The trial of mother and father part 1 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
10/9/480
Log
The heavy rain beating itself against the canvas cover of the Wagon was the only sound to break the silence of the ride the last few hours, punctuated by the sharp squeals of the wood each time it hits a bump. The open valleys and hills giving away to the woods as the trees seem to close in on the old road, the light dimming as it works its way through the canopy of muted life as leaves fall. "Ya'll okay back there?" The Driver asks, an old Crow with a cracked beak, as he leans back and moves the flap to see how the Freeswords where doing.
The spider with his jacket's hood up gave a small shrug. "Once we reach our destination I will be. These roads are most definitely not teh most pleasant to ride in." He replies, voice fairly monotone and almost bored sounding. But then again, he wasn't trying to hide what he was persay, being a Shadow-being. Still, he was well armed, and well prepared for the most part, the rucksack on his back loaded with a few supplies that should make traveling the swamp easier, especially at night if the task should take that long.
"Well, I'm fine!" Corin calls forward cheerfully, ramming the buckshot from one of his cartridges into the barrel of his shotgun, "Just making some preparations!" Corin calls forward to the driver, "Everything look okay up there, mister Driver?" With practiced speed, the large brown bear shoves his ramrod back into its place on his weapon, and gets his spanner. The rocking of the wagon, of course, makes this somewhat difficult, but whatever.
Fenris is whistling. It is a bright, cheery tune not particularly congruent with the weather, but the rain runs cleanly off of his wide brimmed, green hat and its strangely resilient purple feather, and does not seem to much bother the huge, purple beast he rides. He only grins and waves the driver n as he sways along beside the cart.
"Well... It has been a while since I've been out here," Millicent muses to herself, tugging up her hood against the rain, despite the cover of the wagon. She liked the water, but she hated halfsies. All wet, or no wet. That was preferable. She keeps her arms around her sword and knees pulled in as she weathers the bump and road, looking towards the driver. "Yes, doing alright. Thanks." She takes a deep breath and looks over the others. "What do you think we'll be finding?"
There is a silent nod from the driver, a bit of a muffled chuckle. "as right as rain up here." He answers, feathers soaked and dripping on anyones equipment that they left near the front of the cart before he's back out in the rain once more. A slight snap of the reigns can be heard as he urges the beasts of burden forward, leaving the group to themselves as the trees pass on by. A few bushes rustle as something darts off deeper into the woods, before the silence returns as the wagon moves on.
Corin finishes twisting the wheel on his wheellock and throws it over his shoulder with a grin, "I'm Corin by the way... I already know Mister Fenris, but you two, I don't know, so hello!" he waves cheerfully, before pushing up his glasses just a little bit. He adjusts the heavy looking satchel that's hanging from his left hip, "I hope we work well together!"
The spider looks over at Corin, and gives a nod. "Glein. Owner of hte Sailor's Rest." He states, before returning his focus on the empty cart space in front of him, listening to hte sounds around them. While he doesn't have his hands on any of his array of weapons, there is a sense of readied tension about the spider. "About how far are we from the settlement?"
"Anything to know about Whispering Oaks?" Fenris asks, drawing up alongside the driver, hus buffalo seeming more than satisfied to plod along with the cart horses, "I can't say that I have ever been out that way. Not recently anyway." And that is true. He can't, by decree, say that he has been out this way. For very, very good reasons.
"Millicent," The redpanda offers with a smile. "Co-owner of the Seabreeze Noodle Cafe. And, uh, part-time adventurer I guess. I don't now about any Whispering Oaks, but I know about the Creaking Oaks," she explains instead. "We stop there sometimes in our fishing route." She leans the sword against her shoulder and leans back, tail curling around her paws.
The Crow turns to Fenris, shrugging his shoulders a bit in the rain. "It's a decent place of sorts, most people keep to themselves. Bit supersticious, they think the woods are alive here." He answers Fenris, his gaze turning to the woods for a few moments as the cart hits a bit of a nasty bump. "Think there's some spirit out there protecting them that will get angry if they don't appease it, respect the woods. As they say." He answers, snapping the reigns as the light of a fire can bee seen in the distance, a few torches burning bright as they near the village.
"How do they appease it?" Corin asks, raising an eyebrow as though the nameless crow can actually see it. He raises the hood of his leather jacket and does his best to peer out of the gap of the canvas-covered cart. On seeing the torches, or at least a flash of them, the bear tightens the sling on his shotgun and prepares himself for disembarkation, "Oh, and I'm primarily a smith for Longtech. But I did work with a mercenary company for a good while, so don't worry about me!"
Listening quietly, Glein gives a small nod. "Sounds like most small villages out in the wilderness, if my understanding is apt." He says, letting others do the obvious thing like opening the wagon's flaps to check things. "As for myself, I did, odd jobs in Cliffside. I'm quite experienced in what I do." He states for Corin's sake.
"And is there?" the big tiger asks, looking out into the rain, "A spirit, I mean. You never know, with an old forest like this." His mount snorts as the wagon bumps along beside, and he pats it reassuringly. He takes a deep breath and sort of. . . unfocuses, looking for the strange, but all-too familiar sense of the Spirit courts, just in case. "And they are not wrong," he says, "The wilderness of Promise will eat you if you don't respect it."
"Maybe there is," Millicent nods. "Hopefully that 'appeasing' isn't 'sacrificing Beings' or something. I would hate for that to be why we were called out here." She rubs at her face and shrugs lightly. "I suppose we will find out though."
Once more Fenris' questions are answered with a shrug. "I'm just a trader, I come here from time to time to buy and sell a few things. I don't ask to deeply into what they do." He answers, reaching under his hood to scratch at his feathers. "but a lot of faces have been going missing recently. Feels like the woods have eyes as well, so you never know." As they near the light the village comes into view. It's clear the village is old, ramshack huts and a few permanet standing builings ringing a well in the center. The woods have tried to reclaim this land, but time and again the villagers have beaten it back. There are no living beings outside in the rain today, all are in their homes trying to stay warm and dry. The entrance of the village is marked with a Road sign that says 'Welcome to Whispering Oaks.' Atop it sits the bleached white skull of an Elk, empty eye sockets staring straight ahead.
"Yes, that was what I was trying to say, without actually saying it..." Corin nods to Millicent, before returning his gaze to the opening in the wagon. On spotting the skull, he rolls his eyes, "Well, that's pleasant..."
Glein quirks an eyebrow and looks over at what Corin remarked about, shrugging. "I've seen worse." He comments, but readies to disembark. Which meant making sure his weapons were ready, and his tools were prepared.
Fenris slips off his buffalo's back and walks alongside as the group enters the village, his odd hat doing an admirable job of keeping his head dry and the water out of his eyes. "Freesword delivery!" he calls out cheerfully, "Someone called for some expendable muscle?" He follows Corin's gaze to the skull over the gate. "Just a bit of rustic decor," he says pleasantly as he unslings a long bladed spear from his buffalo's harness.
Millicent eyes the skull, frowning. "What a warm welcome sign," she says with a quiet sigh as she steps out of the wagon and moves to enter with the others, securing her sword to her hip. Fenris was doing ample introductions, so she keeps quiet for the time being, tail flicking behind her.
Fenris' shouts where met with silence and hard rain for a few moments. The building straight ahead was the tallest, possibly a church, the door opening with a heavy groan of protest. Ears perked up quickly on a rather skinny form, a canine of unknown breed stepping forward to greet the party. He smiled, white teeth a grand contrast against his darkened pelt as he offers his hand. "Ah, welcome to the village!" He greets, excitment in his voice as he waits for Fenris to complete the handshake. "Yes, we've been waiting for someone to finally respond to the flyers."
Corin disembarks the wagon last, his boots sinking slightly into the mud, his weapon slung over his shoulder, "We're here to help!" Corin says with a big ol' grin. His hood, at least, keeps his glasses from spotting up in the rain. The giant, shaggy bear jogs his way over to Fenris. Loudly, as each footfall slaps against the mud.
Glein isn't so loud disembarking. Walking towards teh front of the wagon, he gives the canine a nod. The hood on his coat was pull up and over, sheltering his head from teh weather. Even so, the sword at his side was easy to see. "Indeed. Hopefully you can give us more than the flyers provided, so as to help us possibly narrow our search."
Fenris returns the smile and accepts the handshake on behalf of the group. "Fenris," he introduces himself, "We are only glad to be able to help." He nods to his companions. "You just point us in the right direction!" The tiger is the image of helpful bluster, though his eyes and ears are wide open and taking in the village.
"Millicent," The woman offers in return, bowing politely. "So, ah. Yes, just point us in the direction and tell us anything that might be of help," she says, tugging her hood up further.
The hand Fenris takes is smaller then his own, stubby fingers giving a firm grip as the handshake is complete. "Ah, that is what I'm here for yes! She sent me to provide you the way." The canine answers as his stance shifts, tucking his right hand behind his back as that smile warms incredibly. "From what I've been told a few villagers have been disappearing deeper into the swamps, venturing out towards what I've been told is a 'sacred' place." He states, the word sacred almost being spit out before he regains his composure. "It's deeper in if you follow the trail." Turning he waves at an arrangment of torches, illuminating a path that becomes less visible as the light begins to fade.
Fenris' observation of the village only reveals darkened windows and silence, the blinds drawn on most of the homes as smoke puffs from the chimney. One of the homes, a square little cottage barely standing under its own weight would probably catch his eye, the curtains torn and disturbed as they flutter in the wind coming through broken glass.
"She?" Corin asks the canine of unknown origin, "Who is she? Oh, uh, Corin, by the way." The big ol' bear nods quickly, "And uh... Have you SEEN this sacred place?" The bear looks SLIGHTLY uncomfortable with all the darkness and emptiness of this little village, but he hides it well enough to not be obvious on a cursory glance.
Glein observes teh silence, the foreboding, the sheer isolation these people were putting out. Then of course, there was also the house with torn curtains. "Whom lives there?" Glein asked, politely gesturing with one hand at the house in question. Seemed a good place to get started, besides entering the swamp proper. Otherwise, it was time to go hunting for this 'sacred place' and determine what they could from tehre.
Fenris nods at the empty house. "Is that one of the missing?" he asks, "Whoever lives there? One of the ones who traveled to this sacred place?" The tiger turns to face the torch illuminated path. "What exactly is the place sacred to?" he asks, considering the feelings he had on the road into town. A small, green, ? stands out on the white fur of his cheek. Has that always been there?
Millicent follows Fenris' gaze towards the house, shifting a little uncomfortably. In some ways, it was just as off-putting as Mossy Stone. Not quite as filled with dead things, but it still had that forlorn feel to it... It reminded her of home. "We should probably find them as soon as possible, if they may be in danger."
The canines chest puffs up with pride as Corin asks about she. "Why mother of course, she asked me to help lead the way." He answers, Fenris' new question mark having him tilt his head in confusion before he registers the question. "I am but here because I was asked to come, I am just as much a stranger here as you. They follow what they call the great father, the lord of these woods if you can believe them." He points towards the skull that they all saw upon the road sign. "That is his symbol." His gaze does turn to the house for a moment, ears twitching as if about to fold back before he shrugs. "It is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. I wish you luck." He comments, folding his hands and bending forward to mutter a slight prayer to them before turning to go back into the church.
"Well, off we get, then!" Corin says, pulling a glass-faced lantern from the wagon and, with a quick snap of the enchanted not-a-thimble on his left glove, the brown bear lights it, and hangs it from a hook on the underside of his shotgun, "This place gives me the creeps..." Corin mumbles under his breath. He shivers briefly for reasons that have nothing at all to do with the cold.
Glein shrugs, and walks towards teh house in question. "Let's learn what we can then." He says, one hand resting on his sword, pulling his own lantern off his ruck and lighting it up before hand.
Fenris grins and nods, leading his buffalo, who plods gamely along behind. "Let's pay the Great Father a visit," he says amiably, though he stops and waits at the trail for Glein to rejoin the group, considering the big skull over the town gates. "Reminds me of someone," he says thoughtfully.
"... Does it?" Millicent asks of Fenris, waiting by the trail, herself. She had little interest in digging through someone's house. "Do you think it's one of those spirits?" She rests an arm on her sword, tugging her coat around herself.
The path is straight and narrow, the swamp consuming all on either side and stretching as far as the eye can see. As the sun beings to fully set only the light of the torches as they reflect across the water. The Path itself is wide enough for two beings to walk side by side, stones layed down carefully to make it easier to walk as it continues on, the visible light from the torches indicating that it will take an abrupt turn soon.
As Glein starts to approach the home a picture begins to take form, the door itself hanging on broken hinges that creek ever so slightly as the win blows, the door opening just enough to reveal a glint of red in the lantern light as a boot, very clearly worn by someone, comes into view.
Corin cradles his gun in his arms, making it easier to carry, and also pointing it in a vaguely upward direction, "Huh... Good thing for the torches... Maybe one of them got extinguished and they sank in the swamp on accident?" The bear scratches his head and peers over at Glein.
Glein approaches the door, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword, even as he raised the lantern a bit to better light the space around him. Seeing the boot, Glein eases his way closer, his gaze moving over all that lay around him, and more importantly, what lay around the boot, even whom it might be attached to.
"Something like them, I think," Fenris answers Millicent, "But not one I have met." He looks over toward Glein, wondering what is taking the spider so long.
"Hmmm..." Millicent trails off, shaking her head. "I never really... Cared much for the things. I feel like that is all the world thinks about these days," she says with a wistful sigh. "With luck, though, it'll just be some kind of... Swamp beast. Or forest monster. Or something. Maybe a big maneback wandered down from the north."
The boot is of course still attached to the owner, an old Pine Marten. Dead eyes meet Glein's, a pool of blood drying one the caked wooden floor as the cause of death is obvious. A Pitchfork kept the marten pinned in position, sunk deep into their chest and keeping them pinned to the wall as it's clear a scuffle happened, the furniture overturned and scattered across the one room home.
"Could be a spirit, aye... Only met one of them, the water fellow..." Corin raises his lantern, and by extension, his gun, a little higher, spreading out the pool of light around them, "What's keeping you?!" Corin shouts over at the hovel, which he can't very well see inside.
Fenris saunters over to where Glein is standing and his smile freezes on his face. It does not become a frown, because he is pretty sure that there are still eyes on him, and he has no intention of sharing what is in here with the general populace. The tiger's eyes take in the scene and commit it to memory. He gently pulls Glein away and pulls the door closed as best he can. "A mystery," he says quietly, "But one that has to wait. There are still people missing that might be alive. Let's tend to them first. I don't suppose someone wants to stay and keep watch here?
Millicent peeks around Fenris to see what all the fuss was. "... Oh." She quickly turns away, tail bristling. "Weeeell I'll be back by the gate," she says, wandering off. Nope. She's not going to be anywhere near dead bodies in a place like this.
