Secrets of the Southern Swamp: Enfant Terrible
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:51 pm
Thanks to Sofie for a great plot with a great finale scene!
hurch Street at Flairkin Street
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the southeast, nighttime]
The combined breadth of Church and Flairkin Streets make this
intersection essentially a square. A central plaza has been laid out for a
gathering place, a small circle of green lawn around a merrily piping
fountain. Glancing north, one can see more stone and less wood as Flairkin
approaches the Vandagan Foreign Quarter; to the south, the exact opposite
can be glimpsed in the riverfront Tubori Foreign Quarter.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
An Advertisement for The Fence is posted to the wall. (northern edge)
Simple iron lamp-posts edge the street, burning tallow candles. (northern edge) (lit)
A marble fountain topped with a young girl sits in the grassy lawn. (northwestern corner)
Beronica Destral arrives from the west
Beronica Destral slows to a halt.
A young man in strange clothing and screaming hysterically is here, covered in blood. He yells out incoherently as he goes to the ground, sobbing, "She...everybody...dead! Everybody dead. Bodies!"
Noah is approaching the young man hurriedly, jamming his weapon back into its holster at his side. "Sir! Sir. Calm down-" He extends a placating hand as he nears, beginning to slow down. "Y'need t'take a deep breath. Slower, so we can help."
Beronica Destral frown as she steps into the area and sees Noah and the man. "What is going on?" she practically demands as she strides over to the man and begins to take an assessment of his injuries.
The young man seems to be trying to get to his feet, but he gives up the effort. He looks to Beronica Destral and shakes his head, "Too late. For me and the others." Looking closely, one can perhaps see the jagged cuts through his ragged shirt and the gash across his forehead is plain. [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Dunno," Noah succinctly tells Beronica Destral, brow creased as he kneels beside the young man. A hand reaches to touch his arm, softly. "Then at least w'can go after who done this t'you," he urges, voice low. "Y'need t'tell us anythin' and everythin' what y'can." [Noah]
Beronica Destral snorts a bit. "I don't give up on an injured person until they lay dead on my table," she states as she pulls a suture kit from a large leather water-proof haversack with an iron clasp, then cuts away at his tunic with a steel dagger featuring a etched and deeply serrated blade.
The man lets Beronica Destral go to work on him, though he coughs weakly as he sputters, "We...we...I am from the village in the swamp. There...there is a -thing- out there. It's been hunting for months, and it finally turned on us all." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Shit," Noah mutters under his breath, but he nods down at the man, gaze intently fixed on his face. "Keep goin', if'n y'can," he urges. A brief glance is given to Beronica Destral. "...d'y'need me t'do anythin'?" [Noah]
Beronica Destral motions for Noah. "Grab a cloth of some sort. Press it against that part of his wound." She instructs Noah. She cleans off the wound in front of her and begins the laborous process of stitching the wounds shut.
"My name is Melchizedek, though they call me Chi." The man sputters and one might see a bit of blood come up into his hand as he does so. "She...Ambrosia...she...is with child. She has unnatural cravings. We even found horse bodies in her lair." He lays his head back, though he screams every now and then at the stitching job that Beronica Destral is doing.
Noah snatches a scrap of cloth from his things, pressing down where indicated. He pales slightly at the man's words. "What kinda pregnancy makes a woman slaughter horses fer cravin's?" he croaks. "What... what -is- this... Ambrosia?"
Action set to:
Noah is kneeling by the young man, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Possibly demon possessed," Beronica Destral states as she grabs a flask of brandy from her haversack and uses the liquid to help clean the wound out. "I can't numb the pain." [Beronica Destral]
[Action: Beronica Destral is kneeling next to a young man.]
Chi hesitates a long time, a very long time, at this question before finally answering the man, coughs racking his form now, his injuries spurt blood a little more that aren't bandaged, "I may as well confess. I will die, anyway." He hesitates, "W-w-w-e summoned. W-w-w-e gave Ambrosia's husband's l-l-life to it so that w-we could, uh, make a baby. She...it...well, it was a success. She has...she...arien, she started small and then started. We found human limbs in her piles in the forest." Tears roll down his face here and he collapses into sobs.
Noah stares down at the young man for a long moment in clearly speechless horror, the pressure he's providing slacking off. "What," he finally says, flatly. "You. Oh, Arien frak." He presses down perhaps a bit too hard, rocking back on his knees. "Death's too good fer'y. ...Shit. A demon baby. This's... infinitely above m'pay grade."
Chi cries out at Noah briefly presses down, confirming that it's a bit too hard, and yells, sobs and coughs, blood and tears mixing crazily, "I know! Arien, I know!" He quiets down here and says in a voice barely above a whisper, "We finally drove her out of her hidey hole in the swamp. Next week, she came back." He looks at both Noah and Beronica Destral and says with wide eyes, "She. came. back. Everybody in our circle is dead except me, and I won't last long. Blood and limbs everywhere down in the swamp, and she took off towards the north." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
A curvy dame approaches, sweat running down her brow before she relays a fervid message, in after which she runs off.
Noah grits his teeth, shaking his head down at Chi. "How're we gonna recognize her? Does she still look... normal?" he prompts, tightly, glancing to the dame for a moment. "Are th'Knights comin', then?" he wonders, a hint of relief in his voice.
Beronica Destral growls a bit as she moves onto the next wound cleaning it with some brandy. "No. They are seeking a Physician."
"She still looks normal, yes. She's got raven hair and dark eyes, and she's covered in blood, and she's pregnant." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Seeking a... oh, Arien, d'y'think she's up there? He said she were headed north," Noah tensely suggests to Beronica Destral. "If'n she's already attacked at th'Keep and moved on somewhere else... we need t'tell them what's happened here, either way. Raven hair, dark eyes..." He blows out a breath. "Can y'save this man?" [Noah]
Beronica Destral shakes her head. "She's pregnant," she says as she continues her work. "From my experiences, women in her stage of pregnancy are wanting to 'nest' in a sense. She'll want to stay in one spot and get things prepared for the upcoming birth."
"She loves the ring of stones outside the city, but she...that thing..." He collapses, out of breath.
"I'd agree with that, 'cept fer th'part where she's collectin' human arms. This's gone beyond what normal human people do," Noah disagrees, shaking his head. A frown is tilted down at the man. "Th'ring t'the north, up near th'forests? That one?" [Noah]
Chi merely looks to Noah and gives a firm nod of his head and then lays it back down. As he does so, he begins to scream. Injured or not, his brays of terror are evidently enough to show his strength enough to get off the ground. Dark tentacles swirl up from the ground there and they begin to encircle around his neck. He begins choking and sputtering, and his eyes go blood red as he hisses, "Come, my pretties. Come if you dare. Where I come from? We all float. And when you're with me there, you'll float, too."
"Arien abyss," Beronica Destral cries as she falls back away from the man. The look of fear deep in her emerald eyes. [Beronica Destral]
"Arien!" Noah is on the same page as Beronica Destral it seems; he springs back, reaching for his mace automatically. "Get back t'the Abyss where y'came from, demon - y'aren't welcome here," he shouts, and though fear widens his eyes determination seems to set his jaw as well. "We're damn well comin'." [Noah]
The red leaves the man's eyes, and he is dragged to the ground, his eyes wide and horrified, his slow strangles lapsing into the mewling of a kitten, and then they slowly die. Finally, the tentacles withdraw into the ground. [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
Beronica Destral shudders a little as she gets up from the ground. "Can we stop by the church so that I can cleanse my hands?"
Noah stares blankly at the man's limp body, all bravado fled in sheer shock. "Um," he says weakly, and then shakes his head. "I... can't do it m'self, anyway. I don't figure I'm th'match fer some sort of demon-pregnant woman alone. Y'want t'go t'the Church, and I'll send a messenger, seein' if'n I can get some backup t'meet me here...?"
His corpse lies still, eyes open in horror.
Beronica Destral nods to Noah. "We can meet at the Keep," she says to him. "And see if there are any able bodied Knights capable of assisting in this matter."
"They might be comin' here from earlier already," Noah denies with a shake of his head. "Let me send fer 'em t'meet me here. If'n it's th'place I think it means, we ain't too far from it here - wouldn't be that closer from th'Keep, in fact. Poor, stupid, evil bastard." He stares bleakly down at the corpse, digging out handfuls of silver. [Noah]
Noah summons a messenger and pays them to make a delivery.
Message sent to all. There are no confirmations on multiple recipient messages.
A howl of pain may just be audible, coming from the northeast of the city.
Beronica Destral nods to Noah. "I'll be quick, but I don't want to risk..." She pauses a she hears the howl. "Guess I can get cleaned up later. I'm staying with you."
"Glad I inspire that much confidence," Noah quips with a brief, troubled grin, sending off a courier with a murmured message. "I'd go right now, but damn it, I'd just get killed. I hate t'delay, but I ain't doin' this without somebody behind me." [Noah]
Lloyd rides in from the west
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines has arrived.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail has arrived.
Lloyd continues to the east.
Lloyd rides back in after speeding in at a frantic canter. His mace is drawn, and a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines, who's jogged after him, also has her own sword bared. Looking around, the man glances down and curses softly. "What's happened here? Reeve Reed, I want an answer -now-." His words are directed for Noah, but his eyes are kept on the body.
"Earl Marshall." Noah salutes sharply to Lloyd, fist to heart. His expression is solemn and pensive, brows set. "This feller here-" A nod down at the dead man- "said that he'n his friends... they summoned a demon t'get a woman pregnant. And she's gone mad with it, killin' horses and people beside, crazy with sick cravin's fer blood. He thinks she's in th'stone circle north'f town - said she liked it there." [Noah]
Beronica Destral frowns slightly. "If I remember correctly there is a chamber underneath it," she offers to the two men. "Though I may have remembered wrong."
"Have you summoned all able bodies?" Lloyd asks tersely, not waiting a beat after Noah and Beronica Destral have finished. "A similar attack has occurred at the Keep, and many are wounded, so my apologies if few of my Knights show." [Lloyd]
"I've summoned all able bodies, yes, m'lord Earl Marshall," Noah confirms with a quick nod. "I'm a Reeve, not no Knight, but I'm willin' nonetheless t'go and help." He slants a curious glance to Beronica Destral. "M'not aware of one, but that don't mean there ain't one." [Noah]
Beronica Destral looks over to Lloyd. "Is Mister Tristana Smithe about and able, Lord Marshall? I have heard him talk about various hidden areas outside of Lithmore."
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes arrives from the west, his hands hidden beneath the folds of his robes.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite has arrived.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes slows to a halt.
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls arrives from the west, each step causing a floor-length, ice blue silk cloak with jade embroidery to ripple.
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls slows to a halt.
"He'll have to come then." Lloyd responds sharply to Beronica Destral, casting a minute glance to the new arrivals. "We need as many as possible to assist." He then returns his attention to the body. "Who struck him down?" [Lloyd]
"He came here bleedin', m'lord, and bleedin' somethin' awful. The Prime were tryin' t'heal him, but then dark tentacles rose around him, and his eyes glazed red. He spoke in a voice not like his own, said 'Come if y'dare' and somethin' odd about... floatin'. Then he crumpled, th'red left his eyes, and he just... died." Noah narrates all this testimony in low, somber tones. "Th'circle itself ain't hidden." [Noah]
Coming to a stalled halt beside an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries not to peer over at the body, giving a delicate shudder and taking a single step back towards a rugged, blond-haired Orderite and his weapons, her bright green eyes darting around to watch everyone at once. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
Entering arm-in-arm with a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls, the sounds of heavy footfalls announce an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's entrance to the scene, with a rugged, blond-haired Orderite taking point, as if guarding the pair from nonexistent threats. The blond-haired Orderite looks perfectly wary; the red-robed man, less so. "Where are the demons?" he intones, loosing his arm from a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls's, so that both hands clasp together beneath the sleeves of heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread. As the body's seen, he looks down at it, lips curling inward.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite pulls out a dagger.
"I last saw him over on Park Street," Beronica Destral offers to Lloyd before looking over to Noah. "The circle, no, but it better to be prepared for the worst." [Beronica Destral]
"Let's hope the others who answered the call arrive soon," Lloyd murmurs, eyes narrowing as he listens to Noah recount. "Little time can be spared." The stony grey gaze moves over to a rugged, blond-haired Orderite and his cold reply is laconic. "North of Lithmore." He runs his eyes over a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls and an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. "He'll be coming as well, I presume?" [Lloyd]
Looking towards an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes to answer any questions, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls stays silently at his side, protectively even, though clearly she has no weapon of any kind and a stiff breeze could knock her over. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
Noah shoots an openly doubtful glance to a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls, though he doesn't comment on her presence. A polite bow is given toward an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. "Th'stone circle is our first guess, Sir Inquisitor, but w'don't know precisely," he elaborates on Lloyd's answer. "We're lookin' fer a pregnant woman, dark hair, dark eyes."
"We will go, yes. However, aside from Wil, whose use is best suited as a distraction or fodder at best," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells Lloyd directly, one hand parting from his sleeves to indicate a rugged, blond-haired Orderite, "I count just you, Sir Knight. If there are infernal beings, is your sword alone enough to end them?" The question's direct, and he turns his shoulders then when Noah addresses him. "Well, good. A pregnant woman is weighed down. But I would still prefer more weapons."
Lloyd merely nods his response to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, adjusting himself in his saddle and glancing down to a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines. "Dame Agnes, the patrols north of the city have been recalled?" The dame nods and hesitantly lowers her sword, "Yes, Earl Marshall. After the attack, I made sure they went back to the Keep." The Earl Marshall nods slowly before looking down to Noah. "I shall send out another call."
"I ain't sure anybody else's comin', m'lord Earl Marshall." Noah's voice is quiet, but steady and determined. "And I ain't sure how long we got t'wait. I'm a tolerable good hand with a mace, and got m'armor in my pack." That information volunteered, he doesn't go on to make an argument; just stands still, seemingly awaiting something. [Noah]
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes gets smooth obsidian mounted atop a slender hilt of bone from interlinked chalices, burnished and shining, forming a sash.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes wields smooth obsidian mounted atop a slender hilt of bone.
A howl of pain may just be audible, coming from the northeast of the city, animalistic in nature.
"I will send a call," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells Noah then, nodding towards a rugged, blond-haired Orderite briefly and then, across his shoulder, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls's way. "It is a matter of faith for everyone to assist in this matter. Those who do not aid, whether in medicine or by prayer, or by the strength of their arm, are consigned to sin."
"I doubt they'll have time to meet us here," Lloyd responds softly to Noah, nodding slowly and biting his lower lip. "I'll send a messenger to reinstate patrol orders... you!" He calls out a small boy who has managed to remain discreet for sometime in a pair of bushes, but was given away by a sneeze. "Get to the Keep and find Sir de Abn'zahi. Tell him that the Earl Marshall sent you to let him know that the patrols must be sent back out. Be swift, lad, and don't stop until you reach the Keep's walls." The boy nods, visibly both nervous and excited, before running off. [Lloyd]
Beronica Destral shudders slightly at the newest howl. "Then I suggest that we get going soon. Those cries seem to have changed a little in tone."
Noah nods his agreement to Beronica Destral. "They sound almost as if... th'babe might already be comin'. And if that happened... I fear we might be too late." But he still doesn't set off, himself, seemingly waiting on those with more authority than himself to make the final call.
Seamus Harper comes running down the street, at damn near a blind jog, a dark teal leather hat with a black-pinned, up-turned brim jostling atop his head with each quickened step. "Did... I...did it... did they?" He pants out, once he comes to a stop, hands on his knees as tries to slow his breathing!
Standing there albeit a bit uncertainly now next to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries to steel her shoulders and look much taller than her scant height, a flush of crimson creeping up her neck as she listens to everyone speak. Only when an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes comments about sin does she purse her lips in agreement, taking a single step closer to his side. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
A cudgel-wielding Orderite runs through the city, calling all able-bodied men and women to the North Gate to deal with a demonic threat. Apparently, refusal to go constitutes sin -- according to him.
"Miss Synelle. Wil shall be the vanguard. Let's away to the North Gate," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls bluntly, offering the crook of his left arm, along with the barest hints of a smile. In his right hand, he holds a small obsidian knife, which he slides neatly through the cord that binds shut heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread, a paltry thing, and clearly of limited utility against a measured demonic threat. He glances towards those remaining in the street. "Leave the corpse. Follow the Earl Marshall. Time is of the essence."
Noah nods sharp agreement to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's command, drawing his mace and turning to fall in behind Lloyd at a martial stance. "We're goin' now, if'n y'can help," he tells Seamus Harper simply. "Follow."
Lloyd watches after the Orderite before glancing around to those gathered. "We have little time. With me, immediately." He doesn't wait for any more responses, and kicks his mare's side with the heel of his boots, spurring her onwards and leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
"Of course High Inquisitor Cullen." a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls replies smoothly to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm, her gloved fingers curling up sharply before they relax against the bright crimson of the garments. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
"Stop when we get close, m'lord Earl Marshall? Time t'prepare, don armor," Noah suggests to Lloyd. [Noah]
-----
You leave west
The Crossroads
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
A wide open space stretches out here at the very center of Lithmore,
where Church Street and King's Concourse meet. Grass grows in short, neat
plots around the intersection, forming a large and empty lawn. Its edges
are delineated by tall birches, their pale bark and silver leaves a somber
fence. The very center of the space is dominated by a tall granite column,
rising nigh-twenty feet into the sky. A bed of blood-red flowers encircles
it, a sea of color. Traffic diverts around it in both directions, giving
it a wide berth.
Dark clouds loom on the horizon.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
An advertisement for the le Orban Trade Offices has been attached to the wall of a building. (southwestern corner)
A set of weathered wooden stocks rest in the shadow of the column. (southeastern corner)
A tall granite pillar edged with tiny writing is centered at the heart of the junction. (southeastern corner)
Silver lanterns hung on tall stakes guard the four corners of the intersection. (southeastern corner) (lit)
[Linkless] Seamus Harper is here. [App: 3]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
Noah has arrived.
"What I miss?" Maxwell Wattkil questions, as he quickly moves along with his mare trailing behind, gripped by the reins. [Maxwell Wattkil]
"Woman pregnant with demon child," Beronica Destral states to Maxwell Wattkil. "Sounds like she is about to give birth." [Beronica Destral]
"Woman pregnant with demon baby. Stone circle. Gonna go kill her." Noah is a man of few words today, it seems. [Noah]
"Great. Wonderful. Awesome." Maxwell Wattkil offers to Noah, as he readies his polearm and shield for proper use. [Maxwell Wattkil]
Seamus Harper takes long drink from a clay mug, before making the sign of the chalice, the amber liquid giving him some measure of nerve. "Today be as good as any to try an' not die."
"I hate demons." Maxwell Wattkil grunts once, shaking his head a bit, face drawn. [Maxwell Wattkil]
----
You leave north
You come to a halt.
Lithmore's North Gate
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
The city walls of Lithmore rise forty feet high here, casting their
long, cold shadow over the northern edge of the city. Massive doors made
of weathered tree trunks lashed together and mortered by layers of pitch
serve as the outer North Gate, the front entrance to the large square
gatehouse that guards from unwanted entry. A courtyard between two
portcullises provides further security, though they oft remain raised to
allow for free passage of the many carriages and wagons that travel through
every day.
[ Exits: north south -up- ]
A paper marked with 'REEVES' and the Scales of Justice is posted on the side of the gate. (southwestern corner)
Wrought-iron lamp-posts dangling candle-filled lanterns line the street. (northwestern corner) (lit)
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes is here. [App: 2]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
Lloyd is here, riding a lightly built mare with a dappled coat. [App: 4]
He has a fine steel gada, adorned with a crossed arrow and thorn drawn.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail is here, panting.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines stands here wearing a taut expression.
She has a curved steel talwar with a hilt wrapped in supple leather drawn.
Noah has arrived.
Seamus Harper arrives from the south
Seamus Harper slows to a halt.
Maxwell Wattkil arrives from the south
Maxwell Wattkil slows to a halt.
"Alright!" Lloyd calls, slowing his steed down and turning her around to face the group. "You all know why you're here. We won't waste time with motivational speeches. Reeve Reed, north of the city, yes?" He looks down to Noah expectantly, occasionally shooting glances over his shoulder. [Lloyd]
"...This ain't bad," Noah murmurs, gaze moving between Lloyd, Maxwell Wattkil, and Seamus Harper. "This ought t'be enough, I'm hopin'." After a moment, he sighs and starts to dig a set of mismatched armor from his things. "North'n east of here, m'lord, due directly. Not far't all." [Noah]
"I ain' got no armor. But this not be my first fight, I'll jump in the mix when I can." Seamus Harper nods resolutely, clearly trying his best to put on a brave face in lieu of what's coming. [Seamus Harper]
Beronica Destral wields a half-crescent steel axe with an intricately carved handle.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes clasps both hands together beneath the sleeves of heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread, then takes a step forward. One finger extends, pointed skyward. "All of you: know that the Lord blesses any endeavor meant to do glory in his name. This is one such endeavor," he intones. "You may not survive this. But if you do die, know that you shall be envied, for you will awaken at the feet of the Lord of the Springs."
Lloyd nods briskly at those who speak, turning his mount around and fixing his hat with a hand. "Alright then. Say a quick prayer now, people." He pauses for a few moments before hefting his shield into place and shouting, "Onwards!"
Noah does not seem overly enthused by an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's speech; then again, he doesn't look to be in a mood to be enthused by much of anything. A simple nod of acknowledgment is dropped as he finishes buckling on his helm, a thumb rubbing over the flanging on his mace.
Lloyd rides north, a blue cotton cloak bearing the Crossed Swords on a Chalice swaying behind him as he moves.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines leaves north.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail leaves north.
---------------
A Dappled, Hilly Forest
[Chilly, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
Ancient trees tower far overhead here, climbing for the sky where they
grow somehow upright from the slanted sides of hills. Thick, gnarled roots
support them, providing an impromptu staircase up the hills along their
protrusions. The crowns of the trees, knit together so high above, shield
the ground below from much of the sun's rays. Still, curling ferns and
pale mushrooms litter the forest floor. East and south the trees thin,
while north a taller hill rises; west, a group of pale birch trees stands
out in the otherwise mixed forest.
Dark clouds loom on the horizon.
A field of glowing energy makes the northern exit look hazy.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes is here. [App: 2]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
Lloyd is here, riding a lightly built mare with a dappled coat. [App: 4]
He has a fine steel gada, adorned with a crossed arrow and thorn drawn.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail is here, panting.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines stands here wearing a taut expression.
She has a curved steel talwar with a hilt wrapped in supple leather drawn.
Noah has arrived.
Seamus Harper arrives from the west
Seamus Harper slows to a halt.
look north
A field of glowing energy makes the view look hazy.
A Stone Circle on a Forested Hill
[Chilly, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
Thick forests that mingle evergreens with less hardy varieties of tree
cluster up the sides of this hill, though its very top is left largely
bare, a clearing encircled by a border of massive, ancient firs. Soft,
dense green grass crowns the hilltop, and at its very apex stands the
remnants of a stone circle. Large plinths, vaguely cylindrical but
irregular, stand about ten feet tall. Their rough surfaces are figured
with carvings of animals, fighting and sleeping, running and romping,
giving birth and dying. Old moss clusters here and there, but has largely
been cleared away. To the west, the hill descends into a smaller glade,
forest rolling onward in every direction.
(Various limbs of varying different creatures, many of them human, are clearly visible within the ring of stones. They have been laid in a strange pattern that resembles some kind of macabre bird nest, and everything is just bright red all over the place with dried blood.
)
A misshapen blob of off-white tallow is here. (southern edge)
A dark-eyed woman with raven hair is here gnawing on a random arm, just outside her macabre nest. [App: 3]
Maxwell Wattkil arrives from the west moving quickly, weapon at the ready
Maxwell Wattkil slows to a halt.
"Incantations," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes announces, pointing northward. "Wil, take point. Do not let whatever's beyond touch Miss Synelle or myself," he intones, reaching out to offer a rugged, blond-haired Orderite an almost paternalistic clasp upon the shoulder; and, so bidden, the dim-looking Orderite positions himself to defend his charges.
"A uauwa' uhaawah awalookoh haowa... waloha uhau." Seamus Harper mutters to himself, fingers tightening around the grip of a double edged dagger with a leather wrapped hilt. [Seamus Harper]
Noah peers to the north, squinting. "Y'can see through it," he volunteers, then abruptly pales. "...that looks like our girl, aright." He swallows, convulsively. "Can we... go through that... whatever it is?"
"Nearer we go..." Lloyd murmurs lowly, his hand visibly gripping the gada he holds tighter. "Dame Agnes, if this is the last time, it's been an honor." He casts a mournful smile down at a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines, who doesn't return it. Looking over his shoulder at the others in the group, he nods once. "Everyone ready?" [Lloyd]
"...Do we have any bowmen?" Maxwell Wattkil questions, as he looks around. "This could make this -extremely- easy." [Maxwell Wattkil]
"Arien it will be," Beronica Destral states as she shoulders her axe. "And the only bow man I know is unable to use her arm currently." [Beronica Destral]
"I dunno that arrows can go through that... whatever it is. I dunno that -we- can go through that whatever it is," Noah sighs, hands tightening on his mace's haft. "But w'got t'try, and I'm ready." [Noah]
"Be confident. We have the Lord on our side. Why on Urth would we ever need bows?" an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes wonders, sounding entirely too-sure of himself, enough that he advances apace to stand beside (although, still behind) a rugged, blond-haired Orderite, whom he once more favors with a friendly pat.
Standing way to the back of the group and looking slightly ill, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries to move forward if only to lightly touch the back of an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
A random man in the crowd gathered goes up to the force field and sticks his arm through it. "I'll need this blessed and possibly burned later, but looks like we can go through."
"From the sea I be, and to it I return, Blessed by the Lord with salt and water. Kissed ny the rays of the sun at dawn. I have sailed my due, whatever port the ship brings me to, it is bringing me home." Seamus Harper prays, his eyes tightening at the corners. [Seamus Harper]
"By the Lord's name, just go: the woman grows stronger with each passing moment," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes states now, loudly -- anger curdles within his belly, and the flats of his hands press against a rugged, blond-haired Orderite's back, and that man-- he's shoved forward, now that the forcefield has been deemed at least somewhat safe.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite begins to move north.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite crosses the center of the area.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite leaves north.
With the Orderite shoved in, Noah's eyes round in alarm, and he none-too-gently shoulders his way forward to follow with a frankly aghast look shot an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's way. [Noah]
Noah thinks to himself, "You asshat!"
"All ready?" Lloyd repeats to the group, this time more firmer. "Yes? Alright then." He doesn't wait for a single response and rides forward after the orderite, mace pointed outwards. [Lloyd]
Maxwell Wattkil thrusts his polearm forward, northward. "Let's go!"
hurch Street at Flairkin Street
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the southeast, nighttime]
The combined breadth of Church and Flairkin Streets make this
intersection essentially a square. A central plaza has been laid out for a
gathering place, a small circle of green lawn around a merrily piping
fountain. Glancing north, one can see more stone and less wood as Flairkin
approaches the Vandagan Foreign Quarter; to the south, the exact opposite
can be glimpsed in the riverfront Tubori Foreign Quarter.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
An Advertisement for The Fence is posted to the wall. (northern edge)
Simple iron lamp-posts edge the street, burning tallow candles. (northern edge) (lit)
A marble fountain topped with a young girl sits in the grassy lawn. (northwestern corner)
Beronica Destral arrives from the west
Beronica Destral slows to a halt.
A young man in strange clothing and screaming hysterically is here, covered in blood. He yells out incoherently as he goes to the ground, sobbing, "She...everybody...dead! Everybody dead. Bodies!"
Noah is approaching the young man hurriedly, jamming his weapon back into its holster at his side. "Sir! Sir. Calm down-" He extends a placating hand as he nears, beginning to slow down. "Y'need t'take a deep breath. Slower, so we can help."
Beronica Destral frown as she steps into the area and sees Noah and the man. "What is going on?" she practically demands as she strides over to the man and begins to take an assessment of his injuries.
The young man seems to be trying to get to his feet, but he gives up the effort. He looks to Beronica Destral and shakes his head, "Too late. For me and the others." Looking closely, one can perhaps see the jagged cuts through his ragged shirt and the gash across his forehead is plain. [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Dunno," Noah succinctly tells Beronica Destral, brow creased as he kneels beside the young man. A hand reaches to touch his arm, softly. "Then at least w'can go after who done this t'you," he urges, voice low. "Y'need t'tell us anythin' and everythin' what y'can." [Noah]
Beronica Destral snorts a bit. "I don't give up on an injured person until they lay dead on my table," she states as she pulls a suture kit from a large leather water-proof haversack with an iron clasp, then cuts away at his tunic with a steel dagger featuring a etched and deeply serrated blade.
The man lets Beronica Destral go to work on him, though he coughs weakly as he sputters, "We...we...I am from the village in the swamp. There...there is a -thing- out there. It's been hunting for months, and it finally turned on us all." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Shit," Noah mutters under his breath, but he nods down at the man, gaze intently fixed on his face. "Keep goin', if'n y'can," he urges. A brief glance is given to Beronica Destral. "...d'y'need me t'do anythin'?" [Noah]
Beronica Destral motions for Noah. "Grab a cloth of some sort. Press it against that part of his wound." She instructs Noah. She cleans off the wound in front of her and begins the laborous process of stitching the wounds shut.
"My name is Melchizedek, though they call me Chi." The man sputters and one might see a bit of blood come up into his hand as he does so. "She...Ambrosia...she...is with child. She has unnatural cravings. We even found horse bodies in her lair." He lays his head back, though he screams every now and then at the stitching job that Beronica Destral is doing.
Noah snatches a scrap of cloth from his things, pressing down where indicated. He pales slightly at the man's words. "What kinda pregnancy makes a woman slaughter horses fer cravin's?" he croaks. "What... what -is- this... Ambrosia?"
Action set to:
Noah is kneeling by the young man, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Possibly demon possessed," Beronica Destral states as she grabs a flask of brandy from her haversack and uses the liquid to help clean the wound out. "I can't numb the pain." [Beronica Destral]
[Action: Beronica Destral is kneeling next to a young man.]
Chi hesitates a long time, a very long time, at this question before finally answering the man, coughs racking his form now, his injuries spurt blood a little more that aren't bandaged, "I may as well confess. I will die, anyway." He hesitates, "W-w-w-e summoned. W-w-w-e gave Ambrosia's husband's l-l-life to it so that w-we could, uh, make a baby. She...it...well, it was a success. She has...she...arien, she started small and then started. We found human limbs in her piles in the forest." Tears roll down his face here and he collapses into sobs.
Noah stares down at the young man for a long moment in clearly speechless horror, the pressure he's providing slacking off. "What," he finally says, flatly. "You. Oh, Arien frak." He presses down perhaps a bit too hard, rocking back on his knees. "Death's too good fer'y. ...Shit. A demon baby. This's... infinitely above m'pay grade."
Chi cries out at Noah briefly presses down, confirming that it's a bit too hard, and yells, sobs and coughs, blood and tears mixing crazily, "I know! Arien, I know!" He quiets down here and says in a voice barely above a whisper, "We finally drove her out of her hidey hole in the swamp. Next week, she came back." He looks at both Noah and Beronica Destral and says with wide eyes, "She. came. back. Everybody in our circle is dead except me, and I won't last long. Blood and limbs everywhere down in the swamp, and she took off towards the north." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
A curvy dame approaches, sweat running down her brow before she relays a fervid message, in after which she runs off.
Noah grits his teeth, shaking his head down at Chi. "How're we gonna recognize her? Does she still look... normal?" he prompts, tightly, glancing to the dame for a moment. "Are th'Knights comin', then?" he wonders, a hint of relief in his voice.
Beronica Destral growls a bit as she moves onto the next wound cleaning it with some brandy. "No. They are seeking a Physician."
"She still looks normal, yes. She's got raven hair and dark eyes, and she's covered in blood, and she's pregnant." [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
"Seeking a... oh, Arien, d'y'think she's up there? He said she were headed north," Noah tensely suggests to Beronica Destral. "If'n she's already attacked at th'Keep and moved on somewhere else... we need t'tell them what's happened here, either way. Raven hair, dark eyes..." He blows out a breath. "Can y'save this man?" [Noah]
Beronica Destral shakes her head. "She's pregnant," she says as she continues her work. "From my experiences, women in her stage of pregnancy are wanting to 'nest' in a sense. She'll want to stay in one spot and get things prepared for the upcoming birth."
"She loves the ring of stones outside the city, but she...that thing..." He collapses, out of breath.
"I'd agree with that, 'cept fer th'part where she's collectin' human arms. This's gone beyond what normal human people do," Noah disagrees, shaking his head. A frown is tilted down at the man. "Th'ring t'the north, up near th'forests? That one?" [Noah]
Chi merely looks to Noah and gives a firm nod of his head and then lays it back down. As he does so, he begins to scream. Injured or not, his brays of terror are evidently enough to show his strength enough to get off the ground. Dark tentacles swirl up from the ground there and they begin to encircle around his neck. He begins choking and sputtering, and his eyes go blood red as he hisses, "Come, my pretties. Come if you dare. Where I come from? We all float. And when you're with me there, you'll float, too."
"Arien abyss," Beronica Destral cries as she falls back away from the man. The look of fear deep in her emerald eyes. [Beronica Destral]
"Arien!" Noah is on the same page as Beronica Destral it seems; he springs back, reaching for his mace automatically. "Get back t'the Abyss where y'came from, demon - y'aren't welcome here," he shouts, and though fear widens his eyes determination seems to set his jaw as well. "We're damn well comin'." [Noah]
The red leaves the man's eyes, and he is dragged to the ground, his eyes wide and horrified, his slow strangles lapsing into the mewling of a kitten, and then they slowly die. Finally, the tentacles withdraw into the ground. [a young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes]
Beronica Destral shudders a little as she gets up from the ground. "Can we stop by the church so that I can cleanse my hands?"
Noah stares blankly at the man's limp body, all bravado fled in sheer shock. "Um," he says weakly, and then shakes his head. "I... can't do it m'self, anyway. I don't figure I'm th'match fer some sort of demon-pregnant woman alone. Y'want t'go t'the Church, and I'll send a messenger, seein' if'n I can get some backup t'meet me here...?"
His corpse lies still, eyes open in horror.
Beronica Destral nods to Noah. "We can meet at the Keep," she says to him. "And see if there are any able bodied Knights capable of assisting in this matter."
"They might be comin' here from earlier already," Noah denies with a shake of his head. "Let me send fer 'em t'meet me here. If'n it's th'place I think it means, we ain't too far from it here - wouldn't be that closer from th'Keep, in fact. Poor, stupid, evil bastard." He stares bleakly down at the corpse, digging out handfuls of silver. [Noah]
Noah summons a messenger and pays them to make a delivery.
Message sent to all. There are no confirmations on multiple recipient messages.
A howl of pain may just be audible, coming from the northeast of the city.
Beronica Destral nods to Noah. "I'll be quick, but I don't want to risk..." She pauses a she hears the howl. "Guess I can get cleaned up later. I'm staying with you."
"Glad I inspire that much confidence," Noah quips with a brief, troubled grin, sending off a courier with a murmured message. "I'd go right now, but damn it, I'd just get killed. I hate t'delay, but I ain't doin' this without somebody behind me." [Noah]
Lloyd rides in from the west
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines has arrived.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail has arrived.
Lloyd continues to the east.
Lloyd rides back in after speeding in at a frantic canter. His mace is drawn, and a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines, who's jogged after him, also has her own sword bared. Looking around, the man glances down and curses softly. "What's happened here? Reeve Reed, I want an answer -now-." His words are directed for Noah, but his eyes are kept on the body.
"Earl Marshall." Noah salutes sharply to Lloyd, fist to heart. His expression is solemn and pensive, brows set. "This feller here-" A nod down at the dead man- "said that he'n his friends... they summoned a demon t'get a woman pregnant. And she's gone mad with it, killin' horses and people beside, crazy with sick cravin's fer blood. He thinks she's in th'stone circle north'f town - said she liked it there." [Noah]
Beronica Destral frowns slightly. "If I remember correctly there is a chamber underneath it," she offers to the two men. "Though I may have remembered wrong."
"Have you summoned all able bodies?" Lloyd asks tersely, not waiting a beat after Noah and Beronica Destral have finished. "A similar attack has occurred at the Keep, and many are wounded, so my apologies if few of my Knights show." [Lloyd]
"I've summoned all able bodies, yes, m'lord Earl Marshall," Noah confirms with a quick nod. "I'm a Reeve, not no Knight, but I'm willin' nonetheless t'go and help." He slants a curious glance to Beronica Destral. "M'not aware of one, but that don't mean there ain't one." [Noah]
Beronica Destral looks over to Lloyd. "Is Mister Tristana Smithe about and able, Lord Marshall? I have heard him talk about various hidden areas outside of Lithmore."
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes arrives from the west, his hands hidden beneath the folds of his robes.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite has arrived.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes slows to a halt.
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls arrives from the west, each step causing a floor-length, ice blue silk cloak with jade embroidery to ripple.
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls slows to a halt.
"He'll have to come then." Lloyd responds sharply to Beronica Destral, casting a minute glance to the new arrivals. "We need as many as possible to assist." He then returns his attention to the body. "Who struck him down?" [Lloyd]
"He came here bleedin', m'lord, and bleedin' somethin' awful. The Prime were tryin' t'heal him, but then dark tentacles rose around him, and his eyes glazed red. He spoke in a voice not like his own, said 'Come if y'dare' and somethin' odd about... floatin'. Then he crumpled, th'red left his eyes, and he just... died." Noah narrates all this testimony in low, somber tones. "Th'circle itself ain't hidden." [Noah]
Coming to a stalled halt beside an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries not to peer over at the body, giving a delicate shudder and taking a single step back towards a rugged, blond-haired Orderite and his weapons, her bright green eyes darting around to watch everyone at once. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
Entering arm-in-arm with a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls, the sounds of heavy footfalls announce an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's entrance to the scene, with a rugged, blond-haired Orderite taking point, as if guarding the pair from nonexistent threats. The blond-haired Orderite looks perfectly wary; the red-robed man, less so. "Where are the demons?" he intones, loosing his arm from a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls's, so that both hands clasp together beneath the sleeves of heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread. As the body's seen, he looks down at it, lips curling inward.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite pulls out a dagger.
"I last saw him over on Park Street," Beronica Destral offers to Lloyd before looking over to Noah. "The circle, no, but it better to be prepared for the worst." [Beronica Destral]
"Let's hope the others who answered the call arrive soon," Lloyd murmurs, eyes narrowing as he listens to Noah recount. "Little time can be spared." The stony grey gaze moves over to a rugged, blond-haired Orderite and his cold reply is laconic. "North of Lithmore." He runs his eyes over a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls and an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. "He'll be coming as well, I presume?" [Lloyd]
Looking towards an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes to answer any questions, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls stays silently at his side, protectively even, though clearly she has no weapon of any kind and a stiff breeze could knock her over. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
Noah shoots an openly doubtful glance to a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls, though he doesn't comment on her presence. A polite bow is given toward an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. "Th'stone circle is our first guess, Sir Inquisitor, but w'don't know precisely," he elaborates on Lloyd's answer. "We're lookin' fer a pregnant woman, dark hair, dark eyes."
"We will go, yes. However, aside from Wil, whose use is best suited as a distraction or fodder at best," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells Lloyd directly, one hand parting from his sleeves to indicate a rugged, blond-haired Orderite, "I count just you, Sir Knight. If there are infernal beings, is your sword alone enough to end them?" The question's direct, and he turns his shoulders then when Noah addresses him. "Well, good. A pregnant woman is weighed down. But I would still prefer more weapons."
Lloyd merely nods his response to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, adjusting himself in his saddle and glancing down to a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines. "Dame Agnes, the patrols north of the city have been recalled?" The dame nods and hesitantly lowers her sword, "Yes, Earl Marshall. After the attack, I made sure they went back to the Keep." The Earl Marshall nods slowly before looking down to Noah. "I shall send out another call."
"I ain't sure anybody else's comin', m'lord Earl Marshall." Noah's voice is quiet, but steady and determined. "And I ain't sure how long we got t'wait. I'm a tolerable good hand with a mace, and got m'armor in my pack." That information volunteered, he doesn't go on to make an argument; just stands still, seemingly awaiting something. [Noah]
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes gets smooth obsidian mounted atop a slender hilt of bone from interlinked chalices, burnished and shining, forming a sash.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes wields smooth obsidian mounted atop a slender hilt of bone.
A howl of pain may just be audible, coming from the northeast of the city, animalistic in nature.
"I will send a call," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells Noah then, nodding towards a rugged, blond-haired Orderite briefly and then, across his shoulder, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls's way. "It is a matter of faith for everyone to assist in this matter. Those who do not aid, whether in medicine or by prayer, or by the strength of their arm, are consigned to sin."
"I doubt they'll have time to meet us here," Lloyd responds softly to Noah, nodding slowly and biting his lower lip. "I'll send a messenger to reinstate patrol orders... you!" He calls out a small boy who has managed to remain discreet for sometime in a pair of bushes, but was given away by a sneeze. "Get to the Keep and find Sir de Abn'zahi. Tell him that the Earl Marshall sent you to let him know that the patrols must be sent back out. Be swift, lad, and don't stop until you reach the Keep's walls." The boy nods, visibly both nervous and excited, before running off. [Lloyd]
Beronica Destral shudders slightly at the newest howl. "Then I suggest that we get going soon. Those cries seem to have changed a little in tone."
Noah nods his agreement to Beronica Destral. "They sound almost as if... th'babe might already be comin'. And if that happened... I fear we might be too late." But he still doesn't set off, himself, seemingly waiting on those with more authority than himself to make the final call.
Seamus Harper comes running down the street, at damn near a blind jog, a dark teal leather hat with a black-pinned, up-turned brim jostling atop his head with each quickened step. "Did... I...did it... did they?" He pants out, once he comes to a stop, hands on his knees as tries to slow his breathing!
Standing there albeit a bit uncertainly now next to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries to steel her shoulders and look much taller than her scant height, a flush of crimson creeping up her neck as she listens to everyone speak. Only when an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes comments about sin does she purse her lips in agreement, taking a single step closer to his side. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
A cudgel-wielding Orderite runs through the city, calling all able-bodied men and women to the North Gate to deal with a demonic threat. Apparently, refusal to go constitutes sin -- according to him.
"Miss Synelle. Wil shall be the vanguard. Let's away to the North Gate," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes tells a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls bluntly, offering the crook of his left arm, along with the barest hints of a smile. In his right hand, he holds a small obsidian knife, which he slides neatly through the cord that binds shut heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread, a paltry thing, and clearly of limited utility against a measured demonic threat. He glances towards those remaining in the street. "Leave the corpse. Follow the Earl Marshall. Time is of the essence."
Noah nods sharp agreement to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's command, drawing his mace and turning to fall in behind Lloyd at a martial stance. "We're goin' now, if'n y'can help," he tells Seamus Harper simply. "Follow."
Lloyd watches after the Orderite before glancing around to those gathered. "We have little time. With me, immediately." He doesn't wait for any more responses, and kicks his mare's side with the heel of his boots, spurring her onwards and leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
"Of course High Inquisitor Cullen." a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls replies smoothly to an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm, her gloved fingers curling up sharply before they relax against the bright crimson of the garments. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
"Stop when we get close, m'lord Earl Marshall? Time t'prepare, don armor," Noah suggests to Lloyd. [Noah]
-----
You leave west
The Crossroads
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
A wide open space stretches out here at the very center of Lithmore,
where Church Street and King's Concourse meet. Grass grows in short, neat
plots around the intersection, forming a large and empty lawn. Its edges
are delineated by tall birches, their pale bark and silver leaves a somber
fence. The very center of the space is dominated by a tall granite column,
rising nigh-twenty feet into the sky. A bed of blood-red flowers encircles
it, a sea of color. Traffic diverts around it in both directions, giving
it a wide berth.
Dark clouds loom on the horizon.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
An advertisement for the le Orban Trade Offices has been attached to the wall of a building. (southwestern corner)
A set of weathered wooden stocks rest in the shadow of the column. (southeastern corner)
A tall granite pillar edged with tiny writing is centered at the heart of the junction. (southeastern corner)
Silver lanterns hung on tall stakes guard the four corners of the intersection. (southeastern corner) (lit)
[Linkless] Seamus Harper is here. [App: 3]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
Noah has arrived.
"What I miss?" Maxwell Wattkil questions, as he quickly moves along with his mare trailing behind, gripped by the reins. [Maxwell Wattkil]
"Woman pregnant with demon child," Beronica Destral states to Maxwell Wattkil. "Sounds like she is about to give birth." [Beronica Destral]
"Woman pregnant with demon baby. Stone circle. Gonna go kill her." Noah is a man of few words today, it seems. [Noah]
"Great. Wonderful. Awesome." Maxwell Wattkil offers to Noah, as he readies his polearm and shield for proper use. [Maxwell Wattkil]
Seamus Harper takes long drink from a clay mug, before making the sign of the chalice, the amber liquid giving him some measure of nerve. "Today be as good as any to try an' not die."
"I hate demons." Maxwell Wattkil grunts once, shaking his head a bit, face drawn. [Maxwell Wattkil]
----
You leave north
You come to a halt.
Lithmore's North Gate
[Pleasant, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
The city walls of Lithmore rise forty feet high here, casting their
long, cold shadow over the northern edge of the city. Massive doors made
of weathered tree trunks lashed together and mortered by layers of pitch
serve as the outer North Gate, the front entrance to the large square
gatehouse that guards from unwanted entry. A courtyard between two
portcullises provides further security, though they oft remain raised to
allow for free passage of the many carriages and wagons that travel through
every day.
[ Exits: north south -up- ]
A paper marked with 'REEVES' and the Scales of Justice is posted on the side of the gate. (southwestern corner)
Wrought-iron lamp-posts dangling candle-filled lanterns line the street. (northwestern corner) (lit)
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes is here. [App: 2]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
Lloyd is here, riding a lightly built mare with a dappled coat. [App: 4]
He has a fine steel gada, adorned with a crossed arrow and thorn drawn.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail is here, panting.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines stands here wearing a taut expression.
She has a curved steel talwar with a hilt wrapped in supple leather drawn.
Noah has arrived.
Seamus Harper arrives from the south
Seamus Harper slows to a halt.
Maxwell Wattkil arrives from the south
Maxwell Wattkil slows to a halt.
"Alright!" Lloyd calls, slowing his steed down and turning her around to face the group. "You all know why you're here. We won't waste time with motivational speeches. Reeve Reed, north of the city, yes?" He looks down to Noah expectantly, occasionally shooting glances over his shoulder. [Lloyd]
"...This ain't bad," Noah murmurs, gaze moving between Lloyd, Maxwell Wattkil, and Seamus Harper. "This ought t'be enough, I'm hopin'." After a moment, he sighs and starts to dig a set of mismatched armor from his things. "North'n east of here, m'lord, due directly. Not far't all." [Noah]
"I ain' got no armor. But this not be my first fight, I'll jump in the mix when I can." Seamus Harper nods resolutely, clearly trying his best to put on a brave face in lieu of what's coming. [Seamus Harper]
Beronica Destral wields a half-crescent steel axe with an intricately carved handle.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes clasps both hands together beneath the sleeves of heavy, high-collared scarlet robes edged with golden thread, then takes a step forward. One finger extends, pointed skyward. "All of you: know that the Lord blesses any endeavor meant to do glory in his name. This is one such endeavor," he intones. "You may not survive this. But if you do die, know that you shall be envied, for you will awaken at the feet of the Lord of the Springs."
Lloyd nods briskly at those who speak, turning his mount around and fixing his hat with a hand. "Alright then. Say a quick prayer now, people." He pauses for a few moments before hefting his shield into place and shouting, "Onwards!"
Noah does not seem overly enthused by an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's speech; then again, he doesn't look to be in a mood to be enthused by much of anything. A simple nod of acknowledgment is dropped as he finishes buckling on his helm, a thumb rubbing over the flanging on his mace.
Lloyd rides north, a blue cotton cloak bearing the Crossed Swords on a Chalice swaying behind him as he moves.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines leaves north.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail leaves north.
---------------
A Dappled, Hilly Forest
[Chilly, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
Ancient trees tower far overhead here, climbing for the sky where they
grow somehow upright from the slanted sides of hills. Thick, gnarled roots
support them, providing an impromptu staircase up the hills along their
protrusions. The crowns of the trees, knit together so high above, shield
the ground below from much of the sun's rays. Still, curling ferns and
pale mushrooms litter the forest floor. East and south the trees thin,
while north a taller hill rises; west, a group of pale birch trees stands
out in the otherwise mixed forest.
Dark clouds loom on the horizon.
A field of glowing energy makes the northern exit look hazy.
[ Exits: north east south west ]
A frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls is here. [App: 4]
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite with dull blue eyes stands here warily.
He has a common Lithmorran eating knife with a scant wooden handle drawn.
An austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes is here. [App: 1]
A young woman with chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes is here. [App: 2]
Beronica Destral is here. [App: 3]
Lloyd is here, riding a lightly built mare with a dappled coat. [App: 4]
He has a fine steel gada, adorned with a crossed arrow and thorn drawn.
A golden-furred hunting dog with a bushy tail is here, panting.
A curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines stands here wearing a taut expression.
She has a curved steel talwar with a hilt wrapped in supple leather drawn.
Noah has arrived.
Seamus Harper arrives from the west
Seamus Harper slows to a halt.
look north
A field of glowing energy makes the view look hazy.
A Stone Circle on a Forested Hill
[Chilly, cloudy, heavy breeze from the west, morning]
Thick forests that mingle evergreens with less hardy varieties of tree
cluster up the sides of this hill, though its very top is left largely
bare, a clearing encircled by a border of massive, ancient firs. Soft,
dense green grass crowns the hilltop, and at its very apex stands the
remnants of a stone circle. Large plinths, vaguely cylindrical but
irregular, stand about ten feet tall. Their rough surfaces are figured
with carvings of animals, fighting and sleeping, running and romping,
giving birth and dying. Old moss clusters here and there, but has largely
been cleared away. To the west, the hill descends into a smaller glade,
forest rolling onward in every direction.
(Various limbs of varying different creatures, many of them human, are clearly visible within the ring of stones. They have been laid in a strange pattern that resembles some kind of macabre bird nest, and everything is just bright red all over the place with dried blood.
)
A misshapen blob of off-white tallow is here. (southern edge)
A dark-eyed woman with raven hair is here gnawing on a random arm, just outside her macabre nest. [App: 3]
Maxwell Wattkil arrives from the west moving quickly, weapon at the ready
Maxwell Wattkil slows to a halt.
"Incantations," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes announces, pointing northward. "Wil, take point. Do not let whatever's beyond touch Miss Synelle or myself," he intones, reaching out to offer a rugged, blond-haired Orderite an almost paternalistic clasp upon the shoulder; and, so bidden, the dim-looking Orderite positions himself to defend his charges.
"A uauwa' uhaawah awalookoh haowa... waloha uhau." Seamus Harper mutters to himself, fingers tightening around the grip of a double edged dagger with a leather wrapped hilt. [Seamus Harper]
Noah peers to the north, squinting. "Y'can see through it," he volunteers, then abruptly pales. "...that looks like our girl, aright." He swallows, convulsively. "Can we... go through that... whatever it is?"
"Nearer we go..." Lloyd murmurs lowly, his hand visibly gripping the gada he holds tighter. "Dame Agnes, if this is the last time, it's been an honor." He casts a mournful smile down at a curvy, greying Knight with laugh lines, who doesn't return it. Looking over his shoulder at the others in the group, he nods once. "Everyone ready?" [Lloyd]
"...Do we have any bowmen?" Maxwell Wattkil questions, as he looks around. "This could make this -extremely- easy." [Maxwell Wattkil]
"Arien it will be," Beronica Destral states as she shoulders her axe. "And the only bow man I know is unable to use her arm currently." [Beronica Destral]
"I dunno that arrows can go through that... whatever it is. I dunno that -we- can go through that whatever it is," Noah sighs, hands tightening on his mace's haft. "But w'got t'try, and I'm ready." [Noah]
"Be confident. We have the Lord on our side. Why on Urth would we ever need bows?" an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes wonders, sounding entirely too-sure of himself, enough that he advances apace to stand beside (although, still behind) a rugged, blond-haired Orderite, whom he once more favors with a friendly pat.
Standing way to the back of the group and looking slightly ill, a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls tries to move forward if only to lightly touch the back of an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes. [a frail young woman with chocolate-hued curls]
A random man in the crowd gathered goes up to the force field and sticks his arm through it. "I'll need this blessed and possibly burned later, but looks like we can go through."
"From the sea I be, and to it I return, Blessed by the Lord with salt and water. Kissed ny the rays of the sun at dawn. I have sailed my due, whatever port the ship brings me to, it is bringing me home." Seamus Harper prays, his eyes tightening at the corners. [Seamus Harper]
"By the Lord's name, just go: the woman grows stronger with each passing moment," an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes states now, loudly -- anger curdles within his belly, and the flats of his hands press against a rugged, blond-haired Orderite's back, and that man-- he's shoved forward, now that the forcefield has been deemed at least somewhat safe.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite begins to move north.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite crosses the center of the area.
A rugged, blond-haired Orderite leaves north.
With the Orderite shoved in, Noah's eyes round in alarm, and he none-too-gently shoulders his way forward to follow with a frankly aghast look shot an austere, bronzed man with stark moss-green eyes's way. [Noah]
Noah thinks to himself, "You asshat!"
"All ready?" Lloyd repeats to the group, this time more firmer. "Yes? Alright then." He doesn't wait for a single response and rides forward after the orderite, mace pointed outwards. [Lloyd]
Maxwell Wattkil thrusts his polearm forward, northward. "Let's go!"