Good to have you back :)
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That's right. We've gone to investigate an animal attack, and so far haven't found anything of importance. Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't . . . Alright. This kinda comes at a good time, I've been extremely busy lately. I'm glad that it doesn't affect the game.
Since most of the party left without Bendalis and I, I give the gameplay section a quick read every day. Just to make sure I'm on the same page as everyone, you all haven't returned to our location, correct?
I'm also wishing you best of luck. I've been incapable of posting over the last weekend. I'm caught up on what happened. Let's just say that Swift and Bendalis stayed behind since everyone else went on ahead.
"This reminds me of the time Hailey, Garekk and I first met." the monk says nostalgically, eyes closed, leaning back in his chair. In a lower, hushed tone, he addresses the rest of his companions. "Shall we devise a plan of action? Garekk is already in the process of finding us some horses. We still need some more information before heading out. I think it would be wise to catch up on all the latest news. The smallest shred of information could change everything." He takes a long gulp of water to give someone else the opportunity to chime in.
A strange land, Ustalav. You think that this was all arranged as a distraction? What a waste of effort. This level of mystery positively guarantees a steady stream of would-be-heroes investigating. Turning to Bendalis, the monk proclaims: "It does attract many. It's sad to say, but most do not make it out alive. Ustalav is an unforgiving land. Our people have been through much, we are hardy and resilient. But to the adventurous kind, this land holds no pity..." The monk's gaze travels from his companion to his own feet, taking a deep breath before getting ready to depart.
Swift nods in agreement. "That seems quite sensible, Draalush. Whoever resides in that keep is not keen on having us snoop around."
"Where was the necromancer when you first came here? I think that would be a good place to start, if it's nearby."
"I'll gladly take part in the watch. I don't think I'll be able to sleep much anyways. I'd feel better knowing you all were safe from harm. There's something very eerie about this situation, and I cannot place my finger on it." He leans against a nearby tree, staying alert to his surroundings. He surveys the area with attentive eyes, looking for any sign of movement, but also trying to find a secure place to camp.
Swift seems obviously disturbed by the recent turn of events. Sticking close to the rest of the party, his eyes nervously dart from side to side. He slips his kama out of his robe, ready should anything attempt to hurt him or his friends.
Swift covers his mouth with the edge of his garb, evidently too preoccupied to hide his disgust. Gathering the courage to speak, he steels himself in the face of this atrocity. "Now I'm by no means an expert of the arcane magicks, but to me it would seem he has been dead for quite a while. Perhaps he was dead this entire time, being controlled remotely?" He looks at Hailey inquisitively, hoping that what he is saying makes any sense.
"I agree with the both of you, something doesn't feel right, and I fear that it will culminate soon. We best be on our guards." the monk says, his eyes not leaving the gruesome execution area.
Swift returns to the group and announces that he is also ready to move on. He seems to be in a better mood considering his previous feelings.
"Hailey,... You cannot ask the storm to temper it's wrath, as you cannot ask me to withhold my feelings towards this judgement." He looks over at her with a thin smile. "The choice in this matter is not mine to make. I will respect the baron's decision. I think all of this madness is getting me, I'm not as prepared for this mentally as I had first assumed. After some meditation, I believe I will be in working order." He puts a friendly hand on her shoulder and gives her a sad look.
Swift looks at scene with a somber face. He hasn't spoken up since the uproar had commenced, either unable to formulate his thoughts quick enough, or unsure what to say, he kept to himself the whole duration. At the announcement of his sentence, the monk closes his eyes in disbelief. He quietly slips out of the room to find a quiet place to contemplate his thoughts.
"Perhaps, Hailey, you are putting too much responsibility onto yourself. While you might be partly at fault for the way some events unfolded, blaming yourself completely is doing a disservice to your name. You are a brilliant young priestess, with more zest for knowledge than I or any I've met. Do not let your thirst for the truth die in the face of more mundane activities. Being yourself and following your own path helps us even more than you can imagine." Swift gives her a smile. He tries to comfort her and assure her she made the right decisions, although he worries he did not express himself correctly.
After some more talking, Swift decides to politely excuse himself from the meeting, opting to move about the mansion and ponder. As he does so, he stumbles upon Hailey, deep in prayer, her back to him. He quietly slips away, but not before smiling to himself. "I have quite the interesting group.", he muses. "I should not linger and interrupt her otherwise private moment with her god."
"I think it wise do so under supervision... For your protection of course." Swift says with another respectful bow.
A nice spectrum of responses, A++ party-mates. Thumbs up
Swift-Palm says nothing, but bows deeply to show his agreement.
Swift listens pensively to the other party members opinions before interjecting his own. "Be as it may, my beliefs lay more on the compassionate side. As much as my Ustalavian blood wants this man head to pass through the noose, my time sequestered from "normal" society has tempered my outlook. Yes, this man show pay for his crimes. With his life, perhaps not, if I can be so bold as to suggest." He pauses, looking to each member in the eye and then back at the Baron. "But I'm a simple man, long ago stripped of any standing amongst nobles. My words are just that, words, when compared to the might you wield, Baron. I shall respect your judgement, whatever it may be..." He gives the Baron a deep, respectful bow.
Swift will listen intently, arms folded and grim faced, to Hailey's recounting of the past events, only interrupting to fill in or add to her tale when needed.
Hm, perhaps something happened IRL...
"Yes, as my other companions have mentioned, we bring to you yet another man, guilty of crimes against the people of Ustalav." He gives both men a small bow, as if forgetting. He then turns to the window and stares out for a moment before turning back to the group. "I do have one misgiving, however. This man's master has made it clear he does not like our meddling. I fear that leaving him here in your possession likely endangers your lives as well as all those under you. Yet, this man deserves to be imprisoned and tried for his crimes."
Seeing as the situation has been resolved, Swift-Palm picks up his pack of things and shoulders them once more. He scans the horizon as the party talks of dissecting the best. "Ugh, hoe deplorable, poor little beats. Even if they had to attack us, they do not deserve such a gruesome ending." He sighs heavily. "But they do what they must. If they can learn a thing or two, it might be useful to us in the future. Their deaths shall hopefully not go in vain..."
Seeing all of these projectiles fly towards the creatures makes Swift hesitant to enter the fray, for fear of friendly-fire ending his journey prematurely. He will approach the creature, but hang back a bit until an opening presents itself.
My thoughts are with you and her family Garekk. On a side note, I will be out of town visiting family starting tomorrow after work, so from Wednesday to next Sunday I will be unable to make any posts. Keep me on auto-pilot :)
"I'd rather we get this over quickly, no sense in stretching out this encounter of man and wild. Let your arrows fly true!" Swift, feeling useless, sticks around the other party members and watches as the two beast try to make their way to them, his stern gaze unwavering.
Meditating on recent events, Swift feels the piercing gaze of an unseen entity intrude his thoughts. He opens his eyes and takes a look around.
"I'm surprised the people have been so receptive to orc kin. Usually my people carry a great disdain for orcs, after the constant threat of raids from the Hold of Belkzen. But it is of no concern to me." He gives the new half-orc a trusting grin. "And as for the baron, he is a man we have met with several times. We've delivered a few miscreants to him in the past."
"Sir, sir uh,... Draalush, is it? May I ask what it is you intend to do? It seems a bit out of the ordinary for half-orc to come stumbling out of nowhere and join our growing party."
"Indeed, it seems the hospitality lent to us has now expired. We would do well to leave with the utmost haste." He furrows his brow, obviously frustrated at the town's reaction. "Calamity, if only we had more time..."
"We would be honored to be in the company of elves and knights such as yourselves." He looks back at the prisoner. "I would prefer to keep him alive. The information he can give us would be invaluable. And those who follow my philosophy do not believe in careless theft of life, regardless of how vile this man is."
At the sight of the cat, Swift is hard pressed to hide his emotions . "Well hello there little one!", he says, scratching the cat under the chin. "And morning to you, other little one!" He stands up and goes over to Hailey. "Did you sleep well? Guarding the prisoner was quite uneventful, thankfully. I just hope I didn't fall asleep while I was on guard."
"I can relieve you for the second watch, Garekk. Even without sleep, I will keep a vigilant eye on this miscreant." The monk turns to face the Captain. "Captain Vilovich, I can assure you our claims lay in the truth. If you would like, we can show you the place where we apprehended him." He looks into the man eyes expectantly, trying to gauge his reaction.
Welcome to all the new players. Feels odd, replacing our old friends, but we must move on if we hope to keep this alive. Cheers and here's to some fun adventures.
Swift shifts his weight, clearly at odds with the current conversation, but too tired from the days events to start a deep philosophical conversation. He let's out a barely perceptible sigh and re-adjusts the weight of his gear. His beard was all messy, he had slight bags under his eyes and his stare seemed to look past what was in front of him.
"How fortuitous Hailey! I'm certain these spells of yours will come in very handy. I'm not sure what we would do without your sharp mind and Garekk's warrior spirit. Should we press forward or wait out the night?"
"From what I could discern, yes there was..." He pauses briefly, spinning around the room as he looks at it from every angle. "Evil could be lurking in any corner, taking whatever shape it desires in an effort to lull us into a false sense of security. I'll keep an eye on Hailey, but someone must watch this mysterious man. We do not know what he is capable of. It is best not to underestimate his capabilities."
Hailey! You're definitely one of the most enigmatic and unique players I've had the pleasure to play with. You're so into your character that you make me feel like I have a lot of work to do in order for Swift to be on par. Keep up your good work and I look forward to rp-ing with you.
Swift retrieves a length of rope from his pack, unraveling it and testing it's strength. Satisfied that it will hold the mage, he walks up to Garekk, ready to subdue the man should the need arise. "It would be wise to follow Garekk's words, priestess. He speaks the truth. If we can keep this one unharmed, we may yet be able to coerce some information from him."
"Binding?", the monk whispers. "This can only mean something ill. We must stay calm and devise a way to stop these atrocities." He catches himself, and glances quickly at Hailey to see if she was offended by what he just said. "Of course I mean no offense to you, little one..."
Swift peeks over the ladder into the room, looking back and forth, his face contorted in silent shock at the scene laid before him. His face quickly regains it's normal, passive look after a few seconds. "How awful, to find such a place. But Hailey seems as calm as ever. If I had to guess, it would seem she's perfectly in her element here. I've yet to see her happier." He looks directly at Garekk, and the monk makes motions with his hands cupped next to his ear and points at the door.
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