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"Out of the Frying Pan" - Book I: Gathering Wood (reprise)
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<blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 20147" data-attributes="member: 11"><p><strong>Session #1 (Part II)</strong></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 15px">Isilem, The 23rd of Keent - 564 H.E.</span></strong></p><p></p><p>The next day had three of our protagonists waking very early to get started on the things they wanted to get done. </p><p></p><p>Beorth attended the Dawn Ceremony at the temple of Ra as a good follower of the pantheon, hoping to visit the priests who made up the Council of Conscription for the Crown afterwards. </p><p>Kazrack dressed up in his father’s finest clothes to go meet Boris E. Crumb at the Slim Stilleto.</p><p> </p><p>Jana headed towards the Northeastern Gate out of the City to meet the herb woman at the cemetery. </p><p></p><p>Malcolm slept off his night of drinking. </p><p></p><p>The gate out of the city was clogged with peddlers and farmers bring their wares to market. Ra’s Glory (12) was barely up, but the guards picked people at random and looked through their carts and questioned them about their business. </p><p></p><p>As Jana went to step through one guard approached her and asked her business. The guard looked her up and down as she explained that she was going to meet her new employer and hunt for herbs. </p><p></p><p>“Well, we’ve had reports of young men dressing as women to avoid conscription. Are you sure you are a girl?” </p><p></p><p>“And I take it that you would like to check, huh?” Jana said with a twinge of sarcasm, her light brown hair shining golden in the first lights of the day. </p><p></p><p>Suddenly embarrassed, the guard looked at the petite girl and relented. “Well, I guess you’re too cute to be a boy. You can go on your way.” </p><p></p><p>Jana went out to the new cemetery (13) with a pishaw. She met up with the old lady (named Lalena) at the get to the cemetery who explained that they would look for Black Vein Mushrooms which grew near fresh graves in the shade. Jana knew what they looked like, but never knew they had any medicinal value. She and the old lady split up to search. </p><p></p><p>Kazrack arrived at the Slim Stilleto to find it quiet and deserted except for the inn-keep who seemed to be cleaning up after quite a party that must have happened the night before. </p><p></p><p>“Everyone’s still sleeping,” the innkeep said. Kazrack decided to have breakfast while waiting, which consisted of eggs, thick bread, blood pudding and an ale. </p><p></p><p>After the Ceremony of the Dawn, Beorth was shown in to see the Council of Conscription ahead of all the commoners waiting to plead their cases. The paladin of Anubis tried to explain to the honored priests that his dedication to Anubis made it difficult to see himself in a role in the war. He explained that he felt it was his duty not only to ensure that the dead received proper burial, but that those caught between life and death (the undead) were freed of their suffering. </p><p></p><p>The priests explained that by taking part in the war effort Beorth could not only help to ensure that soldiers got proper burial, and that those he fought received quick and painless deaths – but that there were rumors that the Black Islanders, worshipers of Set, were using the undead as foot soldiers in the war. </p><p></p><p>Beorth explained that he had been left behind by the Monks of Anubis to care for the monastery in their absence. (14)</p><p></p><p>The priests explained that as “holy warriors” of Anubis were not officially recognized as being part of any church hierarchy that such a duty could not be taken into account. </p><p></p><p>Sighing, Beorth was down to his last card in getting out of taking part in a war he was not sure was morally right. However, this last truth was a dangerous one to admit. </p><p></p><p>“I am a Black Islander,” the young paladin said. The priests stared blankly at him. “I was born there. My family was an important noble family there – but I was brought here as a child to be raised by the monks when my parents were killed.” </p><p></p><p>The priests silently sized him up and then excusing themselves conferred in harsh whispers for a few minutes. </p><p></p><p>Finally, the center priest addressed him again. “Upon conferring we have decided to let you know that we have heard that Crown plans to announce (with the Parliament’s blessing) that all Black Island nationals should report to their local garrison and might be detained for the remainder of the war. At best you can hope to be put under house arrest in the monastery, but may end up in a special dungeon. Needless to say, we will make a note of your origins and excuse you from conscription – but perhaps you may want to find a way out of the country if you want to continue with your duty to Anubis whilst the war does rage.” </p><p></p><p>Thanking the priests and praising Ra, Beorth left the temple and wondered what he was going to do about this new predicament. </p><p></p><p>Having collected a few dozen Black Vein Mushrooms, Jana decided to find the old woman and see what to do next, but she seemed to be nowhere around. So, the young girl began to wander the cemetery looking for her. After walking around the base of the hill she spotted the woman crouched behind a tree. The woman had both of her hands up to her mouth and seemed to be chewing. Jana froze, and then stepped behind some shrubbery to watch from a safe place. Placing something in her bag, the old woman got up and pulling out a spade seemed to dig a small whole in a fresh grave. After not having to dig too deep, she pried a hole in a coffin with the spade’s point and pulled out the fleshed draped hand and forearm of a corpse. Jana had seen enough and fled the cemetery. </p><p></p><p>Finally, a very hung-over Deet of Ptah awoke at the Slim Stilleto. And found Kazrack waiting in the common room. “Crumb said I should be expecting you. Oooh, my head hurts. But I thought it’d be last night.” </p><p></p><p>Kazrack began to try to haggle on the pay for the trip. Deet explained that he was in no position to haggle, and that everyone had to sign the same contract and agree to the same conditions and had the same basic role in the group. </p><p></p><p>“But as a smith I will be fixing people’s weapons and armor and perhaps other equipment,” Kazrack said.</p><p></p><p>“If it comes to that, you will simply do it - as stipulated by the contract,” the old priest said, remembering that he left the contract in his room and left to get it. Upon returning with the contract, he handed it to Kazrack who snatched it and said he’d be back. </p><p></p><p>“Hey, you have to sign that – You can’t take it – It has a royal stamp on it!” The dwarf was gone with a quick “You can trust me.” He ran towards the Temple District and the Dwarf Wall to have a rumor-monger read it to him. </p><p>As Jana came back through the city gate the guard that stopped her halted his search of a cart to come over and ask her if she were interested in meeting him for a drink later that night. </p><p></p><p>“Uh-huh,” Jana said, skeptically. </p><p></p><p>“Meet me at the Slim Stilleto,” he said. “My name is Arnold.” </p><p></p><p>And with that Jana left the gate behind, with no intention to meet him anywhere. She decided that she needed to go to the monastery of Anubis and report that someone has been desecrating graves. She arrived at the Monastery just as Beorth returned from the Temple of Ra.</p><p></p><p>“I am here to see the monks,” she said.</p><p></p><p>“The monks are gone, but I am here in their stead, how can I help you?”</p><p></p><p>“I’d rather not say it out here on the street,” Jana answered. So the young paladin led her inside where over tea she explained about the old woman and the digging in the grave. </p><p></p><p>“Can you show me where this was?” he asked her</p><p></p><p>“Yes,” she answered</p><p></p><p>“Wait while I retrieve my armor and weapons.” </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile Kazrack was having a surly rumor-monger read him the contract, and saw the young paladin and the girl walking past him and hailed him. </p><p></p><p>“Have any luck with getting that body down?” the dwarf asked.</p><p></p><p>The paladin simply pointed up to the body still hanging on the Red God Temple Tower.</p><p></p><p>“Oh yeah,” said Kazrack. “Can you read?”</p><p></p><p>“Sure.” Beorth said.</p><p></p><p>“Will you read this to me?” the dwarf asked snatching the contract out of the Rumor-monger’s hand.</p><p></p><p>“Hey don’t trust him, he bares the mark of death!”</p><p></p><p>“Boo!” said Beorth, and the gossiper ran off.</p><p></p><p>“I would by I have to help this young woman. It seems she has witnessed the desecration of graves in the New Cemetery.” </p><p></p><p>“How about I help you and then you read this too me later? I just have to stop home and get my weapon and armor.” </p><p></p><p>“Agreed,” said the holy warrior, and they entered the Residential District to do just that before heading towards the cemetery. </p><p></p><p>At the gate the guards stopped the trio, asking where armed and armored men were going. Beorth explained, and recognizing him as the Warden of the Monastery of Anubis let them by. However, Arnold watched jealously as they disappeared from view, frowning.</p><p> </p><p>At the cemetery the three of them looked around, but did not see the old woman. Jana took the paladin and dwarf to the grave she saw the old woman pull the bone from, and they confirmed that it had been freshly disturbed. They looked around some more to no avail, but they did see a funeral going on and walked past quietly to be respectful. Kazrack suggested that from the vantage point of the hill perhaps they could see the woman, or some other clue about flesh-eating people. </p><p></p><p>Looking for a while, Kazrack noted a broken gravestone, so the three of them went down to examine it – and Beorth in particular wanted to make note of it to make sure it was fixed. </p><p></p><p>At the grave, Beorth’s foot sunk into the earth and smashed right through into the coffin. It seems it was only buried a few inches deep. Beorth pulled his aching foot out, and was puzzled that he did not feel any body within. He drew his sword and rattled it around in the hole –still nothing. Finally, Kazrack put his head to the hole and looked in using his darkvision – empty. </p><p></p><p>The three new companions stood about trying to figure out if what had been in had come out of its own accord or whether someone had taken it out – and decided the latter was more likely. </p><p></p><p>Beorth suggested they return to the funeral they saw and wait until it was over and talk to the grave-diggers. The trio arrived in time to see the mourners and priest walk off and the men with shovels begin their work. The coffin was only a few inches below ground level! </p><p></p><p>Beorth of Anubis interrogated them and they agreed through their fear of him that the graves they were digging were too shallow. Beorth was very diplomatic about it, saying he understood how things might slip and rules be forgotten with the monks who usually made sure the traditions were followed being gone – but that it was his duty to take up their role while they were gone. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Malcolm had just woken up and had a bleary eyed breakfast with Chance and the rest of the boys. . .</p><p></p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p></p><p>(12) The sun of Aquerra is called Ra's Glory after the god of the sun and the head of the Pantheon.</p><p></p><p>(13) The New Cemetery of Verdun is located just outside of the city, and was constructed when the one in the Noble District began to fill up about 75 years before this story takes place. Only the very rich are still buried in the old cemetery. The area around the new cemetery is a popular place for duels to be fought, lovers to meet and shady-dealings to be done.</p><p></p><p>(14) The Monks of Anubis were called away to a convocation to discuss their order and its goals and methods. The convocation is happening in the Archduchy of Wallbrook in the month of Syet.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="el-remmen, post: 20147, member: 11"] [b]Session #1 (Part II)[/b] [b][size=4]Isilem, The 23rd of Keent - 564 H.E.[/size][/b] The next day had three of our protagonists waking very early to get started on the things they wanted to get done. Beorth attended the Dawn Ceremony at the temple of Ra as a good follower of the pantheon, hoping to visit the priests who made up the Council of Conscription for the Crown afterwards. Kazrack dressed up in his father’s finest clothes to go meet Boris E. Crumb at the Slim Stilleto. Jana headed towards the Northeastern Gate out of the City to meet the herb woman at the cemetery. Malcolm slept off his night of drinking. The gate out of the city was clogged with peddlers and farmers bring their wares to market. Ra’s Glory (12) was barely up, but the guards picked people at random and looked through their carts and questioned them about their business. As Jana went to step through one guard approached her and asked her business. The guard looked her up and down as she explained that she was going to meet her new employer and hunt for herbs. “Well, we’ve had reports of young men dressing as women to avoid conscription. Are you sure you are a girl?” “And I take it that you would like to check, huh?” Jana said with a twinge of sarcasm, her light brown hair shining golden in the first lights of the day. Suddenly embarrassed, the guard looked at the petite girl and relented. “Well, I guess you’re too cute to be a boy. You can go on your way.” Jana went out to the new cemetery (13) with a pishaw. She met up with the old lady (named Lalena) at the get to the cemetery who explained that they would look for Black Vein Mushrooms which grew near fresh graves in the shade. Jana knew what they looked like, but never knew they had any medicinal value. She and the old lady split up to search. Kazrack arrived at the Slim Stilleto to find it quiet and deserted except for the inn-keep who seemed to be cleaning up after quite a party that must have happened the night before. “Everyone’s still sleeping,” the innkeep said. Kazrack decided to have breakfast while waiting, which consisted of eggs, thick bread, blood pudding and an ale. After the Ceremony of the Dawn, Beorth was shown in to see the Council of Conscription ahead of all the commoners waiting to plead their cases. The paladin of Anubis tried to explain to the honored priests that his dedication to Anubis made it difficult to see himself in a role in the war. He explained that he felt it was his duty not only to ensure that the dead received proper burial, but that those caught between life and death (the undead) were freed of their suffering. The priests explained that by taking part in the war effort Beorth could not only help to ensure that soldiers got proper burial, and that those he fought received quick and painless deaths – but that there were rumors that the Black Islanders, worshipers of Set, were using the undead as foot soldiers in the war. Beorth explained that he had been left behind by the Monks of Anubis to care for the monastery in their absence. (14) The priests explained that as “holy warriors” of Anubis were not officially recognized as being part of any church hierarchy that such a duty could not be taken into account. Sighing, Beorth was down to his last card in getting out of taking part in a war he was not sure was morally right. However, this last truth was a dangerous one to admit. “I am a Black Islander,” the young paladin said. The priests stared blankly at him. “I was born there. My family was an important noble family there – but I was brought here as a child to be raised by the monks when my parents were killed.” The priests silently sized him up and then excusing themselves conferred in harsh whispers for a few minutes. Finally, the center priest addressed him again. “Upon conferring we have decided to let you know that we have heard that Crown plans to announce (with the Parliament’s blessing) that all Black Island nationals should report to their local garrison and might be detained for the remainder of the war. At best you can hope to be put under house arrest in the monastery, but may end up in a special dungeon. Needless to say, we will make a note of your origins and excuse you from conscription – but perhaps you may want to find a way out of the country if you want to continue with your duty to Anubis whilst the war does rage.” Thanking the priests and praising Ra, Beorth left the temple and wondered what he was going to do about this new predicament. Having collected a few dozen Black Vein Mushrooms, Jana decided to find the old woman and see what to do next, but she seemed to be nowhere around. So, the young girl began to wander the cemetery looking for her. After walking around the base of the hill she spotted the woman crouched behind a tree. The woman had both of her hands up to her mouth and seemed to be chewing. Jana froze, and then stepped behind some shrubbery to watch from a safe place. Placing something in her bag, the old woman got up and pulling out a spade seemed to dig a small whole in a fresh grave. After not having to dig too deep, she pried a hole in a coffin with the spade’s point and pulled out the fleshed draped hand and forearm of a corpse. Jana had seen enough and fled the cemetery. Finally, a very hung-over Deet of Ptah awoke at the Slim Stilleto. And found Kazrack waiting in the common room. “Crumb said I should be expecting you. Oooh, my head hurts. But I thought it’d be last night.” Kazrack began to try to haggle on the pay for the trip. Deet explained that he was in no position to haggle, and that everyone had to sign the same contract and agree to the same conditions and had the same basic role in the group. “But as a smith I will be fixing people’s weapons and armor and perhaps other equipment,” Kazrack said. “If it comes to that, you will simply do it - as stipulated by the contract,” the old priest said, remembering that he left the contract in his room and left to get it. Upon returning with the contract, he handed it to Kazrack who snatched it and said he’d be back. “Hey, you have to sign that – You can’t take it – It has a royal stamp on it!” The dwarf was gone with a quick “You can trust me.” He ran towards the Temple District and the Dwarf Wall to have a rumor-monger read it to him. As Jana came back through the city gate the guard that stopped her halted his search of a cart to come over and ask her if she were interested in meeting him for a drink later that night. “Uh-huh,” Jana said, skeptically. “Meet me at the Slim Stilleto,” he said. “My name is Arnold.” And with that Jana left the gate behind, with no intention to meet him anywhere. She decided that she needed to go to the monastery of Anubis and report that someone has been desecrating graves. She arrived at the Monastery just as Beorth returned from the Temple of Ra. “I am here to see the monks,” she said. “The monks are gone, but I am here in their stead, how can I help you?” “I’d rather not say it out here on the street,” Jana answered. So the young paladin led her inside where over tea she explained about the old woman and the digging in the grave. “Can you show me where this was?” he asked her “Yes,” she answered “Wait while I retrieve my armor and weapons.” Meanwhile Kazrack was having a surly rumor-monger read him the contract, and saw the young paladin and the girl walking past him and hailed him. “Have any luck with getting that body down?” the dwarf asked. The paladin simply pointed up to the body still hanging on the Red God Temple Tower. “Oh yeah,” said Kazrack. “Can you read?” “Sure.” Beorth said. “Will you read this to me?” the dwarf asked snatching the contract out of the Rumor-monger’s hand. “Hey don’t trust him, he bares the mark of death!” “Boo!” said Beorth, and the gossiper ran off. “I would by I have to help this young woman. It seems she has witnessed the desecration of graves in the New Cemetery.” “How about I help you and then you read this too me later? I just have to stop home and get my weapon and armor.” “Agreed,” said the holy warrior, and they entered the Residential District to do just that before heading towards the cemetery. At the gate the guards stopped the trio, asking where armed and armored men were going. Beorth explained, and recognizing him as the Warden of the Monastery of Anubis let them by. However, Arnold watched jealously as they disappeared from view, frowning. At the cemetery the three of them looked around, but did not see the old woman. Jana took the paladin and dwarf to the grave she saw the old woman pull the bone from, and they confirmed that it had been freshly disturbed. They looked around some more to no avail, but they did see a funeral going on and walked past quietly to be respectful. Kazrack suggested that from the vantage point of the hill perhaps they could see the woman, or some other clue about flesh-eating people. Looking for a while, Kazrack noted a broken gravestone, so the three of them went down to examine it – and Beorth in particular wanted to make note of it to make sure it was fixed. At the grave, Beorth’s foot sunk into the earth and smashed right through into the coffin. It seems it was only buried a few inches deep. Beorth pulled his aching foot out, and was puzzled that he did not feel any body within. He drew his sword and rattled it around in the hole –still nothing. Finally, Kazrack put his head to the hole and looked in using his darkvision – empty. The three new companions stood about trying to figure out if what had been in had come out of its own accord or whether someone had taken it out – and decided the latter was more likely. Beorth suggested they return to the funeral they saw and wait until it was over and talk to the grave-diggers. The trio arrived in time to see the mourners and priest walk off and the men with shovels begin their work. The coffin was only a few inches below ground level! Beorth of Anubis interrogated them and they agreed through their fear of him that the graves they were digging were too shallow. Beorth was very diplomatic about it, saying he understood how things might slip and rules be forgotten with the monks who usually made sure the traditions were followed being gone – but that it was his duty to take up their role while they were gone. Meanwhile, Malcolm had just woken up and had a bleary eyed breakfast with Chance and the rest of the boys. . . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [b]Notes[/b] (12) The sun of Aquerra is called Ra's Glory after the god of the sun and the head of the Pantheon. (13) The New Cemetery of Verdun is located just outside of the city, and was constructed when the one in the Noble District began to fill up about 75 years before this story takes place. Only the very rich are still buried in the old cemetery. The area around the new cemetery is a popular place for duels to be fought, lovers to meet and shady-dealings to be done. (14) The Monks of Anubis were called away to a convocation to discuss their order and its goals and methods. The convocation is happening in the Archduchy of Wallbrook in the month of Syet. [/QUOTE]
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