The cloth looks to be part of a banner that was torn clean on purpose. It does look like it belongs to the family of Dylann.

Jadis, with Brutus in tow, begins to circle the sight, looking for tracks or signs. She tightens her scarf, grateful for the way it helps insulate her from the smell of charred flesh and the possibility of inhaling person ash.

Glancing over at Makarios, she shakes her head at the sight of the cloth. "Really? An intact piece of banner, cleanly cut off of and pointing directly towards a house?" She sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose, looking up at the sky. "Some days, I wonder what happened to subtlety."

Makarios counts the bodies, unless a few dozen have been dragged off the counts seems short from the Red Twin's description. And the men spiked, why do such a thing, they do have there rituals but you have never heard of such actions, its almost a display as if they wanted for everyone to see their work first hand.

"Where was this banner hidden? Perhaps we can tell which side were the Steiners."

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 58):

Makarios looks around and begins to think about this whole mess at hand. NO horses were did the horses go, looking for track they seemed to have been gathered but taken in that direction, opposite of were the large group in the fight had gone.

So that means the horses were taken and to a different location.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:29, Fri 06 June 2014.

In reply to Makarios Lestat (msg # 58):

Jadis shrugs "This smells like bullshit to me. There are so many inconsistencies that I'm leery of pursuing this further with the forces with have on hand." She points at the cloth, then at the two diverging routes "A Clue and two diverging routes. One to cast blame, the other to encourage a split of forces. I strongly advise that we finish looking over the dead, load them up and then withdraw for now and return home. Father will want to know about this. Given the size of our forces and that all the oddness going down, I think he'll want to make a more informed decision. She lowers her voice "And the banner should probably be hidden until it can be delivered directly to his hands."

One of the men that was riding with Ronan is seen heading from the road side direction to the field. His is riding hard and fast.

As soon as he gets close he yields out "Ronan has sent me you give you word. At the farm just beyond those woods we found a family that has a survivor." He looks over at the bodies then the smell begins to over come his senses, He keels over his horse and let out a nasty sound as he vomits out whatever was in his stomach. He wipes his month clean with the end of his shirt and pulls away form the bodies he's having trouble with the sight as he stare instead of finishing what he was going to say.

Having fairly easily confirmed that no survivors are to be found here, and quite sure that things are in capable hands Maester Archibald addresses the messenger, and offers him an easy out.

”When you say survivor do you mean someone wounded who survived or someone who avoided the conflict entirely, either way I think it would be best if you lead me back to that farm.”  Returning to the wagon he left just outside the immediate scene of destruction the Maester signals the driver to follow the scout and ducks into the back to check on his patient or do some preparation.

"Yes, Maester a boy about 10 years of age. The farmers found him under the bodies here on the field. Lord Ronan can explain the rest."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:03, Fri 06 June 2014.

Jadis says "We should rejoin the other party then." She nimbly hops into her steed's saddle. "Standing around here is just asking for an arrow."

Makarios frowns and grunts.

"Indeed, let us catch up with Master Kolwyn."

His dissatisfaction evident, he places the cloth bearing the Steiner coat of arms into his saddlebag.

The group mounts up and head out following the messenger to the farm which this boy was found.

The group leaves the field, one of the scouts speaks out to Makarios Lestat "should be not give them proper burials or maybe take them back or something?"

The group pauses for a moment to give the question thought.

Jadis shrugs. "The souls are gone. Whats left is just a husk. Tis best that they nourish the earth as it has nourished them." She gives the corpses an appraising look, then looks down at the ground. "Also, unless you want to stay around to pile up cairns over their graves, the coyotes will eat them anyways. And even if you pile up the rocks, the coyotes can be persistent bastards." She gestured at a wagon and gives a shrug "Whoever wants to see them buried, start stacking them up."

Makarios nods as Jadis speaks. "We must leave them. Master Ronan may wish to see them before we return and we may yet surprise the bandits if we leave them as they are. The desert will bury them for us soon enough."

The group follows the messenger and ride hard. The horses tear up the grassy field and head to a trail that leads to the farm. Once they clear a small crop of wooded area they see a pig farm. Outside the farm gathered around and tending to the horses are the rest of the men that set out on this quest. Only Ronan seems to be missing.

Jadis sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. Addressing one of the soldiers who followed her brother "Please tell me that Ronan is talking to survivor. Or did he do something stupid again?" She purses her lips and looks over the small farm, searching out signs of violence.

In reply to Jadis Sand (msg # 71):

There are no signs of violence, in fact there is little signs of much, even the pigs are a bit few and the only thing that stands out is the farm house that's old beaten and not well taken care of and then a smoke house.

Jadis shrugs, then stretches. "Well. I was expecting something more.. I guess we wait for Ronan to do.. whatever he's doing." She draws out a pack of cards "So, anyone for Dragon Poker?"

"This is madness are we going to just stand here outside. Master Ronan could have been killed in there" .... "or worse, drinking" Makarios dismounts and walks up to Jadis "Enter with me, ..."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:59, Fri 13 June 2014.

Jadis sighs and slides the deck back up her sleeves. Grabbing her quarterstaff, she gestures for several the soldiers to follow Makarios. She trots along behind them, with Brutus at her side. "You know he's probably drunk and busy jerking his ham, right?"

Makarios, Jadis and a few men enter the farm house. There's not much to the place, in the center is a table with a few chairs, to the far end a fireplace with a large black kettle and food cooking. There are 6 children of different ages and sizes standing to the side with their heads down and a man and woman standing by the table. Ronan is holding a cup and drinking one down. A young boy maybe 8 is standing between the farms and Ronan. Ronan is staring at the boy and the boy is clearly frightened beyond belief. The boy is much better dressed then the other children and doesn't look like one of the farmers.

The boy has blood stains on his cloths, as everyone enters the boy takes to a knee and begins to pleaded for his life "M'Lords, Lady please spare me, I beg you I just what to go home. "His is trembling in total fear, the sight of more armored men has set the boy into a panic. "I was just to help the cook, I'm a farmer boy and my father told me I had to go this them."

The boy looks more frighten by Jadis then anyone else, "I understand priestess, I know the fire is stronger." The boy sounds delirious as he speaks directly to Jadis as if she was leading the men.

Looking back a Ronan "M'Lord I told you everything." He starts to cry noisily, and then begins to have a hard time breathings and takes deep breaths.

"Nice to see you joined us" as Ronan stands from the table. Putting his left hand on the boy's head "He says he is from the north of here less then 2 days travel. .... isn't that rite boy.?. .... He was the cooks apprentice and was with soldiers patrolling these areas." Stroking the boy's hair now .... "5 nights ago they were attacked by a large number, they over took them under a banner the boy described as a burning heart, .... that's what you said rite boy.?.," as he nods, crying.

In Ronan's hand he holds a dagger it has the mark of Dylann's balcksmith, (for a moment it looked as if he was going to cut the boys throat)
"this boy and the men on the field are from House Dylann at lest that's what the dagger says, so if they are the solider then the Red Twins were the bandits. ..... We've been lead on a wild chase."

Waiting for the armored men to clear the door before he joins them Maester Archibald does not wait much longer than it takes to assess the situation before he passes forward between the now unnecessary guards to address Ronan directly.

”Thank you for securing this information for us, now perhaps it would be best if we put some of the blades away, unless you have a use for it I will keep the dagger to examine later and I think everyone in armor should step outside while I make an honest effort to get to the bottom of this wild chase since we have bothered to come all this way.  If you can spare a messenger you should send one back to the castle immediately to let them know we would like to be able to speak to the twins again upon our return if they can be convinced to stay that long.”

Not quite prying Ronan's hand off the boy's head the Maester's insistent hands do however make an effort to separate the boy from such an obvious agitation as he kneels down to offer the boy something to drink from a flask. ”This drink will help you calm down, now that you are safe that can only help.”

"I have what I can here for,  ... men clear out, ... allow Maester to perform his duties." Ronan is excited, "Maester is right, .... Makarios send your fastest scout back, tell my father to keep those Red Twin bastards there for as long as they can. Tell him everything you saw here and that we have proof that they have given false testimonies."


"Maester Archibald you have some time, not much .... do what you need to do and we leave within the hour"


Ronan stops at the door and looks back at the boy then Archibald, "Our prisoner has he died yet?" his voice is somewhat condescending and cruel. Ronan has little tack when it comes to these things.

Offering Ronan a nod in thanks for accepting his advice so graciously Maester Archibald spares the man a moment longer to address his question.

”He has not yet, it would be best if none enter the wagon as any amount of disruption may change that outcome, I will be done here within the hour one way or another.”