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Silence in Paws
Posted: 05 Feb 2006 11:18 PM |
There was a sickening feeling in William’s stomach as he stepped down from the cart, looking around Paws.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Paws had never been a busy village, a place of quiet, solitude, hard working folk…
But there wasn’t a single person in the streets. The gnomish flying machine was unattended, and the husbandman absent from the fields.
Cows, idly chewing the cud followed him with their eyes as he wandered down the deserted main street of the town towards the Inn. A town meeting, perhaps? He’d never heard of one here, but he didn’t exactly come often- how often did they need his wares, after all.
“Mrrooow!”
The cat’s meow from near the Inn’s door seemed strangely loud in the quiet morning, and he entered the inn.
Nothing.
No-one.
His hands moved to his hips, and a confused frown slowly formed on his weathered face as he looked around.
“What in Midoran’s name….?”
He stepped back outside, wandering through the town, slowly approaching the woods. He’d heard strange tales of them, and wasn’t sure if he wanted to enter. He was unarmed…. Should he go back to Midor for help? They wouldn’t believe him anyway.
Then he heard it. A sound, a sound out of place in the silence. A quiet buzzing.
Steeling himself, he stepped through the dense undergrowth, his eyes adjusting to the darker wood.
It was only a few hundred yards in that he saw them. All of them.
Each and every man and woman of Paws, dead. Their bodies speared, and dragged into the woods… the spears left in the bodies.
He turned, and ran. Somehow, he wasn’t even tired when he reached Midor to tell someone, anyone….
Common Knowledge
The entire adult population of the village of Paws was slaughtered a night or two back. There were no adult survivors.
The children of the village, however, were put to sleep with spells and left in the hermit’s cave. They don’t remember anything of the attack, but were unharmed when found by what rescue parties came.
The adults were evidently killed expertly, and no-one witnessed the massacre. The only clue was the weapon used- spears. Each and every body was either killed with a spear and the weapon left in the body, or impaled upon a spear post mortem.
The bodies were then moved away from their places of death, and gathered around a single tree in the woods. |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 06 Feb 2006 07:03 AM |
| *bump* |
Purpose in life: finding better ways of allowing players to kill themselves. Repeatedly.
--
"...Cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good."
--
<@James42> Lawful good isn't in your vocabulary, it's on your menu.
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Re: Silence in Paws - The Novus Aristi response
Posted: 06 Feb 2006 04:38 PM |
Byron's heart fell as he heard the news. An entire town, mercilessly slaughtered. For a moment, his thought went to Macha and the spear she had often carried. Could it be Tarik? Could this be his revenge for losing the services of his daughter?
He could ponder such things later. After sealing the letter he had been working on in an evelope, he dropped it in a travel roll. He had to get to Haven quickly and make contact with Lillian and Blanche.
((the letter below is encoded in an odd language))
To Amaranth:
Get in touch with the Priestess and have her dispatch the Arm of Mercy down to Paws immediately. Provide comfort and aid to the surviving children. Gather as many resources as can muster and procure as many resurrection scrolls as we can. Get our priests down there to assist in raising any that can be raised.
Make certain to scout the area properly for the Midoran presence. If proper paladins are on the scene (and not RS) then approach as friends and offer to work as a team, rather then against one another, for the good of the people in Paws.
If RS are present, attempt diplomacy for the good of survivors. If this fails, offer aid covertly as we can.
I want this done yesterday. This is now top priority. |
My name is Byron Lorian....I am the Last Son |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 06 Feb 2006 06:21 PM |
Ulalume surveyed the scene.
Figures in red armor and robes covered the scene like fire ants at a picnic. The gruesome scene was mostly restored to normal, and the children had been gathered and placed with appropriate families around Midor. At least whoever had done this had enough decency within them to spare the children... her eyes, so freely flowing in the past few days, were dry as a Kobai afternoon. Sorrow and pity swirled within her, but bubbling up and taking control was the rage that had become all too familiar in the past few days.
Whoever, or whatever had done this would pay dearly for their actions, she would see to that.
"Midoran's Will be Done," she muttered, and turned towards the White City. |
"You know, a gong. Large, flat object that you hit when you want things. Sort of like a waiter, but less portable."
-Radra |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 06 Feb 2006 07:43 PM |
The rescue party is huge; a detachment of Righteous Swords and Priests equal to or even greater than the population that Paws once had.
And no Paladins.
Those who visit the Midoran Temple or any of the chapels around Midor might, however, note that there is an absence of priests. Surely Midor had more priests than this?
((Changes will come in 3-00-4b)) |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 06 Feb 2006 07:59 PM |
Paws
"Excuse me."
Charinne timidly approached one of the red-clad Enforcers. "Excuse me, my name's Charinne. I'm looking for my Uncle..."
She trailed off as the helmed head turned towards her.
"Order will be restored shortly," came the man's voice, metallic and cold. "Move along, citizen."
"All right. I'm just a little worried is all," she went on earnestly. "Is there anything... I mean, is there anything I can do? I have friends from the farmlands on the outskirts. We could come and help."
"Your aid is not required," was the response.
"Well... sure. All right. Thanks anyway."
She smiled nervously and fled.
~*~
Haven
"I don't know. A Platoon, maybe an entire Division. All sorts of Swords around the place; I think I even saw an Inquisitor. They've got priests and priestesses galore, but no paladins. They sure pulled all stops on this operation."
Charinne leaned back in her chair, grimacing. "I went around to a few of them to see if they wanted help, but they all said the same thing. Looks like they want all the glory to themselves and don't want civilians getting underfoot."
Lillian exchanged a glance with Tonan.
"Keep the team on the outskirts on standby," she told Charinne. "We don't want to push them too much or else they'll lock the place down completely and ban civilians from entering."
Charinne nodded. "Oh, and one more thing—Grace wants to know if you've made contact with the Sunbringers."
Lillian shot her a confused look. "Pardon?"
"The Sunbringers. Apparently they're the bigshot healers in the area now that Midor's pulled its survey teams back into the city. They've teamed with the Rangers of Mirghul to pick up the slack now that there aren't regular rescue parties from Midor running around saving people."
Lillian shook her head. "Get Maddison's team on it. See if he can liaise with them and work something out. We've only got two powerful priests as it is; we could certainly use some more."
"Yes ma'am," Charinne nodded.
"Good. Dismissed." |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 07 Feb 2006 06:54 PM |
Within a day of the massacre, posters go up around prominent notice boards in Buckshire, Port Royale, Icy Vale, Brandibuck and other well-travelled and well-populated towns.
~*~
The Seven Sisters Appeal
Dear people of Vives,
By now you may have heard of the tragedy that struck the town of Paws. The entire adult population was mercilessly slaughtered, and only the children were spared.
To aid Midor in their restoration of Paws, the Seven Sisters are collecting donations of healing supplies and will be shipping them to Paws. We will also be accepting gold donations. If you wish to help the people of Paws, please leave your donations at any of the following official collection sites:
- Order of the Seven Sisters (Sister Valia)
- Brandibuck Apothecary (Drugo Zedeln)
- Mirghul Rangers Lodge (Meridia Dalsunwë)
- Icy Vale Barracks (Captain Daron ((Icy Vale Militia in Barracks, pretend he’s a named NPC)))
Note that we will only accept donations at these locales and to these people. If anyone else tries to collect items or gold from you, they are likely trying to deceive you.
Please help us in our efforts and give generously.
*Signed*
Sister Mina
~*~
Letters are also sent out to merchants, alchemists, nobles, and even Queen Aquinas with this appeal.
~*~
“Are you sure you don’t want us to mention you?” Sister Mina asked the young man earnestly. “You’ve helped us so much, and it’s really you who’s doing all the organisation and the work for this.”
“Midor will never accept our aid,” Richard Clark pointed out. “Shall we let the people of Paws suffer for Midor’s pride?”
“Yes, I suppose you have a point there,” she agreed reluctantly. “All right... how are you getting these to Paws? Will you need help with that?”
“No, we’re already making arrangements,” he assured her. “Don’t worry about the logistical side of it, Sister Mina—The Novus Aristi have it all figured out.” |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 09 Feb 2006 04:56 AM |
Conn walked down from his room in Mirghul lodge. The sun was just rising and the smell of cooking was already permeating the lodge. Right away he noticed that there was an unsual hustle and bustle around the lodge. The rangers were packing supplies and sundries into carts. While the Sunbringers stood directed the effort. Conn smiled seeing the mage Pipidi stood on a crate high over the procession muttering arcane words casting haste and strenght spells to make the work go faster. Conn walked over to where Meridia was just starting to set up shop.
"Morning lass" He said with a smile. She returned his smile quickly, continuing with her work. Seeming to be in a rush to get thing done quickly herself.
"What's all the hubbub about?" He said casting a glance to the door. The silhouette of rangers hurriedly moving pass.
She turned to him her eyes piercing him sharply. "They is going to give aid to the people of Paws. A tradegy that." She said faintly going back to work.
Conn sighed. He knew all too well what a tragedy that was. He turned to her almost not wanting to interupt her again.
"Well is there anything i can do to help lass?." Looking at her with a hopefull smile.
She stopped what she was doing and looked straight at him. That stare always gave Conn a chill.
"Well you always pay your rent on time. You must be well off." Motioning to his large coin purse tied to his belt. "We are taking donation as well."
"This should help lass." Conn smiled untying his purse. He then proceded to count out a large sum of coin placing it on the counter in neat piles.
Meridia smiled to him and nodded a thanks. Conn walked towards the door dodging rangers zipping around the logde. A content smile on his face. |
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Re: Silence in Paws
Posted: 11 Feb 2006 08:07 AM |
There was merriment in the Mirghul Rangers Lodge that night, the centre of attention being a slight, pale-skinned woman with dark hair.
"So then Laine runs all the way through the woods to the coast with a branch in each hand pretending to be a tree," she says with a grin. "Can you imagine? A running tree."
"Well, it worked," Darren Laine protested. He was one of the resident Mirghul Rangers, and it was well-known that he didn't exactly possess the brightest of minds.
"It worked because no one was around to see you..."
"How many did you end up with, Grace?" piped up a Gnomish woman. Pippidi Zasvadioc was her name, and the tattoos on her bare arms identified her as a Ranger like Laine.
Grace held up a hand. "Five. Kusin, Fabius, Dradoc, Tiffida and Brogdar. They're back there in the barracks now, recovering. I left them with the..." she paused, her brow creasing in thought, "...with the Sunbringer. I forget her name."
"Sunbringers don't have names," another of the Rangers growled darkly. A red-haired man named Jim Vonrolde, he was renowned for his suspicion of the enigmatic Sunbringers. "They turn up when it's convenient for them to without telling anyone what they're doing or why, and then they bring doom crashing down upon us all and pretend it's all right for them to do so."
"Oh, lighten up, Jim," Pippidi chided. "They're helping. That's five people who got rescued today when it would have just been two."
"Maybe," he conceded reluctantly.
"We could certainly use a few more of them around. It's a pity that most of them are in Maldovia or on active patrol," Grace said, sobering. "At the rate we're going, we're going to be too late to save most of the non-Humans, because they'll degrade beyond the point where they can be raised. But if we go too fast, the Midorans might notice and will jump to the conclusion that bodies have started going missing for more sinister purposes."
"Speaking of Midorans, they've sent in reinforcements," said Laine darkly. "A bunch of priests arrived today with another Inquisitor."
Pippidi squeaked in fright. "Was she scary? Did she have red eyes and fangs? Or a tail and horns?"
"Yes to the first and no to the rest." Laine rolled his eyes at the Gnome. "And for the record, he was a man."
Jim frowned. "Wait. I might not be the world's biggest expert on Midor, but everything I've heard points to all Inquisitors being female."
"Yeah, I heard that too," Laine said with a shrug. "Guess they'll take anyone heartless enough. Should have seen the look he gave me. Turned my insides to ice."
Grace went a paler shade of white than usual. "You were seen?"
"Whoa, easy there." Laine held up his hands. "I was just walking through, you know? All casual-like. I wasn't skulking around or acting suspicious. Besides, he was busy talking to a bunch of priests. Probably bossing them around or something—they were standing around in the woods and I saw him raise one of the bodies before I went in to town."
Impossibly, Grace went even paler. "He raised someone? Can Inquisitors do that?"
"Saw it with my own two eyes," Laine said grimly.
"Now, wait a second." Jim narrowed his eyes. "What were you doing in town? You were assigned to the other side of the woods."
"I'd like to know that myself..." Grace said, recovering somewhat.
"Uh, well..." Laine went a bright shade of red. "Well, I wanted to see how Timothy Taylor was doing. I heard he got raised the other day and I kinda sorta wanted to ask him when the Ol' Shabby was going to open again..."
Grace groaned and put her face in her hands.
"What? Where else am I going to find Black Sheep Ale?" Laine asked innocently. "Look, seriously, I didn't endanger us or anything..."
"Do Inquisitors have names?" Pippidi chirped, oblivious to the issue at hand.
"No, they don't," Jim said with disgust. "That would suggest that they have personalities and identities. Heaven forbid that the puppets of Midoran should have the ability to think for themselves."
"Well, I didn't exactly hang around to find out," Laine added. "I could ask next time—"
"Absolutely not! No talking to Inquisitors!" Grace exclaimed in a rather panicked voice. The atmosphere had gone from jovial to tense; from other tables around the room, heads were starting to turn in their direction.
Abruptly, she stood. "I'm going to see how the Sunbringer's doing with our new patients. Laine—no more stunts tomorrow. Please. I'm sure you can talk to Timothy after the Righteous Swords move out of Paws."
"If they move out," Jim pointed out.
"Let us hope they do," she replied. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I suggest you all get some rest." |
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