Wednesday morning, May 7, finds our company in two places. Kazimir has found Delfig, and together they awake in the hay shed, just as the sun breaks the horizon on a bright, promising day. They quickly apply their ablutions and are headed towards the place of proposed meeting within the half hour, feet a bit damp from the dew. All about them farmers and herders are moving out into their fields and pastures, waving kindly to the interlopers as they pass.
Anshelm and Tiberius awake somewhat later, in the common room of the Pig Tavern, finding the space entirely their own. This is nothing unusual for the middle of the week. Helmunt has their breakfast ready, and as each takes their turn in the dung closet at the back of the building, the city has gotten a move on.
Anshelm and Tiberius take their breakfast on the front porch (Helmunt is bleaching the inside floor). A few patrons have settled into a table near our pair, and are filled with gossip. Another horse was killed last night. This one belonging to the stables of Johann Mizer. Something must happen, they say. This is the seventh horse that has been brutally slaughtered.
As if in response, there suddenly comes the clanging of armor. In minutes, some hundred heavy and light infantry fill the square in front of the cathedral. They form ranks, standing at attention, as the Captain of the City Guard, Hans Frinkel, reads a proclamation.
It continues for some time, but the principal words of interest are: “Until the perpetrators of this sinful act are caught and executed for their crimes, the town of Dachau has been placed under marshal law. Citizens and foreigners may continue to be about their business, but to leave or enter the town shall now require the signed seal of the Mayor’s office…”
It is not long before word of this action reaches the ears of the peasants outside of town, and as Delfig and Kazimir hove in sight of the front gates (from the proposed meeting place near the burnt out Inn), they see thirty soldiers posted there.
Please bear with me; it has been more than a week, and I am still slightly under the weather. I may have forgotten some details. But I shall endeavor to fill those in if they come up, and get the campaign moving again.
ReplyDelete(OOC: Not a problem, and take whatever time you need; we've got posts to refer back to if need be!)
ReplyDeleteAnshelm turns to Tiberius.
"Well, I suppose this means Karl was telling the truth, eh?"
He sighs as he watches the military assemblage in the town square.
"Of course, now we need to contrive a way to find our companions again."
(OOC: What became of Kazimir during the night? Was he somehow mezmerized?)
ReplyDelete(OOC: Regarding meeting our companions. Weren't we going to meet with Herr Mizer? Wasn't that the point of going into town? We didn't meet with him last night, because the guild hall was locked. Shouldn't we take the time to do that now?)
ReplyDelete(OOC: Tiberius, I just sent an e-mail asking the same; I think we're on the same page)
ReplyDeleteAnshelm nods at a suggestion from Tiberius that they should make good use of their time and see Mizer.
ReplyDelete"That doesn't mean I'm going to trust the man," Tiberius says. "I'd like to keep my head, after all." He looks at the guards gathered at the town square as well. "Come, our companions can wait a little longer. We still have yet to meet with Herr Mizer. I can't imagine he'll be in a good mood after this, and with the news we have..."
ReplyDeleteAnshelm grins at Tiberius' words.
ReplyDelete"Perhaps it'll mean our failure won't be seen in such a bad light, comparatively," he says as he follows Tiberius. "Probably not, but this at least keeps our hope alive...."
Kazimir,
ReplyDeleteAfter separating yourself from Delfig for a time, you simply found him again by chancing upon the same hay shed. This is how I always manage characters/players who are temporarily not campaigning—they wander off and find their way back.
Tiberius,
You may try to meet with Mizer if you wish. But no specific time and place was specified for the meeting, so I must presume that you would contact him if and when you chose to present yourself at the Merchant’s Hall.
(OOC: Yes, that was how I was going to do it.)
ReplyDelete(OOC - I'm swamped. I need to do some work stuff. I will be able to check about every couple of hours or so, but my participation will be slow. I'm sorry.)
ReplyDeleteDelfig speaks little to Kazimir about how he ended up in the hay, save that he says "It was a night to not remember and to not be believed." and teases Kazimir for running away from the darkness and getting lost.
Upon seeing the 30 odd guards, Delfig suggests that they take some shelter in the groves that he had formerly explored, but not going to the cotters. They will keep checking throughout the day for signs of their companions or if the guards are continuing to stay at the gates. Delfig will avoid any contact with anyone coming in or out of Dachau.
Kazimir eyes the guards warily and says to Delfig "Now I don't like the look of this, not one bit."
ReplyDeleteI admit, it is a difficult position for everyone. I await word of your actions (excepting Delfig, of course).
ReplyDelete(OOC: Apologies. I thought I'd made it clear I was following Tiberius to the Merchant's Hall!)
ReplyDeleteTiberius chooses this moment to present himself to Herr Mizer at the merchant's hall.
ReplyDelete(OCC: I'm a stickler for direct declarations of actions. An individual may say what they intend to do, but until they actually "do" it, I don't recognize it as an action their characters have initiated).
ReplyDeleteTiberius,
Quite out of character, you will find the Merchant's Hall to be closed. A dozen guards are posted at the massive main double door; they will tell you politely, as they tell a number of others all about you, that an "emergency session" of the guild has consumed the morning so far...less than two hours. The guards don't believe the session will end before the sun sets. This brings much discord among the other gentlemen who hear it. One of them shouts that it is "Unbearable for business to be run this way, over the question of a few horses! Must the whole town sacrifice its livelihood for men who can't post a guard or two at their stables?"
An old lady, a hag really, chances to hear this, and points her finger at the gentleman. "A few horses, do you say. A few horses. SEVEN horses, I say! Do you not know the meaning of SEVEN horses?"
(OOC: Understood!)
ReplyDelete"Well, it looks as if Herr Mizer's other bad news will be delayed. All the better for him," says Anshelm to Tiberius.
Turning to the old hag, he says, "I have an idea, lady, but pray tell, what do the seven horses mean to you?"
Delfig remains hidden in the grove with Kazimir, checking every bell to see if their friends have arrived.
ReplyDeleteOnce midday arrives:
"Kazmir, the guards have not lessened and I am worried about our friends. I think that we should find out what is going on. I think it best that you simply ask if you may gain entrance to the city. Perhaps you can find out what is going on. If you do not return, or you gain entrance, I'll wait another couple of hours, then I may confer with some associates that I know in these parts."
"And where be these associates, should I need to find you later?"
ReplyDelete"They are some cotters in the groves near the blockhouse. Be warned, they are suspicious at first. You might want to return to [this place that we're at right now] and I shall look for you later. I will return here if/when I'm done speaking to the cotters."
ReplyDeleteAnshelm,
ReplyDeleteThe hag raises an eyebrow, "Did your precious mother tell you no tales?" And she will intone with great import:
"And the earth boiled, and rose there the witch, and her chariot was pulled by seven horses; and with her she had seven dogs, and in her seven hands she held seven swords..."
Delfig,
ReplyDeleteFor the present I'm going to let Anshelm and Tiberius' time line catch up to yours; as they are still in the morning, at around 9 bells, I shall wait before describing what Kazimir might do at midday after your suggestion.
(OOC, just give me the sign when our timelines are synched up and Kazimir will approach the city gates.)
ReplyDelete(OOC: Heading home now, but will check in a short while and post my response.)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(deleted the original comment to sub this)
ReplyDeleteAnshelm raises an eyebrow. "I know little of these tales. What could they possibly tell us about this situation? What, pray tell, do you think this portends?"
The hag cries out at Anshelm and at several others: "Do you not remember! The horses are gathered now...what will it be next? What will it be?" She asks the questions as though she knows the answers.
ReplyDeleteBut the others begin to tell her to be silent, saying "shut up woman" and "push off, hag." They begin to poke her with their canes, driving her into the square and away from the Merchant's Hall. Finally she begins to shuffle off towards the Cathedral.
Anshelm chuckles, spits, then turns to Tiberius. "Ha! 'Seven swords and seven dogs...' I've enough snuff for seven days; perhaps that's what brought upon us an ill wind."
ReplyDeleteLooking about at the folk milling in front of the merchant's hall, he continues, "Well, there's not much more we can do here. P'raps we could see if there's really no way out of Dachau without the mayoral seal...."
Delfig,
ReplyDeleteFor the present I'm going to let Anshelm and Tiberius' time line catch up to yours; as they are still in the morning, at around 9 bells, I shall wait before describing what Kazimir might do at midday after your suggestion.
(OOC - Alexis, that's very well timed. I am still knee deep in code and seriously considering bringing my baseball bat to work tomorrow to institute "You have chosen to code the Way of Pain" method of code reviews. Anyway... I'll keep watching for my cue.)
(OOC - That's very funny. Having had an audit done on me through the week of Mar 9-13, I know just how you feel)
ReplyDeleteTiberius agrees. "I would prefer not to stir up any trouble, and if we can obtain the means to leave Dachau legally, then we should try." Tiberius follows Anshelm to the Mayor's office.
ReplyDeleteTo the mayor's office!
ReplyDeleteNew post.
ReplyDelete(Auditors... yea, that's baseball bat material. If I see another [several creative expletives used] example of "cut/paste" coding by my team without understanding what the code does, I'm collecting scalps. To echo the words of Lt. Aldo Raine from "Inglorious Basterds" - "I want MY SCALPS!")
ReplyDelete