Accusations Abound
Subject: Re: Reproof
Cale bites his thumb at Rennik, and laughs bitterly. "You're the worst of them, you skulking sniper. This good man you killed --" and he gestures to the mage on the floor "-- is the one who kept your friend alive ever after he tried to ensorcel us. Tell yourself whatever lies your conscience demands to justify your butchery, but either slaughter us where we stand or do me the favor of shutting the hell up while the rest of your friends mop up the blood you spilled."
He spreads his arms wide. "I say you are a coward, sir, and a murderer. We sought no quarrel, and acted only to defend ourselves against -- well, against exactly the kind of people you turned out to be."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Reproof
OOC: What does Cale look like?
Rennick's words do little to ease Mission's conscience. But things are rarely as they seem-- and perhaps these men are less 'innocent' than they would have him believe.
"Enough," Mission stands, still a little wobbly. "Cadfael, I would hold off on your mercy for a moment. Or heal Garyth. Farron can stop the blood and get the arrows out this fellow as best he can-- I don't care to see him rising up any time soon. Not before we bind him."
He swallows. Sand take him. He turns to the lone thief. (OOC: Can Mission even tell that Cale is a thief?) "As for you-- your companions' continued health is contingent on you laying down your weapons. You have your life. If you will answer us honestly what you do in this tower, you may yet keep it."
From: Tom
Subject: Re: Reproof
OOC: Cale DID lurk in the shadows and sneak-attack Mission. Of course, that means he's a ROGUE, not necessarily a thief of any kind. Cadfael also knows he uses temporarily disabling -- but obviously not fatal, and obviously not permanent -- poison.
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Cale, his sword already lowered, lets it fall to the ground -- then gestures out the door at the darkness. "If you're going to take our weapons, go ahead and cut our throats now. It'd be kinder, now that you killed our mage and healer."
"And we TOLD you why we're in the tower, back when you weren't hacking us to pieces. We were spending a night or two here before moving on, if only because it had walls and a roof." He sighs. "Garth thought was a bad idea, that it might attract bandits, but we talked him into it."
"Look, I don't know what your angle is, but are you robbers or cutthroats or WHAT? Take what you came to steal and let me bury our dead."
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Reproof
OOC: Is it common knowlege to Characters that only rogues know how to sneak attack? I mean, it's pretty obvious that a paladin might call himself a paladin, or a cleric a cleric-- but no intelligent person goes around saying, 'I'm a rogue! Turn your back so I can get a bonus when I whack ya!' :) Actually, I'm just looking for an alternative name to call Cale-- Mission doesn't know his proper name yet, and 'that guy over there' gets old after a bit.
Mission gathers up the short sword the other man dropped. He grimaces as the motion aggravates the wounds in his guts. He does not reply to the man's questions-- for the simple reason that he is in too much pain to do much more than walk stiffly away from him.
He deposits the short sword next to the dead mage. He suddenly feels weak, and lowers himself heavily to the ground. The mage's body is there, inert, lifeless-- but perhaps he had something on him that would confirm the other fellow's story.
Mission will search the mage, looking for anything that might offer a clue. He will also call to Sa'id to come and fetch the mage's wand.
From: Karl
Subject: Re: Reproof
Not quite sure yet what to make of this situation, and unsure whether the party has made a terrible mistake or successfully avoided slaughter, Farron will finish his ministrations to the fallen halberdier.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Reproof
Sa'id has wordlessly watched the mess unfold since Cadfael replied to his call. He stands behind Farron now, watching the other wizard tend to the fallen man's wounds. He doesn't like the picture painted bit by bit as new information is revealed. Subconsciously, he is already trying to rationalize the guilt away before it even fully settles in.
He has questions for the lighly armoured man, but can't bring himself to so much as look at him. Instead, he moves to stand near Mission. "I'm not sure I want anything to do with that wand," he mutters lamely to Mission.
From: Dan
Subject: Re: Reproof
"I was not for an instant trying to put a spell on the tower, though I suppose my word means little to you. I do know that as soon as I was brought in you made ready to attack my companions, knowing that they would come to free me. You blame Rennik for firing at your companion, and yet not a moment earlier he saw two of his friends impaled upon your blade. Strange actions for four men of peace.
No Cale, take your words and swallow them. I'll offer enough healing to ensure your brother does not drown in his own blood but beyond that, nothing. I do not believe for a moment that you are in these woods to gather plants. Come morning I could cast a spell that would force everyone to speak no words but the truth and perhaps satisfy us all but I'm not sure we could stand to be in each other's presence for so long."
Turning away from Cale and back to his companions Cadfael walks toward Garyth and casts cure "x" wounds on him.
"Mission, if you'd stop trying to walk off the guilt you feel I'll ease your wounds as well."
OOC--So I'm going to be casting a cure light on the boob bleeding on the floor, and cure serious and cure moderate on Mission and Garyth. Whoever needs it more will get the more potent spell.
OOC2 -- Tom, I still don't know if you're still getting the messages we're sending to each other or if we need to include your address separately. I just don't want to be filling your inbox again 'n all.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: Reproof
Rennik draws the bowstring taught, aiming his arrow at the throat of Cale and narrowing his eyes. Fighting to supress his rising rage, he struggles to keep his rational mind in order.
"You were offered a way out of this fight, wordspinner! My companion told you no one else would be hurt if you stood down, but your large friend laughed at him! He paid for his lack of judgement in blood!"
Rennik ached to feed the thief's own poor judgement down his throat, complete with arrowhead and fletching. Cale either wished to die, or was a fool. He could not judge his enemy, could not see his eyes. He had watched two of his companions struck down in less than a minute by an unseen force, yet he throws taunts and epithets? The world could use one less fool, and Cale's assault on Mission provided plenty of justification...
... yet he was unarmed. And the battle was over. Rennik's years of ranger training fought with his insticts as a tribal warrior and struggled desperately to stay his hand. Such an insult would have warranted death amongst his tribe. Calling a warrior a coward was a matter settled by the gods. If the warrior survived, the gods punished the man for his words - if the warrior died, the gods deemed him truly a coward.
The elves had thought Rennik a savage after he killed a man for just such an insult, and taught him to control his impulses. The world was not his tribe, and humans followed different customs.
Still, the arrow twitched in his hand, and Cale could not see the hate in Rennik's eyes as he weighed the value of the theif's life.
"You poison and kidnap one of our friends without any attempt to parlay for his life or our departure; you lie in wait to butcher us as we seek to retrieve our companion; you ignore an attempt at truce by laughing at our attempts to end the conflict; you would have have just as soon killed us without any remorse.... and now you hurl spite and venom, to all eyes wishing to join your spellweaver in death!"
"You are a fool to taunt an unseen enemy who has struck down half your party. Fools are shortlived in the wilds."
From: Tom
Subject: Re: Reproof
Cale spits at his feet. "I'm sure fools ARE shortlived in the wilds, you butcher. After all, the wilds are where YOU live, and we've seen how you deal with people you don't like."
He crosses his arms. "I've said my piece, you thug. You can tell yourself all the lies you want back when you're cozy in the tavern and looking to impress the bards, but don't expect me to absolve you of your crimes."
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Reproof
Garyth shudders slightly as Pelor's heat spreads through his body. He nods his thanks to Cadfael and stands slowly, sheathing his weapons.
"Rennik, please..." His voice is soft, weary though his wounds have been taken from him. He addresses Cale. "I regret that it had to come to this. None of our hands are clean of blood, though. If you are not to be blamed for defending yourselves, then we are not guilty for rescuing our brother." He lowers his eyes. "And if we were wrong to storm this tower without attempting to parlay, then so too you were wrong to lie in ambush without attempting to ascertain our motives.
"But we are neither butchers nor bandits." Garyth takes a step toward Cale, wiping the dirt from one of his insignia. "I am Garyth tel'Ardan. I speak for the lawful authority of Overlook and Nesalin. There is a great evil in the land, and we must find it and destroy it." He looks up, a sad but grim resolve in his eyes. "And though my heart is heavy for your fallen comrades, I cannot allow you to impede our mission. Tell me truthfully, why are you here?"
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Reproof
OOC: Tom is on the list, so you shouldn't need to include his email separately. Also, the forwarding has a tendency to be slow from time to time; that's my hosting service's fault, not your email server. I apologize for that, but there's not much I can do about it.
From: Ty
Subject: cleaning up the mess
OODM: This stuff is great guys, I have no desire to break in right now, so continue doing what you're doing, and I will write a turn tomorrow to handle all the number crunching that has already happened; heals, et al.
One thing; Dan, can you just send me a list of who you healed and what level heal you used? I can roll them up for tomorrow's turn. In the meantime, here is the current state:
-Rennik is still on the tower roof.
-Cadfael is healing people.
-Garth has been at least stabilized.
-The rats will disappear in the midst of the convo.
-Farron has quietly walked over and is going through the mage's pack.
-Cale's brother eventually comes out of his paralysis, but will do nothing but join his brother and not say anything. He just stands there and gives you black looks.
-everyone else is just conversing.
Feel free to react to any of these events. I won't write another non mechanical turn until everyone checks in with a final, "I do this" that ends the stalemate.
From: Matt
Subject: Re: cleaning up the mess
(OOC: If only there were subdual arrows)
With the last comment, Rennik's patience snaps. He lessens the tension on the bow, returns the arrow to its quiver, and begins the climb down the tower. His warrior nature can no longer suffer the fool's madness, and, while an arrow from above would have quickly ended the wordspinner's venomous tirade, even cowards and traitors deserve a chance to fight back.
The wordspinner will learn that his words bring consequences. Rennik has grown tired of his prattle.
(OOC: Rennik will climb down the tower and walk inside to confront Cale... as I understand it, this will take three or four turns, during which he will likely lose his grip, fall from the tower, and die in a broken heap. His rolls have just been too good this fight so far.)