IC - Mad King's Monkey II

[doghead]

Day five, early morning, in front of the orphanage

Ullara and ...

"Bran only eats bad, nasty rats, not nice rats," Ullara assures the girl.

Heddy considers Ullara's response before nodding. "Ok. Please tell him our rats are the nice ones."

"Of course, let us go see her," Ullara says with a short bow of respect, and follows.

The old man levers himself off the stool with a sigh.

"Please come this way. Are your companions coming as well?" he adds, glancing over at Libros and Thuan. "There is a bench inside. Or they can just stand around in the street." He shrugs. Regardless, he leads the way through the garden and into the house. Inside the house is clean and tidy-ish, but somewhat bare of furniture and ornament. It is surprisingly quiet. All of the children seem to be outside.

The gatekeeper, after asking Ullara to wait a moment, pokes his head around the first door on the left, and mutters something about a visitor asking about Herr Murinae and the masks, or a young man or something, ushers Ullara through before withdrawing.

Ullara finds herself in the room with a middle aged woman, thin and with tired eyes and a no-nonsence frown.

"I think that he is a bit afraid of me," she says by way of introduction. "Never says more than a few words before he bolts. Perhaps you had better start from the beginning."

[sblock=OOC]So who is with Ullara?

Isida, are you taking Bran in?[/sblock]

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Ullara Halx, female human druid with dog companion Bran

Ullara and ...

Heddy considers Ullara's response before nodding. "Ok. Please tell him our rats are the nice ones."

"Just the means ones, Bran, not the nasty one," Ullara says, with a ruffle of Bran's ears. She decides to leave Bran with the children, both to keep the kids from running off and to give them warning if Murinae showed up where Bran could smell him.

The old man levers himself off the stool with a sigh.

"Please come this way. Are your companions coming as well?" he adds, glancing over at Libros and Thuan. "There is a bench inside. Or they can just stand around in the street." He shrugs. Regardless, he leads the way through the garden and into the house. Inside the house is clean and tidy-ish, but somewhat bare of furniture and ornament. It is surprisingly quiet. All of the children seem to be outside.

The gatekeeper, after asking Ullara to wait a moment, pokes his head around the first door on the left, and mutters something about a visitor asking about Herr Murinae and the masks, or a young man or something, ushers Ullara through before withdrawing.

Ullara finds herself in the room with a middle aged woman, thin and with tired eyes and a no-nonsence frown.

"I think that he is a bit afraid of me," she says by way of introduction. "Never says more than a few words before he bolts. Perhaps you had better start from the beginning."

"You're a strong woman who holds children in check. Such magic is powerful beyond belief," Ullara says. "I'll be brief, before one of the younglings thinks to see if my dog Bran will tolerate a rider. I'm a druid from down the Witchwood way, in town to help someone whom I owe a favor. This morning, there was a bit of a disturbance near where I was sleeping, and during the chaos, I had words with a rat who was commanded by someone with similar talents to my own. After hunting around, I learned that Murinae has a friendship with them, and I wished to speak with him to see if he could lend some insight as to the rats' behavior. I'm less familiar with city rats, you see."

 

[doghead]

Day five, early morning, in the orphanage

Ullara

"Well, that's not what I was expecting," Frau Wollinger responds after a moment to take it all in.

"Herr Murinae friends with rats? I don't know anything about that. He makes masks for the children, and sparklers and such for festivals sometimes. Although I think he buys those.

Frau Wollinger shrugs. "A druid you say? Actually, you didn't say that exactly. You said he has a friendship with rats. Did Heddy give you that idea?. That girl is obsessed with druids, and has a rather vivid imagination. As far as I know, he is a retired merchant. He got sick while away and never fully recovered his health. Generally he keeps to himself."

She pushes some items around her desk for a moment.

"Its not my place to say who can and cannot visit Herr Murinae. He doesn't work for the orphanage. Who he sees, or doesn't see is his own business. He lives just across the road. Herr Michelson, the gatekeeper, can show you

"My business if the children. Looking after them, trying to give them half a chance when they leave. We teach them some letters and numbers, how to present themselves, the difference between right and wrong. Some of them make it, a lot ... well.

Herr Wollinger looks out of the window for a moment, before returning her attention to you.

"Heddy is smart and determined and fearless. A bit to fearless sometimes. Given half a chance, she will succeed. But here in the city, ... I don't know if she will get even half a chance. Can you help her? Help them, actually, because Heddy won't leave Leon behind and Leon won't be separated from Heddy. And truth be told, when it comes to the animals, Leon is one who can talk the birds out of the trees. There is not a stay dog in the area that won't roll over for a tummy rub from Leon.

"Take them under your wing? Send them to Witchwood? I don't know how one becomes a druid. I have a little money I can put towards the cost. I realise that I am being rather forward. But opportunities for these children don't come very often. It would be wrong of me to do anything other than try and seize them when they do."

 

[Axel]

True to his promise, Bayar stalked behind Jan on the walk back to the fight area. He kept a scowl on his face and as hand on his sword pommel. The impression, and no doubt the armour, was enough to allow them relatively free passage back down the quickly filling roads. On arriving at the intersection he commented, "See, it be easy to move around cities. You best be looking like you be using your weapons. Then you be left alone."

Not seeing any trace of the sticklike wand on the ground Bayar shrugged, and bought three sausages on a stick and a lump of bread for breakfast. Passing one of the sausages to Jan, he commented, "Where be best now? Be finding the others? Or be going to the Netherworld again?"

 

[Scott DeWar]

"Hmmm, I think this is where my skill are needed."

Jan asks around of the people milling about asking if any one saw him earlier when he had collapsed on the ground, even trying to find the sop where his blood remained as a stain on the ground

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Ullara Halx, female human druid with dog animal companion Bran

Ullara

"Well, that's not what I was expecting," Frau Wollinger responds after a moment to take it all in.

"Herr Murinae friends with rats? I don't know anything about that. He makes masks for the children, and sparklers and such for festivals sometimes. Although I think he buys those.

Frau Wollinger shrugs. "A druid you say? Actually, you didn't say that exactly. You said he has a friendship with rats. Did Heddy give you that idea?. That girl is obsessed with druids, and has a rather vivid imagination. As far as I know, he is a retired merchant. He got sick while away and never fully recovered his health. Generally he keeps to himself."

"Heddy did say so. Perhaps if Herr Murinae was ill for so long, he began to study other things as a hobby, or even did befriend some rats. It's not the strangest thing that has happened."

She pushes some items around her desk for a moment.

"Its not my place to say who can and cannot visit Herr Murinae. He doesn't work for the orphanage. Who he sees, or doesn't see is his own business. He lives just across the road. Herr Michelson, the gatekeeper, can show you."

"That would be very welcome thank you-," Ullara begins, but falls silent again, as Frau Wollinger is not done.

"My business if the children. Looking after them, trying to give them half a chance when they leave. We teach them some letters and numbers, how to present themselves, the difference between right and wrong. Some of them make it, a lot ... well.

Herr Wollinger looks out of the window for a moment, before returning her attention to you.

"Heddy is smart and determined and fearless. A bit too fearless sometimes. Given half a chance, she will succeed. But here in the city, ... I don't know if she will get even half a chance. Can you help her? Help them, actually, because Heddy won't leave Leon behind and Leon won't be separated from Heddy. And truth be told, when it comes to the animals, Leon is one who can talk the birds out of the trees. There is not a stay dog in the area that won't roll over for a tummy rub from Leon.

"Take them under your wing? Send them to Witchwood? I don't know how one becomes a druid. I have a little money I can put towards the cost. I realise that I am being rather forward. But opportunities for these children don't come very often. It would be wrong of me to do anything other than try and seize them when they do."

Ullara felt her mouth drop open, and shut it quickly. Her? Take two children? But- It- She- What?! She was tending to tasks for the Baron, and has just this morning survived a rat swarm and saved a boy no older than those children from almost certain death. To take children willingly into such danger... And she didn't know too many other druids of the Witchwood. Her mother had been the one to teach her all she knew, and that had been...

Ullara swallowed. At her side. She had learned everything she knew at her mother's side. From identifying plants to tracking animals, the language of the druids to the oaths of power, everything had come from her mother's patient teaching. She had not worked for a powerful man, but certainly there must have been times where hungry wolves or bears, or rapacious bandits had threatened their little family. Yet Ullara hadn't be aware of the danger, thinking of hiding like a little rabbit as a game.

More than once, Ullara and Mother had talked, and Ullara remembered saying how she'd teach her own children some day, just like Mother had taught her. Well. It seemed fate had taken a hand there. Does would sometimes nurse fawns that were not their own, if their own died, and the whole herd would tend to the young. If Ullara took the children, they might be in danger. If she didn't, what would they be otherwise, without training or teaching beyond what Frau Wollinger knew? Would she let the belief of two bright, nature-loving children be snuffed out through the necessities of life because it was an inconvenience for her?

"My chosen path is not an easy one," Ullara said, once she'd gotten over her flabbergasted moment. "There are duties I'm bound to that are dangerous as anything you'd find on the streets of the city. But... danger will be anywhere, from a baker's oven to a fishmonger's knife to a serving girl's surly customer, to the dangers of the wild places that I face. Frau Wollinger, I was not taught by the druids of the Witchwood, but by my own mother. She vanished when I was sixteen, and I spent years alone, learning about the forest from itself." She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I always said I would teach my own children when it became time, but I've never found someone to have any with. Perhaps this is my sign. Yes, Frau Wollinger, I would be honored to teach Heddy and Leon," Ullara says, still feeling rather surprised at herself.

[sblock=OOC]OOC: Oh my! [/sblock]

 

[doghead]

Day 5, early morning, somewhere in the city backstreets

"Hmmm, I think this is where my skill are needed."

Jan asks around of the people milling about asking if any one saw him earlier when he had collapsed on the ground, even trying to find the [spot] where his blood remained as a stain on the ground

Jan spends some time talking to the people in the area. The story of the fight has got around. Unfortunately, few who actually saw it still remain in the area. Those that Jan talks to mostly know the story by second, third hand account. And in the telling the story has changed and grown, or diminished, depending on your point of view. Unfortunately, the fight, the blood, the drama are mostly all that remain. The boring details that might provide a clue to who took the wand have gone.

OOC: Gather information roll made.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Jan Sighs heavily. "Bayar, Its a no show. Lets grab some more food and head over to the orphanage and see what we can find there."

 

[Axel]

Bayar, watching from the sidelines and enjoying a half-pint of breakfast beer, nodded. He drained the ceramic mug and passed it back to the short bearded man with a barrel on a hand cart with a nod, leaving a silver on the cart as payment. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he rejoined Jan. "You be sure the orphanage be wise? We be having other appointments... Be you seeing which way the others go?"

 

[Scott DeWar]

"Those masks are the same as what the orphans play with. There may be a link. I don't know where the other went, I don't know where the wand is and I don't know why a goblin has a mask from the children, a goblin who was a sneak better then I. I want to know the link between the orphans and the goblin."