[WFRP] The Lord of Lost Heart (II)

[Exeson]

Pieters words stop Ithelus dead in his tracks, a look of shock in his eyes. 'You'd let her go? Pieter she willingly used the powers of the Dark Gods for vengeance! Who knows what she could be capable of if we let her escape? You've seen it too Pieter, chaos is a corruption that can spread to anyone, anyone who has a flaw in their heart. Vengeance, greed, a lust for power, sadism...' The elf trails off.

His shoulders dropped and a genuine look of sadness crossed his face, 'Pieter, if you let her escape... If you don't help bring her to justice... I'd... I'd have to kill you too.'

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter pursed his lips. Ithelus's vehemence surprised him; he had always seen the Elf as a pragmatist, not a person of principles. He did not know if this was a good or a bad thing.

"...Fine, we'll let the people of Hohlesbruck judge her," he conceded. "But I'm also worried about the knight... If he's really Anhame, he might seek revenge for whatever they do to her. I'll make sure they're aware of the risk."

He kept walking towards the manor.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Go! Illiiya said suddenly, raising her voice, This place is full of the foul god's touch. It must be...

Illiiya looked about, struggling to come up with something that could end the corruption here. Her eyes fell to the candle in her hand... and images of the burning tree flashed through her mind.

This place must be burned. All of it! Every scrap of meat, and every damnable tool he used! She said, herding people towards the door, And we must leave. The winds are stagnant here... We could become infected... or worse.

OOC:

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That sounds nasty... Illiiya is gonna heard people out of here ASAP, and bar everything behind her any way she can. She'll only take the one vial she swiped from the little alcove. After that, the plan is to re-group and see about setting the butcher's place on fire. Sweet, cleansing fire!

[LCP]

Ithelus & Pieter

Once again, the two of them slogged up the hill towards the manor, where the ancient pile of stone sat brooding in the rain. The glimmer of a high window was all they could make out through the night until they were almost upon it: sheltering under the arch of the great door, Ithelus hammered on the gates until someone replied.

Gundred the cook answered the knocking, and was promptly pushed aside. Too cowardly to stop the armed elf and his companion, he scurried away in search of help. None came.

Esther was not in the hall. She was not in the kitchen, she was not on the landing. She was not in the tower room. They found her at last in the yard at the back of the manor, standing in the open between the stables. Mrs Lauf was pleading with her to come back inside, but the young woman didn't seem to hear her. She just stood silently, her veil discarded and her eyes turned up to the sky. The rain had soaked her dark clothes to the skin, washing her scarred face like water from a font.

---

1

Illiiya

"Aye," said one of the peasants, with more conviction than before. "Aye, we've got to burn it all!"

Allowing Illiiya to herd them out of the cellar, they watched in relief as she dumped all the clutter she could find on top of the trapdoor, as if to stop anything else from getting out. Looking around with quick, hurried movements, one of the villagers grabbed a battered iron lamp from near the window, pouring its unlit oil over the floorboards. The rain beat heavily on the roof, but inside the old timbers of the Flycher house were warped and dry...

[-Sentinel-]

Looking at Esther standing despondently in the rain like a statue, Pieter sought his words; for once in his life, they would not come easily. What was Ithelus's suggestion to get her to come, again?

No. I'm done with lies for tonight.

He walked over to her. "Miss Verloren," he said, slowly but firmly. "The doctor confessed his crimes in front of many witnesses. You'd better come with us... Some important decisions lie ahead."


OOC

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You know, now that I think about it, the doctor never incriminated Esther. He only said that Nurgle told him of her prayers, but did not contradict Pieter's claim that she never saw the letter. Now much depends on what we tell the villagers.

[LCP]

Pieter & ithelus

Esther said nothing, but Mrs Lauf backed away as she saw Ithelus' crossbow. She tugged fruitlessly on Esther's arm, imploring her to come away. Esther didn't move.

"Leave us, Hilda," she said. It seemed a long time before she gathered a reply to Pieter.

"I am lady of the manor," she said in a faraway voice. Her eyes were still turned up to the sky. Pieter couldn't tell if she believed her own words. "The decisions are mine to make."

[-Sentinel-]

"Some of them still are." Pieter's tone was almost apologetic. "Whether you come with us isn't one of those, I'm afraid."

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I'm in base contact, should anything sudden happen.

[LCP]

Esther lowered her gaze, returning to the real world. She looked at Pieter and Ithelus, and Pieter thought that in the darkness she looked strikingly like the portrait of her mother that hung above the stairs in the great hall.

"I will come."

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar glanced across at Leopold. The young man was holding that small sword like an old veteran now. He was descended from the boyish wanderer of a few days ago - you could see his ancestor in his face and eyes - but was not the same man.

"Where've you been, Leo?"

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Lothar is maintaining the situation until Illiiya either returns or the house erupts into flames. Or Ithelus et al return.

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods his head, 'Yes I think you will, my Lady.' The elf keeps out of reaching distance of the Lady, but his crossbow still trained on her. He quickly scans the darkness, something did not quite feel right about this and he was hoping his heightened sense might yield some information.

[LCP]

Lothar

Leopold looked askance at Lothar, the soldier's question throwing him off-balance.

"Marienburg. Altdorf Um... Carroburg, mostly," he admitted at the end. "What's it got to do with anything?

---

1

Pieter & Ithelus

Despite the murky night, the elf could see clearly enough. The empty stables seemed deserted except for themselves and Esther. Mrs Lauf was sheltering behind the back door, holding it open just a crack so she could watch the two men who had come for her mistress.

[goblinpaladin]

"I meant just now. Haven't seen you for hours - an' you came rushin' in, no hesitation or nothin'."

[LCP]

Lothar

"Oh," said Leopold, surprised and a little embarassed. "I was at the shrine." He looked sheepishly up at the sky. "Then it started raining."

Down in the mud, the doctor was moving, mumbling dazedly. Leopold looked down at him and his face hardened.

"What are we going to do with him?"

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter was a bit on edge as well. He had the nagging feeling that they were not out of the woods yet, that this was but the calm before the storm. The pieces were falling into place quickly and with more ease than he expected, but the knight was still unaccounted for. He did not like to have that threat looming over him.

"Let's go, then," he said absent-mindedly, peering into the rain.

Once he, Ithelus and Esther were out of Mrs Lauf's earshot, he confided to the noblewoman: "Reifennen said nothing about your silence, only that the Foul One whispered your prayers to him." His voice was hard. "If you claim ignorance about the letter, I won't contradict you. But I won't lie on your behalf this time. You're on your own."

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya glanced from side to side... worried that a fire here would carry to another home. The caution was entirely forced, as part of her truly did not care. She wanted that place and all the foul things inside it gone. Hiding the shudder in her voice, she glanced to the townsfolk.

Yes. Burn it before the corruption spreads. She said, a dark worry behind her voice. I will stay and ensure it all falls. Will.... one of you inform the others of what happened here and why?

[LCP]

Illiiya

"I'll do it," said one of the villagers, all too eager to be out of the cursed house. The others barely had time to agree before he was out of the door.

One of the others gestured to Illiiya's candle.

"You want to light it?" he asked. The pungent lamp oil was dripping from the edge of the table, its acrid smell almost masking the smell of the cellar that lingered in Illiiya's nostrils.

---

1

Pieter & Ithelus

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr Hagen," Esther said, coldly and quietly. She said nothing more as they walked down towards the village square, leaving Pieter to see how he liked the taste of his own sarcastic tongue.

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya nodded, giving the building one last cold glare before she tossed the fire to it in disgust. Let the flames take it, and everything about it. A grim sort of satisfaction crept across her face as she watched the flame take light and begin to spread.

Sear to ash... and all your filth with you.

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Forgot I had the fire. Oh well, done. Illiiya will lurk to watch it burn and see if anything.... crawls out. After that, she'll rejoin the others unless they've come to her first.

[LCP]

Illiiya

The flames spread quickly, flaking the dark stains beneath them to dust. Grasping fingers of fire twined down the legs of the table, snaking out over the wooden floor and beginning to crawl towards the stairs. The two villagers stepped back, leaving Flycher's body where it lay.

As the fire grew fiercer, they retreated back through the front door, stepping out into the rain. A grimy window broke under the heat, tongues of flame licking out through the shattered glass into the cold night air. The rain was beating down outside, but inside the fire was free to spread. Crackling like a furnace, it raced across the dusty hall, devouring the warped timbers with glee.

Illiiya Only

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With the flames spreading, Illiiya heard another sound beneath their dry roar roar. Coming from the barricaded trapdoor, it was a high, keening wail, like green wood in a fire. The things in the cellar were screaming.

---

1

Lothar, Ithelus & Pieter

Both the party of three descending from the manor and the gaggle gathered around the fallen doctor saw the blaze begin. As the windows of the Flycher house began to shatter, it lit up the night around it in pools of yellow and orange, great fog-clouds of steam rolling from its battle-front with the falling rain.

[Exeson]

Ithelus nods at the fire. 'May the cleansed corruption never return. Now, I would suggest we do this inside somewhere. How about the Heartless man? that is where all this started to begin with.'

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya heard little of Ithelus' plea. Her hands were instead pressed over her ears as she tried to block the sounds of the screaming from her head. Her face twisted slightly, a low noise escaping from her in an attempt to drown out things only she could hear. It wasn't until she was touched that she took note that the others had arrived.

Nnnnnnhhhhh.... oh.... Oh, Ithelus. She finally said, sounding oddly relieved, as if she expected something else, I will leave.... when the screaming stops.... When I know they are all dead.

OOC:

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Which we can skip to, if that will move things along quicker.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar poked the doctor with his sword and opened his mouth to reply when the billowing cloud of steam and sweet cleansing fire began at the Flychers' place.

He nodded in the direction of the fire. "That."

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Feel free to join us all up.

[-Sentinel-]

Though he had not seen what lay inside, Pieter watched the butcher's house burn with almost as much satisfaction as when the mutant tree had gone up in flames. How easy life would be if all problems could be solved with a sufficient amount of fire... Sometimes you had to destroy in order to build.

It's too late though, he could not help thinking. Hohlesbruck is dying. We cut off the gangrenous limb, but the infection has already spread beyond it.

He nodded to Mr Faulebrand. "Shall we get this over with?" he said, jerking his chin at the half-conscious doctor. "I'd like to sleep soundly tonight."

[LCP]

Faulebrand didn't respond to Pieter - instead, he turned to Esther, seeming on the verge of seizing the Verloren girl in his fat hands.

"You!" he said, his voice cracking with anger. "What did you do? Tell me!"

Esther said nothing. Pieter couldn't tell if it was fear, shame - or fascination with the flames that licked from the windows of the Flychers' home. Standing uncertainly to one side, Leopold looked as if he didn't know whether or not to intervene... or on whose behalf.

"I am the last of the Verloren line," she said, her voice small and far away. "You will not... you will not address me in this way..."

"Ettie?" came Ricard's voice. The young nobleman stepped forwards out of the firelit shadows. "Ettie, this man's been saying all sorts of things. Tell us which ones are true."

Esther still said nothing, but now her eyes were fixed on Ricard. Lolling on the ground, Reifennen broke the silence between them as he began to hum to himself. His voice quiet and cracked, he seemed to be humming the tune to a hymn - though it was a tuneless drone, it reminded Lothar of a song from his childhood.

Illiiya Only

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The screams took a long time to die. Only when the flames were leaping as high as the roof did the last of the obscene noises end.

[goblinpaladin]

"None of that," Lothar said quietly. He smacked the doctor none-too-gently across the side of the head with the flat of the weapon.

"Lady Verloren," the deserter added, turning to to the young woman. His sword remained at rest on the doctor. "The doctor's accusin' you of basically prayin' to the Fly Lord to poison Miss Faulebrand. You're not goin' to speak for y'self?"

[Exeson]

Whilst the attention of the crowd was on Esther Ithelus stalked up to the doctor. Crouching next to him the elf pulled out a knife from his boot and looked pointedly at the man. 'Now Herr Doctor, whilst the lady does about explaining herself you have some time to think. You've going to die anyway, but depending how you answer our questions you might not have the same number of ears and fingers before that happens.'

Ithelus nods to the doctor before straightening up to listen to Esther's answers to the accusations.

[LCP]

Whilst the attention of the crowd was on Esther Ithelus stalked up to the doctor. Crouching next to him the elf pulled out a knife from his boot and looked pointedly at the man. 'Now Herr Doctor, whilst the lady does about explaining herself you have some time to think. You've going to die anyway, but depending how you answer our questions you might not have the same number of ears and fingers before that happens.'

The doctor was still reeling from the smack Lothar had given him around the skull, but Ithelus thought he saw understanding in Reifennen's eyes. He wasn't sure whether the threat hit home - some detached part of the doctor's mind seemed to have gone beyond the reach of fear.

"Lady Verloren," the deserter added, turning to to the young woman. His sword remained at rest on the doctor. "The doctor's accusin' you of basically prayin' to the Fly Lord to poison Miss Faulebrand. You're not goin' to speak for y'self?"

"Would it do me any good?" asked Esther.

Aloysius' pudgy hand flew to a dagger at his belt, and Leopold lowered his sword, seizing his father's arm. The miller had gone puce in the face, grief, terror and sorrow funneling into familiar rage at the lofty, melancholy figure that had deigned to descend into their midst.

"You did this!" he shouted - screamed. "You brought him here! Poxed, jealous harpy!" He struggled with his son. "Sitting in that crumbling old house, sneering down at the rest of us! You killed my daughter!"

The villagers shifted and fell back uneasily. The doctor was a villain they could easily hate. Mils Verloren's child was a different matter.

"Ettie," said Ricard, urgently. "Say it isn't true."

"I did pray," she said, her voice breaking. "I prayed, every night, that you would return home. That the gods would keep you safe from the war." Tears were mingling with the rain that dappled her pockmarked face. "But when you did return, it wasn't for me."

"Esther, I didn't mean -"

"Such a pretty girl," she said, her voice taking on the sting of bitterness with which she had spoken to Pieter. "Such a fair, vacant, rich girl. What chance did I have?" A sob marred her speech. "I asked, just once, that you would see us both the same. I changed my prayers."

She looked down at the doctor.

"I would do it again. I would do it a thousand times... if it made you stay."

She looked at Ricard, and swallowed her tears.

"But you won't."

Ricard's mouth had fallen open. A look of horror had stolen across Leopold's face, as if Esther had been replaced before his eyes by someone else. Talberg's hand was stealing subconsciously towards his sword.

[goblinpaladin]

Lothar shook his head. He looked away.

[-Sentinel-]

Pieter positioned himself almost, but not quite, in Talberg's path so that he could make a grab for him if he attempted anything violent.

"A prayer's not a crime," he said placatingly, addressing both the pistolier and the miller, "and neither are bad intentions. This said... I don't think it's wise for Miss Verloren to remain in Hohlesbruck. The house of Verloren is finished, one way or another." He glanced at Esther. "I believe there are monasteries that accept penitents..."

[Exeson]

Ithelus's face remains hard at the sight of emotion. 'So when you received the letter from the Doctor, what did you do? You did more than just pray didn't you? You let this happen.'

[BloodyAngel]

Illiiya Jaelrae

Illiiya spit on the ground as the last of the screaming died down. It was a gesture she'd seen Lothar use more than once and it seemed appropriate. Turning from the still-burning building, she gave a nod to the people still here.

It's... done. She said darkly, I cannot hear them anymore. We can go.

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I'm confused. Is Ith here with me or with the others? I suppose it doesn't matter, since we're all gonna regroup now that the Flycher's place is gone. Just a little confused. If Illiiya overheard the entire discussion with Ester, let me know though please.