The approach of so many creatures and the sounds that now emenate from the corpse combine to drive the dogs off a short way..they give way to superior predators.
There are a dozen in the pack 4 adults 3 half grown and 5 pups. It seems the fog worked to their advantage as their prey was an ogre.
The large humanoid carries very little..a spear that would serve most of you as a pike..half cured hide armour...and a satchel within which
you find three steel tankards topped with stylized wooden skulls. Each tankard had a large handle and a hinged lid, atop which is a wooden skull that has been painted white. One of the tankards is full of coins [2 pp, 8 gp, 30 sp,100 cp].
"Wild dogs overcoming an ogre? and no sign of any of them slain by this being?" Eltariel looks closely at the savaged ogre.
"Regardless, we cannot leave this one unattended. We don't have time to bury him, I suggest we fetch fallen wood and pile it around him," I glance at Aude with a feint smile, "if a pyre meets with your approval as a proper funeral?"
Aude approach the corpse and begin to speak in a guttural language with sharp tones and angry tones . Her hand describes a spiral going down.
For those who speak Abyssal
'No fire. I think Ogre corpses are usually eaten by their kind'
The ogre's corpse makes noises for a few more seconds, and then the sounds recede.
"The v- voices you heard. Would that h- have been that the d- dogs, your Ladyship?" (If Eltariel looks like she might argue about the honorific, Gashelle would nod towards the wagon team. We're in public.)
"I heard just the one voice," I reply quietly.
the sounds that now emenate from the corpse .
"When I was approaching the c- curs, I cast a simple spell that made the c- crash of thunder seem to come from the b- body, to startle and s- separate them."
And then Gashelle quiets down, to listen and see if there's another voice, still to be heard.
Eltariel
You listen.The Wagons keep moving on by you. Ensor pays no attention to the dead Ogre.
"The ogre would have killed at least one or two dogs. There must be something in the fog that is more formidable."
The large humanoid carries very little..a spear that would serve most of you as a pike..half cured hide armour...and a satchel within which
you find three steel tankards topped with stylized wooden skulls. Each tankard had a large handle and a hinged lid, atop which is a wooden skull that has been painted white.
Anything special about the equipment ? I'll cast detect magic to be sure but I am more interested by the steel tankards . Do they seem to be of ogre manufacture or do they have any religious associations ?
"No, friend Hrolgur, he wouldn't have - I doubt he could even see the end of his own spear in the fog. The dogs would have attacked as a pack, in silence, one ahead of him, the rest behind. Once they were inside the reach of his spear, he was doomed. The first ones hamstrung him," I point to wounds on the backs of the ogre's knees, "then they swarmed over him. If he had abandoned his spear then he might have fought them off, but in the first few moments he clung to it ... then it was too late."
I stand up and brush off my skirt.
"Come, we must rejoin the caravan. There is nothing more to be done here. If Aude is correct, we should leave the dogs to their feast."
we should leave the dogs to their feast."
|
Anything special about the equipment ? I'll cast detect magic to be sure but I am more interested by the steel tankards . Do they seem to be of ogre manufacture or do they have any religious associations ?
...to drive the dogs off a short way..
There are a dozen in the pack 4 adults 3 half grown and 5 pups. It seems the fog worked to their advantage as their prey was an ogre.
After inspecting the tankards closely for a time , Aude will shrug and let them fall from her hands after that she'll go back to the wagons
Return to the wagons and leave the dogs be.
OOC: Thanks Chris!
After giving a respectful nod to Gashelle, Layjiani heads back to hear regular position, all the same as before.
You leave nature to take it's course and head off after the wagons.
A few minutes later you ford the River of Grief and after a further two hours come into sight of Grief Castle
To call this place a Castle might be stretching the definition of the word somewhat..its a rude Motte and Bailey affair though it does have a stone gatehouse to the Motte which mounts a Ballista and a Light Catapult atop it
A surly looking bunch of ruffians lounge about the place...they look well equipped and competent despite their lack of discipline.
Endros jumps down from the wagon and walks towards a tall dark haired woman in leather(think Lucy Lawless in evil Xena mode) who stands flanked by two men who are obviously related to each other.There is a brief conversation and then about half the supplies in the chuck wagon are unloaded. Endros sees to the unloading of a fine mirror frame from the main wagon and it's carried up to the motte by some of the bandits with a shouted admonition from the woman to "Be careful with that you bastards or it'll be your hides"
Looking around you see this place seems to have a thriving if transitory market place of passing merchants overnighting here like yourselves. There are a number of wagons and stalls and in one corner of the baily sits a raised stage with a small stockade beside it.
There are a number of wagons and stalls and in one corner of the baily sits a raised stage with a small stockade beside it.
How many of the other wagons have guards? Is everyone here on alert, or are people treating this stopover as routine?
Most of the wagons have at least two guards on them..you don't look in anyway out of place as most races are represented. Over by the stockade one wagon, the bed of which consists of a large wooden cage,is guarded by a round dozen heavily equipped guards which include two lizard men and an ogre.Nobody seems to be inordinately alert.
I look with revulsion at the stockade and the stage. It's an auction block, I guess, probably for slaves.
"Let's stay close, keep ourselves to ourselves, I really don't think we want to start or even get involved in any trouble here," I murmur. "Don't get me wrong I hate this place and what it represents - I'd happily burn the whole lot down - but we don't have the power or the numbers."
"Yes its not a nice place here at all, but it isn't all that bad to look at" Avinar points to the Lucy Lawless clone
Having come across many such places in her travels Layjiani exudes no aura of fear whatsoever yet she also makes sure not to make any lingering eye contact with anyone. She climbs up on the highest part of the wagon and sits down cross legged, her back to wherever her companions are gathering or whichever area is least occupied. She keeps watch with her bow strung and an arrow in her hand.
Whenever her gaze passes over the cage a look of extreme distaste flashes briefly across her face.
The cage wagon is empty but the stockade holds maybe twenty or thirty figures. No one is paying any special attention to you and Ensor makes it plain to the couple of people who approach that he is not selling here.
Its now about 7 pm..sunset will be about 9pm with sunrise at 3 am(its almost midsummer after all)Ensor intends to be on the road at 8 am..so can I have a watch roster please
May I suggest:
7pm-9pm Gashelle
9pm-11pm Hrolgar
11pm-1am Layjiani
1am-3am Avinar
3am-5am Eltariel
5am-7am Aude
This gives the spellcasters time to rest and also to prepare their spells. I do not know when Aude needs to pray for hers, we can work around that, but Eltariel will be up at the dawn regardless.
Nice schedule. Gashelle will probably stay up with Hrolgar through his watch, as well, for company, because she stays up that late anyways, and to make sure there's someone with elven vision on watch during the early nighttime hours.
Aude looks at what goes around her without saying anything and don't seem to react to her companions' distate for the place
She'll just turn to Endros and ask :
'Who is this woman ? '
During the first watch, she'll offer to explain why it's so important to have funeral and baptism rules.
"Heh" replies Ensor "Why tha's Lidy Joni...that's wha' shay cowls hersen' anyhoo. Shays nayrest thing theer is t'a noble roond heah. Ivry yeah Ah bring a piece o' ma wurk...and she maks shoor we divvent' git any trooble"
During the first watch, Aude will offer to explain why it's so important to have funeral and baptism rules.
Gashelle will not take her up on the offer.
Very well then. Gashelle settles in for four hours of alertness, expecting Hrolgar to join her at compline.
Very well then. Gashelle settles in for four hours of alertness, expecting Hrolgar to join her at compline.
"What do you know of the folks at this castle? I have seen worse lots but I have certainly seen better as well."
Gashelle
The cook prepares dinner...and despite the old jokes about dwarven cuisine is actually quite appetising..the cook is surprisingly skilfull in his use of herbs and spices.
You attract little interest, just a other group of hired guards spending a night in the compound.Somewhat surprisingly the night passes in relative peace and quiet with only the occasional shout, burst of laughter or scream to disturb you.
Breakfast the next morning is a heavy porridge laden with dried fruit and nuts as well as chunks of the left over meat from the night before
"Aye Mun....that'll pit heers on yur chist" Ensor says as the meal ends and the laborious job of hitching up the team commences.
Gashelle replies under her breath, not taking her eyes off the area she's scanning.
"The b- bandits don't make a lot of foolish m- mistakes. They stick to this s- side of the river for their robberies; if they tried it over on the s- south side, the elves would likely k- kill them. They demand p- protection money from caravans, and raid those which don't p-pay.
"I'm afraid they m- might make an exception in our case, and we know n-nothing about the other 'g- guests' here. I'd like to avoid trouble t- tonight, but my hopes aren't high."
And with that, she steps down off the wagon and walks the perimeter of the encampment.
Eltariel is up to greet the dawn, meditate and prepare her spells for the day. She compliments the chef for his cooking, and takes her place in the wagon as we roll out onto the road, ever vigilant for anything amiss.
I don't understand , don't you people want to know how to help the fight against undeath ?
"I did try to explain yesterday," I say to Aude. "The threat of undeath isn't a terribly large one - and believe me, I have seen and fought the unliving myself, and recently; and as a guardian of life the unliving are abhorrent to me. Nonetheless, it's not a grave threat to most people most of the time. Perhaps it's different where you come from, I don't know," I concede with a smile.
"Never the less, for most of our guards, living is more important to them than dying. They don't want to think about it. If any of them have particular desires about what should be done after they die, they'll tell a friend or write it down some place and then try not to think about it. Let's face it, if you die in a battle it's probably because your side lost and then you aren't going to get the funeral you want anyway," I shrug.
"Let them be. Should the worst happen, we may take the fallen with us to return to their kin, or else they will appreciate your best efforts whatever they may be."
Funerals are not only for the dead , they are also for the living. Let me explain
I think you've all heard of battlefields where the dead raise anew to continue the fight. Even if your side has won the battle , you don't want to have to fight again the ones you killed the day before or even worse your friends .
Now , there are several reasons this can occur . Sites where many people have died make it easier for souls who want revenge or who have unfinished business to manifest. When some people die , their soul stays for a time near their body. If living people signify to them to depart, it makes it harder for them to come back as undead. This can take many forms. You can even tell them to go to the abyss if they were enemies: the important fact is that your will then oppose their will to return. Most souls then can't succeed in coming back. The best way , if you have the time is to do the funerals the soul would be the most familiar with . It reinforces the fact for the soul they are to go to their judgement and diminishes the power avalaible to them .
The circumstances of passing into undeath are not really clear but all expert aggree that the most common form of undead are skeletons or zombies. These are the ones where the soul didn't succeed to come back but only animated the body before finally leaving . After this there are intelligent corporeal undead . In effect , the soul does inhabit the body and is corrupted so that when they will finally be destroyed , what they did as undead will count against them in the judgement. Finally there are incorporeal undead , the most common is the shadow who don't really remember who he was before , more rare are ghosts or spectres. Ghosts are the one who are the most near what they were before and they can be good people . But in effect, they are still unnatural beings who can't come back as babies as would be usual. Spectres have succumbed to evil , even if they remember what they were , their point of view have shifted and become biaised against living people . So funerals by opposing the will of the dead soul make it more probable that even if they come back it will be as a less dangerous form of undead .
Now the proper form of funeral is also important. Someone whose culture expose the corpse to the air could be offended by burial or cremation and so more likely to become undead . That's why I was against burying the corpse of the ogre yesterday . Burying is not in my lands a part of ogre culture, devouring the corpse of the ones you killed is more their style and what he would expect .
'You are having me lecturing you like I was my teacher at the temple. I'd better stop now or you'll go to sleep ! . I could continue for hours with examples but at least you have the basics of why it's important to give a send off to the soul. It is beneficial to both the dead and the living'
"Yes, I know," I reply calmly, "but that doesn't change the fact that people who may get into a fight tomorrow don't want to think about dying today. Some things, my dear, are best left until the proper time and place. Funerary rights are also a way for the living to say their last farewells, to close a chapter of their lives and move on. As such they must be dealt with by compassion and sensitivity to those who remain. None of us doubt your sincerity and desire to do good, but your zeal is a little ... intimidating, to some."
Yes , I know I might have been a little forceful there .
Guess I'll have to do this the hard way then and learn all the civilizations of this world. That'll take years
"This world?" Eltariel asks sharply. She has heard of 'other worlds' but not in serious debate. "Are you saying you are from elsewhere than this world?" It would explain a lot - her faux pas, her way of speaking, her skandik name without any trace of normal skandic culture ...
Funerals are not only for the dead , they are also for the living. Let me explain
I think you've all heard of battlefields where the dead raise anew to continue the fight. Even if your side has won the battle , you don't want to have to fight again the ones you killed the day before or even worse your friends .
Now , there are several reasons this can occur . Sites where many people have died make it easier for souls who want revenge or who have unfinished business to manifest. When some people die , their soul stays for a time near their body. If living people signify to them to depart, it makes it harder for them to come back as undead. This can take many forms. You can even tell them to go to the abyss if they were enemies: the important fact is that your will then oppose their will to return. Most souls then can't succeed in coming back. The best way , if you have the time is to do the funerals the soul would be the most familiar with . It reinforces the fact for the soul they are to go to their judgement and diminishes the power avalaible to them .
The circumstances of passing into undeath are not really clear but all expert aggree that the most common form of undead are skeletons or zombies. These are the ones where the soul didn't succeed to come back but only animated the body before finally leaving . After this there are intelligent corporeal undead . In effect , the soul does inhabit the body and is corrupted so that when they will finally be destroyed , what they did as undead will count against them in the judgement. Finally there are incorporeal undead , the most common is the shadow who don't really remember who he was before , more rare are ghosts or spectres. Ghosts are the one who are the most near what they were before and they can be good people . But in effect, they are still unnatural beings who can't come back as babies as would be usual. Spectres have succumbed to evil , even if they remember...
"Your speech is compelling and so was her reply. For practical purposes maybe we should just dismember or burn anyone we defeat. If none of us has a preference for funeral rites perhaps you should just do whatever is necessary to keep them from rising as unliving."
I agree great post...50 XP bonus to Aude for good roleplay
The caravan sets off on time and soon leaves the fort well behind as Eltariel quizzes Aude on her origins.The skies are clear and you make good time...it does get hot very quickly and there isn't the relief of light showers like yesterday.
"In the meantime, if you tell me about your world and how you came to this one, I'll tell you about the religions of this world, such as I know them," I offer to Aude. "I cannot claim to be an expert, but I did study the basics of comparative religion once as an exercise for my tutors." For, oh, ten years or so, just as a sideline while I was visiting Auntie ...
Are any of the other caravans or merchants heading west like us?
Are you really going to argue with a dwarf who has made his mind up.
Oh, no; Gashelle approves.
Same set up as before for Layjiani while on the road