Mists over the Musarde, Chapter Four

[ewancummins]

the Mootground, afternoon of the third Moot-day

The tinkers left this morning, bearing their dead with them and leaving rumor and confusion in their wake. Wat, your party's erstwhile guide and only real friend here in this strange country, has also left- gone away on a hunting expedition.

Inside the Moot-house, men gather to discuss the tinkers' unexpected departure. Some seem doubtful that the gypsies will ever return. Talk of murderers and madmen stalking the woods has prompted mothers to pull their children close and keep them within the Moot-house, rather than allowing the little ones to play outside in the flowering meadow.

Outside the great wooden structure, men patrol the verge of the surrounding woods, on guard against possible threats and armed with the tools of the hunt: boar spears, hatchets, and long knives.


Somewhere out there, Gaston Van Diecks is roaming free.

[JMaytr]

Jonathan dresses for the day and, satisfied by his conversation with Norzak, decides to keep his confession with the dwarf only-for now. He was hopeful that Dorgio would know of a way to cure him if what van dieks had claimed was true. From what Rudolph used to claim the only cure for such an ailment was death. And Jonathan did not want to die.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio rises as soon as the first rays strike through his eyelids and turn his dreams a shade of bright red shot through with the blue of his veins. It was nearly a reflex now, he did not think he could have slept past dawn if he had wanted to at this point. No matter how deep the sleep or riveting the dream. But Dorgio is glad to be of this previous night's visions.

He'd dreamed of the men they had killed in the sewer, of the poor girl from the Lorelei and the other girl. He'd dreamed of the other girl's mother, face down with a back full of quills, and of her father, staring face up in the mud from where pigs gnawed at something beneath what was left of his tunic. He had looked down to see Malreaux clutching a knife to Evie's throat, though both floated midway in the water, bloated and sightles. He'd dreamed of the horsemen they'd cut down, and of the boy, Miklos, the other Gundarakite whom he'd nearly burned to death. That Miklos had lain charred before his feet in the dream, and another Myklos from years past had been sitting on the corpse and laughing through a hole in its neck. The third Miklos, the Vistani, had looked on with silent eyes nearby. Grigori and Esmerelda had sat locked in a lovers' embrace, clutching blood-slick hands while a disembodied dog's head yapped at their feet. He'd dreamed them all, and not a one had worn a scalp. The tops of their skulls had all been bleached and shiny, dotting the fractured landscape of his nightmare like beautiful but crooked teeth. The last thing he had remembered before waking up was seeing Renault and The Surgeon rise from the filth at his feet, tear their own scalps from their heads, and drop them at the priest's feet.

Now, he sits on his bedroll in the moothouse, saying his morning invocations as he rolled the day's first cigarillo. The final prayers are barely out of his lips before he takes his first drag. And then he is up, milling about the moothouse, dispensing benedictions to any who wish them. But what Dorgio is searching for is a girl. As he walks through the moothouse, he keeps his eyes open for any girls with exceptionally beautiful hair.

[steveflam]

Norzak and Jon head out and join the others. Obviously Norzak doesn't mention their conversation to the others. He'd have to see what would come of a meeting with the scumbag Van Dieks if it happened at all.

[Lord Skybolt]

Alain prepares his pistols for the todays adventure and also his other weapons(heavy load) . Makes sure his spell components are readily accessible for use . Settles his chain shirt into place under his clothes were it usually hides and settles his buckler on his arm for extra protection . Then goes to join the others after having his lunch from his bag and drinking some watered wine from his mug he is ready for the rest of the day .

[ewancummins]

in the Moot-house-


Walking through the great barnlike building, Dorgio searches for beauties. There are women of various ages, and some are fair to look upon. One in particular, stands out among all the others. She looks to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years of age, and has long, beautiful curling auburn hair, which she is combing with a fine toothed bone comb. On the cot next to this blooming beauty sits a girl of maybe nine years of age, who bears a close resemblance to the older girl. The little one plays with a ragged dollie, combing the toy's hair with a comb that's twin to the one the older girl uses on her own locks.

[ewancummins]

Outside the Moothouse-


Two men come bursting out of the treeline and rush across the open field towards the Moothouse. One clutches a spear, but the other is unarmed.

Three other men, some of those from the Moot who've been patrolling the fringes of the woods, jog over to intercept the two runners outside the Moothouse. All of this is occuring within sight and hearing of your party[ minus Dorgio, who has not joined the rest of you outdoors].

The two runners stumble to a halt and the unarmed one begins babbling, in between ragged breaths, saying something like-


''Devil.....fire....attacked us....took Wat!''

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio is at first quite struck with the young woman's beauty. He watches her for a few moments more than he had intended, but then his minds eye sees what she would look like if Van Diecks laid hold of her, and it brings him back to the here and now.

"Good day to you," he tells her. "I am called Dorgio," he says, hoping his words don't sound as thick and awkward as he thinks. "I am a priest who has been passing this way. And you? What is bringing my lady to this moot-house?"

[ewancummins]

Dorgio is at first quite struck with the young woman's beauty. He watches her for a few moments more than he had intended, but then his minds eye sees what she would look like if Van Diecks laid hold of her, and it brings him back to the here and now.

"Good day to you," he tells her. "I am called Dorgio," he says, hoping his words don't sound as thick and awkward as he thinks. "I am a priest who has been passing this way. And you? What is bringing my lady to this moot-house?"

The young woman seems to have a little trouble understanding Dorgio's speech-


''Ah...estranger man.....priest? What is that? ''

While the lovely maid with the long hair converses with Dorgio, the younger girl sitting next to her simply stares at the Gundarakite with wide, wondering eyes.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Dorgio chuckles, pleasantly surprised at the relative lack of a language barrier between them. "I am supposing I am a stranger. yes." He then pauses to consider her other question. "A priest is, ah, one who serves a god and the people." He points to the tattoo on his hand. "My god, he is the god of the morning."

"You are from here, this area? May I be asking your name, and if you are traveling with anybody besides your sister?"

[steveflam]

Norzak walks up to the pair as well, though more concerned with the welfare of the younger sister. In a comforting voice he speaks to the younger girl. "I be Norzak, Norzak Darkender 'o' Darkon. Now you know my name. Kin I ask what yer name is?"

[ewancummins]

Dorgio chuckles, pleasantly surprised at the relative lack of a language barrier between them. "I am supposing I am a stranger. yes." He then pauses to consider her other question. "A priest is, ah, one who serves a god and the people." He points to the tattoo on his hand. "My god, he is the god of the morning."

"You are from here, this area? May I be asking your name, and if you are traveling with anybody besides your sister?"

The young woman answers, using a curious mix of the archaic local dialect and various words borrowed from more familiar [to Dorgio] languages.

''Name? Name....oh! Nomen. Ma nomen is Nissa. Heda is ma sora. ''

She gestures towards the young girl and repeats-

''Heda''

The little girl giggles and hides her face with an upraised arm.


If she understands the rest of what Dorgio has said, Nissa gives little indication of this. She just shakes her head in apparent confusion and says-

''Ahhhh, estranger....I.....ah...ummmm..hmmm.''

[ewancummins]

Inside the Moot-house-

[OOC I am assuming that Norzak is using his native Darkonese, as Wat and the other locals seem better able to understand that. Remember, the local tongue is not unlike some archaic form of Darkonese. Dorgio may only communicate with the locals in a mish mash of the local tongue and outside words- possibly words the locals have learnt from the tinkers.]


The little girl hides behind her big sister when Norzak approaches[ having come in from outside the Moot-house].

''Nissa, Nissa- monstrum!''

The older girl breaks off attempting to converse with Dorgio and switches to a more pure form of the local tongue [very hard for Dorgio to understand].


''You are a man?''

[ewancummins]

OUTSIDE the Moot-House


The unarmed man who had been babbling about devils and fire now calms down a little bit. His companion holding the spear joins in an animated speech. Of course, it's not easy for most of you [Benn, Cirdan, and Alain- also Jon unless he's with Norzak inside] to fully comprehend all of what is being said. The man with the spear actually waves his weapon in your direction several times while repeating-


''Wat, Wat, Wat!''

[JMaytr]

Jonathan looks to the man waving the spear.

"What has happened to Wat? You speak of devils? Slow down man. Explain this to me so that I may inform my companions. If Wat is in trouble, we may be able to help."