Roshek - The Great Census of 1305

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

28 minutes ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

"It told us to do it... It said to leave every injured victim in the tunnel, when we did it took then. Please I swear that's all I know."

Aldred swore quietly. Ten, and that was only this one gang. "Have you seen it? This thing, have you seen it?"

Something caught his eye then, something in Reiner's pocket, the tip of a feather peeking out. It snagged on a brief memory, the figure of a young boy pushing his way out of the Half Moon Tavern when they'd arrived. Aldred snatched at the feather, ignoring Reiner's cry of terror, and pulled a small red floppy hat out of the thief's pocket.

"Oh blighted gods," Aldred whispered. Liezl's words came back to him, "barmaid and errand boy out of commission in one day... he's probably sleeping outside the bakery..."

What had his name been? 

"Fritz," Aldred murmured, noting the size of the hat - small, made to fit a boy no older than eight or nine. He held the hat up to Reiner's face, shaking it as a small vein of panic seized him. "This boy, when did you jump him?"

[Chasmfiend#1]

16 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

 

 

"Fritz," Aldred murmured, noting the size of the hat - small, made to fit a boy no older than eight or nine. He held the hat up to Reiner's face, shaking it as a small vein of panic seized him. "This boy, when did you jump him?"

 "Yesterday, it took him as a snack, it told us we had until tonight to bring something more..." Reiner joked on the next word, almost more scared of saying it than of them. "Substantial... I thought I would die, but then Karl saw the bear, I thought it would take him, leaving the money as it had with last prey." He shut his mouth, stunned at what he blurted out. He glanced at Mutig, who was now rolling his shoulders and looking around.

" Ever heard of a truth and death? " Mutig asked, "It's an interesting line that is surprisingly common. Thief thinks his about to die, so he starts confessing everything, Trying to stall for his gang to return." He looked towards one of the tunnels, "get out here kid! Or you won't like me when I go over there!" 

 Karl, timid and almost as scared as Reiner, peeked out of a tunnel. He must have been watching, knowing he couldn't just leave, what with the thing after them.

 "I can take you to where it feeds..." He said it, barely keeping his voice even. "But we would need something to distract it while we got past.."

 @ZincAboutIt

[kenod]

2 hours ago, Sorana said:

"Over there."

She gestured towards the corner.

"I don't know what he is. I hoped you might know."

 

Lilia looked at it. "Huh, a spirit," she said, surprised. She kneeled down besides him. "Hey there little guy," she said at him. she looked him over a bit more. "Huh, he looks like he's hurt," she said. "How did that happen?"

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath watched the events with evident surprise.  He walked up to the imprisoned boy and listened intently to the questions.

[+Sorana she/her]

9 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia looked at it. "Huh, a spirit," she said, surprised. She kneeled down besides him. "Hey there little guy," she said at him. she looked him over a bit more. "Huh, he looks like he's hurt," she said. "How did that happen?"

"I figured he was one of their victims, maybe he got away before they could feed him to the thing. I don't know."

"Can you help him? I never treated a spirit before."

[kenod]

11 hours ago, Sorana said:

"I figured he was one of their victims, maybe he got away before they could feed him to the thing. I don't know."

"Can you help him? I never treated a spirit before."

Lilia thought for a bit, remembering what she'd learned in her village. "Maybe," she replied. "It depends on what type of body he has. For a lot of spirits their bodies are just energy. If they are wounded they simply have a shortage, or are leaking energy. You can just give them more to heal them. You can't give those types of spirits actual permanent wounds... generally. If his body is made up out of actual flesh things are more difficult though, since I need to actually know how his body works and how he's injured in order to heal him. And of course, if his body isn't organic..." She paused, and fished around in her clothing for a small crystal. "Well, let's try this first," she said, cracking it and spreading it across the wounds.

[+Sorana she/her]

6 hours ago, kenod said:

Lilia thought for a bit, remembering what she'd learned in her village. "Maybe," she replied. "It depends on what type of body he has. For a lot of spirits their bodies are just energy. If they are wounded they simply have a shortage, or are leaking energy. You can just give them more to heal them. You can't give those types of spirits actual permanent wounds... generally. If his body is made up out of actual flesh things are more difficult though, since I need to actually know how his body works and how he's injured in order to heal him. And of course, if his body isn't organic..." She paused, and fished around in her clothing for a small crystal. "Well, let's try this first," she said, cracking it and spreading it across the wounds.

Quote

Is that energy, or is there a spell woven into the crystal?

 

[kenod]

Quote

Just energy.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

31 minutes ago, kenod said:

Just energy.

Amara watched in awe when the body of the spirit shivvered, and his skin turned a healthier colour. He reached put for Lilia's arm.

"Water."

He croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Need... water."

[Chasmfiend#1]

Mutig thought for a moment, then responded.

 "Exactly how big of a distraction would we need?" He asked, looking at Karl .

 "The bigger the better." Karl answered , seeming a little calmer now, guessing he was safe.

Mutig looked back and saw Amara and the spirit girl, both hovering around an injured victim. He turned his gaze towards Reiner, who now seemed as if he was about to faint. I should leave you broken, crawling and desperate for life, I should feed you to that thing you seem to almost worship.

"take us to it, I'll distract it while you guys get in and see what there is to see. " Mutig felt angered, he figured he could beating some anger out into whatever it was that took the innocents.

@Sorana @Vargo Seldon @Steel Inquisitive @kenod @Turtle373 

[kenod]

15 hours ago, Sorana said:

Amara watched in awe when the body of the spirit shivvered, and his skin turned a healthier colour. He reached put for Lilia's arm.

"Water."

He croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Need... water."

Water, right, Lilia thought. She quickly grabbed a piece a paper from her pocket, together with some charcoal. She started wiping away smudged symbols and re-adding them. "Do you have a cup, or something else that can hold water?" She asked Amara without looking up from the paper.

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

2 hours ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

Mutig thought for a moment, then responded.

 "Exactly how big of a distraction would we need?" He asked, looking at Karl .

 "The bigger the better." Karl answered , seeming a little calmer now, guessing he was safe.

Mutig looked back and saw Amara and the spirit girl, both hovering around an injured victim. He turned his gaze towards Reiner, who now seemed as if he was about to faint. I should leave you broken, crawling and desperate for life, I should feed you to that thing you seem to almost worship.

"take us to it, I'll distract it while you guys get in and see what there is to see. " Mutig felt angered, he figured he could beating some anger out into whatever it was that took the innocents.

@Sorana @Vargo Seldon @Steel Inquisitive @kenod @Turtle373 

Algorath nodded.  "I make a pretty good distraction," he said, "Most things seem to really hate me..."

@Chasmfiend#1

[Chasmfiend#1]

1 hour ago, Vargo Seldon said:

Algorath nodded.  "I make a pretty good distraction," he said, "Most things seem to really hate me..."

@Chasmfiend#1

Mutig smiled, "Algor," he announced , "You just might be getting on my good side. I had been planning on you going into its home with the others, to help fight it in case I lose its attention."

@Vargo Seldon

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

3 hours ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

Mutig thought for a moment, then responded.

 "Exactly how big of a distraction would we need?" He asked, looking at Karl .

 "The bigger the better." Karl answered , seeming a little calmer now, guessing he was safe.

Mutig looked back and saw Amara and the spirit girl, both hovering around an injured victim. He turned his gaze towards Reiner, who now seemed as if he was about to faint. I should leave you broken, crawling and desperate for life, I should feed you to that thing you seem to almost worship.

"take us to it, I'll distract it while you guys get in and see what there is to see. " Mutig felt angered, he figured he could beating some anger out into whatever it was that took the innocents.

@Sorana @Vargo Seldon @Steel Inquisitive @kenod @Turtle373 

"Well," Aldred said, motioning to Karl, "seems like you've got your distraction. But before we go, tell me, what does it look like?"

He looked each boy in the eyes, saw the well of fear there. Karl's gaze flicked towards a shadowy corner of the tunnels, then back to Aldred, but he said nothing. Aldred sighed, angry now.

"Don't give me a reason to hurt you," Aldred hissed at the boy. "Do you think these four are the only ones here who have any Natural magic?" He motioned towards Mutig, Janim, Chadwick and Algorath. "Now tell me. What is it we are hunting?"

Karl looked at Reiner then opened his mouth, but the older boy spoke first.

"Don't look like nothin'," he whispered, the words carrying oddly clear and hollow over the soft slosh of water at their ankles. "Can't really see it, even when you're lookin' at it. Ain't right - darkness movin' that way. Out the corners of your eyes..."

Aldred felt the hair on his neck stand on end. Well, he'd never heard of a creature like that before. "But it can speak to you? How?"

Karl looked nervously behind him, then up at the shadowed ceiling. Darkness, Aldred realized. He's looking for the darkest parts of the tunnels, expecting this thing to be there.

"It ain't right," Karl said, echoing Reiner's words. "It comes outta nowhere - outta everywhere. No place is safe, no place down here. Us gutter rats, we're stuck with it. It's always night down here, always dark. Always so dark."

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

29 minutes ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

Mutig smiled, "Algor," he announced , "You just might be getting on my good side. I had been planning on you going into its home with the others, to help fight it in case I lose its attention."

@Vargo Seldon

Algorath smiled.  After listening to the boys' fearful voices however, his confidence was shaken.  "I think that we'll have quite a bit on our hands if we want to distract it," he said grimly.

[Turtle373 he/him]

2 hours ago, Vargo Seldon said:

Algorath smiled.  After listening to the boys' fearful voices however, his confidence was shaken.  "I think that we'll have quite a bit on our hands if we want to distract it," he said grimly.

"I think we should all rush it, there's no way that this is stronger than all of us." Chadwick said, "and, the simpler the plan the less that can go wrong."

 

[+Sorana she/her]

7 hours ago, kenod said:

Water, right, Lilia thought. She quickly grabbed a piece a paper from her pocket, together with some charcoal. She started wiping away smudged symbols and re-adding them. "Do you have a cup, or something else that can hold water?" She asked Amara without looking up from the paper.

Amara nodded and quickly handed her a cup. Then she leaned forward,interested to see what Lilia planed to do with her piece of papet.

[Chasmfiend#1]

3 hours ago, Vargo Seldon said:

Algorath smiled.  After listening to the boys' fearful voices however, his confidence was shaken.  "I think that we'll have quite a bit on our hands if we want to distract it," he said grimly.

 Mutig looked the boys in the eyes, they didn't seem to be lieing. "I think that would be a better plan, we don't know how it fights, so using numbers could help us, as it seems to only do one on one encounters."

59 minutes ago, Turtle373 said:

"I think we should all rush it, there's no way that this is stronger than all of us." Chadwick said, "and, the simpler the plan the less that can go wrong."

 

 "Although that would be ideal, I don't think it will work in our favor." Mutig said, turning to Chadwick. "For a start, if it truely has no form, what would we rush? If could hit us on all sides. Running in blindly will only play in it's favor. Perhaps if we caught it's attention, then jumped it as it is focused, we can perhaps startle it if not get a bit of two on it."

@Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 

[Turtle373 he/him]

10 hours ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

 

 "Although that would be ideal, I don't think it will work in our favor." Mutig said, turning to Chadwick. "For a start, if it truely has no form, what would we rush? If could hit us on all sides. Running in blindly will only play in it's favor. Perhaps if we caught it's attention, then jumped it as it is focused, we can perhaps startle it if not get a bit of two on it."

@Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 

"good point, so uh what do we do?" he asked

[Chasmfiend#1]

21 minutes ago, Turtle373 said:

"good point, so uh what do we do?" he asked

 "You two are smaller than me, making me the bait." Mutig announced, "I'll distract it while you two get around and hit from different angles, if we do it right, we should catch it off guard and get some hits in."

 @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373

[Turtle373 he/him]

6 minutes ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

 "You two are smaller than me, making me the bait." Mutig announced, "I'll distract it while you two get around and hit from different angles, if we do it right, we should catch it off guard and get some hits in."

 @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373

"Ok, sounds like a good plan." 

finally, I get to do something

[Steel Inquisitive he/him]

Jürgen had stayed quiet during the walk and hadn't gotten involved with the thieves; he wasn't worried about the threat a group of kids could provide. His anger rose at what the kids had to say, however. They were, simply put, murderers. Jürgen didn't care that they were forced, though he didn't believe that entirely, sacrificing someone else against their will was murder. He glanced at the money sacks they still wore. The scum had profited from the murder of innocents.

 "Perhaps," he said in a quiet voice, "we should use this thug as the bait." He indicated the one in the snakes grasp. "It would be a fitting end for a child murderer to die the same death that he has inflicted on others." He allowed the hate to simmer in the suggestion. He didn't really want the thug to die, but justice was rarely about feelings.

He was concerned about their description of the monster. How could he kill something that didn't have physical form? How do you shoot a shadow? He had hunted and killed many terrible creatures, but this was something new to him.

[Chasmfiend#1]

2 hours ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

 

 "Perhaps," he said in a quiet voice, "we should use this thug as the bait." He indicated the one in the snakes grasp. "It would be a fitting end for a child murderer to die the same death that he has inflicted on others." He allowed the hate to simmer in the suggestion. He didn't really want the thug to die, but justice was rarely about feelings.

He was concerned about their description of the monster. How could he kill something that didn't have physical form? How do you shoot a shadow? He had hunted and killed many terrible creatures, but this was something new to him.

 "As much as I would enjoy that, and as just as it would be, I doubt he, or even his whole gang would keep its attention long." Mutig looked at Jügen, I will insure they've received justice, if we make it out. He thought.

 "I think we should start planning on leaving soon." he said a bit louder so that everyone heard, then he was what Amara and the spirit girl where doing, and changed his plan, "if Amara and our spirit friend wish, they can keep tending to those they can find, while the rest of us search this thing out."  and find this Fritz, wherever he is.

 

@Steel Inquisitive @Sorana @Vargo Seldon @Turtle373 @kenod @ZincAboutIt

[kenod]

16 hours ago, Sorana said:

Amara nodded and quickly handed her a cup. Then she leaned forward,interested to see what Lilia planed to do with her piece of papet.

Lilia unfolded one of her vines, grabbing the cup from Amara's without looking up. Laying the paper on her lap to make sure it didn't get dirty, she held the cup in her hand. Clearing her mind, she pictured a large array of symbols, fitting them together. When she was sure she had everything fully pictured she pressed a finger on one of the runes on the paper, and water started condensing into the cup. When it was full she lifted her finger and put the paper back into one of her pockets. She then put the cup at the spirit's lips, and slowly trickled the water into his mouth.

She started paying attention to the conservation. Something about the others going off somewhere and her and Amara staying behind to help people. "Sure," she called back, "We'll catch up later." Internally she sighed at the prospect of being a healer, given how boring it was.

Quote

And this is how the party loses the single person with the ability to injure incorporeal entities as well as give them injuries they can't heal.

 

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath started down the tunnel, shoulders squared to face this thing.  Suddenly the shadows around him lengthened.  Algorath cried out in alarm, but they were surrounded by a solid, writhing wall of darkness.  He slashed his claws through it, but they just sank in.  When he pulled them out, the wall reformed behind him.  He looked around, and the wall began to slowly encroach.  

@Steel Inquisitive @Sorana @Invocation @Turtle373 @kenod @ZincAboutIt @Chasmfiend#1