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Guys, I hate to say it, but I need to bow out. I have recently started a new job and have been dealing with some health issues as well, and the combination has meant I really haven't had the time or the energy to deal with my PbPs fairly. Sorry guys.
"Even in a city the size of Lepidstadt, Ustalav is not the safest country I've ever visited," Merian says dryly. "We should be careful splitting up; if we're going to do that, we need to make sure we've got someone that knows the right questions to ask and some protection for them. If Barret wants to go to Herstag, I should probably go with someone else to Morast."
Back from GenCon. New posts tomorrow.
Merian bites her lip for a moment before speaking up. "If the system's going to work..." she murmurs to herself. More loudly, she continues, "Would you accept our help? Would it be legal in the court if we found anything?"
"That's... a Wicker Man, isn't it?" Merian asks uncomfortably.
Merian continues following the others around, still lost.
Merian trails after the others, curious but entirely out of her element.
Merian had begun to look idly around the room - in similar fashion to Tre, but with far less enthusiasm - but she stops in surprise "Mad?" she echoes. "I thought it was just a monster. What kind of madness does a monster have so's you can tell the difference?"
Merian eyes the damaged building warily as they enter. "Did the Beast do that?" she murmurs to the others.
Merian smiles graciously at the guard. "Yes, thanks!" she adds. As the group sets off for the University, she considers the list of books and their intended recipients. "Doctor Crowl seems like a researcher after Professor Lorrimor's own heart," she muses, "but I wonder about this judge. Do you suppose she... Embreth is a woman's name, isn't it?... do you suppose Judge Daramid has anything to do with the trial of this Beast?"
Merian agrees with both Tre's promise to the Kin and his suggestion for their initial course of action.
Merian opens her mouth as though to reply, but she quickly colors, looking down, and says nothing. A hand touches the holy symbol engraved on her shield, and she closes her eyes in prayer.
The rumors of the Beast's misdeeds intrigue Merian, as does the Kin's apparent sympathy for it (him?). "Do you really think this 'Beast' is being ill-judged?" she asks, bemused. "Surely the courts of justice have reason to condemn it. It certainly sounds rather foul..."
Merian shrugs. "If you need someone to practice being an audience, I'm your girl," she replies, "but I'm not really the performing sort."
Merian also bids the rest of the group good night and turns in as well.
Merian laughs and smiles at the juggling, clapping with the others and surprising herself with how much fun she is having.
Merian murmurs a prayer of her own, pouring out her cup with the others.
Merian's reactions to the Kin is somewhat variable - she at first seems taken aback, then smiles brightly and takes a moment to try to speak to everyone in a friendly manner, but as the dinner approaches she withdraws again, only to seemingly force herself back out of her shell to engage in the conversation. It is actually the Wolf Child on whom she finally settles most of her attention, sitting near him and trying to hum a reassuring tune to soothe some of his grief.
Merian will look for anything that looks like it might be Varisian in origin, recently arrived, carney-like, or otherwise likely to have belonged to Aleece.
"We should warn any other travelers we happen to meet on the road about this predator," Merian muses, "and ask the carnies to do the same, assuming they're headed in the opposite direction."
Merian looks the way Dillan pointed. "What spider?" she asks.
"Barret," Merian says quietly, closing her eyes briefly in mourning for the dead woman. "This is a trap." She murmurs a protective prayer over herself and the barbarian.
Merian keeps her grip steady on her blade as she backs up Barret, both eying the spot Sorin indicated and watching the surroundings for ambushes.
Merian follows close behind Barret as he leads them after Aleece's tracks. Her blade is close to hand, but she is careful to stay out of his way while he works.
"Then we may have two women to rescue," Merian says, pulling her blade from her scabbard. "Barret? You're the expert on forests here."
Merian nods in agreement. "Show us where she was lost, and we'll do our best to find her for you if we can."
Merian eyes the conjured horse with some amusement. "Officers ride," she says with a wink. "I work for a living." She resettles her pack on her back, picks up her shield, and heads toward the road.
Merian too looks surprised at this news. "Why would you put a monster on trial?" she asks, frowning. "Wouldn't you just kill it? Trials are for thinking beings that can actually understand the laws they break."
"I came through Chastel on my way here," Merian shrugs, "and Lepistadt is the other way. I've heard of the university, though - supposed to be something special, for you scholar types." She grins at Tre.
Toss the silver war razor back into the pot - as long as I'm carrying a +2 equivalent weapon, I'm not going to be claiming anything else for awhile; we can go ahead and sell my mundane longsword too, for whatever that's worth. And I think I just picked up mending, so I should be able to fix the crossbow.
Fingers crossed then. Good luck!
oooh... 2nd level spells...!
Merian, seeming to sense Kendra's conflicted feelings, has been quiet at first, but now she reaches out to touch the other woman's hand. "How much do you want to know of what we saw and faced?" the crusader asks. "You know a lot more than most of us do about the supernatural, so if there's sense to be made of it we'd need your help... but I don't want it to be too painful either."
Merian smiles broadly. "Let's go!"
Merian says nothing, choosing to simply bow her head and hold out the blade she picked up for the spirit's examination.
The most likely source for a weapon of this potency would be the former warden, wouldn't it? Since Merian's carrying it out in the open, perhaps Vesorianna will recognize it.
Merian picks up the sword, swinging it experimentally. She seems very pleased with the balance, and - after a brief attempt to find a way to store it when she only has one sheath and another blade currently occupying it - settles for simply carrying it bared for the moment.
Not gonna lie. I'd really like that sword. But that's a lot of treasure for one person to claim - it might be more fair to sell it and split the proceeds. That one sword could become a +1 longsword for Merian and a +1 weapon for Dillan or Barret too.
Merian whistles in appreciation, as much for the athletic feat as for what it retrieved.
Merian looks distastefully at the water-filled oubliette. "I gotta confess, I'm not a strong swimmer. I can manage, but..."
Merian pokes around idly, but is really keeping an eye out for more trouble rather than thoroughly searching.
Merian too looks skeptical. "From what I know of ghosts... they can't be permanently laid to rest until the thing that holds them in this life is dealt with," she says slowly, looking around. "And I'm not even totally sure who that was, let alone what's keeping him from Pharasma."
Guys, I'm going to have to beg your indulgence for a short while. I've had several very long work days (12+ hours) in a row, and this afternoon just as I was sitting down to update my PbPs my father called to tell me my mother is in the hospital. I'm not likely to worth anything for a day or two. Please bear with me and DMPC as needed.
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