Epoch Of A Silent Night [IC]

[Achesia]

The knight and his mob eyes your party for a moment before clutching his sword even tighter, both hands along it's hilt and crossguard as he takes a guarded stance. He looks extremely disturbed by Carina who shouts ungodly and nonsensical phrases as she rolls around. The she-dwarf looked to have churned the stomachs of some of the pitchfork and spear wielding cadre as they all inspected the strange travelers.

"Abominations?" the knight squinted as his face contorted with the thought. "The only abominations I can tell is the queer ramblings of your processed dwarf." His grip along the hilt of his sword seemed tighter as he inched forward, the tip of his spear the vanguard of his bravery as he looked to see if the dwarf would say something the inhabitants of this world would understand.

"What business do you have in this wood? Gnome slavers? The insanity. These woods have been haunted for months now, what black magic do you have to do with it?" His eyes on Talinus now whose charred hands seemed to be the source of the now smouldering bushes. He seemed offput by Talinus' presence as he groweled. "Put your weapons down." His eyes shot to Andrew. “And no heresy from you mage…”

[Murovanka]

Andrew was well aware of his rather unkempt appearance and unbecoming outfit, but there was no helping them now. He stepped forward, looking at the knight, saying, "My good Sir, Is this how visitors are greeted? Who may I have the pleasure of speaking to, and in whose name do you serve?"

He made another step forward and with his double chin waggling proudly, spoke, "I am Andrew of House Lemuras, son of Aedan Lord of Halvoy and Count of Halderstone. We were all kidnapped by gnomes, as this low-... Mr. Rainey said, and managed to escape, though not without the deaths of three of us, and ask for, if your lordship will not spare us his hospitality, at least the help to safety."

[Camicon]

They were curious things, corpses. It had been some time since Llewellyn had chanced upon the opportunity to sketch one, as the relatives of the deceased rarely took kindly to her intruding upon their grief. But here had been a man, no family to send her away, and decapitated of all things!

Ignoring or perhaps oblivious to those around her, the she-elf made her way around to the headless body with parchment and pencil in hand. Setting a burning torch near to her feet, Llewellyn knelt down and began drawing the profile of the deceased Tass, focusing most of her attention on the exposed innards of his neck, careful to make sure she was accurately depicting the position of each vein and artery, each stretch of muscle and disk of bone.

Some talk of 'white abominations' drew her attention away from her detailed work. She felt her curiosity pricking.

"Abominations? In what way?" she asked of Rainey without looking at him, still focused on Tass' body, hands still capturing the macabre scene. "Describe them to me."

[Novas Arcanum]

Nervous, and sweating profusely Talinus hid his charred hands behind his back.Bloody southerners, of course, they would blame a mage for all their problems, but I better be careful, knight looks mad, he thought.He wondered if there was anyone in this backwater of a country who could train him in the ways of wizardry but it seemed unlikely.

He folded his folded his arms wearing a weary expression on his face."Trust me I would never dare to dabble in the dark arts, we're simple travelers who seek refuge in Liverfoot " He said as he watched the she-elf enter the scene Curious lass he thought.

[HMS White Whale]

What in the bloody hell? Rainey thought to himself as this strange she-elf appeared out of nowhere and with no explanation. He temporarily ignored the man-child’s slip up to address the newcomer: “Do you have any idea how to read a damn situation? And why in the hell are you wandering around a cursed forest at night?” Now, returning to the band of small town guards who were currently threatening them, he responded to the knight. “Believe me, we are not in this wood by any choice of our own, and it is no doubt haunted. The abominations were shaped like men, except entirely white, with silk-like skin and expressionless faces. They also seemed to emanate some sickly glow. Whatever is haunting your woods is not natural!” Rainey returned to trying to jostle Cairna back from her maddened state.

[Ulls]

Syrus just heard what everyone else said but was too busy trying to shake off the drunkenness from his mind. He started to remember some things but he didn't remember anything about a cursed wood but he spoke.

"Can we at least get to town?" He slurred the question," I liked to be in the tavern by sunrise and my friends need something to eat than jerky."

[Achesia]

Annoyed further by the arrogant lordling and the dimwitted drunk, the knight strode forward, bringing the tip of his sword just inches away from Andrew's gullet.

"There is no such thing as guests from these woods. These pines are cursed." He looked upwards towards the rays of knights seeping through the tops of the trees. "Our patrols are constantly watching the edges of the woods. Whatever dark arts you were performing here caused such a ruckus." He eyed Talinus coyly as he watched the abstinent wizard make excuses for his magic. "All magic not drawn from the holy nature of the gods is heresy warlock." He eyed the charred bushes once more.

The mob behind began to crawl up closely to the band, their spears and pitchforks leveled as they were prepared to execute the knight's orders.

"I am Sir Gwane of Liveroot." He held the sword horizontally at the throat of Andrew. "And I command you all lower your spears and surrender yourselves to my custody. I will then take you to Liveroot, and discover your true intentions..." He stared Rainey in the eye. "And get your friend the she-dwarf off the ground. The curse you cast on her has taken its toll clearly.

[Novas Arcanum]

A splinting headache was growing inside Talinus's skull as he couldn't fathom how absent-minded these rural folks were, oh how beautiful the burning Spires of Oxenburg were right now.He clapped dramatically. "Brilliant skills of deduction Sir Gwane," he said, sarcastically "But in case you didn't notice from the accent I am a Northerner and a penniless one at that too, now tell me just what would I gain from cursing your forests?"

He sighed raising his hands in surrender ."Well, the gods say to love thy neighbor and treat travelers with hospitability, but I suppose we pick and choose what we listen to right?Let's get this over with." He said with an easygoing smile; there was no point in resisting, the saukrels had them cornered.

[Murovanka]

Andrew's heart beat loudly as he stepped back nervously eyeing the sword at his throat. "As you say, Sir Gwane of Liverroot. Though I can assure you on my word- speaking for myself, for I can't for the others- that all I wish is to return to the towers of Montmerdy. The faster I get there, the quicker my lord father can send you chests of gold as thanks for your hospitality... your sword may be good steel, but any fork-wielding lowborn could cut through that sorry armour of yours."

[HMS White Whale]

Rainey’s eyes narrowed at the accusations of the knight, but he complied and surrendered his spear. Tucked in his ragged waistband, beneath his ill-fitting shirt was still the gnome’s shiv. When the others began to speak, however, his eyes shot back open in disbelief. These fools will get us all killed! he thought to himself. In an attempt to preserve himself as much as possible, he steadied Cairna, following the knight’s orders.

[Achesia]

The knight smirked as your party begins to comply, and on his own honor he sheaths his sword as a few of the militiamen gather your weapons from the ground. The knight let out a heavy sigh as he looked over the forest, a dead and sad thing it was now. The look of his face tells a tale of despairing nostalgia, for times better than these.

"Thank you for surrendering your arms. If what you say is true, and you are victims in this, then all will be proven soon, and you will have the town of Liveroot's hospitality. But to deceive us, would be a grave error." The knight said in a stern and warning tone, mainly looking at Talinus the mage. It was obvious these people were not trusting or welcoming to the magically inclined, but despite this the rabble of disheveled and il-training militiamen gather your things and lead you south.

Down the river bank you travel with the knight and his men, it is some ways against the flowing water, and the weariness in your feet begins to ache. Two of the village folk carry Carina between them, as she is faintly conscious and within her right mind. For what seems like an hour you footpads tread along the bank. Until the forest clears into a field, with a road ahead, and the flickering lights of Liveroot beyond.

"Welcome to the town of Liveroot." The knight said as he lead the group forward. While you can hear the bustling of the town's inn and the bawdiness of its streets, you are not brought within sight of these ilures. Instead the knight leads you through a rear gate within the town's wooden walls. Several men-at-arms armed with spears and wearing a similar surcoat and crest as the knight join your parade.

You are headed towards what looks to be a small stone holdfast on the southernmost section of the town. As you stand below it, the cobbled stone rises into the night like a giant, and as you enter, it's cool and damp nature reminds you briefly of the last time you spent under the ground. Trudging forward at the behest of the militia and the knight however, you are brought into a large room within what seems to be the guardhouse portion of the holdfast.

Several chairs and a long table sit at the center of this room. And as you and your party are dropped off by the militia, who dismiss themselves at the approval of the knight and his men-at-arms, several hot plates of stew are brought in and sat on the table at each position.

"You may eat, perhaps you can tell me the truth of your being in the woods after you have a full stomach." Sir Gwane motioned for them to sit.

[HMS White Whale]

Rainey was, at this point, entirely exhausted. Being the first and only watchman, he hadn't gotten even a blink of sleep since his imprisonment at the hands of the gnomes. However, hunger and fear of death kept him awake. He eyed the stew greedily, and gave it a quick taste to test if it was safe, only to realize as it hit his lips that he no longer cared. As Rainey finished the last drops, he used the momentary burst of energy to reinforce his story from earlier.

“I thank you for your hospitality,” Rainey signaled the cavernous prison with his chin, “but I spoke the truth earlier. All of us, except for your sloshed man over there, were imprisoned by gnomes as slaves. We escaped thanks to the young mage, Talinus, and have been traveling south since.” He paused to address the source of the knight’s suspicions, if he didn't it could be all their heads. “The mage has done none of us any harm, in fact we would find ourselves much worse for wear if not for him.” Rainey chose to play the empathy card: “I know how you feel, I too did not trust him at first. My city has suffered at the hands of malevolent warlocks, but I sense in my heart that he is different.” Rainey, of course, had no way of knowing that, or even feeling it. Talinus was young and obviously inexperienced, so he'd just rather gamble on the mage’s harmlessness than see the poor kid get hurt.

[Camicon]

Llewellyn clucked her tongue in irritation as the peasant mob began to shuffle back to Liveroot. It meant that her time with the corpse had come to an end. No doubt it would be picked over by scavengers long before the sun rose, making it safe for her to return by herself. By the flickering light of the mob's torches she looked over her sketches with a critical eye, frowning with irritation; accurate depictions though they might be, and perhaps worth something to a novice anatomist, she had once again failed to capture the essence of... what? Death? Tragedy? Violence? She shook her head and plodded listlessly towards Liveroot, following the good Sir Gwane and those strange forest people.

They came to the guardhouse, where the militia was wont to hold suspicious travellers and troublemakers alike. Llewellyn began pacing around the perimeter of the room, her pencil attacking a fresh sheet of parchment, pulled flat against a thin span of wood. If Sir Gwane and his men failed in their interrogation, which she suspected they might, then it would be left to The Maker Llewellyn and her Art to discover the Guilt or the Innocence of this party.

[Ulls]

The drunken man was just stumbling along as the peasants and the Knight escorted him to the guardhouse. His mind was still trying to get sober but to little or no effect yet he could still hear the rowdiness of the Blushing Moon Inn. He started to remember things but it wasn't until he was in the interrogation chamber in the guardhouse that he finally spoke.

" Sir Gwane, name's Syrus O' Mire and I work for the Blushinn' Moon. I haul things and such and love the drinks that they give out. I just a wandered out the town a bit and a lost me way till I found me new friends. Theys a telling the truth about them pointy hats and then these white things came and killed another person. Now, I just wish to go back home and talk to the bosses about my absence before they takes my coin for the day."

[Murovanka]

Andrew Lemoras' stomach growled at the sight of food. He hadn't had a meal in what felt like days, and even as poor as this 'meal' might be, food was food, and he desperately gobbled all that he could down in record time, looking for more. He usually had four-five proper meals a day; it was a wonder that he survived.

"I remember only waking up in that cave; how I reached it, I have not a clue. Pray do you know how many leagues it is from my home, Montmerdy? Unfortunately, I am not acquainted with Liverroot..."

[Novas Arcanum]

"Thank the Maker actual food at last!" Talinus smelled the stew and nearly jumped with joy.He devoured the food at an alarming rate shoveling spoonful after spoonful of beef into his mouth until he was fully satisfied.The empty bowl reminded him of home, of Praven snow-capped mountains and icy seas.His mother making hardy reindeer stew to stave off the chill.Gods he missed home so much, the looks of hatred emitting from the strangers made him feel extremely uncomfortable, yet Rainey's explanation gave him a little hope that perhaps not all people were so ignorant and fearful of mages.

Maybe his time in Liverroot could be spent proving to people that mages are human beings after all and not malevolent monsters.

[Murovanka]

As he sat back, somewhat satisfied, Andrew's eyes wandered around. He hadn't paid actual attention to his surroundings until now, his growling stomach having taken priority, as it always did. But around them, the fanciful decorations instantly excited some memory from his lessons with the maester. He knew it had been boring; he had been forced to memorise names of houses and seats, sigils and overlords, mottos and bannermen. Most of it he'd quickly forgotten. He'd never heard of Liverroot, but they had received guests at Montmerdy's Keep before from the Kingdom of South Chambers, and the people here seemed a lot like them, if much more uncouth, dirty and of course, lowborn.

"I think I know where we are." he said. "Kingdom of South Chambers."

Still, it didn't explain how he got all the way over here, waking up chained up by gnome slavers. His lord father treated non-humans with utmost brutality. Perhaps he'd be permitted to send knights to root out and punish the nasty gnomes for hurting one of theirs.

[Achesia]

Listening to Rainey speak made the knight visibly weary, the full recapture of their story at the hands of the gnomes while interesting made the long night longer.

"So these gnomes held you in a cave? for what purpose?" what of the men at arms, a portly man with a helm still affixed to his head said with a sense of doubt. Others scratched their heads as they made sense of the story, something about crawling naked men and setting little gnomes on fire seemed all too unbelievable. Trolls hidden behind doors, white men like creatures stalking the night. What sort of horrors lurked in the woods? While it seemed unlikely a female dwarf, a rich lordling, a merchant, a mage, and a drunkard were masterminds of the darkness that had beset the forest, suspicion still existed that they had something to do with it all.

"Pray tell... Andrew. How is you know not of what Kingdom you are in? You act as if this is news? Our king's domain stretches leagues in every direction from here." The knight took a seat across from Andrew as he searched the man's expressions. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the she-elf Llewellyn jotting down as she usually did. She was a nuisance at best, with unrestricted access to the holdfast and town. Sir Gwane had mused that if his Lord did not fancy the sight of the elf and her features that she would not be under his arse constantly.

[HMS White Whale]

What do you mean what purpose?! Rainey nearly blurted out at the ignorant, fat guard. He was getting more and more irritated as the night wore on. These country bumpkins couldn't seem to grasp the situation, no matter how many times he explained it. But worst of all, he felt ignored. Swept aside. Sure, he wasn't as eccentric or suspicious, by design, as any of these other loons, but he was also the only one making sense! The repetitive questions, the same answers, couldn't the damn hicks just believe his feigned sincerity?

But Rainey kept his mouth quiet, and his face expressionless. It was easier that way.

[Murovanka]

Andrew turned to Rainey. "Rainey, do you still have the note you found on the gnome?"

He recalled it well.
Bring your stock to the road before the old ruin, and tie them to the old naked willow. Do this and leave. Do not return before sunrise for your payment.

He turned to the knight. "Indeed, Sir, I- and I daresay those of us who awoke in the cave, cannot recall how we got there..."

He realised there could be several things the knight could do to him. One would be, as he'd hoped, a good horse and maybe a servant who would accompany him back to Montmerdy. The other was that he was held hostage and would demand a ransom from his father, as many robber barons back home did too. His hopes deflated as the knight seemed wholly uninterested in any promise of gold.

[HMS White Whale]

Rainey’s eyes shot open as he realized it might actually have been him that was holding up these proceedings. In his exhaustion, he had completely forgotten about the note. Rainey carefully removed the note from his pocket, trying not to jostle the dagger tucked in his waistband, before setting it on the table and moving it towards the knight.

[Novas Arcanum]

Great gods, this interrogation was dreadfully dull, Talinus wanted to shout from sheer boredom but instead kept a composure of refined civility. Whatever the outcome he hoped that the letter would finally clear things up and let them leave.For Andrew wasn't the only one who wanted to go home, he had had enough of the South, and besides, maybe the war was coming to an end back home...

"Excuse me Sir Gwane but would there happen to be any ships heading to Praven ?" he said respectfully, trying not to provoke the knight.