"It is done, for good or ill. I must confess that I am not comfortable with a shapechanger in the group, but I trust Fizz completely. We have to move on, or the bandits will escape us and make it much harder to track and bring to justice."
"One of our number's been murdered," the wizard answers Rekka, not looking over his shoulder to see who even asked the question, "but...I have some doubts that this Selena woman is entirely responsible. Or she is, and the boy himself was already very, very sick to begin with."
Done for now with Lelouch's body, he wipes his hands in the wet grass and dries them on his robe, which is already very dirty, and for a brief moment, could be described as looking "helpless" as he stares at the dead body.
"I think we should bury him and send word to his family of his untimely demise.. After that we should move forward with the bandits is my opinion.. I am also not to comfortable with a shapechanger amongst us, but if she can control herself and do no further harm to the group then i will trust Fizzy in what he says.. I have no further opinion on the subject atm.." He continues to drink his bottle and passes it along to Klaus..
There was no murder. If I attack you with my hammer Wiz not of the Fizz and you turn me into ash, is it murder?
Fizzy says. Not arguing just observing.
A heaved sigh. "I will write to his family, and to the lords who sent him here. Bring his body into the tent I set up and I will clean it and prepare it for burial. He is a son of Brevoy, as am I. It only seems fitting."
Though sullen, he somehow manages to have a brow furrowed by deep-seated consternation. Maybe at death itself. He approaches Viklop. "Is it fair to say you are titled a Swordlord? If so, it would be prudent for you to speak and commend him into this foreign soil."
His right hand clenches. "And then we proceed to this bandit camp in the woods, and set upon them with vigor."
"Murder, do you call it murder when you kill a gobin or orc or even a bandit who has attacked you first? He did not come out when we called for him to come out, then I was triggered to attack, due to Fizzy being attacked by a spell. I can't help what happens next. Normally I would cast a scorching ray or burning hands, but with this extra curse on me bad things just keep happening. If someone can cast remove curse that may save me from the lycanthrope." Looking defiant in at the start and backing up towards the end of her speech.
"Overcoming lycanthropy is more complicated than simply removing the curse. In most cases I have heard of, such a blessing can only be cast when you are at your worst, and a most unwilling subject. There is also the possibility that a forced diet of wolfsbane could cure you."
The wizard unaggressively rubs his chin, trying to help assist people in moving Lelouch's body. "Or it could kill you. But those caught in the throes of lycanthropy turn to such measures in desperation. It is often why those afflicted flee to live alone in the wild, more animal than man, or try to take their own lives."
He breathes through his nose. "If you can live without taking any responsibility for this death, then...good for you," he says, dubiously.
"Yes if I was bite by a lycanthrope, but I was given this curse of transformation from a nearby monolith, so perhaps a remove curse could work. Yes, wolfsbane could work if it is truely lycanthrope."
"I am not saying I take no responsibility..." She reverts back to her elven form and bites her lip, arms hugging herself, and she steps back some more.
Enough Wiz. You are quick to cast blame. Blame the assassin. She did not kill this boy. You said it yourself that some poison killed him, and you find none on her. What good does the beratement do? Would you rather she not save me? Is his life worth more than mine?
Though he gives no further response, the expression on his face is one of a likely story. He does not outright accuse her of any deception, but simply files what she has to say away for now.
Then to the gnome: "I speak at the very least for myself, and maybe for others, too. Should something like this happen to any of the rest of us, you've said you can control it. So I guess I'll be holding you responsible."
Vik looks sternly over the body, then at Fizz, Selena and Klaus.
"Enough of this bickering. We need to put this unfortunate episode behind us. I grieve for a warrior lost, but it does not look like we will find the answers here. I would be honored to speak at his internment, but do we not have a cleric? Perhaps they may also be asked to say a few words on behalf of their deity."
"Well he was a priest if im not mistaken.. I think the Dragonkin have a cleric though.."
That is fine! Fizzy says happily and dances over slapping Klaus on the thigh.
None of you are assassins so it shouldn't happen again!
Fizzy now done being sad moves off.
Fuzzwiddle, Fuzzhealer, care to help me with another cake? Captain just let me know where we three need to deploy!
Sadly for Fizz he does not quite have the fire hot enough for his dutch oven. And while it is edible, and tastier than trail rations it is not quite good.
"Yes one of my kin is a priest, though I don't think you want her to do her rituals and internment, we eat those who have passed on to gain their strength and to allow them to continue to fight with us. Unless you want that?" He says stoically, then amused with the questioning words.
"Your cleric might get sick," is the best decline of Krazok's offer that Klaus can muster. When Fizz slaps his thigh, he just bundles his dirty robe about him a little closer and then, with the aid of anyone else willing to help him, brings Lelouch's body into his tent.
Once sequestered, Klaus strips the boy's body down and begins to clean it of blood and other gross things with tatters of cloth that are summarily disposed of by setting them on fire and throwing them into the camp's bonfire. Then he breaks out a bit of ink and parchment and begins to scratch an ink-smeared letter to the agency in Restev that provided him his charter, as well as anyone he might be able to think of from Lelouch's own family, cross-referencing his family name with a little blue-bound book of Brevic heritages...
To (Insert Name),
I regret to inform you of the loss of a son of Brevoy. On this day, (insert tomorrow's date), Lelouch (insert family name, whatever he had it chosen to be) went into battle with the bandits exploiting and terrorizing the people of the Greenbelt. Though he fought valiantly to bring justice to these stolen lands, his forces were overwhelmed and he was brought down from his horse and slain. His body has been interred in the soil near where he perished, with words spoken over his burial to transubstantiate this wild and untamed soil for the soil that has born his lineage. Our company continues to fight the fight he began and will see it completed to his honor.
(In the letter to the family, an additional section is added)
You bred a young man with a singular ambition for kingship. I have met many of this persuasion. Most desire the role for the wealth and power it brings them. Though it may have been nothing more than youthful naivete, he seemed to wish for something more. Something just and selfless. If the spark of greatness you instilled in him was as great as I believe it was, then anyone he inspired will be destined for greatness.
K. Mandrake
Klaus reads it over a couple of times and approves, folding the letter over and sealing it. It was just indifferent enough a notification not to raise a great deal of suspicion. Although he was aggravating and wielded magic like it were a toy, and not the finely crafted weapon it is, it was diminishing to write back and say he was slain in some unknown and ignominious manner. Better to say he died on the field of battle so that his family gets the sense his death meant something. Besides, Klaus would hate to die in some place like a hostel and then for the world to be told he perished with one foot in the grave and the other in a whore's mouth.
Unless there are more antics, or anyone needs to bug him while he does his work, Klaus then falls asleep and gets his wizard rest.
Fizzy rises, feeling refreshed. He moves around camp trying to raise cheer with a variety of jokes
How do you get a halfling into bed? Piece of Cake!
Torq wakes the next morning, goes threw his routine and steels himself for the day to come.. He is determined to make Lelouch's meaningless sacrifice worth something.. "I am ready.. What's my part in this plan?"
"To kill as many bandits as you can!" Klaus shouts, thrusting his hand forward and sending a crackling fistful of electrical energy () from his fingertips to knock the bark from a nearby tree in a small controlled burst. In his other hand, he holds a spellbook, and then flips the page with his dangerous right hand, still in the process of committing his spells to memory for the day.
"Or to just scare them until they surrender. Whichever your heart desires."
"So we're just supposed to charge the gate? I'm much better at a stealth approach and attack than a heads on charge.. I just figured we would have some sort of attack plan.. What is this encampment like? Does it have defendable walls?"
but it was sly I thought
"Yup, yup, yup it was me!" Sly says as he jumps up an down!
Mr. Tooth, the Lizz of the Fizz is our master scout, he knows the entire layout. Would you fill in the others?
Fizzy breaks off a small piece of the newest, mediocre cake for the sly.
I will make better next time Sly. We are getting ever closer to pie The last word is whispered almost reverently.
Do not tempt the Fizz-Captain with pie if you cannot produce it!", Vik says as he watches Sly and Fizz.
That is why all of you are here!
Fizzy says, hopping up onto Vik's shoulders if he lets him.
Yes there may be bandits, and dragons, and trolls, and pirates, and gremlins, and goblins and sharks, and spiders. But there is the possibility. Nay! The liklihood that there exists, in that camp. Fruit. Apples or peaches! Cherries and Blueberries! We must strike quickly and hard, leave none of them to share the glory that will be the post battle PIE!
Fizzy thrusts his hammer into the air.
"well lets have to details of the encampment plz Sly.."
"Well I will tell what I can, though like other biggies have said before, asking me questions get better answers." Sly kicks a rock nearby, looking a bit bummed.
Then he perks up, "The camp has... counting out on his claws, ...About that many biggins." He put up 4 claws, then 4 claws, then 4 claws, so 12 big ones.
"You Toorque, said walls, no walls, just a few logs down, and a clearing where many of them were sitting, or laying, or eating around fire. Some were up in the trees looking for something. Under the big tree, is looooooots of different things... Yes! I did see some apples in with many other things." At that point he loses all concentration, which looked like he was trying real hard to remember. He goes over to Fizzy and grabs his hands if on the ground, saying, apples is for pie, apples is for pie, YAY! Pie!" If Fizzy is up on Vik's shoulders still he will circle Vik.
Torq listens and seems to like what he heres.. "Well it sounds like they position isnt super defensible.. I say we try to make a stealth approach and catch them by surprise.. Is there going to be some sort of signal as to when the archers and the dragonkin will be attacking? or do we just wait till yelling beginds.. Also i would think first light would be a good time, as to try and catch some sleeping.. I can attempt to remove any lookouts.." He waits for some type of reponse..
"We discussed this last night, Torq. Ultimately, we will be coming at them from all sides. But it is good to know they have positions up in the trees. That means it is possible for them to see our advance from a certain distance, unless we are taking care to be stealthy by sticking to denser foliage. If they had twice their number, I would consider a dawn approach sensible, but there are only a dozen, and we will have the element of surprise and superior numbers, so I see no reason to delay until tomorrow morning. If anything, Torq, you should at least make an advanced scout to confirm the lizard's details, see whether anything has changed, and also begin picking off any of them that are up in the trees and have superior positions for both sight and ranged attack. This means you will be giving us the signal to advance from our lurking positions in the foliage. I would just make it a scream. That way, if one of them gets the better of you and stabs you and you scream, we'll know that's a signal, too."
"Just let me know when it starts so we can get this over with." Xan said from where she was leaning against a tree. They'd already had a war council to sort out a plan and now they were going to do even more planning?!
The night had been far from pleasant for her - first a casualty, then seeing Selena change shape (and the resulting change in her emotions) made her certain that the elf had done something to her head. She wasn't naturally bloodthirsty, but a fight would let her clear her mind and possibly even calm down. It hadn't helped that Maxel and Tarek had headed back to Oleg's. Lelouch's death had shown both that they weren't ready for life-and-death combat - the gang back in Restov having stopped just shy of fatalities (if only by a hair's breadth). While she'd encouraged them both to go if they didn't feel comfortable continuing, it did mean that she was now on her own, something she hadn't felt since she first left Nerosyan.
Fizzy drops down, content that the rabble is roused so to speak.
I can sneak with you Mr. Tooth. Fuzzwiddle would you sneak with us? If you don't want to you can stay here and eat the cake.
Torq nods.. "Alright well me, Fizzy, and Kitty Cat will do a forward scout of there positions.. If possible i will make my way back to inform.. If you guys here noises though plz come asap.. I would suggest holding back just out of eyesight.. Lets go forward group" Torq stalks off towards the camp and prepares for recon..
Not much more time is wasted. While he secrets his spellbook away, the wizard whistles at Sly to get its attention. "A fine job, lizard. Though a bog witch would kill for your eyes, I'd sooner see you familiar to a competent magus."
"It starts now," he tells Xantria. "We're moving out."
He makes sure that the party splits at a distance far enough away from the camp Sly found that the other groupings are able to surround it entirely from all sides before Torq, Fizzwiddle, and Selena are able to move on. The whole of the morning he says nothing to the shapeshifting woman, preferring to let a brooding silence communicate his mistrust in her.
Though not much of a spook, he does what he can to stick to denser brush () to stay out of sight of any bandits in the trees. Knowing it will last a couple of hours, Klaus reaches out and dons magical force like it were a protective garment. ()
Sly responds to Klaus, "She has to catch me first!" Then showing what he just said, zips from one spot to the next.
|
The Dragonkin, notice that the group is heading off and depart, they look like they might cross over the river.
Alexandra and her men will be on the East side making sure no one gets away.
The main force moves slowly after the scouting party. Vik, Xantria, Klaus, Rekka, Fionn. I know Fionn will stay on his horse so that he can charge in, do any of the rest of you stay on your horse or go on foot?
Bearn offers to watch the horses and the camp, unless they want him along with them?
If you are keeping to the foliage that allows you to hide when you choose and a +2 to stealth.
Vik will most certainly be on foot for the battle.
"Im good going the trapped way.. I feel confident i can disable them.. As long as people help me locate them.."
Knowing he is more likely to be thrown from his horse in the midst of what will probably be a close combat, and also not wanting to risk any of the horses for their riding purposes overland (this is vast territory, after all!), Klaus opts to take a grounded approach.
Fizzy carefully picks his way back to the main party and says to Klaus
Wizz not of the Fizz. Allow the Fizz to Fizzmunicate with you?
Fizzy elaborates and the clever amongst the party realize he is asking to cast message on Klaus
Also you guys should stay on the trail. Lots of trappy traps in the woods
Then he picks his way back to the scouts.
Lets go!
Fizzy relays all pertinent info back to Klaus