The Storm Crow sits at a crossroads, wondering whither the storm will come. But it is always coming, he thinks, stretching his legs and raising his bundle to his back, the Storm always comes to the Fair Lands.
And with that, he turned, heading on to the Order of the Righteous Trinity to warn the Dean. . .
.
The audience chamber of the Dean's residence is packed, the high councilors arrayed in the front, and others in the audience gathered here. The strange creature seeking audience before the Dean is a tengu, a ravenlike humanoid, and a somewhat filthy specimen at that.
Bits of bone, runes, feathers from other birds, and twigs are weaved into the black feathers of the form that stands before you, leaning against a gnarled tree branch, dressed in a filthy traveling robe.
"The Storm is Coming!" The Storm Crow, for that is what he was called, shouts.
"The Storm is coming, and when it breaks, it will sweep away all the Thirteen Petty Kingdoms of the Fair Lands! Set aside your pointless squabbles- for alone, your Kingdoms can only perish!"
The crowd laughs for a minute, but then, look to the dais to the Dean and the High Councilors to see how they react. . .
Adweard had troubling dreams the night before, of ravens calling in the dark of night, amidst thunder and wind. This did not bode well.
He stands from his seat, an ornate marble affair, at the head of the room, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. He takes a deep breath, summoning all the regal bearing he has, ”And on what authority do you say this with? I am willing to listen, but what is this Storm you herald, and how do you know for certain it will?”
Frank wears a smirk at first, but he quickly trades it for a furrowed brow when he sees the Dean's reaction. Silently and seriously, he watches carefully.
Lurking around the knees of other, taller beings Vaux watched the Storm Crow rant and rave. It sounded like he knew what he was talking about, but it was always hard to tell with prophets. Madness or divine revelation? Power to see the future or bad berries? Threat or warning? More was needed.
Slipping out between the others, Vaux tilted his head, his scales glinting in the light, and said, "Friend, more details would be pleasant. Politics are not my thing, but you understand that alliances with others are not something that can be forged in haste. And some of those you would have us ally with are, how shall we say, less than friendly to start. Explain what the storm is - I presume no mere weather would require us to work with others. I know some dragons that could be called a storm. Maybe another creature or kin? And evidence. Do these words come from a vision or they come with evidence, proof that we can show our erstwhile allies?"
Vaux's voice was surprisngly smooth and deep for a creature his size as the little being asked his questions and hunted for clarity. Laughing people laughed as they would, but Vaux knew better than to laugh at what might seem silly - people had made that mistake about him. Once. Before he corrected them.
Ichabod nods as the dean and Vaux receive the Storm Crow attentively. Tending to his duties as diplomat, he ensures the enigmatic dignitary is welcomed properly while simultaneously not committing the court to anything without consulting the Dean. He stands on his chair to be sufficiently visible and holds his short arms out and up in a grand gesture. "Greetings and welcome to the court of the Order of the Righteous Trinity! We thank you for the information and hope you greatly enjoy your visit to our lands."
"On the HIGHEST authority, Dean, that of the GODS! I bring this as prophecy."
"Details and evidence I cannot give- that is NOT the way of prophecy and visions- I saw the great storm, the wind and rains and lightning swallowing the Fair Lands, toppling EACH of the Thirteen Kingdoms in turn. That is all."
"Thank you, good sir, for the kind words, the life of the wanderer is a weary road. . ."
Tengu are known wanderers. Always after some mysterious purpose, they wander the world collecting information. The Storm Crow himself is the only tengu inhabitant of the Fair Lands, ordinarily he travels tutoring noble children short term for pittances, or advising courts in short term capacity, and he has been spreading this particular tale in every court in turn.
There is but one other scheduled to speak in this audience session- a scout, from the southern border with news. . .
Frank nods, pretending to know whats going on.
Great. Well, hopefully the other kingdoms will want to join together against this unknown threat. If not, well... we can always hope he's wrong...
Ichabod nods, familiar with the Storm Crow's reputation for some knowledge and tales of him spreading this particular prophecy. "Well thank you again for the information! We will continue to show that the Order of the Righteous Trinity a is a potent force for peace and prosperity in these lands." He finishes his speech with a fancy bow and flourishing gesture then sits back down on his seat. He then smoothes out his finely embroidered robe and waits with a polite half-smile for whatever happens next.
Well, it was interesting to note he'd been saying the same thing in many places, but that made it no less true. A prophecy could be truth or madness and no way to tell which without hindsight. Most of the time. The Crow gave no proof, but there would be little cost in reaching out to see what others thought. Not that it was Vaux's job to do so.
The scout was a more pressing concern.
Adweard remembers what he knows of the Storm Crow, and the knowledge that his is not the only realm to be promised the Storm reassures him slightly.
"Well, thank you, good traveller. The Three willing, we shall resist the storm."
Once the Crow has left, he takes his seat once more, waiting for the scout to arrive from the south.
Adweard smiles, ”A fine idea. Never hurts to be on the good side of a doomsayer, regardless of the veracity of their claims.”
"Yes, some scraps and a little straw to rest my poor bones on- that is all I might require, thank you, thank you."
The scout approaches, "Your Honor, I bear news from the borders of the Waste. The villages nearest the expanse say that some months ago cattle began to go missing in the edges of it. This went on some time, but then some weeks ago children began to disappear as well.
They say the Wastes are haunted; that the dead walk inside the borders, and that it is only a matter of time before the wastes GROW, expanding out to swallow their villages whole."
Frank turns to his Dean.
"With your leave, Dean, I can look into this matter personally."
Vaux grunted at the news of children vanishing. "The young are the burden that forms the future. Whatever hunts children should be destroyed, utterly and completely, until not even the soul remains to remember its pain." There was no shades of grey, no other choices. Only death and chaos awaited one who harmed children when Vaux had a say.
Ichabod smiled and nodded at the Storm Crow and wrote down some instructions for his accommodations, passing them to a nearby steward. Then he listed with great interest and growing concern to the scout's report. "What is your name, my good man? Rest assured that the Order takes the security of its citizens very seriously."
Then, despite himself, his bushy eyebrows rise inquisitively despite his attempt to focus on the grave concern of the children. "You have only heard reports, yes? Who gave you these reports? Do they speak of any further details?"
"My lord, I am called Timone. . . " he explains that the reports are from your official scouts/spies.
"If there are supernatural goings-on, it is my duty to investigate. Even if it is just children going missing, it would be wise to find it nonetheless."
He nods to Frank, "I will accompany you. It has been too long since I saw the nation as a whole, and the people would do well to have their Dean among them for a time."
Ichabod nods and speaks more casually when just conferring with the other council members. "I would come as well. Though I am not the most magically educated, I do possess a certain flair for the arcane that may prove useful." Then he remembers the children and grows solemn. "Oh and of course we must save the children. You know that he does mean well but is rather excitable and occasionally forgets key details, like missing children, in his enthusiasm.
Vaux considered what he could add to the situation. "I can kill whoever took the children," he said brightly. In truth he had a number of other useful skills, but the little kobold wasn't wrong.
"Hah. An expedition, then?" Frank asks brightly.
You travel to the border region and arrive at the furthest south village.
The villagers here are hard people, scraping their living from the unforgiving ground. A somewhat larger man approaches, "G'Day Your honors; I am Chip. How can I serve you?"
Adweard hops off his horse, approaching the man with a broad smile, ”No need for that, friend. We are equals in the eyes of the Three. I am Adweard Holte, Dean of the Order, these are my companions and advisors. We are here on...troubling tidings, I am afraid. Reports have made their way to the capital speaking of missing children, and rumors of haunts and the dead rising. Would you know of those at all, or any who might?”
Ichabod dismounts from his riding mastiff and follows behind the dean, beaming and looking very official in his fine robes.
Dismounting from his riding gecko along with the others Vaux resisted his first response, which was to demand to know if there was also a Dip here. Instead he focused on the man to see how he was acting, emotionally. Even if he called for help he might be holding something back if he felt he, himself, was responsible. Or he could be exaggerating the danger because his child was one of the victims.
Frank nods at his Dean's eloquence.
He jerks his head and says "B!" to signal his small scaled riding companion.
His riding companion is a three foot tall biped, clothed in silver scales.
"Hokay, Franky!" Broulnindre waves enthusiastically from next to the horse before leaving it to start patrolling in a loop around the gathering.
"Oh, aye- the walking dead what have snatched children- yes, we can show you where the last was taken."
He gathers another villager or two, and they lead you to a small farmstead on the outskirts.
Ichabod is no ranger but he points out whatever he can to the others while focusing on the villagers. "Now I'm sure this is difficult for you but the Dean himself has come to save you. Please describe these walking dead. Who all saw them?"
Frank tries to help look around, mostly silently.
Broulnindre, on the other hand, does more than try. She quickly climbs up onto the roof and back down again with suggestions on where to start tracking.
Adweard hops off his horse, grabbing the trusty longspear he's used since his days in the Holtesburg militia.
You follow the tracks for a while, leading into the edge of the Wastes. . . mists float around, and despite it being a sunny day in The Order, here a few miles away the sun seems covered in perpetual clouds and the entire landscape reduced, darkened. . .
Ichabod walks along with the others, examining the mist with curiosity. He summons a small cloud that hovers over his head. "Fascinating! I have some affinity with mists myself. But I'm not familiar with these." He shoots a few splashes of acid through the mists to see if there seems to be any interaction.
Vaux scanned the area. The mist limited vision but a dragon had other senses available. His scales rippled copper and the little Kobold took a deep breath as his bronze eyes hunted for potential prey.
As the mists get thicker, Frank casts Lucky Number.
He pulls out his heavy crossbow, loads it, and keeps an eye out for trouble.
Broulnindre walks right alongside Frank, ready with sharp claws and sharper eyes.
You reach a spot where ahead and to the sides you see three skeletal creatures!
These are not the one you were following, but others. . .
Round 1
Turn Order:
1. Ichabod
2. Frank
3. Broulnindre
4. Vaux
5. Adweard
6. Owlbear Skeletons
7. Ivar
Frank, hustles around the nearby rock and readies his crossbow for when one of the skeletons comes out from behind cover.
"Hoi!" Broulnindre says as she catches up to Frank and then gets out front, likewise poised to strike.