Primeval Thule - #2 Red Chains

[Ravenhurst ST]

Noble gazed at the young giant woman, he now saw hints of exotic ancestry in her face hmmm Dhari women one a halfling , one obviously human and one...what?

"The name matters not to slavers, nor to me, however I would assume that it would matter to him and would make identifying him that much easier." He pause relecting on the giantess's words. "You say the name of the ship was Tarhun's Fury? That ship has not been to this port, but I have heard of it, that it was a pirate ship that plies the coast  as well as the inner sea. It is known to prey upon Quodeth shipping. Your friend may not even be here."

[Neeva of the Katjaa]

"Hmm. Why would pirates take captives then, if not for slaves?" Neeva thought aloud.

"And do you know anything else of this ship? Even what it looks like or a common port it visits perhaps?" she asked as she considered this change to the situation.

"We should still check to see if he is here, since we made the trip. If not, then we can move on. How long do you think it would take to check for him?" she added.

 

Spoiler

Can Neeva Insight check him to get see if he is being honest or deceptive?

 

[Ravenhurst ST]

"An hour, days perhaps, I do not know. But it will go quicker if I know his name." Noble gives these strange savage women a look. While he does not feel threatened by them he recognizes their fierceness. he also can tell that they are withholding but what he does not know. "Wait here." He steps out through the curtain and the women watch through it as he leaves the building. The girls move out to peer through he cracks in the shutters and see that he is talking to several small children who all scamper off. he turns to come back inside. As one the women warriors return to the back room.

He glances at the women as he came back into the back room. "I have begun the search. The Tattoo on the arm will be prominent and may reveal him I have also sent searchers to the dock to inquire about that ship. Pirates have use of slaves as well as any evil man and unfortunately Marg is not the only place that deals in slavery merely the worst."  He goes about getting food and wine and setting it on a small table. "Please this will take some time sit rest tell me of your journey and of my friend whom i have not seen in many many years."

 

At the Tavern

The four thugs rushed Alberich, but the dwarf had his shield up to meet them, and slashed a deep cut into the chest of the closest attacker. As he pushed forward blocking the blows of the three the one he slashed spun aside blood spraying as he crashed into a table and fell screaming to the floor his life's blood painting the filthy ground scarlet.

Yngvar slams his axe into one of the men above and to the side of him running him through but the man on his left slashes as he stands and draws a heavy cut across the back of his neck opening his flesh and causing blood to flow. At the same time the axe wielder makes a flurry of blows which Yngvar tries to parry but the man slips past the defense and buries the head of one of his axes deep into the Northman's side.

 

Spoiler

Alberich has killed one yngvar has dispatched two. alberich is unhurt. Yngvar has taken 8 damage from the criticle knife wound to the neck and has taken 6 more to his side from the axe for a total of 14

post for next round

 

[Neeva of the Katjaa]

Neeva watched Noble through the shutters along with the others, watching him speak to the children.

"I do not sense any deception from him. He seems to be a honest and good man. Likely a rarity here." Neeva shared before stepping back with the others as he returned.

"We are not cityfolk, and were warned of Marg. ? Told us of you, but having never met you for ourselves, we were unsure if we could trust you. Do not be offended." Neeva said to Nobel.

"I think you are a good man, Nobel Freeman, one of few in this city. We appreciate your aid though may not show it the way cityfolk might. Again, do not be offended."

 

[SalmonMax]

"Your friend is in good health," Aridha says. She gets up restlessly and starts moving around the room, looking at things. Furniture and pots and bits of carpet. Abruptly she pauses and looks at Noble sharply.

"You know people here, yes? In the city? You are finding this slave...do you think you might find someone else as well? Or if he is not still here, at least find out if he has been?"

[Ravenhurst ST]

Noble crushes the wave of annoyance that comes over him at the further request by the smallest of his guests.

"Another Slave?"

[SalmonMax]

Aridha shook her head, unable to suppress a repulsed expression.

"No. A man named Odass Stagg. He is a mercenary, a warrior."

Her eyes rose to meet Noble's directly.

"I can tell you what he looks like, what his men wear."

[Ravenhurst ST]

In The Tavern

Yngvar was looking to be a bit under pressure, so Alberich stopped playing around with these slobs. Three on him, two on the Northman and him bleeding. The dwarf reduced that number by a third, whipping the bluend of the mace-axe into a skull, before slamming his shield out into the chest of a second man. That one probably had it worse, his ribs smashed inward.

Yngvar silently snarls in pain, one hand clamped automatically to the wound in his side. It would be so easy. Just one word and he could turn both of these wretches to twitching corpses. But it would announce to all and sundry their presence. Wizards were viewed with suspicion virtually everywhere and throwing around magic was one of the fastest ways to cause a panicked riot.

He draws his hand away from his side, it had only been there a fraction of a second, but was already liberally coated. He scowls fiercely at the apparent leader of the group, the one egging them on, and throws out his hand, flicking a stream of ruby droplets into the mans eyes. In the brief flinch that follows, he grasps his axe in a heavy two handed stance, bringing it down in the juncture of the mans neck, burying the head almost to the hilt in his chest. Pulling it out with a grunt and a wet squelch, he turns to his last opponent.

"Last Chance. On. Your. Knees."

That fight was over almost before it started . The Thugs lay scattered and bleeding on the ground the remaining ones unhurt dropped their weapons and did as Yngvar order. As the last one knelt the doors exploded inward and armed soldiers sporting the garish panoply of the cities Scarlet Slayers, the ruthless armed protectors of the wealthy merchants and slavers, poured into the room arms at the ready to face our heroes. A gruff voice called out from outside. “Throw down your arms you are under arrest by the authority of the Crimson Council!”

 

At the Fortune Tellers shop

 

Nobel froze as the name left the halflings lips, he didn't even hear what else she said. “Shh.” he hissed “Don't say that name lest you call the devil himself to take our heads.”

The older man again quickly checks the shutters and peers outside before coming back to them.

“Stranger and Stranger this day is becoming. First find a slave whose name you are reluctant to give then you casually ask after the vilest sorcerer in all of Thule. Women, a halfling and a part elf with some giant in there for good measure and what about you young woman," he eyes Neeva,  "are you really Dhari or do you hide some otherworldly connection as well?” He makes a warding sign and looks back at Aridha.

“Aye, the beast comes to Marg often and is entertained by the council, usually with slave woman and the arena, no expense is spared. The council fears him and so should you. What business do you have with such?”

[Neeva of the Katjaa]

Neeva's eyes narrowed at her heritage being being questioned.

"I am Neeva of the Katjaa. Tharra is my tribemate. I was trained by the wise woman to be a Talespinner and then the Forest Gods began sending me omens and signs, allowing me to foretell the future. So I became a soothsayer of my tribe as well, which has led me from the Dharh Mesh to here. And you, Nobel Freeman, would do well to not question my heritage again, for I am Dhari as sure as your blood is red." Neeva said darkly.

She then took a breath and relaxed somewhat.

"We came to you in good will. Please do not ruin that." she added as she relaxed a bit more.

[SalmonMax]

"I'm going to kill him," Aridha says evenly, eying Nobel with interest. "That is the only business I will have with such as him. I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that the people here would prefer to entertain him, even knowing what he is."

She looks at the tip of her spear and reaches out to test the point.

"But now I know...he comes here."

The tiny Dhari gives Nobel a nod. "What else can you tell me? What powers is he known to have? Who are his friends, and enemies?"

[Tharra of the Katjaa]

Tharra took a step back so she could look down in some surprise at the tiny halfling pass a chest thick with muscle and bosom. Fierce she knew the halfling to be, her tone was cold with hate and promise as she replied she would kill this Odass Stagg. Tharra had not known Aridha had another reason to come to Marg, and she did not miss how Nobel Freeman grew still at the name of Odass Stagg.

"I am as Dhari as my Tribemate," Tharra rumbled firmly. Though her Elven heritage was readily evident, she had always believed her great size and strength to be a gift from the Forest Gods, but for all that, she was Dhari through and through. "And yes, tell us more of the Odass Stagg, or learn more and we will pay you more krakens... after you have found the slave we are looking for." Not seeing on how it would matter now, she added, "He is called Leafstan."

[Ravenhurst ST]

Noble paused and considered. The Halfling was incredibly passionate about Stagg he must have done her some great wrong. The other two were Dhari and unaccustomed to civilization and so there manners should be overlooked. But his should not. "Please let us sit it will take some time before my agents report back about this Leafstan.When they do I will ask about Butcher, there are those who may have information on his whereabouts."

The women sit and he pours them wine then sits himself facing them.

"Forgive my curtness earlier, it is not often I receive requests from strangers, and here in Marg one must be wary. Still I was rude and I should know better. If the slave is here and alive my agents should locate him easily enough even with them not knowing his name." He smiles and shrugs. "But I can see that while you know what you wish to do to the Butcher, you do not know anything about him, so I will endeavor to enlighten a little with what I know or have heard.

The man, if he is a man, called Odass Stagg is said to be an Atlantean, not one of those descended from colonists but a true Atlantean. As his story goes he came here to Thule from Atlantis over a hundred years before the sinking of the great island. He was an explorer and traveled a great deal into the wildernesses of this violent continent. Over the course of time he developed a powerful reputation, if not legend as a great adventurer until he vanished in the far north where there is naught but snow and ice. And so his history ends until about 20 years ago.

A man, masked in an elaborate helm, led and army of barbarians out of the north into Jhi Anool, slaughtering everything in their path. They reached the gates of Maj Keili and demanded the surrender of Rhan Sha, the most sacred of the Rhakshsha treasures. This man named himself Odass Stagg. He laid siege to the Rhakshsha city for several months as the tale goes before abandoning the attack and returning to the wastes of the north. It was only after they had gone that it was discovered that the artifact was missing. Over the years this man has repeatably sallied from some unknown haven in the glaciers to lead bloody raids on southern peoples and city states. His goal is always driven by desire to posses artifacts of the former great powers, the Elves, the Atlanteans and older darker things. He himself is a warrior and a sorcerer, his armies are either made of strange barbarians who speak no language known to scholars or they are monstrous fiends brought back from death by his foul necromancy. When he come this far south he usually leads a force of mercenaries made up of many different land. It is hard to know what is true and what is legend or even if it is the same man. While I have seen him at the arena during his visits here he has always been masked and cloaked even in our oppressive heat. I know of no one who has seen his real face.

If this is the man you intend to wreck vengeance upon little one, then indeed you have a mighty task set before you. Wisdom tells me that I should dissuade you of this course, but my heart says different. I will find out what I can for you.”

 

[Ravenhurst ST]

On 8/29/2016 at 1:38 PM, The Grand Scribe said:

In The Tavern

 As the last one knelt the doors exploded inward and armed soldiers sporting the garish panoply of the cities Scarlet Slayers, the ruthless armed protectors of the wealthy merchants and slavers, poured into the room arms at the ready to face our heroes. A gruff voice called out from outside. “Throw down your arms you are under arrest by the authority of the Crimson Council!”

Alberich steps up beside Yngvar and began to growl a reply when the Northman laid a bloody hand on his arm. "Calm yourself friend, there are more outside and they have wizardry."

The Dwaf looks beyond those standing before him and saw what his taller companion saw, more men at least a companies worth and two robed in heavy cloth a man and a woman one with fire in her hands the other with lightning playing about the head of the long staff he bore. "Bloody hell! By Nergal's balls where did they all come from?"

[SalmonMax]

Aridha released the breath she'd been holding...not so much out of tension, but to make sure no sound could possibly intrude on what the old sage was saying, that not a breath would confuse a word in her ears. She closed her eyes for a long moment then nodded and opened them again.

"Do this, and I will repay you," she promised. "Whatever you may want, that I can do."

[Yngvar]

Yngvar only shrugs in reply.

"I dare say they know the city well. And there are likely magicks to ease journeys. Still. It's interesting that a brawl of this size attracts such attention. I'm beginning to suspect someone may have been setting us up."

He carefully lays his axe on a table beside him. Careful to not make any sudden moves. Mentally he reaches out to his familiar, perched on a roof across the way, among a murder of crows. With a mental command, he sends it winging away in search of the rest of the party, the small disk with Yngvars rune glinting briefly in the light from where it was tied to it's leg. It could mimic speech well enough to get the gist of the situation across, though it would not speak till privacy was acquired.

"Regardless, assaulting this many guards would be folly, so cooperation is our best option for now."

In a lower tone, pitched so just Albereich would hear it

"I've sent word to the others."

[Alberich of Kal-Zinan]

Alberich was clearly displeased with the idea, but the odds were against them. Still, as he put down his axes and shields, the whole thing rankled him deeply. Surrendering like that? Then again, the Northman was right. This did seem like a setup, and at least the others would know.

[Ravenhurst ST]

They chatted for a time then lapsed into silent waiting. The three women felt exposed even though they were safe inside the shop. Noble went back about his business and opened the shop back up lest he draw suspicion.

After an hour or more a small child about six years of age came in her dirty face matching her ragged dress. She handed Noble a rolled up note. A few minutes later he shooed the little girl out and approached the three Dhari.

“I have news but it isn't good. It seems your queries were prophetic Aridha. It seems that Odass Stagg is coming to Marg and as usual games are being prepared.. Your Leafstan has been taken to the Arena pens. I am sorry.” He slides the coins you had paid him across the table to Neeva. “Take your coin and leave this accursed city this is not a time or place for vengeance.”

This last is directed at Aridha but before she can reply a fervent tapping at a window draws everyone's attention. There a large crow perches tapping the frame, a small metallic disc attached to it's leg flashing in the sun.

Noble moves to shoo the bird away but Tharra's hand on his arm stops him as the crow jumps onto the table and looks at the three women then it opens its beak and eerily speaks with a remarkably human voice. “Big Fight Big Fight. Guards and Wizards! Bloody Pirates! Yngvar and Alberich! Taken! Taken!”