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Grinning, "Thank you, good sir. It is much appreciated." He nods.
Theoden steps up next to the maggot and strikes.
His attention drawn toward the exploding spider, Theoden rises and prepares to aid Viktor.
Hearing moans of pain, Théoden quickly makes his way over to the wounded. Sheathing his sword and his shield, he notices a woman, an older man, and an elf. "Are you all alright?! What can I do to help?" Théoden asks, aiding them in any way possible.
Coughing and waving off the dust that floats around him, Théoden looks about, trying to make out the situation. Seeing the massive spider and wondering if it's dead, he draws his sword and shield just in case. He looks over at the woman who calls out before angling his head and listening for somebody to respond to her. Not knowing any of the people with him, "Hello, all. I don't know any of you but my name is Théoden. A pleasure. Also, there's a large spider just over in that direction. Be wary, I'm unaware if it's alive or dead." He warns.
As soon as he makes his way to them, "Come, children! I will protect you! Now, all of you, please, let us go!" He pleads. "I shall be right behind you!" Motioning with his hands for them to hurry, Théoden will wait for them all to leave before following after.
His attention snapping in the direction of the commotion, Théoden looks on with shock. Putting the figuring down, he quickly looks around and notices the trouble a group of children and a priest are in. Eyes going wide, he takes off in their direction, yelling, He warns, running in a full sprint in an attempt to save them.
As he makes his way to the Plaza, Théoden's eyes go wide with amazement. "This is fantastic!" he exclaims to no one in particular. The tall, good-looking, long and wavy brownish/black-haired, with a well-groomed beard, and golden-eyed fellow looks upon the festivities with excitement. "Let us go see what's out there, shall we Théoden? Of course, we shall!" A grand smile forms. Moving from vendor to vendor, he looks upon their wares and examines various items. In the middle of studying an interesting figurine of a silver dragon, his attention is diverted in the direction of someone yelling expletives. Narrowing his eyes, he once again converses with himself. "Well that was quite ill-mannered. It sounds to me like someone needs a lesson in proper etiquette." Shaking his head at how far society has fallen, he cuts his attention back to the item he was admiring before calling out to the proprietor. "Vendor, my good man! How much for the dragon statuette?"
Theoden spends his time practicing his theater(which takes very little time considering his fine acting prowess), making sure his armor is shined, weapon sharpened, items within his pack orderly, his beard neatly trimmed, his hair perfectly wavy, his demeanor set for all occasions and his teeth... shiny.
Theoden looks to Ameiko with a gleam in his eye. "You mean to tell me we are to remove an evil regent from the throne and put a stop to his murderous ways? To put an end to a tyrant who holds a country within his vile grasp? Fantastic! How could I say no to that! What a grand scale of heroism that could turn out to be! Ooooo! I can already see the play written out in its entirety as we speak. 'Twould make for grand theatre! Oh yes, Madam Ameiko, I am in for this one." He looks to them a moment, a wry smile forming. "Plus, I have NO desire to remain here or walk all the way back to Kalsgard by myself. That's far too boring." He winks.
"Sounds good to me...," he glances around before looking back to her, "'Mike'." He taps himself on the nose, winking. He then ponders that a moment, "Wait a minute, are we still calling you that?" he asks, curious.
"Not pretend, mighty Pavel, ACT! And I do it to hone my skills so they become ever sharper than they already are, you see. Now, I cannot say I was not mad at all, but, I did realize there is naught I can say or do that will change the situation among these people. So, with that in mind, I decided to try my hand at the role of 'Theoden's anger' - I just came up with that title on a whim you know." He winks, smiling proudly. "Because truthfully, these people have built their foundation upon this demon worship and that foundation will eventually crack and spell their doom. BUT, whatever, enough about them. Now, back to me," he places a hand upon the ranger's shoulder, "I... um... well... I guess that is all!" He throws up his hands in conclusion, smiling. "Thank you, mighty Pavel for your honesty. Knowing I was able to convince you of a such a performance tells me I'm doing quite splendid!" Snorting in amusement at Theoden's subsequent response, Daeron replies, "I believe I was quite taken in by your false anger, Theoden, as evidenced by my lack of translation. I hadn't the slightest notion that you wished to be a thespian. Perhaps you should consider practicing a show with the rest of the caravan? Most Varisians I've met have had a certain proclivity for song, dance and theater. I find it likely you'll be able to rouse a crew to perform some drama or another." "Fantastic! It is good to know that neither of you did not see any obvious flaws within my performance. I'm obviously far better than even I imagined. Which I didn't even know was possible!" He laughs a booming, perfect laugh, obviously quite pleased with himself. "And as far as performing for the caravan: that is not for me. I would need at least FIFTY TIMES that of an audience before I am to perform with anything of substance. No, good Daeron, when I take the stage it'll be in front of thousands!" He states emphatically, smiling, a faraway look suddenly coming about him as if he's already there upon stage. His face shifting from one differing look to another: sadness, happiness, anger, pain and on and on. After several moments of this, he returns to reality, "So sorry; I think I lost myself there a moment. Anyway, what were we suppose to be doing? Are we done here? I guess we can leave now, I'm truly not sure." He shrugs.
Theoden listens intently, taking in all that Pavel is saying. "Mm-hm, right. Yes. Well, now - and while I totally agree with you, Pavel, I do - that's not quite what I was looking for. Sorry, I should've been more clear. What I was truly wondering if my scene - that I've cleverly called: 'Theoden's anger' - was believable? Say you were visiting the theater - because one day I shall be a part of the theater, good Daeron, in case I've not told you - would you say it was a believable role of anger? Me personally, I thought I was spot on. Of course, there was a point in there that I thought I might have lost it a little, so I shall work on that, but outside of that, I felt it was quite fantastic!" He smiles, truly proud of himself. "I'm not really the angry type, you see, so I had to push the envelope a bit more than I typically would. You know, go outside the boundaries of who I am - because that is what all true actors of fine repute must do," he says as a matter of fact, clearly speaking of himself. "Anyway, I'm rambling, so let's return to my original question. And I prefer an honest answer! While my gift at theater is top-notch, I confess, one could always use a bit of constructive criticism."
Leaning in toward Pavel and Daeron, wondering where Akulayok might be, "She has done quite well, hasn't she? I will confess, I do applaud her. But onto more important matters. Now, there is something I must discuss with you two that is of the utmost importance. Remember earlier when I spoke in a fantastic tirade, and good Daeron would not translate for me? What was your take on that? I'm curious." He cuts his eyes back on forth between them, a hand upon his chin, readying himself to listen intently.
Theoden steps up, no longer able to remain silent. "Akulayok is right. If you all wish to worship demons then you will bring death and ruin upon yourselves. Mark. My. Words. To allow such, Nalvanaq, is a testimony to your rulership. As Akulayok put it best: a farce. Because that is EXACTLY what it is! BUT, you rule your people how you see fit, regardless of the fact it will bring them to complete ruin. Obviously they do not care, seeing how they support your MADNESS!" He stares directly at Nalvanaq as he emphasizes, unblinking and unconcerned. After a pause that feels like an eternity, "We will be leaving as soon as possible. I do not tolerate demon worship, and nor do my companions. And so, with that, we will bid you adieu. We've wasted enough time here. We've far more important matters to attend. Good day." He nods. Turning to the others, "Let us leave before these people bury us with them. I do not wish to be part of the suffering that will befall them. It's one thing to have it thrust upon you; it's another to bring it upon yourself." Theoden speaks freely to the party, unconcerned whether or not the Erutaki hear him.
Leaning in near Pavel, Theoden keeps his voice low. "You know, mighty Pavel, I'm thinking this is one big waste of time. You see how they agreed with Tunuaq when he mentioned about 'some parts of the cults must remain a mystery'? I would gather that none of them truly care what happened to the dragon or its eggs. Or anything else for that matter. And if that is the case... then this case is over." He leans back out, shrugging, as if to say: 'What are we to do?'
"You seem to be on a fantastic tear, good Daeron, far be it from me to stop you," he says with an encouraging nod, smiling. "Go get 'em, old boy!" He gives him a friendly pat on the arm.
"I could not agree more, mighty Pavel." Waiting: Theoden does as asked but becomes fantastically bored over the time spent doing nothing.
Take 1 for the scene 'Theoden's response'. Annnnnd action!: Theoden raises an eyebrow to the suddenly explosive Nalvanaq, his curiosity now piqued as to what may happen next. "This just keeps getting better," he mumbles under his breath, grinning.
TCB:
"So you do not care that one of your own is killing the young of dragons and worshiping that of demons? You do not wish to know that Sonavut is the one behind it all?" He looks to her seriously as he makes the accusation. This should be good, he thinks to himself as an internal grin forms.
As they arrive at the house, Theoden concentrates upon Sonavut as she speaks. With Akulayok's translation, Theoden smiles a confident smile. "Well, madam, we bring you a fantastic tale of treachery and betrayal! Me and my gallant compatriots took a bit of a trek and you would be amazed at what we found. Now, first, we managed to stumble upon this cave. And when I say stumble, let me tell you, I nearly stumbled to my death on this ledge within it. But fortunately for me, my companions here were present to save the day. But I digress." He grins. "Anyway, where was I? - Oh yes! Back to treachery and the cave business and all that rot. Anyway, do you know what we found within said cave? A chest full of broken, silver, dragon eggs. And there were also Erutaki pictograms and writing among the cavern walls, along with the bones of several deceased animals. Obviously you can clearly see that I do not paint a pristine picture here, madam. And for the record, we also possess a Erutaki hammer that we believe was the weapon of choice to destroy these eggs. NOW, would you, madam, care to tell us why we would find such within this cave? And who could possibly wield such power - outside of yourself of course - that they could eliminate not only eggs but a dragon as well? Because I would gather you most assuredly would know of any comings and goings of your people." He cuts his eyes toward Daeron, shaking his head "no" ever so slightly, indicating for him to hold for now.
"Let your unease pass, good Daeron, because rest assured, the game is on!" He grins, his eyes wild like as he's enjoying the drama of it all. "This is how it is played and we shall play it accordingly and WIN! And our odds our completely in our favor, my angry friend, because we are a fantastic lot. That in and of itself should win the day." He says as a matter of fact and with utter confidence. "Now, let us do as Akulayok has suggested and see where that takes us. Well, I know where that takes us but I only say such to humor you all."
"I say we move. This whole situation is in dire need of coming to a close. And it appears that we are only going to get to the bottom of this back at camp. So, without further ado - Tally ho!" He pulls his sword out and points onward, grinning as he starts out.
Theoden nods to the wizard as he awaits Pavel's return. As Pavel returns and proceeds to dump out his findings, Theoden can only shake his head sadly. "My, my. You know, Tunuaq, worshipping demons, lying to your people, and killing dragon young is just not good, I have to admit. Now my question is: How were you able to destroy these dragon eggs and one grown dragon all by yourself? To accomplish such tells me that you would be privy to a great deal of power." He looks at the shaman through narrowed eyes, wondering. "Anyway, I believe it is only proper you stand trial before your people, allowing them to decide your fate. C'mon, Tunuaq, time to go." He steps aside, allowing him to lead on.
Curious as to what the Erutaki means, "Okay, okay, now hold on a moment. What do you mean by 'destroying Iqaluit's very soul'? How are we accomplishing such, exactly? And remind me again of who or what this Iqaluit is."
Theoden looks at each of the Erutaki in turn, realizing this might get ugly quick, and immediately bursts out in laughter. "Oh that Akulayok! He's a kidder!" He gives the ranged warrior a playful, light punch on the shoulder. "C'mon now: 'Soul stink of evil', and 'spirit rotting with hate' are just big, funny jokes, Tunuaq; don't take such so seriously," he says, smiling, waving off the harsh words dismissively as if they're really nothing, hoping to defuse the situation. "Now, if you... no wait, I mean if we - meaning all of us - are to speak peacefully, we need to get together and talk this out, hm? I give you my word, Tunuaq, no harm will come to you as long as you have no interest in causing harm to us. How does that sound?"
Théoden moves in behind Pavel as soon as the gruff warrior himself enters, looking around at the new environment.
Théoden looks perplexed at the Erutaki's words. "Heavy? Me?" Théoden places his hands upon his stomach, testing out said theory. After a moment or two, "Hm. By jove I believe that perhaps you may be right, my life saving ally - Thank you for that, by the way. You know, as a matter of fact," he turns to the others, "thank you ALL for saving me from certain death," he says as he bows in appreciation. Then turning back to Akulayok, "Anyway, I daresay I think I could stand to lose a pound or two. You know, I fault those months of sitting around in camp doing nothing; that truly does not bode well for one's physique," he states as a matter of fact.
As he's unable to get a true grip and make his way up, Theoden feels the Erutaki's grip slipping. "Uh-oh." Then noticing Manu fly next to him and give him a tap on the shoulder, Theoden grins as Daeron informs him he's now able to fly. "Fantastic! I love this part." He immediately takes flight, rising back to safety. "Alright, folks! Anything I can do to help speed this process along? No sense in you all slipping and falling as well, you know."
"It appears...," Theoden looks down to see where his destination of impending death awaits him, "that I have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle, wouldn't you say?" Complying with the Erutaki warrior's direction, Theoden attempts to grab onto him.
Theoden will place the claws upon his own hands and follow Pavel along the ledge.
As he finds this slow walk tedious and boring, coupled with the fact he finds himself completely confident in his ability to cross such a ledge, Theoden starts to daydream about fantastic battles on the grandest of scales before noticing Pavel getting smaller and smaller extremely quickly.
As Pavel and Daeron make their way up the rope, Theoden looks up at the climb. "Oh dear, this could prove challenging. But who says I don't love a challenge! Not I!" Theoden exclaims excitedly as he grabs the rope and attempts to climb it.
"You know, Akulayok, I have a gift to find evil wherever it may lie. Obviously it has its limits but as long as I'm rather near the area, I can detect it if I concentrate on said area long enough. Now I should let you know, I can only detect if said person/creature is evil. It does not give me information on any evil deeds that may have been committed; only the presence of evil is relayed to me, nothing more." He pauses a moment as a questioning look appears upon him. "I am most curious, though. I am still unsure how he - and/or they - were able to take out a dragon, within its lair? How could they have gotten so far within, without the beasts ever noticing them ahead of time? That baffles me more than anything, I must admit." Shrugging, "Nevertheless, if you desire I should attempt such, I shall. Discretion is of the utmost importance, that is clearly obvious - and I will use such, do not fear. What say you?"
Theoden grows bored with being unable to leave for such a time, yet remains patient until it's time to explore on.
Noticing Pavel in training... an idea crosses Theoden's mind. "Pavel, I wish to partake of this combat training of yours. My defense is lacking, my offense needs sprucing up, and I tend to find myself upon the ground, bleeding out, far too often. But, on the whole, I do look quite good in battle." He smiles, a gleam of light bouncing off his teeth. "But that apparently does me little good if I wish to remain upright during combat. So teach me everything, please sir! I wish to learn it all. If that is okay, of course. Oh, and um, forgive me, but, I do not know the name of your teacher."
"Let us know what you learn, Akulayok." Theoden then turns his attention to the treasure. "Okay, now to rummage through this and see what else may be of use to us all."
Theoden grins. "Fantastic!" He looks to the sword once again before putting it away. "While our stoic friend makes a valid point, I remain of the opinion the Shadows are behind this. I tend to believe they have far greater means to accomplish such a task, and their reach extends as far as they wish it to."
As Theoden moves to pick up the shortbow, he continues to rummage through the other various items. "Pavel speaks accurately. They are a powerful group and will stop at nothing to put an end to any they see as a 'stone wall', if you will, that gets in their way. Oooo! Now this is quite fantastic looking!" He reaches down and picks up the fine longsword. "Do any of you have any objections to me acquiring this remarkable weapon?" He observes it keenly, looking down along the length of the blade from the back of the hilt.
Theoden looks to Akulayok, a bit surprised while also impressed. "I see you are catching on to the Varisian tongue, our long-ranged ally. Very good. As far as who the Frozen Shadows are, I believe I will let Pavel or Garand explain them; they have dealt with them on a far more personal level than I have." As a random thought instantly crosses his mind, "Speaking of long range: Would it be a burden to any of you if I were to collect that bow there?" He motions toward the shortbow found within the dragon's loot.
Theoden looks to Pavel with a raised eyebrow, nodding in absolute agreement. "Not paranoia, Pavel, more like a sound theory. Being so far away I had forgotten about them but now it becomes far more clear. It appears, gentlemen, there is no place we can run with out the Shadows upon us. They, if any, would easily have the means to accomplish such a task as eliminating the eggs. The Frozen Shadows are going to haunt us until they are brought down, and brought down permanently," he states with conviction.
"It appears there is murder in our midst. The question is: Who has the ability to find their way in here without the dragon noticing and at the same time able to kill its young in the process? Both are amazing feats in and of themselves. And this hammer that is of Erutaki make, seems to be a sloppy mistake by the Erutaki to leave it, wouldn't you say? A set-up, perhaps? Someone attempting to draw interest in one direction while they make their escape towards another?"
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