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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3307027" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>Rhema’s father had waited with the horses until he knew that the threat had passed. He had once been a decent warrior, but he was currently unarmed and hadn’t practiced in a while. He knew that staying with the horses was the wisest option given the current situation. Once he saw Charis’ pick deal the telling blow and end the combat, Rhema’s father left the horses tied to the edge of the forest and returned as quickly as he could to the remains of the villa.</p><p></p><p>He approached the party and embraced his daughter with a large hug. <span style="color: Lime">“I was so worried. Are you alright?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded and looked down to the woman lying on the ground. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yeah, I’m alright. The woman wouldn’t succumb to my mental suggestions, though. She must have been prepared for what was to come.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded and he finished tying the woman’s hands and slipped a gag over her mouth. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I think that is absolutely likely. She didn’t make herself known until Charis and I were away. She waited until Brant and Ausaphaborishan left. Her only mistake was going after Rhema instead of Semeion first.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion looked down to Ischarus and raised an eyebrow. <span style="color: Plum">“Hey! Just what do you mean by that? I know that you just got married, but you want me to die instead?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus chuckled. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Oh, I didn’t mean anything personal. All I meant was that if the woman knew she could withstand Rhema’s telepathic suggestions then she should’ve attacked you first. You were the bigger threat to her.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis slipped the protective leather covering over her pick once Ischarus finished tying the woman up. <span style="color: Orange">“Yeah, but that’s not really saying much.”</span> Charis smiled innocently at Semeion as if to tease him with her expression in addition to her words.</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled and looked around to the rest of the villa. <span style="color: Plum">“Great. So, now what do we do with her?”</span> His expression and his tone refused to give Charis the woundedness she was hoping for.</p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded with Semeion’s sentiment. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Yeah, it isn’t like we have a place to spend the evening much less keep a prisoner.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis turned to Rhema’s father and sought a more professional opinion. <span style="color: Orange">“Do you think we could run her into Fingerdale and ask to have her locked up under the warden’s care? We just got done saying that the warden was a legitimate guy in spite of locking Ischarus up behind bars for a few hours.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head side to side, but he didn’t get a chance to speak before Ischarus added his own opinion. <span style="color: LightBlue">“No. We can’t trust anyone until we learn where the threat came from. As far as we know, the threat could have come through the warden. After all, I suppose Grick could have done enough talking to convince someone that we were dangerous. If Grick is the leak, then it would make sense that the warden and the captain of the guard could be linked to this.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion wrinkled his eyebrows in thought as he spun out Ischarus’ suggestion in his mind. <span style="color: Plum">“Now, wait a minute. You aren’t actually saying that the captain of the guard of Fingerdale and the warden of Lord Ironblood’s person jail are in on this, are you? If that’s the case, why don’t you simply say that Lord Ironblood is in on this as well?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled and stood up to his full height. He looked down slightly to Semeion while he spoke. <span style="color: LightBlue">“No, I don’t actually think that the warden or the jailer are in on this. However, I do think that we can’t put our trust into too many places without knowing for certain where this threat came from.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father continued Ischarus’ thought. <span style="color: Lime">“Besides, both Brandt and Ausaphaborishan seemed convinced that if this were a true attack by a member of the Ephistaemi that there would be a significant financial source funding the attack. Unless Lord Ironblood is less frugal than I know him to be, I do not think the warden or the captain of the guard have a high enough rate of pay to fund an attack like this. The warden and the captain are no doubt well paid, but in order to make the attack go off in this manner there would have had to been significant funding.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis looked down upon the woman lying in the center of the group. She was clearly still unconscious and would likely remain in this manner for some time. <span style="color: Orange">“Yet, just because the warden or the captain of the guard couldn’t fund it does not mean they might not have had a role to play. If they passed along information about our dealing with Grick to the wrong person, then they might be involved without being the official source of the conflict.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion looked back down to the woman. <span style="color: Plum">“Oh, what secrets you hold. I can’t wait until you wake up and we can try and get them out of you.”</span> Semeion’s voice took on a tone that was full of pleasure. He looked back up to the party and added to his conversation with the unconscious woman. <span style="color: Plum">“Either way, we can’t even be sure that this attack originated with Grick. It would make sense, but it may not be the only solution. We dare not focus too long and hard on any particular solution or else we run the risk of blinding our minds to the other possibilities.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema breathed in deeply and turned her attention to the fields around the villa. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Charis and Ischarus, what did you all find out about the fields? How badly was the ground scorched?”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis pointed to the field that she had run across to get to the fight between Semeion, Rhema, and the mysterious woman. <span style="color: Orange">“The plants are ruined, but we had really surmised that much last night. The ground still looks well prepared for another planting. The plants will be a few weeks behind, but I think we could replant and still make the harvest before the frost.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head slightly from side to side. <span style="color: Lime">“We’ll have to accept lower prices from the market, then. If our crop comes in later than the rest of the farms then the market will already be saturated. The prices will have come down from the initial spike.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned to the field that he had run across. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I saw the same thing. The plants are burned and dead, but the ground is still viable.”</span> He turned back to look to Rhema’s father. <span style="color: LightBlue">“With the reduced price, will we be able to recuperate the expense for growing the crop and paying the workers?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father nodded affirmatively. <span style="color: Lime">“Assuming you all help when you can and we can beat the frost, we should be able to make enough.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled as a thought ran through his mind. <span style="color: Plum">“Perhaps there is a magical solution to our dilemma? Could magic be used to advance the plants and get them back to the place of growth that they should be at?”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head discouragingly. <span style="color: Lime">“No, I will not stand for that. Plants that have had magically induced growth produce fruit that looks the same, but the quality in taste is simply not the same. Sure, you can live off of it. It has the same healthy amount of nutrients. But the flavor simply isn’t the same. I can tell by taste when I am sold a fruit that has been grown the old fashioned way and when a fruit has been grown with magical enhancements.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked once more down at the woman. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Very well, then. We’ll replant when the help arrives in a week. But we still haven’t decided what to do with the woman.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis looked to Rhema’s father. <span style="color: Orange">“I’m assuming the woods will be safe enough to sleep in tonight? We’ll just pretend we are in Quehalost and post watches. The watches will need to keep track of her until we can find some kind of better solution.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head. <span style="color: Plum">“The woods will be a fine answer for our sleeping tonight. However, I think that we’ll not want to keep the woman with us. We can only prevent her from casting a spell for so long. One mistake and she’ll be invisible before we know it. If she’s allowed to get invisible, then she’s gone.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father looked back to Semeion. <span style="color: Lime">“Well, then, what is it that you suggest?”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded slowly as his mind spun out a plan. <span style="color: Plum">“Brandt. Surely the temple in Fingerdale has a means for dealing with heretical divine agents. They should be prepared to silence their opposition.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis smiled. <span style="color: Orange">“And by silence, I assume that you mean it quite literally? They should be able to prevent her from summoning the power of her god and casting a spell.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema looked displeased as she spoke. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Don’t take this the wrong way, Ischarus, but can we trust the temple in Fingerdale? We spent a fair amount of time dealing with Brandt. How do we know that one of the acolytes is not responsible for leaking information to bring this destruction about?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus glanced back to Rhema with a confused look. <span style="color: LightBlue">“You are actually thinking that a priest of my deity could be responsible for this? Look at this woman! If what you are saying is true then the implications are huge. It would mean that my god is in league with an evil cult from which this member of the Ephistaemi has come.”</span></p><p></p><p>Semeion looked back to Ischarus. <span style="color: Plum">“Careful, Ischarus. Do not let your faith blind you. We’re all capable of falling. Every one of us has a button that can be pushed or a price tag to be bought. But fundamentally I agree with you. At this point we cannot trust many, especially of those who live in Fingerdale. However, if we cannot trust the temple where Brandt has his office I do not know who we can trust. If the temple is corrupt, then we are in far worse shape than we can possibly imagine.”</span></p><p></p><p>Charis replied conclusively. <span style="color: Orange">“Then it is settled. We plant in a week. We sleep in the forest. The woman goes with Brandt when he returns.”</span> Nobody objected to Charis’ summary, but Rhema looked skeptical as to whether the plan was wise.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]</p><p>Rhema’s father had waited with the horses until he knew that the threat had passed. He had once been a decent warrior, but he was currently unarmed and hadn’t practiced in a while. He knew that staying with the horses was the wisest option given the current situation. Once he saw Charis’ pick deal the telling blow and end the combat, Rhema’s father left the horses tied to the edge of the forest and returned as quickly as he could to the remains of the villa.</p><p></p><p>He approached the party and embraced his daughter with a large hug. “I was so worried. Are you alright?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded and looked down to the woman lying on the ground. “Yeah, I’m alright. The woman wouldn’t succumb to my mental suggestions, though. She must have been prepared for what was to come.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus nodded and he finished tying the woman’s hands and slipped a gag over her mouth. “I think that is absolutely likely. She didn’t make herself known until Charis and I were away. She waited until Brant and Ausaphaborishan left. Her only mistake was going after Rhema instead of Semeion first.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion looked down to Ischarus and raised an eyebrow. “Hey! Just what do you mean by that? I know that you just got married, but you want me to die instead?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus chuckled. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything personal. All I meant was that if the woman knew she could withstand Rhema’s telepathic suggestions then she should’ve attacked you first. You were the bigger threat to her.”</p><p></p><p>Charis slipped the protective leather covering over her pick once Ischarus finished tying the woman up. “Yeah, but that’s not really saying much.” Charis smiled innocently at Semeion as if to tease him with her expression in addition to her words.</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled and looked around to the rest of the villa. “Great. So, now what do we do with her?” His expression and his tone refused to give Charis the woundedness she was hoping for.</p><p></p><p>Rhema nodded with Semeion’s sentiment. “Yeah, it isn’t like we have a place to spend the evening much less keep a prisoner.”</p><p></p><p>Charis turned to Rhema’s father and sought a more professional opinion. “Do you think we could run her into Fingerdale and ask to have her locked up under the warden’s care? We just got done saying that the warden was a legitimate guy in spite of locking Ischarus up behind bars for a few hours.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head side to side, but he didn’t get a chance to speak before Ischarus added his own opinion. “No. We can’t trust anyone until we learn where the threat came from. As far as we know, the threat could have come through the warden. After all, I suppose Grick could have done enough talking to convince someone that we were dangerous. If Grick is the leak, then it would make sense that the warden and the captain of the guard could be linked to this.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion wrinkled his eyebrows in thought as he spun out Ischarus’ suggestion in his mind. “Now, wait a minute. You aren’t actually saying that the captain of the guard of Fingerdale and the warden of Lord Ironblood’s person jail are in on this, are you? If that’s the case, why don’t you simply say that Lord Ironblood is in on this as well?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled and stood up to his full height. He looked down slightly to Semeion while he spoke. “No, I don’t actually think that the warden or the jailer are in on this. However, I do think that we can’t put our trust into too many places without knowing for certain where this threat came from.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father continued Ischarus’ thought. “Besides, both Brandt and Ausaphaborishan seemed convinced that if this were a true attack by a member of the Ephistaemi that there would be a significant financial source funding the attack. Unless Lord Ironblood is less frugal than I know him to be, I do not think the warden or the captain of the guard have a high enough rate of pay to fund an attack like this. The warden and the captain are no doubt well paid, but in order to make the attack go off in this manner there would have had to been significant funding.”</p><p></p><p>Charis looked down upon the woman lying in the center of the group. She was clearly still unconscious and would likely remain in this manner for some time. “Yet, just because the warden or the captain of the guard couldn’t fund it does not mean they might not have had a role to play. If they passed along information about our dealing with Grick to the wrong person, then they might be involved without being the official source of the conflict.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion looked back down to the woman. “Oh, what secrets you hold. I can’t wait until you wake up and we can try and get them out of you.” Semeion’s voice took on a tone that was full of pleasure. He looked back up to the party and added to his conversation with the unconscious woman. “Either way, we can’t even be sure that this attack originated with Grick. It would make sense, but it may not be the only solution. We dare not focus too long and hard on any particular solution or else we run the risk of blinding our minds to the other possibilities.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema breathed in deeply and turned her attention to the fields around the villa. “Charis and Ischarus, what did you all find out about the fields? How badly was the ground scorched?”</p><p></p><p>Charis pointed to the field that she had run across to get to the fight between Semeion, Rhema, and the mysterious woman. “The plants are ruined, but we had really surmised that much last night. The ground still looks well prepared for another planting. The plants will be a few weeks behind, but I think we could replant and still make the harvest before the frost.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head slightly from side to side. “We’ll have to accept lower prices from the market, then. If our crop comes in later than the rest of the farms then the market will already be saturated. The prices will have come down from the initial spike.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus turned to the field that he had run across. “I saw the same thing. The plants are burned and dead, but the ground is still viable.” He turned back to look to Rhema’s father. “With the reduced price, will we be able to recuperate the expense for growing the crop and paying the workers?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father nodded affirmatively. “Assuming you all help when you can and we can beat the frost, we should be able to make enough.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion smiled as a thought ran through his mind. “Perhaps there is a magical solution to our dilemma? Could magic be used to advance the plants and get them back to the place of growth that they should be at?”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father shook his head discouragingly. “No, I will not stand for that. Plants that have had magically induced growth produce fruit that looks the same, but the quality in taste is simply not the same. Sure, you can live off of it. It has the same healthy amount of nutrients. But the flavor simply isn’t the same. I can tell by taste when I am sold a fruit that has been grown the old fashioned way and when a fruit has been grown with magical enhancements.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked once more down at the woman. “Very well, then. We’ll replant when the help arrives in a week. But we still haven’t decided what to do with the woman.”</p><p></p><p>Charis looked to Rhema’s father. “I’m assuming the woods will be safe enough to sleep in tonight? We’ll just pretend we are in Quehalost and post watches. The watches will need to keep track of her until we can find some kind of better solution.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion shook his head. “The woods will be a fine answer for our sleeping tonight. However, I think that we’ll not want to keep the woman with us. We can only prevent her from casting a spell for so long. One mistake and she’ll be invisible before we know it. If she’s allowed to get invisible, then she’s gone.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema’s father looked back to Semeion. “Well, then, what is it that you suggest?”</p><p></p><p>Semeion nodded slowly as his mind spun out a plan. “Brandt. Surely the temple in Fingerdale has a means for dealing with heretical divine agents. They should be prepared to silence their opposition.”</p><p></p><p>Charis smiled. “And by silence, I assume that you mean it quite literally? They should be able to prevent her from summoning the power of her god and casting a spell.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema looked displeased as she spoke. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Ischarus, but can we trust the temple in Fingerdale? We spent a fair amount of time dealing with Brandt. How do we know that one of the acolytes is not responsible for leaking information to bring this destruction about?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus glanced back to Rhema with a confused look. “You are actually thinking that a priest of my deity could be responsible for this? Look at this woman! If what you are saying is true then the implications are huge. It would mean that my god is in league with an evil cult from which this member of the Ephistaemi has come.”</p><p></p><p>Semeion looked back to Ischarus. “Careful, Ischarus. Do not let your faith blind you. We’re all capable of falling. Every one of us has a button that can be pushed or a price tag to be bought. But fundamentally I agree with you. At this point we cannot trust many, especially of those who live in Fingerdale. However, if we cannot trust the temple where Brandt has his office I do not know who we can trust. If the temple is corrupt, then we are in far worse shape than we can possibly imagine.”</p><p></p><p>Charis replied conclusively. “Then it is settled. We plant in a week. We sleep in the forest. The woman goes with Brandt when he returns.” Nobody objected to Charis’ summary, but Rhema looked skeptical as to whether the plan was wise.</p><p>[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 3307027, member: 35788"] Rhema’s father had waited with the horses until he knew that the threat had passed. He had once been a decent warrior, but he was currently unarmed and hadn’t practiced in a while. He knew that staying with the horses was the wisest option given the current situation. Once he saw Charis’ pick deal the telling blow and end the combat, Rhema’s father left the horses tied to the edge of the forest and returned as quickly as he could to the remains of the villa. He approached the party and embraced his daughter with a large hug. [Color=Lime]“I was so worried. Are you alright?”[/Color] Rhema nodded and looked down to the woman lying on the ground. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yeah, I’m alright. The woman wouldn’t succumb to my mental suggestions, though. She must have been prepared for what was to come.”[/Color] Ischarus nodded and he finished tying the woman’s hands and slipped a gag over her mouth. [Color=LightBlue]“I think that is absolutely likely. She didn’t make herself known until Charis and I were away. She waited until Brant and Ausaphaborishan left. Her only mistake was going after Rhema instead of Semeion first.”[/Color] Semeion looked down to Ischarus and raised an eyebrow. [Color=Plum]“Hey! Just what do you mean by that? I know that you just got married, but you want me to die instead?”[/Color] Ischarus chuckled. [Color=LightBlue]“Oh, I didn’t mean anything personal. All I meant was that if the woman knew she could withstand Rhema’s telepathic suggestions then she should’ve attacked you first. You were the bigger threat to her.”[/Color] Charis slipped the protective leather covering over her pick once Ischarus finished tying the woman up. [Color=Orange]“Yeah, but that’s not really saying much.”[/Color] Charis smiled innocently at Semeion as if to tease him with her expression in addition to her words. Semeion smiled and looked around to the rest of the villa. [Color=Plum]“Great. So, now what do we do with her?”[/Color] His expression and his tone refused to give Charis the woundedness she was hoping for. Rhema nodded with Semeion’s sentiment. [Color=PaleGreen]“Yeah, it isn’t like we have a place to spend the evening much less keep a prisoner.”[/Color] Charis turned to Rhema’s father and sought a more professional opinion. [Color=Orange]“Do you think we could run her into Fingerdale and ask to have her locked up under the warden’s care? We just got done saying that the warden was a legitimate guy in spite of locking Ischarus up behind bars for a few hours.”[/Color] Rhema’s father shook his head side to side, but he didn’t get a chance to speak before Ischarus added his own opinion. [Color=LightBlue]“No. We can’t trust anyone until we learn where the threat came from. As far as we know, the threat could have come through the warden. After all, I suppose Grick could have done enough talking to convince someone that we were dangerous. If Grick is the leak, then it would make sense that the warden and the captain of the guard could be linked to this.”[/Color] Semeion wrinkled his eyebrows in thought as he spun out Ischarus’ suggestion in his mind. [Color=Plum]“Now, wait a minute. You aren’t actually saying that the captain of the guard of Fingerdale and the warden of Lord Ironblood’s person jail are in on this, are you? If that’s the case, why don’t you simply say that Lord Ironblood is in on this as well?”[/Color] Ischarus smiled and stood up to his full height. He looked down slightly to Semeion while he spoke. [Color=LightBlue]“No, I don’t actually think that the warden or the jailer are in on this. However, I do think that we can’t put our trust into too many places without knowing for certain where this threat came from.”[/Color] Rhema’s father continued Ischarus’ thought. [Color=Lime]“Besides, both Brandt and Ausaphaborishan seemed convinced that if this were a true attack by a member of the Ephistaemi that there would be a significant financial source funding the attack. Unless Lord Ironblood is less frugal than I know him to be, I do not think the warden or the captain of the guard have a high enough rate of pay to fund an attack like this. The warden and the captain are no doubt well paid, but in order to make the attack go off in this manner there would have had to been significant funding.”[/Color] Charis looked down upon the woman lying in the center of the group. She was clearly still unconscious and would likely remain in this manner for some time. [Color=Orange]“Yet, just because the warden or the captain of the guard couldn’t fund it does not mean they might not have had a role to play. If they passed along information about our dealing with Grick to the wrong person, then they might be involved without being the official source of the conflict.”[/Color] Semeion looked back down to the woman. [Color=Plum]“Oh, what secrets you hold. I can’t wait until you wake up and we can try and get them out of you.”[/Color] Semeion’s voice took on a tone that was full of pleasure. He looked back up to the party and added to his conversation with the unconscious woman. [Color=Plum]“Either way, we can’t even be sure that this attack originated with Grick. It would make sense, but it may not be the only solution. We dare not focus too long and hard on any particular solution or else we run the risk of blinding our minds to the other possibilities.”[/Color] Rhema breathed in deeply and turned her attention to the fields around the villa. [Color=PaleGreen]“Charis and Ischarus, what did you all find out about the fields? How badly was the ground scorched?”[/Color] Charis pointed to the field that she had run across to get to the fight between Semeion, Rhema, and the mysterious woman. [Color=Orange]“The plants are ruined, but we had really surmised that much last night. The ground still looks well prepared for another planting. The plants will be a few weeks behind, but I think we could replant and still make the harvest before the frost.”[/Color] Rhema’s father shook his head slightly from side to side. [Color=Lime]“We’ll have to accept lower prices from the market, then. If our crop comes in later than the rest of the farms then the market will already be saturated. The prices will have come down from the initial spike.”[/Color] Ischarus turned to the field that he had run across. [Color=LightBlue]“I saw the same thing. The plants are burned and dead, but the ground is still viable.”[/Color] He turned back to look to Rhema’s father. [Color=LightBlue]“With the reduced price, will we be able to recuperate the expense for growing the crop and paying the workers?”[/Color] Rhema’s father nodded affirmatively. [Color=Lime]“Assuming you all help when you can and we can beat the frost, we should be able to make enough.”[/Color] Semeion smiled as a thought ran through his mind. [Color=Plum]“Perhaps there is a magical solution to our dilemma? Could magic be used to advance the plants and get them back to the place of growth that they should be at?”[/Color] Rhema’s father shook his head discouragingly. [Color=Lime]“No, I will not stand for that. Plants that have had magically induced growth produce fruit that looks the same, but the quality in taste is simply not the same. Sure, you can live off of it. It has the same healthy amount of nutrients. But the flavor simply isn’t the same. I can tell by taste when I am sold a fruit that has been grown the old fashioned way and when a fruit has been grown with magical enhancements.”[/Color] Ischarus looked once more down at the woman. [Color=LightBlue]“Very well, then. We’ll replant when the help arrives in a week. But we still haven’t decided what to do with the woman.”[/Color] Charis looked to Rhema’s father. [Color=Orange]“I’m assuming the woods will be safe enough to sleep in tonight? We’ll just pretend we are in Quehalost and post watches. The watches will need to keep track of her until we can find some kind of better solution.”[/Color] Semeion shook his head. [Color=Plum]“The woods will be a fine answer for our sleeping tonight. However, I think that we’ll not want to keep the woman with us. We can only prevent her from casting a spell for so long. One mistake and she’ll be invisible before we know it. If she’s allowed to get invisible, then she’s gone.”[/Color] Rhema’s father looked back to Semeion. [Color=Lime]“Well, then, what is it that you suggest?”[/Color] Semeion nodded slowly as his mind spun out a plan. [Color=Plum]“Brandt. Surely the temple in Fingerdale has a means for dealing with heretical divine agents. They should be prepared to silence their opposition.”[/Color] Charis smiled. [Color=Orange]“And by silence, I assume that you mean it quite literally? They should be able to prevent her from summoning the power of her god and casting a spell.”[/Color] Rhema looked displeased as she spoke. [Color=PaleGreen]“Don’t take this the wrong way, Ischarus, but can we trust the temple in Fingerdale? We spent a fair amount of time dealing with Brandt. How do we know that one of the acolytes is not responsible for leaking information to bring this destruction about?”[/Color] Ischarus glanced back to Rhema with a confused look. [Color=LightBlue]“You are actually thinking that a priest of my deity could be responsible for this? Look at this woman! If what you are saying is true then the implications are huge. It would mean that my god is in league with an evil cult from which this member of the Ephistaemi has come.”[/Color] Semeion looked back to Ischarus. [Color=Plum]“Careful, Ischarus. Do not let your faith blind you. We’re all capable of falling. Every one of us has a button that can be pushed or a price tag to be bought. But fundamentally I agree with you. At this point we cannot trust many, especially of those who live in Fingerdale. However, if we cannot trust the temple where Brandt has his office I do not know who we can trust. If the temple is corrupt, then we are in far worse shape than we can possibly imagine.”[/Color] Charis replied conclusively. [Color=Orange]“Then it is settled. We plant in a week. We sleep in the forest. The woman goes with Brandt when he returns.”[/Color] Nobody objected to Charis’ summary, but Rhema looked skeptical as to whether the plan was wise. [Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section] Rhema’s father had waited with the horses until he knew that the threat had passed. He had once been a decent warrior, but he was currently unarmed and hadn’t practiced in a while. He knew that staying with the horses was the wisest option given the current situation. Once he saw Charis’ pick deal the telling blow and end the combat, Rhema’s father left the horses tied to the edge of the forest and returned as quickly as he could to the remains of the villa. He approached the party and embraced his daughter with a large hug. “I was so worried. Are you alright?” Rhema nodded and looked down to the woman lying on the ground. “Yeah, I’m alright. The woman wouldn’t succumb to my mental suggestions, though. She must have been prepared for what was to come.” Ischarus nodded and he finished tying the woman’s hands and slipped a gag over her mouth. “I think that is absolutely likely. She didn’t make herself known until Charis and I were away. She waited until Brant and Ausaphaborishan left. Her only mistake was going after Rhema instead of Semeion first.” Semeion looked down to Ischarus and raised an eyebrow. “Hey! Just what do you mean by that? I know that you just got married, but you want me to die instead?” Ischarus chuckled. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything personal. All I meant was that if the woman knew she could withstand Rhema’s telepathic suggestions then she should’ve attacked you first. You were the bigger threat to her.” Charis slipped the protective leather covering over her pick once Ischarus finished tying the woman up. “Yeah, but that’s not really saying much.” Charis smiled innocently at Semeion as if to tease him with her expression in addition to her words. Semeion smiled and looked around to the rest of the villa. “Great. So, now what do we do with her?” His expression and his tone refused to give Charis the woundedness she was hoping for. Rhema nodded with Semeion’s sentiment. “Yeah, it isn’t like we have a place to spend the evening much less keep a prisoner.” Charis turned to Rhema’s father and sought a more professional opinion. “Do you think we could run her into Fingerdale and ask to have her locked up under the warden’s care? We just got done saying that the warden was a legitimate guy in spite of locking Ischarus up behind bars for a few hours.” Rhema’s father shook his head side to side, but he didn’t get a chance to speak before Ischarus added his own opinion. “No. We can’t trust anyone until we learn where the threat came from. As far as we know, the threat could have come through the warden. After all, I suppose Grick could have done enough talking to convince someone that we were dangerous. If Grick is the leak, then it would make sense that the warden and the captain of the guard could be linked to this.” Semeion wrinkled his eyebrows in thought as he spun out Ischarus’ suggestion in his mind. “Now, wait a minute. You aren’t actually saying that the captain of the guard of Fingerdale and the warden of Lord Ironblood’s person jail are in on this, are you? If that’s the case, why don’t you simply say that Lord Ironblood is in on this as well?” Ischarus smiled and stood up to his full height. He looked down slightly to Semeion while he spoke. “No, I don’t actually think that the warden or the jailer are in on this. However, I do think that we can’t put our trust into too many places without knowing for certain where this threat came from.” Rhema’s father continued Ischarus’ thought. “Besides, both Brandt and Ausaphaborishan seemed convinced that if this were a true attack by a member of the Ephistaemi that there would be a significant financial source funding the attack. Unless Lord Ironblood is less frugal than I know him to be, I do not think the warden or the captain of the guard have a high enough rate of pay to fund an attack like this. The warden and the captain are no doubt well paid, but in order to make the attack go off in this manner there would have had to been significant funding.” Charis looked down upon the woman lying in the center of the group. She was clearly still unconscious and would likely remain in this manner for some time. “Yet, just because the warden or the captain of the guard couldn’t fund it does not mean they might not have had a role to play. If they passed along information about our dealing with Grick to the wrong person, then they might be involved without being the official source of the conflict.” Semeion looked back down to the woman. “Oh, what secrets you hold. I can’t wait until you wake up and we can try and get them out of you.” Semeion’s voice took on a tone that was full of pleasure. He looked back up to the party and added to his conversation with the unconscious woman. “Either way, we can’t even be sure that this attack originated with Grick. It would make sense, but it may not be the only solution. We dare not focus too long and hard on any particular solution or else we run the risk of blinding our minds to the other possibilities.” Rhema breathed in deeply and turned her attention to the fields around the villa. “Charis and Ischarus, what did you all find out about the fields? How badly was the ground scorched?” Charis pointed to the field that she had run across to get to the fight between Semeion, Rhema, and the mysterious woman. “The plants are ruined, but we had really surmised that much last night. The ground still looks well prepared for another planting. The plants will be a few weeks behind, but I think we could replant and still make the harvest before the frost.” Rhema’s father shook his head slightly from side to side. “We’ll have to accept lower prices from the market, then. If our crop comes in later than the rest of the farms then the market will already be saturated. The prices will have come down from the initial spike.” Ischarus turned to the field that he had run across. “I saw the same thing. The plants are burned and dead, but the ground is still viable.” He turned back to look to Rhema’s father. “With the reduced price, will we be able to recuperate the expense for growing the crop and paying the workers?” Rhema’s father nodded affirmatively. “Assuming you all help when you can and we can beat the frost, we should be able to make enough.” Semeion smiled as a thought ran through his mind. “Perhaps there is a magical solution to our dilemma? Could magic be used to advance the plants and get them back to the place of growth that they should be at?” Rhema’s father shook his head discouragingly. “No, I will not stand for that. Plants that have had magically induced growth produce fruit that looks the same, but the quality in taste is simply not the same. Sure, you can live off of it. It has the same healthy amount of nutrients. But the flavor simply isn’t the same. I can tell by taste when I am sold a fruit that has been grown the old fashioned way and when a fruit has been grown with magical enhancements.” Ischarus looked once more down at the woman. “Very well, then. We’ll replant when the help arrives in a week. But we still haven’t decided what to do with the woman.” Charis looked to Rhema’s father. “I’m assuming the woods will be safe enough to sleep in tonight? We’ll just pretend we are in Quehalost and post watches. The watches will need to keep track of her until we can find some kind of better solution.” Semeion shook his head. “The woods will be a fine answer for our sleeping tonight. However, I think that we’ll not want to keep the woman with us. We can only prevent her from casting a spell for so long. One mistake and she’ll be invisible before we know it. If she’s allowed to get invisible, then she’s gone.” Rhema’s father looked back to Semeion. “Well, then, what is it that you suggest?” Semeion nodded slowly as his mind spun out a plan. “Brandt. Surely the temple in Fingerdale has a means for dealing with heretical divine agents. They should be prepared to silence their opposition.” Charis smiled. “And by silence, I assume that you mean it quite literally? They should be able to prevent her from summoning the power of her god and casting a spell.” Rhema looked displeased as she spoke. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Ischarus, but can we trust the temple in Fingerdale? We spent a fair amount of time dealing with Brandt. How do we know that one of the acolytes is not responsible for leaking information to bring this destruction about?” Ischarus glanced back to Rhema with a confused look. “You are actually thinking that a priest of my deity could be responsible for this? Look at this woman! If what you are saying is true then the implications are huge. It would mean that my god is in league with an evil cult from which this member of the Ephistaemi has come.” Semeion looked back to Ischarus. “Careful, Ischarus. Do not let your faith blind you. We’re all capable of falling. Every one of us has a button that can be pushed or a price tag to be bought. But fundamentally I agree with you. At this point we cannot trust many, especially of those who live in Fingerdale. However, if we cannot trust the temple where Brandt has his office I do not know who we can trust. If the temple is corrupt, then we are in far worse shape than we can possibly imagine.” Charis replied conclusively. “Then it is settled. We plant in a week. We sleep in the forest. The woman goes with Brandt when he returns.” Nobody objected to Charis’ summary, but Rhema looked skeptical as to whether the plan was wise. [/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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