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Azu raises an eyebrow, "Your home? So you live in the barn..all of you?"
Azu's voice is matter of fact, however, Azu suspects that the man is lying and that he's acting as a lookout. But Azu is not clear if the Firebrands are friends, enemies, or neither. But people don't usually call their leader a "boss" unless something nefarious is afoot.
"Do you speak for everyone? Can you control that one?" he says to Jorgen, gesturing broadly at Azu. There are three more-or-less intact structures including the barn. Some of the other people have stopped in the doorways to watch.
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Azu laughs, but keeps his voice down.
"Speak for everyone? I just asked if you all lived in that barn. Does that question have to come from everyone? And what is there to control? It should be obvious we have no quarrel with the Firebrand or you would have known by now."
Azu puts away his weapons.
Chops has an unloaded crossbow resting over his shoulder while Azu is--now--resting a drawn sword on his shoulder.
Chops seems somewhat mollified by Vilkik's intervention and Azu's eventual sheathing of his blade. He slowly regains his friendly cheer. "He doesn't listen too well. I get that. Some of us can be a bit hot headed, too. Or pig headed. Kind of draw those sorts when you do what we do. Not to mention jumpy when you're planning what we're planning. Anyhow, come on in."
He leads you into the barn where a large fire burns and two men turn a boar on a spit. "Hey! Get our guests something to drink!" Chops yells at another man in the barn. The man dutifully heads to the back of the barn and grabs two wine skins, which he passes forward. Chops hands one to Vilkik and the other to Bonezz. "Drink! We'll get to carving the boar shortly."
Chops sets down his crossbow and takes a leisurely slouch against a pile of straw. He takes an exaggerated sigh before saying, "Well, let me get down to business. We--the folk living out here in the swamp--are no fans of the king. Neither are a lot of other folk. You know about the regent turned king before this king, right? Well, folks have had enough of kings--lawful or otherwise. So we're here to help them with their plan to overthrow King Edryd."
The two men at the spit begin to carve off hunks of meat to share with their guests.
"Our boss, Nalla, she leads the rebels in the region," Chops continues. "She's up in Artume getting things ready. After we've had breakfast, we can take you to see her."
"Nalla? King!?" Chops says with wide eyes and then bursts out laughing. "Oh. Oh. I wish she was here so I could've seen her face when you said that." He wipes away a tear from his eye and takes a swig from one of the wine skins as it makes its way around.
"No, no. Nalla's got some plan to put the people in charge of their own government. Some sort of system where everyone has a say, but she'll have to give you the details. She was part of the first rebellion, you know? Took down that tyrant Waike. Marrying a beautiful girl? Oh, here comes the king to take his due. Does he care that after he's done, the fire in her eyes is gone? That she's left a shadow that can barely get out of bed? No, he didn't care. Didn't care when she faded all the way away neither!"
Chops slams his fist into the hay several times before calming himself down. "Anyways, he got what he had coming, thanks to Nalla and her older friends. But the problem with kings is they keep coming. Could be better, could be worse, but they're always kings."
He looks over at Jorgen and says, "She's in Artume getting things set. We'll take you there soon. Plenty of time left for you to help, if you want. Or, you know, you can sit it out here if your heart's not really in it, but I think I'm a good judge of character. I see spunk in your hearts."
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Azu, skeptical and wary at first, seems swayed by the man's story and the seeming freedom the group has in deciding their own fate.
"I am not familiar with the events in this region. What was the queen's name and does she still live?"
Azu's has championed the Horizon Hunters in his previous outings and Chops tale brings visions of glory and honor as he rescues the ailing queen followed by her recognizing him in her court.
"Oh, yeah. The 'Queen-Mother' Sovella, she's still alive," Chops answers. "She survived Waike's assassination attempts and hid in the monastery. Gots to give her credit for dodging assassins and escaping while pregnant. Now her son, Edryd, is a man. We got rid of Waike. Edryd comes out of the monastery and declares himself king. Another king."
"Was my Tessa," Chops says. "She's in Naderi's embrace now."
He clears his throat and returns to Jorgen's question. "Could be. Who knows. Even if he's not a monster, whoever overthrows him or maybe his son might be. As long as there's a throne, there'll be a king, and the people'll suffer. Better to put the people in charge of their own selves, right?"
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Azu tries to piece together what/who happened to Tessa, but decides to leave it alone. Chops' last comment, however, seems more sobering,
No king. How does one earn recognition and glory?
"No king you say? But the smallfolk have always had their kings. What about a queen?"
Azu was struggling to understand how people could function with no rulers.
"Queen's just another kind of king," Chops says.
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When it dawns on Azu that the Firebrands plan is for the region to be leaderless, Azu can't grasp how that is a good thing and it starts to make his head hurt trying to work it out. But Azu stays silent waiting for the rest of the party to weigh in. Part of their mission was to find out if trouble was brewing and it seems like it was. No need to make an enemy of the Firebrands.
After chatting with you, Chops pats his stomach and says, "That's breakfast! Now, let's escort our new friends back to Artume where they can meet with Nalla and get a better sense of the plan."
"You know, while the dwarves seem on board, I'm getting the sense that you're not all of like mind," Chops says, setting down his plate.
"Eh, you're right," Chops says with a laugh. "I guess I'm just paranoid. Come on! Let's get a move on it. We're headed back to Artume. I assume that's where you came from. Not much around here for a trek. We'll get you back to your big boss soon enough. Let's march!"
The other fellows in the village begin gathering the last of the gear they've been packing and form up outside the barn awaiting Chops' lead.
"Oh, and just because a group needs a leader doesn't mean a country needs a king," Chops adds, looking at Lleylo. "Neither does a country not needing a king means that it goes leaderless. You've heard of... what's the word Nalla uses?" He looks over at one of the other woodsmen.
"Democracy," the other answers. "Where everyone has a voice!"
You make good time through the swamp, as the Firebrands appear to have hidden duck boards just below the water level. This allows you to walk firmly and easily back to higher ground and on to Artume. Chops and his companions lead you to the feldspar cliffs under the keep. Here several canals and vaults have been carved to serve as a waterworks. Chops touches the side of one of the openings, glancing where his hand rests, and then proceeds inside.
Those of you who look where he looked notice the faint carving of crossed swords on the stone wall.
Several canals meet up in this large underground chamber partly lit with lamps on the walls. Two great waterwheels noisily turn under waterfalls that flow on the eastern side of the chamber, splashing water onto the vault's floor. Clusters of barrels and crates are set around the chamber.
"Ahoy, Nalla!" Chops calls as he leads you inside a chamber. "I brought some friends who look useful. I mean, one of them owns a bear and the other owns, well, something fierce looking. Found them exploring the old village under that ruined tower."
"Welcome, new friends," a dark haired, young woman wearing a bright red cloak and bearing a longsword at her side calls out over the noise of the creaking waterwheels. "I trust Chops has given you some idea what were are to be about, but if he trusts you enough to bring you here, I would like to better explain the situation in Artume and my plan. I am Nalla. Please, tell me your names."
A man in a gray robe stands opposite Nalla across an alcove. The hood of his robe hides most of his face. "Welcome, indeed," he calls down to you. "More fiery souls to assist us in putting an end to this corrupt monarchy the better. I am Harsus."
Chops waves at Nall and takes his leave along with some of his men. A few stay behind and join the two other people working among barrels and crates at the front of the chamber.
Razmir is a living god, having passed the Starstone test, who rules as a tyrannical king over the kingdom of Razmiran. His priests wear gray robes and iron masks.
Harsus stands silently and watches you from within the shadow of his hood once Nalla begins to speak again.
"Welcome, once more," she begins. "As strangers to Artume, I will assume that you know little of its history or that Chops has colored your opinion. His ire is not misplaced. King Edryd's father was killed by assassins and pregnant Queen Sovella went into hiding and appointed her most trusted adviser, Bransen Waike, reagent. She expected to return once the prince was born and the assassination plot dealt with. However, after dealing with the assassins, Waike decided he liked the throne and refused to cede his power.
"The man was a tyrant and wielded his authority like a club against the people. He took whatever he wanted from the people to satisfy his desire and greed. The tyrant killed my parents because they couldn't pay his exorbitant taxes. I barely escaped with my life from his soldiers when they came to burn our home. I managed to find other people dissatisfied with Waike's rule. Together we organized a rebellion and gained the assistance of the monks of Milani. The same monastery where Sovella and Edryd were in hiding from Waike.
"We did what was necessary. We we fought his soldiers and killed that bastard, Waike. I wanted Artume to go back to the people. To be governed under an elected board of representatives who spoke for the needs of the people. But once Waike was dead, Edryd strolls in and declares himself the true king. Most of the older people in the rebellion just shrugged and called it a day. Lazy or cowardly, I don't care.
"So I found those who I could trust from the first rebellion, like Chops, took up the banner of the Firebrands, and recruited more young people to the cause and work to free Artume from the greed of kings once again."
"Just so, friend Jorgen," Nalla says with a nod. A puzzled expression crosses her face as Jorgen continues. "A follower of Razmir--?"
"It's true. I was. You have sharp eyes, sir dwarf," Harsus responds calmly. "I was born in Razmiran and raised a priest, but I long since left that land. When I heard of the troubles that the people of Artume had faced, I came to help. They had taken care of Waike just before I arrived, and I thought my trip in vain. Then I heard of Nalla's concerns and joined her in the cause."
"'Saw what you will, I live free,'" Nalla says. "Freedom of religion is granted in the River Kingdom's first law. It does not matter who he once worshiped or even who he worships now as long as his deeds are true."
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"Odd longshanks in the robe says many words, but not all the words he knows. Curious."
Turning to Nalla. "I live free too, but still have a Chief. But the people of Absalom, they do things like you want. There is no Big Chief there. They have a council that does things the people want. You could live there? It's nice and also wet."
Yes, maybe they live in the Puddles with us gobbos. That'd be nice.