Age of Worms: Act I - The Whispering Cairn

[Verbatim]

Chryse, Shadow, Tom:[sblock]As the acolytes began leading you all into the heart of the garrison, after removing Shadow from the horse and placing him on a cloth stretcher, the progress was halted by a small squad of knights who approached your group. The leader of the group, a nervous looking man whose hand seemed to be locked onto the sword at his side, waited until everyone had halted before speaking.

"Father Velias wishes to speak to the one called Chryse, the others are to proceed to the infirmary. If there is one who does not needing healing they are to be escorted to guest quarters and be allowed to freshen themselves until dismissed from the garrison."

While the soldier left the statement open ended, it was obvious that he was speaking to Tom, who was covered in mud from head to toe.[/sblock]

 

[hippocrachus]

Chryse's face drops a little when the knight tells him of his summons.
"While we are most appreciative of your protection, good knight, it would be wise to not use words such as 'dismiss,'" Chryse says with the air of a school teacher to the speaker.
We are not prisoners...
He will follow the knight obediently.

 

[Ozmar]

Jorun: [sblock]As soon as you finished your report, the elder Trask stood up from behind his desk and began to pace slightly behind it. While some would have considered the act one of nervousness, you knew your father too well for that. With each step, the Commander was commiting your facts to memory and would speak when he was ready.

"Sit down Jorun, your legs look as if they will not be able to support you much longer, and I will not have one of my soldiers falling because he stood too long in my presence."

As you sat down, your father continued pacing for a moment before stopping to look you squarely in the eyes.

"You know I have always respected your abilities and judgements Sergeant, and as such, I will grant your request to travel with the others. However, you will do it as a free man, not as a soldier. Your wages will be suspended until you return to full time service and your access to the services of the temple will be suspended also. You may come to them for healing, as all faithful can, but you will be treated as any free man would be treated. I will not have the other soldiers thinking you are released from duties, yet are still granted the benefits they bring."

Commander Trask paused for a heartbeat before he continued. When he looked at Jorun, the young knight saw for the first time the weight of command that his father carried.

"All must be seen as equals or order can not be maintained, and those you will travel with will not show you their true selves if they think you are nothing more than a watchdog of the garrison. You will not be authorized to wear your watch cloak, nor any other symbols of rank. You will be nothing but Jorun Trask, a knight in service to none but Heironeous. Do you understand these things son?"[/sblock]

Jorun's response:
[sblock]
"Yes, sir. I understand the orders, but..." Jorun hesitates, and then says, "if I may have permission to speak freely?" Seeing his father nod consent, he continues. "I am afraid that I do not understand the reasoning behind the orders. While I will certainly carry them out, I do not see why I must be relieved from duties. After all, I am carrying out the defense of this city by investigating the possibility of goblin activies in the mines. This is not a personal quest. I am not asking for time off from my duties. I was only thinking that this would be a beneficial use of my abilities. If you don't agree, then don't send me. Don't think that I am seeking to shirk my duties to follow up on this matter."

Sensing perhaps that he has said too much, Jorun concludes hastily. "Nevertheless, I have my orders, and will follow them." He stands and salutes his commander.
[/sblock]

 

[unleashed]

Orin Heartwood, Male Half-Elf Ranger

Damien and Verbatim
[SBLOCK]

As Orin confirmed his relation to the bowyer of Diamond Lake, the tension seemed to drain out of the trio in front of them slightly. The shaggy dark haired man seemed to stare at you both for a moment before reaching a decision in his mind.

"If you are of her litter then you are welcome here, but what of the one who travels with you? He has nothing but the stench of the city on him, will you swear that he will not harm the Land?"

As the man finished, Katrina's voice robbed Orin of his chance to reply.

"Daggat, none but a few still require the oaths to enter the Lands these days, and fewer still are willing to swear to the oath. If they only wished to deliver their parcel they have done so. Give him coin for his cloak and allow the city-walkers to leave should they choose."

While Katrina's tone was less hard, it was by no means welcoming either.

Orin listens to all they say silently, before replying, “Thank you Katrina, but no coin will be required for my cloak...consider it a gift. As for the oath, I have no idea what it entails so therefore I cannot swear it even if I wished to, but I would be interested in learning more about what you do here...”

Orin stands waiting for a response, ingoring his wounds as best he can, but flinching from time to time as he moves the wrong way.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Verbatim]

Chryse:[sblock] As Chryse was escorted to Father Velias' room, the soldiers said nothing to the young priest and if the others they passed in the halls found anything odd in the procession, they did not show it on their faces. Reaching a room that looked as non-descript as all the rooms they had passed thus far, the soldiers stopped and their nervous looking soldier knocked quickly on the closed door.

"It is open."

As Chryse twisted the polished brass knob, the door swung open easily on well oiled hinges and for the second time in less than twenty minutes Chryse was in the presence of Father Velias.

"Please close the door young man, there is much that you and I need to discuss before you and your companions take your leave of here. However, I do not wish for your wounds to bother you any longer than they need to."

Approaching you, the priest placed his hands on either arm and chanted softly. His hands began to glow with a soft golden nimbus and as the warmth of healing spell filled you, you felt the last linger traces of your wounds disappear and the weariness from the road washed away.

Nodding his head slightly, the priest walked over to a simple table in his room and took a seat motioning for you to do the same.

"Tell me young man, how is it that one who has taken the lives of Heironeous' children now comes to be sharing the trail with Commander Trask's youngest? I do not wish to insult you with casting a spell of truth speaking, so please do not insult me by forcing me to."

The older's priests words were not spoken harshly, and while the man might be bluffing, he sounded to Chryse as if he wanted nothing more than the answers to the questions he asked.[/sblock]

 

[Verbatim]

Damien and Orin:[sblock]Katrina looked slightly surprised that Orin knew nothing of the oath, but she hid the look quickly and once more her face was impassive.

"We had hoped that Venelle would still honor the Old Ways even after she chose to live among the city-walkers, but if she hasn't spoken of it to one who is close to her, then it seems she has truly turned her back to us."

Turning to Daggat she spoke to the man in a tongue that sounded old and beautiful at the same time and when she turned back to face them, the shaggy haired man and the other figure began walking away from and towards where Orin had heard the Lodge was located.

"The oath is to do no harm to the land, to kill no more than you can eat, to waste no part of the game, to keep the water pure and stocked, and to replace every tree downed with three new to take its place. It was the Oath that the first elders made the founding fathers of Diamond Lake pledge and with each season fewer and fewer still hold the oath sacred. The lands that surround the Lodge remain as healthy as we can keep them, but slowly the foulness creeps outwards from Diamond Lake threatening to corrupt even our lands. That is why the city-walkers are not usually allowed into our lands, and those who do enter must swear the oath or do their business where you now stand.[/sblock]

 

[hippocrachus]

"My thanks to you and Heironeous, Father," Chryse says as his body is revitalized. He takes a seat respectfully.
"You insult me by claiming I am a murderer, Father Velias," he states calmly, ignoring the light-hearted threat. "Chaplin Durrean and Chaplin Consan succumbed to an illness neither the clergy or Heironeous himself could heal. It is far beyond me to know the ways of Heaven, but if their god deemed them unfit to serve, who's right is it to say they should have lived?" the worshipper of a Plague God said with a knowing smile.
They were evil and petty men; even your god could see that!

 

[unleashed]

Orin Heartwood, Male Half-Elf Ranger

Damien and Verbatim
[SBLOCK]Orin stands where they left him as he calls out these words hoping they will stop and listen.

“Do not lose all hope then for that is what I was taught, perhaps Venelle didn’t tell me of the Old Ways directly because she thought I was happy just to be a bowmaker or that being a city-dweller it would have no meaning for me. I have no problem swearing such an oath, and would like to come with you and learn more. I cannot speak for Damien here as I have not known him for long enough, but he did aid me in bringing the ratlings to you which must say something for his character.”[/SBLOCK]

 

[Verbatim]

Chryse:[sblock]

"My thanks to you and Heironeous, Father," Chryse says as his body is revitalized. He takes a seat respectfully.
"You insult me by claiming I am a murderer, Father Velias," he states calmly, ignoring the light-hearted threat. "Chaplin Durrean and Chaplin Consan succumbed to an illness neither the clergy or Heironeous himself could heal. It is far beyond me to know the ways of Heaven, but if their god deemed them unfit to serve, who's right is it to say they should have lived?" the worshipper of a Plague God said with a knowing smile.
They were evil and petty men; even your god could see that!

"I was in the Free City when the church was asked to examine you Chryse, and I returned three days after you were returned to your family. Many times I wished to ride into town to find the one who spoke with an angel's tongue, but carried death in his heart. We have all of your mother's words scribed into our texts, and it seems that illness has followed you for all of your life, striking at all those who would get close to you."

Leaning forward slightly, Father Velias' eyes seemed to be looking into you, as if looking for something that only he could see.

"Yet your soul is as white as a child who has just drawn it's first breath. Perhaps the time of change is truly with us once more..."

Leaving his thoughts unfinished for the moment, the older priest sighed and stood up.

"Whatever faults the Brothers might have had, if Heironeous had wished them to live they would have. However, you are right that none can know a god's will save the gods themselves. There is one thing that I do know though, the church has forgiven you, but we will not forget. If a strange plague should strike Sergeant Trask down while in your company, Commander Trask will not rest until you swing from the gallows, white soul or not."[/sblock]

 

[Majin]

Having kept his mouth shut up until now, Damien sees no reason to rock the boat. He puts a freakishly large grin on his face and nods, trying, at least, to look grateful instead of just "simple".

Thinking to impress the frigid woman, Katrina, in hopes of her warming up a little, he attempts to twirl his quarterstaff confidently in one hand atop his mount. Barely one spin goes by before his grip on the staff slips and he lunges, nearly falling off Juniper, in an attempt to save the staff from falling to the ground. Alas, it does anyway and rolls to a stop at Katrina's feet. He winces with each sound it makes as it clatters in the dirt. Damien's momentary speechlessness is gone quick enough and he asks the female, innocently, "Uh... Would you mind getting that for me? The horse and all, you know..." he explains, gesturing out the "long" journey and effort it would take to climb down himself to get it.