Café de Nuit

Adam wrote:"Where is the girl, now?" Bennedict asks. "It may be helpful to see if she can recall more specific details about the attackers."

Governor Samus says,
''My scouts did not think it was safe to move her. They sent for a healer to come to the farm where they have set up camp--near the raid site. Let's ride now. You may get your chance to question her in person.''

Bennedict nods, but looks dubiously at the horses, trying to remember his equestrian lessons from his boyhood in Lamordia. Slowly he mounts and follows the others.

Klokulf helps Alwina onto a horse, then he uneasily mounts another horse. I really should have been more interested in riding in my youth, he thinks.

Raen moves his steed close to Alwina. "Are those Beast-men the Governor mentioned the same as the ones after you madam?"

alhoon wrote:Raen moves his steed close to Alwina. "Are those Beast-men the Governor mentioned the same as the ones after you madam?"

Alwina shivers despite the warm afternoon sunshine.

''I don't know. I hope not! But whatever they are, I'm glad Klokulf will be close by to protect me, if I meet any of them. That poor girl...I hope she'll be all right.''

"I apologize for making you uncomfortable madam" Raen says and falls back with the others leaving Alwina alone with the cleric.

alhoon wrote:"I apologize for making you uncomfortable madam" Raen says and falls back with the others leaving Alwina alone with the cleric.

Alwina murmurs ''It's all right, Raen'', and then urges her horse a bit closer to her protector.
The girl's chestnut mare nuzzles Klokulf's black stallion.
The stallion whickers.

"Yes, beast-men are wicked creatures," says Klokulf, "According to The Black Trials, after the death of Førstregel and the collapse of the ordered civilization of the First People, the Lawgiver rendered his First Judgement, ending the Fair World and beginning the Fallen World. There, the least offenders became human, while others were cursed with forms to match their sins."

Katrin mounts her horse with an air of confidence. After all, you just sit on the thing and balance and it moves along, right? How hard can it be?

It seems willing to follow the others at least at first.

She listens politely to Klokulf's pronouncement, then looks thoughtful. She maintains a calm attention to Alwina, without giving away any of her lingering suspicion...

Governor Samus sets her mare walking north, toward the outskirts of Monksblade where the buildings spread out, separated by gardens and dusty animal pens instead of paved alleys.

She slows, letting one of her three huntsmen take the lead.

When Klokulf rides near, the Governor brings her mare beside his stallion on the left, across from Alwina.
''Are the goblin races common in your home country? Or man-lizards? "
As she rides, Samus makes small head movements, apparently scanning the sides of the road.

"I don't hear much about lizard-men in Nova Vaasa," Klokulf replies, "but I am told there are goblins in the Wormwood on the Tepestani border, and the Hestskærere are supposed to be goblin-things which ride inside the bellies of horses to do mischief. I have also heard of little rat-like men that dwell underground and eat rodents and serpents. The way the stories are sensationalized, I would be more afraid of werewolves and nightmares raging across the plains, though I have seen neither personally. My work has kept me busy with internal affairs."

Wolfglide wrote:"I don't hear much about lizard-men in Nova Vaasa," Klokulf replies, "but I am told there are goblins in the Wormwood on the Tepestani border, and the Hestskærere are supposed to be goblin-things which ride inside the bellies of horses to do mischief. I have also heard of little rat-like men that dwell underground and eat rodents and serpents. The way the stories are sensationalized, I would be more afraid of werewolves and nightmares raging across the plains, though I have seen neither personally. My work has kept me busy with internal affairs."

''We drove out most of the monsters generations ago, in Sembia. But goblins and worse things fell back to join other creatures in the Vast Swamp and the Thunder Peaks, and nobody's been able to drive them all out from those wild regions. They breed in the dark places... Our ancestors did better against the elves. Even when we lost, we really won, because we inflicted so many casualties. Numbers, you see. We birth more children than the elves and ours grow faster, learn faster. "

Klokulf lets out a low, vile chuckle. "Those knife-ears think themselves so superior, but they are nothing but frail and mislead. It was for weakness of faith and susceptibility to heresy that the Lawgiver fashioned them that way."

Wolfglide wrote:Klokulf lets out a low, vile chuckle. "Those knife-ears think themselves so superior, but they are nothing but frail and mislead. It was for weakness of faith and susceptibility to heresy that the Lawgiver fashioned them that way."

Samus laughs.
''One of the funniest things I've seen was the look on the faces of a party of elves when my warband sneaked into their camp and detained them for questioning. They trust too much in those long ears of theirs. A strength can become a weakness if it breeds overconfidence.''
Her expression turns serious.
''We need to stop at the next crossroads. I hate delaying this mission, but I've sent word for a mounted posse to gather there-- just in case this raid is part of something bigger.''

"What are go-Goblins and what did you call them, knife-ears?" Clive asks.