he may finally be at his breaking point. However, when those secrets that he had heard months prior became rumours that he already knew and the prophecies became historical events, he took more notice. Once he had begun to accept these 'visions', he began to learn more secrets about those who had wronged him. Then, after his acceptance, in his dreams, every night, he would hear a language he could not speak nor read, and a name ringing out "Azathoth". As time passed, this foreign language began to be known to him, as if days of training were paying off. He would soon learn that this language had a name known as "Deep Speech", it was a language he had never heard of and knew not if it was the creation of his patron or an old lost language that humans did not speak. He began to learn about this "Azathoth" from the whispers in his mind. Azathoth, is an unknowable entity that exists outside of reality, a sleeping being whose dreams form what we know as the universe.

Robert grasped this new knowledge as profound purpose, like a zealot to scripture he clung to these whispers and dreams. Knowing and trusting in the randomness of reality, he was unshackled by the ideas of karma, justice and fate. If no destiny existed, then he'll create his own guidance with the help of his new patron. The boons of knowledge Azathoth supplied to Robert were sometimes nonsensical, or horrifying, but anything that was of importance he would note down and remember. He bided his time, waiting for his chance.