Pelipe nods at the name of Thune. No doubt a direct family member of the Lord-Mayor himself, although possibly removed. Despising the Lord-Mayor and his stances, she is less willing to reach out and save this woman if she has done something wrong.
"Strange that a Cheliaxian is so far from home trying to brow-beat the populous of this 'backwater hamlet'," she comments with sarcasm at the end. "She is possibly tied to the Lord-Mayor Thune, but I don't personally know her from the court."
Pelipe will look toward where they are most likely keeping the gnome and will see if his little frame can be seen.
The Vixen says, “I believe ye. They don’t. But opinions and guesses don’t shape the truth.
“Why not let ‘the Abadarian confirm the truth o’ yer word? If ye know him, ye know what he can do. The truth’ll set ye free, won’t it?”
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"Do you cry out to Abadar's servant to grant you justice, Althea? You are a wanted fugitive in Brevoy, and suspected of having a hand in many of the seditious events that have occurred of late in Tamlyn. I have no authority in this town, but I will, if you wish, advocate for your remanding into our custody to be returned to face trial in Brevoy. Be warned, this may save you from the pyre, but not necessarily the noose or the blade. Furthermore, any attempt at escape will be treated as an admission of guilt, with sentence to be carried out immediately."
I guess it won’t then.
A wanted fugitive? And she seriously thought Ahto, a ruler and devout servant of Abadar, would let her ride off into the sunset? This just gets better and better. Katrine dismounts from her horse, getting ready just in case this turns into a fight.
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”Thrune,” Wonky corrects Pelipe with a bitter tone to her voice as she stares at their former rival from the River Kingdoms. ”House Thrune - I believe Lady Althea tried to have us killed at one point by hiring mercenaries to ambush us when we were still in Brevoy. Do I remember that correctly, Lord Ahto?”
Sprocket and Doo-dad innately pick up the icy tone of the gnome and begin growling, their hackles raising as their canines flash.
"Yes," she coughs nervously at the correction of the gnome. She knew the famous House. Being of one herself, there wasn't a month that went by where they didn't hear from the powerful group of family from Cheliax. It was a slip of her tongue in the nervous environment and due to her bravado. Now she is humbled and nervously stammers quietly, "I am sure it wouldn't phase some them to do as much."
It appears that Pelipe has some connection with them, but doesn't mention it here. She is red in the cheeks now and curious what this woman's response will be to the power of Ahto. "I love how he doesn't cave from justice, even in this situation. What a noble quality, and rare."
Scanning the buildings surrounding the village square, you spot the pub, and from a high, narrow window near the back of the building, you espy the face of someone else watching you - at least, you see them from the nose up. They are clearly short and have struggled to hoist themselves up. A shock of white hair partially drapes down over their face.
Althea offers a subdued, patrician harrumph.
"At least Brevoy offers a somewhat more civilized form of justice, even if only by a shade," she concedes before continuing with a sigh.
"Whilst I may have acted against you in the past, I am innocent of the fanciful, farcical crimes these bumpkins accuse me of. Therefore, yes, I ask you to spare me from an unjust punishment for things that I have not done, even if it means facing punishment for what I have done."
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The Vixen approached the humbled woman. “As the Royal Enforcer of Tamlyn, it’s me duty to arrest ye for… what Ye’ve done, as ye put it.”
To the bumpkins, she says, “Anyone have a problem with me taking her?”
She clenches her fist as she asks.
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”Good people of Glowerhaven,” Ahto says, in a diplomatic tone. ”Althea Thrune is a wanted fugitive, and the Lords of Brevoy have requested that if found, she be remanded to them to face justice. As High Counselor of Tamlyn, I can attest that we too have a claim to bring her to trial in our own country. I swear, as a faithful servant of Abadar, that what I tell you now is no ruse. She will face trial and be held accountable for her crimes, should she be found guilty.”
Katrine nods approvingly to herself. If the justice of a court is available (which isn't always the case in the River Kingdoms), that's always preferable to mob justice. So far she's impressed with the Tamlyn councilors. She still keeps an eye on the townsfolk, though. They're not out of trouble yet.
"I have another such person you might want to take. I see his little frame poking up from a window in the upstairs of the pub. Don't look," she commands quickly. "I don't want to point where exactly because he might run, but I'm going to go get him. I'll come in the backdoor if Vermillion Vixen, or Wonky, you'd like to come in the front?"
With that, if given aid, she will prod her horse to trot off and then will loop back around to the backdoor of the pub. There, she will tie up her horse and tell him to stay calm. The last thing she wants is for it to kick some poor servant boy who comes out to get water. Whether the horse understands her or not is another matter.
She then will enter into the pub and nod to whoever came into the location with her. She will then head toward the stairs, keeping a sharp eye out. Because she anticipates trouble, she will activate her armored mask and prepare a charm person spell to use.
If the folk of Glowerhaven were not already cowed by the Vixen's destruction of the stake that Althea was previously fated for, then her pronouncement - backed by a declaration of her authority - ensures that none of the villagers dare interfere with her business.
Meanwhile, Ahto's rhetoric assuages the crowd's lingering apprehensions. Despite his reputation as a headsman, he proves himself quite the statesman by presenting his case for allowing his enforcer and the rest of their coterie to take Althea into custody.
This means that while you tread a legal gray area, there will be no opposition in your effort to arrest Althea Thrune.
The pub is empty, with all the would-be patrons out preparing for the now-aborted witch burning. Pelipe traces the location of the window to a back storeroom on the first floor, the door of which she finds is barred from this side with a chair propped against the handle.
Moving the chair and opening the door, she finds a gnome man standing atop a precariously stacked pile of boxes. He tears his eyes from the narrow window to turn and face the woman entering the makeshift holding cell. His hair is a faded red, streaked with white.
"What an unexpected turn. Are you going to kill me?" he asks in an almost disinterested tone.
The Vixen says to her prisoner, “I appreciate ye not resisting. I’m gonna bind ye just the same, but in a way ye can walk upright. With yer dignity intact.”
The Vixen uses fabric instead of rope. She doesn’t want the woman to feel any pain.
Once Ms. Thrune is taken care of, the Vixen is prepared to sprint in the direction of a blighted gnome attempting to escape. But she stands by her prisoner for now.
Pelipe begins to cast her spell before the door is even open. As she comes to the portion of the spell that requires her to target the small-statured gnome, she pushes aside the final barricade and opens the door. The moment the door opens, she doesn't hesitate, and before he can even hobble to turn around, she has muttered her spell and waved her hands at him like the hello of a friend.
"That is not my intention at all, good sir. I am to present you before Lord Ahto based on your accusation of another. Will you come peacefully and in friendship?"
If so, she hopes to bring him out without incident. If he does wish to resist, the slender, well-dressed mage will go that route.
"Fate seems to have chosen this collection of hovels as its whipping boy," Althea says in response to Wonky's question as the Vixen binds her. "If the locals are to be believed, they've had children go missing, animals turn up mutilated, and all the usual woes that set commoners into a blind panic. Rather than hunt the true cause, if there is one, they fell upon me as a scapegoat to assuage their fears."
For a moment, it seems as though she might spit into the dirt to show her derision. However, her aristocratic upbringing reins in the urge.
...
"What in the world are you doing? Don't be weaving no spells! You'll have those rubes accusing you of being a hag next!" the gnome sneers at Pelipe as her spell fails to pierce his white-topped head.
He sighs as Pelipe makes her appeal, and he hops down from his perch.
"The name's Varknarnost. Just call me Vark. If you're looking for a friend, you don't need no magic. Just get me out of here so I get can to Uringen, and I'll be your friend for life."
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"We shall see," Ahto replies to Althea. "Friends," he says to the assembled townsfolk. "I understand that you find yourselves beset with troubles associated with hags that allegedly reside near here. My party and I will investigate into the actions of these hags, and hold them accountable for whatever harm they have caused your community. It is the wish of Abadar that faithful servants of Erastil such as yourselves should prosper and thrive through hard work and industriousness, and that the burden of misfortune beyond your control be removed from your collective shoulders, if at all possible."
"My apologies, Mr. Vark. It was meant to keep both of us safe in this situation. I don't know you and don't know enough of your capabilities to trust you."
She doesn't like it when her spells are resisted. The mage waves a hand, gesturing him to come out of the room before her. She keeps her distance from him. As he travels down the stairs, she will speak to him:
"Concerning these locals, are they truly that opposed to spellcasting? It is a fairly common thing to some degree. We just want to hear your side of the story and why...or if...you accused Althea."
If he willingly allows her to corral him outside with Lord Ahto and others, she will then return for her horse and ride it back to await and hear what the gnome has to say in his defense.
In the village square, Ahto earns a measure of confidence from the locals. This may be due to his bearing as an inquisitor. For better or for worse, they see him as a witch hunter come to rescue them from their victimizers.
.....
Inside the backroom of the pub, Pelipe continues to speak with Vark.
"Before you came along, I reckon that I was the only spellcaster in this hole of a town," he jeers. "I overheard the locals talk about how they used to have a priest around, but he apparently got lured away by them hags. Since then, the only magic around here is imaginary, as they blame others every time milk curdles or a lamp breaks."
When talk comes to his accusations against Althea, Vark grows defensive.
"These folk've probably never seen a gnome before in their miserable lives! As soon as they saw me, I could tell - they thought I was some sort of witch's familiar or gremlin or some such. They descended and surrounded us, interrogating Lady Thrune and me. At that moment, I knew. I knew they wouldn't rest until at least one of us was slated for the pyre.
"And guess what? This may come as a surprise, but I. Didn't. Want. To. Die."
The Vixen delivers Thrune to Ahto. She says, “I’ll let the two o’ ye get reacquainted. There’s a false witness who’d no qualms about seeing a lady burn, and the Blight or her attempt on yer life don’t excuse that.”
She will explain later that she hopes no one will be executed over this. But she enforces the rules. She doesn’t write them.
Unless ordered otherwise, the Vixen moves to where the gnome is, going through the front as Pelipe had asked.
Katrine opts to stay outside with Ahto. She listens approvingly as he announces his intention to hold the hags accountable for their actions. For the first time, the hooded ranger speaks up. "Can anyone here tell us where the hags dwell? Or where people tend to disappear?"
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"As I recall, Elenthe mentioned a place called The Ditches. Perhaps one of these good folk can point us in that direction?" Ahto suggests in response to Katrine, looking out among the gathered throng as he does so.
"You, Lady Thrune, will come along, unless you would prefer to remain in their custody until we return?"
"Now don't become so defensive, Mr. Vark. We are on the side of justice here. I can assure you that. If the people are at fault and their misguided attempts to free themselves of the plague of hags or witches and made you feel like you were in peril, all that will be taken care of. Lord Ahto is a fair man from what I've seen of him, and you won't likely get a fairer or more secure chance of surviving this, as I'm sure if they truly fear Lady Thrune, they no doubt would eventually turn their ire upon you. Now, please. We are capable warriors and will protect your life while in our charge."
She smiles when VV comes to back her up and will guide the gnome outside where she will mount up onto her horse and will offer the gnome a seat at her front. With his small size, he should find it more than reasonably comfortable. Being high above the crowd on a horse, also more likely to feel safe.
"Here is her accuser. He has an interesting tale, certainly. It seems he was not at fault for his initial witness account being given, but was pressed to do so out of fear. He will give an account of what transpired when they arrived here."
When Katrine asks where the hags dwell, in unison the villagers point towards the tangled boughs of the Embreth Forest, which almost entirely dominates the horizon to the south and west of Glowerhaven.
They are less in agreement regarding the location of the Ditches. There is a vague consensus that it lies further to the southwest. However, the locals cannot agree whether it sits between their village and Uringen, beyond Uringen on the far side of the forest, or even beyond the forest.
Melianse - who wisely used her magic to disguise herself whilst in your company, lest her fey appearance agitate the locals even further - offers her own insight.
"Based on what we've learned from the dead baron's journal and from Elenthe, I've come to suspect that these hags make something of a migration, measured in generations rather than seasons," she whispers to you. "They emerge from the Ditches, travel northeast across the Embreth and Mivon, spreading their wicked mischief as they go, then set about preying upon the latest settlers or would-be lords to establish themselves in the Stolen Lands."
The disguised nixie's hypothesis is interrupted. When Pelipe brings Vark before the rest of the party, Althea grows quite incensed and twists at her bonds - clearly ready to set upon the gnome and deliver punishment for his betrayal.
"You vile, insolent cur! I protect you on the road to your strange destination, and this is how I am repaid?" the Chelish noblewoman hisses at Vark.
“Why don’t ye tell us about that… yer travels together?”
She looks at Ahto as she speaks.
"After the business with the bandits, I had no doubt that you," Althea says, singling out Ahto with her eyes, "would bring the law of Brevoy, loose and malleable though it may be, down upon me. This was undesirable, so I removed myself from the Stolen Lands and traveled west to Mivon to decide upon my next course.
"That was where I met this wretch," she says, her eyes pointing envenomed daggers at Vark.
"In Mivon, he spoke freely of his plan to visit this strange, plane-displaced village in the forest - Uringen. My curiosity got the better of me, and with no better opportunities presenting themselves, I generously offered to escort him there. And that brings us to our current state of affairs."
Pelipe doesn't like the look that Althea gives Vark, and she angles the horse so she can't fully lunge at him even if she wanted to. She then looks to the crowd and then to Lord Ahto.
"As you wish," she answers with strength and willpower as she trots her horse around the outside of the crowd back to the carriage. While his focus is on their destination, she symbolically asks Ahto with her hands whether he wishes the gnome to be bound or not. There she will help the gnome disembark into the carriage and then dependent on the non-verbal or verbal communication of Ahto, she will do what is needed or will pass him off to another more capable of binding him.
The Vixen does not say a word. She binds him as she bound her.
"So... where to next? Back to Tamlyn so Lady Thrune and Vark can stand trial, or are we bringing them along to Uringen? After we deal with the hags, of course." Neither option sounds appealing to Katrine. Fortunately, that's why Ahto got the crown or whatever symbol of authority they use in Tamlyn. He gets to make these decisions.
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Wonky looks crestfallen at the idea of turning back from the prospect of Uringen.
And there are still the hags that might require our intervention... she thinks in an accustomed incomplete sentence. The gnome pulls a bit of her hair from the messy ponytail at the top of her head and begins chewing it. Sprocket whines, noting his pack leader's worried disposition.
"Sir, if I may..." her eyes scanning from Ahto to Wonky briefly and then back again as she tries her hands at diplomacy. "I hope I do not speak improperly. Surely you do not have to trouble yourself and put yourself at risk when there are affairs of state at hand. I am most certain your carriage can transport the prisoners back safely on the main roads and we can continue on to ascertain the intentions of the hags..." she voices with some hesitancy. "That is...unless you would rather come with us? You are welcome to share my horse. Unless you just wish to dispense justice at this time?"
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Ahto considers Pelipe's suggestion. "We could send them back in the carriage by way of the main roads, but there would be some risk of their escape. However, dragging them along through the swamps and keeping track of them in Uringen will be troublesome."
He looks to the the group. "Are we willing to accept the possibility that they might attempt to escape, and possibly succeed? Is it an acceptable risk to be rid of their nuisance while we continue our mission? Or, should we hold trial now, and be done with it? I would hear each of your thoughts on the matter."
The Vixen says, “Shall we…?”
VV’s body language makes it clear: she’s like to discuss this out of earshot of the prisoners.
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"If you prefer," Ahto replies, gesturing for the group to move away from the prisoners as far as they are comfortable. "My admonition to them remains unchanged. Any attempt to escape, regardless of whose custody they are in, will be treated as an admission of guilt, and sentence will be passed immediately and without mercy."
He fixes Athea and Vark with a penetrating gaze that makes it clear this is no bluff.
The Vixen says, “They’re both guilty of something and we know it. Thrune made attempts on yer lives.” She’s saying this to Ahto and Wonky. “But you know who else did? Father Barris.
“Our head priest. And he’s probably the only reason I could spend a night in a den of thieves without… y’know. Ye know what those sleaze bags would’ve done to me if they had any inkling I wasn’t what I pretended to be. I saw the good in him then, and I was glad he wasn’t put to death.
“I see the good in Lady Thrune. She admits she was on the run, but what did she do when she met that little blighted asshoIe? She escorted him, helping him get toward our own intended destination. So I guess what I’m questioning is, are we about to hang a woman for past crimes as she’s turning in the direction o’ redemption?
“Because it was convenient to be helpful, yes. But the same could be said for that ungrateful li’l shit who was about to let her die screaming to save his own ass. He was scared and almost got a woman tortured.”
She looks back in the direction of the captives.
“The timing of our arrival’s like the gods practically handed ’em to us. I feel like we’re being tested. Killing either o’ these two… I think we’d fail that test.”
She turns to Ahto. “I never had a problem with killing the people we killed. This case… well, that’s me gut feeling.”
VV’s words are sincere, but when she utters the words “hang a woman,” her eyes widen a little. She’s horrified by the image of a woman at the end of a rope. It’s a painfully familiar sight that she relives more often than she’d care to admit.
Katrine frowns, the expression barely visible behind her deep hood. "I don't know much about this lady and what she's done. The gnome... throwing someone else over the side to save your own skin is a cowardly thing to do, but desperate people do desperate things." She shrugs. "I'm not keen on dragging them along with us to the Ditches and Uringen, but this decision is best left to those who have experience with Thrune."
While it is Pelipe's suggestion, as the group pulls aside, she doesn't feel qualified to give her opinion on matters of state when she is so new to being in this group; particularly as she has no idea who this woman is. Instead, the soft-skinned beauty separates from them and stays back. There she continues to look over the crowd like a dominant force of intimidation. Beautiful compared to the muck-covered crones of this town, but deadly in her resolve at the current moment not to be messed with.
"If you are entertaining suggestions, might I be so brazen as to offer some further insight?" Althea calls out after watching the party deliberate from afar for a time. She hazards a few steps towards the party, though she does not draw very close.
"As I recall, you are proponents of indentured service - as both penance and punishment. And as you may recall, I was issued a charter for exploration just as you were, and that wasn't merely because of my family's influence. I am a capable traveler, explorer, and dare I say adventurer. I could help you hunt down and bring these hags to justice - considering they are the root cause of my recent indignities, I would relish seeing them punished - and then help escort you to Uringen.
"After all, I would be a waste to add potentially weeks to your travels just because of me. I promise that I will make no attempt to escape; I know your capabilities too well to try something so foolish. As for Vark...I can also promise that I will make sure he will not escape, either."
She tosses another pointed glance towards the partially Bleached gnome, both to emphasize her words as well as to stoke his fear of Althea.
The woman is bound and still has the gall to walk toward the group.
"Useless guards. Why didn't you hold her? I bet she yelled at them..."
Pelipe tucks her hair and watches as she waddles toward the group, and it seems calling out to them.
"Oye...she's going to be a handful," Pelipe thinks as she turns her horse to ready to draw closer. Instead, she thinks about the crowd still there. With her back turned from them and her cape concealing her money pouch and where it is hidden, she pulls out five gold. With each drink in a large city being a few copper, this can go quite a ways in a small village's meadery.
"You all have come out, no doubt, for a bit of entertainment." she voices loudly as she turns swiftly back to them in a stunning display. A beautiful smile is on her face, like the face of a parent on a festival who has the secret present of telling their child they are going to have fun that day. "You've sacrificed your hard work for the day for this event and we came and ruined it." Shaking her head in empathy. "No doubt there are some saddened hearts among you." Her smile then creeps back. "In the spirit of generosity and companionship, let me extend to you an olive branch. Free drinks at your local drinking place. Please, share this in celebration and grow your community well for Abadar's sake. Bless Lord Ahto for his swift and great sense of justice as you drink your fill tonight."
She seeks to inspire them to cheer, rising inflections and motivational tones are laced within her speech. For the sake of this community, she hopes they bond together tonight and recall how awesome it was to see VV kick down that post. How Ahto valiantly came in and took two potential villains down and away. And now is going to ride off into the sunset with them to face down the hags themselves! Another desire of hers is to get the crowd dispersed, or rather, moved somewhere else.
Perhaps to Ahto's chagrin, his divinely honed senses can pick out no lies in Althea's words. When she promises not to escape and to keep Vark from escaping, she is being honest. Likewise, her promises to battle the hags and see you to Uringen are also genuine. As an Asmodean, she keeps to her word.
Meanwhile, an almost incongruous mirth spreads among the folk of Glowerhaven. The promise of free drinks earns many friends and makes many amends. Pelipe may soon find herself leading a sizeable procession over to the pub.
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After a few moments of careful consideration, Ahto replies, "So be it then. Do you, Lady Althea of House Thrune, pledge yourself to the indentured servitude of the people of Tamlyn? Do you swear to serve Tamlyn and its people faithfully, and to the best of your ability until such time as your debt is tallied by our Offices to be settled? Do you swear not to attempt escape, sabotage, or duplicity of any sort, lest your life be forfeit? Do you so swear?"
The Vixen watches Pelipe cheer up the people who really, really wanted to see a woman burn to death. She’s got a way with people… heh.
She cracks a smile when Ahto comes to an agreement with the woman who once tried to have him killed.
One day, me gut’s gonna be terribly mistaken… glad this wasn’t the day.
Katrine smiles slightly as Pelipe's promise of beer rapidly improves the crowd's temper. Some things are universal, and people's reaction to free drinks is definitely one of them.
She's a little less thrilled with the prospect of fighting beside a former enemy. Ah well, hopefully she can be of some use this way. It certainly beats having to look after a bound captive for as long as they're planning to stay on the road.
The promise of free drinks makes this sour-faced group a gleeful bunch. Clearly, she hit the nail on the head. With them being so welcoming, she hardly feels like she has a choice but to come with them or she'll get pulled off her horse and made to do so. Not wanting her horse to stomp people to death, she quickly will dismount and hand her reins to Katrine.
Then, with a gasping scream in shock, she is surprised to find they nearly lift her off her feet toward the pub. Such are country manners. What at first was a look of fear coming over her face, soon turns to mirth and laughter as she is "carried" along like a leaf on a flooded river. It is clear "oh my" is the expression on her face as she has horribly misjudged her actions. With wide eyes, she looks to her party in shock as she is almost jammed inside. The rush of those there seems too excessive for the door to take and she stumbles to the bar as a surge of people follow her in. This, clearly, has never happened to her before, and possibly not to the villagers either. She did not understand the ramifications. Even more horrifying is when she quickly realizes each person in there wants to share their drink with the kind lady, especially one with such "fine eyes", or so some would come to say.
In no time, she feels she has been urged to drink with 20 people or more, and trying not to be rude, and knowing the party outside is dealing with Althea, she relents and starts to drink with them. The thin-framed mason has been known to drink with dwarves, but this is some backwater ale; far stronger and sat there much longer than expected. With such urgings and pleadings, it is not long before she has downed far more than what she usually does. She will not be exiting the pub in the same condition she went in. Only the expediency of their mission allows her to somehow claw her way back outside through the crowds. She leaves the remaining gold with an identified leader of the group to keep the drinks flowing and almost flops out of the pub.
The Vixen sees Pelipe staggering.
She steps over much more sure-footed than her new friend. “Heh… I think yer play worked a li’l too well. Ye sure ye won’t crash yet horse into a tree riding out?” The Vixen offers her arm, but won’t force the issue if Pelipe, however tipsy she appears, would prefer to walk unassisted.