A visit to the sewers
General Summary
“I be going to the cathedral,” Cap said, “to get more information before our meeting. Will ye be joinin’ me?” I shrugged and followed him.
As we walked I thought about the “man” we’d met. He spoke like he was raised in money and wealth, but also from a very conservative place. His Imperial sounded old-fashioned, like someone who was out of touch with the current way of speaking.
“Yes my child,” the door guard answered. “We don’t usually have visitors at this hour of night. What will you be needing?”
“I be needin’ to talk to someone about the Children of the Wind. I be needin’ to understan’ how they work. I’ve got a problem.”
“That’s not something we usually talk about here,” the guard stammered. “What do you need to know?”
Cap’n looked confused for a moment as he thought about how best to answer, “I’m trying to understand what happened when the Children came here to Thorn and what the Speakers of the Children do.”
The guard thought a moment, “Perhaps Brother Allerd can help you. He’s in the back preparing the church for tomorrow’s services.”
We walked quietly through the halls enjoying the sounds of the choral song echoing around the chambers. “Do ye be Brother Allerd?” Cap asked the robed man working in the back.
“I am son, what can I do to help you?”
“I be needin’ to know ’bout the time the Children came to Thorn. We’ve met someone weird and it sounds like he knows something about that.”
“That happened many years ago, and was a time of much death. When the Children finally took the city of Thorn many people died, and the Speakers slaughtered many families.”
“Could a spirit have been left behind from all that time ago?” I asked.
“It could. There could be a spirit who took an oath and was unable to fulfill it before they died, so they might still be here trying to right a perceived wrong.”
“Thank you Brother Allerd,” Cap said. “You have given us much to think on.”
“I’m going.” I said as soon as we get out the doors. “I’m not sure what he wants to do yet, but I’m willing to find out more.”
“I be in too,” Cap said. “Let’s head over to the well and wait there.”
AT THE WELL
Slowly our group gathered around the well. Milli came in muttering about the news she’d gathered. Devan slunk in at the last minute looking about unsure if he wanted to stay there. We talked nervously waiting for our host to join us.
“Glad to see you’re having so much fun,” A high voice spoke from above. I looked up and saw a young woman in a tree blending in with the shadows.
“What should we call you?” Devan asked. “Another puppet?”
“Do you have to pick a fight?” I mutter at him.
“Just figuring out the ground rules,” Devan whispered back.
“The Cat,” answerd the shrouded figure in the tree.
“What drives you to do this?” asked Lili.
“Obligation,” after a pause the girl continued, “previously money.”
“Enough of this nonsense,” Cap grumbled, “Zone of Truth.”
I felt a tingle pass over my spine, and a new voice came out of the tree harsh and tired, “Based on your lack of trust, take the oath to the cause now!” I feel another tingle pass over my spine.
Devan speaks up, “Wait, I need to know more about who you are and what-“
“Stop asking and take the oath,” Lili cuts off the aspiring jeweler.
Cat wiggles in the tree and her voice is back, not the other voice, “Go along, he is not patient.”
“I vow to help your cause and destroy the Speaker as long as it does not betray what the Creator wants me to do,” Cap’n simply states.
“I too vow to kill this Speaker,” Milli says.
“They came years ago and killed our ancestors and drove them from their homelands. We lost so much when the Children of the Wind attacked our homelands, and because of the terrible things the Children did to my ancestors and all the terrible things they still do today, I will destroy this Speaker,” I burst out. Where did that come from? Why couldn’t I just say, ‘let’s kill these creatures’ or something else less dramatic?
“You haven’t given me enough,” Devan retorts angrily. “You’re asking me to murder someone, and you’re not giving me anything. Not a single reason. I’m out.” Devan stumped off in a huff.
“What about him?” Cat asked pointing to Rory, “Will he join us, or is he leaving too?”
“I’ll go. I’ll help stop the bad guy,” Rory answered.
“With that finished,” Cat said, her voice returned to its normal tone, “If you will follow me.” She dropped down and walked to the sewers.
Why do all meetings happen in smelly places?
IN THE SEWERS
As we pass down into the sewers, Cat pulls out a white glowing rod and we travel through tunnels for several minutes. Finally we stop in a large abandoned room filled with debris of all sorts. In one corner lay a pallet of blankets. Rory gave an excited cry and rummaged about in the debris on one table.
“Can I have this?” Rory asked holding up some pointy metal thing. “Oh and this? Wait, I need this! I could do so much with it.” Rory’s arms are full of all sorts of odds and ends within a few moments.
“We be under the church,” Cap’n muttered, “Can you feel the Song?”
Cat dug around for a few moments in the debris around the edge of the room,“Your staff, ma’am,” and holds the staff out. She glances over at the mound of materials Rory wants to take home, “You’re welcome to whatever you want to use, AFTER we take care of the Speaker.” His eyes light up and he disappears back into the piles of debris. I could hear him muttering to himself about ‘gears’ and ‘spanner,’ and other words I didn’t know about. “Put these on.”
I pick up a holly wreath necklace, “It might clash with my clothes,” I joke as I slip it over my head. “So what is the Speaker made of? If we’re going to kill him, we need to know how.”
“He is of the Hot Dessert, the Sands of the Flame,” the voice answered from Cat’s throat.
“You’ve already killed a Speaker, and that didn’t cause the Children to leave. Why would killing another change anything?” Lili asked.
“I want to kill The Speaker, the one who gave the prophecy. The one who invaded this land,” the voice answered. “They all came here because of this Speaker’s prophecy and if he dies, they will all leave. I had hoped killing this lesser Speaker would bring in The Speaker, but alas it did not. Have you any suggestions?”
“So my staff is the rod they’re looking for?” Lili asked looking down at the staff, idly stroking it with her fingers. “What if we planted a rumor it had been found? I could start a storm which could support those rumors.”
“This could work,” the voice mused. “We could plant the rumor it is in the Lancaster mausoleum…” his voice trailed off lost in thought.
“I could tell a yarn to the Children and get them coming over,” Cap said.
“I’ve had contact with a few of the urchins in the area,” Lili said. “I could have them drop a tip or two to some nearby adventurers. Maybe one would know be able to point me towards a forger to create an old map, hinting at something.”
“There’s certainly enough adventurers here right now looking for that staff of yours,” Cat said. Then her voice changed again to the spirit’s, “You, soldier girl, you look like a responsible type. You can go talk to the Lancasters and warn them about the people breaking into their vault.”
My eyes rolled at being called soldier girl, but I’ve been called worse. We split out to start work on our plans.
“I don’t know if it could be turned,” Lili said to her invisible friend. I couldn’t hear the response, but my back itched from the imagined sound. “No, I think the staff has some very definite thoughts on who it belongs to. — Yes, I know the vow I made. – I’ll try, but it has very strong opinions on the matter. You can try something, but it probably won’t work.” She not so quietly walked through the tunnel towards the surface. I sat down to grab a quick nap. One thing army life taught me for sure, is to grab a nap when you can, you never know when a fight will start.
Report Date
21 Dec 2021
