Year 1154 Mid Spring, Round 1Location(s):
Village of Cadrea, Village Hall, Court
Village of Cadrea, Central Plaza
The large wooden chamber Cadrea's Village Hall Court was incredibly well built and impressive, considered very important to calming the village in times like these.... The whole town couldn't fit in it, but in standing room only, it felt like it did, barely. Crowded to even along green wall tapestries, the restless crowd impatiently demanded answers at the line of shield bearing guards and the mayor beyond them. Those swords remained sheathed, but remained all the same as implied warning to anyone foolish enough to give reason to draw them. None did. Though someone did shout.
"37 people! Where!?"
Mayor Goiv offhandedly answered, "Wherever they chose to be.... Am I to keep people prisoner here? They left if they wanted."
"My daughter's gone and she had every reason to stay!"
"O yes, we'll miss that one, running around causing every trouble she could think of, I'm sure. Frankly, that's one I'm thankful chose to leave and good riddance to bad rabble. You can follow her out and improve all our lives," Quipped Mayor Goiv.
"My husband's gone!" came one woman's shrill cry.
"Him and many more, tragically for some floozy no doubt. A shame really, sign of the times. What's the world coming to?" Shook the mayor's head.
"My son's gone and he wouldn't have left!"
"A thousand gold pieces for his head! He stole as much from the town coffers, the thief! If I catch him he'll pay!" harrumphed Mayor Goiv. "You want me to keep you all on leashes then? Hum? I thought that was tyranny and I shouldn't do it? Look at the lot of you coming in here all important because you can't keep your damned husband or your fool son's stolen from me! Of all people me...! I'll tell you if I find that son of yours I'll hang him from a tree for his crimes, leave him there and then you'll know exactly where he is! The hell do you all want me to do anyhow? Hum? Everybody complains and nobody has an answer, but they'll all whine. The lot of you, anybody have any suggestions? What do you want anyhow, to send the town guard out looking for these people? And where would you have them look anyhow, and for what?
There are goblins about you say? Of course there are. You can't kill them fast enough. March them off a cliff ten abreast for a year if you could and they'd still be here. What of it? Don't tell me you fools think the goblins got them. No blood. No struggle. No tracks or footprints. Nothing damaged. Nothing looted. No goblins sighted by anyone! Superstitious fools, all of you, spouting that nonsense and next you'll be causing a panic! Is that what you want then? Hum? Is it? That's probably half the reason the merchants won't come here. O yes, can't you hear them now, 'Come to Cadrea; you'll disappear without a trace and never be seen nor heard from again?' Really? You wonder why they haven't come around do you? Yes, that's a mystery for certain...."
Mayor Goiv rolled his eyes, "Go. Home. And. Shut. Yourselves. In. If you think there are goblins around, then don't go out at night, stay indoors, tell the guards if you see one and if it makes you feel better, I'll even double the guards and look into hiring more, but you can imagine they'll want to be paid and who could blame them? Until then, talk to the scribes if you have an idea, a real idea that's practical and that we can do and have them present it. 'Til then, what more do you want? Hum? Don't come back until you have more than a different flavor of the usual idle complaints." And with that Mayor Goiv left and the peasants began to file out of the Village Hall's Court, through the Foyer and out into the central plaza. Some went home, as many were quiet as were bickering fairly softly enough.
The sun begins to waver to the west, not setting yet, but threatening to in a while. This doesn't deter those sitting about the sitting height wall, or gathering water from the fountain, not yet. A guard patrols; a lumbercart strolls; and more. Some go home; others to the
Inn: The Hollow Log. An old and upset man plods angrily towards the
Veteran's Hall; he seems to imply he would walk over people if not for the bother. Contrasting this, an old monk in a plain brown robe gives the illusion of effortless, seemingly carefree movement weaving through the chaotically dispersing crowd with hardly a soul disturbed, least of all his. The general mood though, is not calm....
You currently stand among one another, your acquaintances, in the
Central Plaza of Cadrea Village with dusk not here, but threatening to be soon enough.
There are a fair deal of people and places within Cadrea that you know of. In theory, you could try going to any of them. What would occur if you got there? Will you?