The Daily Beasts

[The Rookie]

"Of course, but to defend, or for vengeance?"
He will take a few steps with Sylvi in whatever direction, up to the clapboard sidewalk might be best. "The monks will take in your patient, if that is what you are worried about."

"No, it's not that." she whispered "I want to know what's going on here." worry in her tone.

"Clearly you're not just a marshal hunting bandits. There's something more, and it has to do with the child." Sylvi says, through mild irritation. "At first I thought you were just helping her find someone. Someone you believed to be the warrior I found, as did the monks. But now there's talk of exorcist?!"

Sylvi takes a step back, realising she was starting to step out of line. "I-I'm sorry. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into if I stay here." her ears fold back, as she looks downward towards the ground. Gripping her right arm just above the elbow.

[Phaing]

Sylvi takes a step back, realising she was starting to step out of line. "I-I'm sorry. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into if I stay here." her ears fold back, as she looks downward towards the ground. Gripping her right arm just above the elbow.

Raimius grinds his teeth a little, and then nods. "If you want to help Rita, its a commitment, you understand? I have reason that people are out there that would like to kill her, or make use of her." He glances around, the way people do when they want to make sure that nobody is close enough to over hear them... and he freezes.
".... th' hell?"

You might have heard about people like this, rag-draped madmen that think they are prophets. This fellow is walking around on stilts, as if he does not want to get his filthy self mussy in the street. How in the name of the Gods he is doing that is a mystery, and the people on this road stop to watch him. He is old and stringy and his gray, craggy face is tinged with the strain of madness... and that weird smile isn't helping.

He leaps from the stilts and lands on the porch of that Inn. Everyone, even the Monks take a step forward, but this old weirdo takes a step towards you, as if eager to meet everyone halfway. And then he launches into his spiel;


"And they used to laugh at the Templars…
"Fire on the mountains, lightning in the air

He laughs, and his voice is more conversational and less preachy than a mad prophet is generally thought to have. His voice is pitched to carry, and the monks stop and look at each other, unsure of what to do,

I have been smelling smoke a lot recently. ...lightning at night and fear for breakfast. People are worried about Fire.

Nobody feels safe anymore. Fires burst out on dry hillsides, raging out of control, while drunken witches dance in the rancid smoke and wandering animals gnaw at each other. Foreigners are everywhere, carrying assassin’s blades and bags of flints. There are rumors about murder and treachery and people walking around with no pulse. Crime is rampant and even children are losing their will to live.

Even Raimius takes a step back, this is even darker than he generally cares for.

The storms seem to come from nowhere and the fires can only be put out by the sky’s sudden collapse, between clouds of smoke and clouds of rain whole families plunged into darkness with no warning at all. People who used to be in charge walk around wall-eyed, with their hair standing straight up on end, and babbling about their hearts humming like Bee hives and trying to leap out of their bodies.
Haven't you noticed what I am talking about?"

Alone among them, Sylvi might see something familiar about this guy. Was it him you caught a glimpse of that night? Tall and rag-wrapped are the only similarities, but how many men like that can be out and about?




It is at this point where I really, REALLY wish someone would join in. I think we have proven that we have content to add every day and its a worthwhile story line. So, how about it?

[The Rookie]

Sylvi listened attentively as the crazy old coot continued his nonsense. Shaken her head slightly without even noticing. Not buying anything he was saying. When the man approached her she took two steps back. Not taking her eyes off him. There are few things as unpredictable as a man who believes he's speaking for the Gods.

She was tempted to leave the madman to his ramblings when the image of a cloaked man in the forest came to mind. The chance the two were linked was beyond highly unlikely, but still something about the man's figure prompted her mildly shove Raminius to grab his attention.

"Raimius, who exactly were you looking for when you found me?" Sylvi asked in a hushed whisper, watching as the would be prophet's crowd of on lookers continued to grow around him. Careful not to speak too loudly, less she interrupt his rant about fires and lightning.

[Phaing]

"Raimius, who exactly were you looking for when you found me?"

Raimius glances at you, eyes going a little wide. Then he looks at Abner and nods at the lunatic. The Brother move up to distract him from you and Raimius turns his back on them to talk to you in a low, intense voice;
"Look, what is common knowledge in this town is that the King is dead, no doubt that's what gives this madman all the encourgement he needs to go around braying like this."

And he does;
"People get very conscious of Fire when it goes sideways and starts to act erratic… Blacksmiths that have used a furnace since they were kids will run for their lives when it does something they cannot explain… and now you can find them curled up in shivering balls refusing to go to work. They have had enough.
Beware of fire, and his friends."


Raimius ignores him; "What people don't commonly know is that his death was not an accident, nor was it the act of any Timber Wolf Assassin. I believe the Templars were involved. The King's daughter is-"
That guy just won't let up... the maniac is focused on the Brothers but his voice starts to rise, sneering at Raimius's back.
"Nobody can handle Fire run amok. It is too powerful. The first man to use it to heat his cave ended up with charred stumps where his hands used to be and had to be fed smoked Bear-meat by women that pitied him for the rest of his life. I learned of this in a school near the Kingdom’s Capitol… where I also learned about pawnshops, gambling with other people's lives, and full-bore lying as a natural way of life."

Raimius's face goes purple with rage, and he shifts his grip on his spear and starts to turn.
Violence will ensue, unless Sylvi does something, and she has about half a heartbeat to decide.

[The Rookie]

Sylvi put a firm grip on the man's forearm. Tugging him back if he tried to turn to face the mad man. "No, think about this. For someone trying to hide what do you think will happen if run this guy through in the middle of the street in broad day light? You'd be in chains by night fall and no help to Rita."

[Phaing]

You make him hesitate, but he also shakes his head at you. "That last crack was a little to accurate... what do you want to do, argue with a lunatic? Nobody ever wins- NO!"
He puts his hand over where your manna stones are hidden. Don't even think of it, you do any magic in a place like this and these bumpkins will chase you out of town. Or wors yet, they will assume this freak really IS touched by the Gods."
And then all of a sudden, he realizes that putting his hand on your necklace of stones also put his hands right on your chest! He pulls his hand away, but not so quickly that it would be the kind of sudden move that would attract attention.
"Damn I can be stupid sometimes! Maybe I should argue with him..."

But he's already too late.
Rita comes bursting out of the Inn, all in a huff. "Just who do you think you are?!"

The lunatic turns to her. "Young lady, I am a vis-"

"Your name, knave. You do have one, yes?"

And for the first time, it is the lunatic orator that hesitates.

[The Rookie]

Sylvi hadn't even noticed the awkward placement of the man's hand until Raimius had draw attention to it.

"Damn I can be stupid sometimes! Maybe I should argue with him..."

Sylvi blushed slightly, taking a step back, her gaze now fixated anywhere but on Raimius. "It's fine. I know you didn't mean to." she said quietly. "Maybe he'll just leave on his on accord. If we stay put we can just wait it ou-"

"Just who do you think you are?!"

"Or not..." Syvli muttered, turning to see Rita now confronting the would be prophet.

[Phaing]

"Or not..." Syvli muttered, turning to see Rita now confronting the would be prophet.

"It's a simple question." Rita persists.

"I am a friend of Fire." the Prophet finally manages.

"Oh, 'Friend' is it? You don't sound so sure about that... but it will do." Because you are looking everywhere else, you can see everyone take note of Rita, especially the townsfolk. All but one of the Monks appear ready to rush 'Friend', but while he is looking at Rita Abner is trying to warn her off with hand gestures. She ignores him; "You don't sound like much a a Friend to me or anyone else. Its more like you have been infected by the dreams of a deranged Dragon."

"That was a mistake..." Raimius whispers. If he had said it any louder it would have carried farther than just your ears. A couple of dozen townsfolk have gathered around and all of them went dead silent. Dragons are quasi-mystical, and near deities to most humans. Implying that one of them might be less than perfect isn't good in front of simple folk.

"And what of you, little one?" Friend leans toward her, a wicked grin on his face. "Whats your name? Who's your Daddy? Is he rich like-"

The monks rush forward... (however, Sylvi has a chance to intervene at any point in that exchange, if she has the will to do so)

[The Rookie]

"Her father is right here, mad man!" Sylvi called out pushing through the crowd to meet his gaze, pulling Raimius along with her. "My husband is a hunter from Ditteridge. We have little coin to our name if you're asking for a hand out." she said bitterly "Now, I'd appreciate it if you stepped away from our daughter!"

[Phaing]

Hours later, someone is going to tell Sylvi-
"I've heard of 'playing hardball', but your ball must be made of cement."
But, in the meanwhile;

Raimius nearly stumbles, you really took him off guard with that one. His face is like a mask , eyes flickering at you... not that it matters. Rita claps her hands together and is smiling at you both from ear to ear. The Gods alone know what is going through her trusting mind right now, but the way she is beaming at you is very convincing to the townsfolk.

And what reaction regarding your announcement? For now; some shocked faces, from a few women. For the most part; those ubiquitous shrugs. Just north of here is where the real frontier starts, a place where it is so difficult to survive that if you can hack it, you are good enough for what passes for society and then some. Adoption is also common.
As quirks go, regarding Northerners, they have seen worse. (however, this may also be the shock of the moment working in your favor)
Speaking of which;

'Friend' is not buying it, you can see it in his face. He sneers and takes a step towards you. "Oh real-"
Abner shows he is worth something at last. Friend's move puts the wagon between him and most of the crowd for a second. Abner takes advantage of that with a sneaky grab that allows him to give Friend's rope belt a yank, and trips him face-first into the mud at your feet.
Don't worry about a splash, the mud is so thick at that particular place that it's more like a slowly expanding wave. Friend's arms sink deeper as he tries to push up out of the mud. While he does that, Raimius puts an arm around your lower back and says with a smile; "Shall we see about that room now?" and w/o looking away from you, his boot comes down on Friend's shoulders and pushes his face right back down in the muck... open mouth and all.

Uproarious laughter greets you, its as if these people haven't had a good laugh in a while.

[The Rookie]

Raimius puts an arm around your lower back and says with a smile; "Shall we see about that room now?"

Sylvi went along with the charade, letting out a girlish giggle before she spoke to Raimius in keidran. For those who didn't know the language, it might have appeared to be happy fluting. In reality Sylvi was very firmly laying down some ground rules, as well as the consequences of breaking said ground rules. Chief of which, involved threatening to break any bones in his hand that ventured any further than her lower back. One she reinforced with a quick, but gentle whip across the back of his hand with her tail.

As the pair approached the child, Sylvi offered out a hand to Rita. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go find your uncle and have something to eat, ok?" trying to sound as motherly as possible.

[Phaing]

"This was not my idea." Raimius sniffs. If anything, he is the less comfortable one here.
On the other hand-

As the pair approached the child, Sylvi offered out a hand to Rita. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go find your uncle and have something to eat, ok?" trying to sound as motherly as possible.

If you fooled anyone, its Rita. She didn't hear what you two were talking about, and the girl that was so Tom-Boyish last night is practically bouncing on her heels now.

Behind you;
"Where did he go?
"Must have slithered under the sidewalk..."

Inside, Rita calls out; "Uncle Pete! How does a big lunch and a full day in a real bed sound to you? Its possible here, right?"

Pyotr stars to raise a hand, then it just drops to his side as he sees you enter with Raimius on one hip and Rita leaning on the other. Congrats, you can now see what its like when a mute is speechless.

[The Rookie]

Its possible here, right?"

"I'm sure your father and I can organise something, sweetie." Sylvi said, still trying to maintain this motherly tone to her voice.

Syliv then looks up to Pyotr, trying to signal him to play along with her eyes. "Pete? Would you mind watching over Sophie for a moment while your brother, Marco and I speak with the inn keeper?"

[Phaing]

I'm sure your father and I can organise something, sweetie.[/color]" Sylvi said, still trying to maintain this motherly tone to her voice.

Rita giggles, and points out the man entering the room from a door in the back. He is wiping his hands on his apron and squints at you through thick glasses. This is an older fellow who didn't witness the scene outside, he looks like the sort that would have ignored it and gone on with his work if it had been happening right in front of him.

Rita; "This is Spooner Yegg, he says he only has 2 rooms for us, but I can bunk with Uncle Pete."

Raimius says to Sylvi in a low voice, in Keidran; "Don't any of these Whitefielder's have grown-up names?"

Syliv then looks up to Pyotr, trying to signal him to play along with her eyes. "Pete? Would you mind watching over Sophie for a moment while your brother, Marco and I speak with the inn keeper?"

"A family?" He squints at you, and makes an attempt to keep his face neutral. "Right then, I am indeed open for guests, and lunch will be ready in about a quarter hour. Your rooms are upstairs, stables out back, we appreciate peace & quiet after sundown."
Looking around, you can see that this room is more like a large living room than a tavern.
If people do much carousing here, its not in this place.
"Before we settle on a price, do you folk have any ... special needs ... that I should be aware of?" Spooner is looking at Sylvi when he says that.

[The Rookie]

Rita; "This is Spooner Yegg, he says he only has 2 rooms for us, but I can bunk with Uncle Pete."

Raimius says to Sylvi in a low voice, in Keidran; "Don't any of these Whitefielder's have grown-up names?"

"Doesn't seem like it." Sylvi whispered back.

"A family?" He squints at you, and makes an attempt to keep his face neutral. "Right then, I am indeed open for guests, and lunch will be ready in about a quarter hour. Your rooms are upstairs, stables out back, we appreciate peace & quiet after sundown."
Looking around, you can see that this room is more like a large living room than a tavern.
If people do much carousing here, its not in this place.
"Before we settle on a price, do you folk have any ... special needs ... that I should be aware of?" Spooner is looking at Sylvi when he says that.

Sylvi ponders a moment before she speaks "Just that you have a carnivorous option for our meals, if that's not a problem."