Clovius and beyond

[Graybeard]

"How is it you came to be living out here?"

The old man smiled gently. "Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a town," he said. "That town was overrun and destroyed by its enemies. The few survivors dispersed to the four winds. I was one of them, although I was too young to remember it clearly. My parents settled here, and I with them." He glanced at Desiree to see how this was going over.

------------

<"Thanks,"> Sister Rose thought back at Desiree, but her heart wasn't really in it.

Could she put up the Empathy spell without the half elf, or elf, or whatever he was, noticing it? She thought so. It almost didn't seem necessary; the old man's body language wasn't hard to read, and what he was saying to Desiree, although not much above a whisper, was still audible, and reassuring. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side. She quietly put on the spell, turned her attention back to the man ...

"Well, that's strange," she muttered to herself.

[Jack Rothwell]

"Whole place is strange." Tamina replied airily, as she tugged up the hood of her coat and fumbled for the gloves she'd picked up in Port Lorrel a month and a lifetime ago. The kobold had, eventually, come round to the reasoning that appearing more human-like might help the group, not to mention herself if anyone got the idea that the Killikah were anything like the big, rocky cabras who thought fighting a giant lizard was a good idea.

[Graybeard]

"Yes, very strange," Sister Rose muttered, but in fact, she was so distracted by what she'd just learned that she wasn't paying attention to what Tamina was thinking. Truthfully, this place didn't seem any "stranger" to her than anywhere in the higher mountains of Veracia, including Snamish. But Ebenezer, now ...

She spoke in Argus' mind. <"Weird. With the Empathy, I get absolutely no feelings from him at all, no emotions, nothing. It's like his emotional self isn't even there. Do you think I should tell Desiree?">

[OOC: Just a temporizing measure while waiting for Desiree's response to what the guy just said. Minor spoiler alert: Rose is missing something here.]

[Drusia]

The old man smiled gently. "Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a town," he said. "That town was overrun and destroyed by its enemies. The few survivors dispersed to the four winds. I was one of them, although I was too young to remember it clearly. My parents settled here, and I with them." He glanced at Desiree to see how this was going over.

Sounds like Santuriel. One of them, anyway. I try to recall when Santuriel Three got destroyed and Santuriel Four, where Lillith now lives, was founded, but the exact dates escape me. He is pretty old - he might be from then.

The alternative is rather interesting - he could also be from a different half-elven town. Or, well, his parents might have been. Who knew if they reformed or if the elves got em. Hell, some of them might already be living in Snamish if they wandered over Goriel way while mother was briefly living there.

Ah well, it doesn't really matter. My mother is the one who does the out of towner recruiting, not me. Still, I should let her know about this when I see her next.

"It sounds like your parents went through a lot," I reply, smiling sadly. "Still, I'm glad they found happiness here. And that you did as well."

-- Desiree

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Once again putting some words in Argus' mouth. They're pretty obvious.]

<"Weird,"> Argus thought back at Sister Rose. <"What do you think is going on?">

Rose considered the question for a while. <"I don't know. I'm just worried that he's not what he appears to be."> She did not say "elf?", but she was thinking it; might that explain her inability to read his emotions? Thinking back, she hadn't had any trouble reading Drusia's state of mind -- but Drusia didn't know (yet) about her emotion-reading skills, and had no reason to conceal the way she felt. She decided to pay closer attention to the conversation going on in the front seat.

"It sounds like your parents went through a lot. Still, I'm glad they found happiness here. And that you did as well."

Ebenezer smiled again. "Yes, Clovius is not so bad once you get used to it. The weather isn't the greatest, of course, and some of the citizens have some -- curious habits. But it has been home for a long time, at least when I'm not up here, helping work the forests and fields and mines." He gestured at the countryside around them, which was turning from "forests and fields and mines" to scrub.

"I must say, though, that I'd kind of like to see my first home again before I die," he continued. "I was very young when -- we had to leave, maybe five or six, and I don't remember it well. My memories of it are happy, such as they are. Being surrounded by my own kind of people, a sense of community that I'm just not completely part of here, even though the Clovians have been very kind." He slowed the wagon and turned to face Desiree. "You obviously know where I'm talking about. Do you know how to get there from here?"

<"If you do, don't answer that,"> an alarmed Rose said in Desiree's mind.

[Drusia]

"I must say, though, that I'd kind of like to see my first home again before I die," he continued. "I was very young when -- we had to leave, maybe five or six, and I don't remember it well. My memories of it are happy, such as they are. Being surrounded by my own kind of people, a sense of community that I'm just not completely part of here, even though the Clovians have been very kind." He slowed the wagon and turned to face Desiree. "You obviously know where I'm talking about. Do you know how to get there from here?"
<"If you do, don't answer that,"> an alarmed Rose said in Desiree's mind.

If I could, I would roll my eyes at Rose. This isn't my first shindig.

I blink in confusion instead. "Get there? I thought you said it was destroyed?"

I pause, frowning, and then brighten. "Oh, did you think my family was from there too? Sorry, no; my parents were a human and a full elf. I... I only met my father once. It didn't go very well. He scared me." I let myself look a little distant and sad for a moment.

Every statement true. And yet the implication is that my father was the elf rather than the head of a Gorelian house. And it is true that I have never been to Santuriel.

Even if I was sure about him, I wouldn't tell him about Snamish - or Santuriel Four for that matter. You don't keep a secret town secret by blabing about it. However, his questions do seem a tad... directed. He might just be looking for more of his own kind. Or he might be up to something.

Or, most disturbing of all, he could be both - an Errant can be just as homesick as anyone else.

-- Desiree

OOC: Desiree hasn't yet entertained the idea of elf in disguise. Mostly because A) the leg, B) his age, and C) he hasn't stabbed her (yet). Of course, there are ways to alter the apperance of A and B... so we'll see.

[Graybeard]

Ebenezer smiled again. "Yes, I suspect the place where I grew up is nothing more than stones piled on top of each other by now. I'd still like to see it again, though. I've heard that most of the people who got out of there alive were able to re-settle somewhere else, but I don't know anything about it." He laughed quietly. "Probably have some cousins and such there, but none left that I'd know. Even for my -- our -- kind, I've lived rather a long time."

They were coming to another little village now, another settlement that had the look of seasonal use. Being at a lower elevation, there were fewer trees, and the sketchy fields and livestock pens held sheep, goats and a few pigs instead of reindeer. Sister Rose noticed that there were a few small children at play in the fields. Their demeanor was ... strange. As they looked up and saw the wagon approaching on the high road, they turned and sprinted for the houses and sheds rather than coming out to see what was going on. That seemed a very un-childlike behavior. Doors closed with a slam, and faces of both children and (apparently) mothers peered out anxiously toward the wagon.

"The natives aren't friendly," Rose observed, wondering why. She noticed something else: one of the beat-up houses had features resembling a very, very small Luminositan church.

"Indeed they are not," Ebenezer confirmed, his usual quiet smile replaced by a look of concentration. "Not in this village, anyway." The reindeer picked up their pace perceptibly ... as Rose's curiosity about the townspeople's reaction picked up to match it.

[Alberich]

Tim wondered at the church-like architecture of the small house as well, but he kept his wondering to himself. The Church carefully controlled its missionary efforts in the Confederacy (as Father Boris had forcefully impressed upon him) -- and that was understandable; if the converts were outnumbered locally and oppressed by the heathen, the Church must either stand by and watch them be oppressed or else intervene militarily, and that might not be prudent. Whatever was going on here was no part of his mission. His mission was to help this group get back to Veracia with their report. Silence was best for that. He imbibed a stout pint of shut-up.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose stared at the tiny Luminositan church (or so it appeared) as the wagon passed through the center of town, remembering something that had been in the message from the late Father Amalric. I wonder... "Would it be possible for us to stop at that building for a minute or two?" she asked Ebenezer. "It shouldn't take long."

The half elf(?) raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather not," he said. "This village -- well, I guess I would say that it doesn't have a good reputation." As if to confirm what he was saying, a few doors to houses had opened, and sullen women clutching scruffy children were staring out at them, suspicion in their faces.

"This will only take a minute," Rose persisted. "There's something -- pertaining to our religion that needs doing."

Ebenezer continued to look dubious, but he nodded. "If you insist, but make it quick." The wagon came to a halt.

I wish I was sure I was right about this, Rose thought, but there was only one way to be sure. "Argus, Therese, Tamina, cover us. I don't think there will be trouble here, but it doesn't hurt to be on the safe side." She turned to Tim. "Come with me, please." She alit from the wagon, but as she reached the ground, she had a quick mental word to Argus.

<"While you're at it, keep an eye on our driver, and make sure he doesn't do anything -- wrong with Desiree."> She was becoming more convinced that Ebenezer was the half elf he appeared to be ... but one still took precautions.

[Alberich]

Tim obediently alit and walked along beside Rose without asking any questions.