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Post by Shinko on Sept 23, 2014 6:55:29 GMT -5
Index: A yellow tongue of lightening split the leaden sky as Sieg and Orrin came within sight of the town of Haflinger. A few seconds later the air rumbled with the resulting peal of thunder. The half-elf winced, glancing sideways at Orrin. "Well, I don't know about you but this seems like a fantastic omen to me!" It had taken them about eight days to reach Haflinger from Destrier. It probably would have only taken seven, but they ended up being slowed down in their journey the day after Sieg's nightmare, when they happened upon a merchant caravan being attacked by hillmen. They'd beaten the thieves, but of course that meant they had to take a detour to a village several miles off the main path to leave the men with the authorities for trial. That detour had cost them about six hours all told, between the ride and filing the correct paperwork. Neither of the knights begrudged it, of course. That was just duty, and certainly the merchants had been tremendously grateful for the rescue. It had done a very great deal to cheer Sieg up after his episode the night before. Unfortunately, two days after arresting the hillmen he'd again been hit with the night terrors. After the second incident, at Orrin's request Sieg offered some advice for how better to help pull him back to reality- mostly simple things. A tactile object with an unusual texture he could play with in his hands, something that had a strong but pleasant smell, something like the lemon candy with a very strong flavor he could hold in his mouth. Sensory things that he couldn't help noticing, that would create a stronger contrast between nightmare and reality and give the half-elf a point to ground himself with. He also advised Orrin that usually it was alright for someone to get close to wake Sieg. It was only when he was roused suddenly and loudly that he lashed out- a gentle nudge and a calm voice would help him to be a lot calmer immediately upon waking. Thankfully the three two nights of their journey passed without incident, and as their destination came into view Sieg was wide awake and alert. It was barely mid-afternoon, but the dark grey sky had it nearly as dark as if it were pre-dawn. The weather had apparently decided to provide an ambient background to their first day in Haflinger- Sieg hoped profoundly that it would clear up. Down in Corvus it rained almost daily this time of year, but he didn't know what to expect from Bern. He heard a droplet of rain hit his kettle helm, and winced a bit. "We're going to get hit by the deluge if we don't hurry it up. C'mon, let's see if we can find the inn, then we can ask around and get some more concrete information about this ghost of theirs. Firsthand accounts are always better then rumors, and I imagine the people here know a lot more than the folk of Destrier... provided we can get them to tell us anything, they're probably scared witless." Quick recap of the journey, and our brave knights have now arrived in Haflinger! Time for Knight Adventures to get going for realsies!
Omni, let me know if anything needs tweaking! |
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Post by Omni on Sept 23, 2014 18:28:44 GMT -5
Sieg wasn't the only one losing sleep over the nightmares; Orrin found himself lying awake after helping Sieg calm down, worrying about the dreams. He knew it wasn't uncommon for knights to have nightmares once in awhile, but he didn't think twice in one week was standard. That, plus with the way Sieg behaved after the nightmares, especially that smile... It felt like Sieg was hiding something. Orrin guessed that there was something about the nightmares, and that they were pretty common. He'd know for sure if it happened a third time, and if it did, he'd need to ask about it. Right now, they had more pressing things to worry about, though. "We're going to get hit by the deluge if we don't hurry it up. C'mon, let's see if we can find the inn, then we can ask around and get some more concrete information about this ghost of theirs. Firsthand accounts are always better then rumors, and I imagine the people here know a lot more than the folk of Destrier... provided we can get them to tell us anything, they're probably scared witless.""I hear ya," Orrin replied, gripping Freddie's reins. "I think a see a large, inn-like buildin'. Come on." He lead the way to where he guessed the inn was, and once they were able to get a good look, the inn and stables wasn't too difficult to find. They arrived shortly after the rain started pouring, and thankfully were able to get their horses inside before they got too wet. They would have to let the innkeeper know shortly, and the two entered the main building. Not surprisingly, the two knights - especially Orrin - drew some looks from the people who were there on their way to meet the innkeeper. "Do ya have room for two knights?" Orrin agrees they need to get out of the storm. They make their way to the inn, get their horses in the stable as it starts to really rain, and enter the inn, where Orrin asks about rooms. |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 23, 2014 19:24:04 GMT -5
The innkeeper, a wizened old woman with a well wrinkled face and silver hair, looked up at the two of them. Her eyebrows snapped together. "Knights, are ye? Never seen knights quite like you before. Sure ye ain't spirits come to kick these poor folk while they're down?" she asked in a thick Bernian accent. Sieg frowned at this. Well that was rather blunt. Tapping the badge on the back of his glove, he said coolly "Though we aren't exactly human, we are truly knights, Madam. As a matter of fact my companion here serves his Grace in Destrier directly, and it is with the Grand Duke's blessing we've come to Haflinger." The old woman relaxed just slightly, though there was obviously still suspicion in her gaze. "Cannae be arguing with his Grace, I suppose. Very well then, will ye have two rooms or one?" "Two," Sieg said- if he had any more nightmares while they were in Haflinger at least Orrin wouldn't be subjected to them. "And lodging for our horses as well during our stay." "Fine, fine," she replied, accepting the coins that Sieg offered her and giving the half-elf and the half-dwarf each a key in return. "Yer rooms are opposite each other, up the stairs and to your right at the very end of the hall. So then, why's our liege sent the two strangest knights in all o' Bern to our little backwater?" Sieg fiddled with the key in his hand, glancing sideways at the woman and lowering his voice. "Odd tales have been coming out of Haflinger recently, Madam. Stories of a monster or ghost in the forest that spirits people away to the afterlife, or some such." The old woman snorted. "That a fact? Bah; spirited away nothing. Them that the ghost kills are left right in our mortal dirt, their stomachs flayed open and their insides eaten." She folded her arms. "So; after the nightsinger are ye? 'Bout bloody time." "Nightsinger?" Sieg repeated. The old woman shrugged. "What some folks around here are calling that black devil dog. Whenever it kills someone, it howls over it's kill so that everyone knows it claimed another. Laughing at us, the cursed thing." The innkeeper is suspicious of Sieg and Orrin's unusual appearances, but Sieg gets her to back off by showing her their credentials and namedropping Alain. She gives them each a room, and asks why they've come to Haflinger. Sieg decides to drop a small hint to see what she can tell them, and she provides a small infodump explaining in more detail what the Black Hound's been doing. |
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Post by Omni on Sept 23, 2014 21:36:24 GMT -5
When Sieg tapped his badge, Orrin indicated his own. Hopefully the old woman would recognize - and trust - a badge from her own region. He was a bit worried about the separate rooms, wanting to stay near Sieg in case he had another nightmare, but he wasn't going to put up a fight. He listened as the two talked about the black hound an its antics. The description certainly seemed odd; it seemed like animals would eat the insides of their kill, but rarely just the insides. And why howl after each kill? If anything, that seemed likely to chase away potential prey. Granted, if it really was a spirit, it might not think like a normal animal. At least the name Nightsinger was pretty. "Well if this storm keeps up, hopefully the hound won't be out huntin' - and neither will there be prey to hunt," Orrin said. "The rain and thunder might just save someone tonight." As much as he wanted to get a look at one of the bodies, he didn't want to disturb anyone right now. The rain would make things difficult, anyway. Instead, he held up his key. "Thank ya kindly for yer service, ma'am. I think I'll drop by my room and get rid of some extra weight." He tugged gently at his armor. "Do ya think ya could have somethin' warm to eat when I get back?" Orrin ponders the hound's reported behavior. He figures the hound isn't likely to hunt while there's a storm out. He decides to drop by his room and asks the innkeeper to prepare some food. |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 23, 2014 22:40:10 GMT -5
Sieg glanced around at the rain hammering on the windows. Orrin had a point- it wasn't likely anyone would be going outside in that mess tonight. Though it did beg the question of how the hound got it's victims outside at all, since no fool would go traipsing around a forest known to be haunted. Shrugging it off, Sieg turned to Orrin. "Dropping off our armor sounds like a good notion. Be nice to feel light for once, though I'd agree to something heavy in my stomach! Trail food can only sustain a man so long." "Well it's a good thing neither of you are men," the old woman muttered darkly, making Sieg wince. Then she shrugged. "Got pottage going over the fire if ye want something quick, but if you feel like waitin' I can go kill a chicken. Up to ye." Sieg glanced and Orrin and shrugged, "Pottage sounds fine to me, though I wouldn't blame you if you wanted something more substantial. It was a long ride. Guess we'll meet back down here once we're changed then?" The half-elf waited for Orrin to make his order, then both of them went upstairs to shift out of their armor. Sieg had on only a light set of leather armor and a gambeson, so it didn't take very long for him to get changed out of it and into his civilian clothes. Pinning his badge to his shirt sleeve, he went back down to the common room. Everyone was still staring at him. There was unease there, no doubt about it. Not suspicion, at least not as thick as the innkeeper's, but it was obvious these people were dealing with rough times if they were inclined to be wary of a pair of knights just because they weren't human. Sieg wished there were some way he could dispel the tension. As he sat in his chair, a thought suddenly occurred to him. He knew a particular song, one that had been written as a propaganda piece of sorts by a human friend of the elves, to spread word around Corvus that any of the humans there could come to Nid'aigle and ask their knights for aid. It wasn't sung so much anymore, but you still heard it periodically when the company did something that was regarded as particularly heroic and some old grandpa got to digging around in song records. With a crooked smile, he tilted himself back in the chair so that the front legs were lifted slightly off the ground, and started to sing- not loudly enough to make a spectacle, but perfectly audible in the hushed room. " Woo who's high above us flown
Help us keep this land our own
Feathered father, spirit guide,
With us now forever ride!
Eyes of Hawks the borders see–
Watches, guard it carefully
Let no stranger pass it by–
From the eagle's nest, now fly!
Elven warrior stand tonight
Not just for your own you fight
Maybe not a son of man
But you serve more than just your clan
Born we of this selfsame soil
For the crowned head we do toil
Never fear and never doubt
We are Kythian throughout!
Gold the down-sun spreads his wings
Follow where the East-wind sings
Brothers, sisters, side by side,
To defend our home we ride!" Sieg orders food, then, feeling sort of put off by the suspicions of the people around him, sings a song.
For the record I didn't come up with that song, I was lazy and modified an existing one that I thought fit the mood. XD |
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Post by Omni on Sept 24, 2014 0:49:14 GMT -5
Sieg seemed glad to get rid of the armor for awhile, and to get some real food. Sieg commented about how a man could only live off of trail food for so long, to which the innkeeper made a comment about them not being "men." Well, THAT'S up to interpretation. I certainly wouldn't call myself a woman! Orrin thought, smiling to himself, though he didn't think it good to make that comment out loud. Concerning the food, Sieg turned to Orrin and shrugged. "Pottage sounds fine to me, though I wouldn't blame you if you wanted something more substantial. It was a long ride. Guess we'll meet back down here once we're changed then?""Yeh, some meat sounds good, and I'm fine with waitin'," he told the innkeeper, before telling Sieg "Sure thing." Like Sieg, Orrin had worn lighter armor, though he found it somewhat harder to change out of. The clothes he got into were rather casual, though somewhat unusual, bearing a design that house Stallion had created. They were made to be useful, practical, and easy to change. Sure, it was bound to draw a few more stares, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. (Besides, it could be fun pretending they were just staring at his clothes.) After pinning his badge to his sweater, he returned to the common room. There the stares continued, though some of them seemed confused by the outfit (heh). Sieg seemed pensive, before his face lit up with an idea. Leaning back, the half-elf seemed to relax and... sing.Orrin hadn't heard Sieg sing before. Though now that he did, he had to admit that the half-elf was rather good at it. The song he picked seemed to be chosen specifically for the situation. Not that Orrin could blame him; anything to ease the people would be welcome. And hey, a little music now and then was fun to listen to. Once the half-elf finished, Orrin applauded lightly - using both sets of arms - and sat down. "Why didn't ya tell me ya had such a nice singin' voice?" he said with a hint of teasing in his voice. Orrin orders the chicken, changes into some Stallion-made clothes, comes downstairs, and complements Sieg on his singing. |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 24, 2014 6:41:30 GMT -5
As Sieg finished the song, he heard Orrin clapping with both pairs of his hands. In a somewhat teasing tone the half-dwarf asked "Why didn't ya tell me ya had such a nice singin' voice?""Well you never asked, did you?" Sieg replied, grinning back. He usually became embarrassed by compliments, but his ability to sing was a rare exception- one of his few points of genuine pride. "My mother sings some too, I inherited it from her. Though to hear her tell it, most of the vocal range skipped her generation- her father, my Grandpa Bryce, had a very beautiful voice while he was alive. Maman told me all the time when I was younger I'd gotten my singing voice from him." The half-elf leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Before I came down with incurable insanity and decided I wanted to hit things with metal sticks for a living, I was seriously considering becoming a minstrel. Had vocal lessons and everything. Now though, it's just a hobby. Music is comforting when I'm down, and fun when I'm feeling good." As Orrin sat down, Sieg noticed that his clothes were of a somewhat interesting design. Not quite like most things in the current fashion- Stallion designed maybe? He wouldn't have put it past the house of progress to try to be ahead of even the fashion trends. Turning his mind back to the subject at hand, Sieg added, "Though unfortunately most of the good songs I know are in Elvish- I know some Kythian hymns, and a few of the more common tunes like 'Young Errant Knight,' but my education in more obscure things is sadly lacking." The half-elf's smile widened suddenly, and his amber eyes sparkled with mischief. "I don't suppose you can teach me anything new, hm? Surely Kine, Medieville and Bern have taught you some songs I wouldn't often hear in Corvus." Sieg is bizarrely not flustered by Orrin's compliments, singing being one of the very few things he can do that he's legitimately proud of. He invites Orrin to share some songs of his own. |
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Post by Omni on Sept 24, 2014 16:29:29 GMT -5
Sieg only seemed to hear the compliment, and seemed to only take pride in his singing. "Before I came down with incurable insanity and decided I wanted to hit things with metal sticks for a living, I was seriously considering becoming a minstrel. Had vocal lessons and everything. Now though, it's just a hobby. Music is comforting when I'm down, and fun when I'm feeling good.""Is that so?" Orrin gave a bit of a chuckle. "We should sing on the road. It'd be a great way to pass the time, and I know Freddie likes a good song." Sieg expressed how he wouldn't be able to share most of the songs he knew quite in the way he'd like, due to most of them being in Elvish. However, it wasn't long before he brightened. "I don't suppose you can teach me anything new, hm? Surely Kine, Medieville and Bern have taught you some songs I wouldn't often hear in Corvus."Orrin chuckled again, this time nervously. "Well, kind of like ya, most of the songs closest to my heart are in Dwarven, seein' as I learned them from mama... I haven't learned a lot from Bern yet; most of the ones I did learn are from Garrick, and I'd rather not repeat most of them..." The half-dwarf paused. There was one song, but... No, it was too personal. As much as he would like to share it with someone, he didn't think it was the time, or the place to do so. Still, there had to be something...Suddenly, it hit him. He smiled, not sure why it didn't occur to him before. "There's a song that's been goin' around Medieville. It was written in honor of King Galateo. Let's see if I can remember it." Orrin took a moment to remember how to start the song. It was a bit softer than what he'd usually sing, but he figured he might as well sing it anyway. "I suppose that I look different without the robes and crown
I come this day before ya with no riches, no renown
For here I am no leader, I am just a humble man
And I only ask ya take me, you take me as I am
"I'm not looking for perfection, I'm not offering a saint
I just came beside my comrades, to free Kyth from her restraint
The only thing I want is that ya love me if ya can
And I only ask ya take me, ya take me as I am
"I offer you a look inside, I offer you that trust
I need yer strength to help me fight the battles that I must
I need ya to remind me of the light we bear within
That there's more to life than struggle and the things we seek to win
"Don't take me out of duty, don't take me out of pride
Just take me if the man ya see is one you'd stand beside
I'm offering an open heart, I'm asking for yer hand
And I only ask ya take me, ya take me as I am"Orrin thinks they should sing more often. They talk more about songs and what songs they know. Orrin sings a song that is totally original to Kyth and not at all a real song nope. |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 24, 2014 17:57:07 GMT -5
"I'd like that," Sieg remarked to the suggestion that they could sing together on the road. "As long as you don't mind if I occasionally lapse into Elvish if I run out of Kythian songs to sing!" He listened while Orrin sang the song that he'd apparently learned in Medieville. It was a soft, somber song, and an interesting perspective to be certain. The half-elf couldn't claim to really know anything about the new king, Galateo- Morgaine knew the man only vaguely from his time as a sculpter in the Merchant's Market and Sieg had never met him at all. Sieg had never personally met any of the Shadow rebels, save for Rosalie's boyfriend Lawrence- and he didn't like to talk about it. All Sieg knew about them where what people told him secondhand. He had to admit thought, if there was any accuracy in this song to Galateo's nature as an individual, he seemed like a good man. If nothing else, the song itself was a beautiful piece. "I shall have to hang around the bards in Medieville more," Sieg remarked, clapping softly as Orrin finished. "They know how to spin a verse- though I suppose someone writing for the king would have to. But thank you for sharing, that was a beautiful song." The innkeeper placed a bowl of pottage in front of Sieg on the table, and glanced at Orrin. "Chicken's roasting over the fire. I'll have it out to ye in another half hour or so." As she spoke, Sieg took the opportunity to glance around the room. The people seemed to have settled enough that they weren't tense with unease anymore, though a few of them where still staring. You'd best get used to that, it's not going away, the half-elf thought to himself. If they were staying in one place a long time people would get used to them, but considering they would be all over Bern this summer... yes, he had better make his peace with being stared at. Turning back to Orrin as the innkeeper walked away Sieg lowered his voice so they wouldn't overhear and become spooked again. "Well I suppose we should probably decide how we're going to approach this. We need to find out more before we can try setting out bait and watching the thing directly. And we should probably each keep a woocifix and some salt on us at all times while we're here. I don't really know how we're going to handle Stephen's potions- we can't bring all those glass bottles with us everywhere, they're too cumbersome." Sieg compliments Orrin's song, then the innkeeper comes with Sieg's dinner and an update on Orrin's. Sieg brings up the subject of the hound and how they're going to approach dealing with it over the next few days. |
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Post by Omni on Sept 24, 2014 18:28:00 GMT -5
At Orrin's suggestion to sing at the road, Sieg gave a smile. "I'd like that," he said. "As long as you don't mind if I occasionally lapse into Elvish if I run out of Kythian songs to sing!""I don't mind if ya don't mind me singin' in Dwarven!" Orrin said in reply. "Honestly though, it shouldn't be a problem." Sieg commented on the song, having enjoyed it. Shortly thereafter, the innkeeper came by with Sieg's pottage, letting them know the chicken would be ready in about a half hour. Now set for awhile in terms of food, Sieg turned the topic to the black hound. "Well I suppose we should probably decide how we're going to approach this. We need to find out more before we can try setting out bait and watching the thing directly. And we should probably each keep a woocifix and some salt on us at all times while we're here. I don't really know how we're going to handle Stephen's potions- we can't bring all those glass bottles with us everywhere, they're too cumbersome."Orrin nodded. "Yeh... I suppose we could ask the others here what they've heard about the hound. I'm up for everythin' you mentioned." He held his chin in thought. "I suppose we could use the solidifyin' potion. If it's already tearin' up people, I don't think it'll do any harm. The neutralizin' potion might be good, too; if the howl does somethin', it'd be good to stop it. "As for bait... Well, they've got chickens," Orrin said, gesturing to the kitchen. "Whatever we use, we might be able to put some potion on it; good way to trick it into goin' solid." Orrin and Sieg discuss strategy. Orrin suggests a couple of potions, and chicken as bait (with potion applied). |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 24, 2014 19:43:17 GMT -5
The half-elf glanced around at the people in the inn. "I suppose, though with the way they're all still a little uneasy of us I don't know how much we'll be able to glean from them. I'm not used to asking for information from people who are afraid of me..." He shrugged, "We should talk to the local undertaker as well. See if there are any recent bodies that haven't been buried yet. It's a bit of a long shot, but if we can see what it's doing to people we can probably figure out how it's likely to try and fight us. I do like the idea of drugging the meat, that's probably the easiest thing to do." He tapped his hand on the scabbard of his swordblade. "What do you think will happen once it's solid and we can fight it? Can you... kill a ghost again? Does that just dissapate it for a short while like with the salt, or would that force it to move on?" He shrugged ruefully. "I guess we'll find out one way or another. This is going to be a complicated affair though, that's for certain." As he ran his hand along the hilt of his sword, he felt something cold and metallic under his fingers- a small glittering key. This key didn't unlock anything, it was purely ornamental. A good luck token he'd been given by his mother's business partner Rosalie Dylas, whom he regarded as something of a younger sister. Originally it had just been intended as a temporary loan while he was fighting during the Bloody Coronation, but afterwards Rosalie had insisted he keep it. Now it had a permanent spot latched on near the top of his scabbard. It was very pretty, for all that it was a simple piece by Rosalie's artistic standards. The grey metal never seemed to lose it's luster, and it was pleasantly cool to the touch. It reminded him of the cheerful keymaker, who had a very open and honest nature that made her hard not to like. He wished the people here were as easygoing as she was- asking them questions was going to be a problem. "Maybe if we can find out who the local hunters and woodcutters are," Sieg said suddenly. "Those who'd normally be in the forest and are most likely to find the bodies of the victims. They might have the most direct information we're likely to get... assuming they haven't been killed themselves of course." Planning, planning, planning. |
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Post by Omni on Sept 25, 2014 13:10:26 GMT -5
"I suppose, though with the way they're all still a little uneasy of us I don't know how much we'll be able to glean from them. I'm not used to asking for information from people who are afraid of me..."Orrin glanced around at the patrons. "I find that patience helps, but this is a different kind of afraid. These people are more... wary." He held his chin in thought. "I say we should try to be concerned and sympathetic when we talk to them. It might help them understand that we're here to help." He turned to his fellow knight. "They'd probably trust ya more easily than they'd trust me; do ya want to try talkin' to them? Maybe ya can try while I'm eatin', so it seems like I have another excuse." Then Sieg suggested talking to the undertaker. "Say... That's a good idea!" the half-dwarf replied. "Even if we can't get a look ourselves, the undertaker might have heard all the stories from people bringin' their dead, and they'll know what the bodies are like. I'd wager that they don't like the increase of deaths, either, and might be more willin' to talk to get it to stop. They could probably give us the best information!" At Sieg's question as to what would happen when they defeated a ghost, Orrin just shrugged. "We might never know. We might be able to see it disappear, or somethin', but I doubt we'll see what happens on the other side. Still... whatever happens, I guess it's better than lettin' it take all these innocent people." "Maybe if we can find out who the local hunters and woodcutters are. Those who'd normally be in the forest and are most likely to find the bodies of the victims. They might have the most direct information we're likely to get... assuming they haven't been killed themselves of course."Orrin grimaced. "Yeah... If some of them were killed, it might be hard for their buddies to talk about it... I say we try the undertaker first." He looked back over the people in the common room. "I say we start here, though. Might as well make use of the opportunity." More planning. Orrin gives suggestions for getting info.
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Post by Shinko on Sept 25, 2014 17:26:52 GMT -5
Orrin gave his advice on how to talk to people who were afraid, then added, "They'd probably trust ya more easily than they'd trust me; do ya want to try talkin' to them? Maybe ya can try while I'm eatin', so it seems like I have another excuse."Sieg frowned, stirring his food with idly with the spoon. "If you think so. I don't have the experience you do with operating alone and trying to get information out of people, but I can try." He smiled crookedly. "If I embarrass myself at the very least it should convince them I'm as mortal and fallible as they are and get them to ease up a bit." The half-elf was pleased that Orrin liked his suggestion that they talk to the undertaker, and nodded in acknowledgement when the other knight pointed out that it might be a bit insensitive to ask questions of the forest workers. He winced a little, looking contrite. "I hadn't considered that, but it's a very good point. I'll have to try and keep things like that in mind, I get the impression we'll be doing this a lot over the next few months." The conversation drifted back to inane things, and eventually the innkeeper returned with a plate of roast chicken for Orrin. By then Sieg had finished his own food, so he dutifully excused himself to go and talk to some of the other patrons. It was rough, initially. In spite of his polite good humor, it was obvious people were inclined to be wary of him. Fortunately the inherent respect most people had for a knight won out over suspicion, and when he introduced himself as " Sir Sieg Braham" they politely agreed to let him sit with them. Still, the discomfort was obvious in them, so he didn't ask questions right away. Instead he tried to do as Orrin had suggested, being patient and coaxing with them. He was honest about what he was, and joked about it- even letting one younger woman tug on the ends of his ears to confirm they were real, though it embarrassed him a bit to do so. Eventually the inn patrons did warm up to him- his inherently sweet and open nature helped him a lot more then he realized in this. After a while he decided he'd talked to enough people, and excused himself from his last companion- an old man with a cane who had injured his leg in the Langian War- and returned to Orrin. "Sorry that took so long," he said softly. "But I did learn some interesting things. Apparently the black hound was sighted occasionally in this area long before it became problematic. Most of the locals were wary of it, given the legends, but not actively afraid. It's only within the last five months or so that it's turned nasty and started killing people." He drummed his fingers on the table, his expression pensive. "No one I talked to has seen in directly, but all of them have heard the howling that the innkeeper mentioned. It's always the same howl, from what I can glean, and every time it happens they find a corpse in the forest the next day with it's organs devoured. Actually, there were supposedly two or three instances of someone who was out in the woods when this first started, and they ran towards the noise and saw the hound standing over the body- though no one dares be in the forest after dark anymore now." "The stories from the people who saw it in person match up pretty well with what Stephen said- a black hound dog with glowing red eyes, that turned into black mist when someone tried to shoot it with a crossbow. From what I can gather after it's killed someone, it won't engage anyone who attacks it after that- it'll just run away. Full I suppose, and not wanting to kill pointlessly? Not sure." The half elf's fingers stopped drumming and his hand clenched into a fist. "Here's the odd thing though- the entire village has been under strict sunset curfew for the past three months now. Yet somehow the black hound still catches people out in the woods- no one knows how it's doing it, as far as I can tell, but even people who don't usually care for wandering around outside have been found victim." And infodump! |
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Post by Omni on Sept 25, 2014 23:43:22 GMT -5
Sieg expressed uncertainty in his ability to gather information, but still seemed to be able to find humor in it. "If I embarrass myself," he said, "at the very least it should convince them I'm as mortal and fallible as they are and get them to ease up a bit."Orrin chuckled. "That's the spirit! Show them just how normal ya can be!" Orrin's comment on how the events must be hard for the people gave the half-elf pause. "I hadn't considered that, but it's a very good point. I'll have to try and keep things like that in mind, I get the impression we'll be doing this a lot over the next few months.""Well..." the half-dwarf said. "Some might want to take vengeance and be glad for the help. I'd still rather not ask unless we have to, though." As the innkeeper brought the half-dwarf his food, Sieg got up to talk to the patrons, and Orrin gave him one last gesture of encouragement. He tried to focus on his food and not listen in, but from the sound of it, Sieg was doing a pretty good job. Especially when he heard the patrons laughing with him; that was good news in Orrin's book! Some time afterward, the half-elf returned to his seat, apologizing for the wait. "Naw, it's alright," Orrin said with a dismissive handwave. "It sounded like ya hit it off pretty well. Good job!" "I did learn some interesting things," Sieg said. "Apparently the black hound was sighted occasionally in this area long before it became problematic. Most of the locals were wary of it, given the legends, but not actively afraid. It's only within the last five months or so that it's turned nasty and started killing people."One of Orrin's eyebrows lowered. "That's strange... I wonder what changed that would make it start huntin' like that?" Sieg continued describing what he heard about the hound's behavior, fingers drumming all the while. He paused, and explained what seemed to have him especially concerned. "Here's the odd thing though- the entire village has been under strict sunset curfew for the past three months now. Yet somehow the black hound still catches people out in the woods- no one knows how it's doing it, as far as I can tell, but even people who don't usually care for wandering around outside have been found victim."By this point, Orrin was holding his chin, eyebrows furrowed. "Well, we are dealin' with a ghost; it might have some kind of power to lure people out. Sounds like we're really goin' to need that neutralizin' potion. That and the solidifyin' one, judging by the crossbow shot." Sieg and Orrin discuss what was learned. |
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Post by Shinko on Sept 26, 2014 20:21:36 GMT -5
Sieg smiled, blushing a little at Orrin's compliments. "Thank you. I usually find people appreciate self-depreciating humor, and if I figured if I was open about admitting what I was and answering anything they might want to know on the subject, it might ease their fears some. Though there was one woman who wanted to pull my ears to see if they were really real- that one I wasn't expecting." He laughed a bit at that. As Orrin gave his thoughts on what Sieg had learned, the half-elf nodded. "I definitely agree on both of those potions. I wonder if it would be possible to put them both in the same bait? I worry the mix might neutralize them, or have some other affect we can't account for. Though maybe once it's solid we can just throw the neutralizing potion at it." He leaned backwards in the chair, pillowing his head on his intertwined fingers. "Though we still need to actually figure out where it might go so we can leave the meat for it to find... and we'd need to watch the meat more or less constantly to see if it takes it. We should probably operate under the impression that it's canny enough not to eat anything we throw at it. If we take the chance it isn't and try giving it something directly, it'll know to avoid random meat lying around." The half-elf's eyes narrowed. "So before we do anything else, we need to find out where approximately the bodies were found- see if there's a pattern. And if not, we can check what Stephen said. What was it again? Cemeteries, bridges, crossroads, am I missing anything?" The half-elf laughed suddenly. "I just realized I should probably send a letter to my mother sometime tomorrow. I meant to let her know when I arrived in Destrier but with all the excitement it completely slipped my mind. She'll probably be quite scathing in her reply thanks to my tardiness. Maybe I can compose something tonight and we can drop it off with the courier before we talk to the undertaker." Oh look, more planning! Then some inane things, because characer-building small talk is fun. |
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