[Lakelands] Six For Adventure

[wolfheart]

"Tell us yer story, miller. It just may save your hide," Dain interjected.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Salwerk Miller glanced between dwarf and human, and then at the manticore's body. Some of the defiance seemed to leave his body, and his shoulders sagged a bit.

"If you know about the voices, then you know everything," he said. "It was they who told me how to appease the Old Bone Man, how to end the long winter. My father told me that he would hear their voices as well, sometimes, whispering from the darkest corners when the gears were silent. The mill was made of old barrow stones. My father said that their spirits...the spirits of the ones who had been buried there...still lingered. They would prophesy, and they were seldom wrong."

The miller wiped unwanted moisture from his eyes with an angry gesture. He looked down, and continued in a softer voice. "It was a curse. But it helped to keep us safe. My family. This village. All of us."

When he looked up again, there was a grim pride in his countenance.

"They picked me, like my father before me. Whatever crime there is in it, it is my crime and no others. Finish what you must with me, and leave the village in peace. I will not fight you."

 

[maddmic]

OOC: What are all the people doing while this is going on? Just curious about their disposition.

IC:
Kregor looks at the miller who is grovelling before the party. At the remarks thrown towards Dain, Kregor looks at the dwarf and slowly shakes his head "no". He then looks at Horsom, Maldordo and Glom, trying to figure out their thoughts. Tiring of hearing the miller beg for a swift justice, he clears his throat. "It is not my place to pass judgement. I was sent here for the protection of the people. I also was willing to give your son his last rites as he passed into the great beyond. These are my charges, not judging people. While I admit that I wanted to kill you at first, it was nothing but emotion driving my thoughts. I thank Gragnor that they did not also drive my actions."

"As I am one who does not hold a position of authority regarding laws and punishment, I cannot slay you for your actions this past winter. This is why I had thought that it would best serve you to be escorted to Selby for trial. Perhaps a priest of Mardan would be able to pass judegement on you for your actions." He then turns to Dain. "Unless the church of the Seven could promise him a speedy trial, I believe that he is willing to forfeit his life." He then ponders for a bit.

"I am curious what the people of this village feel. It was a hard winter for all, but particularly hard on those who lost their children in the hopes that it would end the season sooner." He then moves to the miller and kneels down to the ground. Leaning in, he quietly whispers into the man's ear. "I am also curious what you as well as the people would do, knowing what we now know. Meaning that your efforts to end the winter were in vain. We can prove that your actions did nothing, but end the lives of innocent children."

Standing back up, Kregor stretches to his full height and backs up a pace. "If indeed you wish to not take me up on my offer of safe passage from here to Selby, then I will pray to Gragnor for guidence on this issue. If you still request to be put to death for your deeds and Gragnor concurs, then I will not hesitate to carry out his will."

Kregor then turns to his companions. "I request that once we're done here, I be allowed time for my prayers before anything happens.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

"I'm more interested in swift justice for the rats than for the miller," Horsom murmured to his companions. "This man.. and his ancestors, from the sounds of it.. have been duped by these malicious fey. It would be cruel to the miller and his family to reveal the source of his 'prophecies'. It would help Amalric and his standing in the village if an 'exorcism' of the mill were to be performed."

"The rats have caused murder, and death is what they deserve. Herne and Celene would forgive us in this." Horsom is normally loathe to attack the faerie, but there are limits to what he will stand. Thoughts of the sacrificed children of Kell's Reach and the orphans, widows, and widowers of Long Archer near blinded him with anger. He took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing.

"First, another question for the miller," he whispered hoarsely. He turned to the kneeling and broken man, speaking low so the villagers wouldn't hear. "The manticore, Selwark.. what did the spirits of the mill tell you of it? Why did it come to Kell's Reach in the first place?"

 

[Raven Crowking]

OOC: What are all the people doing while this is going on? Just curious about their disposition.

People are looking on nervously. It is quite obvious that the miller is not well liked, but is respected both for his relative wealth and his solutions to whatever crises the village has faced in the past. However, with the death of the manticore, and the revelation of the miller's source of information (either as spirits or rats, take your pick), most seem decidedly uneasy.

"I am curious what the people of this village feel. It was a hard winter for all, but particularly hard on those who lost their children in the hopes that it would end the season sooner." He then moves to the miller and kneels down to the ground. Leaning in, he quietly whispers into the man's ear. "I am also curious what you as well as the people would do, knowing what we now know. Meaning that your efforts to end the winter were in vain. We can prove that your actions did nothing, but end the lives of innocent children."

The miller glances at Kregor, his eyes filled with venom. "You lie," he said, quite loudly.

Standing back up, Kregor stretches to his full height and backs up a pace. "If indeed you wish to not take me up on my offer of safe passage from here to Selby, then I will pray to Gragnor for guidence on this issue. If you still request to be put to death for your deeds and Gragnor concurs, then I will not hesitate to carry out his will."

Kregor then turns to his companions. "I request that once we're done here, I be allowed time for my prayers before anything happens.

 

[Raven Crowking]

"I'm more interested in swift justice for the rats than for the miller," Horsom murmured to his companions. "This man.. and his ancestors, from the sounds of it.. have been duped by these malicious fey. It would be cruel to the miller and his family to reveal the source of his 'prophecies'. It would help Amalric and his standing in the village if an 'exorcism' of the mill were to be performed."

"The rats have caused murder, and death is what they deserve. Herne and Celene would forgive us in this." Horsom is normally loathe to attack the faerie, but there are limits to what he will stand. Thoughts of the sacrificed children of Kell's Reach and the orphans, widows, and widowers of Long Archer near blinded him with anger. He took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing.

"First, another question for the miller," he whispered hoarsely. He turned to the kneeling and broken man, speaking low so the villagers wouldn't hear. "The manticore, Selwark.. what did the spirits of the mill tell you of it? Why did it come to Kell's Reach in the first place?"

As the miller realizes what Horsom is saying, he looks at the man incredulously. "Rats?!? You think the spirits of the dead are rats?"

 

[wolfheart]

"the truth of the origins of the spirits will be revealed soon enough. Answer my fellows question, what did the spirits tell you about the manticore? What did the spirits tell you to do with the bodies of the children? How long have thespirits been talking to you? Loose your tongue, miller, you owe as much to the families of the sacrifices. They deserve to know the circumstances of their childrens death's." Dain's dander was beginning to rise, again, and it was all he could do to keep back from the miller and to keep up the facade of being the composed inquisitor.

 

[Raven Crowking]

OOG: Please wait for me to respond. Thanks.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

OOG: The miller must have rolled a 20 on his Listen check to hear me mention rats! I went out of my way not to say anything specific about the rats to him. I'm mentioning this just in case it affects your next post..

 

[Raven Crowking]

OOG: The miller must have rolled a 20 on his Listen check to hear me mention rats! I went out of my way not to say anything specific about the rats to him. I'm mentioning this just in case it affects your next post..

OOG: If you are communicating to a group of people who are in the general vicinity of another person, and you are trying to let your friends understand you, but not the other person, the skill that applies is Innuendo. What is Horsom's Innuendo? Hence, what sort of Listen does the miller need?


RC