Realms of Dread IC, Chapter One

[Ken of Ghastria]

In the moments of relative quiet following Rardi's spell, Blaise feels a powerful sense of self-awareness as he stands naked on the second floor next to the immobilized brute. He stands behind the man and, while using him as a shield, knocks the razor out of the brute's paralyzed grip and then grabs parts of the shredded sheet and tightly binds the man's frozen arms.

As he finishes, he makes brief eye contact with Shana. He blushes slightly, then winks at her and he quickly retreats to the bedroom.

[ewancummins]

Palace of Celestial Delights


The injured woman pulls her hands away from her face so that Shana and Rardi can take a look.

She bears a bloody wound to the face; the razor has sliced deep into her right cheek and nearly flayed the flesh from the bones beneath!

Rardi immediately takes hold of the poor woman and speaks an invocation to Lathander. A soft roseate glow fills the space between the dwarf-cleric's outstretched hand and the woman's bleeding face. The blood stops oozing forth and the wound closes. A pink line is all that remains of the long cut.

Up at the top of the stairs, the attacker is very slowly beginning to stir....

[ewancummins]

Fishgut Rock


Ino can see that the boat is rowing away into the sea-fog, and the tides are helping the small vessel move away from Fishgut Rock. If she looks back at the door in the cliff, she will see that it is still open wide enough for someone to slip in or jump out of the ever narrowing gap. In another moment it will be fully closed.

[Archedius]

"Sorry, no friend Threan. I...have business I need to attend to. Besides, I'm not the social type." He lets out a weak but genuine smile. "You will probably meet some of my associates there though. I bid you and your brother goodday."

Archedius snaps his feet together and gives a respectful bow, abruptly turns and walks away. He feels a trickle of warmth in the corner of his mouth and wipes it on the inside of his hood as he heads towards the Deadmaster's residence.

[VAN]

Inovidil looks for a moment at the door and thinks to enter, but decides against it. Would have been very risky since she was alone. She could get easily there with the others. So she memorizes the place and she keeps following the boat.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Militia HQ''Ah, you're one of the men working with the dwarf-woman, Rardi, yes? How can I help you?''

Alain approaches the sergeant, giving a polite smile. "Yes, you presume correctly Sergeant." Alain holds out his hand to offer a shake. "Alain Guischard." He introduces himself.
"I have been led to believe that you may be privy to some information regarding a missing person." He lets his smile fall from his face like a modest weight, taking on an expression of curiosity.
He reaches in his coat and produces the parchment that bares the names of the reported missing people.
"I believe you worked with this list before sergeant. Right now I am trying to narrow down our unidentified victims in our case to a handful of possible identities. It appears as if one in particular was made special attention to. An Aleena Korund. I don't want to impede in your own investigation, but I was wondering if it would be possible to find out any information from your case. To see if in coincides with mine at all."

[ewancummins]

Militia HQ, courtyard out back of the big building


Sergeant Talbot gives the bard a firm handshake.

''Well met, Alain. You want to know about the Korund girl?, Here's what I know: she's the thirteen year old niece of a prominent spice trader, Master Alexius Korund. Aleena turned up missing from the Citadel after the fighting was over and the fires put out. She was there with others from the Korund household. Alexius and his kin took refuge there when the fighting began, you see.''

'' From what I've gathered, the last person to actually see the girl was a soldier of the Baron's Guard, Jonnet Prake. He says he saw her in one of the hallways, a few minutes before the enemy breached the front gate and tried to storm the place. He was with the Baron when those things killed the poor man- and all of Jonnet's mates, besides.''

''I've only spoken with Jonnet once. He was hustled off right quickly after that. It seems he's to be an honored guest at tonight's big ball. That's odd for a common soldier, 'cept of course he is the only survivor of Lord Bledryn Scoril's last stand. People need heroes, especially in times like these. Poor kid, he looked nervous about attending the party. I told him not to worry and just enjoy the attention he's sure to get from those fancy ladies!''

[ewancummins]

following the boat with Delthrin in it


Inovidil follows the waterbourne necromancer and his cronies as they recross the bay and reach the docks. Delthrin climbs off the boat. He looks down at the two men in the boat and says to them-

''Return home now.''

Quietly and without speaking, the two men push off and begin rowing the boat back out into the foggy bay.

Delthrin stretches his arms and legs, then straightens up and begins walking into town.

[ewancummins]

Blackpillars, on Fishgut Rock

Archideus takes a skiff out to the island and goes on alone to Delthrin's mansion. The gate is unlocked, so that anyone may simply walk onto the grounds. Passing through a dreary little garden [someone needs to weed the lot] Archideus makes his way to the front door.

A aged servant in drab clothing answers the door just before Archideus knocks. The old butler inquires-

''May I help you, sir?''

[Archedius]

"I have need of skills only your master possesses. If you give me a moment I can prove that to you..."

Archedius lets the nausea win through and he drops to his knees. Blackened blood and rot spills forth from his mouth and nose until a solid tumor inexplicably emerges from his mouth.
He shakes visibly with pain and wipes his mouth on his sleeve. Before the servant can close the door, Archedius puts his hand up, "Wait and watch..."
The knot of flesh is still for but a moment before it arches and quivers, oddly pulsating. Two rows of human teeth form towards the bottom of the thing...then towards the top, two sunken holes form. This continues for a few seconds until it approximates the size and shape of the head of a human corpse.
SLAM! Archedius smashes it into the ground with a powerful stomp.

"I never have let it get too far past that stage. If we had waited but a moment longer it would've begun to speak and utter things I hear only in my nightmares."

Archedius waits for a moment as the servant collects himself, "I feel I've proven my potential interest for your master. I need his help. Please, let me inside and I will wiat however long I must to have an audience with him." He looks down at the mess on the ground

"Oh, I apologize for this mess. I assume it's rather tame compared to what you must have to clean up for your master."

He flashes the servant a grim and wicked, bloody grin.

[ewancummins]

Blackpillars-

The elderly servant gasps when he sees what's happening in front of him. He doesn't scream, though, but just swallows a lump in his throat and puts a hand on the doorframe to steady himself. All he can manage to say at first is:

''Oh....oh my!''


The man regards at the noisome mess on the porch, then returns his gaze to Archideus and stares for a few minutes in complete silence. His demeanour returns to something like its previous calmness. Slowly, the old man reaches into a pocket and withdraws a clean white linen napkin. He offers it to Archideus.


''Ah...you have got a little blood on your mouth, sir. And yes, please do come in. The master is away just now but I expect he will return shortly. I am certain that he will grant you an audience.''

'

[kintire]

Shana steps lightly back from the wounded girl, leaving the matter of the man to the militia...

She casts her eyes around the room, to see if the madam has been attarcted by the commotion

[VAN]

Inovidil has a dilemma of who to follow, Delthrin or the two men. Thinking that they provably can find the two men if asking around decides to follow Delthirn.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Back in the room, Blaise begins to put his clothing back on. "There's been an attack," he says to the two women. "but we've stopped the brute. However, one of your friends has been injured. I'm afraid we must pause, but thank you very much for what had been up till now a fantastic evening. And you know where to reach me about that other business if any information comes your way." He kisses each women briefly, then steps out of the room.

OOC: Blaise did bind the man's arms with the strips of the blanket, so he should be immobilized, but Blaise has his dagger ready, just in case.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Militia HQ, courtyard out back of the big building[/color]

Alain feels a small fit of nausea roll over his stomach as the sergeant speaks. The prospect that someone would harm a thirteen year old girl was enough to make any one disgusted with the state of things during warfare.

He lets the sergeant finish speaking, allowing himself to keep his stomach in check and regain his composure, although allowing himself to look the part of the appalled gentlemen.

Once Talbot finishes speaking, Alain allows himself to ask another question. "So, this Jonet Prake man, You mentioned he is a body guard of Master Alexius Korund. Did you happen to find out to what extent are his exact body guarding responsibilities?"