Rasiri walks into the Shady Corners with a strange look on his face. He walks over and sits down in a chair and beckons a Barmaid over. Rasiri looks up at her, orders an ale and waits. When the ale arrives he takes a big swig of it and stands up. "Everyone! Listen to me... I was just walking around by the wall and i have found something very disturbing! In a hole in the ground near the wall, covered by a small stone... Inside i found something... more of a someone... I found the severed head of Frenfren. He is dead..." Rasiri looks around and waits for the reaction from the general public.
From the tavern's opposite corner, Thorne speaks up, eyes lifting from a taut canvas on the table and brush lifting from its surface.
"I saw the same thing during my rounds....I had intentions of seeking discourse with Taklinn as to whether the addition has any future potential of weakening that particular section of the wall."
The fae stares back down at her canvas, placing the tip of her brush in her mouth and carefully sucking the paint from its bristles before she dips into a new colour and starts back to work.
"The work seems unlikely to be that of our dusky-eyed friend, beheading would be an atypical modus operandi.."
Sitting nearby pretending to know how to read the Tavern menu, Grall Bonekeeper perks up at Rasiri's comment. "I too have seen this head. At least I think I have, as I don't know who the head belonged to. It was not near the well, however, it was by the newly constructed wall. It was hidden in the same manner, though. I naturally assumed it was just Jastrey's custom to bury their dead this way. This hidden corpse was not a grave?"
Thalenir smirks at Glimmer's reaction. "Don't worry, Glimmer. I think we all have mixed feelings about this. It's one thing to have the Expendables no longer subverting us. It's quite another to have a killer in our midst who sees fit to bury heads in our wall. Who's to say whose head might be next?"
Grall's brow furrows, either at pretending to know how to read or in general confusion. "You all know I have little objection to killing for glory, but what glory is there in attempting to hide your kill? If I were to behead one of these expendables, I would make a glorious hat out of it, not put it in a hole and cover it up in shame. Something is not quite right here," the Angori growls as he rises to his full height of 8 feet.
"If there is a viper in the grasses of Jastrey, how do we know it does not hunger for the rest of our flesh? Not that a mere murderer could take down an Angori Bonekeeper, he would require a small army to do that!" Grall chuckles to himself, reveling in his endurance. "However, I do fear for the rest of my new Tribe. We should set out and try to identify this murderer. I do not mourn the Expendables, but I would be dissapointed if one of you were to fall by an assasin's blade. Who will accompany me?"
"Mig speaks to all in his vicinity, "I wonder if the Expendables will blame us for this and seek revenge." Deringer sips his ale then looks to the angori. "And where will you start on you quest for answers Grall? Whoever beheaded Talles and stashed his head right under our noses is no doubt somewhat clever. Talles wasn't exactly a weak opponent. Do you think the assassin will come right out and tell you that this was their doing? What is your plan?"
Mort turns his head in interest as Mig starts to speak. Slowly, he raises his tankard to his lips and takes a deep draught from the mug, just barely hiding a smile. "Ye lot be havin' a sharp eye among ya ta be seein' some'n like that ta be buried in the dirt. Wouldn't surprise me much ta find another couple o' heads 'round town if'n ya looked hard enough."
Leaning back against the wall, Mort removes a small, intricately carved pipe from a pouch on his hip and gently packs it with pipe weed, taking a few puffs before continuing."If'n ya have a plan to root out yer viper, I'd like to here it too, laddy. An' then, what'r ya gonna do wit em? Seems ta me the lot of you should be thankin' the snake. Not like ye be needin' someone ta be holdin' the front door open fer the people ya built yer giant welcome mat for. I've seen how they acted 'roud you lot. Don't seem ta me like they fit in here anyways."
Mort takes another long drag from his pipe and relaxes into a slumped posture between the wall and his table, content to drink and blowing smoke rings.
Grall scowls at the questions of the other Tavern patrons. "I don't know how I will find him, but I will! If you tear up enough stumps in a forrest, you're bound to find a fox, no matter how cunning he is and no matter how many burrows he has. And as to what I will do with him when I find him, I will..."
Grall pauses, giving this matter some though. Though it still seemed an alien idea to him, the citizens of Jastrey saw justice in fair trial and appropriate punishment for wrong deeds instead of immediate execution. In order to continue living here and hold my current alliances, Grall thinks to himself, I must ajust my current tribal customs.
"...I will throw the scoundrel over my shoulder and bring him before Thalanir and Taklin, to questiong him about his actions and to determine whether he is a treat to the town or not. Does this satisfy your laws, Thalanir?"
Thorne doesn't lift her eyes from her work this time however, as she paints, her brush trails up onto her fingers, then her hand, until she's busy inking a complicated series of thorn branches onto her arm.
"...That seems reasonable comerade Grall. Thalenir...should I try to gather the council? I'm curious to see what the Mayor has been up to. I haven't seen him, or the academy, in some time."
Rasiri looks arounf the bar and sighs in relief that no one suspects him of doing it for once. "I theenk i vill be of serrrrrvice in looking for said keeller... though i can't begrudge who did it i certainly want to have them found." Rasiri says and then walks over to take a seat near Grall. "Do you need my help in this hunt my dear Angori friend?"
"You're right, master Deringer. Whoever did this must be fairly clever. Perhaps more disturbingly, whoever did this was most likely involved in building the wall. I wouldn't like to think it was any of us, but the fact is, most of us had motive, myself included. Difficult though it may be, nobody should be ruled out at this point."
"You are right as well, my good dwarf. What was done was in this town's best interests. That being said, I'm no fan of having a masked killer in our midst. If whoever did this really believed it was an act of justice, I say let that person step forward and claim the deed, lest their secrecy be mistaken for guilt."
Thalenir looks around for a moment, waiting to see if anyone present accepts the invitation, then continues. "Unfortunately, Grall, I renounced the laws of the town when those who wrote them perverted and discarded them in the name of vigilantism and murder. I will assist in the investigation, but I am no more fit to pass judgment than any of you."
Deringer turns his mug upside down on the table , gets up from his seat, and walks out side. He places his pack on the ground and removes a folded sack from it. He looks at the head impaled on the spike and says in a low tone " If the rest of you is found, I will bury that too." He pulls the head from the spike and places it in the sack. He puts his backpack back on his shoulders,turns, and heads to the site of the beggar's grave near the monastery...
Taklinn walks into the tavern as the conversation is dying down. He listens to Mort speak and goes to take a seat alone and only speaks up after he has quaffed several mugs of ale. "As fer those dogs bein' disposed of, I aint got no opinion one way or t'other. And as we ain't got no law in the town at this minute, or much more'n a loose council, I say let sleepin dogs lay. Their bones make as good of mortar as I can figure, and it is the first thing they have contributed constructively to the town to boot! As far as catchin thems that have killed the expendables, I say they kept a lot of blood off me hands, and if ye do find em, dont bring em to me. I aint the law and we've more important things to see to these days, like the finalizing of our defenses for the fight thats ahead! The only reason I would look for the disposers of the expendables would be to seek their sword arms in the fight to come, no reason to make more enemies. Why search for a vein of silver when ye are already mining a vein of gold. Stay the course lads, and we will pull through." With that the exhausted dwarf pulls out his pipe and joins Mort. starting a quiet discussion with him.
Glimmer sits idly by Taklinn, wings flitting and face turning from pink, to red, to purple, and back to pink. After Taklinn finishes his statement, she exhales with a loud "Wheeeeeeeeeeew! I'm glad you're done now Babble Babblybeard. I was about to pass out holding my breath. You know me. I get an idea and if I don't talk about it I just may explode lovey." At that, Glimmer looks to the rest of her friends in the tavern and says "Has anyone else heard that an uorodeq was seen around the time before the heads were found? And don't ayone dare think to accuse Ras. I'll bop anyone right in the teeth who does. Hear me out. We know Wreynn had something to do with Mort coming here. What if it's Wreynn? What if he's come back to aid us? Or worse, what if it's his brother? We may be in danger...or we may have a welcome friend back. I think it at least deserves minor attentions. Thalenir, I'd be happy to take some time to investigate if someone else would come with me. That way, most of the town can stay to continue on with the wall. I'd just need one or two to add to my party. Rasiri as one if you're up for it dear." Glimmer looks on awaiting responses from her peers. (oog-If it's a go Thad or Scott, I'd be happy to do downtime searching for info on what happened.)
Thalenir listens calmly. "I think I agree with all that's been said. As there are no laws in force worth paying any heed, and the victims in question were known enemies of the town, none of us can ascribe criminality to what's been done. At the very least, there doesn't seem to be any will or reason to punish the person who did it, even if it was a bit drastic."
Thalenir considers silently for a moment. "That being said, I, for one, am curious to find out who did it and why, to say nothing of how. Whoever did it surely had a good reason, and I'd prefer to know it's not something sinister. And if one of the Reinholdts are involved, I would like to know they're in town, at least. Like Taklinn says, perhaps we can even enlist their help in defending town."
He rises and adjusts Aetherix in its sheath. "At any rate, the wall's complete, so I see no harm in looking into it. I'll be happy to accompany you, Glimmer."
Rasiri smiles a bit under his mask and sweeps a low bow to Glimmer. "Of cooourse i vill help, i am here for you and Sir Babblybeard and annny time you need me. And i agree with Sai Thaleeeenir as vell. I just hope that it isn't more Uordeq... i don't vant to deal with any more offf them than absolutely nessessary." Rasiri trails off and looks thoughtfully into his mug of ale.
Glimmer claps happily and stands up quickly. "I am SO glad you agree Thalenir. And I'd love to have the company on the search. When shall we leave?" Glimmer picks up her things and kisses Taklinn on his cheeks. She pulls away, smacking wildly at his beard to unstick it from her clothes.
"She ain't be finished quite yet there young Thalenir," Mort pipes up, interrupting his conversation with Taklinn. "Got a few days of 'ard work left in 'er 'afore she's done and ready. Darn close though, and not a day too soon if'n ye be having the likes of assassins in yer mist. E'en if they be the enemy that lot of them expendables deservin' the propper burial. Gotta say though, be a nice touch ta make yer enemy hold up the wall that keeps 'is friends out. Be creepin' me out just a bit though, so I'll be taking my cart and my boys with me soon and be leavin' ye be ta deal with whom ever or whatever ya built that wall for. No 'fence to you fine folk, but I'd rather not be on sight for a masssacre. 'Specially me own. Ye don't get ta be a ripe old age by wand'rin' off inta every fight expectin' ta come out without a scratch. Asides... I be providin' a service, and I've been stayin' here too long. The world needs ta be mended, the dead burried, and the hearts healed. Gots me many a grave to dig long after I leave here. Can't be diggin' my own 'til the rest o' the lot be restin' in peace first."
(btw... anyone leaving wtih Glimmer to go investigate, please send me a PM)
Stiers enters the traven carrying a body of a man dressed in a red and white tabar. Stiers then throws the body on the floor, I found this scout at the edge of the woods to the north spying on us he attacked me i was forced to kill him "with a grin on his face" stiers then turns to his fairy friend ... Where might you be off to ???? Then looks around a every one .. Whats has been happening in town ?
"Forgive me, master dwarf. I'm no expert in masonry. Any impassable pile of stone seems like a wall to my eyes. If you say there's more work to be done, I am more than happy to trust in your judgment. As for leaving us, I shall be sorry to see you go, but I don't blame you. Nobody would expect you to brave the armies of Ressik to defend a place that isn't your home, after all. In case I don't see you again before you go, please know that you do so with my deepest thanks. Jastrey is a safer place for your help, and it's not a favor I'll soon forget."
Thalenir rises and turns to Glimmer and Rasiri. "Shall we go, then? No time like the present to uncover a mystery."
With that, Thalenir heads for the door. As he passes Stiers, he adds, "We are on our way out to determine who slew the Expendables and buried them in the wall, more out of curiosity than anything. You're welcome to join us if you like."
Mig returns to the Shady Corner slightly covered in dirt. Entering the tavern; he pauses to look upon the corpse dressed in red and white lying on the floor. He get lots in his own thoughts for a brief moment as he stares down at the lifeless body. Mig's eyes begin to turn almost blood red and his teeth grind together as a fit of rage comes over him. "YOU BURNED MY VILLAGE!" He grabs the ankle of the dead man and drags him out front to where the spear is still stuck in the ground. Grabbing the body by the shoulders and lifting(Strength 2) it into the air, Deringer impales it onto the spear with a loud roar. Gritting his teeth he says to the corpse as if it could hear him, "May the crows make short work of you." Still very much enraged, Mig heads off into the forest he loves so much to find refuge from his sorrowful memories.
Atasatch walks into the tavern and calmly takes a seat next to his friend Rasiri. Atasatchs long absence had left him quite out of the loop as to what was happening in the town of Jastry he nugged his friend in the side lightly and inquired. "What happens in this lone town?"
Thalenir sits in a corner, seemingly absorbed with scrawling a delicate glyph on a piece of parchment. Without looking up from his work, he sips his tea. "A shame, that. One less problem to deal with, I suppose, but I wouldn't have wished death on any of the Expendables. Incarceration or exile, perhaps. They were dangerous, after all, but not of their own will. I wonder if the others suffered a similar fate." The tone of his voice reflects idly curiosity more than concern, as if Rasiri were speaking about the bad weather outside.
After a moment, Thalenir raises an eyebrow and looks up at Rasiri, again inquisitive rather than worried. "You didn't do it, did you?"