Zion: Light of the New Moon, Ch 4.2 Shrad
Zion - Light of the New Moon Chapter 4.2
Shrad Sibling Revelry
Due to a tied vote between contributing readers, the author contributed readers weigh in. The end result is that the Shrad Caravan will continue on its way and leave the cultists to the Satyrs.
Majh had turned the group around and was heading back toward the caravan when Loric spoke up.
"Why are we going back?" the snow fox demanded an answer, "We're supposed to be killing Sun Cultists!" he crossed his arms, standing in the way of the party.
"The fleeing sun cultists are not our concern any longer." the hyena answered.
"They aren't dead!" Loric growled.
"They will be soon, if not already." Gaerid responded casually.
"The High Priest specifically said--" the noble continued before Majh cut him off.
"I promised that the caravan would be free of Sun Cultists." the priestess clarified, "If you would like to hunt those escapees then that is entirely up to you." she stepped around Loric and continued on.
"The Satyrs would appreciate it." Gaerid added, walking past the still unmoving snow fox.
Loric growled again, "The High Priest will hear of your impertinence... both of you."
"Looks like you'll be reporting more than two." Shadow noted quietly, moving around the white-furred vulpine as well, "Our task is done... we're better off with the caravan."
Nori stopped in front of Loric and cocked his head to the side, "Why do you want to be so nice to Sun Cultists anyway? I thought you city goers hate em."
"I don't want to be 'nice' to the Sun Cultists, ferret." Loric scowled, "I plan on killing them, as we were tasked with doing."
The Wild Lander laughed, "Lord Kriabnish," he noted in a surprisingly respectful tone, "Killing them would be merciful compared to what the Satyrs will do before they're done."
Loric's stance let up, "You're exaggerating, I'm sure." despite the dismissive comment the fox's ears raised in curiosity.
The party left the cultist's trail, Gaerid leading them back to the caravan while Nori related the tales of the Satyr's curse to the snow fox. As the ferret told more and more about the reasons why any intelligent traveler would avoid them, the noble's ears only perked more.
"So you mean to tell me," Lord Kriabnish noted, "that these abominations, cursed by the elven magic, will try to rape any city dweller they can get, male or female, in an attempt to create more of their own kind?"
"That's a good summary." the ferret retorted.
"Amazing." the fox whispered.
"That almost sounded reverent." Majh glanced back at Lord Kriabnish.
"I can imagine countless ways for their talents to be of use." the fox chuckled to himself.
"The Satyr are a byproduct of the elven curse, Lord Kriabnish," Tolen spoke up quietly for the first time since they left the caravan, "They aren't supposed to be used... they're supposed to be feared and avoided."
"And destroyed, if the opportunity presents itself, I would wager." Loric added, "Yes... it's so convenient that anything that doesn't fall into the temple's plans is marked to be destroyed."
"That very nearly sounded like heresy, your Lordship." Majh commented dryly.
"Simply free thinking, priestess... musing aloud." the snow fox smiled, inclining his head, "I would never dream of acting against our beloved High Priest... my family values his patronage far too much."
"Curse or no, killing anyone without cause is murder." Shadow noted quietly.
"You make it sound as if murder is an unequivocally bad thing, my good man." Loric laughed, reaching up to pat Shadow on the shoulder, "There is, after all, a time and a place for everything."
"Satyr aren't some moral dilemma to think about." Nori spoke up with a scowl, "This isn't a matter of the 'right thing to do' in a philosophy sense. If you value your life and want to remain 'not impregnated' then you avoid the Satyr."
"I'm still a little vague on the specifics of a male being impregnated." Loric mused with a chuckle.
"Calm." Gaerid said the single word quietly, but it was spoken with such conviction and authority that even Loric paused, "and observe." The rottweiler pointed toward the caravan, which was stopped; the majority of the guards were facing forward, where a small company of Shradian travelers were separated from the carriages, talking with a collection of robed humanoids.
"It appears that the High Priest is interested in diplomacy today... how marvelous." Majh noted flatly, and she made her way toward the head of the caravan, "Let's go see what they want."
"Satyr are only interested in one thing..." Nori noted, but followed suit.
"I'm... concerned." Tolen spoke up, but he slowly moved to trail Majh.
"Do we have a plan, Commander?" Guardsman Sten inquired, walking beside the hyena.
"I'll make it up as we go." Majh noted.
"I am now even more concerned." Tolen added quietly.
"Priestess Blackpaw..." Loric pushed his way to stand beside her, "If what the Wild Lander says is true--"
"It is." Nori vouched.
"--don't you think walking blindly up to them could be a little dangerous?" Lord Kriabnish continued.
"It could be, your Lordship... depending on whether or not they get on my bad side... but you shouldn't worry so much about their well-being." the hyena let out a laugh, forestalling any further argument... but it didn't remove the scowl from Loric's muzzle.
"Commander Majh Blackpaw, Temple Guard Shadow Blackpaw, and Guardsman Sten in attendance, your Eminence." one of the guards near the front of the caravan announced as the group approached.
The polar bear, standing amidst his dozen black-cloaked personal guard turned to regard the newcomers, "Ah... perfect timing." he stated, a smug grin on his muzzle. He motioned with a paw to the gathered, cloaked figures, "I would like to introduce you to our new allies."
"Well met." noted the figure closest to the High Priest. His voice was mid-range, and had a strange accent to it, neither City Dweller nor Wild Lander. Though the stranger's face was hidden, cloven hooves were visible emerging from the bottom of the long cloak.
Nori shook his head, speaking quietly, "This can't be good."
"Your herald only announced these three..." the figure motioned to Majh, Shadow, and Sten.
"During negotiations it is customary in Shrad to introduce soldiers and guardsmen first... it's a courtesy." the bear grinned, then turned to the rest of the group, "Lord Loric Kriabnish, of the Kriabnish family, friends of the temple." he motioned to the noble, who stood his ground and responded with a simple nod, "Gaerid of the Fang, one of Shrad's premier bounty hunters." the rottweiler just stared at the cloaked figure, "and the rest." he motioned casually at Nori and Tolen.
"You have fine warriors among your expedition, High Priest." the figure noted, bowing slightly, and, with that, he turned to regard Majh, "Many fine warriors indeed." his cowl remained focused on Majh, who stared right back at him.
The hyena flicked an ear, "Satyr, is it?" she inquired flatly.
"We are not what you expected, obviously." the figure bowed again, a little deeper, "I understand, and do not take offense... most of the Moon Faithed believe that we have all changed."
"You have." Nori accused, and took a step back, paw going to the hilt of his hammer.
"Stand down, Wild Lander." the High Priest ordered, "These satyr are our guests... they will be traveling with us."
"Come again?" Majh questioned.
"The Satyr are joining us on our journey... they have offered to help us make our way safely to Zion." the polar bear clarified.
"That is the stupidest--" Nori began, but Armenius' eyes swiveled to regard him.
"Watch your words, ferret... from my point of view, having three dozen Satyr may mean that your usefulness is at an end." the bear stated flatly.
"Three dozen?" Majh glanced at the cloaked figures, "I only count eight."
"The others are already settling into the caravan." the High Priest motioned to the wagons.
"For the Goddess' sake, 'Byne'... can you BE so idiotic?!?" Majh fumed at the bear, and her voice rose in volume, calling everyone's attention to her.
"Watch your tone, 'Priestess'." the High Priest sneered, "Tesivar agreed with me." he motioned to a robed raven, "Besides, it was his idea."
"It is sound judgment, Priestess." the advisor noted, "These Satyr will be invaluable to us."
"Hmm." Majh mused, "I thought there might still be some of you left." her smirk turned sadistic, as she switched to the High Tongue of the temple, "Tell me, Sun Cultist..." she moved toward the raven, "Are you familiar with the term 'evulse'?"
Tesivar took an involuntary step back, "Priestess Blackpaw, I have no idea what--"
"Guardsmen Sten!" Majh barked, still speaking in the High Tongue, "We need to provide this Sun Cultist a lesson in vocabulary... fetch the extractor, please."
"That's enough, Majh!" the High Priest stepped between her and the raven, "I demand to know what--"
"We'll save the linguistics lesson for another time." Majh noted flatly, and she forcibly slammed both of her paws' palms against the bear's chest, forcing him to stumble backwards and fall onto the raven, "Tesivar, you stand before Tah'aveen's judg--- well... technically you're LAYING before Tah'aveen's judgment..."
"No!" the raven squawked, "I'm innocent!" and the bird let out a high pitched screech as he coughed up a spray of blood. The polar bear atop him quickly rolled off and to the side, eyes widening immediately as he gazed at the quivering advisor.
"Tesivar?" the High Priest's eyes narrowed, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Your Eminence..." the raven groveled, "I am loyal to the temp---ulllgh..." and he vomited up more blood.
"You are still in Her judgment, Tesivar..." Majh's grin widened, still speaking in the High Tongue, "Tollie already told me that one of the High Priest's advisors was a cultist... you just made it easier to find out which one."
"Please..." the cloaked figure spoke up in the imperial common tongue, "this language is unknown to us."
"I am not a cu--ghhhlll..." and blood began to pour from the nares of his beak, and draining like tears from his eyes.
"You are in Her Judgment, Tesivar..." the High Priest growled, likewise switching to the High Tongue, fur going up on his shoulders and neck.
"Your death will be less painful if you confess." Shadow knelt down next to the raven, using the same language.
Tesivar, still shaking, hung his head, and announced in imperial common, "Do what you will to me... the satyr have already overrun you."
As if it were a cue, the cloaked figures sprang into action. Armenius Tenge turned toward them and held up a paw and, as one, their cloaks fell to the ground, charred bones following suit. He glanced back to the wolf. "Shadow..." the bear spoke up.
"Yes, High Priest?" he stood.
"Your lies are forgiven." Armenius stated, continuing to stare down at the prone raven.
"My lies, your Eminence?" Shadow inquired.
"You said that Tesivar's death would be less painful if he confessed." the bear grinned wide, and Shadow's objections were drowned out by the screaming caws and hoarse rasps of the raven as his body began to crumple in on itself, as if crushed by an invisible hand.
"Marvelous." Majh noted, glancing to the High Priest, "Now let's consider how we're going to clean up this mess."
"Why did the Satyrs appear untainted?" Tolen asked, still stunned.
"The leader," Majh motioned to the foremost pile of cloak and bones, "He had a cloak of disguise... it allowed him to change their appearance so long as nobody was suspicious. Now, with it destroyed, the rest of the--" she was interrupted by the sounds of screams, wails, and howls from the caravan, "Yea... that did it." and she drew her two-handed sword.
"Oh Goddess... they're doing it." Loric noted, paw going to his sword, so caught up in the moment that he completely missed the double entendre.
"Yes... I suppose they are." Majh confirmed; her hyena laugh confirmed that she hadn't missed it.
"Then we'll stop the change." Nori noted, pulling out his hammer, "Kill the Satyrs, and kill the inflicted."
"Everyone?" Loric questioned, ears up. He casually brushed his thumb across the blade of his sword, "Perhaps I've misjudged you, boy." he grinned a predatory smile.
"Not everyone is infected..." Shadow noted, "Your Eminence..." he turned to the High priest, "we can fight off the Satyrs and rescue the travelers... not everyone needs to die."
"It's an elven curse... this isn't a cold that can be healed." Nori countered.
Majh glanced back and forth between the gathered warriors, "The longer we spend wagging our jaws the less time we have to decide. Let's go already." and she stepped into action.
* * * * * *
And to think, the Shradian characters were complaining about a lack of a challenge... ah well... time to remedy that. How will the caravan respond to the Satyr attack?
It's time to make a decision: 1) Cut the losses... destroy the entire section of caravan that's being attacked, Satyrs, travelers, beasts of burden, carraiges... everything.
2) Kill the Satyr, and anyone they may have infected.
3) Kill the Satyr and anyone going through a change into a Satyr.
4) Kill the Satyr and capture anyone who hasn't made the complete change... perhaps there's a way to help them. (...are you sure you're from Shrad?)
I will also require a Stance from each of you. Stance is given on a rating of 0-5 where 5 is full offense, 4 is aggressive, 3 is neutral, 2 is conservative, and 1 is reserved, A rating of 0 indicates that the character will NOT be taking part in combat (not even in a support role). Please bear in mind that these ratings will increase your Offense the higher your Stance number and increase your Defense the lower your Stance number (or, in the case of 0, have the character try to avoid combat altogether)-- the opposite sub-trait decreases conversely (Defense goes down if the number is high; Offense goes down if the number is low).
I will also require a Utilization number for those characters that have an 11 or higher in combined Magic + Sub-Trait or Faith + Sub-Trait. Like Stance, Utilization ranges from 0-5. Utilization is a numerical equivalent of how free your contributed character is with their magic and/or prayers-- a charater with a higher Utilization is more inclined to use their abilities often and more powerfully while a character that elects a lower Utilization is less likely to depend on them (Utilization of 0 will result in the character foregoing any such abilities). Bear in mind that the higher the level of Utilization the more likely a character is to suffer from fatigue. Characters with higher Attribute + Sub-Skill totals are able less likely to be affected by fatigue unless they use a higher score of Utilization.
For an example of how to declare Stance and Utilization, please view the actions taken by the Author-Contributed characters below.
Contributing Readers, make sure you make your stance and utilization selections before midnight (pst) on Thursday, August 11th.