Yes, I do.

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)12:07 No. 299180 ID: 9720f0
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Imagine now the sound of stone breaking. Not the sound of little pebbles but the unearthly noise of a truly gargantuan rock breaking apart. Imagine turning to see the source of the sound and seeing a boulder racing down the side of the mountain. Imagine the shock, like a punch in the gut, as you see a whole group of villagers, all good folk, standing in the path of the boulder.

They are too many, too slow to all get out of the way in time.

Imagine the rock is about to pass below you and Harknas. You see that the rock could be slowed down by something big being thrown into the tracks. Slowed down for long enough for everyone to flee. Imagine you are thin, not very massive, but strong and imagine Harknas' size and how he is standing very close to the abyss. Imagine the numbers of the villagers, at least twenty compared to to the one companion you have.

What is a Paladin to do?

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Push him.

>>299180
To slay a single man without good evidence that it would save many lives is reckless. Not all the villagers would be able to escape unscathed. How many would die? How many would survive if given immediate medical care? If you cannot answer these questions then you have no business sacrificing the Nord.

So basically, warn the villagers somehow. Give them extra time. If some are harmed, administer care as best you are able, and send the Nord to get help. There's more than one way for a man to save a life.

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)12:23 No. 299186 ID: 9720f0
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>To slay a single man without good evidence that it would save many lives is reckless. Not all the villagers would be able to escape unscathed. How many would die? How many would survive if given immediate medical care? If you cannot answer these questions then you have no business sacrificing the Nord.

>So basically, warn the villagers somehow. Give them extra time. If some are harmed, administer care as best you are able, and send the Nord to get help. There's more than one way for a man to save a life.

Once upon a time, I would have argued the same. But you are an old voice now. One I haven't listened to in a long time.

>The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
>Push him.

And without time to think... Without time to even say goodbye, Harknas falls.
I believe this is the right choice. The villagers see it differently. They don't thank me.
They cast me out.

Or they would, if this were real. It was, as stated, merely hypothetical, though.

Introspection Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)12:33 No. 299187 ID: 9720f0
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Which brings us to the less hypothetical problem at hand.

I am Caley Mimulus, a Paladin of the Order of the Leaden Raven and I have just killed an innocent man for the sake of his village.

For a long time, I let my zeal and my faith guide my hand and for a long time have I not questioned myself. But now, as I look upon this poor wretch, I can't help but feel like there is something absolutely wrong with this.

I decide to open my head, to listen to all those little thoughts in my head more closely. I even consider the little ones I would have tossed out immediately before. This will be a strain, but I need to re-evaluate.

I need to learn once more what "Good" really is.

The hypothetical problem is still very close to this. The villagers won't understand. They will call me a murderer. They might react violently.
What am I to do?

I could run, just vanish as fast as possible. Or I could face the wrath of the villagers. Which is right? Which is prudent? I don't know anymore.

Why did you kill him? That is the question you should answer first, to yourself and us.

>>299187
Well the first thing is why did you kill him? If it was for the sake of his village then he was somehow a threat towards all of them. He might not have known it and they might not have known it. But you still imply that he was a real threat to them all.

After that we need to know what his standing in the village was. If he was liked or despised or simply not known. Depending on that you might be able to explain your actions in such a way that they will not react negatively. It's also possible, depending on how your order is viewed and more importantly depending on how you yourself is viewed, that you won't really need to give a good explination. The fact that you did it will be explanation enough, but if that were the case then you wouldn't really be seeking a way out.

If they iked the guy and don't know of you or that you're a paladin then it might be best to just vanish.

>>299187
There is nothing to be gained by facing their wrath.

You should run. If the villagers react violently you may be forced to harm them to escape after they confront you. So don't be confronted. Avoid that potential conflict.

Does it really matter whether you're viewed as savior or villain? If you've done what needed to be done in order to save the lives of the innocent, of those you view as "worthy of saving," then your job is done. How people view it doesn't matter at all. However, in the case of the man and the boulder, you'd need to warn the villagers of the boulder you've slowed. Is there, in this case, something you still need to do in order to complete the deed?

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)13:11 No. 299197 ID: 9720f0
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>There is nothing to be gained by facing their wrath.

>You should run. If the villagers react violently you may be forced to harm them to escape after they confront you. So don't be confronted. Avoid that potential conflict.

All right. Yes. The urge to run without looking back is strong.

>Why did you kill him? That is the question you should answer first, to yourself and us.

Right. I need to contemplate this. I should have enough time for that.

I was on my way returning from Kidare. It's quite a long way and I had to pass the East-Hilydian Mountains. While doing so, I came across this village called Lush Falls. When I came in, I noticed that the people looked sad and confused, so I started asking questions, told them who I am and they talked.
Said the sheep herder Tom had been struck by a Fey Mood. He had slain all his sheep and a man on the first day. Two little children on the second. THey had tried to lock him up, but he walked right out, through locked doors. He was everywhere, looming over them.
They said it was the third day. I cannot drive out the Fae.

And here I am.

From what I can tell, he was liked. A true pillar of the community, so to speak. he provided wool and money for the village.
They seem to like paladins generally, but... I don't have any jurisdiction here, really. I am of the wrong order. And my order has a less than fortunate reputation.

The man who he was did not die today. He died two days ago when he ceased being the man everyone knew and loved and instead became a monster wearing another man's skin. You slew the monster who had slain the man.

As unfortunate as it is, then, I really can only conclude it was the only thing you could do to help, and therefor the right one, as regrettable as it was that it came to this.

Still... It is good to question your actions. If they are just, then logic will guide you to conclude they are, and if they arn't... Well, then you'll simply have to improve yourself so you do not make the same mistake again.

>>299197
Then you don't tell them anything. Just leave a note saying that you did what needed to be done before they had to do it themselves.

You should probably bring along the body though. If it was possession then you don't want to risk that anyone else gets possessd by being in contact with it. Safer to take it with you and then dispose of it later.

I need more information to give a proper answer. You say he presented a threat, how did he manage that while still somehow being innocent? This is the kernel of doubt remaining to prevent me from being fully settled on the following moral advice:
If he was truly innocent your action was murder by definition, which is not justifiable. That means the correct moral answer is to answer for your crime, make due restitution and accept due punishment.
What is prudent of course depends on the ends pursued. Usually in cases like this where people are murdering innocents prudent would be to act to conceal the crime or engineer that responsibility for it falls upon either a neutral party or preferably one of your enemies. If that's not feasible then avoiding accountability for your crime is your next-best option for basic open-ended pragmatism.
Without more information about your goals these are best guesses about what is moral and prudent in your situation.

Aha, the fey.
Concealing the crime is not very feasible, blaming someone else would be cowardly and unlikely to lead to profit.
Your responsibility is to report this to your superiors since they will need to know about the fey. Make haste.

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)13:51 No. 299210 ID: 9720f0
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>Does it really matter whether you're viewed as savior or villain? If you've done what needed to be done in order to save the lives of the innocent, of those you view as "worthy of saving," then your job is done. How people view it doesn't matter at all. However, in the case of the man and the boulder, you'd need to warn the villagers of the boulder you've slowed. Is there, in this case, something you still need to do in order to complete the deed?

These are valid questions. I would like to be viewed as a saviour, a hero. But that is not what being "Good" is about, is it? Good is humble. Good is about doing right no matter what people will think. That is what the Order of the Leaden Raven believe. It's our creed.

>The man who he was did not die today. He died two days ago when he ceased being the man everyone knew and loved and instead became a monster wearing another man's skin. You slew the monster who had slain the man.

>As unfortunate as it is, then, I really can only conclude it was the only thing you could do to help, and therefor the right one, as regrettable as it was that it came to this.

It is good to see that my decision holds up even now.

>Still... It is good to question your actions. If they are just, then logic will guide you to conclude they are, and if they arn't... Well, then you'll simply have to improve yourself so you do not make the same mistake again.

Yes. This is true, I can feel it. Improvement is the key.

>I need more information to give a proper answer. You say he presented a threat, how did he manage that while still somehow being innocent? This is the kernel of doubt remaining to prevent me from being fully settled on the following moral advice:
If he was truly innocent your action was murder by definition, which is not justifiable. That means the correct moral answer is to answer for your crime, make due restitution and accept due punishment.

The man was innocent, as the magical influence of the Fae drove him to commit these atrocities. He could have been saved by more powerful people than me, but I lacked time to get them here. The boulder was closing in.

>Aha, the fey.
>Concealing the crime is not very feasible, blaming someone else would be cowardly and unlikely to lead to profit.
>Your responsibility is to report this to your superiors since they will need to know about the fey. Make haste.
>Then you don't tell them anything. Just leave a note saying that you did what needed to be done before they had to do it themselves.
>You should probably bring along the body though. If it was possession then you don't want to risk that anyone else gets possessd by being in contact with it. Safer to take it with you and then dispose of it later.

Yes, these combined present the best option for me, I believe.

>>299210
Carrying a body is going to be rather cumbersome and heavy though. Unless you have a horse or something like that. Otherwise you're probably going to have to rig up some improvised sled to drag him along on. And try to avoid skin contact or getting any of his blood on your skin.

The note should probably say something about how you did what needed to be done. If you even leave one that is. Might be kinder to everyone to just vanish, both of you. Then they're less likely to actively hunt for you, making it less likely that you will need to hurt any of them. And if you tell them about the Fae then that could just cause extra amounts of worry and suspiscion of neighbours and the like.

But you can consider your options while preparing the body for transport.

Is there any way you could wrap him in the sheets of his bed and carry him out through a back entrance?

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)14:12 No. 299215 ID: 9720f0
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>Carrying a body is going to be rather cumbersome and heavy though. Unless you have a horse or something like that. Otherwise you're probably going to have to rig up some improvised sled to drag him along on. And try to avoid skin contact or getting any of his blood on your skin.

>Is there any way you could wrap him in the sheets of his bed and carry him out through a back entrance?

I have no horse and the sheets don't look tough enough for this kind of misuse. I will fashion a makeshift sled from my cloak, I suppose. I have nothing else that will work well. I will make sure not to touch him. Can naver be too careful with the Fair Folk.

>The note should probably say something about how you did what needed to be done. If you even leave one that is. Might be kinder to everyone to just vanish, both of you. Then they're less likely to actively hunt for you, making it less likely that you will need to hurt any of them. And if you tell them about the Fae then that could just cause extra amounts of worry and suspiscion of neighbours and the like.

I am not sure about the note. Really, help me decide on that.
About the Fae menace. These people know. At least they know part of it. They told me that he had been befallen by a Fey Mood.

>But you can consider your options while preparing the body for transport.

Doing so now. I hope nobody will stumble in here before I'm done.

You cannot afford the time it takes to write the note, that is time that may secure sufficient distance to prevent fey contamination from spreading in the village and preventing you from being stopped by the villagers before you can contact your superiors. Hopefully confusion and indecision will last longer without a note as well, delaying any possible pursuit.

Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)14:31 No. 299223 ID: 9720f0
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>You cannot afford the time it takes to write the note, that is time that may secure sufficient distance to prevent fey contamination from spreading in the village and preventing you from being stopped by the villagers before you can contact your superiors. Hopefully confusion and indecision will last longer without a note as well, delaying any possible pursuit.

Agreed. I am done here. The corpse of the possessee is safely secured in my cloak. Anything else I should be taking care of before I make my escape?

>>299223
Two long pieces of wood and some rope should be enough alongside with your cloak to make a sled. It will be rather easy to track though, but it works.

And knowing about Fey Moods is not the same thing as knowing about Fae. They might have grown used to strange moods hitting people, seemingly at random and think of it as natural. His was just a bit more violent than usual ones. Simply the name Fey mood for it doesn't mean that they know of the causes.

But if they don't really know then they don't need to know right away either. Your order should send over some people to examine this place and see if there is some large amount of fae activety in the area. But to do that you need to report back. So lets get on the road.

>>299223
I can think of nothing aside from making sure you are not leaving a pet trapped in the house or something.

Paused Casey 2011/04/25(Mon)14:50 No. 299230 ID: 9720f0
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And while we contemplate, we should decide where to go. I can think of three possible ways.

You suggested to go to my superiours. However, Plumbus is a week's travel away from here. It would take even longer with poor Tom slowing me down.

An alternative would be going back to Kidare. It would be all downhill, which is always pretty fast, but then I'd have to start my journey back to the Order all over.
In Kidare I could go to the Paladins of the Order of the Silver Quill. They can be trusted, but they won't trust me.

Aucas is a little more difficult since I'd still have to go through the mountains. However, it would actually take me into somewhat the right direction and Aucas has a Silver Quill presence, as well.

Which way should I escape?

>>299230
Kidare is the fastest one, so that's where you should go. You don't really need to explain it yourself. Tom's body with a note stuck to it should work well enough. Leave it there for them to find in the morning while you head back to Plumbus to report to your superiors. Maybe get a horse in Kidare to make the trip to Plumbus a bit shorter.

>>299230
Let's go to Kidare. The corpse will slow you down, so delivering it as soon as possible works best in the long run as well as the short run.

Okay, some other things that will influence what you should do:
* Do those posessed by Fey have superhuman capabilities? (You mentioned walking through locked doors. Is that passing through them like a ghost, or simply breaking the doors down?)
* What is known about Fey posession and/or the safe disposal of those affected? If the body contains lingering corruption, might the blood also be a danger?

Should we really be bringing a corpse to an order of paladins that she's specifically said will be distrusting of us?

Caley 2011/04/26(Tue)11:02 No. 299374 ID: 672484
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>Let's go to Kidare. The corpse will slow you down, so delivering it as soon as possible works best in the long run as well as the short run.

This makes sense.

>Should we really be bringing a corpse to an order of paladins that she's specifically said will be distrusting of us?

Yes, a valid question... However I don't expect too much trouble. I may have meddled in their jurisdiction and killed someone they might not have killed in my stead, but I AM a Paladin. And though they may think we are too extreme in our way to deal with things, they are aware that no paladin wants anything but the best for the people. They will at the very least let me explain and at worst they will send me back home with a note detailing their anger.

>Kidare is the fastest one, so that's where you should go. You don't really need to explain it yourself. Tom's body with a note stuck to it should work well enough. Leave it there for them to find in the morning while you head back to Plumbus to report to your superiors. Maybe get a horse in Kidare to make the trip to Plumbus a bit shorter.

I could also just do that. Would be the fastest thing to do, but also very, very risky.

>Okay, some other things that will influence what you should do:
>* Do those posessed by Fey have superhuman capabilities? (You mentioned walking through locked doors. Is that passing through them like a ghost, or simply breaking the doors down?)

Those touched by the Fae can have all sorts of wyrd powers. Heck the powers of even the weakest of fae-touched can exceed the magical capabilities of the best human mages I have seen.
Tom was capable of ignoring the locks on doors, it seems. he could open locked doors as if they were unlocked.

>* What is known about Fey posession and/or the safe disposal of those affected? If the body contains lingering corruption, might the blood also be a danger?

I am really not an expert on this kind of stuff, but the blood might be dangerous. I never dealt a lot with the Fair Folk in the past.

>>299374
Very well. Just be careful.

>>299374
Sounds like you can't really do much except be very careful about it. The sooner we deliver the body the better for everyone involved.

Deliver body. Receive judgement from paladins.

Just leaving the body where it is runs the risk that it might rise as an undead. Leaving the blood on the wall without placing some kind of warning has a similar risk of causing some sort of curse or contamination to villagers who come into contact with it (and you don't seem to have the resources on hand to simply clean it off the wall yourself on short notice).

MotherFUCKER Caley 2011/04/30(Sat)02:32 No. 300392 ID: 158075
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Hey, guys.
My only properly working computer just complxetely crapped out. That means that introspection is on hold until I fix it or get another computer I can properly draw on.

Sorry, I'll fix this as soon as I can and get back to questin'

Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)11:31 No. 301858 ID: 2b3c4a
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>Just leaving the body where it is runs the risk that it might rise as an undead.

Theoretically, yes. However, dead people in the vicinity of the Paladin Fortress would be noticed rather quickly. Usually it takes at the very least one complete night for a corpse to reanimate. Wiedergängers don't show up in cities a lot.

>Leaving the blood on the wall without placing some kind of warning has a similar risk of causing some sort of curse or contamination to villagers who come into contact with it (and you don't seem to have the resources on hand to simply clean it off the wall yourself on short notice).

Note placed. Short, but informative.

>Very well. Just be careful.
>Sounds like you can't really do much except be very careful about it. The sooner we deliver the body the better for everyone involved.
>Deliver body. Receive judgement from paladins.

We have reached consensus, I see.

Ah drat. They just HAD to pick this exact spot to talk, did they?

"... will handle it, don't you worry."
"Didn't you find that paladin a little... suspicious?"
"What do you mean?"
"I have never seen a paladin so... quiet. They are usually more... alive, don't you think?"
"Paladin ain't paladin. They differ. Like folks do."

Seems like hastening my escape would be prudent.

"Paladin ain't paladin?" Who taught these commoners rhetoric? Anyway, rather than slinking off, it'd actually probably be better to casually interrupt their conversation with a sudden appearance (sans corpse of course) with a line like "Well perhaps in the future I'll strive to be a little more 'alive', as you put it." They'll probably get startled by your sudden appearance and then slink off all embarrassed.

>>301858
Yes, probably. Lets sneak past them and get going.

Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)12:41 No. 301867 ID: 2b3c4a
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>"Paladin ain't paladin?" Who taught these commoners rhetoric? Anyway, rather than slinking off, it'd actually probably be better to casually interrupt their conversation with a sudden appearance (sans corpse of course) with a line like "Well perhaps in the future I'll strive to be a little more 'alive', as you put it." They'll probably get startled by your sudden appearance and then slink off all embarrassed.

I-

>Yes, probably. Lets sneak past them and get going.

Yes. They might also start asking questions about Tom. And we don't want them asking questions about Tom.
However, "sneaking past" is way easier said than done. We're in broad daylight and there isn't a lot of cover here. The forest is close and once I'm there, I'll be able to hide much better, but for now let's think about how to reach it.

>>301867
Time to create a distraction then. Like throw a rock through a window or set something on fire.

Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)12:56 No. 301871 ID: 2b3c4a
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>Time to create a distraction then. Like throw a rock through a window or set something on fire.

Property damage. Arson. Well, I knew that for every helpful thought there'd be a few inacceptible ones. I'm a PALADIN, remember?

>>301871
Yes I remember that, and one that knows that sometimes you have to commit lesser sins to avoid larger ones. You need to get out of there without arousing their attention, because if they do find out about what you have done before you're far enough away they might try to stop you, and then you would have to hurt them. To avoid that you need a way to make them move out of the way without noticing you. Hence a distraction, if there is none provided for you then you need to create one.

There are other ways than arson or property damage though, those would just be among the quicker ones. You could also break down some fences and chase out a few livestock so they have to chase after those. Or talk some kid into running up to them and telling some lie that demands their immediate attention. But that last one would eventually draw attention to yourself, so it's probably not a good one.

>>301871
Well if lying is okay by your book, you could tell them that you managed to subdue him and they should go tell the others.

Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)13:13 No. 301874 ID: 2b3c4a
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>Yes I remember that, and one that knows that sometimes you have to commit lesser sins to avoid larger ones. You need to get out of there without arousing their attention, because if they do find out about what you have done before you're far enough away they might try to stop you, and then you would have to hurt them. To avoid that you need a way to make them move out of the way without noticing you. Hence a distraction, if there is none provided for you then you need to create one.

...
Point taken.

>There are other ways than arson or property damage though, those would just be among the quicker ones. You could also break down some fences and chase out a few livestock so they have to chase after those. Or talk some kid into running up to them and telling some lie that demands their immediate attention. But that last one would eventually draw attention to yourself, so it's probably not a good one.

Hm, since I do have the choice, please help me think of one that won't cause suspicion to fall on me immediately and won't cause unnecessary chaos in the village. Driving off the livestock might result in financial difficulties...

>Well if lying is okay by your book, you could tell them that you managed to subdue him and they should go tell the others.

This one would be perfect were it not for how small this village is. Telling the others wouldn't take long enough for me to get far...
Unless of course hey also have to get the men and women off the pastures, which are not all close by.

>>301874
Well, then the best option seems to be to find an alternative route. Or just wait for them to move on. It looks like one of them is on his way to work. So wait around for a bit and see if they move. If not then start to look for other ways to get to the forest, like maybe a nice and handy ditch to provide concealment or something like that.

If that doesn't work then there's always the possibility of a good old false alarm, provided that you're good enough at sneaking to get away. Basically create a god awful racket and loudly cry for help, when they get there to check out what's going on you move away. Get out of the village and into the forest. Get to your goal and unload the body. Return home and notify your superiors and file a probably dull report.

Oh my goodness. Not choosing outright to stay and face the consequences of your actions may not be a sin of itself, but it IS dishonorable and self-serving. These new thoughts of deceit and even vandalism in order to cover your cowardly retreat... I fear you are walking a dangerous path, paladin.

The logic of serving the greater good is the justification of the weak. To commit evil in the name of good is still committing evil. It may occasionally even be the best choice at the time, but it is never GOOD. The correct response to such a situation is to do what must be done, and then take your penance willingly, no matter how harsh it may seem to you personally.

Do you know who the elder in the village is? You should have spoken to him or her when you first came, right?

Find that person, and explain the situation. Ask that he or she manufacture a distraction so that you can remove the body without risking contaminating the villagers. Stress the risk of contamination and emphasize how little you like the deception too, but that you think a minor deception to prevent great potential harm is the best of a set of poor options.

Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)15:32 No. 301904 ID: 2b3c4a
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>Well, then the best option seems to be to find an alternative route. Or just wait for them to move on. It looks like one of them is on his way to work. So wait around for a bit and see if they move. If not then start to look for other ways to get to the forest, like maybe a nice and handy ditch to provide concealment or something like that.

I think waiting might yield interesting results... possibly. If all goes wrong there is a pretty convenient hole in the wall of this house here. No clue how deep it is, though. The bright sun is ruining my dark vision.

>If that doesn't work then there's always the possibility of a good old false alarm, provided that you're good enough at sneaking to get away. Basically create a god awful racket and loudly cry for help, when they get there to check out what's going on you move away. Get out of the village and into the forest. Get to your goal and unload the body. Return home and notify your superiors and file a probably dull report.

Well... That would be kind of counterpro-

>Oh my goodness. Not choosing outright to stay and face the consequences of your actions may not be a sin of itself, but it IS dishonorable and self-serving. These new thoughts of deceit and even vandalism in order to cover your cowardly retreat... I fear you are walking a dangerous path, paladin.

Oh crap here come the doubts. I was wondering when you'd show up.
You're right it IS dishonourable. Now, I was never much one for honour. I lied, I tricked, I fought dirty. Now would be a good opportunity to stop that... But should I? Argh, this is hard.

>The logic of serving the greater good is the justification of the weak. To commit evil in the name of good is still committing evil. It may occasionally even be the best choice at the time, but it is never GOOD. The correct response to such a situation is to do what must be done, and then take your penance willingly, no matter how harsh it may seem to you personally.

Oh by Yivvin, Evil in the name of Good is not Good? Argh, what have I done?
This is confusing and shocking, telll me what to do.
In short words.
Don'T make this too complicated. We can sort out morality later when time is not of the essence.
And right now, I'd rather stick to the current plan than suddenly suffering from crippling self-doubts.

"No, it's just so weird, you know? Paladins in the stories are always full of emotion! They laugh a lot when everything is good, they get mad when things seem bad and they glow with righteous fury when things are stuck in the shitbucket! This one? I mean she frowned at our problem. FROWNED!"
"Dan, you're makin' a Dragon out of a Bold here. Not all paladins are in the stories. I mean hey, our stories are also full of wizards throwing fireballs. YOu believe in that, too?"
"Well... No, obviously not. But that's no comparison!"
"Dan! The paladin's sword was legit. YOu know that."
"Ever think that you can STEAL those, brother?"
"From a paladin? I thought YOU were the one who liked the old stories so much."

...off the pastures? Tell them that the possessed dude was heading towards the pastures, and they should go warn them while you tell the rest of the town to board up. What you will actually do is leave.

>>301904

Ultimately the community itself must judge your actions. Short term deceit is justifiable only if you return to the community and openly explain what you did, and why, and then submit yourself to their justice system to be judged. What sort of legal system do they use, anyway? If you killed a freeman, then wouldn't you have to pay a murder price to his family? If you killed a serf wouldn't the price go to his lord? Or do these villagers use a more sophisticated legal system?

In any case, the priority is getting the corpse away to people who can deal with it properly. After that you can return for your punishment, whatever they judge it to be (and they may agree that there was no other choice, given the risk of fey contagion from the body).

I once heard a story of a corrupt official in a great city. He made life unbearable for the citizens with the least power, allowing his lawmen to ply for bribes, showing gross favoritism to moneyed interests, and in general abusing the public trust in such a way that even if the law could touch him, no agent of justice would for fear of waking up dead.

A lone citizen, angry at the official and the system the official had manipulated, took up arms and killed the corrupt man. He then turned to the justice system and turned himself in. He explained exactly what he had done, and why, and accepted the punishment for murder. The city, without the corrupt official managing his debased underlings, was able to return to normal. The killer served forty years in prison, as this was the customary punishment for a planned murder in that community.

Though extra-judicial killing is always an evil thing, it can be atoned for and the net results can be good. So long as you do not avoid your atonement, your current course and the killing itself is acceptable.

Okay I'm back. And I still seriously advise you simply sneak up behind them and pop in to their conversation. LET them see you, LET them ask questions if they will, but in all likelihood they're going to be startled and surprised and embarrassed about gossiping about a paladin while she's within hearing distance. Go up to them and ask them what problem they have with your attitude. Don't seem too dominant or hostile, but just serious enough to the point where they'll feel sheepish and desire to move on. Besides, we are PALADIN, therefore all this hiding and trickery is BENEATH us. We can handle any questions or concerns these people throw our way. Whether or not they're capable of understanding our actions, we must always strive to be a paragon of virtue and a role model for others. Give them the opportunity to disappoint us before judging them to be too thick-witted to understand our necessity. And stuff.

PAUSED Caley 2011/05/06(Fri)16:40 No. 301959 ID: 2b3c4a
File 130472525886.png - (64.90KB , 800x600 , PAUSE.png )

My proper drawing computer is crapping out again, so I'll have to call it a night. More soon.

>>301904
This is not the time and place for doubts. You have a task that needs to be done. You're not equipped for the task that is needed. The longer you need to spend here to explain to them the more you endanger them. You need to bring people here that can helpt against the fey, and as soon as you possibly can. That is what needs to be done.

They want a paladin with some emotion, lets show them some damn emotion. Walk out there carrying the body all wrapped up as it is, and let the tears for what you had to do flow. Then just keep walking. Don't let them stop you with anything short of force. If they do threaten force, you stop in your tracks. No one else is getting hurt today.

Otherwise, this body deserves a burial. (I am still not clear on why the plan was to deliver it to a paladin camp somewhere else, except as part of plan: slink away quietly.) Saying nothing, you go to the town's graveyard and you find a shovel.

>>302101

I thought there was Paladin Stuff that had to be done to the body because there was a fey possessing it. Rituals and stuff, things you need a proper team of trained clergymen to take care of.

>>302109
Yes there is that. And paladins to be notified that there are fey active in the area.

>>302109
>>302189
yeah... I can't actually find any evidence that we didn't just make all that stuff up though. Casey never mentions it as far as I can see. Rampant speculation about possible requirements on our part. Casey never mentions anything about the body being contagious, and gives no indication that fey activity in the area is likely to be higher in the future. Fey moods strike completely at random where I come from.

>>302368

If rituals were not required Caley would have noticed that she was thinking of them for no reason, right?

The plan to just skip town was a sound one, but it shouldn't be adhered to at any cost. Simply wait out a little longer and see what they do, if they leave, then stick to the plan. If the come to investigate the house then abandon that plan and talk to them. Tell them simply that he was possessed by the Fae, more powerful than any mortal wizard. That the Fae possessing him slew 3 people and had to be stopped, which you did. That they should avoid his house as it is a danger to them now. And that you must go notify the local paladins who would send more help to prevent such tragedies in the future.

And as for morality, evil in the sake of good might arguably not be good, but it isn't evil either. It very much depends on the nature and scope of said evil and good, and taking the least bad choice does not make you an evil person.

what is the name of this quest

Caley 2011/05/09(Mon)05:36 No. 302775 ID: f1a847
File 130494456024.png - (136.79KB , 800x600 , 016.png )

>...off the pastures? Tell them that the possessed dude was heading towards the pastures, and they should go warn them while you tell the rest of the town to board up. What you will actually do is leave.

That is an option and it does not involve directly harming anyone. However, I don'T want to scare these people more than I have to.

>Ultimately the community itself must judge your actions. Short term deceit is justifiable only if you return to the community and openly explain what you did, and why, and then submit yourself to their justice system to be judged. What sort of legal system do they use, anyway? If you killed a freeman, then wouldn't you have to pay a murder price to his family? If you killed a serf wouldn't the price go to his lord? Or do these villagers use a more sophisticated legal system?

It used to be like this. Simply make it up to the aristocracy and you will not be punished. A lot has changed since the four Orders liberated the northern nations. Nowadays, Paladins are in control of the legal system. In this area, the legal authority would be the Silver Quill and submission to the village would, theoretically end with them holding me here until the next patrol passes through to pick me up.
In practise it might not go like that. Tom was, as stated, a very important and popular man. The villagers might forsake the legal process and strike me down in anger. But we don't know that.

>In any case, the priority is getting the corpse away to people who can deal with it properly. After that you can return for your punishment, whatever they judge it to be (and they may agree that there was no other choice, given the risk of fey contagion from the body).

Yes, since the due legal process requires me to be judged by the paladins of the Silver Quill, We'll simply kill two birds with one stone by going to Kidare.

>I once heard a story of a corrupt official in a great city. He made life unbearable for the citizens with the least power, allowing his lawmen to ply for bribes, showing gross favoritism to moneyed interests, and in general abusing the public trust in such a way that even if the law could touch him, no agent of justice would for fear of waking up dead.

>A lone citizen, angry at the official and the system the official had manipulated, took up arms and killed the corrupt man. He then turned to the justice system and turned himself in. He explained exactly what he had done, and why, and accepted the punishment for murder. The city, without the corrupt official managing his debased underlings, was able to return to normal. The killer served forty years in prison, as this was the customary punishment for a planned murder in that community.

>Though extra-judicial killing is always an evil thing, it can be atoned for and the net results can be good. So long as you do not avoid your atonement, your current course and the killing itself is acceptable.

Yes, it is a popular story. Since I haven't been in Silver Quill territory for quite some time, I do not know if my deed was extrajudicial. I assume so, though. I have no jurisdiction here.
Atonement sounds like a good thing to do, in any case.

>Okay I'm back. And I still seriously advise you simply sneak up behind them and pop in to their conversation. LET them see you, LET them ask questions if they will, but in all likelihood they're going to be startled and surprised and embarrassed about gossiping about a paladin while she's within hearing distance. Go up to them and ask them what problem they have with your attitude. Don't seem too dominant or hostile, but just serious enough to the point where they'll feel sheepish and desire to move on. Besides, we are PALADIN, therefore all this hiding and trickery is BENEATH us. We can handle any questions or concerns these people throw our way. Whether or not they're capable of understanding our actions, we must always strive to be a paragon of virtue and a role model for others. Give them the opportunity to disappoint us before judging them to be too thick-witted to understand our necessity. And stuff.

I see truth in this. Yes, I might be judging a little too early.
However, I think my judgement is not wrong nevertheless. Telling them about what I did might lead to a fight. The situation is complicated after all.

>This is not the time and place for doubts. You have a task that needs to be done. You're not equipped for the task that is needed. The longer you need to spend here to explain to them the more you endanger them. You need to bring people here that can helpt against the fey, and as soon as you possibly can. That is what needs to be done.

Yes. No more doubts. The plan is set.

>More and more thought

The Fae presence here might be a problem. Fey moods do strike at random, but they also happen more frequently where the Fae settle. I think it is well worth telling the other paladins ASAP.



I have decided. I will sneak out. Be it beneath a paladin or not, lives are at stake here. Now, how?

There is the plan of sending everyone to the pastures or to board up their houses.
There is the plan to explain to the village elder and hope he helps me get out unnoticed.
There is also this hole here, which... actually looks like it's reaching quite far into the ground, actually.

My head hurts. let's keep this simple. Pick one of the three.

>what is the name of this quest
So far it's "Introspection" and it will stay that way unless I find a better name until the next chapter starts.

>>302775
Lets explore that hole and see where it leads. You could uncover something else that is important to your investigations there.

>>302775

Let's speak with the elder and tell him. And stress the threat poor Tom's possessed body posed. And ask the elder about the hole, if you think it may be related to the fae. You want to be able to present as much intelligence to the Silver Quills as you can, when you deliver the corpse and surrender yourself to them.

Explore the hole for a bit, then unless it seems to be exactly what you want just use it to stash the body while you go speak to the elder

Caley 2011/05/10(Tue)14:05 No. 303030 ID: 0fa2de
File 130506151553.png - (163.42KB , 800x600 , 017.png )

>Lets explore that hole and see where it leads. You could uncover something else that is important to your investigations there.

Hm, didn't even think of that.

>Let's speak with the elder and tell him. And stress the threat poor Tom's possessed body posed. And ask the elder about the hole, if you think it may be related to the fae. You want to be able to present as much intelligence to the Silver Quills as you can, when you deliver the corpse and surrender yourself to them.

Yes, I think a village elder would not react with instantaneous hostility. They're supposed to be wise, right?

>Explore the hole for a bit, then unless it seems to be exactly what you want just use it to stash the body while you go speak to the elder

And we found a beautiful compromise!

I climb into the hole, which is not all that easy with my quill and my crossbow, but I manage.
It's... oddly spacey in here. Like this was supposed to be a basement but they stopped working on it. There's a fairly large and dark hole in the back of this cave. Fascinating.

>>303030
Old people are supposed to be wise for some reason yes. But simply living a long time doesn't really mean they grow any wiser. Atleast not necessarily.

And this is rather odd. Lets drag the corpse in here as well and then explore it further. This doesn't seem like a normal thing for someone to have under their house.

It's not so much that old people are supposed to be wise, but that the position of Village Elder is (hopefully) something that is based off of merit rather than a title given to the oldest living dude.

Caley 2011/05/10(Tue)15:37 No. 303104 ID: 0fa2de
File 130506704257.png - (161.04KB , 800x600 , 018.png )

>Old people are supposed to be wise for some reason yes. But simply living a long time doesn't really mean they grow any wiser. Atleast not necessarily.

>It's not so much that old people are supposed to be wise, but that the position of Village Elder is (hopefully) something that is based off of merit rather than a title given to the oldest living dude.

Precisely. And I do believe that old age means that someone had a long time to think about certain things. And thinking is the path to wisdom.

>And this is rather odd. Lets drag the corpse in here as well and then explore it further. This doesn't seem like a normal thing for someone to have under their house.

Right on. I'll just...
Hrrrgh Daaaaamn just- By Yivvin, just move al-rea-dy! Damnit! Why does this have to be so goddamn-

Paused Caley 2011/05/10(Tue)15:46 No. 303113 ID: 0fa2de
File 130506758391.png - (83.50KB , 800x600 , 019.png )

"WHOOMP"

Agh, Daaaaaaamn!

WHAT HAPPEN?

>>303104
Heavy? Rigor Mortis. The hole be so tiny? Because otherwise people would notice it all the time.

Simply having time to think doesn't automatically make one wise. It also has to be the right thoughts and the right patterns. Simply sitting around, thinking about how life has wronged you and how things have never gone your way simply because the gods spit on you does not make one wise. It only makes someone old and bitter. Don't make assumptions, gather information and form solid opinions on the basis of that information.

Anyway, now that the corpse is less likely to be found, lets get exploring.

Caley 2011/07/05(Tue)01:12 No. 321936 ID: 48e8e1
File 130985353513.png - (196.82KB , 1600x1200 , 020.png )

>WHAT HAPPEN?

>Heavy? Rigor Mortis. The hole be so tiny? Because otherwise people would notice it all the time.

I'm all right. The body just almost didn't fit through the hole. The cape got caught on something, I suppose, then it came loose and crashed onto me. Everything's all right.

>Simply having time to think doesn't automatically make one wise. It also has to be the right thoughts and the right patterns. Simply sitting around, thinking about how life has wronged you and how things have never gone your way simply because the gods spit on you does not make one wise. It only makes someone old and bitter. Don't make assumptions, gather information and form solid opinions on the basis of that information.

Sounds good, I suppose.

>Anyway, now that the corpse is less likely to be found, lets get exploring.

Right away.
I really wonder whit this whole thing here is all about. Who made this? And for what purpose? I prepare to crawl in.

Caley 2011/07/05(Tue)01:12 No. 321937 ID: 48e8e1
File 130985356998.png - (127.79KB , 800x600 , 021.png )

The tunnel becomes very uneven as I crawl in further, narrowing here, widening again a little ahead. This was not a thoroughly planned operation. More like something they wanted done as fast as possible.
I'm glad that my knees and elbows are padded.

Caley 2011/07/05(Tue)01:13 No. 321938 ID: 48e8e1
File 130985359185.png - (109.07KB , 800x600 , 022.png )

I reach a corner. I'm not very firm on my mining knowledge, but I find this odd. Wouldn't it be kinda hard to plan a tunnel like this with a bend in mind? And what purpose does it serve? But then again, I'm making assumptions again.
I hear something odd and instantly stop moving, freezing in place. It sounded like... someone crying, but stopped now. Whoever is behind this bend has most likely heard me approaching.

Seems like someone facing away, hugging his/her knees to her face. Odd positioning. Anyway, I'm a bit claustrophobic and hate tunnels, but as far as I know there's not much you can do but continue around as you can.

>>321938
I can think of a reason why someone might make a bend in a tunnel. A bend would likely drastically reduce the amount of light escaping the tunnel, keeping it from being seen at night.

With that ominous thought in mind, be ready to fight if this is another fae-touched.

>>321938
Could be for defensive purposes, a bend like that would make it very easy to defend that place. Not that a tunnel as cramped as this is in any way an ideal fighting place.

Anyway, looks like someone decided to use this tunnel to sit and cry in. Get out a dagger in an easy to reach place in case of trouble, then go up a bit closer and ask what's up. Don't get close enough to be grabbed if they manage to turn around.

Caley 2011/07/05(Tue)12:33 No. 322029 ID: c89c77
File 130989440931.png - (133.47KB , 800x600 , 023.png )

>Could be for defensive purposes, a bend like that would make it very easy to defend that place. Not that a tunnel as cramped as this is in any way an ideal fighting place.

>I can think of a reason why someone might make a bend in a tunnel. A bend would likely drastically reduce the amount of light escaping the tunnel, keeping it from being seen at night.

You are a fountain of knowledge. That is... me... Huh... How do I know this stuff?

>With that ominous thought in mind, be ready to fight if this is another fae-touched.

Oh I sure hope not. Please no.

>Seems like someone facing away, hugging his/her knees to her face. Odd positioning. Anyway, I'm a bit claustrophobic and hate tunnels, but as far as I know there's not much you can do but continue around as you can.

>Anyway, looks like someone decided to use this tunnel to sit and cry in. Get out a dagger in an easy to reach place in case of trouble, then go up a bit closer and ask what's up. Don't get close enough to be grabbed if they manage to turn around.

Sounded like agirl, I think. Hard to tell, but I'll stick to that for now. I need both hands to move in this cramped space, but judging from her position, I should be quick enough to draw my sword if things go south.
Now I see her. Long hair. Though that's not saying much at her age. So far she's not making any hostile movements. Seems to shiver a bit. What should I say?

>>322029

"Hey kid, what's wrong?"

I think this is a bolt hole, a secret escape tunnel.

Caley 2011/07/06(Wed)13:42 No. 322458 ID: 249d76
File 130998493675.png - (133.05KB , 800x600 , 024.png )

>I think this is a bolt hole, a secret escape tunnel.

I suppose that makes sense.

>"Hey kid, what's wrong?"

"Hey, kid! What's wrong?"
She slowly turns her head and looks at me with tear-filled eyes, while I slowly, casually move my hand towards the sword on my belt.

"Uh..." She sniffs. "I'm hiding from my father. You're... You're that paladin, right?"

... I might be mistaken, but judging from the face and voice, this might actually be a boy after all. Wouldn't suprise me. Village folk tend to dress up their boys as girls and sometimes have them grow their hair out, because Fae are said to like boys more than girls. Superstition if you ask me.

"Yes, I am the paladin. My name is Caley Mimulus, and I am a Paladin of the Order of the Leaden Raven. Are you Tom's child?"

>>322458
Sword is not going to have the room needed to be moved around in here. A dagger would be better.

Anyway, stuff is usually not good when someone is hiding from their father. Ask why they're hiding from their father rather than answering the question.

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)07:34 No. 322883 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131004929755.png - (114.09KB , 800x600 , 025.png )

>Sword is not going to have the room needed to be moved around in here. A dagger would be better.

It's a short sword and I don't have anything smaller than that. Never really learned how to fight well with any other melee weapon in the first place.

>"Yes, I am the paladin. My name is Caley Mimulus, and I am a Paladin of the Order of the Leaden Raven. Are you Tom's child?"
>Anyway, stuff is usually not good when someone is hiding from their father. Ask why they're hiding from their father rather than answering the question.

Indeed, I should probably listen before making assumptions like that. However, I don't think it's going to help me any to hide who I am.

"Yes. I am the paladin. My name is Caley Mimulus, and I am a Paladin of the Order of the Leaden Raven. Why are you hiding from your father?"
They sniff again and look at me with tear-filled eyes.
"He's caught a Fey Mood. Uncle Terry told me to hide. Did father do something bad?"

I think I nailed that one. By Yivvin, I killed this child's father. Doesn't feel good at all.

>>322883
Good, that means you're normal. You can't tell him what you did though. Just tell him that the danger has passed for now and he should return to his uncle.

Then we can be on our way and get that corpse delivered. Delaying here will only further endanger people like this boy.

>>322883

"He was tampered with by the fey. I'm sorry, child. It's a sort of sickness that affected his mind. Where is your uncle?"

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)09:11 No. 322904 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131005510867.png - (114.98KB , 800x600 , 026.png )

>Good, that means you're normal. You can't tell him what you did though. Just tell him that the danger has passed for now and he should return to his uncle.
>Then we can be on our way and get that corpse delivered. Delaying here will only further endanger people like this boy.
>"He was tampered with by the fey. I'm sorry, child. It's a sort of sickness that affected his mind. Where is your uncle?"

All right let's try getting him out of the way.

"He was tampered with by the fey. I'm sorry, child. It's a sort of sickness that affected his mind."
"I know. I know the fairy tales. I just wonder... has he hurt anybody? Did he kill someone?"
"... The danger has passed for now. Where is your uncle? You should probably return to him for now."
"So he's not dangerous then? Do you think it'S gonna go back to normal?"

Urgh, I feel like a lowly criminal, trying to hide the corpse in my cellar. I never did like children, especially ones that don't know when to just stay quiet and follow an adult's directions.

>>322904
Tell him that everything will end up as the fates decree they should or something mystical like that and then ask him to get out of your way, because this tunnel is not wide enough to allow passage for more than one individual.

what i want to know is if the fey curse COULD of been removed or if he would of been like that until he died anyway. it sounds to me like he would of kept killing, and putting him down was the only thing that could be done.

tell him that you have him tied up and need to take him to headquarters.

>>322924
I recall that, technically yes, it could have been, but he would have kept killing right up until that point. They tried locking him up, but he just walked out like it was nothing. Our heroine wasn't powerful enough to remove it herself, so, she did the only thing she could, and killed him.

>>322949
then i say it was a sad thing, but not a bad thing. seriously why the fuck are we avoiding these people like them finding out will make them all switch to satanism and kill her?

He's a scared child, and his entire world has been shaken up. He needs comfort.

Tell him the truth. "When your father was infected, he was no longer in control of himself. I'm sorry, child. If there had been more paladins instead of just one, and if they'd had all the proper training required for the complicated rituals to undo fey infection, your father's story may have ended differently. But if nothing had been done, it would have been only a matter of time before the entire village was mad with the fey's infection."

Be ready to grab the little shit though, you don't want him going past you and seeing his dad's corpse. If he runs the other way that's fine. Just don't let him past you.

He may burst into tears. If he does you should comfort him. Hold him like a little brother, if he will allow it.

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)15:02 No. 323019 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131007614992.png - (144.12KB , 800x600 , 027.png )

>what i want to know is if the fey curse COULD of been removed or if he would of been like that until he died anyway. it sounds to me like he would of kept killing, and putting him down was the only thing that could be done.
>I recall that, technically yes, it could have been, but he would have kept killing right up until that point. They tried locking him up, but he just walked out like it was nothing. Our heroine wasn't powerful enough to remove it herself, so, she did the only thing she could, and killed him.
>then i say it was a sad thing, but not a bad thing. seriously why the fuck are we avoiding these people like them finding out will make them all switch to satanism and kill her?

People act irrationally. I don't want to risk that. We've been over this.

>Tell him that everything will end up as the fates decree they should or something mystical like that and then ask him to get out of your way, because this tunnel is not wide enough to allow passage for more than one individual.

I doubt that a child his age would want to hear stuff about fate. It might go over his head.

>He's a scared child, and his entire world has been shaken up. He needs comfort.

>Tell him the truth. "When your father was infected, he was no longer in control of himself. I'm sorry, child. If there had been more paladins instead of just one, and if they'd had all the proper training required for the complicated rituals to undo fey infection, your father's story may have ended differently. But if nothing had been done, it would have been only a matter of time before the entire village was mad with the fey's infection."

>Be ready to grab the little shit though, you don't want him going past you and seeing his dad's corpse. If he runs the other way that's fine. Just don't let him past you.

>He may burst into tears. If he does you should comfort him. Hold him like a little brother, if he will allow it.

I... feel like I owe him this.

"When your father was infected, he was no longer in control of himself. I'm sorry, child. If there had been more paladins instead of just one, and if they'd had all the proper training required for the complicated rituals to undo fey infection, your father's story may have ended differently. But if nothing had been done, it would have been only a matter of time before the entire village was mad with the fey's infection."
"What does that mean?!
"I did what I could. I'm sorry."
His eyes are tearing up even more.
"What does that mean?! Where is he?!"
"That's... for the gods to decide now."
I can't believe I'm too much of a coward to just say it as it is.
He looks at me with a completely... destroyed...

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)15:03 No. 323020 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131007618023.png - (55.14KB , 800x600 , 028.png )

And before I know it, the child is crying on my shoulder. This is really uncomfortable. I can't reach my short sword like this. I hope he'll let go soon, oh god, please let go soon, please, please, please.

nope, hug him until he let's go. then follow him out the other hole. then make sure all the villagers are on one side to you and tell them, that way you have a clear path to flee if they look like the are going to be violent about you doing everything you could, which i STILL say makes no sense. they will say "well that sucks" and use it as a cautionary story for the kids about the dangers of the fae.

You said before you owed him an explanation. Well you owe him some comfort too. Hold him and let him vent his sorrow on you, tell him that you're sorry for his loss and that everything will be all right. Eventually, though, we'll need to figure out where this tunnel leads.

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)15:30 No. 323036 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131007782014.png - (59.71KB , 800x600 , 029.png )

>make sure all the villagers are on one side to you and tell them, that way you have a clear path to flee if they look like the are going to be violent about you doing everything you could, which i STILL say makes no sense. they will say "well that sucks" and use it as a cautionary story for the kids about the dangers of the fae.

We had a plan. Come on. We can't be sure, can we? These insecurities are really giving me a hard time here.

>nope, hug him until he let's go. then follow him out the other hole.
>You said before you owed him an explanation. Well you owe him some comfort too. Hold him and let him vent his sorrow on you, tell him that you're sorry for his loss and that everything will be all right. Eventually, though, we'll need to figure out where this tunnel leads.

Alright alright. I'm just... Ugh not good at this.
I'll try. I actually push him against me a bit. That's how this works, right?

"I... I'm sorry for your loss. G-go ahead. Uh. Everything will be all right."
He cries loudly. It hurts my ears.
"No it's not! I want my daddy back!"
"Y-... Yes, me too."

roll with that, tell him what happened to your father.

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)16:27 No. 323084 ID: 6e1a8c
File 131008126866.png - (199.26KB , 800x600 , 031.png )

>roll with that, tell him what happened to your father.

"I can't say I know how you feel, but... My father... went with the gods, too, recently."
"..."
"To be fair, I hadn't seen him in years, when I got the letter. He never wanted me to do this, you know? And I always planned on... reconciling with him eventually. And now he's gone."
He manages to speak in between the uncontrolled sobbing.
"Death sucks. Why do people die?"

"i don't know, the gods probably do. but, think about from your father's point of view. he is probably happy that he was stopped before he hurt you. if sad he can't be with you anymore..." pause for a bit "you could join the paladins, learn more about how to get rid of the curse so that no other kid has to go through this"

Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)17:03 No. 323104 ID: 6e1a8c
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>"i don't know, the gods probably do. but, think about from your father's point of view. he is probably happy that he was stopped before he hurt you. if sad he can't be with you anymore..." pause for a bit "you could join the paladins, learn more about how to get rid of the curse so that no other kid has to go through this"

Sure, why not? Might as well recruit a traumatised child for the order.

"I don't know, the gods probably do. But, think about it from your father's point of view. He is probably happy that he was stopped before he hurt you, if sad he can't be with you anymore..."
I pause. It's very welcome here, as it allows me to clear my throat a bit.
"You could join the paladins, learn more about how to get rid of the curse so that no other kid has to go through this."
The child is quiet for a little while. Then he speaks:
"Nobody should die anymore. Can a paladin make that happen?"
Oh boy.
This is... getting really awkward and uncomfortable.

>>323104
Oh, those are some annoying questions. You can't bring someone back from the dead, right?

If you can't then tell the truth, paladins can't save everyone. Nobody could save everyone. All paladins can do is the best they can and try even harder when their best is not good enough. It's a thankless task and you're likely to die before you get old, but it's a task that needs to be done so that other people can live in peace and grow old.

And yeah, the original plan is still good. Paladins able to deal with fey infestations need to know what has happened in their jurisdiction. The sooner they know the sooner other tragedies can be avoided.

"not everyone, but they can stop deaths from fighting and evil. getting too old will still do it"

Paused Caley 2011/07/07(Thu)17:20 No. 323120 ID: 6e1a8c
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>And yeah, the original plan is still good. Paladins able to deal with fey infestations need to know what has happened in their jurisdiction. The sooner they know the sooner other tragedies can be avoided.
Okay. I should hurry this along.

>Oh, those are some annoying questions. You can't bring someone back from the dead, right?
Not even the First could do that.

>If you can't then tell the truth, paladins can't save everyone. Nobody could save everyone. All paladins can do is the best they can and try even harder when their best is not good enough. It's a thankless task and you're likely to die before you get old, but it's a task that needs to be done so that other people can live in peace and grow old.
That's a rather bleak thing to say...

>"not everyone, but they can stop deaths from fighting and evil. getting too old will still do it"
That's not a lot better...

"Uh. Listen you... I... N-not everyone, but..."
Oh Yivvin. Please tell me you see that, too.

I'm against trying to recruit the kid. Right now, he's probably on that edge where he might become an anti-paladin extremist ("Paladins killed my father!!!!!111"), and pushing too hard might yield the opposite of the desired result. Tell him that loss is a part of life, and life isn't always fair, but sometimes you've got to take the bad with the good. Then we need to look for his Uncle or something before he becomes your permanent sidekick.

>>323120

Hm. Yes.

eah we are seeing this, seems someone else is talking to us and you. slow up for a sec.

>>323120
Life is bleak at times, so is the truth. Telling people otherwise is doing them a disservice by making them expect something else.

And yeah, we see it as well. Seems like someone really wants your attention.

Caley 2011/07/09(Sat)04:59 No. 324087 ID: ea7554
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>I'm against trying to recruit the kid. Right now, he's probably on that edge where he might become an anti-paladin extremist ("Paladins killed my father!!!!!111"), and pushing too hard might yield the opposite of the desired result. Tell him that loss is a part of life, and life isn't always fair, but sometimes you've got to take the bad with the good. Then we need to look for his Uncle or something before he becomes your permanent sidekick.
>Life is bleak at times, so is the truth. Telling people otherwise is doing them a disservice by making them expect something else.

I.. Okay, I... Wait I'll deal with this once I find out what is going on here.

>Hm. Yes.
>eah we are seeing this, seems someone else is talking to us and you. slow up for a sec.
>And yeah, we see it as well. Seems like someone really wants your attention.

It would appear so. What is this? There'S writing on the wall. I'm fairly sure that wasn't there before. Should I point it out or try to act as if nothing is happening?

>>324087
It's more likely writing directly to your eyes rather than on the wall. Don't point it out, instead stick to the plan and actually do it this time. Something wants you to get out of this place, now we don't know what it is that wants you to move yet, but we won't find out by staying and shouting at the air or something like that. Send the kid on his way, retrieve the body and then be on your way.

no, leave the body for now.

'send the kid on his way' isn't really an option when the one way you came from has his father's dead body. Ask the child what's at the other end of this tunnel, then we can decide which way to move.

Caley 2011/07/13(Wed)01:52 No. 325926 ID: 91b0c5
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>It's more likely writing directly to your eyes rather than on the wall.
There has to be some magic behind this. It'S really distracting.

>Don't point it out, instead stick to the plan and actually do it this time. Something wants you to get out of this place, now we don't know what it is that wants you to move yet, but we won't find out by staying and shouting at the air or something like that. Send the kid on his way, retrieve the body and then be on your way.

>no, leave the body for now.

>'send the kid on his way' isn't really an option when the one way you came from has his father's dead body. Ask the child what's at the other end of this tunnel, then we can decide which way to move.

Okay, I'll ignore the writing for now. Time to keep the eyes on the prize, right?

"Look, I'm sorry, kid, but I'm in a hurry. The other paladins must know what happened here, so we can prevent this from happening again."
"But... b-but", he whimpers.
"Where does this tunnel lead?"
"Out of the village. To a cliff. It-... it's an escape."

Perfect.

Perfect? Perfect for you maybe, but that means that the child can't go that way, meaning that he'd have to get back to town by the route you came from, passing by the corpse of his father. Well, maybe it doesn't lead too far out of the village. Have him show you and then if it leads to somewhere outside the village but near enough that it'd be okay to send him in a way that wouldn't expose him directly to his father's slain body, do that.

>>325926
Excellent, tell the kid to go out that way and then make his way back to the village. It should be safe enough.

While he's doing that you can go back and retrieve the body, need to take that along with us so nobody else get Fae infection from it.

>>325938
Sure he can go back. There's nothing stopping him from walking back to the village outside of the escape route.