Chapter 6: For King and Country?

[merias]

"Hail, good sir. We have no quarrel with you - as of yet." Tarmo pauses here for effect. "But we could use some information. We are looking for a smokey-eyed man, said to have been at this very farm. Do you know of this man and where he is?"

[greyarea]

Milton waits cautiously for their response.

[jcftao]

The woman spits on the ground, "A pox on that devil! He's put some nonsense into our youngin's heads! Them boys run off with him. They ain't been back since."

The old man interrupts, "Cease your caterwauling, woman! Them boy's had no sense from the day they wuz born!"

He looks at the company, "If you can bring 'em back to us, we'll do what we can for you."

"Mother, we've got company. Get out the bottle and the good glasses," and he walks towards the house.

The old woman beckons you all to come inside the little hovel.

[greyarea]

Milton thanks them for the drink and asks about where they might think their children might have gone.

[jcftao]

The old woman uncorks an old bottle, "This was given to my husband by a traveling merchant."

The vintage is quite delicious and a stark contrast to the rest of the house. You notice a small family altar in one corner of the room. It is a shrine to Adalbern, the father of the old gods. The clay symbol of Adalbern is broken and shows signs of a poor repair attempt.

"I can't remember how long that milky eyed stranger has been in the area. I know that he's put a bug in my boy's ears. He said he was a wandering priest. Ha! One look at him and you'd have to wonder who he was serving?", said the old man.

The mother chimes in, "He was asking about the ruins all around these parts...and kept asking me if I new of any old buildings or temples. I never did like the looks of him."

"The boys ran off with him about a month ago. When they come back, Mr. Skinner found they had carved some writings in the barn and had buried a small sack of silver out there. Well, Mr. Skinner kept the silver and the boys got real mad. They've done run off with that milky eyed fellow again."

The old woodcutter opens a cabinet and produces a small bag of silver coins. "All this is yours if you can bring my sons back. They're no good for the most part, but they're all we got."

[greyarea]

Milton nods at the story. Since the God Fall, priests have been left a bit aimless, I guess. Doesn't take much to make one mad, like this guy, I suppose.

I want to take a look at the carved writings on the barn. Can you show those to us?

[jcftao]

Old Farmer Skinner gets up and walks to the barn. His wife stays in the house, you feel she is reluctant to go with you.

"The missus has grown scared of the boys. I can't blame her. They's been acting strange for awhile now...always been different, I guess, but they've done gone mean as of late."

He opens up a small barn. Hay and a small amount of grain is stored here. An empty stall shows no sign of recent use. The old farmer turns and closes the door. In the dim light of the morning sun through the cracks of the barn, the party sees a crudely carved etching in the door. This symbol is repeated many times over the door as if they were practicing. The mark strikes a cold chord in your heart. It is the symbol of Heimos--the god of destruction, the one that killed his family during God Fall.

"Yes, my sons did this...and I'm not proud of them. They've done taken a wrong path, and I don't know if there's any turning back..."

Actions?

[jcftao]

OOC--Still waiting on any actions here...

[merias]

"Are your sons due back here any time soon? We can return and question them if so, or perhaps you know where they might have gone with the smoky-eyed man?" Tarmo asks.

ooc: Do any of us know where a temple to Heimos might be located?

[greyarea]

This is not good, Milton agrees. He waits to the response to Tamro's query.