Vert looked at the others as they voted on her own fate. "You've never been a devourer I don't expect you to understand." She said to those whom accused her having a choice to not eat those people. She never had a choice in the matter, it was like someone else had been moving her body for her in those times.

"If it makes you feel any better to those of you whom believe that I should pay for my Sins. I expect that losing my humanity will hurt, alot." Vert said looking at them all with now completely serious eyes. Vert had actually been looking for a way rid herself of her sins since the day she even got this curse. She knew the basics of the spell, but anything else with require a skilled mage. "So, am I gonna die today?" Vert asked looking over at where the bowl was. She had done all of the pleading she could for now.

---

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ivan. You can just call me Zenovia." She responded with a warm smile, repeating some of his words. So this man was a 'brawler'? It sounded a little.. rough, but he looked like he could fit the part. She went silent for a moment as she gathered her thoughts, she was still quite traumatised by the whole ordeal.
"We followed a trail to find a monster.. a-and she tried to eat me." She explained briefly, trying not to stammer, but failing. It occurred to Zenovia that she hadn't properly thanked everyone for helping her when the girl attacked. Something extra to add to the 'to-do list'.

Zenovia's gaze was drawn to the people that went up to vote. White stones.. Then black. The party seemed to be in disagreement, as she thought. Who would want to travel around with a girl that can just eat people? The elf didn't want that, but she didn't want to have anyone's blood on her hands..'How selfish..' She thought dryly.

Vain's Victors? Ventus hadn't heard of them. He was out of touch with most goings on outside of wherever he'd been pushed with the promise of gold. What he did understand however, was that he was free to leave, immediately. Ventus shifted his body painfully, swinging his legs off of the bed and leaning forwards. "My thanks," He grumbled, holding himself upright with both hands firmly grasping the edge of his bed. He felt dizzy. Too dizzy to walk, most certainly. "I am native to Fellmore's farthest reaches, close to the border. This country's chaos is not lost on me. I'd been traveling on my own, effectively, for years," Ventus explained, darting around the captain's question, "And I was expecting a name, miss. I haven't heard of your victors, regardless of how absurd that might sound. I prefer to keep my head out of politics and war."

"I am native to Fellmore's farthest reaches, close to the border. This country's chaos is not lost on me. I'd been traveling on my own, effectively, for years."
The Captain nodded. He had to be capable in order to fight off an entire warband for longer than a few seconds. The description of his home suggested that he hailed from the northern border, next to the polar region where the Ice Golem slept. Not many lived there, and for good reason - it was inhospitable to orcs. He had to be quite tough to survive the eternal winter.
"And I was expecting a name, miss," the orc continued. "I haven't heard of your Victors, regardless of how absurd that might sound. I prefer to keep my head out of politics and war."

The Captain chuckled. "I think you'll find that an untenable position in the near future," she remarked, slipping one arm under his to hold him steady. "It would have been possible to stay out of politics while Fellmore was still fragmented, when anyone could be bought for a price, but the country is rapidly becoming more unified. With unity comes honor, and with honor, loyalty. It now matters more who serves who, and independence is no longer respected. Put simply, mercenaries have no place here. And much as I'd like to say I don't care what you do, I would be remiss if I let you contract your services to my enemies. You are still free to go, as I said, but if I catch you hurting anyone I care about, I won't hesitate to put an arrow through your neck."

---

"Mercy it is, then." Xen finally spoke after counting the stones inside the container. He looked over to Vert, his gaze passive but meaningful. He looked over to the party gathered. These chosen champions who are to do the work kingdoms could not accomplish. Somehow this rag-tag bunch of misfits and do-gooders were supposed to cooperate and funnier still, stem the tide of an impending apocalypse. His gaze shifted finally toward Vert and he made his way toward her, allowing the silence of the hall to seem cavernous and cold. He raised his staff and placed it perpendicular to the ground, aiming it towards Vert's midsection.

"Know this. Your life is spared, but you may yet forfeit it. Cross them, and they will see you to the gallows. Cross me and I will personally see to it your soul is flayed for a millennia." His gaze narrows slowly as the tip of the staff touched the bonds that held her. Like snakes that shed their mortal coil, they withered and lost grip and fell to the floor. "The rest of you, he said as he turned to the face the gathering, stock up on rations, fill your waterskins, sharpen your blades, and bend the dents from your armor. We set out in one hour from the west gate."

With that, Xen left the hall and proceeded to visit the herbalist in town to stock up on remedies and his pipeweed. As practical as his decision was, Xen still felt that the Cursed One would be better off serving a pike. Unfortunately, with what little information they have to go on, and the nature of the goal at hand, sacrificing such a knowledge pool would be blasphemous. He only hoped that this decision would not come back and haunt them in the end. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as the thought flashed across his mind. He was not lying about bringing the wrath of oblivion among the betrayers.

Suddenly, as fast as all the other thoughts, his mind was back on that field of death. Decades ago it was when he swore to himself he would not weave against another. It is funny how things have a way of backfiring.

Tiberius was, for the most part, disappointed in his new 'companions.' They didn't seem to really grasp the situation all that well when it came to this devourer. She would not be a liability to the group that he would have to watch over constantly. He wanted nothing more then justice ti=o reign down upon the girl. He would have caught off her head if no one else would do it but this was not to be. Now, he would be forced to walk along side a monster that killed because it 'had' too. However, he would not go against the groups decisions, no matter how angry he was.

They hadn't even left yet and they were already off to a fantastic start. They were all good people, but good people can sometimes fail to see the larger picture.

He stepped forward and looked at the others gathered around the girl. He spoke with a very harsh tone, "For those of you who voted white, you're now in charge of this...creature. I want no part in this. A word of caution though, if it does anything to compromise this mission, kills anymore innocents or attempts to harm us, you will be held accountable for its actions. I don't know where you've come from, but this is now real folks. And in this type of quest, one that will determine the fate of the world, you don't let a monster join you."

With that said he spun around and the only thing that could be seen was his red cape flapping in the wind as Tiberius walked away, he needed to find his horse. What he said was harsh, but it now reality and the Knight swore if that creature got in the way, he would put it down without remorse. He just hoped the others shared in his sentiment.

"'It' has a name you know. It's Vert, I know I've done terrible things. I don't care if you have no sympathy for me. I deserve no sympathy honestly."

Vert looked at the others while rubbing her wrists. "I don't plan on crossing any of you. After today, I won't be able to hurt any of you as I had before. In fact I'll be doing the opposite after this." Vert said to them with a look of determination in her eyes.

Vert then turned her gaze towards the one known as Sadron. "Do you have any idea on helping me get rid of the curse?" Vert asked as she looked at the high elf. He had been staring at her all night and she figured now would be as good of time as any to ask him about getting rid of this curse of hers.

@Lord Zee

The verdict rang and Kaite felt as though she could see the discontent in Tiberius as he shifted his weight to step forward and address the group. As badly as the knight wanted to join in, the words regarding monsters caught her in the motion of mustering a breath. It would have been a comment about a wolf in sheeps' clothing, and she was certainly one to talk. The creature looked like a girl and spoke of redemption like a saintly soul, but regardless of her reason or will behind her actions, she was seen as a monster...because she was caught.

With a flourish of his red cape, Kaite watched Tiberius take his leave and made to follow, mostly to find her own horse which had been set free in the same field. However, she paused for a moment as the 'it' with a name showed enough care as to express how they don't care if the paladin felt naught a shred of sympathy. To her understanding, it would be best for the 'it' named Vert to save her breath for those who cast white stones. The rest had already made up their minds for one reason or another.
So, in response, Kaite offered an acknowledging yet rudely dismissing sniff. Turning to descend from the meeting area, she threw her arms to the sides to hook clawed gauntlet thumbs on hip plates, chuckling a small "H-well, then..."

Kaite walked a ways behind Tiberius, unsure what to say to him if she had the opportunity, not to say she wasn't considering it. They were certain to be seeing quite a bit of each other and there was little sense delaying the inevitable. Clearing her throat with a cough, she began to say, "Sir Tib-" before a few small voices called out her name.
She didn't stop walking, but turned her head to three of the kids from yesterday running up to her, one of them hoisting her saddle. "Where'd ya find that?" Kaite asked, amused as another emerged from the lightly wooded border of the field with another dummy. It begged the question where the kids were getting them from, but she wasn't entirely interested in hearing excuses since she immediately expected them to be stolen or garbage.
"On the side of the road, Sir Kaite! Tani, here, said she saw you drop it" the first explained, still toting their banged up wooden sword from yesterday. The girl appeared shy, offering up the saddle with both hands and earning an earnest "Well, thank ya. One less thing to look for" with a sighing chuckle as Kaite looked back out into the field where horses roamed, flipping up her visor with a thumb. The saddle swung at her side while one of the kids asked what she was still doing in town. "I certainly hadn't ridden th'wind through the gates" Kaite replied, waving the saddle and earning a laugh before explaining, "Just lookin' for my horse."

The kids looked at each other before forming a huddle. Kaite continued to walk, though slowing her pace as she had nowhere to go without her beast of burden.

Mercy huh? Ivan was glad to here that, though Tiberius seemed very ticked at the decision. Ivan wanted to say a few words to him but he left before even a syllable could keave Ivan's mouth. He let out a deep sigh and turned to Zenovia. Why don't we... Greet our new found friend? He wasn't sure if Zenovia would even follow him on that, but this wasn't the time to be fearful. Though they have their differences, they were allies now as far as Ivan saw it.

He approached Vert slowly as to not seem threatening and offered her a hand up. Hey... Don't mind Tiberius... He just cares for the safety of everyone here... My name's Ivan... And I believe you two had already met... He said gesturing towards Zenovia.

Tiberius Longshadow's Letter to his Old Friend [+]

Hello Old Friend,

Though I do not know who you are, I do have my guesses but I won't say anything. Not yet anyway. It seems that you were right, Sadron has requested me after-all but for what purpose, I do not know. If you are right, then I am to become his champion? But for what purpose? I have so many questions, and I'm guessing you have answers. For now, I thank you for the gift and I shall use it when I believe the moment is right.

I have to say, that I am doing wonderful but I can sense something is happening in the world, something bad. The people that I help protect keep giving me the will to fight, and I shall no matter what happens in the future. For now, I hope to meet you again soon. Whoever you might be.

With Admiration,
Tiberius

P.S. I'll take you up on that offer for a visit to Aether someday, as soon as I figure out who you are.

Once everyone dispersed to gather their supplies, a messenger ran up to Tiberius and handed him another letter. "For you, sir,"

The envelope was simple enough. The letter inside had occasional smudges of grime and blood, but was otherwise written in the same fine, regal script.

(PM'd contents to Lord Zee)

Ventus scoffed as the woman spoke, and lightly pushed her arm away. "Your words ring hollow to me," Ventus paused and looked up at the woman, slightly taken aback by her stature, "...Human. I'd rather die by my principals than ally myself with any of the war-mongering orcs that pollute my home so thoroughly. Likewise, I would not find solace in helping the forces that seek to preserve.. Eugh.. 'Peace'," Ventus spat. "I am no mere mercenary, and I can assure you, that no amount of gold would pit me against your forces, especially not after you dragged me away from an early grave. I work alone, and for that reason alone, I will not be persuaded by your perception of Fellmore or its people."

The orc flexed his legs and hopped down, steadying himself as quickly as he could manage. His body swayed, but through sheer force of will, the stubborn fool was able to prevent himself from tipping over. "Do not take this the wrong way, I am truly grateful to be alive. Though, I still feel strange to find any satisfaction in it.." Ventus paused and gasped. He covered his mouth with one of his hands and began to salivate. The smell hit him like a boulder. Blood? Where was it?

"Where have you put my weapons? My daggers? My bow? My.." Ventus stopped and surveyed his surroundings frantically, all while struggling to stay upright, "..My arrows.."

@tex
Ventus scoffed. "Your words ring hollow to me, human. I'd rather die by my principles than ally myself with any of the war-mongering orcs that pollute my home so thoroughly. Likewise, I would not find solace in helping the forces that seek to preserve..." Ventus spat. "...peace. I am no mere mercenary, and I can assure you, that no amount of gold would pit me against your forces, especially not after you dragged me away from an early grave. I work alone, and for that reason alone, I will not be persuaded by your perception of Fellmore or its people."

The Captain laughed and slapped him on the back. "I like you, Ventus. Good thing we're neither warmongers nor peace-bringers, or we'd be sunk! No, we're here to violently restore some semblance of civilization to Fellmore. We're all as done with the depravity and fake peace as you are."

She gestured something to the short orc, who disappeared out of the tent and returned with Ventus's equipment.

The Captain handed back his gear. "If you ever want to make money while working alone, you know where to find me for the next few days. Good luck out there."

Tiberius found Lancel, his white stallion, grazing on the lush green grass by a small stream. Other horses were around and to Tiberius, it looked like his horse had made some friends. He gave Lancel a rub on the side of his head, before speaking out loud, "We're in for an adventure you and I. Over mountains and under hills we will go, all in the name of peace and freedom. We won't being going alone, but I'll make sure the others treat you nicely, don't worry. I'm afraid for them you know, half look like babies and the others...well, it looks like they've been through a lot. We'll just have to see how they fare, now won't we? I-I'm just glad I have you with me, Lancel." Tiberius finished somberly, as he pet his horse gently.

A little while later, after Tiberius went to gather some supplies for the journey, he was surprised to find that a messenger had already found him. "Well...That was quick. Thank-you, good sir." Tiberius said to the messenger. Upon opening it, he saw it was from his mysterious old friend and it had much to go over.

In it, Tiberius gained valuable information about what was going on behind the scenes of this entire adventure. If what it said was true, then it made a lot more sense to him then it did before. It answered some questions that he had, but many more had sprung up in their place and the same one lingered still- Who was this 'old friend' and now, her companions? Why did they know all of this? Would they really meet soon? Perhaps, but for now, he would go to the Record Hall and look for an account of Lady Sadronniel Aphaderuiondur's mission to Fellmore, almost four hundred years ago. There was still more to be found and Tiberius needed to know everything.

He arrived at the Record Hall, it was almost time to leave but he needed to do this. He quickly found a clerk and asked, "I need to borrow book 5.2.10. It has critical information for my mission that the Council has sent me on. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated." He tried to be sincere as possible, for there was a very high chance the book would never come back and he needed its contents.

@Lord Zee
The clerk meandered to the back and disappeared for a few minutes. He returned with financial ledger 5.2.10. "Is this the document?"

A perusal of the ledger revealed the purchase of travel supplies, including horse rental, elven rations, travel clothes, and weapons in the name of Aphaderuiondur. The associated memos hinted at travel plans, which involved, among other things, passing through the southern mountain pass into Fellmore. There was another horse rental a few days later by someone with the same last name. Several tax income receipts and law enforcement expenditures followed.

The next page documented funeral arrangements. The memo said, "In memory of Lady Sadronniel Aphaderuiondur." Funeral clothing was purchased for Sadron Aphaderuiondur, Arandur Nostarion, Erudessa Durvain, and Druth Vanarys.

"'It' has a name you know. It's Vert, I know I've done terrible things. I don't care if you have no sympathy for me. I deserve no sympathy honestly."

Vert looked at the others while rubbing her wrists. "I don't plan on crossing any of you. After today, I won't be able to hurt any of you as I had before. In fact I'll be doing the opposite after this." Vert said to them with a look of determination in her eyes.

Vert then turned her gaze towards the one known as Sadron. "Do you have any idea on helping me get rid of the curse?" Vert asked as she looked at the high elf. He had been staring at her all night and she figured now would be as good of time as any to ask him about getting rid of this curse of hers.

Sadron leaned heavily on his staff, still staring at her. "You could kill yourself, I suppose," he said eventually. "but I expect you want a solution that doesn't involve your death, or you wouldn't be asking. What ails you is either a partial transformation spell or a transformation curse. Transformation spells are permanent, but almost impossible to obtain. Curses, on the other hand, are cheap in terms of effort and mana, but they are always conditional and can be reversed. If we assume for the moment that your condition is a curse, then we can begin to guess at the break conditions."

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. Then one eyebrow lifted, a hint of amusement. "The operation of your curse bears a striking contrast to certain aspects of reproduction. You kill people by consuming them into your belly. I'd bet anything that your curse would be broken if you gave life from your belly to as many children as people you ate, plus one for the curse itself."

@Thinslayer

The Storyteller looked up from his book and stared at Sadron like he'd just said something completely insane. This was because (In The Storyteller's opinion.) Sadron had indeed said something completely insane. After a moment, The Storyteller chuckled. "When any form of jesting is performed by the High Council, Arandur is usually the 1 to do so" he said "I never believed you capable of such a thing, Sadron. Honestly, breaking a curse by breeding like a rabbit. That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard!". But then, after a few moments of Sadron's face displaying no form of indication that he was indeed jesting, The Storyteller stopped smiling. "Jaeper's hat bells" The Storyteller said "You aren't jesting, are you? You're being serious!".

@Thinslayer

The Storyteller looked up from his book and stared at Sadron like he'd just said something completely insane. This was because (In The Storyteller's opinion.) Sadron had indeed said something completely insane. After a moment, The Storyteller chuckled. "When any form of jesting is performed by the High Council, Arandur is usually the 1 to do so" he said "I never believed you capable of such a thing, Sadron. Honestly, breaking a curse by breeding like a rabbit. That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard!". But then, after a few moments of Sadron's face displaying no form of indication that he was indeed jesting, The Storyteller stopped smiling. "Jaeper's hat bells" The Storyteller said "You aren't jesting, are you? You're being serious!".

Sadron nodded. "The Warlock's curse was quite ingenius, really. I knew he had a breeding program to produce as many orcs as he does, but I didn't know how he was doing it. Now I think we know how. He curses fertile women so they are compelled to eat their fellow creatures. The more they eat, the more children they must spawn to break the curse. But no ordinary male would have them for a mate, so they have no choice but to return to the orcs, who have fewer compunctions. And if the women kill themselves instead, the Warlock still wins - they've killed and terrorized his enemies. It's a clever and terrifying scheme."

@Thinslayer

"Yes, that is is. Thank you. Tiberius said hurriedly as he grabbed the ledger. For some reason, Tiberius had the notion that it would be an actual book with a story but he was very wrong.

He then read what the book had upon its pages over and over again, trying to find some hidden meaning, but with no luck. These records weren't much to go on, just expenses and the fated trip to Fellmore, which was just littered with taxes and all things financial which he cared little about.

Then the name, Druth Vanarys appeared. He wasn't familiar with it but if it was important enough to be listed with the other three council member names, then there had to be something of relevance about it.

Tiberius looked at the clerk again and questioned, "Who is Druth Vanarys? I'm not quite familiar with the name."

Many things seemed to be happening at once now. First one of the members of the group came up to introduce himself to which she gave a wave then one of the high elfs mentioned her giving birth to a bunch of children to end her curse. Or killing herself. She hated both options. "Your almost more morbid than me." Vert said putting two fingers up to her temples and rubbing. "There has to be a better way of doing this. I mean I can help you, but after a year I will be entirely useless to you all. I don't plan on eating anyone anymore so as it is I'm just going to keep getting weaker until I can't move, then I'll be dead weight to you all and won't even be able to help you." Vert said with a sigh as she looked at the two.