[Closed] Foul and Corrupt Are They

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington, Vivienne, Adelaide Le Blanc, Garris Vakrie, Emmie Courtenay, Fenris, Lynette Valkyrie
WHAT: Field trip to the village of Montemps
WHEN: Second week of Guardian
WHERE: Montemps
NOTES: Extreme violence and bloodshed, cursing, Norrington losing his damned temper. Taking place after this message

Riding into Montemps

The ride is a short, three hour journey southwest of Sahnaria. Norrington had encouraged everyone to ride on horseback - the better to get there and back within the day. He honestly didn't think they were going to find anything except either hedge magic, which Adelaide and Vivienne could 'talk' to the individual well enough.

If there were Red Templars, well, then it would be a simple matter of finishing off more of them. Securing the area, perhaps seeing if there was something in Montemps worth trading with the Inquisition to see it got further protection.

Meanwhile, the trip up was the perfect time to speak with one another, and to plan as well.

Montemps

It is the smell of burning flesh that will assault all their noses first, and the horses will start to act nervous. Norrington will recommend going on foot from there, as it will only get worse for the animals. It will be eerily quiet, as if there is not another animal within five miles. If asked, Norrington will state that blood magic tends to send animals scurrying away. They could sense evil much more clearly than humans could, after all.

However, nothing could prepare anyone, even Norrington, for the carnage that would be displayed when they crested the last hill and saw Montemps for the first time. Over fifty bodies littered the ground, some templars who were clearly in the early stages of red lyrium poisoning, the rest were villagers. The village itself was a shell of empty houses, many of them burned down to the ground. In those, one would find the rest of the villagers, putting the death count at around sixty villagers and thirty odd templars.

Investigations
(or things your character can find/comment on)
- The villagers were a mix of men, women, and children.
- There are signs of shade influence, as well as people turning against one another. Many bodies are from the fire or smoke inhalation, and all have been set on by scavengers.
- On the hill, there will be templar cages, similar of what they found in Sahrnia. There will also be bodies of Avvar in the cages.
- It will be clear by journals that the villagers were working with the templars to save themselves.
- There is a full birth/death record in the mayor's house.

Comments

[judgemewhole]

"I have seen this. Many, many times. But nothing on this scale." Norrington's voice was grim as he shifted the body from the left and to the right. His eyes narrowed briefly at her question.

"That we are not going to find out staring at the body - I am not sure if there are any journals, or anything left - but we will need to find out."

[fleurdesel]

"THe village hall- where records are kept. If anything yet remains it might be there." Unless it was burnt to ash along with the rest of the village. It wasn't much to go on but it was better than nothing. She stood, dusting off her skirts.

[judgemewhole]

He nodded his head slowly, stepping away briefly to speak with Garris, before coming back to Adelaide's side. "We'll cover the east - look for the village hall and ... and if there are any survivors."

There was a pause, before he looked at her grimly, "There are no survivors, are there?"

[fleurdesel]

"No." She does not need to extend Compassion's awareness to check. Nothing lived that would be worth saving in this place. The destruction and carnage had been absolute. "None were spared."

[judgemewhole]

Norrington nodded his head once, his eyes closing in silent grief and anger, before he gestures with his shield. "Let us find this village hall then, Lady LeBlanc. I fear for the answers we will find, but this must be sorted."

[fleurdesel]

"In places such as this it is usually in the center of town." She took a slow breath, careful to give every burnt or shimmering body wide berth. She may have seen shades of this before- but never quite so absolute. Never so vicious.

[judgemewhole]

"Then to the center of town we shall go." He stated quietly, as he too took the time to avoid the dead bodies littering the streets. He shook his head as they traveled along.

"What sort of monsters could have done this?"