|
|
|
|
No map this week. If you need to give co-ordinates, use the map from the last post. Smilo grins as he recounts his findings so far, Peter helps Mandrake to his feet and dusts him off, Callum goes on collecting heads (he has three already). Kerim busys himself with the pack animals (who seem much quieter now all the shouting and waving weapons about has subsided and Elsbeth suddenly remembers the body of Aenis and rushes over to start talking him through his soul journey. Madelyn and Rolf walk back towards the mule train, in discussion. Rolf calls out assignments, asking Kerim and Peter to ready the mules to carry Aenis’s body, and asking Madelyn to prepare the body for transport and a funeral. Mandrake is assigned to pick up weapons and items from the dogheads, while Elsbeth is asked to relinquish her place by Aenis’s body to attend to the sole surviving doghead. Rolf and Callum start to tidy the bodies and Smilo is to take watch. As they are working together, Peter responds to Kerim’s question, "I’m not sure, but I got the impression that he followed the Norse faith. Still he went in battle, even if he didn’t get to defend himself, he might not get picked up by the Valkerie, but at least he won’t get a bondsman’s welcome from the gods." Kerim, recognising that there is already plenty of room on the mules, leaves them to help Rolf and Callum with the bodies. |
|
|
Rolf grunts, struggling to leave yet another doghead body in the bushes. Anyone walking nearby would have to be near blind to miss them. Well, it was something anyway. Finally, when all the bodies have been disposed of, Rolf helps Madelyn settle Aenis' body within the mule train. He looks to make sure Mandrake had collected enough weapons to make a suitable burial. Looking about, he sees that everything seems ready. He calls out, "Are we ready to move out?" |
|
|
Callum searches around for some water, which he uses to rinse the blood and gore - first from his sword, which he then dries carefully, and then from his body. After this he pulls his furs back on. Wandering over to where he left his trophies, he picks up the three heads. He then walks up to Elsbeth and puts the heads down in front of her. "Lass, I'm thinking that you'll be the closest thing to a Druid around here. I'm wondering if you will be doing the Ceremony of Victory on the heads of our enemies." |
|
|
OOC: Replying to several things here. Malcolm, good roleplaying! Elsbeth moves over to her new charge, the wolf. "You be a bonny boy now," she says sternly. "Yon leader won't stand for a bad one in his charge." She scratches his ears and moves over to the prone doghead. A few twists of the rope and his hands are secured, another loop hobbling his feet and he's ready for travel. She decides to wait until their leader signals to leave and watches to make sure the prisoner doesn't try to leave. *By the gods, this is proving to be work,* she thinks with a sigh. That Nordic woman should have Aenis in hand and hopefully his gods will approve, she decides. "Lass, I'm thinking that you'll be the closest thing to a Druid around here," says the barbarian Callum without ceremony, dropping the heads at her feet. "I'm wondering if you will be doing the Ceremony of Victory on the heads of our enemies." Elsbeth pales at the sight of the heads. Nothing in her most gentle upbringing had prepared her for this. She is almost sick. For but a brief instant, she looks at the visage of the warrior before her, almost a vision of the old gods previous, then back to the heads. She swallows hard. "I serve the Gods," she replies carefully, "and I'm a druid, at least that's the word of the High One." Her eyes stray again to the heads, unwillingly. "A victory ceremony you be wanting?" She bites her lip. "Morrigan must find you a bonny lad indeed!" Esbeth takes a deep breath, not wanting to offend the fierce warrior. "I can be saying a few words, offering prayer. But in... civilized places... we don't be stacking our enemies heads to the sky for the pleasure of our gods!" She says the last quickly, visibly wincing at what she expects the reaction to be. |
|
|
|
|
|
As Elsbeth bends over the falling doghead to bind him, she notices a vicious purple and green lump appearing over his temple. The skin there looks slick and tight. The doghead is sweating profusely and its breathing is ragged. OOC: 12 points subdual damage to the temple? |
|
|
Two Heads |
|
|
Smilo looks at Callum's stack of heads, looks at Mandrake and rolls his eyes. Long as e didn't make cheese of em, e thought. "Might be a good idea to make tracks," he said to no one in particular. "Those gnolls'll be comin back soon enough." |
|
|
"I am happy now that Aenis is ready to travel, and I think we should head off immediately, before our escapee brings backup. I want Aenis' ceremony to take place as soon as possible, but realise that we must get away from here. Rolf, maybe you can find us somewhere not too far, but far enough, that we can camp for the evening and perform an appropriate burial for our fallen commrade?" |
|
|
OOC: A bit of timewarp and additions here. Bending over the doghead... Elsbeth bites her lip and looks over her shoulder. Not seeing anybody noticing, she quietly places her hands against the doghead's bruising, chanting a quiet prayer to Diancecht. "Blessed One, this one is in your realm. Keep him from death's door." (Cure Light, 3 points). Continuing the reaction to Callum... Esbeth takes a deep breath, not wanting to offend the fierce warrior. "I can be saying a few words, offering prayer. But in... civilized places... we don't be stacking our enemies heads to the sky for the pleasure of our gods!" She says the last quickly, visibly wincing at what she expects the reaction to be. Callum can react here, if he wants. :) She takes another breath. "Now. If you be wanting a ceremony, we need a good place to please the gods, a pit or lake or some such, I'd be thinking. You're a bonny warrior, but I'd not simply dance and leave them to the air to foul Daghda's senses!" Elsbeth pauses. "Bring them with you and I promise by all sacred to give honor in proper fashion." |
|
|
|
|
|
At Elsbeth's ministrations, the doghead starts to breathe more easily and the violent colours fade from the damaged temple. The doghead starts to move around and groan but does not regain consciousness. |
|
|
Rolf looks down at the unconscious doghead. With a glance, he checks to see if there's room on the mules for another occupant. He looks at Elsbeth again. "Well?" OOC: Rolf is still waiting to hear Elsbeth opinion about healing the guy to consciousness or hauling him on the mules. |
|
|
Elsbeth looks Rolf carefully in the eye. "I've been doing all I can for now," she states, "and I don't be thinking he's gonna be worse. I'd take him on a mule for now and I'll watch." She sighs. "Call me soft, but I'll not see something even as that die for want of attention, but I'll not tire myself setting him at ease." |
|
|
Rolf moves over to where Elsbeth is by the doghead. He looks over her job at tying it up. He nods, feeling the job is reasonably well done. "Still out?" he asks. "What do you think, put him on the mules or heal it up and make it walk?" |
|
|
Once Kerim is happy that there is room on the mules for Aenis' body, Peter will move over and join the tidy up. He will drift back to the mules as Madelyn moves the body towards the chosen pack mule. "Can I be of assistance?" he asks quietly. |
|
|
"Thankyou Peter, your help would be appreciated" Looking around she says, "I want to get away from here before they come back", and quietly adds "I am not happy to be moving this brave man, but here is not an ideal place to perform the burial that is due to him" |
|
|
Peter finishes helping Madelyn get the coprse of Aenis onto the mule and notices Elsbeth and Rolf standing over the still prone doghead. He walks across and sees that it is still unconcious. "Would you like me to see if I can get it walking for you? It looks a bit big to go on those mules, along with all the rest of the stuff." |
|