Dockside Kidnapping

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Nereida
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Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 1:28 pm

Dockside Kidnapping

Postby Nereida » Thu Nov 17, 2016 6:33 pm

It was late in the evening when two figures walked through the docks. One, an athletic-built young blonde woman of pale blue eyes clad in an armour, with a peculiar battle-skirt. The other, a tall, robust man, equally clad in armour, a hood covering his features, though hinting at his well kept beard. As they strolled by the dockside, the blonde warrioress stopped to address a travelling tribesman in a northern, foreign tongue, possibly Damaran. At one point her companion joined the conversation, which was not a long one, but left both warriors with a rather puzzled look as they took a few paces away, exchanging whispered words.

After the short exchange, they turned towards the Belle's Bottom, where they seemed to pay attention more to the patrons than the drinks, not seeming to care for hiding their true purpose - they were looking for someone. It was the larger man the one to identify their target, a man sitting around a barrel being used as a table, next to two other men who shared drinks with him. The tall, robust warriorr walked over and pulled his hood back, revealing his identity, the well-known hedge knight Merney Valroc.


- "Rahve" - he noddded to his younger partner as she nodded back, taking a few paces to stand in the path between Merney's target and the tarvern's exit.

Merney addresseed then the man as he returned a distressed look, and the two flanking him shot glares and rasp words at Merney. The veteran warrior shifted his hand on top of his sword handle as his companion warrioress stepped forth, her presence towering over the sitting men, in support to Merney. The tavern's chatter decayed to an almost deathly silence, all eyes quietly set in the same direction - the three drinking men with Rahve and Merney standing above them.

The intimidating presence of both warrriors seemed to be enough to disuade any hostilities as a few words were then exchanged in low tones. It was not a very long conversation either, Merney and Rahve leaving shortly after without ever taking a seat, Merney patting gently the man's shoulder before leaving his side. On their way back out, Rahve did leave a few coppers to the waitress, pointing at the three men's drinks. But as soon as they stepped outside, merely a few steps away from the tavern's door, the voice of one of the men who was sitting at the barrel-table caught their attention. As they looked back, he was standing by the door frame.

While he was surely aiming for discretion, a few of his words stood above others due to the distance that there was between him and the two warriors -
"That is a good man. It was her, she did it!" - his words met with a confused look from both Rahve and Merney as the younger warrior spoke - "Vhy vould his vife...? I don't believe it." - Rahve's words were quickly met with a dismissive comment from the man before he returned inside, shutting the door behind him - "Bah. Trust a woman to take a woman's side...".

Rahve shook her head as Merney patted her shoulder in an accomplicing gesture before the two walked up the docks, exchanging words with each other in their northern Damaran dialect.

- "What could it be, then. A spell? But that would need a component... a belonging of yours, maybe a hair. Are you missing something?" - Merney glanced towards Rahve as they walked along. Rahve shook her head.

- "No. But I do not count my hairs daily." - The young woman looked back at Merney, her pale blue eyes rather unfocused, as if brainstorming possibilities.

- "Nor I expect you to." - noted Merney. - "Gwendolynn would know, if it is a spell".

- "And if it vasn't spell?" - Spoke Rahve, considering.

Merney paused, turning to her fully to hear her out. - "What then?"

The young warrior furrowed one of her eyebrows in consideration before speaking. - "I have great vocation for studying all manner of creatures." - She paused for a moment before continuing - "There is one specific creature that belongs to local folklore. It grows as kind of vorm in humid, dirty caves around this area. These vorms are capable of merging together to increase their mass, and vhen enough of them have merged and become big enough, they have ability to mirror shape of other living beings they come across. They may have taken interest in my shape, and that vould be vhy those people I have never seen appear to recognise me doing things I haven't."

- "Foreboding.... what manner of creature is this?" - Merney kept his eyes on Rahve as he formulated the question.

- "Have you heard term 'vorm-man'?" - She asked back.

- "I have... heard it mentioned." - He admitted.

- "It may be that, I suppose. It could be something else, but from vhat ve have learned, I can't think of any other thing. Appearance mirroring must have been very accurate, to mislead kid into thinking she vas going avay vith her father."

Merney nodded - "Come, we must tell Sister Kelda about it. Perhaps the patients she is treating have one of these "worms" inside."

Rahve nodded back - "Possible. Dangerous if that is so. It may be capable of eating them inside out. I am guessing our vorm-man took kid avay for feeding." - She frowned deeply at that thought as Merney gently nudged her towards the building where Sister Kelda and Cassandra were waiting.
Playing:

Rahve Siegersson, Nars Tribeswoman and Shieldmaiden.
Alannia Phoenix, Battlepriestess of Torm.

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Nereida
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Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 1:28 pm

Re: Dockside Kidnapping

Postby Nereida » Sat Nov 19, 2016 5:39 pm

After reporting to the clinic their findings and warnings, Rahve decided to get in touch with some individuals of note that she felt she could trust. A talk with Gwendolynn and Cassandra, revealed some knowledge and gave her some hints about the possible nature of the threat. It could very well be a spell, and the advice and assistance of both wise and intelligent individuals would be invaluable. After that, Rahve sought out Wynna, well known scholar and lorekeeper, in the hopes that she would know more, or she could lead her to a place where the information could be found.

Wynna explained that while this "worm man" was a mystery to her as well, she might know just the place where to find more information, and together they travelled to Songhall, where they stayed overnight to research and find as many specifics as possible from this mysterious creature, the so called "worm-man".

Upon their return, Rahve would be wary. She was advised to lay low, and possibly even avoid staying in Sarshel, should her double be found as culprit of another kidnapping, and Rahve herself would take the blame for it. Against that advise, she instead donned a hooded robe and marched to the docks, where she would find a quiet spot from where she could watch the people come and go, in the hopes of spotting "herself", or someone she knew acting strangely enough to raise suspicions of a mimic'ed appearance.

And so for the following days, whenever she was not resting or training, or otherwise engaged in any urgent activities, she stood at the docks in vigil, watching, and waiting.
Playing:

Rahve Siegersson, Nars Tribeswoman and Shieldmaiden.
Alannia Phoenix, Battlepriestess of Torm.

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Obsidian Sea
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Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2015 3:09 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Dockside Kidnapping

Postby Obsidian Sea » Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:56 am

The docks of the city are beginning to take a new shape after a strenuous year of snow. Here, the city contrasts between a strong and persistent Ilmateri following, and small back networks of criminal activity and gambling - both of which are used as a precarious means of acquiring foodstuffs that have largely diminished or suffered recent contamination. The Kingfisher is the stronghold of the middle classes and businessmen whose work dictates their proximity to the docks, and a unique melting pot of cultures and faiths is represented therein, for maritime trade was foremost among the professions that enjoyed the establishment's comforts. Of local faiths, The Morninglord's worship seemed strongest, with His increasing promotion as a God of prosperity and trade taking precedence over the absent tenements of Waukeen, and the representation of the Gods that governed safety upon the seas. As such, Rahve Seigersson might regard The Kingfisher as a peculiar interruption to an otherwise measurable mood of dour and resigned labour, where the endurance of men was admirably challenged, though emotional suppression was the necessary sufferance to make it so.

She collects the story of the Tandrys in fragments of dialogue and social movement that her surveillance upon the docks grants her over the next few days. Grim as the story was, the harbourfront was divided in its understanding of the tale. As it was, the men most often sided with the belief that Mrs Tandry had unjustly implicated her husband for taking their daughter and drowning her down by the river, and was so passionate in her accusation that she had persuaded her second son to corroborate the tale, alleging that Mr Tandry came home in the middle of the day on the day of their daughter's disappearance, and that he took her out of doors himself.

Mr Tandry's denial had not turned an accusation upon his wife, though there was little doubting the great distance it put between the family. One of the gossiping locals claimed to have seen Mrs Tandry with their daughter upon the wall of the city on the day of the babe's disappearance, and accuses Mrs Tandry of having dropped the girl to her death in the moat.

But who spoke the truth? Neither parent had anticipated the long snow that had strained their family - indeed, the whole community - beyond anything that reason or foresight could have moderated. That either parent was responsible for their daughter's disappearance was abhorrent, but was it not understandable? Is such a leap of psyche not without calculation given the circumstances?

Rahve Siegersson is forced to confront the story upon her return to the city. Songhall had provided no new information to the tale of the Worm Man. Why not? No place was a greater storehouse of knowledge in all the nation. As the days pass on the freezing harbourside, Rahve Siegersson might find herself being dogged by the unwelcome feeling of doubt. Maybe she had simply attached a needless conspiracy of her own to all the rumours already circling the Tandry family.
Heomar Bloodstone

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Obsidian Sea
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Re: Dockside Kidnapping

Postby Obsidian Sea » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:08 am

I don't understand my feelings.

Rahve pulls off the dirty linen shift that covers her body, and runs her fingers along the skin of her midriff.

It is like I have this picture in my head. It keeps changing. And I am never whole.

Rahve rises from the broken cot on which she sits, moving over to look in the mirror that lies, defeated, upon the floor in the corner of her attic. She bends to pick it up, and she feels tall.

I can have friends this way. Maybe.

She thinks about the family that isn't with her any longer. And then, she tries to remember if they ever existed in the first place. Maybe they had just been a picture.

And a family. Maybe.

But the children are scared of me. When I watch them through the window they cry.

It is okay. Do not cry. I am here for you. Your mother is here for you.

In the mirror, Rahve measures the strange and exciting dimensions of her face.

I heard her name spoken the other morning. Egra. Egra has a different shape to the other children. She still cries, but she will learn not to be scared of me. She can learn not to be scared of me. When she is older, I can look like she does. Her mother and her sister.

And I can have a family. My family.


Rahve pulls back the thick curtain of hair that frames one side of her face. A small breath escapes her at the excellency of that side of her face. She can see the breath leave her mouth, as the attic is bereft of warmth and the coldness of the season bears down upon the creaking skylight, and it penetrates the cracked window.

Egra. My Egra.

//OOC: To be continued serverside at the next convenience of both DM and player(s).
Heomar Bloodstone

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