The day grew brighter and warmer as the monk watched the comings and goings from the keep.  He recognised Elmo entering at one point which was followed quickly with some flunkies hurrying out to various parts of the village. Shortly after Ostler and two other humans, one a priestess judging by her garb, made their way separately to the keep and entered.

Brother Yew collected his few possessions and started down toward the keep as soon as the barkeep had entered. He presented himself at the gate and bowed respectfully to the guards.

"Greetings, I am Yew," he said. "I was asked to come here this morning for a meeting."

As Yew approached the keep he saw an existing tower was being developed into a much larger fortification.  Labourers can be seen moving stone and breaking ground. Crossing the drawbridge to the keep he announced himself to the guard.  There response was maybe not quite what he expected. "Your not me your you." the discussion that ensued went on for a few minutes before a large warrior approached.

"My name is Rufus, welcome to our home.  Follow me please."  The warrior leads you down a flight of stairs to a room that must be about ground level outside and seem to occupy the entire floor.  It has been set up as a meeting room.  A large table has been placed opposite the stairs and several imposing figures occupy seats along its length.

Rufus quickly introduces everyone on the council, Jaroo the Druid, in the process of taking his seat, Burne the mage, Felicia the cleric of Saint Cuthbert and Rael the Village Elder. A seat had been placed for Yew and Rufus beckons you to take them and then joins the rest of the council.

Rael stands and looks you all over carefully, before saying, "I bid you welcome brother Yew to our council.  I understand you claim to be a descendant of Lareth? Such a less fortunate heredity I cannot imagine and can see why you chose the way of the monk. Please tell us your background and why you seek Lareth now?"

Brother Yew's visit to the keep had started with confusion and looked set to continue that way.

"I am not you, you are you, I am Yew," he had replied to the guard but that just seemed to make things worse. The trouble was that the two words sounded sufficiently different to his elvish ears that he had never realised that humans heard them as the same.

Now with the Council there was more confusion and it showed on his face.

"Why would you think my ancestry would lead me to a monastic life?" he asked in bewilderment. "I have been told many times that it is very rare, almost unheard of, for any other race but a human to become a monk. If I had not been literally found on their doorstep as a baby and taken in as a worthy act of charity, there is no way I would have been able to join the order."

It did not occur to the monk to try to hide any aspect of his past.

"I do not claim Lareth to be my father for I do not know who my father is with any certainty, although the information available so far suggests it may be true. I am 36 years old and only in the last year have I learnt anything at all of my parents. I only began to seek that knowledge when the Master of the monastery determined that Brother Yew must first know who he is before he can become what he will be. Eventually I learnt that my mother became the wife of a merchant and I was able to meet her at last. She told me she knew my father only as Larry the Fair, an elf from the Gnarley Forest. Yesterday in the Inn of the Welcome Wench was the first time I ever heard the name of Lareth the Fair but I can see that it might be the same man. As I trust the wisdom of the Master's words I need to know the truth and, I suppose, come to terms with it before I return to the monastery to further my studies."

As he spoke the confusion had disappeared from his face and now he sat calmly watching the faces of the Council members.

The village elder was about to reply when the cleric spoke up, "He speaks the truth that is all he knows."

Rael, paused then spoke, "It is well that you know little of your father.  If he had known of your existence it might have bode ill for you, Yew." he paused again before speaking to Jaroo, "Will you bring Ye... the good friar up to date on his Jaroo?  Once he has had a chance to consider his position we will speak again." The druid rose at the Elder's suggestion and lead Yew back up the stairs and into a small meeting room.  There he told him the tale of Lareath the Fair as known to the council.

OOC: rather than role play this you can assume Jaroo tells Yew everything up until the victorious parties departure to Nulb.

On completion he said "There are some good people going to face great hazards in the coming months.  I'm sure they would welcome your aid. It is your choice."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:54, Wed 15 Sept 2010.

Yew thought for a while before responding.

"The priestess was mistaken. It is true that I spoke only the truth but there is one more thing I did not speak of. Last night, as I waited on the hillside opposite the keep I was approached by someone with a message. Someone with a habit of spitting, which is vigorously discouraged at our monastery. I did not see him well, just a glimpse as he departed, barely enough to determine he was of human size and moved with unusual agility. The fact that he moved silently enough to come close to a half elf without being heard speaks well of his skills too. He tried to tell me that Lareth the Fair was a protector of this area and was unjustly betrayed by the authorities of this village; you and your Council. I might have been fooled by his story except that it does not fit with the reaction of ordinary folk in the inn yesterday. Lareth was certainly not seen as a protector of this community."

Yew pulled out the yellow cloth and showed it to the druid.

"The messenger told me to wear this when I leave the keep tomorrow if I do not believe the Council's version of the tale. He instructed me to head northeast toward the Gnarley Forest. I would be watched and contacted when they are satisfied I am alone but I certainly have no wish to meet them or hear any more of their lies.

"I would be happy to help these good people you speak of but my first priority is to do as instructed by the Master of our Order. Unless your friends are likely to lead me to more information about the purpose behind Lareth's actions I probably should follow my original plans to seek that knowledge among the elves of the Gnarley Forest."

"Hmmm... They are still here then.  We had thought with the defeat of Lareth they might have fled. Perhaps we can turn this to our advantage. You need to repeat this to the council." said Jaroo as he lead Yew back down the stairs and the council room.  It was empty but after a few minutes the council returned Rael spoke briefly with Jaroo before turning to Yew. "Please Friar, can you repeat what you told Jaroo so that we all have the event first hand?"

OOC: so for some reason the last post lost a lot of text... anyway he it is IC:

After Yew told his story again and was questioned a few time by the council the elder spoke again, "Yew, we appreciate your candidness and are very grateful to you in sharing this extra information.  It speaks volumes for your character. Some of the council wish to pursue this attempted recruitment by the 'Friends of Lareth' using you Ye... well let us say laying a trap with you as the bait or 'agent provocateur', others amongst us feel this is a heavy weight to place upon someone so new into this field of political intrigue."

"Jaroo intimated that your first desire is to find out more about your father and that you feel joining Ronalt and his allies might deflect you from this goal. As far as we can re-assure you on this, the heroes of the moathouse know more about your father and the forces behind him than any other than perhaps your nighttime acquaintance. Certainly more than the wood elves or the gnomes."

"It seems you have a choice of forks in the road Yew.  On one hand you could join the heroes and find out more by that route or you could try and outwit the local agents of evil.  Either will aid our cause and as a result, the council will not try to sway you either way. We will of course assist you in anyway we can."

Brother Yew sat quietly for some time contemplating the choice before him. Eventually he reached a decision.

"I am not skilled in the art of deception. That path would torture my soul and I would not succeed in that role. My strengths are stealth and alertness, agility and speed, direct action and swift reaction. It would be best for me to join this man Ronalt and his allies."

Brother Yew saw the mixed reaction amongst the council. The Druid and the Elder looked relieved where as the cleric of Cuthbert looked.... angry? In any event, Elmo spoke up. "Know this then Yew.  The group you are looking for departed some days ago for the village of Nulb. Proceed there and contact the village blacksmith. Otis is his name. Inform him that you have been sent by us to seek out the party and better understand the ways of our adversaries, he can be trusted."

"Thank you, I will leave today," Brother Yew said as he stood up again and bowed respectfully to the Council. "Can you tell me which road leads to Nulb and how long the journey is? Is it possible to leave from here without being seen? The man who spoke to me last night said I would be watched when I leave here and contacted if I wore the yellow cloth. As I do not wish to meet them alone it would be better if I was not seen leaving."

It was quickly arranged. Elmo arranged for the good friar to be lead out of town in the back of a wagon going to one of the outer farms. Hidden beneath some empty sacks he was virtually invisible.  After about an hour of jolting there was a gentle rap on the side of the wagon. Quickly Yew climbed down and brushed the detritus off.  The farm hand pointed to a little worn path leading into the Gnarley and said, "Folla ta path Friar, et leads ta tha old moat-house bet skirt et en y'll pick oop tha path ta Nulb en tha ither side. Don't visit tha ruin mind, thur's naw tellin whit es ther naw..... Guid look te ye!"

With that the farm hand started to lead the wagon further along the main track.

OOC: If you want to ask the farm hand or indeed Elmo anything before heading through the woods, now would be a good time!

Brother Yew's only other question to Elmo was, "How far is it to Nulb?"

He thanked Elmo as he boarded the wagon and thanked the farm hand as he disembarked. Then without wasting any more time he took up his halberd and strode off swiftly along the seldom-used path. He walked quickly but he kept careful watch in all directions, even looking up into the branches before he passed under them. Every now and then he would stop completely and listen to the sounds of the forest, alert for anything that seemed out of place.

Elmo had informed Yew that he should arrive in Nulb at dusk if he was note delayed.

As he traveled the path the natural sounds were clear.  Birds singing, the branches swaying and leave rustling.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Before too long he saw ahead the ruins of what could only be the moat-house.  It seemed deserted and could be easily bypassed.

The monk had no desire to be sidetracked from his journey, especially when he had been instructed not to visit the ruined moathouse. The sooner he found this man Ronault the sooner he might learn more about Lareth the Fair and whatever evil he had been involved in. He paused for a minute or two to look and listen then continued on past the moathouse. He remained vigilant, though, and paid as much attention to the ruins as practical as he passed by.

Yew slipped around the moat house, the ground very marshy in places slowed him, but he never lost sight of the building and easily kept on his way.  The sounds of the wildlife continues unabated.  As would be expected in this terrain, mosquitoes and frogs provide most of the Fauna. In fact the frogs croaking was drowning out most of the other sounds.

Yew kept moving but was unsure whether he had seen something or not. Was that a person standing at the top of the front round tower, partially concealed behind one of the parapets?

To yew, the ominous history of the moat-house made very shadow and every archery slit seem filled with menace.  Nevertheless he circled the ruins successfully and as told found a path leading off to the north-west in the general direction of Nulb.

With the moat house behind him Yew moved on swiftly on his way to Nulb. He still remained vigilant but now hoped to reach the town without incident.

Brother Yew made good progress after leaving the moathouse behind. It was getting late in the day and light rain was falling as he reached the edge of the woods that form the outer fringes of the Gnarly forest and saw the cursed village ahead.

He had not been told much about the village, other than, it was a place of low repute. Inhabited by pirates, brigands and followers of the demonic temple, it offered scant resources for those who opposed the chaos about to be unleashed.

Your typical Nulbians

Now that he had reached Nulb, Yew decided not to enter the village immediately or openly. He approached cautiously and found a place among the trees where he could hide and watch until nightfall. He used the remaining daylight to familiarise himself with the layout of the village and the location of major features such as taverns, churches, the biggest houses and most importantly the blacksmith's workshop. He also watched for any signs of guards or patrols in the village, or any particular groups of armed men evident in the town.

After dark (assuming he had located the smithy) he stealthily entered the village along whatever route his observations suggested would offer the best chances of remaining unobserved. He quietly made his way to the blacksmith's workshop and slipped inside.

Brother Yew managed to find the blacksmiths. The glow of the forge and the clink of metal on metal made it easy. A few minutes after he arrives the smith plunged the horseshoe he was working on into his quenching tub, the hiss of steam loud in the night air. Turning to Yew he said, "Hello friar, what can I do for you?"

Yew smiled in relief as the blacksmith welcomed him. However, caution made him check first that this was indeed Otis before he revealed his reasons for coming here. Once he was satisfied that it was Otis he introduced himself.

"I am Brother Yew. I spoke with the council at Hommlet and it was decided that I should join Ronalt's group to find out more about the evil of the old temple and the one called Lareth the Fair. Elmo said that you could help me find them."

Otis replied, "Elmo eh! Glad to hear he's not totally fried his liver! We'll need to move fast if we are to contact Ronalt and his crew!".

And fast they moved.... Leaving before dawn the next morning they traveled for several hours back into the Gnarley reaching Ronalt's camp in a hidden bowl about midday.  As he approached, Otis yelled out "Ahoy the camp, Ronalt ye've git visitors!"

OOC: and that concludes the intro... feel free to make a final post and I'll make the appropriate one on the main thread.

Yew was grateful for the warm reception and accepted the early start as the natural order of things. He was particularly pleased to be moving swiftly in the company of a man who really knew his way round the countryside. Otis had impressed him with his quiet strength and competence, so Yew enjoyed the amiable silence of the journey while it lasted.

OOC: Thanks for the scenic tour with associated mystery and intrigue. It is great to have a solid back-story to build from. :o)