Tusked Witch Hunt - RPLOG
Participants
Date
22/3/480
Log
A crowd is gathering in Saints' Square, focused around a bound and gagged bear being, probably of the heavy clan. Beside him, a slightly smaller hippo is ranting, purple in the face.
". . . And then he comes right out and says it!" he is shouting to the gathering crowd, "He admits straight and clear that he knows one of those Corrupt Spirits! I say we string up the devil now! Before he can use any more of his witchery on us!"
"And mister Bear's 'witchery' is what, exactly?" comes the voice of one Flora Longtail sounds out, dressed in her usual leather outfit, as she weaves her way through the crowd. It certainly helps that she's flanked by her usual golem, Bastet.
Her guards, equally, weave after her, as she directs them to clear at least a small part of the crowd. "Now, Flora realizes it is not Flora's place, but at the same time, Flora is sure the King would not appreciate one of his cousins stringing someone up without due process, yes?" she chastices, if carefully.
she takes the time to look the Bear over. "Mister Bear seems to be a dedicant of... Olloch, yes?" she offers, more to the bear than to anyone else.
Into the rear of the gathered mass of angry onlookers slips a quiet form: Saying Russell is a rare sight to be seen these days is to understate to say the least. The pair of rounded ears had picked up the shouting from as far away as the market, and the fox made his way through the main street and into the Sain't square trying to see what all the commotion was. He wasn't particularly religious, and even if he was, he bearly remembered the layout of the town anyway. After swiveling his head around to get his bearings again, Russell's attention can finally focus on what's going on. "Hey! What's going on here?" Though he doesn't speak more, as he catches sight of Flora, and recognizes her. It also helps she asks the exact question he himself was about to ask.
The Hippo demagogue who has been whipping the crowd into a frenzy is a little taken aback when Flora confronts him, but he isn't about to back down.
"What do you know about due process, Longtail?" he spits, "This is none of your business! This is for the REAL citizens of Firmament to take care of!" He points at the bound bear accusingly. "This CULTIST tried to poison me!" he shouts, turning to the crowd once more, "Tried to poison all the poor beings who had the misfortune to wander into his so-called Restaurant!"
The bear, for his part, does not seem to have much to say on his own behalf, despite Flora's questions. He just sits there shaking his head and grunting and crying. The gag in his mouth probably has something to do with that.
Out in the crowd, a rather distressed little mouse turns to Russell. "Oh, it's horrible, Sir!" she squeaks, "They dragged poor Ernest out here and I'm afeared they'll do him harm!"
"Flora knows enough about due process to say that this isn't it," the she-cat offers, shaking her head lightly. "And how many beings have actually died? Or even fallen ill?"
The comment suggesting that she's not a real citizen of Firmament is offered nothing more than a browraise, as she turns to the crowd herself.
"Of course, it shouldn't be too hard for Lord Good to gain the attention of the King, or even the Council, for such a trial, would it?" she offers with no venom in her tongue.
"Do you know what started this?" The Arctic Fox asked once the shorter being spoke, raising his voice lound enough to match Flora's, and risking her not remembering who he was by being rather informal for somewhere outside of the Inn, "My thoughts exactly, Lady Flora.... This looks more like an attempted lynching, and I thought city folk where supposed to be the civilized ones..." He chuckles at the next part of what she says, and adds, "If it's doable for the Longtails, then it aught to be easy for Lord Good." The fox crosses his arms, "I don't think Lady longtail will just stand by and let you lot just hang the man without the law involved."
"What? You want us to give this filth a chance to call on his wicked patron?" the hippo growls, cheered on by a noisy fraction of the crowd, "We're court a-plenty for his kind! And if I were in your position, Highlady," he sneers, "I'd keep my nose out of other peoples' business, before people start thinking you work for these Old Ones too!" He grins triumphantly when Flora asks for evidence of a crime. "The wicked creature tried to poison me! It is only by the grace and power of the Creators that I still stand before you!"
"Its true!" someone in the crowd calls out, "The food was poisoned! I saw Lord Good choking and swelling! Thought he would die!"
"That's right!" the hippo says, waving a sacred doctor at the crowd, "Only, he didn't plan on me having one of these handy!"
The little mouse turns frightened eyes on Russel. "Oh please, sir," she says, "Don't shout! They'll only get angrier! Oh! Poor Ernest! It's all that new dish! That's what caused all this!"
"Flora has tangible proof that that is not the case, yes. Machine court. Flora could call the Spark to confirm, if mister Good prefers?" she offers, still not particularly perturbed by any threats, real or imaginary.
"Though, Flora would say, the callers of Olloch are mostly harmless," she offers with a small sigh, as she leans on her golem, before shaking her head lightly, and mumbling something under her breath, just loud enough for the hippo to notice.
"Oh, I don't care how angry they get" Russ speaks to the rodent in a lower voice, "I want to make sure these idiots can't say they didn't hear... Waiiit. a new dish?" His voice rasis up to a proper be-heard volume again. "So... I'm told you ate something new, is that correct? Where is this food? There's one good way to see if it was poisoned."
Russ now steps forward into the group more, stealing a look back at the mouse with a soft 'trust me' expression. "Give it to me. I'll eat some of it, and we'll all see what happens. If I get sick, it's either poison or bad food. If I don't, then your meal just didn't agree." He gives Flora a nod and an almost inperceptable smirk.
Perhaps offering to call on another Spirit was not the best choice in the current circumstances. "You see?" the angry hippo shouts, "She even admits it! The traitorous leader of a traitorous house worships these Spirits! String him up boys! You have House Good on your side!"
A trio of thuggish beings, a pair of burly bulls and an even larger canine of mixed blood have already hung a long, hemp rope over the outstretched arm of one of the Creator Saints.
The triumphant hippo, with the roaring crowd on his side is brought up a bit short as Russel steps forward. "You. . . you WANT to taste it for poison?" he asks, dumbfounded, "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever hea-" He does not even have time to finish his sentence before the little mouse appears by Russell's side with a plate. It is still warm, it seems and consists of some kind of orang-y colored, thick stew poured over rice.
"Here you are, Sir," squeaks the little mouse, "From Lord Good's own table, this is! Ernest would never poison nobody!"
A small gesture from the she-cat, and one of her guards, the mink, moves to stand closer to the bound bear, while the lion seems to make his way through the crowd. It doesn't seem like she's too disturbed by the suggestion that she's a traitor, not in the slightest.
Her tail is flicking behind her lightly, as she gestures towards Russell. "Might Flora suggest waiting for proof of poison, rather than attacking someone without evidence? After all, all of those who claim to have been poisoned are still standing, yes? Besides, if mister Ernest really wanted to poison anyone, would he be using something that takes effect immediately? That sounds like bad publicity to Flora, yes."
"Listen up from a country fox, people." He takes the plate, first smelling it, then running some on his finger. "Most of the natural world is poisonus. You buy your mushrooms and your herbs in the stalls, but they where picked by beings who know what they are doing. If you wish to go out into the woods and pick your herbs yourself. If they smell funny, or make your finger feel funny when you touch them: There are certainly poisnous, this dish is neither"
He takes a bite of the soup covered rice. "It's spicy, but quite good.... I don't feel any pain on my tounge, either. So that rules out MOST of the poisonus mushrooms. even though most of them just leave one... in disposed for a few hours at best."
The fox then, just to be sure, finishes the plate right there, and then waits. "Now, we'll see if I start to convulse.... according to you, and those with you, it was seemingly immediate, as the food was still quite warm."
GOOD.
GRAVY.
This might be the best thing that has ever crossed Russell's lips. It is a struggle to decide if he should eat faster to get more in his mouth, or to eat slower so that it lasts longer. The spicy is hot without being too hot, it is just savory enough without being salty and there is a sweet, peanutty taste that is absolutely flawless. And the rice. Can rice actually taste this good? Did they boil it in joy?
The unruly crowd has fallen silent, watching the snowy fox for any signs of his impending demise. Even the would-be lynchers have frozen in their tasks while the huge, tied-up bear sobs in his restraints.
"See? Perhaps there is something in the food that doesn't sit right with Mister Good? But it certainly does not appear to be poisonous," she offers, before gesturing her mink-guard to help the bear at least sit up straight. He's still be bound, but at least he'd no longer be sprawled out all that uncomfortably on the ground.
"Now, as Flora was asking for before. Can we please give Mister Ernest a chance to defend himself? Maybe ask if there's something in the dish that might sit well with one being, and upset another's stomach, instead of assuming evil intent right away?"
Russell remains silent, checking his own pulse with his two fingers on his wrist, balancing on a foot, and then another. "... There's not a hint of poison in this dish. Because if there was, it would have to be the same poison that you ingested, sir... And with that, it would have the same symptoms. And I am much shorter and lighter in stature, and ate much more. I should already be dead or dying right now."
Indeed, Lady Flora, I've seen many a being not take well to wild game, even though that's what I eat every day." Russell says to the tigress, before adding, "Though as much as I love a good omlette, eggs are one of those foods that don't sit well this fox." He looks at the gathered group, "I eat them anyway and just regret my decision-making later...."
His eyes then finally focus on the noble, "So... What do you have to say for yourself?"
At some point during the whole debacle, a small, unobtrusive feline slipped into the crowd. She stands next to two heavy-folk, watching with topaz eyes, a small journal in one hand and pen in the other taking notes.
The Good hippo starts to go red in the face, and a vein starts to pulse in his forehead as he grinds his teeth. "That is impossible!" he shouts, "These people all saw! They saw that he tried to kill me!" It is really a rather silly claim to make, since there is no way that all of these people had been in the restaurant. "He obviously used some kind of Spirit magic! It was a direct attempt on my life! Take him for a ride, boys!" The two bulls leave the dog to finish tying the noose and approach the bound bear and Flora's guard.
"Step aside, tiny," one of them snorts at the mink, "That's our criminal."
"Ain't no criminal from what I'm seeing," the guard offers, as she carefully slices the bear's gag, allowing him to speak, before turning back to the two guards, dodging and weaving around them with no intent to harm, but certainly an intent to trip them up and stall them.
"Mister Olloch does not grant that sort of power, as far as Flora is aware. It would be counterproductive to feasting, Flora'd say, yes."
The Arctic Fox was no Royal, and not even Noble. He had an oddly well-stocked list of Noble drinking buddies at the Inn, but nothing that would give him any 'halt this instant' sort of athority.
But he did have a gun, and perhaps more brass in his trousers then he had good sense.
"Listen to be very carefully Royal." Russell's tone lacks any sign of respect, "I've ate your entire meal, and haven't suffered a thing.. And I did NOT fight Shadows years ago to save Promise just to watch puffed up nobility lynch people just because they /think/ they've been spited."
"You where NOT poisoned today. But if you, or one of your... Thugs, lays a hand on that man, or one of the Longtails here... You *will* be shot today... I hope you don't make it come to that."
Zalthar moves to step forward, weaving between legs as a flit of tiny darkness. "If I might ask, the Good Sir might indeed have been targeted. But do we know that it was the cook?" she asks "And do we know it was the curry? There are many poisons that take a long time to take effect. Some even take days." she says, trying to find a higher point to speak from, or at least the clearest spot to stand.
When the arctic fox fails to die, many of the hangers-on in the crowd start to get rather uncomfortable and start to edge away, sensing a power struggle between nobles. There is no common man in his right mind who wants to get caught up in that sort of thing.
Then, as threats are made and things really look like they are about to heat up, the crowd starts to disperse quickly to safer vantage points.
"That doesn't prove anything!" the hippo spits, drawing a small, white device, "Except that you are all in on it! No doubt you are all Spirit worshippers!"
The bear, Ernest, gasps and spits a little as the gag is finally removed from his mouth, revealing that he does, indeed bear the tusks indicative of a caller of Olloch.
"Friend Russell, calm, yes. There is no need to fight," the she-cat offers, shaking her head lightly. "See? Mister Ernest has tusks. Likely a dedicant of Olloch, yes. As for Friend Russell, and miss Lynx? Does mister Good see any tusks on either? Or any bright hair? Glowing marks? A disheveled look, or a deathly beauty?" she offers, listing off the few marks she's seen or heard of before.
"I agree, Flora, there should be no need for it," Russell says, " But that's what will happen if anyone goes hanging anybody without a trial."
When tusks are mentioned, Russell even opens his big overly-bravado'd maw wide for people to see "See? nothing but really bad teeth.... And I don't glow, either..." He thinks then and adds, "And I don't get called 'beatiful either.... 'Cute' is about the best I get" He rolls his eyes at the latter.
"I'm not religious. I don't even know what the significance of this 'Olloch' is, or why he's bad... But if the man broke the law somewhere, that's for the courts or the King to decide. Not you, even if you ARE royal...." His gaze turns to the small creature who mentioned slow acting poisons, "According to all, he reacted immediately, and violently. poisons are fast, or slow. NOT both, and mixing the two can prevent both from working."
Zalthar hisses quietly and glares at Flora, glancing towards the nearest crowd that had moved away. The lynx was clearly uncomfortable with being put in the spotlight. But, in order to help reinforce the tiger's point, she lowers her hood, revealing a tiny, yet relatively unimpressive visage, clearly lacking any of the common signs of a pact, including briefly opening her own muzzle to show off rows of standard sharp teeth.
The Hippo is clearly unimpressed by the show of solidarity between the highlady and these unknowns. The trio of uniformed royal guard that are entering the square behind Flora's briefly absent body guard, however, manage to give him pause.
"Fine," he sneers, turning on his heel, "Come on boys, let the garbage tend to its own." The bulls and dog frown, the dog particularly shooting a dirty look and a rude gesture to Flora's mink guard, but they follow their boss away.
The guards don't close, but Flora's bodyguard returns to her side. The little mouse who spoke with Russell and quickly provided the food hurries up and throws herself on Ernest.
"Oh! Ernest!" she cries, "I was so afraid!"
Soon enough, Flora gestures for the guard to help the mouse with what remains of the restraints, sighing softly. "Flora will station a guard here for the time being, yes. Flora'll have to see if more permanent arrangements can be made with the guard," she offers, before leaning on her golem again.
"Though Flora does admit a certain amount of curiousity, yes. Why Olloch? Has mister Ernest not heard the stories about his more extreme followers?"
Russell lets out a sigh. His hand lands on his face, and he says, "Despite my willingness to go to blows to keep a man off a makeshift gallow... I'm supremely confidant it didn't have to go there" His ears flick a few times as he watches the royal and his men leave, "It's never pleasent... and I hate to waste good lead on trash when I could be feeding myself with it instead."
"Are you alright? Ernest, was it?" Russell's attention finally fixes on the man again, and he smiles lightly, "That was very good, whatever it was... That was probably the highest-class food I've yet eaten. Though, to be fair that's not saying much. I'm not noble or scholarly stock, and don't have the pallate of either."
and then Flora's question gets his attention, because he honestly didn't know what this was all about. "y-yeah, why him? What's he do exactly?"
Zalthar raises her hood again, and moves to lean against a wall near the group, ears trained on the group. She doesn't say anything, tiny book once again out, writing down things. To the observant, it would only be when Olloch is mentioned and related information.
"I'm fine," the bear says, letting the little mouse help him to his feet, "Just stiff and kinda shaken." He pats his little mouse friend on the head and looks to the little group who are still here. "Mister Olloch?" he asks, "Nothing, I guess. He just came to my restaurant and said that he liked the food. I told him that I was glad, on account of I like the food too and wished I could make it even better. He told me I could an' all I had to do was promise to come help him if he needed it." The bear rubs his wrists and looks around the currently quiet square. "I'll gladly answer your questions, but you mind if we get off the streets? Not feelin' real safe today."
Flora nods, and offers a small smile, as she gestures for the bear to guide the group to wherever he feels more comfortable. "The Church? Or the restaurant?" she offers after a short pause, a small tailflick. "And mister Ernest understands what Mister Olloch is?" she offers after a short moment, before looking to Russell. "Friend Russell has not heard of the Spirits yet?"
"Good to hear. I assumed they had at least given you a good kicking before they dragged you here. Most hateful mobs have a habit of doing stuff like that. I see them a little too often in the countryside" the Arctic Fox says as he turns his attention to Flora next.
Hunting has been very lean, so I have not had the surplus I once did to bring furs to sell as of late. I've not actually been in town in a few years. I bearly remembered where the Freesowrds had their old inn.... I don't know what or who these 'Spirits' are... Shadows where still quite the talk when I last left..."
He seems to go sad, for a moment, and says, "I remember my dating one being rather... scandalous back in the day.... It's been a long time... But yes, we should probably get off of the street."
Ernest nods and looks around at the silent gawkers, and from them to Flora. "Let's get back to my restaurant," he says and takes the lead with his mouse friend.
It is not a long walk down one of the side streets before the group arrives at a little shop front with the name "Ernest & Celeste's" painted on a sign above the door. The bear ushers everyone in and follows after, locking the door behind him.
The inside of the place is relatively intact, though a number of chairs have been toppled and one of the tables scattered around the place is in flivers now. Other tables stand abandoned, laden with half eaten meals. The bear sighs sadly when he looks around.
"Now," he says, slumping into a seat, "What is it you want to know?"
"Mostly, Flora would like to make sure Mister Ernest is aware of what he agreed to with Mister Olloch," she offers, before pulling out a small bit of paper, and scribbling down an address, along with a small map of the Maritime district, highlighting Selena's house. "Should mister Ernest decide that Mister Olloch's demands turn out to be too much, go here, yes. Tell friend Selena that Flora sent you, yes," she offers, before leaning back. "Ultimately, it is mister Ernest's choice, Flora just wants to know if the bargain was explained properly, yes."
"The Spirits are... Beings. People from another world of sorts. They are strange, they are powerful, but they also don't interact with the world directly. Their callers get certain... Gifts. And they are marked," she offers, gesturing to Ernest's tusks, and her own hair.
"From what you said... It sounded like this Sprit came to you in the form of a patron. You served him, and when you spoke of wanting to make the food even better, he offered help... I mean, did you know he was a Spirit, or did you kinda get... duped into it, for lack of a different term?" Russell asks, sounding rather confused with the whole situation he's walked into. He's a simple creature, he finds creatures the Crown says he may hunt, and he hunts them for food or coin. He tinkers with things in hwat spare time he has. This talk of Spirits and people being dragged out in the street clearly is a lot to take in, if the look on his visage is any indication.
"even when news got round of me taking to a Shadow, when we where still in the thick of the fighting with them, people didn't give me NEARLY this kind of treatment.... It wasn't approved of really, but nobody beat me over it. I'm just baffled at it all."
Flora then speaks, echoing a seemingly similar sentiment of 'did you know what you where getting into?' "Selena! Ahhhh, that's a wolf I've not seen in years.... Damnit, I'm getting old.... And... I see... Thank you for that explination, Flora. It's much like Kitsune then, what with the extra tails... Seeing as I've avoided joining or taking work from any noble house regardless of the cushy pay I've been offered... I don't think there's much a Spirit can offer me that would be work taking a bargin for... But I'm glad that I know they appear this way. I'll be more cautious."
"No offense, Highlady," Ernest says, "But Mister Olloch always treats me and Celeste right. Comes in from time to time and eats his fill and always pays his bill plus extra. Even if he didn't help me be the best cook this city's ever seen, I'd do most anything for him. Mister Olloch is good folks, Ma'am. I guess I heard that some folks have done some. . . unsavory things in his name, but he ain't never asked me to do nothin' 'cept maybe enjoy life a little more." He frowns as both Flora and Russell mention that he might have been tricked. "Now you two just see here!" he says, "I appreciate what you did for me out there, but I won't have you talking about Mister Olloch that way. I know exactly the bargain I made and I would make it again. He's a lot more reasonable than that crazy royal that had his men drag me out of here!"
"Flora is not saying mister Olloch is bad. Flora's met him, yes. Seems like a pleasant fellow, yes. But it doesn't hurt to be careful, and to know what you agree to, yes. Flora would hope anyone who dedicates to the Spark, or to Mister Kendrac, or any other spirit would do the same, yes," she offers, smiling warmly.
"And Flora simply wanted to make sure that mister Ernest knows there are beings that can help if things do go south. Flora would do the same if the Spark would demand something unreasonable, yes. That is all," she offers with a smile. "If mister Ernest is happy, and not harming anyone, nor being asked to harm anyone, Flora has no problems with things, no."
"My sentiments on the matter match Flora's here. I've never met the man. And from the way you said it, it didn't sound like he made it all that obvious what he was. Given my predisposition to take no risks with agreements, I wanted to be sure. As long as the bargin stays fair, then your golden." Russell says with a shrug.
"I mean, personally? I woulnd't risk a deal wiht a higher power for the same reason I don't risk a permanent association with a Noble house: It's not without risk. If not from the house, but the other houses should that house loose face and favor."
"That meal was fantastic, so I suppose I've got Olloch to paritally thank for that meal then.... I'm still not sure why he reacted to it like he did."
Ernest shakes his head. "Dunno about Lord Good, there," he says, "Loudmouth has been coming to my restaurant forever, never had a problem before. I mean, he is awful, begging your pardon, and he would always come up with reasons not to pay at the end of the night, but someone always comes round to settle his bills, so I never thought much on it. I thought he would like the new peanut sauce. Guess it didn't agree with him. Creators, he's disagreeable enough on his own!" The bear starts to shamble around the room, cleaning up dishes and unfinished meals, though the last is in short supply. Looks like a lot of people took advantage of the commotion to eat and run. "Don't know how we'll stay open now, of course," he says, passing silverware along to Celeste who has brought a bin, "But I'll tell you now, Mister Olloch never asked a thing of me. You oughtta know, if you got a Spirit you call too. Never told me to do nothing that I wasn't already doing."
Flora nods again. "Flora is just making sure, yes. There have recently been some dedicants of mister Olloch and other corrupt spirits causing some... Rather big trouble in the western reaches of Sweetwater. People are on edge. If people cause more trouble, let Flora's guards know, they'll let Flora know, yes," she offers with a genuine smile on her lips. "Flora'll ask two of them to keep an eye on the place. Shouldn't even notice them if no-one causes trouble, yes."
"And maybe be a little more careful with the peanut sauce, yes. Maybe let people know it's there? If it caused swelling for mister Good, it might cause swelling for others. Might be good to warn people, so they know not to take it if it is dangerous to them, yes."
Russell's ears flick once. "... Huh. That would do it... Some people don't tolerate nuts, or any nut-like thing very well at all. I don't have such an issue, as you noticed"
He thinks some and then adds, "If people are doing bad things in his names... I'm suprised Mr Osilch hasn't done anything about it personally.... If someone where slandering /my/ name by doing bad things in with the impression of being on my behalf... There would be much smiting.... Much indeed." He thinks more, "Flora does have a good point, if it's got nuts in it, you might want to have a note on your menu... Though I suspect a few folks who come in don't even know that they have this reaction."
"I guess," Ernest says, though whether he is talking about the Spirit thing or the peanut thing is anyone's guess, "And that is mighty kind of you Highlady. We'll do our best, but with a Royal out for blood, I just don't see this old place staying open. Shame. Cause I love this old restaurant." He shrugs at Russell. "Can't claim to understand the Spirits. Far as I heard, none of 'em has ever actually ASKED their people to do nothing. They just kinda let us do what we like. I heard about some of Olloch's. . . other followers, but I ain't never wanted to do nothing like them."
"Flora will be bringing this incident up with the King. Hopefully, mister Good won't cause too much of a problem in the future. If he does, let Flora know, yes," the she-cat offers, still smiling warmly, and flicking her tails lightly behind her.
"Like Flora said, Flora has no issues with followers of other spirits, so long as they don't cause trouble for other beings, yes. Mister Ernest seems perfectly fine, yes."
"Odd. That is indeed pretty... Nebulous... to offer some sort of seemingly permanent boon and not asking for anything in return. I mean, sure, people help folks out of the goodness in their hearts, but those are one off things. This seems like a constant gift, working forever... How bizarre."
"But you seem a good sort of folk here, so I won't concern myself with who your diety fo choice is, just like Flora here... Thanks for the dinner, by the way. I don't have ot suffer through whatever the Inn has left... though in speaking of the Inn, I should be going, so I may rent a room before they fill up for the night."
The tusked bear and his little mouse friend wave farewell to the tiger and fox. "Thanks again!" Ernest calls after, "You got me outta a heap of trouble."
