"Ehhhh. Me, only a bit, my tribe was different, our ancestral blood allows me to change for the better only slightly. But there are werewolves in these woods, I can smell it. We have yet to run into anyone that fits the bill, though there are two wolf hunters I have seen in the inn that may know more. I have thought about seeking them out, perhaps I will after the festival."

Elma watches the back and forth, shoots Jia a small, knowing smile when she catches her eye and eventually adds to the moment. "I've heard of wereravens, they're generally pretty good people, yeah? I mean, your average wereboar is incredibly unpleasant, and the wolves are more of a mix, but the ravens are on the good side of things, right?" She nods, hardly waiting for a reply. "I'm glad we made that deal with them, though that does go pretty far to explain why they were being evasive earlier."

“They are under duress at the moment. I would say more, but not everyone in this room can be trusted with that information.” Jia’s tone implied that she didn’t mean Elma or Minty.

Minty looks at Chokahr as if weighing him up. Or his words.

She then nods and, as Elma speaks, seems to shrink back into the shadows on the wall. She shares a brief smile with Jia.

Chokahr shot Jun Jia a look. "Hell does that mean? I was the one who...oh yeah...the Stone of Golorr...you're not still mad about that are you?"

“I mean that one of us expressed respect, perhaps even admiration, of the monster responsible for the suffering of the people of this land. You just betrayed the people who’ve risked their lives to aid us. I won’t give you any opportunity to betray them again.”

Ceila groaned as Chokhar talked.  How did he do it?  How?

"Is discretion something you can learn, ever?" she sighed.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:39, Tue 28 June 2022.

Elma watches with keen interest, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Are they going to fight, here? Now? She glances around the room, making sure to note where the furniture is so she can have something to hide behind if there's a brawl in her room. She didn't want to get involved in a spat she didn't know anything about, but it seems like the women may have the right of the matter on their side.

Chokahr respected Jun Jia and Ceila, they were amazing warriors and they saved his life more than once. He had no clue what they were talking about, once again, probably just a misunderstanding chalked up to cultural differences.

Of course he didn't have the intelligence to say that.

Instead he just put his hands up, "Fuck me, just calm down. Is it that time of the month for you or what? You gotta argue every chance you get."

Minty watches, ready to use Mage Hand to undo Chokahr's laces or belt buckle or somesuch.

“Never do we need our intelligence more than when a fool asks us a question,”Jun Jia said as she stared at Chokhar.

Chokahr stood and bowed to Elma and Minty, "Sorry."

Then he sauntered to the door.

"Chokhar, we are in a dangerous place, in public," said Ceila.  "This is the time to NOT talk about secrets.  Can't you understand that at all?"

The pressure point probably past, Minty examines her nails.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:54, Sat 02 July 2022.

Vyktor wasn't quite sure how the conversation had gone sideways so quickly, but with Chokahr involved it was probably a safe guess that something he said was not well-taken with the others.

"Please, let's back up a bit. Yes, Chokahr and I have been feeling rather well-spent the last little while. It's one thing to have one's life flash before one's eyes, but then to have it pass the present and age prematurely..." he shuddered. "We'll be more careful about what we say, won't we my friend?" He gave the barbarian a stern nod.

"As for this Stra-..." he cut himself short as the eyes of everyone in the room went suddenly wide. "...that is, the so-called Lord of this nightmarish land, I was initially dubious of his power, influence and purported evil nature. But now... well I've had several things happen in the short time since my exile that are beginning to convince me otherwise."

"But where are my manners? Ladies, I am Vyktor of Rosewylde, a rather large holding near the northern city of Vaikus. I must admit I've never heard of any of the places you all speak of, and I'd thought my tutelage in geography as a youth to be sufficiently adequate. I suppose it's possible I might be from an entirely different continent? Or even another world..." He trailed off thoughtfully.

"I was a Falcon Knight in the Vaikusian army. Court intrigues instigated a narrative in which I was framed as a traitor to my Order and a threat to the City-State by means of espionage. I admit to serving as a spy, but on behalf of Vaikus... not against Her. My title and lands and family name afforded me a trial, but the powers against me dared not risk certain revelations coming to light. It was decided that I should be exiled as battlefield dictum could produce for them a desirable outcome without the public spectacle which might not turn out in their favor. I've been stripped of everything. I am landless, titleless, and without my spurs. But the worst... is that I do not know what they've done with... Her..."

At that point Vyktor made an effort to clear his throat, which had become quite constricted with grief and anger. He turned away to hide the glistening in his eyes.

"So I find myself here. A place where none of that means anything. My goals are simple: I mean to establish myself here, and eventually return to my own realm with strength, riches and power. Then I will restore my honor and... shed light upon those who conspired against me!"

Having gotten his sentiments once more under his command, he turned to face those gathered. "If I can help the rest of you return to your own lands, I am at your service. I may no longer wear the spurs of a Falcon Knight, I may no longer set astride a gryphon to fight my battles, but I am certainly possessed of a mind to fight against the darkness of horror and suffering no matter what realm those bastards try to send me to!"

Looking up from her nails Minty nods. Feeling of sympathy resonate within her.

"I'll help you as best I can," said Ceila.  "...I'm no knight, and never was.  I'm just a poor bastard born in a brothel in a city no one here knows, but I chose to fight for justice-- to strike a blow against the bastards who grind the poor down, who press their faces in the muck and tell them that they deserve it.  And to raise up the ones pressed into the muck, as well.  But perhaps a knight can still be helped by a bastard whore's get."

Elma watches each person speak, paying close attention to the reactions of the others in the room before piping in herself. "So, are we working together now, thrown in with each other due to the dangers in the land with the long-term goal of fixing the problem and getting back home?" She chuckles a bit. "It's one thing to write the songs and stories and epic poems, it's quite another to live it. This is going to be interesting."

She stands, moving away from the wall while uncrossing her arms. "So now we prepare for tomorrow. Minty and I will set up in the main town square, yes? Then you all can do some digging and find out more while I've got some people distracted."

Chokahr thudded his big head against the wall next to the door, his hand was on the knob and he slowly turned, "Sorry. I figured we could trust them. See you in the morning."

Without looking back he left the room.

“I am willing to trust you,” Jun Jia said after Chokhar left. She looked at both women with a gentle smile. “My rebuke of Chokhar was not intended to tell you otherwise. Allies who helped us trusted us with a secret. It is a secret to tell at their time of choosing, not mine or his.”

The Festival would begin soon, though, and they needed to plan. “I doubt that the vampires will disturb the Festival, but we will meet them again. Elma. Minty. Do either of you know their weaknesses? We learned of their toughness the hard way.”

"I know a little bit, but all that is from my area..." Elma shrugs, "I don't know what, if anything, translates to this place." She takes a breath and shakes her head, "No, if the ruler of this land is a vampire, then his kiss would likely be stronger than anything I've seen out and about." She chuckles a bit, "I don't even know if they call them that here, would they use brood? Or nest?"

Her smile fades a bit, "I'm not expecting the vampires to attack the festival, but I do think that the leadership of this town has to be dealt with. There's one who technically opposes this leader, but whatever efforts he is making is destroying the place. There's a woman who is in league with the leader, but I know nothing of her methods or goals. Is there even a third option?" She meets Jia's eyes. "Political grandstanding aside, the situation on the ground with the citizens is what makes you a good or a bad ruler. I don't know what it's like in other cities in this land, but if the burgomaster of this town is making life harder during difficult circumstances then he must be replaced. I hope to get his attention and talk with him, or at least distract him so you all can learn more about him." She looks over at Minty, "Break into his house or something? Dig through his papers, find any skeletons in his closets?"

“This I can tell you. The people of this village will not be better off under the vampire lord of this land.” Jia sighed. She felt yet another difficult decision ahead. Support a madman who forced his will upon beleaguered people? Support his wife, who  swore allegiance to a vile monster with a rapacious appetite for death and destruction? Misery seemed ensured either way.

Unless, as their new companion said, a third way was available?

“We must meet them both before any decision can truly be made. Vampires, though. What were their weaknesses in your land? Those vulnerabilities may yet occur here, too, in the Land of Mists.”
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Wed 06 July 2022.

"Is there a third candidate?" Ceila asked.  "Someone else who could take leadership here, who would do right by the people?  That's what we need."

It was much more true to her oath to tear the corrupt system down, after all.

“Why not Danika or Urvin?”

Minty listens as the story unfolds, but stiull has part of her attention on the entrance.