Waiting For Rain IC: Spring Slowly Comes

[BlasTech]

"What about people that have trouble with your first law?" Isabelle asked, memories of Hans and the Giant running through her mind. "Not that I'm arguing against it, but some of the changelings we've met seem ... unstable at best."

[Thanqol]

"What about people that have trouble with your first law?" Isabelle asked, memories of Hans and the Giant running through her mind. "Not that I'm arguing against it, but some of the changelings we've met seem ... unstable at best."

"Are you referring to someone in particular?" Talmage said, and the mood that had momentarily lightened as he discussed joy darkened again.

[the_druid_droid]

Jon tested the weight of the poker in his hand. The iron felt solid; its weight promised to give even the Hunter something to be wary of, and the thought of having some to keep by his side was unexpectedly comforting.

When Talmage mentioned his own set of rules, Jon glanced up from studying the wrought iron. He frowned for a moment - he’d been wondering how the Spring Prince’s requirement of joy would play out for new arrivals. However, Felix’s example reassured him quickly; if joy was defined by the Changeling themselves, he already had an idea of how to fulfill it. The plan would probably even be good for him; unfortunately, there was a lot to attend to before he could realize it.

[Deadly]

"We ran into one on the road outside town, a very hungry giant who wanted to eat us." Charlene said. She didn't know about Hans, hard to deal with maybe, but she couldn't exactly say he was a murderer from what they had seen. "We managed to convince him not to shoot us, he seemed quite sad about it all. He told us to leave and gave us the keys to his truck, which had bones and blood in it."

[Thanqol]

Talmage stood up. He took a few steps, then paused, fists clenched. He took a deep breath and let it out, evidently a forced effort to calm himself down. "Thank you for telling me," he said in a flat voice, and then he called, "Vorel!"

And a girl appeared in the doorway.

Spoiler

Show

She was beautiful; beautiful beyond what anyone had any right to be. It was the kind of beauty that invited obsession, hypnotism, and long blank stares at gleaming bronze-coloured scales. She wore a white robe, like a martial artist, which was so smoothed and perfect it could only be Hedge-spun.

She had a quiet calm to her, standing perfectly alert and at attention, not so much as blinking as she looked at Talmage.

"Vorel, Cludge has killed again, and tried to kill more. This is it for him. No more chances." Talmage hesitated, then through force of will steeled himself and stated, "With his record, with his wilful defiance of my laws, and with his disregard to the warning I gave him, I sentence Robert Cludge to death."

The dragon-woman bowed her head, and said in a soft, gentle voice, "I shall see it done."

[the_druid_droid]

Jon had been wondering what to do about the giant ever since Hans had mentioned the Prince’s ban on murder. Luckily, Charlene had saved him the trouble, but the response unsettled him; he wasn’t quite sure how to handle the knowledge that someone he knew, even vaguely, had been condemned to die...

It was clear that Talmage hadn’t wanted to give the order, but that only worried him more. If a man as opposed to violence as the Prince claimed to be was calling for Cludge’s death, it was possible the bones they’d found in the truck were just the tip of the iceberg. A dark mood seemed to settle over the room in the wake of the order, and Jon felt oddly as though they had brought the nastiness of the past few days with them on their visit to the Prince, like dirt tracked in on muddy boots.

[Deadly]

Charlene felt a stab of sadness. She had hoped something could be done to help the giant, but clearly someone like him could not simply be allowed to wander around. He had seemed sincerely sorry, but evidently the hunger forced his hand. Were there not any safe prisons? Charlene turned the thought over in her mind. A prison sentence would be torture for someone like him, it would be cruel. Perhaps death was merciful after all. If only he could have been convinced from the start to go hunt wild game in a forest somewhere, perhaps no one would have had to die to sate his hunger. She wondered what had been done to help him in the past.

"He's had many chances?"

[BlasTech]

"Hey, hold on a minute!" Isabelle interjected. "Isn't that a bit drastic? Just how many chances has he had? Real chances I mean. If you know of the guy, then you know he's got all the symptoms of a meat eating addict and the intelligence of a doorstop. I'm not against the death penalty for murderers, but I can see a good case for diminished sapience when I see it."

The promise she'd made the giant was echoing at the back of her mind.

"He wasn't exactly hard to talk down when he threatened us ... also, I'm not even sure if he murdered the person whose remains we found. He kept talking about a bridge he'd knocked down, maybe it had been an accident?"

She was grasping at straws now, but she didn't want her first act upon returning to civilisation to be condemning the life of another.

[Thanqol]

Talmage refused quite fastidiously to look Isabelle in the eye. "Vorel. Show them the news from 11/10/2019."

The dragon produced a strange golden smartphone from the sleeve of her robe, marked with the Solutions logo. It had no buttons or visible markings; just a smooth, ovaloid shape - but when her fingers danced across the top of it, the air glowed, like she was typing on a holographic keyboard.

A light came on on the smartphone, and projected a high definition picture against the nearest blank wall. It showed a yellow SUV that had been torn to pieces, surrounded by firemen and police officers. Six faces scrolled along the side; a family. A policeman held up a broken chunk of metal - it looked unmistakably like it had been chewed.

"There are things," Talmage said in a tight, drawn voice, "that you should not get a second chance from at all."

[Deadly]

Charlene watched the piece of technology which stood out in intense contrast to the surroundings. It seemed familiar enough, and yet so unfamiliar. She had vague memories of using such things herself, but it was but a blur. Entirely different concerns had occupied her mind for... all the years she thought she had been gone. But it hadn't been years? She made a note to ask Talmage about this later.

She watched the news, watched the faces of the family. Did she know them? The feeling that she might did nothing to soften the tragedy of it. She tried instead to focus on the firemen and police officers. They seemed comforting in their familiarity to her.

Like those officers she wasn't meant to pass judgment. That was for a court of law to do, in this case she was but a witness and the changelings had their own courts. Certainly no mortal court was equipped to deal with changelings, the nature of which they couldn't be aware of. And how ignorant she and her friends were too, right now, of recent events and all the concerns of changelings.

She just nodded at the verdict. "I think we all just feel it is a tragedy that it has come to this, that perhaps he and his victims could have been spared, but as you say it is too late for that now." There was also the lurking fear that maybe this sort of monster lurked within them all and could burst out any moment.

[Thanqol]

Talmage paused, suddenly struck by an idea from Charlene's words. "No... it's not quite too late. There is one way out of this that is still within my power to offer."

He paused, cleared his throat, and spoke the words of a Pledge - an offer. He raised one hand, as if swearing before a court.

"I, the Prince of Spring, have passed the judgement of death upon Robert Cludge for his defiance of my laws. I will agree to commute the sentence of Cludge should another offer themselves as his keeper, gaoler, and healer.

"Upon the Keeper falls the burden to prevent Cludge from ever killing another human being. Her eyes will be vigilant and her arm shall be strong in carrying through this mission. She shall ward him on the correct path for a year and a day, whereupon her duty shall be discharged and both shall walk free.

"Should Cludge slay another human under her watch, may the Fates bring swift and terrible Death to her as she comes to share in the punishment destined for he."

Talmage lowered his hand. "That is the best I can offer, and that is no easy task, let alone for one who has just stepped back into the world. To accept that bargain is to state that you believe in Cludge's innocence strongly enough to accept his sentence if you are wrong. I would not expect anyone to accept such a deal, but there's a catch to every contract - and this is the catch for Cludge's death."

[the_druid_droid]

Jon’s eyes flicked over the projected image, and he shifted uncomfortably while the scrolling photos stared back at him. The bones had been a bad sign, but this... there wasn’t anything he could say to this, so instead he just watched the ticker scroll by, describing the ‘accident’.

His attention was diverted again by the tickle of glamour flowing through the room when Talmage began his Pledge. He really did want to avoid violence then - but the penalty sounded impossibly high. Cludge had tried to kill them after all, and nearly succeeded; what chance did they have if he decided to go after someone else, someone mortal?

[BlasTech]

Isabelle swallowed. In the stories, heroes always jumped at offers like this, gladly laying their lives in surety for other's. Here and now though, with the knowledge that it was her life on the line, Isabelle found herself hesitating.

"Could I talk with him first, before I make my decision?" She asked the Spring Prince, her throat suddenly dry. "It's important. The catch would be nothing but a death sentence for two unless both parties are on board with the process. I believe in second chances, where deserved, but there's a difference between a second chance and simply prolonging the inevitable."

Inwardly, she wondered just what the hell she was doing ... her eyes flicked unconsciously towards the others of her motley, seeking out some reassuring strength from their faces. "There are a couple of other questions I'd like to ask as well, if I can?"

[Deadly]

"I would like to know what has been done for him in the past." Charlene said a little uncertainly. She felt like they weren't exactly in a position to make an informed decision. "I can not help but think if he was given a place to live in some remote forest and told to hunt wild game, and only wild game, he could live a peaceful, maybe even a happy life. He would have no reason to kill people there, would he? But..." she looked less than convinced at her own line of thought, "maybe you already tried that? Maybe he simply has a taste for human meat and won't be happy with anything else. He's been given at least one second chance, clearly, what was done to prevent a repeat after the incident you just showed us?"

[Thanqol]

"Ah, there's the thing. Technically it's not my place to ensure Cludge's place in the world, that would be the domain of the Winter Prince, Matthew Vickrum, who was in power when the last event occured." Talmage let more than a little venom creep into his words at the name, "I'm not sure what Vickrum did, if anything, to help him. I had a conversation with Cludge but I was kind of enraged at the time. This Pledge will happily supersede his authority on this matter.

"And I'm afraid I can't give you the time to mull the decision over. What you can do is accept this oath, go out and talk to him, and if you decide the situation is unsalvageable then I shall release you from your oath and the sentence shall be resumed.

"But you may ask other questions freely."

[Note: It is possible to bargain with Talmage for additional time before swearing here. There will be a social roll of some kind. Failure will cause him to decide that you're not serious about this and send Vorel out immediately]

[the_druid_droid]

“Isabelle...” Jon’s voice was tinged with concern, and more than a little confusion, “I know you want to help him; he looked so sad out on the bridge... But he tried to kill us. Twice. And if that news story is true, I don’t even know what to think about his past.” As he spoke, Jon glanced toward the wall that had so recently shown the faces of Cludge’s victims and let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't want you to get killed on his behalf. I'm not even sure it's a good idea to go back, considering," for a moment, he hesitated, "...but if you go, I'm coming too. I have some questions I want answered."

Jon turned toward Talmage and gave him a look as if to say Please just give us enough time to work this out.

[Deadly]

Charlene shook her head in defeat, but somewhat in agreement with Jon. "This isn't something individuals should handle. This is something that governments or an institution should handle. There ought to be a..." she pondered the words, "some organization that could set him up with a place to live in the wild and who could keep an eye on him until he is deemed safe." She liked that idea. It chimed with certain memories... a... Changeling Protection Program. "If the courts can't or won't do that, and there aren't any other groups with the ability and will to do it, then... then there's nothing we can do for him." She didn't have to like it. She was starting to get the impression that these Courts weren't very helpful, that they were just like every other kind of government bureaucracy... largely ineffectual and full of conflicting interests. But she wasn't in a position right now to do anything about it. She did vaguely hope Talmage would see her point and, even if it didn't save Cludge in the present, work to ensure some safety for future changelings in a similar position. And if not, maybe that was something for her to work on herself in the future. Either way, it wouldn't save Cludge.

[BlasTech]

"All organisations have to start with someone though. Might as well be me." Isabelle countered, folding her arms and leaning back in her seat. "If I do this though, I want to do it right. Way I see it, the biggest problem is he needs a regular source of food, which means he or I would need some kind of paying work, which is something I have no idea how to set up."

Isabelle sighed, trying to mentally sort out all the problems that she'd have to deal with if she went through with it.

"I don't suppose you could help us arrange something? Or maybe at least give me some time to find work before swearing?"

[Thanqol]

"Ask all you want, but I've got to make a decision before the hour is out," said Talmage, "I don't want his next killings to be on my conscience."

"And, miss," Talmage said to Charlene, "by and large the Courts are meant to do that - look out for people, I mean. But there's so few of us who are willing to work for the Courts and risk their lives looking out for others. Most people just want to get back to their old lives, not spend their return to humanity baby-sitting monsters. And given what they've been through, I can not blame them.

"We're not a formal organisation, and we can't go out and recruit the people we need. We take what we can get and what we're offered. I wish I could help more than I can, but I don't have the money to build a prison, let alone staff it, let alone against cannibals capable of chewing through steel. All I have is a sheriff. Like it or not, it is up to the individuals."

And to Isabelle, "Paying work is no problem for me, but my connections might not be to your taste or skills. I can get you a job in sales, service, or education, no problem. But how this normally works is you commit yourself to a Court and your relevant Prince sets you up; each of them has different connections. I can also spare you each a few thousand dollars to get on your feet."

[No penalty on a presence/manipulation+persuasion to talk him into a delay. He wants to give it to you, but that's conflicting with his desire to spare you that burden]

[BlasTech]

Isabelle stared at her hands, an hour wasn't enough time. Food, accomodation, something for Cludge to do ... the list of things she needed to sort out grew longer even as she sat and thought about it. Did it matter though? Should it matter? Isabelle had hoped her friends would stand with her on this, but she felt increasingly isolated in the stance she was taking.

Did that make her wrong though?

She began talking, not to anyone in particular, but more to order the thoughts that were bouncing around inside her head.

"Back during my ... durance. The Fey who had me liked to put together stories. Movies, books, poems; it didn't matter where he got the story from but he had this fascination with them. Like how a kid is fascinated with how a toy works. He'd pull them apart, run them back and forth and stare for hours at each individual gear or pin. Only in his case, the pins were concepts like heroism and villainy, and the toys were peoples lives."

She leaned forward, cupping her face in her hands. The images of her durance flashed around her, recalling the time when she'd been alive, yet unaware of who she was or what she was doing. The time when there had been only the plot and her cues.

"They might have been other changelings, real people or just the product of Arcadian imagination, I'm not sure. But when he made his stories he built them of people as tightly packed and rigidly ordered as any machine. They'd live their lives and die as his plot or whims dictated, at the same time never really living while they did it."

"I don't know how it was with your durance," She continued, looking up from her hands at Talmage "maybe mine was tame by comparison. But I just remember this feeling like ... like ... a fire bur- no, like a rock deep within- ... ahh I don't know the words to describe it. But I think it was around then that I must have started coming back to myself.

I just remember thinking that he'd robbed those people of their lives. People deserve a chance to live as they choose, and it's not up to him or anyone to chart their course with ruler and pen. If they choose to do crimes then, yes, they should be punished, but if they make that choice I just think it should be because it was a choice. Not because of what was done to them by the Fey and because nobody was willing to lend a needed hand."

"Please, can you give me a little time to see if I can give him that hand?"

Roll:

Spoiler

Show

Presence + Persuasion = 6 die pool, no WP.

Roll(6d10)+0:
5,4,8,4,8,3,+0
Total:32

Two successes

[Thanqol]

The words struck a chord. Talmage finally met Isabelle's eyes, and he nodded. "Fine. Fine, I'll give you two days." He said. His expression was a strange mixture of regret and admiration. "And I'm sorry it had to come to this so soon after your return."

[Isabelle: Gain Status: Ivy Watchtower Freehold 1]

[the_druid_droid]

Jon sat quietly, inspecting the plush carpet as his mind replayed what little he recalled of his own time in Faerie, and the agonizing path back through the Thorns. Finally, he raised his head and addressed Talmage, “Was the world always this screwed up, and I just missed it? Or did They do something to it while we were all gone?”

[Thanqol]

"World's not screwed up," Talmage said, finding the idea distasteful, "World is great, and it's been getting better ever since it began. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but twenty years ago the Princes themselves were doing worse stuff than Cludge. Nowadays a single murderer can be sure of quick judgement and the Gentry can be driven off through force of arms. Do not let a few shadows make you think it's midnight."

[BlasTech]

Thank you" Isabelle said, quietly. Two days wasn't much, but at least she could have a try.

[Ding!]

[Thanqol]

"Oh, and as a personal favour I'll send the Sheriff with you when you go to see Cludge, if you'll have her. Cludge did try to kill you and I don't want to walk you into the lion's den unarmed. Everyone, this is Vorel, Sheriff of the Ivy Watchtower, and Vorel, these are - are, uh -" Talmage stopped, "I do not actually know your names."

[Deadly]

Charlene tried not to think of her own memories. She looked hard at some random painting and tried to empty her mind. It helped, a little.

She felt rather relieved that they were going to get more time. Two days wasn't much, but it should be enough to ascertain if it was even worthwhile to consider. She looked at Isabelle, "I didn't mean to suggest that I wouldn't help you, or that I don't think people should be given a second chance. Just that this is a difficult position to put a single person in, a lot of responsibility on one pair of shoulders. But either way, whatever is decided you can count on me, and at least now we can hopefully get a better idea of his chances. I would like to hope that he is interested in a better life, too."

She turned back to Talmage. "Oh," did they really forget to introduce themselves. How awkward. "Charlene," she said. She still wasn't sure where she got that name, but it was as much hers now as any other might have been. "And if the Courts are meant to help and if there is some way I can assist in that, not just with Cludge here but in general, then I don't see much better use for my time. I don't... have anything to return to myself." What she meant to say was that she couldn't face it yet, but the other way sounded better to her.

[Thanqol]

"To assist with the Courts, well, there are two ways to do that." Talmage said to Charlene, "The first way is to serve a Court itself, which is to tie yourself to a season even when it's out of season, and help the Prince maintain the other court members. The second way is to Pledge yourself to the Freehold itself as a Vassal, to serve the Ivy Watchtower whoever reigns there. There are meant to be four key positions in the Freehold - The Herald of Spring, the Sheriff of Summer, the Magistrate of Autumn, and the Secretary of Winter. Vorel here is the Sheriff, Felix is the Secretary, and miss Kuisan who is not and is rarely present, is the Magistrate. The Herald post is currently, sadly, unoccupied.

"Each of those positions can have assistants, like deputies for the Sheriff, but we haven't had any applicants for those recently. Those positions come with room and board here, and pay when the Prince in charge can afford it."

[Deadly]

Charlene nodded. "I would like to hear more about these options sometime. I don't like... being in the spotlight, so to speak, but helping others in the Freehold sounds like something I could possibly live with." She looked at her two friends, "But for now I guess we shouldn't waste any time, since we have little enough of it. I for one would appreciate Vorel's assistance when we go meet Cludge."

[the_druid_droid]

“I... would like to believe that’s true. I’m just having trouble seeing it.” Jon frowned, then started slightly when he realized he hadn’t introduced himself.

“Oh, my name is Jon. Jon Swift. And I agree, we could use some company if we’re going to see Cludge again...” As he spoke, Jon glanced toward Vorel, and paused, really seeing her for the first time. In the same instant that the registered that she was a dragon, he realized why dragons had been symbols of nobility and power for centuries; unconsciously, he also squared his shoulders and straightened up ever so slightly.

[BlasTech]

Having finished her moment of exposition, Isabelle felt like she had very few words left. She laid a hand on Charlene's shoulder instead of speaking, letting a reassuring squeeze convey her thanks.

It was only in reply to Talmage's query that she managed to force out her name; "Isabelle, Isabelle Keene" before lapsing back into silence.