[Game Thread] A Lament of Hunger

[Colatine]

We were long since a great power, we were quite used to it, and
it did not make us as happy as we had expected. The feeling that
it had not made us more attractive, that our relation to the world
had rather worsened than improved, lay, unconfessed, deep in our
hearts.... War then, and if needs must, war against everybody, to
convince everybody and to win.
—Doctor Faustus, Thomas Mann

[Silent Tiger]

Edwin followed behind his Father the Exarch and his brother, a Blessed of Sur. He kept his head down in shame. He was not the man his father was nor was he half the man his brother was. They always knew the right path to take and walked in the light. Edwin was not so sure, there was the shadow of doubt in his mind as the the veracity of the Church's dogma and doctrines. Edwin did not doubt the Teachings of Sur, he just doubted how well the Church's interpretation adhered to Sur's illuminated words. There were other sects, not as prominent as the orthodox Church, that made more sense in their interpretations. But most of these were heresy according to the Church of Sur.

These very doubts held him back and caused him to be a disgrace to his family. Everyone considered Edwin the dark sheep, a disappointment. No one said this to his face, but he was good at reading the disappointment that was prevalent in their gazes. Disgraced, he looked on at the ceremony. His big brother Edmund knew just what to say, and his speech was perfect to rally the troops. Edwin was not so verbose.

Then the bright day was split by the dark eclipse of a black energy bolt. From the bright sky, the bolt fell and struck Edmund. Edmund muttered something unintelligible and collapsed. Edmund's eyes were wide, staring at the blinding sun. Edwin rushed to Edmund's side, holding his brother's body in his hands. Edwin propped up Edmund's head in his arms, but it was too late. The light had gone from Edmund and nothing was left.

Edwin bowed his head over his brother's form. Edwin whispered low, so that only he could hear the words "Brother, I vow to do what you have asked of me, to honor your name. I am ready now." Edwin gently placed his brother back onto the ground. He looked up, with new resolve in his eyes.

[Colatine]

The High Priest ran to his eldest son with his arms outstreached. "My Son!" he cried as he knelt next to Edwin, feverently praying, clutching his holy symbol, his hands resting on the black wound.

The crowd seemed to erupt around Valencia. Suddenly, someone pointed towards the Church of Charita, across the street, his fingers trailing toward the roof top- the shadows there seemed lengthened. The Undead Saint stepped past the fallen Knight, his empty eyes locking on the distant darkness. He uttered a small litany- the light of his armor seemed to expand, coalescing in a ball of light shooting towards the roof top. The shadows melted under the bright assault of the light. And there stood a lone man, his dark robes fluttering in the wind, eyes glazed with madness and a broad smile on his face. To some, he was familiar. It was Thular Ebezek, the High Claw of the Shadow Cadre. In a blink, he dissapeared.



The blooming light and the screams of thousands echoes all through Liberty. The news spreads like wild fire; whispered, shouted. The streets churn into chaos and within a fifteen minutes all the companions know of the death of Edmund. Thoon is cut off mid sentence as he is about to tell Valencia something. The bard realizes the danger; the group of people around her seem to have suddenly turned into a blood thirsty mob, their intent to tear the shadow mage into bits. The sense of suffocation and despair hangs heavy. The back of the menacing mob is the first thing that greets Murth as he exits the Orchid after a satisfying orgasm.

"Kill that man, he is a filth of Shadow!" yells a non descript man garbed in the simple clothes of an Inquisitor of Sur from the back of the mob pointing towards Thoon. The mans gaze settles on Murth. He points at the Skulk. "Him too."

[UncaJJ]

Eberk jumps to his feet as the rumors fly in. "Damn. This can't be good! Borgrim, please find me if you learn the whereabouts of the ones we spoke of." His waraxes seem to fly into his hands as he rushes from The Crown and heads towards the center of the maelstrom and where the majority of the rumors say the trouble started.

The thought that one of his new companions could be cut down in broad daylight in such a spectacular fashion does not even cross his mind as being true, no matter that all the rumors say so.

As the dwarf races down the street, dodging between the panicked populace, he keeps his eyes open for any of his new companions, determined to get to the bottom of what's going on.

[varthalon]

Valencia eyes the inquisitor at the edge of the crowd, studying his features for a moment and trying to identify him before removing her own inquisitorial holy symbol.

Holding her ground next to Thoon she raises the symbol so it is readily visible and calls in a firm demanding voice.

"Disperse!" her clear and commanding voice cuts over the raising clamour of the crowd.

"You will disperse and allow the church to deal with this matter. Stand aside so the agents of the church may act in the light. Every faithful brother and sister will return to their home or business."


15 knowledge check to identify the rabble rouser (19 if local or 24 of religion applies). 36 rushed diplomacy to calm the crowd. Also, Church Inquisitor ability to pierce illusion allows me will saves vs any illusion even if I don't interact or attempt to disbelieve them… is there anyone under illusory disguise in the crowd?

[Silent Tiger]

Edwin shook his head. Thular Ebezek, the High Claw of the Shadow Cadre. Who would have guessed that the Shadow Cadre was against Edmund and the Inheritors. Well, then again, the assassination was pretty obvious, wasn't it. But this situation bode ill. Now everyone would be against anyone aligned with the shadows, those who deserved it and those who had nothing to do with the Cadre's intentions. The repercussions and over reactions were imminent. Edwin could already see it in the demeanor of the crowd. They were starting to rally against the crowd.

[mrpyromania]

Mashin set aside a tome, rubbing his brow. They had an extensive library here in the university, but the keepers were not well organized. Adding the fact he wasn't quite sure what he was searching for made it seem more like a search for a needle in a haybale.

"Historian." intoned the disembodied voice, breaking the wizards reverie.

"Yes?"he answered curtly. Mashin had requested not to be interrupted unless it was of the upmost importance.

"We have just received word. Edmund the Shield, one of the inheritors of Longtooth, has been assassinated by Thular Ebezek."

The words seemed to come from somewhere far away. The gears in Mashin's mind spun at full speed, processing and recollecting. Thular? of the Shadow Cadre? It was a bold statement. Public, messy. There would be repercussions for everyone aligned with Raath, wether they wished to participate in the war or not. That included his fellow inheritors Thoon and Murth.

Mashin chuckled mirthlessly. Then this was it. War. He rose rapidly, gathering the Lumen. Finally, the situation caught up with him. Edmund was dead, slain by the hand of a man whom he'd done no wrong. The diviner rushed to the entrance of the university, conjuring a a semi-translucent mount at the entrance. He rode down into the city, tight in the saddle. Perhaps there was still time to learn something.

[NorthWindSpirit]

Split-seconds before the bolt strikes Edmund, Al sees something lancing through the air, but even his honed reflexes are insufficient to allow him to react in time. By the time he can move, the cleric is falling towards the steps, though the tall monk is confused: were there two bolts, or only one? He looks upwards to see Thular grinning and then disappearing, and is immediately persuaded that there is more to this than meets the eye. Damn. If only Mashin had been here: he's good at figuring these things out. He vaults from the steps, only too keen to leave the job of cleaning up after the assassination to the Church. Thoon and Murth may well be suspects here, he thinks, but I'm hardly flavour of the month with these guys either. Down at street level, his first instinct is to head across to the Church of Charita and conduct his own investigation of the rooftop, but then he realises that his sharp eyes and ears will benefit from the diviner's intellect to interpret what they see and hear. At his extraordinary pace he barrels through the crowd in the direction of the university.

[Alephia]

Alitah turns to look at the gathering mob, her mind quickly running through the various options available to her and her comrades. She could attempt to play the crowd in any number of ways… but, then, she had her decision made for her.

"Disperse! You will disperse and allow the church to deal with this matter. Stand aside so the agents of the church may act in the light. Every faithful brother and sister will return to their home or business."

Valencia’s voice overpowers the rumbling and shouting of the mob, creating an opening that Ally tries to seize upon.

“No! There are more like these!” Ally gestures to the shadow mage and the skulk.

Alitah learned long ago that a great many men, and even some women, will jump at the chance to protect a pretty girl. So, feigning a bit of fright and pain, she takes a few steps forward – placing herself within full sight of the mob – a perfect picture of feminine frailty.

“They were at the docks! They tried to take me!”

Picking out a few of the larger men in the crowd, perhaps the ones that could brow beat the others into submission, Ally implores them in her best pleading “damsel in distress” voice.

“You’ve got to help me... please! I can point them out to you, hurry!”

With that, she begins making her way towards the docks at a quick pace.

[Elfman6]

Thoon had looked upon the woman carefully, mentally choosing his words with utmost care before he committed them to the aether and possible eavesdroppers. He had perhaps made a poor choice in location for such a task, but the shadowpriest knew himself well. If he tried, it was not hard to discover a reason to leave others out of his tasks.

So it was only with casual interest that he listened to Edmund's speech. It wasn't the last time he would speak to the cleric.

"My dear...there is a matter..." he rasped, then stopped; letting the words hang in the air harmlessly as his eyes widened at the death of Edmund. It wasn't the first time he had been wrong. The repercussions of his death though...The Free City was not a healthy place to be now.

Originally Posted by Alitah

No! There are more like these!” Ally gestures to the shadow mage and the skulk.“They were at the docks! They tried to take me!”

Thoon scowled. That was a poor move. More than he had done for himself at the moment, but extremely poor...Using her outburst, he stepped back into the shadows. He had to leave the city...

[TeufelHeunden]

Chui left the blacksmith satisfied with his negotiations. The new sword and shirt should help where they were to travel next, and from the sound of things they would need all the help they could get. For the first time since just before arriving at the keep Chui began to feel at ease again. They had found some new companions that would greatly add to their strength and the team should have a good chance to accomplish what it needs to do.

As he strolled through the streets towards the old fortress his mind began to wander to thoughts about the upcoming party they had been invited to and maybe they could unwind a bit before they left back for the keep. He was thinking about the meeting that Al and Edmund had gone to at the church. Why did the church always have to put its hands into everything, couldn’t they just leave well enough alone and let them do what they had to do.

Just then a young boy came running past shouting something to his friend down the street, something about a murder. Stinking city, he thought to himself, you get so many creatures crammed into such a little space and the crime runs rampant. I wonder what happened that he seemed so agitated. Just as he was thinking to himself another man came hurriedly by heading towards the church talking rapidly to his companion, something about an assassination.

Assassinations are a lot different than a simple murder. He turned and chased after them, ”Forgive me sir, did you say something about an assassination?” The answer caught him off guard, ”Yes, the son of the Exarch has been assassinated by Thular Ebezek right on the steps of the Church of Sir.”

Chui was stunned at the thought, ”Do you mean Sir Edmund, of Longtooth Keep?” Chui responded, his voice almost shaking. ”Yes, Sir Edmund, the Favored Son of Sur, that is him.”

Chui remained speechless for a moment, a moment that seemed to last an eternity as memories passed through his mind of all that they had been through, a moment shattered as he came to the realization and let out a R O A R that could be heard for blocks before he turned and ran to the Church fighting his way through the ever growing crowd, even jumping over crowds of people who blocked his way there. He didn’t stop until he got to the scene where he saw Al, Sir Galith and the Exarch, Edmund’s father standing over the lifeless body and he made his way up to them.

”What happened Al, in which direction did the assassins go?” he growled as he approached them on the steps.

.

[Colatine]

Ally's words seemed to have the intended impact on the crowd; well one was not exactly sure what she had intended. "You heard the lady! Kill them both. They are the filth of Shadow!" yelled the man who had been rousing the crowd yet again. He pointed to a section of the mob- “Let’s go! With the young lady, to destroy the taint of the shadow from our great city forever! In Edmund’s honor!” .

The crowd gathered behind Alephia, sweeping her away in their gathered momentum towards the dock. The remainder of the mob rushed towards Murth and Thoon to expend their gathered frenzy. The skulk simply disappeared, leaving the shadow mage all alone.

The crowd around Valencia surged in different directions, some towards the stage, others towards the church of Raath, and others rushing off towards the roof top of the church of Charita. The inquisitor seemed fixated at where the assassin had been in scrutiny.

On the steps, Edmunds father held his dead son close, his shoulders drooping in frustration. “My son, he is dead, my son…nothing I can do…” The exarch’s words seemed to trail off. He glanced at Edwin then. ”You! This! This is your fault. Your brother’s blood is on your hands.” The Morning Guard, the exarch’s protection, seemed to draw their blade, glancing at each other with a bit of confusion.

Sir Garil Longtooth spoke then. “This is not Edwin’s fault. You grieve, do not let it lead to a rash decision. Stand down.” He stepped towards the dispersing crowd. “No one will take ANY action. I, in the name of Sur, command this. Is this clear?” His voice seemed to carry over the tumult, halting people in mid stride. The crowd seemed to form some semblance of order. The crowd’s attention was drawn to a load feline roar, as a leopard man bounded down; this was soon followed by the unexpected sight of their new companion Eberek and finally Mashin, astride a translucent mount.

[mrpyromania]

The diviner looked about the gathering. It seemed most of the companions had caught wind of the events. The undead in shining armor would have to be none other than Saint Garil. Mashin recognized Edmund's father immediately, and the boy crouching next to the fallen priest must be Edwin.

Mashin dismounted, taking the situation in stride. The details were absorbed and filed away. "Saint Garil, I am Mashin. Historian and Diviner. Your men must keep the mobs away from the church of Raath. Everyone inside will surely be slaughtered otherwise." he said calmly, staring into the sightless sockets of the man. It was supremely disconcerting to be speaking to an undead.

There companions were probably in danger as well. Murth was sneaky enough to avoid detection by most. Mashin quickly casted a spell, cupping his hands gently together like he was whispering a secret.

Mashin turned away, approaching Al and Chui. All about the city, chaos swirled and bubbled. Just the right nudge would send the whole situation spiraling out of control. Perhaps it was already there. "There isint much time, Al-Chemba. Answer quickly. Where is the last place you saw Thular?"

There was still things to be learned, if he was fast enough. Already, the man was coldly assessing everything he knew. Thular was the High Claw, a position of power. Why would he do the deed himself? As a statement? Whatever the case, he held no doubts that the Black Circle was involved in some way. These events played directly into there plans.

[NorthWindSpirit]

Al draws Mashin away subtly but firmly, and speaks into his ear, his voice low and urgent.

Mash, you know you can work these things out better than me, but I think this is all a set-up of some sort. At least, there's more going on here than there seems to be. And frankly, when has that not been the case recently?

Thular was over there, on the roof of the Church opposite. But I'm pretty sure there were two bolts, though I'm not sure which one struck Edmund. Possibly both did. But the other one - which was just a split-second earlier - came from the roof of the Church of Sur.

Obviously you need to go check out the roof opposite, where Thular was, but we need to figure out everything that's going on, not just the obvious stuff. I can't help thinking that this reaction - and he waves his slender-fingered violet hand at the seething mob - is exactly what someone wanted, and I'm not sure it's necessarily the Shadow guys' idea of a good time. And that army... and the sudden and oh-so-convenient appearance of this empty-socketed jerk... I think someone wants a war.

He fidgets with the sword at his side. I guess the choice really is: do you trust your paladin better as a blade or a skeleton? He grins, but without humour.

Go, do your stuff. Get me some answers and we'll see what we can do, though I'm starting to think this city has outlived its immediate usefulness. Not to mention - at least for some of the group I suspect - its friendly welcome.

[varthalon]

Pulling a leather thong, from a pouch at her belt, Velancia binds it around her arm, intoning as she does so in a sing-song voice of raising and falling cadance: "Il dio grande dell'OH di luce ed il sole lo hanno lasciato muoversi fra questi idiots senza ottenere aggiornati nel mob hanno lasciato i miei movimenti essere liberi."

The spell complete she begins to wade through the crowd towards the rabble-rousing inquisitor.


Casting Freedom of Movement on myself, 100 minutes duration