Act 3 - Carnival on Ice
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10524
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
- User Class: Scholar
Re: Carnival Master
Dreams stand a moment in silence, as she considers the situation carefully. Nothing Namdrin had told her changes her opinion. He acted under duress, but he still committed evil acts for which he should do penance. But clearly pushing the point here and now will not help. And she should have heard out his story first and considered the timing of her words. For not doing that, she is truly sorry. She makes her most elegant formal bow to Namdrin and says, "I apologize. I should have asked to hear your story in full before I presumed to pass judgement on you. And I know what has happened must agonize you--I can see it in your face. I do not think you an evil man, but one trapped in bad circumstances, and I spoke out of concern for the well-being of your soul." She looks around and says, "And I wanted to speak to you sooner rather than later, because I truly do not think it wise for you to stay here long. Rumors have a way of flying. I say that not as a threat, but out of concern for your well-being, for I do not wish to see further harm come to you or yours."
- Vardaen
- Admin
- Posts: 66394
- Location: Miskatonic University
- Title: Great Old One
- User Class: Unshackled AI
Re: Carnival Master
Namdrin stands, blade in hand, level to the ground. "I have no want for more bloodshed." He sheaths his blade and steps back and stands down, his shoulder sink, it has been a hard enough day.
He turns his back to the group and puts his hand on a trunk in the tent leaning on it. His voice is quiet, he speaks, not to Dreams, not to Celevan, just out loud. "No good deed goes unpunished." Then he stands up, straightens. "I go where I want Elohim. Take your judgement and look to your own actions, I doubt you will find them all shining examples of your ideals." He turns to Celevan and the others. "Again I thank you for defeating the Fey, and returning my love Tess to me, and for killing the agent of the Witch Queen who was the cause of all of this. I thought to give you a reward, but how could you take something from such an evil man?" His voice is thick with sarcasm for Dreams' benefit.
He turns his back to the group and puts his hand on a trunk in the tent leaning on it. His voice is quiet, he speaks, not to Dreams, not to Celevan, just out loud. "No good deed goes unpunished." Then he stands up, straightens. "I go where I want Elohim. Take your judgement and look to your own actions, I doubt you will find them all shining examples of your ideals." He turns to Celevan and the others. "Again I thank you for defeating the Fey, and returning my love Tess to me, and for killing the agent of the Witch Queen who was the cause of all of this. I thought to give you a reward, but how could you take something from such an evil man?" His voice is thick with sarcasm for Dreams' benefit.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
- Trogdor
- Emeritus Admin
- Posts: 27260
- Title: The Burninator
- User Class: Jedi Master
Re: Carnival Master
"You're no evil man, Namdrin," Celevan says in a warm voice, placing a reassuring hand on the half-elohim's shoulder. "You're a good person who's been hounded by a powerful enemy for far too long. A lesser person would have cracked from the pressure." He shakes his head. "No, the evil in this story is the Cold Rider, not you. You've been forced to play the part of the unfortunate victim, subject to the merciless machinations of the terrible villain. I don't blame you for anything you've done, and neither does the town of Falcon's Hollow. You stood by us when we faced down the Cold Rider, and I'll never forget that. I do hope you stay in Falcon's Hollow. The town could use more people like you. But if you do feel you have to leave, know that you'll always have a friend here." He takes his hand off Namdrin's shoulder and offers it to him. "And if there's ever anything I can do for you, please, all you have to do is ask."
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10524
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
- User Class: Scholar
Re: Carnival Master
Dreams remains silent, thinking that any more words on her part won't help.
-
- Level 17 Elite
- Posts: 6155
Re: Carnival Master
Wilfried follows the exchange a bit irritated by the words of Dreams and raises an eyebrow at the Elohim Paladin.
Big Pimpin...
- Vardaen
- Admin
- Posts: 66394
- Location: Miskatonic University
- Title: Great Old One
- User Class: Unshackled AI
The End of the Night
That leaves your group alone in the tent. The night is getting on, and the cold is setting in more and more. Winter has come.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
- Trogdor
- Emeritus Admin
- Posts: 27260
- Title: The Burninator
- User Class: Jedi Master
Re: The End of the Night
Celevan bids a kind farewell to Namdrin and waits a few moments for him to get out of earshot. Then he turns to Dreams and says something quietly to her in their native tongue.
The summoner shrugs and speaks a little more.
- Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10524
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
- User Class: Scholar
Re: The End of the Night
Dreams frowns and replies in the highly formal Elven of the Elohim.
Dreams switches back to the Common Tongue. "In the mean time, we have much to do, including seeing to Syronnas' funeral." She sighs deeply. "At least we no longer need fear his infernal taint will corrupt him. His soul remain pure, though I am sure if had lived he would have proved that he could resist the taint even as its powers grew."
-
- Level 17 Elite
- Posts: 6155
Re: The End of the Night
"Good then let us get it over with. We also have an expedition to plan..." clearly Wilfried is again thinking of Ulizmila or maybe he has yet to think through what transpired at the carnival and his role in it.
Big Pimpin...
- Vardaen
- Admin
- Posts: 66394
- Location: Miskatonic University
- Title: Great Old One
- User Class: Unshackled AI
Two Days Later: Concluding the Adventure
With things handled here, such as they are, the group is ready to leave the Carnival and return to Laurel to find Edgrin and the kids and to get some rest, its well after midnight and you are beat from your long day. So the group limps out of the carnival and returns to town.
** Over the Course of Two Days **
The next two days are a blur of duties that need to be done. You become well acquainted with the local gravedigger Verrin Tieruk. He stands short and slender, with narrow shoulders and poor posture. Though he is a slim fellow his arms and back have wiry muscles from digging graves. His sloppily shaved face bears a few razor nicks in it. Heavy dark circles rim his dull gray eyes, which linger uncomfortably on whomever he encounters, as often as not staring at some part of the person's face rather than the eyes. Though he is not stupid, he often forgets the names of everyday objects (struggling to recall the name of the tool he uses to dig graves, for example), for which the people of Falcon's Hollow consider him a simpleton or halfwit. He serves as the groundskeeper of a paltry tract of rocky soil a few miles outside of town where the locals bury their dead. Over the years, his reputation as an overly eager scavenger has spread through the town, and though none have accused him of being a grave robber, they know better than to leave valuables on bodies he is to bury. He inherited the small cemetery from his greatgrandfather. Verrin lives alone in a small shack at the edge of the graveyard, and barely manages to survive off a small garden and the meager supplies he purchases on monthly trips to town. He travels about to various villages and forts in a mule-drawn wagon that reeks of death and cheap incense, and for the paltry sum of 1 sp each he carts off the dead and buries them miles away from civilization. This leaves him just enough money to cover his expenses, and on those occasions when he comes up short he simply borrows what he can from the corpses in his cart.
The people of Falcon's Hollow are buried, and hauled off by Verrin and you find that much of the work falls to you to help the victims and their families. This is all leading up to your funeral for Syrronas. It seems much of Falcon's Hollow is quickly recovering from the tragic events, and Kreed has his men back to work by the second day, giving everyone one day off to mourn and sort out what's happened. You see Pay Day about town on the second day knocking heads again and putting men back out into the forest, dispite many of their complaints and worries of being attack by more Dark Ice Fey, or by what some are calling Frostlings.
The weather continues to be bad, snow and more snow, winter has come full force and you are not outside without your heavy furs to fight the cold. The skeleton of the carnival is also started to get cleaned up, tents and attractions are taken down, burned or hauled away. The town's magistrate is sick, badly so, from his participation in the "Pie" eating contest and that leaves Kreed and Baleson to duke it out over authority, but even the good intentions of the sheriff are no match for the full power of the Lumber Baron when he sets his mind to something. So much of the carnival is confiscated by Kreed, including the machines in the Tent of Mondern Wonders.
Namdrin and Tessa have moved into town, and for the most part people seem to pity the pair, and the angry fall out Dreams was worried about doesn't come. People blame the Fey and 'that bitch Fey Queen of theirs', over the carnival master. The two move into town and the local inn The Sitting Duck where other 'adventurer types' spend their time. You haven't seen much of either of them since the carnival night.
So it is that it is now evening of the second day since you defeated the Cold Rider and saved the town. You still await word from Syntira for a cure for the folks turned into trees. You have also scheduled a time for a funeral for Syrrona. The gravedigger Verrin has returned to the carnival once more to collecte more bodies, and you expect that your friend will be handled this evening by the strange gravedigger.
** Over the Course of Two Days **
The next two days are a blur of duties that need to be done. You become well acquainted with the local gravedigger Verrin Tieruk. He stands short and slender, with narrow shoulders and poor posture. Though he is a slim fellow his arms and back have wiry muscles from digging graves. His sloppily shaved face bears a few razor nicks in it. Heavy dark circles rim his dull gray eyes, which linger uncomfortably on whomever he encounters, as often as not staring at some part of the person's face rather than the eyes. Though he is not stupid, he often forgets the names of everyday objects (struggling to recall the name of the tool he uses to dig graves, for example), for which the people of Falcon's Hollow consider him a simpleton or halfwit. He serves as the groundskeeper of a paltry tract of rocky soil a few miles outside of town where the locals bury their dead. Over the years, his reputation as an overly eager scavenger has spread through the town, and though none have accused him of being a grave robber, they know better than to leave valuables on bodies he is to bury. He inherited the small cemetery from his greatgrandfather. Verrin lives alone in a small shack at the edge of the graveyard, and barely manages to survive off a small garden and the meager supplies he purchases on monthly trips to town. He travels about to various villages and forts in a mule-drawn wagon that reeks of death and cheap incense, and for the paltry sum of 1 sp each he carts off the dead and buries them miles away from civilization. This leaves him just enough money to cover his expenses, and on those occasions when he comes up short he simply borrows what he can from the corpses in his cart.
The weather continues to be bad, snow and more snow, winter has come full force and you are not outside without your heavy furs to fight the cold. The skeleton of the carnival is also started to get cleaned up, tents and attractions are taken down, burned or hauled away. The town's magistrate is sick, badly so, from his participation in the "Pie" eating contest and that leaves Kreed and Baleson to duke it out over authority, but even the good intentions of the sheriff are no match for the full power of the Lumber Baron when he sets his mind to something. So much of the carnival is confiscated by Kreed, including the machines in the Tent of Mondern Wonders.
Namdrin and Tessa have moved into town, and for the most part people seem to pity the pair, and the angry fall out Dreams was worried about doesn't come. People blame the Fey and 'that bitch Fey Queen of theirs', over the carnival master. The two move into town and the local inn The Sitting Duck where other 'adventurer types' spend their time. You haven't seen much of either of them since the carnival night.
So it is that it is now evening of the second day since you defeated the Cold Rider and saved the town. You still await word from Syntira for a cure for the folks turned into trees. You have also scheduled a time for a funeral for Syrrona. The gravedigger Verrin has returned to the carnival once more to collecte more bodies, and you expect that your friend will be handled this evening by the strange gravedigger.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring