In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 897):

"Involved in?" the boy repeats, clearly not understanding the question.  "I don't know what yer meaning is.  I run into Keller a while back, seemed a good guy, sharing type you know?  He let me stay at his place and would always have enough bread and whatnot to share.  Asked me to help with some work is all.  A couple Nor traders purses too heavy for their belts, that sort!  I swear it!"

In reply to GM (msg # 899):


The poor boy is stammering scared now:

"Hold?  I swear you lot don't make half sense, you from the shore maybe?  I can show you where Keller lived, just let me go!  Shouldn't be anyone there now after..." he looks to the two corpses, "I mean, maybe Bill and Jack were headed that way?  My pals that run I mean."

"You get your jollies out of making boys piss themselves or something?" Ciryl asks from his position away from the interrogation, his expression a mix of disapproval and boredom, "The one with answers is clearly oozing them all over the ground.  Just clean out his pockets and let the boy go.  Maybe he'll look for honest work, if he's got a brain in his head.  Not every highwayman is part of a grand conspiracy you know."

In reply to GM (msg # 900):


AAAAHHHHH and that is where you are wrong Ciryl.  I do believe he is part of a grander conspiracy.  He just doesn't know it.

Titus comes back to soothe the child.  Playing good cop as it were.  He pulls out his knife and makes to cut the boy free, looking to Brennan and will stop if any indication is given.

We're from all over.

He says now starting to match his speech pattern to the boy's.

Does Keller's boss live in ducktown?  There you go...

He says as he helps the boy to his feet, rubbing his wrists to get the circulation back in them.

Stomp your feet.  It'll get rid of the pins and needles.  He says fitting action to words.

You ever see Keller's boss?  Ever talk to him?

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 902):

"Boss?  No, Keller never said 'boss', jess said he helped out another guy 'round Ducktown.  Sounded like a real well-to-do sort, thought maybe I could get in good, tell the ladies at the Cask n' Flagon I had me a real job but..."

The boy rubs his wrists and looks genuinely terrified that you'll shoot him in the back if he turns to leave.

In reply to GM (msg # 903):

Titus continues letting his personality slip more and more in line with the boy's.  He puts his arm around him and starts walking down the road.

Then take us to Ducktown!  We were heading there anyway, and its high time you got home.  Tell me about the town.  Each town has its own... spirit, as it were. 

He clunks the beat up lute in its protective case.

Knowing a town's spirit can mean the difference between a warm fire, food in your belly and pockets lined with copper and a cold hungry night.  Tell me all you know about all the well-to-do in town.  Any of them partial to music?  Stories?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Mon 16 Oct 2017.

"If he doesn't know then he's hardly a part, is he?" Ciryl replies, rolling his eyes, "You ever consider getting an actual real job, boy?  Apprenticeship or the like?  Deft hands are as good for a craftsman as a pickpocket."

In reply to Ciryl Fontaine (msg # 905):

Or a musician, or a performer.

Titus adds over his shoulder.

Whats yer name?  Can't just go about calling you boy, can I?!

Hey you like magic tricks?   

In reply to GM (msg # 903):


"The tattoos are written in Fel, Cyril. There IS a conspiracy afoot, even if he doesn't know it."

He turns to the now-freed boy.

"It's only a couple hours, you said? You can return to Ducktown with us. Show us where Keller lived, and where we might be able to meet with this well-to-do fellow you speak of. Tell us what you know of him while we travel, if you can."

Brennan looks up at the sky for a moment, then back at the boy.

"After that, if you behave, we'll part ways without trouble. You can tell the ladies you're the only one who didn't run in terror when Keller's luck ran out. We won't tell them you were captured if you don't..."

He nods at Titus and Cyril.

"I would agree with them that plying an honest trade is better than being a highwayman. Safer, too."

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 907):

"I..."

Despite your best efforts, the boy continues to pay much more attention to your weapons and the slaughter on the road than your words.

"Take you to Ducktown?  I... if you want... if you'll let me go after!"

In reply to GM (msg # 908):

"Let's get to it."

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 909):

The boy nods enthusiastically and wipes gobs of snot from his nose with a dirty sleeve.

"Sure thing!  Easy to do!  Follow me!"

He begins a halting jog along the trail, looking furiously over his shoulder every so often.

He doesn't try to lose you, but it's apparent that if you were to stop he would make a break for it.

Between you, it's easy enough to keep tabs on him while moving slow enough for the horses and Ciryl's mule-led cart.

In reply to GM (msg # 910):

Titus keeps easy pace right at the boy's shoulder and manages to keep up a conversation with him.  He tries to be friendly and pull as much information about the town as he can.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 911):

Brennan keeps an eye on the boy and his bow near at hand. If the lad DOES make a break for it, he's ready to shoot him down.

Ciryl is unconcerned with the boy, steering his mule apparently taking higher priority than scared teenagers.

In reply to Ciryl Fontaine (msg # 913):

Your odd procession of nervous prisoner, hardened mercenaries, and meandering sales wagon continues along the road for a couple hours before the trees give way and you find yourself looking down a gentle slope over an enormous lake.

The low hanging sun glistens on the still water, broken only by numerous tiny fishing boats.

"DuckTown" your guide notes, pointing down the road.  A mile or so distant, you can make out a low wooden pallisade and numerous wooden buildings that extend onto long docks over the water.

"Keller's place is there," he adds, pointing off to the left.

You see that the road forks before it reaches the water, the main road leading to the right along the lake toward DuckTown, the smaller branch leading in the opposite direction.  Off in the direction he points, you see there are several small clusters of huts all along the lake.

In reply to GM (msg # 914):

Ciryl if you want to continue into town, I know that I'm dying to check out keller's place.  We will meet you there shortly.

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 915):

He adds to the boy

Do you know where the others live?

In reply to Titus Blackwell (msg # 916):

"I agree, we need to head off those who escaped before they can rally support at Keller's place. After we're sure there won't be a mob coming at us, we can proceed into the village proper."

He lowers his voice somewhat.

"We need to speak with Keller's wealthy patron rather...urgently."

"Fine with me. You buys rout the frightened children, I'll do some work." Ciryl replies from the back of the company.

In reply to Ciryl Fontaine (msg # 918):

"The 'frightened children' are inked with demonic tattoos and wanted to bury an axe in your head," Brennan replies, his patience with the ungrateful merchant clearly shot. "I'll note that we haven't charged you for our services, AND we allowed you to partake in the looting that was to be our compensation. You're welcome, incidentally, for the assist."

"They don't know what the scrawl even means, and didn't want to put an axe in me until you threatened to kill them.  You really think the other two have more answers than this one?  Like I said, all your answers bled out on the ground once that lad's skull opened up." Ciryl harrumphs at Brennan, "You'd do better looking for your mystery employer yourself than chasing ghosts. And if you want three coins and a brass ring you can have them, you lot seemed to have more pressing matters getting the lad to wet himself," he pulls the aforementioned coins and jewelry out of his picket and tosses them at Brennan distastefully. "Wouldn't even know about your demon nonsense if I hadn't said something," he grumbles, pulling his wagon toward the town.

In reply to Ciryl Fontaine (msg # 920):

"They were absolutely going to put an axe in your head before we came along. Or did you think they really did just want a little medicine?"

"There may be answers in Keller's home," Brennan says, ignoring the ring and the coins entirely. "I'm going to find out."

Ciryl stops and turns to face Brennan, "They were going to try and rob me, but they didn't know what half my supplies are even good for, at best.  If they'd killed me they'd get a mule hardly worth the effort and a cart worth nothing unless they found another alchemist but even then it's more likely they'd be cheated out of any real money and I'd have told them so if they so much as drew a blade.  I don't wander the north in the middle of a rebellion alone because I am a fool." Ciryl states sternly before waving to the collection of huts, "Go sack the dead man's house.  I hope you do find something.  Very much doubt your demon cult has anything else among the shacks."

In reply to Brennan Otthild (msg # 921):

Bryce, watch him.

Titus says as the conversation heats up.  Once Bryce is near the boy he tries to calm down the conversation between the two.

Ciryl, we are not menacing the boy for no reason.  Actually, I have tried to befriend him and learn of this town the whole way here.  He is scared and doesn't know any better.  We know a lot that you don't currently, and he *nod to Brennan* is extremely thorough.

I agree that the members don't know anything, but it is always possible that they have something that is of more import than they understand.  Just like the tattoos, they have them not knowing what they are.  A book, a peice of paper, a drawing can be a clue.  Also we get a name and then we go from there.

Look I don't want us to start out this way, but you need to understand that there is significant demonic influence that is occuring.  Some of it is tied to your...our powers.
  If you want answers these are the threads we are left pulling at.

Also a thank you would have been nice.

Ciryl pulls away and he says

We will reconvene in town.  Lets let tempers cool some. 
This message was last edited by the player at 15:29, Wed 18 Oct 2017.