Roshek - The Great Census of 1305

[+Sorana she/her]

2 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"I'll want that mage with us," Aldred muttered. "Him and his fancy coin lantern. We'll need all the light we can get down there even during the day. It's constant twilight down there, and wretched hard to move without being overheard."

"Nothing except the place, as far as I know."

Amara nodded when he mentioned the mage.

"The more we are, the better. I heard it's dangerous, but I've never been there. But then I've never been to a city this large before."

Closing her eyes she rested her head on her knees, grit her teeth against the headache. It was too much, and she had no idea how to stop it, how to stop the colours, the signatures. She was used to look closely, to search for details, not for an entire city full of not completely healthy people. Opening her eyes again she reached into her pinnate, took out some lavender and inhaled deeply. It helped a bit, she liked it's smell and it calmed her.

"What kind of magic do you use?"

She asked Aldred.

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath took the cloth, sniffed it, and nodded.  "I smelled this one too down there.  Along with the scent of blood."  He followed the conversation of the group, and jumped in here and there, "I've never been bothered down there, perhaps due to my appearance."

@Sorana

@Chasmfiend#1

@ZincAboutIt

@Turtle373

@Invocation

@Steel Inquisitive

@thisisgettingoutofhand

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

On 4/4/2019 at 11:07 PM, Sorana said:

"What kind of magic do you use?"

Aldred sighed, running a hand through his hair, which had started coming out of its leather tie. He tugged the little strip of leather out and braided his hair as he thought about how to answer Amara's question.

"I am... I was a Sayer," he said finally. "I carried the blessing of Vania for years. Now, I'm... something else."

He shrugged, pulling a grin back onto his face that he didn't really feel. These people expected him to do something, and part of him loved that. The belief, the confidence, the legend that was The Itinerant. But it was also a terrible strangeness, becoming the thing that he had been warned against for all his childhood.

The story gone too far, the Natural made unnatural. This was how men became gods.

Or monsters. 

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"I am... I was a Sayer," he said finally. "I carried the blessing of Vania for years. Now, I'm... something else."

Amara stopped asking questions, when she saw him become uncomfortable. She had only a vague idea what a Sayer was, but if he was something else it didn't matter.

"Do you know someone experienced with seeing things? As in every human? I need to learn how to control my magic, here are so many people and I can't work through everything. I can barely look at a crowd anymore."

She trailed of, looked at her feet.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Aldred watched Amara stare at the ground, a look of deep overwhelm shadowing her sweet face.

"Sounds like Innate magic to me," he said. "It's a bit different for each person, though based on all your equipment there, it has something to do with healing, I'm guessing?" Aldred gestured to Amara's pinnate full of herbs and supplies.

"There might be someone at the Academy would could point you in a better direction than I could. Anyone can go learn the mysteries of Ritual magic, with enough coin and time, that is." He rubbed his fingers together like he was pinching a coin. "Even if they couldn't teach you, they might know of some place you could get trained up properly. That mage fellow might now, he's well over a hundred years old I think so I should guess he knows a thing or two."

Aldred glanced back up the road where Mutig and the wolf had gone, resisting the urge to tap his finger against his thigh in agitation. If he listened hard enough, he could sense a low, deep thrum echoing up from the Fens. It's down there, he thought, trying his best to calm himself. Whatever it is, it's down there. There was only so much he could do to reason with a creature - if whatever it was could even be reasoned with. What kind of covenant would it accept or desire? If no one had even seen the thing, did it even have a form? He blew out a short, frustrated breath. 

@Sorana

Quote

I'm off for the night! Goodnight/good morning! 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

2 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"Sounds like Innate magic to me," he said. "It's a bit different for each person, though based on all your equipment there, it has something to do with healing, I'm guessing?" Aldred gestured to Amara's pinnate full of herbs and supplies.

"There might be someone at the Academy would could point you in a better direction than I could. Anyone can go learn the mysteries of Ritual magic, with enough coin and time, that is." He rubbed his fingers together like he was pinching a coin. "Even if they couldn't teach you, they might know of some place you could get trained up properly. That mage fellow might now, he's well over a hundred years old I think so I should guess he knows a thing or two."

"You're right it has."

She looked up again, forced herself to watch the people walking by.

"The woman in red, a bit malnourished, otherwise healthy, the man with the green tunic has an aching teeth. The man carrying the brown bag over his shoulder will loose a finger within this week - if he can afford it. Otherwise the finger will poison his body. The boy running towards the fenns needs a good meal as well, most of them do. Only a few are really healthy, but at least most of them won't die soon.

Smiling at Aldred she shook her head.

"I can't afford the university. But maybe asking the mage you mentioned will be enough."

Quote

Good night!

 

[Chasmfiend#1]

Mutig followed the little girl and Chadwick, the mage had decided to stay as far as he knew. Interesting, how one with that sort of training uses it for light. When they got the group he looked them over.

"I hope you didn't explore the place already, I was interested in knowing what was possibility my sleeping budy when I got here."

He said it with an upbeat attitude, but he secretly dreaded what they might find. His animal instinct told him to leave, that there was a bigger and meaner predator down those roads.

@Sorana

@Vargo Seldon

@Steel Inquisitive

@Invocation

@Turtle373

@kenod

@ZincAboutIt

[Vargo Seldon he/him]

Algorath loved the rumors that spread about him.  Half wolf, half man, stalking the fields and woods eating precious game and livestock.  It had transformed him into such a beast.  For years he had stalked and killed, enjoying the fruits of the hunt with his pack.  There was nothing else for him.  Then the old man had came.  He had wandered into the midst of his pack, unafraid.  Something about his scent made Algorath choose not to rip him apart on the spot.  He talked of heroes and stories, men riding nobly to slay fearsome beasts.  And there was a fearsome beast.  It was a Monster that was terrorizing the nearby towns and farms.  The old man had led him to the right spot, instructed him on how to slay it, and set him to it.  He had done so, him and his pack circling it and taking chunks of it's flesh off.  Completely by coincidence, he'd happened to enter the fight just in time to save a poor farmer's life.  The farmer and his family had spread the rumor of a beast that was a sort of spirit.  Capable of changing into a man, and as intelligent as any human.  A beast that could challenge the oppressors of the weak and win.  From then on the rumors cirlcling him had changed.  He'd stopped raiding farms as often, because the nature of the rumors changed who he was.  He'd begun to help lonely travelers.  It had culminated with him coming to the city for the census.  

And now it was making him find the lost men.  He strode beside Mutig, delving ever-deeper into the Fens.  The rumors along with his air of mystery was transforming him slowly into a Monster, but a benevolent one.  A sort of animal spirit of the hunt and kill.  As they walked the scent of corruption became stronger.  Funny, he thought, it wasn't this strong last time.  With a start he realized that it wasn't the scent that had become stronger, but his sense of smell which had become sharper.  The rumors.  People had seen him take that cloth, even this little group looked to him for tracking.  If the rumors inhanced his physical ability, than who was he to complain?

A group of howling youths streaming from a nearby alleyway shook Algorath out of his reverie.  They surrounded the group brandishing knives and sharp pieces of metal.  The largest one sneered at Mutig, taking him for the leader, and demanded the census money.  Several bulging sacks at the youth's waist indicated the fate of other magical victims.  This group had grown cocky.  

@Chasmfiend#1

@Invocation

@Turtle373

@Sorana

@Steel Inquisitive

@kenod

@ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Aldred heard the splashing a ways off, but had hoped it might only be one thief - maybe two. Instead there were upwards of eight, a nasty group with matted hair and wicked-looking knives. The damp had inched up their clothing, making it seem as though the youths were slowly dissolving into the murky waters at their feet. Aldred closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the sounds of magic to rush fully into his mind. None of the cutpurses before them had any kind of Natural augmentation, he he seriously doubted that there would be a Ritualist among them. Further down into the old city, the deep, thumping drone called to him, pulled at him. He opened his eyes, forcing the noise into the back of his mind again. There would be time for that later. 

He felt a swirling of emotion, an expectancy from the group. Aldred had calmed the men near Tradesman's Gate yesterday. Could it work now?

"We don't want any trouble," Aldred said, raising his hands and speaking clearly, pulling a bit of magic into his voice. "If it's money you're after, we don't have much. We're tracking something that's been taking people."

One of the gang, a boy barely into his teens, met his eyes for a moment before looking down again and gripping his knife with whitened knuckles.

So they've heard of it too, Aldred thought. Good. Most of the gang had their eyes and knives trained on Mutig and Algorath. A bold move, attacking a massive bear and a wolf-man. Were they working for someone else, or just desperate? The latter seemed unlikely, judging by those sacks at their waists. They already had enough gold to buy food, alcohol, probably even a few nights in a flop house. So what was keeping them down here?

"This isn't a fight you want to start," he said, weaving more magic into his voice this time. Fear, you are afraid. This bear could rip you to shreds, and you already have so much money. Why not seek easier targets elsewhere?

The boy who had looked up at Aldred's mention of the missing people edged away from Mutig, calling to one of the older members. "Let's go, Reiner, it's a blighted bear."

The leader, Reiner, smiled cruelly, not taking his eyes off Mutig. "Shut it, Karl," he said to the younger boy. "Bear ain't gonna do nothin', otherwise he'd a done it already. Ain't that right, bear?" He was big for his age, probably eighteen, with shoulders like a crossbeam and long, powerful arms. In the deepening gloom of the Fens, everyone's hair looked dark, but there was a silvery sheen to Reiner's matted curls that hinted at blonde.

[+Sorana she/her]

Amara had followed Algorath and the others into the feens. At one point, she'd started to keep her glance mostly to the ground. The people here were in worse shape than the richer ones. Out of habit she'd stayed close to Mutig and Jürgen and when they were attacked, she listened to Aldred talking to the kids. Reiner, he seemed to the most important one.

"Why don't we trade?"

She asked, spread her hands.

"I look after your injured members and you let us go."

Her voice was soft, soothing, but he only stared at her, misdtrust, and was that a hint of fear in his eyes?

"Look, I know that her arm is hurt, and his ribs are hurting."

She gestured at a scrawny girl and one of the elder boys. Reiner only barred her teeth.

"Why should I trust you?"

He hissed and Amara showed him her empty hands.

"Could you at least tell us, where your previous victims are?"

Reiner only laughed, and yet she was sure there was a hint of fear beneath his demeanor. He was covering it well and yet, there it was. As long as he was fighting his fear, he'd never trust her enough to solve this peacefully.

"Crawling through the dirt. Those that can still crawl."

"Last chance. Hand over the money."

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sorana

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

While Amara spoke to the gang, Aldred edged backwards slowly until he was standing near Janim. The shifter had been quiet all through their walk into the undercity. Aldred tried to talk without moving his lips as much as possible, timing his words with the others' conversation to avoid being overheard.

"Can you get behind them?" he asked Janim. "Turn into a snake or something? Get an edge on them?"

If Mutig let loose in here, there would be a lot of death, and not necessarily all on the part of the gang. There were a good number of them, and here in these close quarters Mutig's height and girth would be more curse than blessing.

@Invocation

[+Invocation]

22 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"Can you get behind them?" he asked Janim. "Turn into a snake or something? Get an edge on them?"

"A snake...or something. I can do that. Want me to take them all down from behind?" Janim asked.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Just now, Invocation said:

"A snake...or something. I can do that. Want me to take them all down from behind?" Janim asked.

Aldred hesitated, looking at the gang. Most of them were basically kids. What was keeping them down here?

"Try not to kill anyone," he said to Janim. "Except maybe that one, do as you like there." He jerked his head at Reiner, who had just delivered a savage ultimatum at Amara. "I'll amp up the fear as best I can, hopefully they'll scatter."

[+Invocation]

5 minutes ago, ZincAboutIt said:

Aldred hesitated, looking at the gang. Most of them were basically kids. What was keeping them down here?

"Try not to kill anyone," he said to Janim. "Except maybe that one, do as you like there." He jerked his head at Reiner, who had just delivered a savage ultimatum at Amara. "I'll amp up the fear as best I can, hopefully they'll scatter."

Janim smiled. Protecting people and tricking them? Best day of their life so far! They shifted to an absolutely massive specimen of a python that had roamed near a swamp town they visited, snaking their new 10 meter length (33 feet, for those of you who don't do the metric system [like me]) to ensnare the frontrunner, the one posturing, trapping his arms and beginning to squeeze before raising their head and hissing at the others in the group. "Flee, if you value your ribs uncrushed," came their slithery message.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Aldred took several involuntary steps backwards as Janim fairly exploded into an enormous snake, filling the majority of the covered street and completely encircling Reiner. 

"Blessed Vania," he swore to himself. Then, using the opportunity, he raised his voice and commanded the fullness of his gifts. 

"Did I not tell you this was not a fight you wanted to start?" he said, voice filling the tunnels and bouncing off the walls. Water sloshed as everyone froze for a moment, staring at Janim and Reiner, who was wimpering pitifully. "GO!!" He pulled all his insistence into that word, all the conviction, fanning the flames of their fear, their uncertainty, their secret relief at the capture of their gang leader. 

"Come on!" came the voice of young Karl, who was already halfway down another street tunnel when the rest of the gang splashed into action, scrambling down side streets and alleys. The sounds of their fleeing footsteps grew softer and softer until only Reiner was left, eyes wide as dinner plates as he stared at the group.

Aldred walked towards the gang leader. "Now," he said, weaving a new conviction into his words. "Why don't you tell us about the thing that's hunting people down here. Do not lie to me," he brought his face closer to Reiner's, trying not to betray his own anxiety over Janim's massive serpentine form. "I will know. You tell us what we want to know, we'll give you something in return. A deal, proper Kurian style, eh Reiner?"

Quote

This might be my last post, probably my last long-ish one of the night. Anyone feel free to chime in on what Reiner knows, their gang has been down here a while and probably has seen some things. 

@Invocation @Vargo Seldon @Sorana @everyone

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by ZincAboutIt

[+Sorana she/her]

Amara yelped in surprise when a massive snake suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Aldred talked to the gang again and only then she understood where the fear had come from. He'd already deescalated a situation yesterday, by calming everybody, she didn't quite understand why he went with fear now. Looking around she searched for signs of the other victims, taking a few steps away from the group.

There, that looked like someone had crawled and was that a whimper. Looking back at the others she made two more quick steps and glimpsed around a corner. At first she thought it was a boy, but then she realized it was something different. A spirit maybe. Picking him up, she carried him back and placed him on the ground next to the one member of their group who looked a bit similar, at least to her eyes. Probably the similarities ended with the size, but then you never knew.

"I'm Amara."

She greeted who she thought to be some kind of spirit ( @kenod

"Do you know anything about whatever he is, that might help me?"

She asked while looking at the body of the little one intensely, studied the colours, the way they moved and flowed. Injured, but with some help, he could survive.

Quote

Good night!

And as long as we're all in the same place, I think we don't need to tag everybody?

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sorana

[Chasmfiend#1]

Reiner stood, almost shaking, he held the knife so tight, his entire hand was white now. 

 "I– I don't know. I swear! Please, let me go..." His eyes turned from Janim to Aldred, and then towards Mutig, who had been studying the gang, deciding who he would take first.

"Perhaps... I should be asking the question?" He said it calmly, almost honey coated. Reiner was squirming now, looking for a way out. Mutig set down his gold, and walked towards Reiner and Janim.

"Of course, I am interested to know how Janim would dispatch him." He said it as if the entitled person wasn't right in front of them.

Spoiler

I am assuming Reiner is a he?

@Invocation

[Turtle373 he/him]

Chadwick had been walking in the back of the group so he hadn't been able to see what was going on, until that giant snake thing had attacked the group of thieves.

I always miss the interesting stuff, he thought sullenly as he moved closer to where they were interrogating the last of the thieves, I never get to fight anymore.

 

[+Invocation]

7 hours ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

"Of course, I am interested to know how Janim would dispatch him." He said it as if the entitled person wasn't right in front of them.

 

"Crushed, driving the ribs through the heart and lungs, likely. Then maybe this one will be a snack," Janim hissed.

[Chasmfiend#1]

39 minutes ago, Invocation said:

"Crushed, driving the ribs through the heart and lungs, likely. Then maybe this one will be a snack," Janim hissed.

 "In that case, he'll be getting off easy." Mutig replied, "however it does seem fitting that I should deal with him. What was it he said? 'bear ain't gonna do nothin'?"

 AT this point he was close, allowing the thief to truly see how big he was.

@Invocation

Edited April 8, 2019 by Chasmfiend#1

[+Sorana she/her]

Amara closed her eyes, tried to not listen to them talking. They were talking to a child, they were talking about taking a life easily. Feeling sick she started to take care of the wounds of the being in front of her, but listened intently. She wanted to know what they were going to do, maybe she'd have to step in.

@Chasmfiend#1

@Invocation

[kenod]

Lilia looked up as Amara placed something before her. Ignoring the squabbling kids she looked at it. "What is that," she asked. "Where did you find it?"

@Sorana

Quote

So what is that thing?

 

[+Sorana she/her]

8 minutes ago, kenod said:

Lilia looked up as Amara placed something before her. Ignoring the squabbling kids she looked at it. "What is that," she asked. "Where did you find it?"

@Sorana

 

"Over there."

She gestured towards the corner.

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

Quote

Some natural spirit maybe rank 3 or 4. Whatever you like. Intelligent enough to go to the census, otherwise I'm fine with anything.

 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

1 hour ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

 "In that case, he'll be getting off easy." Mutig replied, "however it does seem fitting that I should deal with him. What was it he said? 'bear ain't gonna do nothin'?"

 AT this point he was close, allowing the thief to truly see how big he was.

"Right," Aldred said, pulling some calm into his voice. "As eager as I am to see us rid of our thief problem, perhaps we should take this opportunity to question him about our true quarry?"

At least the rest of the kids got away. Aldred's heart was far from soft, but he had no real desire to watch an enormous bear rip a bunch of youths apart. Reiner's eyes darted towards him hopefully, and in the artificial twilight he really did look quite young, maybe even younger than Aldred had originally guessed. He wasn't sure he could convince Mutig to spare the thief, at least without drawing the bear's ire onto himself.

Stupid move, Reiner. 

Aldred sighed, crossing his arms. "You want to tell us whatever it is you know," he told the thief, not even bothering to hide the intention behind his words. Magic spilled out of his mouth, weaving around Reiner, a strange corruption of Aldred's old blessing. He still wasn't sure how it worked, only that the magic that made him the Itinerant was not what he had once carried as a Sayer. "So, let's try again. What do you know about the thing that is stalking these tunnels? It'll have preyed on the sick, the weak maybe, or those walking alone. Have you lost any of your gang down here? Vanished with no trace?"

[Chasmfiend#1]

Reiner gulped, then looked down, on the edge of tears now.

 "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." He was in tears now, as if he suspected death.

Mutig looked at the youths face, and made the mistake of looking him in the eyes. He saw the terror, the panic. He's no older than the kids in Brat, though they where ten times better.

"how many people have you done this to? " he said it slightly calmer, allowing himself to give the kid a chance.

Reiner's eyes stayed down, but he whispered the answer. "Ten..."

@ZincAboutIt