General Korg signals for the attendants to raise Gilly once again. After a few moments the blade is ready to drop.
"Ccccuuuuuuurssssssssssssssssssse you."
the blade is released and it completes it's function. The convicted murdering pirate's head bounces into a basket but then it flops out. The face has a horrific twisted smile and the blood shot eyes peer towards the beer vendor's cart.
1 Aggrah
2 Dr Tes
3 Bradan
4 Poke
5 Bron
6 Calain
7 Beorn
Everyone see's Bradan collapse to the ground, his body shakes and spasms as his eyes roll back.
Mentally you're besieged by a vicious nightmare. A headless horseman riding a massive black stallion is tracking you down, your stride is long, but it feels as if you are running in quicksand. The horseman is dragging seven heads behind it: Calain, Beorn, Bron, Poke Poke, Dr Tes, Aggrah, and then there's another head of person you do not recognize. The harder you run the closer the headless horseman gets. Until finally...you wake up from your fit.
His hair begins to take on a streak of grey.
"Pretty dull blade"
Everyone see's Bradan collapse to the ground, his body shakes and spasms as his eyes roll back.
** spoiler omitted **
His hair begins to take on a streak of grey.
"Hey Stinky, you OK?
My goodness! What has happened to that fellow?
By the Gods...what the hells happened?
Calain reflexively readied his Polearm as the head looks towards the group struggling to comprehend what he was seeing before him.
He knew there were real horrors in the world. That God's and Monsters really existed, but this was the first time he'd personally seen an impossible event.
The man should have died on first strike but didn't, now the Ranger looked visibly worn and Gray as if it had been caused by magic or pure fear...
Link to prior guillotine posts
You are correct this is unlike anything you've ever witnessed before. The guillotine sure did look all new and fancy and sharp before it was used. Now it looks like it's poorly maintained and decrepit.
"Whoa..."
Bradan sits up gingerly, rubbing his face and scalp and smacking a mouth suddenly gummy dry.
"What the heck just happened? The prisoner just looked at me, and then...something like a horseman chasing me down, dragging all your severed heads behind him..."
He shudders and pulls his knees up to his chest, hugging his arms around then.
"Did they get him? What in the world is happening?"
The white witch notices something very odd with the guillotine blade and then Bradan sees Bradan attacked....by what? the Creeper curse?????
She rushes to his side examing the poor man as he thrashes about in a seizure. AIRWAY AIRWAY ...help me she yells at whoever is nearby roll him onto his side in case he vomits. We don't want him choking on it.
Once that is done she begins her examination.
Detect magic
Did he just put a curse on you my good man? We must get to a priest and see if something has happened!
"I dunno what happened. The prisoner locked eyes with me, and next thing I know I'm being chased by a fied on horseback, with heads dragging along behind it. And now I feel like hammered crap, like I drank a whole bucket of dwarven whiskey."
AGGRAH
You act fast and get Bradan safely on his side. You're so focused on his airway you don't notice anything except the seizure. You try to open his mouth so he doesn't bite his tongue but stab in with a long nail in the eye.
There's nothing magical happening to him and he doesn't have any magical gear.
Dr. Tes briefly wonders if he had eaten some of those delightful Orctown mushrooms, but it was clear everyone else was witnessing what would have been one terrible trip. He approaches the severed head, detecting magic.
Dr. Tes approaches the platform and Gilly. The crowd closest to the platform has disbursed as they generally feat being cursed. Gen. Korg and Mayor Featherton are huddled together with another guard. They appear to be in a heated conference. Dr. Tes you don't detect magic on the head but there is plenty of magic coming from those leaders on the platform.
A second guard spots you as you approach and he heads you off before you can get too close. "Stay back."
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Poke Poke follows the Doctor dagger out ready to finish the job Gilly couldn't
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Poke Poke follows the Doctor dagger out ready to finish the job Gilly couldn't
You observe:
Gilly's blade looks badly damaged.
The decapitated body has bled out.
Put something in his mouth so he doesn't bite his tongue off! Beorn puts a mostly fresh sock into his mouth
"Here son...have drink. It'll take the edge off." He passes a pint to Bradan.
Bron reels back in surprise and yells,
BY IEMODAE'S SWORD WHAT THE BLOODY HELLS JUST HAPPENED!
He looks around to see if any one looks suspicious.
Bron you notice quite a few people gathered around staring at the human who's flopping around like fish out of water. His body violently shakes. Beorn and a lady, who you just met over a pint, are attending the man. He finally stops trembling and comes to his senses. You can hear him ramble about a headless horseman dragging your head behind it. Once Bradan mentions the vision, most the townies scatter. Other than that you don't see much else that looks suspicious.
Calain moves to inspect the Gulloutine closer. The man fitting on the ground was obviously we'll attended by the Orc woman and what he was beginning to assume was an acolyte of the inheritor.
There was nothing Calain could offer the man, so he moved cautiously to look at the blade.
It had been in pristine condition before it had been used. Now the sections that had touched the pirate looked as if it hadn't been maintained in decades.
He kept a distance back from the body.
He remarked to the Doctor and Poke poke.
Look at the blade. Rusted and charred and the heavy burrs on it...It looks like it was dropped on rocks many times. Could the captain have had some magic about him?
The Mayor breaks away from his discussion and approaches the edge of the platform. He looks down at the half-elf, goblin, and human. "Who would you be? What interest do you have with the deceased?" He pauses and shakes his head, "C...Ca..Calain is that you? How's your father doing and who are your friends? I didn't know you came back to town, what it's been...two years at least."
Hmm.. I wonder if I should ask for leeches.
The Mayor breaks away from his discussion and approaches the edge of the platform. He looks down at the half-elf, goblin, and human. "Who would you be? What interest do you have with the deceased?" He pauses and shakes his head, "C...Ca..Calain is that you? How's your father doing and who are your friends? I didn't know you came back to town, what it's been...two years at least."
Calain blushes at the Mayor's recognition. The mayor, ever the diplomat was generally kind to everyone (what man who counted on election votes wasn't?) but the fact he actually remembered his name meant something to the young man.
More than once the Mayor had bypassed the finer Smith's in town to throw some work his father's way. Never weapons to be sure, but the Mayor always seemed to appear with some business for his father just when they were on the verge of starving, "The town hall needs a knew wrought iron gate" or ordering manacles for the jail.
He is extremely well, thankyou Sir. Your suggestion he set up the first Orctown smithy proved excellent advice. With none other to fabricate the Orc demands for farm tools and blades, he has done very well.
He held his hands wide and turned a circle to let the Gnome view his self forged masterwork armour.
Forged by myself but father paid coin for every drop of steel. My interest lies in coming home. For good. My company however travelled with me here.
He smiles atthe goblin and half-elf, Meath'ds crew....that makes sense."
"Well unfortunately, you arrived with this show." He seems flabbergasted on how to describe what just happened. He gathers himself quickly, Smithy you say? Yes, nice looking armor. Can you climb on up here and help us look at Gilly. We just don't know what happened with the blade. She was new." He waves you forward.
Poke Poke follows Calain and the Doctor up on ot the platform. Wanting to make extra sure what ever strangeness this longshanks had ended, he stabs the body a few extra times.
He smiles atthe goblin and half-elf, Meath'ds crew....that makes sense."
"Well unfortunately, you arrived with this show." He seems flabbergasted on how to describe what just happened. He gathers himself quickly, Smithy you say? Yes, nice looking armor. Can you climb on up here and help us look at Gilly. We just don't know what happened with the blade. She was new." He waves you forward.
Calain accepted the invite and came forward. He could scarcely believe his first day back. Horrible events but the Mayor involving him in helping in any way could only aid in his coming home. No doubt onlookers might already be tacking note the most important man in town was calling for his help in this eerie event. Calain could not let the opportunity slip.
Doctor Tes, would you come look at this. Note the rear sections towards the fixture of the blade is not as decayed as the section that cut the pirates neck, almost as if what damaged the razors edge was a radiating effect that lessend further from the wound. Heat or cold does this, but the edge appears eaten away as if by rust or acid. Blood should not do this. Are you able to garner if the Captain has any magic lingering on the body?
Beorn helps Bradan up.Are you feeling better? You had quite the case of shakes there.
"Yeah, I feel okay now. Kinda like after a two day drinking party, but okay. What happened? Was there some kind of spell or magic or something?"
Bradan stands to his feet, a bit wobbly but under his own power.
Undoubtedly magic. But I have little knowledge of spells and so we must find someone who can answer those questions.
I can't detect the taint of any foul magic on him.... But having said that I truly have no idea
Let's just make sure there aren't any other symptoms from whatever that was.
Bron examines Brandan head to toe to see if there were any other symptoms that may have come down from his seizure.
"No lingering magic on the late pirate. Truly odd, never seen the like! How amazing! I'm going to get a whole other pamphlet out of this! And the widow they're so concerned about," Tes says, jerking his head at the minotaur and the mayor.
Bron, Beorn, and Bradan the crowd around you have dispersed nd the beer vendor is closing up his cart. "Well enough entertainment for me today....yes siree. Gotta go." He point towards a building on a small rise, "Good room at Fort Karnog Inn. That seems to be where Mrs. Turner is heading at least." he waves at you. "Hope you get over the fits...that looks like a terrible affliction."
Aggrah, Poke poke, Dr Tes, and Calain.
As you exam the platform and Gilly closer it looks like the blade has rusted away and the areas where Capt Jack spilled blood are definitely weakened, as if low-grade acid spilled on it.
The evidence reveals ragged slices on the deceased body and neck. His eyes are completely red now and his skin is nearly translucent.
There doesn't appear to have any magical effects which is odd because the mayor does tell you the blade was blessed with a keen ability. It's as if all the magic was drained from Gilly.
----
Several of you do notice Mrs. Turner is being escorted back to Fort Karnog Inn. She seems to be staying close to dwarf and a wolf.
"Well, I think a room and a real meal sounds good. And if we can talk to the widow, even better."
Bradan gathers up his stuff, then moves stiffly towards the Fort Karnog Inn.
The dwarf walks steadily and seems to carry a bucket, of all things... but, it does not detract from his weapons and hide armor, peeking out from beneath his gray and brown, stone colored cloak. Clearly evident is battle axe, a sickle and several darts.
As if he feels eyes upon him, he hazards a glance over his shoulder... his own gray gimlet eye, judging Braden and any who would follow the widow Turner. Satisfied there is no immediate threat, he turns his head back forwards scanning left and right.
The wolf turns its head, sniffing once... and resumes his easy gait, effortlessly keeping pace with the dwarf and widow.
Poke as you stick the body with your dagger the tip of the blade dulls.
Poke as you stick the body with your dagger the tip of the blade dulls.
As you exam the platform and Gilly closer it looks like the blade has rusted away and the areas where Capt Jack spilled blood are definitely weakened, as if low-grade acid spilled on it.The evidence reveals ragged slices on the deceased body and neck. His eyes are completely red now and his skin is nearly translucent.
There doesn't appear to have any magical effects which is odd because the mayor does tell you the blade was blessed with a keen ability. It's as if all the magic was drained from Gilly.
Well I am afraid I am at a loss Mayor, if you had presented this blade to me without context, I would say someone had poured acid over the blade and then blunted the edge with a hammer or used it on a rock. After seeing the execution, my answer would be either magic or that the captain wasn't human. As to what kind of magic or what kind of creature, I have no idea. I am not trained in such things. I could repair the Guillotine given a forge and time however if you wish to salvage the device.
Calain wasn't really interested in repairing the Gillotine, but it was worth letting the Mayor know he still intended to be a smith. This was too early to in his plan to garner some local fame before opening in the market, but he would plant the seed. For now he needed to put his blades to use.
I am interested however in helping with the investigation if you wish to get to the bottom of it, Mayor. The good doctor and even the Goblin, are both quite resourceful with finding information in just the kind of circles the Pirate would have run in. Unless you have preferred investigators available, these two might he available to help the hunt and I'd gladly let my blades to their protection during the effort for the sake of the town.
Doctor? Pokepoke? If you are not otherwise pressed, are you available?
This might be a gamble, but Fentonville had known conflict for many years and given the recent larger scale attacks that had been fended off by the towns guards and Fentonville's hero's, he hoped the Mayor was just paraniod enough not to let an unusual incident like this possibly give rise to something bigger if left unchecked.
Poke as you stick the body with your dagger the tip of the blade dulls.
Yeah after the second time, I doubt you'd want to poke it again. Otherwise, you'll risk suffering the broken condition. The tip of one of your blades looks pretty beat up.
Oh...that's good of you offering your smithy talents. Perhaps, I'll take you up on that when you open a shop."[/]b he glances over at the goblin who has been jabbing at the body. Then he looks at Aggrah and Dr. Tes, [b]'yes, why don't we adjourn over to the Inn," He waves over to Fort Karnog Inn "we can have tankard and discuss an employment contract."