DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Bordertown

Mikal

"My understanding is the death of the Avatar will break the curse. I have no idea whether they need to be killed by he and his minions for it to continue, but I'd not be party to killing them."

He glances to Daxia. "I had thought part of why you wanted to stand on the ground was to be more visible to the Avatar, not so much to be a barrier?"

Bekkah

She looked at Cesare in surprise, her mouth open before finally calming herself some and answering.

"I could not knowingly be part of any such plan. Ever." she said calmly but quite decisively.

Dean

Dean's eyebrows raise at Cesare's comment and he feels relief with Lady Bekkah's response.

[OOC: Daxia (and Elvis) has left the room.]

Darian

The normally quiet Hunter shakes her head. "No. Women need live till She in sky. If die, curse stay."

Kadri

"I can be no part of that idea - I will sacrifice myself - I cannot sacrifice another."

Cesare

"Thanks, rules that out anyway."

He responds to Darian and then turns to the others.

"Not saying it wouldn't be distasteful, not saying it wouldn't be done without their agreement.. and my thinking was that it might save them from a worse death at the hands of the avatar.. something less they have suffered for more times than I even like to think about!"

He shrugs.

"Anyway the point is mute. Apologies if my practicalities offended anyone's sensibilities but I was trying to find a way for us.. especially Daxia.. to survive this fight and for us to succeed.. to stop this accursed nightly slaughter."

He doesn't sound that apologetic though, more defensive.

"With that is mind I'm going to clear out some bags so I can cart stones later.. and then head up to the tower to start collecting."

Mikal

"Well, I need to go find more arrows and daggers. Will return shortly." He heads out to the market and armouries.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Almost noon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Darian, Longtooth, Bekkah, Dean, Kadri, Camelia and Romana

The room fell quiet as the three took their lieave, one after another than another. Daxia to her absolutions, Mikal to the market and Cesare off to the ruins. Romana looked between the others, from the shelter of her hood, her eyes shadowed as if they could sense a frission of tension in the room.

"Not sures ... what Romanas will do. Where Romanas will stands, Knows though ... nothing stays the same once He steps from Greenlands, yes? Romanas just know, just feels, answer not be found in Bordertowns, not in Markets.

"Waits for us on top of temple brokens."

Patience was not one of her virtues, she stoods, dusting herself off.

"Best not for Cesares to not be alone. Better for Romanas to not be in Bordertowns."

Through the door she too took her leave, following after the Rhonin,

Camelia quietly laid out three cards, looking at them, her head tilted. One was a sword, black and long, and for some of them it looked somehow familiar. The second was the Wheel of Chaos. She looked at them, on the floor before her. The third was a Rider on a horse, upside down.

"Second time today ..."

The blonde whispered.

"The Rider is the one who questions ... and he is reversed. It means the question is behind us.

"The Wheel of Chaos, the Sword. Those are obvious."

Gathering up the cards she took them back into her deck, wrapped in in her checkeboarded kerchief, and set in her lap.

"It appears that the Deck agrees with Romana and is wondering why we are still here and not already atop the ruins."

It was not much longer before Mikal returned, an additional set of throwing daggers, a set of five, scavenged from one of the smiths, that and another quarrel of fifteen arrows from Fengel's outfitters.

But a handful of heartbeats later, Daxia also arrived, her bath completed.

KAdri:

"I go where I am taken. If that is the hill, that is the hill, and I will deal with what I find there when I find it and act on what seems appropriate at the time. And if I must bare my teeth, bare my teeth."

She grins widely.

"And my teeth are tolerably sharp."

She winks.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Almost noon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Cesare ... and eventually, Romana

There was no toll taken, after Cesare found his sacks and bags, after he had slipped down into the Dragonstooth courtyard and through its small portcullis gate and then down the street to the town's larger entrance towers. By this time the traffic had thinned out; most folks having already left, the last stragglers in bound now from the closer farms.

As he walked from tavern to gate he did catch sight of the town's own watch - the sheriff and his men. They were preparing the owns innermost protection; the barrels of water against possible fire; clearing the streets to make sure there were good lines of sight down the main streets ... using carts and crates to block the side alleyways.

The walk up the winding path, up the rubbled stairs, it was almost pastoral in a wintery kind of way; quiet, peaceful, as if the stones and underbrush had no idea that this was a different day. About halfway up there were rushed footsteps behind him; it seems he did not make this treck alone ... their strange hooded companion having decided to follow.

Romana's pace was light ... and she did not speak much, but she was good company on the worn path.

It was a clear day.

The view from the runs was spectacular, the Tarn spreading out to the west with its fields and boulders; the dark green of the forest beyond; the tall coniferous trees set amidst the bare skeletons of the deciduous. Even the town was a pretty pattern, tile and heavy timber and whitewash.

"It is starting, isn't it ..."

Lady Kay was waiting for them, having watched their approach from outside her home.

"You have tossed a rock into a den of merebeasts ... it won't end until it ends. So there's nothing more to say but to shutter the windows and bar the doors."

The older priestess turned, to begin exactly those tasks.

"Don't worry, it's not the first time it has happened. Twice,thrice a year. It is nice having a bit of warning. Last time some poor soul made the mistake of speaking the wrong name. The Hysthainians tied him to a post to the west of the town, hoping to appease the Red Scarfed One ... it didn't work."

There were many suitable rocks atop the ruins for Cesare to gather. Romana helped as much as she could; though she was better at choosing only the smaller of stones.

Cesare

He nods politely to Lady Kay.

"About time that pot was stirred. Interesting that there are other occurrences of trouble. Anything you can tell me of them that might be useful?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Almost noon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Cesare ... and eventually, Romana

"No ... its time for a modicum of mercy ..."

Lady Kay glanced over her shoulder, to the silent well.

"That supposedly is long overdue."

She then shook her head, quietly and her words were a touch stern ... but perhaps not sternly directed towards him.

"They are like a pack of rabid ruffs, and they follow the strongest, the most brutal. And like a pack of mad creatures, they show no loyalty ...

"Half the times the Town was spared the brunt of their wrath, when for some reason, something happens that turns them on themselves."

Those last words garnered a perk of the hooded girl's head, before she returned to her rock collecting.

Cesare

"Maybe we can make use of that.."

He knows when animals small blood and weakness they will often take the opportunity to take out a potential rival. Maybe these do the same?

"You should see to your own defences. We would not wish harm to come to you."

He smiles briefly, adding a nod, giving her a chance to respond before continuing his rock collection. Next time they go into the tower he wants to test its defences, look for weaknesses, vantage points, really know the layout.

Mikal

Passing out the arrows and daggers and giving a last check of his own equipment, he nods to Daxia and says, "Best to go get a feel for the ground. Pick out a few good fighting positions and fallbacks from them to others. Look at the firing angles. See where those in the tower with missiles can support those on the ground and where not. See what the tower looks like and such. If you need me, that's where I will be."

Darian

Accepting the arrows, she inspects each for soundness. Satisfied she hangs the quarrel from her belt then readjusts her cloak about her shoulders.

"Longtooth, come. Darian go tower, look roof."

Bekkah

She listened to Lady Kay, hoping the lady's words would prove useful to her friends and family. Without a word of explanation, she followed Darian to the tower roof where she would be safer. She silently prayed that she wasn't making a costly mistake.

Kadri looks at the walls of the tower, looks at angles and sees if there is anywhere that would be good for dagger throwing anyhow ...

Daxia

Daxia returned from her bath dressed in her cream-colored travel tunic, with light brown breeches tucked into her leather boots. She finished dressing in silence, donning her armor, black and silver Temple surcoat, white belts, and simple silver star pendant. After adjusting her sword and dagger comfortably on her belt, she gathered up her helm, new shield and other necessary items, and left the Inn with the others. She, too, noted the sheriff and his men working... and hesitated.

Stepping over to the man, she said, "Pardon, Sheriff. I know you are very busy, and I must leave town before you close the gates... but might I have a moment of your time? A very small moment, I promise."

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Almost noon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Darian, Longtooth, Bekkah, Dean, Daxia, Kadri and Camelia

As the small cadre broke from their meeting at the Dragonstooth, following in Cesare and Romana's path to the tower, Daxia interrupts their passage down the street.

"Sherif Garrick? He should be down by the east gate ..."

"... you just missed him; he's bound to Marrennen, rustling up some Household guard ..."

" ... there, see the bloke wrangling the water bucket line? He'll know."

It took a little bit of chasing to finally corner the town's sherif, at the town well of all places, not resting but standing upon its stone carved ring, as if the little bit of height might give him a better view down the town's four major streets and what might happen there come duck and sunset. He was a tall man, black hair and deep brown eyes, ruggedly cut and wearing a heavy tunic and surcoat. Beneath the surcoat, like an open vest, was a heavy linen hauberk - obviously padding for armor that was not yet worn.

"A small moment?

"A very small moment?"

Sherif Garrick looked down upon Daxia, his brow querking. His foot tapped a carven circle upon the well's rim.

"I swear, the smaller the moment, the more trouble you cause.

"Won't take but a small moment, one drink before closing, nothing but a very very small moment, and the next thing you know its almost dawn and the three three of us are singing songs that would make a Trundle minstrel blush and then she bops me in the head with her boot because she's swinging her feet like a farm girl from the eaves and we are trying not to fall off the Dragonstooth's balcony.

"So lass ... just how small are your moments, ja?"

Daxia

Daxia blinked, and then smiled slowly. "Considerably smaller than Captain Koromov's, sir. Although I can see why she suggested that sitting around a campfire with the three of you would be an educational experience."

She leaned her shield against the well and set her helm beside it before climbing up on the stone circle herself. "I used to do this when I was young, though the view was not so grand and the purpose more mischievous than cautionary."

She looked around to make sure no one was in earshot, then spoke softly.

"One of my party intercepted a messenger heading into the Forest this morning; the message will not reach its destination, Swordlord Molkavin will not meet as much resistance as he might have otherwise, and Lady Kara need not worry for her safety. However, the message also..." Daxia paused a moment, biting her lip. "...included a promise to the recipient that 'the Sheriff would be taken care of'." She paused for another breath, then shrugged.

"Forewarned is forearmed, yes?"

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Almost noon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Darian, Longtooth, Bekkah, Dean, Daxia, Kadri and Camelia

Garrick paused at that, silent for a moment.

"Ja ... forewarned is forearmed."

His gaze swept across the town's two eastern blocks.

"Educational ....

"Dandy would cuff you across the side of your head I suspect ...

"That's downright annoying on a personal level.

"But the real question, lass ...

"Who is crazy enough to use an attack from the Forest as an excuse to tear this town apart."

Expression grim he turned back to his work. Threats or no, real or imagined, one thing was sure. No matter what, come sunset They were going to arrive.

"Thanks."

Daxia

"No doubt she would; no doubt there would be some reason for me to deserve it," she said with the hint of a smile. "Apparently, I talk a lot.

"But to answer your question with my own: As our goal is to stop the attacks, who within the town has benefitted the most from the attacks, who stands to lose the most when they cease?" The Dayalan shrugged. "Your town, Sheriff; I don't know all the players. My Jvrillian mentioned names, but no lesson in Bordertown politics. And I did promise you a very small moment, so perhaps that is a discussion we could have after we finish our jobs tonight, yes? Assuming the answer does not become clear before then."

Daxia hopped down from the stone ring, then picked up shield and helm again before looking up at Garrick.

"You're welcome."

Although it looked as if she might have said more, she simply nodded to him before rejoining her group and heading for the gate... and the ruins.

The Heartwood
Bordertown
Late Afternoon
Hasday, The Twenty-Second Day of the Month of Crown of Ice, 2623

Darian, Longtooth, Bekkah, Dean, Daxia and Kadri

The sun was already closer to the far horizon than it was to zenith by the time the small group reconvened together atop the ruins. Camelia had stayed behind, the last glimpse of her was as the gates closed for that final time. There was an air of finality, of permanence, in the dull heavy thud as the thick wood doors were barred, as the metal picket gates were lowered.

Atop, preparations had already been made; at least by three.

Cesare had his collection of rocks and stones ... and the manor house and the tower's lower reaches were shuttered and closed.

Romana was eyeing a small out cropping of rubble, on the ruins eastern slopes, as she heard the hoof steps and foot steps of the others arriving.

The tower watched over them all. it's crenellated turret overseeing the ruins, the town and the nearby fields ... all the way to the far, far treeline.

Darian

She gathered up the rope and made to climb to the top of the tower to see if there was a roof to perch upon. She did not want an area surrounded by uprights or turrets but rather a clear view of all. If it could not be found atop the tower she would find a lower roof with a good view of the clearing where Daxia meant to take her stand.