Antagonist's Anarchy: Desolation in the Daylight - Chapter II (Open)

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

OOC: I do not believe that Jason was in the room when Telyrn announced he was the ex-captain of the guard* in the Capital; their jurisdiction doesn’t leave the island either. Jason has no way of knowing the ‘old sign’. I’m curious how he makes his family crest though (By which, I assume you mean Jason’s family crest).
*I also checked this with Ivelliis and he agrees he does not recall Jason being present.
---

“My, this one’s got quite the mouth on him, doesn’t he?”

“Insolent dog. How dare you address the rightful guard of this town so?” The tall guard’s eyes narrowed. Decked out in splint mail, his companions wore chainmail and all of them carried broadswords, long hunting knives and clubs. This one currently wore some quite nasty leather gauntlets that were reinforced by metal rings. “This one needs to be reminded of his place. These Fringe Scouts think they are all that. I think an example is called for, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Right Earl.”

The three guards behind the one called ‘Earl’ and his companion clutched their clubs.

Before Jason could finish ‘making the old sign’, Earl slammed his fist down across his mouth, breaking his lip and drawing blood. Staggering him to his knees, Earl watched impassively and snapped his fingers.

His companion pulled out a set of cords bound together in a whip.

“Twenty lashes, I think. And if his companions interfere – tie them to the post and flog them too. If they draw steel – another example is needed. The noose awaits all who defy the Lords of Vision.”

With that, Earl’s companion walked forwards and seized Jason’s shirt/tunic and ripped it off. One of the guards walked forward and grabbed him by the arms. Jason was free to retaliate but the two guards behind Earl all were standing ready with clubs. If he did not grit his teeth and take the public flogging, he could well end up being hung for treason for resisting.

From the way he was manhandled and held down, it was clear this was common practice. Telryn and Nivram were also free to come to his aid.

If nothing happened, the flogging would begin – while all around, the rioting was being suppressed. Jason was lucky they didn’t execute him right out. Unfortunately for him, these guards were neither clumsy nor drunk. Of course, he could still betray his newfound companions – that might let him off the hook, or it might not.

Then again, the Lords of Vision were the rightful rulers of this place and the party were the criminals.

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

Telryn had a look of sheer terror on his face. Did this Jason want to die? Was his aim in life to irritate, annoy and pester every armed foe that came his way? Was someone who could not hold his tongue, when outnumbered, outarmed and outmatched, really an ally worth having around? Telryn glanced at Nivram, then back at Jason as the scene in front of him developed. Torture, public lynchings, these were the things Telryn detested, yet there was no movement in his body, no movement to stop the madness in front of him.

[dplax]

Nivram

Contrary to Telryn, Nivram had a pretty passive look on his face. If the guards did kill Jason, then to Nivram justice will have been served just as if Jason were in prison. Still, he clutched the dagger in his hand, just in case something went wrong. And he waited.

[DrowArchmage]

Jason grimaced as he was taken down. He knew he could fight back, maybe even take a weapon, but he did not. He instead closed his eyes and closed his mind. The pain could not reach past his barriers, he hoped. Speaking slowly, Jason said.
release me good man, or you will never know why your cousin died. As good of a man as he was, im sure you would like to know for what reason he was killed.Eh? And in return, my release, no punishment.

He hoped that Telryn wouldnt think he was going to betray them, he had just the tale in mind to get these bandits off in a wild goose chase.

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

His words did not have the desired effect; the guard leader's lips thinned; everyone could see what he was thinking. Insolence.

A vicious backhand followed; breaking Jason's lip again. He never learned, it seemed to the guard leader.

The punishment was raised. Fifty lashes. Men had died under less.

Whatever barriers Jason believed he had were not nearly enough to block the pain out. When the first lash struck, it felt like his entire back was on fire; by the third, his nerves felt raw. Well before the fifth, the flesh had been opened and his back bled freely. Slumped down in the street, an eternity of pain consumed him and long before it was over, he wished he was dead. By the time it was over, Jason was half dead and had blacked out about half way through. He would need healing.

Slapped awake, and yanked up by the hair, he was coldly informed that the next time it would be his life, Fringe Scout of the Lords or not. He was marked. He had two days to get out of town.

Several more guards had come to watch the spectacle, raising the number up to seventeen.
“Fetch the brand.”

From the fires of a nearby blacksmith, a poker, not unlike those used for shoeing horses was fetched. “Mark him well. Let all who see him know the cost of insolence to a superior. The first mark is a flogging. Two is death. Brand him.”

After the it was done, the white-hot metal sizzling against his flesh, the guards dropped Jason and Earl's 'henchman' smirked “Maybe we should do you a favour and remove your tongue.” Then he delivered a swift kick to the bandit's(that's Jason) temple, mercifully knocking him out. He would come to sometime later, but for now, he was at Nivram and Telryn's disposal.

A 'V' was marked across his forehead; one more line crossing it would mean execution in the lands of the Lords of Vision.

The sixteen guardsmen guardsmen gave the other two (that's Nirvam and Telryn) a warning look, and the leader made a warning comment about not getting in their way, followed up by a snide comment from his henchmen and they walked off.

'Justice' it would seem was quick, and ruthless.

---
Edit: whoops, messed up the tags. Anyway, don't worry too much DAM, this brand isn't quite permanent in a world that has healing magic. You'll just have to find someone willing to regenerate the wound. I apologise if this seems overly harsh, but this is the second strike. In fairness, they should have lynched Jason - and would have had he not been part of the bandits.
Also, given the setting (Medieval), historically (on earth) it was not uncommon to brand criminals - nor is it that uncommon in the game.
Edit II: I also forgot to add that the Old Man wasn't as lucky and he got killed, as have many others, so if you think I'm being harsh... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 07-15-2007, 04:41 AM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

[dplax]

Nivram

Nivram looked on without much emotion on his face as the guards flogged Jason into unconsciousness. In his eyes, Jason had got what or part of what he deserved for the crimes he had committed. As the guards disappeared around a corner Nivram knelt next to Jason and checked his pulse and breathing. The pulse was low and the breathing uneven, but Jason's life did not seem to be in danger. Nivram stood back up.

"He'll survive," he announced to Telryn. "I could help him, but I feel no inclination to do so. Should we leave him?"

Nivram tucked the knife that Jason had given him into his trousers and pulled the shirt over it. He did not want any over anxious guard to consider him a potential danger.

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

Telryn averted his gaze from Jason, and up to Nivram. Why he had to make the decision about Jason, he didn't know.

"There must be some middle ground. Leaving him here is a bit cold blooded, but I'd rather not take him with us. You saw how easily he would betray us, telling them we killed the bandits to save his own skin."

"But what can we possibly do to help him?"

[dplax]

Nivram

"If we take him with us, he could easily betray us again. I have a lot of reservations against following that route. I'd rather leave him." Nivram sighed before continuing, "Leaving him here badly beaten would indeed be a bit cruel though."

A group of a dozen guards, dragging five badly-bruised and loudly screaming young women along the street passed by. Nivram stayed silent while they moved past.

"As I see it, we either take him with us, or kill him," he said, seemingly contradicting what he had said just a minute ago. "If we leave him here, alive, I fear that he would put the guards on our tail."

[Legolas]

Ydalon

High atop the astronomer's tower in the early hours of the night the boy stood beside the master and studied the lights. Dangling forgotten in his hand, the cloth starchart recovered from a burned-down forest keep. There had been fires in Talryr but by some miracle they had not spread, devouring one wooden building after the other in raging inferno. Now the lights belonged to tiny groups of figures, scurrying through the streets. The din of the angry crowds did not rise so high, and so there was silence as the torches of tiny pockets of guards wandered, then closed in around the few remaining hearths of trouble.
In another hour the town would be empty of life save for the slow pacing of watchmen, counting the hours to dawn and hoping for a return to normalcy. The Lords of Vision would take the opportunity to execute the heads of local opposition, the depleted guard would draft new members and the task of rebuilding what was lost might begin. No glorious uprising, no overthrow of government.
It was time to leave.

"My thanks for your lessons," Ydalon told the mage. "I'd no idea it could be read that way.
"And more, it was an honour to speak with the man who cut the stain from the Lords' heart. They'll be grateful for what you did, and if not, remind them."

The boy headed for the trapdoor, then started down the lengthy stairs. With gravity his aide now the journey was not near as taxing, and as tired as he was he felt his spirits lifting. Half-way there he halted, and opened the door to the apprentice's quarters.

"Caspus!" he told one as he undid the strings to his disguise kit, "I need to borrow your robe tonight. The blue one with the forked lightning."

Minutes later, a young magician stepped out of the tower in the dark of night, and strode through the streets as though he owned them.

[ 07-16-2007, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: Legolas ]

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

Sighing, Telryn nodded to what Nivram had to say. Pausing for a number of seconds, standing in silence, Telryn finally spoke.

"Fine."

Bending over Jason, he picked him up, hoisting the bandits limp body over his shoulder.

"We'll get him somewhere, an inn perhaps, but off the streets. Then that's it."

The final sentence he said was spoke with conviction. He had made his decision, and he would stick by it.