Whispers at the Fire
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*Arak´Hur was puffing on his corn cob pipe sitting next to some of his clan´s brothers, when all the commotion betwin the guards were at its highest moment.
Arak´Hur draws on his corn cob pipe and exhales a large roundish cloud of smoke. He squints his eyes and strokes his beard watching the guards get ready to leave*
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_Shortly after mid-day, the Chancellor arrives alone from the south gates and immediately instructs one of the red-cloaks to sound the meeting-horn.
Minutes later, the Chancellor is seen addressing a large number of red cloaks and going through some tactical orders. His experience as the Militia Commander long ago is coming alive in him once again.
He also sends a GoldCloaked guard north to rouse the Dwarves that have been assigned to guard duty in Norwick. Within the hour, they too have joined the formations.
All of the warriors are seen sharpening their blades, praying, and getting a good meal in before they set out, southward, in the afternoon.
The Chancellor himself carries the banner of Norwick at the head of this large, loud, distracting battle-force._
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On another particularly quiet day, after another quiet night at the Norwick gates - Yngdír had taken to the Misty Pond with his lonbow in hand. He had spent some of the early morning shaping an arrowhead, on one of his arrows - and giving the shaft of the arrow a few barbs with delicate carving.
The Sun was still low in the sky, and the sky was overcast. Still, there have been worse conditions for fishing, thought Yngdír.
The quiet, grey silhouette stood upon the eastern bank of the Misty Pond, it's namesake clearer as the day drew on. Under his favorite willow he stood, he kept an arrow nocked but would not draw the string. Silently, still, for time unknown he stood staring into the pool. This morning it seemed, the clouds relented - only in patches, and only in short breaks. In these breaks the dullness of the water was stolen away, and like an invisible light passing over - revealed to the fisherman his quarry. In the depths swam the fresh-water fish that few people even considered catching, it seemed.
But even then he waited, when it looked as though his chance at catching a fish had greatly increased. Yngdír stood, and he observed the brief illuminations of the deep. A statue. Grey Yngdír.
It was, perhaps, a few hours until he finally released his arrow. The sudden snap, and splash … the fish didn't seem to thrash around as some might expect, at least not for very long. To the untrained eye nothing had changed, so, why now? Yngdír isn't known to waste his energy on mere chance. It was an insect, falling from the long dangling 'cat-tails', along the drooping branches of his favoritw willow tree, that caused the fish to surface for just a moment. In this moment, the most advantageous of moments perhaps, he had taken the shot - and scored lunch.
The slow and liquid sound of disturbed water carried only a short distance through the windswept grassland beyond the bank as he tugged on the slim hempen cord that he'd attached to the arrow. Not strong enough to climb with, or bind anyone perhaps - but it made good string, and he could easily lash a bundle of arrows or firewood together for easier transport with it. Such was his knowledge of the uses of forest plants.
He returned to the south gates that day with just one fish, strung through the gills with his hempen lace.
Even as he had fished, and now as he ate - and relaxed in the quiet afternoon, he wondered at his longbow. This weapon, this tool that he was now bound to. "What is our purpose? What is the meaning?" he wondered into the evening, by himself, as the remains of a fish smoldered in the edge of the campfire.
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((Okay, whew, to jump in here:
There is CURRENTLY no famine in Norwick. People are not going to bed hungry, merchants have food to sell.
That this is so, is largely a result of efforts made by the town and Chauntea's servants, as Telli took steps to protect the fields against cold and Dwin took steps to lay in stockpiles of food.
Currently the main shortages are meats and dairy, as the weather has been extremely hard on herds and is hampering the ability of hunters to bring in game. But this isn't causing starvation, just making people grumble a bit at 'potatoes again???'
Now, if the weather keeps getting worse and things keep progressing the way they have been… there will be famine. When that happens, it willl be very apparent to everyone, because the townspeople will start fleeing north and/or rioting. But for the moment, there's enough food.))
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*The Iron Chain Clan half-orcs are seen, as they have been for the past few months, heading out on patrol. At their passage, nothing is left unarmed. Goblins, beetles and the fearfull undeads, all them fall before the savage half-orcs.
Onc they arrive at the south lake, once more as they have been seen, they make they´re way to that little cave. They enter the cave and slay whatever living creatures roam inside… Goblins, Rats, bats, and a big bear that uses the cave to hibernate.
After the night patrol is over, Arak´Hur, in a show of great "compacion" can be seen dragging a bloody bag filled to th top with the fresh meat carved from bats,rats and bear that they have just killed few hours ago in their regular patrol.
Arak´Hur and his clan brothers, make their way to the militia headquarters, so they give the use they wish to the offered fresh meat*
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/// Well … the guild I lead owns the grapevine, so I would have though we'd be buying food from local suppliers around town all the time. I really had no idea that a few plates of crackers would be such a big deal. I feel like it's a bit too late to go back now though. Will think of something...
EDIT:
A few red-cloaks follow after Marty to ask about the food:
"Where is that food going?"
"Oh this?" Marty replies, holding up one of the plates covered in finger food "These are the snacks for the meeting." She lowers her voice to a whisper "The meeting about the fight against the Hungry One"
One of the red cloaks asks "Why didn't you bring some from Peltarch?"
Marty looks at the guard a little puzzled. "Umm ... because it was easier to make up the plates here? Your not going to throw me in jail are you? I'm in a bit of a rush you see ... prison time would slow me down a bit."
((//oh and just to make sure it's clear, Marty purchased some vegetables to make "platers of finger food". I was thinking maybe a bunch of carrots, maybe some parsley. The "other food stuffs" would have been some bread to toast into crackers and cheese. Not feeding an army here. Just enough snacks for a meeting is all. And again sorry for the mix up. I had no idea of any famine. I thought Telli saved the town from that with her casting of hallow, elemental resistance and plant growth on the crops. I looked over the forum and I still can't find a mention of a famine. ))
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((uh, I really idnt take that to mean "shoplifting"… and I am pretty sure thats not what Grak meant either... rather, taking food supplies from the masses for whatever chef's salad is being delivered in the Rawlins.... lets try not to be so literal folks!
))
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Lyte, hand on some food she is contemplating buying as Marty just did, pulls it back.
_"Dwin, the town storekeepers are trying selling goods here….foodstuffs and goods just like they always do. I usually buy my food here. Marty was in line before me...I saw her pay for them, no matter what the riff- raff chooses to lie about.
You are stopping your merchants from selling to us who dont live in town, is that right? Dont you think your farmers have the right to choose what they sell, and to whom, as long as the buyers arent causing trouble, or arent banned from town?*_
Lyte glances at the shoeless, evil-mouthed, half-orc polluting the town's drinking water with his dirty feet, and then back to the chancellor…and then back to the basket of apples she was about to buy with real confusion.
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The Chancellor normally ignores the unintelligible halfer's babable, but this time, he listens and stares… with a shocked look on his face
After he sees the hin-senator pass through town, taking such valuable rations that some Norwick residents could only hope for in this time of need, he sends a few red-cloaks after her to ask about the food, where its going, and why she didn't bring some from Peltarch…*
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@fb6e75bfd8=Kayleb:
Martoushcah (Marty) Leaffall can be spotted scurrying about town buying fresh vegetables and other food stuffs, and darting in and out of the kitchen in the grapevine. By the end of the day she and a few helpers have prepared a number of platters loaded with a selection of finger foods. Later on the platers are taken through the south gates and off into the woods.
Grak is loitering outside, wriggling his toes on the river. He sees Marty leaving with the food and makes Grak-like comment to people at the campfire
"Oi ya farmhands und cow-herders. While ya peasants bes denied of normal amounts of food, look how dis shorty female steals frem town food supplies as female bes taking yar foods inta who-knows-whut gobbos und forest vermin. Probaply right inta hungry mouth of dem hobbo-king. How long can yar snotlings take dis kind of malnutrion?"
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Martoushcah (Marty) Leaffall can be spotted scurrying about town buying fresh vegetables and other food stuffs, and darting in and out of the kitchen in the grapevine. By the end of the day she and a few helpers have prepared a number of platters loaded with a selection of finger foods. Later on the platers are taken through the south gates and off into the woods.
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*The Iron Chain Clan half-orcs continue to patrol the Norwick surroundings. During the night, its not uncomon to ear battle sounds and high pitched screems and moans of pain from the goblins, undead, and beetles that the Iron Chain Clan half-orcs slay at their passage.
Even the most distracted citizen of Norwick will notice that as of late, that small cave next to the Norwick south lake, as been included in the Iron Chain Clan half-orcs patrol agenda*
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*rations of food are being delivered to families that are in need… mostly rothe meat and mushrooms... things that have grown underground, it seems. The red cloaks that deliver them say little aside from "a gift from the Chancellor..."
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Heavy laden wagons have been rolling off from the river dock going various places escorted by people in black and gold. They can be seen leaving with large sacks of things making jingly noises.
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After a very long absence, the farmer and crafter simply known as "Z" returns through Norwick's north gate. After a brief visit to his fallowed farm, he heads towards the Norwick Craft Hall…
Brrr... It's colder 'n I remember...
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*The day after the meeting with Chancellor Dwin, Arak´Hur and his clan´s brothers, can be seen leaving Norwick to go on patrol. They clear out old norwick area and head to Norwick south lake.
Once they arrive there, they promptly hack and slash their way through the masses of goblins, that usualy swarm that area, and once the goblins are all eliminated, the Iron Chain Clan half-orcs make their way into that little cave next to the lake.
The same gruesome and painfull fate, that was brought upon the goblins, at the hands of the Iron Chain Clan half-orcs outside the cave, awaited the creatures that lived inside that little cave… nothing was left alive... soon after the Iron Chain Clan half-orcs enter that small cave, they left it... their armors, shields and axes stained with the blood and guts of not only goblins, but also the creatures that lived inside that cave*
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Two Gold Cloaks Dwarfs aproach Arak´Hur and inform him that Dwin Dolvak wishes to see him in his office.
Arak´Hur follows the dwarfs, carefully watched at close range by two other huge halfers from the Iron Chain Clan.
Arak´Hur enters in Dwin´s office and listens to what he had to say.
Few minuts later, Arak´Hur is seen leaving Dwin´s office and head to the Iron Chain Clan lair
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Belma'r can be seen spending all his time in Spellweaver pouring over books. His head often bombs near sleep, and sometimes his eyes glaze over for a bit. He always shakes himself out of it with a slice of pound cake or pie or jerky. The librarian makes a fuss over getting the pages dirty but he keeps on reading none the less. Everything seems to be related to the outer planes and portals. Very odd behavior for this unstudied hin.
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_A Dark armored dwarf follows the chancellor and the gold cloaks.
As his eye catches a glint of mithril, he muses in his mind how it would only be complete with a muzzle.
Turning his gaze back to the chancellor and his group, he moves towards the door and follows the chancellor and Mord into the room.
The red cloaks give him ample room as he enters._
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A brace of Gold Cloaks is seen escorting Norwick's aged Champion, Mord Cabro, to the Great Hall. After they enter, several red cloaked guards follow and close the doors behind them.
