I feel like I must be honest with you though deary. When I was mad before, I was just posturing when I said I would alert Brother Tomas. I know he is not to be disturbed from now until morning. If I was you cutie, I would get your big friend to shut his large mouth before he disturbs the priest. He is a powerful spell caster and hates when he has to deviate from his usual routine.
"I hear you, and understand your position, and appreciate the emotions you felt," says Orando smiling, giving her hand a lingering gentle squeeze. "We will return tomorrow. Perhaps you can arrange a meeting first thing in the morning."
"Someone of your wisdom, who has lived in Brotherton long, what is your opinion of the disappearances? And of these, forgive the term, 'lookers.'"
Cauchy wrote:Epi "By the way, it would be ma'am not sir."
"Ma'am?" Sir Ugghra repeated with stark incredulity. The monstrosity of means quickly regained his composure and gently and respectfully peered curiously at the Ranger as the two made their way out of the temple.
Then he said discretely and confidentially: "Madam, If It Is True That You Have, through no fault of your own, no doubt, Fallen Into That Most Woeful and Unnatural Class of the Female Gender, She Who Resorts to Warfare and Other Manual Labour, Then, If I May Be So Bold, In the Spirit of Our Newly-Blossoming Friendship, I Would Humbly Offer a Small Piece of Helpful Advice: Whenever Possible, Dear Madam, Do Amend Your Activities To Include More Cooking, Cleaning and Sewing, Else, I Fear, You Shall Never Marry."
And with that kind, well-intentioned counsel, Sir Ugghra smiled and gallantly offered his long, gorilla-like arm to escort Miss Epi back to the others.
Grognardsw wrote:
Perhaps you can arrange a meeting first thing in the morning.
Of course I can sweetie, I would be happy to do that for you.
"Someone of your wisdom, who has lived in Brotherton long, what is your opinion of the disappearances? And of these, forgive the term, 'lookers.'"[/dialog]
Disappearances? What ever do you meen by that darling?
I have never heard of this term "lookers", but I really like the looks of what I am seeing right now. The old woman gives Orando another wink and a seductive pat on his ass. Perhaps his spell worked a little too good?
"You are too kind," Orando says smiling and steps back. "I do hope I can see you tomorrow after meeting with Brother Tomas. Alas I must now accompany my colleagues elsewhere. Do be gentle on Ernie."
Orando moves to Ernie and takes his wineskin back. He whispers to him: "There is more where this came from. I need you to be another set of eyes and ears for me while I'm in town."
Sir Ugghra Caine awoke a new man. The fresh air and foodstuff of the countryside, no doubt. He was simply resplendent in his full dress regalia including his gleaming, finely etched plate mail, an heirloom which had been in his noble family for generations. Today, the nightmare in shining armour had chosen a fine cape of royal blue.
If their group were generously granted a private audience with His Ever-Elusive Holiness, then Sir Ugghra would speak sharply and quietly. His ample lips barely moved over his clenched fangs, and his horrible eyes fairly seethed in their sockets at the complete lack of help offered by the very people that had requested aid.
"Now, Sir, I Expect You To Tell Us What This Is All About. There Are No Prying Eyes About. Out With It, Please. Tell Us Everything You Know.
"Who Are The Lookers? Do Please Finally Share Your Theories on Them. Fear Not. You Shan't Mislead Us with your Assumptions. Rest Assured, We Will Judge Them on their Merits and Decide For Ourselves.
"If "M" is Merely a Myth and, as you insist, There Is No Ghost, Whyever Do You Cower At His Name?
"Exactly How Much Time Transpired Between Each of Disappearances of Town Girls and their Would-be Rescuers? Years? Months? How Long Has it Been Since This Strangely-Titled Gentleman, 'Positive Steve,' Went Missing? We Need to Establish a Timetable of All the Disappearances. Including the Destruction of M's Tower.
"Yesterday, You Mentioned 'Folks Behaving Strangely.' Perhaps You would be so Good as to Now Please Elucidate and Enlighten Us on this Matter?
"Yesterday, You Told Us You Shan't Share Information of the Victims' Families Because Her Ladyship the Mayor Would Cover That Ground. I'm Sad To Inform You, Sir, She Did Not. So Please Now Tell Us Everything You Know About Them, Including Their Addresses."
Brother Tomas is outside stretching and breathing in the fresh air as you approach the temple.
When Ugghra accosts him into answering more of his mundane questions, he seems to be getting a little agitated at the demanding nature of the pompous half-orc.
I will answer your questions if you tone down your attitude a bit, sir. Please don't make us regret our decision to seek your help.
"Who Are The Lookers? Do Please Finally Share Your Theories on Them. Fear Not. You Shan't Mislead Us with your Assumptions. Rest Assured, We Will Judge Them on their Merits and Decide For Ourselves.
PLEASE!!! STOP using that derogatory term! I wish the word never left my lips now and if I'd had known its the only thing that you people would focus on, I would have never mentioned it. There are a few people around town that have a strange look in their eyes. Its been that way since just before the vanishings. The women seem fine, with no real outstanding mannerisms, they just have a strange look. hence the unflattering term, "lookers".
"If "M" is Merely a Myth and, as you insist, There Is No Ghost, Whyever Do You Cower At His Name?
Cower? What are you talking about? I don't COWER, sir. You clearly have misjudged my intent when first I spoke of the mage. His story is unrelated, I assure you. The wizards tower is a dead end and the town folk made up that the place is haunted to scare the kids from going out there and getting lost or hurt. THAT is all there is to tell about it.
"Exactly How Much Time Transpired Between Each of Disappearances of Town Girls and their Would-be Rescuers? Years? Months? How Long Has it Been Since This Strangely-Titled Gentleman, 'Positive Steve,' Went Missing? We Need to Establish a Timetable of All the Disappearances. Including the Destruction of M's Tower.
There is no exact correlation as to the time in between the disappearances. It has happened randomly and there was never any time frame that was similar to another victim. Steve the Positive has been missing for over a month now. He was a good man and was sincere in his desire to solve this menace. The tower was destroyed ages ago! Before any of this even started
"Yesterday, You Mentioned 'Folks Behaving Strangely.' Perhaps You would be so Good as to Now Please Elucidate and Enlighten Us on this Matter?
I was simply referring to the "lookers" as you seem to love to call them. And I wish you would stop it, at least publically anyway.
"Yesterday, You Told Us You Shan't Share Information of the Victims' Families Because Her Ladyship the Mayor Would Cover That Ground. I'm Sad To Inform You, Sir, She Did Not. So Please Now Tell Us Everything You Know About Them, Including Their Addresses."
I find it hard to believe that the Lady didn't give you a list of the victims. Why are you trying to deceive me? If you think I have something to do with this, you couldn't be more wrong. To be honest, I am beginning to wonder if you are the right man, person, entity for this job.
Will there be anything else? I do have priestly business to attend to you know.
The more Brother Tomas didn't want to answer questions, and kept going on about the urgent demands of his priestly business, the more Sir Ugghra wanted to keep him talking.
OGRE MAGE wrote:PLEASE!!! STOP using that derogatory term! I wish the word never left my lips now and if I'd had known its the only thing that you people would focus on, I would have never mentioned it.
"It Is, You May Rest Assured Brother, Not The Only Thing 'We People' Are Focusing On. It Is Unusual and Therefore One of Many Avenues We Must Investigate If We Are To Be Thorough In Our Work. If You Prefer Alternative Terminology, I am Happy To Employ Any You Care To Proffer. But To Condemn Us For Utilizing Nomenclature That You Yourself Provided Is, what some might uncharitably call, The Height of Hypocrisy, I Am Sure You Will No Doubt Agree. But Let's Put That Aside For the Moment, Shall We? I Appreciate The Stress You Must Be Under, and The Terrible Toll It Must Take," the half-orc smiled pleasantly. "Is There Any Origin To These Individuals in Question? Any Blood Relation? How Long Has This Phenomenon Resided Here? Why Would A Group of Them Cluster Here of All Places on Earth?"
OGRE MAGE wrote:Cower? What are you talking about? I don't COWER, sir. You clearly have misjudged my intent when first I spoke of the mage.
"I Would Refer You, Sir, To Your Loud and Passionate Request, Yesterday, That No One Speak Mortimer's Name Aloud. Kindly Forgive Me If I Have Somehow Misconstrued Your Meaning."
OGRE MAGE wrote:There is no exact correlation as to the time in between the disappearances. It has happened randomly and there was never any time frame that was similar to another victim. Steve the Positive has been missing for over a month now. He was a good man and was sincere in his desire to solve this menace. The tower was destroyed ages ago! Before any of this even started
"Yes. Almost Like An Inciting Event, Wouldn't You Say? Nevermind.
"My Dear Brother, Things That Seem to Happen Randomly and Without Pattern are Oftentimes Merely Patterns That Have Yet to Be Discerned. As a Man of the Cloth, I'm Sure You Concur."
With a small flourish, Ugghra produced parchment and quill. "I Should Be Delighted to Record the Date of Each Disappearance Now, If You Please?"
OGRE MAGE wrote:I find it hard to believe that the Lady didn't give you a list of the victims.
"That Was All She Gave, Sir. But We Had Requested All Information, You No Doubt Recall. Certainly You Know More About the Families Than Their Names, I Trust? After All, You've Lived and Prayed Alongside Them For Years. You've Heard Their Confessions. Buried Their Dead. You're Almost Family. You Know More About Them Than We Would Uncover In a Week of Interviews. And Yes, We Shall Interview Them, Fear Not. But The More You Share With Us Now, The Faster We Will Get To The Bottom of This Dreadful Business. Shall We Not Move With All Expediency, Good Kind Caring Sir? For the Sake of the Poor Victims of Brotherton?"
As Orando was walking into the temple that morning with the others, he genuflected and said a prayer before Brother Tomas' door. He completed the final syllables of Benai's Beneficial Beguilement (Charm Person) as he entered, focused on Tomas.
Grognardsw wrote:As Orando was walking into the temple that morning with the others, he genuflected and said a prayer before Brother Tomas' door. He completed the final syllables of Benai's Beneficial Beguilement (Charm Person) as he entered, focused on Tomas.
Brother Tomas is outside stretching and breathing in the fresh air as you approach the temple.
You are all outside and in the open, do you still want to cast it right in front of him?
Grognardsw wrote:As Orando was walking into the temple that morning with the others, he genuflected and said a prayer before Brother Tomas' door. He completed the final syllables of Benai's Beneficial Beguilement (Charm Person) as he entered, focused on Tomas.
Brother Tomas is outside stretching and breathing in the fresh air as you approach the temple.
You are all outside and in the open, do you still want to cast it right in front of him?
Upon approach, seeing Tomas, Orando pauses at just under 120' to adjust his boots and cloak, whispering to himself the mystic words of Benai.
You don't notice any difference in Tomas' demeanor as you approach. He smiles at the group as you near, it fades as the orc starts his barrage of questions.
I will pause here a bit in case Scott has something to add.
"Is There Any Origin To These Individuals in Question? Any Blood Relation? How Long Has This Phenomenon Resided Here? Why Would A Group of Them Cluster Here of All Places on Earth?"
There is no special origin to any of them, and none are related. It's just normal folks that it started happening to. I think we started noticing it around the time of the first few disappearances now that you mention it.
They don't walk the earth looking for people to capture and eat if that's what you're getting at. They are normal folks, just like you and me. They just look at you with a strange, dark look in their eyes is all. I know you've already harassed Miss Hendricks, if you've dealt with her, you must have seen what I am referring to.
"I Should Be Delighted to Record the Date of Each Disappearance Now, If You Please?"
What? He looks at the others with a grave concern that their friend may have lost his mind. Do you think I have every single event and date memorized? I am an old man as you can very well see. Even if I ever did have all of the dates and times memorized at one time, I'm afraid my memory just isn't what it used to be. Perhaps the new captain of the guard will still have Positive Steve's records stored away in his office, but I have no written records for you at my disposal.
Certainly You Know More About the Families Than Their Names, I Trust?
Of course I knew all of the victims, and I know their kin. I have been around this area for many years as you can probably tell. But.....if you are going to act this bullish to any of the victims family members, I'm afraid I must insist that you decide on another investigator other than yourself. Those poor folks have been through enough over the years. They don't need a pompous and overzealous dandy spewing spite filled questions at them in this angry fashion. I'm beginning to wonder how the good Mayor even knows of someone the likes of you.
OGRE MAGE wrote:There is no special origin to any of them, and none are related. It's just normal folks that it started happening to. I think we started noticing it around the time of the first few disappearances now that you mention it.
"I See," Sir Ugghra said softly through the center of a small smile.
OGRE MAGE wrote:They don't walk the earth looking for people to capture and eat if that's what you're getting at.
"I Am Not 'Getting At' Anything, Sir, I Respectfully Assure You. I Am Merely Asking A Rather Obvious Question. I Thank You For Answering It."
OGRE MAGE wrote:What? He looks at the others with a grave concern that their friend may have lost his mind. Do you think I have every single event and date memorized
"No Sir. But Your Best Estimate Will Do For Now. Even The Year Would Suffice. Anything You Can Do To Help Us. Please?" Ugghra said as he gingerly, expectantly held his quill just above the parchment.
OGRE MAGE wrote:Of course I knew all of the victims, and I know their kin. I have been around this area for many years as you can probably tell. But.....if you are going to act this bullish to any of the victims family members, I'm afraid I must insist that you decide on another investigator other than yourself.
"Thank You For Your Thoughtful Advice. With All Due Respect, Brother, Were They To Elude The Simplest of Questions For Two Days, We Might Begin To Become Impatient With Them As Well. Because Time Is Of The Essence In Matters As Grave As This, I Need Not Remind You.
But I Rather Expect It Shan't Come To That. I Expect They Will Answer A Question The First Time It Is Posed.
Now, For The Fourth Time, Good Sir: Won't You Please Kindly Tell Us Everything You Know About The Families? In Heaven's Name, I Beg You, For The Sake Of The Victims of Brotherton."
Very well, I will tell you what I can remember for a timeline. Not that it will make any difference.....
The first reported case on record was almost 30 years ago now. A teenaged farmers daughter named Cindy Lou Harrison. Her family still lives out on their farm here in Brotherton. They are nice people. DONT harass them!
A year after that it was Cassidy Love. A local barmaid from The Weary Traveler. I don't think she has any relation in this area anymore.
Then two years later there was the butchers wife, Patty. Her husband didn't take her disappearance too well and he too vanished shortly after that.
We didn't hear of any others for a few years so we had hoped that the issue had somehow been resolved.
There was another farm girl, Tressa Bird, who was also reported as missing about 5 years after Patty.
Then after another year, Gladys Kresty went missing. I don't think her husband has ever given up the idea that he will still find her someday. He is the owner of an upscale tavern here in town.
They set up a community search party for her, and 2 of the men that were helping look for her also went missing a few days later.
Then it stopped completely for quite a while. Until about 3 years ago.
That's when the people that were just traveling through town went missing and eventually their loved ones showed up here, asking a lot of questions. As we had no evidence, sadly, we couldn't help them either.
And finally, our latest victim was the towns sheriff, Positive Steve. He's been gone for about 3 months now I'd say. His family already left town.
Now, will there be anything else you need? Perhaps you would like to flog me for a while and slap me in irons?
OGRE MAGE wrote:...Then after another year, Gladys Kresty went missing. I don't think her husband has ever given up the idea that he will still find her someday. He is the owner of an upscale tavern here in town.
They set up a community search party for her, and 2 of the men that were helping look for her also went missing a few days later.
And finally, our latest victim was the towns sheriff, Positive Steve. He's been gone for about 3 months now I'd say.
"Thank you good Brother," says Orando. "This search party where two went missing, were they in a particular area of town or surrounding forests when they went missing?"
"It sounds like Positive Steve had investigative notes? Did he disappear in a particular area?"
"Forgive my colleague, his ways may seem strange but in his homeland he is well regarded."
I have spoken with Mr. Kresty. He has definitely not gotten over his wife's disappearance. He said he had someone whom he suspected, but that person eventually disappeared, or at least left the area and never returned. He said this man was a shady looking character who tried to spend time with the ladies. In and of itself, this is not something that should raise suspicion. I'm sure there are men like this in most taverns. After all, it is a pursuit of many men who have not chosen to devote their lives to a less earthly cause such as ourselves, Brother. However, he said this man had given different names and different reasons for being in town to the good people of this fine village. And THAT is something that does raise suspicion.
He spoke very highly of Positive Steve, but he does not feel the new sheriff is even concerned with the missing persons, nor does he believe Captain Teneel has actually made any attempt to solve this mystery.
Sometimes this summer I will most likely be participating in another 24 hour game of Dungeons & Dragons as part of Extra Life. This organization uses gaming to help raise money to donate to children's hospitals. I'm raising money for Marshfield Children's Hospital in Marshfield, WI, and all money I raise will go to that hospital. All donations are tax-deductible. Please take a moment to check out my donation page below. Thank you.
We're pretty sure that the two men went missing in the forest, north of town.
We don't know what happen to Positive Steve. He almost always worked alone.
Captain Taneel is not well liked by most folk in town. In my opinion, he is brash and stupid. He thinks he is a real ladies man and I have heard he likes to treat his girls pretty rough. He is very dangerous and not to be trifled with however. I believe he might be some distant relation to the Mayor. I don't know why she would have hired such a monster otherwise.
If Steve did keep notes, the captain would be the one to ask.
