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— | zioth:turn:054 [2015-06-16 16:01] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1 | ||
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+ | < | ||
+ | turn:54 | ||
+ | title: | ||
+ | start: | ||
+ | end: | ||
+ | posted_date: | ||
+ | weather: | ||
+ | location:in Osander River Village, the Barony of Huerten, the Kingdom of Rang | ||
+ | xp_korisca: | ||
+ | xp_johannes: | ||
+ | xp_kay:4225 | ||
+ | xp_kreemon: | ||
+ | xp_ardith: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | Johannes shook his head slightly, trying to calm his mind, struggling to sort out that which he heard from the strange vision he had seen. "So this former companion of yours was performing odd experiments on sheep... the fact that he caused the bones of that sheep to bend... it reminds me too much of what we saw with Rosteral for comfort. Tell me, do any of you know if this Ziedon possessed magic that could slay a man while rendering him as cold as ice?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Korisca grimaced as she once again recalled her encounter with the mage. "I don't doubt that he could do such a thing, if he had enough ill will towards the man. I don't doubt that there is any harm he couldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith described the circumstances of the murder, with occasional comments by the others. Korisca immediately recognized it from conversations she'd heard in Ranes' inn, but the first-hand description she was hearing now was far more informative. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Ardith finished her account, Johannes squinted thoughtfully into the distance. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon replied, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Not here," said Ardith. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Farmland continued to line the road, sometimes separated from it by good-sized patches of woods. Shortly after noon, the road split off towards the distant manor of Sir Gerevin, one of three hundred knights who resided in the barony due to the close relationship between Huerten and the king. Or, more pragmatically, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon looked over the journal he'd taken from the gatehouse while they rode. After some time, he shook his head. "Hey, college-boy, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes examined the final few entries himself for a while, eventually smiling and nodding. "I think I have most of it figured, although there are some parts that remain cryptic. This last portion--" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | There wasn't much to be gained from reading the logbook, but it was also not totally uninteresting. Many entries contained the capitalized abbreviation ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | A brief pain in his forehead convinced Johannes that he should put the book aside for a while. Reading on a horse was hard on the eyes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The day became considerably colder as the afternoon set in, and when the wind picked up, everyone was glad for the warm clothing they'd bought in Dunweig. Late in the afternoon, a fine flurry of snow came down, the tiny particles seeming to hover in the air, darting back and forth forever, although some made their way to the ground along an imperceptible path, and slowly whitened it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A splitting headache assaulted Johannes at intervals along the road, but it passed quickly each time. He could no longer blame the logbook, but perhaps it was the cold. | ||
+ | |||
+ | When twilight approached, the group saw the Osander River ahead, a tributary of the West Roe which passed through a small farming village. With evening setting in and the temperature dropping still further, everyone agreed this would be a good place to stop. Huerten was now but four days away. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The largest building in the village was the inn, although it was far smaller than anything of its kind in Dunweig. The inn was also the only building that looked sturdy enough to withstand any real storm, an event that did not seem so unlikely, given the early snow. While people' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The inn was as warm inside as could be expected. Although there was neither counter nor bar, a shelf nailed into the wall held several bottles of hard drink, and barrels of ale and mead were stacked in a corner. A young boy, perhaps six years old, sat on a barrel, and a man of thirty repaired a slat of a broken shutter. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The man turned his head when the group entered, then went back to work. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I will take care of the horses," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maralorn opened the door immediately, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I have five horses to stable. The innkeeper said that you have room. Can I stable them here?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Maralorn squinted and looked into Kreemon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon muttered something about brain-addled simpletons as he stalked back to the inn. He shook off the fresh snow, his actions mimicked far more vigorously by Bork, entered the inn and said to the innkeeper, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The innkeeper froze in place and dropped the shutter he was about to reattach. He turned around slowly and gave a fearful glance at the boy, who was still sitting calmly on a barrel. The boy paid no attention, continuing to kick his feet gently and gaze about as if totally unaware of the situation. The innkeeper appeared somewhat relieved. Still, he pointed at the door and said, "Out, all of you. Don't return until you've stabled your horses with Maralorn." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon drew his sword partially out, showing a few hands of steel, and took a menacing step towards the innkeeper. "By the Four! I have had enough with strange dealings, murders and magic. What is going on here!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes shook his head. "By the gods..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | The little boy's head suddenly shot up, and the innkeeper took a step towards Kreemon. "I said, get out!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | And just like that, Kreemon did. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The innkeeper waved his hands towards the door. "I said out. Don't return until the horses are safely stabled." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes shook his head in frank disbelief, raising his hands appeasingly. "No need to threaten, sir..." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon growled as he sheathed his sword and drew his bow. Nocking an arrow, Kreemon pushed the door open but was careful to stay outside. Drawing back in a smooth movement, Kreemon fired off an arrow at the boy through the open door frame and then just as quickly nocked and fired a second arrow at the boy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Korisca timidly said, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The boy fell to the floor, but then Kreemon noticed that both his arrows were embedded in the wall. The boy got up and ran behind the innkeeper, who walked right out the door and yelled, "I said get out! You are no longer welcome here. Put down your weapon and leave now!" As Kreemon ran, leaving his bow on the ground where he'd stood, the innkeeper said with a weak voice. "The others may stable their horses and stay if they like." The innkeeper suddenly looked tired and regretful, and he beckoned to the boy, who helped him back inside. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith stood, open mouthed and in disbelief at Kreemon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay was completely confused. When Kreemon nocked his arrow, she reflexively took up and strung her own bow, and in one smooth motion, brought an arrow to the string and began to draw, the wood and sinew of her composite bow creaking with her effort. Then, seeing the result of Kree's shots, and seeing Kreemon run away, she turned to Ardith and in a whisper asked her, "What in the Name of Andritha is happening here?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith replied, also in a whisper, "I don't know, but there is certainly an enchantment of some sort at work here." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay retrieved Kreemon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes shook his head and scowled as Kreemon passed, but he continued on to Maralorn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes trudged his way back to the rest of the group, shaking his head disbelievingly. "What is going on here? It seems that every place we go, bizarre events dog us. Maralorn isn't even responding when I attempt to talk to him about stabling the horses. Perhaps I should ask the innkeeper if he could help us talk to the man." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You may," said Ardith, "but after what happened here, I have doubts that he will answer." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes shook his head resignedly and trudged back to the inn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Maybe I should try to break into Maralorn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Break into..?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Mean what?" asked Korisca timidly, "I just thought that I could go and see if maybe he is hurt, or needs help." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes shook his head slowly, massaging his temples. "Never mind. I..." he floundered for words for a moment, "spoke hastily." | ||
+ | |||
+ | A snow-covered wagon approached slowly from the direction of Dunweig. A single rider sat high up in a wooden seat, holding two horses by the reins. He was still several hundred yards distant. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "So how's Dunweig this time of year?" As Johannes watched the wagon approach, a tall, scrawny man slapped him on the shoulder, startling him. The man was even taller than Johannes, which was very unusual, and although he looked young, late twenties perhaps, he was missing several teeth and had patches of wrinkled skin on his face. Without removing his hand from Johannes' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When Kreemon got his bearings, a quarter mile past the last house of the village, he was even more angry than before. "Ghost boys, magic voices. I am getting tired of this." Kreemon turned around and tested whether any unseen force would keep him from the village. Feeling no resistance, he headed back to the inn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes started slightly at the hand on his shoulder, but calmed himself quickly, turning to speak to this strange young man. "There have been some murders in Dunweig under mysterious circumstances. Five people had died already when we left, and who knows if it's been going on more. The whole town is in a stir over it." He shook his head, looking concerned. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "None that I've heard of. The middle three were supposed to have been an apprentice killing his master and wife and suffering fatal injuries in return according to Constable Hernholz, but that just seems suspicious to me so close to the other murders. I'm not so sure we've seen the truth in that case yet." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay, looking towards the far side of town, spotted Kreemon topping the crest of a hill, but he soon disappeared from view again. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Korisca looked at the man and frowned slightly. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A tone-deaf Maelbourg girl. There' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes, visibly unnerved, suddenly blurted out, "Who _are_ you, and how do you know all this?" He massaged his forehead, a confused expression on his face. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, I could recognize an Elgony man a mile away," he began, his attention totally removed from Kreemon. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon stalked forward, anger clearly on his face. Reaching the group, Kreemon said to the stranger, "I don't know you. Keep your distance from me!" Turning to Kay and seeing the extra bow she carried, he said, "Kay, thanks for picking up my bow. Can I have it back please? I say we set fire to this whole village. It reeks of dark magic." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay handed back the bow with a worried expression on her face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Detecting the briefest moment of silence, the stranger continued as if he hadn't heard Kreemon threaten his entire village. "Yes, I could spot an Elgony man a mile away in my sleep." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes glared briefly at Kreemon, before turning to the strange man. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The stranger smiled widely, flattening a few wrinkled patches of skin and creating a few more. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon shook his head. "My arrows went through that boy. He is a ghost or something. There is evil here." Kreemon looked over at the stranger and took a step towards him. With one hand on his sword hilt, Kreemon reached out with his other hand and poked the stranger in the shoulder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Korisca hung back, a worried look on her face. Hesitantly, she said, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The stranger' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "This is getting far out of hand," Ardith said quietly to Kay. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I think the boy just dodged the arrows," | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the meantime, the wagon approaching the village had picked up speed, and had gotten quite a bit closer, although the old driver sat in the same position, letting snow collect on his hood. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "She hasn't cast strange magics on me." Kreemon turned to the stranger. "So, what do you think stranger? Would you get upset if I torched your village?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tonnel Fleminton continued to smile, revealing the gaps between his otherwise healthy teeth where several were missing. "Ah, the famed violence of Elgony men. I guess that's what comes from a leader like Baron Wentley. I hope Velhelm is fixing things up, don't you?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon looked at the others and said, " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tonnel Fleminton went right on talking, distracted immediately by Kay. "I should have recognized a girl from Gernainia as soon as I saw her!" He paused in confusion for a moment. "Where is that, exactly?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Distracted by Tonnel, no one had noticed that the wagon-driver had continued to accelerate. Now that his horses were quite audible enough to hear over Tonnel' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well," Tonnel replied, smiling, seemingly unaware that he'd just been threatened. "You should stay and talk a while. Fascinating people. You'll have to tell me how you liked Dunweig later." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What are you doing here?" the driver said to the group, his eyes on Kreemon. "Get out of the snow before you freeze to death." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon looked up from his pack and said, "Me? I am getting ready to burn this cursed village to the ground." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes snapped impatiently. "You aren't going to burn anything! If you're willing to tolerate a common gutter-thief," | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon hiked a thumb at Ardith while he continued to dig through his pack. "Talk to her, she is the one that let her join up." He then slammed his pack down in frustration. "I don't have any oil." He looked up at Kay and Ardith. "Do either of you have any oil flasks?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Korisca looked at Kreemon in frank astonishment, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes looked towards Ardith, a pleading expression on his face. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith stood straight, managing an authoritative look that made her seem beyond her eighteen years. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon looked at the driver through slanted eyes, "So you are part of this too, eh?" He put his hand on the hilt of his sword before he continued. "I think you had better start talking pretty fast about what magics are going on in this village. I know about the ghost children and the magical voices of command. Start spilling the truth before I start spilling blood." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Johannes, his face twisted in anger and frustration, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon took his hand off his sword hilt and let it dangle next to the scabbard saying. "Now, let's not do anything rash," he said. With his left hand he reached up for the buckle of his sword belt. While Johannes' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first was to grab his scabbard with his right hand to keep control of his blade. The second was to take advantage of Johannes' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The second strike missed, not because Kreemon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Stop this!" Ardith yelled. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kreemon snorted. "Stick a knife in someone' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | The next turn is already under way, so I have little to say here, except to wish Karl the best. Ardith and Kay were NPCs for the last third of the turn, and I expect they will remain so until Karl is ready to return. | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||