[Game Thread] A Song of Silence

[HenryLockwood]

"Perhaps you are right. I have heard many times know your weaknesses, but perhaps I am unwilling to admit them."

Gwydion sighs, and sheathes his blade.

"Let us report back, then, and see what we can achieve."

[Uruz]

With the decision made to abandon the town to its sad fate at this juncture, the trio on the hilltop makes for the road away from Arum. A few miles along the way, the small group finds the waiting form of Scarlett by road who also falls in line as you make their way back to Kanadaran and the Gilded Vine to make your report to Janus Imar.

The tavern remains as boisterous as you recall, with laughter and revelry echoing hollowly in your ears as you enter. It seems strange to your mind that such abandon can co-exist in a realm with the horrors you have witnessed in Arum. Janus is sitting at the very table you found him at, his goatee still neatly trimmed, his clothes - blue this time - still fine. The irascible look in his eyes hasn't dimmed either. As you approach, the man sneers almost contemptuously at the disreputable sight you bring before him; though a small flicker of interest flits in his eyes as he sees the large, shrouded form born in Magnus' arms.

"So, you have Hesperath tucked up nice and tight in that do you? She beat you with her broom, the old nutter? Looks like it - sorry state you all seem to be in. Well...don't wait, report!" he barks at the group, letting his tankard thud into the wooden table when you draw within earshot in the busy tavern.

[Evoles]

Anger flashes in Scarlett's face over the snide remarks from Janus.

Two are dead thanks to that old nutter, the town is overrun by strange aberrations, and we barely got out of there with our brains intact.

Some of us more than others.

Scarlett takes a breath and realizes the whole bar probably overheard her retort.
She moves over to the table and quietly sits adjacent to Janus.

Oh.. by the way... Scarlett speaks calmly. Hesperath is dead. We killed her... in self-defense.

Scarlett thinks over her previous statement and how it might sound to someone else that they butchered a feeble old woman and quickly adds:

She seemed to be... not herself.

There is much to talk about but here might not be the best place... we have something to show you.

[Kailtrin]

Magnus warily eyes the Riftwalker; his sarcastic nature isn't doing much to set the dwarf at ease. He matches Scarlet's hushed tones:

Aye, the halfling speaks true; she struck with so much force and speed that I couldn't even heal myself much less the unlucky bastard ahead of me.

Clearly frustrated - why had what plucked him from his homeland and dumped him here almost left him for dead? - the dwarf glanced over at the bar top and the flesh oaken keg that had just been tapped behind. In less hushed, more deliberate tones:

Now does anyone else want an ale? If I'm going to come so close to being sent to the Vaults, I damn well deserve an ale afterward.

[Uruz]

Janus' cold eyes glitter as he hears the news brought to him by your group. He stands and waves you all brusquely to follow him into a private parlor in the rearof the Vine. Once ensconced, the wiry man pulls on a small cord and a serving woman enters to take an order for the group - simple fare of bread, mutton, cheese, and ale are to be provided on the Riftwalker's tab it seems. He waits for the food to arrive and for the wench to leave again before he resumes conversation.

"What in the Duat are you lot talking about? Hesperath crazy - well, crazier - and then killed? Brain-sucking abominations? I've never heard fo such foolishness. And what is the thing you wish to show me? Quickly! If things are as dire as I fear from your first report, we need move swiftly!"

OOC The Duat is the underworld in Kanadarian and Heamu mythology.

[HenryLockwood]

"This thing is... strange. We found it in the mines. The people of the village, they were all taken down there - completely unresponsive, like dead men walking.

"The brain-eaters attacked us; it was all we could do to escape alive. Even that was not enough when Hesperath turned on us."

Gwydion gestures to Magnus, indicating that now they have some privacy the ovoid can be revealed.

[Kailtrin]

Magnus places the large item on the table, then carefully removes the cloth they'd wrapped it in during travel. He backs away from the table slowly as the last layer is removed, still somewhat skittish from the events in the mine and the town.

Better you have this than us; my skull aches even thinking about what we went through to get this out and here.

[Evoles]

or what went through our skulls

a slight snicker spreads across Scarlett's face before she realizes it and quickly resumes a more solemn expression

We were hoping you could tell us what in all of Aurandia this is

[Evoles]

Scarlett slams the table thinking everyone has gone to sleep.

[Uruz]

Janus' purses his lips in thought and rests his chin in a cupped hand as he examines the sphere placed on the table before him. After a few moments he speaks, "I'll need to bring this to the Lorekeeper of the Rifters in town - maybe she'll know what this thing is. In the meantime; we need to mobilize the army and get the town cleaned up and the people saved - if what you say is true. Since you lot have already managed to find out what it is we're going to be dealing with, I'm going to invest you as Riftwalkers temporarily and get you to lead the expedition. Meet back here in two days and I'll have more to share." Taking the ovoid and the cloak it was wrapped in from teh Dwarf, Janus gets up and leaves the tavern.

------------------------------------------------------

In two days, you regroup at the Gilded Vine and meet Janus and a uniformed soldier from the Imperial Kanadrian Army. Janus beckons you closer as he sees you and introduces the officer as Dathapatish Sethbes in charge of the 10th Dathabam of the 3rd Cenzarabam of the 2nd Hazarabam of the 1st Baivarabam . The Dathapatish clashes his closed fist against his breast as he meets your eyes with his cold gaze, its obvious that Janus has explained the situation to him and - while he's not particularly happy that he's being subjugated to your orders - he understands the gravity of this situation.

OOC The way the Kanadarian military is structured is found in the Encylopedia Aurandia.

[HenryLockwood]

"Honour to meet you, Sethbes."

Gwydion greets the older man politely. Even though orders are permitted, harmony will likely bring better results.

"We will need to kill as many of the flying beasts as we can; they are small and fast, but the real danger is their habit of attacking brains. I do not know if the townsfolk are their thralls, or if those who are can be saved.

"Janus, do you have any information about the thing?"

[Evoles]

..and where is your Hazarapatish? Scarlett sincerely smiles as she looks about.

We'll have to discuss with him some strategies as Gwydion suggests.

[Uruz]

Janus shakes his head at Gwydion's question and frustration darkens his features as he replies somewhat curtly. "We don't yet know. Nefer hasn't yet divined its purpose but it obviously houses some form of energy - but not of a kind we know of or understand yet. My advice is if you find more, bring it back for testing but be cautious - for all we know it could be a grenade such as I've heard is used at times in Tuthmi, though I find that unlikely seeing as how you got it here safely - well, relatively." The small concession to the group's losses is all the Rifter is willing to acknowledge of the deaths you had suffered.

Sethbes almost laughs at the impudence of the halfling lass before growling out a response. "We have no need of that many men, surely. My Dathabam is well blooded and will fall on these townsfolk and their contraptions with glorious violence. We are more than enough for this," the last is an assertion that he makes almost as if he's trying to convince himself but his courage is evident.

[Evoles]

Scarlett feints a smug smile.

Well running away worked for me last time, I'll be sure to allow the "soldier" to charge in first.

I hope your men are indeed ready, although our enemy does take prisoners, it may be a fate worse than death.

[Kailtrin]

The dwarf wriggles uncomfortably at the thought of heading back into the flight range of the creatures that previously dined on his intellect.

If we're headed back that way, can I at least get a good helmet from you? Preferably a thick one that those little razor teeth won't poke through. A cleric is no good if he can't remember which divinity to draw from, now is he?