Isle of Faces

The biggest shock was not the quest popping out but it was Howland. I don't know how but the man approached me and told me that I need to sail to the Isle of Faces. Did he have a system like me? Is he a greenseer like me? I had many questions in my mind and I intended to question him thoroughly once I came back.

We camped near the ruins of Whitewalls, a place where treason took place and a black king was murdered. Weird enough, all the important battles took place in this vicinity. Gods Eye was really a special place for Westeros. I never understood why the Andals didn't burn the isle but there was something I was certain and that was magic. This place reeked magic even from the shore. I don't know if it's my greenseer trait but I can feel the dread and the smell of blood.

I found a waterman with a small boat after I walked for an hour. The nerve of the man, he demanded a gold dragon to take me to the isle. It would have been cheaper if I bought the boat itself. However, I still paid a gold dragon to the cheeky man and we sailed to the isle.

I had nothing to do while we sailed so I looked at the man using my system. And what I saw very confused me.

[Name: Durran Fisher

Diplomacy: 5

Martial: 7

Stewardship: 8

Intrigue: 11

Learning: 21

Opinion: 20]

His diplomacy, martial, stewardship and intrigue is pretty normal but what is that learning?! Is this man an ex-maester or something? Even Pycelle only had 25 "learning" and he was the royal archmaester. Also, I feel like I should remember something about his name. Although I know House Fisher of Stony Shore, he can't be descended from them as they are conservative folk and won't marry outside of the North.

On the other hand, his opinion of me should be because of the gold dragon I gave to him. I mean if he demanded such a price from other nobles, they would have killed him as punishment and taken his boat as a reparation.

I also looked for new traits but there was nothing that caught my attention except for a few particular traits and one of them was "genius".

[Genius - This person is blessed with towering intellect. Learning new things and implementing them will be easier for him.]

Is that it, just learning some new things? I mean I was hoping for it to give me attribute points. While I was thinking about this problem the blue screen changed and the description became more detailed.

[Genius - This person is blessed with a towering intellect which will be reflected on the person's attributes. Learning new things and implementing them will be easier for him.

+5 Attribute Points For All Attributes]

Damn boi it's thicc!!

Why the hell I didn't know about this feature. From now on, I will look at all the traits like this. This trait could be god-sent for me as it was increasing all attribute points by five and learning new things and using them easier was going to be easier for me. Although it is one of the best traits in the system, it costs exactly 4 trait points. I mean I only gained 1 trait from the fight at Tower of Joy so I did not want to spend them so carelessly.

However, I was new to this world and I needed all the things that could be beneficial to me so I spent 4 trait points and bought it. I was only left with 1 trait point and while I was searching for something good for 1 trait point, I found one choice that caught my eye.

[Random Trait - You will be awarded a random trait. At worst you will get "Crippled" and at best you will get "Chosen One".]

[Crippled - This person has lost usage of a part of his body. This has left them unable to move without great difficulty.

-10 Martial Attribute Points

-1 Diplomacy Attribute Point

General Opinion -5]

[Chosen One - This person is chosen by gods and he has a great destiny before him.

+20 Attribute Points For All Attributes

All Upgradable Traits Are Upgraded a Level]

This random trait thing is very risky. I mean becoming a cripple and being like Bran Stark from the TV show must be very difficult. I, personally, wouldn't be able to stand not being able to move for all my life. It is weird enough that it gives five trait points when bought but even if it gives me a hundred trait points I wouldn't buy it.

On the other hand, that "Chosen One" trait is something else. If I can get it, even the gods would be nothing before me… okay maybe not gods but no mortal can't go against me.

Although there were good and bad traits, they were the worst and the best ones so if I buy a "random trait" then getting them would be very hard. Thus, I decided to try my chance as gaining "crippled" trait did not amount to anything amongst hundreds of traits.

[Congratulations! You have gained the "Zealous" trait]

[Zealous - This person burns with religious fervour and cannot tolerate heretics, infidels, or heathens.

+2 Martial Attribute Points

+15 Same Religion Opinion

-5 Foreign Religion Opinion]

Damn, out of all things, does it have to be "zealous". This system even affects my mentality so it may be hard to keep myself from insulting other people about their religion. Nevertheless, due to the religious opinion, most of my vassals will be more loyal to me and it also gives me martial attribute points. I wonder how much my attributes changed.

[Host: Eddard Stark

Diplomacy: 20 (+5)

Martial: 41 (+7)

Stewardship: 31 (+5)

Intrigue: 17 (+5)

Learning: 10 (+5)]

Hahahaha, if I continue like this, I will become a military god. I bet my martial attribute points are already highest in Westeros. However, I have no trait points left.

While I was looking and buying traits, we neared the isle. I told the waterman to wait for me but he demanded another gold dragon for the return trip. I will have him know that I'm not a man who can be trifled with.

I looked at him frowning and put my hand on the hilt of my sword as I said that fraud was a crime that was punishable by death. The smile on the man's face froze and disappeared in an instant as he said that he would wait for me even if it meant death. I guess having a high "learning" attribute does not make a man wise.

I snorted and began walking to the depths of the isle. Although in the maps it was so small, it was the size of King's Landing. After a few minutes of walking, an eerie silence took over the isle. The only thing I could hear was my footsteps.

I still didn't understand why the quest wasn't completed as I was already on the isle. Suddenly, I heard a rustle coming from my left. I turned my head and saw an old man with a cloth over his eyes. I guess he is blind because he still didn't realize I was there.

He was wearing a dress made from leaves and branches but they felt alive. When the man moved, they were rustling together and the noises they made were like music to the ears.

[Name: Styr

Diplomacy: 30

Martial: 30

Stewardship: 30

Intrigue: 30

Learning: 60

Opinion: 70]

What is this? Is he an NPC or something or is he a god? Besides, why does he like me that much? I don't mind people liking me but this man's opinion of me is too high. So many questions but so little answers.

I didn't move and watched him walking around. He finally stopped before a heart tree and touched it. After a moment, he turned his head towards me and smiled.

I think I've found an answer to one of my questions… This is a Green Man.

"Come," he said to me and turned around and began walking.

I was dumbstruck and frowned. Was he expecting me to follow a man who wore leaves as cloth? I guess yes. I sighed and followed him. If he is really a green man then there must be more of them as I remember something called Sacred Order of Green Men.

We walked for two hours but Styr didn't even break a sweat. His steps were even and he was moving like spirit, quiet and gentle.

Wherever I looked there were heart trees and faces carved into them. This place was a heaven for a man who worshipped to Old Gods… like me… Fuck, this system is affecting my thoughts. I didn't even want to worship some fictional Gods. Why was it affecting me? I guess it must be because of Ned as he was the one who worshipped Old Gods.

[Congratulations! You have gained 2 random attribute points]

As I saw a screen popping up before me, we came upon an opening. I guess this was the centre of the isle. I saw three thrones circling a monument and all of them were different sizes but what was surprising was the faces carved into the thrones.

The smallest throne had a grotesque and child-like face. The biggest throne had the ugliest and monstrous face I had ever seen. The last throne had the face of a normal human and I could even say that it was handsome.

Styr stopped before the monument. The monument had some inscription on it but I was not sure about the tongue because it was foreign to me. I watched him as he mumbled about something while touching the inscriptions.

Suddenly, the words on the monument lit up with white light and Styr backed off. I felt like someone was beating a drum right beside my ears. I held my ears and they started bleeding while Styr stood there looking like nothing had happened.

I held my ears and fell onto my knees before the monument. Each beating felt like a scream of a banshee. Suddenly, the light of the monument shone brightly as Styr held my hand and put it onto the monument. The screams stopped and my vision slowly changed.

I saw a man wearing a crown. He was cutting and burning weirwoods while sacrificing green creatures and giant men as long as trees to his god. I saw a piece of land being drowned by the sea and green creatures cheering as men died.

I saw a giant man, a green creature and a man sitting on thrones and swearing oaths. Then the man rose from his throne and carved a face to a tree with red leaves. They found an order which was guided by a green creature.

I saw ice creatures slaughtering men, green creatures and giant men. The ice creatures were driven back by the Oathkeepers. They made a wall of ice to stop them.

I saw men coming from beyond the sea and cutting and burning weirwoods. They slew green creatures and giant men. The Oathkeeper also joined them. The oath was broken and the runestones were destroyed.

I saw the order scatter as they lost their leader. However, one man remained behind and kept all the knowledge hidden from the savage eyes of idolaters. The stars disappeared and new ones were born as the men lost their way.

When all hope was lost, a man came to the thrones guided by the last keeper and the runestone which didn't shine since the oath was sworn, poured all the light it kept for millenniums.

"Oathkeepers shall protect each other. Oathkeepers shall obey the Gods. Oathkeepers shall serve the one blessed by Zurvan." The words echoed in my mind as I realized something.

It was me… The man guided by the keeper was me. I saw myself holding the runestone and my eyes were shining with grey light. Styr took his hand back and all the light went off as I felt something pulling me back to my body.

I gasped for breath as I opened my eyes widely. I found Styr looking at me. He slowly unwrapped the cloth on his eyes. His eyes were ghastly green. He was indeed blind and had no sight.

"You will be served." Styr's face tightened as he knelt onto the ground and looked at me.

What the fuck is happening!! I began breathing heavily and checked my body. There was nothing wrong but I remember seeing myself from out of my body. How did that happen?!

I knew this world was magical but didn't think it had this sort of magic. I looked at the old man who was still kneeling. I had many questions to ask about the situation I was in and he looked like the man who would have an answer for it.