506-08-02 The Gateway Hunt - Mat's View
From Crossroads Wiki
| The Gateway Hunt | |
|---|---|
| RL Date | December 26, 2008 |
| Players | Mathis, Khalani, Phineas, Elena, Marek, Pyrphoros, Lockler, Cylina, Corsair, Baltar, Kyrie, Athar, Briana, Cynara, Gwyndolen, Matthew, Ravelle, Mena, Vaia, Phoebe, Daeva, Andre |
| Location | Various Locations - Crossroads City |
| Crossroads Time and Weather | |
| IC Date | August 02, 506 |
| Season | Summer |
Isle of Ale Tavern - Keeper Center - Village
Unlike its competing tavern near the docks, this establishment is in a respectable shape for noble enjoyment. The prices are elevated, but so is the cleanliness of the locale. Large windows and magical balls of light brighten the place even despite the polished oak of the tables, chairs, floors, and counter tops. Paintings depicting each of the four islands as well as the city center cover the walls, often a source of conversation to the new arrival to the village.
Behind the long counter of the bar are many bottles and kegs, all boasting temptation to anyone in favor of a drink with some kick, and either Sam or Eric are serving up the booze. The serving girls (Jenny, Becca, and/or Eileen) are always playful, heightening the mood of festivity. The far end of the room has the mechanical bull set up, clearly a tribute to the tavern owner's home isle of Green Fields. A wall near the back also holds the dart board.
"Well then, can ya tell me who else is goin' ta be there? I'll find someone ta do it, dammit. I ain't about ta miss out on this," Phineas says determinedly, grinning at Elena and lifting his tankard toward her. He glances past her to the arrival and gives a call of, "Hey there Pyrphoros. Elena was just tellin' me ya were lookin' fer me. How's it goin'? Don't suppose ya bought in on Ravelle's experiment, did ya?"
Elena turns and nods to Pyrphoros, waving her tankard in greeting toward him, before turning back to Phineas. "This isn't part of her experiment," she tells him, "and I have no idea who else is going.. I'm assuming it's a bunch of hoity-toity Purist types, but you never know. Aileana isn't going - she told me to make Ravelle feel guilty about not inviting her. I might be able to get her on the invite list, but.. I doubt she'd want to leave the little ones just yet." She stops then, taking a drink to try and quell her giggles.
Arriving in the Isle of Ale with Khalani, Mathis is grinning. "Hey, besides a nap, we stayed out all day, I'm pretty darn proud of that." the young man says cheerfully as he opens the door for the Baroness first, Hammel shortly after the two, as he overhears Phineas, and a sigh comes from his lips. "..you mean the experiment she bought me for?" he asks. "Hi, Your Grace, M'lord, Mistress Ashlan."
Pyrphoros bows to the Duke behind the bar and the Elena in front before answering them. "I am not really a science person as much as my fellow Pyrians, so, no, I think?" Pyrphoros chuckles. "I did not know the Baronet conducts experiment, maybe the Baronet needs to move to Pyria," Pyrphoros gestures. "But yes, Your Grace, I was hoping to have a moment, not too long. At Your Grace's convenience, of course."
Phineas gives another wave toward the arrivals. "Mat, Lani, good ta see ya crazy kids. Spendin' time with horizontal waltzin' lately?" he calls toward them with a huge shit-eating grin. "Elena, ya know Mat and Lani, don't ya? Baroness of Amphorae, and her 'buddy', if ya know what I mean by buddy." He winks, then finally gives his regard pack to Pyro. "Aw, ya need a spot of privacy? Long thing or short thing, and what're ya drinkin'?"
Elena slips off her stool, nearly missing her footing, and spills her drink on her dress. She coughs, pretends she hasn't noticed it, and sets the tankard on the bar before giving Khalani a curtsy - oddly enough, her right hand is propped on the stool, as if she were afraid of falling in the process. "Your excellency," she says with a smile, "I'm Elena Ashlan." She nods with a smile toward Mathis, "Master Cardiff.. we did meet before," she reminds him. Then she slides back onto her stool, and reaches for a bar towel. Apparently to mop up the spill.
"We're doing very well in the whole not spending all day nailed to a desk." Khalani steps into the tavern and then cant help but laugh at the 'helpful' commentary from the Duke. "Jealous, my Grace? How /is/ your lovely wife? We generally go with beau rather than buddy, but either works really. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ashlan, and good evening Lord Pyrphoros." She moves further into the tavern, glancing to Mathis in question about where they'd both like to be sitting.
Outside the window, the sky gets darker as the evening continues.
"And.. uh.. h-hello to you too, Your Grace." Mathis says, managing a bow without falling over comically, as the tips of his ears turn a dark red color. "If you're asking if we need privacy, Your Grace, I.. uhm..." Yeah, he's not entirely all that smooth yet as the young man just grins a little more than usual. "Nice to see you again, Miss Ashlan. I hope your trip to Green Fields went well?" Looking at Khalani, he shrugs, and gestures to the bar, leaning in to murmur to the petite redhead.
"Very short, I hope," Pyrphoros gives Phineas a quick nod before he is distracted by his favorite Baronial couple. "Your Excellency, Baron Cons- ahem, master, Master Cardiff," Pyrphoros gives a bow to the happy young couple. "I pleasure to see Your Excellencies here." You whisper, "..well.. we could start off there, and move on to the table or just go on to the wine cellar and prove Phineas right?" to Khalani.
"Course I'm jealous, Lani gal. Who wouldn't be jealous of the man gettin' a ride 'tween those thighs every night. Day. Whatever." Phin's brows dance up and down with a rich, deep humor, a wink aimed toward her again. "Mat, don't ya hurt me now. Alright, everyone, don't burn down the bar, Pyrphoros and I have a spot of business. C'mon, man, let's go rest in the upstairs apartment, ya can tell me what's up."
Elena busies herself with the towel and mopping up the spill. She reaches with her left hand for the tankard and takes a nice long drink, some of the colour receding from her cheeks as she does so. When she looks up towards Khalani and Mathis, she is smiling wryly. "Oh well," she says, "it's fine really. Yes, Master Cardiff, the lambing was wonderful. My favourite time of year, truly. There's nothing quite like those cute little furballs and their mothers." She leaves the towel in her lap as she takes another drink from the tankard.
A bright ripple of laughter at the words from the Duke, Khalani winks right back to him. "We promise not to burn down anything, not even in the throes of passion." She laughs again and moves to find a table to settle themselves at. "Won't you join us, Miss Ashlan? Or shall we join you at the bar? It's not quite so comfortable for me though, the stools make me feel as if I've suddenly become six again."
Pyrphoros nods. "If that pleases Your Grace, or if Your Grace prefers to not be away from the merriment too much we can just sit over there by that table," Pyrphoros gestures. "And maybe a drink while we're at it?" he adds hastily and gestures a barmaid.
Pyrphoros sits down at the small circular table by the window.
"I suppose it's better to be jealous of me and not of her.." Mathis says, and then.. just stares a little at Khalani, leaning against his beau for a moment as he makes a little face at her. "So not helping." he teases her. "Either way, m'dear. And your call, Miss Ashlan."
Outside the window, a blanket of clouds rolls gently across the sky.
Blinking, Elena looks over at the young couple. "Oh," she says, setting the towel back on the bar, "no, a table would be fine." She slips off the bar stool again, ignoring the slowly drying wet patch on one side of her skirt. She grabs her tankard and gestures for the Baroness and her beau to precede her to a table. "Thank you for inviting me.. otherwise I was going to be reading about equine encephalitis at the bar again, and it doesn't get absorbed any easier for the alcohol. Really." She gives them both a wry smile.
Phineas gives a nod to Pyro and to one of the barmaids as he heads toward a to a table. He draws out a chair with his foot and settles on it, lowering his voice finally.
Duke Phineas sits down at the small circular table by the window.
"That sounds like a fascinating read, although I'd think that alcohol might only make it more interesting." Khalani finds a table, settling herself at it, and then gestures for a barmaid to get drinks for the trio. "What's encephalitis? I'm afraid my healing knowledge isn't quite /that/ good. I can generally only keep things patched up until a real healer arrives."
Since it's the three of them, Mathis picks the table over by the dartboard, so he can casually throw a few darts as he sees fit. "Did you want to order dinner here, Lani?" the young man asks. At least he's not hyperventilating over the sex talk, right?
"Oh, isn't the School of Healing in your Barony?" Elena raises her eyebrows and then smiles wryly. "I'm not a healer, obviously. I'm the Professor of Animal Science. And equine encephalitis is swollen horse brains. Not too serious, but it can affect their nervous system and cause them to freak out right in the middle of other horses or whilst plowing a field and such like. So. We, uh, try to keep them isolated and find a good treatment that can be applied before they break their own leg." She wanders over towards the table by the dart board, waits for Khalani to sit, before settling upon a chair herself. "I like horses and horse riding, so I took several extension courses. There's a number of unpleasant and peculiar ailments that I could chat all night about if you really wanted.. but, uh, most people just want to know how fuzzy the lambs are when they are born."
Corsair arrives from the Plaza Center.
Corsair has arrived.
"Yes, the Healer's College is in my barony. Fortunately there is no requirement for it's liege to be a healer herself, or else Amphorae would be in real trouble." Khalani smiles simply enough as she settles comfortably at the table in question. "I am interested, but I certainly don't have the time to devote to a proper study of healing.. I can manage little more than the most passing interest and basic knowledge. I have no real qualms with discussing equines, or equine ailments rather than merely how fuzzy the lambs are, but you will have to forgive my ignorance all along the way." She turns to Mathis and considers. "Mmm, yes, we probably should. I'm getting hungry."
Phineas and Pyro are at a table chatting quietly, while the trio of Elena, Khalani, and Mathis are at another, speaking a bit more vocally in a congenial fashion. Sam at the bar is setting a few tankards on it, an eye toward the door.
Elena sits down at the table closest to dartboard.
Elena joins you.
Khalani sits down at the table closest to dartboard.
Khalani joins you.
"Okay.. Elena, what's good here tonight?" Mathis asks as he looks towards the two women, listening to them as he grins wryly as he gives a small grin. "Being a Baroness does put a crimp in those plans.. and I'm not really healer material, either."
Corsair's arrival is not the sort of thing that draws attention these days. The guard is out of uniform, apparently off today, or else just getting off a shift, as she steps through the doorway, leaving it open to let it swing shut behind her. She takes a look over the tavern as she walks, but her steps lead unerringly toward the bar, at least for now.
Sam glances up at the woman, recognizing a guard whether on duty or off. The bartender keeps track of all of them. He tips his head. "Guardsman. On the house, as ever."
"You might try the stew, if they have any left from lunch. Sometimes the chicken pie is awesome, but I have no idea if they will have it tonight.." Elena glances back over her shoulder towards the bar and the serving girls. She gives the closest a wave and then looks back: "As far as drinks go, you could try the cherry ale or the wheat beer. There's mead, though that's really too hot for this time of year, some wines, and I believe they also have hard cider on tap. It's a bit strong though. Just so you're warned."
Away at Pyrphoros and Phineas' table, Pyrphoros can be seen laughing intermittently between quiet conversations.
Andre arrives from the Plaza Center.
Andre has arrived.
Pyrphoros laughs. "Lectures, maybe if I ever get around to it. I have been busy with a new business venture, Your Grace might have heard of the Gateway Insurance Company?"
"You know I love you, Sam," Corsair grins to the bartender, taking a lean against the wood to look over the tavern again as she waits for her usual glass of Milk. "Never a slow day here, is it?" Phineas and Pyro are at a table chatting quietly, while the trio of Elena, Khalani, and Mathis are at another, speaking a bit more vocally in a congenial fashion. Sam's currently serving Corsair up at the bar.
"Yup, I heard some details about it," comments Phineas, leaning back in his chair. "Seems some place more suited fer the shop owners and the like."
"Chicken pie sounds nice." Khalani muses, "I hope they have some, that sounds more appealing than stew to me. I am rather fond of the cherry ale, but a cider I think would suit my tastes just lovely this evening." She flickers a smile. "I'm not quite a Guardian to have warrior's milk for breakfast, but generally I don't worry too much about most wines, or beers, or ciders. At least not unless I'm drinking enough to keep up with someone like Phineas, but he's twice my size." She flashes a grin over to the duke at the other table, quite sure he's not listening, but might only just catch his name.
Andre walks in slowly, still looking quite remissed. He pushes himself up to the bar and takes a seat, ordering a cup of Ale. He collapses his arms, leaning against them as he looks across the bar. Noticing the Duke, he gives him a slight nod of recognition before accepting his drink.
"And seeing as I was a Guardian, I think I can handle the cider.. did you want to split a pie, Lani?" Mathis asks as he flashes her a grin. "I'm not too terribly hungry at the moment, unless you want to help me work up an appetite." he winks, as he gives a little grin. "So, besides lambing, Miss Ashlan, what else have you been up to?" he asks, glancing towards Corsair and offers a polite smile.
Phineas gives a call of, "Hey there Corsair," and a quieter nod to Andre before he falls back into the quiet conversation with Pyro.
"Your grace," Corsair raises her glass to the duke with a polite nod, smile slipping crooked into a smirk as she overhears bits of conversation. "Not falling for some insurance scheme, are you?" She nods as well to Mathis, glancing at Andre when the man joins the bar.
Outside the window, brindled clouds conceal patches of starlit sky.
"Well, we got done with Spring semester, and I'm not doing Summer School this year, because I love Harvest and Fall Festivals too much, so generally I've just been relaxing." Elena makes a face. "My weapons trainer went back to Guardians for this crisis they are having and so.. I've been a bit bored. Oh, I mean, I'm finding things to do. And I have a routine I use to work out on my own. But I'm afraid my life isn't very exciting. Though I am supposed to be taking a trip to Ethos soon. Not quite sure what to make of that." An impish grin crosses her features, and she glances briefly at Phineas and then away, taking a drink from her tankard.
Empress Mena arrives from the Plaza Center.
Empress Mena has arrived.
Khalani resettles in her seat a little, leaning back to get more comfortable as she and Mat both wait on some food and drink. Clearly it won't be all that long. "It's hard to believe that we're already rushing through summer towards autumn already. Time flies really." She quirks her head to Elena, her voice curious. "Who is your weapons trainer? Have you heard any details on the crisis there? I haven't myself, but I haven't been bothering anyone too much for missives purely for my own curiosity." There's a smile and a nod for Elena. "What's taking you to Ethos?" She glances over to Mathis, and there's a warm smile for him, affection fairly dripping from that smile.
Two knights enter before her, and two knight just behind. It is almost impossible to miss the entrance of the Empress to the tavern this evening.
Squirming slightly in his seat as he gives Khalani a grin, as he frowns. "Yeah, my parents got back to me, all is well in Smithfield with their home.." the young man starts to say Mathis shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe we should travel to Harvest this year, I was going to go that first year I was here, but talked myself out of it.." he starts to say, trailing off as the Knights enter and he rises to his feet to offer a full bow. "Your Majesty, good evening." he offers warmly.
Phineas and Pyro are at a table chatting quietly, while the trio of Elena, Khalani, and Mathis are at another, speaking a bit more vocally in a congenial fashion. Sam at the bar is serving Corsair, and Andre is at a different side taking a cup of ale.
Cylina arrives from the Plaza Center.
Cylina has arrived.
Andre continues to drink his ale, staying quiet and to himself.
Following suit, Elena gets to her feet. She grabs hold of the table with her left hand, and curtseys toward the Empress, right hand gathering skirts as she does so. Then she straightens up, and settles back in her chair, before sharing a smile with the others at her table. "Lady Tel Girade," she tells Khalani, "and sometimes Master Arx, depending on how hurt I want to get on any particular day." She grins more broadly then, taking a drink from her tankard before concluding, "Lady Ravelle asked me to go with her. Some kind of sleep-over. With, uh, something like confessions and redemption. I'm not too clear on the details." Again her eyes flicker to Phineas, as the humour lingers about her eyes.
Mena waits to the side of the door for a few moments as two of the four knights make a quick sweep of the place. Once the all-clear is given, then she does move to meander through the tables. The seated trio gets a smile as she inclines her head. "Good evening to you," she greets. Just as she's about to move on, a messenger catches up to her and slips her a note before bowing and heading off. As she opens it to read, she walks toward the bar.
Corsair glances to the door as the Empress enters, taking a measured sip from her glass. Only when Mena is close enough to notice does she push off the wood to sketch a precise, military bow. "Your majesty," she murmurs, taking note of the knights and their demeanor.
The sound of footsteps are heard outside just before the door starts to... shake. Slowly at first, then a little more fervently as if someone it having trouble with it. Then finally it bursts open, the blonde woman on the other side falling into the room all of a sudden. "Ah!" She blinks as she stands to her feet again, not bothering to brush herself off as she just steps further into the room the door shutting behind her once more.
She starts to look about curiously for a moment, noting that there are people here but nobody familiar, so she says nothing to them. She does however sniff the air and can be caught searching for the source of the food smell as her stomach growls a little. "Mmph..." she looks somewhat unhappy a the growling.
Khalani too gets to her feet for a curtsy to the Empress and a smile. "Good evening, Your Majesty." She is on the cusp of inviting the Empress to join them, when the woman passes on towards the bar and she turns back to the conversation at her table. "Ahh, I see. That should be interesting at the very least. Time spent with Lady Ravelle nearly always is. I am only familiar with Lady Tel Girade by rumour, and Master Arx as well.. mmm. Which Master Arx? Bastien? Iain? Eoin?"
"Good evening, Miss Corsair," Mena says to the woman with a nod before she orders herself a glass of wine, holding the note in her hand before reading it until she has the first drink of the evening. "I hope you are well?"
"That'd be great, Pyrphoros," Phineas says, pushing up to his feet and essaying a bow toward the Empress. "I'm lookin' forward ta the inf'rmation. And hey there, it's the Empress! Free round of drinks, everyone just has to toast her."
Mathis glances towards Elena, waiting for the confirmation to Khalani's question, and glance towards the girl that just fell. "Ah.. you okay, miss?" he asks as he moves to Cylina to offer a hand to assist her back up and a quiet murmur.
"Enjoying an evening off, your majesty," Corsair smiles wryly to the Empress, taking another sip of her drink as she looks to the brief commotion at the door. "I hope you're doing the same?" she asks, glancing to the note without letting her gaze linger there.
Daeva walks into the tavern in a rather dramatic fashion of flinging the door open and jumping in to strike the 'ta da' posture, "So who wants to play a game?"
"Bastien," Elena tells Khalani, "though to be honest, I though he was the only Master?" Her eyes flicker over towards Phineas then, and she grins broadly. "I don't spend much time with Lady Ravelle and to be honest, of late, she's seemed a bit strange. But that's probably just me. I caught her at a bad time, perhaps. Anyway. I could use the break. So I'll take the time where I can." She quiets down then, as the crowd seems to be swelling significantly.
Mena holds the note face down, close to her body, so nothing can really be seen of it, other than the broken seal. "For the moment," she says with a quirk of her lips. "Until I read this, I'm sure. Here's hoping," she says as she receives her glass of wine, holding it up toward Corsair as if toasting, then to Phineas where he sits with Pyrphoros. "To an enjoyable evening," she calls, then drinks from her glass. Only then does she lift the parchment again and read the words scrawled upon.
Cylina blinks and looks blankly at Mathis for a moment, "Crrtsi?" She tilts her head, "Naym Crrtsi?" she smiles sweetly... honestly, she didn't understand at all, no more than someone else probably understood her broken speech, but there were so many of those nice not-nasty-fuzzy things here that she figured she'd figure things out faster that way... then she would be able to understand them fine!... right?
Phineas lifts his tankard in echo of Mena's toast, a note arriving for him about at that time. "An enjoyable eve!" he agrees, and knocks back a portion of the contents within. His gaze wanders over the arrivals as he takes the note he's delivered. "Hey there Daeva gal, what sort of game? And g'eve ta ya others. Good ta see ya."
Pyrphoros looks up from the conversation with Phineas before he stands up to greet Mena. "Your Majesty," Pyrphoros gives a full bow to the Empress, with all haste.
Outside the window, the clouds begin to clear a bit, leaving a few wispy streaks behind in the night sky.
It does not take long for the Empress to read that obviously short note, gaze quickly snapping toward the window to gauge the time of day. It is a brief look before she turns toward the nearest knight and thrusts the note at him with one hand, the other trying to usher him out of the tavern gently. "... see ... children," she murmurs to the man, keeping a mostly calm demeanor. It is then to another knight she speaks to quietly and hurriedly.
Lockler comes rushing into the tavern at a hurried pace and stops right inside the door, his sharp eyes glancing around until he finds the target of his objective and search. Cylina, which he turns and heads over with a faint breather, "you're ok, pfew." He turns and offers the Empress a plite bow before glancing back to Cylina worry written over his face, "Ok?" His voice gentle and mostly concerned.
After helping Cylina up, the young man blinks at the tone and strange manner of voice. "Uh... not from around here, are ya?" Mathis says pretty helplessly. "Is there a translator in the Tavern?" he asks, before he glances and points towards the Empress, and then back to Cylina, and offers a bow towards Mena again, and gestures for Cylina to follow suit.
As Lockler arrives, the young man decides his duty's over. That done, Mathis heads back towards Khalani's table, and smiles as the glasses of wine arrive. "She's not Tolekian.." he says with a confused noise and look towards Khalani. "But she has a friend, so all's good. Want to go for a walk, Lani? Elena? Want to come with us?"
The knight that the Empress sends out does so, steps growing more hurried after scanning the note. The door closes behind his exit.
Elena does join the toast that the Empress gave, raising her glass with a 'Good evening to all', and then settling back in her chair, staying quiet for the moment. Then she glances over to Mathis, and looks to Khalani and then back again. "Erm. If you're sure you want me along?" She's already rising to her feet again, leaving the drink on the table. "I'd love to take a walk." She gives him and Khalani a smile.
Daeva hums thoughtfully as she drops into a curtsy for the Duke and Empress, "I am thinking a game with dares? Truth or dare is always fun, but most people think that's only for the young. It may be, but I sure do think it's such a fun game. We could play a drinking game."
Nighttime spreads across Crossroads City, the stars coming out in the sultry eve to glitter impartially. On the warm evening breeze, a low, rich, throbbing note of challenge rings forth, the call of a Hunter, the call of a Hunt. For those in the open, the other sound that carries in its wake is a baying of hounds, their voices slowly growing nearer, frantic with the chase of the quarry. The sounds stir the blood in unsettling ways, calling to mind primal fears and excitement.
Cylina blinks, staring at Mathis' actions for a moment, until he leaves again, turning to Lockler with another smile, "Lokerr~ Apple!" She holds out a bunch of shiny rocks out to Lockler, as if to show him. "Apple! Apple!" Her stomach growls again as she waits for him to take the shineys and offer her tasties in exchange for it.
Then the sound of dogs reaches her ears, and the shineys drop to the ground, "Ah!" It was nasty fuzzy things! That was a very bad thing to hear in this place of not-nasty-fuzzy-things. And it was certainly not something she EXPECTED to hear...
The blood visibly drains from the features of the Empress at that haunting sound in the distance, once more looking out the window. "Perhaps everyone should stay inside for the time being," she says, keeping her composure despite what is going on.
Khalani is half getting to her feet to go for that walk when that call of a Hunt comes forth. "What.. what is that exactly?" She turns towards the windows, to look outside at the night outside.
Corsair doesn't look thrilled with that sound, tensing and looking first to the knights. They're most likely to have a clue, after all. She does, however, pause to toss back the last of her drink. "That doesn't sound good," she drawls, reaching up to ruffle a hand over the top of her head as she pushes away from the bar.
Daeva's gaze turns on the door and the call of excitement that seems to speak to her very soul. She moves to the window nearest it to peer out, her eyes widening with curiosity at what she may see there.
Lockler lets out a soft laugh to Cylina, a friendly one. Then shakes his head as he pushes her hands back gently and pulls out a couple of coins, a copper and a silver to show her, "Money." He offers. Then glances up to Mathins, "Thank you, she isn't exactly from here or any other lands. I think she is born and raised in the wild. Taking her a bit under my wing to help her stay safe. She is friendly enough though." Then blinks as he hears the hunt going on and shivers a moment, "What in..." seeing the empress going pale that just worries him all the more. He looks over everybody there and then back to Cylina, "Food, follow." Pointing over to the bar and leading the way
Phineas just glances at his note as the sound hits, and he glances up, frowning, reading the note again. His gaze goes back and forth. "Providence fuck me," he says idly as he tucks it away. "Huh. The Hunt. Any of ya here Misties?" He looks around again quickly, taking note of who is present in the tavern.
Pyrphoros looks around confused like everyone else, and gestures to his guards to stand up and stay on guard. "The Hunt? What...?" Pyrphoros looks towards Phineas.
Much like Corsair, Mathis' attention falls towards the Knights, watching their reaction more than anything else, as he shudders for a moment. "...that Hunt, Your Grace?" he asks in mild confusion.
"I know where to find one or two." Daeva answers as she continues to peer outside, "But I need to go check something in the kitchen. I had a wager with a barmaid earlier. If you'll all excuse me?"
Elena is on her feet already, both eyebrows raised. "Don't sound much like any dogs I've heard before.. wolves perhaps.." She licks her lips, and looks around. It's a crowded Tavern. Lots of people. She makes a decision and stays close to Khalani and Mathis for the moment.
The knights in the room stay close to the Empress, herding her away from any vulnerable points like doors or windows. But they do not make to remove Mena from the building. Not now.
Cylina blinks, "Fud... Fow..." She starts to follow Lockler to the bar again, temporarily forgetting about the sounds of the nasty fuzzies. "Apple fud?" She tilts her head to the side, letting her hand slide across the bar for a moment while she looks around. looking back at the Empress, recognizing her as the one Mathis pointed to... she still had no idea that she was anyone important... and she was surrounded by shiny people.
"Definitively not a mage," Corsair answers Phineas' query in a dry tone. Nor a knight. But the guard moves toward the window, setting a shoulder against the side of it to look out at the street, watching for a more concrete source of the sound.
Outside the window, the waxing gibbous moon Minuet rises over the eastern horizon.
Lockler nods to Cylina, "Apple is Food, yes." He offers adding the yes's and the no's intentionally it seems, perhaps as part of a education. He pulls up a seat at the bar and motions her to take the one next to him. Glancing to the barkeep he offers a grin, "Soup of the day and a juice for my friend, spiced cider for myself." Glancing back to Cylina with a smile.
Lockler sits down at the bar.
Sam the bartender looks at Lockler like he's got two lobsters for ears. "Man, didn't you just hear the trouble, noted by the Empress and the Duke?" He looks past the pair who sit down at the bar as if nothing's wrong, calling, "Finn, what's the plan?"
With no one telling her that she can't go check on her wager, Daeva disappears into the kitchen with a little too wide of a grin on her lips.
Daeva walks into the Kitchen and Storeroom
Daeva has left.
Phineas grimaces slightly at the lack of responses in the positive. "Some chaotic magic thing, released on Mists. Mage'd be able ta tell us more, but it's the reason folks've been dyin' in the woods. Apparently here t'night," he says grimly. "Alright, folks who have some sort of weapon, ya may want ta have it near at hand."
The baying sound grows louder, and now is accompanied by shouts and screams of people. The city is full of activity this warm summer night, and into the scattering of people and activity burst a multitude of hounds, quicksilver gray-black as they flood through the city. The first wave take people mostly unaware, some of the creatures racing on toward their hunting goal, some distracted by the easy quarry provided. It is only at Gateway Plaza Center and the Plaza of the Keeper Center, thus far.
Releasing the clasp on his short sword, Mathis gives it a quick glance. "Phineas, Sam, y'all got any bows or the like in here, or will we be at hand to hand if it comes to it? Or barricading anything?" The young man looks down as he glances towards Hammel and Khalani, closing the rank with the Baroness and Elena he rises from the table. "Any people still out there, Guard Corsair?"
Cylina sits at the bar with Lockler and waits. "Soup?" She stares at the bartender a little longer as he says something to Lockler, then turns to look at Phineas, "Woods...?" She looks to Lockler for an explaination to this... she was still hungry, but apparently something was going on and now she was curious. "Myst... Mayg... Dine?"
Then more sounds, this time much MUCH closer than what is comfortable! "AH!" She looks at the door then moves to cling to Lockler again. "Ah! ah!" She points at the door as if trying to direct his attention to the sounds and screams and whatnot.
The Empress remains within the circle of three knights that guard her, swords drawn at the ready. Mena's hands clasp together tightly, her lips moving over some silent words as she looks toward the window with a myriad of emotions that bring a crease to her brow.
Lockler smiles to Sam as he nods, "Oh I heard it, and it worries me. If something breaks in the door I will help. Yet for now since well there isn't much I can do to stop the situation, I am focusing on what I can do. That is feeding my clearly hungry friend here." shrugging his shoulders at that. A frown as the sounds grow closer, "Going to be a long night..." mostly to himself. Then glances to Cylina and offers a very firm frown, "Bad things." He offers in a serious unhappy voice, hoping his tone gets the point across.
"It's a city," Corsair grimaces. "There are always going to be people out there." She draws her saber in a smooth movement, glancing back to the others in the tavern as her grip tightens, white-knuckled. "Three or four individuals won't be enough to stop that. Any idea what they'll be hunting, your grace?" she asks Phineas.
With an odd calmness, Elena slides the sabre out of the scabbard with that steely rasp such weapons make. She holds that in her right hand. The left picks up the chair she was sat upon, and moves it into a shielding position, holding it in a way to afford both her and Khalani some protection. Her expression has become quite serious. "Have you ever been involved in melee, your excellency?" Her quiet question is apparently for Khalani.
Cylina frowns, "Baddings?" her eyes dart back to the door. "Baddings! Hunt baddings!" She used a word she heard from the room... assuming that it had something to do with what was going on. "Hunt Baddings yes?" She looks back at Lockler again to verify that she had gotten it right.
"Anything in its path," Mena answers Corsair forthrightly.
Pyrphoros looks toward Phineas and leans in to whisper.
Phienas glances at Pyrphoros with a slight frown, thoughtful. "Yeah, there's a back. We should.." He pauses to give Cylina a sort of dubious look, then continues, "..who do we have who can fight? That determines if we barricade in or try ta get the Empress back ta the castle." He starts taking an inventory of those in the room, answering Corsair, "As I understand it, anything at all. Though... remainin' indoors..." He frowns a bit, thoughts flying. "Nix, you son of a bitch, where are ya?"
Lockler just offers a slow nod, "yes. Bad things are hunting." glancing to the door as he considers. He still hasn't gotten her any food, and doesn't look like he will be. Yet he keeps his seat and watches Cylina for the moment, a look of worry crossing his face, "Stay." To her hoping she understands
"Involved? Yes. Sort of. My skills are generally restricted to screaming like a girl and hiding behind Hammel." Khalani answers Elena, with a gesture towards her looming and quite capable looking guard who, like most others, has a sword out to look menacing and looming rather than just looming.
Corsair looks to the Empress. Looks to Phineas. Looks outside. Arches a brow. "You're the Duke," she offers in reply. And without making a statement about her opinion, her expression quite clearly conveys her thoughts about unnecessary field trips into puppy-land.
"We got the Knights, Corsair.. I've had training, Your Grace.." Mathis says, "Elena apparently has.. hey, you, at the bar!" he calls out to Lockler. "Lobster ears. Can you fight, or you just gonan drink til whatever the scorched fields is out there tears you apart?" the young man asks. "Hammel can fight, of course." His short sword drops into his left hand as his right draws out a dagger. No shields around for him to grab.
Cylina frowns and stares at Lockler for a few more minutes, then turns to look at the door again, "Stay...?" She looks around the room again, at the people and all of the weapons. Not that she knew they were weapons... just that a lot of them were shiny. Like the shiny men. They held shiny things too. She didn't have one though... so she wasn't sure what to do.
Elena nods to Phineas. "I will stand by you, your grace.. my arm is strong and the sabre is sharp." She's quiet as she speaks, though her words carry well enough. Her sword arm does not waver, and she -stands- at least like she knows what she's doing.
"I will remain here," Mena states toward Phineas. "I will not have anyone risking their lives on getting me back to the castle. If it comes indoors here, it could come indoors there. Better to just stay out of its way, I think."
Phineas sighs a bit as he takes inventory of those in the room. "Alright. Those who can't do squat ta defend themselves, ya head upstairs. Through the kitchen and up. Ya can barricade the door there." The last is a suggestion to the knight, though it's clear Phineas isn't trying to order the man. "Everyone else. Turn the tables sidelong, get them up against the windows. I'm goin' ta open the door enough ta call ta anyone ta come here fer cover, if they're out there."
Well, that seals it for the Empress. Before any of the three knights can direct her to do so, Mena turns to make her way up the stairs, the three trained men following her to be barricaded in.
Lockler glances over towards Mathis as he considers, "Lobster Ears?" He offers with a blink, "new one for me, m'lord. I am not much of a man, just a manual laborer for the most part with a bit of education. Never learned how to use a sword." A honest answer it seems as he considers the orders and shakes his head slowly. A shiver as to what is being hard outside and a glance to Cylina considering, "I think there is truth in what her Majesty is saying, best to stay out of its way and not provoke anything." A hint of fear in his voice but controlled, "can we get some food at least?" Yes a nice little distraction it seems. Yet he does stand up and moves to a table to start lifting it as instructed by the Duke.
Pyrphoros sighs also. "What about get some of the alcohol out in case we need torches? Most animals don't like fire, right...?" Pyrphoros shrugs. "Of course, Mistian creatures are not normal..."
"Go with Her Majesty, Lani. I'll see you in a little bit." Mathis gives her a grin, and the two have a few words before he plants a quick kiss on the edge of her mouth and sends her on the way as well. And with that, he looks towards Lockler, shaking his head as he nods to Elena, "Help me get this against the window.
Corsair sheathes her sword long enough to head for one of the larger tables, moving to shove it into place. "You know you're likely to bring the attention of the hounds, too, calling out," she points out to Phineas, again without making any actual comment on what she thinks about it. Outside the window, a blanket of clouds rolls gently across the sky.
Screams are fewer, shouts more, as well as the occasional sound of a sword ringing against the voices of the pack. Again, the hunting horn raises its call, sounding more to the west, and the creatures flood through the city, through alley and back street. Some of those outside are pulled down by a passing creature, while others are ignored completely. The baying creatures spread mainly to Keeper West and East, a few racing toward the castle.
Elena sets her chair-shield back down and moves to help Mathis with the table. She glances back towards Khalani once, giving her an encouraging smile, and then looks to Mathis. "You're a cute couple," she says in a quiet tone as she helps him with the grunt work. She's quite strong, for all that stocky frame.
Cylina watches as the noncombatants leave the area, "Ah!" She points looking back to Lockler, "Follow?" She stares towards them then shrinks away from the door, "Cylina follow?" She looks worried, and frightened, on the verge of panicking... but she wasn't given the order to go upstairs in terms that she understands... at all...
Khalani walks into the Kitchen and Storeroom
Khalani has left.
Empress Mena walks into the Kitchen and Storeroom
Empress Mena has left.
Lockler moves the table he has into place against a window. A grunt ensuing from him as he steps back and heads over towards Cylina and nods, "Follow." He motions as he points towards the kitchen and the rest, "Careful." He offers a worried expression, clearly having taken a liking to the woman already. He glances back to the door that leads outside, "I would think most people would be inside by now your grace."
Cylina walks into the Kitchen and Storeroom
Cylina has left.
"Thank you." Said quickly to Elena, Mathis smiles. "I hope to marry her someday. So yeah, dying would put a total crimp in that plan." he comments as he pushes the table with a grunt, shoving it into place.
For a moment, Elena seems sad. "I thought I'd met someone I could marry.. someone I could trust, but.. well." She gives Mathis a wry, sad smile. "Sometimes people aren't what they seem. And trust is important. But you and the Baroness.. I can tell. You are good for each other. So. No dying. That's forbidden. Especially on my watch." She steps on back to the chair, picking it up again, preparing to use it as a shield. Her sabre is held ready once more.
Phineas shoots one look toward Corsair, stating flatly, "Day ain't come when we're so afraid we won't try ta extend a helpin' hand." He glances over the tavern again. "Tables against windows, some ready for the door. Pyrphoros' idea's a good one. Sam, help him get some of the moonshine fer torches or flashfire at need. Mat, ya check outside, see if there's anyone lookin' fer shelter." He heads to upturn a table.
Pyrphoros isn't useful besides throwing ideas around and just tries to stay out of everyone's way by leaning against a wall near the door to the kitchen.
Phoebe comes in from the Kitchen and Storeroom.
Phoebe has arrived.
"You got it, Your Grace." Mathis is the smallest and quickest of the group, it makes sense as the young man head towards the door. Closing his eyes for a moment, he draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he murmurs a few words. "Corsair, be ready to help out if needed." he says, and with that, he opens the door, stepping outside for a moment to yell out.
Plaza of the Keeper Center - Village
Wealth speaks volumes at the village center. Cobblestone streets extend in all directions forming a true crossroads that is marked in the center with a large fountain. The village buildings are all two story side-by-side structures with most containing shops on the bottom half with occasional breaks between blocks for delivery alleys. All of the buildings on this street proclaim the success of the merchants that have made it to the high enough status to operate shops in the prestigious Plaza of the Keeper. Many shop windows have flower boxes that add a quaint charm for all that visit or live in the area. The area closest to the center boasts a tavern and other food establishments that often carry scents of fresh bread, sweets or other impressive meals to draw patrons to their shops. Guards are a constant presence with their main duty being the safety of the wealthy that chose to spend a day in the village.
Being captured by a huge dog thing was not on the agenda of the young Tremere, and when her ankle is crushed in it's jaw, she gives a cry out in pain. She then tries to stomp with the other foot, a means of scrambling for some sort of freedom.
"Kyrie... start using that bow of yours," Athar suggests to the Mezelien, glancing over his shoulder as the two of his five guards with crossbows level the things at nearby targets. "If the hounds aren't attacking anyone... let them pass. We'll never stop them all. If you see someone hurt, being attacked... help them. Our goal here should be to save as many lives as possible." He spares a glance over his shoulder at Ysora, a dark look crossing his features. "Men, shoot down those hounds," he directs, pointing towards Daeva as he draws out his own blade.
The Isle of Ale's door opens for a moment, and a small figure shows in it, as Mathis presses against the wall, ready to duck back inside at a moment's notice as he considers, and then yells, "IF YOU'RE OUT HERE, GET YOUR ASSES TO THE ISLE OF ALE IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" he calls out. "We're barricading it up!"
Sure enough, the quintet of Ethosian guardsmen take Athar's instruction to heart. Three of them with blades drawn take a quick moment to survey the situation, while the other two aim their crossbows for the hounds plaguing Daeva Tremere, and let bolts fly.
Old scores may wait to be settled between the Lady of the Fang and the hounds running rampant through the city. She plucks up an arrow from her quiver and plucks it free, turning over the dark shaft and setting it to the outside of the bow caught in her hand. "Mistress Helygen, I trust your judgment. Do as you would." Accompanied by Briana, Kyrie never strays more than a few footsteps from the Draughten woman and somehow keeps in Athar's shadow, the living embodiment of that darkness. She drops short at his suggestion, measuring the distance and Daeva's efforts to get free, stopping short and sighting down the long black missile, its sharp point drawing an invisible furrow along the hound's glistening hide as it snaps at the girl. Ignoring the call from the tavern, the string tense in her fingers, only when the hound accosting the girl moves does she fire, aiming for a vital spot.
Now, Briana does draw her blade, murmuring a few quiet words as she does so: "Providence guide mine hand this day," she breathes as the blade rests lightly in both her hands. She stands with the hilt held up and to her right, her posture turned slightly. The bolts fly from the crossbows towards the animals attacking Daeva, and Briana holds her ground though the tension is coiled in her limbs and plain to note. "'Twould obscure their aim for me to rescue her," she notes in a calm tone. "My place is thy side.." There's a line on her brow though, as she assesses the situation; she's apparently uncomfortable being this exposed — vulnerable.
Vaia arrives from the castle courtyard.
Vaia has arrived.
Most citizens are fleeing the pack of animals, some are engaging them. Some will never engage anything again. The hunting horn gives its sonorous, stirring cry from near to Keeper North as the Hounds make the circuit of the city. Their numbers are hard to measure, the creatures hard to see in the dark with their coats. It is almost as if fangs come from the dark itself. A chill like autumn follows the creatures, the scent of woodsmoke and dried leaves. It is wild and terrifying and awe-inspiring, all at once. Those who have a chance to watch the pack moving through will note that some citizens flee while attacked, but on rare occasion, one or two seem to walk right into the jaws of death, willing, embracing.
Sneaking away from the castle courtyard, Vaia seems to be slinking away from whatever manner of creature that's invaded the courtyard. No weapon to speak of, but her guard does follow nearby as she takes very quick inventory of the main plaza, not stopping in her tracks, but continuing onward wherever she seems to be going.
Although the girl's blow strikes true on the beast's muzzle, the hound does not release Daeva's ankle. She is a small thing, fragile and human, pink and warm. Blood spills from the wound, filling its mouth. Tossing its head, it jerks her down from the side of the building. The other is there, dancing through the shadows to catch hold of the girl's skinny arm. The two begin an intricate waltz around each other, pulling and pirouetting with the girl between them. The scent of blood draws the attention of a third, this one charcoal in color. It joins the fun, snapping at the girl.
It's a long way across the plaza and there are dozens of citizens running interference. Many have taken Mathis' command to heart and are making their way as quickly as possible towards the Isle of Ale. A woman and her child push through the doorway, vanishing safely inside. For those archers outside, keeping the hounds in the line of fire is no easy task for those who are not an expert marksman.
The first arrow from Kyrie's bow miraculously manages to cross the length of the plaza striking home, though it is difficult to tell what exactly has been struck. Athar's guard however is not so careful a shot, the bolt strikes a man who is running across the line of fire. He falls to the cobblestones. The second shot strikes true, and while it is difficult to tell where it lands, the yelp of a beast suggests that it found one of the creatures.
Dark clouds roll in covering the night sky.
Ysora's Guard 1 manages not to get shot by arrows in his approach to Daeva. When he draws near, he's going to try and do some cutting and join in that dance - at least if the arrows stop. But he'd like to try and get the girl away from the beasts, even if it may be too late. It doesn't mean he isn't doing so without quite a few choice curse words. The Baroness herself moves in the center of her remaining guards, edging towards the Isle of Ale and trying to get a few more people pushed along inside after the pregnant woman until they are boarded up, or about to be. If a hound happens to get in the way, the triangle of pointy sharp objects will happily try to slash a little.
The waning crescent moon Diuturnal disappears below the western horizon.
The THUNK of one of the arrows elicits a cry from Daeva, but that pales to the scream she releases as she gets pulled off of the building and the beasts start to rip her apart. The pop of bone comes from her arm first, a new bone for the hound to bury later if they save their souvenirs. There's flailing of the free leg and arm as if there is some sort of hope for escape, but then again, she was always an optimist.
As Mathis pushes and shoves people through the doorway, the young man tries to hold out for the last second the young man looks towards the small island of defenders, and a frown crosses his features. "She's lost, and you're next if you don't get in here!" he yells out, a last warning tone to his voice as he just turns away from Daeva towards those he can save right now, noticing Vaia and her guard. "Vaia! Get in here!"
As the Ethosian guards do their best to usher people towards the sanctuary of Mathis and the tavern, Athar's lips move in a quiet prayer for the young Tremere girl and all the others falling in the chaos about them. "Ysora. You and your men should help barricade the tavern," he calls over in her direction, "Get the people in there and keep them safe!"
Vaia stares as she watches the increased chaos here as compared to the mild dose of craziness happening in the protected courtyard, downright paling for a moment as she watches the futile struggling of Daeva as the others range their attacks on the beasts. Drawn back by the call of Mathis from the other voices screaming this way and that, her eyes wide and almost...awed in a manner of sorts. C'mon, she's from this blasted place. Once you've seen demons over run it, dogs aren't too bad. Right? Right? Erm. Either way, blinking at the boy, she stares...and stares. Eyes narrowing quickly afterward as her steps begin to change direction Always moving, trying to stay watchful as her guard sticks close, sword sheathed after he saw what happened to Isolde and Renata, but hand lingering resting on it. The pair move toward the tavern, if a little reluctant.
Most citizens are fleeing the pack of animals, some are engaging them. Some will never engage anything again, caught beneath the stampeding boots of fellow citizens, misfired arrows, and the claws of the hounds.
Above the fray, the hunting horn gives its sonorous, stirring cry from near to Keeper North as the hounds make the circuit of the city. Their numbers are hard to measure, the creatures hard to see in the dark with their coats. It is almost as if fangs come from the dark itself. A chill like autumn follows the creatures, the scent of woodsmoke and dried leaves. It is wild and terrifying and awe-inspiring, all at once. Those who have a chance to watch the pack moving through will note that some citizens flee while attacked, but on rare occasion, one or two seem to walk right into the jaws of death, willing, embracing.
Although the triad of hounds are engaged with tearing the girl apart, one spies the approach of Ysora's guard. It turns from its prey, a low thunder-storm growl vibrating through its body. Luminescent eyes flash on the man, warning him away from their kill. When he strikes, it dodges deftly away. However, instead of attacking, it demonstrates some uncanny form of intelligence, blocking the man from aiding the girl while its brothers sink their muzzles into her flesh.
As soon as Ysora is clear, Mathis grabs Vaia's arm as she gets close enough, yanking the two of them backwards and into the Tavern itself, as he does so, yelling angrily as he does so.
Isle of Ale Tavern - Keeper Center - Village
Phoebe just rolls her eyes at Phineas for a moment. "Brothers.." Her voice is low as she murmurs it before she draws out several small purple pieces of coral that she rolls in her left hand as she studies the door intently for a moment or two.
Corsair doesn't /say/ anything in response to Phoebe's sentiments about opening the door, though there's the slightest upturn at one corner of her lips. She manages to restrain the reaction, though, considering the gravity of the situation. What with the rampaging hounds and all.
As a few last people run into the tavern, the last of the vanguard falls back, a last citizen almost pushed in by Mathis, before the young man falls back, dragging Vaia inside with him. "That's it! Lady of the Fang and Baron Ethos and Baroness Crucible are out there, but they didn't listen!" he cusses angrily, shoving his foot against the door to slam it closed.
Pyrphoros has armed himself and the barkeeps with torches, with a few spare ones at a corner, you know, far away from potential trampling action.
"Naw," Phineas says when the three who are outside still are named, smiling just faintly. "Naw, they wouldn't." He grunts to himself and finally undoes the lighter crossbow from the straps on his leg. "Alright. Any here who are interested in stayin' safe, more power to ya. I've a friend out there." He heads for the door. "Mat, how bad is it? Vaia gal, the folks who can't defend are upstairs, gettin' a good view from safety."
Vaia is apparently dragged into the tavern when she's within arms reach by Mathis, her guard following along, hand still resting on his sword, having seen the kind of negative attention the two women in the courtyard got when they took out their 'weapons'.
Vaia, on the other hand, weaponless and wandering, the girl is intently focused on hat's goin on outside the doors. Not precisely hearing what's going on so much as trying to find a good window to look out of. A passing look up toward Phineas, her expression blanked and lips parted silently as she stares at him blankly. Blink! "Oh. Th-thank you...?" rewind and replay that in your mind to remember what he said earlier.
Elena looks at the Duke, eyes wide with incredulity. "You going out into that madness, aren't you?" She takes a deep breath and looks from Phineas to Mathis and then back again. She bites her lower lip, but moves to one side to consider him and his words for a moment or two.
Phoebe looks at Phineas for a moment, and lets out a resigned sigh. "You are a definitely stubborn individual, Phineas.." Her cool tone is uttered as she moves from her nice - safe - quiet place at the back of the room as Phoebe begins to move towards Phineas - to follow him.
"It's bad, Your Grace." Mathis says, a frown on his features as he looks towards the Duke. "I take it you're going after them?" he asks, the young man says as he looks towards Vaia. "Upstairs, Vaia. Lani and the Empress are there. His eyes fall to Phineas for a moment as he considers the question, looking to Elena. "You staying or going, Miss Ashlan?" he asks, moving to his feet and recovering his sword. "Is there anyway we can get them a ladder or something from the second floor?"
"Ah, shit," Corsair grimaces at Mathis' words, glancing to Phineas. "I'll get your back, your grace," she says simply. With a flick of her wrist, blades extend from the channels in her bracers. Outside the window, the clouds begin to clear a bit leaving patches of cottony clouds covering the sky.
Elena looks at who is left and agonises for a moment or three. She looks to Phineas finally. "Shit," she starts out in a quiet tone, "There's not enough of us," she says simply, sadness in her eyes. "I have to stay. Keep safe, your grace." Her eyes flicker on to Corsair. "You too, Corsair." She moves to the door, ready to open it for them, setting her chair-shield down for the moment. "Let me know when you're ready."
"Yup." Phineas smirks at Elena. "They're dogs. It can't be that bad for -me-." He looks over everyone left. "Sorry. Folks dyin' out there. Ain't somethin' ta stand by and let happen. If yer in, yer in. If not, guard this door. Sam! Have a round ready fer us when we come back!" and with that, the duke steps out.
"Your Grace, if Ba... Master Cardiff says it's bad, it's bad," Pyrphoros suggests to Phineas, but he runs out before he can finish.
Vaia looks over to Mathis as Phineas moves through to the door, followed by at least one vollunteer. Recovering from that blank stare, the girl's brows drop as she looks at her friend again and responds simply. "No." Stubborn in her own quiet way, she turns away with her guard en tow taking up guard at the door as the others move out.
And Phoebe follows silently.
"Elena, get Vaia upstairs." Mathis says with a small smile, before he steels himself, and heads out as well.
Plaza of the Keeper Center - Village
From the entrance to the tavern, Phineas slips out with the crossbow held in one hand. He hugs the wall of it, easily blending into the blackness so that human eyes might miss him. Dog eyes? Likely not. He takes a quick measure of the area, muttering, "Fucking Athar."
Phoebe is following in Phineas' footsteps, her hand to her side holding several pieces of purple coral as she follows in the shadows. Her frosted regard? irritated. A glance at her brother and it's almost as if she's mimicing his mutter - except directed towards /him/.
"What's your orders, Phineas?" Mathis asks, sword and dagger drawn. The young man is already judging the distance from the door to Athar, wondering if he can run the distance to Athar and the others fast enough.
The five guards dressed in the Golden Dragon of Ethos hold the line before Athar and Kyrie, the latter of whom seems to be in the midst of casting a spell. Athar remains with his blade held aloft, steady and assured, ready to fend off anything Houndlike that should come his way. Though the call for help from the castle still draws at his attention.
Corsair slips out behind Phineas, saber drawn and the blades at her left bracer extended. She doesn't seem inclined to add her own curses to the litany, instead taking a moment to examine the situation.
Briana stands near to Kyrie, her blade held ready, assuming a defensive posture. She's watching the dogs, not man-like shadows emerging from a tavern.
Although it seems like hours since the haunting melody of the horn first played across the city, it has only been a quarter of an hour. Most of the panicked citizens have found shelter by now, though the cobblestones of the plaza are littered with bodies. The three hounds that began the incident near the alleyway of the tavern have moved farther into the open. Perhaps it is not their massive size, their dull charcoal coats, or their luminescent eyes that are as troubling as the body they pull between them. For the moment, these three seem oblivious of the living humans around them, the hot meal of Daeva taking their full attention.
Across the plaza, the Lady of the Fang has just completed weaving her spell, casting the tendrils of eldritch power out from her slender body. . .
The magic builds as it leaves her, like a tidal wave cresting on the ocean, pulling in from the ambient energy around her. For a split second the air grows still, before suddenly everything erupts in dazzling color and light. From the core of this dark and shadow Lady, a thousand gossamer butterflies explode. The wave of their brilliance breaking over the plaza.
Although it may not be what the Lady intended, it does startle the hounds from their meal. They bite at the butterflies, snapping their jaws, growling. As they spin, the bolt from Athar's guard sticking out of the flank of one becomes visible in the kaleidoscope of color.
Like calls to like, as the old idiom goes. What answers the scion of an accursed house with blood slipping between her fingers? For those who have only heard Kyrie's speaking voice, shredded down to a complete whisper, it may not be obvious at all what transpires -- much less how or why. Ascending from a hum, the chord of dulcet song is almost seamlessly interwoven with the gasping breaths of air scouring across the plaza turned, and giving birth to the shattering brilliance. In another hour she might laugh; in this case, the witch drops back a step into Athar's shadow, saying nary a word as the fading canto offers that fluttering image of madness.
What a great display to die to! It's almost like fireworks of butterflies escort Daeva's soul to whatever eternity it may hold. At this point, her trip from this world is the only way the girl will see it. Her features pale further and soon she's several piles of kibbles and plenty of bits for the hounds to enjoy as they may.
Phineas lifts a hand to shelther his features from the light of the butterflies while he takes quick stock of things. "Mostly gone. I guess they'll be fine." His attention turns toward the hounds, affixing upon them with a focused concentration. "Well now," he says, this a low voice in the night air, soothing and pitched familiarly. "One of those boys done got stuck. That's got ta hurt." He glances between those with him and back to Mathis. "Alright. Let's start moving among the bodies, seeing if anyone down is alive. Start with the quarter of the square fartherst from the dogs there. Any movement from them, bolts first. Folks over there have guards, they'll be alright."
Phoebe glances at Phineas for a moment. There's less antagonism for the moment and her features adopt something more quiet - focused. Her frosted blue-greys sweep over towards Athar and Kyrie before she prepares to follow his stead. Her voice murmured quiet, "Don't suppose you've got a spare.." Her lips quirked ever so slightly, she keeps a keen eye on the hounds for now.
"Got it, Phineas." Spoken quickly, the young man starts to move, going along and the first body he comes across, he lowers down, as Mathis places the blade of his dagger just under the nose to see if the cool steel fogs up. If it does, he'll gesture for a pickup, if not, he'll move on.
"Phineas!" Athar calls across the space of the square between where he and the others stand, and Phineas makes his way with the assitance of Phoebe and Mathis. "Do you have any idea what in the Abyss is going on here?" he asks, his men moving after a gesture from the Baron to begin assisting in checking for survivors.
The baying of hounds has not fallen away, but indeed the screams and shouts of citizens are almost completely gone, the streets cleared of all but the dead and dying, whether human or canine. The pack seem to be moving mainly to the north of the city, and the areas left behind are falling to a heavy quiet when the violence has passed.
The three hounds, the only ones left in the plaza leave their meal, turn from the pile of ruined flesh that was once the Tremere daughter. Snapping and growling at the butterflies that whirl and dance in the evening air, two hounds gives chase. The third, the one that was struck with the bolt, pauses briefly as if something has caught its attention. Turning its brilliant gaze towards the Isle of Ale, its ears prick forward. Slowly, its lip begins to curl, a low growl shivering through flesh and fur. It takes a slow step in the direction of the tavern survivors.
Corsair heads for her own quarter of the square, her jaw oddly set, shoulders tense, as she checks for survivors. Her expression is carefully neutral, controlled, as she tries to see only vital signs and not the lives behind them, crouching to check for a pulse or breath only to move on again or look to the hounds. It's on one such glance that she catches that growling, baring her teeth in return.
"This the Wild Hunt. They turn magic awry around them." Stating the obvious in a ragged whisper, Kyrie gives Athar an answer as much as she can supply, letting pieces of glass fall to the ground fromk outside her gloved hand. "They are moving somewhere, and whether that is their Lord or on a circuit, I do not know. But should we not be taking shelter within as we had to in Polaris, then we must follow them now." The urgency in her tone makes up for the very low audibility as she abandons the last hound to those who may care for it, gesturing quickly for Briana as she starts after the sound of the dying to the north.
Without comment, Briana steps after Kyrie, heading north with her, the metal armour clinking just a little as she goes. Her expression is composed and serious as she marches; she does not put up her weapon and she remains close by Kyrie's side, moving in front of her on occasion. She does, however, avert her eyes from the worst of the mutilated bodies lying around.
"Yup, Athar. Magic shit," Phineas calls toward the man with a smirk. "The Hunt. Stuff. Beats me." He doesn't even hear the words of Kyrie, focusing upon the hound. Lower voiced, "Check the bodies, we want any who are breathin' gotten inside." Then he gives a low whistle to the hound again, tempting, and some soft words. "Hey there boy, that hurts, don't it? I know it does."
Phoebe reaches into her bag of tricks and pulls out a smaller bag. Her eyes on the hounds, she notices the one in particular that has taken a direction that she does not approve of. Her lips curl faintly and she holds the small white pouch in the opposite hand of the purple coral. Her lips moving ever so faintly though no sound emerges.
"Have they lost their bloody minds?" Mathis asks, his task fully on finding those that can still be saved at the moment. He watches Phineas, ready to move out if he needs to, a frown as the steel doesn't fog and then he moves on towards the next victim.
One of the bodies has a rip at the stomach, teeth having sliced it open, but the figure is not yet dead. A woman, unconscious and bleeding, a few white loops of intestines seen.
Dark eyes narrow as the mage suddenly decides to become decisive in her motions. "You two, stay here, help the Duke," Athar tells two of the five men with him, while he rounds up the other three. "Providence keep you," he calls to the remaining tavern survivors, and heads off with his men in the direction of Kyrie.
Kyler emerges from the courtyard, his mace bloodied, splatters on his squire's tabard and he's looking around for more beasties to distract. Generally with a mace upside the head.
All right! Dog hunting! Andre seems less that remissed about the attack as he comes running in from the courtyard. Fresh doggy fluids on his quarterstaff as his eyes seem to thirst for more. Seeing the crowd, his eyes dart towards the Duke, then the others. He reaches behind his back and pulls out a throwing dagger, spinning it on his finger by the ring. A mutt of a dog follows him, obviously not seeing any action as of yet.
Lowering its head the hound growls more loudly. Fur is wet and matted where the bolt protrudes from its side. Blood splatters on the cobblestones. Where it lands, tiny red flowers begin to sprout. Lifting its head, it purses its lips and howls. The sound carries high and clear on the night. Sensing that perhaps this is a fight it will not win, it turns and flees.
Daeva is just a pile of maybe identifiable body parts -- the ones that weren't eating. If they were good doggies, then they wouldn't have touched her face.
Ysora steps back into the plaza after responding to the cry for help. She looks bleak, but purposeful as she limps in amongst the guards. With most of the hounds fleeing, she lets three of them move out to fan amongst the injured and more than injured to attempt to help. Her focus is on finding the not quite dead, but clearly on their way there. When she finds one young man, she kneels down stiffly and bends her head over him. Her voice is gentle and firm as she offers what comfort and companionship she can in his last moments.
As Mathis comes across the first alive person.. the young man fights a gag reflex as he notices Daeva's body - he met the woman only a couple of times. But still. His attention falls back to the woman with her intestens spilled out and he frowns, taking off his vest to slowly shove the looping white material back home as he looks towards the others that are scattered about. "Son of a bitch.." he whispers to himself.
A new, different kind of baying echoes from the west, and the sound is chased by the Horn's call. Heartbeats gallop swiftly with the untamed magic that sweeps the city, fantastical and foreboding. Many of the hounds begin to move that direction from wherever they have wandered, converging upon the cry that signals the prey is sighted.
Kyler looks over the death and destruction and then there's that cry and the hounds and, because he's stupid like that, he's headed off in that direction. Others are helping the wounded, he's off to see what's going on.
Another one of the wounded is not yet dead, though missing hunks of flesh in several places. The older man had the sense to curl in on homself and protect vital body parts. It's his back and a side that show the most damage, as blood leaks from his body.
Phineas watches the hound leap away, his eyes shining for a moment, before he turns back to look over the devastation wrought. "Alright. Any luck? And anyone not busy..." He looks up at the sky, then toward the west. "Don't go that way. East, we can check for bodies there next, but get those we find into the tavern." He hauls in a deeper breath.
Duke Phineas shouts, "SAM! BANDAGES!"
When the hounds depart, Corsair looks in the direction they've gone. For a moment, it seems she might follow, but instead the guard turns to triage and first aid on the wounded, doing her best to patch things up.
From Isle of Ale Tavern, Sam, the ever faithful barkeep jumps to a few moments after the call. Swaddled up with bandages as best he could muster at that time. Stopping at the threshold of the tavern just a second as he looks around, cursing under his breath before carrying on, one of the guards slamming the door behind him.
"First bright idea I heard all night..." Phoebe says to Phineas. Before putting the first white pouch back into her gown and continuing to roll the coral in her free hand. A thought or two appearing on her features as she considers the surrounding areas.
The scene is really one of devastation, really. Bodies are all that are left, human and animal, and those from the tavern are going through the bodies swiftly to find those still alive.
One of the guards turns to old "Don't want to leak his guts" there in the not yet dead category. The Crucible man leans down and huhs, then calls out for one of his peers to help with the first aid and trying to get the guy stable enough to move into the tavern.
Ysora sets a hand to the young man's brow as he breathes his last, a tear falling from her eye before she limps on to seek any others who aren't going to last more than a moment or two.
Coming out with Sam is Elena; they are both laden down with bandages and she looks about for Phineas. Then she traipses in his direction as quickly as she can, Sam by her side. "You need anything else, your grace? Brandy for his pain, perhaps?" She delivers bandages as required, waiting for the reply.
"I'm all for that, Your Grace." Mathis mutters under his breath. "Got a live one over here!" he yells out as he moves on to the next body he comes across. The young man apparently has carried out this task before, muttering a quiet sorry to Phineas as he passes by.
Kyler moves off towards the east, to continue the check for hounds. To confirm they've all moved off to the west.
Phin's hand passes over Mat's shoulder with a swift squeeze as he moves toward the one who is still alive. "Fuckin' morons, goin' chasin' after trouble like that, rather'n tryin' ta help the living. What're they goin' ta do fer it? Nothin."
Great big gobs of greasy grimy Daeva guts, mutilated hands and feet, itsy bitsy coin-purse-and-a few-pieces-of-jewelry-and-a-dagger-too. This is the state of what was once an unstoppable girl.
Vaia ignores Elena's advice to stay inside as the Ashlan cousin and barkeep head back outside. She? She strolls out a few moments later as the door was shut in her face, strolling out with a few more rags she's found behind the bar and a bottle of something, which she sets down on the steps. Almost as if she were simply walking through the plazan normally. The girl doesn't have a damn inch of field training but she can go around handing out makeshift bandages at will to those that know how to use them properly or assist in holding someone's innards where they're supposed to be. All with a mask of essentially indifference.
After a second, Phineas says toward Elena, "Fer right now, bandages tight as can be, and moved inta tha tavern. They need ta hold on until we can get healers fer them." He pauses a moment as he comes across Daeva's body, his features going blank as can be while he gazes at her. It's several heartbeats before he moves on and checks another corpse. "Dead ones, get 'em over here. One pile!"
"Got it, Your Grace!" Mathis considers for a moment. "Want me to get over to Bella's and see if we can get any of the midwives down here for triage?" he asks him.
Elena starts the slow and steady work of identifying the living and applying bandages and moving on past the dead. Her expression is pretty much what you'd expect; sad and grief-stricken. She keeps quiet as she works though, no tears escaping for the moment. Every so often though, she pauses, looks about and shakes her head. Pretty soon, her clothes are covered in the gore and blood of the events of the evening, but she continues on stolidly.
"Hell yes," he calls toward Mathis. "Haver her set up her place as one site for the wounded, tell her the tavern's goin' ta be another. Run like the wind, Mat!"
"On it!" Mathis says, taking off as fast as his legs can go to carry him to Bella's place and get the orders out.
Foot here. An arm there. I think this was part of someone's lower intestines. Oh! A pretty ear. With an earring! Joy. Vaia finishes handing out the bits of rags she has, and what's a girl to do without propper training in these things? She carries over bits of people and as many larger parts as she can manage without regard for her own clothing right now, still in that strange kind of distance as she helps clear the courtyard.
Phoebe looks at Mathis before adding to Phineas commentary, "And abyss-sake, don't get caught by those Hounds!" Phoebe says decidedly before turning back to Phineas. A glance at her elder brother before she begins to look from body to body.. Is that fresh blood, or a spare eyeball she can take? Hrm.. Intestines....
Andre seems remissed that there isn't anything left for him to hit. Canis seems remissed she didn't find a new boyfriend. All and all he seems ready to fight. He leans against a building and pulls out a flask, resting against his staff as he takes a deep drink.
Accoucheur's Clinic - Plaza of the Keeper East - Village
The waiting room is not like most. Instead of uncomfortable chairs, out-of-date newspapers, and ugly walls and carpet, this room looks more like someone's living room. The floor is a highly-polished pine, with thick, comfortable rugs scattered throughout the room. Most of the seating here is in the form of sofas, loveseats, and large chairs with ottomans. Small side tables hold glass-covered candles and lanterns, along with a variety of books.
The color scheme in this room are soothing. The walls are a soft beige, and the furniture are coordinating solids of peach, cinnamon, and ivory. There are some paintings on the walls, mostly depicting beautiful scenes from the various Isles.
There are two doors set in the opposite wall from the front door. One leads to Annabella's office, and the other, to the examination, labor, and delivery room. There is a large open archway in the wall to the right as you enter the clinic. A sign over the archway reads "Accoucheur-Greyson Community Center." Scents of delicious food usually waft from that arched doorway.
Mathis arrives in the clinic, finding a group of city guards protecting the midwives and just born. "Any that you can spare.." he pants, blood still on his hands and shirt and down to his trousers. "I need to help Duke Green Fields help with the wounded!" Looking around, his eyes lower to stare at the floor for a moment as he shakes his head. "It's bad."
"Can't be worse than birthin' a babe. If ya got healin' trainin', come with me." A heavyset older woman says, looking to Mathis. "Lead the way, lad."
Mathis smiles, wanly, but there is warmth there. "Thank you, miss." And with that, he leads three women into the Abyss itself.
Plaza of the Keeper Center - Village
Elena moves woodenly to the girl indicated, and kneels in the muck to apply the bandages. "Hang in there," she says in a quiet tone, "we're here now. We'll get you help." She binds her as well as she can, and checks the dressing - for a vet, she's not bad at tending humans. She moves to run her hand through her hair and then stops herself. "Phin," she calls over to the Duke, "we're going to need to burn those bodies. Bites often carry infection." Then she helps the girl upright. She's not strong enough to carry the girl outright, but the seem to manage a way that doesn't cause her too much pain in a sort of hobbled limp.
Phoebe begins to follow Phineas, but she takes a breath. "I'll help with treatment inside.. I don't suppose any of you happen to be a virgin.." Phoebe says to those present in a cold - dismissive tone as she begins to head for the door to the tavern itself.
Daeva is a virgin! Was a virgin! Suppose she can't declare that now, can she?
"There's some folks upstairs," Phineas calls to Phoebe as he rises with the wounded girl in his arms. "Maybe one of them. Fuck, why are virgins so rare?" He jerks his head toward Sam, and has the bartender carefully helping the second figure toward the tavern.
Bringing in a few midwives with healer training, Mathis frowns. "This is all I could round up, Your Grace. But they have room at the clinic.."
The area is a spot of devastation being quickly cleaned up. Somewhere between ten and twenty bodies, in various states of dismemberment. Three seem to be the focus of being bandaged so far, but most seem to be being hauled toward one spot, a pile. A few quicksilver-colored hounds lay dead as well, and the area is dead empty but for a few people trying to clean up warily.
Vaia is still gathering body parts as the others deal with the living, sorting and shifting them into the tavern where hopefully a number of people will be around to help in a short amount of time. Looking around the area, just staring and shaking her head a little bit, brushing back her hair with one soaked hand, blood slicking her hair back behind her ear. Sighing deeply, the first real show of emotion for a while as she just looks at the pile of bodies, then shifts to watch the others being led inside.
A nod at Phineas' comments before slipping inside the tavern, Phoebe departs.
Elena helps a bandaged girl into the Tavern, casting one backward glance over the area with a shake of her head, before she is lost to sight.
Pyrphoros pokes his head out along with a guard, but heads back into the tavern once he sees that the hounds are no where to be seen.
The clouds begin to clear a bit, leaving a few wispy streaks behind in the night sky.
Marek arrives on the scene at a dead run. He pulls up short though as he enters the area as his eyes snap around and take in the carnage of what looks to be a hell of a battle. He snarls softly before he shakes his head to clear it. Two choices he has now, either stay and help the survivors or run on and see if there is more combat to be found. The young mercenary narrows his eyes and nearly runs off once more before he sighs and begins to instead do what he can to help the wounded into cover.
Andre sighs, looking around at the devistation. He rubs his head, whictling for his dog as he runs deeper into the city.
Setting the midwife/healers to work, Mathis goes about the grim task of gathering the dead. "..why are they here, Your Grace?" he asks. "What are they hunting after? I mean, I know the story - but.."
Baltar walks in, seemingly unaware of what a sight might greet him. There are still some individuals needing help. Without any orders or directions, the man instictively heads for one of the most endangered cases. "Hold on," he wispers, "I'll get you some help." The man then looks around, to find someone in charge. "Where do we get any help over here?" he asks.
Phineas jerks his head to the last unconscious person as he notes Mat's arrival. "Thanks for getting 'em. They're after Lilith. Some dumbshit deal some unnamed mage made with them," he snarls before forcing a bit more decorum. Attention goest oward Baltar, and he nods shortly. "You. Take this girl, carry her inside the tavern. The healers are headed in there. What's your name?"
The area is being cleaned up, with bodies mostly getting moved to a pile, the wounded being taken into the tavern.
Gwyndolen heads through with a pair of marines, looking very little like her usual self. She's dirty, torn up, and one arm is splinted, slinged, and bound to her chest. She's carrying a bared sword and walking as quickly as possible in the direction of the hunt, with the single-minded determination of the really truly angry.
Baltar carries the young girl into his arms, and as he passes by Phineas, shrugs, "Who cares about my name." He heads to the tavern, as directed.
"The Duke asked you a question, jackass." Mathis snaps, apparently not in the mood for people being jackasses. "Lilith? As in.. Lady of the Abyss, Lilith?" the young man asks, turning to Phineas with wide eyes.
Phineas gives a short nod to Mathis. "Yup. That's the one. Concubine to the Lord. Most beautiful creature ever t'exist, as I've heard it said. C'mon." He moves to add one more body to the pile of corpses, then heads toward the tavern, with but a glance after Baltar. "He likely don't know I'm the duke, Mat. No offense t'night." Though, he flashes a bit of a grin toward the youth, tired and yet filled with solidarity.
"Very well, Phineas." Mathis says, letting out a long and slow breath, adding in what last parts he can. A small smile tries to find it's way to his features. "We burning these?" he asks with a frown to the pile they've made.
Marek watches silently at Gwyndolen marches through the area and his head snaps up in the direction that the baying of the hounds seems to be coming from. He shakes his head then before he sighs and turns away from the promise of a fight to walk quickly towards Mathis. He's the only one that he seems to know here. "Master Cardiff! Here let me help you with those..."
Baltar doesn't seem to indeed care for ranks. He seems rather worried about survivors. Soon he found a barely breathing elder, and carefully managed to move him around. "This one is alive..." No matter how ragged are the clothes, the man seems to be ready to move him around. "To the tavern, I guess," he says, and the whispers, "Hold on, old man. I have you."
"Master Paggion, I'd say well met.. but it could be better circumstance." Mathis says. "..Master Marek Paggion, this is my friend, Phineas Ashlan, Duke Green Fields. Your Grace, this is Marek Paggion, brother to Imani, and cousin to Lani." he says, handling quick introductions.
"Your Grace," Marek replies with a half nod before he begins to help Mathis and gives the Duke a rueful little smile. "I wish the circimstances were better for a meeting...but..." A glance around before he nods once towards the Duke with a frown on his face.
A small smile with the help of moving the body, the grim task doesn't make him all that cheerful as he closes his eyes. "Rest well, Mistress Tremere." he says quietly as Mathis gives a bow of his head to Phineas. "Sounds like a plan, Your Grace."
Phineas blazes the way back to the tavern and within, his features set in blankness as he glances at the body of Daeva in passing. "Fucking Raziel," he says, mostly to himself. "Fuck him and his gloryhounding self."
Isle of Ale Tavern - Keeper Center - Village
Emerging from the kitchen once more, Phoebe appears with her lips pursed quietly together - a thoughtful expression upon her face as she surveys the interior of the tavern.
"What a fucking mess." Mathis says, only really open at times like this, something picked up from Phineas as he lets out a ragged breath. "Mind.. mind if I grab a drink, Your Grace?"
Cynara arrives from the Plaza Center.
Cynara has arrived.
Matthew arrives from the Plaza Center.
Matthew has arrived.
Phienas watches the last few people be brought to the room, a few healers having come along from Bella's clinic. He's got a cynical look upon his features. "Yeah, Mat, have a drink. Then we head for Keeper East, see who we can save there." The tavern's been turned into a temporary healing facility, and the men who remain are saving what people they can. Outside, the bodies of the dead have been piled to one side. Phienas goes to snag a bottle himself.
"I think that is the best description I've heard so far Master Cardiff," Marek says as he glances around with a frown and a shake of his head. "I think if no one minds I'll take one as well." He says before following Mathias to snag a bottle of something.
Baltar walks to one of the most wounded, not yet discarded, "Stay still. We'll take care of you," he says. He looks up at Phoebe, then to Phineas. "You fret not, soon enough you'll be dancing with us. Wouldn't you like it?" As he speaks, the man looks up at Phineas and Phoebe. It's kinda clear he has no clue who they are, no more than he knows who the wounded is. He frowns, as he hears about drinks. "Is that it? You planning on leaving and drinsks?"
When the door opens, Cynara steps inside, but despite the flecks of blood splashed over her skirt and the stark white of her blouse, she isn't alone. The redhead looks irritated for some reason or another, but the reasons will be apparent enough, for the young woman is trailed by two guards dressed in the unmistakeable colors of the Baron Ethos's own vanguard. Matthew Forester is also with the contingent. Lifting a pale hand to wipe at the spots of blood streaked on her cheek, she moves towards the bar. Maybe tonight she'll have something stronger than cider.
"I know, Phineas, I know." Mathis says, then Baltar goes prodding again. "Didn't you hear the Duke? Our night is just starting." the young man says as he grabs a bottle of warrior's milk, popping it and slugging down as much as he can quickly. "Keeper's East, and then.. north from there." he lets out a breath. "Fuck all of this. Why didn't we get more warning?"
"It seems that things were just as bad here as everywhere else." Spoken as he takes note of those bodies and injured in the room, Matthew doesn't appear in the same shape as those he's accompanying. In fact, when compared with Cynara, the baron lacks any injury of any sort except for being involved in some activity. "And you expected warning, Master Cardiff?"
Khalani comes in from the Kitchen and Storeroom.
Khalani has arrived.
Phoebe glances at those assmbled. As Cynare, the guards, and Matthew arrive,, Phoebe simply arches her brow ever so slightly. Her gaze to those filtering in, injured and not. A sigh of breath escapes her lips before Phoebe's voice lifts in a cool quiet tone - "If someone happens to be a virgin, this would be an apt time to step up and admit it."
Phineas looks over the tavern as he takes a drink from the bottle. "We need some sort of village infirmary," he says to nobody in particular. He glances at Phoebe. "Virgin's blood. In the apartment upstairs, my bedroom, black chest. It's a silver vial, labeled. Sorry I didn't think of it earlier. Alright. Every hand that doesn't know healing, we're off to Keeper East. Ready?" He steps toward the door.
The young woman isn't injured, save for a few bruises. The blood appears, for the most part, collateral. Cynara pauses at Mathis' table when Matthew does, overhearing the young Cardiff's words. "They tore through North but it had more warning than most sections of the city since the activity started away from it," she tells Mathis. "There was more time to herd most people off the street by the time we heard the horns blowing and the hounds baying, but there were some..." There is a frown, something dark passing over her eyes. She leaves the table after that, to get something to drink.
Running a hand through his hair Marek sighs slightly before grabbing a bottle of the same brew that Mathis chose and opening the bottle himself. He'll even pull a third bottle and place it on the bar for whoever wants it. He looks up at the newcomers before glancing away again. He would like time to pick up a few things from his room, but there is no other way to do it. Finishing the pull on his drink he sighs and nods once towards Duke Phineas. He seems willing to follow.
Hopping off the edge of the bar, Mathis sets down the bottle, leaving bloodied handprints on it from the wounded and dead he helped tend to as he gives a bow to Matthew. "Wishful thinking, Your Excellency. Ready, Your Grace." he says simply to Phineas.
Briefly glances towards Phoebe, enough to take note of his wife. In all, a far too quick gesture before looking to Phineas with a nod of his head. "I would rather see what I can do here," he says, mulling over something in particular before rolling up his sleeves to the elbow. "And finish a conversation. I would be careful to try and not kill the hounds at all possible. Injure, yes. Beyond that." It's something even he's trying to grapple with.
With the three knights she went up the stairs with, Mena returns to the main part of the tavern, looking around with concern.
The tavern has been turned into a temporary infirmary, a few of the healers from Bella's clinic tending to the wounded there.
Phineas gives a short nod to those who are ready to go, starting toward the door. "Yeah," he tells Matthew, "I ain't big into killing dogs, if it can be avoided. But we ain't after the Hunt, just the places its been, saving what can be saved." He gives one glance toward Mena as she and the knights come down, dark eyes seeking his sister's, and he nods to her on his way out the door. It's as much respect as can be crammed into the moment.
Plaza of the Keeper Center - Village
The city is becoming silent and desolate, though now the city guard are beginning to spread about. There are still the sound of hounds baying in triumph from the west. Phineas glances that way grimly, muttering, "Hope they at least fuckin' got her," before heading east.
Plaza of the Keeper East - Village
Even after rounding the corner from the south, the quaint charms of the Plaza continue along the eastern road that leads towards the sea. Breezes frequently keep the area balmy in the summer though more biting cold comes in off the ocean during the winter. Shops and residences line the cobblestone road as guards continue to patrol the area. No matter the hour it seems as if someone occupies the area, and this is most likely due to the presence of the village inn, museums, and public baths, making this a popular cultural hotspot.
Keeper East is as much of the city around the inner circle right now, a sight of combat and loss. Here, there are only eleven or twelve downed, the area having had both less traffic and more time to vacate than the Keeper Center. The mouth of the public baths is barricaded.
Two dead dogs are laying here, as well.
"If they do.. is it over, then?" Mathis asks. "Or will it happen over and over again?" he glances at the devastation, the young man frowning as he walks along and starts to the task of checking for the living, the soon to be lost, and the already gone as he considers.
"Why do you think we were asked not to kill the dogs if possible?" Marek asks quietly of Mathis as they walk before he frowns slightly. "...if that's the way to make this stop then I hope so as well, Your Grace." He adds as he follows Mathis in checking the fallen. Blood already streaks his clothes and his hair but he doesn't seem bothered by any of it.
"As I understand it, it's over if they get her," Phineas says to Mathis, taking another swig and glancing about. "Well now Marek, that was the Hunt, some sort of wild magic stuff. Ain't evil, per se, just somethin' ta avoid. It was after a creature of powerful evil, best that it kill it. That's as much as I know, I ain't no mage. Just a simple man, I." He heads toward a figure on the ground to check for a pulse, for any sign of life. "Fuck." He points. "Here's where we stack the dead in this area."
"Alright.. Your Grace, mind if I tag one of those..?" Mathis says, gesturing to one of the dogs that is dead, "To send to Mistress Zakov to do some research on?" he asks as he shrugs. "Maybe she can learn some more about them or something." Even as he says this, he's continuing on his task.
Marek just nods once towards Phineas. He doesn't like nobles all that much, but he can't help but like this one. Just a little bit at least. The guy does seem to have a way with words he does. "...I think thats enough for any of us to know Your Grace." He says with a shrug before bending down to frown. Moving from body to body he turns to help with Mathis and his row of the dead, and row of the wounded.
"Yeah, go fer it, Mat." Phineas gives a jerk of his head toward one of the dogs. "And ya know, Marek, I think knowin' any more'd be excess, yeah, but damn it's goin' ta be hard ta talk ta the families of those we find. Daeva, she was the merchant guildmaster's daughter. Only child. Ain't the only story of tragedy out here." He checks another body, grunts, and heaves it up to dump on the pile of gathered dead, not to be confused with living, easier to keep animals from feeding on them if they're all in one spot .
Mathis nods, completing the task of marking the dead first, before he moves to get one of the dogs to drag off and leave later for shipping to Oksana as he moves back to the task at hand. "You all finding any still alive?" he asks.
"One here, but thats it..." Marek replies with a quiet voice. Only two. Not enough. Not enough by far. He shakes his head as he lies someone else on the dead pile and points to one figure lying of to the side. Marek draped his own cloak over him. He shakes his head before he adds. "Forgive me, Your Grace, if I sound too familiar, but I don't envy you that task at all."
Phineas gives a snort to Marek, heading to kneel by the living being. "I only have ta tell the Fielders, rest is somethin' that ain't my responsibility, but I will if nobody else is goin' ta. Fuck." The profanity has the cant of a word spoken oft tonight as the duke takes out some of the bandages and begins to bind what wounds he can. "So what's yer scene, Marek? What do ya do, things like that?"
"If there any Draughtians in the ones we get, Your Grace.. I'll make sure that Baron Ethos knows - with Duchess Draught away, it's his place as Chancellor at the moment to handle the duty." Mathis says quietly as he lifts a body by the shoulders to drag towards the pile.
Stepping back to watch the Duke work, Marek looks over the carnage before he sighs softly towards them both. He hefts one more body easily enough before moving towards Mathis' direction. "My scene?" He shrugs slightly. "I'm simple enough. I'm a Mercenary and since I happen to still be alive I would call myself a good enough one. I'm between jobs at the moment." He doesn't really sugar coat it in the least. He kills people for a living.
"Merc? Well that's nice, I was lookin' fer some good mercenaries, a bit back. We can talk, mebbe, a few days from now. Things're goin' ta be busy fer a bit." He finishes with the bandaging, glancing about. "Where's the other live one?"
"Haven't come acorss one yet, Your Grace. Marek?" Mathis asks, glancing over at his companion, the young man wearing a rather blank expression.
"Over there next to the building," Marek nods towards the Duke. "I patched them up the best I could with what I had." One more young man sits huddled there holding his arm and the bandage wrapped around. "I think thats about it though..." A shake of his head before he glances back towards the Duke and nods. He's always looking for work, but this isn't the time or place. "My sister or Master Cardiff will now how to find me if you wish to later."
Phineas heads over to the youth, giving a nod to Mathis. "Ya grab that one, Mat. Marek, ain't much of a situation fer formality. Call me Phin if ya call me anythin'." He lowers to a knee by the youth, studying the wound, the arrow that scarred the youth. He picks it up. "Fuckin' Athar. Ethosian bolts. Why the fuck is that dumbass gettin' inta any battle? He's a goddess-damned Purist, no fuckin' head on his shoulders. Hero complex."
Mathis glances down, shaking his head as he finally nods. "Very well, Phineas." the young man responds, carrying out his orders easily. "..anywhere else after this.. you can make fun of me if you want, but I'm gonna stay with Lani tonight." he mutters. "Fuck being by myself." he says as he looks to the youth. "Come on," he coaxes the youth. "I'll get you to the infirmary."
Blinking in suprise at that, Marek offers the duke an honest grin there. The grin on his face makes him look...much less grim than his blood soaked appearance should make him. He nods once. "Then just call me Marek... or Alexi. That's what I went by when I was on a job." He frowns slightly at Phin's griping. "...people should at least hit their target if they are going to fire into a crowd." He mutters. Not professional at all. "I'll continue checking around then... Phineas." He grins once more before nodding to himself as his grin falters. Oh, his sister is going to be busy, she is...and well he'll check on the others in the city he knows as well. "Tell my cousin hello for me then, Mathis...and tell her I'll drop by to say hello myself when I can." With that the young mercenary turns to make his way down a side street. Looking for survivors.
Mathis, Phineas, and Marek are working on cleaning up the dead and wounded, Mathis helping a wounded boy to his feet as Phineas is carrying a crossbow bolt, and Marek is heading off for the night.
Ravelle enters the plaza with two guards in Ethos livery, her brow furrowed with trace horror as she surveys the streets and the havoc left in the wake of the attacks. She is lingering close to her guards and they are clearly on a mission to get her straight to the castle as fast as possible, even though she seems ready to stop at the first injured person she crosses. After some fierce negotiation, she does manage to persuade one of her guards to collect one of the injured and carry her with them to the castle. She does offer a brief curtsy to Phineas when she sees him, looking him over for any signs of injury before addressing Mathis with that same concern. She doesn't greet them. Words don't seem appropriate on this shadowed and bloody evening.
Phineas tucks the bolt into his belt and heads back to the unconscious person, hefting the man into his arms. "I ain't makin' fun of ya fer that, Mat. I'm goin' ta go love on my wife, shortly. And Marek, or Alexi, whichever ya prefer, I'm good with it. Might want ta check the North, seems quiet there. Work fast." He shoulders the wounded man's weight with grim determination, starting to head south. The appearance of Ravelle draws his attention, and he calls to her, "Ravelle, gal, ya alright? Know -anythin'- about healin'? C'mon if ya do."
For all the blood that graces Mathis, none of it is his, as the young man nods. "M'lady." A bow to Ravelle, as he gives Phineas a grim smile. "I'll send someone to take care of that." he gestures to the corpse of the hound, before he heads off in escort of the last wounded.
Mathis tips his head in a bow to Phineas, then continues on his way, wounded child on his back.
Looking for Infirmary Waiting Room - Staff Wing - Gateway Castle.
Rumor quickly spreads throughout Crossroads City and then into the Isles of the Hunt of Mists spilling into the very heart of the Isles. Dozens upon dozens of hounds were summoned through the streets of the capital, attacking any that came in their paths, travelling from the southern parts of the city and ending up in Keeper's North.
Among the stories that are circulated are the horrific death of the Merchant Guildmaster's daughter, Daeva Tremere, ripped to shreds by the hounds, the barricading of the Isle of Ale by Duke Green Fields in the defense of those that were trapped in the streets, the heroic stand of Baron Ethos and others in the City Square, the wounding of several in the Courtyard, including Baroness Destine, and ultimately among the dozens that lost their lives in the Hunt, the female figure that was seemingly the target of the hunt, because upon her death, the Hunt ended.
Even after the completion, the clean up just got started, again, under the guidance of Duke Green Fields, went about the process of recovering the dead and tending to the wounded, with the assistance of others, including Master Cardiff and one of the male members of the Paggion family along with several others.
