The girl answered "How about five silvers for helping my friend loa..." she could finish as a loud horn noise followed by a rider screaming "Soldiers of the alliance!! The prince orders you to go north to the marsh and join the assault on the fortress there!"

The owner then spoke "Save your pointless bluff for later lass". He turned to the staircase before yelling an order. "Waston! guard the fort! And don't let that brat leave!". At the same time many of the knights started to stand up and leave spare coins on the tables.

Another man stayed motionless, then reacted and ran outside "They are attacking the moathouse!! People of Hommlet they are going after the moathouse!!"

In reply to DM (msg # 29):

Dirk looks to the girl who did not finish her sentence then quickly to the crazed man rushing out to defend a moathouse.   Naturally he eyes the extra coin dropped on the table as he shifts his head to look.

Err, guys, we are um not in the Army nor have a fight in anything yet but and turns to the inn keeper (or barn that could be an in)  What is going n here good sir??

Raphim has the sinking feeling they were going to get swept up in political turmoil. Humans, he shook his head.

At the commotion, Rega's hand drifted out of habit toward the pommel of her scimitar.  She knew little of the customs here, but whether it was the orcs of the Pomarj or with the menfolk residing farther north along the Wild Coast ... it was more or less the same thing.

Someone wanted something that wasn't theirs to take, and force would be used to either see the deed done ... or to stop the attempt.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the scene unfold, but her concern had nothing to do with the hue and cry of the soldiers.  Rather her attention had been focused on the dispute between the innkeeper and the woman who was trying to leave.

She rose and made her way toward the woman.

"What's all this, then?"  She said, taking the woman by the arm as she attempted to brush past.

At the very minimum, I'm going to watch.

Grimbold drains his beer and leads the mule outside to get a feeling where everyone is going.

The knights started to step outside the barn, some of them began to quickly make a formation as they were joined by more of them coming from the camps North and East. However that wasn't the only movement, villagers started coming out of their homes carrying pitchforks and scythes. The same man that had been yelling around town was at the center of the angry crowd gathering. "People of Hommlet they are going after the Moathouse! This is our chance for revenge! Let's make those bastards pay!"


Inside the barn, things were as interesting.

Waston was clearly distressed by the madness around him. Hearing dirk ask just gave him a way to vent. "Those idiots are going to get themselves killed." He then turned towards the stairs "Specially him."

While this happened, Reda caught the half-elven girl by the arm. She was completely taken by surprise. Her eyes grew large with fear and she was completely paralyzed in shock.

Raphim didn't know the politics of these human settlements but could guess where this was headed. He quietly moved his hand to the osage-orange tree bow leaning against the table and whispered, "Who is attacking the moathouse, and should we help the villagers?"

In reply to Raphim (msg # 35):

Dirk looks to Weston "Weston, help us understand what in blue blazes is going on.  Who is the Alliance and what of your village militia - are we under siege and in the midst of a war?" then takes a sip of his drink watching the activity awaiting Westons answer.

Realizing that she had scared her, Rega relaxed her grip on the young girl.

"I wonder, what is it that you have done that the innkeeper would call for your capture?"  Her tone wasn't necessarily accusatory — Rega held little regard for the laws of man — but it wasn't altogether friendly either.

Weston answered to the kind patrons. "Please help them, the alliance troops are our saviors, but they could all get killed anyway. These bandits at the moathouse are dangerous. We are peaceful people, and I'm afraid that with the battle a few days back everybody has lot their minds and getting way over their heads."

Outside the angry mob began marching ahead of the troops that were still organizing by unit and under their different flags.

Seeing the teen under threat, the young man stopped moving barrels and ran towards Rega sickle in hand. "Hey let go of my partner!."

"Perhaps we should quietly explore the moathouse, see these bandits for ourselves," Raphim offered. And get a preemptive strike if we need to take them out.

Grimbold scratches his beard.

So are the Villagers happy about the knights attacking the moat house or angry?  I could not tell.

I do agree with Raphim in at least we should go and see if they will pay us to help.

OOC: Pick a text color and stick to it Raphim :-)

In reply to Grimbold (msg # 40):

Um, sure, lets go in front of an angry mob followed by military troops and take on a contingent of who knows what.

Grins, Lead on my friends there is an adventure somewhere mixed in this.

Turns to Ragar, Best you let her go and scamper with us before that one causes undue trouble.  pointing to the charging lad with a sickle

Rega turned toward the young man and regarded him coolly for a moment as he brandished his weapon.

"I meant no offense, lad."  She said dropping her hand from the young woman and resting it comfortably on the pommel of her scimitar.

"Where I come from, drawing blades without using them is poor form."

"Just so we both know what happens next,"  She glanced down at her still quite-sheathed blade.  "If mine comes free of its scabbard ... it will have blood."

"My people reside in the shadow of the Pomarj, see?  While you Oerdians have built your cities, the Flan still call the wild places home.  If the raiding orcs and marauding hobgoblins to the south haven't managed to scare us off ... one boy with a knife certainly won't."

She glanced at the curved blade of his sickle, and indicated it with a nod.  "I'd put it away if I were you.  It's not needed here."

She glanced calmly back at her own weapon. "Unless you decide that it is."

In reply to Rega (msg # 42):

Dirk scoots back away from Rega hhmmm, best I remember that to ma lady  snickers  lets go guys thars adventure brewing and treasure too  smiles  I hope.

The young man just snarked once the girl was far enough from Rega. "Well, I guess harassment isn't poor form then." He lowered the knife. "You are lucky we are surrounded by paladins."

The girl managed to calm down long enough to process and finally spoke. "Don't go around scaring people like that or something." She motioned "I thought you were a bounty hunter or something." She then turned to glance to all sides around "Not that I would have a bounty over my head or something..."

Weston finally ran to the area and made an effort to deescalate "Please, don't get mistaken. My boss and them were only negotiating a price for the ale. That's it"

At that point the owner of the place went back down the stairs, fully armored and armed. "Well, let's go hunt down these bandits."

Seraphel whispers to his companions "If I'm not back in five minutes, look for me west of here. I'm going to check on something that may interest us."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:09, Tue 18 June 2019.

Among Rega's people, women could speak for themselves, but her experience with these pasty and evasive Oerdians ... it appeared that it was not always the case.

To be honest ... the Flannae woman did not even particularly care what manner of foolishness or scam the pair had been attempting, her initial concern had been for the woman's wellbeing.  To ensure that she was not in some sort of trouble.

Rega's patience, however, had been sorely tested by this pair of miscreants.  Twice she had asked the woman a question, only to be ignored and have the young man answer in her place and then — insult stacked on top of injury — he thought it wise to threaten, or attempt to threaten at any rate, the ebon-skinned druidess.

The woman had distanced herself from Rega.  Fine, the druidess thought, her secrets can be her own.  At the very least, she seems capable of handling herself.

But when the lad had thought to part with a snarky comment — as if they were equals, or worse yet, as if he had been the one with the upper hand — Rega's patience had finally reached its end.

This could not stand.  A lesson was in order.

"Lucky?"  Rega asked, she spat the word out as if was distasteful.  "I already let you know where you stood, child, and yet you taunt me.  It is you who is lucky."

"Lucky that I am in teaching mood, instead of a vengeful one."  She said.

"The lesson begins ..."  She continued.  "You.  Will.  KNEEL."


As the words passed Vega's lips, a power shuddered through the room.  Rega had tapped into something within her.  A divine power.  Something old.  Something primal.  It emanated from her as ripples upon a pond.

The boy's knees buckled as she gave voice to her command, shaping the power into purpose.  Unable to resist, he dropped to the floor and found himself rooted to the spot, unable to rise.

Rega leaned in and cupped his chin with her free hand and spoke her next words very slowly through clenched teeth.

"I am a priestess of the Shalm — the Lord of Summer, and of all the wild and untamed places — and I will be spoken to with respect.  Are we understood?"

In reply to Rega (msg # 46):

Dirk mumbles as he stand back, Bitchen tough lass.  Note to self, she is always right.

The young man fell to his knees and was very angry despite following the magical command. He was surprised indeed, but his eyes remained defiant. He grunted as he was making an effort to resist and would have probably spoken back if he wasn't using all of his strength to fight back.

At the same time, the girl didn't stay silent. She yelled at Rega in a tone that reflected utter fear rather than confidence "What did we do to you?" She turned around "Help! She's gonna kill him or something!"

The owner of the place just smiled at the scene before leaving the place.

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Wed 26 June 2019.

Raphim watches to see if "troops" of villagers or any of the paladins are rushing off to the North? Then he will go back and report to his companions in the red barn.

"I tire of this noise."  Rega said, waving a dismissive hand at the young woman and removing her hand from her pommel.  Focusing inward, she released her magical hold of her would-be defender as well, returning to him his control over his limbs.


"Away child."  She said.  "Before my patience is lost."

The statuesque Flannnae woman turned toward her traveling companions.

"What do you make of this ruckus?"  She asked, indicating the knights and warriors that had been called to action.

"Knights, bandits, armies, sieges."  She shrugged.  "This town seems full of strife."

"And lots of it," Raphim looked around at the people milling about with concern and even fear. "Should we have a look at this bandit hideout? I believe it's to the north of here and it seems to be at the center of the problem."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Thu 27 June 2019.