Maka frowns, "This is beyond savage. This is pure evil. They don't want to subjugate these people. They want to wipe them out completely. They want to DESTROY them. If we cannot infiltrate this soldier group, then we must bring the fight to them. We must not only keep up our end, but we must recruit others to our cause as well. We need to organize a resistance. Once we have more numbers, we might be able to plant a spy or two among their ranks."
Maka frowns, "This is beyond savage. This is pure evil. They don't want to subjugate these people. They want to wipe them out completely. They want to DESTROY them.
Raven Elk says but one word after the first part of Maka's diatribe: "Pogrom"
If we cannot infiltrate this soldier group, then we must bring the fight to them. We must not only keep up our end, but we must recruit others to our cause as well. We need to organize a resistance. Once we have more numbers, we might be able to plant a spy or two among their ranks."
"So far, they have only exterminated small villages. We know how news travels poorly and not very far, if at all sometimes. Though not impossible, Maka, your plan has many difficulties, and I don't know if we have the ability to pull it off --- but, all the same, we must try something."
Knocking the dust from his hands, Taylar says, "The first thing we must do is return to the Outpost and report what we have found. From there we can send messengers to other communities to warn them of these atrocities. You are right in that we must resist, but we must inform first. We will bring all the things we have collected so far as evidence." Taylar looks at his sword and shield, gleaned from previous battle with these butchers. "I will be trading these in when we return home. I no longer want to carry them."
Vittero gathers some of the ashes from the village and collects them in a small bag. "I, too, think that they are cowardly attacking the smallest of villages in the area to ensure greater odds of success. I am with Taylar. Let us return home and report what we know. I am taking this ash as a memorial."
Adisakti offers, "Perhaps you can have your father repurpose the sword into a different design, a little irony to return to his owner, point first."
The return trip is more solemn and quiet than the manner in which the Outliers usually travel, each man content with his own thoughts. Upon arriving in town, in about the middle of the afternoon, Plascimon, Vittero's father, Priest of the Dawn, is standing in the main street in front of the temple having a discussion with another man. A crowd has gathered to listen.
The other man, a Markidian of about the same age as Plascimon, is dressed in a deep, red robe, adorned with gold trim along all of its edges. The robe appears to have been manufactured with some practicality for it is divided to aid in riding, but is overlaid with a white surcoat, containing the emblazoned image of the Sun upon its backside. The man's head is crown with a golden diadem, jeweled in the semblance of a rose bramble. Though he is, yet, unknown to the party members, this man is, none other than, the Divine Praetor, himself.
The discussion seems peaceable, though verbose with grandiose vocabulary. Despite his prominent position of power, the Divine Praetor vocalizes his concession to what Plascimon is saying to him. The summary of it is that the use of soldiers has marred the image of the face of the religion and undermined its benevolent ideology of a structured society under Law.
The Divine Praetor bows slightly to acknowledge the lower ranking Priest of Dawn and extends his left hand. Plascimon bends and kisses the ring on the other man's hand. The Divine Praetor then pronounces a blessing upon the priest and the town before removing his surcoat and rolling it up, placing it in a leather pouch on his retrieved horse. He then mounts and rides away, unescorted.
OOC:
Current Inventory:
4-Wheeled Cart pulled by 2 donkeys
Harnin Short Swords: 20
Coins:
chest of various coins
marks: 461
Animal Parts:
Grizzly Skull
Minerals:
Slate: 63: {Thump x2}
Flint: 10 {Heat x2}
Coal: 2: {Heat x3}
Bloodstone: 2: {Confluence +1}
Sunstone: 9: {Persona +1, Muddle x2}
Heartstone: 5: {Confluence +1}
Lodestone: 4 {shock x2}
Ores:
Zinc Ingots: 1: {Health +1, Mend x2}
Tin Ingot: 1: {Persona +1, Muddle x2}
Lead Ingot: 12: {Rend x2}
Iron Ingot: 1 {Confluence +1, Mend x2}
Calcium Ingot: 1: {Cohesion +1, Restore x2}
Plants:
Mend Leaves: 1 measure {Mend x2}
Muddle Leaves: 2 measure {Muddle x2}
Soothe Leaf: 1 measure {Soothe x2}
Unknown Items:
Angry Spirit Dust:
Grizzly Claws: 20:
.
OOC:
Vittero: full health
Bracers: 20 - 1 = 19
tunic: 60 - 12 = 48
harnin arrows: 17 Taylar: full health
Spaulders: 20 - 6 - 6 = 8 Maka: full health
harnin arrows: 21 Raven Elk: full health
Buckler: 20 - 1 = 19
tunic: 60 - 12 = 48 - 12 = 36 Adisakti: full health
javelins: 3
Acolyte Avery's Ledger
Slate Boulder: 76 stones worth, East Pass
Tin Vein: 43 stones worth, East Pass
Zinc Vein: 61 ingots worth, 7 days north East Pass
Keep of the Rising Sun
Despite is prominent position of power, the Divine Praetor vocalizes his concession to what Plascimon is saying to him...The use of soldiers has marred the image of the face of the religion and undermined its benevolent ideology of a structured society under Law.
Maka frowns with distaste, but keeps his thoughts to himself. ~Though I love him like a second father, Plascimon is a fool. By protesting the use of troops, he has marked himself as an enemy, or at the very least, as a malcontent. It would not surprise me to learn of him being arrested and imprisoned. I don't know who the red robed man is, but he is someone of importance, and I am sure that he will report what Plascimon has said to the Praetor himself. Perhaps we should talk to him about the dangers of openly expressing dissenting opinions? Perhaps Vittero can convince him to be more subtle? A question for a future time.~
After the Divine Praetor departs, in the middle of the street, Taylar takes out one of the salvaged uniforms of the slain soldiers, the highest ranking one if he has it, and uses it to wipe the dirt from his body, wiping it under his arms, and then wiping his feet on it. He uses his short sword to pick up the cloth and states loudly, in Maldrog, "I am done with this rag. Who wants it? We took it from the religious zealots that killed and destroyed the village that the boy told us of."
Using his physical ability, Taylar will go to a sturdy wood post and drive the sword into it, pinning the uniform up for all to see. He will drop the shield on the ground by the post.
After the Divine Praetor departs, in the middle of the street, Taylar takes out one of the salvaged uniforms of the slain soldiers, the highest ranking one if he has it, and uses it to wipe the dirt from his body, wiping it under his arms, and then wiping his feet on it. He uses his short sword to pick up the cloth and states loudly, in Maldrog, "I am done with this rag. Who wants it? We took it from the religious zealots that killed and destroyed the village that the boy told us of."
Raven Elk is just as angry as Taylar, but he shakes his head at his friend's display. If Maka is right about the danger Plascimon has placed on himself, and potentially all of the townsfolk of the Outpost, for 'Tero's dad's"assessment":
Then surely there are prying, spying eyes in the Praetor's service in town. Raven Elk can't help but believe the Outliers and all of The Outpost is in grave danger.
Raven Elk grabs Taylar: "Brother, were you sure that was wise?" He then tries to redirect Taylar to a more industrious path: "Let's get these weapons and such to your father and see if we can't have him turn them into new weapons to destroy this new foe,"
Taylar looks Raven Elk right in the eyes and responds in Thisidan, "We, the brave, must show the way for the others. The more these butchers are concerned with us, the less they will be concerned with villages like the ones that were attacked. If we truly would protect those that cannot fight against this threat, then we must put the focus on ourselves."
The scale for this map is 1 pace per square, which is about 2 yards in America terms or 2 meters for the entire rest of the world which is not religiously fixated on an illogical measuring system. There is more to the town extending in all directions with the Temple of Dawn being the central focus of the community. Ignore the blue square. That is the cursor in the screenshot.
R. Residences
GS. General Store
E. Exchange Office (trades raw ore and minerals for West Cove minted coin)
S. Salt Storage (acquired mostly from West Cove)
C. Constabulary (Light Commander Stelcon Melancon)
B. Barracks
M. Medic
W. Weaver (manufactures cloth from wool and mohair)
X. Smith (Mallen Hammerstead)
Raven Elk doesn't flinch at Taylar's challenge: "Should we be so eager to endanger our townsfolk's lives? I think we should be concentrating on taking the battle to them, not bringing it home, intentionally." Raven Elk knows that these priest-raiders may attack The Outpost at any time, but later, so that they can prepare effective defenses, than sooner would be preferred. He just wished Taylar would understand that and why Raven Elk's over-concern about the open taunt.
