Conversations: Holn and Elotai, Buchek and Erk
Subject: Re: Aftermath
Where was our gear stored, again? I can't quite remember.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Aftermath
Erk sits chatting quietly with Buchek. He wants to create a bond of friendship between the big warrior and himself, because that bond will help glue him to the party for their trip through the tall grass. Erk can see that they will need the man's strength and knowledge of these lands, if they are to have any chance of success. His ferocity during the fight was, well, astonishing. Erk had heard stories of the berserker warriors. It was something else entirely to see one up close. He is also worried that some of the raiders might come back to finish Buchek off while he is trapped inside darkness and unable to defend himself.
When the darkness dissipates, he grins at Buchek. "Let there be, ummm, marginally less darkness!" He walks over and slaps the fighter on the back once. "Let's get back into the outpost. I wish we could tip a tankard together, so celebrate surviving another fight, but there are probably many inside that need our help."
From: Erik
Subject: Re: Aftermath
Holn views the charred little town with bitterness. This was an evil portent, and that was for sure. Since the little band had set out on this expidition, malevolent forces seemed determined to end it. This Elotai, an elf, what was his motivations for helping them? He was stolid and dependable, more than just another wizard. And what a fine spell he had cast to disperse the enemy.
Holn strokes Fancek Fa's whiskers, cat clawing into his shoulder in affection. "So, Fa," he asks the feline "shall we go see who this elf is, anyway?"
Holn approaches Elotai, hand extended. "Thank you, friend elf. We couldn't have gotten through this without you. But I feel as though we are not properly introduced.
"I am Holn, Sorcerer of the Grasslands, and I welcome you on our journey--if you wish to proceed, that is."
From: Jake
Subject: Re: Aftermath
[Ty, I'm including the revisions to what I had Buchek say to Erk in this email. Rather than redoing that turn, I'm just going to follow it up with this]
Buchek snorts at Erk's joke, and at the dwarf's suggestion climbs wearily to his feet. He still feels weak, but his headache has receded to a dull grinding in the base of his skull that is easy enough to ignore when something else is occupying his attention.
Massaging the back of his head with one hand, swinging Nauhata idly by its thong with the other, he walks with the dwarf toward the outpost.
"There is much anger, in the tribes, about the Sunset People's stealing of our lands. Every year, their farms move further out into the territory given us by our gods, and we are pushed further into the wastes not meant for men. A man like my uncle...he has always lusted for power, for control of the tribes. A man like him could use that anger to forge the tribes into one great tribe. This village--it is the furthest outpost of the Sunset People, yes? To many, it is the Sunset People. This makes sense? And like the Sunset People, it is soft, full of grub-men, and yet strong. "No raid can touch them", it is said. "Our men throw themselves against the walls of their stone tower, and fall, pierced through by the arrows of the vegetable eaters cowering within. Hiding within, refusing to face us like men, they bring shame to themselves and their gods, sacrificing honor for life."
"Do you see what he has done," Buchek asks, stabbing a finger at the ruins of the tower, faintly visible in the night. "He has destroyed their fortress. When this village faces warriors of the clans again, whether it be a day or a season from now, they will have nowhere to hide, and by now, after years of hiding, they are so without honor that their gods will surely abandon them to their fate."
He pauses for a moment, and those listening to his bitter tone could be forgiven for wondering why he fought against Tossuc instead of along side him.
"That is the lie that my uncle will tell them. That is the lie that he will use to draw the tribes together beneath him. My father saw it true, when he was alive. He knew that the Sunset People were more than many in the tribes would believe. Not without honor, but with a different sort of honor, apart from our own. It was their gods who taught them to build with stone, to forge the steel of their breast plates and swords, he said. We should befriend the strangers, he said. We will not check them--we must find a way to live with them, or we will be pushed into the wastes, where we will weaken and die, or be devoured by the Grass Demons."
"Tossuc will lead a larger attack on this village. He will do it soon; possibly as soon as tomorrow, possibly a few days from now, but soon. They will wipe out this village that is the Sunset People in the minds of many, and the clans will flock to his banner. From them he will forge the Tossucat, larger than any tribe in living memory. But it will be short lived, both because he underestimates the strength of the Sunset People, and because at the heart of the Tossucat is an unclean act, a brother killing, despised by the gods. Its pollution will spread, and poison all of its people. The Tossucat will rot from within, but because it will have devoured all of the other clans, it will bring an end not just to itself, but to The People."
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Aftermath
Elotai swats at a mosquito, grimacing, then takes Holn's hand and shakes it as is the human custom. "My name is Elotai Arun, and I am from far to the west of these human lands," he says, louder than normal to be heard over the flames and the crying. "If your leader will allow it, I am hoping to travel eastward with you."
He glances around again, but doesn't see anything he can readily help with. "Damnable insects," he mutters, swatting another, "leave me alone!"
From: Ty
Subject: Re: Aftermath
"How far would his people have ranged? Could they be responsible for the loss of the expedition we seek?" Erk sees a guard moving toward Buchek as they pass through the outposts gates. A curt shake of his head sends the guard away. It will be important to make sure the people here do not see Buchek as a scapegoat for their pain.
"If nothing else, we will have to pass through the lands of your people on our way to follow the lost expedition. We will need all your wisdom to help us pass through unharmed." He looks as though he means to speak further, when he sees a crying woman cradling the head of a fallen guardsman. "I'm sorry, Buchek. We must speak more on this later. My help is needed here."
He hurries off to help however he can with the wounded and dying. His healing prayers are spent, but he has some small healing skill (rank 2), and he will use it where possible.
From: Mike
Subject: Re: Aftermath
The bucket drops heavily from Telwyn's hand as he extinguishes the last of the flames from the inn. He lets out a long sigh as he surveys the damage. A slight breeze tugs at his shirt and he shivers as he feels the air on the wound in his gut. He lifts his shirt and examines himself. The wound had begun to scab up, but the exertion of tossing water on the fires tore it open again. It will need attention before the night is over if he's to avoid infection. There should be a good scar for a reminder.
As he lowers his shirt, Telwyn's hand brushes against something jammed into his belt. The arrow. He must have stuck it there before getting distracted by the raiders at the inn. He fingers the smooth metal of the arrowhead, lost in thought. The edges are still sharp, though the tip broke off when it hit the ground. Strange to think that such a small thing could take something as big to him as his whole life. Without really thinking about it, Telwyn draws his dagger and cuts the metal arrowhead away from the shaft, which he throws away. He weighs the little piece of steel in his hand for a moment, then tucks it into a pocket.
Telwyn glances around for a moment, then heads into the inn to check on their gear.
From: Erik
Subject: Re: Aftermath
Holn smiles. "I guess you just get used to the buggers!
"We shall have to find our leader in all of this mess. We could surely use someone of your skills in our quest.
"But why do you wish to travel to these wilds? They are my home, and I have a purpose to fulfill, but you must have a pressing reason to follow into that hostile place."
From: Jake
Subject: Re: Aftermath
"His outriders range throughout the People's territory, of late, but they would have no reason to range deeply into The Tall Grass, and much reason not to. Besides, if a group as well provisioned as this expedition had been slain by Tossuc's men, their goods would have been bartered by the Cushat at The People's trademeets, and songs would have been sung of their victory. Anything is possible in the Tall Grass, of course, but if Tossuc killed them, he is waiting for the right time to reveal it, and somehow keeping his men silent. I think it unlikely."
"There are many horrors in the Tall Grass worse than Tossuc or his men, Erk. The grass children could be sucking the last of the marrow from their bones as we speak, or Tall Grass Demons could be holding them as the Sunset People hold their cattle, feeding on their souls one person at a time, using the bodies of the soulless to guard and herd those still human. Any number of things could have killed them."
A mosquito lands on Buchek's shoulder, and he slaps it away, then casually reaches down, grabbing several leaves from a low growing plant, along with a handfull of soil from around its roots. He pops the leaves into his mouth, chews them for a moment, and then spits the mass into his palm, along with a surprising quantity of ropy saliva. He spends a moment kneading the soil and saliva into the pulped leaves, then proceeds to smear the mixture across his exposed skin [ooc: ie home made bug repellant]. He spits several more times, then rinses out his mouth with a swig from a waterskin.
From: Raja
Subject: Re: Aftermath
"Bermid? He's directing traffic, keeping everything organized. He found the leader in himself somewhere, it looks like."
Elotai pauses. "Why? Well..." he sighs. "It may take some time to explain. Here, sit and watch these prisoners with me." The elf squats down about ten feet from the bound raiders, and begins drawing idly on the dirt with a stick. He thinks about how best to explain this to Holn, but then, figuring that the human is both a wizard and from the eastern tribes, settles on blunt honesty:
"As I said at the inn, I have... dreams. Sometimes they come when I am not asleep. This has been happening for five decades now, and gradually they have grown focused on the far east. I have tried many remedies, but none have worked... permanently." Elotai frowns, but carries on. "In fact, I have seen some of you in my dreams. The dwarf, the wolf..." he trails off. "Some of the things I have forseen have come to pass, others have not but may still. I just know that if I wish to be rid of this curse, I must go east, and I must go with this group, if it will have me."