Short and Sweet [Orsal judging]

[doghead]

Jaan Saresaar, male human servant of thee Greenman

Grandma fixes Kish with a gimlet eye and says tartly, in Elvish "Do you talk to your grandmother at home in that tone of voice, young man?"

Jaan stifles the gasp of surprise. He wonders where Grandmama Godwin learnt to speak elvish.

After a moment, she looks up from embracing Setis.
"It won't really hurt anyone if you go up there."
She coughs gently.
"But there are some things up there that need some...explanation."

Jaan wonders if they are about to find out. The paladin finds himself liking this strange pair and looking forward to hearing what Grandmama has to say. He has to work hard to surpress the smile as the battle between staying to hear what is going on and the obeying his Grandmama 'like a good paladin' plays across Theo's face.

Jaan drops down to a knee so he can talk to Theo eye to eye when the boy gets to the paladin.

"Theo. There have been many times when I have been asked by the elders of my order to accept a decision even though I didn't understand the reasons for it. I know how you feel. But I think you have do the right thing, obeying your Grandmama."

 

[gogo_jerrick]

Setis

Setis gleefully accepts the hugs and the lovings. It reminds him so much of his home and his mother that it takes him a while after being put down where he is and what he is doing.

When hearing the heated discussion between Theo and Grandmama, he leans in to speak to Theo. "Please don't make hew angwy! As long as we get wid of the baddies upstays, I can come back all the time and we can play. Can't do that if she's angwy though. You do want me to come back and play wight?"

After Theos response, the young Setis sits and looks as if he's meditating, meditation as if it was the meditation olympics. He sits there doing this untill addressed or departure for the attic.

[sblock=Knowledge Psionics]With a successful Knowledge Psionics check, you can see that Setis is practicing working up the psionic wells in his mind. He is also getting his Psionic focus.[/sblock]

 

[HugeOgre]

Kith lowered his head at the rebuffing he had just received at the hands of the aging human. Still, she spoke elven, and that alone was a feat worth noting. Kith responded to her question in the elven tongue.

Spoiler

"No my lady. I meant no disrespect. I was merely nervous, and eager to make a good impression."

Kith waited until grandmother's eyes turned from his before turning his gaze back to the mark he had seen on the window. Yes, there was definitely something about grandma that wasnt what it seemed. He studied the mark intently, realizing he had no reason to recognize it, but intent on studying it later or taking it to someone who might. As he stood examining the mark he felt compelled to ask the question no one was asking.

"I do wonder why Theo was so afraid to go to his fort though. He seemed nearly scared to death from what I could tell."

 

[nimisgod]

Wilhelm watches this impassively, though within him, he feels some empathy for the enthusiastic youth. But waits for the old woman to explain the matter.

 

[ajanders]

Jaan drops down to a knee so he can talk to Theo eye to eye when the boy gets to the paladin.

"Theo. There have been many times when I have been asked by the elders of my order to accept a decision even though I didn't understand the reasons for it. I know how you feel. But I think you have do the right thing, obeying your Grandmama."

[sblock]
Jaan's Sense Motive Roll: 15+6=21
Theo's Bluff Roll: 3+1=4

There is a ring of white all around the outside of Theo's eyes, and his legs are shaking a little.
He looks like a man going out to be killed in the three most horrible ways imaginable all at once.
[/sblock]

 

[ajanders]

Setis gleefully accepts the hugs and the lovings. It reminds him so much of his home and his mother that it takes him a while after being put down where he is and what he is doing.

When hearing the heated discussion between Theo and Grandmama, he leans in to speak to Theo. "Please don't make hew angwy! As long as we get wid of the baddies upstays, I can come back all the time and we can play. Can't do that if she's angwy though. You do want me to come back and play wight?"

After Theos response, the young Setis sits and looks as if he's meditating, meditation as if it was the meditation olympics. He sits there doing this untill addressed or departure for the attic.

[sblock]
Setis' Sense Motive Check: 7-1=6
Theo smiles. "That'll be nice, Setis."
And goes up the stairs as though nothing was wrong.
[/sblock]

 

[doghead]

Jaan Saresaar, male human servant of the Greenman

Jaan is a bit surprised by Kith's statement; Theo's reluctance was just that of a young person not wanting to be left out of things. But as Jaan talks to Theo, the paladin begins to suspect that the elf was right on the mark. Theo seems petrified of the idea of going to 'the fort'. What is going on in this house. Why is Theo so scared of going to the 'fort'? And why would Grandmama send him there if it scares him? What is the story with Grandmama? This last thought sends a shiver down his spine. Jaan had instinctively taken a like to the old woman. But he has, he realises, no real reason to trust her. No more reason than he does to be suspicious as well.

Jaan is stumped for a moment. An idea occures to him.

"Theo, would you like me to come with you to the fort. I'm sure that the others won't mind waiting a bit until I get back."

ajanders: [sblock]Jaan is reluctant to suspect the Grandmama, or say anything at this point which might suggest that he does. He is generally reticent about 'detecting evil' unless he has reason to do so. It strikes him as avery suspicious and accusitory thing to do to people. So he won't do it with Grandmama now. But if he does go to the fort, he will 'detect evil' there.[/sblock]

 

[ajanders]

...

Jaan is stumped for a moment. An idea occures to him.

"Theo, would you like me to come with you to the fort. I'm sure that the others won't mind waiting a bit until I get back."

Theo looks a little relieved as he takes Jaan's hand and squeezes it tightly.
"Theo, don't keep Mr. Jaan too long. We will have some things to discuss with him before he goes into the attic."
Grandmama sounds faintly annoyed with her grandson at this point. And to be honest, this is...well, quite a lot for a respectably settled Grandmama to deal with at this time of the day.

Theo says nothing as he leads Jaan out into the hall and quietly closes the door to the parlor. Once the door is closed, he leads Jaan up the stairs, through the golden light from the colored glass window. The stairs go up four steps, then turn left. The stairs creak slightly under Jaan's weight. After four more steps, the stairs turn left again, opening onto a second floor landing. This landing is illuminated with another window, pebbly-clear and split into dozens of tiny lights, as well as an near empty oil lamp sitting on a narrow battered dresser. The smell of sausages, peppers, and onions hangs in the air. A reedy tenor voice sings a song in a language Jaan does not recognize to the accompaniment of frying sounds.

Theo looks up at Jaan and somberly presses his finger to his lips. Stairs lead up again, off the landing and up...presumably to the fort and then on to the attic. Theo looks up those stairs carefully, in case monsters are hiding up there in wait.

At least temporarily satisfied, he reaches under the dresser and pulls out a toy marble-shooting crossbow. He cocks it, pulls a marble out of his jumper pocket, and drops it in the pouch of the bow.

Looking back up the stairs, he sweeps the whole with of the stairs and up into the ceiling with his marble bow, looking alarmingly professional.
Jaan has a feeling playing "Rangers and Orcs" with this kid gets pretty cutthroat.

Theo looks up the stairs again, and swallows hard, mustering his courage. But he's got his crossbow, his best marble, a real live paladin, and his Gwmamma's orders. Any monster up there is gonna regret it. He charges up the stairs, waving for Jaan to follow him.
After six steps, the stairs merge onto a small landing: just enough space to turn around in. The only light on this landing shines up the stairs from the lamp and window below: the window on this landing is small, very low...only coming up to Jaan's knee...and filled with blue, green, and red glass that stops nearly all the light. On the left wall of the landing is a secret door, three feet high.
Well, it was a secret door. Then someone nailed a sign to it that reads:

THEO'S FORT
NO GURLS ALLOWED
GRAMMAS DONT COUNT

which made it rather obvious.

Theo stops in front of this sign and beckons Jaan down to him before whispering in his ear.
"You can't tell Gwamma about what's in hewe. I don't want hew to be sad. You go fiwst. I'll covew you." He tucks the crossbow into his shoulder and sights on the door, waiting for Jaan to go in first.

 

[HugeOgre]

Kith waited in acqward silence with the rest until he could bear it no longer.

"So, may I ask where you came to learn elvish, my lady?"

 

[doghead]

Jaan Saresaar, male human servant of the greenman

Jaan follows Theo, trying to keep his face neutral. The paladin is, of course, rather curious about who is singing, but he keeps the quesion to himself for the moment.

Jaan looks at the 'secret door' in wonder. Foortunately Jaan is not that big. He should fit, he thinks. But ht ecrossbow might be a problem. He removes it from his back. This is going to take a bit longer than I thought.

Getting down on his knees he pushes the door open and glances through into the space beyond. At this point, he really has no idea what he expects to see, or hear, or smell, or sense.

ooc: Spot +2, Listen +2, Detect Evil - ajanders, you have officially got the paladin weirded out