“I think that the conscripts will remember this day well, perhaps choose another path. The blood thirsty one here is the general ….” He turns and looks at Gaz “and him.” He pauses and then says, “But I believe Gaz, this seems like a setup and his life would have ended if we didn’t show up. I think the general has more responsibility to bear here.” He turns back to Gaz. “Do you have a court system among your people, could he have representation and go to trial for his crimes, have a fair evaluation of what he has done? Or be held prisoner until this has ended?”
Persuasion : 14
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"I am a soldier in the grand scheme of a war. I do not give the commands. Do you think any of us wants to do the work we do?" The General scowls, removes his helmet, and throws it to the ground. The remaining Wilderlings make quick work of stripping the Imperials of their weapons and gear. "You assume we're here of our own will. No - most of us are street rats and orphans from the Imperial capital overseas. We're here now, told we would simply be scouting woods." The General sighs, though steel remains in his eyes.
"Yeah, like I said." Alabaster says with a sardonic smile. "The Imperium cares crap about you. You think they'll bat an eye if we kill you right here and now? You follow their orders, do what they tell you to do, and for what?"
"We fight because we don't have another choice. We have children - parents - loved ones to feed on the mainland. We don't care about ourselves - we fight for them, not honor, not for what's 'right', not for the crown."
“Do you have a court system among your people, could he have representation and go to trial for his crimes, have a fair evaluation of what he has done? Or be held prisoner until this has ended?”
"Not with my lot. What do you expect? We're Outcasts, all we have are our lives and our clothes. But I will say - killing the lapdogs of murderers of our people and thieves of our land seems just enough to me."
Thea slowly runs both her hands over her face, as if trying to fully wake up after a bad dream. She can't help but slowly shake her head in response to what shes hearing. "The general isn't blood thirsty, he's just the next power hungry ******* that was happy to step in line. No grasp of his own mortality until we stepped in and made him face it. And he," Thea says with a nod in Gaz's direction, "is already way too deep down the cycle of hatred. Dear gods..." she says, accompanied with a deep sigh, now rather mumbling to herself more than talking to anyone directly. "I can't believe after so many years of conflict everyone's still so thirsty for useless violence...at least that blasted Ochori in the cave was smart about it." Again, she can't help but shake her head. Then she turns to Erbert and just shrugs. "You know what, just let 'em at it. We'll just leave. We've got something to do after all, something with an actual purpose. We may have evened the odds a bit, but Gaz's little crew won't hold down those Imps, and they're just interested in staying alive." The ongoing argument starts to weigh on her, combining with the burden of journey during the day and the panicked fight, Thea feels resignation take over. "No use playing preschool worker for people with no regard for their own lifes."
Malon manages to do a convincing job of trying not to show weakness again from all the events around him. As the discussion goes, he is torn one side and the other, none solution seeming good enough to him.
He watches the Imps, remembering he went close to share the fate of those poor sods. Then Iver and his heartbreaking speech about his past, as a gladiator of sort. Then at Gaz and Alabaster, who both have seen a lot of horror perpetrated only in the name of conquest.
They both have their reasons, and although the thought horrifies him, Malon tries to listen in the end to pragmatism.
"They ... know our faces, now." He says showing the Imps, his quiet voice being even more muffled as his eyes avert anyone that could look at him.
Erbert laughs at Thea and says "You know, you're right. I'm done here. I feel like I'm talking to a wall on both sides. I don't feel like we've changed any minds, we've just wasted our time." He begins walking back to the campsite to gather his things, the fire keeps burning on the weapons as long as he is within range. Before packing up, he takes some notes in his journal. He notes the name of the General and the attack that was made, Gaz and the wilderlings and their equally bloodthirsty response, He draws a nice picture of swords and spears in a bonfire, being consumed. He labels the drawing, "War, what is it good for?"
With his pack loaded, he heads back to his companions, preparing to be on his way.
"Yeah, you guys go." Alabaster says lazily, crossing his arms. "I'm going to stay with Gaz and help his people. Because there is no way I'm siding with a Imperial ass kisser."
"Word of advice," He glances at the halfing and the back at Thea, "He's only sticking to his sanctimonious speech because it favors the Imperials. Think about it, who has the most to gain when the Wilderlings stop fighting back? At this point, it will only benefit the Imperials. If an Imperial kills fifty Wilderlings, we shouldn't fight back, because that would make fifty-one people dead instead of fifty, and that would be bad, right?" He tosses Gaz a look, seeming to look for a laugh to his joke. "Anyway, don't expect him to stick to his words when the table is turned."
Malon manages to do a convincing job of trying not to show weakness again from all the events around him. As the discussion goes, he is torn one side and the other, none solution seeming good enough to him.
He watches the Imps, remembering he went close to share the fate of those poor sods. Then Iver and his heartbreaking speech about his past, as a gladiator of sort. Then at Gaz and Alabaster, who both have seen a lot of horror perpetrated only in the name of conquest.
They both have their reasons, and although the though horrifies him, Malon tries to listen in the end to pragmatism.
"They ... know our faces, now." He says showing the Imps, his quiet voice being even more muffled as his eyes avert anyone that could look at him.
"Then kill them or let Gaz and his people do so. Knowing our faces won't do anything if they're dead. Besides, the world's not gonna be worse place if there are a few less Imperials in it."
A raucous, bloodied laugh erupts from Gaz following Alabaster's comment. The fire crackles over the weapons confiscated from the half-dozen remaining Imperials as Erbert and Thea turn from the tense clearing. During the conflict, the sun has nearly set - the shadows of the trees begin to loom over the gathered soldiers, wilderlings, and adventurers.
The Guard who Herrena saved taps her shoulder and, face white as parchment, presses some sort of trinket into her palm. "Look, I - I don't know what to say but thank you. Here's something to remember. If you ever find your way to the Western Outpost - it's a good deal north from the Ochori - give this to a guy named Milo, right? He'll know what to do with it." A Wilderling brandishes a spear - the guard steps back and nervously swallows.
Gaz pauses, swivels around, and cups his hands, bellowing out towards Erbert. "You know? You're not wrong, gnome. I'll take these folks to some Outcast camp. Let them be tried for what they've done," Gaz replies with a half-smile over his scarred face. His tone indicates he already knew the verdict - and judging by the dismay and horror in the Imperial's eyes, they knew it, as well.
The General begins to shout in protest before Gaz cracks him in the jaw with another punch, and swinging his armored, unconscious form over his shoulder, the Wood Elf turns towards the party. "You've been good to the Wilderlings - at least the Outcasts. We'll remember it. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need anything." Gaz flashes a wild grin to the party before turning and commanding the Wilderlings to usher the disarmed guards at spearpoint. The arrangement directly enters the woods, rather than follow one path or another - and unless anyone has anything else to say, disappear into the night.
Iver waits until Gaz and the Wilderlings are gone. He disagrees with the decision, of course, but he knows his words fall on deaf ears at this point. Peace was always harder to make than war. Once they're finally gone, Iver addresses Erbert first, but also Thea at the same time. "We all know the trial won't be fair, and we all know what the verdict will be. Look at what you've done - you flipped the tables, but didn't change the situation at all. At least with the Imperials, you can be sure they'll follow their orders and take their prisoners all the way to trial. Now, I'll be surprised if they'll reach their trial alive. Make no mistakes, their blood is on your hands." He then turns, then walks up to Alabaster. The small figure staring right up at the tall Human. "Last time my words stopped a fight, I am sure they saved more Zavas lives than Imperial ones. Do you know why? Because I talked, rather than drawing my swords. How many people have you saved from pointless fighting? Or are their sacrifices justifiable by the ends of killing all Imperials? Which of us truly has more Wilderling blood on their hands - by their own choices - tell me? That's what I thought."
Thea gives Iver a weary look as she runs a hand through her hair in resignation. "You think I don't know that? My inability to end this properly is going to haunt my nightmares for the every time I fall asleep." She turns to face him fully. "I should have been able to handle this...somehow." Thea looks down on her hands, a somewhat lost facial expression on her face, and all of a sudden it becomes clearly visible that for an elf, she's barely reached the age of adulthood yet. "But you're not the only one who lost his 'life' to this conflict. I won't deny that Wilderlings have their own loathsomeness. The cruelties my people sometimes commit are unspeakable. What happened to me might be by no means as heartbreaking as what the Wilderlings did to you. But in the end, I was still just a kid when this war started. I was just a kid when it took the most important person in my life from me."
For a moment, Theas hands unconsciously wonder up to her necklace, clutching the pendant hidden behind her robe. "For the only reason of wanting the groungs we live on. Because the empire couldn't be satiated with their past conquests, and because violence was the only tool they knew how to handle. So I've been where Gaz and Alabster are now. I'm in the process of growing out of it, but that does not mean I don't understand their feelings."
Letting go of the pendant now that she realizes shes holding onto it, she locks eyes with Iver again. "And if you really think the imperials are handing out fair trials, you're simply wrong. Gaz said he was an Outcast. The only thing of value those people have left is their community, and he watched those people get slaughtered in front of his eyes. Quite obviously, he seeks revenge, because the way your people marched in here is exceptionally good at creating martyrs. Now they leave the area they conquered and bring orders for execution into out territories. Do you really believe Gaz would have had a fair trial? That there would have been a single person counting the deaths causing his insanity against the ones he caused among the imperials? Your trials might be fair for your own people, but not even those committing war crimes are held accountable. You saw that general spin on his heels to had me cuffed while I was still talking to him. He did that because he was scared for his life, because he knew he was in a place he had no right to be. If people like you and him would stop listening to their propaganda and develop a basic sense of reason and self-preservation, that empire of yours wouldn't even have the numbers to continue waging these genocides."
As the Wilderlings take away the Imperium soldiers, Malon finds a stump to sit and take a breather. He slightly nods at Thea's words, and speaks up, his voice getting a bit louder than usual.
"Don't you see, didn't you hear ? There was no peaceful resolve in that. I've had a glimpse of Imperium trials, you know, and whatever unfair the trial those soldiers will get, I think that would be a match. Maybe it looks like we just traded a horror for another, but what were we to expect ? That they'd stop, shake hands and dance together because of our nice words ?"
He shakes his head.
"That's probably none of my business but now I'm getting curious to why a group with such radically opposed views wants to go together to the Torkens."
He eyes each of them. Despite his show, his body language naturally resumes its gentle demeanor.
Erbert walks on in silence, the usually verbose gnome is struck by the recent encounter. Speaking lowly to himself, "Mmm hmm. Makes no sense. We of the Morka just want to be left alone...why can't things go back to the way they were..." Periodically his eyes roll back and he looks through Hoppy's eyes far above them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"You people are heading to meet the Torkens?" Nico says, eyeing them curiously. "I don't know what business you have with them, but I'm from that tribe and I can tell you that if you're going to sympathize with the Imperials, they're going to take that just as well as Gaz and his men are." Nico looks at everyone as he says that, but he does linger on Iver, given that he's the one that seems to be sympathizing the most with them.
As the campfires crackle, conversations happen between the jumbled companions recently met. You're free to take a Long Rest overnight whenever you choose.
The Guard who Herrena saved taps her shoulder and, face white as parchment, presses some sort of trinket into her palm. "Look, I - I don't know what to say but thank you. Here's something to remember. If you ever find your way to the Western Outpost - it's a good deal north from the Ochori - give this to a guy named Milo, right? He'll know what to do with it." A Wilderling brandishes a spear - the guard steps back and nervously swallows.
As the group returned to their campfire, Herrena was uncharacteristically silent. In fact, she had barely spoken a word since her failed attempt at calming everyone down mid-fight. She couldn't even muster more than an sad and awkward thank you - and sorry - to the soldier she had "saved" as he handed her the trinket and information on one of the people she sought. She held that item (ooc: what does it look like?) in her hands as she sat a ways back from the fire, knees to chest and eyes looking off into the distance. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get the sight of the captive soldiers' faces out of her mind; the horrified faces of those who know their time is running short.
As she half listened to the conversation around her, she came to realize how lucky she had been despite her own struggles in the past. Her training under The Master had inadvertently sheltered her from the greater conflicts occurring deeper within the Wilderness. And even the past few years on her own she had somehow managed to avoid major confrontations between any of the major powers living on the island. Sighing inwardly to herself, it was just another reminder of how naïve she still was despite her best efforts. She would remember this event she told herself, but she wouldn't let it distract her long term or weigh her down. Distractions are how you end up dead silly girl, her master's voice rang in her head, causing her to smile slightly at the memory. But she would move on tomorrow and be her normal chipper self. Tonight though, she allowed herself to be a little glum; for growth's sake of course.
"We're headed to Torken territory, to find someone and move on. I hope we wouldn't be there long enough to have a debate about killing strangers we see on the road." Iver responds to Nico. "And then, the Torken I met in my past claimed to be honourous. Ones who wouldn't attack me in my sleep. Can I trust the lot of you the same way? The Torken will be no threat if I die to an Imperial-hating Wilderling before the sun rises tomorrow."
Erven looks at Iver and says "You have no worry from me, my friend. I wish to achieve our task, yes, but I really wish for a way forward in peace. Killing people in their sleep, or when they are defenseless - it makes no sense, and it is just wrong. How I wish I was back in my maester's library, sniffing and reading his rows upon rows of books! I never thought I would say that, but today seems to be a day of firsts."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"No one else is going to get hurt or die tonight. At least not on my watch..." Herrena began, momentarily breaking out of her reverie. Turning to the newcomers, she added, "And my comrades are correct. We are on our way to the Torken. And since we already have a camp set up, you're welcome to share it with us if you'd like. After that, well, if you are heading in the same direction, you can join us as well - assuming you all can manage to be civil." She paused to look at the whole party this time before sighing and finishing with, "I've had enough philosophical talk today for half a lifetime at least."
"We're not sympathizing with the empire" Thea replies to Nico in a way that feels like a threatened cat hissing back at an offender, "We're siding with basic instincts of self-preservation. And yes, as Iver said, we're headed there for a job. One that's probably gonna keep us quite busy at that. You're welcome to join if you know the fastest way to get there and a means identify our contact. We all randomly signed up for a job at the Zavas's originally. Even cleared up a conflict with some Imps harassing a merchant that was about to get bloody..." she says, with a rather pointed look in the direction of Nico, but then smiles as she hers her comrades form the earlier job speak out against any further ensuing violence.
“I think that the conscripts will remember this day well, perhaps choose another path. The blood thirsty one here is the general ….” He turns and looks at Gaz “and him.” He pauses and then says, “But I believe Gaz, this seems like a setup and his life would have ended if we didn’t show up. I think the general has more responsibility to bear here.” He turns back to Gaz. “Do you have a court system among your people, could he have representation and go to trial for his crimes, have a fair evaluation of what he has done? Or be held prisoner until this has ended?”
Persuasion : 14
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Not with my lot. What do you expect? We're Outcasts, all we have are our lives and our clothes. But I will say - killing the lapdogs of murderers of our people and thieves of our land seems just enough to me."
Persuasion: 3
Thea slowly runs both her hands over her face, as if trying to fully wake up after a bad dream. She can't help but slowly shake her head in response to what shes hearing. "The general isn't blood thirsty, he's just the next power hungry ******* that was happy to step in line. No grasp of his own mortality until we stepped in and made him face it. And he," Thea says with a nod in Gaz's direction, "is already way too deep down the cycle of hatred. Dear gods..." she says, accompanied with a deep sigh, now rather mumbling to herself more than talking to anyone directly. "I can't believe after so many years of conflict everyone's still so thirsty for useless violence...at least that blasted Ochori in the cave was smart about it." Again, she can't help but shake her head. Then she turns to Erbert and just shrugs. "You know what, just let 'em at it. We'll just leave. We've got something to do after all, something with an actual purpose. We may have evened the odds a bit, but Gaz's little crew won't hold down those Imps, and they're just interested in staying alive." The ongoing argument starts to weigh on her, combining with the burden of journey during the day and the panicked fight, Thea feels resignation take over. "No use playing preschool worker for people with no regard for their own lifes."
Malon manages to do a convincing job of trying not to show weakness again from all the events around him. As the discussion goes, he is torn one side and the other, none solution seeming good enough to him.
He watches the Imps, remembering he went close to share the fate of those poor sods. Then Iver and his heartbreaking speech about his past, as a gladiator of sort. Then at Gaz and Alabaster, who both have seen a lot of horror perpetrated only in the name of conquest.
They both have their reasons, and although the thought horrifies him, Malon tries to listen in the end to pragmatism.
"They ... know our faces, now." He says showing the Imps, his quiet voice being even more muffled as his eyes avert anyone that could look at him.
Malon : Kalashtar Ranger
Goramar : Half-Orc Ranger
Erbert laughs at Thea and says "You know, you're right. I'm done here. I feel like I'm talking to a wall on both sides. I don't feel like we've changed any minds, we've just wasted our time." He begins walking back to the campsite to gather his things, the fire keeps burning on the weapons as long as he is within range. Before packing up, he takes some notes in his journal. He notes the name of the General and the attack that was made, Gaz and the wilderlings and their equally bloodthirsty response, He draws a nice picture of swords and spears in a bonfire, being consumed. He labels the drawing, "War, what is it good for?"
With his pack loaded, he heads back to his companions, preparing to be on his way.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"Yeah, you guys go." Alabaster says lazily, crossing his arms. "I'm going to stay with Gaz and help his people. Because there is no way I'm siding with a Imperial ass kisser."
"Word of advice," He glances at the halfing and the back at Thea, "He's only sticking to his sanctimonious speech because it favors the Imperials. Think about it, who has the most to gain when the Wilderlings stop fighting back? At this point, it will only benefit the Imperials. If an Imperial kills fifty Wilderlings, we shouldn't fight back, because that would make fifty-one people dead instead of fifty, and that would be bad, right?" He tosses Gaz a look, seeming to look for a laugh to his joke. "Anyway, don't expect him to stick to his words when the table is turned."
"Then kill them or let Gaz and his people do so. Knowing our faces won't do anything if they're dead. Besides, the world's not gonna be worse place if there are a few less Imperials in it."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
A raucous, bloodied laugh erupts from Gaz following Alabaster's comment. The fire crackles over the weapons confiscated from the half-dozen remaining Imperials as Erbert and Thea turn from the tense clearing. During the conflict, the sun has nearly set - the shadows of the trees begin to loom over the gathered soldiers, wilderlings, and adventurers.
The Guard who Herrena saved taps her shoulder and, face white as parchment, presses some sort of trinket into her palm. "Look, I - I don't know what to say but thank you. Here's something to remember. If you ever find your way to the Western Outpost - it's a good deal north from the Ochori - give this to a guy named Milo, right? He'll know what to do with it." A Wilderling brandishes a spear - the guard steps back and nervously swallows.
Gaz pauses, swivels around, and cups his hands, bellowing out towards Erbert. "You know? You're not wrong, gnome. I'll take these folks to some Outcast camp. Let them be tried for what they've done," Gaz replies with a half-smile over his scarred face. His tone indicates he already knew the verdict - and judging by the dismay and horror in the Imperial's eyes, they knew it, as well.
The General begins to shout in protest before Gaz cracks him in the jaw with another punch, and swinging his armored, unconscious form over his shoulder, the Wood Elf turns towards the party. "You've been good to the Wilderlings - at least the Outcasts. We'll remember it. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need anything." Gaz flashes a wild grin to the party before turning and commanding the Wilderlings to usher the disarmed guards at spearpoint. The arrangement directly enters the woods, rather than follow one path or another - and unless anyone has anything else to say, disappear into the night.
Iver waits until Gaz and the Wilderlings are gone. He disagrees with the decision, of course, but he knows his words fall on deaf ears at this point. Peace was always harder to make than war.
Once they're finally gone, Iver addresses Erbert first, but also Thea at the same time. "We all know the trial won't be fair, and we all know what the verdict will be. Look at what you've done - you flipped the tables, but didn't change the situation at all. At least with the Imperials, you can be sure they'll follow their orders and take their prisoners all the way to trial. Now, I'll be surprised if they'll reach their trial alive. Make no mistakes, their blood is on your hands."
He then turns, then walks up to Alabaster. The small figure staring right up at the tall Human. "Last time my words stopped a fight, I am sure they saved more Zavas lives than Imperial ones. Do you know why? Because I talked, rather than drawing my swords. How many people have you saved from pointless fighting? Or are their sacrifices justifiable by the ends of killing all Imperials? Which of us truly has more Wilderling blood on their hands - by their own choices - tell me? That's what I thought."
Varielky
Thea gives Iver a weary look as she runs a hand through her hair in resignation. "You think I don't know that? My inability to end this properly is going to haunt my nightmares for the every time I fall asleep." She turns to face him fully. "I should have been able to handle this...somehow." Thea looks down on her hands, a somewhat lost facial expression on her face, and all of a sudden it becomes clearly visible that for an elf, she's barely reached the age of adulthood yet. "But you're not the only one who lost his 'life' to this conflict. I won't deny that Wilderlings have their own loathsomeness. The cruelties my people sometimes commit are unspeakable. What happened to me might be by no means as heartbreaking as what the Wilderlings did to you. But in the end, I was still just a kid when this war started. I was just a kid when it took the most important person in my life from me."
For a moment, Theas hands unconsciously wonder up to her necklace, clutching the pendant hidden behind her robe. "For the only reason of wanting the groungs we live on. Because the empire couldn't be satiated with their past conquests, and because violence was the only tool they knew how to handle. So I've been where Gaz and Alabster are now. I'm in the process of growing out of it, but that does not mean I don't understand their feelings."
Letting go of the pendant now that she realizes shes holding onto it, she locks eyes with Iver again. "And if you really think the imperials are handing out fair trials, you're simply wrong. Gaz said he was an Outcast. The only thing of value those people have left is their community, and he watched those people get slaughtered in front of his eyes. Quite obviously, he seeks revenge, because the way your people marched in here is exceptionally good at creating martyrs. Now they leave the area they conquered and bring orders for execution into out territories. Do you really believe Gaz would have had a fair trial? That there would have been a single person counting the deaths causing his insanity against the ones he caused among the imperials? Your trials might be fair for your own people, but not even those committing war crimes are held accountable. You saw that general spin on his heels to had me cuffed while I was still talking to him. He did that because he was scared for his life, because he knew he was in a place he had no right to be. If people like you and him would stop listening to their propaganda and develop a basic sense of reason and self-preservation, that empire of yours wouldn't even have the numbers to continue waging these genocides."
As the Wilderlings take away the Imperium soldiers, Malon finds a stump to sit and take a breather. He slightly nods at Thea's words, and speaks up, his voice getting a bit louder than usual.
"Don't you see, didn't you hear ? There was no peaceful resolve in that. I've had a glimpse of Imperium trials, you know, and whatever unfair the trial those soldiers will get, I think that would be a match. Maybe it looks like we just traded a horror for another, but what were we to expect ? That they'd stop, shake hands and dance together because of our nice words ?"
He shakes his head.
"That's probably none of my business but now I'm getting curious to why a group with such radically opposed views wants to go together to the Torkens."
He eyes each of them. Despite his show, his body language naturally resumes its gentle demeanor.
Malon : Kalashtar Ranger
Goramar : Half-Orc Ranger
Erbert walks on in silence, the usually verbose gnome is struck by the recent encounter. Speaking lowly to himself, "Mmm hmm. Makes no sense. We of the Morka just want to be left alone...why can't things go back to the way they were..." Periodically his eyes roll back and he looks through Hoppy's eyes far above them.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"You people are heading to meet the Torkens?" Nico says, eyeing them curiously. "I don't know what business you have with them, but I'm from that tribe and I can tell you that if you're going to sympathize with the Imperials, they're going to take that just as well as Gaz and his men are." Nico looks at everyone as he says that, but he does linger on Iver, given that he's the one that seems to be sympathizing the most with them.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
As the campfires crackle, conversations happen between the jumbled companions recently met. You're free to take a Long Rest overnight whenever you choose.
As the group returned to their campfire, Herrena was uncharacteristically silent. In fact, she had barely spoken a word since her failed attempt at calming everyone down mid-fight. She couldn't even muster more than an sad and awkward thank you - and sorry - to the soldier she had "saved" as he handed her the trinket and information on one of the people she sought. She held that item (ooc: what does it look like?) in her hands as she sat a ways back from the fire, knees to chest and eyes looking off into the distance. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get the sight of the captive soldiers' faces out of her mind; the horrified faces of those who know their time is running short.
As she half listened to the conversation around her, she came to realize how lucky she had been despite her own struggles in the past. Her training under The Master had inadvertently sheltered her from the greater conflicts occurring deeper within the Wilderness. And even the past few years on her own she had somehow managed to avoid major confrontations between any of the major powers living on the island. Sighing inwardly to herself, it was just another reminder of how naïve she still was despite her best efforts. She would remember this event she told herself, but she wouldn't let it distract her long term or weigh her down. Distractions are how you end up dead silly girl, her master's voice rang in her head, causing her to smile slightly at the memory. But she would move on tomorrow and be her normal chipper self. Tonight though, she allowed herself to be a little glum; for growth's sake of course.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
"We're headed to Torken territory, to find someone and move on. I hope we wouldn't be there long enough to have a debate about killing strangers we see on the road." Iver responds to Nico. "And then, the Torken I met in my past claimed to be honourous. Ones who wouldn't attack me in my sleep. Can I trust the lot of you the same way? The Torken will be no threat if I die to an Imperial-hating Wilderling before the sun rises tomorrow."
Varielky
Erven looks at Iver and says "You have no worry from me, my friend. I wish to achieve our task, yes, but I really wish for a way forward in peace. Killing people in their sleep, or when they are defenseless - it makes no sense, and it is just wrong. How I wish I was back in my maester's library, sniffing and reading his rows upon rows of books! I never thought I would say that, but today seems to be a day of firsts."
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
"No one else is going to get hurt or die tonight. At least not on my watch..." Herrena began, momentarily breaking out of her reverie. Turning to the newcomers, she added, "And my comrades are correct. We are on our way to the Torken. And since we already have a camp set up, you're welcome to share it with us if you'd like. After that, well, if you are heading in the same direction, you can join us as well - assuming you all can manage to be civil." She paused to look at the whole party this time before sighing and finishing with, "I've had enough philosophical talk today for half a lifetime at least."
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
"We're not sympathizing with the empire" Thea replies to Nico in a way that feels like a threatened cat hissing back at an offender, "We're siding with basic instincts of self-preservation. And yes, as Iver said, we're headed there for a job. One that's probably gonna keep us quite busy at that. You're welcome to join if you know the fastest way to get there and a means identify our contact. We all randomly signed up for a job at the Zavas's originally. Even cleared up a conflict with some Imps harassing a merchant that was about to get bloody..." she says, with a rather pointed look in the direction of Nico, but then smiles as she hers her comrades form the earlier job speak out against any further ensuing violence.
"I'm a Torken. We're warriors, not assassins. I'm not going to kill you in your sleep."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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