Randomness

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

With the plan finalized, the departure set, it gave plenty of time for Anderson to secure the horses and cart that was requested. In the mean time, now would be a time to prepare any supplies, and give those some time to rest. Hopefully, the healing magic would have finished its hob and restore those to peak condition if not already. The girl was still a concern, but they had confidence that whatever danger she posed would be contained for a while. Just as the meeting concluded, Jazdia’s shadow returned in time to introduce himself. He called himself Kaito, and as expected he was an underling of Jazdia. After his introduction, he understandably also asked for names. Solomon realized that while he was able to catch Veronica’s name in passing, he had yet to introduce himself.

“My apologies. My name is Doctor Solomon Sparrow, at your service.” he said. So Katio was a magic user of illusions and trickery. For a mission that relied on secrecy, this man seemed like an ideal fit. Why he wasn’t enlisted initially was an immediate thought, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Jazdia recruited him, and that was enough. It also put credence to the difficulty they encountered during their assault if his magic was not able to hide them. Looking forward, if infiltration was the plan, then his skill would prove necessary. If not for stealth, for distraction.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

With the map laid out on the table, together, Veronica and Solomon narrowed down the list of villages to only two. But given the greatly diminished time schedule, it was still going to be close to avoid all out war. The problem was that several of the investigation team had been injured, and though they were mostly healed to healthy condition, a lot of rest was still recommended. Furthermore, there was the matter of the mage girl locked up stairs.

“If we were to depart within the next hour, acquire a wagon, and took a more direct path, we could arrive at the closer of the two marked villages by this time tomorrow. If need be, I have the means to scout the other village in a similarly timely manner. However, my methods will not allow me more than gather information. It is something you can ask me to keep in mind should the need arise.” Solomon ran his finger along the map from Hdur, to the closer of the villages Veronica had narrowed down. Most of the trail followed the paths, but cut through some of the planes and low lands where the trails curved or forked. The journey would take two days on foot, less than a day on horse. But given the nature of some of their troop, if a wagon was needed, it would be longer than horseback, but still faster than walking. But then there was another matter to attend to.

“If I may ask, what of the girl currently in Cedar’s care? As I understand, she is volatile and unpredictable. It could be dangerous to leave her alone. In time she will recover. I have not experienced the power you and yours expressed, Madam Jazdia, so I do not know how she would act, even with Cedars care. It usually takes more than a day to change the state of mind of one in her condition.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

Their conversation over, Chounan, the guard, and the affluent looking stranger went on to finish their own business. Solomon decided to sit back and watch as everyone was making sense of everything else. As the fire burned mid day, and the creak of wood as the party rearranged itself. The occasional clink of cooking utensils from the back of the house. In some regards it was a bit peaceful. Though, perhaps it wasn’t a good time to feel as such. The prince was still missing, and war with Meche was still teetering on the edge. To make matters worse, there were new variables such as Reinold’s narcolepsy and the mage girl the guard carried with Jazdia.

Solomon looked over when the familiar face appeared through the door. The young squire of Matilda had also arrived in Hdur. Perhaps he had news from the king, or a new lead discovered from the forest. Solomon leaned forward in his chair, ready to hear what Anderson might have to say. He wasn’t alone. Another came through the door. She wasn’t one of the men Anderson was in charge of at the forest, so who she was eluded Solomon. Matilda recognized her, so that was enough. Solomon stood to join her as Matilda hurriedly descended down the stairs and ask for any new information. The news was grim. The already fragile peace between Meche and Kindeance was at its tipping point. A much shorter deadline was assigned. The events leading to it were not to pleasant to hear either. Almost everything was done to prevent the mission’s secrecy, a component the king made very clear.

“If I may have a look at your map, young lady.” said Solomon as he glanced over the markings Anderson’s company scrawled. So the young woman was a seer of sorts. Impressive. But seeing as how her attempts to scry for the prince had been blocked by some unknown force, the King’s decision to create a covert investigatory team made sense. She had essentially had a circled area of where she was unable to scry, significantly narrowing down the search radius should Reinold be ineffective. Even better, the area she had marked was right there where the hunters claimed to have seen the captors run off to.

“It is as Guard Captain Matilda says. With two sources, I agree that likelihood of finding the prince here is good. Let’s see.” Solomon reached over the map and touched a couple of the villages named on the map, “The hunters say they saw the captors flee to a small village watched over by a lord. These villages are of decent size while having lord’s residence. This one in particular is a fort, constructed around the same time period as the lake ruins.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

Solomon listened to Chounan’s explanation of the demon. It was rather fascinating. It wasn’t a spell of mind control, but a curse that Chounan was burdened with. Curses are not an unheard of thing, but to house a demon within oneself was an admittedly scary thought. Perhaps through a quick moment of weakness, it influenced Chounan, there didn’t seem to be much harm beyond his arm. At least physically. It was enough of a burden that he’d hurt his friends and comrades. Solomon could only guess how the episode influenced his relationship with Jazdia and those she journeyed with.

“Unfortunately, my expertise does not extend to demonic parasites.” Solomon joked. Chounan seemed to have struggled with this curse for a while. Solomon couldn’t know for how long Chounan had suffered, but he seemed in control now. There was something Chounan said that gave Solomon pause. Rather than ask, Solomon could see Chounan held regret for whatever actions he took that awakened the demon in that instant. “I suppose extra care must be taken to not kill without reason, beyond what you’ve taken now.”

Solomon took pause as the room bustled around. The inn keeper girl was running from here to there, understandable to the sudden increase in patronage. And then Cedar had absconded with the platter. Solomon wouldn’t say anything, the boy was pulled from every chance he had to a proper meal, be it by him or the arrival of Jazdia. He deserved it in Solomon’s eyes. Speaking of Jazdia, she joined Matilda by the fire, whatever their conversation was out of ear shot. The hunters were gathered at a table of their own, not wanting to interact all the much, and the guard that carried the girl say close by seemingly unsure of what he should be doing.

“Sealing the girl’s magic. If she is as dangerous as you say, that might be best. For both her recovery and your safety. Her condition. It is not good. She has been through much trauma, more heinous than most. I do not blame you for saving the girl. I hope that she is receptive to our care. I know too well of some of the horrors she might have endured."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“To gain your consciousness? Were you put in a state of not yourself?” asked Solomon as he cleaned the wound on Chounan’s arm. The damage was light considering it was a stab wound, missing anything vital thankfully. It would be sore, but would heal in an adequate amount of time. Chounan always struck Solomon as a man with strong resolve, but given the damage their mage captive had done along with stories of a warrior version of Cedar, it was believable they might have had some magic of some kind that could sway the mind. Then again, Chounan was able to break himself out of it. A rare moment being caught off guard perhaps?

Solomon threaded the needle, his long thin fingers effortlessly guiding the medical thread. Despite how aged his hands appeared, lacking much of the color of youth, they worked perfectly still, showing little evidence of error. He dipped his fingers into a shallow tin, bringing a green mostly opaque gel to the gash on Chounan’s arm. As soon as it touched his skin, feeling around the wound became numb. After instructing Chounan to stay still, Solomon carefully stitched the wound closed. The make shift bandage that was there was good enough to stop the bleeding, but with the stitches, the wound would better close and heal.

“Yes it seems that you have had quite the encounter. Though if you permit me to ask, what were you investigating to encounter such adversaries? The bear, the mind control, the...” for a moment, Solomon glanced at the girl who sat quietly, the one Yvonne said was a mage. “the mage. If she is as powerful as you say, I hope you know what you were doing bring her here as opposed to the city guard.”

Solomon finished with his arm, providing the samurai a dollop of the pain relieving salve. Since Chounan would not be able to reach all parts of his back, Solomon offered to apply it to help bring some relief. Beyond the cut on his arm, the bruising and sore muscles would only need time to heal. The salve Solomon provided should help with any residual pain.

“And I think that does it. Of course, if you want something more immediate, I am sure Cedar would oblige if he hasn’t worn himself out, yet. But given your state, it appears you received the least of the beating among the rest.” Solomon returned to his chair.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

Solomon knew that the time frame to regroup with Jazdia had changed. That wasn’t so much an issue. What caught Solomon was the condition in which they’d appear. Shortly after deescalating the scuffle between Matilda and the hunters, Cedar had led them back to the farm where it looked like they had started prepping the stew. It was a little of an awkward encounter, but the farmers were receptive. They were still so when Jazdia and her group also appeared. How they knew to come out east of the village center wasn’t important, it was again their condition. Cedar was as ready to take care of them as much as Matilda was ready to ask questions.

Solomon insisted the party move to somewhere cleaner as much as those in Jazdia’s charge wanted someplace more private for the conversation that needed to take place. So with another farewell to the farmers, the party departed Gerhard Adebert’s farm. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on who was asked, the stew would not have been ready for hours still, should it still be desired. The party walked the bendy path among the farm lands back towards the town center. Solomon could see some of the wounds the party had endured. Yvonne favored one side relying on Chounan for support. Jazdia’s arm was bandaged, and a guard carried a very sickly looking girl. Furthermore, he noticed that Henri was missing, and instead replaced by three others. There was the aforementioned guard and girl, and another more affluently dressed man who walked by Jazdia's side.

Silently occupying the dining area of the inn, the party started to converse. Many questions were had, and there was enough injured to keep both him and Cedar occupied. Solomon worked with what he had, applying salves to help sooth sore muscles. The trek from Rascade on foot probably didn’t help their comforts. As Solomon examined, Cedar used his healing magic, which great accelerated the party’s recovery. In tandem, the two were able to quickly and surely return Jazdia’s team to a stable and comfortable condition.

“This girl is in not fighting condition. She breaths, but she is stunted. Her color and tone. I would say that she was locked from the sun or even activity for an extended period of time. I’m surprised she was able wound you as such, Yvonne.” said Solomon as he unrolled a cloth he pulled out from under his garb. Among the various tools and first aid supplies was a small vial of alcohol. He cleaned the wound and worked meticulously to remove the splinters that remained. While he worked, he kept a close ear to the conversation. The comment about another bear man was interesting, but surprising that was not the cause of her injury. That would make more sense for Yvonne over the atrophied girl. Solomon kept further comments to himself. He didn’t have to see it to know that Yvonne was not amused by either comment. Instead, he changed the conversation back towards their recovery and learning of the incident.

“I have some salves that should help with the pain. Apply as needed." said Solomon. If healing magic coulndt nullify pain, then hopefully the salves Solomon carried could. "Once I remove the last of these splinters, you can probably cast some healing magic to fully close the wounds, Cedar. An archer’s hands are her most important tools.” Solomon had finished removing the last splinter, covering the wound with another clean bandage to keep it from infection. He didn't push the idea of Cedar's magic, though he felt it would be beneficial, but given Jazdia's disposition on it, he respected her wishes.

Solomon turned in his chair towards the others. The unnamed girl was quiet, almost sleeping even, unmoving. She was in the worst condition of them all. As for the other new comers, they seemed mostly fine, if otherwise battered. And then there was the samurai, who had some bruising, but was stabbed in the arm. Low priority, time would be of best benefit save for the samurai who appeared more distant.

“What say you, Chounan? Does your arm need treatment? I can see you were involved in whatever conflict was brought to the others, what would you require. As I’ve said. I have a salve here for pain, and other such medications to help ease your recovery. As for news to help sooth the mind, we have a lead towards the location of the kidnappers. Those three hunters the next table over was going to lead us there. With us reunited, it should only be a short time for recovery before we are ready to depart.” Solomon also gazed towards Kaito, unnamed to Solomon, and also to the guard. Though they seemed less injured, they appeared to have been in combat recently.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“I see we are making friends.” said Solomon as he followed Cedar into the cabin. Though there was doubt Cedar would be able to enter the cabin, he managed to do so just fine. True to the sound of the voice, it was Matilda that called them in. It seems the lead she was following had lead her to the same place as them. And furthermore, they were the people Birk had mentioned.

“I’m going to agree with Cedar here. Guard Matilda, from what we’ve learned, I think it would be best to put down the man. By the looks of it, I think these men are willing to answer your questions.” Solomon shimmied around Cedar so that he was better within the room. All three men were introduced, though through a shaky voice. It was understandable given the presence of an orcish woman, a bear shaped druid, and cloaked shadow of a man. Though, that last one probably didn’t really have anything to do with it.

“Speaking of questions, to answer yours. We’ve yet to discover any new information. In fact, we were hoping to by speaking with these gentlemen. Needless to say, you have gotten here before us.” With the names Solomon had gathered, and the faces provided to Cedar by the crows, now was a good time to see if the faces matched the names. Cedar asked his questions about physical descriptions. That must mean the faces the crows saw were not these hunters. That was a little disappointing, since now who the kidnappers were are still not identified. Then again, the hunters didn’t seem like they were capable of such a caper.

“Given that you’ve had sufficient time to jostle our suspects, I do not suppose you found anything, Matilda? Maybe that with the answers they give us now might help further our lead.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

As the houses belonging to the hunters grew closer, so did the forest they were near. It seemed dense enough to supply Hdur with enough game for decades to comes. Though it was clear some of the forest was cleared away, probably for lumber, it didn’t seem to leave any sore of dent in the size of the forest itself. The sky was clear today, with slight breeze.

“I’m sorry to have cut your meal short. I was not expecting you to make a stew. I hope you were able to get some satisfaction from the bacon and vegetables you were snacking on.” Solomon addressed Cedar as they took another turn on the dirt road that lead more directly to the hunter cottages. “On the bright side, with the farmer offering to make your stew, you’ll have a hot meal waiting for your return.”

Not long after, they approached the hunter’s houses. Solomon stopped. The house appeared occupied, but through the window, it looked like some kind of struggle. People looked to be backing away from someone, as thought they were trying to create distance. It didn’t seem to work as their assailant blurred past with arms outstretched moving out of sight. “Take care here, Cedar. It looks as though there might be some trouble in that house.”

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

“Of course.” Solomon reached his hand into his cloak as he fished around his belongings, feeling for a small pouch he carried that held the coin. After a bit, he pulled out the pouch. Soft metal disks clinked against each other as the pouch shifted. Solomon opened the pouch with both hands, before reaching into it with one. The coins jingled more as Solomon palmed one coin at a time. He placed the collected coins onto the stall next to the pile of food the farmer had collected. Two gold coins.

“That should more than cover it. Thank you for your hospitality. We should go visit the hunters soon.” Solomon stashed the pouch back under his cloak. He wandered back towards the road, pausing in wait as Cedar finshed eating and/or packing. So the houses in the distance did belong to those Birk named. If one of them was angry, maybe it had something to do with either the events in the royal forest, or the demise of Birk. So far the lead was promising, but hopefully it lead down the mystery of the prince. Once Cedar was done, it wouldn’t be long before they’d come across the hunter’s cabins and perhaps some answers. At least he’d hope they could match the faces to the names.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Solomon Sparrow

Location: Hdur, Kindeance

---

The farmer offered plenty of stock for Cedar to consume. Being one of the farms along the outer reaches of the village, it had more access to the fertile lands, and as a result, was able to grow a plethora of crop in such abundance. A testament to the prosperity of Hdur.

“I should have enough coin to cover whatever my friend fancies at the moment. I see you’re familiar with the hunters, what can you tell me about them? Has their pattern of behavior changed in recent memory?”
Asked Solomon. “I’m not sure how privy you are to their schedule, but anything you can share would be appreciated.” Solomon wandered nearby as the farmer collected various stock for Cedar. It was good for Cedar to finally have a proper meal. He seemed ecstatic about it, anyway. While he ate, might as well see what the farmer knew, if anything.