poland ♔ you keep a lot of secrets and i keep none

[reallywicked]

WHO || Faye, Taradiddle, Aedan, Cora, Kenzi [closed]
WHAT || the knights hope to assist a village with a witch problem
WHERE || Aurasburg, Poland
WHEN || Feb 4th, 2015 [backdated]
HOW || actionspam

The Knights arrive in Aursaburg to help the villagers with a problem they've been having with a local witch. The little village seems fairly quiet, but the team would be able to hear some rather heated words spoken a bit down the road from them. It escalates to shouting in a hurry, with the most noticeable word of the bunch being 'witch.' Faye glances at the others, realizing that oh shit- I'm in charge. Squaring her shoulders, she gestures for the group to follow her down the road.

"Sounds like our cue." Whatever is going on in this town seems to be happening thatta way.

Comments

[morethanasidekick]

[Continuing in her role as least useful team member on a mission, Kenzi gives the place a cursory 'glance' (7), probably because there doesn't look like there's anything worth 'borrowing' here. She also doesn't hear shit because she's humming the theme song to Knight Rider. (Lis. 8.).]

[reallywicked]

[Aedan climbs up the ladder with incredible ease. As he reaches the top, he would see a small living space that is most likely the missing girl's personal space. There are drawings pinned up on the walls, a few personal items scattered throughout, and a small bed. It's within the blankets that he would see another rustle.]

[ex_noble101]

[Aedan clears his throat some in case there is a naked girl under there but if that doesn't work...

Well what better way to respond in this situation than by being a total creeper and pulling the blaket to uncover who/what is underneath?

Which he does. o_o]

[reallywicked]

[Sorry Aedan. No naked girls under here. The strategic lumpy blanket was merely hiding a tabby cat that jumps out when the blanket shifts, looking up at him with eyes that seem more intelligent than one might expect from a pet.

Down below, Faye lets out a long sigh. She's so put out by the time this is taking apparently.]

Anything up there?

[ex_noble101]

[Well his total wisdom roll amounted to less than ten so if there's more going on behind those feline eyes he, doesn't actually take note of it. /dumb as rocks.

Instead, he calls back down to Cora and the lovely but impatient Faye--]

It's only a cat.

[impetere]

[Her eyebrows go up a bit and she follows Aedan up the stairs (climb 18) to get a look at the cat. Cora, however, doesn't miss the obvious, especially when it's a look she's seen in the eyes of some of the animals around the castle (wisdom 21). She smiles softly at the cat before reaching her hand out for the cat to scent and hoping it's not put off by the scent of wolf (handle animal 19).]

Maybe it's her familiar?

[ex_noble101]

Why would she have left it behind? [At least dumb people ask the dumb questions.]

[reallywicked]

[The cat sniffs at Cora's hand, looking up at her almost suspiciously before stepping forward and rubbing its cheek against Cora's hand. You can stay.]

I leave my familiar at the castle all the time. If I think it could get too dangerous? I'm not sacrificing her for the cause. [Here's some witchy insight for you.

"She would have taken him with her, but she was forced to flee too soon. I barely convinced her to take a loaf of bread, let alone Malphaset." Sadel comes back with some things, tied up in a blanket like she's packing for a hobo. Which she kind of is.

"Take him with you, I beg of you. He's an infernal nuisance sometimes- especially without her here to pay him mind." Faye shrugs, clearly not bothered by the addition to their party, especially if it gets them a step closer to figuring out if this Autumn girl is the witch in question.]

Sure, sounds good. [A+ team leadering.] So where are we going anyway?

["There's an old mine just outside of town. She's hiding there. Take the south road, about a mile's walk."]

[impetere]

[That's all Cora needs to hear. She'll reach down to scoop up Malphaset in her arms and make her way back down the ladder. Sup, new kitty friend, let's go find your master.]

Is there anything else you want us to tell her?

[reallywicked]

["Just that I love her. And that I'm sorry I couldn't protect her from this."

Faye looks mildly uncomfortable because she's currently on the outs with her own maternal figure.]

Got it. Let's go.

[And with that, she will head outside.]

[ex_noble101]

[Aedan follows after Cora. He doesn't really see much reason to linger any longer. But since he is a fucking gentleman I guess he will be doing the heavy lifting so any supplies that Sadel planned on having them deliver to her daughter will be carried by him. Let's blow this popsicle stand tbh.]

[impetere]

[Cora will follow with her kitty friend, her fingers stroking gently under the cat's chin to keep Malphaset calm and collected as they walk, since they're clearly going to be doing it a while.]

[morethanasidekick]

[And Kenzi too, and everyone should be pleased to know that all objects actually remain inside the house. A+ not stealing shit for Kenzi. (WS 21).]

[reallywicked]

[As they walk, Faye glances at her teammates.]

So do you guys buy it? I mean this Autumn has magic, but her mom thinks it isn't her?

[Faye isn't sure if they can rule out this chick being the big bad witch.]

[impetere]

She believes it.

[But that only carries so much weight. The woman is Autumn's mother, that means she's naturally inclined to give her daughter the benefit of the doubt.]

But we're probably not going to know one way or another until we talk to Autumn herself. If she's lived here her whole life, it does beg the question of why she'd start attacking the villagers in the first place.

[Basically, does Autumn have a motive or not?]

[godblessyou]

It's a small town. I'd probably snap and start attacking people if I had to live here my whole life. [Helpful comments with Taradiddle time.] Buuuut those guys seemed pretty trigger happy. There could be more to the story.

[reallywicked]

[Faye seems at least glad to hear that her team isn't looking to burn first and ask questions later. This whole witch thing is a bit of a sensitive subject for her. Go figure. They continue to walk along the south road for a time. It's fairly uneventful, though it is edging towards nightfall.

The forest opens up before the group to reveal a small clearing around the old timber frame entrance of a mineshaft dug into the base of a very steep hill. Dangling from the nearby trees like so many macabre garlands are the slick, disjointed limbs and entrails of a man. His blinded head is bound by a blood-streaked ponytail to a naked branch. They would all easily recognize the face as that of the mob member that threatened Cora earlier that day. A smiling, charcoal portrait of the lad and a headless wicker doll are both nailed to the tree beneath it.]

[impetere]

[Well.





That was an extreme reaction.

Cora glances up at the man and wrinkles her nose for a moment, her hand stroking against the back of the cat idly as she studies the scene.]

Self-defense or a warning?

[godblessyou]

....might be changing my vote to the "she's evil' camp. This? Doesn't look very not evil.

[ex_noble101]

[Aedan is all about mage rights ok. Plus he's used to traveling with Morrigan. It'd take a lot for him to change his stance.

Like the blinded head and disjointed limbs/entrails of the man they crossed paths with earlier whoops.

But then Taradiddle speaks up and Aedan finds himself confused by her use of double negatives. It takes him a second but—]

So you think she's not evil then?

[godblessyou]

[She just slow blinks at him.] Do you think that much disemboweling counts as not evil?

[impetere]

[Cora makes a slight face because, well. She would disembowel someone if she was trying to defend herself but she is a) a werewolf and b) would not leave that kind of display up as a warning.

She has nothing useful to add at this juncture, so she'll just turn and try and see if she can spot or hear any sign of the witch (listen 27, spot 22).]

[ex_noble101]

I suppose that depends. I've done my share of dispatching enemies, and I'd like to consider myself decidedly not evil.

This might seem extreme, but with an entire village looking to hunt her down, I'm not sure we can pass judgment just yet.

[reallywicked]

[Cora would pick up on some guttural noises from the woods surrounding the entrance for the mine. From out of the woods to either side, a pair of hirsute ogres quietly emerge. Their coats, caps, and breeches consist of a patchwork of smaller folks’ leathers, and their arms and legs are bound in leather belts and buckles.

“What have we ’ere then Muc?” says one.
“I don’ts know, brother Flogg. Maybe we tastes ’em and finds out,” replies the other.
“Whot a pleasant idear, kinsman o’ mine.”]

Oh you have got to be kidding me. [Faye chimes in with a roll of her eyes.

One of the two ogre brothers with a long scar along his right cheek steps forward, twirling a small axe. He points it in Aedan's direction, clearly seeing him as the biggest threat because he's a sexist ogres, I guess. Clearly these ladies will be easy to pick off once the big strong man is down. Rearing back, he throws the axe with all his might (attack 23, damage 13)]

[impetere]

[Rude sexist ogres.

Cora watches the axe catch Aedan and is already done with considering playing nice. She lets Malphaset drop to the ground quietly and is shifting, coming at the nearest ogre to her with a snarl using her claws to tear at whatever part of him she can reach (attack 34, damage 12).]