The Birth Of A New Species: IC.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"Is quite clearly mad," Marius finishes for the governor. "Given everything I've heard about your reaction to the issues in the mines, I've half a mind at this point to send a report requesting an official investigation into your conduct. I suggest you put on clothes, answer our questions, and provide us with the help we need."

[ReaderAt2046]

The governor seems to have remembered where he put his wits.

"HOW DARE YOU!!! HOW DARE YOU BREAK INTO MY ROOMS AND ACCUSE ME OF... GUARDS!"

A pair of guards appear.

"Escort these...kassavassassras... out of this building and don't allow them back in. Keep them under surveillance. And have a messenger ready to leave for Winterfell in an hour."

You are politely escorted out of the room (the door slams behind you) and then out of the keep.

[hoverfrog]

"Kassavassassras?" Seric turns quizzically to Flowdy, "Is that Infernal?"

[ReaderAt2046]

[OOC] It's Cryan, actually. [/OOC]

[DualShadow]

Ogodei remained silent during all the trouble within the city, it was not his place and to be honest he wasn't all that comfortable within them. 'I have officials from the capital to deal with such things. Don't need to bother myself.' he kept saying to himself.

The dealings with the governor was something else, a perfect exemple of how hideous living beings can get and he didn't meant physicaly. Turning to see the keep one more time he speaks "Does he really have the rights to throw you out?"

[ReaderAt2046]

A few minutes after you are thrown out of the castle, another soldier comes running out and announces to you and your two escorts,

"Governor Eddard is going to send a message to the Capitol requesting verification of your (points at the party) credentials. Until he receives that verification, you're not to use those credentials for anything. There's a mage at Winterfell that can Send to the Capitol, so you shouldn't have to wait more than a day or so for that verification."

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Marius rolls his eyes at the messenger. "Oh for the love of-- Look, so we interrupted his torrid little affair with that girl. He's a government official, and frankly we don't have time for this. We wouldn't even be here if was doing his job." He sighs and waves the messenger off. "Tell Eddard we need to see Lord Tyrion Stark. If he's going to make us wait, he can at least be useful."

[ReaderAt2046]

"Quite frankly, I'm a bit surprised he blew up like that too. But he's been getting more and more obsessed with that Copper for weeks now. I suppose your lady's interpretaiton of that scene touched all his nerves at once."

[OOC]Lord Tyrion Stark is the district governor. He's at Winterfell, a day's travel to the south. Eddard is the governor of Starkspear.[/OOC]

[Korney]

"What do you mean Copper?" Flowdy asks the guard who seems to be more reasonable than the governor. "Anyway, we might as well begin with our job here while the capital response arrives."

"Is there a place were we could stay for the night? And- Oh! I almost forgot. We need to keep the man we brouht locked up until further notice. Give him only water and fo not take off his gag. He might be an important source of information in the future."

Flowdy stretched his arms and asks his companion. "Well, shall we start with the questions?" he randomly picks a house with some amulets hanging from the door and starts walking.

-----
Flowdy knocks the door and wait for someone to open "Good day, my name is Flowdy and I would like to make you some questions. I came here because I heard some spooky stories causing troubles arround here and I might be able to help you... if you let me."

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OOC: I guess some Diplomacy won't hurt, but I preffer actually roleplaying conversations instead of just rolling. In case you don't share my opinion, here is a roll (1d20)[5]

[ReaderAt2046]

"Copper's the girl... Wait, gagged and locked up? Who are you talking about and what did he do?"

The guard grabs Flowdy by the arm as he approaches the house. "I think you'd better not. The Governor's in a howling fury and I'd probably get in trouble if I let you start grilling people before he's confirmed your identity. Tell you what, we'll take you guys down to the Silver Pick and get you a place to stay for the night."

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"We'd certainly appreciate that. I don't suppose you could supply us with any more information on Copper?"

[ReaderAt2046]

"Who. Have. You. Bound. And. Why."

[Korney]

"With all the respect young man, it is not of your business. You might want capital confirmation of our authority, but until then you should assume what would happen if we are who we claim we are." sais Flowdy with a sigh.
"We don't plan in causing any trouble here, in fact, we are here to help. But don't defy us. Remember we report directly to the crown."

[ReaderAt2046]

"Actually, it is our business, whether or not you are what you claim. If you have taken someone prisoner in self-defense, then tell us that and we shall know your justification. If you have arrested someone, tell us that we may arrange the trial. Any way you cut it, it's our business, especially if you want us to hold your captive for you."

[ToySoldierCPlus]

"Self-defense, then, as best we can tell." Marius motions at the cart with the tarp over it. "He's under that tarp, if you want to have a look. Just, uh, don't scream, alright? We don't want to cause a panic."

[ReaderAt2046]

"Believe me, that's the last thing I want. But why would...(He flips up the tarp. The thing responds with a muffled scream, squeezing its eyeslits shut. The soldier hurriedly lowers the tarp again.)...Oh God. Now I see why you wanted this thing locked up."

"Gerald! (a soldier comes trotting up) Take two men and lock this thing in one of the holding cells. Don't let it be seen, Governor would probably blow his top altogether if there's a riot. Report its existence to him once it's secured."

"Now, let's get you to the Pick."

You are escorted down to The Silver Pick, a largish tavern in the middle of town. As you enter the main room, a young man with flame-red hair and ash-grey eyes stands on a platform, waving a burning branch around excitedly as he recounts his tale.
“…I have seen the corpse dancers with my own eyes. I have seen them walking the streets by night, wearing the bodies of those slain by their frost-spawned allies. I have seen their skin as pale as the frost that is the heart of all evil, their eyes as black and empty as a starless night. But despair not, for there is still hope. As all evil is born in the heart of cold, so all evil has a foe in fire. Fire is our weapon against the evils of the night, and it alone can defend us against the dancers. The light of the sun, the warmth of summer, these will weaken and confuse the dancers, and true fire alone among all things can kill them. Sword and spear and stick and stone, these may destroy the body the dancer wears, but they can no more harm the dancer itself than poking holes in a man’s shirt harms the man beneath. But touch a dancer with fire, and it burns not only the body, but the dancer itself. Where there is flame, you are safe. Carry fire, and they will flee from you.”
Half the room bursts into applause, while most of the rest is full of confused murmurs.

“How do ye know all this?” asks one of the miners. “Has anyone besides ye seen these corpse dancers of yers?”

“I have!” volunteers one of the serving maids. “I was looking out my window when I saw two of them, just like he described. They were just walking through the streets, and then I saw a man further up the street. He’d had a bit too much to drink, and was wandering through the streets trying to get back home. The dancers saw him at the same time I did. They rushed at him, and he turned and I got a clear look at his face. It was Isaac. For just a second I saw him, then those things were on him. They just touched him, and he arched his back and went all rigid for a second, then he just went limp. The dancers just dragged him off.”

[hoverfrog]

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Looks like I missed some action

"The governor does not give orders to us. We do not answer to him." Seric is certain of that. "We will work with the local law of course but we will not abide by any restrictions that that pig of a man may try to dictate to us."

--

At the Silver Pick, Seric looks distastefully at the rabble rouser, "No good will come from this, mark my words."

"It is more evidence of the corruption of their leader that they allow such trouble makers to operate with impunity. Such talk will only endanger lawful citizens as someone will act on false information or poor assumptions. They should be coming together as a community, not looking at one another with suspicion. They are stronger as a whole."

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Knowledge Religion (1d20+5)[6] to see if his talk of corpse dancers is familiar and if the fire has a particular religious connection.

EDIT: My highest skill and I get a natural 1. I am cursed by the dice gods.

[Korney]

"We all have seen that their governor isn't exactly insterested in solving problems. Maybe they have no other choice" sais Flowdy to Seric. "Let's find out."

"Excuse me sir!" shouts Flowdy at the tavern "Wouldn't it be better to let the guards and the governor take care of that? If it is as you said, he must be doing something, right?"

[ReaderAt2046]

The maid turns to Korney, and you are struck by the uncanny resemblance to the woman you just saw in the governor's rooms. "Good sir, I know exactly what the governor is doing, and it's not dealing with the dancers. He has other concerns in both his heads."

(A general explosion of laughter.)

The fire guy jumps onto the end of her speech, "And even if the governor were devoting every moment to fighting the children of the cold, he and his cannot be everywhere at once, cannot guard every home or escort every man. These people must know how they can defend themselves, or they will be slain."

[Korney]

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OOC: See, now we know for sure that Seric was right and the governors is doing nothing.

Flowdy looks back at Copper and recognize her. Waits a bit until the speech is over and approaches her. "Milady, if you have a moment we would like to buy you a drink."

If her accepts: Once they are all at a table and Copper join them Flowdy asks "I believe your name is Copper. I'm Flowdy, this gentlemen are Ogodei and Marius, and you already know Seric."

"We are here to help as much as we can and we do believe your story about strange creatures. Could you tell us everything you know? When did this start, what has been happening, anything." Flowdy waits patiently with a piece of scroll and a feather ready to write down important events.

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OOC: Just and OOC reminder, if she cooperates, we should take her to check the prisoner, maybe see recognices him.

[ReaderAt2046]

The girl giggles. "I'm not Copper. My name's Candace, but everyone just calls me Candy. Copper and I are friends. No, we're not related, Yes, it's weird that we look alike."

[Korney]

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OOC: I have made the same questions to her than I would have made to Copper.

[hoverfrog]

"Are these 'dancers' the reason that the miners have stopped work? I think it best if we see one of these for ourselves. If it is some spiritual infestation then only those versed in such metaphysical matters can hope to defeat them. What we need is information."

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OOC. Can you tell us what the defences of the town are like. Can the inhabitants retreat to a central keep where they cannot easily be picked off one by one?

[ReaderAt2046]

(In a confidential wisper)

"Oh, it's not just the dancers. Those aren't so dangerous without allies, even Ozai would admit that. See, the dancers can only use dead bodies, and they can't restore any rot the body may have suffered, so to be dangerous they need fresh corpses. And for that they need allies, vampires or murderers or somesuch. So for dancers to be walking the streets, someone has to have come in first and killed off people. Ozai is stepping around that on purpose, it does folk no good to remind them that one of their number is a murderer. Everyone knows it, of course, but they don't want to think about it.

And it gets worse. Several of the most recent spate of mystery deaths have been among the guards, so our killer must be among them. That plus the governor's attitude is why everyone's here instead of down at the fort. Plus I don't think anyone really wants to admit just how bad it is."

[DualShadow]

The Easterner takes more notes on what the girl says but remains silent for the moment.

[hoverfrog]

"Either the governor is helping these creature or is weak and ignorant, unable to respond properly. Either way it seems clear that he is unsuited to his position."

Seric thinks for a moment, "We need to target our response. Where does it originate? Where are these creatures concentrated? What gives them their power? Do they have a leader? If we can take out the head of the serpent, the body will die.

"We have three enemies to combat:

One: These mutated lemure creatures.
Two: These 'corpse dancers'.
Three: At least one murderer, possibly part of the guard.

In addition we have the incompetence and corruption of the governor.

The question then is which is the greatest threat? Which one should we target our resources at first?"

[Korney]

Flowdy listens to everything with caution "Maybe we could follow those dancers back to wherever they hide at day."

"And... do you think we could talk to Copper later?"

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OOC: If Copper goes to the governor's bedroom often maybe she could search for clues for us or even let us in to search ourselves.

[ReaderAt2046]

"COLOR="DarkRed"]We have three enemies to combat:

One: These mutated lemure creatures.
Two: These 'corpse dancers'.
Three: At least one murderer, possibly part of the guard.

[/COLOR]"

"Lemurs? Aren't those Terran? How'd they get all the way up here without freezing, and how could they possibly be dangerous?"

[OOC]Terra is a massive jungly continent to the south, somewhat similar to Africa.[/OOC]

[hoverfrog]

"No, Candace, lem-yur, not lem-er. It is a kind of devil from the lower planes, the hells. A soul given physical form and used as fodder in the endless wars they rage. They are twice as powerful as a normal man but weak compared with their masters. That is something that concerns the security of the realm. If something is somehow bonding lemures to people then they have considerable power. Such a threat cannot be tolerated."

[ReaderAt2046]

Candace's eyes go wide. "You found one?" she whispers.

At the same moment, a voice comes from the door.

"You again?"

It's Copper, finally wearing some clothes. She's clad in a thick fur coat, and you can just see bright red shoes peeking out from under the hem. She's still got the rose in her hair.

"Candy! Come on, I've got the funniest story to tell you about these four. You won't believe what they did when they learned Eddie and I were 'busy'."

Candace smoothly slips off the seat and the two of them disappear up the stairs.