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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1155798" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #240] Up the Junction[/PLAIN]"We obviously need to go in and ask questions," Vade said and began rummaging through his pack. "Could this be the work of that other party?""Which other party?" Morier asked, his breath still coming in ragged gasps."The one she keeps talking about," the halfling said, gesturing absently at Windstryder. The elf arched her eyebrow and shook her head."Huile's group are fellow Wardens," she said curtly. "They wouldn't attack the village just to get the girl.""Perhaps there's something more going on here," Feln grunted. He looked at Windstryder and made a series of gestures with his hands. The ranger nodded."Lord Jannissary," she said, to Ledare in elvish. "Ugly One and I will scout the area and once it is secure we will watch and cover you from any danger. Have Vade signal us by scratching his ear if the danger is not visible. Once the package is secure signal us to come in.""If the problem is not readily apparent, I think it would be good to do some poking about in the local taverns and shops asking the villagers," the Janissary suggested, squinting at the distant village. She couldn't shake the terrible feeling of deja-vu."If there are any children around, I can talk to them," Vade said, wrestling his disguise kit out onto the path. "Sometimes they see things without being noticed and they might talk to someone their own size. I had you guys fooled last time!" He giggled and slapped on his blonde wig. "Vade has a good idea to ask the children," Ledare agreed with a nod. "I can go to the manor and find out what I can there. If we need shelter and food, that might be a safe haven for a bit.""Should we agree to meet at the belltower at sundown?" Morier suggested and the others nodded."That'll give us an hour or two to find out what we can," Windstryder informed them before she gave Feln a gesture and darted off eastward. As she moved, she hunched low to the ground and soon disappeared completely into the tall grass.While Ledare and Morier watched the elf go and conferred with one another about the apparent state of the village, Feln drew Ixin discreetly aside."Would you prefer to go in a little less noticeable?" he asked and drew off the polished steel helmet that kept his perfectly coifed locks in place. As he did so, the image of the handsome knight flickered and dissolved, revealing a coarse and weather-worn figure beneath. Feln now wore simple breeches and a loose shirt with fine-made calf-high boots. Sashes of fabric were knotted around his limbs at various points, and one kept a quarterstaff strapped to his back. His face was brutish in aspect with an underslung jaw, jutting brow ridge and sloping forehead. Purple eyes stared out at Ixin from beneath bristling strawberry blonde eyebrows. Small tusks protruded from behind his bottom lip.Ixin took a surprised step back. "You're trolborn?" she said, using a term from her own world."Half-orc," Feln replied sullenly. "Is that a problem for you?""N-no," Ixin admitted with a shrug. "I knew many of your blood back in Highgate. In fact, Kruumeesh, one of Drake Thuulsias's daughters, was both trolborn and a monk!" Feln snorted and offered his hat to her."You would be remembered and easy to recognize and that may not be what we want," he told the mage. "Just concentrate on an image and that is what you will appear to be. Don't forget the clothes, Ixin. That might be easily remembered as well.""Thank you, Feln," Ixin said. "I was worried about the same thing!" She placed the hat atop her head and her figure wavered and flowed until she appeared to be a rather average-looking commoner. In many ways she resembled a younger, taller Den Lant dressed in a rough supertunic and cap. "How's this?" she asked and Feln nodded."Just don't speak," he told her before approaching Vade."Vade, I would like you to keep your eyes open for some fine artisan's tools." Feln asked. "I have an interest in creating fine weapons but my make shift tools make it quite difficult.""How do you keep changing your appearance?" the halfling asked as he looked over Feln's half-orcish features. "WOW! I thought I was good at disguise, but you are the best! Can you make yourself a halfling next time?" Feln chuckled.Perhaps," he grinned. " If you see such tools let me know. If they are inexpensive enough, you could just buy them, and I will pay you back. Whatever price you name fair.""Oooh I can find some for you I will bet!" the little rogue winked as he applied some rouge to his cheeks.Feln nodded and sprinted down the path toward the bridge further down which spanned a series of rapids in the river. He hunkered down and soon vanished into the grass with nearly the same skill as Windstryder.As the main group made its way down the forest path, past the millpond and down into the wattle and daub village itself, they could see the effects of the raid. As Feln had reported, Hillville Junction had  obviously been raided, and not very long ago. Some buildings along the main road through town were missing their thatched roofs, and others showed signs of the torch as well. There was no shortage of villagers about, many of whom they recognized, but all were engaged in various repairs and offered the foursome little more than an odd glance as they went about their business. The market area around the belltower in the center of town had suffered the worst, and the shrine to Sato bordering the market had borne the brunt of the assault. The flowering plants growing up around the foundation of the modest shrine were trampled and front door was smashed from its hinges. Many of the shutters had been wrenched off and the wooden shingles on the roof were charred in several places.“Welcome to Hillville Junction!” a voice called out in a friendly, if a little slurred, manner. “I’m afraid you’ve not caught us at our best, strangers. But you’re welcome to share with us what still remains of the town!" A thin, weather-weary figure lay prone in the dirt, his head propped against the wooden belltower, a clay jug propped against his side. He laughed drunkenly and grinned up at the four with bloodshot eyes hazel eyes. His unkempt grey hair and the red blossoms on his cheeks and nose indicated that he'd spent many years at the bottle."By the look of you, I’d guess you’re adventurers!" the man went on, pointing a wavering finger at either Ledare or Morier - it was difficult to tell which. "You could find plenty of wrongs to right around here, if you’re of such a mind.""Leoric," Morier said, approaching the man with a look of pity on his pale face."Do I know you?" the drunkard asked, not even bothering to sit up as the elf came near.It pained Morier to see the man who had valiantly fought at his side fifteen years before reduced to such a pathetic shell of his former self. The horrors that Leoric had seen on that rescue mission had shattered the man's nerve and plagued him with nightmare memories that he could only drown with cider. It was sad, truly, but Morier could not find it in his heart to scorn the man; Leoric hadn't had the childhood that Morier had after all."It is I, Leoric," the elf said. "Morier Tulien." The drunk squinted up into the warrior's face and a glimmer of recognition appeared beneath the apple-scented haze of alcohol."Morier?" Leoric chuckled. "I heard tell that you'd finally left the Junction." He brought the jug unsteadily to his lips and  took a long pull."I've returned," Morier told him matter-of-factly. "What happened here?""Chagmat!" Leoric said before spitting messily.Ledare felt an icicle of fear touch the base of her spine. Her hand was on the hilt of her longsword before she fully realized what she was doing."It wasn't chagmat, Leoric!" a woman's voice chided from behind them. "Stop trying to scare everyone."They turned and saw a woman coming toward them from the direction of the shrine. She was dressed in well-made and well-worn robes of brown, red, and gold hues. The large square holy symbol of Sato hung about her neck and her head was completely shaved, as was the fashion of Orderbringers from one end of the Realms to the other. Her left arm was missing from just above the elbow, and the voluminous sleeve of her robe was pinned up at her shoulder. Her face was kind and creased with a homey, lived-in quality that put the group at ease. Her name, both Ledare and Morier knew was Maerwynn.She introduced herself to farmer Ixin and little-boy Vade after favoring the others with a hug. "It is good to see you again, Ledare," she told the Janissary. "I just wish it could be under better circumstances.""What happened?" Ledare asked and Maerwynn sighed."We were raided last night," she said. "It was like the last time, only...  different.""They was chagmat!" Leoric asserted again, finally pushing himself to a sitting position so that he could point a finger at the cleric."These were not chagmat! Chagmat do not fly!" Maerwynn argued before turning back to Ledare. "Like the chagmat, last night's attackers looked like some kind of weird cross between men and bugs, but they were different. Some of them flew like huge wasps, others scuttled about on four legs, and the largest - the leader, I think - looked like a big grasshopper man!""Bah, woman!" Leoric scoffed. "You wouldn't know a chagmat if it bit you in the arse!" Maerwynn shot him a scathing glance."I most certainly would, Leoric!" she exclaimed, cradling the stump of an arm she'd lost defending a child during the last attack of the spider folk. "These things last night took supplies and valuables, which the chagmat didn't ever bother with, and they only carried off one person— Ilea. Our gift of the star." The Orderbringer got a wistful look on her face and mention of the name and frowned. "The girl’s been the light of the village ever since she came. She has been staying with me since her arrival and the attackers focused on breaching the shrine to get her. I don’t know what we’ll do now that she’s gone. She’s a good girl.”"Who is she?" farmer Ixin asked and the cleric gave her a strange look as the voice and the face did not match in the slightest."I don't know," Maerwynn said, blinking at Ixin curiously before turning back to Ledare. "None of us knows. Nine days ago, Ilea fell through a brilliant white hole in the sky on a night that seemed filled with magic.""I was afraid you were going to say that," Vade sighed.</blockquote>

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