[ic] nameless II: the seventh from seven

[Thomas Hobbes]

Cromwell takes the entire thing in stride. "Yes sir. It won't happen again, sir." As his first stretch of important independent command passes to another, he's not quite sure what to feel. He did his duty well, faced the enemy on several occasions without casualties... and yet he can't help feel a bit relieved to slip back in to his more comfortable position as an intermediary between officer and enlisted man.

"Good thought, Ay'tennar. Let's get the wounded tended to." He begins issuing orders, looking for a suitable place for the wounded to rest and be tended to, a place to bury the dead, and a place to keep the prisoners. He also hands the highest ranking malitiaman the scroll case with the map. "Found this on a goblin shaman, sir. I don't know what it means, but it looks important."

 

[doghead]

The next ten minutes take an eternity.

People dash off. More people arrive. Everyone has suggestions and wants to help. They get in each others way. Some break into screams at the sight of dead loved ones. There is a surge as the crowd realises that there are wounded goblins aboard the wagon and there is nearly a people's power lynching. The people are quietened and the priests arrive. The is almost another lynching as the merchant whose wagon this is arrives and curses the men who lost him his lifesavings. (Never speak ill of the dead) Spells are cast by the priests. The wounded man is carried away. The goblins also. "Ware!" A single voice rises faintly above the burble of the crowd. "Ware! It is hungry." People push forwards to congratulate you. Faintly at first, but slowly becoming more clear as the noise of the crowd dies around it, the owner of voice approaches unseen. "Ware! Hear me and mark these words! The half fiend walk amoung us! Ware!" The crowd slowly parts to reveal a tiny old man with blazing eyes. He walks slowly your way. He stops. The crowd is silent.

"Ware the half fiend! He has eaten the flesh of man. Can you not smell the stench of dead flesh on his breath? Does not reak of corruption burn in your nose?"

He moves amoung you. Stopping sniffing. Glaring.

"You doubt me because you cannot see him?" he shoots at a startled Nate. "No! The fiend is cunning and dangerous. Clothed in the form of another, he hides his fowl appearence. But I know! I have the sight! He works his vile magicks and I know!"

He shuffles and sniffs amoung you. Pauses. Sniffs. He steps over to Oscar and bends down to inspect his bound and bloody arm. His nose wrinkles. Sniff. Sniff.

"Ware! For he walks amoung us. His dread servants commit dire deeds for his glory! He plays with fowl forces! He commands dire poultrygeists!"

"Ware he is here!" he cries twisting around to come nose to nose with Sadolath. "The reek of the flesh of man is strong on his breath! The worm of corrupted powers is deep within him. Twisting and turning! I know! I know him!"

He throws back his head and arms. "Ware and bewarned!"

He spins back around to face the crowd. "Hear what I say," he adds softly. "You have been warned. But will you heed?" And at that the old man shuffles of back into the crowd.

Its a noticably quieter crowd that is eventually dispersed and sent on their business by the bawled commands of the sargeant. The last loose ends are tied away. The dead taken to the Keepers temple. The goblins to the cells. The wagon and horses are hauled off to the barracks. And the sargeant sets you free.

"There's no room at the barracks at the moment as we're recruiting. Things are pretty much full everywere ... execpt for The Three Bells. It a nice place though. Don't worry about the details, I'll sort it with Gweven. Just get yourself some food and rest. A bath if you wish. We'll go over everything tomorrow. Nine of the clock at the north barracks.

"Dismissed."

Its obvious why the Three Bells isn't full as soon as you arrive. Bremen soldiers. About half a dozen of them are sprawled out in the common room - smoking, playing dice and just relaxing. Its been near 60 years since the Bremen were used to crush the Middensong Uprising. But the people around here still remember the gusto they went about their work.

ooc: OK. Thats it from me for the next week. I got you into town. The night is yours to do with as you wish. Feel free to DM for each other. Just don't do anything to my thread you wouldn't want doing to yours.

Argent - Oscar is all healed (back to full).

NacMacFeegle - you're one of the milita here. Feel free to drop Caddoc in whenever it suits. You could even have been one of the riders who came out to the wagon if it works for you.

Seonaid - Lisa is all yours.

I'll pick it up when I get back with something like this: "Morning finds you still groggy and thick headed with sleep and perfectly happy to snuggle back under the covers for another hour."

Have fun.

the head of the dog

 

[Velmont]

As soon as he can, Hewik try to get out of the crowd. An angry mob is not a good thing to look at, even more when they are giant compare to you. He just stay out of the way and look at them.

When the little man get out of the crowd, Hewik's curiosity make him listen. He listen and doesn't like what he is hearing. That remind him the bed story that his brother were telling him to give him nigthmares.

He follows the group to the Three Bells, were he eats silently and relax half an hour in a bath, trying to fogot for a moment al the events of the day. It seems he almost meet death today, and now that little man speak of deamon walking among us. Great! He told he sees it... To make the thing more clear, he get out of the bath, put his cloth and get out of the Inn. He inform himself where he could find that little man. He talk to a vlillager who doesn't seems to take seriously what that man is talking about. Say it is rambling. Hewik follow the direction of the man to find that little seer.

He knocks at the door. No response...

"I don't know if you are there, but I have a question for you. I am Hewik. I am one of the guard who have arrived today. You talk about Ware. I want to know more. Who is he? How can you see it? Are you there?"

Hewik waits for an answer...

OOC: Hope I didn't do too much... And for what happening at the Inn during the supper, if someone else do some roleplay there, I may put what Hewik did at that moment...

 

[doghead]

~live from the friendly skys - I forgot to add this last night.

Asking around, or just keeping an ear open will get you the following information about the old man (the old Gump). The general opionion is that he's harmless, mostly.

"The old gump? Don't mind him. He's as mad as a hatter. 'Armless."

"I recon the gump is touched meself. Perhaps its the sight. Perhaps twas the sun. Sometimes he's right though. You never know with 'im."

"Makes me nervous he does. I recon that there's more to the old man than meet the eye. There are stories about him. Not that I give them stories much credence mind. Gossip and all that. But you know, there's no smoke without fire."

"He help me old gran once. Never asked for a thing in return."

"Smells funny don't you think?"

Velmont - I won't be able to play out any meeting with the old Gump. So for convenience, lets say he wasn't in when you get to his house.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Oscar is taken aback by the old loonies talk. Over dinner he listens to the chatter in silence. once he can get Cromwell alone he will start to talk. "Corporal Cromwell? I'm so very sorry for my actions yesterday. I'm not the kind of person who thinks before he acts. It's something I have to work on. I wanted to thank you for keeping me alive."

"I have to ask you...What do you think about the old seer?"

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Oscar is taken aback by the old loonies talk. Over dinner he listens to the chatter in silence. once he can get Cromwell alone he will start to talk. "Corporal Cromwell? I'm so very sorry for my actions yesterday. I'm not the kind of person who thinks before he acts. It's something I have to work on. I wanted to thank you for keeping me alive."

Cromwell pauses for a moment, and then nods slightly, considering what to say. He begins slowly "You don't need to thank me. I was not the only one, and it was no more than my responsibility." He frowns. "But how you acted... it was foolish. And it could have gotten more than yourself killed. That is cause enough." Here, his tone becomes more confident. "In combat, focus on keeping yourself and your fellow soldiers alive first, and then killing the foe. There is little else that matters."

"I have to ask you...What do you think about the old seer?"

Cromwell shrugs. "There are more madmen than seers in this world, and telling them apart is difficult. By virtue of numbers, he is most likely a madman; if he is a seer, than I am sure the Gods, in their wisdom, will impart whatever knowledge we may need." He shifts his weight uncomfortably on his bandaged leg, eyeing the Bremen. He should speak with them, he thinks, and see what they might know.

 

[doghead]

The Three Bells Tavern

The Three Bells tavern

A ripple of something passes through the group of Bremen as you enter. Old eyes watch you with a lazy carefullness as you move through the common room. Eye contact is met with a silent nod. Greetings with greetings. A few quiet words pass between the small group at the table as the tavernkeep comes out to greet you.

ooc: lets see how this works. Make a Listen and Sence Motive check (if you are interested in the Bremen) then apply it below.

Listen 15:

Spoiler

You cannot make out the words, but they are asking one man questions, and he, in turn is telling them what to do.

Listen 20:

Spoiler

Its not possible to get everything with the tavernkeep blathering away, but you can hear snatches: "This got anything to do with us you think? Not sure. ... to go find out? No, sit tight ... happens. I don't think ... local guard. ... another town maybe? ...anything to do with the raid earlier?"

Sence Motive 10:

Spoiler

The men arn't very friendly.

Sence Motive 15:

Spoiler

The men are wary, but not nervous or anxious.

The tavern keep, however, is overjoyed to see you, and even more so to here that you will be staying the night. Odd, as he makes no mention of the events of the day. He appears to be unaware of them.

But nothing, its seems, is too much trouble. A bath? Of course sir! Someone to wash your sweat stained and, truth be told, slightly oderous clothing? That will be arranged. Dinner? It will be prepared while you bath. As he talks you notice his eyes flicker in the direction of the Bremen on more than one occasion. Is it relief you can hear in his voice?

Half an hour or so later it is a much cleaner and more relaxed goup of Sevians that tucks into the hot soup and cold meats and pickles laid out on the table.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Oscar digs in to the food like he hasn't eaten in weeks. "This is wonderful. I didn't know peasents eat so well." He says out loud and then looking at the faces around him looks down at his food and says nothing else until spoken to directly.

 

[doghead]

the Old Gump's house

He follows the group to the Three Bells, were he eats silently and relax half an hour in a bath, trying to fogot for a moment al the events of the day. It seems he almost meet death today, and now that little man speak of deamon walking among us. Great! He told he sees it... To make the thing more clear, he get out of the bath, put his cloth and get out of the Inn. He inform himself where he could find that little man. He talk to a vlillager who doesn't seems to take seriously what that man is talking about. Say it is rambling. Hewik follow the direction of the man to find that little seer.

He knocks at the door. No response...

"I don't know if you are there, but I have a question for you. I am Hewik. I am one of the guard who have arrived today. You talk about Ware. I want to know more. Who is he? How can you see it? Are you there?"

Hewik waits for an answer...

Hewik gets no response. He wonders if he should have mentioned to Cromwell where he was going, but there wasn't anyone around when he had finsished getting dressed. There were not enough baths for everyone to bath at the same time. But he'd be back before the last group finished their baths anyway ...

ooc: Velmont, as your character didn't mention to anyone where he was going, I thought it easier to have him set off before everyone had gathered for dinner. What are you wearing/carrying?

But as he is about to move away, he hears the noise of a gate closing and horse's whinny coming from the other side of the house. Looking around, Hewik notices a path leading down the side of the house. The garden is overgrown and wild, and he missed it when he arrived.Glancing around the corner, he sees that it leads to a yard with to a small lean-to stable around the back. The is thing moving in the stable - the person with the horse it looks like.

 

[Velmont]

But as he is about to move away, he hears the noise of a gate closing and horse's whinny coming from the other side of the house. Looking around, Hewik notices a path leading down the side of the house. The garden is overgrown and wild, and he missed it when he arrived.Glancing around the corner, he sees that it leads to a yard with to a small lean-to stable around the back. The is thing moving in the stable - the person with the horse it looks like.

Hewik take the small path to the garden and look for whom it is. After a moment, he will call the man.

"Sorry. Is there someone home? I would like to talk to the person who live here."