Logs > Gamma Logs > The Child's Sweet Face

The Child's Sweet Face

[Great Forest Basin, Along The Cliff Edge]
Dark and foreboding, a mammoth crevasse has opened up to the east, blocking further passage in that direction. Densely packed dyrewoods arise from the earthen soil in great numbers, filling the sky with their plumage. Sword ferns dot the forest floor, while sagebrush grows in the exposed areas along the cliff's edge. You see an Imperial Guardsman. Also here is Valorian, Kietal, Illuriel, Tarshin, and Khregen.
The only obvious exit is west.

Khregen says, "She is courtin Vargus an ye call er wise."
Kietal says, "Laughing at the line, true though it is."
Khregen grins from ear to ear, eyes a twinkling.
An Imperial Guardsman looks down into the crevasse.
An Imperial Guardsman nods to you.
You nod to an Imperial Guardsman politely.
Illuriel walks over to you.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Well met."
Illuriel hugs you.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "We meet the other day Milord."
You ask, "Hail. What's going on this eve?"
Khregen says, "Ello friend jurion."
You hug Illuriel.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Outside of Never."
You ask, "Thind, was it?"
An Imperial Guardsman says, "I am Adaen."
Illuriel says, "I'll go get Mae."
An Imperial Guardsman grins.
Illuriel disbands her group.
Illuriel says, "Be right back."
You say, "Really? I beg your pardon."

[You'll remember that in "On the Middle of the Fence" the Imperial Guardsman identifies himself as Thind, but in this log he's Adaen. Continuity, people, continuity! ]

Illuriel walks west.
You grin quickly at an Imperial Guardsman.
An Imperial Guardsman smiles at you.
You ask, "Is there some trouble that you're all out on the road?"
Khregen says, "We might as well meet em at de fissure save em de climb."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "We are looking for a lost child."
Kietal says, "Looking for Sally."
Kietal says, "Going to check the forest."
An Imperial Guardsman asks, "Have ye heard?"
Shafte skips across to the other side without incident.
You say, "Yes, and I hope you find her. The whole town's up in arms about it."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Been gone from her mother for days."
An Imperial Guardsman nods to Shafte.
Valorian nods to Shafte.
An Imperial Guardsman walks over to Shafte.
An Imperial Guardsman pats Shafte on the back.
Shafte says, "Three hunters later."
Shafte grins.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Glad to see you made it."
Kietal says, "Oh good, only missing Ill and Mae now."
Valorian peers off to the west.
An Imperial Guardsman points at the dark crevasse.
Shafte asks, "Who leads now?"
Valorian frowns.
Valorian walks west.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Maeve fell."
An Imperial Guardsman cracks his knuckles.
An Imperial Guardsman nods to Kietal.
An Imperial Guardsman paces back and forth.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "This damn trip."
Kietal whistles a little tune.
You say, "Well, good luck to you. With a party this size you're sure to have some hope."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Every moment counts."
An Imperial Guardsman asks, "Will ye join us?"
You say, "If I happen on her, I'll give a yell."
Illuriel walks in.
Illuriel's group follows her.
You say, "Nay, I've no talent for searching."
Illuriel says, "Found her."
Illuriel giggles.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "We could use all the searchers we can get."
Maeve walks over to you.
Maeve hugs you.
An Imperial Guardsman nods to Illuriel.
Illuriel's right eye has been healed.
An Imperial Guardsman joins Illuriel's group.
You say, "I think you've aplenty now."
You smile wryly.
You hug Maeve.
You say, "I wish you good luck, though."
An Imperial Guardsman asks, "Perhaps we can make the wood without incident?"
Kietal laughs.
You say, "Take care."

[ Went to Never, and on the way back...]

[Vinre Road, Valley Plains]
Towards the west, the road heads up a wooded knoll, marking the western border of the valley plains. Easterly, a stone monolith, tucked into the curve of the ridge, looms over the trail. Sagebrush mingled with spear grass and polder wheat blanket the valley floor, broken only by boulders and rocks that lie scattered about. You see a braided-handle ash longbow, a blood-streaked low-steel greataxe, and an Imperial Guardsman. Also here is Deloria, Vargus, Valorian, Kietal, Shafte, Illuriel, Tarshin, and Maeve.
Obvious exits are east and up.

You ask, "What's happened?"
Shafte's jaw sets like steel.
Maeve says, "The child be dead."
Kietal shakes his head.
You open your mouth as if to say something.
Maeve gets a mighty low-steel handaxe from a polished horn thigh sheath.
Maeve says, "They'll pay for this."
Shafte asks, "Who leads?"
Illuriel asks, "Who's leading?"
Shafte says, "I d-d-don't care who."
Maeve stares off into the distance.
Deloria shakes with rage.

> l guard
The Imperial Guardsman is a human male in his late thirties with short brown curly hair, steely blue eyes, a rugged complexion and a stern mouth above his firm jaw. The Guardsman has a mustache, a short goatee and a muscular build.
An Imperial Guardsman is holding a badly-beaten dead child in his left hand and a silk-lined hunter green serge cloak in his right hand.
He is wearing an imperial issue leather sheath, some polished imperial issue plate, some polished black leather boots, an imperial issue steel shield, and an imperial issue cloak.

> l guard's child
Black and blue marks mar the sweet gentle face of this poor dead child. A little girl about two years of age, this child has been bitten and beaten until she surcame to the pain and passed on. Fingers missing, and blood streaming from her bashed in nose, this child is almost too much to look at. A deep slice in the center of the child's chest appears to have been made by a large sharp instrument.

An Imperial Guardsman says, "Ohhh look."
Valorian inspects his blades and looks up with a burning gleam in his eyes, ready for war.
An Imperial Guardsman points at a blood-streaked low-steel greataxe.
Illuriel rubs her eyes.

> l great
This bloodied greataxe appears to be newly purchased. The initial "O" appears in the center of the haft.

Maeve says, "O."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Recently purchased."
Maeve ponders the situation.
Illuriel gasps.
Deloria exclaims, "Val!"
An Imperial Guardsman kneels down on the rutted road.
An Imperial Guardsman touches a blood-streaked low-steel greataxe.
Maeve slings her threaded forest green cotton knapsack on her back.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "This is what killed the child."
Maeve says, "Best take it along."
Illuriel glances at Deloria.
You ask, "Is it... Is it too late to take her to a priest?"
Tarshin says, "It has someone initial on it."
Valorian glances at Deloria.
Maeve says, "We tried a coin."
Kietal says, "An "O""
Illuriel cries.
Kietal picks up a blood-streaked low-steel greataxe.
An Imperial Guardsman exclaims, "The rumors about townspeople buying weapons for the orcs is true!"
An Imperial Guardsman growls.
Vargus puts a brown-feathered vyrewood long arrow in his tooled brown quiver.
Kietal mutters.
Maeve squints.
Maeve says, "Aye."
Deloria weeps.
Maeve winces.
Illuriel fidgets.
Maeve rubs Deloria gently.
An Imperial Guardsman exclaims, "See what it means to side with vermin!"
Illuriel walks over to Deloria.
Illuriel rubs Deloria gently.
Kietal spits on the ground.
An Imperial Guardsman raises his badly-beaten dead child into the air.
Illuriel hugs Deloria.
An Imperial Guardsman exclaims, "This is what we get!"
Kietal walks over to Illuriel.
Kietal wraps Illuriel in his arms, consoling her.
An Imperial Guardsman cradles the child in his arms.
Illuriel hugs Kietal.
An Imperial Guardsman shakes his head.
An Imperial Guardsman joins Illuriel's group.
Maeve asks, "Ye think the guard can speak to this fellow now?"
Shafte hangs his head.
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Let us go to the mother's cottage."
Deloria whispers something to Valorian.
Valorian peers off to the east.
Maeve says, "Surely there's crime now."
An Imperial Guardsman asks, "Do you know the way?"
An Imperial Guardsman says, "Who will tell her."
An Imperial Guardsman sobs.
Maeve says, "We'll all go."
An Imperial Guardsman hugs the child to his chest.
Illuriel says, "I don't think I can lead..."
Maeve says, "Offer our sympathies."
Illuriel cries.
Valorian whispers something to Deloria.
An Imperial Guardsman sobs.
Maeve says, "Gus knows the way."
Shafte says, "I k-k-know m-mo-most the way."
Illuriel buries her face in her hands.
Kietal says, "It'll be alright."
Kietal hugs Illuriel.
Illuriel leans on Kietal.
An Imperial Guardsman sobs.
You act: Jurion rubs his mouth with the back of his hand.
An Imperial Guardsman rubs at his eyes.
An Imperial Guardsman sighs.
Vargus asks, "Which way we goin?"
Valorian whispers something to Deloria.
Maeve says, "Perhaps we should show Shiman what comes from traficking with orcs."
You say, "That's a bad, bad idea."
Shafte says, "Forget Shiman."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "I just want to get her to her mother."
You say, "Arrest him and try him."
Illuriel wipes some tears from her cheeks.
Maeve says, "To Carlenas."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "In Never.."
An Imperial Guardsman nods to Maeve.
You say, "No lynch mobs, we've had enough of those in Yurt's time."
Vargus nods.
You say, "Just arrest him."
Vargus says, "Ris den sir guard."
An Imperial Guardsman says, "That abandoned cottage."
An Imperial Guardsman gets back on his feet.
An Imperial Guardsman sighs.
Maeve says, "Not a lynch mob...I think he's in as much danger as anywone."
An Imperial Guardsman brushes the hair from the child's sweet face.
An Imperial Guardsman sobs.
Deloria says, "Aeden when this is done i need to speak to you in private."
Vargus asks, "Comin jurion?"
You say, "No."
Illuriel sobs sadly.
An Imperial Guardsman nods to Deloria.
Vargus says, "Or ye all stayin here."
Maeve nods to Deloria.
Vargus nods.
Maeve says, "Aye..ye do."
You ask, "What could I do but to tell her she's dead?"
Vargus walks up.
Vargus' group follows him out.
You say, "What a mess."

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