[Lakelands] Six For Adventure

[Raven Crowking]

Maldordo trots over to the pathetic priest and gives his shoes a thorough sniffing to detect if there's any manticorish or dungeonie smell to them. He wants to be absolutely sure Amalric hasn't been in the Dwarfie Run to warn the demonticore.

His scent seems as "clean" as it was before.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Horsom looks up at the sound of hoofbeats approaching the church and heads outside with Maldordo trotting alongside him. If Horsom's jaw drops at the sight of Amalric riding behind Fellan, it absolutely hits the ground at Amalric's confession. Horsom has dealt with rough men, and been witness to dark acts, but that such evil as Amalric describes exists in the world is almost unfathomable to the simple woodsman. He shakes off the weight of his revulsion and prepares to address the woeful priest.

After Kregor advocates an encounter with the manticore, Horsom addresses Amalric. "The best way to atone for your crimes is to help us now. First off, let's move this conversation inside before someone sees or overhears us." Horsom gently takes hold of Amalric's upper arm and guides him into the church.
OOC: Poetic license: I'm assuming everyone's okay with not discussing this within earshot of the rest of the village. Apologies if anyone wanted to keep this outside for any reason.

After everyone enters the church, Horsom adds: "Kregor, I understand your eagerness to face down the beast - my axe is eager to taste its blood as well. But would it not be wiser to attend to the miller and his cronies tonight and deal with the manticore tomorrow? Cut off the head and the body dies; someone was responsible for chaining this creature to their will, and my guess is that the miller or someone he knows is behind this. A demonologist of some sort. Besides, it's too dark to approach the manticore's lair now, and it's probably abroad. Remember that it seems to hunt at dusk. That's my opinion anyway.".

Horsom turns once again to Amalric. "Tell us everything about the miller and anyone else involved in these crimes. How are these people connected to the manticore? Are there any strangers in town, or even locals, who might have the knowledge or bent to summon a demon?" The forlorn priest shivers and remains silent. Horsom lays a hand on his shoulder and addresses him gently: "Amalric, I know that you're feeling guilt, remorse, and self-loathing right now. You wonder why you didn't have the bravery to try to stop these evil folk earlier. I tell you that it is never too late for courageous acts. Helping us now will go a long way towards redeeming yourself both in the eyes of the Seven, and more importantly, your own."

 

[Raven Crowking]

Horsom turns once again to Amalric. "Tell us everything about the miller and anyone else involved in these crimes. How are these people connected to the manticore? Are there any strangers in town, or even locals, who might have the knowledge or bent to summon a demon?" The forlorn priest shivers and remains silent. Horsom lays a hand on his shoulder and addresses him gently: "Amalric, I know that you're feeling guilt, remorse, and self-loathing right now. You wonder why you didn't have the bravery to try to stop these evil folk earlier. I tell you that it is never too late for courageous acts. Helping us now will go a long way towards redeeming yourself both in the eyes of the Seven, and more importantly, your own."

"It was a cold, cold winter," Amalric whispered. "You have to remember that. The villagers...perhaps the miller swayed them...they wanted to burn a stock to ward off the cold. They wanted to burn it in the Church, to sanctify what they were doing, perhaps, but I would not let them. The miller said to burn it on the frozen millpond, so that the spring would wash the signs away. As though that would wash away the sin of what they were doing." He looked up. "It was a minor sin, anyway, burning only wood, and it was so very cold."

He looked down again. "But it only got colder. They carved a better stock, and a better one, but the winter only beat down harder. Eventually, the miller said they must try a child. I wanted to forbid it...in the end, who would listen? They were losing family to the cold anyway, and even with livestock sleeping in the house, there was not warmth enough. Some said, what if the spring never comes? I had no answer for them.

"The miller began to say that, if the sacrifice were willing, and gives himself to save his people, then it cannot be considered evil. I tried to argue. They held a lottery. Three times before the cold began to abate, they held the lottery. The children who were chosen...perhaps they were willing. Perhaps they believed what they were doing was noble, or would save their kin. I...I turned my back. I did not attend the sacrifice, but neither did I stop it. They burned the children in the mill so that their families could bury the bones.

"When the creature came, I knew it was a punishment for our sins. But again the miller said, No. Let it eat the flocks of others, and we shall all grow rich ere the summer wanes. It is not a punishment for sin, but a reward for our bravery, to do what was needed."

His voice had been gaining strength as he spoke. At last, he was able to meet Horsom's eyes.

"Nothing I can do will ever redeem where I failed this winter."

 

[maddmic]

The seething rage coursed through Kregors veins. 'So the entire village is behind this maddness?'

He turned to Horsom. "Whatever you think is best I'll go along with. I cannot let this barbaric ritual though go unpunished. This village has sacrificed children so that their winter would end. These actions are something I might expect a lesser civilized race like my orcish ancestors to do. What kind of person holds a lottery to determine which child will be slaughtered to save one's own skin?

 

[Samuel Leming]

His scent seems as "clean" as it was before.

OOC: This was the first time Maldordo used his cat-nose on him.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

"That's.. horrific. Amalric, your help is a strong beginning to the repayment of the debt on your soul." Horsom addressed his companions. "If we go after the manticore, the miller may be alerted and make his escape. Or he may do something more heinous, to the town or its folk, for example, if he knows that he has been found out. The manticore will be aflight.. it's almost dusk. I suggest we capture the miller then make our way to the Dwarfie Run. It may even be preferable to enter the Dwarfie Run in the wee hours of the morning, while the manticore is still out hunting. My vote is to go the mill, right now."

 

[wolfheart]

Dain can hardly believe his ears as Amalric explains his sorry tale. His dwarvish sense of honor keeps him from feeling any pity for this coward, and Dain thinks this shell of a man deserves whatever fate the seven gods choose for him.

Dain turns to brother Hengist, since it appears the group is roused and ready for action. "Brother Hengist, I would that you stay here and keep watch over Amalric the low, put him to work cleaning this church. No sleep or food should be his reward until this house has been restored to proper order. And if he moves to flee again, strike him down where you find him."

Dain then approaches Amalric, the fallen priest shrinking away from the dwarf's growing fury. "Consider yourself fortunate that there are other evils that are more pressing at the moment. For your sake, You had better hope that I find a means of releasing my rage before I return here."

"Let us go and confront this miller, my blood is up and vengence is in my heart. He will be made to pay for the lives of those children. And once we have dealt with the miller, we can approach the dwarfie run and deal with the manticore." With that Dain hefts his shield and lifts Tor-Angol from its baldric. He moves towards the door. "When we have gone, brother Hengist, bar all the doors and windows except for the main entrance. Allow any villagers in who seek sanctuary, but be wary, gods only know what we might unleash if they have already seen fit to send this manticore."

"Whoever is with me had better come now, I've used up all the words that I have for this. It is to the mill and a good thumping I go."

 

[Samuel Leming]

Maldordo briefly wonders if this small village is under some curse that drives people mad and if Kregor and Dain are falling under the same spell!

Maldordo shrugs his small feline shoulders and scampers out the door towards the mill. He knows the way, since he managed to get in once before.

 

[Raven Crowking]

OOC: This was the first time Maldordo used his cat-nose on him.

OUT OF GAME: True, but I imagine that Maldordo has some imagination. Heh.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

After Horsom exchanging final goodbyes with Fellan, he picks up his warbow and an extra quiver of arrows. He watches Maldordo trot off in the general direction of the mill. "It looks like Maldordo has dashed off to do a quick reconnaissance first. At least, I hope that's what he's doing!" , Horsom says with a grin.

As the group heads for the mill, Horsom discusses strategy. "If the situation deteriorates and it comes to combat, I'm good with the axe, but better with the bow. Dain and Kregor, if you are comfortable with handling the frontline while Selanil and I launch arrows, that's fine with me. If things get hairy, though, I'll be in the thick of it with my axe swinging, don't worry." Horsom turns to the goblin, who's been strangely silent for the last few hours. "Friend Glom, what role will you take if fighting breaks out?"
___________________________________________________________

OOC: I tried PMing Krug, but only being a 'Registered User', I don't have that privilege. Sam, your title is 'Flumph Herder'.. does this mean you're a paying customer and can send Krug a PM? He's visiting the site regularly (according to his 'Last Seen' tag), so I'm curious to know why he isn't posting. RC, has he contacted you?