Merry Christmas, everyone!
Still not clear here. I'm hoping to catch up in the new year.
Search Posts
Hey folks. I've been wiped with a cold... then felt rough today. Now I'm awaiting a covid-19 test. I hope to catch up again soon.
Catching up. Apologies for the delay.
Dorick whispers: "Let us back away. If it charges us - run! Caragus and I shall keep it busy and rejoin you."
"I say we deal with it now. Best to strike from strength, not when we might be injured ourselves!"
Just a note. My rate of posting has gotten more erratic lately. It may remain that way for some weeks yet.
Dorick downs a potion of bear's endurance and tries to spot whatever it is that Francoix noticed.
"The river is also how the locatah judged distance. Best that we can still see it!" "Tarlach, as Kalig says, we leave the choice with you."
"Let us not get caught be them."
Dorick paddles hard.
Will post tomorrow.
Dorick does his best to help Kalig keep watch for threats.
Dorick prioritises making sure that Caragus is calm on the group's river journey. He then adds: "A mantis that large would be quite the foe! But at least it should be visible from quite a distance."
Catching up. It's been a week.
"Mia, your concoctions have saved lives and will do so again. Haven owes you gratitude." "Now, to strike out at the ruins!"
Sorry to hear that, Mia. All the best.
"Fendir raises a solid point. The Kaskkari left much behind - wealth that we could make good use of. We have already bested some of their remnants before and we can do so again!"
I'll be travelling this weekend and I won't be posting again until Monday at least.
"I very much doubt Borjan himself would require any goading to incite bloodshed. To be completely clear, I am not making plans to take him alive. If we are in the unfortunate position that he is knocked unconscious or surrenders, then I would like us to not have our jaws flapping as we wonder what to do." "Frankly, I fully expect him to either fight to the death or flee to save his own hide." "I have a little in the way of fieldcraft but my talent is for a different form of butchery.", he adds with a grim note.
"Is there any possibility that we could stretch our supplies? Or use more magical aid to aid the harvest? Perhaps trade with locals? There has to be a way!"
Dorick continues speaking. "I do believe that we can win over at some of Borjan's mob - Borjan's *followers*. We have a growing abundance of foodstuffs and of trained, motivated defenders. The demagogue's followers, for reasons of carrot or of stick, are going to have to decide who is worth siding with." "But not all will choose us. Some will be fanatics or dupes, others will be simply too maddened by bloody deeds and hatred. I expect that unless we get extremely fortunate, there will be fighting of some sort. Folk of Haven will likely die at the hands of Borjan and his core followers." "When all is said and done, I do not think we should go to any special effort to take these hard cases in alive. However, if fortune puts an unconcious or stricken Borjan into our hands, we need to have a plan." "I propose a public trial for the crimes done unprovoked against the people of Haven."
A thought bothers Dorick. After wrestling with it on his own for a while, he resolves himself to hash it out with his friends. So he seeks out the others for a meeting, on the topic of: "...so, what do we do with Borjan himself? And those who decide that he is still their saviour?"
I'll post tomorrow.
Dorick makes a point of commenting whenever he hears about Leshys: "They are kindly creatures and to see them is a sign of their favour - a good sign!" When he hears of Gerla's assistance, he smiles broadly and adds his voice to those praising her.
I second Kalig on this.
I may not be able to post again until Saturday. Just a heads up.
Dorick throws himself whole-heartedly into his duty of training, drilling, and encouraging his recruits. He demonstrates strokes of sword, spear, and shield. He runs all through exercises to strenghen bodies and speaks of courage in defense of one's home. Dorick does his best, and he prays in quiet moments that it will be enough.
I'm on holidays this week. Last week was tiring hence delays on my part.
"I will endeavour to have my charges ready.", replies Dorick, with a sharp salute.
"If we could save them with words...that would be a fine slap to the face of that scoundrel. Although I must admit to some amusement at the thought of him turning Gardener against Gardener."
Dorick stands, sympathetic to his lord's frustration. "We should speak with the centaurs without delay. Even the tribes that are less friendly to us should be warned about this looming menace."
"I approve of both ideas, truth be told. Convince the centaurs to warn us, then we hunt down the mob of killers. I would not trust them to settle here. They would surely lie as Hatha did."
"He may be dangerous. Gods know the Grey Gardeners are not to be underestimated. But he is still a man and he can still fall. He will not have the advantage of home turf this time - or his usual multitude of sycopants."
"She did. Their leader is one Citizen Borjan.", Dorick adds with a dour note in his voice.
I currently have an earache so my response time might be affected.
Dorick does his level best to keep his tone civil when he replies to Mia. "I did not misspeak, Mia. These 'Grey Gardeners' maddened themselves into butchery and then eagerness to blame everyone but themselves for the state of Galt. They took a nation and filled it with ruins and rivers of blood. I was exiled there in all but name to assist Galtan nobility. It was a death sentence without having to shed my blood there and then, and all in court knew it. Had I not encountered Aristide, I would surely have been cut down by *her* ilk, praising themselves for their fine work all the while." ********** Dorick is taken aback by Francoix's words. "Francoix, that...must have been awful. I have no words."
On the return journey "I allowed that witch to get under my skin.", Dorick bluntly announces. He sighs. "Now we have to look forward to more scum like her arriving. Damn them!"
Dorick would have been sensible to follow Francoix's example and for similar reasons. But I bear in mind that Dorick has a very low wisdom and that does come up.
Dorick nods at Francoix, then turns to Hatha, his own anger welling too much for him to continue stilling his tongue. "How many bandits and brigands now ravage the once-proud land of Galt, with the 'rule' of your dozen governments? Not to mention the innocents slaughtered on the whims of you and your ilk? If the likes of Citizen Borjan had stuck to slaying bandits, Galt would still be a place worth living in and not seeing its cities fall into ruin. Goodbye, Hatha. May I never meet you or your colleagues again." He then turns himself and Caragus around, and makes to leave.
Dorick snorts at Hatha's assertion and is about to speak his mind. But then Mia asks her question and the cavalier realises there may be a chance of a reply, if he stills his own tongue. If we had the magic to tear the madness from your skull, I would trust you with a knife. Not one moment before. Even now, you delude yourself that the Red Revolution is not a gaggle of blood-crazed murderers and iconoclasts. Perhaps you will speak out of hope of scant mercy.
"Very perceptive. You can preach your revolution and justify your murders to the trees. Do not return to Haven." If none of the others have anything to add, Dorick makes to release her.
@Vayelan: For the record, kudos on Hatha. An enemy that really gets under Dorick's skin. Compare his reaction to her compared to even monstrous foes that we have encountered.
"The guard can remain. Thank you, Kalig, and see you in short order."
Kalig, I can get your reasoning. We certainly would have let Kalig know. I don't think it would be an issue for Kalig to join the escort - or to stay if you think that would be a good safeguard.
Dorick stares daggers at Hatha at her words. "That you will, Gardener. Obsessed with your lunatic dreams of blood. I have stared down far worse in this lands than the likes of *you*. If you wish any mercy from me, you would have a great deal of apologising to do. Now, we move."
"We are leaving, with you in tow.", Dorick says simply, not wishing to give much away to this lunatic revolutionary.
"I do not like that this murderer gets just exile but I appreciate the arguments. I would escort her, yes." When the discussion winds down, Dorick will finally leave to pick up Caragus and seek his bed.
"A lot of people here have lost loved ones thanks to the likes of her. I doubt many would see her as a martyr. But...it is a risk. Exile with a blindfold then. Her gagged here would look suspicious and thinking about it, take time and energy guarding her that we can ill-afford."
Dorick thinks. "If we exile her, she can report back to her fellow lunatics should they should up. Indentured servitude would be better because we could keep an eye on her but she could still work her poison. Honestly, she is a confessed, cold-blooded murderer. She ought to hang."
|