[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XIII - The Millennium Druids

[Aaron Clausen]

> [Ted]
> "Well, it seems that I have no choice: I take the thing with me," Ted
> replied. "I will just watch it... her... like a hawk and slap her
> around if she tries anything."
> [/Ted]

>> [Louissa]
>> Louissa stands up and glares at Jacek, Oz and Alex.
>>
>> "None of you understand!" she shouts. "Ted needs this creature.
>> Yes it is evil, but you said it yourself, Alex, you have the means
>> to control it. And so do you, Vesper. You have that cold iron that
>> can apparently hurt it. And if Jacek and his men come, and Oz and
>> his soldiers, that's a lot of firepower. And maybe you druids, you
>> know, because we helped you so much, could give us some aid as
>> well."
>> [/Louissa]

> [Oz]
> Oz frowns at Louissa. "For a noblewoman, you don't seem to have
> grasped the concept of justice. Or the idea of providing security to
> those unable to defend themselves. The things that should define a
> noble's duties." He shakes his head and gestures at Jacek. "The
> creature has killed dozens of people, many of them Jacek's people.
> We can't kill it, and our only way to 'control'," he makes air
> quotes around the word, "it is to threaten it. How can we stop it
> from running away to kill whoever it feels like while we're
> traveling north? If it's away from Alex's dagger or Vesper's magic,
> what's to stop it from going on another rampage?"
>
> "It already killed one of my men. If it decides to kill more of them,
> just for fun, what do we do? Let it, since we can't kill it and you
> need it to heal Ted?"
>
> He shakes his head. "You're only thinking about your friend's well
> being, not the lives of the little people. No justice for Jacek's
> slain, no security for us, no protecting the innocent who might be
> hurt if it gets loose. Of course, that's how nobles work, isn't it?
> Only thinking about themselves and their friends." The German knight
> stops speaking suddenly, as if he'd said too much.
> [/Oz]

>> [GM]
>> The chief of the Council smiles sadly. "There is little in the
>> long run that can be done. We have nothing to slay such a thing.
>> The best we can do is give you some wards that might hold the
>> thing. But if your journey is long, which moving into the North,
>> past the Splugorth, the Fomorians and all the other things that lie
>> between you and your goal, they too may fail."
>>
>> The druid sighs. "I shall question the thing some more in the
>> morning, when I have rested. You do not have to decide tonight. You
>> have seen what we all face, and are brave and quick-minded souls.
>> Is there anything else you all might have of us? We shall give what
>> aid we can."
>>
>> As the druid is speaking, one of Oz's men enters the hall and
>> quietly, but quickly, moves to Oz and whispers something in his
>> ear.
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> The German tourist whispers back and forth with the man for a few
> seconds before pushing his chair back and nods politely to the druids.
> "Excuse me. There is a situation I need to deal with. Thank you for
> the dinner."
>
> With that, Oz turns and nods to the soldier. "Take me to where they're
> taking her."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The soldier is about to go with Oz out of the hall, when the debate 
distracts him.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> The red headed scout sits quietly, letting Oz respond. She wants to see
> how the girl will answer. Transporting a demon that at any time might
> escape is not something she will do willingly.
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> Ted stands without making a sound. "I understand your concern," he
> states. "And I would never willingly put any of my friends in more
> danger than they would take on themselves. If you don't feel
> comfortable coming with me," he looks at Alex at this point, "I
> understand and will make the journey alone. Just let me know where to
> meet you when I have finished."
> [/Ted]

> [Oz]
> The German knight scoffs. "When we've already agreed to take the Hood," he
> gestures at Jacek, "to the same place you're going? No need for posturing
> or threatening to leave the caravan. All I'm asking is that the demon be
> secured. I don't think it can be secured on the road. Can you ensure it
> doesn't kill anyone else or escape to wreak havoc elsewhere?"
>
> "Why not leave it here in a cage and send Vesper back through a rift for it
> when we reach our destination? I'm no magical expert, but I would wager
> that our destination is near a ley line nexus."
> [/Oz]

[Louissa]
"Ted and I tried to leave on our own, so not to endanger you." she says. 
"But you all came after us." She has become very emotional, and tears 
are pouring down her face.
[/Louissa]

> [Vesper]
> "If it is near a ley line nexus I should be able to do what you have
> mentioned Sir Oz. They are like way stations in a cosmic web easier
> to locate and travel too."
> [/Vesper]

> [Alex]
> "There is a lot of merit if it could be done that way. The other idea is
> could we find our destination and fly it there. Heard stories that this
> is the preferred way of dealing with supernatural creatures. Sometimes
> they need to be brought to base to question. Never had to do it myself,
> something I thank the blessed Virgin for.""
> [/Alex]

> [Oz]
> Oz nods. "That's the way I'd deal with it if we didn't have magic as an
> option. Though we'd be risking Splugorth attack trying to fly in and back
> out of here."

> [/Oz]

> [Alex]
> "Never had the hatred of magic that some in the CS have but never was a
> fact of life for me. Just pointing it out as a potential option."
> She looks over at Ted, "What is your opinion?"
> [/Alex]

> [Ted]
> The lizard man had long since sat back down. "Honestly, I would love
> to be as far from her--it--as possible. It is too bad we can't shrink
> her down somehow and stick her in a lead bottle or something."
> [/Ted]

> [Vesper]
> "An iron bottle might be better, cold iron.  Surely cold iron in a
> society like this has to be more common. Does anyone have more of the
> material if we were all armed with the right weapons she may feel
> less inclined to attack people.  I don't trust her on her own she
> nearly slaughtered a whole village."
> [/Vesper]

[GM]
The druids have listened quietly to the debate between the adventurers. 
Finally one of the druids, a blue-skinned humanoid female rises.

"There may be some merit to your ideas." she says. "The idea of rifting 
the creature when you've reached your destination has its particular 
risks, as this being is not entirely without dimensional abilities."

"Flying, as well, has its risks." she continues. "As Sir Osmar has 
pointed out, there are the Splugorth to consider. There are also the 
Fomorians once you enter the more northerly regions of this Isle. Truth 
be told, the Fomorians would likely view this creature as an enemy, and 
would do what they could to destroy it if they learned of it within 
their realms."

She thinks for a moment "However, the Cold Iron bottle, that indeed has 
possibilities. Alas, we do not possess such things here. We are a people 
of Nature and Tree, and even ordinary iron we use little. Cold iron is 
something that we would not possess."

"But there is a place perhaps, to the west, in the land known as Wales, 
where such a mine may lie. In the ancient land of Wales, in the hills 
beyond Cross Foxes Inn, there is a Dwarfish settlement, where cold iron 
has been mined. The journey would be several days by foot, though 
perhaps with alternative modes of transportation, it could be 
accomplished much quicker. If you could get a sufficient quantity of 
this cold iron, then a container could be made that would make the 
creature's escape impossible."

As the blue-skinned druid is speaking, the soldier looks to Oz again. 
"Sir, we really do require your presence."
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen