Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 5: We Are Revolution

[Goatkiller666]

Gedeminas spends 1 willpower point to be able to leave his body. He spends another willpower point to communicate with Seska. She clearly hears his voice in her mind, saying "Actually, the rest of us may need to know the details. She certainly does not deserve to be punished, but I would like to talk with both of you once you're back."

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska startles at the disembodied voice, "What witchery is this?" Pulling back the reins in surprise she causes the horse to buck, but manages to regain control quickly.

Her head turns with every word as she speaks to the night, "I mean to our soon-to-be hosts, sirrah. There are no details to know, and fewer still they should be aware of."

"We are not coming back. Someone needs to make sure our sires remain there. Since it will be hours before you leave with all the dilly dallying occurring, Sabine and I shall have to keep our story simple lest you are met with an unpleasant greeting."

[Goatkiller666]

The shortest path for Seska to get to the Inn of the Lion is to follow the stream back to the road, then take the road back through the village and on to the Inn. This would have her riding past Alina / Danukas / Taduz / Olaf.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

Seeing the galloping horse, with girl and Lady on back.

'It appears time is at a premium, the decision of 'when' has been made. Shall we get ourselves going?"

Looking at Alina

"I'm sure they can handle the disposal, we have unfinished business with Cur's Party."

To the Inn "SLAVE. We leave shortly."

Heading to the carriage, checking to make sure my small supplies are on me, I get inside and leave the door open for the others.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska slows the horse to a walk as she nears the group standing over the still shallow grave. "Good, you are gathering. We," she ruffles Sabine's hair, "are riding on."

She pats the horse's neck and brushes his mane with her hand. "That's a good boy. Let's walk a bit while they get in the carriage and underway."

[Alína Nyárí]

The Jewess looks up as her Lady addresses them, and as Taduz opens the carriage door. "You seeing us here as you rode by only firms my resolve to do my best to hide this new grave before departing, milady. I also need to gather my own belongings and I do not see Gedeminas.

"If you are all in a hurry and can not wait for me to finish my duty here, go on ahead. Danukas and I will seek out Gedeminas when we finish and will follow after you."

[Gedeminas]

Gedeminas leaves his wagon reluctantly, then goes to where the rest of the group is. As he arrives, he heads into the Inn, and asks Rodrigo if it is possible to use his wagon instead of the carriage, as, among other things, this would explain why nothing happened to them on the road.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska has the horse pace in circles as she talks, "Gedeminas contacted me with some witchcraft a score of minutes ago. He did not tell you?"

"Regardless, Hardestadt threatened our families and our villages as well as ourselves. Our sires are not likely to remain at their location for long, and I for one wish to catch up to them while we can. I am far more concerned for the well-being of my home than some assassin's remains."

She straightens the horse out to continue on their path, "If we fail, I'll be sure to relay to the spirits of your family your concern."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

"Just set it on fire, or take it to their companions cave. Lady Seska is right."

Out the window towards the inn

"SLAVE!"

Quieter "You'd think his master would have him better trained."

"Sabine, do you think you could ask your, friends, if I might have the toy I gave them when they are done?"

[Goatkiller666]

At Taduz' call, Roderigo steps out of the inn. He listens to Seska's speech, then to Gedeminas' question.

To Gedeminas, Roderigo replies first "If we take your wagon, we have to explain how we got from Lord Hardestadt's castle to Castle Giovanni in order to pick it up. And at this time in the evening, we can explain surviving the assassins by the simple fact that you're all awake now, and easily overpowered them."

He climbs onto the coach, with Taduz inside it. "We're best to keep things as uncomplicated as possible."

[Olaf_Magnusson]

Step up onto the coach. "Let us go then. I chafe at wearing this Hardestadt's collar, yet to do other than he commands would be suicide. I wish to exact my own weregeld, and let them feel Ymir's power which is in me."

[Alína Nyárí]

Alína looks at Danukas. "You will do your best to hide this grave when you finish? I have already gathered some sod and brush to be placed over the freshly dug earth. But it needs to look as natural as possible..."

At Gedeminas' ghoul's nod, the healer hurries to her room and quickly grabs her traveling pack, verifying her small satchels of herbs and other medicinals are properly stowed. Patting herself to verify her chalef is safely sheafed and taking her bow and quiver along with her pack, she makes her way back to the carriage. She glances at the job Danukas is doing, then with a glare at both Taduz and Olaf for rushing her from her task, climbs in to the compartment and sits.

[Sabine]

I get to ride on a horsey! I've never been on a horsey before. I'm very far off the ground. It's like being a bird. Only, I can feel the running, like being a doggy.

"...Also, Sabine, what other forms can you take? Could you, for instance, become a horse?"

Could I be a horsey?

[Sabine gains an animal feature.]

I look at my hands; I have doggy fur on my hands.

"I have doggy fur!"

Maybe instead of being a girl that turns into a doggie, I can be a doggie that turns into a horsey?

[Gedeminas]

Gedeminas sighs at the idea of having to abandon the sole vehicle he had ever used for travel, but gets into the carriage and waits for them to leave.

[Goatkiller666]

Seska and Sabine ride ahead, at a walk until they are sure that Roderigo has started the carriage in motion again. They continue on to the Inn of the Lion, which is a few miles along the road, up the hill. The village they were in, Neusatz, is on the river, which winds around the base of a sharp ridge. The Inn of the Lion is on the top of the ridge, near the river as the crow flies, but it is a long ride from the Inn to the water, as the land is too steep for land travel.

Seska rides her horse from a thick section of forest, so think it even blocked the moonlight from their path briefly, forcing the horse to move cautiously. But as the last trees are left behind, a great vista is opened up before them.



The mighty Danube is hidden behind the curve of the hill below them, and only the countryside across the river is visible for miles on the clear, moonlit night. The road continues on to the left, along the edge of the woods, with the steep descent to the right being not quite a cliff. Up ahead, can be seen a clearing, with a large manor house. Likely in centuries past, some noble wished a vacation retreat, though the sign proclaiming this to be the Inn of the Lion is visible even from here.

Set away from the building of the Inn, which seems to be well kept up, is a rather more shabby looking stable. A spur of trees barely blocks the stable from the view of the inn, and it looks like expense was only paid to keep up those things the inhabitants could see. A few stable hands more about listlessly between the two buildings, but otherwise the place appears pretty quiet at this time of night.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska rides up to one of the stable hands milling about. "Please see to my horse, good sir. There is a carriage not far behind which will need tending as well."

She takes Sabine's hands and helps her half swing, half hop off the horse with her usual enthusiasm. Lifting on leg over the other Seska slides off gracefully then hands the reins to the stable hand.

She starts to dust off then thinks better of it. Instead she bends down to touch the ground then rubs her fingers on her cheeks to dirty them up a bit. "Let's go meet our sires." She walks to the door of the inn and gives it a firm push.

[Sabine]

I pet the horsey on the nose. "Bye bye, horsey!"

I follow Lady Seska into the inn.

I have puppy fur and a tail!

[Goatkiller666]

Inside

The stable hands take Seska's mount, and shuffle off with it towards the ramshackle barn. The Countess and Sabine, suitably dirtied, go into the main door of the manor house inn. There is a main hall, which has been turned into a communal dining room like a normal inn would have. There are expensive looking tapestries on the walls, somewhat faded with time, nodding back to the higher status of the manor's former owners.

The interior is poorly lit, mostly just from the fire and a few windows high up which let in slivers of moonlight. A few tables have dim tallow candles burning on them, or waiting to be burned, but it does little more than alert the viewer to the table's location.

There is a young serving girl, spreading fresh straw upon the floor, and an elderly man working at a table towards the back. It looks as if the innkeeper used that table as his desk. When Seska and Sabine come in, opening the main door in the process, the elderly man looks up at them. They both notice that he glances towards another table, then looks down at his work again. He otherwise makes no response to them.

The young girl also glances at them, and then continues spreading her straw around. She says nothing.

[Neither will speak when spoken to, and will try to ignore everyone.]

Outside

Roderigo drives the carriage to the manor house inn, and stops a bit away from the front door. He opens the door to allow Alina, Gedeminas, Olaf, and Taduz down. He says loudly, "I presume the Lady Seska and that child have gone in, through the main door just there." As Taduz exits, he whispers to him, "I need to look beaten. Quickly, before the stable hands see me closely."

A few of the same listless hands come out of the barn, shuffling along and take charge of the team, once everybody is off. They do not make a point of speaking with anybody, simply driving the carriage to the side of the clearing, and unhitching the horses from it. They take the horses into the barn again, and nothing more is seen of them.

Roderigo watches them go. "Well... perhaps we have a few minutes left to arrange my beating." He glances at Olaf, and shudders.

[Taduz Illyannovich]

He says the nicest things.

"Over here Slave. Olaf, can you block their view, be smug, glower, and generally make it look like you're trying to cow Slave here. He'll look rather beaten in a bit"

Let's see, they can't be fresh injuries, we escaped few days ago, but they can't be totally healed, and some would have to be more recent, a reminder to Be Good.

What did that book say on the body...

[Multiple Vicissitude 1 and 2 and a few applications of 3, combined with medicine for knowledge of the human body and how healed certain injuries should look, using the contemporary knowledge.]

Humming a old Rom tune quietly...

Watching the flesh part, smooth, wrinkle and flow beneath my hands, I make knots, bruises (Discoloration/changing color of skin is viable part of Viss 1), remove 2 teeth, darken the skin around the left eye, and give it the bloodshot look of someone who's either slept off a good drunk, or been thrashed about the head and shoulders. His nose appears to be trying to look to his left slightly. A few good red welts and an abrasion or two at random on his body round it out. Few scrapes/cuts near his mouth, letting a drop of blood leak from the wound, then willing it to harden into a crusted cover.

"Slouch when you walk, favor a leg, look scared, as if you may die any second. You may. Which hand is your strong side?"

Upon his answer, I take his other hand, mold the bone of the little finger into a softer form, bend it back to an angle like it's been broken, and let the bone solidify. Do the same for the ring finger but not as far bent back. Still looks rather painful. The middle finger gets the same treatment, but just barely beyond what would be "normal".

"Your sword arm is fine, your offhand will be of little use. This was your morning commitment to help. Once a day until you were a good lad. It only took you three days."

Looking over my work, rather pleased with the work done, when I stop remembering something.

"That's right, your master's chains make you heal faster. Guess I'll have to undo some of the looks. But really, make it believable. Worse things can happen if this doesn't work."

How long will it last?

This bears viewing. I never thought to ask about how long my work will last...

"Really, doing it the old fashioned way would have been preferred, but you do need to look half healed, your chains are doing you well for once."

I use my dagger to cut a rip or two in his clothes, and rub some dirt into him and his travel apparel.

"That should finish it up. Olaf, does he look like you've had at him a few days ago, with a daily refresher course on good manners?"

I pat my pockets making sure anything I removed, like teeth, are still with me, in case I have to undo my handywork.

[Olaf_Magnusson]

"Yes, he does. Suitably chastised, and allowing for the faster healing he posses. One sound thrashing and a few minor reminders. Well done, Taduz. Your skills are subtle, and you are indeed most canny.", all this said while affixing Roderigo with a baleful glare, fit to match the ire upon the face of Fenris himself ere he maimed Tyr.