Aldencross - Week 3 - Day 20
The Lord's Private Chambers - Watchtower of Balentyne -
Lord Havelyn nods, "Yes, that is an interesting spin on..." Before he can speak another word, there is a knock on the door.
"Lord Havelyn, I hear a commotion coming from downstairs. Something appears amiss as I don't think all that screaming s part of the script..."
Havelyn calls out, "Gerrald, all is not well within either, it seems that the Sergeant betrayed us!" He puts on distress as well as he can.
The door swings open and the guard enters, "By Mitra, what happened?"
Lord Havelyn defers to you with his eyes, it seems he knows his own acting skills are not the equal of your own...
Soren clutches at the wound on her hands, flexing her hand in a faux display to make sure the cut hadn't severed any muscles or nerves. "Did I hear your name was Gerrald? I'm afraid something horrendous has happened; the rumors myself and Sir Balin were instructed to investigate have born a dark fruit. Lord Havelyn had asked me to keep him informed, and evidently had just found time to meet with me and discuss my findings; the sergeant was sent to find me so I might speak with him on the matter of my investigation. I told him that early this morning, I and Sir Balin had spotted several cloaked figures crossing the river to return to town... with the scouting party having not returned, we feared the worst. Before I could finish my report, I was set upon by the sergeant with his blade; my back turned and weapon holstered, he had the best of me at first. Before I could defend myself Lord Havelyn struck him with the crossbow and then his blade, saving my life in the process. I can only assume the sergeant was corrupted as part of this plot, and was seeking to silence me before his fellows could be found." She lets her wounded arm dangle at her side, taking care that any time her arm touched her clothes the blood would rub off. She winces as she examines it herself, then shakes her head. "My talents lie in rooting out corruption, not the healing arts. If you might send for some aid, good soldier, I would appreciate it. Have them meet us down with the play; it seems something needs attending to there as well."
"Sir Balin and a number of my fellows are there, I will need to speak with them. Lord Havelyn might deal with the commotion while I speak with my comrades, and then we can deal with... this." She gestures to the fallen sergeant. "Whomever he was trying to protect, we tracked them to the Black Ice Inn. You should speak of this to no one for now, as my party has been staying at that inn. If word were to spread, it is possible some of my number might come to harm."
The Lord's Private Chambers - Watchtower of Balentyne -
Lord Havelyn stands and speaks, "Gerrald come with me, I will deal with this commotion. Soren my dear, stay here. It seems the healing I gave you will need a boost. Gerrald will escort your allies up here..."
The Great Hall of the Watchtower of Balentyne -
Within mere moments, Lord Havelyn is in the hall with the Father standing beside him sputtering another soldier is with them.
Lord Havelyn bellows, "What is the meaning of this commotion!? A play results in a complete breakdown of discipline? This is unacceptable!"
Despite his appearance the stage is still in chaos with Mott incensed and refusing to calm down though he is far too restrained to do much anyway.
Father Donnigan is in his ear and too far away for you to hear what is being stated.
Lord Havelyn points at Sir Balin and Laurence and the soldier that entered the room with him approaches you both a grim look upon his face.
Aldencross - Week 3 - Day 20
Alice, as you head to the Black Ice Inn, you happen to see Morana standing at the front door of a small home.
[oocv]Do you approach her?[/ooc]
"Wow, Eddarly has been at it with Mott's wife? I didn't figure him as the type to roll over and let that be. Some men surprise you like that though." Nate says to Aurex, perhaps a bit loud enough to be overheard.
"He's already issued the duel." Balin said to the Lord Commander. "I'm not an expert in military law. Are duels legal between officers?"
Alice waves at Morana.
"Hey. I finished my duties early this morning, and with Sir Balin at the play, I have some free time on my hands. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Of course, I'll wait for them here." Soren leans against the wall and nurses the relatively thin cuts she's left on her own arm. "Gerrald, be sure to bring all of them here that you can find. I'll need to speak with them privately about this, keep everyone else away. And again, tell no one what's happened quite yet, please. We'll explain as soon as possible."
Smiling when Alice shows up, "Well I am supposed to be helping Mama Guiseppe with that wonderful soup she makes for the soldiers."
"Ow yeah! You're so lucky. Its such a rewarding task, helping to take care of those that protect us. Could I help you two out today?"
Shaking her head at the over enthusiasm, "I will ask, ok?" Knocking on the door and quietly waiting for a response. I have a suggestion on how she could help! Biting back a sigh And here I thought you were done with the suggestions for today. Ha! When have you ever known me to be silent? Apparently never. Even death could not shut your mouth.
Calling though the door, "Mama Guiseppe sorry I am a little late. To make up for that I brought help."
The Great Hall of the Watchtower of Balentyne -
One of the officers kicks Nate, "Leave it be soldier!"
The Lord Commander turns to Sir Balin, "They are not, the man who slays another in a duel is subject to Justice the same as any other murderer, you would both do well to remember that. In the meantime, I will launch a formal investigation on the matter tomorrow". States Lord Havelyn.
Eddarly looks at Mott, "Perhaps it's time to ask your wife about such unfounded accusations Mott!"
This starts Mott pushing forward once more, sword in hand.
In the meantime, the soldier approaches Sir Balin and Laurence, "Sister Lydia needs to speak with you both urgently, please follow me".
Mama Guiseppe's -
Mama finally opens the door, "I am sorry my dear, I had to stir and could not take a pause. I am glad you are here, who is your friend?"
Lothyrin takes his eyes off the spectacle before him as the soldier approaches, he nods and says. "Lead us to her," he glances off at Lord Havelyn. Could she have been discovered, why did she not return with the Lord Commander. Lothyrin doesn't let his fear show trusting in his partner to have protected her identity above all else. As the soldier turns Lothyrin looks over at Ballin trying to see what was going on in his head.
Now that the Commander had things under control, Balin followed the priest.
What the hell's going on now?
Alice smiles and makes a half bow. "I am Alice. Its a pleasure to meet you Mama Guiseppe. With Sir Balin at the play, I had only minor duties to attend to today. I bumped into Mirna just now and I wondered if I could assist you today?"
Smiling at Mama Guiseppe, "Would that ok?"
The Lord's Private Chambers - Watchtower of Balentyne -
The soldier leads Sir Jack and Laurence up the stairs of the Tower to the top floor briskly leaving neither the chance to study the route very well.
Soon enough you reach the Lord Commander's quarters, the soldier opens the door and you both find "Lydia" seated before the Lord Commander's desk, a dead soldier is slumped against the wall next to the door.
The soldier regards "Lydia", "Shall I stand guard by the door sister?"
The Great Hall of the Watchtower of Balentyne -
As Sir Jack and Laurence step out of the room, the commotion continues. The Lord Commander once more calls for order, "Forcibly remove both men. They are to be confined to their quarters until I have had a chance to investigate this matter further!"
Both Captains are taken from different exits out of the Great Hall.
The Lord Commander begins to give orders to several soldiers, one of them approaches you, "Nate, you and your companion here are to guard the door to Mott's quarters. Make your way there now".
Mama Guiseppe's -
The old widow smiles, "Of course my dears, come on in. Four exra hands would be wonderful".
As you enter the small house smells terrific. Mama has three large pots of the stew and the kitchen is scattered with ingredients.
She shuffles into the kitchen and gives instructions for chopping vegetables and stirring the pots at certain intervals.
Bouncing into the room and easily following directions without any complain. Seemingly happily babbling to Alice about the kind things Mama Guiseppe does for the soldiers and how kind she was for letting her learn from a master of the kitchen. Waiting for the right time to add the poison.
Waiting until Mama Guiseppe has her back turned and a clear shot at the soup. Mouthing "Talk to her." while making a pouring pantomime at the soup.
Alice breathes deeply when entering the house. Her mouth starts to water.
"Oh my, this is the most delicious thing I have ever smelled!"
Alice happily gets to chopping the ingredients.
Cooking together is actually kinda fun...
Seeing Morana mime the distraction, Alice deliberately slices into her finger, making sure the cut is deep.
"Ah! On no! Mama Guiseppe, could you help me please? I cut my finger."
Nate is surprised for a moment but quickly salutes, prompting Aurex to do a lazy half-made salute after him. "Yes sir!" Oh man, this could be a great opportunity. But is it worth the risk?
"No, that's quite alright. I may have been wounded, but I was caught off-guard. Especially with my allies here, I ought to be alright. Leave us, please." Once the guard does so, Soren speaks with a hushed voice. "Our plan has changed. Lord Havelyn's wife, do you see the portrait? Look closely, and you might spot our Lord's symbol hidden within it. They killed his wife decades ago, and he still mourns her loss. He slayed the sergeant to prevent him from knowing of this. He is a man who burns with passion and rage, and he will join us on a few conditions." Soren looks back at the locket on the table, but suppresses the urge to reach for it. "He will not have the townsfolk slaughtered, and he means to urge them to run. More importantly, he demands the death of the Lamashtan cultists." Soren's voice is even quieter, now barely more than a whisper.
"I've devised a way to deal with them. I've told Havelyn of their true nature, and suggested the sergeant is a patsy. We use him to lure the guardsmen to the Black Ice Inn, and once they've attacked the soldiers there's no reason we can't kill them. We deal with them, and then Havelyn will side with us. We trade several capricious and questionable allies for perhaps a more powerful one, whom I'm certain we can trust." Soren glances up at the portrait again and shivers slightly, the uncanny resemblance still unnerving her. She shakes her head and moves back across the desk, nonchalantly scooping up the locket with one hand as she does so. "The only other thing is... he wants his wife back. I told him it may take time, but such miracles are not beyond the scope of Asmodeus's power."
'Of course, whether he can bring back a woman who may already live again... that's another matter.'
"A'right." Jack shrugged, not bothering more than a glance at the picture. "Havelyn's got Mott an' Edderly locked up now. So they're out."
"Did you tell him we'd help take out the Lamashtans? Or that we'd set things up so he could? Seems like a good way of letting them go at each other. Whichever ones live can join us."
Then his eyes narrowed. "Who hurt you?"
"I didn't specify. I assume he'll go to confront them with men from the tower, but it may seem suspicious to others if we don't accompany them. It wouldn't do to have our cover blown just before the attack." When Jack notices the wounds on her arm, she just waves it off. "I did. It was to sell the ruse that the sergeant had attacked me and that Havelyn had fended him off while I was surprised. I took the sergeant's blade to my arm, they aren't deep cuts but they'll bleed well enough to sell the story."
"So what is our next move, we may want to inform our other compatriots of the new developments." Lothyrin whispers as to not alert anyone waiting outside.
"So, we going to kill them?"
Nale goes pale and turns around to make sure nobody is eavesdropping. "Maybe. Depends on what the situation is."
"We ought to communicate with the others as fast as possible. I told Havelyn I would 'debrief' him on on my suspicions about those at the Black Ice Inn. He will tell his men, and they will take the Lamashtans into custody. From there, we'll be in the clear until the poison kicks in and the bugbears pour through the gates."
Mama Guiseppe's - Aldencross -
The Great Hall of the Watchtower of Balentyne -
You are led to the quarters of Mott while a second set of guards are posted in front of Eddarly's quarters. Right beside one another! This is a hallway neither of you had been in before as it houses the Officers quarters.
Both Captains begin to scream at one another through the thick castle walls. The second set of guards are stoic and do not say a word, they just look at you and Aurex clearly frazzled by the situation in which they find themselves.
Within this hallway itself are another six guards who are watching closely in case either tries to exit their rooms, after all they open form the inside and the locks are on the inside, there is no strong way to lock keep them in if they look hard enough to get out!
The Lord's Private Chambers - Watchtower of Balentyne -
Time passes as you all wait for the return of the Lord of the Keep.
Soon enough he and Father Donnigan along with another unfamiliar face arrive in the Chambers. The man appears to be a Wizard of some sort! In the hall accompanying them are three more armed soldiers.
As they reach the door, "This is a disaster, a disaster", states the Father emphatically.
The Wizard responds, "The solution seems simple, keep both men locked up until we ascertain the truth of the matter. If true, we send Eddarly packing to the south as an adulterer and retain Mott requesting a new Captain to replace the one lost. If innocent, Mott will be forced to let it go. What is the problem?"
Lord Havelyn steps into his chambers and glowers at them, "This is not a discussion to have with such shared company. In any case, far more important matters may have come to light from the Inquisitors present among us".
He points to the corpse of Sergeant Donovan which gives all present pause once they enter the room, "Sweet Mitra what has happened!?" exclaims Donnigan. The Wizard appears more stoic and remains quiet examining the corpse.
Lord Havelyn turns to the soldiers, "No one else is to know of this. When night falls, move the body and let none see you, speak to no one of this but myself, Father Donnigan or Magister Tacitus. For now, guard my chambers and let none enter".
He closes the door and takes his seat. Father Donnigan then sees the blood on Lydia's arm, "My Lady what has happened? May I?"
The Magister then speaks, "Tell me..." is all he says.
Sir Jack was looming near the door, leaned back against the wall. "It has been a very dramatic night." he scowled. "We don't know a lot right now, but here's how we think things went down-"
"There's a cult in town that has been planning something for a while. Us showing up spooked them. We were getting too close so they decided to start taking action sooner than they were ready for, which is good for us because it made them sloppy. They tried to kill the Lord Commander, but my partner stopped their assassin. She'll get a nice scar for her work. Could have been a lot worse."
"This business with Mott and Eddarly seems too well timed to me. My gut tells me it was supposed to be a distraction."
"I would hardly say I stopped him, but I certainly gave the Lord Commander time enough to defend himself. I have a feeling we has seeking to kill us both, truth be told." She raises an eyebrow to Jack when she hears talk of Mott and Eddarly—she hasn't heard anything about that, but she assumes it was at least partly his doing—but doesn't mention it. "As I was telling the Lord Commander, I believe this cult is the cause of Captain Varning's late return. I spotted several cloaked figures returning to town when crossing the river, and tracked them down. While I lost sight of them directly, their trail led to the Black Ice Inn. I didn't think they had spotted me following them, but evidently I was incorrect. He drew his blade and while I warded him off the Lord Commander shot him with the crossbow before engaging him at close range."
"I don't know how many are involved, but at least some at the Black Ice Inn must be involved with this. Lord Commander, as I was telling you before our interruption, I believe we must at least question them. However, I would recommend those who go travel armed. They may choose violence over an attempt at subtlety."
Nate silently listens to the yelling, but eventually takes a deep exhale, blowing air through his pursed lips. "Man I can't even imagine that kind of rage. Must be boiling. Almost seems fair to give him a shot at the homewrecker." Nate watches the others casually for their reactions.
Mama Guiseppe's - Aldencross -
"Yikes!", Mama exclaims as she sees Alice's cut finger.
The Lord's Private Chambers - Watchtower of Balentyne -
The room goes quiet when Lydia mentions the Black Ice Inn.
Father Donnigan scowls and then sighs, "This is disturbing news. Perhaps more disturbing than the Mott - Eddarly business".
The Magister stares at the two blankly, "This same tired argument again? The Mayor is not what he seems? If we must let us send a party to the Inn tomorrow to meet with the proprietor. Father Donnigan and I will both go Lord Commander. Your own judgment in this is... suspect".
The Lord Commander grunts, "If nothing else Sister Lydia and Sir Jack, it would be best if you and yours do not go back there again tonight. If they tried to kill you here, in this Fortress there is no telling what they would not try in their own place of business".
The Great Hall of the Watchtower of Balentyne -
One of the men watching Eddarly's door looks at you directly Nate, "You really think he did it? I mean they could be forged notes. I been hearing rumors of strange things around here lately. Stuff disappearing and what not. Could be these cultists tryin' to stir up trouble..."
The other guard smacks him in the back of the head, "Idiot, of course it happened, you ever see Eddarly look at Mott's wife? I just figured he wanted her, not that he actually had her. As far as them fighting, not up to them, up to the Lord Commander".
"What do you believe happened, then? This man attempted to kill myself and Lord Havelyn on a whim, the same day I noticed those cloaked figures head to the inn?" Soren scoffs at the man, and her usual steely gaze even seeps through her disguise. "It is not his judgment alone, it is ours." Soren gestures to her compatriots. "This is why we were sent here, and this is what we've found. Do you not think it possible that the Lord Commander has been onto something, or are you content to believe him an overzealous fool?" Soren folds her still bleeding arm across her chest and stares intently at the Magister. "I am sure there are no other reasons for your reluctance, Magister Tacitus? You seem particularly opposed to this course of action."
Alice will make a fuss about her cut finger to distract Mama Guiseppe some more in the hope that this gives Morana a better chance.
"We didn't pick that inn by accident. We didn't have a lot to go on when we arrived, but everything pointed to the inn having something to do with it. Our guess was having us in the middle of their operation would force them to act. We were keeping watch at night, but I think they figured that out. Smart of them, waiting to come at us somewhere that we actually weren't expecting." Balin rumbled.
"Gotta have balls of solid rock to make their play in the Lord Commander's office. No one saw that coming."
Watching the play earlier had given Jack an appreciation for the dramatic. He was starting to enjoy himself.
"If things are sorted out here, my partner an I need to go check on the rest of our team. This might not be an isolated attack."
"Mind if we borrow a couple of your men?"
Laurence sits still paying attention but not speaking allowing his partners to weave a tale of deceit, "How do they do it, how can they sit here and lie to these people without them even having a clue. The lord Asmodeus in his wisdom has hand picked a most devious group of individuals." Laurence steps forward after Sir Jack speaks, "Lydia that wound could get infected if it remains untreated, it's still bleeding and needs to be looked at, I can heal you if you wish."
"Yes, of course." Lydia doesn't take her eyes off the magister while she extends her arm to Lothryin, letting him heal her self-inflicted wound. "I was so caught up in the attack I nearly forgot I was still wounded after the Lord Commander assisted me. Thank you." Once the wound is healed, she rests one hand on the grip of her gun. "We will need to check on the others we came to town with; they are not all so equipped to deal with an assailant as we are. Moreover, we will need to make sure they know not to return to the inn. Lord Havelyn, is there some place we might be able to spend the night until the inn is investigated tomorrow?"