Through the Mists: In Character

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Sylvia, Freek, Myrtle

Freek... almost Freak. Myrtle sounded a far better name then Freek. Who named their children so close to the word Freak? With that idle thought lingering in her mind as she sadly, nodded her head at their soft cries of not being milked by her or Sylvia. She said "Welll, Offalia is ah um, part of your family. And ah Bella has the ah right of it. You ah, produce more when ah anticipation and ah on proper schedule."

With them mentioning where their hometown is at and not wanting to go back. Vita head bobbed again before she could stop herself. "Ah. That village is ah..." Vita stopped herself from saying anymore. That place is... just filled with such darkness. As if the whole village is sinking into a deep swamp.

The boisterous woman seemed to have a knack for finding things out. The way she picked up an oft remark. It is suspicious that they are sent on their way... And the fiend inside of her. The darkness that he extolled... What he said of the night hags, this sending on way is very much not a good thing.

"I dun ah think Bella is ah evil... She feels more ah, tempered. Like Offalia but ah, with much more... straight-ah-forwardness. Ah um... To put it on another ah way, would you ah betray your ah family?" As Vita posed that question before thinking a bit harder. "Would you ah bring in ah your um lord if you ah, um, found him breaking his ah own laws?" A most delicate question but from the way the boisterous woman went on, her lord is her family.

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: Vita primarly.

"What we feel is insignificant in the face of facts, I just need the final facts.. " Sylvie determined. Being part of the military in Falkovnia ment also being part of the police.. and any other position with power really.

"I would not betray my family, obviously, but if the law rightfully ordered me to take them in for execution I would do so without hesitation. Infact, I would insist on being responsible for doing so to prove my devotion and non involvement. They'd greet my devotion hopefully." She nodded to Vita with a serious expression. "Those that are guilty of evil are undeserving of mercy. To give one you hold special feelings for different treatment is injustice in itself." Sylvia nodded, then hesitated. "What do you mean, Lord Drakov breaking one of his laws.. that doesn't make sense. he is the law, so even if he broke it.. err.." That line of thinking seemed to seriously disturb her, so she exhaled, and stressed again:

"Alright, listen, Lord Vlad Drakov, the Great KingFührer of Falkovnia is justice incarnate. A man of great foresight and wisdom, he'd never, ever break one of his laws and you, shouldn't DARE question him further." She narrowed her eyes. "You don't quite understand who he is. I don't know who rules these lands, but none could compare to the great Führer." She smiled again, her eyes looking into the distance. "They say whenever Lord Drakov punishes another evildoer as swiftly as he can, one more of the green, bountiful trees of Falkovnia withers away, unable to bear the sorrow the great Lord feels at having found yet another sinner and the north of Falkovnia, is nothing but a barren waste of dead trees as result. He does not even eat before he has found another evil to stop!" Sylvia huffed a little. She wasn't technically wrong, as Drakov liked to have the staking of a 'criminal' accompany his dining, though perhaps something about this sounded off to Vita.
Undeniably, Sylvia was rather dedicated to her cause. She even had clenched a fist over her heart for a moment there.

(intimidating poor Vita!)

Spoiler

Roll(1d20)+3:
14,+3
Total:17

 

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Sylvia

(Charisma Save)

Spoiler

DC 17. Roll: 21 (15 + 6)

Feelings before facts... What a dreadful thought. It is a good thing that laws are not just solely about facts. The tiefling looked at her as she spoke "Final facts? That is ah, omnious." Her voice coming out softly as she looked at Sylvia.

Through when she brought up her lord and Sylvia's stumbling... "Ah that sounds, um ah awkward. That doesn't sound like ah, set in ah stone. Does that ah mean your laws are at..." The tiefling shivered as she tried to think on it but couldn't. "I don't know. But that uh just sounds like your Lord can ah be very changing of ah mind. But! Why I ah mentioned him ah earlier is cause you ah hold him in the ah highest of um honors right? For ah Bella, she may be ah doing right by her ah family." Vita fumbling on trying to get her explanation across.

"Umm ah..." The tiefling's tail coiled around to her front, her hand closing the light dimming and vanishing as she held her tail, holding it in a nervous gesture. "Trying to ah.. um. Get across... AH!" She brightened up considerably as she released her tail. The perfect words coming to mind as she stepped closer to Sylvia. "It will be like ah, um a stranger coming into your ah lords lands and walking into his ah uh, home and accusing him of all evil things! That is what it is ah like." As Vita smiled happily towards Sylvia. She hoped that worked even better then her roundabout words on Bella.

This philosophy discussion happening directly in front of Freeks and Myrtle.

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: Vita primarly.

Sylvias strong hand reached out for Vita and.. patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I hurt only the wicked, but you should be careful with what you say. Just leaving your allegiance to Lord Drakov ambigious has... Well, you see this?" She brushed her hair back, showing the branding of a falcon. "I means I am a loyal servant of the great Lord Drakov, all of his people, which are also his property, are branded at birth to know their place." This.. didn't quite sound like a good thing, though Sylvia percieved it as such.

"But.. I have a certain.. issue, that causes this brand to simply dissipate and my apperance to slightly change, you may have noticed it during the fight when we faced the wolfs, and I was close to it when confronting Bella, its not that I cannot control my anger, its more.. it feels good not to.. strengthening.. hrmnnn.. but enough of this. Just having these blasphemic markings and overpowering most of my comrades at the corpse was enough to cast.. doubt upon me.. so I had to.. strategically withdraw and... now I'm lost, far away from Falkovnia.. but I will make the great Lord Drakov proud by bringing the blessings of his justice to other lands, even in exile!

As for the witches.. well, Bella doesn't like her mother though, she makes no secret of that. And obviously no law can be set in stone, which is why the will of Lord Drakov detects whats right and whats wrong, as the situation required." She nodded. "Well, obviously thats nonsense, Lord .. ooh wait! I understand what you mean, Bella can not understand that she is doing evil because that was the way of her upbringing." Sylvia nodded.

"A good point! We need to explain to her why what she does is evil before torturing and executing her for her witchery as an example to others!" Sylvia grinned seeming to have arrived at Vitas conclusion, with a slight derailment.

 

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Sylvia

"Ah... Wicked? I would like to ah know what defines an ah wicked person. I don't ah find... Bella or Offalia to be that uh wicked. Only ah their mother. For she is ah, the only one I have seen act in that ah manner... Bella seems more like an ah, herbal woman that sells ah remedies. A haggling one that wants her goods ah um, at the ah best price. And ah... are those ah brands meant to say what you can and ah cannot do? Or ah they your um ah, place and ah station decided before you ah, um, even know what to do? Like is your ah... Hawk mean that you ah meant to ah... look from above and pick where to ah strike?" Vita stumbled her way through her speech, her eyes widening in alarm, smile disappearing fast at those words.

"Wa-wa-wa!!" Vita yelped, backing away. "Yo-you ah an ah wicked person!? Ones that is ah broken her own ah laws of her Lord Drakov!?" Vita stepping and stumbling and finding her back against a stable pole. "How can you ah accuse others when you ah know you have ah done wrong?!" The Tiefling pointing at her still standing away from her, fear shining in her yellow orbs. Breaking her own laws which she took seriously! Like really seriously to approach and accuse Bella after only hearing hearsay from herself and Esvele.

Frightened at hearing this. Knowing that before her stood a murderer by her own words. "How can ah trust you to not just be here to murder the ah family and STEAL their ah home for yourself!?" Vita accused, pointing at Sylvia with those words.

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: Vita primarly.

"Bella is clearly and knowingly involved in these things. Offalia might be innocent but her older daughter is guilty, at the very least for not stopping her mother.

Ugh.." Sylvia closed her eyes at the accusals for they rang true.

"True, when I was hunted down by my comrades I knew the proper course of action was to yield and let them exact punishment upon me.. but a primal part of mine interjected! I didn't want to die!" Sylvia clenched her hand into a fist.

"And they were in the wrong, I would never betray my lord, its these accursed.. rages, I start thinking all the wrong thoughts when in great danger, just as before I wasn't thinking and now I have no chance of returning and not facing judgement as a deserteur.." Sylvia shrugged slightly...

"So I guess you can't really trust me... though I'd scantly want to steal a home such as this. But neither can you trust Bella. Or infact, can I trust you." She tipped her chin. "Just who are you, who authorized you to cast this kind of fiery magic? And of course, least of all I trust the priestess who has already displayed her callousness and cruelty.


But enough of this nonsense. I'll simply have to follow the laws of Falkovnia best as I can and if I get a chance to attone for my misdeeds with my life, then so be it. For now. There is evil to stop in this windmill. Even if everything you said was true, which I don't believe, Bella still allowed her mother to commit acts of evil and has to answer for her lack of stopping her.

Frankly, I believe I know where the remaining children have been sent away to..
And what is this about Murdering? Enough of these accusals and the soiling of my honor." Sylvia glared at the covering Vita, hand reaching out for her greataxe..
"I've killed people. That much is true. But murder implies the killing of the weak and defenceless. Or in cowardly ways. Clearly you filth have no concept of honor, but its a soldiers life and duty to kill for their country. Theres nothing akin to murder about it." She lowered her hand again.

"For example, unless you gave me no other choice by unleashing some foul magic, I wouldn't cut you down, injured and unarmed as you are. Bella is another case. I am certain she is threatening the lifes of innocents. You go to her, go ask her where she has those children send off to, children that don't want to be sent off. Children that were taken as payments for debts.. and are now payed back? Have they paid up their debts? Howso? Like those two? Doesn't seem likely. They are alone. Now listen here, Oaf.

Remember how Bella said both adults and children come here to pay off their debts and how some chose to leave, some don't, because who'd return to those families, you remember that yes? Her words. Not mine.

She also said those two here were adults, so.. she counted them as adults.

So. Where are the kids that 'chose to stay' when they were sent off, without Offalia being allowed there, mind you, where are they now? They are not in this stable, they were not in the windmill and with this horrible rain, I doubt they'd stay anywhere on the fields. Bella prepared beds for us upstairs yet I heard no children playing or waking up and peeking at the newcomers at that time either, so..." Sylvia leaned closer to Vita, if in part as to not speak up before the two with them.

"So tell me. Where. Are. The. Children. Now. ANSWER!" She barked commandingly. Frankly, she was hoping beyond hope that Vita would come up with another answer than her.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

The cows
Stable
Tag: Sylvie and Vita

Myrtle and Freek looked back and forth between Vita and Sylvia, alarmed by the growing tension between the two.

"Uwah..." Myrtle shivered. "Morgantha said we'd make good pies once... when she was poking us to make us cry. She said it would take the joy out of us, which she could put into the pies... along with other parts of us. Bella knew that Offalia liked us, so she suggested to Morgantha that we be made into Offalia's pets instead. Then we'd 'distract' her."

"Bella can be strict and mean sometimes... but she's not always that way. She's really gentle when she milks us." Freek added. "We don't know where the other children go, but... Morgantha's a monster. There's nothing she wouldn't do. And Bella always complains to herself that there's no way to stand up to her, because she 'controls their magic'."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Esvele's eyes snapped back open and went wide.

"Well, not much question about that," the nun said. Despite her calm tone, her hands were shaking. She'd known there was something off about the woman, but she had not known that much was that wrong with her.

"She's not also a werewolf, right?" she asked the two. "Will you have to kill us if she tells you to? I don't suppose you could go upstairs and just wait all this out? What's in the barrel?"

She really hoped her question about the barrel was answered this time. Esvele approached it and called her sword to her. She stood it on its point next to the barrel of filth, to see if it was short enough to sit inside... and then held her breath and reluctantly opened it to check the height of the disgusting muck inside, to see if her blade was long enough to stand in it without getting the horrific black slime on the handle. If it was so, Esvele would carefully place her sword inside, leaning it against the side and burying her blade in the evil-smelling black gunk, before replacing the cover, making sure it wouldn't tip over and slide down into the filth.

The nun let her sight be drawn back into her raven, to make sure the path was clear and the witch wouldn't see her heading for the stables. Esvele grabbed Ireena's arm, and quickly made her way to regroup with the others. After pulling Ireena in after her, she closed the door behind her, speaking quickly. "Morgantha is home and--"

She eyed the strange, cattle-like pair that were locked up, and then remembered to look around the barn for any others that might be listening. Esvele pulled Vita and Sylvia away, and then spoke quieter, voice hushed.

"And the sisters are extremely alarmed. They're both innocent by my judgement - or at the very least, their guilt is ambiguous at best. On the other hand, I saw Morgantha leave town with a woman - and that woman has had her chest torn open with claws, or something, and Morgantha is eating her heart. Which, I think we can all agree, is very decisively and unambiguously bad."

"She doesn't -look- like her nails or fingers are long or sharp enough to rip someone open like that. Werewolves are all I can really think of right now that could do that and still look human - or at least, change to look like one after the deed is done. I'm not sure if she is one, but... do any of us have silver at all? Even say, jewelry of some kind... if she is a wolf, we may end up having to simply beat her down with fists and Vita's magic, and a silver chain or ring might help with that."

"She's some ways down the road, yet - mayhap a fourth of a mile, still. I am unsure if we should make our way out to waylay her, so she cannot call for aid from her daughters or any tools she might have here - or if we should wait and catch her by surprise here, instead. I have no idea just how powerful she is, both physically and magically, but simply hiding here is not an option... given present company." She eyed Sylvia. "Our mission is to keep Miss Ireena safe, after all, but you'll rush out to get yourself killed even if we decide not to... and then it'll just be Vita and I, and I don't like those odds very much."

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: Esvele, primarly.

Sylvias eyes hardened further when she heard what the pair said.. and then suddenly Esvele rushed in and began telling a wild tale. "Oh will I do that now? You like to make a lot of assumptions. You aren't wrong of course, I'd rather fearlessly charge into the face of evil. Then again, seeing how you are fond of calling me a murderer and other nasty things, and with you being wrong about just what villainry our hosts are up to, perhaps you are not quite the judge of character you think yourself, even if you seem to have exeptionally good eyes. What, should I now stand in your way cussing you out for whishing to murder a mother before her daughters eyes?" Sylvia narrowed her own eyes. ".. No,.. I'll not lower myself to that." She shook her head, exhaling, only to continue on:

"Mothers can be evil and Daughters can be evil. I've yet to meet a man who wasn't a mothers son, yet if he would cause more harm than good in the world, I will stop him all the same. And if his mother curses me for that, then I'll bear that burden. You bear the burden of the victims you haven't saved with your inaction instead. Perhaps thats easier for you. It's impossible for me.
And the audacity you have with insinuating I'd get myself killed so easily. Remember how the first encounter with werewolfs went? One of us dealt with two of them and didn't get injured along the way. Of course one battle hardly determines ones abilities, but still." Sylvia shrugged briefly. "Also, Stopping Morgantha before she meets up with her daughters would be our best chance. This one" She nudged her finger to the cow...boy "Just said that the mother controls all of their magic and the two sisters are helpless against her. Besides everything aside, Ofallia seems truly innocent here and I wont see her suffer if I can prevent it.

I'd ally myself with you to stop a greater evil in these lands, but I am half convinced you are little better after your hesitation to investigate a potential evil in the past.. after all, had you stopped this Morgantha before, a young woman would now be alive... but also with your lack of respect, honor and frankly, flat out manners, you do not deserve the authority to command me in battle.

However, the real problem is that, after you abandoned me while driving the cart off, leaving me stranded if not for Vitas help, I don't think I can trust you as someone to go into battle with. Frankly, I can understand doing everything to secure your missions sucess, but presume I had missed Vitas hand and been beset upon by the wolfs while you drove off, I doubt I could have dealt with all three wolf-men at the same time.. Just whom do you follow that would condone such an act?" Sylvia crossed her arms, keeping accusing eyes focused on Esvele. "I still haven't heard you answer for this, while insulting me for accosting the witches all the same."

"So, the real question is not if I am willing to rush out and risk my life to stop this Morgantha from harming one more innocent, no matter if their name is Ofallia, Ireena, Freek, Vita or Myrtle. The question is if you'll stand in my way in doing my duty, priestess." She nodded calmly. "If you intend to betray me, I'd rather you do so now, lest I have to fight two evils at once."

"And if you are not truly wicked, then know that a simple apology for your misdeeds wont be enough to restore my faith in you as a potential comrade. If you fight the murderous creature to protect Ireena then you will fight by my side and what aid you can lend will be welcomed, but I will not treat you as an ally, for you have not treated me as such yourself long enough." She reached to draw a handaxe first, for she needed one hand free to open the stable door proper.

"I will head out to stop the evil creature before she can join forces, even with the unwilling. I am in the end but a simple soldier fighting for the weak, so I don't know what more to do. I don't know of preparing traps or ambushes and if I knew how, I'd not use any. Think of me as low as you want, I do not fall easily. My prowess should buy you more than enough time to run away and fulfill your duty. But for the glory of Falkovnia, I shall not hesitate or retreat before those that would kill and torture innocent people." She indicated Ireena with the 'taker her with you', cast one more glance at Esvele, then, having said her piece, gripped her greataxe and marched to the entrance. Not because she wanted to deny Esvele a chance to respond.. but because she would not stand idly by whilest such a foul creature threatened the innocents.

She reached out to push the stable doors open, eyes determined.

 

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Sylvia, Esvele

Sylvia's arguements were not getting to Vita. Her actions and yelling at her... The tiefling crouched lower, hunkering in on herself, frightened by this display. She wasn't going to be the first one to throw the first punch but her yellow orbs flashed around the stables, looking for other points in which she could get away from Sylvia.

The boisterous woman sending off signals in her brain that screamed Bully! The tiefling warlock is hunched into a corner as Sylvia's tirade continued to rain down upon her. The brown haired muscley woman not giving her time to respond but throwing out more and more words. No pauses in her words, no breaks in her actions and looming over her.

When Esvele snapped into the room... Vita stood as far pressed away from Sylvia.

"...She's ah um... Night Hag." Vita voiced that out uncertainly after Esvele's tirade. The normally dumb farm girl seemed more timid now as she stood close to Esvele looking at Sylvia. "Morgantha is an uh Night Hag... Their ah um... Evil in the ah, truest sense of the ah um word..." Vita speaking timidly as she shied away from Sylvia. The forthright woman's mercuriel mood sending shivers of alarm through her. The way she went from accusatory to this... calmness. It spoke of a woman not right in the mind. Like Old Man Hermadinger on the far western farm. She wasn't sure if HE is still alive but she remember the rumors of him and his crazy things he did. Like stringing crows up on a line like drying laundry. Even drying them in the sun and not eating them.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

The Fiend Within
Stables
Tag: Vita

As she was cowering from the confrontation of words between Esvele and Syvlia, the tiefling warlock of light would feel the evil presence inside of her stirring into consciousness.

"If your companions fight Morgantha, you must keep her away from her daughters. Three night hags close together greatly enhance their magical powers. It's the only reason they don't kill each other... because they gain from each other.

"I can't say for certain what's going on with that Bella and Offalia. All hags, as a rule, should be evil. But I sense something off about those two... well, especially Offalia. I have my suspicions... the curse I put on Morgantha would extend to her offspring - they would not be born ugly, as all hags are meant to be, but rather they would grow into naturally seductive women. A hag's outer appearance has always reflected their inner soul... perhaps by not growing up ugly, these fey creatures were not naturally evil... though who's to say what growing up with Morgantha as a mother must have been like...

"Ah. But I'm getting distracted. If your friends attack Morgantha without first stealing her heartstone, she'll be able to escape and plague you at her leisure. You must steal away the heartstone first, so she can't escape into the Border Ethereal. It will be a black stone somewhere on her person. Smash it if you can, but at the very least steal it from her or she'll likely kill you.

"If you can't prevent her from doing that... you may be forced to free me. I can protect you from her magics... I've defeated her before, after all. But if she senses me, she'll never stop trying to kill you and me both."

 

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Fiend, Sylvia and Esvele

The words roiling out from the fiend inside of her... Vita felt as if the world is spinning, black spots poking in at the edges of her vision. Breathing out harder... Chosing... Choosing to do something like this. No-not reacting but choosing to do something evil! To attack a person or flee from them out of the blue immediately. Her mind whirled at his words. She couldn't tell if he is being truthful but the darkness inside of her.

HE is a known quantity. He could be tricking her right now and she couldn't know but... She rather be tricked by someone that she is solely responsible for. Mind dizzy, heart beating harder and faster, she bubbled out the words quickly. "Ah! Sy-sylvia! You must keep ah them away! Must ah keep Offalia and ah Bella away. They uh, night hags, grow stronger when uh in the prescence of um one another. And... and to defeat Morgantha we..." She looked at Esvele with wild yellow eyes.

Her words stumbled in her throat, her voice catching as her panick at this unfolding situation. This isn't like Rovana's situation nor like Strahd attacking them! Or those wolves. This... this is them doing things and Vita clutched herself. Oncoming anxiety bogging her down. The dark stormy weather outside. The light pulsing inside of her. The darkness of the fiend and his sibilant words.

Adrenaline pumping into her. She had to get the words out. Had to say them. But her voice ached. Her mind still swirling inwardly and her tail smacking HARD against the stable wood. The pain spiking through her. (Vita is unconscously slamming her tail hard enough to do 1 point of damage to herself. Is that accepted?)

The pain from her aching tail as she looked with panicked fearful yellow orbs at Esvele and Sylvia's back. "Th-ther is one...one other ah thing. Morgantha... She will ah have a uh, blackstone on her. It... it will protect her from ah death. We have too... have to steal it or break it. Ugh ah.... Don't like... like saying this but... Esvele, if-if you say is... is true, then it.. it we won't be ah safe. Not safe. Not until Morgantha is... is gone. It won't be... be right leaving her like this. To prey on... On Bella and Offalia." She gasped out, sinking downwards, her whole form shaking, easily begging for anyone to slap sense into her or give comfort. Her link to Ireena sending panicked confusion emotions with flickering resolve.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Esvele stared at Sylvia with a tired expression on her face, and when the woman ceased speaking, Esvele breathed deeply of the musty stable's air and closed her eyes, counting backwards from twenty by threes in her head.

The nun reached out and squeezed the warrior's shoulder. "Bless you, and may you be the avatar of justice you think you are, and not another dead fool, whose corpse dances on Count von Zarovich's strings and kills in his name."

"I follow the teachings of the Morninglord, who teaches us to endure the night and the horrors it and Barovia itself visits upon us. I am a member of the Abbey of Saint Markovia." Esvele took a step back... balancing herself to dodge a swipe or backhand from the warrior. "I'm sorry I never answered you whenever it was you asked me that. Quite frankly, I tend to tune you out. What purpose is there, when all you talk about is how you do things in the land you aren't in anymore, and whine about how we do not do things the way your foreign lord does, and heed not anything I say?"

"If we are airing our grievances now, of all times, I find you distasteful as well. You know nothing of Barovia, yet see fit to threaten me when I work to keep my wards and myself safe - and in the mere hours I have known you, you have already brought danger upon us twice - once when you nearly assisted those wolves in waylaying us, and again by bringing that witch you now think to kill with you - detouring us here, late enough in the day that leaving would be death.

"You flex your muscles and threaten anyone you want for any reason you want, regardless of proof or thought or propriety. You think you're invincible, and care not that we aren't. You brag that you were the only one uninjured, yet none of them even leapt for you. Did you care when Vita was savaged by those wolves? Do you care that if you just rushed to fight and lost, Morgantha would search for any other trespassers like us, and vent her rage on her other captives and daughters? Regardless of what you think, I work against the evil that suffocates this land, but there's no glory in dying fighting evil - there is only yet another an demonstration of how the wrong triumphs here."

Esvele sighed. "This talk is fruitless. All we are doing is deepening senseless vendettas with each other. We don't have to like each other, we just have to agree not to try kill each other, right?" Esvele held out her hand.


Esvele raised a brow when she finally noticed the state Vita was in. It had taken her awhile, and she felt a bit put off about how unobservant she'd been... though truly, it was more because she'd let her vexation and concern with avoiding a sudden bisection cloud her senses than it was out of concern for the half-devil herself - she was a strong girl, after all. Just what had they been doing in here that had gotten the sorceress so distraught?

Esvele took a step forward and reached out to catch Vita's tail, to control its wild and, more importantly, loud thwacking. She reached for the base, and then slid her hand down its length, rather than reaching for the flailing tip first.

"Calm yourself, Vita." Esvele tried to sound confident and calm, to help soothe the magician. She hadn't thought much of the rain as she'd crossed it to the stable, but the nun's soaked, clinging habit made it a bit more difficult to comfort the girl without getting her wet too... Esvele pulled her over, and pressed her against Ireena, motioning for her to hold her. They were both soaked, but if someone was going to comfort the Tiefling, it might as well be the one she was affectionate with.

"I know I suggested it, but I'm having second thoughts - even if the sisters detest her, Morgantha is still their mother." Esvele glanced at Sylvia. "I'm not absolutely sure they will allow us to stay here if we try to kill her, and if we're caught outside when dusk falls we'll be dead. Ireena might survive... if none of us can end her before the Count comes for steal her away."

Looking at Sylvia again, Esvele let out a little sigh and explained, "An evil vampire hunts our ward to make her his bride, against her will."

"My point is... as hateful as I find the 'baker' who lives here, if we want to survive the night, it might be most prudent to simply stay quiet and act the polite guest. If not, we may end up having to kill all three of them. Especially if they have these odd... 'blackstones' that will keep us from killing them anyway... I would honestly rather not." There was a short pause, and then Esvele added, "The Morninglord bids us to bear through the suffering we face, for suffering afflicts all in Barovia. We may comfort ourselves with the thought we are freeing Offalia and Bella from her evil tyrant mother, but what if we are simply replacing one form of suffering for another? What if whatever innocence they have left becomes tainted as they learn to provide for themselves? We've many reasons to act with prudence here."

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: Esvele, Ireena

"Hrmnnn.. let me respond" Sylvia remarke, arms crossed. "First of all, no one forced you to seek shelter here, so do not blame me for the dangers of the place I knew nothing about and was first to warn you about. Second of all, if you saw fit to tell me of half your intel, like being pursued by a vampire, or just who you, or those men on the street were right away, perhaps I'd not endanger you for lack of my knowledge either and rather serve you dutifully. You have lost these rights as leader as far as I'm concerned. A leader needs to be trusted and trusting, neither you are able to claim. Do I qualify? Nay. I was ment to follow orders and I know little of these lands. So we got little choice but to decide by company vote until a more fitting leader is elected. Vita knows the most, yet is shy. Neither of us is, but you take action too slow.. and I may take action too quickly.

Yes, I'm new in these lands and.. well, this is how we usually do things in my land. The military.. solve problems, one way or the other. Oh and.. I apologize for distressing you Vita, sometimes I wonder if its all right and proper what we do. But enough of this." Sylvia looked at the door, considering what the nun said, then back at her, with the outstretched hand.

"I am used to suffering, don't get me wrong. I have endured days of torment just to prove myself fit for military service. You have told me of your ways, I've told you of my ways." She extended her hands to Esveles, gripping it.. unsupirisingly strong, but her eyes narrowed.

"That said, we cannot know what the future will bring, but if everything we might do might be for nothing, and another evil rise in the place of the evil we fight, then our actions here matter neither way. We do not fight, we leave an evil in place, we do fight, another evil may take its place.
So it is our choice to take action. If you are right, nothing will change. If I am right, things will change for the better, the only thing that wont change anything is hiding out, too afraid of things that may or may not be true, to do what is right. If nothing we do shall matter, we might as well do that which is right for our own sakes.

Perhaps you defend a woman of great importance." She looked over to Ireena.

"But either she will agree that such evil must be stopped if we have any chance to, even if that ends up -potentially- endangering her; Or she is not worthy such defenders in the first place. Similarly, if your Saint would condone us hiding out if we could have stopped a greater evil.. you need find a better saint. For you the question seems to be if we have any chance to fail. For me, the question is, do we have any to succeed? And my answer is a confident yes!

If not given a better option, I will head out and try to lock down Morgantha, wrestle the stone from her. One of you will quickly barricade the windmills entrance, perhaps use the cart. One way or the other, it will prevent the witches from reuniting. Their magic weakened even if the remaining two seek to murder us, we can barricade in here and weather the storm better than with all three of them. If this Morgantha can claw apart a woman with barehands she might be able to severely injure and in time, kill me, so I will need your magical support.

If you want to endure and outweather the evils of this land you may as well do so facing them. Such were your own teachings you just shared. To me it sounds as if you had to actually confront the suffering, if you could change it or not. Not hiding away from it, thinking you know what the witches think of their mother, assuming they'll turn out bad anyway, well, they may not, so I WILL fight and you will come with me and bear the suffering of taking action rather than not doing anything. So, actually face evil and measure yourself against it. Don't be afraid of an uncertain future to let evil triumph before your blade is even drawn!" Sylvia commanded with determination, before looking over to Ireena.. she had addressed the same in between after all.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Ireena and the 'cows'
The Stables
Tag: All

As the trio continued to speak in urgency, the rain continued to fall in what was becoming a torrential downpour.

Nevermore, the raven familiar to Esvele, swooped into the stable and fluttered its wings, landing on a rafter in between the nun and Ireena. Water dripped from its beak, and it cawed a warning. The hag in disguise, Morgantha, was drawing near. If she was not met soon, she would reach the old mill in the matter of a couple minutes.

Ireena decided at that point to enter the conversation.

"If no one has informed you that it is impolite to speak of others' worth in front of them, as if they were not there, then consider yourself thusly informed," the noble woman said tersely to Sylvia, drawing herself up. "If you have the temerity to insult me, then do so when speaking to me, not through a proxy."

"My brother has spent the last of our savings to employ these women to deliver me safely beyond the reach of my pursuer - the evil lord of this land, who is a terror and a master vampire. You seem to think that confronting evil is the solution, and I grant you, it may well be the path we must take. But to confront it without a plan, without caution, is not bravery. It is folly. Good does not conquer evil simply because it is good - as if this were all some children's story. In a land gripped by evil, those who champion good must be canny, and clever, if we are to survive and create change.

"As for your slander of Saint Markovia, you will do well to take back those words. If you were to do but half as much good as her, you would count yourself among the greatest of heroes - and if you truly have nothing but disparagement to offer to myself, my protectors, and the saints of my faith, then hold your tongue and be silent. Just as I would hold my tongue and not mock your liege in his own land, knowing as little of him as I do. Seek not death and glory. Seek wisdom and victory."

She looked around at the others, her gaze noticeably softening as she saw the trembling Vita. She moved closer and put a comforting arm around the tiefling.

"There is some schism between the daughters and their mother. I'm certain of it. I can't say for certain what its nature is, but if we could find any leverage at all, we might be able to get at least one of them to help us - perhaps Offalia."

"Ooh, yes, yes! Offalia is nice!" Myrtle said, shaking her body enough so that her little cowbell jingled from side to side.

"Bella is rude and short with us, but she doesn't hurt us. Not like Morgantha did. And she milks us when Offalia can't. She even smiles when she does so." Freek added.

"She said she might even get us more friends to join us!" Myrtle said. "That's why she got us Broly! He's funny. He tells good jokes. He's a real ham!"

She nodded towards the large boar that snored loudly in the far pen.

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: allish

"I apologize miss, I thought that you were above being directly addressed by me, as to you I wasn't worth speaking, or introducing yourself to before. But I stand by what I said. We have to oppose evil where we can, there is no if or but." She looked at Ireena in turn, actually facing her, then bowing low, one fist on her chest. The sudden noble demeanor and harshness had all the markings of a Falkovnian military commander for her, after all. ".. Fortune? Ah.. you are mercenaries.." Sylvias shoulders slumped at Vita and Esvele, seeming.. disappointed. Still, Ireena seemed to share a passion to confront the wicked and the angry glare at her actually seemed to cause Sylvia to stand at attention and try to explain herself:

"Where I come from miss, there is little evil and it is quickly stamped out, so I'm used to directly confronting evil, at the command of my military leader. I apologize, but I didn't get trained to be clever, I am supposed to follow orders.. I got in enough trouble being clever in the past ma'am... and arguing about here has only given me a headache.." Sylvia shook her head. "As for disrespect, I ment none towards you or your saints, for your bodyguards, Esvele neither shows nor wishes for my respect, I think miss, Vita was the only one that spoke with me much, but she too accused me of murder and thus cowardice. This is a great insult to my honor as warrior and one I can not apologize for, because it is not true, ma'am. To be clear I have killed, potentially today if the wolf-man fell the whole way down the cliffs, but I am no coward." Sylvia shook her head, sighed, and stepped back from the door, leaning against a wooden pillar with a tired expression, trying a final time:

"Miss, Bella loathes her mother, as in, she expects to be killed if she is not obediant. She told me such. She could easily be coaxed into aiding us, once she saw a chance. When I met her I spoke to her about the importance of respecting your family and traditions, but she seems to truly hate the same.I recomment that, to get her on our side, we should provoke her mother to become more angry, if Bella feels her life is threatened for real, she would join the winning side." Sylvia theorized, then sighed.

"This land is all wrong, no order or discipline and how can its leader be evil, rather than just? It doesn't make any sense... and I can never go home again and I don't know what to properly do on my own because there's no one that'd give me any orders..

Definitly not her!" She pointed at Esvele, getting somewhat angry again. "Did I care that the werewolf jumped for Vita? It was at her insistance that I ducked at all! Even when that went wrong, I pried the beast off of her as quick as I could! Most certainly, she remembers this too. Since Esvele bears her saints name and uniform, I was mislead to believe St.Markovia too would condone such accusals, hence my disrespect towards the saint. Esvele, you shouldn't lie whilest representing anyone other than yourself, it doesn't just dishonor you, but the name of the one you stand for as well." Sylvia shook her head, hesitated, then bowed towards Ireena slightly again, for good measure. "I'll accept my punishment for disrespecting your honored war-hero, but request she be given the same for misleading me."

Sylvia looked to the ground and sighed, mumbling to herself for a moment. "If at least I'd get clear commands..Perhaps this is my punishment for deserting my post, never having clarity again. I .. I didn't want to disobey, but I didn't want to die pointlessly either. I.. am loyal to my lord, I swear! I would serve well if not killed! Well, its not like she can even dirty my honor more than I already have, why am I so conceited about it. I understand why you refused to even acknowledge my presence until now. Sorry but I have to object, I'd rather have death and glory. Better to die for a purpose than live without one, miss." She looked back up with a stoic, if tired expression.

"But I should be silent, as commanded." She slumped down, leaning her back against a wooden pillar, staring at the ground before her dejectedly. She was most definitly not the type to cry, but she did feel miserable by now. Everyone she had met in these new lands.. ignoring the cow-couple, had turned out either wicked or against her. She stared back at the ground silently, pondering her fate.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Ireena
The Stables
Tag: All, Sylvia primarily

"Why would you assume that that was the reason I didn't speak to you?! I have my own problems, as you've just heard, and we are traveling through a dark land where a tyrant sends his many minions to harry us. You won't make many friends if you leap to such off-putting conclusions. Give others the benefit of the doubt, and they will extend to you the same courtesy."

Ireena shook her head in disbelief at Sylvia's initial explanation for why the young woman had not introduced herself.

"Whether we fight evil is not the question - it is how. You may disagree in theory with how we do things in Barovia, but if you survive long enough, you will see that there is a reason that good-hearted people tread carefully here. Now please... again, don't leap to assumptions. Sister Esvele is a nun of the Morninglord. Vita is a farmgirl from a distant land and is here to rescue her mother, who has been kidnapped by werewolves. These women are only mercenaries of convenience, not of profession. If I could offer any advice to you it would be this: the more you let go of what you think you know, the less arguments you will get into, and the easier it will be for you to get along with those you meet outside of Falknovia. Esvele may have been short and terse with you, but she has lived in the harsh reality of Barovia for a long while. She has survived because she has been skeptical and wary. Do not blame her entirely for the way she treated you. She sought to protect me from spies and other dangers. And she tries to protect me still from having us blunder into what might be a fight that's over our heads. You don't have to like her, but you could at least respect that as her motive. Neither of you are cowards, and both of you are capable fighters and have honor, even if you can't see it yet in each other. I can."

Ireena during this time was showing a confident side of herself that had been dormant thus far. She had deferred to her brother before, allowing for the fighters and commanders to dictate how things were going. But now that she was in a situation where martial leadership had failed, she was apparently willing and capable of picking up the slack.

"Let's put the disrespect to the side for the moment. We've gotten off on the wrong foot, but I certainly don't want to punish anyone for it. And I wouldn't be able to anyway if we don't pull together and survive the night! There'll be time for apologies and understanding of differences later. For right now, we need to come to a decision - as a group, like Sylvia has suggested.

"I am no tactician. And I've only had rudimentary training with a sword. My recent... bond with Vita has given me some access to her inner light however, so I'm not useless, but I don't want to act like a general. I'm not that. I need my two most experienced fighters, Esvele and Sylvia, to start working together if I'm going to live. Vita's depending on the two of you as well, though the power within her could be our greatest weapon against the darkness we face.

"If we are going to have to face Morgantha in some form, we had better figure out how we're going to approach her and her daughters. We need to figure out how we're going to win them over to our side, or trick Morgantha into not killing us. Or, we could try to just rush Morgantha before she can get to the mill, or use her stone or magic, but time is running out on that. So please, can't the two of you put aside your differences and these bitter words - just for tonight at the least - so that we can make it through?"

Ireena looked imploringly from Sister Esvele to Sylvia, then, clasping her hands together, she prayed aloud.

"I pray to the Morninglord to protect us and give us wisdom. I ask that Saint Markovia grant us the grace to proceed with clarity and without fear. Sylvia, Esvele, Vita... you are my protectors. I place my faith in you, and believe that the Morninglord will work through you and protect you, for he is the protector of all hope and the endurance of good against evil. He is the promise of dawn in the darkest hours of the night."

Ending her prayer in sign of the dawn, she looked again at the two fighters, expectantly hoping that her words had been at the least a temporary balm and that the two headstrong women would find a common battleplan, and do so soon.

 

[Diagasvesle]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Vita the bitten Tiefling Warlock
Old Bonegrinder Stables
Tags: Ireena, Sylvia, Esvele

The words going between Esvele and Sylvia happening in front of her. Her mind dimly acknowledging even as as hunkered down. Esvele grip at her base, the usual pleasurable sensation not good this time even as she pressed against her. Her scent filled with the water from the storms downpour outside and her habit pressing against Vita like a cold shock of cool water. Her hands working and rubbing at her base tail before moving upwards and... stopping her tails slapping movements against the stables stalls.

"Ahhh ahhh..." Vita shuddered and shivered, comfort being given as Esvele scooted her towards Ireena, the tiefling farm girl shaking as she just took breaths of air and gulped. The comfort calming her even as a twisting feeling of... something roiled in her guts. Something that pulled and worked at her heart, making her feel wrong, wrong wrong wrong! To even keep thinking these thoughts. To plan anothers murder...even with proof... Even when knowing what she is. What Esvele said. It didn't sit right with her at all. It didn't feel right.

Her panicky emotions fluttered across her face even as she looked at Ireena, calming as she spoke "Ir-Ireena..." Her soft thankful voice reaching upwards even as she listened more. Sylvia speaking again after Ireena.

"Ahh..." Vita's oh noise coming out of her. "Ah. I..." She couldn't say it. Sylvia's words bringing up a distraction in her mind. A wonderful distraction to keep her mind off the plot to murder Morgantha. She had accused Sylvia of... murder and cowardice? The memory fluttered at the back of her mind, emotions still raging hard and fresh as she spoke towards Sylvia "If ah... um... we are in ah... well and alive and... Away from uh here. I ah... think I ah heard ah um wrong. I... would like to ah, apologize after I have... ah collected myself. I just... I just ah heard corpse..." Vita's shivering at saying that word. Memories from her village flaring into her mind harshly, the light pressing away at them.

Ireena's courageous words. Her outright charismatic appeal. Vita stared with her eyes! Her whole body shivering for an instant. That... That is noble! That is noblisse! That is what her father talked about when heads ran hot and her village petitoned their noble. When he soothed feathers and spoke his words and everything made sense! Apologizing and understanding came when work had been finished. That is good! Vita shelved her squirming feelings about attacking Morgantha out of the blue like raging bandits.

"Ireena has the ah right of it. She has ah *hic*" Vita's words interrupted by a hiccup, cheeks flushing at her involuntary response that had been evoked from her anxiety from earlier. "Ah the right of it. I ah... um, know of ah magic and ah light. I can ah... Place ah fire unto Morgantha or ah bring out light... *hic* As fo-for where I ah got this ah power..." She looked at Sylvia and spoke "ah I ah got it from the place which all ah..." The light whispering to her words in language she did not understand but images flowing in her mind. When she had partaken of the light and the light embracing her... "Where ah light is present everywhere. Ah have my power from ah the light and if ah ever turn from goodness and ah justice then ah my ah magic will ah desert me."

 

[Pervy]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Spoiler

Sylvia
Stable
Tag: The speechening.

For a while, Sylvia simple stared at the ground, dejectedly, not responding to Ireenas first question. It was only when she went on about respecting the same as a warrior that the Falkovnian woman responded, first exhaling and looking up.

"It seems you do not want to be treated like a military commander, so I wont. I understand you do not trust me and there is little I can do. Perhaps this feeling wont be mutual one day. However, you can not at the same time not tell me anything and tell me not to make assumptions. Either you tell me things, or you force me to assume them. It is true, I don't know the law of this land, but please don't blame me for wrong assumptions when I have nothing else to go by.

It is not you that needs to make peace with me. If you need protection, I will offer it, simply because I have no other cause to follow here. This one however has made clear that she has little desire to understand or apologize and frankly, by now the feeling is mutual. She's made clear she ignores me on principle, so doing the same can be forgiven for me. You want us to fight together.. we might. You want us to make plans together? Not as long as she cannot dare facing evil herself." Sylvia determined, staring Esvele down, before looking back to Ireena. "However, lacking any commanders, I will follow the Falkovnian primal directive, protect those without the strength to do so and conquer those of evil to show them a better way. This group has none that could simply talk this Morgantha into abandoning her ways, I think, so I've already decided I would head out to stop this evil. Stopping doesn't even mean that we have to kill her, an assumption on Esveles part, who says Morgantha can't be subdued and given to her daughters to decide her fate, if we stand strong? Frankly, I'd prefer to enact justice myself, but it -is- not my land or home." Sylvia questioned, then sighed, finally getting up, at least it seemed Ireenas imploring had shaken her out of her momentary self pity.

"I will not use trickery. If we escape at the price of dozens of innocent lifes lost in the future if we do not stop Morgantha now, our escape is meaningless. It is revulting that this one." She pointed at Esvele. "Values our safety more than the countless victims that need be avenged and could be saved, simply because she fears that we MIGHT face defeat. Where I come from, we do not go into every battle planning our demise. We are soldiers. We are expendable. We pay with our lifes so that others may live in savety. We may be victorious, or we might not. If you don't like the risk.. then run away now. We'd be better off fighting in united lines, than with a force divided in fear by you."

She looked over to Vita, her expression softening. ".. I see. A misunderstanding. Amusing, if not unfortunate in timing.. I apologize then for my part in it, your pronounciation is perhaps a little different. A military corps indeed means body, but the body... err.. it simple means the.. entirety of an army stationed at a particular location. Like the entirety of a village, but not civilians.

I don't mind your powers of.. light and fire, even if I don't understand them and.. by my nature, am cautious about them. But if you have these powers, you have a responsibility to use them. To do good, you need to stop evil. To be just, you need to stop injustice. It is not enough to live good and just by itself, if the land around you is corrupt, then you must act." Sylvia regarded everyone about:

"I am the only one with the physical fortitude to keep this Morgantha restrained. Alone, I might fall. But I fear not death of my body. I fear death of my ideals, if I do not stop this woman, with blood freshly on her hands. That would be a far worse fate than death to me." She looked at Esvele. "Frankly, I think if you'd rather have it the other way around, you might've already lived too long."

"Time is running out and so are our options. I will prevent Morgantha from coming closer to the windmill to bolster her powers, and by extend from hurting anyone else. By any means necessary." Sylvia nodded with determination, stepping to the stable doors, this time pushing it open unless anyone physically stopped her, glancing outside into the raincloud covered skies to stop Morgantha.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Through the Mists: In Character

Esvele walked over to the cart and pulled out the purse of gold, which she untied and stuck her hand into. "Mmm. This discussion is a delight, truly, but we are pressed for time here. In times of indecision, I turn to the Morninglord." Esvele pulled out a coin and held it up - it seemed a lot like the flat disc that hung from a piece of twine from Esvele's neck - a little medallion of rose gold... though it looked very worn and nicked, the gold evidently mere plating, as parts of the pinkish-hued gold were nicked or worried away, exposing the duller copper beneath.

"Morninglord, guide us on the path of righteousness," she said, kissing the coin - and then she flicked it into the barn air with her thumb and caught it in her palm. She slapped it onto the back of her other hand - and when she pulled her hand away, she held her hand out. The coin lay with some unknown king's face up - so many travelers from other lands came to Barovia and then just died, leaving their possessions and coin, after all...

"Heads." Stowing the coin again, Esvele stuffed the pouch back into its hiding place, and then dug out her crossbow and hip-case of bolts, which she handed to Ireena. "We take her head."

"I believe in redemption... but I don't know how to redeem someone who beggars people and eats their hearts. There is also the matter of not-dying and avoiding the Count. This is her home and I don't think she'll take as unviolently to your 'confrontation' as Bella did, Sylvia, so I think this will be better," Esvele said, before turning to Ireena. "Though it would be good to have you hide here, Ireena, I worry the sisters would take you captive or something without us there to defend you. Please come with us, but stay back. The witch should probably be throwing spells at us instead, but b be wary anyway. Vita, I don't know how your magic works - will your fire be alright with all this rain? You evidently know best about this stone, do you think you'll be able to assense it if we get closer? Otherwise, we'll be trying to loot her before she's dead, which is... complicated."

"Sylvia, you seem like a sharper fighter than I, so while you're fighting I'll look for her stone. Uh, try not to kill her before we find it. And... you are not expendable. There are no soldiers in this land, no fighters - people here hide in their homes when wishes to run through their streets. Frankly, vengeance and ideals are worth nothing here. So, if you die, any opposition you could have given dies with you, and the night wins again. So it has been for centuries here."

Esvele walked out the door into the rain, an arm over her eyes. "Let's go, we've delayed long enough. We'll take it at a jog, if we can without tripping in the mud - we need her away from the windmill and she's very close by now, I think."

Silently, she sent Nevermore back into the air, with instructions to divebomb Morgantha's cart and make a pest of himself as a distraction just before they attacked her. She also had him spy on her things as he circled above, on the off-chance she might spot this rock they needed to find.