Peter, Paul, and Mary

June 25th, Legis Day, Albanus 1

Once the dust settled in the Temple of Lil, the party prepared to loot 'n' scoot.  The sailor who had been tortured by the vaath was dying, his intestines chewed through.  Yet Marius thought there might be a chance to save him, if they could get him to a skilled priest quickly.  The problem was that he only had one prayer left.  Corvina reminded him that Titus was badly hurt, and if they ran into more monsters his brother might die for lack of that prayer.  Titus, however, declined the healing and insisted that Marius try to save the sailor.  The prayer's energy roused the man slightly -- and then Marius did a brilliant job of packing a damp cloak around his savaged entrails.  The band packed him up on a shield and carried him down to the barge.

Amongst the loot were a series of cryptic letters.  One was unfinished;  it appeared to have been written today or last night.  One was an odd report on someplace called "the Purple Hills".  And the last was a set of instructions for assassins.

Their boatmen, slightly drunk and groggy from all the morning's meat, ferried them across the river and departed.  As soon as they landed, a deranged and terrified squirrel leaped onto Gaius.  A half-gnawed strip of parchment was wound around the creature's midriff.  When Gaius unrolled it, he found it was a letter from his mother Danita.  "Gaius, do not worry for me.  I've gone with Valens, to keep him and his men safe.  The Wood will never surrender those who love her.  She will hide us, no matter how long we walk this bloody path.  My love to you, and my nieces and nephews.  Give them what comfort and aid you can;  your father wuld surely wish it.  If need is great, remember the Fall of the Otters.  If you leave a sign for methere, eyes will see it."

The band made their way to Molossus, encountering a patrol led by Gaius' uncle, Sir Forans.  Their first stop was the Temple, which Titus eyed and found clean.  Inside, Gaius' aunts Ardentia and Dola were holding funeral services.  Both priestesses were plump, middle-aged women, much like their mother Baia, and they smothered Gaius and his cousins in hugs and kisses.  Severus and Titus, in particular, came away with badly pinched cheeks.  But they were also skilled priestesses and patched the party back together.  Thanks to Marius' brilliant first aid, the sailor was actually still alive.  And to the party's surprise, Dola sang a prayer over him that knitted his entrails back together somewhat -- a prayer normally only known by pontifices (ooc:  a 5th level spell).  He was still dazed and raving (probably from the horror of the vaath's telepathic bond), but the aunts promised to care for him until he was well.

Having cared for the stranger, the band headed to Molossus.  There their grandparents Satus and Baia showered them with more hugs and kisses (and the Molossus hounds jumped all over everyone).  Satus sadly told them that King Albanus insisted that he come to Rostilla and make public apology for assaulting the king's men... that is, the Tillaford men, led by Sir Pelius, who killed three of his grandsons on Molossus territory.  As much as he hated the thought, Satus intended to do this.  Molossus had no defences, he told his grandchildren, no way to stand against Tillaford and the king.  Perhaps if he bowed his head, the king would relent.

While Baia prepared a meal for her "poor, half-starved waifs", the party paid their respects to the graves of their relatives:  Gaius' father, Ferinus;  Ranorus and Vesanus, their two little cousins who were killed in the Tillaford attack;  and Brennus Surrexus.  At their request, Dola prayed and found that this truly was Brennus' body.

They bathed, ate, and rested for part of the afternoon.  Cassius composed an extremely catching ditty, most insulting to King Albanus, which he taught to all the Molossus men-at-arms.  

During the afternoon a series of sending arrived.  Pontifex Phinias of the Temple of Legis sent two, one to Severua from King Albanus, and a personal note to Marius.  Severus was told, "From King Albanus Roster, Light of Rostilla.  For your slander you are named traitor, unfit to inherit your father's lands.  The King shall place his ward over the county and deliver it to clean hands."  Severus replied, "Tell Albanus I'll happily kill whomever he sends to my lands, and you can go sodomize a goat."  The tone of Marius' message was completely different.  "My dear child," Phinias said, "word of your suffering has reached me from Abbot Micarius and the king.  Is there any assistance I can offer?  If you are held against your will, say the word and the Temples will aid you."

Marius' first reaction was one of pure anger. He opened his mouth, prepared to curse the Pontifex of Legis, demand his repentance in the name of the gods or condemn him.  But one thing stopped him. It wasn't the lofty position of the sender, it was a single word in the sending: Micarius.  The Abbot who risked so much to help them, and was probably even now in the clutches of their enemies...  Marius struggled for a moment to think of some response that might help the man, might somehow keep him alive and whole.  But he could think of nothing.  "I don't know," he whispered to himself.  Tears -- of sadness for the brave man who sacrificed his own position to help them, but moreso of frustrated rage -- stood in his eyes.  He made no conscious reply to Phinias.  As soon as he could, he told his family about the message.  [Paragraph courtesy of James.]

Three sendings came, in short order, from one of the priests of Harrans.  Count Dignus, brother of Countess Matina, told Titus, "Tell your brother that Harrans offers her protection and aid to Surrexus, damn what comes of it.  My brother Darius has been warned and returns home now."  To Marius, Dignus said, "Nephew, I will offer you no 'comfort', weak and tepid.  But I do promise you shelter, should you need it, and vengeance.  I swear upon the Shield-Maiden's sword that nothing except blood shall answer for this insult."  The last Harrans sending was address to uncle Larentius, who flinched visibly when he received it.  Harrans, he whimpered, threatened to stake him out for the dragons.  Several of his nieces and nephews, particularly Corvina, Severus and Leyna, pointed out that he probably deserved it.  Larentius began to moan about how he couldn't go to Harrans -- they'd kill him, slowly.  Gaius was able to reassure him.  "He can't kill you," the ranger said.  "He needs you alive until you clear his sister's name."

Next Durus, Count of Invictus, bespoke Severus.  "The first of your 'deliveries' has arrived safely," the count sent -- referring to the families of Sir Marcus and the guardsmen, who'd been sent to Invictus for safety.  "Expect the rest shortly.  I sent Sir Silvestrius north to meet them.  Damned carts move too slow.  Invictus will not forget the blood that Surrexus has shed on her behalf."

The day's final sending came from Surilla, whose rage-filled voice suddenly hissed in Severus' mind.  "Enjoy the aid of your brother and his damned friends as long as you can, little bastard -- you're not going to have their help long.  I've taken steps to have them removed.  Oh, and by the way, your father's skull makes a lovely chamber pot."

Severus was so enraged by this message that he replied out loud, snarling, "Hear the voice of your doom.  By Dulcea I swear that I will give you such agonies that your demonic masters will weep that they recruited you instead of me."  As he said this, Corvina noticed his eyes grew bright -- as if a flicker of mage talent glimmered there.  Titus, however, caught his breath and reminded his younger brother not to let his fury taint him.  Rage, when righteous, could strengthen a man -- but it could lead to his damnation, too.

After some discussion, the band decided to take the ferry to Tillaford.  Future plans were hazy;  there was some discussion of sailing down to Benobles to warn Abbess Halaessa and the count of Benobles (whose daughter Clarissa is the wife of Magnus Tillaford).  Then maybe to Harrans and Viridia.  However all agreed that Tillaford was a good first stop since, as Leyna pointed out, one of the letters from the Temple of Lil implied that Discipulus (whoever he was...) was still in town.

As they crossed over, they spotted two white tabards in the crowd:  a pair of paladins and a young squire.  Corvina recognized them as her friends Sir Lucellus, Sir Regulus, and squire Mores.  Disguising herself, she slipped closer and told Regulus to meet a "little raven" at the inn of the Black Cat this evening.  Regulus, far more discrete than Lucellus, caught on at once and said the two would be there.