stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]

[stonegod]

Ismark looks over to the dead and living at the town well. "The... the dead pressed the attack suddenly. We could hear their numbers from inside the tavern." The man shudders a moment and looks like he needs a drink. "They seemed to have been whipped into a frenzy somehow. They overwhelmed that one," he indicates Tobias' corpse, "and had pushed the halforc to the door of the inn when they just all collapsed. Apparently, we have you to thank for that."

The man takes a breath and rubs his hand through his hair. "The burials... it will take time. The graveyard is open to us, but we will have to have someone look through the town for the rest. I doubt all of them are here." He sighs again. "Father would handle this much better. Damn him!"

After a moment of silence, he turns back again to Khensu, though still obviously wary about the shifter's looks. "I would check on my sister now. If some of you wish to tend to the dead, please do so. But it has been too many days and I worry for her. She...", he looks northward a moment, "needs me to look after her."

 

[drothgery]

Sir Khensu looks across at Ismark from his steed. "How much of a hurry are you in, sir? Obviously Lady Ashlyn and Miss Stormhand wish to help with the situation here... and if a burial or immolation is required, either myself or Jarrith should probably also stay to assist. But I'm sure Daellin and the other of us could go with you now if you were in a hurry to see to your sister."

The elf considers Khensu's suggestion, then nods.

 

[James Heard]

"You wish to press forward directly? I understand your concerns, but if there is trouble...there were complications," Janis' face turns dark remembering,"at the church as well. If something unpleasant has happened to your sister some of us will not be at our most able to respond. Perhaps, if you could explain why you're inclined to go see her so suddenly?"

"I understand the duties of family full well myself, but if the wolf we saw earlier is about...if there are more bands of the undead along the way? I'm afraid that urgency might simply rush you and your escort to their own graves. Worse, apparently our last departure from these townspeople somehow provoked an attack. With some preparation perhaps the townspeople will be again be in a defensible position, but right now it seems that the barricades are poorly spent."

"Decide, and on your head be it. Is your conscience upon your sister so rapid that we much make all speed and risk the rest of the town, or can we wait some hours until our display of force is more puissant?"

 

[DEFCON 1]

Having read the journal of Danovich wherein it mentioned this girl as being "found" at the base of the mountainside... Jarrith thinks that he'd be very interested in speaking to her. The Burgomaster was the starting point of this whole ordeal, and thus Ismark and Ireena are two offshoots that might help tie things together.

"I'll go. Khensu can stay here and help out with the wounded and get the barricades back up... but I'll go with you, Ismark. I'd be interested in speaking with her... plus finally see the Burgomaster that we kept hearing about. I would pay my respects and bless him on his journey to Dolurrh."

He glances over at Janis and shrugs with his customary smirk. "Look at it this way... if only Daeelin and myself go... the rest of you can still form up a squad of vengeance and fury to avenge our deaths if us two and Ismark get jumped."

As Sir Khensu opens his mouth to retort, Jarrith raises his hand to him. "I'm kidding, Brother. It's just a joke. Bit of humor."

"Anyone else coming, or is it just Daeelin and myself?"

 

[James Heard]

"I'm not opposed to going, I simply want to make certain that it is the most efficient course of action and that our little jaunt to see to someone's sister doesn't condemn any more villagers to death," Janis says crossly.

"I thought holy men were supposed to care about such things?"

 

[DEFCON 1]

"...our little jaunt to see to someone's sister doesn't condemn any more villagers to death. I thought holy men were supposed to care about such things?"

Jarrith rolls his eyes and quips back to her. "Well, if by some chance the barricade gets attacked again and the forty or fifty of you all still here are overrun because the..." he points and counts to Daellin, Ismark and himself "three of us weren't here to protect you... then you have my sincerest apologies. Although I'd be willing to bet that any attack that could wipe all of you out in one go probably would not go any differently even with the three of us here. But who knows? Maybe Daellin, Ismark and I are just that good." He looks to the elf and the burgomaster's son for confirmation of their skills. "I guess that's possible, right guys?"

Jarrith takes a deep breath and lets it out, in an attempt to keep the snides remarks to their barest minimum. "Look... if Ismark wants to wait, then fine. But if he doesn't, and wants to go to his sister... I'm not about to let him go off by himself. If Daellin wants to stay here to watch over the barricade... that's his call. Two on the road is still safer than one. We all have choices to make... none of them are ideal... but we'll do what we have to do to keep all of us as safe as we can. Right?"

The Stalker looks to Ismark. "So what do you say? Can you wait a bit so we all can get the barricade functional again and the right people on post to protect everyone? And if not... then so be it. I'll go with you back to your home, along with possibly Daellin and or anyone else who wants to come. What say you?"

 

[James Heard]

"I won't pretend to shed a tear for blood you shed from sheer foolishness, Jarrith, but don't you think it's rather disingenuous to pretend that you give a damn for these people by coloring our skills as insignificant? If "forty or fifty" of the townspeople were somehow adequate for their defensive needs, it would seem they wouldn't need us at all," she says, looking incredulously at Jarrith.

Janis shakes her head and sighs.

" Go on, you know you want to see the girl. Men always think with the blades of their swords."

"Leave it to me to think straight in the face of your headlong hurdle to meet women and face combat...I suppose if Selase were alive we could knit or something while you storm the castle as well? After all, if we're so singularly inadequate then surely you wouldn't need anyone's service but your great and mighty ego?"

Janis snorts and displays a rude gesture at the men.

"I'll be tending to the hurt and injured, and you wonder why I find your faith less than compelling. I'm not even pretending I'm a nice person... and I can seem to care more than the rest of you."

Janis stalks away, muttering dark thoughts about men, religion, and sexually unlikely episodes involving her companions.

 

[stonegod]

Ismark smirks at both Janis and Jarrith, rubbing his dry lips. "You both are daft." He points at the ruined barricades and the mob of dead and the much smaller group of living. "Forty? That number is mad. The people are hungry and would not be able to fight. That is what the barricades were for." He then looks at the retreating Janis. "And as for my concern of the people... if you have not noticed, I claim no right to rule these folks. In addition, it is not like I am holding them. Some have already left, seeking to find what family may still be above the ground. I am no different from they." The man's words are true---half a dozen villagers have furtively walked into the afternoon mists, though against the advice of haunted looking spouses or frightened children.

Ismark makes his way over to the well, stepping over former zombies as he does so. He splashes a bit of water over his face and takes a sip before spitting it out, cursing. Apparently he has reconsidered. "Feh. Parriwimple!" He calls out loudly. The dim witted man from last night appears from the small throng. "Get those Visanti bastards, if any remain, to help you put this up again. Best we not take any chances. I'm sure some of these heroes will help." It is unclear whether there was any disdain in that last bit.

"Irene is either dead or safe. Another hour will not likely change that. And if it does, so be it." He begins making his way back to Tavern. "Get me when it is done. I'm thirsty."

 

[stonegod]

Ashlyn, already huddled with the throng while the others argue, releases her Sovereign-granted power. A warm suffuses her, and the townfolk near her perk up as the healing touches them. Minor scrapes and afflictions lift, though hunger and weariness still remain. Ladreth's wounds, however, have a marked diminishment. He nods his stoic thanks.

Sir Urik, silent as Ismark rants and Jarrith and Janis speak, looks over at Ashlyn and nods. It is obvious why he did not help her---the townfolk shy from him, giving him the same dark looks they give Sir Khensu. So instead, he sits at the edge of the square, waiting for the other's decisions. When Ismark order the barrier rebuilt, the large man shrugs, and make shis way over to Perriwinkle. The dumb brute says nothing, but silently allows Urik to help.

 

[DEFCON 1]

"...but don't you think it's rather disingenuous to pretend that you give a damn for these people by coloring our skills as insignificant?

...After all, if we're so singularly inadequate then surely you wouldn't need anyone's service but your great and mighty ego?

"I take it you're not familiar with a little term called "sarcasm", are you Miss Stormhand? If you actually listened to what anyone besides yourself actually said... my words implied that I thought you all WERE capable of controlling things here. And that the loss of Ismark, Daellin and myself to the defense of this area would not be a problem for any of you. But apparently that kind of critical analysis of the Common language is beyond you... as whenever anyone deigns to disagree with your own skewed ideas and assessments, they are automatically wrong and stupid."

Jarrith points to each person in turn. "Yourself. Sir Khensu. Lady Ashlyn. Marot. Sir Urik. Ladreth. And even Daellin if he felt like staying, as I mentioned. You ALL were staying here to help these people. And yet you're mad because ONE PERSON, myself... or possibly two in Daellin... was not staying here, and instead running headlong 'to meet women and face combat'. What... are you jealous that I'm running headlong to 'meet women and face combat'? That you're being left behind? That I'll be off on a grand adventure, while you're here just playing nursemaid? Hmm? Oh... and by the way... that was sarcasm again if you didn't catch it."

"Really, Janis... WHY DO YOU CARE? Hells, I even said that anyone who also wanted to come along certainly could. Besides... you've already proven in the past how little you think of my skills and my beliefs... so why does it matter to you that I wasn't going to be here? Is it only because I DARED to disagree with you? You declare that we should all stay here to help the people here and NONE of us should help Ismark on his journey... and we're all supposed to just fall in line? Hmm? That it? The great and wonderful Janis Stormhand makes a pronouncement and we're all right there at her feet to say 'Yes, Lady Stormhand! Whatever you want, Lady Stormhand!'"

Jarrith snorts in derision. "Please. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Get over yourself." And before Sir Khensu is able to open his mouth, Jarrith immediately turns to his Lumin Brother and for the first time in anyone's memory actually barks in defiance at him. "And don't YOU say anything either, Brother. I may be many things and I'm certainly flawed like anyone else... but I'll BE DAMNED if I'll be chastised by that woman because of who I decide to help. The people of the village here? Ismark and his sister? Is one more deserving of my help? No. Neither is. So don't you dare start lecturing me because I refuse to kow-tow to her and what SHE WANTS."

Having gotten that out of his system... he hears and sees Ismark say that he'll wait the hour out anyway while the defenses are being rebuilt. Jarrith just shrugs and then climbs down from the horse. "Your call, Ismark." For the next hour, Jarrith pitches in as best he can.