Realms of Dread [IC] Chapter Three

[steveflam]

"Then lets find this gnome person. If he can help, then so be it."

[ewancummins]

Fishgut Rock


After a few minutes, the bailiff gives the order:

''Stitch him up, boys.''

Two men sew Archedius up inside the sailcloth, completely covering the dead man.

The body sack is then taken away by wagon.

''Escort the prisoners to their respective rooms.''

Rardi and Ino see that guards with polearms and loaded crossbows are moving to seperate them from one another.

[kintire]

Shana frowns.

"That traitor? He's on the side of the zombie huggers, he'll have no interest in helping a priest of Lathander. Anyway, Rardi and Ino didn't know about Delthrin's smuggling when they went in. If you're really interested in assembling evidence you'd do better focussing on the Fiend. I bet devil summoning's illegal, and they knew about that before they met him. Those people with a realistic assessment of just how much Rardi and Ino's judges will care about details like evidence will want to start working on a rescue plan!"

[Ken of Ghastria]

Blaise frowns. "I haven't talked to Threan, and to be honest, I'm not really eager to. But he's the only one who saw Delthrin in the warehouse. We need to talk to him, or pummel him. Either way is fine. As for the summoned devil ... where's the proof? The only ones who can speak of it are the two suspects and one corpse, and he's not saying a lot -- although what he DID say was intriguing."

He then describes the odd "interrogation" of Archedius' body.

"What do you make of that? Interesting that Archedius' corpse couldn't confirm that the mindflayer killed him, yes? I'm convinced that this 'bargain' has to do with Delthrin's head and finding a way for that necromancer to stay alive -- or 'keep existing' might be a better way to phrase it. And yes, Shana, I'm with you on this: I'm doubtful that the judges will be persuaded by evidence at this point. If Ino and Rardi are found guilty, then we'll get them out by whatever means possible."

[BigBadQDaddy]

He looks as though he's just remembering something. "That scrap of paper we found in the warehouse... I wonder if it was really blank? And Alain, where did you end up going last night?"

Alain recounts his tale about heading off into the s mall hours, drunk and determined to find his friends. He then awkwardly describes waking up in a room ful of child-like monsters, and how he fled rather than face whatever horror they had in store for him. He does raise the question as to why they hadn't killed him in his sleep and his doubts as to whether they are mindless or not or if the they had other motivations for capturing him.
Next, he goes on to describe his escape from the building and how he ran across the disturbingly odd boatman and his insistent plea for coin.

After his story, he smiles awkwardly, almost feeling guilty as if such a far fetched story could ever be believable. Letting the smile falter, he gives up trying to convince anyone of any truth behind his tale, as he hardly believes it himself.

[ewancummins]

The Old Shell

Jamethon takes a seat.



''As for devil-conjuring...well I hope that Shana is right, but I fear she's being too optimistic. A kingdom that allows foul necromancers to animate the dead, so long as the corpses used are acquired legally, may have no injunction against conjuring a devil to gaurd one's home, for all we know. It bears looking into, of course. I intend to ask Watch Captain Rask when we meet him, this afternoon. He knows the laws better than any of us, for certain.''

Now Jamethon smiles, even permits himself a grim little chuckle,

''Pummel the gnome, Blaise? Seems to me he and his allies pretty handily pummeled the lot of you, last time. I think you should try the polite approach. The last thing we need is the rest of you locked up in jail.''

[kintire]

Shana flushes slightly.

"Polite? Polite? I've got "polite" for him right here! The only reason he and his allies "pummeled" us was because the backstabbing bastard attacked us after a hard fight against Delthrin, and because my wooly-headed comrades surrendered! We don't want to have anything to do with that two faced, devil loving zombie hugging vermin!"

She glances at Alain

"And I'd like to know what Alain's experience means... its disturbing to think those - child-like monsters - and their masters could still be tracing us.

[ewancummins]

Shana flushes slightly.

"Polite? Polite? I've got "polite" for him right here! The only reason he and his allies "pummeled" us was because the backstabbing bastard attacked us after a hard fight against Delthrin, and because my wooly-headed comrades surrendered! We don't want to have anything to do with that two faced, devil loving zombie hugging vermin!"

''Mmmmmmhhmmmmm.....and that is why Shana should not be the one to handle this matter. I'm sorry, but you are not thinking rationally, Shana. We simply don't know much about the gnome: who he is, why he did whatever it was that he actually did, etc. Like it or not, we need his cooperation- and we need to know what he knows. ''

Moorkroft chuckles again, with a little more genuine levity in his tone.

''I suggest that Alain should be the one to speak with Threan on the group's behalf. He's not directly connected with the mess on Fishgut Rock , and he's the best at dealing with others- in a way that doesn't involve needless violence.''

[steveflam]

"I agree. Let Alain talk with this gnome."

[kintire]

Shana snorts

"I'm thinking exactly rationally. We know what he did: betray us. That means he is untrustworthy. He betrayed us because he did not approve of the defeat of a diabolist necromancer. And now, in a spirit of "rationality" you're going to turn around and give our enemy a chance to betray us again! What was it they called the boy who stuck his hand in the fire, and once the bandage was off, stuck it back in again to see if the same thing would happen? I don't think it was "rational"!

Anyway, WHY do we need him? We don't need his cooperation in the slightest. Whatever he does or does not know isn't going to matter in the slightest. Rardi and probably Inovidil are going to be found guilty at the trial: that's a done deal and you know it. Anything that Gnome knows the bailiff knows by now. We need to be planning a rescue, not wasting time dealing with known traitors."

[ewancummins]

Shana snorts

"I'm thinking exactly rationally. We know what he did: betray us. That means he is untrustworthy. He betrayed us because he did not approve of the defeat of a diabolist necromancer. And now, in a spirit of "rationality" you're going to turn around and give our enemy a chance to betray us again! What was it they called the boy who stuck his hand in the fire, and once the bandage was off, stuck it back in again to see if the same thing would happen? I don't think it was "rational"!

Anyway, WHY do we need him? We don't need his cooperation in the slightest. Whatever he does or does not know isn't going to matter in the slightest. Rardi and probably Inovidil are going to be found guilty at the trial: that's a done deal and you know it. Anything that Gnome knows the bailiff knows by now. We need to be planning a rescue, not wasting time dealing with known traitors."

''Think on this: Rardi and Inovidil would quite possibly be dead if Threan hadn't seen Delthrin at the warehouse and then hurried to warn the rest of you. Why would he warn the team, if he were Delthrin's ally? Why would he save you from the ghouls, Shana? It doesn't make sense.''

[steveflam]

Balzar sighs "Listen to me, I am Rardi's closest and most dearest supporter and friend. We can sit here and argue and waste precious time or we can act. Alain can talk to this gnome while we do whatever Rask asked us to do."

Balzar moves towards the exit and looks back, waiting.

[VAN]

Inovidil isn't in a mood to speak, tears are keep coming to her eyes again when the guards covered Archedius body and took him away. She glances Rardi but she doesn't know what to say. So she stays silent staring the spot where a moment before was Archedius body. The guard's voice gets her back to reality. She goes a little closer to Rardi and says :

"Good luck to both of us."

She wanted to say more but the words were stuck to her mouth. She looks at her for another moment and then as for a sudden goes to hug her. Rardi is able to feel her pain about Archedius and their current situation and Inovidil wanted someone there this moment.

[steveflam]

Rardi is quiet during the burial and cries openly. She looks at Inovidil with red eyes and a sad face "Good luck to ya yerself. Ye did the right thing, Inovidil, no matter what the outcome." She looks down, realising that perhaps Inovidil would live, but she wouldn't. Sighing, she keeps her eyes forward not much for conversation.

[ewancummins]

Fishgut Rock-

The guards seperate the two prisoners and escort each of these to their respective cells.

Once in her cell, Rardi is locked in the room. A meal has been left for her; fish chowder [still warm], some bread, and a pitcher of beer.

Ino, likewise, is taken back to her own cell and locked up. She's given a choice: bound hands and chains on her arms and legs, of just wearing the cumbersome armor. Henryk is gone, having been replaced by two men Ino doesn't know well; she recognizes them only as men who'd been part of the ambush on the beach. A meal waits for her; fish chowder, bread, a pitcher of beer, and a fresh peach.

******



The Old Shell

Jamethon moves to join Balzar.

''Balzar is right. Alain, will you help us?''