MOD PLOT | CHAMPROVENT.

[heorte]

WHO: Teren, Ellis, Edgard, Lucien, and Vance
WHAT: Assisting with the cleansing of Champrovent and ensuring the taint doesn't spread beyond the village.
WHEN: August through Kingsway
WHERE: Champrovent
NOTES: ooc info + warnings for infection, discussion of murder, death, general unpleasantness.

Comments

before the Group House Problem

[doneisdone]

Teren tries not to make a habit of talking to Ellis, but they're on a mission together, and that means they have to be, at least mostly, on the same team.

Several houses containing ghouls have already been found and dealt with, the line on Teren's forehead growing deeper and straighter with each mercy killing and each burning. But one such ghoul almost wasn't; they were almost a person still, barely forming words as they begged for death.

She stares down at their crumpled body, wiping the blade of her knife on her pant leg.
"If we find any more lucid than this," she mutters, "I'll need you to find some blood." Darkspawn blood is the implied specification, but there's always a chance someone overhears them.

[heorte]

They cannot begrudge whoever found this place. This is a Warden's duty, so it is unfair to resent being left to it. But still, it is hard to spend a day tending corpses and burning rot. The scourge has moved on, and this can all be required of them again soon.

It has been almost a year with Riftwatch. A year away from this duty. It is hard to weigh that time against this village and deem it well-spent.

There is at least, some solace in not having to do this work alone. Or to consider decisions such as Teren is posing on his own. His mace swings at his side, gore-stained, as Ellis regards the corpse.

"In front of the Orlesians?"

There would be questions. Alistair's reassurances haven't done much to dispel Ellis' unease with skirting along the lines of long-secret tradition.

[doneisdone]

"No."

She lets that be her answer for the moment, gathering the wherewithal to lean down and grab the corpse by the arms so they can start conveying it to the pyre.

"I'll need to get them out of my hair while I prepare the ritual, if it comes to that. They can be set to work burning the tainted buildings and whatnot."

She heaves upward with a grunt, not exactly built for carrying people.

[heorte]

"They'll argue," Ellis says, before he amends, "The chevalier may not, but the other..."

It will not be so simple to dispense with them, Ellis thinks. He trails off, letting the assessment sit as he straps his mace back onto his belt. They are both good men, which is likely all the more reason why they should not be here at all.

He takes a step forward, touches Teren's shoulder carefully.

"Teren, let me."

Between them, Ellis is the one suited for lifting. He doesn't much expect the offer to be accepted, but it still has to be made.

[doneisdone]

"Let them," she snaps with the gruff confidence of one who is not only used to arguing, she expects to win. "Their misplaced scruples are none of my concern."

Bristling when Ellis steps forward, she looks like she might tell him to fuck off, but just pauses, then nudges her head down at the corpse.
"Get his legs." That's the heavy bit anyway.

[heorte]

There is a stretch of silence as Ellis steps around, reaches to grab this corpse by the ankles, reconsider and lift by the knees instead.

"They're trying to be of use," Ellis says, as Teren starts them towards the door. "I haven't had to consider how to head that impulse off before."

Normally, people don't stick around tainted towns to wait and see what will come of it. Ellis' wanderings took him through places where everyone had fled before, but too late to do anything but put the last twitching ghouls to the sword. Walking through this village with people who were unaccustomed to it throws it all into sharp relief, makes the horror of it seem fresh.

"The other one, Edgard, is rightfully fearful. I can't tell what he's seen, but he's had enough experience to be on edge."

[doneisdone]

Hobbling backwards, Teren listens with a pensive scowl.

"Then he should know better than to argue," she remarks, navigating out through the door, and keeping her voice low now that they're out with the others.

"We've work to do here, whatever that entails. I shan't tell a chevalier his business, nor shall I let him tell me mine."