Whispers of the Dark Mother Chapter 1

[steveflam]

The Laughing Dragon

The barkeep laughs. It is warm and friendly.

"Stranger, you can stay here. Its only two a gold a night including breakfast come morning. Sausages and bread with honey made here in town. My wife's recipe; adds a hint of cinnamon to it. Divine."

He nods to Amara.

"Same goes for you if you interested."

"So. that is what putting up your feet means. Yes, I am amenable to your offer of lodgings, though this will be the first time I pay for that." She frowns as she hands over the two coins. "If her sausages are as good as you say then I suppose then I will have gotten my coins worth," she adds with a smile.

[Adam]

Herman wheels the body over to the shed, hauling out a ready-made casket and stuffing the body inside. It's a tight fit and he has to shove a bit to squeeze the man in, but eventually it all fits together. He rests the head roughly back on top of the neck and close the casket lid. "Good enough for a day's work, eh sister?"

He hefts the casket back onto the cart and wheels it over towards the funeral service. "Hey, I'll introduce you to Saylaa," he says to his companion. "She's a priestess like you."

[JMaytr]

The Barracks

The guards gasp at the sight of the finger.
"Show me to this place at once," their leader instructs Terrick.

VIEW CONTENT:

Does Terrick take them to the bodies or return to Brighton?

[JMaytr]

The Temple of Eternal Rest

Junia exists the temple feeling much better from the magical healing but the wounds feel weird and waxy for a few minutes.

She spots the gravedigger Herman with a woman.

[ewancummins]

JUNIA, OUTSIDE TEMPLE

The Temple of Eternal Rest

Junia exists the temple feeling much better from the magical healing but the wounds feel weird and waxy for a few minutes.

She spots the gravedigger Herman with a woman.

Junia squints at the lady beside Herman..
She walks a little closer to the pair, stops and stares at the woman, and then swiftly closes the gap, blocking their path.
''Lyrana, Hermann."
She looks down at Hermann's cart and the casket.
"You two busy? I've got some business you might, um, want to talk about."
Leaning forward a little, thumps the casket with her right index finger.

[VAN]

Barracks

Terrick nods at the leader. He feels safer among the soldiers and doesn't feel he can travel alone right now.

"I'll lead you there but please later can you get me to Brighton? It's late and I'm alone..."

[kintire]

Lyrana smiles genuinely

"I'm completely not busy right now. What's up? Is this the kind of business we discuss over a pint, or are we seeking some secluded corner to plot?"

She grins, looking very lighthearted for someone standing next to a coffin in a graveyard

[ewancummins]

JUNIA< OUTSIDE TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST< WITH LYRANA AND HERMANN

Lyrana smiles genuinely

"I'm completely not busy right now. What's up? Is this the kind of business we discuss over a pint, or are we seeking some secluded corner to plot?"

She grins, looking very lighthearted for someone standing next to a coffin in a graveyard

Junia says, "Pint? I was thinking about going to a pub to look for....Um, see, I am on a 'pede catching job, but this one is pretty big. ''

She palms something from inside her jacket and shows it to Lyrana: a gold coin.
"The fellow paying me wants the job done today, as soon as possible, and he's paid well. I got a gold piece for you-- Hermann, too-- if you want to get in on this. You ever wrangled centipedes?"

[Adam]

TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST

Hermann scratches underneath his bowler hat, looking thoughtful. "Centipedes? I suppose they fall into the graves sometime while I'm diggin' em. Mostly I just whack 'em with a shovel." He arches an eyebrow. "Not sure that's a three person job, but if some fool's willing to pay a gold crown to to get it done, I'm available. Let me just drop this fellow with the local priests and I'm all yours."

[ewancummins]

JUNIA
TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST

TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST

Hermann scratches underneath his bowler hat, looking thoughtful. "Centipedes? I suppose they fall into the graves sometime while I'm diggin' em. Mostly I just whack 'em with a shovel." He arches an eyebrow. "Not sure that's a three person job, but if some fool's willing to pay a gold crown to to get it done, I'm available. Let me just drop this fellow with the local priests and I'm all yours."

''Oh, there are at least as many of them as us--maybe more-- and these are big ones. Here's the thing--I'm collecting their venom. If you can nab one alive, that's best. If you kill one, I can still maybe get some fang-juice out of it before the stuff goes stale. That's why I'm paying you a gold piece, and not just a silver piece. And that's why I'm being picky about the crew for this job."

[Adam]

TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST

Herman scratches at the stubble on the side of his face thoughtfully. "Right, right. I've got a magical whim-wham that can put them to sleep temporarily. That might let you give you enough time to wrangle them."

[ewancummins]

TEMPLE OF ETERNAL REST

Herman scratches at the stubble on the side of his face thoughtfully. "Right, right. I've got a magical whim-wham that can put them to sleep temporarily. That might let you give you enough time to wrangle them."

''Oh? Magic? That sounds really useful."
Junia gestures towards the stoop of a building across the street.
"I'll be hanging around that area, waiting for you to finish up inside the temple."

[kintire]

Lyrana looks puzzled.

"You want to get centipede venom? Are they poisonous? I thought they were mostly like this big..."

She holds one hand up, index finger and thumb a few inches apart.

"Am I going to need to get my kit for this?"

[ewancummins]

JUNIA

Lyrana looks puzzled.

"You want to get centipede venom? Are they poisonous? I thought they were mostly like this big..."

She holds one hand up, index finger and thumb a few inches apart.

"Am I going to need to get my kit for this?"

Junia scowls, scar tissue twisting along the left side of her face. ''Those are just the wee ones. I guess you must never have seen any of the big ones coming up from the drains and cellars, not with folks like me catching or killing them."
She chuckles.
''It's funny, but sometimes I think there must be at least three Brightons. One for the poor, one for the rich, and one for strangers."

[Adam]

TEMPLE

While the others talk, Herman turns his cart towards the church and sees to dropping off the body with Saylaa. A few moments later, he will return and prepare to go bug hunting.