LibriumArcana.Games

Dark rain clouds hovered over the town of Wittenberge, as they had been for the past week. The near midday summer sun occasionally broke through the cloud cover to bring some light to the nearly flooded roads and water logged grass, but besides that the weather did much to portray the feeling of the town as the citizenry continued trying to live their lives.

The swelled river was running too fast to safely move cargo, the roads were almost washed out, the wooden barricade set around the town had numerous holes, and very few people were out for it being midday. The reason for it was simple, for the past three weeks the small trading town had been under attack by a roving band of monsters. They would come at night, killing, looting, raping, and burning to their hearts content until the coming of the sun and then they would be gone again. Repeatedly the town had sent messengers calling upon the Inquisition for help, but those that returned had given only bad news. The Inquisition's forces were too spread out to be able to send any assistance to the beleagered town. And so a call had been put out for mercenaries eager for adventure, money, and a place to eat and sleep.

Two guards stood at each of the three opennings in the fortifications, mostly the guards were lax in their duty. Trade being what it was now, and with the town being in the trouble it was, very few travellers came through, and the monsters only came at night, when no guard was fool enough to be outside anyway. Their armor was, at best, chainmail, at worst padded clothing or leather, with wooden polearms at hand and only two small shields to go around.

A bizzar looking man, who seemed perfectly dry and warm despite the poor weather walked gingerly toward the town, the water logged road and mud literally parting before him and allowed him to walk unmolested by the dangers of foot rot.

He wears a green light overcoat with integrated cloak and if one listened very carefully, they could hear the clinking of chain and plate mail. His face was that of a distinguished gentleman of early middle age.

"What a miserable condition this town is in Paul" he said to the youth who traveled beside him. "what do you say we... lend them an assist"

Two days ago, especially observant people would have noticed a peregrine falcon alighting within nearby pine trees. This in and of itself was not unusual - Germany certainly had its share of peregrine falcons. However, this one had greyish feathers instead of brown, and seemed to watch the town for a full day and a night a week after the plea was put out by the townspeople for traveling mercenaries. The falcon watched the timid, fearful actions by the townspeople during the day, and it watched the horrors unfold during the night. The following morning shortly after sunrise, it left.

This afternoon, walking with the long hillman's stride of one used to traveling long distances on foot came a tall man. He was wearing a heavy grey cloak with the hood up to protect against the rain, though a few errant wisps of silver hair stood out against his face. His unlined face and bearing was that of a younger man, contrasting somewhat with his silver hair. As he walked, his grey eyes flitted about, calmly taking in his surroundings, and observing. Tall, heavy boots covered tough leather leggings that sloshed with even strides through the more shallow puddles.

The man did not use a walking stick, though was obviously wearing equipment on his back - most prominent was the long handle of what must have been a large sword sticking out from beneath his cloak, and the faint noise of well-made chainmail armor that shook slightly with every step.

As he approached the town, he noticed the older man in the light green overcoat who was curiously dry within the rain, obviously a mage with the way the wet earth eagerly rolled away from his path to allow him to walk on dry ground and roll back as he passed, accompanied by a young adolescent boy for whom the ground didn't seem as inviting. At the rate the tall man with the grey cloak was walking, he would meet the duo at or near to the entrance to the town.

Manfred stopped in his tracks, literally. The wet mud vortexed a few centimeters from his feet, seething and writhing, wishing to fill the empty space but being repelled by an unseen force.

He felt like he was being watched. This was not an unusual feeling for him and he knew it. However it always bears investigating, you never knew when there may be a little bird watching you, waiting... waiting to tell someone something. And if Manfred had his way no little bird would ever tell anyone anything about him. He looked around, and saw a person coming unusually fast up the road behind him and Paul. But that could not possibly account for the watched feeling no... There must be something else.

YES! A small bird, from the looks of it some kind of Tit making a short flight across the flooded path near the other traveler. It must be going sing at someone! He muttered a word and water sprung up from the path and formed razor sharp barbs of ice shooting toward the unsuspecting songbird. They impacted, crucifying it in mid flight. The dead bird landed at the other man's feet.

Manfred still felt watched... seems it wasnt the little bird afterall. He looked at the man, and tilted his head quizically, wondering how to deal with this intrusion on his and Paul's privacy

Seeing the two travelers ahead of him stop and turn around wasn't especially unusual; stranger things have happened. However, not very many stranger things have happened as a small bird flying over the path between them suddenly impaled by shards of ice that a moment ago was merely a small puddle one step ahead of him. Agrilos stopped instantly, looking down at the bird, and then glancing up at the travelers ahead with a blank look.

Crouching down, he gently picked up the newly-dead bird, murmured a few soft words to the bird while closing its eyes, and set it with equal gentleness to the side of the road to be part of the more natural cycle of life. Standing up again, he resumed walking at his previous traveler's pace, the look on his face less calm and personable than before as he regarded the path ahead of him and the two other travelers. Agrilos shook his head slightly once as he walked.

"Hmm... he stopped... he showed... respect, respect for the little winged spy... This bears closer investigation... stay here a moment" he said to Paul

The mad wizard suddenly disappeared into the mud, and a not too long later, rose out of it again, covered in all its filthy unwholesomeness about ten feet in front of the other traveler

Before he did anything he muttered a quick spell that thoroughly cleaned him of said muddy awfulness

"I hate the mud" he muttered "It always gets into...places" he declared somewhat more loudly, but not seeming to talk to anyone in particular, at least not anyone there

"Greetings and Salutations?" he said questioningly to the man in front of him. This guy seemed a little...off...

The expression on Agrilos' face as the older traveler suddenly appeared up through the mud directly ahead of him in a rather flashy fashion wasn't surprise - it was more a blank look.

"Greetings and Salutations?" the older traveler said to him. At this, Agrilos shrugged, but looked him directly in the eyes without blinking. In slightly accented German, he replied in a low but nonetheless easily audible voice that reminded one of wind over the plains, "Greetings and salutations in return, traveler. What is your purpose in this area, apart from killing local wildlife?"

"I came to help with the... issues...that have been tormenting the local townsfolk... I have to prove I am useful so they dont come after me you see... the birds... the birds tell them things... best to have them not knowing anything other than what I let them know! Yes! Control of information is key! The skeleton key HAHAHAH!" he seemed to get a little loopy there before regaining control.

"Sorry about that... we wizards have a tendency to go a mad MAD! the more we gain in power, and I am not exactly a neophyte. But knowing yes! KNOWING you are insane is the best way to avoid going insane!" he seemed a little more lucid that time, if a bit bombastic.

Then Manfred noticed

"I have been rude. My name is Manfred, called The Ice Wizard in my native Bavaria... native... native but not home... The Home left me to die! Abandoned and cold! Abandoned and Cold!" he extended his hand

"And dont forget to blink... a bad habit not blinking"

Giving no reaction throughout the wizard's rant other than to slightly raise an eyebrow, Agrilos smiled slightly toward the end, when he was reminded to blink.

Making an elegant bow, Agrilos replied when he stood once again. "In that case, I'm glad to meet you, Manfred, Ice Wizard of Bavaria. I am Agrilos Menshir, from Ireland. I've been traveling the world and seeing the sights for the past few years, and I came upon this town that evidently needed assistance from mercenaries due to night-time troubles. I will be honored to lend my talents, given what I know the town to be going through."

He paused for a moment, before giving a half-smile. "As for blinking, I'd rather not. One tends to miss things when blinking, even if for a moment."

"With that we can both agree... though I must blink...." actually he pondered that for a moment and wondered if there was a way to magically moisten his eyes. He turned toward Paul, and beckoned for him

"Come, we have a new friend... I think!" he immediately returned his attention to his new friend

"But that fact that you dont means there is something off... yes...off.... I realized that is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, about you... you are not all you seem... you can tell me... there are no birds around, and dead little birdies tell no tales... wow that was an odd moment of lucidity I just had. has not happened for a while"

At hearing himself be called "off" for not blinking, Agrilos raised an eyebrow again before responding, though smiled before he did. "I'll be honored to meet your companion, and I will consider both of you tentative friends for the time being, as we appear to be after the same magnanimous goal."

He paused for a moment before continuing, continuing to look the wizard calmly in the eyes. "As for being told there's something 'off' about me, that is something I've heard before. In any case, let us make for the town - I'd like to have the chance to settle in and thoroughly examine their defenses before nightfall, given what we may be up against."

Per shoved his way through the forest parting branches and snapping small trees, he had been traveling all day and was not in the mood to bother trying to hide his trail. He hated traveling during the day he was tired grumpy and the light giving him the worst pain behind his eyes. He had listened to the mercenary rumors and heard of a smallish town that was beset by numerous monsters, and was receiving no help from their fellow man. He paused for a moment under a large tree and pulled his coat more tightly around himself, the drizzle of rain and overcast skys did not bother him, he rather enjoyed the cool sensation. It was the blasted light he felt all of his strength sapped and his stomach was uneasy luckily the damn sun it’s self had not yet shown its cursed face with any luck the weather would hold and he should reach the town by late after noon. Per smiled grimly as set on his way again perhaps tonight he would earn himself some more gold and maybe even a head worthy to hang on his shield. He cursed the miserable day light and kept his head down as he continued to thunder through the woods.

"Indeed... The walls look miserable and... do those guards have... no... Padded armor" the wizard set off again, at a rapid pace, he would meet Paul in the middle

Paul struggled to keep up with his insane master. The fool was going to get them both burned as witches if he kept this up, but at least they ate regular.

Shaking his head, Agrilos began once again walking toward the town, resuming his ground-eating pace of before. Though he kept his expression neutral, he worried somewhat for the town this wizard had decided to help. If it was indeed true that human wizards' insanity grew in proportion to their power, and the wizard's power was that he could afford the flashing tricks non-stop, then this might bode ill.

Nonetheless, he had resolved to help these people of Wittenberge, and so he would.

As they approached what passed for a gate Manfred spoke up again. Thankfully in an oddly long lucid period

"It strikes me that I was bit batty back there... and I was rude. Agrilos, meet my apprentice, Paul."

Looking at the callow-appearing young man, Agrilos bowed with a smile. "I am pleased to meet you as well, Paul."

With that, he walked toward the front gate, meeting the two nervous and inexperienced-looking soldiers with an air of calm. "Greetings to you. Where might we find your town mayor, to discuss this town's defense?"

Paul shook some water out of his hair. "Pleased to meet you sir," he replied. He had manners, having earned some honest pennies as a torch bearer and knowing the value of at least superficial politeness.

The soldiers were poorly equipped to be certain, but they were hardly either nervous looking or inexperienced. As the group had appeared one of the soldiers had perked up and, putting his hand to his mouth let out a shrill whistle. The other guard had jumped, as though having been awoken from a light slumber and the two guards stood side to side, their polearms crossed to bar passage.

The younger of the two guards spoke up as Agrilos finished. "Why of course m'lord, we'll just part ways for you to walk into the town, after tellin' you where to find the mayor of the town. No worries at all."

Neither guard moved, though the older one shook with either suppressed chuckles or coughing.

The younger guard glanced behind Agrilos at the other two that were on the road. Then at Agrilos himself and what he carried on him. The young guard seemed to take a deep breath in before he spoke next "For what purpose have you come to Wittenberge? Are those two with you? We must warn you that there are monsters roaming about, it's not safe in these parts, and as such if you're looking for a place to stay the night you're likely better off to keep moving, Havelberg is down the river about 40 kilometers or so, if you hurry you can get there before midnight."

Charon wrote:The soldiers were poorly equipped to be certain, but they were hardly either nervous looking or inexperienced. As the group had appeared one of the soldiers had perked up and, putting his hand to his mouth let out a shrill whistle. The other guard had jumped, as though having been awoken from a light slumber and the two guards stood side to side, their polearms crossed to bar passage.

The younger of the two guards spoke up as Agrilos finished. "Why of course m'lord, we'll just part ways for you to walk into the town, after tellin' you where to find the mayor of the town. No worries at all."

Neither guard moved, though the older one shook with either suppressed chuckles or coughing.

The younger guard glanced behind Agrilos at the other two that were on the road. Then at Agrilos himself and what he carried on him. The young guard seemed to take a deep breath in before he spoke next "For what purpose have you come to Wittenberge? Are those two with you? We must warn you that there are monsters roaming about, it's not safe in these parts, and as such if you're looking for a place to stay the night you're likely better off to keep moving, Havelberg is down the river about 40 kilometers or so, if you hurry you can get there before midnight."

Shaking his head slightly at his own lack of observation, Agrilos nonetheless calmly faced the guard who had spoken, with a hint of a smile at the bombardment of questions. "I have come to Wittenberge due to the tales told of monsters attacking the town at night; I wished to see if I could be of assistance to this town after hearing its plea for mercenaries to help defend it. The two behind me," he said gesturing to Manfred and Paul behind him, "I met on the path to this town; they appear to have the same purpose as I."

He turned fully back to face the guard again, still bearing an air of calm. "Now, were those tales told of Wittenberge in need of mercenaries due to the bands of monsters attacking it true? If it is, I am here to volunteer my services to such a cause," he said with a bow. "My name is Agrilos Menshir, and I am a traveler."

These men are insolent, sarcastic and ungrateful manfred twitched slightly

And incompetant, the one was almost sleeping

Manfred Pinched his eyelids shut for a moment to block out the voice

Kill them

Manfred stepped forward, removing his overcoat to reveal a man of not-inconsiderable physical stature, wearing rune encrusted half plate with a well made pack set on shoulder straps. A sword hung at his left side, a flanged mace at his right.

"I am Manfred, Ice Wizard of Bavaria. Is this how you treat all well armed and equipped travelers who come knocking at your gates seeking to help you, because if it is, you are the cause of your own problems"

The guards had nodded to Agrilos and the older one of them had begun to speak when Manfred strode up, looking like an avenging wizard of ancient tales. The two guards cowered from the wizard. "S'not our fault! We're just doing our jobs! We can't just let anyone through! We've got to ask questions!" The guards seemed to consider straightening themselves up but found it far more to their liking to seem as small as possible as they waved the three travellers past the hole in the fortifications.

As they passed through, the trio noticed that the fortification was more of a heavily reinforced fence than an actual wall. At a few points along the long way around the village there was a built up palisade or even the occasional overturned cart, but overall the defenses themselves were lackluster. The thatched roof homes were simplistic in nature and usually rather small. Some of these homes looked to be completely demolished. A few larger stone buildings could be seen, one off in the distance, one along the river, and another up on a slight hill. Almost no citizens were walking around the muddy streets

"Where is the home of your Mayor" the wizard said calmly toward the thoroughly cowed guards

"Your defenses need work, and we need details on your attackers"

Stopped at a small river for a moment was an ornate horse-drawn carriage with dark red and black velvet tapestries covering the windows. Surrounding it were four men acting as guards. Running towards the vessel was a younger one, as he opened the curtain a loud hiss came from within. Wincing in the sunlight Krystyna glared at the boy. Speaking in a dark voice he scorned the messenger, {Romanian} Watch what you're doing! Are you trying to kill me?! You know better that to open the drapes without warning. The sun still breaks through, even in rain. {/rom.} The boy bowed his head before speaking again. He talked of a town, not too far away, that was in desperate need of mercenaries to defend it. Krystyna listened intently before making a decision.

{Romanian}"Good boy, Now tell the others we will depart to this Wittenberge immediately. And be careful with the drapes.{/rom} She took a wrap from next to her and covered herself before the boy moved to relay the message.

Soon after, the carriage lurched forward and they made their way toward town, making tracks in the slippery, wet path.

The older guard pointed around the corner at the stone building that sat slightly elevated above the rest on the small hill. Then the younger guard whistled again and two men carrying hunting bows appeared from hiding behind the palisade that served to define the opening in the fortifications. "These two will lead you to the inn, we'll send someone to tell him you've arrived?" It was clear that the younger guard was almost asking if that was ok for the armored wizard that stood before him.