Henri is visited at the manor by the messenger that set off after the man that was swept away by the river ealier in the day. A servant introduces the messenger that enters the small chamber where Henri currently sits. The gangly, blond man stops before the knight and bows deeply. "Seigneur de Lyon, I have come to report. Seigneuresse de Trencavel informed me that you will be handling the fallout from the situration by the bridge earlier."
This message was last updated by the GM at 18:13, Sun 16 Oct 2022.

Henri stands and nods to the messenger, taking a swig of his wine as the man mentions the situation. "Aye, I will be handling the situation. Did you find the other man?" he asks, leaving the alternative unspoken.

The messenger nods. "Yes, seigneur, I did. Some men fished him out of the river down by the mill, alive but badly spent. He was unconscious when I left him in the care of the millers daughters."

In reply to Referee (msg # 3):

"I'm glad to hear he is alive. I will need to go speak with him when he is conscious. How bad were his injuries?" Henri asks, taking a sip of wine.

"Not bad, I think. Some bruises but mainly that he had swallowed half the river. He was lucky one of the millers boys knew what to do." The man bows. "That's what I know, Seigneur. Would there be anything else?"

In reply to Referee (msg # 5):

"I'm glad to hear that as well," Henri says. "I think I'd like to speak to him as well, whenever he is conscious, if you wouldn't mind letting me know?"

The messenger promises to see to that Henri will get an update of the mans condition and then take his leave.

There is no telling how long the mans recovery (if he will indeed recover) will take. What do you do in the meantime?

In reply to Referee (msg # 7):

"Thank you, sir. That is all I can ask for."
OOC: I'm not totally sure, to be honest - my main thing was going to be to investigate the man's condition when he wakes up.

You've been lounging all day and the sunset is perhaps an hour away, still no news about the man. A maid pops in to inform you that supper will be served in a few hours in the grand hall. Also a letter from your husband have arrived, not adressed to you personally but the Seigneuresse would like to see you when you have a moment.

In reply to Referee (msg # 9):

Henri will go to the great hall and would speak to the Signeuresse, amd would like to get the letter.

Henri makes his way to a small antechamber where Lady de Trencavel sits by a small table. She greets him and bids him to join her, motioning to an empty chair.

In reply to Referee (msg # 11):

Henri bows before the Lady, taking a seat in the empty chair. "My lady, I am sorry for the brief delay. I had several things to speak to you about. I also heard from one of the maids there was a letter from my lord husband?"

Emma sips her tea and watches Henri for a moment, then sets her cup down, picks a letter up from the table and hands it to Henri. "It is not for you, but you may read it", she says. The letter is brief and you recognize the seal of your husband, Pierre de Lyon. The letter is a simple request for some knights and fighting men to help with a band of brigands terorizing the roads between Saint Volusien and Lavelanet. It ends with a short line asking the lady to send his regards to his dear husband in the hopes that the will soon see each other again.

"I just thought you should know that your husband is alive and well", she explains.

In reply to Emma de Trencavel (msg # 13):

Henri nods to the Lady, offering a warm (if slightly sad) smile. "My lady, if you would grant me leave, I would like to help Pierre and the other knights with the bandits. I know not when the victim of the attack will wake, but you have my word that when he wakes, you will be the first to know."

Emma shakes her head. "I need you here. There is something sinister afoot and I don't like it. I need every able hand I can muster here for the next few days." She takes a sip from her cup of tea. "Have you found out anything about what happened at the bridge?"

In reply to Emma de Trencavel (msg # 15):

Henri nods, but can't help but silently long for his husband. "I understand, my lady. And yes, I did find out a bit more, though it is not much. The victim is alive, and was saved by several men at the mill. The messenger we had sent left him in the care of the miller's daughters. I asked him to let me know when he was awake."

She nods. "Very well. Meanwhile you could go to the gaol and see what the offender has to say about his actions." She glances out the window. "There is still some time before sunset, I think," she says and subtly hints that the audience is over.

I would like you to try and be a little proactive in your posts if possible, aim to move the story forward rather than just wait for something to happen. One of the goals with this game is for it to be player driven. Not a sandbox necessarily but I'd like you all to contribute to the plot in some way.

Henri nods, getting up from his seat with a bow. "I understand, my lady, and will speak to him at once. I meant no offense with wanting to assist my husband." Henri will then make his way to speak with the perpetrator in the dungeon.

OOC: No worries, sorry my posts weren't more active.

Henri makes his way to the town gaol, a small one storey stone structure with three rooms, two of which are used as cells. The prévôtal opens the door into one of the cells. It is small but not too uncomfortable with a straw bed, a table and a chair. Henri finds the young man -Piers- siting at the table eating a suprisingly hearthy supper.

Henri makes his way into the cell, taking a seat across from Piers. "I suppose you know why I'm here, so let's get started, but in case it wasn't clear - I'm here to simply gather the information. Tell me what happened - from the very beginning." He keeps his voice calm, but stern at the same time.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:49, Sun 03 Sept 2023.

The boy stands before the knight, his young face a mixture of fear and confusion. He fidgets nervously with his tunic, avoiding the knight's piercing gaze. His voice trembles as he tries to make sense of his own actions. "I... I don't know, seigneur. I can't remember. It's all a blur, like a dream."

Henri nods as the lad seems terrified. "I don't want to see any harm come to you, lad," he says, "but I have to assume you intended to kill the miller's son otherwise. I seem to remember there was an argument between you two before? Why don't we start there."

He hesitates. "Miller's son? As I said, I don't know," he says at last. "I don't remember. Me mam came by and asked me much the same and told me what ev'ryone s' gossiping, that I pushed Guarin off the bridge." Young Piers seem very distressed. "I know him well, he's my neighbour, I would nae ever do sumthing like that, honest."

The boy seems sincere enough.

OOC: You may roll Perception or Streetwise to glean further details from the boy.

OOC: Sorry for the delay, came down with something.
14:45, Mon 11 Sept: Henri de Lyon rolled 44 using 1d100 with rolls of 44.  Perception 28.


Henri raises a brow at the man, though listens intently. He raises a brow at Piers saying he'd never do something like that.

"Aye, the miller's son. While I'm sure there will be others who will wish to speak to you about what's happened, I can't say what they'd want to have happen. I'll try to be back as quickly as I can." He will speak to Lady Emma about this.

Henri does not notice anything out of the ordinary. The boy seems sincere that he doesn't remember anything.

OOC: The man that was pushed isn't the millers son, he just washed up near the mill and the millers took him in.

OOC: I'm going to spare you some time here, if you go back to the mansion Emma just asks you to visit the mill to see about the man that was pushed. She wants you to find out what happened and why.

Henri would make his way down to the mill, knocking on the door and waiting before he asks to speak with the miller's son.

Henri approaches the mill in the fading dusk and there is an eerie quiet enveloping the surroundings. The remaining sunlight filters through the trees, casting long, haunting shadows. The only sound except from Henris own footsteps in the mud is the rushing of the nearby water, a constant murmuring whispering secrets of the night to come.

As he follows the muddy footprints toward the mill, the oppressive quiet intensifies, creating an ominous atmosphere that raises the hairs on the back of his neck and the foreboding sense that something is profoundly amiss grows stronger with each step.

Henri keeps his hand by his sword as he makes his way towards the mill. While he highly doubted anything was happening, everything felt... off, somehow. He couldn't explain it - but something in his gut said there was a threat. He knocks on the door, keeping his eyes open for anyone - or anything - that might attack.


16:37, Today: Henri de Lyon rolled 17 using 1d100.  Perception 28.

Henri knocks on the door to the dwelling house. No one answers but the door creaks slightly ajar, about a foot and then abrubtly stops like it hit something on the inside. It is silent like the grave but you catch a faint odor of something that makes your nose twitch. You have smelt this before.

It is the smell of death.

As soon as the rancid stench of death hits his nose, Henri immediately draws his sword, keeping it up as he makes his way into the mill. None of this felt right - had the boy died? How many had died? It sent chills down his spine.

Henri carefully makes his way into the gloom inside the dwelling house next to the mill itself. The fire in the stove has died down but there is some light from the new moon spilling through the narrow opening. He pushes the door open to find the bodies of a woman and a man sprawled across the floor. There is blood everywhere and it looks like they were torn apart by a wild beast.

When Henri pauses he can hear the ragged breath of someone struggling for air behind an upturned table further inside. It is too dark to see any details from where he now is closer by the door.

Henri feels his stomach drop as he comes across the mauled bodies. He silently prays for the family here, and when he hears the ragged breath he makes his way closer to the sound.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he softly asks, his eyes darting around the room.

OOC: What should I roll to try to hear the voice/breath?
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:05, Sun 05 Nov 2023.

Henri slowly looks over the upturned table and immediately recognizes the man that was pushed off the bridge earlier in the day. He is unconscious, arms across his chest. It seems as though he is sleeping but his breath is ragged, eyes darts around under the closed lids and he looks... different. The man is still nondescript with dark hair and a shaggy beard but certainly his eyebrows wasn't this bushy? They almost grow together over the bridge of the nose.

What stands out more immediately though is the blood around the mans mouth, hands and splattered all over his clothing.

Henri keeps his eyes focused on the man as he approaches, tightly gripping his blade. And then he saw the man with the blood all over him. Bile fills his throat as he approaches, keeping his gaze on the bushy man.

"Sir... what happened here?" he asks, gulping softly.

There is no reply but for a slight twitch in the mans hands.

As the man's hands twitch, Henri grips his sword tighter. "Sir, what happened here?" he asks again, louder this time, all the while silently praying.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:05, Thu 30 Nov 2023.

There is no reply.

OOC: You can roll Healing, if you want, to try and assess the mans condition better.

In reply to Referee (msg # 38):

Henri simply grips his sword. "Sir, if you have no answer, I'll need you to come with me." He keeps his distance.

OOC: I don't have anything in healing.

The man is deaf to the knights commands. Henri may not be a surgeon but it is clear the man is not well. Whatever it is that is ailing him remains an enigma. Everything is silent apart from the man's ragged breathing and the sound of the river outside. The smell of iron in the blood of the millers is strong in your nostrils.

Suddenly a wolf howls somewhere in the distance, shortly followed by additional howls. Henri remembers that people have mentioned the pack of wolves that roam the mountains.

In reply to Referee (msg # 40):

Henri grips his sword more tightly as he hears the howls echoing in the distance. "Stay here, sir. I'm going to see how close those wolves are, and if they're heading this way," the knight says, heading out with his torch.

The light of Henris torch doesn't reveal anything special apart from the small yard in front of the house, the mill and some outhouses. There's a narrow path leading up slope into the woods by the mountain side, perhaps to a neighbor.

There are no wolves in sight but he can hear a few more howls, quite a way off by the sound,  before they fall silent.

Henri returns to the house, his eyes glancing around before he approaches. "Sir, you're in need of aid, and badly. I need you to stay here - I will return with a healer shortly. Please, stay here - you're hardly breathing as is, and I don't want to see you die from injury." He watches the man to see if he approves. What possibly could have happened that led to this?

The man doesn't react to Henris voice.

OOC: I'm going to cut here and move the game forward. You ride back to the manor and have someone go get the man, bringing him to the monastery. You'll get a nights (good?) sleep and in the next thread it'll be next morning.

In reply to Referee (msg # 44):

OOC: No worries, sounds good. I'm assuming it's the one where Henri's little brother is?