A few days later and I was back at Saint Caradan’s. I had failed to find a way to level up Prophet, despite subtly using Minor Heal for minimal XP on a few sick petitioners I saw on the street outside the Church. I figured I would have to wait for more opportunities to test my healing skills and as Brother Bernabo assured myself and the other novices we would be mostly used in sick rooms and running errands the more senior monks couldn’t be bothered with in the Holy Land.

  I learned more about the monks at Saint Caradan using Lore Sight as often as I could. Much of the information was unimportant tidbits about who they were and what their goals were. Brother Woat, the portly monk in charge of the kitchens, had an amusing bit of lore.

  Name: Woat Darber

  Class: Halo Cleric

  Level: 8

  Profession: Cook-42

  Lore: Woat Darber, a former Chicken farmer, believes that an angel of Ord once possessed one of his chickens telling him to release all his stock and devote himself to holy works. Overcome at receiving such a blessed message from one of his best chickens, Woat immediately did as the chicken asked and now the former farmer happily serves as Saint Caradan’s cook when not in prayer. He never cooks chicken.

  “What in the…” I would never look at Brother Woat the same again.

  Who would have thought leveling a skill would actually teach me too much?

  I also used Lore Sight on strangers. Regular people would often come to Saint Caradan’s if they were ill or pregnant. Others wanted blessings or advice on not offending the Gods over this or that problem. The Lore I gathered from these sorts of folks was largely benign, although there was one man who came in on the eve of my journey who knelt alone in a pew, his head bowed in prayer.

  The man’s head was cowled in a blue robe trimmed in gold. His face was youthful, but I noticed gray hairs spilling out from beneath the hood. Curious, I activated Lore Sight.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Name: ??

  Class: ??

  Level: ??

  Lore: In the wilds of Northern Aramyr lies a lost Abbey where Faith was tested and found wanting. If Faith might be restored, so too might Hope.

  I blinked. “What sort of lore is this?” I slowly walked forward towards the man not wanting to draw attention to myself. He remained kneeling as if in prayer. I had read the lore of dozens of people by now and it was always something personal about the person I was looking at. This lore was about some Abbey to the North?

  You have been offered the Quest: Find the Lost Abbey of Twilight.

  Success: +100 Faction Light and Shadow Pantheon.

  Failure: -100 Faction Light and Shadow Pantheon.

  Bonus: ???

  Duration: This Quest has no time limit.

  Accept: Yes/No?

  I froze as a screen unlike any I had seen before appeared before me. While the others had always been translucent with blue lettering, this window emitted a golden glow and was written in bold, fiery letters that writhed as if alive.

  Ord’s Mercy, another quest! I licked my lips, transfixed by the screen. Wait, how did I receive it? Did someone…I mentally pushed the screen aside and looked to the pew. The man was gone! I looked up and down the pews and confirmed the hooded man was nowhere to be seen. His Lore made no sense, but it had undoubtedly unlocked a quest. Incredible!

  So Lore Sight might also unlock quests from random people? I knew it was a good idea to use it as much as possible. And the Faction gains if I succeed! This will help me with both Wik and Gor. Of course, if I fail I will lose reputation with all the Gods. Ord’s Blood! Yet, I cannot refuse it can I? I wish I could discuss this with Brother Bernabo.

  I dismissed that idea immediately. I would have to tell him about Lore Sight and I wanted to keep that a secret. It might lead to questions about a certain Undead outbreak outside Saint Ioven’s not so long ago.

  I reread the quest again. Hmm, no duration so no time limit. Perhaps I can undertake this after I return from the Holy Land? I should be able to level up Prophet more by then. A hidden bonus? A God-gifted item, perhaps?

  Satisfied with my plan, I mentally selected ‘Yes’ and the glowing window flew apart like a horde of fireflies taking flight. One of the fireflies landed upon my outstretched palm and I felt a sense of warmth and well-being spread throughout my body. I knew in my heart I had made the right decision.

  I had no clue who that mysterious man had been, but I theorized he must have been a high level adventurer at least. Had he meant to grant me that quest or had Lore Sight pried it from him? I would have to continue to test my skill even more periodically if it could unlock quests.

  Perhaps the stranger had been praying to Ord for someone to find this lost Abbey and Ord had answered it by choosing me to do it? I liked that line of reasoning best, Ord forgive my hubris. Still, if there was one constant about this world it was that it was full of the strange and unexplainable. I preferred to label it, as many in my circle do, the will of the Gods.