Life is Short: Live Well (IC)

[Jacon]

Lord Sion scans over the growing half orc mob before turning back to the priestess.
" By the sounds of it the innocent have already been affected. You won't see me defending baby killers. Let them riot, perhaps they will learn that killing children, especially orc children, will have deadly consequences." He pauses thinking that perhaps allowing a riot to happen in the city would not reflect well on Ashren.
" Very well. Let me see if they can be calmed."
He than yells out to the crowd.
" MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HEAR ME! I Am Sion of Ashren, son of the horde and the great clans!I hear your cries for justice and they will be answered! I will have the truth of their wrong doings but I cannot with a mob outside this temple. Settle down and allow to speak to these so called priest and than we shall justice for your children!
Sion turns and knocks loudly at the door.
" Open this door and answer to these accusations! Lord Sion of Ashren demands it!

[Artman77]

Dragon's Head, Fritz's Room
Her anger subsides as you pour on the charm.
"Really? You wrestled with her? That's really all you did??" her voice is thick with suspicion, and her eyes glisten with tears about to spill over. She steps closer to you. Suddenly you realize the scent of the amazon might still be on you. Fritz's nostrils flare. Your heart pounds.
"Do you promise? Do you promise that was all you did?" Is there hope in her voice? It's hard to tell.

Spoiler: results of roll

Show

You don't have to roll bluff again, whether you say 'yes' or 'no' the results will be the same.

You have time for a quick brunch before having to head to the arena to get dressed for the day's performance. Alphonse and the others are unusually quiet. It's the first time since you haven't had the lovable half-orc around. Daisy still seems shaken, though she's trying not to show it. Some how the lot of you are going to put on happy faces for the big performance today. Not to mention the fact that your thighs and abdomen are still quite sore from what the amazon did you you less than eight hours ago...

The House of Pelor
"Thank you! Please, tell your masters to let our babies live!!" screams a smelly, poorly dressed half-orc woman to Elizabeth. The story of the encounter with the pregnant half-orc at the safe house has got her attention. "Don't let her come here!!! The white devils will take her baby from her belly and sacrifice it to their sun god!!!" The others in the mob, men and women alike, pay little attention to the petite priestess, and pick up stones to hurl through the windows of the church. Just then Lord Sion lumbers up the street. He heads towards Elizabeth, about explain their injustice, when he realizes things are about to turn violent.

"MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HEAR ME!" he bellows, erecting to his full height. The angry is suddenly quiet and many people turn to find the source of the voice. Some cower in fear. Some of the older women rush to him, bowing down, crying, and burying their faces in the dirt as he speaks.
"Our savior!" they cry. Some of the men cheer. Other still cower where they stand, eyes wide at the sight of a full-blooded orc.

Your pounding provokes a priest to answer the door. He is a tall, thin, middle-aged man, with beady eyes and short hair. His voice squeaks like a creaky wagon wheel.
"So! Prince of Ashren, are you? What is the meaning of all this??" he demands.
You can smell just the faintest hint of fear on him. His confident posture hides it well.

[Jacon]

Sion sniffs in disdain at the groveling of his own kin. The human blood ran thick in these people it seemed but that did not mean they should have to deal with such injustice. When the man opens the door Sion turns on him. The slight smell of fear gives him confidence and he leans close so that the priest can smell his breakfast on his breath and gives him a toothy and threatening grin.
" My half blood kin are saying you've been sacrificing their babies. I would hear more on this subject but not from a doorman. I demand to see your head priest. Elizabeth here is a fellow priest of your order and I would have her accompany me as she is in my service and could provide good advice on these matter,

[dantiesilva]

As the people thank her and ask her to beg her masters to let their babies live she looks at them as an entire crowd and speaks, amplifying her voice so the entire mass can hear her. "These men who hide behind the cloth are not my masters, my lord is the sun in the sky who shines light on us all and blesses us each morning by chasing the darkness away. Those who wish to sacrifice children are pretenders and I promise you those loyal to The Morning sun will not let this stand." Elizabeth says as she looks to Lord Sion, all the while trying to keep her expression serine as she walks up to the door with him by her side and waits for him to bang on the door, showing the half orcs that she was not one of those inside, but like them. Silently she sends up a small prayer to pelor. " Pelor guide my words and let my soul be filled today with your divine grace so that I may do you work and bring those who defile your name to justice." sister Elizabeth prays inside her head as she waits for the door to open. However when she sees the reaction Lord Sion has on the half orcs, she tries as hard as she can to stand on her tipetoes and whisper into his ear. " I think it would be wise to have the men stand infront of the women incase someone tries to attack them from the church. Is your squire around, I can send for help from a friend of mine? Elizabeth says not believing that she may have to call in the help of another church to stop what was happening in her own church.

As the man opens the door Elizabeth waits patiently for Lord Sion to finish before speaking, making it clear to the man behind the door that she would not stop lord Sion from breaking into the temple if she had to. These are grave acquisitions to be thrown at the temple of Pelor. I hope that those inside would see why it would be wise to allow an outsider from Hope's Caress, student of High Father Albery to enter here and solve this matter. Unlike my friend beside me I am willing to listen to what you have to say, however I agree with him that it will be inside and with the entire congregation. Elizabeth says as she looks to one of the half orc woman. " Please go find a young human boy name Kirk, he should be near the soup kitchen, tell him where I am and that I need his and Robs help. But not to get caught. She says handing the woman a gold piece if she agrees to deliver the message.

Spoiler: Diplomacy

Show

Only using diplomacy on the door holder (1d20+18)[33]
Knowledge religion (1d20+9)[26] any cults that say they worship pelor but do sacrifices

[Jacon]

Loyd, Keep this rabble in line but be ready. I do not place much trust in these holy men.." Sion says to his companion.

[PersonMan]

Senerail decides, as Fritz stands up, not to do something like that again - it may have been worth it as far as the aching was concerned, but seeing her friend on the verge of tears was too much. She nods, assuring that he had only been wrestling, and opens her arms for an embrace, softly promising to stay closer. Perhaps ironically she thinks back to what Sharasa said, about her power, and how she could have put it to use to help Rose, if she'd been there. All of this could be different, better. The thoughts continue as Senerail sits through the most awkwardly quiet meal since she's joined the troupe. It felt wrong, and the silence keeps her mind working, going over everything as the power inside her seems to buzz in tune with her feelings, offering itself as it had so many times - but this time, it wouldn't be to jump a wall or roll under a cart.

"If there's time before the performance, I'd like to go see Chomp," Senerail says after a while. It's doubtful that she could simply walk out with the half-orc in tow, but there had to be something she could do to make things easier for him - even if it might mean going to find that one man she had lied to the day before.

[Artman77]

The Dragon's Head/Jail
Alphonse nods his approval at your request to see Chomp.
The jail is easy to find. The guards give you a hard time about the jail not being a public place, but decide to let you enter regardless. Two guards accompany you because "A jail is no place for a little girl". (If you argue, they insist.)
The jail is full to the brim. There are plenty of halflings and half-elves in Timbral, but not many of them have ended up here. Most are humans or half-orcs.
The men hoot and holler as you pass by. You realize why the guards wanted to accompany you back as one criminal suddenly reaches for your rear end through the bars. They beat his arm violently with their clubs until he pulls it back in, cursing them at the same time.
Chomp is stuffed into a tiny four-person cell with five other half-orcs that are just as big and burly as he is. One of them has a broken arm, the bone of which has poked through and is spilling blood onto the dirt floor. The guards don't seem to notice or care.
"Senerail!" yells Chomp as soon as he sees you. "What are you doing here!? How is Daisy doing? Is she okay??"
"Hey there baby, how 'bout giving me a ride when I get out?" says one of the half-orcs in his cell. You notice Chomp wringing his hands on the iron bars in an attempt not to lose control.

As you speak to Chomp, and fill him in on the details, the guards at the other end of the jail drag in a belligerent half-orc woman, who is attempting to make a scene.
"THEY MURDERED OUR CHILD!! YOU NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!"
Just two guards are having trouble hanging on to her, and it takes a third to get her under control. A fourth slaps her in the face as she screams.
"Shut up!"
"YOU ALL PAY FOR THIS! THERE BE NO GOING BACK! YOU START A WAR!!!"
The guard slaps her again. They call for more guards to get her under control, and a wizard, just in case.

Before the other men can arrive, wood splinters go flying down the hall as a massive half-orc kicks in the door! He lets loose a war cry and throws a hatchet into the face of one man, killing him instantly, as all the guards rush towards him. He cuts two more down with his axe, and blocks a blow from a third. The wizard shows up out of nowhere, and with a few quick words, the half-orc is frozen stiff. A guard plunges his spear into his chest. The half-orc woman, no longer being held down, tackles the wizard and breaks his spell. The half-orc man shakes it off, pulls the spear from his chest, snapping it in half and stabbing the other guard with it at the same time. The female sinks her teeth into the wizard. In just a few seconds, five lay dead and blood covers the floors. The walls shake with the noise of the inmates yelling.

The Church
"Absolutely, m'lord." says Loyd as he steps deftly between you and the crowd. The doorman bids you enter, and Loyd has to draw his blade to keep the angry members of the mob from rushing in. The half-orc woman agrees to do as Elizabeth says, taking the gold coin and running off to find the boys.
The interior of the dilapidated old church is serene. The thick stone walls drown out the rabble from outside. You see no bloody alters nor dead children.
"I will take you to father Theodore straightaway," offers the thin man. His voice seems even squeakier than it did outside as it echos off the stone walls. "He has been a bit busier than usual in the past few months, so I beg your patience if he is preoccupied at the moment. He will gladly be interrupted, and make time to speak to the Prince of Ashren, if you just allow him to first finish up with whomever he may be with. However, before your conversation begins, I would like to personally assure you that we are not murdering children. That claim is absolutely ludicrous. We servants of the Shining One live to serve all of his creatures, great and small, man and orc alike. We often offer special care to many pregnant and nursing mothers here with any problems life might throw at them, in an attempt to give them the best Pelor has to offer. I encourage you to to meet some of them after you are finished speaking to our Father."
All the priests that you meet on the way are humble and courteous, bowing low as the pair of you pass by. You notice one priest offering food to a poor family, and another praying with a man who is quite upset. You catch a glimpse inside the infirmary as you pass by, nurses and priests quietly attending to some women, praying for or healing others. No one inside is in a panic.
Finally you reach the door.
The thin man knocks. There is a muffled response.
"If you would give us just a moment," he squeaks, bowing to you before turning the handle and slipping inside.

[PersonMan]

Senerail frowns as she heads through the jail, annoyed not only by how full it is but also by the presence of the guards - if they were out of earshot, she could probably quiet everything down easily enough. Of course, she considers, the stench that would result in would not be something she wants to inflict on Chomp.

With a brief glance to the other half-orc, Senerail snorts derisively. "Sorry, but I stopped playing pretend a long time ago - I can't have fun bouncing around on imaginary things anymore," she replies, then turns back to Chomp, assuring him that everything was alright.

Then everything goes to hell. Just as Senerail steps forwards, a scathing remark already primed, the door explodes. One brief flurry of violence later, just about everyone but her who stood outside the cells is dead. Great.

"Are - are you alright? What's going on?" She asks, stepping towards the two, very aware of how easily the situation could turn bad for her.

[dantiesilva]

As Sister Elizabeth enters the with Lord Sion she quickly begins surveying the areas they walked through. Making a mental note of the path they took, versus those they were kept away from this way on the way back she could explore these areas or have Lord Sion do so while she prayed. Speaking of morning prayer she looked at the man leading them around. "Before I go any further I must first enter the prayer room. I was on my way here to pray this morning to our lord when the crowd outside the doors stopped me from my current course. I hope you understand, however if Lord Sion would wish to continue on alone, I would be more then happy to catch up after I am done with morning prayer." Elizabeth says looking to the nobleman as she says this, as if to say don't go anywhere alone with them. And if he had to, not to let his guard down for a moment. " Lord Sion I would suggest however watching the words you say if you do not wish to wait for me. With that mob outside the door, it wouldn't take much to make someone a little to happy with their duties." She points out to him, while seeming to have a neutral position on the matter.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Basically She is asking Lord Sion to wait for her while she prays, as you know she wasn't able to yet. And with no magic she can not heal the wounds of those who compete like she signed up for. However I also know it takes an hour of prayer to regain spells, and Lord Sion would no doubt not want to wait around and allow them to clean up whatever they are doing. If you want to hand wave it this time that is up to you, however I wanted to wait to see what you had to say on the matter first.

Diplomacy (1d20+18)[22] To be allowed a moment to pray
Sense motives on the man, or people they pass by to see the general attitude of the area and the people within (1d20+10)[12]
Knowledge Religion to make sure everything is how it should be in a church of Pelor (1d20+9)[27]

[Jacon]

Lord Sion manages not to frown when told to wait for the father Theodore to finish with whom he was speaking to. However his father had spent countless hours having etiquette and the fine details of diplomacy drilled into him. Even if he had forgotten must of it he knew it was bad idea to anger a head priest. The backlash from killing one had almost gotten his father killed and his kingdom a powerful enemy. Best to steer on caution when dealing with powerful people.
" I will wait but not long. Do your Prayers priestess, I will wait for you to join me before we continue."
Sion takes a seat almost breaking it and waits for the man to return or for Elizabeth to join him.

[Artman77]

jail/dragon's head
The noise dies down. The orcs disappear. The walls fade away as everything turns to white. The sun shines down on you and you realize you are outside. Fuzzy voices become clear and blurry people take form and you realize you are standing once again in front of Alphonse. He's telling you it's okay to go visit Chomp before the show.

the church.
You have to wait to see the head priest, bit not long. He apologizes for the wait.
"What can I do for you Lord Sion?"

[PersonMan]

Senerail blinks once, then again. "Right," she says, then pauses. "Did...did you just get a feeling of deja vu?" She asks, but she doesn't stay long, wondering if what had happened was some kind of vision, or if it was actually occurring right now. So after Alphonse's reply, she gives him a simple goodbye and heads off to the jail, speeding up once she's out of his sight.

[Jacon]

Sions frowns and takes a seat.
" Good afternoon Father. I am lord Sion, prince of Ashren. Thank you for meeting me. I know your very busy so i'll make this short and simple. You have riot waiting outside with my half blood kin yelling for blood. Their under the impression that the church is killing orc babies, now I myself haven't seen any proof of such a horrendous crime nor do I think I will find any, however my sense of duty along with my ties with the people outside demand I make some kind of action. I would like to have full access to the temple to complete a investigation into these accusations and also i'd like to have words with your priests. These rumors started somehow and it would be good to snuff them out so your duties are no longer disrupted by an angry mob."

[Artman77]

Church of Pelor - Prayer Room
"Good morning sister" whispers a young monk as he kneels down in front of the eastern window. Pelor's light has already warmed the stone floor, and kneeling before him is a comfort more than it is a pain, hard though the floor may be. He bows his head and begins his salute to the morning light before continuing his prayers for the day. His voice is so quiet you can barely hear it.

Church of Pelor - Office of the High Father
"It is an honor to finally meet you. I regretted being unavailable to meet you the first time you and your father graced Timbral with your presence. I see he has done a fine job training you in the ways of high station." He studies you carefully, as if trying to determine whether your orcish proclivities were really under control. "Ah. I see. Yes, well, it wouldn't be the first time a mob of half-bloods formed in our city's streets. They are a passionate people. Oft misunderstood. It was I who petitioned to get the ban lifted, so that they may live once again among us instead of in those sorry shanty-towns outside the wall. Alas, racial tensions prevail, even though the church strives for justice."

"As for the accusations; they are nonsense. There are a dozen other churches--of which I am sure you are well aware--that one could even entertain such an accusation. We are the temple of light. We heal people. Murdering children? Lord Sion, if I was a lesser man I would be offended. As it is, I appreciate you forwardness. You shall have full access to the grounds, and my priests will be at your beck and call. Is there anything else I may do to ease your mind?"

Dragon's Head
"No..." says Alphonse, more concentrated on making sure his troupe is ready for the afternoon's performance. Brooke stares at you hard. "Are you okay?" she asks. She doesn't press the issue, knowing that you still want to go see Chomp.

The same doorkeep is at the jail, and he and his buddies give you a hard time about how the jail is not a public place and how it's not open for random folks to wander about for entertainment.
"Besides. Even if it was, a jailhouse full of no-good-criminals is no place for a little girl!"

[dantiesilva]

Inside the prayer room Sister Elizabeth nodded her head to Lord Sion as he was asked to follow the priest to see the high farther of this church. “Once I am done with prayer I promise to go find you if you have not returned to me. I grew up in temples like this one, so it should be rather easy.” Elizabeth promised watching him leave before kneeling on the warm stone floor, bowing her head in prayer towards the eastern window. Pelor’s light already had begun to shine through the great window, warming the stone floor on which she prayed, not very different from back home. The only real difference was Father Albery was not there with her kneeling in the tiny courtyard welcoming the sun up together outside, where Pelors light could touch their very souls.
So used to the soft whispered voices during morning prayer back in Hope’s Caress that she was not startled when the young monk kneeling before the eastern window with her spoke softly to her. " Good morning brother.” Sister Elizabeth responded, thinking that this was simply a common curtsey as they did at their own church back home. However being reminded of the man from the day before she quickly shifted her beautiful emerald eyes to look him over and see if this monk was the same that had stopped her from coming to the temple the night before, or was a new figure.
Please Pelor, shining lord, keep your path lit so that I may walk it, following in your footsteps as the evils of this place try to taint my soul. Grant me the courage to do what is right, and the strength to protect those who are innocent farm harm. But most importantly may I become a beacon of light for this small town that will lead the people to a better tomorrow.
Also please fill me with your wisdom in these troubling times, your house has been accused of some horrible things and a young noble has come to aid me in the matter of finding out the truth. Please grant him the sight to pierce the shadows that surround this mystery, so that the good people of this town may prosper. Amen.

[Jacon]

Sion grins and stands up.
" No, I believe that will be enough for now. I will disperse the horde at your door and start looking into these matters. I don't suppose you have any knowledge as to why they think you are killing their children."

[PersonMan]

Unnerved by the thought that she had seen these men die horribly not long ago, Senerail nonetheless gives a shrug in response. "I'll be fine, as long as you can keep them under control," she says, hoping to prod them into a greater vigilance that could perhaps keep the bloodshed from before from happening. It wasn't often you had a second go at a thing like this, after all, best use it while she could.

[Artman77]

Spoiler: Prayer Room

Show

No, it's not the guy from earlier. Grant, I think his name was?

Church of Pelor, Father's Office
"That would be much appreciated, Lord Sion. Our priests do many things well, but as pacifists dispensing angry mobs isn't one of those things. Your words will carry much more weight, I am sure. As to why they are lashing out at this particular rumor right now and not another one? Exaggeration of facts, perhaps. A few months back there were a few...privileged women who came seeking Pelor's mercy. They confessed to taking half-orc men as lovers and, worrying that they might be pregnant and that their husbands would find out, came here to pray at the feet of the shining one. Either they were never pregnant or the Shining One miraculously reclaimed his light. The truth is between them and Pelor. We didn't turn them away when they came, but we certainly didn't harbor them for nine months, birth a child, and murder them as some macabre sacrifice!" His face wrinkles with disgust at the thought of it. His features quickly relax as his knowing-grandfatherly-like demeanor returns. "But as I said, spare no expense in your search for truth. My people are at your service."
There is a muffled sound of breaking glass from the front of the church, from what was probably once a large window. The high father stands up from his desk quickly to open the door for you.

The Jail
"That's our job." they say, seeming less vigilant than they are irritated that they have to escort a little girl.
The jail is full to the brim. There are plenty of halflings and half-elves in Timbral, but not many of them have ended up here. Most are humans or half-orcs.
The men hoot and holler as you pass by. You are less surprised this time as one criminal suddenly reaches for your rear end through the bars. The guards beat his arm violently with their clubs until he pulls it back in, cursing them at the same time.
Chomp is stuffed into a tiny four-person cell with five other half-orcs that are just as big and burly as he is. One of them has a broken arm, the bone of which has poked through and is spilling blood onto the dirt floor. The guards don't seem to notice or care.
"Senerail!" yells Chomp as soon as he sees you. "What are you doing here!? How is Daisy doing? Is she okay??"

[PersonMan]

"Daisy is alright," Senerail assures Chomp with a smile. "I came to tell you everything is fine, to make sure you don't worry about it," she continues. "How long will he be in here?" She asks, turning to one of the guards.

[Artman77]

"Til he gets to see a judge. Probably a few days. There a quite a few people in line ahead of him." the guard says casually.
"Hey there baby, how 'bout giving me a ride when I get out?" says one of the half-orcs in the cell with Chomp. You notice Chomp wringing his hands on the iron bars in an attempt not to lose control.

[PersonMan]

"I think I'll pass on that," Senerail replies to the half-orc, remembering the next few events and not feeling engaged enough for a barbed response. If she knew it was coming, it felt a lot less...rude. It practically came on cue, and she wonders if that's what theater troupes felt after a long enough time.

"Right. What's going to happen next, do you think he'll be sentenced, or let go?" Senerail asks the guard.

[Artman77]

"Probably let go, if this is his first offense. It depends on which judge he sees. The guy he beat to a pulp was a scumbag anyways, so it probably won't be too bad."
The door down at the end of the jail opens and a pair of guards drag in a belligerent half-orc woman, who is attempting to make a scene.
"THEY MURDERED OUR CHILD!! YOU NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!"
Just the two guards are having trouble hanging on to her, and it takes a third to get her under control. A fourth slaps her in the face as she screams.
"Shut up!"
"YOU ALL PAY FOR THIS! THERE BE NO GOING BACK! YOU START A WAR!!!"
The guard slaps her again. They call for more guards to get her under control, and a wizard, just in case.

[Jacon]

" How….Interesting.." Sion says dryly. The under meaning of the priests words are not lost on him. When a priest prays it's more than just words and if priests prayed that a disgraceful baby should disappear than the results were not all that surprising. He doubted the half orcs saw it quite the same way as the father, that the god had shown mercy on the women..Orcs woman had one true purpose in the tribe, to breed warriors, to fail to do so was considered disgraceful and repeated offenses often meant the orc woman was either exiled from the tribe or killed. To kill a warrior before he was even born was a crime that even chieftans dare not break. But this wasn't the horde, or the wastelands. In these lands it was not crime.
" I'll need the addresses for these women, and the name of the half orc fathers…" Sions says to the father heading for the door. " Have the them drawn up on paper and delivered to my guard."

Sion steps back outside watching the mob silently for a moment before raising his hands and giving a bellow that could be heard even over the chaos.

" HEAR ME MY HALF BLOOD PEOPLE!" I Am Sion of the great tribes, your half blood brother! I have heard your accusations and I will make sure they are settled by the laws of these lands. No child should die be him orc or human and if this church has been ripping children away from their mothers than I will be the first to burn it the ground in the old way. But for now go home! To find these child killers I must investigate and I cannot do that with a horde at my doorstep. I will call upon if you are needed….Or if you feel justice cannot wait than step forward and if your cause is true than grummash will lend you the strength to defeat me….

[PersonMan]

Senerail watches silently for a moment, one eye twitching as the bloodshed plays itself out in her mind. Not this time. She moves forwards, approaching the woman.

"Calm down," she says to her, feeling her magic pulse within her. "Leave off for a moment," she says, turning briefly to one of the slapping guards as she does so, voice filled with a stern authority for a brief moment before returning to its former sweet tone. "What happened? Calm down, it won't help anyone if you get locked up here," she says, the words halfway between a soft request and an order.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Let's hope a Diplomacy check can calm her down. (1d20+15)[34]

[Artman77]

She will not be calmed down. Her words spew from her mouth like venom as she writhes under the grip of the jailers.
"The Pelor filth murder our childs!! We go to Pelor church for justice! THEY ARREST US ALL! NO JUSTICE!?? THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!"
The guards' irritation is turning to anger as she refuses to submit.
"He said, shut. UP!"

[PersonMan]

Senerail frowns. Quickly, she heads back over to Chomp. "Things may get chaotic soon," she tells him. "Stay safe."

With that, she leaves, hoping to get out of the area before the same carnage begins as last time, heading back to the inn.

[dantiesilva]

As Elizabeth noticed that it was not the same person who greeted her the day before she wondered on what exactly she should do, however when the brother said no more Elizabeth kept silent in prayer.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Due to your post Elizabeth really didn't have a reason to talk to him. She said hi back followed by no response. So she would assume it was simply like at her church where when you saw someone you said hello to them and nothing more. After all they are praying to their god.

[Jacon]

Sion stops some of the louder protesters and attempts to find out their stories and the sources of the rumors.