Would be Cultists Disrupting the Peace with Delicious Fruit - RPLOG
Participants
Date
17/5/477
Log
Angus whistles to himself as he walks through the field as well, having no problems with the heat as he steps up next to Selena, looking over the one that called them as he smiles. "Good evening Miss, you called for us?" He asks curiously as he looks over those near him.
Ayano makes her way through the paths slowly, her armor clinking dully together as she keeps her head low and gently humms to herself. A thick wide brimmed reed hat was set upon her head to help keep the light out of her eyes, and she seemed to be using a rather large longbow as a staff for her traveling before she was finally next to the others freeswords. The Red Panda's tail flicking for a moment as she offers a bow before clearing her throat gently. "Blessings upon this day. There was a request for aid from here?"
Rogna strolls along the path to the assigned meeting place in the farmlands, surveying the area around him with curiosity to see how the crops were going to do this year, always nice to have excess information in the courts if it is needed. As he arrives and eyes the Shiba, he says "Hello there." with a wave of his arm before he awaits their greetings, giving a smile and wave to Selena and Angus as well. He was in good company it seems, and they, were in Good company. He chuckles silently to imself, having heard this joke many a time and yet it never seemed to get old to him, even in his own head.
The canine woman stands from her chair, flashing a smile as the Freeswords approach. Even Fenris gets a wave from her left hand. "Things are alright. It'll be a good season for crops, I think. Plenty of sun and rain, lately. But yes, onto business. I don't want to waste your time. The other day my children were out playing, when my youngest came home and told me she had heard some strange noises coming from an old run down place off aways. You know how kids are, so I didn't really pay much of a mind to it, you know? I decided to check it out to put them at ease, though, and..." The woman pauses for a moment, trying to decide just how to put it. "Well. I certainly heard -something-. I don't quite know what it was, but it sounded like scraping, and some hushed voices. Almost like a chant, you know? I'm not much of a fighter, so I didn't stick around. But if there's something out there, I want to make sure it's not a threat to my family. That's where you come in! Do you think you could check it out for us? We don't have much to offer, but we can give what we can."
Selena looks back over her shoulder as the other beings arrive. "So you think there's some beings around here doing something unusual?" She asks a little perplexedly and moving back towards Angus and Rogna, the other familiar faces being given friendly nods. "Rogna, it's good to see you again... And Angus, Kalt was fine when you left, right? I came here straight from work, so... I'm not too sure."
Fenris smiles at the woman and nods at her prosthetic. "How is the arm holding up?" he asks, "I've told you time and again that I will make you a better one if you will let me." He nods to his fellow freeswords as they arrive. "But for now," he says, "I'll be happy to help out with whatever you found out there."
Angus crosses his arms and nods, turning to Selena as he smiles. "Kalt's okay last time I checked, left her with a nurse to take care of her." He eyes the woman before he nods and moves to go get his Golem that he had left a few feet away, he didn't want to scare the Shiba with it after all.
Rogna nods to the woman. "Well then, let us go secure the safety of your home, and your peace of mind swiftly. It may have been a one time thing, perhaps some pranksters or, one of these spirits I've heard so much about, but let us make idle banter on the way." he says as he draws a sword, and adjusts his cape before asking he direction of travel. "And yes, good to see you too Selena. Angus Solacious, are you supposed to be warding someone?"
Marcy looks at her arm, then at Fenris and shrugs. "It works well enough to get me through the day. And I know you offered, but we like to earn what we got, you know? But I may reconsider, someday." Turning her attention towards Selena, she nods. "I do. Sorta. I don't really know what to think, but I heard some of those Old Ones had cultists and stuff. The way I figure it, if it's somethin' like that we should go and nip it in the bud before it turns into a Mossy Stone, hm? Come on, I'll show you folks where it's at." Stepping down from the porch, the woman moves off to lead the way across the farmland. "I hope it's just pranksters or something, but I don't really like taking chances with that kind of thing."
Selena shakes her head back to Rogna. "Not 'ward', but we've been making sure his... Lover doesn't get into more trouble until she's back on her feet and not missing an arm." she replies with a quiet chuckle, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that makes both of us hope they're not cultists."
That said, she follows behind the woman, moving through the fields with the rest of the group.
Fenris nods to Marcy and turns to follow the Shiba. He worries for her and all the others that have been hurt the way that Marcy was, through fear and senseless violence. He is also worried about the idea of cultists around the Ridgewater farms. The tiger has not forgotten his run in with the caller of Olg'Ish.
Angus had never encountered callers of Olg'ish before, in fact he has barely ever encountered callers. He shrugs his shoulders a bit as he grabs onto the handle on the metal carapase of his golem before he sticks his foot into the spur he had put there, hosting himself up onto the back of his Metal Mantis as he points it in the direction everyone was moving.
The trip across the terrain is pretty quiet, save for the loud concert of insects that tends to be prevalent in the hot weather. Eventually, the shiba woman brings them up to what looks to be an old farm house on the outskirts, but it appears to have been left vacant for quite some time. It's quiet enough on the outside, but it doesn't exactly look inviting, either. "Alright. This is far as I'm going to go, I think. I'll be waiting out here for good news, hopefully! But I'd just be in your way if there was actually something going on." She pushes the door open and stands aside, easing herself onto the ground to settle in for a wait. "If there's any questions you need answered before you go in, let me know! I'll... Do what I can, but I don't know if what I can do will be much."
Selena nods appreciatively to the elderly woman leads them to the door - the wolfess giving Angus an odd look as he mounts his mechanical creation, shooting a quick quip at him "When did you get so lazy?" - before looking back at the group as the trip ends. "I'd appreciate not taking point. There's enough golems or... Better equipped beings for that." She chuckles, nodding to Fenris and Rogna - after all, between the golem and noble swordsman, one of the two is probably better armored.
"I'm still not noticing anything odd, but I'm not convinced..." She mutters, peering at the dilapidated house a little concernedly.
"You're a gem Marcy," Fenris says with a smile before walking up to the open door. "About what hour did you come and hear the chanting?" he asks. The tiger checks his gear to be sure that there is nothing loose or jangly hanging from his coat, then turns to check his spiky golem. It would be best if they could slip in quietly, after all. Now that he thought about it, maybe chanting didn't sound like an Olg'ish cult after all. Weren't they meant to be solitary? Gradually, a vivid green question mark starts to form on the white fur on his throat.
Angus dismounts from his golem and gives Selena a shrug. "I'm not lazy?" He comments, flashing her a smile before he draws his sword at his hip and looks to the open door, flicking his ears as he looks to the others. "Soooo, knock or just walk in? Either way I think we should wipe our feet, to be respectful." He teases flashing a smile.
Rogna eyes the building and says "Perhaps someone should wait outside for a moment while we search the interior so no one leaves via the alternate exits, someone fast presumably. I'll take front." he offers as he moves to stand in front of he others, drawing two swords to his sides as he looks the interior over in a mostly commitited battle stance, edging forward until he is sure it is safe to loosen his guard via reliable vision, alert. He lowly says "What is that...?"
The soft murmuring is momentarily punctuated by something that sounds rather like a metal object being dropped onto something hard. Like a rock. The house itself, though, seemed... Well, fairly well stocked for a place that was supposed to be abandoned. There was fresh fruit on the table, and a rug off to the side that didn't seem as dusty as the rest of the place.
Selena looks back to Rogna and nods. "That does seem like a reasonable option. I can wait outside if you want - it's easier for me to work outside of a cluttered area, but if you'd like me inside I can join you there." She notes, rubbing her cheek. "Well. Either way, I'll be where you want me to be." She notes.
Fenris listens and hears the faint sound of what might be distant chanting rising up from the floorboards. "This does not feel like any of the Old Ones that I know," he says quietly, another question mark, this one a vivid purple, appears on his cheek. He sniffs at the air, "Copper? Sulfur? Old Fruit?" he mutters, "Nothing that I have met before." The tiger beckons his golem forward as he starts to look for stairs or a trap door. "Let's keep this quiet now," he says, "No need to stir up more trouble than we are already bound to have." The suspicious rug catches his eye and he saunters over and instructs Speedy McShieldman to pull the rug aside.
Angus turns to Selena, then looks to the door before he slaps his golem on the hide and points to Selena. "Listen to her." He states before he sheaths his sword and draws his dagger instead, Wanting to have as much movement as possible in a crowded room as he keeps his right hand hovering over the grip of his pistol as he follows Fenris.
Rogna looks to Selena and nods, and smiles. "Why that is generous to say but you should also be where you want to be. I suppose the easiest method would be for a quick lap around and then enter in a few moments." he sas back to Selena as he moves about the area, the rug also catching his eye. he stands ready to remove a door if it is there, although he does not stop watching his surroundings.
When Fenris' golem moves the rug aside there is, sure enough, a trap door, plain as the day outside. It's not even locked! Terrible security. The sound of the voices stops for the time, but it doesn't exactly sound like there's much preparation taking place on the other side. Instead, the silence is left to be broken by the distant sound of tapping on metal.
Selena watches as the group file into the old house, the wolfess moving around the old building as Rogna had suggested - checking for hidden exits, cellar doors and other means of access to the house, humming softly to herself as she goes about the rather bland deed. Someone, after all, had to do it.
Rogna looks to the door and moves to thrust it open, not intending to miss a beat as he gauges his size against the hole then attempts to decend, weapons in hand. "Let us go." he murmers lowly.
Fenris looks around at his fellow Freeswords then glances down the trapdoor after Rogna. Since nothing seems to be in the way, he starts a careful descent with his golem climbing ponderously after. Good thing he had brought Speedy instead of one of his heavier creations.
Angus gives Rogna a nod as he slowly goes down the stairs, narrowing his eyes as he keeps his right hand on the grip of his pistol, tali flicking a bit as he slowly, slowly walks down the stairs.
Selena's wanderings yield results, as she comes to a pair of double doors around the back of the house, leading into what must be the cellar. As the Freeswords make their way into the basement from the other side, they are met with the source for some of the clanging noises: A young salamander lad in an overly typical black hooded robe, bent over... Well, calling it a 'golem' would be rather generous. It was more of golem shaped creation of scrap metal, more fit to be a scarecrow. Any golem crafter worth their salt could see it was never going to function. As the salamander looks up to see the intruders, weapons in hand, his eyes go wide. "Oh shit." The boy quickly turns and bolts for the other cellar entrance- The one Selena had found- hoping to make an escape.
Selena sighs quietly as she finds the pair of doors - rather than flinging them open to see where they lead, the wolfess instead chooses to work a little earth magic, raising a small mound of dirt up in front of the door - it's clear she's in no rush, but she does raise it enough that it'd jam the door for anyone opening it at least.
The earth magic gives an almost immediate result, as something promptly thumps into the doors from the other side. "Oh no. No, no, no. Come on, open!" The salamander kicks and bludgeons at the doors to no avail, before turning back to the cellar. "D-Don't kill me! I didn't hurt no one!"
Fenris recognizes the young salamander as one of his young contacts from the Shanties. He doesn't always know their names, but he definitely knows that face. With a focused effort, the tiger's features blur and change, becoming those of an older, scarred alleycat with a missing chunk of ear and a scar over a milky, left eye. "Kid!" he calls out, his voice suddenly aged and rough, "Kid, chill!" The disguised Lightbringer slips around Rogna's imposing form. "Nobody's gonna hurt you!" he says gently. Well, as gently as that rasp can manage. "What are you doing down here?" he asks, "Does your Da know you're out here?"
Angus flicks his ears, looking to Fenris then the kid as he sheaths his dagger and takes a step back in front of the stairs, crossing his arms as he makes sure to bar the only other exit for the Salamander as he gives him a soft smile.
Rogna keeps his swords drawn and watches carefully, although he drops his stance a little. "What might you be doing down here that has you hiding?" he questions, looking the salamander over once more. He also eyes Fenris, with a raised eyebrow as he shoves this bit of information away for further inquiry later. If he can see it, he also attempts to inspect whatever the boy was working upon.
The creation of his is laid out on the ground plain for Rogna to see. To an untrained eye, it might look quite a bit like a golem, if mostly composed of rusted and dented scrap metal. The salamander looks towards Fenris, taken aback to see a familiar face here. "I... Uhm. He knows I'm out, but... I was just making this golem here. To help out my friends!" To be fair, he's not -lying-. "I'm not harming anyone, really!" Though that's only one person. And there were certainly multiple voices to be heard, earlier!
Selena blinks for a moment as she hears the loud thud at the door, the wolfess knocking quietly - before running back around the other side of the house and down to the house's cellar, approaching the group from behind.
