Nostrum: Tales of Valor

A Timely Journey

Stirring from their slumber, the party begins their trek back towards the towers of Maciofim with sore muscles and tongues that taste of ash. Little is spoken before they wash away the bitterness from the night before with flowing river water and wipe what they can from their hair and faces, leaving streaks of filth around their collars and garbs. Once each is as satisfied as they can find themselves to be, a conversation begins to break through on their walk across prairie lands. With only a bundle of woodlands and what remains of the clearing standing between them and the city walls, Hael speaks first.

"I assume their efforts will rest in attempting to restore it. The plant that is."

"What purpose might there be in doing such a thing?" Questions Marne, who continues to rub away grime from the back of his neck as he trudges through tall grass.

"Have you not listened to a word we've said?" Lee rolls his eyes and takes in a deep breath to speak with. "Without Dabria they will most certainly lose all hope in restoring High Priest Ordaite to his former glory. His throne will remain empty." Lee then looks to Marne and Yuler specifically. "We must ensure that that reality is what comes of all this."

"Why might a thing such as that be a primary focus?" Yuler wonders, peering back at Lee, who chuckles deeply before speaking once more.

"If you thought Lady Mardelia was a welcoming host, then I assure you, Ordaite would be a most comforting sight."

As the group passes into the woodline, the smell of smoke permeates the air once more, but no source is seen. They examine their surroundings as they go, as if searching for a reason, but when one is not presented to them they simply march on.

"Odd." Yuler blandly states, scrunching her nose in an effort to block the smell.

"Maybe not." Hael stops in her tracks as a sudden realization washes over her. She then sniffs at the air and points her nose upwards. The others look in the same direction and see a column of swirling smoke some distance ahead of themselves.

"Could the smoke still be pouring from Dabria?" Marne asks, finding the location of the smoke to be curious.

"No." Assures Hael, now certain of the cause. "The city burns. We must hurry."

As they rush off in the smoke's direction, they break through another woodline and find themselves face-to-face with the gates of Maciofim, which now rest open and unmanned. The four of them move closer to the walls and avoid making a peep as they do so. Once they have managed to pass through the entrance they are met with the sounds of distant screams and panicking citizens. Many rush passed them in an effort to escape the city walls, while others horde material goods from nearby shops, assault one another, or hide behind the safety of their homes.

"What is happening here?"

As Lee speaks these words, a bell atop The Bethel can be heard ringing out a distress call. As the group looks to the towers, they find more buildings beginning to burn, and parts of The Bethel itself having been damaged through some kind of siege attempt.

"It would seem Maciofim is destroying itself in the absence of Dabria." Lee exclaims, startled by the amount of chaos that has broken out in such a short period.

"Perhaps... that isn't it at all." Yuler shares, now venturing further into the streets with her mask up, attempting to block what loose debris she can as ash begins to fall from the sky. She then looks at a distant corner of the main road, where she spots a group of men attacking one another. The obvious blades of Ryoushi Nostrum make themselves known as one-half of the men slay the others with ease before moving on to do the same elsewhere. This tells Yuler all she needs to know. "The resistance has begun their rebellion."

"Stop where you are!" Comes a voice from their left. As they look in its direction, they spot a group of men dressed in the garbs of Bethel Nostrum, but those beneath the robes are no holy men. "Identify yourselves and where you stand!" The men raise their weapons and hold their ground, ready to strike at a moment's notice, yet remain willing to listen. "Now!"

"I am Lee, Defector of The Bethel." Lee begins, before fanning an open palm in Hael's direction. "This is Hael, who has also defected. Behind us is one named Marne, and the other, Yuler."

"Defectors?"

"Indeed."

"Have you come to join our conquest then?" The voice of another comes, somewhat accusatively.

"We are the ones who started this." Hael assures. "We destroyed Dabria."

With these words, the men look amongst themselves, then lower their weapons and kneel. The action goes almost unrecognized for a moment, not being something any of the party is used to having directed at them.

"You have our thanks." Comes the voice of the first. "Without the work you lot have done, none of this would have been possible."

Yuler looks throughout the streets once more, failing to see what it is that their work has done that could condone such an honorable act as a kneel.

"Why, might I ask, have you returned to Maciofim after fulfilling such generous work?"

"Who is leading this rebellion?" Questions Hael, now assured of where they stand amongst the rebels.

"Ryoushi Farrow, Leader of Craws." The man stands to his feet and pounds his chest with a fist, accepting himself to be what is known as a 'Craw'. "He resides within The Bethel, where we have taken up camp and removed the powers that once ruled."

Lee and Hael look to one another with confusion, then face the man once more.

"We wish to speak with him. It is urgent that we do so."

"Of course. Please, allows us to guide the way." The men all stand back to their feet as the first had done, then begin walking down the main street. Ensuring that their weapons are at the ready in case of an attack.

"What's the source of all this death and despair?" Yuler asks, stepping over the body of a woman in peasant's clothes. "Why have you taken to slaying the innocent?"

"We do not refer to them as the innocent. The bodies that now litter the grounds are those of The Bethel's followers. Believers in the way of Dabria and the great feast that was to take place. They would not conform to a new way of thinking and chose to fight. Be it with fists, weapons, or words, we were given the order to... remove them."

"Could you have not simply allowed them to leave Maciofim and start anew?" Marne pries, attempting to ignore the bodies of the young. All he gets in return is a laugh from each of the four men that they follow.

"These people have been corrupted by false ideologies. There is no God that stands before Numen. At least not in this world."

"No amount of tinkering with their minds would correct such thoughts." Comes a third, whose raspy voice tells of his age. "Unfortunately, violence is sometimes the... only solution."

Yuler and Marne now share a look, disapproving of the actions that have been taken, but somewhat understanding them from their days with the Purebloods. As they share this thought, they find that those in front of them have stopped moving. Looking passed Lee and Hael, they see that The Bethel has been surrounded by wooden barricades, crudely crafted from the remains of homes and wagons that once stood in the surrounding area. At either corner of an opening between the walls, a Ryoushi stands guard. Ensuring that all who enter are with the resistance. One of the men stares down the group that follows those in the garbs of The Bethel Nostrum, but is quickly settled by the man at the front, who continues to guide them forward.

"They're alright. They are who we have to thank." The man gives a smile over his shoulder, then looks back at the guarding Ryoushi. "Without them, you would still be scarfing down scallions and chugging rum by the gallon, Ryoushi Garder. Stand down." The man, though irritated by these words, plants his feet against the ground and raises his chin. Allowing nothing more than a sneer to plaster itself across his face as the man walks passed, followed by the remaining members of the party. "Come, we are nearly there."

Entering The Bethel, they find themselves to be in a great hall, where many refugees have been taken in, medical aid is being offered, and food is seemingly plentiful. Yuler even notices several members of The Bethel's following to now be assisting in the efforts. Presumably, those who were once tending to Ordaite before having to face the reality of what had become of him.

"Come." The man repeats, waving for them to continue following him." Farrow resides at the far end of the hall, within the throne room."

"Where has Lady Mardelia been placed?" Hael questions, assuming that she could not be where they had last seen her.

"Rest assured, Lady Mardelia has been dealt with. She is under the presence of Ryoushi Farrow. I am sure he is keeping her plenty of company as they enjoy the feast that was otherwise meant to be." The man gives a laugh that sends a chill down Yuler's spine, but she does not allow it to show through as she passes a table of medical instruments; Some already having been dirtied and others still waiting to be used.

"Ah, we've found plenty of supplies laying around after a few pillages. You might be surprised at just how easily it was to get our hands on such tools."

"How much of the city has fallen to the rebellion's hands thus far?" Marne looks about shattered windows and burning brazers, assuming that all the rebellion touches falls into the same state of disrepair. "Surely there is still ground to be covered?"

"Of course there is. It would be quite the feat if we had managed to conquer the city's entirety within one night."

"There is still much to be done, and even more work once we have finished purging the city of adversaries." Speaks the fourth. "We intend to rebuild once we have finished with our combative efforts. Construct a place for all to be, without the need to obey the word of others."

"Ironic." Mumbles Marne, still looking about the damaged architecture, which once showed grace and tranquility in its design.

"We're here." The first of the men states, standing directly between the same two large doors that once shrowded Marne's discovery. "Be sure to show your respects and I am sure, Ryoushi Farrow will do the same." With these words the man steps aside and commands two others to pry the doors open. Within them, the throne room is exposed. A grand table rests in the center of the room with many men and women feasting upon a banquet fit for kings. Their idle chatter suggests great pride in the work that has been done as they continue to ignore the guests that have freshly arrived. The man at the front then claps his hands three times in such a way that the room falls silent and all eyes turn on them. "May I present, guests of true honor." Stepping aside, he allows Lee, Hael, Yuler, and Marne to be seen fully. As this is done, a man at the farthest end of the room stands up, leaving a throne behind himself. "Ryoushi Farrow, Leader of Craws." The man offers in an introductory manner before pointing back at those he had led inside. "Slayers of Dabria."

Marne gulps as he spots a body resting at the feet of the man, who smiles cheerfully down at them. Lady Mardelia's limp form offers nothing but sorrow as the cries of a beast from beyond the windows can be heard. True despair lingers in the air, yet those within these stone walls do not seem to mind the mourning.