Arulia's Vignette

[djhyland]

"I'll keep her out of trouble, Mother," Arulia promises, then follows Cassilda to retrieve her own cloak. She takes her coin pouch as well, tucking it safely beneath her kirtle. "Best to keep it hidden," she thinks, "It would not do to have it stolen."

When both she and Cassilda are dressed for the cold, Arulia asks, "Are you ready? Then, let's be off!" Stepping out into the cold morning air, the two set off towards the market.

[JadedDM]

Niniva wasn't wrong. When the two step outside, they are immediately greeted by the chill. It's only autumn now; one can imagine how bad the winter will be in comparison.

She and Cassilda walk the streets of Haven, heading to the market square. When they arrive, they find a sea of grey cloaks. The cultists of the Master have more or less taken over the place, and preach and proselytize to everyone they see. A single Holy Guard stands watch, powerless to do anything about it. The vendors working the market are having difficulty, because the cultists keep driving away their customers.

[djhyland]

Arulia frowns at the sight of the cultists thronging the market. She takes Cassilda's hand and pulls her close, and murmurs, "These people seem like madmen to me. Stay close, and we will leave as soon as we have what we need." She looks again over the sea of cultists, then adds, "Unless you wish to go back home? I don't think that we'll find much pleasure in the market today. If I hadn't promised Mother that I'd buy food, I'd be going home too."

(OOC: Assuming that she isn't detained by the cultist (what are the chances of that?!), Arulia intends to buy bread, vegetables such as cabbages or onions, and some meat or fish if she can find it. Knowing that food is in short supply, though, she'll take what she can get. She'll keep Cassilda close at all times, and leave at the soonest possibility.)

[JadedDM]

As they approach the bread vendor, Cassilda says, "I don't understand why the Holy Guard isn't doing anything about this. Heresy is against the law. Shouldn't they arrest all of these people?" she asks.

[djhyland]

(OOC: Sorry about waiting so long to post. Between restoring my computer from backups, dropping my phone in the bath, and being too busy to post at work, my computer time has been sparse!)

Arulia sighs. Speaking quietly so that unfriendly ears don't overhear, she replies, "Don't say that too loud. But things are bad. They aren't doing anything because there aren't enough of them and too many of these "heretics". With all the refugees, the war out there, and who knows what else, people are getting desparate. Desperate people don't care about the laws or what the Holy Guard wants them to do or not to do, and there's a lot more of them than the Guard. With such odds, a lot of the Guard quit...some of them sympathize with the refugees and such and don't like what they're told to do to them, others just don't want to be the targets of the refugees' anger." She shakes her head sadly. "So the Guard hires whatever riff-raff they can get, and their reputation gets even worse. That's why I quit--I didn't join to be a cutthroat mercenary, and that's what they're looking for these days."

[JadedDM]

"I wonder what's going to happen then?" Cassilda asks, an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

When they reach the bread vendor, a pair of cultists approach them; a man and a woman, both wearing grey cloaks. "Excuse us," says the male. "But have you heard the word of the Master? The Day of Reckoning is at hand, and only those faithful to the Master can hope to enter the Promised Land!"

[djhyland]

"I don't know," Arulia replies. "If things keep going like they are, these cultists will soon rule the city, not the Seekers. We can only hope that they want to keep things as they are or make things better."

At the bread vendor, Arulia pulls Cassilda close. Giving the cultists a wan half-smile, she says, "Yes, we have heard of the Master. But until the reckoning day comes, we still need to eat."

[JadedDM]

"Hey, are you being a smart mouth with me?" demands the cultist, getting angry. "You need to show some respect to those who are trying to save this city from its decadent, blasphemous ways." His eyes narrow. "Then again, maybe you need someone to teach you some respect, half-breed."

[djhyland]

Arulia lets go of Cassilda's hand. Keeping her eyes on the cultists and speaking in as calm a voice as she can muster, she says, "Run home, sister, and don't let anyone stop you. I will follow as soon as I can." To the cultists, she replies, "I mean no disrespect, and I did not speak against the Master. I merely said that I still need to eat, even if the Master is coming. I don't want trouble; I just want to buy food."

[JadedDM]

Cassilda looks between the cultists and her sister, then spins on her heel and runs for it.

"Hey!" the cultist objects, reaching out to grab her. He's stopped suddenly when an old man who seems to come out of nowhere whacks his staff against the cultist's hand.

The cultist quickly withdraws his hand, rubbing it. "The Abyss?"

"Sorry, lad, saw a bug on your hand. Can never be too careful. They carry disease sometimes," the old man says. The old man, human, has a long white beard and bright blue eyes. His skin is fair and he is wearing mouse-colored robes with a bent, pointy hat and is carrying a staff. He smells of rose petals and guano.

After the shock of what just happened fades, the cultist scowls and turns his ire to the old man. "Who do you think you are? I'm a disciple of the Master, you can't treat me like that!"

The old man stares intently at the cultist's face with a surprising determination. Slowly, he lifts his staff. "Son...hold perfectly still," he says. "Whatever you do...do not...move." He then smacks the cultist right in the face with his staff. The cultist cries out, stumbles back and falls on his rear, cradling his face.

The female cultist with him drops to her knees to help him. "Did you get the bug?" she asks, bewildered.

"What bug?" the old man asks.

She helps her counterpart to his feet and starts to lead him away, the fight knocked out of him. After they are gone, the old man turns to Arulia. "Well, some people can be quite rude, don't you think?"

[djhyland]

Arulia blinks in surprise at the old man's arrival, then watches, stunned, as he beats on the cultist. Even as the cultists hobble away, she stands entranced until the man speaks to her.

"Rude?..." she stammers, trying to find her tongue. "Yes...I suppose they can." Flushing in embarrassment and fear, she bows deeply to him. "Thank you, sir! I was sure that I was in for a fight, and one that I probably wouldn't have won. I'm so glad you came by...it's good to find someone who still cares." Bowing once again, this time less hurriedly. "My name is Arulia, and it's a pleasure to meet you, sir!"

[JadedDM]

The man bows with a flourish, removing his hat (and revealing he's bald in the process). "Fizban the Fabulous, Wizard Extraordinaire, at your service! Say, this is some city you have here. Things seem a real mess. Crazy cultists all over the place. Have you noticed?" He puts his hat back on his head. "I'm just passing through. Not that I'm afraid of the encroaching darkness that will cover the entire land, mind you, but I have somewhere else to be soon."

[djhyland]

"Encroaching darkness? I do not like the sound of that..." thinks Arulia. But such ominous thoughts are not important now, and she asks instead, "Must you leave so soon, Fizban the Fabulous? At least stay for a little while and dine with my family and I. It is the least I can do to thank you--if you had not helped me, nobody else would have."

[JadedDM]

"Oh, I wish I could. A nice, home cooked meal sounds wonderful," Fizban says wistfully. "But there's no time. I have an important errand to run first. Perhaps you'd be willing to lend me a hand with it? I need to go to a place called the Grinning Goat. Ever heard of it?"

[djhyland]

"The Grinning Goat? The tavern?" asks Arulia. "Sure, I've heard of it. Father goes there sometimes after a day at the forge..." Nodding her head, she adds, "I'd be happy to help you out. What do you need me to do?"