[Lakelands] Six For Adventure

[Samuel Leming]

Maldordo circles the cottage quickly looking for an easy way in for his tiny cat form. He considers that a diversion may be needed inside at some point and the call of the sausages is strong.

"Sometimes you must do difficult things to save the ones you love, lad. I did what needed doing. All of what needed doing.

Hearing this Maldordo thinks to himself, "Ha! Any of the parents of those children could have stopped him. Really any three villagers could have stopped him just by opening their mouths. They're all to blame. This miller may be superstitious and self-rightous, but he's got the presence of mind to lie in the face of danger to protect his family and people. Maybe he's got some cat in him."

 

[Krug]

Glom nodded. He was eager for a battle to prove himself,but he told himself not quite yet. He scanned the room to see if anything sparked his mind.

 

[wolfheart]

"We'll be taken ya to the mill, now," said Dain as he motioned for the miller to start moving in that direction. "There's no need for this to play out in front of the women and children. And don't go making any sudden moves or you'll be catching an arrow."

Dain was somewhat relieved that the miller did not come out looking for a fight, but the cavalier attitude he displayed about what he had done was chilling. It always surprised him how people could so quickly grasp onto old myths when hardships arose. Then again, I amalric had not been so weak, he might have swayed the populace to prayer rather than paganism.

"We are going to have this out, and once we have the full story, then we will take care of your little beastie," Dain snorted at the miller as they moved away from the cottage.

 

[Raven Crowking]

"We are going to have this out, and once we have the full story, then we will take care of your little beastie," Dain snorted at the miller as they moved away from the cottage.

"My little beastie?" The miller laughed then, as though the laughter had been surprised out of him. "I am sure the thing that haunts the night sky calls neither you nor I master. Now, I have confessed my sins, and you are either going to murder me or you are not, but not for all the gold in your deepest dreams, Master Dwarf, am I stepping foot outside until morning. And I would suggest you get indoors as well. Stay in the mill tonight -- it is unlocked, and closer than the church -- but get indoors. I will be here in the morning. We can talk well enough then."

The miller paused, and folded his arms. "My youngest lad is in Selby-by-the-Water this night. I've sent him to fetch a reeve. Again I say, murder me if you must, but I'll not help you avoid witnesses. If I must sacrifice myself, I will fetch a heavy weregild yet."


OUT OF GAME:

Reeve: A bailiff or steward of a manor in the later medieval period. Alt. A high officer of local administration appointed by the Anglo-Saxon kings.

Weregild: In Anglo-Saxon and Germanic law, a price set upon a person's life on the basis of rank and paid as compensation by the family of a slayer to the kindred or lord of a slain person to free the culprit of further punishment or obligation and to prevent a blood feud.


The miller gave a look that was almost...but not quite...a sneer. "If you have no stomach for murder," he said, "my dinner is on the table. I would invite you in, but it is not my custom to serve table for brigands and ruffians on the road."

 

[Samuel Leming]

"my dinner is on the table. I would invite you in, but it is not my custom to serve table for brigands and ruffians on the road."

Maldordo takes offense at this last remark. He's a self-respecting thief, not some low-life brigand or ruffian. This will cost the miller his sausages! Maldordo will try to find a way to sneak into the miller's cottage.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Horsom snorts at the miller's last comments; just like a murderer to assume we are murderers as well. He leaves his post at the side of the house and steps up to the man. "Miller, we aren't here for your life; we're here for answers. We need to know everything you know about this manticore or demon or whatever it is. Your.. deeds.. of this winter might have, intentionally or not, brought this creature to Kell's Reach." ** Horsom steps a little closer. "We've come to ask you if it was intentionally."

** OOC: Horsom is slightly superstitious - he thinks that maybe an evil spirits may be drawn to an area where evil acts have been committed.

OOC: Judging from his last few comments, the miller doesn't seem to know anything about the manticore. I say we move on to the Dwarfie Run.

 

[maddmic]

Kregor had many emotion going on in his head. He just wanted to reach out and strangle the miller for his complete lack of feeling about what he had done. He is not sure of the laws of the land and is a bit confused as to what his actions should be. He listens to the banter back and for witout much expression. After hearing Horsom though, he glanced at the human with a very puzzled look on his face. 'Of course I'm here to kill him. That's the best thing that this child killer can hope for is a quick death.'

 

[Raven Crowking]

Horsom snorts at the miller's last comments; just like a murderer to assume we are murderers as well. He leaves his post at the side of the house and steps up to the man. "Miller, we aren't here for your life; we're here for answers. We need to know everything you know about this manticore or demon or whatever it is. Your.. deeds.. of this winter might have, intentionally or not, brought this creature to Kell's Reach." ** Horsom steps a little closer. "We've come to ask you if it was intentionally."

"Gods save us from priests and fools!" the miller cried. He didn't notice as the black cat slipped past his legs and into his cottage. "If the beast were a punishment for my wickedness, the gods are poor marksmen! It fears to hunt near its lair, for it doesn't want to be discovered. Though I daresay it knows you are hear by now. If it were my pet, it wouldn't be cowering off in some dismal hole. It would be crouched atop my...."

He began to sweep one arm toward the mill, but then his face went pasty white. The group could see fear wash over him. They could see him struggle between letting them into his house and just closing the door on them.

Within the cottage, Maldordo leapt lightly onto the chair at the head of the table. He assumed it to be the miller's chair. The oldest son still watched the door, and didn't seem to notice as Maldordo quickly grabbed a sausage with his teeth and pulled it onto the chair.

From the direction of the mill came a laugh, like bells ringing within an organ's deepest notes. "Riddle me this," said a nonhuman voice, from out of the darkness. "Why did it take three children? Why were the first two not enough?"




OUT OF GAME: In a world with wizards, faeries, and gods, Horsom is right to be superstitious.

 

[Krug]

"What is that voice?" says Glom, looking at the miller for an answer.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Horsom steps away from the miller, draws his everburning torch, and stabs it into the ground, lit. He nocks an arrow and calls out: "That's a good question. Why don't you step a little closer and we can discuss it."