Date: 52nd of Vhalar, Arc 719
Weapons: Quarterstaff
Status: Cautious
Weapons: Quarterstaff
Armor: Leather
No Current Magical Effects
Praetorum and his band were barely a trial out of Ashara Citadel when they came across the bodies. The forest here was thick, and with the suns sinking down to set, Prae had decided that the three of them should land and ride until they found a good spot to camp, rather than risk flying in the dark. So they'd found what seemed to be a well traveled road, and followed it north, until it wound through a bloody clearing, still illuminated by the setting suns.
"Looks like the Hand of Silence fell hard here." Ricky observed, one hand drifting down to the cutlass at his hip. Spears had been planted at uneven intervals along each side of the road ahead, a corpse mounted on each. Some were human; many were not. Beyond them, Prae could see bodies swinging from trees, some mutilated, others.... strange. Ricky shook his head. "Told you the people here were Kata-touched."
"Don't bloody let the Melrathi hear you say that." Clarissa said gruffly. "Didn't think this was what them at the citadel meant when they said the region had been turned upside down. Seems like that's how it is everywhere we go though."
"Rharne, Etzos, and now Melrath; starting to think Yaralon was the only place that took the fall of Emea well." Prae said, urging his mount closer to some of the bodies. Empty eyes stared back at him, set in faces contorted in pain and fear. The Shieldbearer growled softly, anger lacing through his heart and throat. What a monstrous display.
"Probably because Yaralon was the only damn place that actually got safer once all the fractures closed off." Ricky rode up to Prae, nudging the Ithecal with his elbow. "Come on, nothing we can do about this lot. If it bothers you that much, we ought to tell people at the next village we see, see if anyone knows what's going on."
Prae glanced at him, then nodded curtly, gesturing for his companions to follow him. Forcing down the rage bubbling in his heart, he urged his mount forwards, turning away from the corpses on display. "Eyes and ears open." He ordered as they started to ride through the clearing. "Last thing I want is for us to get ambushed and hung up with these poor blighters."
He didn't turn to see their nods, simply trusting in them after all this time fighting and traveling together. The three of them rode in silence between rows of the dead, and it felt almost like the swinging corpses turned to watch them go. None of them spoke, even as they stepped back into the comforting cover of the forest, which was why, when the first faint sobs came within hearing range, all of them noticed them.
Someone crying. From the left? Prae signed at the others as they came to a stop and dismounted, not wanting to spook whoever was making the noise.
Trying to choke the sobs down, sounds like. A survivor? Clarissa noted. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the forest for any sign of life, before shaking her head slightly.
Maybe. Best to be safe; Ricky, sneak around, cut them off. Clarissa and I will give you a few bits, then we'll try to flush them out. Prae decided.
As Ricky disappeared into the woods, Praetorum settled his mind, and reached outwards, his spark touching all the elements that surrounded them. He could feel the slight disturbance of the air as Ricky snuck through the woods, movement of the dirt under his mounts claws as Sivan kneaded the soil, the slow trickle of water under the ground.
And there, around a hundred feet to his left, the feeling of someone breathing shallowly, hidden in a bush. Just one, so probably no real danger to any of them. Praetorum gestured for Clarissa to stay with their mounts, and then made his way slowly towards the bush, making no attempt at stealth. "Is someone there?" He called out. "You can come out, we don't mean any harm."
From this distance, he saw the bush rustle slightly, but got no response. "We know you're hiding in there, whoever you are. We're not bandits, or whoever killed those people back there; we just want to talk."
"Looks like the Hand of Silence fell hard here." Ricky observed, one hand drifting down to the cutlass at his hip. Spears had been planted at uneven intervals along each side of the road ahead, a corpse mounted on each. Some were human; many were not. Beyond them, Prae could see bodies swinging from trees, some mutilated, others.... strange. Ricky shook his head. "Told you the people here were Kata-touched."
"Don't bloody let the Melrathi hear you say that." Clarissa said gruffly. "Didn't think this was what them at the citadel meant when they said the region had been turned upside down. Seems like that's how it is everywhere we go though."
"Rharne, Etzos, and now Melrath; starting to think Yaralon was the only place that took the fall of Emea well." Prae said, urging his mount closer to some of the bodies. Empty eyes stared back at him, set in faces contorted in pain and fear. The Shieldbearer growled softly, anger lacing through his heart and throat. What a monstrous display.
"Probably because Yaralon was the only damn place that actually got safer once all the fractures closed off." Ricky rode up to Prae, nudging the Ithecal with his elbow. "Come on, nothing we can do about this lot. If it bothers you that much, we ought to tell people at the next village we see, see if anyone knows what's going on."
Prae glanced at him, then nodded curtly, gesturing for his companions to follow him. Forcing down the rage bubbling in his heart, he urged his mount forwards, turning away from the corpses on display. "Eyes and ears open." He ordered as they started to ride through the clearing. "Last thing I want is for us to get ambushed and hung up with these poor blighters."
He didn't turn to see their nods, simply trusting in them after all this time fighting and traveling together. The three of them rode in silence between rows of the dead, and it felt almost like the swinging corpses turned to watch them go. None of them spoke, even as they stepped back into the comforting cover of the forest, which was why, when the first faint sobs came within hearing range, all of them noticed them.
Someone crying. From the left? Prae signed at the others as they came to a stop and dismounted, not wanting to spook whoever was making the noise.
Trying to choke the sobs down, sounds like. A survivor? Clarissa noted. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the forest for any sign of life, before shaking her head slightly.
Maybe. Best to be safe; Ricky, sneak around, cut them off. Clarissa and I will give you a few bits, then we'll try to flush them out. Prae decided.
As Ricky disappeared into the woods, Praetorum settled his mind, and reached outwards, his spark touching all the elements that surrounded them. He could feel the slight disturbance of the air as Ricky snuck through the woods, movement of the dirt under his mounts claws as Sivan kneaded the soil, the slow trickle of water under the ground.
And there, around a hundred feet to his left, the feeling of someone breathing shallowly, hidden in a bush. Just one, so probably no real danger to any of them. Praetorum gestured for Clarissa to stay with their mounts, and then made his way slowly towards the bush, making no attempt at stealth. "Is someone there?" He called out. "You can come out, we don't mean any harm."
From this distance, he saw the bush rustle slightly, but got no response. "We know you're hiding in there, whoever you are. We're not bandits, or whoever killed those people back there; we just want to talk."
