The Corrupt Life Court - RPLOG
Participants
Date
27/3/480
Log
It is hot in the afternoon sun and the buzz of insects fills the air, along with the murmured conversations of the few beings that have responded to Denothar's invitation. According to hearsay, he was planning some kind of big display or something in an old lowball court outside of the city. The place is sort of overgrown and is usually left for bored children to play in on nice days.
Angus lets out a huff of annoyance, waving a hand near his face in the heat as his hat brim keeps him in the shade. He had heard a few rumors of something about to go down, so he had hurried here in case someone was absouletly dumb enough to try and make good on those rumors. He crosses his arms, shifting his weight on one foot in the heat as he waits, the rapier and dagger at his belt more then just for show as he waits.
Lucasiel could get behind the idea of potentially sacking an Old One shrine or something of the sort. They might prove to be good sport, after all, but for now she would just wait and see. The heat was dreadful under all her plate gear, even with her helmet tucked under arm as she dismounts her steed. "So, what's the big idea?"
Inside the ruined little sport arena, a few beings, mostly freeswords, are scattered around on the old, broken bleachers, some chatting together, and others sitting alone and waiting to see what is going on.
Down on the pitch, a robust looking lion strides up and down the center line in front of a covered wagon. Denothar is not particularly tall, but he is broad of chest and possessed of what some in another time and place might call "mighty thews," whatever that means. He wears patchy, leather armor that shows off the glowing markings that pattern his fur and flesh in imitation of the Spirit that he has dedicated himself to.
"Is this all?" he roars out to the smattering of Freeswords, "I expected more beings would be ready to fight corruption! But it does not matter! However few we may be, the darkness cannot stand against the light!"
Angus quietly takes his position at the back of the room, sitting on one of the bleachers as his ears flick in annoyance. The Lion is studied for a few moments, before his eyes settle on the wagon. He had heard this spiel before when the shadow wars were still raging, so he coughed loudly to interrupt. "And how exactly are we going to be rid of this corruption?" he asks, his voice loud and clear.
Lucasiel flicks an ear, debating how to best respond to it. Before she can, though, Angus puts it to word better than she. "That it is something that needs to be removed there is no doubt, but what is your plan, exactly?"
Denothar turns to look at Angus, though a few others voice a similar concern. "Like it says in the First Text!" he calls out, "We must first see that our house is clean before seeking to counsel others! We must root out the callers of the Corrupt Court that already pollute our city! They have their fingers in everything, and we must cast them out of our walls first, before we have a chance of defeating them in the wilderness where they SEEM to be strong!"
He turns to the covered wagon and seizes the canvas covering it. "Behold!" he roars, dragging the covering aside and revealing four beings, trussed up in the wagon. "Corrupt callers all!" he says, hauling himself up into the wagon and drawing a short, black spear from his belt, "We can start by making an example of these unclean creatures!"
The four beings are all gagged, a large, grey bear and a small mouse with jutting tusks, a slim, pale alligator woman, and the fourth being is tied with a sack over his head, so it is impossible to make out who, or what they might be.
Angus sighs at that, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And thats. Where you lose me. Greatly." He comments, standing up rather quietly as he reaches for his blade. "Might I know the name of the being who is arrogantly demanding a public execution of beings who have done nothing wrong other then possibly making a bad call." He asks, his voice raised loud enough for everyone to hear as his hand falls on the Rapier Heart fire at his blade. "Also let me make this clear. Move one inch with that spear and this will end badly for you and all who are involved."
Lucasiel leans forward, looking at the Beings on the cart with a frown. "Well, hold on now. What've they done?" She asks, gesturing to the tied ones. "I'm no fan of those who have chosen to walk the bad path, but that in and of itself is not a crime. Have they done anything worthy of a stint in the jail, let alone execution? It is not against the law to make a pact."
"You see!?" Denothar growls, pointing his short spear at Angus, "Even the upper echelons of our kingdom is saturated with corruption! You would rather sit on your thrones and rule over a cesspit than cleanse the city! These -beings-" he snarls, as if the name hardly applies anymore, "Have sold themselves to darkness! Can't you TASTE the funk of devils that comes from them!?" The marks and patterns on his fur pulse with light. "You of all people should know better!" he accuses, "Are you not dedicated to the purifier? Have you also corrupted your purpose?"
The spear swings over to point at Lucasiel. "The law?" he scoffs, "The law has failed! These creatures are a blight upon us all! If we let them have free reign until they have transgressed the LAW it will be too late! Can't you see that!?"
The smattering of other Freeswords don't seem much happier about this than Angus and Lucasiel, though several of them seem interested in what the lion has to say. No one has drawn weapons just yet.
Angus draws his rapier a few inches, the blade shining white. "I am a dedicant of Ser'ther. The balancer and purify. If you wish, then I will balance this situation. TAke one life, and yours will be forfeit as payment." He answers rather coldly. "you forget your place as a follower of Kendrac. Now stand down." He snaps as he takes a step forward, hackles raised just a bit in anger at the situation.
Lucasiel sets her helmet on the steed's saddle, freeing up her arms for folding over her breastplate. "To begin slaying with abandon would make us no better than they. A pact does not define a Being's life. What they do with it, however, does. And it is by actions that one must be judged, not who or what they follow."
"Know, this, corrupt judges!" roars the lion, "I am Denothar, Spear of Kendrac! Justice shall not be denied!" The marked lion turns a rage filled stare down at the slender alligator, bound and gagged before him, and plunges the spear into her back!
While one or two of the gathered beings remain still, watching, most have risen from their seats and are drawing weapons, prepared to face down a madman!
Angus was already in action, blade drawn in an instant as he calls upon a rush of air to help quicken his pace, blade at the ready to plunge. "I've heard enough of your raving! Mad man of Kendrac! You are the spear of your own corruption!" He snaps in turn to the roar of the Lion.
Lucasiel likewise charges into the forray, not with sword drawn, but with her shield readied, prepared to batter into the lion and plant herself between he and the prisoners. "Too far." While she had no love for Pyrrha's dedicants, she did swear to defend the kingdom, the crown, and its people. From all threats.
The alligator's mouth is tied closed, her only reaction is a sudden widening of the eyes and a horrible, muffled gurgle as she pitches forward, blood dribbling from the corners of her mouth and spreading out on the floor of the cart. "That is how we should deal with corruption!" Roars the lion, raising his spear once more, deciding who his next victim will be.
Traversing the ruined bleachers is no small task, and unfortunately, almost all of the Freeswords present decided to take a back seat. Angus's hastily concocted air magic does little to speed him along over the broken boards and overgrown lowball pitch and he arrives at the wagon at nearly the same time as Lucasiel, just as the lion makes his decision and plunges his spear into the hooded being, who gives only a muffled grunt as he too topples forward.
Angus would not stand for this, and utters no more words as his blade lunges forward. The Lion may of taken two lives today, which in turn would be answered by two strikes from the nobles blade, the steel flashing in the blur of motion as he seeks to pierce the crazed fools heart.
Lucasiel could leave it to Angus. She wasn't going to engage in a two against one battle, but she had no qualms bringing her shield up to body any attempts to strike at the remaining Beings.
The lion does not even attempt to deflect Angus's blows, receiving two, deep, piercing wounds between his ribs as he raises his spear high once again. He staggers back a step and looks around as if surprised to find himself surrounded by angry freeswords, weapons and shields at the ready. Then his confused gaze travels down to his chest where a steady flow of hot blood streams down his armor and marked pelt.
"I. . ." he starts, then coughs up a bubble of dark blood, "I am. . . a spear!" He gurgles, raising his black spear once again. . . and toppling backward off the cart, leaving Angus and Lucca with the four bound beings, two of whom are likely dying.
Angus snarls at that. "A spear of the bullshit that is Suicidal followers! Now someone, please! For the love of the creators get a creator forsaken healer here YESTERDAY!" He snaps loudly, slamming the rapier back into the scabbard by force as he starts checking the wounded. "And if one of the freeswords here just happens to know how to bind a damnable wound to stop someone from dying, it would be great if they came here on the double!"
"I can bind it, but little else," Lucasiel says, propping her shield against the side of the cart as she moves in to do what she can. "I expected better from Kendrac's followers. But let that be an example for anyone not yet convinced," she says, scowling. She hated having to take the side of corrupt court pactees. "Who a Being chooses to follow doesn't make them inherently bad- Or good. No more than their national allegiance does."
The assembled freeswords look helplessly at one another, one by one shaking their heads at Angus's request.
The bound bear and mouse seem too overwhelmed to do much aside from weep silently into their gags, but the alligator is twitching erratically and seems to be trying to speak as she looks sidelong at Lucasiel from where she lies in a spreading pool of her own blood.
Angus draws his dagger, starting to unbind individuals before he points to the Alligator. "Her, now please." he comments to Lucasiel, before going to remove the bag off the one being who remains quiet. As the Freeswords just stare helplessly he looks up with hard eyes, and points to the closest one. "Get me a healer now or so help me this day will end badly for every Freesword milling about like a Cackle with it's head cut off. MOVE!"
Lucasiel uses the fabric that had once been a gag, trying to bind it around where she could, and seeking it elsewhere when she couldn't. "I'm not sure we can save them, Solacious," she remarks, doing her best all the same. She was no doctor, but anyone whose fought in the field knows how to bind wounds at least. "But I will try."
"Bone!" gasps the Alligator as her gag is finally removed, she coughs up some more blood, then gasps, "Bone!" once more before her eyes start to flutter and roll back. With the materials at hand, binding the wound is not going to do much good unless someone can keep her from bleeding out.
The Freesword singled out by Angus meeps and dashes away toward the city, though the odds of him returning in time to help are slim to none. The bear and mouse fall into relieved sobs as they are released, and removing the hood from the other wounded being reveals a horned toad, gasping in pain.
Angus sighs, tearing cloth off the lion. "We do what we can, not the first time I've had someone die on me. But lets be honest, until they stop breathing there is no point in not trying." He answers back, getting to work on binding the horned toad's wounds. He freezes a little as he hears the Alligator calling for a bone, sighing a little at that. "whatever, if you can find it give it to her. But these four need to stay where they are until we can deal with this situation." His brow raises as it still seems they have a crowd, looking over them for a few moments. "Unless this is your first time seeing someone dying, you sure as shit shouldn't be gawking. You sure you all are hired Freeswords?"
Lucasiel didn't see it on her person, so she turns to rummage around on the lion, seeing if he might have had the bone on him. "Never said anything about not trying," she says, rolling the other feline over in search of the bone, readily returning it if she's able to find it.
A quick search of the dead lion reveals that he is carrying several small, unusual items on his person. He has two strange, gold coins bearing the image of a boar on one side and a hyena on the other, a small, black book full of illegible scribbles, and what seems to be a femur. The glowing marks upon his body have faded, and his black spear is nowhere to be found.
The other freeswords look around, maybe ashamed, maybe just confused. There does not seem to be anything to hit around here.
Angus sighs, just grabbing the nearest freesword and dragging him down, forcing his hands on the wound. "Apply pressure here, don't move. Don't let up." He stands up, dusting his hands off. "Seriously, how long does it take to get a damn healer, or the guards for that matter?" He mutters to himself, looking over the rest of the four still standing. "Just. Just go get the guards. Someone, please. Before I start hurting people again because they are standing around like idiots."
Lucasiel collects the bone, nodding. She knew the tools of their trade. The bone was offered to the gator, seeing her with the most pressing need. The coins are collected afterwards, offered to the boar and mouse. The book comes last, looking towards the toad. "This one is yours, then, I presume," she says, waving the object around before setting it before them.
The Alligator is obviously struggling to stay concious, but accepts the bone with a limp grasp.
Suddenly, the reptile's flesh seems to melt away, like smoke blown by a stiff wind, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton. Against all reasonable expectation, the skeleton sighs in relief and sits up. "Thank the Creators!" she says in a soft voice, "I thought I was done for!" She climbs to her feet, her slightly ripped and bloodied clothes hanging from her skeletal frame and making her look rather frightening, even in the afternoon light. "Now," she says, moving to where Angus is struggling with the wounded lizard, "I need a red, hot knife. Somebody do it now!" She wedges herself in next to Angus and without preamble starts to tear the clothing off of the bleeding being.
Meanwhile, the rest of the freeswords, whether by Angus's command or on their own, have vacated the old, abandoned arena.
Angus blinks a bit as he's pushed out of the way, looking around for torch or anything to shove one of the knives he has on his person. Grabbing the nearest torch he slipes a blade out and shoves it into the fire, waiting for it to heat up.
Lucasiel leans against the cart, watching the two now. She had no fire, certainly. And no dagger. "Well. You're alive, so that's a start," she grumbles, despite their appearance to the contrary.
"Yes," the skeletal alligator says, managing to be even more disturbing as an effective participant in what is happening than as a bleeding almost-corpse, "Alive. For what it is worth. Not valued by my peers and relations, but alive. So we have that." She nonchalantly tears off her blood soaked top and wraps it into a tight wad and shoves it into the lizard's mouth. "Bite down on this," she advises, "This is going to hurt a lot." She holds out a hand for Angus's blade.
The bear seems to have recoverd a bit, at least he is not the sobbing mess that his mouse compatriot is. "Thank you!" he gushes to Lucasiel, who happens to be closest, "If you two had not been here. . . " he shudders and hugs himself.
Angus quietly hands the knife to her, not even shaken by the situation anymore. "Just make sure he doesn't pass on. We don't need some jackass cultist from any of the spirits murdering others." He answers, putting the torch back as he crosses his arms. "I'm starting to think the all so glorious spirit Kendrac needs to start evaluating his dedicants a lot more before just handing them a spear if this is what we have to deal with."
"Yes, no killing from you either," Lucasiel says, nodding in agreement with Angus before looking towards the bear. "Hrmph. Well, as much as I disapprove of the corrupt court, I'll not stand idle while innocent Beings are killed, no matter who they are. Nor will I abide killing a Being while they're unable to fight back."
"I wouldn't know about that," the gator skeleton says, "And as for dying? Well, I'll do my best. If we can keep his insides inside long enough to get him to a sacred doctor, he might make it. It looks like Stabby McStupidface didn't hit anything vital. More interested in drama than effectiveness." She takes the knife, and without preamble, shoves it against the wound in the horned lizard's back, holding the wound closed as best she can. "There!" she says, ignoring the shriek of pain from her fellow reptile as he faints, "Should be quite the scar, but he will live."
The bear shakes his head at Lucasiel. "I'm real sorry, Miss," he says, "But I don't rightly know what you mean! I've never done nothing to hurt nobody! And this is twice this week someone has tried to put my head on the block!"
Angus just pinches the bridge of his nose as the screaming starts. "Look, just get everyone here to the Creator church so we can make sure you're all okay." He comments, waiting until she is done to pick up the Horned lizard as best he can. "Also you might want to get some flesh back on ya unless you want people freaking out the moment you step out of here."
"Are you not one of Olloch's?" Lucasiel asks of the bear. "I'm saying I don't approve of your choice. But that doesn't mean I think it's right for you to be harmed because of it." She whistles her horse over, rolling her shoulder. "But if you're NOT a caller, then I'm curious who that coin belongs to."
"Yeah, you're probably right," the gator says, "And I can't keep this up much longer anyway. I'm just a little scared that the wound will come back. And I am pretty sure he scored a lung on me. . . "
"Mister Olloch?" the bear says, "Well, yeah. I guess I made a deal with him. Said that if I did that I'd have people from here to Shralesta wanting to eat at my restaurant. I don't know what he did, exactly, but he was right! People been falling all over themselves to eat what I make! Dunno about all this Court business, though."
Angus grunts a little under the weight of the lizard. "If that happens we'll just have to carry you." He answers her as he starts heading towards the door. "Now all of you, shall we continue then hm? That means you to sir, you and the mouse. I want all of you checked out before you leave."
"It sounds to me like you entered a deal without knowing the full terms," Lucasiel says, swinging herself up into the saddle. "In any case, you might want to be careful in the future. I wish you the best of luck with your business, though, and hopefully you won't get roped into anymore trouble. I'd do with the fox says, though, and get checked out." She slips the helmet onto her head, clasping it shut and giving a lazy salute before turning her mount about-face and trotting off.
The Alligator nods, an eerie sight when she is just a skull, then there is an effect much the reverse of earlier. Her flesh blows back onto her bones, like smoke falling back into firewood, leaving her whole and unharmed. . . and naked from the waist up. "Oh," she says, her pale scales flushing a little, "Didn't even think about that."
The bear nods and goes to help his little mouse compatriot up, ushering him along before coming over to help carry the unconcious lizard. It is not long before the other freeswords return with enough help to get everyone back to the city, including the corpse of the lion.
